The basis of AVO is reflection amplitude variation with the offset ,it has been confirmed that the abnormality of AVO is of importance to the identification of natural gas.Possion ratio is a very important parameter in the study of AVO .So we apply the Shuey's approximate equation and modified Marquart algorithm to the inversion of the average Possion ratio and their difference of the target event .After obtaining the Possion ratio,we can estimate such elastic parameters as the velocity of S- wave,porosity and Young's modulus etc., and then perform the interpretation of lithology and description of reservoir.


The synthesis, characterization, and charge transport performance of novel copolymers PNDIFu2 made from alternating naphthalene diimide (NDI) and bifuran (Fu2) units are reported. Usage of potentially biomass-derived Fu2 as alternating repeat unit enables flattened polymer backbones due to reduced steric interactions between the imide oxygens and Fu2 units, as seen by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and UV–vis spectroscopy. Aggregation of PNDIFu2 in solution is enhanced if compared to the analogous NDI–bithiophene (T2) copolymers PNDIT2, occurring in all solvents and temperatures probed. PNDIFu2 features a smaller π–π stacking distance of 0.35 nm compared to 0.39 nm seen for PNDIT2. Alignment of aggregates in films is achieved by using off-center spin coating, whereby PNDIFu2 exhibits a stronger dichroic ratio and transport anisotropy in field-effect transistors (FET) compared to PNDIT2, with an overall good electron mobility of 0.21 cm2/(V s). Despite an enhanced backbone planarity, the smaller π–π stacking and the enhanced charge transport anisotropy, the electron mobility of PNDIFu2 is about three times lower compared to PNDIT2. Density functional theory calculations suggest that charge transport in PNDIFu2 is limited by enhanced polaron localization compared to PNDIT2.


The general aim of this research is to try to determine the appropriateness of the visuals in the primary school Turkish workbooks for the students with low visibility in terms of visual design elements. In the realization of the work, the document review method was used. In this study, purposive sampling method was used in the selection of student workbooks. The Ministry of National Education Publications Student Workbook which has been studied in the provinces of Ankara city is determined as the document to be examined. Within the scope of the research 1. 2. 3. and 4. Class Turkish lesson, a random theme was determined among the themes in the Student Workbooks and the activities included in that theme were examined. The "Visual Design Principles Evaluation Form" has been prepared so that the necessary data can be collected after the document review for the research is decided. Within the scope of the research, color use, contrast use, font, layout use, and visual complexity are not appropriate for the low vision students. This situation gives the impression that the visual limitations, the low vision students have difficulty in, are not taken into consideration while preparing the visual activities in the Turkish textbooks. It can be said that the elementary school students who see this way out of the way are disadvantaged compared to their peers who have the normal sight power and use the same text book


Abstract The study was administered to explore the perceptions of university students about the content selected for undergraduate-postgraduate programmes by teacher education institutions in China. The perceptions of student teachers were found out about clarity of curricular goals, content selection and organization, and the theory-practice proportion. A mixed method study design was used to investigate the problem. There were 177 randomly selected participants: 88 males and 89 females. The participants were ignorant of curricular goals. The curriculum was not according to the students' level of maturity. The majority of the student teachers responded that the content was not compatible with their level of interest, and they suggested a dire need for the improvement of current content. Most of the students agreed that the focus of the content was more on theory. There is a need to improve the content of teacher education institutions according to levels of interest and maturity of student teachers. Ther...


Nadir Matringe has indicated to me that the paper Conducteur des Representations du groupe lineaire ([JPSS81a], citeError2) contains an error. I correct the error in this note. The correct proof is actually simpler than the erroneous proof. Separately, Matringe has given a different, interesting proof of the result in question ([Mat11]). We recall the result in question. Let F be a local field. We denote by α the absolute value, by q the cardinality of the residual field and finally by v the valuation of F . Thus α(x) = |x| = q−v(x). Let ψ be an additive character of F whose conductor is the ring of integers OF . Let Gr be the group GL(r) regarded as an algebraic group. We denote by dg the Haar measure of Gr(F ) for which the compact group Gr(OF ) has volume 1. Let Nr be the subgroup of upper triangular matrices with unit diagonal. We define a character θr,ψ : Nr(F )→ C×


In this paper, we fully describe the geometry of atomic structure of carbon nanotube with quinoid structure. Electronic energy band structure of carbon nanotubes with quinoid structure is studied by tight-binding approximation. In the presence of bond alternation, calculations show that only armchair (n, n) carbon nanotube (without twisting) remains metallic and zigzag (3ν - 1, -3ν + 1) CNT becomes metallic at the critical elongation. Effect of deformation on the change of band gap is also calculated and discussed.


The effects of worker mobility on the payment of compensating wage differentials for earnings risk are examined. Previous research consistently finds compensating wages are paid to workers facing earnings uncertainty. However, job shopping models suggest that if workers have sufficient mobility, they may prefer uncertain situations. Here, simultaneous equations are estimated where both wages and worker mobility are endogenous to examine whether workers with greater uncertainty have greater mobility and whether workers with greater mobility receive lower compensating wage differentials. Results indicate that workers facing more uncertainty have a greater degree of mobility. Also, workers with greater mobility receive lower compensation for income uncertainty, although on average this compensation is positive. These results are consistent with the traditional model predictions and supportive of job shopping models.


Papillon–Lefévre syndrome (PLS; OMIM 245000) and Haim–Munk syndrome (HMS; OMIM 245010), which are both characterized by palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and periodontitis, are phenotypic variants of the same disease caused by mutations of the cathepsin C (CTSC) gene.


Newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications post-stroke, termed stroke-heart syndrome, are common and associate with worsened prognosis.

 To investigate the sex-specific incidence and 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events following stroke-heart syndrome, stratified by pre-existing risk factors (sex, age, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high LDL cholesterol).

 A retrospective cohort study was conducted using anonymised electronic medical records from 56 participating healthcare organizations. Patients with incident ischaemic stroke aged ≥18 years with 5-years of follow-up were included. Patients diagnosed with new-onset cardiovascular complications (heart failure, severe ventricular arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, ischaemic heart disease, takotsubo syndrome) within 4-weeks of incident ischaemic stroke (exposure) were 1:1 propensity score-matched (age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidities, cardiovascular care) with ischaemic stroke patients without newly diagnosed cardiovascular complications (control). Cox proportional hazards regression models produced hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and Kaplan-Meier curves for 5-year risk of all-cause mortality, recurrent stroke, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

 Of 486,515 patients with ischaemic stroke, 18% (n=87,786) presented with stroke-heart syndrome (47% (n=41,088) female and 52% (n=45,891) male). Following propensity score matching, composite stroke-heart syndrome associated with significantly higher risk of 5-year mortality (HR 1.66 (95% CI 1.62,1.70), P<0.01), recurrent stroke (1.26 (1.24,1.28), P<0.01), and AMI (2.58 (2.50,2.67), P<0.01). These outcomes were similar for both males and females (Figure 1). The risk of mortality, recurrent stroke and AMI following stroke-heart syndrome was relatively higher for patients aged <75 compared to those >75. The risk of all adverse outcomes were relatively higher for females aged <75 compared to males aged <75. Pre-existing obesity associated with a lower risk of mortality for females and males, but a higher risk of recurrent stroke for females. Pre-existing hypertension associated with a lower risk of all outcomes, except recurrent stroke in males. Pre-existing diabetes associated with higher risks for mortality and AMI for both females and males. High LDL cholesterol associated with lower risk of mortality but a higher risk of recurrent stroke and AMI in males and females (Figure 1).

 In this cohort study of patients with incident ischaemic stroke, stroke-heart syndrome occurred in 18% of patients. The overall incidence and subsequent 5-year major adverse cardiovascular events following stroke-heart syndrome were similar for females and males, but with important sex-specific differences when stratified by pre-existing risk factors, including age, obesity, and hypertension.

 Type of funding sources: None.


Abstract : Considerable work has been done to assess the disposal characteristics of CECOM procured military batteries under current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hazardous waste identification regulations, and State bioassay requirements. This paper presents test results for alkaline, carbon-zinc, magnesium, lithium-manganese dioxide, lithium-sulfur dioxide, and lithium-thionyl chloride batteries. Present findings indicate that: (1) lithium-thionyl chloride and magnesium batteries with greater than 50 percent remaining charge exceed the federal regulatory limit of 5.0 mg/L for chromium, (2) alkaline, carbon-zinc, lithium-manganese dioxide, and lithium-thionyl chloride batteries fail California bioassay toxicity requirements with 96-h LC0of less than 500 mg/L. Assay methods, findings, disposal requirements, an design implications are discussed. -BKA


We investigated the crystalline silicon (c-Si)/conductive poly(ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS):graphene oxide (GO) composite heterojunction devices with optical characterization and carrier transport measurement techniques. The optical transmittance in the UV region also decreased markedly for the films with GO content above 20 wt%, whereas it increased markedly in the visible-infrared regions. The solar cell devices consisting of spin-coated PEDOT:PSS(GO) composite on n-type c-Si(100) wafer exhibited a maximum efficiency of 10.3%, a short-circuit current Jscof 28.9 mA/cm2, a open-circuit voltage Voc of 0.548 V, and a fill factor FF of 0.675 at a GO content of 12.5 wt%. The ideality factor deduced from current density-voltage (J -V) plots in the dark increased with GO content from 1.12 for pristine PEDOT:PSS to 2.91. Temperature-dependent dark J -V measurements suggest that the carrier transport in the devices is controlled by diffusion and recombination in the space-charge region for the devices. The role of the GO addition into conductive PEDOT:PSS is demonstrated for the c-Si(100)/PEDOT:PSS(GO) composite junction solar cells in terms of the optical and carrier transport properties. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Purpose – The British retailer Marks & Spencer aspires to be the world's most sustainable major global retailer by 2015. This paper seeks to examine how the company is embedding sustainability.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is written as part of an ongoing investigation into how businesses do this. It is based on direct dialogue with corporate sustainability specialists inside and outside the company; participation in company stakeholders' briefings held regularly since the launch of Marks & Spencer's Plan A for sustainability in January 2007; and analysis by the company's own corporate sustainability specialists about how they are embedding.Findings – This case demonstrates that, in order to speed their journey, Marks & Spencer have aligned sustainability with core strategy. Top leadership is driving the strategy, which is overseen by the board. M&S have made a very public commitment: Plan A with measurable targets, timescales and accountabilities. The strategy is being integrated into every bus...


