Figure 1 shows the ESnet deployment as of Summer 20 09. It consists of two nodes at each PoP, a core IP router and an Science Data Network (SDN) MPLS sw itch, which are interconnected by one or more 10Gbps links. There are multiple inter-PoP links, s ome interconnecting core IP routers and others interconnecting SDN switches. There are two primary types of connectivity services offered by ESnet : IP-routed services and virtual circuit services. Th e IP-routed services are supported by the core IP r oute s, and the virtual circuit services are supported by t he SDN switches. The latter also requires an OSCARS  (On-demand Secure Circuits and Advance Reservation System) InterDomain Controller (IDC) , which is a circuit scheduler through which users and applica tions can request circuits of known durations and r ates for immediate or future use.


A taxonomic revision of the genus Phoebe Nees is presented for the Indo-Burmese region including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Eight species are recognized, keyed out and treated with references, type citations, synonymy, flowering and fruiting periods, local names and uses, habitat, distribution and the specimens examined. Eight taxa, namely Ocotea paniculata var. minor Nees, Phoebe baishyae M.Gangop., P. cooperiana P.C.Kanjilal & Das, P. lummaoensis M.Gangop., P. palghatensis M.Gangop., P. pallida subsp. borii M.Gangop., P. prazeri M.Gangop. and P. wightii Meisn. are reduced to synonymy. Lectotypes of 14 names are also designated.


A gas chromatographic system has been developed for the direct analysis of atmospheric formaldehyde and other oxygenated hydrocarbons. This method utilises the trapping of analytes in a loop cooled with liquid nitrogen, separation by gas chromatography and then subsequent detection using a pulsed discharge helium ionisation detector (pdHID). The detection limit of this instrument is estimated to be 32 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) for 0.2 l of gas sampled at a flow rate of 30 ml min–1 (S/N at 4:1). A number of other compounds have been monitored simultaneously using this method, including higher molecular weight aldehydes and acetone. Continuous measurement of formaldehyde can be performed with a time resolution of 15 min, with longer analysis times required for inclusion of other species. Calibrations were performed using a permeation tube instrument for both formaldehyde and acetone. A linear response has been observed for formaldehyde sample volumes of 60–200 ml of a 272 ppbv sample (20–68 ng). For acetone a linear response was observed from 175–360 ml of a 30 ppbv standard (12–26 ng). A flame ionisation detector (FID) was also utilised during system development to confirm separation of formaldehyde from atmospheric hydrocarbons.


Predictions of disease outcome in prognostic factor models are usually based on one selected model. However, often several models fit the data equally well, but these models might differ substantially in terms of included explanatory variables and might lead to different predictions for individual patients. For survival data, we discuss two approaches to account for model selection uncertainty in two data examples, with the main emphasis on variable selection in a proportional hazard Cox model. The main aim of our investigation is to establish the ways in which either of the two approaches is useful in such prognostic models. The first approach is Bayesian model averaging (BMA) adapted for the proportional hazard model, termed 'approx. BMA' here. As a new approach, we propose a method which averages over a set of possible models using weights estimated from bootstrap resampling as proposed by Buckland et al., but in addition, we perform an initial screening of variables based on the inclusion frequency of each variable to reduce the set of variables and corresponding models. For some necessary parameters of the procedure, investigations concerning sensible choices are still required. The main objective of prognostic models is prediction, but the interpretation of single effects is also important and models should be general enough to ensure transportability to other clinical centres. In the data examples, we compare predictions of our new approach with approx. BMA, with 'conventional' predictions from one selected model and with predictions from the full model. Confidence intervals are compared in one example. Comparisons are based on the partial predictive score and the Brier score. We conclude that the two model averaging methods yield similar results and are especially useful when there is a high number of potential prognostic factors, most likely some of them without influence in a multivariable context. Although the method based on bootstrap resampling lacks formal justification and requires some ad hoc decisions, it has the additional positive effect of achieving model parsimony by reducing the number of explanatory variables and dealing with correlated variables in an automatic fashion.


In the manufacture of asphalt great emphasis is placed on the bitumen content of the material. Bitumen content tests are undertaken regularly at predetermined intervals and results are analysed statistically during the manufacture of the asphalt and the construction of the asphalt pavements. This is undertaken in order to ensure that the desired quality is obtained as well as to detect any problems in the asphalt manufacturing process timeously.


Abstract : It is well established that the resting metabolic rate (MR) rises dramatically after extensive burn injury, imposing special considerations on the management of burn patients. In order to better understand the efferent limb of the mechanism generating this hypermetabolism, previous investigators have sought to find roles for various endocrine systems and/or their related metabolic substrates. These possibilities have included thyroid hormones, catecholamines, carbohydrate and lipid factors as controlled by the endocrine pancreases, glucagon and cortisol. We had the opportunity to follow plasma concentrations of most of these factors longitudinally in a large homogeneous group of patients. In view of these factors longitudinally in a large homogeneous group of patients. In view of the known relationship of MR with total burn size (TBS) and postburn day (PBD), we were able to assess for the first time, and in the same patients, whether the changes in basal plasma endocrine variable are also related to TBS and PBD. Further, we were able to determine whether endogenous variation in the endocrine factors was associated with variation in MR beyond the MR variation explained TBS and PBD.


Introduction: Conventionally, lymphangiomas have been managed by surgical excision which range from simple excision to extensive compartmental exenteration.With the advent of the usefulness of sclerotherapy, especially bleomycin, management of extensive lymphangiomas which are hitherto considered inoperable cases has become very comfortable for patient and surgeon. Materials and Methods: A total of 28 patients were included in the study. Neck was the most common site of involvement followed by axilla; groin was involved in two cases. Injection bleomycin was reconstituted and diluted, a dose of 0.5 IU/Kg injected intralesionally after aspirating an equal volume of fluid. Compression bandage was applied for 24 h. Cases were reviewed after 3 weeks for assessing clinical and serological response. Results: Significant reduction of mass was noted in 68% of cases (n = 19). Surgery was required in 7% (n = 2), complete regression of mass was noted in the remaining 25% (n = 7) cases. Conclusion: This modality of treatment may be used safely as primary modality of treatment for select group of patients.


Through a reading of A. S. Byatt's "The Chinese Lobster," this paper illustrates some implications of Juliet Mitchell's theory of the role of siblings in mental life. Mitchell's recent work elucidates a complex web of fantasies, desires, and conflicts centered on sibling-figures. The paper begins by outlining several of Mitchell's concepts: the sibling crisis; lateral fantasy; laterally based narcissistic identifications; and the role of lateral relatedness in object love, self-esteem, thirdness, and hysteria. Byatt's story provides a springboard for exploring the profound relational significance of these ideas.


2. Urges Parties, [according to their capabilities,] and invites other Governments, biodiversityrelated conventions and relevant organizations, including local actors, communities and institutions to implement the strategic actions outlined in the knowledge management component, complementary to the long-term strategic framework for capacity-building and development and the proposals to strengthen technical and scientific cooperation, with a view to enhancing the generation, collection, organization, easy and timely access to and effective utilization of data, information and knowledge to support the effective implementation of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the national biodiversity strategies and action plans;


his trouble in gaining this balance. The particular behavior is the child's individual way of responding to the disturbing environment and also his effort to bring that environment to his terms. It is important that some things in the environment remain fairly fixed and unchanging. Through therapy and through changes in environment (not only physical changes but also the intangible ones that come about through emotional differences), a child may get some help toward achieving a more livable balance. And if this balance is gained, the different behavior only tells us that the child has ended a particularly trying experience in a constructive way; we cannot be assured that the equilibrium will be maintained through future troublous times. He may be better able to meet a new situation by means of the increased control of himself that he has gained through the last experience, but no man can gage in advance the forces that may come upon him, or the pressures of his own new needs.


The objective of this research is to identify the variables that influence the use of e-learning by students in an undergraduate distance course of a Higher Education Institution (HEI). It was identified that Davis' (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with the introduction of interactivity and technical support as external variables would be the most appropriate to assess the intention of the student to follow using e-learning. A questionnaire was sent over the internet and resulted in a sample of 260 students. The data were analyzed by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the results confirmed the validity of all the hypotheses confirming the importance of interactivity and technical support for the students to continue to use e-learning.


In this paper, we propose a classifier for classification of data vectors with mutually independent but not identically distributed elements. For the proposed classifier, we prove that the error probability goes to zero as the length of the data vectors goes to infinity, even when there is only one training data vector per label available. Finally, we present numerical examples where we show that the performance of the proposed classifier outperforms conventional classification algorithms when the number of training data is small.


Chapter 3—the second to explore the theme Voice—considers Shabtai Rosenne's response to Hersch Lauterpacht's reproach of Israel's aversion to the individual right of petition. Rosenne castigated Lauterpacht for expressing an 'extreme non-Zionist, apolitical concept of Jewish public life and the Jewish place on the international scene' challenging, thereby, Lauterpacht's representative capacity and ideological credentials. The right of petition and human rights writ large were, for Rosenne, assimilationist projects. Both were premised on individual, not collective, Jewish subjecthood; both were antithetical to how Zionism constructed the legal-political status of Jews and saw the Diaspora as the root cause of the modern Jewish predicament. Moreover, by investing individual Jews with the capacity to appear before international bodies, the right of petition challenged Israel's sovereign claim to paramount Jewish voice in the world arena; Lauterpacht's reproach thus challenged the sovereign capacity of Rosenne and Robinson to speak for Jewish interests with authority.


