It has been assumed that the sensitivity of several phosphate-binding enzymes to fluoroaluminate complexes was due to a similarity of the AlF4- complex with the tetrahedral phosphate anion. Depending on the stoichiometry, the ligand nature, and the medium conditions, aluminum may form either octahedral or tetrahedral complexes with molecular ligands. An exhaustive NMR (27Al and 19F) study of aqueous solutions of fluoride and aluminum ions from pH 2 to pH 11 and for [F]/[Al] ratios up to 14 permits the characterization of the fluoroaluminate complexes observed. This study provides evidence of complexes at pH ≤ 6 containing respectively one and two fluorine atoms per aluminum, the other aluminum ligands being H2O. Contrary to previous results, assignments of the resonances to complexes corresponding to three or more fluorines per aluminum was difficult over the range of temperatures studied. This is due to rapid exchange processes between H2O and F- ligands. At pH higher than 2, it has been possible to assu...


Background: Fatal cardiovascular complications and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) account for the majority of SARS-CoV-2-associated deaths. The objective of this research was to find transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction parameters that can be utilized to predict outcomes in individuals with severe COVID-19 pneumonia;Methods: This observational research included 90 cases with severe COVID-19 pneumonia subjected to TTE on the day of admission and 3rd day to determine the relationship between severity, mortality in severe COVID-19 pneumonia and RV function parameters;Results: TAPSE, SPAP, RVD, RV-WT, and RV-FAC had significant differences among the two groups. PaO2/FiO2 and average MAP were significantly correlated with all RV parameters. Adjusted multivariate regression analysis on day 1 showed that TAPSE and SPAP followed by RVFAC were significantly related to mortality. While on day 3, it was revealed that RVFAC then SPAP were significantly related to mortality. SPAP, with a cutoff point >46 mmHg, was the most sensitive parameter, while the most specific to predict mortality was TAPSE, with a cutoff point ≤15 mm. Conclusions: In cases with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, prediction of mortality can be performed by measuring RV parameters by TTE with high sensitivity and specificity. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.


High-throughput design offers a promising way to expedite the de novo design of novel energetic molecules, but achieving this goal necessitates accurate methods for property predicting and efficient schemes for...


Abstract Silicon-based microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices are made from single-crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) films obtained by low-pressure chemical vapour deposition and certain ceramic films. For high-temperature applications, SiC films are being developed to replace polysilicon films. Tribology in the MEMS devices requiring relative motion is of importance. Atomic force microscopy/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM) and nanoindentation techniques have been used for tribological studies on a microscale to nanoscale on materials of interest. These techniques have been used to study surface roughness, friction, scratching and wear, indentation and boundary lubrication of bulk and treated silicon, polysilicon films and SiC films, Macroscale friction and wear tests have also been conducted using the ball-on-flat tribometer. Measurements of microscale and macroscale frictional forces show that friction values on both scales of all the silicon samples are about the same for different silicon materials and higher than that of SiC. The microscale values are lower than the macroscale values as there is less ploughing contribution in the microscale measurements. Surface roughness has an effect on friction. In microscale and macroscale tests, C+-implanted, oxidized and plasma-enhanced chemically vapour-deposited oxide-coated single-crystal silicon samples exhibit much larger scratching and wear resistance than untreated samples. Polysilicon films and undoped single-crystal silicon show similar friction and wear characteristics. The doping of polysilicon film does not significantly affect its tribological properties. Microscratching, microwear and nanoindentation, and macroscale friction and wear studies indicate that SiC films are superior to the other materials currently used in MEMS devices. Higher hardness and fracture toughness of the SiC film is believed to be responsible for its superior mechanical integrity and lower friction. Chemically grafted self-assembled monolayers and chemically bonded liquid lubricants show promising performance for boundary lubrication in MEMS devices.


This paper analyses the advantages and limitations of the OSPF which is the dynamic routing protocol,also introduces the NSSA because the Stub zone can not channel into external without OSPF routing,NSSA can remedy this disadvantages.Meanwhile,through a sample,it introduces the actual application of NSSA on the Cisco router and presents the importance of NSSA.


N-Benzyloxycarbonyl-substituted amino acids (HL) react with the copper(II) ion to form simple green complexes of formula [{CuL2(H2O)n}2](L =N-benzyloxycarbonyl-glycinate, -valinate, or -leucinate, n= 1; L =N-benzyloxycarbonylalaninate, n= 0), which show physical properties indicating a dimeric structure with strong antiferromagnetic interactions between the copper(II) ions within the pairs through a superexchange mechanism via bridging carboxylate groups. Exchange integrals (–2J) in the range 295–350 cm–1 were calculated.


In recent years, it has been difficult for multilabel classification to obtain complete multilabel data in real‐world applications, and even a large number of labels for training samples are randomly missed. As a result, the classification task of incomplete multilabel data with missing labels faces formidable challenges. This paper presents a two‐stage‐neighborhood‐based multilabel classification method for incomplete data with missing labels in neighborhood decision systems. First, to solve the problem of selecting the neighborhood radius manually, as well as balancing the samples in the neighborhood, the neighborhood radius based on the feature distribution function is defined, and the differences and similarities between samples through the identifiable and indiscernible matrices are, respectively, computed. Then, a restoration method for missing feature values is proposed for use in the first stage. Second, to consider the nonlinear relationship among features, a neighborhood‐based fuzzy similarity relationship between samples is investigated based on the Gaussian kernel function. By integrating the fuzzy similarity relationship matrix, label‐specific feature matrix, and label correlation matrix, an objective function based on the regression model is presented, the optimal solutions to the label‐specific feature and label correlation matrices based on the gradient descent strategy are provided, and a new multilabel classification method with missing labels is developed during the second stage. Finally, two‐stage multilabel classification algorithms are designed. Experiments on 18 multilabel data sets demonstrate that our designed algorithms are effective not only for recovering missing feature values, but also for improving the classification performance of data with missing labels.


20 Background: Older patients with advanced cancer who are certain that they could be cured pose unique challenges for physicians who wish to help them prepare for death. By estimating the prevalence of absolute certainty about curability (ACC) and examining its correlates we aim to inform the development of interventions to improve end of life care. We hypothesized that patients who report greater willingness to bear adversity in exchange for longevity will be more likely to demonstrate ACC. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of a nationwide geriatric assessment trial. Patients were asked: "What are the chances the cancer will go away and never come back with treatment [100% (ACC), > 50%, 50/50, < 50%, 0%, or unclear]." We assessed willingness to bear adversity using two types of trade-off questions. For trade-offs between treatment-related adverse reactions and survival, five statements on specific adverse reactions (nausea/vomiting, assistance with activities, bedbound state, confusion, worsening memory) were administered. For trade-off preferences between quality of life (QoL) and survival, patients answered the following statement: "Maintaining my QoL is more important to me than living longer". Logistic regression was used to assess the independent associations of patient trade-off preferences with ACC, after controlling for covariates. Results: 349 older patients were included; 8.0% had ACC. 7.4% of respondents disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement "Maintaining my QoL is more important than living longer." Patients who were willing to trade QoL for survival were more likely to demonstrate ACC (AOR 4.43, 95% CI 1.13-17.42). Trade-off preferences between adverse reactions and survival were not associated with ACC. Non-white race, < high school education, lower household income, lack of social support, intact functional status, and no polypharmacy were associated with ACC (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Patients with advanced cancer who are more willing to accept a decreased QoL for survival are more likely to be certain that they will be cured. Beyond sharing prognosis, clinicians might help patients improve prognostic understanding by helping them identify and articulate their values and beliefs.


The future of the British nuclear deterrent lies with Trident nuclear missile submarines. By 1999 Trident missiles will be the UK's only nuclear weapons. Britain's planned fleet of four submarines should be operational and carrying out regular patrols by the turn of the century; Trident is due to remain in service until at least 2020. Each submarine carries 16 missiles and will deploy with up to 96 warheads a boat. Ninety-six warheads is a self-imposed limit; in theory, each submarine could carry more than twice this number. Each warhead is independently targetable and has an estimated explosive yield of 100kt. The cost of the nuclear deterrent for 1994/95 was £3.8 billion, about 16% of the defence budget. This includes the cost of conventional support forces that are also used to support non-nuclear military capabilities. Nuclear weapons are a centre piece of UK defence policy. The British government argues that independent nuclear forces make an important contribution to NATO and, in a general sense, provide the ultimate safeguard of Britain's security. The value of British nuclear forces to NATO, the government believes, is that they provide a 'second The Franco-German Nuclear Tandem


(JAAUTH)  Vol. 21, No. 1, (2021),  PP.103-125.  Despite the tremendous importance of electronic customer relationship management (eCRM), customer loyalty, and brand image in the hospitality industry, literature has revealed limited research into this aspect in hotels. The study objectives are to explore the influence of using eCRM practices (ease of use / navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, price attractiveness, and multimedia features,) to enhance customer loyalty and brand image in hotels. A conceptual framework for the study was constructed based on the pertinent literature and pilot study. The study relied on questionnaires as a tool for data collection. The survey was compiled based on previous studies, and it was distributed to hotel guests in twenty different five-star hotels in Great Cairo. The researchers distributed 400 questionnaires to a random sample of hotel' guests in 20 hotels, 277 were valid, with an acceptable response rate of 69.25%. The valid data was analyzed through (SPSS V.25) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using (AMOS V.20). The findings revealed that ease of use / navigation, information quality, personalization level, payment options, site security and privacy policies, reservation and tracking, and price attractiveness significantly impact customer loyalty in hotels. Also, customer loyalty significantly affects the brand's image. Additionally, electronic customer relationship management (eCRM) through customer loyalty significantly impacts the brand's image.