Abstract The distortion of components printed by wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) due to repeated thermal cycles affects the build quality. The residual stress generated due to these thermal cycles can be predicted with the help of the finite element method. The temperature distribution and residual stresses in the WAAM component are predicted using a numerical model presented in this paper. Also, the effect of clamping position on the substrate is investigated. For this, two different clamping positions are compared with the unclamped state. The residual stress is minimum for the unclamped case and has maximum strain. The case where the substrate is clamped at the centre generates 77 % more tensile stress when compared with the corner clamped case.


Electron diffraction patterns from a Si crystal taken with a convergent beam of large angular aperture (Kossel pattern) are compared with the diffraction pattern taken with a hollow cone convergent electron beam. For thin crystals the patterns are complementary. This behaviour is discussed.


1237 Objectives To highlight a dose-effect relationship in the treatment of liver colorectal metastases with resin microspheres. Methods Retrospective analysis of 31 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with liver-dominant metastases undergoing radioembolization with 90Y resin microspheres. The average absorbed doses (AAD) were calculated from the 99mTc-MAA-SPECT/CT dataset (Symbia T2, Siemens) and the 90Y injected activity. The metabolic response was calculated by the difference in total lesion glycolysis (ΔTLG) between the baseline and follow-up 18FDG-PET/CT (4 weeks posttreatment). All processing was performed with the PLANET Dose (Dosisoft, Cachan, France) software tool, i.e. tumor delineation, SUV quantification and absorbed dose calculation (dose kernel convolution). The dose-response relationship was analysed through a log function, statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Four patients were excluded from analysis due to data inconsistency. The injected activity was 1368 ± 831 MBq (1 SD), the mean number and volume of assessed lesions per patient was 2.5 ± 2.3 and 289 ± 420 cm3, respectively, AAD was 89 ± 72 Gy. Multivariate analysis allowed highlighting 2 groups (G): G1 with no response and G2 with response and a log correlation between ΔTLG and AAD (ΔTLG = -4416 x ln(AAD) + 14468, r2=0,76). G1 had a mean lesion volume of 81 ± 80 cm3 versus 513 ± 520 cm3 in G2 (p=0.0057), G1 had a TLG of 501 ± 476 and G2 3553 ± 3302 (p=0.0030). G1 AAD was 129 ± 80 Gy, G2 was 47 ± 24 Gy (p=0.0011). Conclusions The results suggest a dose-response relationship in CRC liver metastases treated by 90Y-resin microspheres for lesions with a high baseline TLG.


The utility model discloses an improved socket electrical connector, which comprises an insulating body, a printed circuit board, an additional terminal, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 terminal and a metal casing, wherein the insulating body is in an integrally-formed structure and comprises a base and a tongue plate; a slot is arranged in the tongue plate; a golden finger, a first welding position and a second welding position are arranged on the printed circuit board; the golden finger is electrically connected with the first welding position by wiring; the printed circuit board is inserted into the slot; the additional terminal is welded, fixed and electrically connected with the first welding position; and the USB2.0 terminal is welded and fixed with the second welding position. Therefore, the additional terminal, the USB2.0 terminal and the printed circuit board are combined to form a module which is inserted and fixed in the tongue plate, and the golden finger and the USB2.0 terminal are matched and utilized to carry out signal transmission so as to improve the transmission efficiency. The improved socket electrical connector has a simple structure and is convenient to assemble; and in addition, the phenomenon of short circuit among various terminals can be effectively avoided, the quality of the assembled products is ensured and high efficiency and high quality of the product assembly can be achieved.


Ever since long times translation activity is reckoned as a practical one,which makes it natural to confine its theoretical progress.The paper attempts to apply the evaluation theory from the value philosophy to the study of translation by Lin Shu,from four different functions of such theory to analyze the complex relationship between the evaluated object and the evaluating subject in the special background of that times in order to reveal the fact that Lin Shu made substantial contributions to Chinese translation circle as well as Chinese literary world.Meanwhile,every fact concerning translation like the increasing in type and number of target text,the renewal of translation opinion,and the improvement in translation quality,all of these are evolving all the way to satisfy the need of human development and social progress.


The above work was supported by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Condensed Matter Physics, funded by EPSRC Grant No. EP/L015544/1. B.U. was supported by the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office under Contract No. OTKA K115632 and a BME Nanotechnology FIKP grant (Grant No. BME FIKP-NAT). G.C. gratefully acknowledges support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 754510.


Abstract 4677 Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the potential to differentiate into any cell type. This makes them a valuable source of cells for treating genetic diseases. If the disease causing mutation can be corrected in patient-specific iPSCs and the cells differentiated to therapeutically relevant cell types and transplanted back, the symptoms of the disease may be alleviated or possibly cured. Hematopoietic diseases are an attractive target due to the ability of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to reconstitute the entire hematopoietic system. However, directing the differentiation of iPSCs towards a HSC fate has proven difficult. Our lab aims to (1) Derive iPSCs from patients with a hematopoietic disease and correct the mutant gene through gene targeting. This will provide iPSCs that could be used in treating the patients. (2) Develop methods that direct the differentiation of iPSCs towards a HSC fate. This will be accomplished through novel iPSC reporter lines that we will use in small molecule and RNAi screens to identify factors that direct iPS cell differentiation towards a HSC fate. Familial Platelet Disorder with propensity to acute myeloid leukemia (FPD/AML) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by a mutation in the gene RUNX1 resulting in thrombocytopenia, platelet defects, and a predisposition to AML. Our first goal is to derive iPSCs from FPD/AML patients and correct the genetic defect using zinc finger nuclease mediated gene targeting. This will provide a potential source of cells for therapy. Towards this goal, we have obtained fibroblasts from four members of a FPD/AML family and derived iPSCs from two of the individuals. Currently we are correcting the RUNX1 mutation in these iPSC lines using zinc finger nuclease mediated gene targeting. We have developed a pair of zinc finger nucleases that bind and cleave RUNX1, resulting in gene targeting frequencies of 80–90% in 293 cells and iPSCs respectively. Our second goal is to develop RUNX1 iPSC reporter lines for use in screening small molecule and RNAi libraries to find methods of directing iPSC differentiation to the HSC fate. RUNX1 is a key player in the development of adult hematopoiesis and is expressed at the earliest stages of hematopoiesis. We have targeted fluorescent proteins and a luciferase cassette into the RUNX1 locus of wild type iPSC lines using the RUNX1 zinc finger nucleases at high efficiency. We will use these RUNX1 reporter iPSC lines in screens to identify inducers of RUNX1 expression soon. We believe such inducers have the potential to direct iPSCs towards a HSC fate. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


McGee and Wolfe (1991) have taken on an important and very challenging topic, the meaning of psychological maltreatment and its significance for child development. They start from the definitions offered by several students of this phenomenon (Garbarino, Guttmann, & Seeley, 1986), and proceed to a formulation that they believe advances the cause of research.


The importance of inscriptional material in the study of Vulgar Latin and Romance linguistics is well known. This is true in the case of Sardinia, too: the history and the chronology of some phonetic developments of the Sardinian language (e.g., Lat. qu, gu ≯ b (b); the prosthesis of i- before s- + consonant) can be better explained with the help of Latin inscriptional sources discovered in the island.


The dispersion behaviour of leaking hydrogen in a partially open space is simulated by a balancing domain decomposition method in this work. An analogy of the Boussinesq approximation is employed to describe the connection between the flow field and the concentration field. The linear systems of Navier-Stokes equations and the convection diffusion equation are symmetrized by a pressure stabilized Lagrange-Galerkin method, and thus a balancing domain decomposition method is enabled to solve the interface problem of the domain decomposition system. Numerical results are validated by comparing with the experimental data and available numerical results. The dilution effect of ventilation is investigated, especially at the doors, where flow pattern is complicated and oscillations appear in the past research reported by other researchers. The transient behaviour of hydrogen and the process of accumulation in the partially open space are discussed, and more details are revealed by large scale computation.


: Software gets increasing matter in control systems such as cyber-physical systems and pervasive computing. Beyond the reliability and performance requirements, the software must continuously evolve and adapt to new needs and constraints from the physical world or technical support (reconfiguration and maintenance). Model engineering aims to shorten the development cycle by focusing on abstractions and partially automating code generation. In this article, we explore the assistance for stepwise transition from the models to the code to reduce the application development time. The model covers structural, dynamic and functional aspects of the control system. The target code is that of a system distributed over several devices. To conduct the experiments, the models are written in UML (or SysML) and programs deployed on Android and Lego EV3. We report the lessons learnt for future work.