Featuring 12 articles drawn from "Scientific American", this collection reflects the contribution of studies in behaviour and ecology to our understanding of birds. The collection also indicates how important new techniques from such disciplines as molecular biology and neurobiology have been applied to longstanding ornithological questions. Birds have often been the subject of studies leading to far-reaching theories in animal behaviour - particularly in the areas of sexual selection, inclusive fitness, and optimal foraging.


Building investment projects, both during the construction work and afterwards, have a certain impact on the natural environment when a raised structure is used. Depending on the character, size and location of a planned structure, such influences will vary. At the stage of planning a new development, investors are obliged to execute several procedures connected with the preservation of nature, for example they prepare several variants of the planned investment and evaluate which one will have the weakest effect on the environment. Assessment of variants is based on a series of criteria, and the final outcome is not always unambiguous. Hence, when trying to establish the importance of each criterion, it is advisable to apply efficient decision support methods. One option is to use multi-criteria analytical methods. However, for such methods to be applicable, an investor must prepare a wealth of information. The first stage preceding the actual analysis of variants is to define the assessment criteria and assign to them appropriate weights (importance). This stage requires the participation of experts, who – through questionnaires and interviews – express their opinions on the criteria that must be included and on their importance. This article contains a model procedure implemented for the sake of determination of the importance of parameters, which includes the methodology used for assessment and ranking of parameters. The approach presented in this paper demonstrates the usefulness of multi-criteria analytical methods when making an evaluation pertaining to the impact of a building investment on the environment.


COPYRIGHT © 2022 Ling, Ma and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: Rhizosphere microbiology: Toward a clean and healthy soil environment


We present new efficient algorithm for modeling the formation permeability given the well logs and core petrophysical properties in addition to vertical facies classification for a well in sandstone formation in West Africa. Firstly, the k-mean cluster analysis has been used to obtain the vertical rock types (Facies) sequences along the whole depth interval of the formation. K-means algorithm begins by choosing k observations to serve as centers for the clusters. Then, the distance from each of the other observations is calculated for each of the k clusters, and observations are put in the cluster to which they are the closest. This process is repeated until no observations switch clusters. Additionally, by using K-mean, the optimal number of clusters (Facies) have been specified. Then, Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was considered to build the relationship between core permeability and the explanatory variables. GAM considers a sum of nonparametric smoothing functions to identify nonlinear relationships depending on the degree of smoothing. In GAM results, Mean Square Prediction Error (MSPE) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) have been considered to select the optimal model that performs null hypothesis rejection for all parameters. Consequently, a significant overall reduction in model deviance leading to variance reduction.


These notes are intended as an incentive to future
study rather than as a complete record of the geology of
this interesting locality. They are the result of several
holidays spent on the island, and particularly of two
yachting trips undertaken recently. In many places the
record is meagre, as I was unable to land and examine
the rock formations in detail, but had to rely on observations
made while sailing along, often in somewhat
troubled waters. Still the description is complete
enough to be of value, especially as no previous record
has been made, with the exception of the late R. M.
Johnston's description of the Fossil Cliffs in his Geology
of Tasmania. There is brief mention of a paper read by
him before the Royal Society on Riedle Bay, but unfortunately
it was not printed and his valuable observations
have been lost.
Maria Island is situated on the East Coast, almost
opposite to Spring Bay and Orford. The passage between
it and the mainland varies in width from three to eight
miles. In the narrowest part, off Long Point, is Lachlan
Island, a small diabase rock covered with sparse vegetation.
Maria Island is one of those curious "tied-islands" to be
found in Tasmania. The reason for their formation has
not yet been determined, though it is usual to ascribe
it to the sinking of the land, and, though not sufficient
data has been collected to dogmatics on the matter, there
is no reason to suppose that there have been any other
forces in operation.


Background/Objectives: Dry eye syndrome is the most eye disease for mobile phones.The research is to be investigated a comprehensive study to prevent dry eye syndrome among mobile phone addicts. Methods/Statistical analysis: The chi-square testanalyzed the basicitems between the two variables. Moreover,the t-test was done to compare the differences in dry eye syndrome through applying medical training arbitration. Additionally, the t-test was analyzed the degree of change in the physical and mental function by medical arbitration. The data were used physical function in participants with phone addicts using SAS.Training contents of the addicts are lecture, video, discussion and assessment. Findings: According to data compiled, dry eye syndrome is important for contents such as food, living conditions and exercise. Specific data were derived the following contents :1) The rate of single participants(57.5%) in the normal people was a significantly higher rate than the rate(27.4%) of experimental group(X2=2.6, p<.05). 2)According to the gender of respondents investigated,gentleman with 43.8% in the target people showed a lower rate than 53.4% in the normal people 3) For wrist acupressure, the mean of subjects which has performed eye acupressure after training was higher than previous participants(t=-2.85, p=.000).4)Ophthalmic exercises have increased the ophthalmic status after training(58.16±1.42) compared to ophthalmic status(31.78±2.59) before training (t=-1.69, p=.000). 5)Dry eye syndrome significantly decreased in the targetpeople than the normalpeopleafter 48 days. 6) The data achieved a significantly higher rate in the people observed than the normal people, even the days passed 36 days by applying training of ophthalmic function. Improvements/Applications: Thisneeds a regular training for using the correct mobile phone.It will help for preventing dry eye syndrome of mobile phone addicts in all ages.


Model predictive control (MPC) is a very popular technique for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG), and several MPC topologies have been proposed. However, most of the time, the controller parameters are done in a heuristic way. This paper proposes an analytical method for the design weighting matrices based on the fake algebraic Riccati equation (FARE). The proposed methodology guarantees the control system stability. Furthermore, simulations results were used to choose the desired control horizon and the desired prediction horizon, considering the steady-state error and the computational cost. Moreover, the DFIG vector control model, the MPC theory, and the FARE formulation were presented. Experimental results were shown to endorse the proposed method.


In this paper, we design the first streaming algorithms for the problem of multitasking scheduling on parallel machines with shared processing. In one pass, our streaming approximation schemes can provide an approximate value of the optimal makespan. If the jobs can be read in two passes, the algorithm can find the schedule with the approximate value. This work not only provides an algorithmic big data solution for the studied problem, but also gives an insight into the design of streaming algorithms for other problems in the area of scheduling.


A construction of a multi channel thin film transistor is provided to decrease transfer of a threshold voltage by including a plurality of semiconductor islands and to separate source/drain currents into many portions. A first conductive layer including a gate electrode(122) is formed on a substrate. And the first conductive layer is covered with an insulating layer. A semiconductor layer including a plurality of semiconductor islands(142) which are located on a top portion of the gate electrode is formed on the insulating layer. A second conductive layer including a source electrode and a drain electrode is formed on the semiconductor layer and the insulating layer. One end(142a) of the semiconductor island is connected electrically to the source electrode and the other end(142b) is connected electrically to the drain electrode.


In order to find out the whole riparian buffer system denitrification effect and various types of riparian buffer in the system,under a certain concentration of pollution load impact riparian buffer area TN( total nitrogen),NO-3-N( nitrate nitrogen), NO-2-N( nitrite nitrogen) and NH+4-N( ammonia nitrogen) purification mechanism were studied by engineering-scale fields test on site. The results showed that farmland is an important source of lake reservoir water nonpoint source pollutants,other different forms of vegetation filter can effectively gather,absorb pollutants. Among them,tree grass composite filtration zone has better effect of nitrogen removal than a single herb filtration zone,tree grass composite filtration zone with TN,NO-3-N,NO-2-N and NH+4-N quality concentration subtractive rate was 84. 21%,51. 61%,17. 61% and 71. 98%. And the quality concentration subtractive rate in single herb filtration zone was just 37. 44%,49. 60%,6. 72% and 74. 45%. In addition,reed plant-based filter with a water plant of agricultural non-point source pollution has good control effect,the end removal ratio of runoff TN,NO-3-N,NO-2-N and NH+4-N,was 82. 77%,36. 40%,37. 82% and 74. 54%.


The basic principle and the technical specification of the digital PLL and the function of the integrated frequency synthesized Q3226 are introduced. The system performances and the parameters of the auxiliary circuits of the digital PLL are analyzed


1. Surgical stapling instrument system, comprising: a first portion having at least one first electrical contact, a second portion located within the hermetically sealed package, wherein said second portion has at least one second electrical contact for piercing said sealed package and placing in cooperation with said first electrical kontaktom.2. System surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein said second part comprises electronic components, susceptible to damage due to exposure to gamma radiation during sterilizatsii.3. System surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein said first part comprises a bearing plate and the channel of the cartridge with skobami.4. System surgical stapling instrument of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second parts includes at least one attachment member configured to attach said second part to said first chasti.5. System surgical stapling instrument of claim 4, wherein said fixing member is adapted to pierce said paketa.6. surgical stapling instrument system, comprising: a first portion having at least one first electrical terminal, a second portion located within a sealed envelope, wherein said second portion has at least one second electrical terminal, and at least one of said first electrical terminal and said second electrical terminal is adapted to pierce specified


The invention relates to a homocinetic joint comprising an inner hub (3), an outer hub (4), a pin (9) which can be connected to the outer hub for connecting the joint, and a reinforcing ring (7) which can be connected in a positive fit to the outer hub, said reinforcing ring surrounding the outer hub (4) in a rotationally fixed manner, and comprises at least one stop area (7a, 7b) which defines the position of the outer hub (4) in the reinforcing ring (7) in a first axial direction. The pin (9) comprises, for example, a flange-type shoulder area (8) having an axial stop surface (8a) which defines the position of the outer hub (4) in the reinforcing ring (7) in a second axial direction which is opposite the first axial direction, the pin (9) being fixed on the reinforcing ring (7).


