Theme F laminates possess two important features highly desirable in aerospace structural applications. These are: 1) the high stiffness to weight ratio, and 2) the anisotropic property which can be tailored through the variation of fiber orientations and the stacking sequence. The latter feature provides the structural designer with an additional dimension in the constraint space that could lead to a substantial change in the design procedure. Furthermore, as a result of the additional variables, the structural optimization becomes an integral part of a good design work involving laminates of advanced composite materials. Under in-plane loads, a laminated plate can fail as a result of structural instability (buckling) or material yielding. In this report we are concerned with the optimum fiber orientation for a set of combined loadings. The laminates considered are the angle-ply laminates with symmetric layups. A direct search technique is employed to solve the optimization problems. Although the optimum fiber directions are determined independently according to the buckling and the strength constraints, the results can be easily placed in the respective regions where they are meaningful. The buckling loads for a plate depend on the geometry and size of the structure, while the strength criterion usually depends only on the state of stress at a point. It is conceivable that, for practical purposes, a marginal size for the laminated plate can be defined so that when the plate is larger than this size the laminate should be optimized according to the buckling criterion. For a plate size smaller than the marginal size, the strength criterion should be followed. This design procedure is discussed in some detail in this report.


I read with great interest the paper by Dr. M. J. Ryan on the above subject in the December, 1968, issue of The British Journal of Radiology. The lateral stooping position may prove to be a valuable aid in the often difficult diagnosis of lesions in the cardia region of the stomach. However, I would like to comment on Dr. Ryan's interpretation of a projection in the fundus region in two of his three cases of carcinoma in the cardia.


Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of Deanxit on anxiety and depression in bile reflux remnant gastritis patients.Methods 49 patients with bile reflux remnant gastritis combined with anxiety and depression,evaluated with Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HAMD),were randomly assigned into two groups: treatment group and control group.24 cases of control group took Domperidone and Hydrotalcite chewable tablets(conventional treatment).25 cases of treatment group received conventional treatment plus Deanxit.The period for the treatment was 4 weeks.Two groups were compared with differences of symptom scale scores and quality of life scale scores after 4 weeks.Results The response rate of treatment group was 88.0%,higher than 62.5% in the control group after 4 weeks(P0.01).The scores in treatment group before and after treatment had significant difference(P0.01).Conclusion In patients with bile reflux remnant gastrits combined with anxiety and depression,it is necessary to evaluate the levels of anxiety and depression.Combination of the conventional treatment and application of Deanxit,is a remarkable effective method for patients of bile reflux remnant gastrits complicated with anxiety and depression.


Several native bird species have recently successfully colonized many Australian cities. The presence of some of them may be largely beneficial, but their urban ecology is poorly understood. We conducted short-term studies of the foraging ecology of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets and Red-rumped Parrots in Melbourne parklands to help fill this knowledge gap. The nectar (and/or pollen) of six eucalypt species, mostly not native to the Melbourne area, strongly dominated the lorikeets' diet year-round. The key eucalypt species variously flowered for 80-100% of winter and 72-84% of summer. In winter, 80% of the Red-rumped Parrot's diet comprised the abundant seeds of four exotic grasses and herbs. There was little evidence of significant inter-specific competition, particularly through aggressive interference, for any of the lorikeets' or parrots' urban food resources. Thus a critical factor facilitating urban colonization by these birds seems to be that, collectively, ornamental eucalypts planted last century, turf grasses commonly occurring on sports grounds and in parks and common weeds provide abundant food resources in Melbourne's parklands that are broadly similar to those of their non-urban habitats. Moreover, exploitation of these resources by other urban birds seems to be fairly limited.


Although the visual analog scale (VAS) may be useful for measuring change on subjective and potentially transient phenomena, there is concern about the reliability and construct validity of the associated measurement variables. The present study reports evidence for tau-equivalence of change scores associated with VASs designed for assessing tense arousal with synonymous indicators. This psychometric property allows an estimation of the true-score structure of the cross-sectional measurement variables in a longitudinal SEM model, including method effects. Findings suggest that VASs associated with synonymous indicators may yield highly reliable measurement variables. However, imperfect dynamic bipolarity was observed when data based on antonymous indicators were introduced into the analyses, a rather puzzling effect that deserves further elaboration.


Abstract : A set of basic thin-film transistor parameters is presented with each parameter named, briefly defined, arbitrary values listed, and schematic diagrams for measurement shown. (Author)


Objective
To investigate the significance of lymphatic markers in the differential diagnosis of angiokeratoma corporis diffusum (ACD) and angioma serpiginosum (AS) .

Methods
Totally, 9 patients with ACD and 6 with AS were enrolled from Department of Dermatology, Xijing Hospital between 2006 and 2017, and their clinical and histopathological features were retrospectively analyzed. Skin sections from all the patients were stained for CD31, D2-40 and Prox1.

Results
In the 9 patients with ACD, abnormal vessels were weakly positive or negative for CD31, and positive for Prox1. Endothelial cells in abnormal vessels were locally positive for D2-40 in 4 patients with ACD, but negative for D2-40 in the other 5 patients. In the 6 patients with AS, the endothelia of hyperplastic small vessels were positive for CD31, but negative for D2-40 and Prox1.

Conclusion
The clinical features of a few patients with ACD are similar to those of patients with AS, and lymphatic markers have definite significance in the differential diagnosis of the two diseases.

Key words:
Hemangioma; Lymphangioma; Antigens, CD31; Diagnosis, differential; Angiokeratoma corporis diffusum; D2-40; Prox1


The invention relates to a method and a system for recognizing the human face. The method comprises the following steps: a human face which is captured in an image is detected; the profile of the human face is extracted from the detected human face, and a plurality of human face mark feature vectors are obtained; a dynamic-link attribute graph is generated according to the obtained human face mark feature vectors; and the comparison of the generated attribute graph and the attribute graph in a human face database is carried out to determine whether the two are matched or not. The system comprises a server subsystem and one or more client subsystems. The system is a full-automatic and intelligent human face detection and verification system. The method adopts a dynamic-link model of the human face profile graph to realize the efficient storage and recognition of the human face graph, so as to achieve the high correct recognition rate.


Shale gas have become an attraction for almost all countries in the world, in search of new resources. In USA (which represents a real model of success), shale gas provides reliable, affordable, organic energy, responsibly produced. But/ However, these results have been reached after some intense technological and ecological activity research, performed in more than 20 years. Shale gas exploration generated extensive controversy in many European countries, the main reason being related to the possible dangers which their extraction technology implies. The SWOT can be a useful tool/ method.to underline the right decision regarding the exploration and the exploitation of shale gas in Romania. The real value of the estimated geological shale gas reserves, along with impact studies on health and environment can contribute to local, regional and national, economic and social development.


This question discussed in two recent papers published in Nature Communications (Pizzo et al. 2019; Seeber et al. 2019), has been an important matter of debate in Electroencephalography (EEG)/Magnetoencephalography (MEG) for a long time. The crucial question is whether subcortical Local Field Potentials (LFPs) can reach the scalp EEG by volume conduction? This question may be formulated in a similar way: can "high resolution EEG scalp recordings, or MEG signals, be used to estimate corresponding sources localized in deep subcortical brain areas?"


Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified that a ∼1 M region centromeric to the MYC oncogene on chromosome 8q24.21 harbors at least five independent loci associated with prostate cancer risk and additional loci associated with cancers of breast, colon, bladder, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Because GWAS identify genetic markers that may be indirectly associated with disease, fine‐mapping based on sequence analysis provides important insights into patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and is critical in defining the optimal variants to nominate for biological follow‐up.


An experimental study of heat transfer coefficient and pressure losses coefficient under the laminar flow of nanocoolants in the pipe was carried out. The relevance of the studies is related to the possibility of intensification of the heat transfer process when using nanofluids as heat transfer agents and coolants without modernizing the equipment. As the objects of the study, we used nanocoolants based on aqueous solutions of propylene glycol with the addition of Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles in the amount of 0.53 and 1.03 % by weight. A technology for the preparation of nanocoolants by a two-stage method is described. Results of the aggregate stability of nanoparticles in the coolant are presented. Thermophysical properties of nanocoolants, necessary for evaluating heat-transfer coefficient and coefficient of pressure losses, were estimated experimentally (viscosity and heat capacity) and theoretically (density and thermal conductivity) in temperature range of 253–313 K. A schematic of the original experimental installation for measuring heat-transfer coefficient and pressure losses coefficient in the pipe is represented. Results of the calibration experiment with the use of water as coolant are presented. Experimental values of heat-transfer coefficients and pressure losses coefficient under the forced laminar flow of nanocoolant in the pipe are given. It was shown that the mean lengthwise and local values of heat-transfer coefficients for the nanocoolant are larger than those for the base coolant. At the same time, an increase in heat exchange intensity is not proportional to the concentration of nanoparticles in the coolant. An increase in the losses of head at the addition of nanoparticles to the base coolant was demonstrated. The data obtained showed a possibility in principle to intensiy the heat transfer process under the forced motion of nanocoolant based on the aqueous solutions of propylene glycol and Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles in the heat exchange equipment of refrigeration systems.