This objectives of this research were to find out (1) Use of minimal pair technique in teaching pronunciation at the second year students of SMAN 4 Bantimurung. (2) Whether the minimal pair technique effective in teaching pronunciation or not at the second year students of SMAN 4 Bantimurung. This researcher applied quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent control group design. The sample was taken by using purposive sampling that devided into two groups were 25 students as experimental class and 25 students as control class. The result of the data indicated that there was a significance difference between students' post-test in the experimental class and the control class. The mean score of post-test (2.96) in the experimental class was greater than the mean score of post-test (2.2) in the control class and the standard deviation of the post-test (0.83) in experimental class was greater than the standard deviation of the post–test (0.4) in control class and the value of t-test (5.84) was higher than t-Table (2.021). Based on the result of this study implies that use of minimal pair technique was effective to improve the students' pronunciation ability at the second year students of SMA Negeri 4 Bantimurung. Besides, the significant improvement can be seen from the students' response to researcher's performance. They seem more active during teaching learning activity. Therefore, the researchers suggests that the English teacher should implement minimal pair technique in teaching pronunciation in order to improve students' pronunciation ability.


Skin vision can be found in many invertebrates such as earthworms, jellyfish and octopuses using light-sensitive rod cells in the skin. It enables optical perception and colorimetric responses, providing intriguing capabilities that human skin does not have. We developed a bioinspired wireless, battery-free, artificial skin vision (ASV) device consisting of flexible optical and optoelectronic components which essentially mimic the hierarchical structures and biological functions of rod cells in a skin-like configuration for light sensing and signal processing. The ASV device showed sensitive colorimetric responses to input stimulus, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and demonstrated a capacity for in situ quantitative analysis of biomarkers in sweat through alternative colorimetric light filters. Multiple ASVs together created a body area network with a collection of wireless sensors that can work in parallel to acquire multidimensional human physiological signals and predict fitness variations using a specified deep learning neural network. Our system has potential applications in biomimetic engineering, physiological monitoring and intelligent personalized diagnostics.


In this paper, we report on the synthesis of heterostructured V2O5/SnO2 nanocatalysts with varying vanadium metal loadings of 5–30 wt%. The catalytic performance of the designed catalysts was evaluated in the oxidation reaction of furfural to maleic acid using hydrogen peroxide. The synthesis method afforded highly dispersed nanosized VOx species with predominant exposed V5+ and V4+ on SnO2 oxide. Such structural interface developments of the heterostructured V2O5/SnO2 catalyst resulted into modified electronic structure; phase compositions and textural properties of the individual V and Sn metal oxides with respect to varying V-metal loadings, which lead to improved catalytic performances. Under optimized reaction conditions, a 60% yield of maleic acid was achieved in furfural oxidation reaction. Based on characterization results, the high surface area and low V-metal loading (9.3 wt% vanadium) presented the most redox active V2O5/SnO2 catalyst. At low V-metal loadings the catalyst is populated with the presence of VOx monomeric and polymeric species which are proposed to induce the highly active vanadium sites. This was confirmed for the most active catalyst to possess vanadium with the predominant V4+ state and superoxide oxygen. The catalytic performance showed by V2O5/SnO2 present a solid catalyst derived from earthabundant and cheap metals for the catalytic oxidation upgrade of biomass typical furfural to important value-added maleic acid intermediate chemical.


The present invention provides an advance in accordance with the construction design surface, it can be easily understood way to provide a display system of the excavating machine construction information about the results to the operator of the excavating machine operator. Excavating machine display system (28) comprising: a working machine state detecting unit that detects information about an excavation machine includes a working machine comprising a current position of the bucket; a storage unit (43) which stores a target shape of a work object position information of the design surface; and a processing unit (44), its front end position of the bucket is obtained based on the information about the current position of the mining machine, designed around the surface normal direction of the surface designed to enter at least a portion of the bucket is within the predetermined range, based on the determined position of the tip, the tip of the trajectory exists within a predetermined range of the display screen of the display unit (42) in the.


The effect of quantum fluctuations of the phonon field on the ground-state character of one-dimensional electron-phonon systems is studied with a numerical simulation technique. Two different electron-phonon models are studied, both for spinless and spin-\textonehalf{} electrons, in the half-filled-band case. In both models, it is found that in the spinless case quantum fluctuations destroy the long-range dimerization order for small electron-phonon coupling constant $\ensuremath{\lambda}$. For the spin-\textonehalf{} case, the results are consistent with the Peierls transition occurring at $\ensuremath{\lambda}=0$.


(57) [Summary]
A linear alkylbenzene composition comprising a low-temperature-melted ionic liquid as a catalyst containing a mixture of a metal halide and a base; and a chloroalkane having an average carbon number of more than 6 as an alkylating agent for a benzene reagent; It can be prepared by using an olefin having more than 10 atoms or a mixture of the chloroalkane and the olefin. The novel ionic liquids are also useful in other reactions in which previously known ionic liquids are commonly used as catalysts, with metal halides such as aluminum trichloride and monoalkyl-, dialkyl, trialkyl-containing amine halogens. Includes reaction products with alkyl-containing amine hydrohalides selected from hydrides (such as trimethylamine hydrochloride) and mixtures thereof.


The theoretical discovery of a symmetrical tricritical point in a binary mixture of polymeric glasses is reported. A mean field simple cubic lattice model for mixtures of semiflexible chain molecules having simple Lennard‐Jones interactions has been used to calculate the phase diagram of the system. Effects of pressure on the mixture have also been studied.


Abstract This article is concerned with the ethical and methodological aspects of research carried out during 2020, which investigated the children's representation of Covid-19 in the Brazilian state of Maranhão. It queries the fabrication of an ethnography at a distance (with the children's parents as mediators), taking digital technologies as a means to access children and their narratives through short interviews, audio recordings, and drawings. Adhering to social distancing rules, without access to direct observation, it raises issues regarding the process of obtaining information and transforming it into data through systematization and analysis.


This paper proposes a new digital multiple feedback control scheme for uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) using a single-phase half-bridge inverter. The control scheme is based on sensing the current and voltage of the of the filter's capacitor. Thus, current deadbeat control is achieved, which is easy to be deduced by the discrete state equation of the LC filter. An outer voltage feedback loop with fuzzy control is also used to ensure well-regulated sinusoidal load voltage. It is shown that the control scheme, which is simple and can be designed easily, offers improved performance over the traditional deadbeat control, especially with nonlinear load. Simulation and experimental results based on a TMS320F240 (DSP) prove this.


Rainfall-runoff events significantly influence water runoff and the loss of pollutants from tile-drained agricultural land. We monitored ten small (4 to 38 ha) tile-drained catchments in Czechia for three to five years (2012 to 2016). The discharge was measured continuously; a regular 14-day scheme of water quality monitoring was accompanied with event sampling provided by automatic samplers in 20 to 120 min intervals. A new semi-automated algorithm was developed for the identification of runoff events (RE) based on discharge and water temperature changes. We then quantified the share of RE on the total runoff and the N and P losses, and we compared six methods for nutrient load estimation on an annual and monthly basis. The results showed considerable differences among the monitored sites, seasons, and applied methods. The share of RE on N loads was on average 5% to 30% of the total annual load, whereas for P (dissolved and total), the share of RE was on average 10% to 80% on the total annual load. The most precise method for nutrient load estimation included the RE. The methods based on point monitoring of the discharge and water quality underestimated the loads of N by 10% to 20% and of P by 30% to 80%. The acquired findings are crucial for the improvement of nutrient load assessment in tile-drained catchments, as well as for the design of various mitigation measures on tile-drained agricultural land.


This work has the objective to understand the religious tourism phenomenon
and more specifically this kind of tourism at Aparecida do Norte, in Sao Paulo estate.
The research tries to understand the relation between the city visitors with the local
citizens. This work will present the concepts and perceptions about the religious
tourism around the world and in Brazil, specifically the catholic church. Was made a
bibliographic research about this segment as theoretical basis. To verify the relation
between the studied city was applied a research with forms with the local citizens. After
theoretical basement and field research was known that the religious tourism can
impact positively at the destination, but the impacts can also be negatives. Factors as
economy, culture and social development can be affected.


The invention discloses a simulation system which comprises N physical device simulation models, a data sharing module, a communication service module and M hardware interfaces, wherein the data sharing module comprises a first data sharing unit and a second data sharing unit; when the communication service module detects that first format data sent by the physical device simulation models is stored in the second data sharing unit, the first format data, corresponding to the second format data required by physical devices, is obtained, and is converted into second format data, and then the second format data is sent to the physical devices; when the communication service module receives the second format data required by the physical devices, the second format data is converted into the first format data, and the first format data is sent to the first data sharing unit to be obtained by the physical device simulation models. The simulation system disclosed by the invention has relatively high universality, can improve the simulation efficiency, and reduces the design change cost. The invention further discloses a corresponding simulation method.


SUBTITLE: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE IS CONFIDENT IT CAN OVERCOME A LATE START FOR FINAL ASSEMBLY AND GET THE FIRST A340-600 INTO SERVICE ON TIME IN SPRING 2002.


Objective : To improve the success ratio of voluntary detoxification and choose an ideal therapy which can completely control withdrawal symptoms in short course and more acceptable by the patients . Methods : In the early period of detoxification , 1029 drug abusers for voluntary detoxification were administered methadone with a tapered dose until the last dose was less than 20 mg·d -1 , and then changed to take buprenorphine after quitting methadone for 24 h. The result was compared with that of the mono therapy of methadone , which is randomly sampled from the patients treated before . Results : The average course of joint therapy was 12.7 d± s 5.7 d and that of mono therapy 23.4 d± s 7.9 d ( P 0.01). The success ratio of the former was 81.44% and that of the latter 54.0% ( P 0.01). Conclusion : Joint therapy remarkably excels mono therapy and it is worth studying further .


The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a TFT substrate used in the display device. Method of manufacturing a TFT substrate according to the present invention the semiconductor to overlap with the gate electrode on the stage, the gate insulating film to form the gate insulating film so as to cover the step, the gate line and the gate electrode to form a gate line and a gate electrode on a substrate forming a layer, the gate insulating film, and forming a data line, a source electrode and a drain electrode on the semiconductor layer, the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode of the organic film is patterned into regions intaglio be formed picture on the resist layer applying an organic film on a patterned area of the negative step, the photoresist layer to form a, and a step of removing the photoresist layer.


