Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterised by chronic, relapsing intestinal inflammation with extensive damage of the colonic mucosa and a remarkable dysbiosis. Since the current treatments show limitations in the response of some patients and many of them are associated with important side effects, new and safer strategies are needed. Postbiotics are any soluble factor resulting from the metabolic activity of a live probiotic bacteria or any released molecule capable of providing health benefits through a direct or indirect mechanism. Nevertheless, the effects of certain postbiotics in the context of intestinal inflammation have not been extensively addressed. Our aim is to study the immunomodulatory properties of two different postbiotics on primary human cell culture and their protective effects on human intestinal ex vivo 2D culture.

 Postbiotics from Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactobacillus paracasei Lpc-37 were obtained after the microbial culture of each bacterial strain. Supernatants were collected at OD600 = 0.6, filtered and frozen. Immunostimulatory, immunosuppressor or immunomodulatory effects of each postbiotic were tested in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from healthy donors (n = 4). PBMCs are a heterogenous cell population that includes myeloid as well as lymphoid immune cells. Postbiotics were used to assess whether bacterial metabolites could modulate the cytokine release in particular IL-12p40 and IL-10 by LPS-stimulated PBMC, mimicking innate immune activation. Dendritic cells (DCs) differentiated from isolated human monocytes were also stimulated with all postbiotics (n = 2) to study the innate-adaptive immune crosstalk by analyzing IL-10 and IL-12p70 secretion. Postbiotics stimulation was also performed in differentiated human intestinal epithelial monolayers derived from EpOCs (Epithelial Intestinal Organoids Cells) to analyse the outcome in an ex vivo organ culture.

 Postbiotics derived from S.thermophilus and Lpc-37 were able to increase the secretion of IL10 in both PBMCs and monocyte-derived DCs, while no change was shown in IL-12p40/IL-12p70 production. Interestingly, S. thermophilus also showed a 'per se' anti-inflammatory effect due to an increase of IL-10 in non-stimulated PBMCs. On the other hand, postbiotics were able to up-regulate MUC2 expression in the 2D organ culture while down-regulating LGR5.

 Overall we conclude that the tested postbiotics show an immunomodulatory effect as well as important properties on intestinal epithelial-cells stemness and differentiation, being S. thermophilus the best candidate due to its remarkable anti-inflammatory effect in both stimulated and non-stimulated cells.


This article consists of two parts. In the first, a description of the nature of philosophical investigations is given. It is claimed that philosophy is not driven by new questions, but by a striving for a deeper insight into the nature of philosophy. This may be seen in the philosopher's attempt to gain clarity about phenomena he or she wonders at, a clarity which is not arrived at by means of new information, and to gain clarity about what problems pertain to the different possible ways of understanding the phenomena in question. In the second part, this description of the nature of philosophy is illustrated by means of a discussion of the Danish play-writer Kaj Munk's play Ordet («The Word»). In the play a character is said to have died and then come to life again through the action of God. In the article, it is discussed how this should be understood and which type of problems, if any, pertain to the way the characters in the play understand what has happened.


Many terms such as twist, compress, bend, and stretch, describe how materials behave when subjected to mechanical stresses. Subjective adjectives to describe the property of materials such as hard or brittle are imprecise and impedes proper understanding of important principles needed in planning and performing surgical treatments. The viability of tissue and time dependent variables effect healing and compound the issue. Some parameters are time dependent (strain rate), while others are nearly independent of time (Young's modulus). The craniofacial skeleton and enveloping soft tissues are viscoelastic composite materials which undergo time-dependent changes upon loading. The ability to remodel and respond to environmental changes makes them "smart," reenforcing where needed and removing where not required based on a set of predetermined upper and lower thresholds. This mini review has 7 sections on engineering principles that underpin craniofacial surgery: (1) The general concept of mechanics: load, force, stress, strain, compression, tension, shear, stress-strain curves and values derived from them such as Young's modulus, fatigue damage, and load- shearing. (2) Material properties of bone and suture and structural engineering of the craniofacial skeleton in normal and pathological conditions. (3) Fixation using wires, screws, and plates: anatomy and function of screws and plates, locking plates, lag screws, internal and external fixators. (4) Biomechanics of distraction osteogenesis and the effects of radiation. (5) Finite element analysis and other computational biomechanical tools. (6) Virtual surgical planning, cutting guides, and intra-operative navigation. (7) Tissue engineering: design goals, criteria, and constraints. An appreciation and understanding of these biomechanical principles will help craniofacial surgeons to facilitate intrinsic optimization and better treat complex morphological problems, helping one achieve the most favorable and durable results. The biological responses to mechanical stress are extremely important as well, but due to space constraints, they will be the subject of a separate dedicated review.


Introduction The making of identities and the construction of belonging involve multiple interactions between the spheres of history, politics, culture, law and economics. Moreover, these processes are profoundly shaped by developments in science and technology and vice versa (Jasanoff 2004). This constellation becomes particularly clear in the field of genealogy, where biological and cultural categories intersect to form unique and by no means static constellations of kinship, descent and inheritance (cf. Carsten 2000, 2004; Edwards 2000; Franklin 2007; Franklin and McKinnon 2001; Strathern 2005). In recent years, genealogical research into family histories has gained enormous popularity, not least because of technological advances such as the internet, which has opened up new avenues of access and communication, be it via databases, chatrooms or online forums that provide the root-seekers with an unprecedented infrastructure to pursue their advance into the past (see Basu 2007; Nash 2008). Commercial genealogy companies have long recognized this trend and have begun to offer their services through the worldwide web. Increasingly, these services do involve genetic ancestry testing, which constitutes one of the avenues by which the science of the new genetics has entered the public realm. In these contexts, DNA and its scientific analysis have been regularly presented as a kind of truth machine that can reveal one's past and future, if only one is able to read the signs.3 Individual and collective histories, from ancient migrations to more recent genealogical traces, appear to be inscribed onto our bodies, encoded in certain DNA frequencies. In a similar manner, individual futures are seemingly made accessible, for example, through disease susceptibility tests. A lot has been said and written about the inadequacy of such analogies4 and emphasis has been laid upon the creative uses to which genetic information is actually being put by the people


The invention provides a method and a system used in a turbocharged engine. The turbocharged engine comprises a separated air intake system connected with a separated exhaust system. Air inflations of different components, pressures and temperatures can be transmitted to the engine at different circulation points of the engine via the separated air intake system, so that the boost and EGR benefits can be expanded.