Thin film coatings are used to improve the properties of components and products in such diverse areas as tool coatings, wear resistant biological coatings, miniature integrated electronics, micro-mechanical systems and coatings for optical devices. This


In the early centuries of printing, the makers of Hebrew books adorned the title pages of their works with an insignia to represent their printing house. These emblems or marks referred to the printer's "name, vocation, place of residence, ancestry, the quality of his work, the sovereign of the country, or simply a symbol of prosperity and good luck". A prestigious printer's mark, widely utilized over time in several lands, is less well recognized and its printer's name less well known than many other devices used less extensively on the title pages of Hebrew books. The printer's mark is that of Immanuel Benveniste, who printed Hebrew books in Amsterdam from 1641 to 1659. Immanuel Benveniste's escutcheon was an upright lion facing inward towards a tower; a star is above the lion and the tower. The lion is on the viewer's right, the tower on the left.Keywords: Amsterdam; Benveniste's printer's mark; Hebrew books; Immanuel Benveniste


Abstract Six load/store issue and memory access policies are studied for improving the instructions per clock (IPC) of current superscalar processors. Experiments using instruction‐driven simulation were used to demonstrate the performance potential of these methods. The three key factors in rank to improve the IPC are found to be: (1) allowing a load issue to bypass an un‐issued store and an uncommitted store, (2) de‐coupling the store‐value from the store‐address for store issue, and (3) constraining the speculative load accesses in the load buffer until the preceding store addresses are known. The most effective issue policy is to allow a load to bypass un‐issued stores, decouple the store‐value from store address, and constrain the speculative load accesses in the load buffer until the preceding store addresses are known. This paper also explored mechanisms to avoid deadlocks for the cases where the load/store buffer slots are not allocated at the time the reservation stations are allocated. Examples are used to show how the deadlocks occur and the means to prevent them.


The present invention discloses remote sensing based water desalination equipment and a control method thereof. The water desalination equipment comprises a bitter water tank, a first water pump, a pre-assembly, a pressure-regulating valve, a reverse osmosis assembly and a clean water tank. The bitter water tank is provided inside with a bitter water tank liquid level sensor, the water outlet end of the first water pump is provided with a first flow sensor, the water outlet end of the reverse osmosis assembly is provided with a pH value sensor, and the clean water tank is provided with a clean water tank water level sensor. The equipment also includes a control cabinet; a control circuit is arranged in the control cabinet; the control circuit collects the values of the bitter water tank liquid level sensor, the first flow sensor, the pH value sensor and the clean water tank liquid level sensor; and based on the values, the control circuit determines whether to transmit radio signals to remote control without communication connection therewith. According to the control method of the present invention, a user carrying a remote control around equipment can promptly acquire the problems of the equipment, and promptly shut down the equipment, thereby improving the safety of equipment operation and saving labor.


Back in print for the first time in over half a century, this novel grapples with the nineteenth century's perennial 'woman question' and deals extensively with the damaging effects of conventional Victorian beliefs about women.


Co-delivered workshop, in conjunction with James Noble-Rogers (Chief Executive of the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET)) at the Reimagining Further Education: One-day Conference at Birmingham City University


This study aims to determine the perception of physics education students on the use of online lecture applications during the covid-19 pandemic. The approach used in this research is a quantitative approach with descriptive research type. The population in this study were all students majoring in Physics education at USK FKIP who were active in the Even Semester of the 2020/2021 Academic Year and the sample in this study was 80 students of physics education. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling technique. Data collection was carried out using a closed questionnaire based on google form. The data analysis technique used in this study was the Likert's summeted rating procedure. The results showed that physics education students gave positive perceptions regarding the use of online lecture applications during the covid-19 pandemic.


This study aims to analyse (1) how the characters in the novel Amba by Laksmi Pamuntjak conquest and care for the preservation of nature and environment, and (2) the depiction of nature and the environment in relation to the overall story of Amba using ecocriticism  perspective. The results are as follows. First, the nature and the environment of Buru are described as an arena to be conquered by the main character (Bhishma), who was a political prisoner in the New Order era. In addition, the preservation of nature and environment of Buru Island also should be protected from exploitation, especially by outsiders who came to the island of Buru. Second, the depiction of nature and the environment in Amba is related to the creation of the setting of story (place and time),  i.e. Buru Island as political prisoners' detention place in the New Order era, between 1969–2006. From the perspective of ecocriticism  these findings demonstrate how an island that was secluded so used to dispose of political prisoners have experienced the dynamics of an arena which was originally a natural and fierce, eventually turned into an island that invites entrants to explore and exploit natural wealth, so must be preserved.


A container device for a container holding unit for preparing a beverage from ingredients contained in (2) (1), - a first portion with a first engagement arrangement (11) (10), - and a closed position for holding the container in such a unit, - between an open position for removing the container insertion and / or from within such units, about the longitudinal axis (1 '), pivots with respect to the first engagement arrangement (11) a second portion having a second engagement arrangement movable (21) Te (20), - at least one piercing element (29) in order to penetrate the container (2), is assembled to the second portion, the penetrating device is held by the second portion (20C), Equipped with a. At least one piercing element (29), 'which deviates from the second engagement arrangement (21), between a closed position and an open position, the shaft (1 the axis (1)' around) when moved to pivot with respect to the first engagement arrangement (11) is fixed at an angle with respect to the first portion (10) around the axis (1 '). .FIELD 1


The term violence against women is not new to us. But today this problem is very seriously committed through all over the world especially in south Asia likes, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Shrilanka, Mayanmar, Nepal and Afghanistan. In this paper I have tried to explore the nature, forms, causes, impact and the remedies are available of violence against women in South Asia especially in Bangladesh. Lastly I have recommends how to combat women violence in Bangladesh as well as South Asia in the light of International organization of violence against women by considering the socio-economic and cultural environment of Bangladesh. The paper is based on secondary sources of information like books, journals, research reports and newspapers. Relevant literature has also been collected through Internet browsing.


The first plant in Saudi Arabia to make high-purity ethylene produced specification product on October 7, 1984, ahead of schedule and below budget. It was the initial operating unit brought on stream in Saudi Petrochemical Co.'s multibillion-dollar petrochemical complex at Al-Jubail. The plant, designed to use ethane as a feedstock, has a nameplate capacity of 656,000 metric ton/yr, making it one of the world's largest single train ethylene plants. Start-up was achieved several months ahead of schedule without a lost time injury. Final commissioning and start-up is a milestone event for any operation, but was especially significant with this plant in light of the unusual challenges faced. This success can be linked to the implementation of several key managerial programs and philosophies. The complex is part of Al-Jubail Industrial City, a totally new manufacturing center complete with transportation, residential, communication, and support facilities. Saudi Petrochemical's slate of chemical products includes ethanol, ethylene dichloride, caustic, chlorine, styrene, and ethylbenzene. Ethylene is required as a feedstock for most of these products. From its point of inception, the tasks faced by the new company were formidable: coordinating the engineering and construction contractors, developing the necessary procedures, acquiring an effective workforce, and rapidly developingmore » Saudi nationals at the managerial, professional, and wave levels. All this had to be accomplished within the framework of a young and developing company.« less


The instrumentality, intrinsic needs, and achievement orientation of 288 women dentists in Israel were related to their persistence at work. The multiple correlation of the first two variables with persistence was .55, indicating that they could serve as predictors and be used in the selection process of applicants to dental training. The authors presume that these variables might be used for prediction of persistence at work for women in other occupations, too.


Studies on membrane proteins can help to develop new drug targets and treatments for a variety of diseases. However, membrane proteins continue to be among the most challenging targets in structural biology. This uphill endeavor can be even harder for membrane proteins from Mycobacterium species, which are notoriously difficult to express in heterologous systems. Arabinofuranosyltransferases are involved in mycobacterial cell wall synthesis and thus potential targets for antituberculosis drugs. A set of 96 mycobacterial genes coding for Arabinofuranosyltransferases was selected, of which 17 were successfully expressed in E. coli and purified by metal-affinity chromatography. We herein present an efficient high-throughput strategy to screen in microplates a large number of targets from Mycobacteria and select the best conditions for large-scale protein production to pursue functional and structural studies. This methodology can be applied to other targets, is cost and time effective and can be implemented in common laboratories.


The unsettledness of the world. Current violent conflicts and global order Abstract: Political science has only marginally worked on the most recent dynamics of war development in the Middle East and on the African continent. This article suggests an interpretation, based on the "Hamburg approach" to the study of war, which focuses on conflictive modernization processes and institutional legitimacy deficits. Whilst form and incumbency of state domination are at the center of these violent conflicts, their most visible product of the laboratories of multilateral intervention is rather an internationalization of political domination than what liberal approaches label as "global governance". In order to grasp these changes, political science has to re-think the sociology of the state and to rediscover political violence as a subject of research and theory.


The proposed micro strip patch antenna consists of a U-slot in the rectangular patch to optimize gain and bandwidth deployed on FR4 material with thickness 1. 6mm and dielectric constant of 4.4. In this paper the antenna performance in term of various parameters like resonance frequency, return loss, radiation pattern, antenna gain and bandwidth is observed. The simulation results are given and parametric studies by gradually changing the ground and feed were presented in detail. The simulated frequency bandwidth of this antenna is 2.2-2.8 GHz at 2.47 GHz with the peak gain of 2. 23dBi, which can be utilized for the applications in global WiFi and 4G communication.