This article embarks from the ground water resources importance,proposed the corresponding countermeasure and the protection principle in view of ground water environment question,Proposed must complete the plan word of the ground water resources,safeguard economic society sustainable development.


A special concentric spinneret with a section of Teflon tubing as sheath nozzle was manufactured and used to perform coaxial electrospinning for generating biphasic-release core–sheath nanofibers of helicid. Two experiments were designed to investigate the interfacial interactions of working fluids with the components of the spinneret nozzle. Appropriate solvent systems were selected and used to prepare (1) an electrospinnable sheath fluid consisting of helicid and polymer filament-forming matrix, and (2) an unspinnable core fluid consisting of Eudragit® L100-55 and a relatively high content of helicid. At a 5 : 1 sheath-to-core flow-rate ratio, helicid-loaded nanofibers with an average diameter of 660 ± 210 nm, clear core–sheath structure, as well as smooth surface and cross-section were successfully produced, as verified by SEM and TEM observations. DSC and XRD analyses indicated that the nanofibers were essentially polymeric matrix composites with homogeneously distributed guest helicid molecules on the sheath and core part. ATR–FTIR spectra verified that hydrogen bonding occurred between the drug and core–sheath matrices. In vitro dissolution tests showed that the core–sheath nanofibers can provide biphasic-release profiles with 52.4% immediate release in simulated gastric fluid and 46.3% sustained release of the remaining drug in pH 7 simulated gastric fluid. These findings indicated that the non-metallic concentric spinneret could be exploited to conduct coaxial electrospinning and facilitated the smooth and continuous preparation of electrospun core–sheath nanofibers for providing biphasic drug release profiles.


Abstract: In this document, the range of appearance ࡵ)࢘ (of a positive integer ࢘ in heptagonal numbers and some results by comparing ࡵ)࢘ (with Legendre symbol, ࢖ − adic range and prime conjunction function of ࢘ are accessible. Since ࡵ)࢘ (does not possess a meticulous prototype, all the results are confirmed by Java program for all-natural numbers


Giving product information to the user of the information display device (204), and a method and apparatus for providing information collected from users is disclosed. In one embodiment, the disclosed method and apparatus may be configured to operate in conjunction with providing and promoting wine beverage. In such an embodiment, the electronic hardware and software is configured to provide information about the wine to the user via the portable display device capable of communicating with the main server (130) (138) via a wireless link. In one embodiment, the content is downloaded from the hub server (108), the hub server may be further configured to facilitate order tracking and product inventory table. In another embodiment, since the disclosed method and apparatus may be configured with features of a personal account, the user may establish individual information about their wine information. In one embodiment, the disclosed method and apparatus, retail sales, configured to facilitate online sales and training.


The article is devoted to the unification of the terminology used in the description of amphibian abnormalities. The author proposes using only medical and zoological terms to denominate both skeletal and other kinds of anomalies. The article describes defects in the form of a formula that contains the disorder name, its symmetry and location on the body. The latter requires highly detailed elements of the structure of an animal for recording anomalies in a shared database.


Physiological indexs in leaves color change of Acer truncatum Bunge in autumn were studied based on allogenetic substance control method.The result showed that the chlorocholine chloride at 2.5ml·L-1 level could restrain the growth of Acer truncatum Bunge ,and it tended to eliminate sprout phenomenon.The sucrose at 20goL-1 level could advance leaves color coloration effect of Acer truncatum Bunge.


A BSTRACT . Life is based on energy conversion. In the nervous system, in particular, significant amounts of energy are needed to maintain synaptic transmission and home-ostasis. To a large extent, neurons depend on oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria to meet their high energy demand. To develop a comprehensive understanding of the metabolic demands in neuronal signaling, accurate models of ATP production in mitochondria are required. Here, we present a thermodynamically-consistent model of ATP production in mitochondria based on previous work [1, 2, 3, 4]. The significant improve-ment of the model is that the reaction rate constants are set, so detailed balance is satisfied. Moreover, using thermodynamic considerations, the dependence of the reaction rate constants on membrane potential, pH, and substrate concentrations are explicitly provided. These constraints assure us the model is physically-plausible. We provide a complete and detailed derivation of ATP production in mitochondria. Furthermore, we explore different parameter regimes to understand in which conditions ATP production or its export are the limiting step in making ATP available in the cytosol. The outcomes reveal that, under physiological conditions, ATP production is the limiting step and not its export. Finally, we analyze the portion of the total volume taken up by the membranes and study the functional effect this compression can have on the availability of ATP in the cytosol. A compression of approximately 50% of the intermembrane space or the matrix can increase the amount of ATP in the cytosol by 2-6%. This model lays the foundation for future studies of the internal mitochondrial physiology and metabolism in neurons using Monte-Carlo techniques to simulate the biochemical interactions that take place in the mitochondrial compartments.


The effect of crack length at different cold working level on stress and strain state and fracture parameters of stress corrosion cracking tip of 316L stainless steel in high temperature water environment of the nuclear pressure vessel was studied by sub-model technology of elastic plastic finite element method. It combined with the mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel under different cold working level, and the effect of crack length on the Mises stress, equivalent plastic strain, tensile stress, tensile strain and J integral of 316L stainless steel under different cold working level was compared. The results indicate that crack length of stress corrosion cracking has certain effect on stress and strain state at crack tip. With the increase of crack length, Mises stress and equivalent plastic strain, tensile stress and tensile strain increase at crack tip, at the same time, J integral increases with increase of crack length. Cold working level has changed the mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel. When the stress intensity factor K is constant, with the increase of cold working level, Mises stress increases and equivalent plastic strain decreases at crack tip, while tensile stress increases and tensile strain decreases at crack tip. The rate of change of stress strain curve from 0° to 90° is different because of cold working level. The higher the level of cold working, the faster the Mises stress and the tensile stress increase at 90° in front of the crack tip, and equivalent plastic strain and tensile strain decrease most slowly at 90° in front of the crack tip. As the degree of cold working increases, the J integral of crack tip also increases. The increase of crack length and the level of cold working aggravate the stress corrosion cracking of 316L stainless steel under high temperature and high pressure in a certain range.


Air quality management is being implemented in England according to the Environment Act 1995* and the UK National Air Quality Strategy* (NAQS). Being undertaken at a local level, it is designed to address air quality issues in a holistic way. One of the possible barriers to the successful implementation of the NAQS requirements is lack of communication within local authorities (Beattie et a?). This paper presents an analysis of the factors affecting this communication process. Issues identified as important include officer training, the influence of regional group support and the role of internal groups in facilitating or enhancing the communication process.


Knowledge Sharing Systems, Inc., a producer of intellectual assets management software systems for the federal government, universities, non-profit laboratories, and private companies, constructed and presently manages the NASA Technology Tracking System, also known as TechTracS. Under contract to Langley Research Center, TechTracS identifies and captures all NASA technologies, manages the patent prosecution process, and then tracks their progress en route to commercialization. The system supports all steps involved in various technology transfer activities, and is considered the premier intellectual asset management system used in the federal government today. NASA TechTracS consists of multiple relational databases and web servers, located at each of the 10 field centers, as well as NASA Headquarters. The system is capable of supporting the following functions: planning commercial technologies; commercialization activities; reporting new technologies and inventions; and processing and tracking intellectual property rights, licensing, partnerships, awards, and success stories. NASA TechTracS is critical to the Agency's ongoing mission to commercialize its revolutionary technologies in a variety of sectors within private industry, both aerospace and non- aerospace.


This work deals with the presence of defect structures in models described by real scalar field in a diversity of scenarios. The defect structures which we consider are static solutions of the equations of motion which depend on a single spatial dimension. We search for different models, which support the same defect solution, with the very same energy density. We work in flat spacetime, where we introduce and investigate a new class of models. We also work in curved spacetime, within the braneworld context, with a single extra dimension of infinite extent, and there we show how the brane is formed from the static field configuration.


This study was undertaken in March 1996 by Plunkett Foundation, in consultation with NRI, as part of a joint project to assess the current and potential role of farmer- controlled enterprises (FCE's) in the provision of agricultural services in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this report is to make observations and draw experience from specific agricultural services initiatives involving some form of farmer-controlled organisation, from within a geographical zone of the Sahel which includes eastern Mali and western Burkina Faso. This report serves as a backdrop to the country studies in the Anglophone countries of Ghana, Uganda and Zimbabwe. This study is also complementary to the ODI research which focused on the Union of Cotton Producers in Mali (SYCOV).