As with any athletic endeavor, it is unlikely that the pursuit of SCD will ever be without its casualties. Any means of artistic locomotion, that emphasizes turn out (lateral rotation from the hips) while simultaneously requiring landing on the ball of one foot or the other in quick succession, is bound to produce some injuries. Despite this, we should have an underlying goal to minimize the frequency and severity of such injuries. As with many human activities, the question of whether the human body was really designed to perform in this manner is moot, since we adherents to the practice of SCD are not about to be reasonable.


Background: Cervical cancer incidence is found to be decreasing in India but it continues to be a major public problem for women in India. Pap smear is a simple test devised to detect the premalignant lesions of cervical cancer and hence Pap smear is one of the best screening tools available for early detection of cervical cancer. The risk for cervical cancer increases as the age advances and hence screening at an early age is mandatory to decrease the occurrence for cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at Department of Pathology, Sree Balaji Medical College & Hospital over a period of one year from September 2015 to September 2016 in which all the Pap smears reported in that period were included.


The anticancer activity of cisplatin arises from its ability to bind covalently to DNA, forming primarily intrastrand cross‐links to adjacent purine residues; the most common adducts involve d(GpG) (65%) and d(ApG) (25%) intrastrand cross‐links. The incorporation of these platinum adducts in a B‐DNA helix induces local distortions, causing bending and unwinding of the DNA. In this work, we used temperature‐dependent UV spectroscopy to investigate the unfolding thermodynamics, and associated ionic effects, of two sets of DNA decamer duplexes containing either cis‐[Pt(NH3)2{d(GpG}] or cis‐[Pt(NH3)2 {d(ApG}] cross‐links, and their corresponding unmodified duplexes. The platinated duplexes are less stable and unfold with lower TMs (and ΔG°s) in enthalpy‐driven reactions, which indicates a loss of favorable base‐pair stacking interactions. The folding thermodynamics and hydration effects for the first set of decamers containing the d(GpG) cross‐link was investigated by a combination of titration calorimetry, density, and ultrasound techniques. The hydration parameters showed an uptake of structural water by the platinated duplex and a release of electrostricted water by the control duplex. Relative to the unmodified duplex, the folding of the platinated duplex at 20°C yielded a positive ΔΔG° term [and positive ΔΔH‐Δ(TΔS) compensation] and a negative differential volume change. The opposite signs of the ΔΔG° and ΔΔV terms confirmed its uptake of structural water. Further, solvent‐accessible surface areas calculations for a similar pair of dodecamer duplexes indicated that the modified duplex has a 503 œÅ2 higher polar and nonpolar surface area that is exposed to the solvent. Therefore, the incorporation of a platinum adduct in duplex DNA disrupts favorable base‐pair stacking interactions, yielding a greater exposure of aromatic bases to the solvent, which in turn immobilizes structural water. The overall results correlate nicely with the results reported in the available structural data of nuclear magnetic resonance solution studies. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Nucleic Acid Sci) 65: 218–227, 2002


Disclosed is a shoe sole material having excellent flex fatigue resistance wherein high rigidity is achieved without increasing the specific gravity. Also disclosed is a shoe using such a shoe sole material. Specifically disclosed is a shoe, in particular an athletic shoe using a polyamide resin composition, which is characterized in that a layered silicate is uniformly dispersed in a polyamide resin and the inorganic ash content in the polyamide resin composition is 0.1-30% by mass, as a material for shoe soles (10, 20).


GEOS-5 is the latest version of the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) earth system model. GEOS-5 contains components for atmospheric circulation and composition (including data assimilation), ocean circulation and biogeochemistry, and land surface processes. In addition to traditional meteorological parameters, GEOS-5 includes modules representing the atmospheric composition, most notably aerosols and tropospheric/stratospheric chemical constituents, taking explicit account of the impact of these constituents on the radiative processes of the atmosphere. MERRA is a NASA meteorological reanalysis for the satellite era (1979-present) using GEOS-5. This project focuses on historical analyses of the hydrological cycle on a broad range of weather and climate time scales. As a first step towards an integrated Earth System Analysis (IESA), the GMAO is extending MERRA with reanalyses for other components of the earth system: land, ocean, bio-geochemistry and atmospheric constituents. In this talk we will present results from the MERRA-driven aerosol reanalysis covering the Aqua period (2003-present). The assimilation of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) in GEOS-5 involves very careful cloud screening and homogenization of the observing system by means of a Neural Net scheme that translates MODIS radiances into AERONET calibrated AOD. These measurements are further quality controlled using an adaptive buddy check scheme, and assimilated using the Local Displacement Ensemble (LDE) methodology. For this reanalysis, GEOS-5 runs at a nominal 50km horizontal resolution with 72 vertical layers (top at approx. 8Skm). GEOS-5 is driven by daily biomass burning emissions derived from MODIS fire radiative power retrievals. We will present a summary of our efforts to validate such dataset. The GEOS-5 assimilated aerosol fields are first validated by comparison to independent in-situ measurements (AERONET and PM2.5 surface concentrations). In order to asses aerosol absorption on a global scale, we perform a detailed radiative transfer calculation to simulate the UV aerosol index, comparing our results to OMI measurements. By simulating aerosol attenuated backscatter, we use CALIPSO measurements to evaluate the vertical structure of our aerosol estimates, in particular in regions where we have larger discrepancies with OMI. Finally, the consistency of our AOD estimates with estimates from MISR, MODIS/Deep Blue, OMI and PARASOL will be briefly discussed.


The severity and rate of damage to metal articles and equipment during storage, transportation, and operation under atmospheric conditions are determined by the climatic and aerochemical characteristics of the medium and by the reliability of the means used for corrosion protection. Preservative lubricants, including preservative oils, film-forming inhibited petroleum compositins, and greases, will retard corrosion processes.