The article describes the application of various methods of rapid prototyping for manufacturing of prototype castings. This technology assumes that the properties of such a casting are similar to properties of a casting obtained in serial production involving die-casting technologies or high pressure die casting. However, other conditions of metal preparation, pouring, and the solidification process, related to the specificity of manufacturing of a single casting with the application of rapid prototyping, as compared to serial production generate different final properties. Numerical simulations of exploitation conditions, with the use of Ansys and Abaqus software, were conducted for selected constructions taking into account the final properties of a casting. MAGMASoft software was used for the analysis of the technological process for manufacturing of prototype castings, as well as in serial production. The article describes the consecutive stages for manufacturing of selected prototype castings - from the moment of designing to manufacturing of a ready-made element. The selected elements were produced with the use of rapid prototyping with a 3D Z-Corp printer and a FDM Titan machine, and then model sets were prepared for casting with the application of the lost wax casting technique.The conducted analysis was aimed at defining methodology for manufacturing prototype castings with the use of numerical simulation tools, especially the implementation of boundary conditions achieved as a result of solidification analysis and techniques of rapid prototyping. It was stated that final properties of a prototype casting and a serial casting may be different, which may impact the assessment of the construction under development. The use of numerical calculations for the assessment of a prototype and serial construction with exploitation parameters broadens the expertise with final properties of the analysed construction.


The median is often a better measure than the mean in evaluating a portfolio's long-term value. The standard plug-in estimate of the median, however, is too optimistic. It has a substantial upward bias that can easily exceed a factor of 2. This article provides an unbiased forecast of the median of a portfolio's long-term value. It also provides an unbiased forecast of an arbitrary percentile of a portfolio's long-term value distribution, which enables the construction of the likely range of a portfolio's long-term value for any given confidence level. The article offers an unbiased forecast of the probability of a portfolio's long-term value falling within a given interval. The article's unbiased estimators give a more accurate assessment of a portfolio's long-term value than do traditional estimators and are useful for long-term planning and investment.


Benign prostatic hyperplasia is the most common disease of middle-aged and old male population caused by urination dysfunction. The main clinical feature is lower urinary tract symptom,seriously affecting patients' quality of life. Drug treatment is important for benign prostatic hyperplasia and its safety and effectiveness has been widely recognized,mainly including 5-α reductase inhibitors,α-blockers,phytotherapy and combination therapy. Along with exploration for drug treatment and the emergence of new drugs,it has become the preferred treatment of mild-to-moderate patients.


Infra‐red absorption spectra of polythene, rubber, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride have been obtained at 4° absolute, in the rocksalt region, in a specially designed transmission cell containing liquid helium. No unusual changes occur on cooling which considerably alter the absorption. Some sharpening and improvement in resolution occurs, but the widths of most bands in polymers remain wide.In polythene one component of the doublet at 720 cm−1 becomes very sharp (possibly even less than the experimental value of the slit width, 1 cm−1). Its companion remains broad, about 4 cm−1. The two components are interpreted as CH2 wagging in trans‐ and cis‐configurations of the hydro‐carbon chain.


Abstract—The paper proposes a new third-order Chebyshev bandpass filter based on the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) manufacturing technology using an inductive iris and a defected ground structure (DGS) station to resonate in the Ka frequency band, intended for wireless communication applications. All steps that are necessary for designing such a filter have been described in detail based on specific analytical equations harnessed to calculate the different synthesizable parameters of the proposed band-pass filter design, such as the coupling matrix, quality coefficients and initial geometric dimensions. The filter's ideal frequency response is extracted from an equivalent circuit employing localized elements developed with the use of Design Microwave Office Software. Otherwise, HFSS is employed to set the initial parameters of the proposed topology that will not meet the target specifications defined previously. Accordingly, optimization procedures are necessary for different SIW band-pass filter parameters to reach a high frequency response for the proposed design. The detailed results presented show high efficiency of the SIW technology that offers good performance with lower filter volumes. Two topologies have been developed and then optimized to demonstrate the usefulness of EM software.


The sequence of microscopic fracture mechanisms in locally loaded cross-ply carbon-fiber composites was studied by analyzing acoustic emission (AE) signals in combination with the modal analysis of Lamb waves, using microscopic and ultrasonic examination of the specimen after load interruption. The first 70 AE events were analyzed, which were detected during the initial loading segment when the first sudden load drop and gradual load recovery were observed. Characteristics of the detected waves were compared with the S0and A0-mode Lamb waves produced by a spotor line-focused YAG laser. The internal damage progression of the composite specimen was determined to be the fiber fracture in the front lamina, transverse cracks in the mid-lamina, delamination and splitting. 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


In this paper, a general initial-boundary value problem for a higher order linear parabolic equation with time dependent coefficients and nonhomogeneous data is studied via the abstract results obtained from a generalization of the classical theory of analytic semigroups of linear operators.


(Methuen, 17s. 6d.) At first sight one is put off by the amount of apparatus needed and by l'J" mass of detailed instructions. However, any teacher who has taken so much troUb, and given so much thought and time to perfecting such a method must be a r?a. enthusiast and is therefore more likely than other teachers to infuse his pupils the desire to learn. Furthermore, Mr. Moxon has cunningly evolved his meth? with a built-in need to move around the room in order to do all the finding-^ required from the various bits of apparatus dotted about. Though visible, they S'v no answer till a flap is lifted, and so on. The restless, the brain-injured, and t'1 aggressive, all have the wind cunningly taken out of their sails. Their motive po^e and energy is put to use in finding things out which help them to read. Now that this method is in the form of a book, it will require careful match#'


Based on descriptive analysis,through the investigation of the medical serve status of 10 sample counties in Shanxi province,the distribution equity of population and geography area of health resources (physician,nurse and hospital beds) was analyzed and evaluated by Lorenz curve and Gini coefficient.Then,the data can provide the scientific basis for government ,s opitimizing allocation of health resources.


The concept of "virtual idols" has a history of over 30 years, and it has become a popular word in many fields in recent years. Virtual idols are productions of technology and society. They meet people's needs and dreams through technology, such as singing, dancing, and creating more daily life possibilities. Unlike traditional entertainment, virtual idols have characteristics of a high income, strong plasticity and strong controllability. Thanks to the advantages of virtual idols, virtual idols have attracted the attention of various fields. Nowadays, many companies, not only the entertainment companies, launched their virtual idols for efficiency and profit. People are looking forward to a spark between virtual idols and new areas. This paper explores the relationship between virtual idol's technologies and unique characteristics by examples and gives definitions and classifications of virtual idols.


This article presents the attempt to reconstruct the history of one of the new military units of Russian Army of admiral Kolchak. 17 th Siberian independent rifle brigade had existed little more than a half of year, but it's operational should be interesting in order understanding the whole panorama of Civil War in the Russian East in 1918-1922.


The author investigates the information basis of the financial system market transformations. Special attention is paid to the issues of the information and technological support of the financial structure and the K-society development.


: Reverse phase HPLC method which is simple, precise, reproducible, accurate was developed for the simultaneous estimation of ETC, BTG, TFRA in fixed combination of formulation drug All the three analytes were separated efficiently using Inertsil 30V C 18 Column (250*4.6mm, 5 micron) using buffer phosphoric dihydrogen phosphate as mobile phase A and methanol and water (70:30) as mobile phase B. Acetonitrile and buffer are used as diluents. The analysis was performed at a wavelength of 265 nm, flow rate of 1.5ml/min and injection volume of 10µl.Linearity was good within the designed concentration range. System suitability was achieved as RSD values were <2. LOD values for ETC, BTG, TFRA were 0.2µg/ml, 0.5µg/ml, 0.0025µg/ml and LOQ values were 0.6µg/ml, 1.5µg/ml, 0.0075µg/ml respectively. Precision and accuracy was achieved as RSD values and percentage recovery was within in the limits i.e., <2 and within 100%. Robustness for the method was achieved using three parameters including pH of the mobile phase, flow rate and different column. In these varied conditions, all three analytes were eluted, resolved and there was no change in their retention times. This proves that this reverse HPLC method developed was simple, accurate, precise and robust for the simultaneous estimation of ETC, BTG, TFRA.


This paper is concerned with developing an algorithm for solving the coordination problem that arises in a new equilibrium model , which for the purpose of this presentation applies to a static (no-time coupling costs or constraints) electricity pool market with price inelastic demand and no network. The new equilibrium model has the following main properties: i) every scheduled generator satisfies its minimum surplus (or bid profit) condition; ii) the energy price is a system marginal cost (Lagrange multiplier associated with the power balance constraint in the related economic dispatch problem where all of the discrete variables are fixed to their optimal values); iii) the power balance and all the generators' technical constraints are satisfied. To solve the coordination problem, which is a subproblem of the new equilibrium model, it is mathematically convenient to cast the former as a three-level nested optimization problem. We substitute the ensuing lower-level subproblems with an equivalent set of explicit algebraic equalities and inequalities. Hence, we obtain a one-level problem, which is a discrete-continuous mathematical program with complementarity or equilibrium constraints (MPEC). Finally, we transform the one-level mathematical program into mixed-integer linear form by substitution of the complementarity terms and the remaining nonlinear terms.


A nonlinear dynamic model of an intercooled, turbocharged, spark- ignited engine is developed for the purpose of evaluating microprocessor-based wastegate and ignition control laws. The engine system is thermodynamically modelled and matched to engine data. The microprocessor representation contains the actual algorithms used to implement the control law. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 850768.