DATA COLLECTED FROM A STUDY OF TRAFFIC SIGNAL OPTICAL UNITS ARE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. ABOUT SEVEN PERCENT OF THE LENSES OF SOME 3.2 MILLION SIGNAL OPTICAL UNITS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE OF TWELVE-INCH SIZE. PROJECTED FUTURE USAGE WOULD INVOLVE USE OF THIS SIZE LENS IN EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF ALL OPTICAL UNITS BY 1970. THE THEORY OF TWELVE-INCH LENS APPLICATION CONCERNS THE IMPORTANT INCREASE IN TARGET VALUE AT LOCATIONS WHERE A SMALLER SIGNAL INDICATION MIGHT TEND TO BE OVERLOOKED. SEVERAL SITUATIONS WHERE 12-INCH LENSES HAVE BEEN APPLIED ARE LISTED FROM THE 1961 MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES: (1) RURAL INTERSECTIONS OR THOSE WITH HIGH APPROACH SPEEDS, (2) ISOLATED INTERSECTIONS OR THOSE WHERE SIGNALIZATION MIGHT BE UNEXPECTED, AS AT THE FIRST SIGNAL BEYOND A FREEWAY EXIT, (3) SPECIAL PROBLEM LOCATIONS SUCH AS THOSE WITH CONFLICTING OR COMPETING BACKGROUND LIGHTING, AND (4) INTERSECTIONS WHERE DRIVERS VIEW BOTH TRAFFIC CONTROL AND LANE DIRECTION CONTROL SIGNALS SIMULTANEOUSLY. LAMP WATTAGES ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. IT WAS FOUND THAT TWO-THIRDS OF THE TWELVE-INCH RED INDICATIONS HAVE 150 WATT LAMPS, BUT LESS THAN ONE-HALF OF THE YELLOW INDICATIONS ARE THUS EQUIPPED. IT IS FELT THAT THE USE OF LAMPS EXCEEDING THE 100 WATT SERIES FOR THE TWELVE-INCH YELLOW RESULTS IN TOO BRIGHT A DISPLAY AT NIGHTTIME. AS AN ALTERNATIVE, ELECTRICALLY-REDUCED WATTAGE CAN BE USED FOR THE YELLOW DURING NIGHT-TIME OPERATION. THIS HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF ALLOWING STANDARDIZATION OF LAMP SIZES FOR TWELVE-INCH LENSES, AND THEREFORE MAY SIMPLIFY MAINTENANCE. THE DIMMING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY A TRANSFORMER OR RESISTOR.


Title of Document: SPILL AND BURNING BEHAVIOR OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS Matthew E. Benfer, Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering, 2010 Directed By: John L. Bryan Professor, James G. Quintiere, Department of Fire Protection Engineering Unconfined liquid spill depths were measured for two liquid fuels and three nonflammable liquids atop a smooth concrete pad. Unconfined liquid spill thicknesses were found to be less than 0.1 cm in all fuels and liquids similar to fuels. Spill fires were conducted with volumes ranging from 0.2 ml to 450 ml for gasoline and denatured alcohol. Average burning rates for both unconfined liquid fuel spill fires increased linearly with increasing volume spilled. A liquid spill thickness model was developed and compared to experimental data. Comparisons showed good predictions for half of the liquids used. In addition, a liquid spill fire burning rate model was also developed and checked with experimental data. This model provided good qualitative results, however further development is still needed. SPILL AND BURNING BEHAVIOR OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS


The very long chain n-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6) are metabolised to certain prostaglandins and thromboxanes which are thought to reduce platelet aggregation and to possess important anti-atherothrombotic properties. The major source of C20:5 and C22:6 in dairy cow diets are fish oils, but the efficiency of uptake of these fatty acids into milk fat is low (Storry et al, 1969; Hagmeister et al, 1988). The aim of this experiment was to investigate the extent of uptake of EPA and DHA into milk fat in high yielding dairy cows.


Entering into 21 st century, the intellectual property becomes more sparkling in the business valuation. The emerging literature on intellectual property will increase firm profit and company commercial value is recognized the prominence of intellectual property across the globe. However, most of the young generations do not realize the value of such property. This phenomenon resulted the cognitive of intellectual property is stagnant among the young. To contribute to this discourse, this paper goes beyond in identifying the intellectual property and its importance in this era. Literatures have suggested a plenty of intellectual properties such as patents, trademarks and copyright. They have been manifested with legal rights and assure diligence in development. This paper is conceptual and is presented with the purpose to spawn further research on valuation for intellectual property in university, but simultaneously touches upon the issues of commercialization.


In this paper the effect of failed mergers on the profitability of the bidder and the target is investigated. It is demonstrated that when firms produce differentiated products in Bertrand competition, the post-rejection expected profitability of both firms is adversely affected by the information revealed through the rejection. This is a reversal of the Hviid and Prendergast finding that the post-offer increase in the profitability of the target firms is further boosted by the information made available through the rejection. This reversal is the direct result of using upward sloping reaction curves, which are usually found in price-setting games. The prediction for the bidder firm remains unchanged; this will experience a fall in its profits in the case of merger failure, the degree of which will be even more extensive if the failed bid was hostile because of the information transmission involved.


When consulting a dictionary, people can find the meaning of a word via the definition, which usually contains the relevant information to fulfil their requirement. Lexicographers produce dictionaries and their work consists in presenting information essential for grasping the meaning of words. However, when people need to find a word it is likely that they do not obtain the information they are looking for. There is a gap between dictionary definitions and the information being available in peoples' mind. This paper attempts to present the conceptualisation people engage in, in order to arrive at a word from its meaning. The insights of an experiment conducted show us the differences between the knowledge available in peoples' minds and in dictionary definitions.


Motor vehicle insurance provides compensation for various types of damages that occur due to increased risks in traffic. Timely compensated damage provides security and satisfaction to the insurance user, and has a positive effect on the insurance company's rating, while the dynamics and scope of paid benefits for all insurance products, including motor vehicle insurance, affects the technical result, i.e. the financial stability of the insurance company. This work will point out the specifics of the motor vehicle insurance market of Montenegro, with reference to claims, i.e. the procedure for their application and liquidation. The survey research will determine the key factors that motivate the citizens of Montenegro to take out this type of insurance, but also their attitude and willingness to renew, or for the first time, take out a motor vehicle insurance contract, mainly depending on the procedure and dynamics of claims liquidation, i.e. the amount determined compensation due to them based on the motor vehicle contract.


A two-hop-based smart grid (SG) neighborhood area network (NAN) with energy harvesting over mixed fading is proposed. The fading channels considered between two hops are radio frequency (RF) and power line communication (PLC) with a decode-and-forward (DF) relay. Using the Markov chain the active home appliances (HAs) transmit the consumed power information through RF link to the smart meter (SM). The SM acts as a DF relay, retransmitting data to the data aggregator unit (DAU) via the PLC link. The considered RF and PLC links are Nakagami-m and Long-Normal distribution respectively. Moreover, the SM harvests energy from the radio frequency (RF) signal to help for energy efficient with a low latency SG network. Here, a binary phase shift keying modulation scheme is used for information transmission. Similarly, a Markov chain with multi-user selection combining is proposed in the system model for selecting active HAs from multiple HAs. For performance analysis purposes, a closed-form expression for average bit error probability (ABEP) is derived. The numerical and Monte-Carlo simulation results show the effect of the energy harvesting time factor, the impulsive noise scenario in the PLC channel, and the fading severity in the Nakagami-m channel in the SG communication system.


The Alaskan Stream is the northern boundary current in the subarctic North Pacific. This area is characterized by significant temperature, salinity and density differences between coastal and open-ocean waters and strong mesoscale dynamics. In this paper we demonstrate the transport pathways of Alaskan Stream water in the eastern subarctic Pacific and the eastern Bering Sea from October 1, 1994 to September 12, 2016 with the help of altimetry-based Lagrangian maps. A mesoscale eddy activity along the shelf-deep basin boundaries in the Alaskan Stream region and the eastern Bering Sea is shown to be related with the wind stress curl in the northern North Pacific in winter. A significant correlation is found between the concentration of chlorophyll a in the Alaskan Stream area and eastern Bering Sea in August - September and the wind stress curl in the northern North Pacific in November - March. The mesoscale dynamics, forced by the wind stress curl in winter, may determine not only lower-trophic-level organism biomass but also salmon abundance/catch in the study area.


The ill-posed semi-linear parabolic equation backward in time with the positive self-adjoint unbounded linear operator A and being given is regularized by the well-posed non-local boundary value problem Under the condition , a priori and a posteriori parameter choice rules are suggested which yield the error estimate for some positive constant C.


Hot water dipping test was conducted for chicon to restrict red discoloration of its basal part which impairs the product value during sales. Hot water dipping treatment was given to chicon for 4 min and for 8 min at 38℃ and for 2 min and 4 min at 42℃, and for 1 min and 2 min at 45℃, along with control (for one min at 20℃). The red discoloration indices of basal part of chicon during sensory evaluation on the sixth day of storage under the storage temperature at 10℃ was lower at 42℃ for 2 min, 42℃ for 4 min and 45℃ for 1 min treatments. The color change value of the basal part in chicon measured by colorimeter showed that the lowest △a * and △h were maintained in the basal part of chicon treated at 42℃ for 2 min. Whereas, color changes in 42℃ for 2 min and 45℃ for 1 min treatments were significantly low as compared with that of control. The contents of total phenolic compounds which are the substances that cause red discoloration of basal part in chicon were lowest at 42℃ for 2 min, 42℃ for 4 min and 45℃ for 1 min treatments. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) resposible for in the synthesis of phenolic substances was the least in 42℃ for 2 min treatment. Whereas, PAL activity of the chicons treated a t 42℃ for 2 min and at 4 5℃ for 1 min were significantly lower than t hat of c ontrol. However, r ed d iscoloration was progressed as similar level with that of control in the basal part of chicon at 45℃ for 2 min. The contents of total phenolic compounds and PAL activity in this treatment were not significantly different from those in control. The polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity which causes red discoloration of cut tissues was low in all the treatments including 42℃ and 45℃ treatment at which no inhibition effects of the red discoloration of basal part of chicon were observed. When the correlation coefficient between each investigated index was tested, most of them showed high correlation except the PPO activity and particularly and the red discoloration index and sensory evaluation △h values, and PAL activity and total phenolic compounds content were r = 0.927 ** , and r = 0.942 ** , respectively.