We make use of Tomita-Takesaki modular theory in order to reconstruct non-commutative spectral geometries (formally similar to spectral triples) from suitable states over (categories of) operator algebras and further elaborate on the utility of such a formalism in an algebraic theory of quantum gravity, where space-time is spectrally reconstructed a posteriori from (partial) observables and states in a covariant quantum theory. Some relations with A. Carey-J. PhillipsA. Rennie modular spectral triples and with (loop) quantum gravity will be described. Louis Boutet de Monvel University of Paris 6 Asymptotics for Toeplitz Operators; residual trace, asymptotic equivariant index Abstract: In these lectures I wish to give a review on Toeplitz operators (in the sense of Boutet de Monvel Guillemin) and their relation to star products. I will describe the residual trace (essentially same as the 'Wodzicki residue') and the asymptotic equivariant trace and index, in presence of a compact group action, which is a useful extension. I wish to emphasize the case of complex spheres with a unitary torus action, which gives rise to a quite natural conjecture about the generators of the relevant K-theory, for which I only know the precise answer in special cases (one of which was described by Atiyah & Singer in their 1974 book). In these lectures I wish to give a review on Toeplitz operators (in the sense of Boutet de Monvel Guillemin) and their relation to star products. I will describe the residual trace (essentially same as the 'Wodzicki residue') and the asymptotic equivariant trace and index, in presence of a compact group action, which is a useful extension. I wish to emphasize the case of complex spheres with a unitary torus action, which gives rise to a quite natural conjecture about the generators of the relevant K-theory, for which I only know the precise answer in special cases (one of which was described by Atiyah & Singer in their 1974 book). Peter Bouwknegt Australian National University An introduction to T-duality Abstract: In these lectures I will introduce the basics of T-duality, both from a physical and mathematical point of view. The lectures will focus on both differential geometric and algebraic topological aspects of T-duality. Connections to noncommutative geometry will be discussed in the follow-up lectures by Mathai Varghese. In these lectures I will introduce the basics of T-duality, both from a physical and mathematical point of view. The lectures will focus on both differential geometric and algebraic topological aspects of T-duality. Connections to noncommutative geometry will be discussed in the follow-up lectures by Mathai Varghese. Alan Carey Australian National University Noncommutative Nonunital Index Theory Abstract: This talk is about work in progress with Gayral, Rennie and Sukochev motivated by index theory on noncompact manifolds, in particular, theorems of Gromov-Lawson type. The idea we are considering is whether there is a good notion of spectral triple for nonunital algebras that will lead to new index theorems on noncompact manifolds via a nonunital version of the local index formula in noncommutative geometry. Our aim is to avoid the use of local units. In this talk I will (i) explain how to define index pairings in terms of spectral triples in the nonunital situation. (ii) describe an extension of the local index formula in noncommutative geometry to the nonunital case. (iii) explain how to allow for the case when the spectral triple is semifinite. This talk is about work in progress with Gayral, Rennie and Sukochev motivated by index theory on noncompact manifolds, in particular, theorems of Gromov-Lawson type. The idea we are considering is whether there is a good notion of spectral triple for nonunital algebras that will lead to new index theorems on noncompact manifolds via a nonunital version of the local index formula in noncommutative geometry. Our aim is to avoid the use of local units. In this talk I will (i) explain how to define index pairings in terms of spectral triples in the nonunital situation. (ii) describe an extension of the local index formula in noncommutative geometry to the nonunital case. (iii) explain how to allow for the case when the spectral triple is semifinite.


In the past few years there has been an increasing trend towards personalization in the TV world. IMS-based IPTV is a good example of a highly personalized IPTV architecture, featuring an advanced identity management subsystem. This article studies a next step in the personalization of the television experience: concurrent use of TV services that are supported by the IMSbased IPTV system. That is, multiple users using the same television set at the same or at different times, where each user as personalized interaction with the service and content. Our analysis of IMS-based IPTV use cases shows that current architectures were not designed with concurrent use in mind. However, we demonstrate that the combination of concurrent use and personalized TV services can yield interesting and viable use cases in the areas of interactive game shows, personalized electronic program guides and channel lists, and other. Finally, an analysis of the IMS-based IPTV system and architecture shows that it has all the ingredients to implement these new concurrent TV use cases, and that the main challenges will be in the area of usability. The article concludes that personalization and concurrency are not contradictory for television services, neither from a use case perspective, nor technologically. In particular, the IMS-based IPTV system is able to facilitate an enhanced and personalized experience to concurrent TV users.


Objective
To investigate the protective effects of leptin on neonatal seizure in rats by behavioral tests and Bcl2 expression.

Methods
Twenty Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were divided into four groups: control group, leptin group, RS group and RS+ leptin group on postnatal day 6(P6), 5 rats in each group. From P6 to P12, repeated neonatal seizure model was induced by flurothyl in RS and RS+ leptin group rats. From P13 to P22, leptin (2 mg·kg-1·day-1) was administered by intraperitoneal injection in leptin group and RS+ leptin group rats. Forelimb hanging test and open field test were implemented on P30.Bcl2 expression was detected by western blot on P34.

Results
(1) Neurobehavioral tests: the time of forelimb suspension in RS group((7.10±1.02) s)was significantly shorter (P<0.05) than the control group((15.95±6.11)s) and the time of forelimb suspension in RS+ leptin group((13.90±2.64) s)was significant longer (P<0.05) than the RS group.In open field test, the number of horizontal movement in RS group(119.80±28.83)was significantly reduced (P<0.05) than that in the control group(191.00±37.27) and the number of horizontal movement in RS+ leptin group(164.20±26.46) was increased than that in the RS group, but the difference was not significant. The number of modification and stool in RS group was significantly increased (P<0.05) than that in the control group and the number of modification and stool in RS+ leptin group was significantly reduced (P<0.05) than that in the RS group.(2)Western blot: the expression of Bcl2 in RS group (0.24±0.07), leptin group(0.89±0.09)and RS+ leptin group(0.56±0.07)was significantly decreased compared with control group(1.02±0.01) (P<0.05), and the expression of Bcl2 in RS + leptin group was significantly increased compared with RS group (P<0.05).

Conclusion
Leptin improves the brain injury induced by flurothyl on neonatal rats by Bcl2 signaling pathway.