The stopper for a container with a lid part which is connected to a the edge of the container opening engages around the circumferential wall, with an integrally formed on the cover part ring with outer circumferential annular bead for clamping engagement in the container opening and a tear-off ring, which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction over a plurality of tie-bars is connected to the peripheral wall, said cross-sectionally wedge-shaped projections are formed between the connecting webs which engage over an outer, cross-sectionally inverted wedge-shaped peripheral projection of the container in the mounting position to the originality assurance of the container contents, characterized in that the tear-off starting from its free edge between has two adjacent wedge-shaped projections at least over a part of its width a the wall of the Abreisrings by separating incision so that the tear-off ring is under available as tear-off tab in the incision.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal dripping device wherein time efficiency is increased when a liquid crystal is dripped on a substrate. SOLUTION: A head 101 is transferred to an upper part of a cup 142 from an upper part of a stage 111, and drips the liquid crystal 201 to the cup 142 and is returned to the upper part of the stage 111 based on control of a controlling device 160 during a period when a glass substrate 200 having the liquid crystal 201 dripped thereon is conveyed out from the stage 111 and a glass substrate 200 having no liquid crystal 201 dripped thereon is conveyed in the stage 111. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT


Asphaltene inhibitors (AIs) are commonly used to mitigate asphaltene deposition issues. AIs are believed to change asphaltene growth behaviors, including dispersion, aging, electrostatic interaction, and/or more parameters, and thus collectively impacting deposition rate. In this work, AI performance was profiled by different methods to identify the responsible mechanisms.
 Particle growth profiles were first obtained based on traditional Turbiscan method (ASTM D7061) for larger particle dispersions. Subsequently, a modified Turbiscan method was used to assess the asphaltene growth kinetics. The indirect method was used to detect onset point. Packed-bed (5″ length; 0.334″ ID; 1.5 mm dia. bead) and capillary (100 ft length; 0.03″ ID) deposition tests were done at the same deposition flow rate (0.15 mL/min), time (20 h), and temperature (75 °C). Non-deposited residue was removed by cyclohexane at experiment flow rate. An extra fast flow rate (0.5 mL/sec) wash was applied on packed-bed setup to differentiate between loose and firm deposits.
 Dispersion Particle growth Onset point Deposition Turbiscan Modified Turbiscan Indirect method Packed-bed Loose and firm deposits. Capillary Higher shear rate.
 Untreated sample, along with 150 ppm AI-1, and 150 ppm AI-2 samples were tested with a variety of methods. Overall, both AI-1 and AI-2 show great dispersion and delayed asphaltene particle growth compared to the untreated. The changes of asphaltene growth kinetics were reflected on packed-bed and capillary deposition results as deposition masses for AI-1 and AI-2 treated crudes decreased significantly compared to the blank. Capillary tests yielded less deposition compared to the packed-bed test counterparts. Some asphaltene particles are pushed out of the capillary before deposition due to the higher shear rate but deposited in when compared to packed-bed experiments. By adopting the fast flow rate wash on packed-bed column, we found high correlation between firm asphaltene deposit weight to capillary deposit weight.
 By combining different test methods, AI effectiveness is determined at different kinetic stages. The performance profile can provide a systematic method to build structure-property relationships. We believe the testing protocol can facilitate new molecule development.


Lighting affects how people feel, react, and function in various settings, therefore lighting design strategy for worship room at churches should be aimed not only at fulfil the standard visual performance but should also be set as to enrich the room's perception i.e. as the God's holy place as well as a place for contemplation. Lighting problems found at the worship room of GPIB Immanuel Malang are not merely on the inappropriateness of lighting level and distributions, but also on the absence of the church' nuance as a place for contemplation. This paper is intended to report a proposed schematic lighting design for improving the situation. Using visual hierarchical approach, the lighting design aspects such as intensity, colour rendering, type, direction and arrangement of luminaires are determined and integrated. The proposed lighting design strategy is expected to be able to solve luminous problems and create the designated room's nuance/perceptions.


The African fashion industry has continued to thrive over the years and has gained recognition globally. However, the design and manufacturing process still follows the conventional methodology. Some studies have been done on image synthesis using deep learning techniques for the progress of the fashion industry with little or none of the studies on African fashion. African fashion, especially Nigerian fashion lacks an online presence in terms of artificially generated realistic fashion styles. Since fashion is a way a people express themselves through clothing, footwear, makeup or hairdo in a specific time, place, and environment, this work aims to develop a system that would promote the diversity of the Nigerian people, reduce inequality and promote economic growth in line with the sustainable development goals. In this work, we developed a system that can generate new African fashion designs for men by applying the Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks (DCGAN) using a locally curated image data from publicly accessible and open-source images and the AFRIFASHION40000 dataset. The method involves designing a Male Fashion Generative Framework (MFGF), building an image generation model that can synthesize new fashion images and a neural style transfer model that can style the generated image. The model trained on the AFRIFASHION40000 dataset was found to perform better than the locally curated dataset as indicated by a lower generator loss and a higher discriminator loss. This study provides a solution to the problem of generating new designs for men in the Nigerian fashion industry and highlights the importance of integrating deep learning into the African fashion industry. The result shows a generation of low resolution images that represents different fashion styles for African men. It also provides a framework for future research. The findings can be beneficial to fashion designers, manufacturers, and consumers looking for new and innovative designs.


This review article considers the case of Donald Rumsfeld and his disastrous tenure as US Secretary of Defense (2001�2006), as recounted by Rumsfeld himself in his memoirs and other writings, and in interviews with the celebrated documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, for The unknown known (2014). In all of these works he appears completely unreconstructed; indeed, remarkably self-satisfied. The article reflects on Rumsfeld as operator and courtier, and Morris's pursuit of a man without qualities, with reference to Hannah Arendt's notion of �the banality of evil�.


This study's purpose is to examine how institutional intervention and college readiness impact GED (General Education Development) credentialed students' intent to persist at community college. Specifically, the study examines a) differences in background information between students possessing GED credentials vs. traditional high school diploma regarding intent to persist at community college, b) factors influencing persistence, and c) possession of a GED credential's impact upon intention to persist. Three theories were foundation of this study's conceptual framework including 1) Knowles' (1984) andragogy, Ryan & Deci's (2000) self-determination, and Ajzen's (1991) planned behavior. The theory of andragogy informs institutional representatives regarding adult learner need. Self-determination theory reveals GED credential students' life situations and their need for autonomy resulting in academic persistence. Theory of planned behavior reminds administrators that control and volition must include learning environments conducive to task accomplishment. This study employed a quantitative method using the 2014 SENSE survey. Student demographics including background, socioeconomic, and enrollment patterns were analyzed through descriptive statistics. Comparison between students possessing GED credentials and traditional high diplomas was accomplished using t-test and crosstabulation methods. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the probability to which college readiness and institutional intervention predicts students' intent to persist in community college. The results indicate a greater percentage of GED credentialed students were nontraditional aged, married, had children living in the home, had a greater instance of self-


By use of headspace SPME sampling and a PLOT column, on-line capillary gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry was employed in the combustion (C) and the pyrolysis (P) modes (HRGC-C/P-IRMS) to determine the delta(13)C(VPDB) and delta(18)O(VSMOW) values of ethanol in authentic (n = 14) and commercial tequila samples (n = 15) as well as a number of other spirits (n = 23). Whereas with delta(13)C(VPDB) values ranging from -12.1 to -13.2 per thousand and from -12.5 to -14.8 per thousand similar variations were found for 100% agave and mixed tequilas, respectively, the delta(18)O(VSMOW) data differed slightly within these categories: ranges from +22.1 to +22.8 per thousand and +20.8 to +21.7 per thousand were determined for both the authentic 100% agave and mixed products, respectively. The data recorded for commercial tequilas were less homogeneous; delta(13)C(VPDB) data from -10.6 to -13.9 per thousand and delta(18)O(VSMOW) values from +15.5 to +22.7 per thousand were determined in tequilas of both categories. Owing to overlapping data, attempts to differentiate between white, rested, and aged tequilas within each of the two categories failed. In addition, discrimination of tequila samples from other spirits by means of delta(13)C(VPDB) and delta(18)O(VSMOW) data of ethanol was restricted to the products originating from C(3) as well as C(4)/CAM raw materials.


Summary Language, conceptual, and cultural factors are discussed in relation to a Xhosa translation of the Present State Examination which was administered to a series of 120 consecutive new admissions to a psychiatric hospital. The experiential events of psychiatric disturbance as defined by the PSE exist in Xhosa-speaking patients and it is a valid instrument.


The recent work of Avery and Goebel 1 has shown the importance of omitting the use of alkali in the purification of the specific polysaccharide of Type I pneumococcus. It was accordingly deemed advisable to repeat the isolation of the tubercle bacillus fractions described in a recent note, 2 omitting the steps involving precipitation from alkaline solution, and keeping all solutions at least at a slight acidity. While the difficulties of the fractionation were increased, the B1 and B2 (low rotating) fractions were ultimately isolated in the same form as before. However, the C fraction (high rotating, insoluble in 75% methyl alcohol) differed markedly in its chemical properties. Aqueous solutions of the substance were opalescent, even after passage through a Berkefeld filter, and, on treatment with alkali, slowly deposited a bulky precipitate consisting mainly of magnesium palmitate. Magnesium was identified as the double ammonium phosphate, while the palmitic acid, crystallized from 60% methyl alcohol, melted at 53–57° and gave C = 75.18%, H = 12.73% (calculated, C = 74.92%, H = 12.59%), neutral equivalent = 257, calculated 256. A portion of the acid was recrystallized, after which it melted at 56–59°. A mixture with highly purified palmitic acid melting at 60.5–61.5° fused at 57–59°. The polysaccharide recovered from the alkaline solution (CI) resembled the C fraction isolated by the usual process. The properties of the C and CI fractions are summarized in Table I, the data being calculated to the ash-free basis. While it is of course possible that the magnesium palmitate originates in substances accompanying the original polysaccharide, rather than as an integral portion of the polysaccharide complex, it is interesting to note that Boivin and his collaborators 3 have reported the isolation of a complex polysaccharide from B. aertrycke yielding an unidentified crystalline fatty acid on degradation.