The key components of fish scales are hydroxyapatite and collagen, which form a natural composite. In this present study, fish scales were used as biosorbent to uptake Alizarine Red S dyes from the wastewaters. Here, dye concentration, adsorbent amount, pH, and temperature were optimized using complete factorial design analysis. Sixteen experiments were required, and a linear mathematical model representing the influence of the different variables and their interactions was obtained. The discussion covered analysis of variance (ANOVA), normal probability plots of residuals, and surface plots. Theoretical calculations by Metropolis Monte Carlo (MC) methods, the density functional theory (DFT), and the electrostatic potential surface (ESP) analysis were achieved to obtain a more understanding of the dyes adsorption mechanism on both collagen and hydroxyapatite (HDA) surfaces. The findings results exhibited that the ARS dye presents more tendency of adsorption on the collagen than on the HDA surface.


W do Sarah Palin, Janet Napolitano, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bill Richardson all have in common? They signed a 2007 Western Governors Association (WGA) policy resolution entitled Protecting Wildlife Migration Corridors and Crucial Wildlife Habitat in the West. That document was arguably the first quasi-governmental recognition of the value of wildlife corridors. It laid the foundation for a cross-state collaborative effort to identify key wildlife corridors and habitats in the western U.S. and to make recommendations on needed policy options and tools for preserving them. Since then, leading states like Washington have developed Crucial Habitat Assessment Tools (CHATs), and the WGA Wildlife Council is creating a regional CHAT to provide an informed and continually updated picture of crucial wildlife habitat across the western U.S. Both state and regional CHATs will be non-regulatory and will simply provide planners scientific data on a broad scale for use in project analysis, siting, and planning (WGA 2012). This represents a significant step forward—states agreeing to think beyond their own boundaries at ecologically relevant regional scales, sharing data, and using wildlife habitat science to inform projects spanning multiple jurisdictions. This trend is also happening across most relevant agencies of the federal government and is noteworthy for the ecological restoration community. Undoubtedly the designation and conservation of wildlife corridors will necessitate an array of restoration activities, from reconnecting fragmented forests, to reestablishing native plant communities, to managing invasive species, to the construction of safe wildlife crossings along the thousands of miles of roadways that traverse wildlife corridors. Obama's conservation record has not drawn great praise, yet he has presided over a broad array of new initiatives that hopefully can be heralded as the way of the future. (Granted, some of these were in the works before his tenure). All the major federal agencies have some sort of climate adaptation plan prepared or in the works, many of which recognize habitat connectivity as a key adaptation strategy for wildlife in a changing world (Delach 2011). As with new ideas, plenty of confusion among agency staff encircles many of these initiatives, and all this action does not necessarily mean the wandering wolverine is home free. In this article, we briefly outline important recent policy examples of this burst of policy activity on connectivity. But first, some background.


Abstract This paper describes a method for coordinating the motions of a group of robots following predefined paths in a common workspace. Coordination Diagrams (CD) are used for representing the possible collisions among the robots. We propose an algorithm that computes a complete coordination plan for the overall missions that each vehicle has to execute. The algorithm generates a set of possible coordination plans and then gives the optimal one. Previous works apply traditional path planning techniques (such as D * or A * ) to compute a coordinated motion. However these techniques do not take into account the fact that the CD has a cylindrical structure. This features enables our algorithm to explore the CD in a more efficient way.


Objectives This study aimed to analyze the structural relationships among online course organization, student engagement and perceived learning outcome in university online learning environment. Methods The survey data were collected from a total of 359 students who took the 100% online course offered by K University in the fall semester of 2021. The structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the relationships among course organization, behavioral, emotional, cognitive engagement and perceived learning outcome. Results The findings showed that online course organization had significant effects on behavioral engagement and perceived learning outcome. Behavioral engagement had a positive(+) effect on emotional and cognitive engagement, and emotional engagement had a positive(+) effect on cognitive engagement. In addition, emotional engagement was found to mediate the relationship between behavioral, cognitive engagement and perceived learning outcome. Conclusions This study attempts to broaden the understanding of student engagement reflecting multidimensional concepts by identifying the interrelationships among behavioral, emotional and cognitive engagement. Also, the results of this study can provide implications for teaching strategies to promote student engagement in online learning.


Novel insight into the mechanisms that govern nucleation during tungsten atomic layer deposition is presented through a detailed analysis using density functional theory. Using the calculated energetics, the authors suggest the most probable series of reactions that lead to monolayer formation on desired growth surfaces, Si(100) and W(110), during sequential doses of WF 6 and SiH 4. From this analysis, they conclude that a relatively high-energy barrier exists for initial nucleation of WF 6 on a silicon substrate; therefore, the system is limited to physical adsorption and is only capable of accessing nucleation pathways once the reaction barrier is energetically accessible. During early doses of WF 6, the initial silicon surface acts as the reductant. Results from this half-reaction provide support for the noncoalesced growth of initial W layers since nucleation is shown to require a 2:1 ratio of silicon to WF 6. In addition, the release of H 2 is significantly favored over HF production leading to the formation of fluorine-contaminated silicon sites; etching of these sites is heavily supported by the absence of fluorine observed in experimentally deposited films as well as the high volatility of silicon-subfluorides. In the second half-reaction, SiH 4 plays the multipurpose role of stripping fluorine atoms from W, displacing any adsorbed hydrogen atoms, and depositing a silicon-hydride layer. Saturation of the previously formed W layer with silicon-hydrides is a crucial step in depositing the consecutive layer since these surface species act as the reductants in the succeeding dose of WF 6. The SiH 4 half-reaction reaches a limit when all fluorine atoms are removed as silicon-subfluorides (SiF xH y) and tungsten sites are terminated with silicon-hydrides. The WF 6 dose reaches a limit in early doses when the reductant, i.e., the surface, becomes blocked due to the formation of a planar network of fluorine-containing tungsten intermediates and in later cycles when the reductant, i.e., adsorbed silicon-hydrides, is etched entirely from the surface. Overall, the calculated energetics indicate that WF xH y, SiF x, and H 2 molecules are the most probable by-products released during the ALD process. Results from this work contribute significantly to the fundamental understanding of atomic layer growth of tungsten using silicon species as reducing agents and may be used as a template for analyzing novel ALD processes.


Based on the analysis of self-excitation and mechanism to the stacking crane, the mathematics model has been put forward, with proposition of the corresponding controlling measure.


Abstract A major issue in the study of language change is the degree to which individual speakers participate in ongoing linguistic changes as these progress over time. In this study, we examine the hypothesis, suggested by research based on the apparent-time model, that in any given period most people are neither progressive nor conservative with regard to ongoing changes, but rather fall between these polarities. Our data come from the Corpus of Early English Correspondence, which spans over 270 years. A computational model was developed to establish which language users were progressive and which conservative with respect to several ongoing changes that progressed in real time between the early 15th and late 17th centuries. The changes studied ranged from morpheme replacements to more abstract structural patterns. Our results indicate that the degree to which language users participated in changes in progress depended on the type of language change analyzed, the stage of development of the change, and the rate of diffusion of the process over time. The model also enabled the identification of groups of leaders of linguistic change in Tudor and Stuart England.


Boxing is designed for storage and transport of optical discs. The housing box is made of thermoplastic material for one process cycle molding or stamping and comprises a base and cover of the same rectangular shape and size, connected by a bridge. On the inner side of the base 4 arranged pin for placing them on double-sided optical disc envelopes. The pin holes installed arched locks, on which there is a throwing envelopes with the desired disc searching, as well as to prevent the spontaneous release of envelopes with pins. For locking the container on the lateral faces of base and cover are snap-locks, and on the perimeter of the docking base and lid - depressions and protrusions response.


Many aspects of the mobility and migration of Aboriginal populations differ significantly from those of mainstream populations. Population movement between reserves, rural communities, and urban areas can play an important role in shaping the demand for a wide range of goods and services. This paper explores various aspects of Aboriginal population movement, including reserve and rural-urban migration, the role of migration in the growth of urban Aboriginal populations, residential mobility and population turnover, and related policy implications. Discussions will address and clarify some of the misinterpretations surrounding migration phenomena, including the impression that the demographic explosion of urban Aboriginal populations observed in the recent censuses of countries is the result of an exodus from Aboriginal communities. Using data from the 2001 Census of Canada, this study examines several dimensions of the migration patterns between 1996 and 2001 of four Aboriginal subgroups: Registered Indians, non-Registered Indians, Metis, and Inuit. Migration patterns for this time period are compared to long-term migration trends for the 1981–1996 period. The study also examines the 2000–2001 patterns of residential mobility for Canada's Aboriginal populations living in major urban areas. Several dimensions of the recent mobility and migration patterns of Aboriginal Peoples are explored using data from the 2001 and earlier censuses and the 1991 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS). Specific issues examined in this regard include five key areas:


SCADA system for pumping wells is established by using wireless ultra-short wave communication technique and monitoring data of real-time transmission of well temperature, pressure and pumping unit work conditions, JP2000 ultra-short wave data transmission station is used in the primary station, ECH05302 pumping well RTU is used in secondary station of the system and related system software is also designed.