Key words:
Leptin; Seizure; Bcl2; Brain injury


The oldest‐old are a continually expanding population of people 85 years of age and older. While the majority of this population expresses some degree of cognitive impairment typically associated with the aging brain, including executive dysfunction, a subset do not present with cognitive deficits. It is hypothesized that decreased cortical cellular and synaptic density, and neurotransmitter production in the aging frontal lobe contributes to executive dysfunction. The rostral prefrontal cortex (rPFC) is a region involved in executive function in part due to high cholinergic innervation. This study aims to characterize the neuropathologic and cholinergic changes in the rPFC in the oldest‐old.


Everything is information because everything will inform you about itself through our senses, there is no other way to say it when discussing the philosophy of science. All information has similar basic characteristics including randomness. The reality of randomness gave the concepts to the theory of the algorithm of information the basis of all degrees of randomness. Everything is about relationships; the algorithm of information is the tool existence uses to determine the chances of relationships. If everything is about relationships, then relationships must begin with the particles. Not the basic particles having relationships with other basic particles as it was first postulated. The basic particle itself must be the result of an event and thus a relationship, it was not always there. This paper aims to shed some light on the question of where do particles come from? What relationships led to the event that created elementary particles?


When I close my eyes and think of Gopal Das I see him in the dimly lit Neuroanatomy teaching lab on the second floor of Lily Hall at Purdue, standing behind an overhead projector, his face eerily illuminated by the light from the vents around the projector, describing the connections of brainstem, enwrapping each concept of connectivity, cytology and cytoarchitecture in his own form of poetry, hypnotically bringing a peculiar aggregation of Latin names and obscure drawings together, creating a dynamic brain in our minds. Gopal's death in 1991 following a heart attack deprived Purdue of a talented teacher, deprived Science of a unique talent, and deprived many of us of a mentor we had suspected of being immortal. His work, of course, stands as an eternal memorial to his genius, insight, and his painstakingly systematic and straightforward approach to science. In his twenty years on the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue, nine of his students earned Ph.D.s, another seven received Masters degrees, numerous undergraduate students performed Honors research in his laboratory, and a score of other students asked him to serve on their graduate committees. The contributors to this volume are all, like myself, former Ph.D. students who worked under his direction. Gopal was born in Northeastern India in 1933 and his family moved south from their ancestral home near Afghanistan in what is now Pakistan, to Bombay during the time of India's partition after the second world war. During one of several periods of adversity in my own graduate days Gopal confided the following story to me. When he showed up for the first day of school in Bombay he was asked his name by the school officials, themselves all native to the Bombay area. He gave it, a long name renowned in his homeland but ridiculed down south as being "the name for a goat". He was given a new surname, which he kept and has been known by in scientific circles since. He advised me that one could persevere through even worse adversity than I was facing if one could achieve the right perspective. He clearly did more than persevere during his career. He earned his Ph.D. at Boston University in 1965 under Dr. Joseph Altman and studied under Dr. Walle Nauta and many of the other forefathers of modern Neuroanatomy. He went to the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany to work with Georg Kreutzberg, who became one of Gopal's dearest friends. Gopal rejoined Joe Altman and moved with him as an assistant professor to the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue in 1968. He continued collaborative work on neurogenesis but also began the pursuit of what was to become his passion and obsession, neural tissue transplantation. He told the story that as a postdoc he had a notion that it might be possible to restore damaged brain circuitry by transplanting slabs of developing brain tissue, inserting them much as one would insert an integrated circuit board into a computer. Early efforts (Das and Altman, 1971) transplanting cerebellar primordia from a 3Hthymidine labeled donor to a non-labeled neonatal host taught them that nervous system repair through the use of transplants was not to be as easy as upgrading a computer's memory This work began his characterization of the principles and properties of neural tissue transplantation, work which would become the foundation for a field of research that saw exponential growth within a decade. He pursued transplantation in his own laboratory with his graduate students as well as his wife and assistant Kunda, working always as a team while performing surgeries. A hierarchy developed in which the most senior student was accorded the privilege of assisting with surgery, observing him


A true assessment of the HOV lanes performance rests with how well their efficiency measures compare to the goals of the system. It can be concluded that the Metropolitan Toronto HOV lanes are effective based on the following observations relating to 3 of the 5 objectives: (1) Move more people in a lane at a faster pace; (2) Improve transit operation and motivate increased ridership; (3) Increase vehicle occupancy by promoting carpooling; (4) and (5) Reduction of fuel consumption and vehicular emissions resulting from HOV implementation. Monitoring measures were inconclusive, however, modelling results suggest that it is unlikely that these objectives have been met through HOV implementation.


........................................................................................................................... VI Chapter 1Introduction ....................................................................................................1 Hybridizing Systems in Nature .........................................................................................1 Caribbean Acroporids ......................................................................................................3 Potential Impacts of Hybridization ..................................................................................6 Objectives .........................................................................................................................8 Chapter 2Publication ......................................................................................................9 Introduction ....................................................................................................................9 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................13 Location and Photography Setup ...............................................................................13 Coral Cover Analysis..................................................................................................14 Tissue Sampling ..........................................................................................................15 Genetic Analysis.......................................................................................................17 Statistical Analysis ...................................................................................................18 Results ...........................................................................................................................18 Percent Coral Cover and Tissue Conditions .........................................................18 Genotypic Distribution...........................................................................................22 Discussion ......................................................................................................................26 Chapter 3Discussion ......................................................................................................33 Literature Cited ...............................................................................................................38


Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of the predominant strains of fowl cholera were prepared. The mAbs were prepared by immunization of BALB/c mice with a formalinized whole) cells of Pasteurella multocida strains P)1059 (serovar A:3) or X)73 (serovar A:1). Totally three hybridomas producing mAb against strain P)1059 (YamaP1)3) and one hybridoma against strain X)73 (Mame1) were obtained. Immunoblot analysis of the hybridomas revealed that all the mAbs recognized only one epitope of each strain and showed no cross reaction among 16 somatic serotype of P. multocida. The N)terminal analyses indicated that mAb YamaP1 recognized the OmpH while mAb Mame1 recognized the OmpA. Treatment of crude capsular extraction (CCE) or detergent insoluble fraction outer membrane protein (DIF)OMP) antigen with proteinase K or periodic acid indicated that the epitope recognized was proteinaceous. Mice passively immunized with the mAbs showed no cross protectivity by heterologous challenge exposure. Chiang Mai Veterinary Journal 2009;7(2): 125�137.