Many philosophers of language have held that a truth-conditional semantic account can explain the data motivating the distinction between referential and attributive uses of definite descriptions, but I believe this is a mistake. I argue that these data also motivate what I call "dual-aspect" uses as a distinct but closely related type. After establishing that an account of the distinction must also explain dual-aspect uses, I argue that the truth-conditional Semantic Model of the distinction cannot. Thus, the Semantic Model cannot explain the data for which it is developed and so fails as an account of the referential/attributive distinction.


This paper briefly discusses objective and subjective methods for video quality assessment by focusing on the current work plan and schedule of the Video Quality Experts Group (VQEG). Subjective assessment methods have been used reliably for many years to evaluate video image quality, yet, some issues arise with subjective assessment including the cost of conducting the evaluations and the fact that these methods cannot easily be used to monitor video image quality in realtime. Traditional analog objective measurements, while still necessary, are not sufficient to measure the quality of digitally compressed video systems. Thus, there is a need to develop new objective methods utilizing the characteristics of the human visual system. While several new objective methods have been developed, there is no internationally standardized method. The VQEG is comprised of experts from various fields and organizations working on the evaluation and standardization of methods for video quality assessment. The first and current task of VQEG is the evaluation of objective model performance against subjective results for video quality in the bit rate range of 768 kbits/sec to 50 Mbits/sec.


The objective of the present work is to investigate the effects of the various DEDM process parameters on the machining quality and obtain the optimal sets of process parameters so that the quality of machined parts can be optimized. Experiments are conducted on the pieces varying parameters. The work piece and electrode materials used for machining are EN 8 steel and copper tungsten. The process parameters considered are Pulse Time on, Pulse Time off, and peak current. The range of values varied are Time on – 100μsec, 200 μsec and 500 μsec, Time off – 200 μsec, 500 μsec, 900 μsec, Input power –7amp, 15amp, 22amp. The optimization is done by using TAGUCHI technique by considering L9 orthogonal array. Optimization is done using Minitab 19 software.


The Characterlstic Mode Analysis (CMA) provides a set of eigenvalues and eigenvectors that are determined entirely by the antenna array structure at a particular frequency. The presented method solely relies on the mutual impedance matri:s: of elements of the array. In turn, the proposed approach is yery fast. Various modal decompositions are performed on an array of parallel dipoles placed horizontally above an infinite electric ground plane. The dipoles have prescribed sinusoidal currents. The results are validated by a full-wave simulator FEKO, showing good agreement.


The utility model provides a non-falling-down cup. The non-falling-down cup comprises a cup body; the cup wall of the cup body is in the shape of an ellipse with two narrower ends and a wider middle part; the cup bottom of the cup body is circular; and the cup bottom sinks towards the inner part of the cup body to form a counterweight block. The weight of the counterweight block is heavy enough, so that whether water is contained in the cup body or not, the cup body provided with the circular cup bottom cannot fall down because of the counterweight block, and the principle of the non-falling-down cup is similar to that of a tumbler. Compared with the prior art, the non-falling-down cup is convenient to manufacture, has a novel structure and novel functions, breaks the structure of the traditional water cup, and enables the water cup to be more interesting while the function of the water cup is maintained.


A survey of institutionalized adults with severe mental retardation and chronic regurgitation was conducted. A high prevalence of dysphagia and gastroesophageal abnormalities was found. Many of these abnormalities require further evaluation and treatment prior to the diagnosis of rumination. More studies are needed to explore the causes and treatment approaches for chronic regurgitation in adults with developmental disabilities.


Objective To evaluate the prevalent trend of filariasis and the prognosis of chronic filariasis by understanding the long-term effect of implementation of strengthening control measures on maintenance of lymphatic filariasis basic eradication in Qingshen county.Methods Comprehensive control measures including continuous,repeated examination,treatment of residual lymphatic filariasis patients,implementation of mass drug treatment and surveillance of high-risk population of remote village,were performed to monitor the prognosis of chronic filariasis patients and maintenance of filarial eradication.Results During the surveillance in 1984 after announcement of basic elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Qingshen county,totally 3 patients with microfilaria density of 1-8 and 2-13 per 120 μl blood were found in 578 people in endemic area and in 1100 people in surrounding area,respectively.Only 1 original patient remained positive with 19 microfilaria/120 μl blood in the surrounding area in 1985.With the implementation of strengthening control measures,no microfilaria has been determined in any people for consecutive 26 years since 1986.The chronic infection patients have been dropped from 37 before announcement of filariasis basic eradication to 12 in 2010..No new chronic patient had been found since 1988.The residual chronic patients were featured in old-age and long-term course.Conclusion No local infectious patient was found in Qingshen county after eradication of lymphatic filariasis,indicating the significant long-term effectiveness of the implementation of strengthening control measures.The population born after the year 1988 has been effectively protected.Further works should focus on the surveillance of imported patient and the care of existing chronic patients.


Study conducted by represent the study of early storeylevel of ability of exploiting or kaolin potency of an area which is later;then acted  . in this penelitiaan on the market idea to exploit the existing resource the core important regional industrial dig materials of sulawesi south . Ceramic in this time experience of the fast progress where materials of the core important kaolin but to know the ability which is consisted in  it hence there is its character standard . hence in this examination combine the conventional analysis and carakterisasi to kaolin materials done by perception with the instrument of like X-RD, SEM / EDAX And DTA. This test is conducted for to prove the compiler rate . structure. and ability and ability which is consisted in in its material is then clarified by optimalisasi of according to obtained result value


Molecular topology (MT) uses and expands upon the principles governing molecular connectivity theory of numerically characterizing the molecular structure of, in the present case, active anti‐Alzheimer's disease (AD) drugs/agents using topological descriptors to build models. Topological characterization has been shown to embody sufficient molecular information to provide a strong correlation to therapeutic efficacy. In the present study, we used MT to include multiple bioactive properties to identify multifunctional single agent compounds, in this case, the dual functions of Aβ –lowering and anti‐oligomerization. Using this technology, we identified and designed novel compounds in chemical classes unrelated to current anti‐AD agents that exert dual Aβ lowering and anti‐Aβ oligomerization activities in animal models of AD. AD is a multifaceted disease with different pathological features. Our study for the first time demonstrated that MT can provide a novel strategy in designing molecules that target multiple pathological mechanisms of AD.


Researches carrying evidence for various uses and bioactive principles of Agastache spp. are justifying the upscaling into cultivation of these medicinal species. But, hindrances in their cultivation exist due to the insufficient documentation of their biology under field conditions. Because productivity of these medicinal species (herba) is ensured by the combined contribution of plant agronomic traits, these are related to the feasibility of the crop and therefore, can be used as predictors for successful cultivation. The aim of this study was to evaluate comparatively four valuable Agastache species (A. mexicana, A. scrophulariifolia, A. foeniculum) and one cultivar (A. rugosa 'After Eight'), in order to identify the favourability for cultivation in local conditions (Romania). Based on the structural indicators of plant morphology (plant height, shoot number, leaf number, leaf length and width, inflorescence length, verticillaster number and flower number), registered over the span of two years, were explored relationships and similarities as well as their implications in previsioning the phenotypic potential. The results showed that studied species acclimatized successfully and all agronomic parameters studied increased in values in the second year. The average plant height in second year (2020) was 109.8 cm and average inflorescences length 9.6 cm. Stable positive correlations between inflorescence length with plant height and shoot number were observed, while differences among species became pronounced as plants become established, evidenced by clearer distinction in the second year. Phenotypic potential in the absence of inputs enables the feasibility assessment for medicinal plants introduced for cultivation in new regions.


The invention discloses a polymer containing phosphonate group. The polymer is prepared by mixing a monomer containing phosphonate group and a diphenol (dithio) monomer (or to different kinds of diphenol (dithio) monomers with dihalide monomer according to a certain proportion; heating to a certain temperature in high-boiling-point aprotic solvent with existence of medium strong base and methylbenzene, subjecting the mixture to backflowing and water diversion for some time before evaporating the methylbenzene, increasing reaction temperature, reacting for some time continuously, pouring reaction liquid into deionized water after reaction, and obtaining solid; then washing the solid three times by deionized water and obtaining a polymer I or II by drying in vacuum, wherein the monomer containing phophonate group is di (4-fluorine phenyl) (3'-diethyoxyl phosphonic acyl phenyl) phosphonic oxide or di (4-chlorphenyl) (3'-diethyoxyl phosphonic acyl phenyl) phosphonic oxide. The polymer containing phophonate group expresses excellent reverse osmosis desalination and proton conduction performances.


Objective To study on influential factors of preschool children's adaptive behavior,and to provide guidance for promoting their adaptive behavior.Methods 909 children aged 3~6 years old were selected from 3 kindergartens in Wuchang district of Wuhan,and investigated preschool children by Scale of Child Adaptive Behavior(CABS)and self-made questionnaire of influential factors.Results The average level of 909 preschool children's adaptive behavior quotient was 119.32±14.95.Children with different age were different in adaptive behavior quotient(F=23.86,P 0.01).Girls' adaptive behavior quotient was higher than that of boys(t= 3.70,P0.01).The difference of adaptive behavior quotient between children who had different home environment and education methods was significant.Conclusion Preschool children's adaptive behavior was influenced by home environment and education methods.Parents should provide good home environment and take adequate education methods,so as to promote their adaptive behavior.