Objectives The policy of centralising hyperacute stroke units (HASUs) in England aims to provide stroke care in units that are both large enough to sustain expertise (>600 admissions/year) and dispersed enough to rapidly deliver time-critical treatments (<30 min maximum travel time). Currently, just over half (56%) of patients with stroke access care in such a unit. We sought to model national configurations of HASUs that would optimise both institutional size and geographical access to stroke care, to maximise the population benefit from the centralisation of stroke care. Design Modelling of the effect of the national reconfiguration of stroke services. Optimal solutions were identified using a heuristic genetic algorithm. Setting 127 acute stroke services in England, serving a population of 54 million people. Participants 238 887 emergency admissions with acute stroke over a 3-year period (2013–2015). Intervention Modelled reconfigurations of HASUs optimised for institutional size and geographical access. Main outcome measure Travel distances and times to HASUs, proportion of patients attending a HASU with at least 600 admissions per year, and minimum and maximum HASU admissions. Results Solutions were identified with 75–85 HASUs with annual stroke admissions in the range of 600–2000, which achieve up to 82% of patients attending a stroke unit within 30 min estimated travel time (with at least 95% and 98% of the patients being within 45 and 60 min travel time, respectively). Conclusions The reconfiguration of hyperacute stroke services in England could lead to all patients being treated in a HASU with between 600 and 2000 admissions per year. However, the proportion of patients within 30 min of a HASU would fall from over 90% to 80%–82%.


The following letters were written to John Summerson by the architect Percy Ernest Newton in 1948. Summerson first met Newton in or about 1922, the year in which Summerson left school and entered the degree course at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. In the same year, Summerson joined the Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club, which at that time occupied 6 Bedford Square. Several notable architects were members of the club, including Halsey Ricardo and F. C. Eden. Newton was a resident member, an accomplished pianist and frequent performer at the musical evenings. Summerson remembered him as a neat, private, and rather cross-looking man. But Newton was a great talker, always ready to gossip about the past, and in Summerson he found a good listener.


According to the Law No. 677/2001 on the Protection of Individuals with Regard tothe Processing of Personal Data and the Free Movement of Such Data, any information referringto an identified or identifiable person, particularly with reference to an identification number orto one or more specific factors of his physical, physiological, economic, cultural or social identityis defined as personal data.An analysis of the consumers' perceptions regarding the processing and protection of theirpersonal data reveals that almost anything may be associated to an individual and becomespersonal, but not anything personal deserves a protection as described by the law. The paperpresents the results obtained through a survey conducted on a sample of 394 Romanian consumersand discusses the micro and macroeconomic implications of mapping the consumer private space.


Granitic rocks, interpreted to be related to crustal melting, were emplaced into regions of thickened crust in southern Arizona during the Laramide orogeny (80–40 Ma). Laramide-age anatectic rocks are exposed as plutons, sills, and dike networks that are commonly found in the exhumed footwalls of metamorphic core complexes. This study investigates newly discovered exposures of granodioritic–leucogranitic rocks from three intrusive phases in the footwall of the Pinaleño– Jackson Mountain metamorphic core complex of southeastern Arizona, called the Relleno suite. Zircon U–Pb geochronology indicates that the suite was emplaced from 58 to 52 Ma. Zircon Lu/Hf isotope geochemistry, whole-rock Sr and Nd isotope geochemistry, and mineral O isotope geochemistry were used to investigate the source of these rocks and evaluate whether they are related to crustal anatexis. Average zircon εHf(t) values of the suite range from −4.7 to −7.9, wholerock εNd(i) and Sr/Sr(i) values range from −9.4 to −11.8 and 0.7064 to 0.7094 respectively, and quartz δOVSMOW values range from 6.8 to 9.4 . Isotopic and geochemical data of these rocks are consistent with derivation from and assimilation of intermediate–mafic (meta)igneous rocks, at deep crustal levels, and are supported by thermodynamic melt models of Proterozoic igneous rocks equivalent to those exposed in the Pinaleño Mountains. In comparison with other Laramideage anatectic granites in SE Arizona, those exposed in the Pinaleño Mountains are temporally similar but present compositional and isotopic differences that reflect melting and assimilation of different lithologies, producing distinct mineralogical and isotopic characteristics. The results suggest that crustal melting during this interval was not limited to metasedimentary protoliths and may have affected large portions of the deep crust. The early Paleogene Relleno suite in the Pinaleño Mountains strengthens the relationship between crustal melting and regions of thickened crust associated with the Sevier and Laramide orogenies.


Two forms of sea mustard, Undaria pinnatifida were cultured in order to compare the morphological characteristics and the efficiency of production. U. pinnatifida f. distans was collected from Wando, Korea and U. pinnatifida f. typica was transplanted from Sanriku, Japan. The latter form grew faster in length and weight than the former. Maximum growth was shown in early April for both forms, and the growth rates decreased after this. Absolute growth rates between the two forms were quite different. Average total lengths at the harvest season was 161.1 cm in U. pinnatifida f. distans and 183.5 cm in U. pinnatifida f. typica and average weights of those two forms were 1,003.4 g and 1,314.6 g, respectively. The weight of available parts for the salting process of the two forms were 734.8 g and 968.5 g, respectively. The rates of total length versus the length of the available part of the two forms were 76% and 83%, respectively and those of the total length versus weight of the available part of them were 43.8% and 52.7%, respectively. The results of this study suggest that the U. pinnatifida f. typica had more available part per unit weight than that of the U. pinnatifida f. distans for the efficiency of salt processing.


Irradiation of 4aα,5,8,8aα-tetrahydronaphthoquin-1-on-4β-o1 (1a) and its 6,7-dimethyl derivative 1b in the solid state leads to two products. The first is formed via intramolecular hydrogen abstraction by carbonyl oxygen followed by radical coupling, and the second is produced through initial hydrogen abstraction by enone carbon and subsequent radical coupling. X-ray crystallography reveals that both processes are topochemically allowed, and the geometric parameters for the hydrogen transfers and the radical coupling reactions are tabulated. In the case of 1b, the photoproduct ratio was found to be temperature dependent with hydrogen atom abstraction by carbon predominating at lower temperatures. From the slope of the linear plot of the natural logarithm of the photoproduct ratio versus the reciprocal of the temperature, an activation energy difference of approximately 4 kcal/mole is calculated. The results are interpreted as being due to competing reactions from (n,π*)3 and (π*)3 excited states, the latter (hydrogen abstraction by carbon) having a lower activation energy than the former (hydrogen abstraction by oxygen).


PALAVRAS-CHAVE: lingua; signo linguistico; linguagem; Teoria da Enunciacao. ABSTRACT: In this study we sketch a conceptual map of the Enunciation Theory proposed by Emile Benveniste (1902-1976). Our departure point is the comprehensive revision of key concepts proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) made by Benveniste, which leads him to describe why one may attribute the principle of Double Significance to the object of General Linguistics, i.e., la langue. The aim of such a long reach revision was the constitution of subject within the universe of discourse, a theoretical and methodological positioning which opened up new horizons for the tendency of delimiting and defining the various aspects of language in use through dual opposition.


The present invention generally relates to the field of bacteria. In particular, the present invention concerns 'short-time high temperature' treated probiotics and/or dairy starter cultures and applications of these bacteria. One embodiment of the present invention relates to 'short-time high temperature' treated probiotics and/or dairy starter cultures and their use to prepare compositions to treat or prevent inflammatory disorders.


In their article, "Shrewd Bargaining on the Moral Frontier," J. Gregory Dees and Peter C. Crampton challenge us with a puzzle about deception in bargaining. How can the practice of misleading others about our settlement preferences—the terms on which we are willing to come to an agreement —possibly be justified? On any standard ethical theory, they claim, Brer Rabbit's trick of professing fear of the briar patch in order to avoid being eaten by the fox would seem to be wrong, and yet we read this tale to our children for their moral edification. The discussion by Dees and Crampton of this apparent inconsistency is penetrating, instructive, and well-informed. It is also a delight to read.


With the constant increase in energy demand, using renewable energy has become a priority. Geothermal energy is a widely available, constant source of renewable energy that has shown great potential as an alternative source of energy in achieving global energy sustainability and environment protection. When exploiting geothermal energy, whether is for heating or cooling buildings or generating electricity, a ground heat exchanger (GHE) is the most important component, whose performance can be easily improved by following the latest design aspects. This article focuses on the application of different types of GHEs with attention directed to deep vertical borehole heat exchangers and direct expansion systems, which were not dealt with in detail in recent reviews. The article gives a review of the most recent advances in design aspects of GHE, namely pipe arrangement, materials, and working fluids. The influence of the main design parameters on the performance of horizontal, vertical, and shallow GHEs is discussed together with commonly used performance indicators for the evaluation of GHE. A survey of the available literature shows that thermal performance is mostly a point of interest, while hydraulic and/or economic performance is often not addressed, potentially resulting in non-optimal GHE design.


The paper analyses the value creation benefits of the holding form of organisation in France by empirically examining the effects of non-controlling stake purchases on target shareholder wealth, operational performance and bidder shareholder returns for a sample of 122 stake purchases in French listed companies. The evidence puts into question the ability of holding companies to create value for the firms they purchase stakes in or their own shareholders, adding to the current debate on the relative role played by large shareholders and the external market for corporate control as ultimate disciplining devices.