Abstract 5012 Identical twins are an excellent model in which to study tumor-specific immune responses (Gitelson et al Br J Haem 2002) as it can be postulated that the immune systems are identical. Spontaneous remissions in FL occur but the immunologic mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated adaptive and innate immunologic phenotypes and responses in a 41-year old patient with untreated grade 1 FL, and her healthy identical twin sister. Patients and methods The patient has had a waxing and waning course of FL over 7 years and currently is in spontaneous partial remission (> 50% reduction of generalized lymphadenopathy) and her peripheral blood was negative for t(14:18) by PCR at the time of this analysis. Immunologic responses of her twin, as well as another set of healthy identical twin sisters, were investigated as controls. We studied peripheral blood using 8-color multiparametric flow cytometry for frequencies and phenotypes of NK and regulatory T cells (Tregs). FOXP3+ cells were further analyzed for naive, central memory and effector memory phenotype. Activation of NK cells and degranulation in response to tumor target cells as measured by Lysosomal-Associated Membrane Protein 1 (LAMP-1) surface expression were investigated. An erythroblastoid cell line (K562) and an EBV transformed MHC-I deficient lymphoblastoid cell line (721.221) were used as targets. Results NK studies revealed that activated CD69+ NK cells were increased in percentage in FL patient (4.43%) compared to her healthy twin (1.82%), and had increased mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of 1057 vs 357, respectively. In contrast, almost identical frequencies and MFI of activated NK cells were found in the set of healthy twins (0.55% vs 0.54% and 153 vs 153, respectively). NK cells of FL patient exhibited elevated degranulation compared to the healthy twin in response to stimulation by either target cell: LAMP-1 staining MFI 1907 vs 1395, respectively for 721.221 target cells and 1394 vs 1122, respectively for K562 cells, whereas no difference was detected in non-stimulated NK cells (MFI 536 vs 506, respectively). In addition, Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) analysis revealed a deficit in the percentage of NK cells staining with an antibody recognizing KIR2DL1/S1 in the patient, but not in her healthy twin (7.0% vs 15.1% of NK cells, respectively), whereas no other differences in KIR receptor expression profiles were found for other KIR or in comparing the set of healthy twins. Analysis of frequencies of circulating Tregs revealed no difference between FL patient and her healthy twin: CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ cells represented 4.92% vs 5.78%, respectively of total CD4 cells and CD8+CD25+FOXP3+ cells represented 1.25% vs 1.37%, respectively of total CD8 cells. Analysis of T cell subsets revealed that Tregs in FL patient and in her twin were mainly of effector memory phenotype: CCR7-/CD45RA-/CD45RO+ (82.6% vs 74.4%, respectively) and central memory phenotype: CCR7+/CD45RA-/CD45RO+ (10.7 vs 14.3%, respectively). Conclusions NK cell studies of FL patient revealed increased numbers of activated CD69+ NK cells which correlated with increased degranulation response to tumor target cells and a deficit in the NK cell repertoire, as noted by the deficiency in NK cells expressing KIR2DL1/S1 in the patient compared to the healthy twin, while no differences in frequencies of circulating Tregs or Treg phenotypes were identified. Although the current results are based upon a single sampling, due to limited availability, the observed potentiation of NK cell activity in the patient with FL suggest a potentially important role of NK cells in tumor control during spontaneous partial remission. Follow-up studies of persisting remission, temporary flare-up or at disease progression will be of interest. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Older people could be sent home from hospital too quickly or be forced to accept inappropriate placements under the new Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc) Bill, Age Concern has warned.


Author(s): Gerber, Joanna | Advisor(s): Durkin, Diane; Christie, Christina A | Abstract: In the beginning rush of attention surrounding MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), there was considerable speculation regarding the ideal use and potential impact of this new innovation on teaching, learning, and traditional higher educational structures. Yet universities and colleges were rushing to implement MOOCs despite neither data nor clear understanding regarding their potential disruptive force on the educational landscape. To examine the MOOC phenomenon more closely, I conducted qualitative research that examined MOOCs integration at higher education institutions identified to be at the forefront of the MOOC movement. Framed using Everett Rogers' model of innovation diffusion (Rogers, 1962), MOOC early adopters were defined as faculty members from US institutions who offered MOOCs between April 2012 and December 2013. This study researched initial MOOC implementation efforts in order to better determine motivations, implications and future impact on higher education, which will provide greater context to this rapidly shifting innovation. My findings indicate that the primary institutional motivation to sponsor MOOCs was to raise and/or enhance their institutional brand. The findings also indicated that faculty that self-selected to participate in MOOCs at the early stage was open to experimentation as well as to the inherent risks associated with the trial of a new educational innovation. This study uncovered important implications on the main pedagogical mission of the university and its professors as a result of instructor and institutional involvement with MOOCs. More specifically, this study revealed that MOOCs have pushed pedagogical issues to the forefront, and faculty early adopters have shifted their classroom teaching in ways believed to improve the classroom experience and create more interactive learning opportunities for students as a result of MOOCs.


The development of efficient and safe delivery platforms for CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing tools is one of the largest challenges for in vivo therapeutic genome editing. Virus-like particles (VLPs), which harness viral packaging and delivery mechanisms, have been shown to efficiently deliver CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes (RNPs) to cells. Here, we sought to elucidate whether VLPs can deliver the necessary components for CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair (HDR). We tested four different methods to induce HDR in a reporter cell line using VLPs: [1] nucleofection of HDR repair templates into cells and subsequent treatment with VLPs carrying Cas9 RNPs (Cas9 VLPs), [2] treatment with Cas9 VLPs loaded with repair templates through electroporation, [3] treatment with VLPs packaging both Cas9 RNPs and a lentiviral genome that encoded the repair template, and [4] treatment with Cas9 VLPs and VLPs carrying just the HDR template encoded on the lentiviral genome (dual-VLP system). We found that VLPs enabled CRISPR-Cas9-mediated HDR, albeit at low frequencies. HDR efficiency was highest when the HDR template was nucleofected into the cells, but appreciable levels of HDR was also observed using the dual-VLP system. This work suggests that VLPs are a viable delivery platform for the necessary components for CRISPR-Cas9mediated HDR, but considerable improvements in the platform must be made before it is used in therapeutic settings. INTRODUCTION Therapeutic genome editing has the enormous promise to treat and possibly cure human genetic-based diseases. To actualize this potential, effective and safe genome editing tools must be developed. In general, genome editing tools target and modify specific DNA sequences, potentially leading to changes in an organism's phenotype (1, 2). Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based tools are now the most commonly used genome editing technologies, but other genome editing tools exist, such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs). Genome Editing Strategies and Methods ZFNs are composed of concatenated zinc finger domains, which are common DNA-binding motifs, fused to the nonspecific DNA cleavage domain of the FolkI restriction