In recent years, the inclusion of vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as bicyclists in road traffic systems has become a topic of general interest. However, the development and testing with humans in the loop are complicated. Co-simulation of cyclists on a training stand together with road traffic and vehicular networking simulation helps to get more insights into traffic interactions. This approach is currently limited as that only one real-time cycling stand can be supported. Therefore, we extend a centralized intelligent transportation systems (ITS) simulation to allow multiple real-time users simultaneously. We developed an architecture building upon new extrapolation and convergence algorithms to deal with communication lags. Our proof-of-concept for internet-connected multi-user real-time simulation confirms the general feasibility and allows us to gain insights into its technical limitations.


By means of a European Union-funded co-operative research project between several pavement research centers, the testing, characterization, and model implementation of the non-linear resilient and permanent behaviour of both soils and granular materials has been achieved. The paper summarizes the work of the project briefly discussing the problems of obtaining representative laboratory data from repeated load triaxial tests, the formulation and applicability of material models, the importance of non-linearity and its implementation into finite element non-linear analytical tools. Illustrative data is presented and the results of an analytical study briefly compared with in-situ measurements. It is concluded that the overall approach provides a cogent means of assessing, describing, and predicting the behaviour of the soil and unbound materials in pavement constructions.


Going through the euphoria of false victory due to herd immunity by the beginning of 2021, India stepped into the critical stage after the emergence of new strains of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). With more than 20.2 million cases being reported, a rolling average of 4,12,262 cases daily, and death tolls crossing 3,980 per day, hospitals and health workers are overwhelmed and exhausted across the country. With the virus spreading to 220 countries extensively, the human toll in India after the second wave is surely more than double the number of humans killed over 320 natural disasters during the recent two decades. COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption in the social, political, and educational system in history till date. During such time of crisis, our dedicated obstetricians are facing some unique challenges during patient care in the COVID wards and operation theaters. This article highlights these major challenges faced in lower-middle income countries (LMI) of South Asia. It is a tribute to all the hard-working obstetricians who are trying their best to give maximum patient care despite the difficult working environments.


Survey measurements of sexual orientation have become increasingly common in national population surveys although validation of these measurements is rare and inherently problematic. We instead assess the reproducibility of parallel measurements from two independent samples of the USA population made in the 2008-2018 General Social Surveys and the adult probability subsets of the 2013-2018 National Health Interview Survey (Ns = 12,098 and 190,113). Restricting analysis to the categories gay/lesbian, bisexual, and straight, we obtain similar estimates of the proportion of the U.S. population who consider themselves gay/lesbian (NHIS: 1.59% vs. GSS: 1.93%, p = 0.059) but not bisexual (NHIS: 1.03% vs. GSS: 2.90%, p < 0.001). Fitting multinomial logistic regression models controlling for year, gender, birth cohort, education, and race, we find that compared to the NHIS, the GSS had 1.248 (p=0.022) times higher relative odds of eliciting a response of Gay-Lesbian (vs. Straight) and 2.980 (p<0.001) times higher relative odds of eliciting a response of Bisexual (vs. Straight). Expanding the model by adding 3-way interaction terms for orientation-by-predictor-by-survey, we find that we cannot reject the null hypothesis that trends over time and across subpopulations in reporting of sexual orientation were statistically equivalent for the two survey programs.


glissement prismatique/hexagonal metaux barrieres Cottrell c. c. cristaux fragilite du calculer mobilites dislocation cceur dissocie, cceur dissocie glissement Cgalement les cisaillement synchronisd (synchro-shear). mecanisme introduit seulement pro- cessus purement conservateur, type glissement extrinseque (faute 2 structure c. f. c. L'activation thermique necessaire nuclker la configuration du cceur des limites de fautes 2 V de vecteur 2 Abstract. -This paper is aimed at a review of the lattice-dislocation interaction, and more specially to the kind of interaction which stems from the splitting of the dislocation core. Two quite different situations are discussed whether the core is dissociated off the glide plane, or not. In the first case, a number of various cases is reviewed, which all are intimately connected : crystallographic slip in b. c. c. metals, prismatic/pyramidal slip in h. c. p. metals, Lomer-Cottrell barriers in the f. c. c. structure and also some non metallic bonded crystals : tellurium and the brittleness of a-sulphur crystals. Finally, the general models proposed for modelling dislocation mobilities fall in two classes : whether a higher energy core configuragion must be reached in order for the dislocation to start slipping, or, in contrary, the core splits wider in this plane thus decreasing its energy. The case of a core dissociated in the glide plane is also considered in compounds where a (( synchro- shear mechanism n has been assumed. In general, only a simple glide process is involved, quite similar to the slipping of an extrinsic (2 V) stacking fault ribbon in the f. c. c. structure. Thermal help should be only needed for nucleating the suitable core of 2 C6-2 V-fault boundaries which avoids making wrong nearest neighbour bonds in certain structures. The activation energy for such viscous slip is evaluated, and is found to be stress-dependent. A similar treatment could apply for some non-stoichiometric compounds also.


ABSTRACT The tissue content of E-cadherin changes in inflammatory bowel diseases; however, similar changes have not yet been evaluated in diversion colitis. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the tissue expression of E-cadherin in the mucosa of the colon in both segments with and without a fecal stream. Methods: Sixty Wistar rats were subjected to deviation of fecal stream by proximal colostomy in left colon and a distal mucosal fistula. Animals were divided into three experimental groups that were sacrificed 6, 12, and 18 weeks after surgery. In each experimental group, five animals underwent laparotomy without intestinal deviation (control subgroup). Colitis was diagnosed based on the presence of three independent histological parameters: reduction of the crypt length, neutrophil infiltration of the mucosa and submucosa, and epithelial erosion or ulceration. The E-cadherin expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and the tissue levels by computerized morphometry. The Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to compare the groups adopting a significance level of 5% (p < .05). Results: Segments without fecal stream showed a reduction in E-cadherin content when compared with segments with fecal stream. In the segments with a fecal stream, E-cadherin was expressed at the apical surface of colon glands, while segments without fecal stream showed a decrease in the amount of apical E-cadherin. The content of E-cadherin was maintained over the entire time of the intestinal exclusion. Conclusions: Diversion of the fecal stream decreases the expression of E-cadherin of the colon epithelium.


This paper presents a slow-wave microstrip transmission lines based on a double-layer PCB substrate. The slow wave effect is obtained by inserting metallic via rows within the lower substrate layer. Based on this concept, miniaturized high rejection 5'h order low pass stepped impedance filters with a cut-off frequency of 2.45 GHz are designed, fabricated and measured. Measurement results are in good agreement with simulations. Thanks to the slow-wave transmission lines, the size of the realized filters is reduced by 54% as compared to a classical filter prototype.


In most birds, males competing for paternity of a female's offspring attempt copulations most frequently immediately before fertilization. Paternity is determined by the relative numbers and timing of inseminations such that a male inseminating a female frequently at this time has an increased chance of fathering her offspring. In the Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), fertilization is believed to occur within a few days prior to laying, but extra-pair and pair copulations and paternity defense behaviors start to decline around 20 days before egg laying, and by 9 days prior to egg laying these behaviors are at a minimum. I suggest that inseminations occurring during and after the time of this decline may have a reduced chance of successfully fertilizing eggs due to physiological constraints within the female's reproductive tract.


Background The aim of this study was to build risk charts for the assessment of cardiovascular mortality of the CUORE project, an Italian longitudinal study, and to compare them with the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) project charts for low risk European countries. Design Random population samples enrolled in the 1980s and 1990s in Italy were included in the analysis: 7520 men and 13 127 women aged 35-69 years without previous cardiovascular events and with a mean follow-up period of 10 years for cardiovascular disease. ICD-9 codes of death certificates similar to those of the SCORE project were considered when they appear as first cause of death. Methods Sex-stratified Cox proportional hazard model including age, systolic blood pressure, ratio between total and HDL cholesterol, and smoking habit as risk factors was used to assess cardiovascular mortality. Results Analysis showed that all risk factors included in the model were statistically significant. The corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.825 (95% confidence interval: 0.803-0.846) for men and 0.850 (0.823-0.877) for women. The CUORE project charts yielded similar results to the corresponding charts of the SCORE project: Lin's coefficient was 0.929 for men and 0.935 for women. Conclusion The comparison between CUORE and SCORE mortality risk charts shows that SCORE charts reflect quite well the Italian cardiovascular mortality and, correspondingly, Italian cohorts of the CUORE project are quite representative of European countries at low risk for cardiovascular mortality.


Signals by themselves are not sufficient to analyze and design control systems with optimum and robust performance. In this paper, analysis and design problems are formulated in terms of basic physical quantities such as power and energy. First, the author develops a general framework to analyze the power and energy dynamics of multivariable systems. The power and energy interactions between various input-output nodes are investigated by using tensor products and the Kronecker algebra. In particular, tensor differential equations that describe instantaneous power and energy dynamics of MIMO systems are derived. Closed-form analytical solutions of the power differential equations are presented for systems without any external inputs.