Reactors coupled with membrane separation, such as pervaporation, can help enhance the conversion of reactants for thermodynamically or kinetically limited reactions via selective removal of one or more product species from the reaction mixture. Efficacy of pervaporation in driving esterification of lactic and succinic acids with ethanol, which are both reversible reactions, to near completion by stripping water has been established in the author's previous experimental studies. A detailed analysis of reversible condensation reactionswhere one of the products (water) is removed via membrane separationis presented in this work for different reactor−separator configurations. Appropriate numerical illustrations are provided to supplement the analysis. The role of resistances for reaction and membrane separation is investigated, including comparison to perfect membrane, and performance of the reactor−separator systems is compared.


Introduction. Part I. Diagnosing the Challenge: 1. Democratizing, Internationalizing, and Globalizing: A Collage of Blurred Images. 2. Co-opting the Sovereign State. 3. On the Political Economy of World Order. 4. A Regional Approach to World Order. Part II: Substantive Dimensions: 5. The Illegitimacy of the Non-Proliferation Regime. 6. The Quest for Human Rights. 7. The Outlook for UN Reform: Necessary but Impossible. Part III: New Directions: 8. Resisting "Globalization-from-Above" through "Globalization-from-Below". 9. Global Civil Society: Perspectives, Initiatives, Movements. 10. Recasting Citizenship. 11. Toward Normative Renewal. Notes. Index.


Few would argue that agricultural extension has played a significant role in lifting agricultural productivity in many Asian nations. However, the relevance and effectiveness of extension services is changing rapidly along with economic growth and commercialization of agriculture in parts of Asia. For anyone working in rural development in Asia or with an interest in extension, this book provides a rich tapestry of extension theory and approaches, historical trends, extension policy analysis, and case studies from a range of countries and perspectives. The book seeks to assist agricultural extension managers, scientists and practitioners with adjusting their extension policies and systems by learning from the experiences of different Asian countries. The contents are divided into four parts including an introduction by the editors on why agricultural extension in Asia needs change. The first part is titled 'Extension Policies' and begins with an overview of how and why extension policies and approaches have changed in several countries. Four chapters follow with comprehensive accounts of the changing roles of extension in South Korea, India and Israel, countries which have undergone rapid socio-economic development since WW II. Part 3 covers 'Commercialisation of farming and privatisation of extension'. There are two general chapters and two case-specific chapters from India and Vietnam covering experiences with decentralization and market-orientation of extension services. Given persisting poverty in much of Asia, the question of whether extension has played a role in reducing poverty is discussed in Part 3 on 'Supporting poor farm families'. Examples are used from Thailand and India in relation to livestock production, a key component of smallholder farming systems in Asia. Part 4 looks at 'Increasing managerial abilities of farmers and the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies)'. Four chapters discuss methods such as Farmer Field Schools, Community Supported Agriculture, Young Farmers Programs, and setting up Information Technology Networks. At first glance, the content structure appears sound but on reading chapters in each section, a lack of editorial rigour in the placing, flow and links between chapters and sections becomes apparent. For example, chapters in Part 1 on changing roles of extension in South Korea and Israel offer more insights into successful adaptation of services to commercialized agriculture, than chapters in Part 2. Similarly, meeting farmers information needs in Vietnam in Part 2, whilst focusing somewhat on market information, is set within the context of a public not privatized extension environment. Accounts of participatory extension in Thailand in Part 3 relate largely to dairy farmers already engaged in commercial agriculture, not those defined at the outset as resource poor and underprivileged. Anomalies and disjuncture in chapter content are also evident. For example, commercialization of agriculture is framed as desirable and inevitable, with current extension systems depicted as moribund and unresponsive to commercial clients. The message in some chapters is 'get with it or privatize, otherwise leave it to the private sector'! And yet case study chapters highlight the dangers of public extension becoming totally commodity and market driven (e.g. the Training & Visit system in


By combining electrical measurements, scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, and numerical electrical simulations, we find significant current crowding in two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus field-effect transistors. This current crowding can lead to localized Joule heating close to the metal contacts, and it is consistent with the features of the device failure observed in this study. Importantly, by considering both Schottky and resistive Ohmic contact models, we find that the commonly used transmission-line model, in general, significantly underestimates the extent of the current crowding. These findings, which are likely to be relevant in other 2D materials, suggest the need to take into account the current crowding effect in designing 2D devices.


This thesis presents the simulation of an integrated dual nanoprobe-microfluidic system for single cell electrical characterizations. Recent cell studies have shown a possible early disease diagnosis at a single cell level by characterizing its electrical properties. One of the studies uses a dual nanoprobe showing its ability in quantitatively detecting single cell viability. However, this method has low through put rate, high skilled labour requirement and bulky system. We propose an improved system that overcomes these limitations. This study is divided into five stages. The first stage focuses on deciding the system concept and nanoprobe design.The second stage involves nanoprobe characterization which is based on electrical and mechanical properties of five different materials: Silver, Copper, Aluminium,Tungsten and Zinc. The third stage is a single cell modeling of Saccharomycescerevisiae for mechanical and electrical model. The fourth stage is nanoprobe integration with microfluidic system. The final stage is single cell electrical property characterizations. From the study, several findings were obtained and concluded.First, the most preferred material for nanoprobe is Tungsten which has low electrical resistance of 5.5 Ω and can withstand an external force up to 35.6 μN before failure.Second, the two layers cell model was validated by displaying a close agreement interms of penetration force (640 nN) with experimental data. Third, successful cell penetration was achieved at 5.1 pl/min flow rate in 4 μm diameter micro channel.Lastly, insulating the nanoprobe reduces the effect of penetration depth on the current measurement and enables the characterization of single cell cytoplasm electrical conductivity to be realized. Currently the developed system is suitable for cell viability detection application. Furthermore, this system has a potential to be used in single cell thermal measurement, single cell drug delivery and early disease diagnosis.


The fatigue test of wind turbine blade is an important means to verify the fatigue life of wind turbine blade. This paper analyses the problems existing in the fatigue test of wind turbine blade, focuses on the excitation mode, the relationship between excitation amplitude and vibration frequency and the vibration principle, and puts forward feasible solutions in practical operation.


The management practices and sustainability of pineapple farms in Cavite, Philippines, were assessed. Most farmers are plowing and harrowing their land 3-4 times a year. Single row planting is predominant (95 %) as well as pineapple monocropping (67 %). Only 7.5 % of the farmers are practicing any soil and water conservation measures. More than half of the farmers are applying nitrogen fertiliser above the recommended rate, representing a waste of valuable farm resource that could also lead to nutrient pollution problems. The Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management was used to assess the sustainability of each farm in terms of productivity, security, protection, economic viability, and social acceptability. Results showed that the pineapple farming systems are weak with respect to the security and protection pillars of sustainability due to the lack of long-term incorporation of crop residues and the general absence of on-farm soil and water conservation measures. These are the issues which should be addressed by agricultural extension programs to ensure the environmental sustainability of pineapple farming in the province.


Historical accounts of colonial education have tended to focus on its role in inducting the colonized into the colonial order from the vantage point of the West. They have largely ignored those elements in the colonial context which became evident in shaping schooling's practices and outcomes when a revisionist historiography of culture contact is adopted. This article reports recent research into the colonial education of Australia's indigenous Melanesian minority, the Torres Strait Islanders, written in terms of the latter historiography. It shows that by using a methodology focusing on processes of interaction and holistic interpretation the dynamics of the educational context can be brought into close focus, influential elements highlighted, and the active engagement of Islanders in negotiating culture contact through their schooling kept in view. Insights and interpretations from the Torres Strait research on which the article is based provide case examples to illustrate schooling's negotiated charac...


This research is located on Fatumnasi as one of the tourism destination in East Nusa Tenggara, South Central Timor. The aim of this case study knows the international tourists' perception towards the amenities. The method of this research is qualitative with quantitative approach. Total sample of this research is 40 respondents' international tourism. The technique of gathering sample used accidental sampling. The analyzing of the data used validity and reliability test, importance performance analysis with Likert scale. The result of this research showed that international tourists' perception towards the amenities on Homestay 'Lopo Mutis' in Fatumnasi Tourism village was good.


The use of hand and power tools is essential in a number of industries worldwide, and
many workers use tools as a regular part of their job. Tools are often a source of vibration, and longterm
affects on the user is of increasing concern. Several studies have investigated the detrimental
effects of hand and arm exposure to vibration emanating from tools. Repetitive impacts from
hammering have been found to be of particular concern due to the large peak accelerations
experienced by the hand. Common ailments associated with exposure include Hand-Arm Vibration
Syndrome (HAV), Raynaud's phenomenon, and white finger. The objective of this study was to
investigate the relationship between tool designs and the corresponding biomechanical transmission
characteristics to the hand and arm. Several hand and power tools were studied including hand-held
manually struck chisels and hand-held pneumatic powered tools used for cutting metal. Laboratory
experiments were used to quantify the inherent vibration characteristics of these tools, and the
vibration transmitted to the hand and arm. Results clear demonstrate that vibration from some tools
is high, but can be reduced with alternative tool configurations and designs. These improvements
will reduce the potential for hand and arm vibration injury.


This article analyzes the issues of tolerance in Islamic teachings and the Sufi doctrine, which is an important part of it. It also outlines the religious-philosophical and educational aspects of the concept of tolerance. The results will be mentioned for the further discussions.


An experimental device aimed at determining the circulation patterns of molten metal in the zinc pot of a continuous hot dip strip galvanising line was designed and used. The flow pattern was qualitatively determined and some quantitative measurements were performed which led to an average value of circulation speed of about 10 cm s -1 for a line speed of 140 m min -1 . The overall liquid metal circulation deduced from the measurements showed that the liquid accomplishes a complete turnaround in the entire volume in about 2 min which, in the authors' view, makes a continuous galvanising pot a good mixing device.