(54) COMPOSITE YARN INCLUDING ASTAPLE 3,845,611 11/1974 Senturk et al. ............................... 57/5 FIBER COVERING A FLAMENT YARN 3,940,917 3/1976 Strachan ............ ... 571152 COMPONENT AND CONFINING THE 4,069,659 1/1978 Arai et al. ..... ... 57/60 FLAMENT YARN COMPONENT TO A 4,296,597 10/1981 Tani et al. ..... ... 57/205 SECOND THICKNESS THAT IS LESS THAN 5:59 2. Esm s: A FIRST THICKNESS OF THE FLAMENT IN 3 a 4,614,081 9/1986 Kim ............................................ 57/12 A RELAXED STATE AND A PROCESS FOR 4,712,365 12/1987 Ferrer .......................................... 57/12 PRODUCING THE SAME 4,757,680 7/1988 Berger et al. . ... 571328 4,866,924 9/1989 Stahlecker ..... ... 571243 75 Inventor: Charles W. Proctor, Greensboro, N.C. 4,921,756 5/1990 Tolbert et al. ... 428/373 4,928,464 5/1990 Morrison ................................... 57/224 73) Assignee: Espin Industries, Inc., Greensboro, FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS


The resilient concept has been widely used by major world cities as one of the strategies in tackling shocks and stresses and become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges. This concept helps in building a resilient community with a high-quality, proactive and dynamics which capable of addressing the challenges of urbanization. Urbanization leads to widening income inequality, high dependency on government and lack of social cohesion significantly affect the social lives of the urban community. This paper aims to localize the resilience community indicators for measuring the resilience level of the urban community in Putrajaya. The aspect studied is localizing the resilience community indicators of the urban community. This research used a qualitative approach by a semi-structured interview. The population of the study consists of three experts in resilient concept as well as community development and three main informants who lived in Putrajaya. The researcher believes that by building a resilient community, indirectly the urban community will be more prepared for the challenges of modernity in the future and move in tandem with the big cities of the world. Therefore, the emphasis of the resilience concept able to improves the quality of the community and enhances community development.


This DataWatch section contains three studies: Vincent Mor and Howard Birnbaum of Brown University discuss implications of National Hospice Study data for hospice care legislation; Gail Wilensky and Marc Berk of the National Center for Health Services Research provide data on the sick uninsured poor; and Randall Bovbjerg, Louis H. Diamond, Philip J. Held, and Mark V. Pauly present preliminary evidence in the debate on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.


Education has undergone the greatest revolution since the 19th century. The pandemic has massively launched teaching towards the use of ICTs and online education. The main objective of this research is to study the relationship between the adaptation of university faculty to the massive use of ICTs and educational digitization, and the promotion of SDG 4, which establishes Target 4.3, ensuring access to quality university education. To achieve this, a descriptive study methodology is used, in which the results of a validated survey, on a sample of 245 teachers from 32 public and private Spanish universities, were analyzed. The main results consist of the different emotional reactions among professors, finding that, on the one hand, ICTs allow for the development of new skills, the introduction of new methodological proposals, and the development of a positive attitude towards the use of digital tools in order to reach all of their students. However, on the other hand, the results also show that the use of ICTs caused an increase in anxiety, workloads, and the need for ongoing training. There is a need to continue improving the digital competencies of faculty professors in order to favor access to ICTs by university students and, thus, promote quality education worldwide.


Objective To analyze the A TP7A gene mutations in 2 related Chinese patients with Menkes disease (MD) and other members of the family and their hereditary features. Methods Two patients were clinically diagnosed as having MD. All 23 exons and exon-intron boundaries of ATP7A gene were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified and directly sequenced for genomic DNA extracted from the peripheral blood of both 2 patients and other members of the family; healthy controls were employed too. The mutations were proved by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results Gross deletions from exon 2-12 were found in these 2 patients,respectively; their mothers,grandmother and aunt with normal phenotype carried those heterozygous mutations in the same site of A TP7A gene.Conclusions The 2 patients with MD are identified by gene and gross deletions from exon 2-12 are reported.

Key words:
Menkes disease;  ATP7A gene;  Mutation


ABSTRACT The Polar Silk Road (PSR) will open up China's maritime trade route through the Arctic to Northwest Europe and affect the freight function structure of China's coastal ports. This study evaluates ports' freight capacity and predicts the freight function structure of China's coastal ports under the PSR from four dimensions, namely, comprehensive/professional, function status, function scale and function hierarchy. The freight function structure is also compared with the current one. Results show that the ports in the Bohai Rim and Yangtze River Delta will have more diversified development and become the main force of the port system under the PSR. Coal will have an important position in most ports' cargo transportation under the PSR. The PSR will bring great economic development opportunities to the northern ports because of the influence of the sea route distance. The port function hierarchy is more obvious under the PSR, and the medium-sized ports are most affected by the PSR. We classify coastal portsaccording to the freight scale and freight function. An adaptive proposal for the government's port function planning is proposed in the conclusion.


Through a new interpretation of Marxism,early western Marxists not only criticized vulgar Marxism,but also resumed the status of dialectics in Marxism;not only reemphasized Marxist value appeal of human liberation,but also made stimulating explorations into the political practice of socialism.The theoretical explorations and practical efforts of the early western Marxists are of positive practical significance in our attempts to enrich and develop Marxism today.


This paper puts forward a new method of surface reconstruction. Power crust algorithm can reconstruct a good surface that is topological valid and be proved theoretically. But when the point cloud is noisy, the surface reconstructed is not good and its running time is long. This paper proposes a improved method of fuzzy c-means clustering to delete the noisy points and a non-uniformly sampling method to resample the input data set according to the local feature size before reconstruction. Experimental results show that the efficiency of the algorithm has been improved much more.


The functional properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) after alkaline protease digestion and transglutaminase (TGase) catalyzed polymerization is correlated with its internal molecule structure. The structure of SPI modified by alkaline protease digestion-TGase by using ultraviolet
 (UV) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and circular dichroism spectroscopy were characterized. The UV spectroscopy analysis showed that the cross-linking of SPI by alkaline protease digestion-TGase induced the reorganization and polymerization of small polypeptide chains, and the absorption
 intensity of Tyr and Trp increased, which demonstrated that the side chain structure of the SPI polypeptide chains modified by TGase was changed. The results of FT-IR showed that the absorption peaks of amide I and II segments shifted after TGase cross-linked SPI, and part of beta-sheet secondary
 structures was transformed into alpha-helix, indicated that the intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the modified SPI were changed. By circular dichroism spectroscopy showed that the content of random coil and alpha-helix secondary structure of SPI modified by TGase increased and the content of
 beta-sheet structure decreased.


Agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Government of the Republic of India. New Delhi, 20 February 2001


Aiming at the problems of lacking credibility evaluation for the feedback information and risk assessment in trust model based on cloud theory,this paper proposes a new trust model.The credibility of an evaluation is measured by combining the evaluation number and evaluation consistency about a feedback entity.Trust cloud for an entity is generated based on the weighted backward cloud generator algorithm.Risk value is assessed according to entity's active degree and the numerical characteristics of the entity's trust cloud.Simulation results indicate that the model can reflect the behavior characteristics of every entity accurately,and the success rate of interaction between entities is significantly improved.


A kind of arc-linear axial flux permanent-magnet synchronous machine (AL-AF-PMSM) used for scanning system is researched in this paper. Due to the characteristics of the three-dimensional (3-D) magnetic field, 3-D finite element method (FEM) is usually required to analyze the AF-PMSM. However, 3-D FEM is generally too time consuming. In order to avoid this problem, an approximate equivalent 2-D calculating model is proposed based on the idea of Complex Simpson integral formula. Then this method is validated by comparing with the 3-D FEM results. Finally, with the help of this new method, the AL-AF-PMSM is optimized to reduce the torque fluctuation and improve the smooth operating range.


This paper proposes a current control method for discontinuous current mode (DCM) in order to achieve the same control performance as continuous current mode (CCM) in a boost converter. By utilizing the duty ratio at the previous calculation period to compensate for a DCM nonlinearity, the controller, which is designed for CCM, can also be used in DCM. In the frequency analysis, the cutoff frequency of the proposed DCM current control agrees exactly to the design value, which is 2 kHz, whereas the cutoff frequency of the conventional DCM current control results in high error of 47.5%. In the current step response experiment with a 360-W prototype and the switching frequency of 20 kHz, the experimental DCM current response almost agrees with the conventional CCM current response, which are 380-μs rise time for both CCM and DCM, 9% and 8% overshoot for CCM and DCM, respectively. Furthermore, the computation time of the proposed DCM current control is shorter 35% than the conventional DCM current control.


The present invention relates to a process for producing a catalyst, said catalyst comprising 0.05-0.25 wt.% Noble metal, preferably for the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylenically unsaturated alcohols, said method comprising the steps of: a) generating a DC plasma, b) introducing the plasma metal and a support material, c) in the plasma and vaporized metal support material in the plasma or "crushed" metal solid support material and the particles and reaction, d) cooling to obtain a very small compound material particles, and e) applying composite material to the actual catalyst support. The present invention further relates to a catalyst and its use in the production of the corresponding.


As a new leaning mode, autonomous learning has been clarified.Now the emphases of study are as follows.Researchers should analyze and reflect the reality,deal with the process of autonomous learning, and pay attention to the students' dependency,collaboration and competition.Also the question that how autonomous learning promotes students diversely must be researched.In order to make students develop quickly, several questions should be especially investigated.


UNLABELLED
INTRODUCTION. The objective is to determine whether laterality-location inside shopping cures three health resources (gauze, bandages and physiological sera [PS] from 10 cc) influences the amount of material consumed in the Cabinet of Hemodialysis of the Fundaci6 Puigvert.