I do not believe I would be alone in asserting that there are normative criteria implicit in these sentences (criteria not analyzed or discussed in Dahl's chapter on "Polyarchal Democracy") which might guide us in evaluating the performance of the political system he has so brilliantly described. Perhaps the most significant point upon which Professor Dahl and I differ is this final question of the criteria to be used in evaluating the performance of a democratic political system. Professor Dahl places great value on the capacities of a system "for reinforcing agreement, encouraging moderation, and maintaining social peace." The examples of political disaster that spring readily to his mind are the collapse of the Weimar Republic and the Kerensky regime, the awful bloodshed and senseless chaos of the Spanish civil war, and the grotesque displays of mass obedience and total political involvement in Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy. He is part of a generation which has experienced a series of savage attacks on political democracy and his concern with political stability, in light of all that has happened, is certainly understandable. Political stability is indeed a precious commodity; I do not wish to create the impression that I reject its obvious importance. But I do think that both the discipline of political science and American society have suffered from our excessive concern with the protection and maintenance of our political system. I believe that the time has come to direct our attention to the infinitely more difficult task of involving larger and larger numbers of people in the process of government. The theory of democracy beckons us toward an ancient ideal: the liberation of the energies of all our citizens in the common pursuit of the good society.


Pediatric anesthesia has evolved to a high level of patient safety, yet a small chance remains for serious perioperative complications, even in those traditionally considered at low risk. In practice, prediction of at‐risk patients currently relies on the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA‐PS) score, despite reported inconsistencies with this method.


In an electronic musical instrument, such as an electronic organ, certain organ voices are synthesized by applying a tone signal to a voltage controlled low-pass sharp cutoff filter, the pass characteristic of which has a relatively sharp knee and a rapid rate of rolloff, thereby to sharply attenuate the harmonics contained in the tone signal which have frequencies above the cutoff frequency. The filter works on the principle that by switching one or more frequency-determining resistors in and out of the filter network at a rapid rate and varying the time on versus the time off, the effective value of the resistance varies to thereby alter the cutoff frequency and the character of the resulting sound signal. In accordance with the present invention, precise control over the switching duty cycle is achieved by establishing a reference voltage to which is added a voltage increment according to a binary weighting determined by selection of a particular organ voice. The sum of these voltages is compared with a sawtooth voltage in a comparator to produce a rectangular pulse the width of which is a function of the intersection of the ramp voltage with the sum voltage. By varying the sum voltage in digital increments in accordance with a selected voice, the width of the pulses is varied and these pulses, which are supplied to the filter, thus vary the filter characteristic to produce a sound signal simulative of the selected voice.


Abstract. Thyrotoxicosis is associated with increased skeletal muscle glucose metabolism and lipid oxidation in the fasted state. Conversely, in hypothyroidism, glucose metabolism is reduced. The present study has assessed in patients the effects of chronic thyroid hormone deficiency, on insulin‐stimulated skeletal muscle metabolism, using a combination of the fore arm and hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp techniques. Seven female patients presenting with primary auto‐immune hypothyroidism were studied at presentation and 4–9 months after being rendered bio chemically euthyroid. No significant differences were demonstrated between the hypothroid and euthyroid states in forearm muscle blood flow, or in glucose or lipid metabolism.


Same as in traditional centralized video compression systems, a quantizer plays an important role in the rate-distortion performance in distributed video coding (DVC). Considering essential effect of the quantizer on reconstruction quality in DVC, we study designs of non-uniform scalar quantizer using the Lloyd-Max algorithm as well as deadzone scalar quantizer to enhance the rate-distortion performance in DVC. More specifically, in view of the inaccurate modeling of the correlation between a distributed coded frame and a reference (key) frame, we design a nonuniform quantizer for the correlation noise, for reducing the reconstruction distortion. Meanwhile, we also study the deadzone quantizer design especially the stepsize of the deadzone to optimize the rate-distortion performance. The proposed simple yet effective quantization schemes on the correlation noise (i.e., residual frame) are evaluated in DVC for different video sequences in terms of rate-distortion performance.


Are all financial time series alike? This article raises that question by establishing that eighteenth- and twentieth-century equity-market time series behave similarly. The distribution of price changes now and then both exhibit the same patterns or regularities. In particular, the distribution of price changes is leptokurtic, and fluctuations in variance are persistent. This article provides further evidence that financial market regularities are stable and not contingent on specific times and places. The historical evidence shows that eighteenth-century stock markets and traders are not so different from those of today.


Abstract Using a cryogenic scanned probe microscope (SPM) one can locally modify the sheet density of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), and image the ballistic flow of electrons through a point contact in the 2DEG located beneath the surface of a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. We calculate the capacitively induced change in sheet density when a charged SPM tip is brought into contact with a semiconductor heterostructure containing a two-dimensional electron gas. A simple scattering model, based on a local change in sheet density, is used to analyze experimental data taken with the SPM method described above.


Philopatry is a biological trait present in a wide variety of zoological taxa.  Such conduct is considered as the basis of social behavior among rodents as well as a promoter of spatial distribution of individuals.  Females are typically philopatric, thereby they have access to resources to breed offspring.  This philopatric tendency is partly responsible of the genetic structuring in the natural populations of mammals.  Heteromyid rodents conform complex communities and the agonistic interactions among them are common.  Aggressiveness is the way to establish dominance hierarchies.  By means of setting a hierarchy, dominant individuals have priority access to critical resources.  Chaetodipus siccus is an endemic heteromyid of the Baja California peninsula, distributed on an area of ~270 km 2 , in which a particular pattern of high variation of matrilineal lineages has been observed.  That is why it is hypothesized the presence of multiple spatially segregated matrilineal lineages, which are promoted by the aggressive nature of the species, which leads to limited panmixia in the range of C. siccus .  To test these hypotheses, it has been conducted a statistically parsimonious haplotype network study using matrilineal markers and behavioral experiments of intra and interspecific dominance.  Thirty-four localities were surveyed through C. siccus distribution to capture specimens ( n = 143) for the statistically parsimonious network.  Muscle tissue was employed to DNA extraction and fragments of Cytb and COI genes were sequenced.  To study intraspecific and interspecific dominance, ethological experiments under different conditions were conducted between females.  For this purpose, 52 adult females of C. siccus and five adult females of C. arenarius , C. ammophilus , C. spinatus and C. rudinoris were captured alive and maintained in captivity.  Encounters took place inside neutral arenas every other night.  Individuals were housed individually inside social cages. Fifty-three haplotypes of Cytb and 15 of COI were identified from 143 individuals of C. siccus .  A high variety of private haplotypes were observed (31 for Cytb and 5 for COI).  The presence of a dominant individual over another was observed in all conditions of experiments of intraspecific and interspecific dominance.  Dominant females were statistically more aggressive than subordinated females ( P < 0.001) even C. siccus dominated the other species.  A marked genetic structure is observed, with considerable presence of private haplotypes.  It is considered that genetic structure occurs when subpopulations are at least partially isolated from each other.  There are no appreciable physical barriers within the range of the species.  This is why it is considered that ethological interactions more than geographical features may limit gene flow within the population of C. siccus .  Structures with an unusual number of haplotypes in small geographical areas, such as C. siccus , have been previously recognized for other mammal species.  It is argued that this pattern is the result of a philopatric character of females; such conduct restricts gene flow between areas.  The existence of several matrilineal lineages geographically restricted proposes that females do not disperse, but remain within a very small geographic area.  This points directly to the presence of philopatry in females.  Agonistic behaviors are the means by which an individual maintains its hierarchy over others, defining its preferential access to resources.  For females of C. siccus , its extremely aggressive nature and a territorial behavior have resulted in segregation of matrilineal lineages.


Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga's open eyed 'seed stage meditation' was studied in 52 meditators. Meditation stages: concentration on peace, realization of being a soul and communion with the Supreme Soul. Frequency domain brain electric source localization was used on multichannel EEG recordings to establish activation differences between meditation and open eyed, task-free resting. Additional exploratory analyses probed for effects of passing time from initial rest through meditation to final rest. Meditation showed reduced activity in delta and increased activity in low alpha frequencies. Affected brain areas comprised the following networks: central executive network, mirroring network, task-positive and task-negative network. These altered activations reflect the main cognitive-affective and behavioral specifics of seed stage meditation: attention modulation, self-related processing, experiencing the soul as a point of light between the eyes, endowing the soul with the properties (peacefulness) of the Supreme Soul. Future studies need to differentiate between the stages of the meditation.


Multi sensor fusion techniques are widely employed in several surveillance applications (e.g., battlefield monitoring, air traffic control, camp protection, etc). The necessity of tracking the elements of a dynamic system usually requires combining information from heterogeneous data sources in order to overcome the limitations of each sensor. The gathered information might be related to the target kinematics (position, velocity), its physical features (shape, size, composition) or intentions (route plan, friend/foe, engaged sensor modes, etc). The combination of such heterogeneous sensor data proved to benefit from the exploitation of context information, i.e., static and dynamic features of the scenario, represented in a Knowledge Base (KB). A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a typical example for a KB that can be exploited for the enhancement of multi sensor data fusion. The present paper describes potential strategies for "knowledge-based" data fusion in the area of Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA). MSA is founded on the data from heterogeneous sources, including radars, Navigation Aids, air- and space-based monitoring services, and recently-conceived passive sensors. Several strategies for optimally fusing two or more of these information data flows have been proposed for MSA applications. Relevant KB information comprises port locations, coastal lines, preferred routes, traffic rules, and potentially a maritime vessel database. We propose mathematical models and techniques to integrate kinematic constraints, e.g., in terms of navigation fields, and different object behaviour into a data fusion approach. For an exemplary sensor suite, we evaluate performance measures in the framework of centralised and decentralised fusion architectures.


An introduction to radio-frequency and magnetic bunch length compression of ultra-relativistic particle beams in linear accelerators is given, with a treatment of the single-particle motion up to the second order, and attention to the production of high peak current bunches for free-electron lasers.