The invention belongs to the technical field of industrial waste water treatment and pollution treatment, in particular to a preparation method of a citric acid modified rape straw adsorbent and an application thereof. The method comprises the following steps of: firstly washing natural rape straws, drying, crashing, sieving for standby; and then modifying the surface of the rape straws with citric acid so as to prepare the novel adsorbent citric acid modified rape straws. The prepared adsorbent is used for treating industrial waste water, and removing cationic dye and heavy metal ions form the waste water. The result of a static absorption test shows the adsorbent has excellent adsorption effect for the cationic dye and heavy metal ions. By the invention, the agriculture waste resource is recycled; and cheap and efficient novel adsorbent is obtained to be used for treating the industrial waste water. The preparation process of the adsorbent is simple, and the prepared adsorbent has low cost and excellent adsorption effect.


Electrochemically reduced polyhaloketones react with amines and phenols affording the corresponding α,β-unsaturated amides and esters in moderate yields. The formation of α-iminoketones and α-diimines (main products of the chemical reaction) is completely avoided. The stereochemistry of the α,β-unsaturated products is independent of the nature of the nucleophiles and haloketones.


The demand for power supply is increasing day by day to fulfill the energy consumption of people. Renewable and non-renewable energy resources are used for power generation. In thermal units of power generation, the important thing is that efficient operational policies are required in these units, as increasing the power generating units is not only the solution to meet the load demands but essential to optimize the existing generating units effectively. Economic dispatch (ED) generating units are operating economically to fulfill the load demand and losses along with different practical constraints. In order to overcome the non-linear complex problems in power economic dispatch of thermal generating units, an advanced modified Levi Flight Firefly Algorithm (MLFA) is employed on various IEEE standard test systems for validation. The proposed technique/algorithm has been applied on 6, 13, 15, and 20 unit test systems considering various system constraints including valve loading effect, upper and lower limits, transmission losses, etc. In this research, an objective function is formulated on the flashing behavior of fireflies which optimizes the problems. The MATLAB software is used for the implementation of this algorithm. In the end, statistical results are compared with other existing algorithms which revealed that the solution is effectively converged, and the cost is less as compared to other algorithms.


INTRODUCTION With the shrinking dimension of electronic devices, quantum transport attracts increasing interest. The non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism [1] provides a very general framework for quantum transport, but it is numerically expensive when applied on atomistic tight binding representations. So far, computational burden (in memory and CPU time) limits the maximum diameter of nanowires that are solvable within atomistic NEGF to about 8nm. Several methods are developed to reduce the numerical costs. However, these methods are either limited to effective mass model [2] or to small cross-sections perpendicular to the transport direction [3]. In this work, it is demonstrated how to apply the concept of low rank approximation [4] to the NEGF method in atomistic tight binding representation. Using this method, transport in a 12nm squared Si nanowire is solved. METHOD All electrons are represented in atomistic multi band tight binding models. If a device consists of several millions of atoms, tight binding descriptions yield millions of electronic states. Only a small fraction of these states contribute to charge transport. In this method, the NEGF equations of the tight binding Hilbert space of rank N are transformed into a Hilbert space of rank n that is spanned by only these relevant states. The maximum achievable speed up is given by (n/N) and the maximum reduction of required memory by (n/N). First, the energy dependent contact selfenergies are calculated within the transfer matrix method of [5] and folded into the device Hamiltonian to represent an open system through the nonhermitian Hamiltonians H(E) for each considered energy E. For every H(E), those n right sided eigenstates are calculated that have eigenvalues closest to E. These eigenstates represent the n columns of a rectangular transformation matrix T (N rows and n columns). The NEGF equations are transformed by T into the smaller Hilbert space and solved therein.


Laser phase noise degrades the bit-error-ratio (BER) performance after forward-error correction (FEC), so-called post-FEC BER. In order to suppress phase noise, we introduce iterative decoding between a decoder for carrier-phase estimation and an FEC decoder. The simulation results show that the post-FEC BER performance is improved by 0.8 dB by using the iterative decoder.


The present invention relates to a needle base and a method of manufacturing the same, acicular simulation method of the present invention by cutting 30-50mm the packaging material surrounding the base end of the bundle from the removed and then, the polishing process is the base end of a rotary grinder , the re-packing the removed packing material section then, and characterized in that it comprises the step of cutting the hair bundle in the range of 22-32mm, and the tapered by immersing the part which is not treated polishing of the cut hair bundle to the drug, through the present invention, one side can be obtained efficiently with a minimum of defects tapered and do not know the other side the needle-like polishing process. Needle-shaped base, the deviation implanted, one tapered, polished, packaging


In this paper, we present preliminary results demonstrating how a robot can learn environmental affordances in terms of the features that predict successful control and interaction. We extend previous work in which we proposed a learning framework that allows a robot to develop a series of hierarchical, closed-loop manipulation behaviors. Here, we examine a complementary process where the robot builds probabilistic models about the conditions under which these behaviors are likely to succeed. To accomplish this, we present an intrinsic reward function that directs the robot's exploratory behavior towards gaining confidence in these models. We demonstrate how this single intrinsic motivator can lead to artifacts of behavior such as "novelty," "habituation," and "surprise." We present results using the bimanual robot Dexter, and explore these results further in simulation.


Preface. Acknowledgments. Contributors. 1. Coherent Sources in the Long-Wavelength Infrared Spectrum (Hong K. Choi). 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Synopsis of Long-Wavelength Coherent Sources. 1.3 Scope of Book. 2. 2- m Wavelength Lasers Employing InP-based Strained-Layer Quantum Wells (Manabu Mitsuhara and Mamoru Oishi). 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Material Properties of InGaAsP. 2.3 Design Consideration of MQW Active Region. 2.4 Growth and Characterization of Strained-InGaAs Quantum Wells. 2.5 Lasing Characteristics of 2- m wavelength InGaAs-MQW Lasers. 2.6 Conclusions and Future Prospects. 3. Antimonide Mid-IR Lasers (L.J. Olafsen, et al.). 3.1 Introduction. 3.2 Antimonide III-V Material System. 3.3 Antimonide Lasers Emitting in the 2 m < lambda < 3 m Range. 3.4 Antimonide Lasers Emitting in the lambda 3 m Range. 3.5 Challenges and Issues. 3.6 Conclusions. 4. Lead-Chalcogenide-based Mid-Infrared Diode Lasers (Uwe Peter Schieal, et al.). 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Homostructure Lasers. 4.3 Double-Heterostructure Lasers. 4.4 Quantum-Well Lasers. 4.5 DFB and DBR Lasers. 4.6 IV-VI Epitaxy on BaF2 and Silicon. 4.7 Conclusion. 5. InP and GaAs-Based Quantum Cascade Lasers (Jerome Faist and Carco Sirtori). 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Quantum Cascade Laser Fundamentals. 5.3 Fundamentals of the Three-Quantum-Well Active-Region Device. 5.4 Waveguide and Technology. 5.5 High-Power, Room-Temperature Operation of Three-Quantum-Well Active Region Designs. 5.6 GaAs-Based QC Lasers. 5.7 Role of the Conduction-Band Discontinuity. 5.8 Spectral Characteristics of QC Lasers. 5.9 Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Lasers. 5.10 Microsctructured QC Lasers. 5.11 Outlook on Active Region Designs and Conclusions. 6. Widely Tunable Far-Infrared Hot-Hole Semiconductor Lasers (Erik Brundermann). 6.1 Introduction. 6.2 Hot-Hole Laser Model. 6.3 Laser Material Fabrication. 6.4 Technology. 6.5 Laser Emission. 6.6 Future Trends. 6.7 Summary. 7. Continous THz generation with Optical Heterodyning (J. C. Pearson, et al.). 7.1 Introduction. 7.2 Requirements for Photomixing Systems. 7.3 Design Trade-offs for Photomixers. 7.4 Antenna Design. 7.5 Applications. 7.6 Summary. Index.


This paper studies the generalization of linear subspace identification techniques to nonlinear systems. The basic idea is to combine nonlinear minimal realization techniques based on the Hankel operator with embedding theory used in time-series modeling. We show that under the assumption of zero-state observability, a collection of several zero-input responses can be used to construct a state sequence of the nonlinear system. This state sequence can then be used to estimate a state-space model via nonlinear regression. We also discuss how the zero-input responses can be obtained. The proposed method is illustrated using a pendulum as an example system.


The Internet is one of the fastest means of information technology now available to man. It has actually made the world to become one global village. Millions of people world-wide are now using the Internet. On the other hand, there are heinous abuses which hinder development, which are not readily noticed by the novice user. This paper therefore seeks to examine some of these abuses and ethically appraise their danger on the Internet users worldwide and Nigeria in particular. These abuses include: scams and pyramids, hackers and crackers, viruses and worms, cyber-stalking, adoption fraud, credit card theft and online pornography. It was recommended among others that the government of Nigeria should re-equip the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and Nigeria Police Force and other relevant agencies with high-tech knowledge to fight Internet abuse. Furthermore, the government should encourage self-regulatory body being set up by the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to tackle these crimes and abuses.


Prognostics is the process of predicting the future state of a system. Prognostics systems comprise sensors, a data acquisition system, and microprocessor-based software to perform sensor fusion, analysis, and reporting/interpreting of results with little or no human intervention in real-time or near real-time. It offers the promise of minimizing failures (especially failures "in the field"), extending the time between maintenance overhauls, and reducing life-cycle costs. But prognostics is still in a research and development phase, and implementing prognostics is a monumental task on several levels—the technical challenges involving hardware and sensor technologies, the analytical challenges involving predictive methods, and the logistical challenges centering on how to make use of prognostic information.