METHODOLOGY
Quasi-experimental study with no control group post test type. The sample consisted of thirty expert nurses (non-probability convenience sampling). The study was conducted between March and August 2014. For two months, the three medical devices remained on the right side of the carriage cures for two months in the middle and finally two months on the left side. The analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software, for all tests a significance level < .005 was used.

RESULTS
Average age of 40.4 years and a mean old in the Cabinet of 14 years. Increased consumption and gauze PS is observed when the products are placed on the right side of center but is not significant (p > .005). Dressings consumption is higher on the right than in the center (p < .001). The consumption of the three health products is lower on the left side of the truck when placed in the center (p <.001) or right side (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS
The laterality-location has a direct influence on the consumption of medical supplies. Consumption on the left side is less than in the center and on the right side. The laterality-location is a good management strategy.


Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneus disease; clinical, serologic and epidemiologic subsets are determinated by age, race and genetic factors. Male lupus patiens have a worst prognosis with more lupus nephritis and disease activity; African-American male have an early severe compromise with lupus nephritis (LN) pleuritis and cytopenias. In children SLE has more lupus nephritis, lymph node enlargement and splenomegaly. In older than 50 years at diagnosis SLE has accrual damage and cardiovascular disease. Antibodies are predictive of clinical subsets; anti-DNA is associated with LN and SLE activity; Anti-Ro is asociated with neonatal lupus syndrome, fotosensitivity and late onset SLE; Antiphospholipid antibodies are predictive of organ damage in SLE.


To separate sphalerite from a Pb-Zn-S bulk concentrate activated by cupric sulfate,which contains large amounts of collector and frother,a part-bulk flotation technique,namely,to conduct a bulk flotation of galena and pyrite while depressing sphalerite,was adopted.When activated carbon was used for reagent removal,and sodium sulfide and zinc sulfate were used combinely to depress sphalerite,a success separation of sphalerite from this Pb-Zn-S bulk concentrate can be actualized.For a run-of-mine ore with a lead and zinc grade of 9.32% and 20.01%,respectively,sphalerite concentrate with a zinc grade and recovery of 36.04% and 89.41%,respectively,can be obtained from the closed-circuit test.


A mechanical system which uses high lateral restoring forces of high-T/sub c/ materials as the driving force for a magnetic coupling is proposed. As the basic study of the superconducting magnetic coupling, the relationship between the lateral restoring force and levitation force, transmitted torque characteristics as a function of a twisting angle and clearance, and damping characteristics of the coupling were examined. Superiorities of the coupling such as high damping coefficients and high stability against time and twisting angle were revealed. A magnetic force sensor system was used to evaluate the superconducting characteristics of materials, and nonuniform distribution of repulsive force was observed for the YBCO pellet fabricated by the melt-powder-melt-growth process. The improvement of the homogeneity was achieved by compensating for the composition rate which had changed during the quenching process.<<ETX>>


Objective To explore the influential factors of urinary albumin excretion in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria.Methods Sixty initially diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were included in the present study,and divided into simple diabetic group(DM)and diabetic group with microalbuminuria(DM+UAER)according to urinary albumin excretion rate(UAER).The body mass index(BMI),waist hip radio(WHR),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2-hour plasma glucose(2hPG),glycated haemoglobin(HbA1c),triglycerides(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high density lipoprotein(HLD),low density lipoprotein(LDL),fasting serum insulin(FINS),fasting C peptide(FCPS),and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR)in 2 groups were recorded and the relationship with UAER were observed.Results Compared with DM group patients,the WHR,FPG,2hPG and HOMA-IR were significantly higher in DM+UAER group(P0.05).Pearson correlation analysis revealed UAER was positively correlated with FPG(r=0.521),2hPG(r=0.397),HOME-IR(r=0.26)(P0.05).Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that FPG(r=0.521,P0.01)was independently influential factor of UAER.Conclusion The level of plasma glucose and the degree of insulin resistant in initially diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria are higher than those simple diabetic patients.Fasting plasma glucose is the independently influential factor of urinary albumin excretion.


We are studying a particular graph abstraction, based on the concept of retaining neighbourhood information up to a certain radius for each node. In this contribution, we present a modal logic on graphs that is preserved and reflected by this abstraction. This is one of the main results from the EATCS Best Theoretical Paper at the International Conference on Graph Transformation 2008.


Nearly all organisms on earth are hosts to diverse genetic parasites including viruses and various types of mobile genetic elements. The emergence and persistence of genetic parasites was hypothesized to be an intrinsic feature of biological evolution. Here we examine this proposition by analysis of a ratio-dependent Lotka-Volterra type model of replicator(host)-parasite coevolution where the evolutionary outcome depends on the ratio of the host and parasite numbers. In a large, unbounded domain of the space of the model parameters, which include the replicator carrying capacity, the damage inflicted by the parasite, the replicative advantage of the parasites, and its mortality rate, the parasite-free equilibrium takes the form of a saddle and accordingly is unstable. Therefore, the evolutionary outcome is either the stable coexistence of the replicator and the parasite or extinction of both. Thus, the results of ratio-dependent model analysis are compatible with the hypothesis that genetic parasites are inherent to life.


Productivity is an activity in producing an item or product using the most effective and efficient way possible. To increase the productivity of machines/equipment, it is necessary to apply TPM. Section CV 6 has applied the TPM method, but it doesn't work consistently so there are still a lot of loss time. As a result of the loss time, the resulting production is not in accordance with the company's target. So the purpose of this research is to measure the productivity level of a bielomatic machine by using the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) method and to minimize the Six Big Losses which are the cause of the decline in engine performance. Based on the results of the implementation of the method and discussion, the results of the calculation of the OEE value from 62.76% - 80.03%, it can be concluded that the bielomatic machine still has an OEE value below the standard 85%. From the calculation of the six big losses, several factors were found that caused the low productivity of bielomatic machines, namely the setup and adjustment, Equipment Failure, and Reduced Speed sections. This study also provides input for improvements in the setup and adjustment, Equipment Failure, and Reduced Speed sections after parsing existing problems using Fishbone diagrams.


A cylindrical mirror analyser to pass tons in the energy range from 0 to 10 eV and at the angle of incidence ranging from 7° to 11° is designed for a co-axial ton energy analyser (IEA) suitable for combining with a quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) for secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). A mass resolution of the combination for Cr+ in SIMS measurement shows approximately that of the QMS in residual gas analysis. An ion detector using the combination to measure the energy distribution of sputtered secondary ions is calibrated with a Na+ ion gun. The energy resolution and the accuracy are within 5 eV and 0.5 eV, in the ion energy range of 5 to 60 eV respectively. Energy distributions of various metal ions including Na+, K+, Cr+, Fe+, Al+, Cu+, Ni+, Ti+, and Si+ are measured under Xe ion bombardment of 0.5 to 2 keV. These are compared with energy distributions measured by other investigators.


The cytoplasmic domain of the human type I IFN receptor chain 2 (IFNAR2c or IFN-αRβL) was used as bait in a yeast two-hybrid system to identify novel proteins interacting with this region of the receptor. We report here a specific interaction between the cytoplasmic domain of IFN-αRβL and a previously identified protein, RACK-1 (receptor for activated C kinase). Using GST fusion proteins encoding different regions of the cytoplasmic domain of IFN-αRβL, the minimum site for RACK-1 binding was mapped to aa 300–346. RACK-1 binding to IFN-αRβL did not require the first 91 aa of RACK-1, which includes two WD domains, WD1 and WD2. The interaction between RACK-1 and IFN-αRβL, but not the human IFN receptor chain 1 (IFNAR1 or IFN-αRα), was also detected in human Daudi cells by coimmunoprecipitation. RACK-1 was shown to be constitutively associated with IFN-αRβL, and this association was not effected by stimulation of Daudi cells with type I IFNs (IFN-β1b). RACK-1 itself did not become tyrosine phosphorylated upon stimulation of Daudi cells with IFN-β1b. However, stimulation of cells with either IFN-β1b or PMA did result in an increase in detectable immunofluorescence and intracellular redistribution of RACK-1.


Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy are one of the most popular wireless standards for short range communications. One of the key features is low power operation to minimize form factor of sensor nodes including battery in the Internet-of-Things (IoT) era. Our latest Bluetooth Low Energy SoC achieves -92 dBm receiver sensitivity with 6.3 mA peak current consumption. Transmitter maximum output power is 0 dBm. Transceiver architecture together with analog and digital circuit techniques and power management techniques are discussed.


We show that tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) can be thermally etched by the Bronsted acid salts methylammonium iodide (MAI), methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3), and formamidinium lead triiodide (FAPbI3) in solid-state films and devices at common processing temperatures. More importantly, a series of reactions within an ITO/hybrid perovskite/Au device can be electrochemically induced near room temperature by applied cathodic voltages as low as −1.2 V. Cyclic voltammetry in this range leads to eventual In3+ leaching into the perovskite layer in the form of InI3, unambiguously identified by a binding energy signature of 445.9–446.3 eV measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the etching is exacerbated by defects generated by O2-plasma treatment of the ITO compared to UV-ozone cleaning, lowering the reaction potential and the electrochemical stability window of an ITO/MAPbI3/Au device. Low-temperature, electrochemical reactivity at this interface has implications on operational stability, f...