The invention discloses a numerically-controlled finish-milling device and a finish-milling method for steel rail weld joints. The numerical control technology is adopted, and a profiling milling device of a milling cutter head assembly is closely attached to the profile of a steel rail inside the transversal plane of the steel rail so that milling can be carried out. The numerically-controlled finish-milling device comprises a base walking assembly, a shell door assembly, two steel rail clamping mechanisms and a numerically-controlled finish-milling mechanism, wherein the shell door assembly, the two steel rail clamping mechanisms and the numerically-controlled finish-milling mechanism are arranged on the base walking assembly; the shell door assembly is provided with an electric cabinet, and a control circuit controlling the steel rail clamping mechanisms and the numerically-controlled finish-milling mechanism and a programmable logic controller are installed inside the electric cabinet; and the numerically-controlled finish-milling mechanism comprises a vertical servo feed mechanism, a milling cutter head rotation servo mechanism, the milling cutter head assembly and a horizontal servo feed mechanism, and the three servo mechanisms cooperate with one another under the control effect of the programmable logic controller so that the milling cutter head assembly can mill the steel rail. According to the numerically-controlled finish-milling device and the finish-milling method, the work environment of workers can be greatly improved, the labor intensity of operators can be lowered, and the machining quality of the steel rail weld joints can be improved.


Key points •  Stress can lead to the development of behavioural disorders associated with cognitive impairments, depression and anxiety. •  Large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated potassium channels (BKCa) are highly expressed in the brain. Here we found that acute stress induced a significant reduction in BKCa channel expression in the amygdala of mice, which accompanied anxiety‐like behaviours. •  Activation of BKCa channels in the amygdala could reverse the stress‐induced anxiety‐like behaviours. This research may help us understand the underlying mechanisms of anxiety‐like behaviour induced by acute stress.


This article offers an introduction to a class approach to international law. It challenges the 'death of class' thesis and argues for the continued relevance of the category of 'class'. Among other things, the contention is that the category of 'class' subsumes without erasing the gender and race divides. Noting the emergence of a global social formation the article claims that a transnational capitalist class is shaping international laws and institutions in the era of globalization. It calls for the linking of the class critique of contemporary laws and institutions with the idea and practices of resistance, and considers in this setting the meaning of internationalism and class struggle today for an emerging transnational oppressed class. The article concludes by schematically outlining the advantages of a class approach to international law.


A solid international consensus has emerged on the importance of nutrition for children's development and well-being. At the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), the Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) committed to developing policies, programmes and initiatives to ensure healthy diets throughout the children's life cycle, emphasizing the potential of schools as platforms for integrated action.


Bilharziasis is so widely spread in Egypt that almost 90 per cent. of the population had contracted the disease sometime, either remote or recent. There is no immunity, and the patient can get repeatedly infected. The mode of infection is generally through the abraded skin. No organ in the body is known to be spared from the infection, and bilharzia ova are reported to be found in the heart, lungs, spleen, liver, and gall bladder. In the gall bladder they were not reported to be the cause of cholelithiasis. The systems which sustain the maximum of the disease are the genito-urinary and the intestinal tracts. In the infection of the genito-urinary and intestinal systems the clinical diagnosis of the disease is made easy by the passage of blood in the urine and faeces, where the bilharzia ova can be easily detected microscopically. What interests the radiologist is the consequence of changes arising as a result of the deposition of the bilharzia ova in the submucosa and the subsequent ulceration and the form...


This research intends to find out whether or not Indonesian EFL learners are aware of the presence of "space" and lexicalize it in their English compositions. It  takes  21  seventh-semester  English  Department  students  as  research  subjects. They are given story pictures and asked to write a narrative.  The resulting 21 EFL narratives are measured against a native-speaker narrative model in terms of "spatial words" (prepositions and adverbial particles), producing the following comparisons: 6.6% : 7.2% in total, 78.2% : 85.7% used dynamically, 95.5% : 100% used obligato-rily, and 19.2% : 28.6% used in phrasal verbs.   This means that Indonesian EFL learners are sensitive enough to "space" and know how to lexicalize it in their com- positions.  Theoretically, their sensitivity to "space" implies that while learning Eng- lish they have undergone some cognitive restructuring; and practically, EFL learners who wish to acquire near-native style in writing should be competent in space lexi- calization.


An algorithm is given for placing relays at spatial positions to improve the reliability of communicated data in a sensor network. The network consists of many power-limited sensors, a small set of relays, and a receiver. For each sensor, the receiver receives a direct signal as well as an indirect signal from one of the available relays. The relays rebroadcast the transmissions in order to achieve diversity at the receiver. Both amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward relay networks are considered. Channels are modeled with Rayleigh fading, path loss, and additive white Gaussian noise. Performance analysis and numerical results are given.


Rare earths additive was added in basical diets to observe change of milking performance of dairy cattle (mean weight 400 kg). Daily mean milk yield, butterfat rate ,specific gravity in the test group I,II and in the control group III were conducted Ftest. The results showed the test group I added rare earths additive 20 mg/kg weight in basical diets was clear superiority than the test group II added 12.5 mg/kg weight Daily mean milk yield, butterfat rate , specific gravity increased 9.57%, 9.87%, 0.195%, 7.59%, 3.18%, 0.097% on the control group. Groups had significantly difference(P0.01).