Simple Summary Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important stem cells that have potential for use in cultured meat as well as for clinical applications. Among various animal species, porcine MSCs have received comparatively less attention. In this study, we aimed to compare two types of porcine MSCs by comparing proliferation rate, differentiation potential and mitochondrial metabolism. Adipose-derived stem cells showed better adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential, higher proliferative capacity, and higher mitochondrial oxygen consumption than Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells. This comparative analysis will be useful for understanding porcine MSCs, which are rarely studied in pigs. Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for tissue regeneration, cell therapy, and cultured meat research owing to their ability to differentiate into various lineages including adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes. As MSCs display different characteristics depending on the tissue of origin, the appropriate cells need to be selected according to the purpose of the research. However, little is known of the unique properties of MSCs in pigs. In this study, we compared two types of porcine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from the dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue (adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)) and Wharton's jelly of the umbilical cord (Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs)) of 1-day-old piglets. The ADSCs displayed a higher proliferation rate and more efficient differentiation potential into adipogenic and chondrogenic lineages than that of WJ-MSCs; conversely, WJ-MSCs showed superior differentiation capacity towards osteogenic lineages. In early passages, ADSCs displayed higher proliferation rates and mitochondrial energy metabolism (measured based on the oxygen consumption rate) compared with that of WJ-MSCs, although these distinctions diminished in late passages. This study broadens our understanding of porcine MSCs and provides insights into their potential applications in animal clinics and cultured meat science.


Multisensor video object fusion can be used when multiple scenes of the same object are captured using multiple sensors. The method is useful for a wide variety of applications such as video surveillance, traffic monitoring, satellite imaging, automated inspection system etc. In this paper a novel computer assisted surgical navigation method has been developed using video object fusion using two orthogonally placed sensors or cameras. The modality of using orthogonally placed cameras is useful for analysis of the position and orientation of a micro motor drill in the three dimensional co-ordinates. The orthogonally placed cameras, perpendicular to the plane of motion of the drill under inspection, improve the overall sensitivity of measurement. The drill is used for orthopaedic procedures such as drilling of pilot hole into the pedicle region of human vertebra for the insertion of pedicle screws. The study reveals that real world position of the drill calculated using the 3D image co-ordinates gives precise drill positioning with respect to the 3D real world co-ordinates.


The cross-sections of the pd → 3 He η, pd → 3 He π 0 π 0 π 0 and pd → 3 He π + π - π 0 reactions have been measured at the beam kinetic energies T p = 1360 MeV and T p = 1450 MeV using the CEL-SIUS/WASA detector setup. At both energies, the differential cross-section dσ/dΩ of the η meson in the pd → 3 He η reaction shows a strong forward-backward asymmetry in the CMS. The ratio between the pd → 3 He π + π - π 0 and pd → 3 He π 0 π 0 π 0 cross-sections has been analysed in terms of isospin amplitudes. The reconstructed invariant-mass distributions of the π π, 3 Heπ and 3 He2π systems provide hints on the role of nucleon resonances in the 3π production process.


Natal and Neonatal teeth are although not common developmental anomalies. They are frequently a part of primary dentition anomalies. The prevalence has been observed between 1 in 2000 to 3500 live births. This paper reports a case of natal teeth which were present in the mandibular anterior region in 11 days old infant. Natal teeth represent corresponding position of left and right central incisors and natal teeth were of normal size and shape but the color of left tooth was opaque white in color whereas right tooth was yellowish in color with grade III mobility. Due to the possibility of aspiration because of the presence of mobility and also as the teeth are causing discomfort to the mother during breast feeding, the teeth were extracted under topical anesthesia and the healing was satisfactory. The possible etiological factors along with clinical features, histological features, differential diagnosis, complications and management along with decision support system are discussed.


EnglishThe aim of this research is the capacity of association between non profit-making associations and public institutions. To this objetive, we investigate thirteen organizations, belonging to the Organizacoes Sociais de Saude (OSS), with the government of the city of Rio de Janeiro. A typology for associations was constructed, which varies according to organizational capacity. The analysis indicates that there are three collaboration's outcomes: synergy, complementarity and implementation. The findings show that the OSS studied show a high degree of organizational capacity and synergy. portuguesO objetivo desta pesquisa e a capacidade de associacao entre associacoes sem fins lucrativos e instituicoes publicas. Para este proposito, investigamos treze organizacoes, pertencentes as Organizacoes Sociais de Saude (OSS), com o governo da cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Foi construida uma tipologia para associacoes, que varia de acordo com a capacidade organizacional. A analise indica que ha tres resultados da colaboracao: sinergia, complementaridade e implementacao. Os achados mostram que o OSS estudado mostra um alto grau de capacidade organizacional e sinergia.


Multilayers of alternative metal and ceramic (nitrid) present attractive tribological properties. The aim of this study is to correlate the hardness with the structural properties. Multilayers films of Ti-TiN with a period thickness equal 20,10,8,5 and 2.5 nm, were deposited by RF reactive sputtering on silicon substrates with a metallic target. The deposition was done at room temperature for Ti-TiN. The total and period thickness for all the films, were measured by Grazing X-Ray Reflectometry. The hardness was measured by nanoindention with a Berkovich diamond indentor. For Ti-TiN the hardness increases with decreasing period thickness to go beyond the rule-of-mixture value for samples with period thickness Λ ≤ 5 nm. The maximum hardness, 1.6 times higher than the rule of mixture value, is obtained for Λ = 2.5 nm. However a similar tribological behavior was obtain for these two systems. Wear resistance increases when the period thickness decrease and shows a maximun value for the smallest Λ, superior to those of monolithic layers TiN and Al 2 O 3 .


The α‐helical, coiled‐coil protein motif is increasingly recognized in a variety of functional classes of proteins. The pitch of a coiled coil, or rate of winding of the α‐helices around each other, is a key determinant of both intra‐ and intermolecular interactions. Experimental measurements of the pitch of parallel two‐stranded coiled coils of muscle proteins, and examination of the recently determined structure of another two‐stranded coiled coil, the GCN4 transcription factor protein, suggest that the pitch has an average value of about 140 Å. This value is consistent with the observed number of residues per turn in α‐helices of globular proteins, the determinant of the inter‐helical packing within the coiled‐coil motif. An understanding of the structural determinants of this value for the pitch and possible variations will be important in defining the interactions of coiled‐coil proteins with other macromolecules. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


To evaluate the excitability of the spinal motor neural function, F wave in evoked electromyogram is often used. As the dominant nerve to the muscle was electrically stimulated, retrograde action potentials are transmitted from the stimulation point to the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. Action potentials that are regenerated in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord are transmitted to the muscle in an anterograde manner, which are recorded at the muscle. From this route, because F wave can be measured from the whole body nerve, it has been used in various situations. Usually, it is characteristic that the waveform of F wave appears in variety. In other words, the same waveform does not appear in healthy people. However, the same waveform may appear when a certain disease occurs. It has been reported that the same waveform called "repeater F" appears in patients with neurological diseases. However, techniques and experience are required to analyze the waveform, and it is not widely used in clinical practice. This article will explain the F waves in terms of neurophysiology and investigate whether the averaging method can be applied to F-wave waveform analysis.


We now and then make changes to our courses and how we teach or examine them. This is often done in isolation from other courses that the students take. In this paper we report on experiences made in a coordinated study concerning examination methods. The target group was 60 students from the Systems branch of the Engineering Physics study program. We changed all three courses they took during the first ten weeks of the spring semester 1996. The changes were in short: replace the final exam by weekly assignments, introduce seminars as a method of examination, and in the cases where a written exam was kept, the main focus of the questions were changed to showing understanding, ability to analyze and synthesize.Our experiences in this study clearly show that changing examination is a tool for changing the way our students work, and thus for improving the quality of the education.


Objective To explore the relationship between urinary activin A and neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE)by observing the change of urinary activin A in neonates with asphyxia,Provides the important basis for the HIE diagnosis and the condition judgment.Methods 50 cases of neonatal asphyxia term were the observation group ,48 cases of normal full-term newborns born in the same period were stochastically the normal control group.Within 7 days after birth,50 cases of neonatal asphyxia were divided into the group of 30 patients with mild HIE and the group of 20 patients with moderate and severe HIE,according to diagnostic criteria and clinical grading of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.the levels of urinary activin A in two groups after birth different time(2,12,24,48,72 h) were determined by using ELISA method.Results The levels of urinary activin A in moderate and severe HIE group was significantly higher than the normal control group (P < 0.01)and mild HIE group (P < 0.01); The levels of urinary activin A in the normal control group and mild HIE group showed no significant differences (P > 0.05).Urinary activin A levels > 70 ng/L for the critical value to determine the occurrence of moderate and severe HIE,the sensitivity and specificity of 2 h urinary activin A levels were separately 82% and 99% ;the sensitivity and specificity of 12-72 h urinary activin A levels were separately 100%and 98%.Conclusion The correlation between the levels of urinary activin A and the severity of HIE was positive,the levels of urinary activin A had a high degree of sensitivity and specificity for determine the incidence of moderate and severe HIE,it provided an important basis for diagnosis of moderate and severe HIE.