Dermatology and venereology is one of teaching courses in medical colleges. Clinical teaching purpose will train medical students to get the basic clinical knowledge, basic skills and basic clinical thinking ability and help them to change the role from medical students to dermatologist. Because of subject characteristics of strong practicality of Dermatology and venereology, the skin lesions of different diseases are difficult to understand when only through the literal description. Traditional clinical teaching model is difficult to adapt to the needs of dermatolgical students. This paper aims to explore dermatology new model of multimedia technology, computer-assisted learning, standardized patient and ederm online curriculum teaching and arouse the enthusiasm and autonomy of medical students, enhance the responsibility of students as doctors, stimulate students' interest and to improve teaching effectiveness and to cultivate professional dermatologist.


A compact atmospheric pressure CO2laser utilizing a double-discharge technique has been constructed and operated at repetition rates to 100 pulses/s. With the addition of small amounts of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to give a gas mixture of He:N2: CO2:CO:H2= 69.3:11:15:4:0.7, sealed operational lifetimes exceeding2 \times 10^{6}pulses have been obtained. Operating in this mode, the output energy density is about 8-9 J/l at repetition frequencies of 30-40 pulses/s for input energy densities of 60-70 J/l. The operation of the sealed laser has been studied by means of mass spectroscopic measurements of the gas mixture. It has been determined that sealed operation is possible as long as the oxygen concentration is kept below 1-2 percent. It has also been found that the addition of small amounts of H2and CO will keep the oxygen concentration below 2 percent by reducing the CO2decomposition, allowing sealed operation. The experimental results are compared to the predictions of a theoretical model in which neutral and negative-ion processes have been included. The calculations indicate that when small amounts of oxygen or water are present in the discharge the negative-ion population is significantly increased and the ratio of negative-ions to electronsN_{n}/N_{e}can approach values near unity. These are the conditions under which discharge arcing was found to occur. The model also predicts that the dissociation equilibrium of the CO2can be controlled by the addition of the above concentrations of hydrogen and CO.


Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection At present, there is no specific antiviral drug for this virus, and the main clinical treatment is support and symptomatic treatment Direct targeting the virus and the host targets are two strategies for the development of antiviral drugs At present, the research and development of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs has made some progress on both approaches Here we review potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs to discuss the antiviral mechanisms and potential of these drugs from the perspectives of virus and host The role of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of COVID-19 is discussed along with the prospects for drug treatment strategies of COVID-19


The invention relates to a forward extrusion forging apparatus and a forward extrusion forging method. The forward extrusion forging apparatus (10) includes: a die (1) having a hollow portion whose diameter is reduced at an intermediate position; and a punch (2) that is positioned behind a workpiece placed in the hollow portion, slides in the hollow portion, and extrudes the workpiece ahead of the hollow portion so that the workpiece is forged. An extruding surface (2') of the punch (2), which extrudes the workpiece, is recessed in a direction opposite an extruding direction in a manner such that a center portion of the extruding surface (2') is most recessed.


We appreciate the opportunity to respond to Borghammer and Horsager's letter to the editor. We acknowledge that the brain-first versus body-first hypothesis (BvBH) proposed by Borghammer and Horsager was intended as a hypothetical scientific model rather than a clinically applicable subtyping approach and it has interesting implications with regard to the former. However, given its attractively compelling simplicity, and its reliance on clinical/paraclinical features alone, one must assume that it may be employed as a clinical subtyping approach for future studies and to guide the development of neuroprotective approaches. Therefore, we thought it is important to appraise the benefits and potential disadvantages of such subtyping. Borghammer and Horsager agree that the identification of "gut-first" patients may provide "strategies for disease modification," which "can now be explored." To achieve this, a reliable biomarker is required to identify these patients at a time point when the intervention may be of benefit. The authors chose to employ REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to dichotomize the groups. For the reasons outlined in our Viewpoint, whether RBD can be used to reliably identify a cohort enriched with "body-first" cases in a temporally stable and replicable fashion remains to be proven with larger longitudinal studies. The supportive evidence presented by Borghammer and Horsager largely relates to the "gut-first" concept. A detailed critical analysis of this concept is beyond the scope of this response and has been covered elsewhere. There are, however, issues regarding the vagotomy data presented. The number of incident Parkinson's disease (PD) cases in the vagotomy groups is small, and the utilization of registry code validity may have influenced the results. Indeed, when the same data source was employed with a different coding classification, these results could not be replicated. Furthermore, the authors imply that finding even "a small patch (e.g. few centimetres squared) of randomly located pathology in the >7,000 cm digestive tract" would indicate the presence of "body-first" pathogenesis. Because, for example, an abundance of aggregated α-synuclein was found in the vermiform appendix of 96% of healthy individuals (including teenagers), the suggestion that small deposits of incidental α-synuclein in peripheral tissues, even in patients who are subsequently diagnosed with PD, define a "body-first" origin requires cautious critical appraisal. Moreover, the proposal that this hypothesis could be validated once an α-synuclein positron emission tomography (PET) tracer becomes available assumes that such a tracer will be exquisitely sensitive to the earliest presence of such small amounts of truly pathological synuclein in small brainstem structures critical to the hypothesis (eg, locus coeruleus and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus). One must, nevertheless, consider that the novel suggestion in the BvBH is the paraclinical demonstration of potential for bidirectional extension of pathology based on the initial site of onset. Outside of their own study of RBD (which forms part of the BvBH itself), this theory is supported primarily by animal models. Confirmation of this in clinical cohorts will require replication in larger longitudinal studies. If the BvBH is not a clinical subtyping approach but a pathophysiological one, we must consider how this approach improves on previously described pathologically driven categorizations such as the brainstem-predominant versus amygdala-predominant dichotomization. The demonstration of differential multisystem involvement in 2 PD groups is certainly intriguing, but we must be careful not to overinterpret functional imaging findings as implying the presence or absence of α-synuclein pathology. Importantly, there is no evidence in humans that pathology implies pathogenesis or that pathology correlates with neurodegeneration. Assuming otherwise has the potential of generating compelling theoretical frameworks but with limited translation into therapeutic successes. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society


In this study, metal films are fabricated by using an in-line reactive direct current magnetron sputtering system. The aluminum–titanium (AlTi) back contacts are prepared by changing the pressure from 10 mTorr to 25 mTorr. The optical, electrical and structural properties of the metal back contacts are investigated. The solar cells with the AlTi had lower contact resistance than those with the silver (Ag) back contact, resulting in a higher fill factor. The AlTi contact can achieve a solar cell conversion efficiency as high as that obtained from the Ag contact. These findings encourage the potential adoption of AlTi films as an alternative back contact to silver for silicon thin-film solar cells.


We investigate quantum trajectory control in high-order harmonic generation using an additional orthogonally polarised second harmonic field. By controlling the relative phase between this field and the fundamental, we are able to suppress and enhance particular electron trajectories which results in a modulation of the harmonic emission. We observe a phase shift of the modulation between the short and long trajectories that is different for adjacent odd and even harmonics. These results show qualitative agreement with a full propagation calculation where the single atom response was obtained from the strong field approximation and the main results are explained by consideration of a single atom quantum orbit picture.


Drilling operations are extremely frequent in carbon/epoxy laminates manufacturing and assembly and are normally accomplished using standard drills. However, one should always have in mind the need to adapt properly the drilling conditions and/or the drilling tools used as the risk of delamination occurrence, or of other kinds of damage, is high. Furthermore, delamination damages can be critical since the mechanical properties of the produced parts can be severely affected. Thus, the production of higher quality holes with delamination minimization is a key goal in composites industry that motivates the development of adequate drilling processes as well as of methodologies for delamination assessment.


In 2013, Semarang City was ranked first with the highest HIV cases in Central Java. Therefore, Resosialisasi Argorejo as a red-light district implemented 100% mandatory condom usage since 2008. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyze in detail the implementation of mandatory condom usage system in Resosialisasi Argorejo from the aspects of input, process and output. This type of research is quantitative qualitative research with in-depth interview to the officers and interview with questionnaire to sexual workers. The population is 22 key informants consist of 9 Resosialisasi officers, 1 Peer Educator, 3 Pokja Lokasi, 6 health workers, 3 pimps and six informants triangulation consisting of the Chairman of  Resosialisasi Argorejo, Officer of Kalibanteng Kulon Region, Head of Puskesmas Lebdosari, and each pimp's sexual workers. For quantitative, 90 respondents are selected using cluster sampling technique. Research showed that condom usage is 64.4%, the good implementation of Mandatory Condom Usage is 63.3%, 56.7% got a good support from peer educator, 63.3% got a good support from health officer, 51.1% got a good support from pimps, 71.1% have a good access to Mandatory Condom Usage information-related and 63,3% have a good availability of condoms. Viewed from the aspect of the process, planning is done unsystematically and poorly and unclear job description for the implementation itself. Supervision has been done for sexual workers and pimps, but no supervision has been applied to Condom Mandatory Area officers. Monitoring has been done but has not been done routinely. Evaluation has been done but there has been no systematic follow-up. In terms of input, the number of human resources is still inadequate and there are still those who have not received training to work in Resosialisasi Argorejo. Self-funding impedes good implementation, especially on STI and VCT screening tests Moreover, there is no written SOP applicable in Resosialisasi Argorejo. The distribution of condoms is well done, but no strict sanctions have been imposed for customers who do not use condoms. The proposed recommendation is to increase the number of human resources according with suitable competence, compulsory training to become officers, the need for written SOP, the need for strict sanctions and have to be implemented, strengthen the relationship between the relevant instancies, as well as a re-evaluation of BLUD implementation


The dark electrical conductivity of Langmuir−Blodgett assemblies of phthalocyaninato−polysiloxane (PcPS) has been measured at room temperature as a function of the degree of electrochemical oxidation. The conductivity is observed to increase from <10-6 S/cm for unoxidized PcPS to 10-5 S/cm at an oxidation level of 20%, and to decrease upon further oxidation. The initial increase in conductivity upon oxidative doping is believed to arise from the introduction of charge carriers with mobilities of approximately 10-6 cm2/Vs, while the subsequent decrease in conductivity at higher oxidation levels is attributed to reduced charge carrier mobility in the highly charged polymer.