FIELD: metallurgy, particularly manufacture of parts from metal powders. SUBSTANCE: method includes preparation of initial materials by mixing of binding composition with powdery inorganic materials, part molding by casting or by extrusion. Binding composition consists of primary and secondary binding substances. In primary binding composition, vapor pressure amounts up to, at least, 133.3 Pa at temperature of decomposition of the secondary binding material. Preparation of initial material is performed at temperature exceeding melting temperature of binding composition. EFFECT: reduced formation of pores and cracks with no use of solvents and toxic materials. 29 cl, 4 ex


Abstract : This study examines the capabilities for fire-control and rescue activities by the fire services following nuclear attack on urban areas. The subjects treated include: (1) feasibility of various strategies and tactics; (2) guidelines for tactical decisions for limited-information cases; (3) resource and manpower requirements for typical operations; (4) rationale for allocation of services to demands; and (5) basic concepts of a method for evaluating performance. The research reported accomplished the following: (1) development of analytical methods and preliminary performance models; and (2) studies of specific cases to test the analytical methods and to provide a preliminary evaluation of some operational concepts. A follow-on study is recommended to bring the research to a conclusive stage.


A simple new approach for the measurement of the extent and kinetics of adsorption at the interface between a solid particle and a liquid is proposed. The technique employs a rotating-disc electrode to suspend the particles fully in the liquid under study, while the temporal dependence of the transport-limited current for the electrolysis of the solution component of the adsorbate serves as a concentration probe. The technique is used to study ZnII adsorption on hydroxyapatite (HAP) from aqueous solution (containing 0.1 mol dm–3 KCI as a supporting electrolyte). In the absence of dissolved Ca2+, adsorption is effectively irreversible with ZnII adsorbed on HAP at a coverage of 7.5 × 10–10 mol cm–2. Adsorption appears to involve at least two rate processes: ca. 70% of adsorption sites (fraction θ1) are filled in an initial rapid process which is complete on the timescale (ca. 5 s) of mixing the adsorbate solution with the suspension of hydroxyapatite particles. The remaining sites (fraction θ2) are filled in an irreversible, surface-controlled process governed by the following kinetic rate law: dθ2/dt={k′[Zn2+(aq)](1 –θ1–θ2)}/N, where N is the surface density of (total) adsorption sites (7.5 × 10–10 mol cm–2), [Zn2+(aq)] is the bulk solution concentration, t is time and the adsorption rate constant, k′, has a value of 2.6 (+0.6, –0.3)× 10–5 cm s–1.


An eyetracking version of the classic Shepard, Hovland and Jenkins (1961) experiment was conducted. Forty years of research has assumed that category learning includes learning how to selectively attend to only those stimulus dimensions useful for classification. We confirmed that participants learned to allocate their attention optimally. However, we also found that neither associationist accounts of gradual learning nor hypothesis-testing accounts accurately predicted the pattern of eye movements leading up to successful learning. The implication of these results, and the use of eyetracking technology more generally, for categorization theory are discussed. Eyetracking and Selective Attention 3 Eyetracking and Selective Attention in Category Learning Selective attention has played a prominent role in categorization theory ever since Shepard, Hovland and Jenkins (1961) demonstrated that a simple stimulus generalization account of category learning is untenable. The stimulus generalization account took category learning as the formation of associations between stimuli and category labels. This account predicted that it should be easy to associate stimuli that share many features with one category label, and difficult to associate such stimuli with different labels. Unexpectedly, one important determiner of difficulty was the number of stimulus dimensions needed for correct classification. This pattern of results is best understood in terms of learners optimally allocating their selective attention to those dimensions diagnostic of category membership (Medin & Schaffer, 1978) Currently, selective attention is an integral component of all major categorization theories. In exemplar models (Medin & Shaffer, 1978; Nosofsky, 1986) prototype models (Nosofsky, 1992; Smith & Minda, 1998) and rule-based models (Smith, Patalano, & Jonides, 1992), selective attention is formalized either in terms of explicit attention weights on the stimulus dimensions or in terms of which stimulus dimensions are referred to by the current hypothesis (i.e., rule) being tested. Moreover, in more recent years, these theories include mechanisms by which selective attention changes with learning. One prominent example is Kruschke's (1992) ALCOVE, a connectionist exemplar model that changes attention weights as a function of error feedback. Another is Nosofksy, Palmeri, & McKinley's (1994) rule-plusexception (RULEX) model, which first performs hypothesis (rule) testing on single dimensions then inceases the number dimensions as needed. Despite its prominence in modern categorization theory, evidence for the operation of selective attention has always amounted to demonstrations that dimensions vary in their influence on explicit categorization judgments, but not on the Eyetracking and Selective Attention 4 operation of selective attention per se (Lamberts, 1998). Accordingly, this study had two main goals. The first was to determine if eyetracking data would support the claim that learners allocate their attention to optimize classification performance. The second was to determine whether the changes in eye movements during the course of learning was well described by ALCOVE or RULEX. To these ends, we replicated the Shepard et al. (1961) category learning experiment with an eyetracker. The Shepard et al. (1961) Study Shepard et al. (1961) constructed stimuli with three binary-valued dimensions, resulting in eight stimuli split into two categories. There were six unique divisions of stimuli into categories, four of which are shown in Figure 1. Here, the dimensions have been arbitrarily instantiated by shape, color, and size. Type I is the most basic category structure, requiring information from a single dimension for classification (shape in Fig. 1). The Type II structure is an exclusive-or problem along two relevant dimensions (size and shape in Fig. 1). Type IV is a singledimension-plus-exception structure in which all three dimensions are relevant although not equally so. Finally, in the Type VI structure, all three dimensions are equally relevant. Shepard et al.'s central finding was that the ordering among the category structures from least to most difficult was Type I < II < IV < VI. Because this ordering mirrors the number of dimensions for correct classification, it was taken as evidence for selective attention in category learning. We tested participants wearing an eyetracker on the four category structures shown in Figure 1. Our first question was whether, as predicted by current theories, participants would limit their attention (measured by eye movements) to only those stimulus dimensions needed to classify each structure: 1, 2, 3, and 3 dimensions. Our second question was whether the changes in eye movements during learning would support a gradual or rule-based learning account. According to ALCOVE, participants Eyetracking and Selective Attention 5 should begin by examining all dimensions and gradually reduce the dimensions they fixate to the minimum (to one for Type I and two for Type II). According to RULEX, participants should begin by examining one dimension, and increase the dimensions they fixate as needed (to two for Type II and three for Types IV and VI). Method Participants A total of 72 New York University undergraduates were randomly assigned to conditions. Materials For eye movement analysis, the dimensions of our stimuli were separated in space (as in Experiment I of Shepard et al., 1961). The binary dimensions were realized by a pair of characters ($ and ¢, ? and !, and x and o). An example stimulus is presented in Figure 2. The assignment of physical dimensions and location to the abstract category structure was counterbalanced. Our SMI Eyelink eyetracking system corrected for drift between trials, recording a single eye. Procedure Participants classified exemplars as belonging to either a "red" or "green" category by pressing colored buttons on a button box. Exemplars remained visible for 4s after auditory feedback. Exemplars were presented randomly in blocks of 8. The experiment ended after four consecutive errorless blocks or after a 28 block maximum. Eyetracking Dependent Variables To derive eyetracking measures, we defined rectangular areas of interest (AOIs) that encompassed the symbol dimensions on the CRT. Based on these AOIs we computed three per trial measures: Number of dimensions fixated (between 0 and 3). Eyetracking and Selective Attention 6 Proportional fixation time (between 0 and 1) provides information regarding which dimensions participants found most important. It is the time spent fixating each dimension divided by the total time spent fixating all three dimensions. Relative priority (between 0 and 1) captures the ordering of fixations. Dimensions receive greater priority the earlier it is fixated. Results We replicated the basic ordering of problem difficulty found by Shepard et al. (1961). The number of participants out of 18 that reached the learning criterion of four perfect blocks in a row was 18, 18, 16, and 10 for Types I, II, IV, and VI, respectively. We also analyzed the number of blocks to criterion (assuming conservatively, that nonlearners would have reached perfect performance by block 29). The average number of blocks to criterion was 7.1, 14.1, 18.1, and 22.9 for Types I, II, IV, and VI; F(3, 68) = 24.8, p < .01. All pairwise comparisons (I vs. II, II vs. IV, IV vs. VI) were significant (p < .05). Finally, the total number of errors committed for the four problems types was 8.2, 31.2, 36.9, and 70.6; F(3, 68) = 23.4, p < .01 (all pairwise comparisons p < .05, except the Type II vs. IV contrast, p < .15). Thus, this experiment indeed replicated the basic problem type ordering: Type I < II < IV < VI. Our primary goal, and a first for the categorization field, was to determine if selective attention can be measured directly from eye movements. Figure 3 presents the average number of dimensions fixated for learners in each category structure in each block. For participants who reached criterion before the 28th block, we assumed their eye movement data for the remaining blocks would have been identical to the mean of their last actual four blocks. Figure 3 illustrates that learners in this experiment indeed allocated their attention (as measured by eye movements) to only those stimulus dimensions needed to solve the classification problem. By the end of learning, the Type I group was Eyetracking and Selective Attention 7 examining one dimension; only 1 of the 18 Type I participants did not restrict eye movements to the one relevant dimension. Similarly, the Type II group was attending to two dimensions; only 2 of the 18 participants examined all three dimensions. Finally, all Type IV and VI participants generally fixated three dimensions. These results provide direct evidence that the acquisition of categories involves selective attention to only those dimensions needed for judging category membership. A second goal of the present study concerns the process by which participants learned to attend selectively. We considered two possibilities. The first, based on ALCOVE, was that attention would shift gradually to the relevant dimensions. The second, based on RULEX, was that attention would first be allocated to a single dimension (as simple 1D rules were being tested) and then shift to include more dimensions as needed. As Figure 3 indicates, the average group data clearly support an ALCOVE-like gradual learning view of selective attention as subjects in all groups examined between two and three dimensions. But Figure 3 is a result of averaging over participants. Does gradual learning hold for individuals? Learning to Attend Selectively To answer this question we examined the pattern of eye movements for each of the Type I participants. The Type I problem is ideal for this purpose because it is associated with the greatest reduction in the number of dimensions fixated--and hence the g