PURPOSE: A system and a method for reducing artificial swamp type non-point pollutant source using a reserving tank are provided to maximize the natural purifying action by controlling the flow rate and the retention time of rainwater. CONSTITUTION: Rainwater is collected. Rainwater which is lower than the upper limit of a reservoir is discharged to a reserving tank(200). The rainwater which is more than the upper limit of the reservoir is discharged into a sewer overflow path by a first water collecting unit(100). A water level sensor is installed in the reserving tank. Based on the water level sensor, the rainwater is discharged to a second water collecting unit(110). The rainwater is collected and is discharged into an artificial swamp(300). Aquatic organisms are contained in the artificial swamp in order to purify the rainwater from the second water collecting unit. A sink(400) collects the rainwater from the artificial swamp. A water level adjusting unit, a filtering unit, and a water supplying path are additionally contained in the reserving tank.


Climate change is one of the main initiators of changes in the legal, regulatory, economic, social and environmental systems of states, given that the consequences of changing natural conditions affect global, regional and national economic development, as well as quality of life. Can capital market contribute to climate change mitigation, by transition to a low carbon economy? By applying the normative and comparative method, the author points out how the legal and regulatory framework can encourage capital markets to play a key role in raising and redirecting free capital in order to solve the problem of climate change. In this regard, climate (green) financial instruments created for investing in environmental protection projects and climate change mitigation are analyzed. Considering the tendencies in the global capital market, the author concluded that there are numerous legal obstacles that impede the more intensive contribution of the capital market in the fight against climate change.


The uncertainty in the time of ballistic missile transition from boost to coast phase poses significant problems to tracking sensors. The Interacting Multiple-Model (IMM) filter monitors this transition through the application of two Kalman filters, whose inputs and outputs are weighted by computed probabilities that the missile is in boost or coast phase. The ability of IMM to produce accurate tracks early in the midcourse phase is compared with that for simpler models that use a 'nearest neighbor' approach to determine the best fit to sensor measurements. Track output -- state vectors and error covariance matrices -- are handed off in the post-boost phase to midcourse sensors, which propagate tacks using either centralized measurement fusion or tracklets; that is, tracks computed so that their errors are not cross-correlated with those from other tracks of the same target.


SRP-dependent and SRP-independent targeting routes deliver precursor proteins to the ER membrane translocon. These precursors are translocated into (for membrane proteins) and across (for secretory protein) the ER membrane via aqueous channels composed of oligomers of the Sec61 complex. Both ends of the ER translocon are 'gated' and the opening and closing of these gates are closely regulated. The lateral exit of hydrophobic polypeptide regions into the phospholipid bilayer also appears to be a carefully controlled process. Accessory components are transiently associated with active ER translocation sites and modify the nascent polypeptide as it appears on the luminal side of the membrane.


This document is a concise compilation of notes prepared13; for a lecture delivered by the author at the 'Short Term Advanced Educational Programme' on Cascade Testing of Turbomachinery Bladesquot; organised by M/s BHEL. Corporate R amp; D. Hyderabad during December 7-18, 1981. It mainly deals with the pressure probe methods for measurements in 2-D cascades, however some aspects of measurements in rotating turbomachines are also discussed for the sake of completeness. General criteria for the selection of aerodynamic probes are outlined and the merits and13; demerits of some typical probes used rn practice are discussed. Various devices avai lable for the measurement of mass flow rate are also described. Methods for calibration of aerodynamic probes and flow measuring. devices are presented and the use of calibration graphs is discussed.


Superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O films of nearly stoichiometric composition (Y:Ba:Cu=1:2:3.6) were prepared by an MOCVD technique on MgO(100) substrates at 650°C without postannealing. By introducing ozone into the reactor, we obtained a film with higher zero resistive temperature (75 K) and better surface morphology and c-axis orientation, compared to a film of the same composition prepared without ozone.


National strategies across the world often emphasise the role of foreign direct investments (FDI) as one of means necessary to increase the overall national competitiveness. The benefits that FDI generates are traditionally recognized not only through acquiring capital but also through patents, knowledge, know-how, efficient technologies, management skills and the like. Croatia has continuously placed FDI on the top of the development agenda hoping that their inflow would help raise employment, exports and productivity. According to the EU statistics, Croatia is ranked rather high among 'transition' economies, even in comparison with those that have recently become full members of the EU. However, its impact on the national economy, especially employment, exports and productivity is much less evident than that in other Central and Eastern European countries. The purpose of this paper is to theoretically and practically discuss the role and importance of investment incentives offered by the national policy-makers in order to attract certain FDI projects. The paper will provide a theoretical overview of various approaches to investment incentives. Using the Croatian experience, the paper will provide an analysis of FDI inflows in Croatia in terms of numbers, investment climate and environment as well as it will delineate reasons, i.e. barriers which prevent Croatia to be more attractive to foreign investors. Particular attention will be given to investment incentive policies promoting FDI in Croatia.


Fifty years ago, Robert Goldscheider helped pioneer the use of a methodology known as "the 25% Rule," a tool for determining reasonable royalties in intellectual property licensing negotiations. The Rule holds that licensees of intellectual property normally deserve the lion's share of the profit because they usually bear the bulk of the business risk associated with bringing the intellectual property to market. Experts familiar with the art of intellectual property licensing frequently rely on the 25% Rule to rationally determine reasonable royalties in litigation and transactional settings. The Rule's prominence has been accompanied by unfortunate misunderstandings about its form and substance. It is not, as some suggest, intended to be a simple shortcut to determine patent royalties. Rather, it was developed as, and remains, a meticulous methodology inspired by significant private transactions and ultimately refined by brilliant judicial interpretation. As such, it is inappropriate to condescendingly diminish it to a mere "rule of thumb." When properly understood and applied, the Classic 25% Rule is an effective discipline that achieves the high standards of reliability demanded by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Daubert and Kumho Tire cases. 1 Just prior to the publication of the Federal Circuit's decision in Uniloc v. Microsoft, I met Matthew Turetzky at lunch with his grandfather, a respected friend of mine, who had told me, with justified pride, that Matthew was the Editor-in-Chief of the DUKE LAW & TECHNOLOGY REVIEW and hopes to specialize in the law of intellectual property. Knowing of my connection with a methodology known as the 25% Rule, Matthew phoned me immediately after the court's opinion in the Uniloc case appeared. When he learned of my interest in commenting about the opinion, Matthew immediately offered his help, and that of a team of his colleagues on the DUKE LAW & TECHNOLOGY REVIEW, to assemble all of the documentation and provide any further support I might request. The Duke team, consisting of Matthew Turetzky, Editor-in-Chief, Alberto Araiza, Managing Editor; Kristen Wolff, Chief Executive Editor; and Gordon White, Executive Editor performed excellently, helping to produce what I hope will prove to be a serious contribution to this important matter. 2011 DUKE LAW & TECHNOLOGY REVIEW No. 006 2 On January 4, 2011, the Federal Circuit, in Uniloc v. Microsoft, held that "the 25 percent rule of thumb is a fundamentally flawed tool for determining a baseline royalty rate in a hypothetical negotiation." This decision is problematic for a variety of reasons: (1) it assumes that the 25% Rule, as it is classically understood, is a rule of thumb; (2) district courts could interpret it as prohibiting damages experts from applying the Classic 25% Rule as a tool for determining a baseline royalty rate, because of the court's confusion between a baseline royalty rate and a "reasonable royalty" under § 284 of the Patent Act; and (3) it could denigrate the skills of true experts who have utilized, and continue to utilize, the Classic 25% Rule in a way that otherwise meets the admissibility standards of the Federal Rules of Evidence. This article attempts to correct these misunderstandings in the hope of restoring some certainty in an area of jurisprudence that, unfortunately, has become an unpredictable area of the law.


The NMR line shape, relaxation time and the static susceptibility of metallic Cu fine particles (∼50A) are measured at liquid He temperatures. The line shape shows an enhanced spin paramagnetism which can be explained as anomalies due to finite spacing of the electron energy levels with strong 1- s coupling. The spin-lattice relaxation time is shorter than bulk value, contrary to expectations.


In order to realize the accurate, quick, dynamic and intelligent prediction of coal and gas outburst, a prediction method based on BP artificial neural network (BPNN) and case-based reasoning (CBR) is proposed. Aiming at the strong nonlinearity for influencing factors of coal and gas outburst, a method based on BPNN is given to determine case feature weights objectively and scientifically. The case reuse fast method based on weighted average is used to improve the prediction quickness and precision. The proposed method is validated using practical measured data. The simulation example shows that the proposed method has the higher prediction accuracy and stability, the prediction speed of the proposed method is quicker than those of the existing CBR prediction methods, and the proposed method is valid.


Using similar material simulation and RFPA2D numerical simulation method,we study the pre-blasting technology for weakening the hard roof and analyze the structure changes caused by roof caving with different characteristics of roof.By doing so,we obtain the caving features of overburden rock and sum up the characteristics of rock burst behavior,the distribution of front abutment pressure,and its development trend.Using the pre-blasting of roof weakening technology in combination with the analysis of rock burst observation,we can effectively prevent rock burst hazard of the hard roof,which is helpful for safe and efficient mining,greatly improving the recovery rate of coal resources.


Development of the Accounting Professional Curriculum should base on working process.In order to meet the requirement of accounting profession and lay a solid foundation,we should locate accurately ability of accounting profession,analyze earnestly specific posts of accounting profession,train the accounting professional ability as the basis,and account typical tasks as the core.We should organize the curriculum system to make knowledge,ability,professional qualities of the organic integration,and lay a foundation for the accounting job in the future.