There is a growing campaign for the corporate to accommodate more women on the corporate top echelon. Gender equality in the workplace encourages equality between men and women and should be considered from the lower level right to the top level of the organisation. There is, therefore, a growing advocacy for hiring and supporting women to the CEO level as part of the strategies to enhance sustainable development (Bear et al., 2010). Whilst there is a global campaign of gender equality, corporate across the world are still hesitant to consider women in the CEOs' positions unless there is probable evidence that such transition will benefit the organisation. Contemporary research has proven that women representation on the top-level management can affect the corporate social responsibility ratings, which influence corporate reputation, and which also impacts on corporate performance. Aspects such as financial performance, institutional investment and share price can be affected by the positive reputation of the company. This is because investment decisions made by the board of directors are influenced among others by environmental, social and corporate governance factors (Bear et al., 2010). Previous literature such as Smith and Villa (2010) has indicated that participation of women CEOs may have a significant effect on corporate performance. Some recent studies have shown that gender equality has an impact on the firm's turnover (Faccio et al. 2015; Mkhize et al., 2011). For instance, it has been recognised that female directors make acquisition decisions that influence shareholder value leading to macroeconomic implications that affect the long-term economic growth of the company (Faccio et al., 2015). Women are reported to contribute to the implementation of unique skills to the corporates that affect the net profit of the organisation (Mkhize et al., 2011). Since Abstract


Objective To provide the anatomical basis for clinical safe screw placement by measuring the safe screw placement angle from T1-T10 thoracic pedicle-frame structure unit way in adult body specimen. Methods 15 cases of normal adult body specimens,including 9 cases of male,and 6 cases of female,aged 18 ~ 60 years old,average age was 40.The T1-T10 thoracic vertebras of the body specimen were transected along the pedicle of vertebral arch-frame plane,and we measured the transverse diameter of the T1-T10 the pedicle of vertebral arch-frame structure unit,and the minimum and maximum safe angle between the sagittal plane and the screw placed from the pedicle of vertebral arch-frame structure unit way.Results The transverse diameter of pedicle of vertebral arch-frame structure unit decreased gradually from T1 to T4,and increased gradually from T5 to T10.The range of safe screw placement angle was widest at T1 and T2,followed by T5-T10,and was narrowest at T3 and T4.There was no significant difference in safe screw placement angle between T1-T2 and T5-T10(P 0.05),while there was a significant difference between T2 and T5(P 0.05).There was no significant difference in safe screw placement angle between the male and female(P 0.05).Conclusion During placing screw from the pedicle of vertebral arch-frame structure unit,the screw placement angle should be adjusted according to the range of safe screw placement angle at different segmental pedicle of vertebral arch-frame structure unit.


OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of ligustrazine hydrochloride used in combination with hepatocyte growth-promoting factor(PHGF) in treating chronic hepatitis B with hepatic fibrosis.METHODS: 169 cases of chronic hepatitis B with hepatic fibrosis were randomly divided into two groups: treatment group and control group.The treatment group was treated with ligustrazine and PHGF while the control group was treated only with compound danshen,each for a treatment course of three months.RESULTS: In the treatment group the serologic parameters of hepatic fibrosis declined significantly after treatment(P0.01).There were significant differences compared with the control group(P0.01).The overall efficacy rates in the treatment group and the control group were 87.64% and 70.00%(P0.05) respectively.At the end of six months without treatment,the overall efficacy rates in the two groups were 81.54% and 67.44%(P0.05) respectively.CONCLUSION: Ligustrazine combined with PHGF could resist hepatic fibrosis and obviously improve the hepatic function in chronic type B hepatitis patients.


The paper made some prelim inary study,from three aspects,into the issure of how self-taught examinations should develop creatively in adjustment to the new requirements for education,which include a review of the history of higher learning self-taught examinations;openness,flexibility and multi-functions being the soul and motive power of self-taught examinations;and a study into the new approaches to the development of the self-taught examinations.


Some dual-band RFID (radio frequency identification) tag antennas were obtained from symmetric dipole type configurations by exploiting the harmonic frequencies. Based on this situation, new antenna configurations, easy to adjust, were proposed by breaking the symmetry of the original dipole antenna. Following this approach, we found novels dual-band RFID antenna operating at UHF and Microwaves.


Measurements of the noise of an experimental silicon Pt–n–p+ transit-time diode used as a local oscillator at a frequency of 11.8 GHz are described. The results show that the relatively noisefree performance of the diode should make it useful, particularly for high-frequency applications where low-noise sources are not readily available.


Eucalyptus spp. are known to contain various substances that are allelopathic. The objective of this study was to determine allelopathic effects of various solvent extracts (aqueous, methanolic, ethyl acetate, acetonic and benzene) of Eucalyptus globulus leaves in five concentrations ( , , , and g/L) on seed germination and early seedling growth of eggplant cv. Black Beauty. The experiment was carried out using a completely randomized design arranged in factorial scheme with three replicates. The results showed that all extracts had inhibitory effects on germination and seedling growth although degree of their inhibitions was different. Methanolic extract had the highest inhibitory effect on germination percentage and rate, root and shoot lengths and fresh and dry weights of eggplant seedlings whereas aqueous extract followed by acetonic extract had the lowest inhibitory effects. In all extracts, the reduction in germination and growth of eggplant seedlings increased significantly with increasing concentration. The results suggest that leaf extracts of E. globulus had potent allelopathic activity although the activity differed depending on extract and concentration.


The authors analysed 270 human adult skulls of both sexes, in order to demonstrate the fusion of clinoid process of sphenoid. It was verified only 38 cases under several shapes. According to our results obtained, may be concluded: a) the fusion between the anterior and medium clinoid processes occurred in 17 cases (6.27%), being that in 11 cases (4.05%) bilaterally; b) between the medium and posterior clinoid processes occurred in six cases (2.22%); c) between the anterior and posterior clinoid processes occurred bilaterally in six cases (2.22%); d) between the three processes occurred in nine cases (3.04%).


The climate of nowadays in the Northern Jiangsu Basin, East China is strongly influenced by the East Asian monsoon system. A drilling core of 350m at Xinghua in the basin was recovered to reconstruct its environment evolution history. Pollen analysis and carbon 14 dating of the upper 28 m of the core were carried out. Result shows that the sporopollen assemblages can be well correlated with the loess record in northwestern China and the SPECMAP deep-ocean #delta#~(18)O record. Based on carbon 14 ages and theory of climatic stratigraphy, we deduce that the upper 28 m of the core was retraced back to the penultimate galcial. Sporopollen zone Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ can be well correlated to MIS 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1, respectively. Moreover, zone Ⅲ can be subdivided into 5 subzones, correlating to MIS 5a to 5e. The six cold events revealed by pollen assemblages during the last glacial might be in response to the Heinrich events.


This paper presents the design and implementation of a nonlinear feedforward control algorithm for a hydraulic actuator driven by a multistage servo valve. Combined with a conventional feedback control algorithm, high frequencies can be achieved even for large-scale strokes. In addition to the desired trajectory, the feedforward controller accepts the predicted dynamic load on the hydraulic actuator as an input. The performance of the control concept as well as the advantages of the load input are verified in simulations and experiments. Being exemplarily used for realizing a crankshaft-less test stand for free piston engines, the control algorithm is potentially suitable for further applications using hydraulic actuators in high frequency domain.


A precise and accurate dynamic model of the lower limb exoskeleton is particularly important for the optimization of the exoskeleton mechanical structure parameters and the design of the control system. Different scholars choose different ways of modeling, which can be generally based on absolute coordinates and relative coordinates. In order to analyze the correctness of the two modeling methods, the dynamic model of the lower limb exoskeleton with 2 degrees of freedom in absolute coordinates and relative coordinates is established by using Lagrange equation. The contribution of this paper is that by comparing the torque expressions of hip and knee joint under the two modeling methods and combining with the derivation process, the correctness of the dynamic model under the two coordinate systems is qualitatively analyzed. This provides a reference for researchers to accurately model the lower limb exoskeleton.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men worldwide. Although the 5-year survival rate of CRC patients is more than 60%, it is still the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the developed countries [1, 2]. The primary reason for the high mortality of CRC is due to its high recurrence and metastasis in approximately half of all the patients, which are extremely difficult to cure [2, 3]. The standard therapy for CRC patients with stage III and high-risk stage II is resection plus postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy [4]. However, a subpopulation of the patients does not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy, while suffering long-term toxicity [5]. At present, the commonly high-risk features, such as poor differentiation, T4 tumors and margin involvement, cannot precisely distinguish patients with high-risk from lowrisk for disease recurrence and metastasis [6]. Because tumor behaviors are determined by oncogenic alterations www.aging‐us.com AGING 2017, Vol. 9, No. 3


The examination and prevention of casing damage is an important work in oil and gas field development projects. Casing damage will directly influence the production of oil and gas, the effect of water injection and the life cycle of oil, gas and water well. With the number of casing damage wells increasing year by year in each oil field, inspections and precautions of casing damage status have become more and more important during development of the filed. With the development of big data technologies, we can predict the casing damage based on historical and real-time data, and optimize the maintenance intervals of casing.
 In this paper, we proposed a casing damage prediction method based on principal component analysis (PCA) and gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT) algorithm. Building a three-nodes Spark big data platform, we tested our proposed method on a dataset in an oil-field in mid-east China. Firstly, based on data analysis and expertise, selected 10 parameters which affect the casing damage most, including casing outside diameter, wall thickness, perforation density etc. Secondly, using PCA to reduce the dimension of parameters. Thirdly, building the algorithm model of casing damage risk assessment by GBDT, training and optimizing the model parameters. Fourthly, using the proposed model for casing damage prediction.
 Using precision and AUC(Area Under ROC Curve) to evaluate the proposed method, and compared with traditional methods, including decision tree, logistic regression and Naïve Bayes, the experiment results show that compared with traditional methods, the proposed method gain 86.3% precision and AUC is 1, both higher than traditional methods, which means it has better prediction precision and performance. The proposed method also can apply to predict the probability of a normal well becoming a casing damage well, and finally can provide the decision support for on-site operations. The proposed method using data-driven idea to provide the decision support for oilfield operations, and lay the foundation for the construction of intelligence oilfield.