Key words:
Urinary activin A;  Newborn;  Hypoxia-ischemia;  Diagnosis;  Condition to determine


Intuitively, it would be acceptable that through examination of data and various verification procedures, a human being can eliminate erroneous input readings or calculations. This report is concerned with investigating this aspect through the use of interactive graphics. It is proposed to investigate this aspect through a case study in a competitive game situation. When taking sonar readings one can anticipate that periodically erratic readings will occur. Thus the data displayed may appear to be inconsistent when visually compared to other historical data. This report proposes a method for eliminating this erroneous data, and the submarine vs. task force game in the Moore School is the vehicle for investigation. Specific displayed information is made light sensitive. Then, by using the light pen, the player eliminates that information considered to be inconsistent. Thus, a more reliable estimate is created. Comments University of Pennsylvania Department of Computer and Information Science Technical Report No. MSCIS-71-01. This technical report is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cis_reports/800 University of Pennsylvania EIE MOOIiE SCHOOL OF ELEC!I!RIcAL ENGINEERING Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 TECHNICAL FEPCRT 'ME USE OF IN!l3RACTIVE GRAPHICS TO REZXTCE AND ELIMINATE, ERRORS


Contemporary education is no longer a 45-minute lesson, but a process of continuous improvement lasting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students participate in the education process everywhere they are and all the time. New educational technologies support them in these processes. The current pandemic situation all around the world has added an additional dimension to these issues. Suddenly millions of children and adolescents have been forced into distance learning. How prepared were they for that process, how prepared were the teachers? This article answers the questions presenting results of our research conducted among hundreds of university students and school pupils in Poland.


THE National Economic Development Council, in its paragraphs on education and training, has called for developments and improvements in facilities. However firmly people in industry may be convinced of the wisdom of NEDDY's words, and not all are, the question of the cost of any developments and improvements should be carefully examined. It would be a pity if the surge of interest and enthusiasm for training, and the undoubted benefit and increase in efficiency which can result, were to cost more than they ought. It would be particularly unfortunate if such costs were to cause people to draw back once the first flush of enthusiasm had passed.


survival than those who don't. However, the strength of that association is not known. In May 2012 FDA issued draft guidance suggesting that pCR could be used as an endpoint in neoadjuvant early-stage high-risk breast cancer trials for accelerated approval under certain conditions. The agency also established an international working group known as Collaborative Trials in Neoadjuvant Breast Cancer (CTNeoBC) to conduct a pooled analysis of data from more than 12,000 patients enrolled in neoadjuvant trials with long-term follow-up. The aim was to assess the correlation between pCR and disease-free or overall survival and the subtypes of early-stage breast cancer in which pCR is most likely to predict clinical benefit. The analysis will be published shortly in The Lancet, but preliminary results were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2012.


OVERGROUND CONDITIONS Lynn Worobey, BS, Alicia Koontz, PhD, Michael L Boninger, MD Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Center for Excellence for Wheelchairs and Associated Rehabilitation Engineering, Highland Drive VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA University of Pittsburgh, Department of Bioengineering, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh, PA E-mail: email@example.com Web: www.herlpitt.org, www.herl.research.va.gov


Structural defects occurring on the {311} planes of single crystal silicon have been observed near the bottom oxide corner in silicon-on-insulator structures formed by selective epitaxial growth. These {311} defects exhibit a preferential orientation and are clustered near the silicon/silicon dioxide interface. This new observation provides an opportunity to study the mechanism of {311} defect generation in a system with discernible microstructure and stress state. High resolution electron microscopy combined with analytical and numerical three-dimensional stress modeling are used to show the dependence of these {311} defects on the local stress field, and to establish their origin in terms of a homogeneous dislocation nucleation model.


We demonstrate a chirped-pulse amplification system generating 25 μJ compressed pulses at a center wavelength of 1552.5 nm. The seed module and the amplifier chain are all in-fiber (with a few small fiber-pigtailed free-space components), followed by a free-space diffraction grating pulse compressor. The amplifier chain contains a pre-amplifier and a booster whose gain fibers are 45/125 μm core/cladding-diameter, core-pumped Er-doped fibers. The pump lasers for both amplifiers are single-mode 1480 nm Raman lasers capable of up to 8 W output. The seed module generates up to 2 ns chirped pulses that are amplified and subsequently compressed to <800 fs duration. At a repetition rate of 50 kHz, the 2 ns pulses from the seed module were amplified to 72 μJ, resulting in 25 μJ after pulse compression. The corresponding peak power levels after the amplifier chain and compressor were 36 kW and 31 MW, respectively.


Taking the published literatures from the 1980 son higher education cost accounting as samples,from accounting concept,accounting object,accounting content,accounting period and accounting methods,this paper analyzes and comments the present situation and existing problems of higher education cost accounting in our country.Furthermore,the author proposed some constructive suggestions for improvement.


Some aspects of nitrogen metabolism of sheep given Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.), Flinders grass (Iseilema spp.) and mixed native pasture were investigated. All diets were of low nutritive value as demonstrated by negative nitrogen and energy balances in sheep on these diets. Studies of urea metabolism demonstrated a significant relationship between plasma urea concentration, the rate of irreversible loss of urea from plasma and the rate of urea degradation in the digestive tract. On average, 81% of the urea synthesized in the body was transferred to the digestive tract and degraded to ammonia and carbon dioxide. The proportion of urea degradation occurring intraruminally was estimated during an intravenous infusion of 14C urea by measuring the rate of appearance of 14CO2 in ruminal fluid, the proportion degraded post-ruminally being obtained by difference. Urea degraded in the rumen accounted for 7–13% of the total quantity degraded in the digestive tract, and the rate of urea transfer (0.55 ± 0.13 g nitrogen/day) was not related to the rate of urea synthesis in the body. The lower digestive tract was the major site of urea degradation in sheep given these low protein diets, and the rate of urea transfer to this part of the digestive tract was linearly related to the rate of urea synthesis in the body. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to nitrogen conservation in sheep given low quality diets.


2 substances MIS a meiosis inducing substance and MPS a meiosis preventing substance have recently been discovered and have been shown to regulate the onset of meiosis in mammals including man. The paper is presented as a current review. (authors) (summary in ENG)


There are several concerns about the current simulators for TKA. First, the knee is flexed in a "passive way" under the condition of applying constant muscular tension forces. Second, the effects of hip joint motion are not taken into account. Thirdly, the external load for example, upper body weight is not applied in a natural way. Finally, few simulators are capable of knee flexion greater than about 100°. To this end, we have developed a novel knee simulator system that reproduces the active and natural knee motion to evaluate kinematics and joint forces of TKA. Our simulator system has the following advantages and innovative features. First, it is driven directly by muscles9 tension forces, and the knee is capable of active flexion. Secondly, a hip joint is incorporated into it and the lower limb motion is achieved in a synergistic way between the hip and knee joints. Thirdly, it is capable of complete deep knee flexion up to 180°. Figure 1 shows the structure of the system. Both the hip and knee joints are moved by the tension forces of four wires that simulate the functions of the mono-articular muscles ((1), (3)) and the bi-articular muscles ((2), (4)) by means of a multiple pulley system (Fig 2). The femoral and tibial components of TKA are secured in the distal end of the upper link (thigh) and the proximal end of the lower link (shank) respectively. The ankle assembly has three sets of rotary bearings whose axes intersect at a fixed point, the center of the ankle, allowing spherical movement of the tibia about the ankle center. Springs were stretched around the ankle center to substitute the muscles around the ankle. Weights I and II are counterweights so as to duplicate the weights of the human upper body, thigh and shank respectively. The wires are pulled to produce the hip and knee motions. The linear bearings running along vertical rods also prevent the system from collapsing. In the experiment, a custom-designed posterior stabilized type TKA was attached to the simulator system for evaluation. The system was operated so as to reproduce the sit-to-stand features in a quasi-static manner in order to study the kinematics of TKA. Beyond 130°, the knee proceeded to flex passively because of upper body weight. Conspicuous internal/external rotation or valgus/varus motion of the tibia relative to the femur was not observed as the knee flexed. When our simulator system was driven in a quasi-static manner, it was able to measure the kinematics of TKA however, when the system was driven in a dynamic manner, it oscillated because the springs around the ankle were not stiff enough to hold the inverted pendulum-like system upright and the ratios of the tension force exerted by the four wires simulating muscles could not be determined appropriately.


Each year, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) reports to Eurostat, the statistical division of the European Commission (EC), its progress against the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) target; 15 per cent of UK energy consumption is to be sourced from renewables by 2020. Although there is no set target for heat specific consumption, the UK aims to achieve 12 per cent by 2020.


Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) is a non-traditional machining process where intricate and complex shapes can be machined. Only electrically conductive materials can be machined by this process and is one of the important machining processes for machining high strength, temperature-resistant (HSTR) alloys. It is capable of machining geometrically complex or hard materials, that are precise and difficult-to-machine such as heat treated tool steels, composites, super alloys, ceramics, carbides, heat resistant steels etc. These materials are being widely used in die and mould making industries, aerospace, aeronautics and nuclear industries. In this work Die steel H13 tool steel is the material used for the machining purpose. For achieving the best performance of the EDM process, it is crucial to carry out parametric design responses such as Material Removal Rate and Tool Wear Rate. It is essential to consider was used to reduce the total number of experiments. Parts of the experiment were conducted with the L9 orthogonal array based on the Taguchi method. Moreover, the signal-to-noise ratios associated with the observed values in the experiments were determined by which factor is most affected by the Responses of Material Removal Rate (MRR) and Tool Wear Rate (TWR). In the present work, Optimization of MRR and TWR on EDM conducted by using Taguchi and ANOVA.


There is limited information regarding patients with AIH outside relatively few large centres. We describe here the presenting features of patients with AIH, collected as part of an audit involving 28 UK hospitals.