Objective:To explore the effect of Xingnaojing on the level of serum S-100B protein and recovery of neurological function.Methods:157 Patients with acute cerebral infarction were randomly assigned to receive Xingnaojing(30 mg by intravenous drip twice a day) for 14 days or placebo.We obtained serum S-100B protein of the patients at admission time and 24,48,72,96,120 and 144 hours after admission.National institutes health stroke scale scores(NIHSS scores) were evaluated at hospital admission and 1,2,4,14 days after admission.Results:Values of serum S-100B in two groups raised until 4th day,peak value of treatment group was statistically lower than the control one.There were differences in the two groups(P 0.05).The S-100B serum value obtained 144 h after stroke in treatment group was higher than the control group.There were significant differences in the two groups(P 0.01).NIHSS scores in two groups decreased after admission at 1,4,7 and 14 days,scores in the treatment group at 1,4,7 and 14 days were lower than the control group(P0.05).Conclusion:Xingnaojing can decrease NIHSS score,improve neurological function and decrease S-100B serum concentration.


Sjögren's syndrome (SS) affects numerous different areas, and many special-ists may be involved in the diagnosis and treatment of SS. Otolaryngological and dental manifestations, neurological impairment, and hearing loss may be the initial symptoms of SS. This chapter describes the most common otolaryngological and oral manifestations of SS, its pathomechanism and possible etiology. Dryness accompanying SS is associated with many clinical implications. The rate of dry mouth in SS ranged from 41% at initial diagnosis to 84% 10 years after diagnosis. An unstimulated salivary flow rate of 0.1 ml/min in sialometry gives a score of 1 to the weighted sum of 5 items according to the current EULAR/ACR criteria. The presence of mononuclear cell aggregates around the ducts and acini of salivary glands results in functional and structural alterations at the level of these glands and impairs their secretory function. The most common oral signs and symptoms are dental caries, tooth decay, fungal infections, traumatic oral lesions, dysphagia, dysgeusia, and inflammation of the salivary glands. Saliva in SS is characterized by the increased concentration of lactoferrin, potassium and cystatin C and the decreased concentration of amylase, carbonic anhydrase, mucins, histatines, IgA, statherins, proline-rich proteins, and the loss of salivary buffer properties. The lack of these physiological defense mechanisms increases the risk of opportunistic infections, mainly fungal infections by Candida albicans . Candidiasis accompanies angular cheilitis, simple cheilitis, and exfoliative cheilitis. The salivary glands of SS patients are characterized by chronic inflammation with the presence of lymphocytic infiltrates located around the striated ducts. These periductal foci may lead to the development of organized ectopic lymphoid structures resembling secondary lymphoid organs with segregated T- and B-cell areas, and high endothelial venules. 2 or atrophy of the nasal mucosa, dryness of the throat, dysphagia, hoarseness, otalgia and tinnitus, gastro-esophageal reflux, and chronic cough. Patients with SS tend to have a higher prevalence of sensorineural hearing impairment compared with the general population. Idiopathic hearing loss may represent the initial manifestation of SS. Furthermore, authors present and discuss the main neurological symptoms of SS. Neurological manifestations are reported in about 20% of patients with SS. In patients with SS, neurological manifestations may occur, such as peripheral neuropathy and other forms of neuropathies, including sensory ataxia, painful sensory neuropathy without sensory ataxia, multiple mononeuropathy, multiple cranial neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, radiculoneuropathy intra- and extraoral paresthesias, hypaesthesia, trigeminal


Objectives  Polar ships are often subjected to ice floe impact during navigation. Under extreme ice impact loads, ship plates may suffer permanent plastic deformation, affecting the safety and working performance of the ship, and greatly increasing the maintenance costs. Methods  This paper analyzes the energy sharing mechanism of ice-plate impact based on the energy analysis method and rigid-plastic theoretical method to predict the plastic dynamic response of ship plates. An analytical formula for the dynamic response of a ship plate under ice floe impact is proposed, and comparisons between the analytical and numerical results are made. Results  The comparisons show that the presented analytical method is reliable, this simplified theoretical analysis method can provide designers with rapid prediction regarding the maximal plastic deformation and collision force of a ship plate under ice floe impact. Conclusions  The research has giving it great significance for engineering applications.


The overall aim of this thesis was to increase knowledge about how people with advanced cancer experience their engagement in activities and how such activities may be useful when living with life-threatening illness. This is explored with regard to creative activities in palliative occupational therapy and to self-chosen activities in everyday life. Given that improved treatment allows people with advanced cancer to live increasingly longer periods of time, it becomes important to support them in such circumstances. Gaining insight into the potential and the challenges of engagement in activities from the perspective of people with life-threatening illness may generate knowledge that can complement theoretical and practical foundations for the use of activities in therapeutic intervention and everyday life. The thesis includes four studies. In Study I the aim was to discover and characterize components of engagement in creative activity as occupational therapy for elderly people dealing with life-threatening illness from the perspective of clients and therapists (n = 15). This study was based on qualitative interviews analyzed using a constant comparative method. Study II aimed to investigate the meanings that people with advanced cancer ascribed to engaging in creative activity in palliative occupational therapy (n = 8). The data from qualitative interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological method. In Study III the aim was to describe and explore the daily activities of people with advanced cancer in relation to time, location, social interaction and experience (n = 45). The data were collected using semistructured diaries and qualitative interviews according to the Time Geographical Method. These data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. Study IV aimed to explore and understand how people with advanced cancer create meaning and handle everyday life through activity (n = 7). The data collection was based on a combination of qualitative interviews and participant observation. In this study an interpretive narrative approach was used for the analysis. The findings in Study I identified how clients and therapists contributed jointly in constructing a generous environment supporting engagement in activities. The findings suggested that engagement in creative activity enabled clients to create connections of past experiences with their present situation and connections reaching into a possible future. In Study II engagement in creative activities was found to ease living in proximity to death and to provide opportunities for creating new ways of living. This entailed ongoing processes for the participants, which involved confronting the consequences of advanced cancer, experimenting with ways to handle current challenges and acknowledging personal resources. Study III identified that the participants with advanced cancer spent most of their time at home. Their daily lives consisted primarily of self-care and leisure activities with limited social engagement. Establishing and maintaining rhythms of routine and change was found to be significant for the participants' sense of satisfaction with daily life. The results of Study IV showed how the participants fashioned stories through daily activity that were useful to them in handling everyday life with advanced cancer. These narratives illustrated the challenges faced by the participants' in creating desired stories in negotiation with their socio-cultural environment. Activities were identified as an arena for exploring contrasting feelings of health and severe illness and, in addition, for providing a familiar framework stimulating agency and life-confirming experiences. Taken together the findings identified various ways in which engagement in activities may provide opportunities to explore and work through consequences of advanced cancer. Engagement in activity was identified as stimulating the discovery of individual and sociocultural resources that the affected person could draw upon in daily life by taking agency, transcending grief and experiencing enrichment and completion in the face of impending death. These studies may contribute to the development of palliative care and to the support of people with advanced cancer as they explore ways to engage and use activities in the remainder of their lives.


Dr. Hugo Theron Biosketch: Dr. Hugo Theron Dr Hugo Theron is a clinical psychologist in private practice. He studied clinical psychology at Stellenbosch University, and medical and health psychology at Leiden University, Netherlands. He obtained his Phd in Child Psychology from the University of the Free State, with special focus on the influence of Information and Communication Technology on child and adolescent development. Abstract: Information and communication technology (ICT) has become the preferred pastime for children, adolescents and adults globally.  International data indicate that the growth in ICT use is exponential and not slowing down - this is also true for South Africa.  In the last decade the volume of research focusing on the effect of said ICT use has grown expeditiously - with recent studies moving away from a dichotomous viewpoint of ICT use and its effects being either 'good/beneficial' or 'bad/detrimental', to a more balanced approach.  This approach often focuses on the frequency of use and its consequences.


Neuroblastoma is an embryonal malignancy that accounts for 15% of all cancer related deaths amongst children. Although the overall survival of patients has been improving over the last decades, the high-risk neuroblastoma patients have a survival rate of <50%. Using gene expression microarrays we identify a group of proteins (snoRNPs) whose expression correlates with poor prognosis. We futher show that the snoRNPs are involved in regulation of telomerase activity in neuroblastoma cells. Upon snoRNP knockdown there is an observed increase in anaphase bridge fromation, indicitive of elevated genetic instability. Examination of genes associated with good prognosis revealed genes involved in growth cone formation. Combination of the expressoin of growth cone associated genes with the snoRNPs resulted in a 4-gene prognostic signature. Calculating the ratio (R-score) between the expression of the good and bad prognostic genes removed the need for housekeeper normalization, and provided a means of individual patient analysis. Application of a fixed-value R-score to 3 independent cohorts using standard qPCR revealed its functionality on an individual patient basis, as well as identified a subgroup of ulta-high risk patients who could potentially benefit from new treatment modalities. Amongst high-risk neuroblastomas is a subgroup of patients harbouring MYCN-amplification. Here we show that MCYN-amplified tumours have elevated expression of the miR-17-92 cluster of miRNAs. High-throughput proteomic analysis of miR-17-92 overexpressing cells revealed enrichemnt of the TGF-β pathway. Further analyses showed miR-17-92 targeted inhibition of the TGF-β pathway at multiple levels, resulting in increased tumourigenic capacity of the neuroblastoma cells. Using primarily breast cancer cells, we identified a hypoxia driven induction of the Notch-ligand JAG2. Deminished expression of JAG2 in hypoxic tumour cells resulted in a reduced capacity of neighbouring endothelial cells to form tubes. Evaluation of these results in neuroblastoma revealed a similar pattern of Notch-ligand dependent crosstalk between tumour and endothelial cells, however in this case with via DLL1. Here we have investigated, with a focus on high-risk patients, key signalling patways that are involved in the maintenance and progression of the disease. In addition, we describe a novel prognostic signature that has clinical implications for specifically high-risk patients. (Less)


A path integral formula is presented for the covariant gravitational anomaly of the self-dual anti-symmetric tensor gauge field. With the help of this formula, it is shown that the path integral Jacobian of the self-dual field strength under the general coordinate transformation is twice as large as the gravitational anomaly. It is also shown perturbatively that a chiral bi-spinor field accompanied with appropriate Faddeev-Popov ghosts describes a system of two self-dual anti-symmetric tensor gauge fields.