The thermal buoyancy induced air flow may become important under the calm conditions. A 3D RNG k-e turbulent model was used for the numerical simulation of a simple city model. The results show that the ventilation effectiveness is highly depends on the thermal buoyancy intensity, urban planning and geometry, and the atmospheric conditions. In addition, the field measurement using the infrared thermography was also conducted to obtain the diurnal thermal variation of the urban objects and analyze the thermal induced flow. Both studies provide a good understanding of urban ventilation by thermal buoyancy and useful information for urban planning. Located along the southern coast of China, Hong Kong has a rugged terrain with the hills rising steeply from the sea. Many complex thermally-induced flows, such as natural convection flows on the vertical wall and mountain slope flows, land-sea breezes, mountain-valley winds, and UHI circulations, occur over the complex terrain in Hong Kong (Tong et al., 2005). Particularly in Hong Kong Island, most commercial/residential buildings have been built on the rugged terrain at different levels. The vertical natural convection wall flows and mountain slope flows become more important in such a high-rise city under windless days. The interaction between these thermallyinduced flows may lead to certain complexity of the Hong Kong urban boundary layer structure, which has a direct relationship with the transport and diffusion of urban heat and pollutants. Questions remain as to how to quantitatively estimate the ventilation by thermal buoyancy and assess the ventilation effect. There is a lack of systematic research concerning the urban surface temperatures and ventilation effect of buoyancy-induced flows in a high-rise city such as Hong Kong. Hence, we carried out this study on the city ventilation of Hong Kong by thermal buoyancy, attempting to advance the understanding of how the thermally-induced air flows are induced in the urban city as well as assess the ventilation effect. The results may be useful to establish an optimum ventilation strategy for urban areas. 2. METHODOLOGIES 2.1. Numerical model Hong Kong has very complex terrain with the hills and mountains rising steep from sea. Most of the territory's urban development exists on Kowloon peninsula and along the northern edge of Hong Kong Island. Between them, there is a Victoria harbor. For simplicity, two simple scaled Hong Kong city models with complex terrain are considered here (see Figure 1). The same buildings/streets structures are considered in the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon in the present study. Compared Model A, Model B is much more complicated with the increased secondary streets. We intend to know the urban ventilation by thermal buoyancy and study how to ventilate the urban area effectively based on the reduced scaled model with the geometrical scale of 1/100. The need for a small-scale model is due to the resolution requirements in modeling of the surface convection flows (slope flows and the wall flows) (less than 1 mm) and the relatively large computational domain (8 km). The 3D RNG k- e model (Yakhot and Orszag, 1986) was adopted here. The Reynolds number Re and Grashof number Gr was based on the identical building height, H, the buoyancy velocity ub = (gβ∆TH) 1/2 (no wind case) or velocity uH (wind speed at the height of building for wind case), and temperature ∆T = Tb-Ta (temperature difference between the building and air). In the no wind case, the total computational domain is 30m×80.32m×30m. The total computational domain is 76m×80.32m×30m and the length of the streets and buildings for Hong Kong Island is 76m in wind case. In the wind cases, the upstream length in front of the buildings of Kowloon is about 5H and the downstream length is about 10H in the z direction. Only east wind is considered here. In both cases, while the minimum mesh size near the wall and ground is 0.0008m.


The effects of external end-shields in screening radioactivity out-of the field-of-view were studied by phantom experiments with a help of Monte-Carlo simulation for ECAT EXACT HRS. Random coincidence rates were measured for a standard cylindrical phantom at out-of the field-of-view with and without an external end-shield. The results were well reproduced with Monte-Carlo simulation. Various single count rates were calculated as a function of the detector ring number by Monte-Carlo simulation.


AbstractBACKGROUNDThe emergence of new evidence suggesting a sign shift in the long-standing negative correlation between prosperity and fertility levels has sparked a renewed interest in understanding the relationship between economic conditions and fertility decisions. In this context, the notion of uncertainty has gained relevance in analyses of low fertility. So far, most studies have approached this notion using snapshot indicators such as type of contract or employment situation. However, these types of measures seem to be falling short in capturing what is intrinsically a dynamic process.OBJECTIVESOur first objective is to analyze to what extent employment trajectories have become less stable over time, and the second, to determine whether or not employment instability has an impact on the timing and quantum of fertility in France.Additionally, we present a new indicator of employment instability that takes into account both the frequency and duration of unemployment, with the objective of comparing its performance against other, more commonly used indicators of economic uncertainty.METHODSOur study combines exploratory (Sequence Analysis) with confirmatory (Event History, Logistic Regression) methods to understand the relationship between early life-course uncertainty and the timing and intensity of fertility. We use employment histories from the three available waves of the Etude des relations familiales et intergenerationnelles (ERFI), a panel survey carried out by INED and INSEE which constitutes the base of the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS) in France.RESULTSAlthough France is characterized by strong family policies and high and stable fertility levels, we find that employment instability not only has a strong and persistent negative effect on the final number of children for both men and women, but also contributes to fertility postponement in the case of men.Regarding the timing of the transition to motherhood, we show how employment instability has a positive influence for women with more traditional views about the division of labor, and a negative influence among those with more egalitarian views.(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)1. IntroductionThe first decade of the 21st century witnessed the emergence of a new narrative regarding the relationship between living standards and fertility outcomes. It was Myrskyla, Kohler, and Billari (2009) who made the strongest, most explicit case for this regimechange hypothesis, showing how the historically negative correlation between development and fertility becomes positive after countries exceed a certain threshold of human development. This conclusion was supported by a series of papers published in the early and mid-2000s that showed that the correlation between women's labor force participation and fertility rates across countries had also reversed, and that countries with a higher number of women in the labor force also presented higher fertility rates (Ahn and Mira 2001; Adsera 2004; Kohler, Billari, and Ortega 2002).Although evidence of the above-mentioned trends at the micro-level is more ambiguous than at the aggregate level (Matysiak and Vignoli 2008), the new narrative surrounding economic conditions and family formation seems to have gained a foothold in fertility analyses, which has translated into an increased interest in the constraints and limitations driving fertility decisions in industrialized countries. In this context, the notion of uncertainty has become one of the most relevant factors for understanding contemporary family dynamics in the region (Kreyenfeld, Andersson, and Pailhe2012).2. Literature review2.1 Economic uncertainty and fertilityUntil now, the most consistent evidence of a depressing effect has been found using aggregate unemployment rates (Gutierrez-Domenech 2008; Adsera 2011; Kravdal 2002), although analyses using individual-level data have also found significant effects in the same direction. …


Abstract : This thesis attempts to identify warning signals in the contractors financial statement, or 'red flags', which may be used to identify those prospective contractors who are likely to become delinquent in the performance of their contracts. A 'red flags' list compiled from the current literature was sent to financial analysts in the thirty-eight Financial Service Branches, Defense Contract Management Command Area Offices(FSDCMAOs) to determine the 'red flags' most widely used. Additional issues are examined. The first is whether geographical location and length of field experience of the reviewing analyst might influence the choice of 'red flags'. Secondly, are different approaches used in conducting financial statement analysis of a manufacturer versus a vendor? The study identifies ten 'red flags' used by more than half of the responding analysts and there appears to be no difference in 'red flags' used based on geographical location of the analysts or as a consequence of their length of field experience.... Financial analysis, Financial statement.


In much contemporary fiction, the questioning of our inherited notions of the subject as an autonomous, unified individual, and reality as the clearly recognisable world in which we live has resulted in many cases in the disappearance of plot in its Aristotelian conception: as the first and most important dramatic element in the novel in this case. However, some contemporary American writers choose to recuperate a realistic mode of storytelling, a realism which is nevertheless postmodernist for its preoccupation with language and its questioning of reality and the subject. This «postmodern realism- would be said to be the mode in which the whole of Eric Kraft's work has been conceived. In «Cali Me Larry-, one of the novellas that make Little Follies (1992), the boundaries between the three ontologies where the three authors belong -the «real» Eric Kraft, and the two fictional authors, Peter Leroy and Roger Drake-, and even the figures of the three authors themselves, are craftily blurred, only to be re-constructed for the sake of the story, inviting the reader to suspend his/her disbelief and enjoy storytelling


be further conveniently subdivided into the preproteins and proproteins. These two large groups differ significantly in their processing kinetics, in the subcellular localizations of cleavage enzymes, and in their functions. This review focuses primarily on these forms, with special emphasis on recent progress in elucidating their primary enzymic cleavage mechanisms. At this stage it seems most likely that for each subgroup a single proteolytic mecha nism accounts for the major processing events, with some specialized fea tures requiring additional enzymes for several of the prohormonal systems.