Machine translation is the process by which computer software is used to translate a text from one natural language to another but handling complex sentences by any machine translation system is generally considered to be difficult. In order to boost the translation quality of the machine translation system, simplifying an input sentence becomes mandatory. Many approaches are available for simplifying the complex sentences. In this paper, Rule based technique is proposed to simplify the complex sentences based on connectives like relative pronouns, coordinating and subordinating conjunction. Sentence simplification is expressed as the list of sub-sentences that are portions of the original sentence. The meaning of the simplified sentence remains unaltered. Characters such as (".","?") are used as delimiters. One of the important pre-requisite is the presence of delimiter in the given sentence. Initial splitting is based on delimiters and then the simplification is based on connectives. This method is useful as a preprocessing tool for machine translation.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3-NS4A protease is an attractive target for anti-HCV agents because of its important role in replication. An optimized fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) substrate for NS3-NS4A protease, based on the sequence of the NS5A-5B cleavage site, was designed and synthesized. High-throughput screening of in-house compound libraries was performed using a FRET substrate FS10 (MOCAc-DKIVPC-SMSYK-Dnp) and MBP-NS3-NS4A fusion protein. Several hit compounds were found, including YZ-9577 (2-oxido-1,2,5-oxadiazole-3,4-diyl) bis (phenylmethanone) with potent inhibitory activity (IC50=1.6 μM) and good selectivity against other human serine proteases.


Regional innovation clusters and systems are a form of collective innovation efforts. There is a large amount of knowledge and technology creation that occurs withing these structures. A globally well-known example is Silicon Valley in the United States of America. This article plans to delve deeper into the concept of regional innovation clusters and systems by looking at what literature exists surrounding these topics. It does this by applying a systematic approach to a scoping review. Data is sourced from abstract and citation databases, namely Web of Science and Scopus. These databases are merged and analysed to identify core documents in the database by applying Bradford's law, identify influential authors by looking at various metrics. A thematic map is also developed to identify themes that exist in this specific set of literature. The evolution of these themes is also analysed over the years of 2000 to 2021, in the form of four times slices, to identify concepts that surround regional innovation systems, literature gaps or areas where contributions can be made. Concepts identified that occur with regional innovation systems are economic developments, clusters, and knowledge. A literature gap identified is the absence of the discussion of factors related to regional innovation.


The skin patterns of vertebrates are formed by complex interactions between pigment-producing cells during development. Adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), a model organism for investigating the underlying patterning processes, display alternating horizontal blue and golden stripes, generated by the self-organisation of three pigment cell-types. Mathematical studies in which these cells are modelled as individual agents communicating via short- and long-range interactions have produced breakthroughs in the understanding of pattern development. These models, incorporating all experimentally evidenced cell-cell interactions, replicate many aspects of wild-type and mutant zebrafish patterns. Although received wisdom suggested that initial iridophore distribution was pivotal in orienting patterning, here we show that growth can override its influence. Altered growth sequences can generate further pattern modulation, including vertical stripes and maze-like patterns. We demonstrate that ventrally-biased (asymmetric) growth of the skin field explains two key zebrafish pattern development features which are otherwise obscure (dorso-ventral pattern asymmetry, and predominant ventral-to-dorsal migration of melanophores) in wild-type and multiple zebrafish mutants, and in the related species Danio nigrofasciatus. By identifying biased growth as a novel patterning mechanism, our study will inform future investigations into the mechanisms and evolution of fish pigment patterning and vertebrate pigment pattern formation. Furthermore, our work has implications for the mechanistic basis of human pigmentation defects.


Introduction: Diagnosis of high-risk maternal pregnancy is one of the most important issues during pregnancy and can be of great help to pregnant mothers. Also, early diagnosis can reduce mortality and morbidity in mothers.Material and Methods: In this study, the data of 1014 pregnant mothers were used, which includes 272 people with high-risk pregnancies, 742 people with medium-risk and low-risk pregnancies. Also, the data include six independent variables. A combination of Bayesian belief network algorithms and particle optimization was used to predict pregnancy risk.Results: For validation, the data model was divided into two sets of training and testing based on the method of 30-70. Then the proposed model was designed by training data. Then the model for training and testing data was evaluated in terms of accuracy parameters 99.18 and 98.32% accuracy were obtained, respectively. It has also performed between 0.5 and 8% better than similar work in the past.Conclusion: In this study, a new model for designing Bayesian belief network was presented and it was found that this model can be useful for predicting maternal pregnancy risk.


RADIOTHERAPY is the only satisfactory treatment for malignant disease of the nasopharynx. The nasopharynx is notably a most difficult region to examine, and although routinely studied by the otolaryngologist there remain areas which may escape his routine and sometimes even a more detailed examination. However, by virtue of the close relationship of the nasopharynx to the orbit and intracranial structures, the presenting symptoms may take the patient to a physician, neurologist or ophthalmo-logist first, and unless they suspect the presence of a lesion within the nasopharynx, inevitable delays in receiving treatment result. Because of the frequent development of cervical node metastases the help of the general surgeon is often sought before that of the otolaryngologist. Since one of the prerequisites for successful treatment of malignant disease is early diagnosis, it is not surprising that bizarre presentations and the frequent diagnostic puzzles presented to the unwary lead to late diagnosis and poor prognosis. machine having 2,990 r in 13 treatments. To date remains well with no sign of recurrence or metastases.


The ethnographic approach has much to contribute to our understanding of social mobility. This chapter provides a discussion on ethnography as a method and approach to writing and description, and reviews some ways in which themes related to social mobility and inequality in the developing world have been explored ethnographically. It discusses the themes that these studies cover in terms of two frames: the social construction of mobility and the fields within which mobility plays out. Social mobility is explored in relation to themes such as the family, labour, class, caste, race, gender, migration, and inequality. These are considered in relation to the value of ethnography in underscoring everyday lived experiences of individuals and collectives.


The following paper gives some account of observations made by myself in the Isle of Man, during the autumn of 1873. Only a brief outline of the successive formations is now laid before you, as it is my intention to return to the same field, with the aim of gathering more detailed evidence. Previous Literature on the Subject. As far back as the beginning of this century several papers were published on the old rocks of the Isle, by Dr Berger,* Mr Wood, and Professor Henslow.† In the second volume of ‶The Western Isles″ Dr Macculloch has some long chapters on the same subject. He describes the schistose rocks, the representatives of the Old Red Sandstone, and the limestone series; but he failed to note the proofs of volcanic action which are to be met with south of Castletown.‡ In 1826 a paper appeared from the pen of Dr Hibbert on the discovery of the fossil elk; and in 1843 Mr Hugh Strickland, F.G.S., read a paper before the Geological Society in which he gives an account of the glacial beds in the north part of the island.§ There are two writers, however, whose names are closely associated with the geology of the island, viz., Professor E. Forbes, F.R.S., and the Rev. J. G. Cumming, M.A., F.G.S. The former examined the superficial deposits, and named the fossils obtained from them. In his well-known paper on ‶The Fauna and Flora of the British Isles″ several allusions are made to the Manx


The Fletcher-Suit-Delclos (FSD) intracavitary vaginal applicator typically incorporates tungsten shielding to reduce dose to the bladder and rectum. Dose distributions about a single colpostat have been extensively measured and calculated. However, these measurements do not consider perturbations from the contralateral colpostat or the intrauterine tandem on the dose distribution. Accurate accounting for all dosimetric effects in brachytherapy is essential for both dose based implant optimization and for comparison with alternate modalities, such as intensity modulated radiation therapy. The authors have used Monte Carlo calculations to evaluate the accuracy of the superposition principle as it applies to both single shielded applicator dose distributions and single source dose distributions. Preliminary analysis indicates differences ranging from 2-5%, warranting further investigation.


The use of reinforcement is a central mechanism in the development of operant behavior. To reach good results in reinforcement-based interventions in basic, translational or applied research, it is important to identify preferred items to use with patients and participants. One way to accomplish that is through preference assessment methods. Most research on preference assessments employ tangible stimuli presented on a table. Although this method presents several advantages, some items and activities are not easily presented in this more traditional way. A computerized preference assessment test could solve some of these restrictions. Among the advantages is the possibility of keeping a nearly infinite digital stimuli database with pictures, sounds and videos. The objective of this research is therefore to present a computerized preference assessment test developed as an alternative to the table-top formats. This computerized tool was developed to run on any common, well-known browser and allows users to make updates to the database with new stimuli, insert information regarding the tests and create assessments according to specific objectives. More details on the operation of the tool, called "Choice Game", are presented.


Reactions of Mn sources with di-2-pyridyl ketone, (2-py)2CO, and phenyl 2-pyridyl ketone oxime, (ph)(2-py)CNOH, give the novel clusters [Mn10(II)Mn4(III)O4(O2CMe)20[(2-py)2C(OH)O]4] 1 and [Mn4(II)Mn4(III)O2(OH)2(O2CPh)10[(ph)(2-py)CNO]4] 2, respectively, which possess low-spin ground states; the observed tetradecanuclearity in 1 is extremely rare in 3d-metal chemistry, while the core of 2 has a unique topology consisting of two linked [Mn2(II)Mn2(III)O(OH)] units.


Immune literacy—the ability to hear, learn, read, write, explain, and discuss immunological content with varied audiences—has become critically important in recent years. Yet, with its complex terminology and discipline-specific concepts, educating individuals about the immune system and its role in health and disease may seem daunting. ABSTRACT Immune literacy—the ability to hear, learn, read, write, explain, and discuss immunological content with varied audiences—has become critically important in recent years. Yet, with its complex terminology and discipline-specific concepts, educating individuals about the immune system and its role in health and disease may seem daunting. Here, we reflect on how to demystify the discipline and increase its accessibility for a broader audience. To address this, a working group of immunology educators from diverse institutions associated with the research coordination network, ImmunoReach, convened virtually. As a result of these discussions, we request a call to action for a system-level change and present a set of practical recommendations that novice and experienced educators from diverse institutions, professional societies, and policymakers may adopt to foster immune literacy in their classrooms and communities.