The paper discusses in details various aspects of the point estimation, classic paradigm, Hampel's program and a new paradigm, including reliability of algorithm and its implementation, the role of accompanying procedures and of heuristics. A special attention in paid to the high breakdown point estimation, corresponding prejudices and misleading ideas. It reports theoretical results as well as practical consequences, describes a reliable algorithm for evaluation of the least trimmed squares and finally illustrates by the results of analysis of real data how powerful tool the estimators with high breakdown point can be. Stat~ podrobno obsu daet razliqnye asspekty ocenok v klasiqesko paradigme, v Gampelove i v novo paradigme, kotora vkl qaet dostovernost~ algoritma i to e implementacii, mesto sopro d wih procedure i geuristiki. Special~noe vnimanie posveweno ocenivani s vysokim bodom otkazani , k nim prinadle a wye predpassudki i oxiboqnye predstavleni . Ona prinosit teoretiqeskie rezul~taty toqno kak i praktiqeskie sledstvi . Opisyvaet dostoverny algoritmus dl vyqisleni na menxih otrubanyh kvadratov i potom prinosit kak ilustraci rezul~taty analyza real~nyh dannyh i pokazyvaet kak mownym instrumentom mogut byt~ ocenki s vysokim bodom otkazani . Introduction and notation It is sometimes claimed that nearly 95% of statistical applications are from regression analysis. Of course, such a claims have their roots in fact that not only linear regression is taken into account but also nonlinear models, analysis of variance, logit and probit (or generally probability) regression models, regression trees, over seemingly unrelated equations up to, maybe, cointegration analysis. However, it is not important how large the percentage of regression tasks really is, if it is 95% or "only" about 80 %. In any case, a large number of problems solved in the framework of regression analysis indicates that we should pay an attention to the following question: What features of modern estimator of regression model we should ask for ? What accompanying equipment of the (robust) estimator is to include ? 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 62F35; Secondary 62J99.


Objective To review the literature and probe the clinical pathological features,histogenesis,pathological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the malignant triton tumor.Methods The tumor was studied by using of paraffin slice,HE staining,and observed under microscope.The paraffin slices were also stained with immunohischemistrical method.Results The patient was a 54 years old man.Because of the patient's feeling of the abdominal distension,a huge mass was found in the abdominal cavity by ultrasound wave examination.Under microscope,there were two components in the tumor,namely,the malignant nerve sheath tumor and rhabdomyosarcoma.By immunochemical stain,the tumor cells expressed the S-100,myoglobin and desmin positive.Conclusions The malignant triton tumor could be found in various locations of the bodies,and the tumors could be seen in any ages of the patients.The male patients were often more than female patients.If a tumor was located in the abdominal cavity,it usually formed a huge mass.The tumor often massively infiltrated the peripheral tissue,and the patients' prognoses were bad.In this article,the diagnosis criterion and the differential diagnoses were also discussed.


The research results on the herbicide influence on the spring wheat (Novosibirsk 29) productional ability in the field conditions are presented in article. The research results can widely be applied to formulate the optimum technologies of wheat cultivation in the specific conditions.


Objectives To identify menopausal symptoms and health disorders of women aged 50–65 years in under-privileged areas of southern Jordan. Method A multistage, random-sampling design was applied to select a sample of households from three governorates. A total of 143 women were eligible to be included in the analysis. Women were asked about a list of symptoms (somatic, psychological and genitourinary) and about a list of morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and urinary tract infection. Ever-screening by mammogram, regular breast self-examination, ever-screening by cervical smear, general medical check-up, physical activity, smoking habit, and ever-receiving information about menopause were also investigated. Results The median age of onset of natural menopause was 50 years; 77% of women were illiterate, and 59% of the couples were relatives. The most frequently reported somatic symptoms were joint aches/stiffness (89%), bone pains (74%) and paresthesia in the extremities (51%). Hot flushes were experienced by 62% and urinary incontinence by 30%. Almost 62% reported irritability and mood changes, 56% had high blood pressure, and 18% and 14% suffered from urinary tract infection and reproductive tract infection, respectively. Eight percent and 11% reported ever-screening by mammogram and cervical smear, respectively, and 11% reported performing breast self-examination regularly. Regular physical exercise was reported by 8%, and 81% were overweight or obese. One-quarter received information on menopause, and 58% reported the need to know 'everything' about menopause. Conclusion Women in southern Jordan experienced multiple menopause-related symptoms and morbidities. The majority of them did not receive any health education about this phase of life. Preventive health practices and health-promoting behaviors are relatively uncommon. Effective health-care delivery systems responsive to menopausal women's health needs are highly recommended.


This paper is part of the joint project of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the Institute of Developing Economies looked into the school participation of children with disability in Mandaue City and San Remigio, Cebu, Philippines. Using survey data (collected involving PWD enumerators) and key informant interviews with various stakeholders, the study found that school participation among PWD children is generally low in both study sites. Possible reasons for low school participation are: type and severity of impairment, distance of school (especially in rural area, San Remigio), household size and income. Some recommendations include making sure that assistive devices given to PWDs children match their needs, possible learning livelihood and basic health care modules/trainings for parents, explore ways to train more teachers (including the Alternative Learning System) to handle children with disabilities and possible LGU partnerships to provide venues for the ALS. Lastly, pushing for more awareness to make schools not just "child friendly†but also "PWD friendly†.


Dereverberation is often performed in the time-frequency domain using mostly deep learning approaches. Time-frequency domain processing, however, may not be necessary when reverberation is modeled by the convolution operation. In this paper, we investigate whether deverberation can be effectively performed in the frequency-domain by estimating the complex frequency response of a room impulse response. More specifically, we develop a joint learning framework that uses frequency-domain estimates of the late reverberant response to assist with estimating the direct and early response. We systematically compare our proposed approach to recent deep learning based approaches that operate in the time-frequency domain. The results show that frequency-domain processing is in fact possible and that it often outperforms time-frequency domain based approaches under different conditions.


We evaluate the Hadamard function and the vacuum expectation value of the current density for a massive complex scalar field in the generalized geometry of a straight cosmic string with a finite core enclosing an arbitrary distributed magnetic flux along the string axis. For the interior geometry, a general cylindrically symmetric static metric tensor is used with finite support. In the region outside the core, both the Hadamard function and the current density are decomposed into the idealized zero-thickness cosmic string and coreinduced contributions. The only nonzero component corresponds to the azimuthal current. The zero-thickness part of the latter is a periodic function of the magnetic flux inside the core, with the period equal to the quantum flux. As a consequence of the direct interaction of the quantum field with the magnetic field inside the penetrable core, the core-induced contribution, in general, is not a periodic function of the flux. In addition, the vacuum current, in general, is not a monotonic function of the distance from the string and may change the sign. For a general model of the core interior, we also evaluate the magnetic fields generated by the vacuum current. As applications of the general results, we have considered an impenetrable core modeled by Robin boundary condition, a core with the Minkowski-like interior and a core with a constant positive curvature space. Various exactly solvable distributions of the magnetic flux are discussed.


A 56-year-old man with hepatitis C–related cirhosis is admitted for management of ascites. Despite a 0-mEq sodium–restricted diet and high doses of diuretcs (spironolactone 400 mg/day and furosemide 160 mg/ ay), the ascites has not been well controlled for the past weeks. Physical examination reveals an arterial pressure f 90/70 mm Hg, heart rate of 98 bpm, lower extremity dema, stigmata of cirrhosis with temporal wasting, mild cterus and spider angiomas, tense ascites, splenomegaly, nd grade 1 encephalopathy. His hemoglobin level is 12 /dL, white cell count is 3.8 109/L, and platelet count s 79 109/L. Other laboratory test results are AST, 44 /L; ALT, 57 U/L; serum bilirubin, 3.1 mg/dL; albuin, 3.2 g/dL; international normalized ratio (INR) for rothrombin time, 1.9; serum sodium, 129 mEq/L; poassium, 5.2 mEq/L; blood urea nitrogen, 22 mg/dL; and erum creatinine, 1.7 mg/dL. A diagnostic paracentesis oes not reveal evidence of spontaneous bacterial peritoitis. Ultrasound examination of the liver does not show ny portal vein thrombosis or liver masses. How should his patient be managed, and what is the role of large olume paracentesis, transjugular intrahepatic portosysemic shunt (TIPS), and liver transplantation in this atient?


Microbial polysaccharides can serve as renewable sources for hydrocolloids used in food, pharmaceutical, and other industrial applications. Xanthan, gellan, dextran, and alginate are among the common microbial polysaccharides in current use. Although only limited numbers of microbial polysaccharides are commercialized, several approaches to modify microbial polysaccharides are laid out to improve their functional and technological properties via physical and chemical cross-linking reactions. This review discusses the properties of microbial polysaccharides as well as several methods of physical and chemical cross-linking for polysaccharides modification.