Objective: To evaluate right ventricular function in patients with chronic heart failure by applying tissue velocity imaging.Methods: Nineteen patients who were diagnosed as chronic heart failure with NYHA grade1~3 and LVEF≤45%(Simpson method)were enrolled as heart failure group.Fourteen healthy subjects who were age-matched were taken as control group.After the tissue velocity imaging curve of tricuspid ring on level of right ventricular free wall from apical four chamber view was got,the following parameters were measured:mean peak velocities[velocity of ejection phase(VS),velocity of rapid filling phase(VE) and velocity of atrial systole period(VA)] of the longitudinal motion,duration of different phases [isovolumetric contraction phase(IVC),ejection phase(S) and isovolumic relaxation phase(IVR)].Results: Compared with control group,VS and VE of tricuspid ring on level of right ventricular free wall were reduced in heart failure group,whereas VA,IVC,VE/VA,S and IVR were not significantly different.Conclusion: Analyzing tricuspid annular motion,especially Vs and VE by applying TVI is sensitive to the evaluation of right ventricular function in patients with heart failure.


Hyperledger Fabric is a popular permissioned Blockchain framework for a consortium of organizations to develop Blockchain based applications and transact within the consortium. Hyperledger Fabric introduces a fine-grained access control mechanism called the private data collection (PDC), which allows private data to be shared by only a subset of participants. In this paper, we analyze PDC and show three classes of use cases in which misuse of Hyperledger Fabric features may endanger implemented Hyperledger Fabric systems. We present two groups of potential attacks including fake PDC results injection and PDC leakage against the misuse of the policy based consensus protocol. We use prototype systems to validate the discovered attacks. We also collected 6392 Hyprledger Fabric projects on GitHub and built a tool to statically analyse them. We find that 86.51% of the PDC related projects are potentially vulnerable to the fake PDC results injection attacks, and 91.67% have PDC leakage issues. We design new features for the Hyper-ledger Fabric framework to mitigate the attacks and show that the new features have minor impact on the system performance.


Abstract Several populations of a member of the Ceramiaceae belonging to the tribe Griffithsia were sampled through SCUBA diving on the south and southeast coasts of Brazil. A detailed study of vegetative and reproductive phases showed that the material is identical to Anotrichium yagii, a species known thus far only from Japan and Korea. This seems to be the first report of this species in the Atlantic Ocean. Considering that it is a conspicuous and abundant species found in an area that was carefully surveyed in the 1960s and 1970s, it is thought to be a recent introduction, transported by ships.


Data is an important asset for any organization to
successfully run its business. When we collect data, it contains
data with low qualities such as noise, incomplete, missing values
etc. If the quality of data is low then mining results of any
data mining algorithm will also below. In this paper, we propose
a technique to deal with missing values. Genetic algorithm
(GA) is used for the estimation of missing values in datasets.
GA is introduced to generate optimal sets of missing values
and information gain (IG) is used as the fitness function to
measure the performance of an individual solution. Our goal
is to impute missing values in a dataset for better classification
results. This technique works even better when there is a higher
rate of missing values or incomplete information along with a
greater number of distinct values in attributes/features having
missing values. We compare our proposed technique with single
imputation techniques and multiple imputations (MI) statistically
based approaches on various benchmark classification techniques
on different performance measures. We show that our proposed
methods outperform when compare with another state of the art
missing data imputation techniques.


Global economy was significantly affected by the global financial crisis and especially the budget balance of all countries. Starting with 2008 the global economy has been confronting the deepest economic downturn since the Great Recession in 1930. The crisis had a high level of synchronization, both the developed and the emerging economies being affected, showing a significant increase of the inter-dependence between the world economies. Many countries experienced recession in 2008 and Romania went into recession in the third quarter of 2008. In this article we present the impact of the present crisis on the Romania' budget and fiscal sector between the end of 2007 and the end of 2010 and the forecasts for 2011 and 2012.


Education is the right of all children without exception. However, the main one of the main problems of education in Indonesia is not all children have access to education. Not only economic issues but also include physical or psychological conditions that are "different" with children in general, or better known as disbilitas. They (disbalitas) are vulnerable to marginalization especially in the field of education. In the last 10 years the Indonesian government has launched inclusive education and the main purpose is to accommodate the rights of every child to be able to not only disability. Hope that further is to realize the ideals of the 1945 Constitution that "the intellectual life of the nation".


The invention relates to a rehabilitation exoskeleton robot based on variable flexible joints. The robot comprises a seat (1), an equipment cabinet (2), display equipment (3) and a four-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (4) and/or a four-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (5), wherein the equipment cabinet (2) is electrically connected to the four-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (4) or (5) by virtue of a power cable and a communication cable; the display equipment (3) is electrically connected to the equipment cabinet (2) by virtue of a power cable and a communication cable; and the four-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (4) and/or the four-degree-of-freedom mechanical arm (5) are/is fixed to a supporting structure on the back side of the seat through rigid connection (6). The invention implements the rehabilitation exoskeleton robot based on the variable flexible joints; and the provided rehabilitation robot has a completely new structure.


Airfield pavement systems should be considered within a framework which includes maintenance and rehabilitation as well as initial design for some prescribed time period. Portions of this management system will be briefly discussed in this paper. While there are no workable systems which completely describe the airfield pavement management process, there are a number of subsystems which when used in conjunction with one another do provide the engineer concerned with design and rehabilitation a framework within which to make reasonable decisions. It is these subsystems which will be addressed herein. In this overview of pavement design and rehabilitation an attempt has been made to summarize representative existing methodology and the results of recent research which is considered implementable and which permits expansion of the scope design and rehabilitation. The recent research when used in conjunction with existing methodology permits expansion of the scope of design and rehabilitation, e.g., insuring more effective use of marginal materials, for large or unusual projects, or to ascertain the influence of the introduction of different mixes of aircraft.


Under-running of passenger vehicles is one of the important parameters to be considered during design and development of truck chassis. Front Under-run Protection Device (FUPD) plays an important role in avoiding under-running of vehicles from front side of a truck. An explicit finite element software Altair Radio's is used in FUPD analysis for impact loading. The deformation of FUPD bar and plastic strains in FUPD components are determined in the impact analysis for predicting failure of the system to meet the compliance requirements as per IS 14812-2005. Additionally, failure analysis of the FUPD attachment points with chassis is determined. Physical testing can be reduced significantly with this approach which ultimately reduces the total cycle time as well as the cost involved in product development. I. INTRODUCTION In head-on collisions of bonnet-type cars (sedans, wagons, hatchbacks, etc., here after referred to simply as cars) and heavy trucks, the car often under runs the front of the truck, and the car crew received the serious or fatal injuries. The crash safety performance of the car depends on the way its structural parts interact with the structural parts of the truck. FUPD equipment that prevents the car from under running the truck is obligatory in India. The required strength and ground clearance of FUPDs are specified in the relevant regulations used in India. Accidents between cars and trucks are among the most fatal accidents because of the car under running. This phenomenon leads to serious and fatal injuries for car occupants because of intrusion of the car structure into the passenger compartment. This has led to the development of test procedure for energy-absorbing front under run protection systems for trucks. There is a summary of accident analysis of several European countries, where we can read that of the 48000 fatally injured people in road traffic accidents in 1992, 13000 people were killed in accident with trucks involved, about 7000 were car occupants and 4200 of them were killed in car-to-truck frontal collisions. It is very common incident that during the accident a passenger vehicle going under the heavy commercial vehicle either from rear, front or side. During collision, there is a risk that the passenger vehicle will penetrate under (run under) the front or rear part of the truck and thus there are great chances of fatal injuries to the occupants of the passenger car. The design and the strength of the Front Under-run Protection Device (FUPD) should be such that it should take the impact load and avoid the under running of the passenger vehicle from the front of the heavy commercial vehicle. Physical testing is done with 5 impactors with specific load and sequence; hit the FUPD to evaluate its strength. This scenario is replicated using Finite Element (FE) solvers like Altair Radio's. The load taken by the FUPD is evaluated using reaction forces. This virtual validation is important for cost saving in the tooling, repetitive testing of the vehicle and cost involved in the same. The Government of India felt the need for a permanent agency to expedite the publication of standards and development of test facilities in parallel when the work on the preparation of the standards is going on, as the development of improved safety critical parts can be undertaken only after the publication of the standard and commissioning of test facilities. To this end, the Ministry of Surface Transport (MOST) has constituted a permanent Automotive Industry Standards Committee (AISC) vide order No.RT-11028/11/97-MVL dated September 15, 1997. The standards prepared by AISC will be approved by the permanent CMVR Technical Standing Committee (CTSC). After approval, the Automotive Research Association of India, (ARAI), Pune, being the Secretariat of the AIS Committee, has published this standard. For better dissemination of this information ARAI may publish this document on their web site. In Indian vehicles FUPD, still it is not implemented. By this analysis will know that how it can reduce passenger life while impacting to car, pole..Etc. FUPD is designed with the help of European standard dimensions and then will apply the initial velocity from front side and check the strength of the FUPD, if it safe then this thesis is successfully projected. It's a trial and error process. The strategy in selecting a test procedure is to identify tests that have the potential to improve the crash protection provided across a broad range of real-world impact conditions. The crash test conditions, e.g., impact


This exhaustive and scholarly annotated bibliography opens access for the first time to the extensive Japanese language resources on calligraphy at the Library of Congress. Contents: Calligraphy Research; Reference Materials; Histories and Commentaries; Calligraphy Connections; Calligraphy Education and Training; Implements; Kao Signatures; Calligraphic Engravings; Calligraphy and Commercial Art; Newspapers and Periodicals; Appendices.


At the end of his studies on the history of copyright in Britain in Authors and Owners (1993), Mark Rose discusses the persistence of the eighteenthcentury idea of authorship in the present. According to him, our current understanding of artistic creation fundamentally stays in line with the Romantic representation of the author as "a specially gifted person able to produce from the depths of personal experience an organically unified work of art" (132). It is so even though the term "author" now applies to the producers of movies, "photographs, sculptures, sound recordings, and choreographic works," as well as to those of typical literary works (132). Rose describes this persistence as "the enclosure of new territories" by the Romantic author, quoting Peter Jaszi's words that having a copyright means having "a general dominion over the imaginative territory of a particular literary or artistic production" (133). In other words, the conception of the exclusively originary, possessory, and regulatory author could last because we have continuously incorporated new artists since the eighteenth century into the boundary of that conception. This "enclosure of new artists," which conspicuously defies the Barthesian death of the author, is especially well demonstrated in Poe scholarship. Though now considered one of the nation's most quoted, parodied, and admired writers of all time, from a scholarly perspective Edgar Allan Poe was a "new artist" for quite a while. As is well known, Poe was not a widely popular or critically acclaimed literary figure in America during his lifetime. 1 It was French poet Charles Baudelaire who for the first time assessed him as an artistic genius. Baudelaire played a major role in introducing Poe to nineteenth-century Europe by writing essays about him in the 1850s and translating his works from the late 1840s through the 1860s. What is noteworthy is that Baudelaire's discovery of Poe went hand in hand with his characterization of Poe as an exemplary eighteenth-century artist who is "an isolated and brilliant victim of his artistic temperament, neo-European and aristocratic, essentially opposed


A new species of Dalyelliidae Dalyellia sinensis is described from a alpine ghyll in Mt. Shennongjia, Hubei Province,China. Living sexually mature specimens 1930-2220μm in length and 470-490μm in width, green in color. Its main characteristic is that many zoochlorellae,Chlorella sp. exist under epidermis, Its penis is 178μm in length with one pair of handles each of which is 100μm in length, 13-15μm in widen. distance of free end of handle is 188μm. Penis "H"shaped. There are 22 thorns on the penis. Holotype SNJ2003.11.3.1. New species was collected from rivulet of Muyu Town(31.45°N,110.45°E)in Mt. Shennongjia, Hubei Province, China. alt. 1200m, temperature 8℃, pH 8.10. Collected by WANG An-Tai. All specimens were deposited in Morphological Research Laboratory of Life Science College, Shenzhen University, China.


Background: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐like protein 1A (TL1A) is a member of the TNF superfamily and contributes to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) by stimulating T‐helper (Th) 1 cells. In addition to Th1, recent studies have focused on the role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of CD. Here we tried to clarify the role of TL1A in Th1 and Th17 immunity in CD. Methods: TL1A expression was assessed by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) in lamina propria (LP) macrophages (LP‐M&PHgr;s) from normal controls (NC) and patients with CD or ulcerative colitis (UC). Purified LP CD4+ T cells were stimulated with TL1A and/or IL‐23 and interferon gamma (IFN‐&ggr;) and interleukin (IL)‐17 levels were analyzed. We also examined the effect of TL1A on naïve CD4+ T‐cell differentiation. Results: We found that LP‐M&PHgr;s are a major producer of TL1A. TL1A expression was markedly enhanced in LP‐M&PHgr;s from CD patients compared with NC or UC patients. IL‐23, in addition to TL1A, was induced in LP‐M&PHgr;s by commensal bacteria stimulation. TL1A and IL‐23 synergistically promoted the production of IFN‐&ggr; and IL‐17 by LP T cells, while TL1A alone did not induce cytokine production. Furthermore, TL1A promoted Th17 differentiation from naïve T cells by LP‐M&PHgr;s; however, IL‐23 did not show any synergistic effects on Th17 differentiation. Conclusions: TL1A expressed in LP‐M&PHgr;s might play an important role in the pathogenesis of CD by inducing Th1 and Th17 immunity. IL‐23 differentially regulated these functions of TL1A on memory and naïve T cells. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2009


We classify the n-dimensional real Lie algebras according to algebraic , geometric, and topological points of view. For the case that Lie algebra, Riemannian geometry, and general topology yield the same classii-cation we call it the natural one. It turns out that for dimension n 3 our classiication is natural. For n 4 partial results are given.


Critical Management Studies challenge the 'received' knowledge contained in the texts on which established management theory and practice is constructed. Much of critical management is perceived to be 'difficult' — esoteric and complex — by our colleagues of a more technical/positivist bent, not to mention the problems manager/ practitioners have in accessing our material. Yet managers are text dependent: the theory they enact draws on both popular and academic texts; and texts, written and spoken, are what managers do. Our paper argues that if managers were offered accessible strategies of textual interpretation they would be empowered in two ways: they would more readily recognise the differences, exclusions, ambiguities, hegemonies and hierarchies that language (and visual strategies) betray; and if cognisance leads to an enriched scope of perceived responsibilities then management practice would become more balanced and ultimately more ethical. Working with a scriptive reading method (Monin, 2004), and having selected a sample text for analysis, Global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi, Kevin Roberts' recent book on branding strategy Lovemarks (2004), our paper demonstrates the deeper and/or alternative sense-making that scriptive reading supports. Scriptive reading works with a 3-step approach to text analysis: a first, dominant or standard, reading is followed by a critical reading (based on any one, or a combination of, a variety of epistemological approaches to text-interpretation) of the same text, and the process is completed by a reflexive commentary on the text and subtexts uncovered in the first two readings. We follow this process as we read and re-read the same text, noting and


Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive and rapid neoplasm that is curable and highly sensitive to chemotherapy. It can affect any organ or part of the body, leading to several clinical presentations. Early diagnosis and treatment of BL are very important before landing life-threatening complications such as airway compromise and compression of vital structures such as the spinal cord. This is a case of a 10-year-old boy, who developed BL at the posterior part of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx. This case report aims to describe the rarity of the location, course of the pathology, clinical presentations, investigations, and treatment. As BL is an aggressive neoplasm and is considered a serious health problem, it needs timely diagnosis for prompt and appropriate treatment.


ABSTRACT Agromedicine is multidisciplinary, information comes from many different sources in a variety of fields. This article identifies and briefly explains computerized bibliographic databases in the disciplines of agriculture, biology, chemistry, medicine, food sciences, and nutrition. It discusses the theories in searching computerized bibliographic databases, the importance of controlled vocabulary and using it during literature searches, and construction of a search with samples. The essential role of a reference librarian is emphasized. Following these suggestions can save a researcher or lay person time and money.


Excerpt Hiccup as a complication of an acute coronary artery occlusion is not mentioned in the literature. In the past year I have encountered this annoying and distressing symptom in three cases. ...


During periods of strong economic growth, migration is and has always been important for filling gaps in the labour market. On balance, the evidence for the UK labour market suggests that fears about the consequences of rising immigration have been exaggerated. It is hard to find evidence of much displacement of UK workers or lower wages, on average. Immigrants, especially in recent years, tend to be younger and better educated than the UK-born and are less likely to be unemployed. They certainly do not receive preferential access to housing. But there have been some effects. The less skilled may have experienced greater downward pressure on wages and greater competition for jobs than others, but these effects still appear to have been modest. Unfortunately we do not know much about whether the effects of immigration are different in downturns. We also need to understand more about how capital and sectoral shifts in demand respond to immigration over the longer run. Future migration trends will, as ever, depend on relative economic performance and opportunity. But we still need to know more about the effects of rising immigration beyond the labour market in areas like prices, housing, health, crime and welfare.


Background: Escherichia coli is known to inhabit the gastrointestinal tract of poultry and other animals. E. coli infection can cause major economic losses in poultry production. The development of resistance to the commonly used antimicrobials in the treatment of such infection can be a setback in the poultry sector. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of E. coli isolated from chickens in Imo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Twelve poultry farms were selected across the 3 senatorial zones of the state using purposive random sampling. A total of 120 cloacal samples were collected from chickens using sterile swabs. The samples were streaked onto MacConkey agar (MCA) and incubated at 37o C overnight. Pink colonies on the MCA were streaked onto eosin-methylene blue agar, incubated for 24 hours at 37o C, and confirmed by indole, methyl red, Voges-Proskauer, and citrate (IMVIC) tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out using disc diffusion technique, and the inhibition zone diameter was measured and recorded as resistant or susceptible. Results: Twenty isolates out of the 120 samples were identified as E. coli. Twenty isolates were highly resistant to 5 antibiotics out of 10 antibiotics used. Antibiotic resistance patterns were as follows: amoxicillin (AMP) (95%), cephalothin (CEP) (90%), nalidixic acid (NA) (85%), trimethoprim (SXT) (85%), cefoperazone (PEF) (80%), ampicillin (AMP) (70%) ofloxacin (OFX) (15%), ciprofloxacin (CIP) (10%), gentamicin (CN) (10%), and streptomycin (S) (10%). Sixteen resistance patterns were recorded with AMC-SXT-AMP-CEP-NA-PEF being the most prevalent. Conclusion: This study shows that multi-drug resistant E. coli strains are present in poultry farms in Imo State.


Abstract. We present a novel fusion method to improve the spatial resolution of multispectral (MS) images, where the fused spectral images integrate the spectral information and spatial details from the original MS images and panchromatic (PAN) image, respectively. Band by band, a spectral image with high resolution is reconstructed from the original spectral image to take advantage of super-resolution technology. The pan-sharpening method via Amélioration de la Resolution Spatiale par Injection de Structures concept is further applied to obtain the fused images from the reconstructed spectral images and PAN image. Performance of the proposed method has been evaluated on the public optical satellite QuickBird images. Experimental results show that the fused spectral images both preserve the spatial details of high-resolution from the PAN image and have higher spectral resolution than the original spectral images.