Effective vaccines that function through humoral immunity seek to produce high‐affinity antibodies. Our previous research identified the single‐nucleotide polymorphism rs3922G in the 3ʹUTR of CXCR5 as being associated with nonresponsiveness to the hepatitis B vaccine. The differential expression of CXCR5 between the dark zone (DZ) and light zone (LZ) is critical for organizing the functional structure of the germinal center (GC). In this study, we report that the RNA‐binding protein IGF2BP3 can bind to CXCR5 mRNA containing the rs3922 variant to promote its degradation via the nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay pathway. Deficiency of IGF2BP3 leads to increased CXCR5 expression, which results in the disappearance of CXCR5 differential expression between DZ and LZ, disorganized GCs, aberrant somatic hypermutations, and reduced production of high‐affinity antibodies. Furthermore, the affinity of IGF2BP3 for the rs3922G‐containing sequence is lower than that for the rs3922A counterpart, which may explain the nonresponsiveness to the hepatitis B vaccination. Together, our findings suggest that IGF2BP3 plays a crucial role in the production of high‐affinity antibodies in the GC by binding to the rs3922‐containing sequence to regulate CXCR5 expression.


The goal of the present study is to conduct an acoustic analysis of onset consonants to identify the spectrotemporal features that distinguish them from each other and to identify acoustic consonant variations that produce the observed patterns of perceptual confusions seen in young- and older-normal-hearing listeners [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 1609–1623 (2010); JRRD 49, 1277–1292 (2012)]. We used the California Syllable Test (CaST) token set, which includes 40 exemplars of each initial consonant for each of three vowels and six talkers. The CaST measures recognition of 20 initial and 20 final consonants in speech-spectrum noise with each consonant presented at a 67%-correct signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Time-normalized spectrograms are computed for each exemplar (from consonant onset to the end of the formant transition) by varying the time-spacing of the FFT spectral lines in proportion to the exemplar duration. Quantitative comparisons among normalized spectrograms of correctly recognized and confused exemplars at a range of SNRs suggest explanations for specific consonant confusions. The long-term goal is to apply this analysis to understand the effects of hearing loss and HAs on consonant perception and to predict consonant confusion patterns obtained with the CaST in normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners.


A multiplexed output auxiliary switch power source powered by commercial power and battery comprises a commercial power input, an AC-DC converting circuit and an inverse switch power supply. The commercial power input supplies power to the inverse switch power supply by the AC-DC converting circuit. The inverse switch power supply outputs at least one path of power. The invention further comprisesa batter input, a commercial power isolating diode and a battery isolating diode. The commercial power isolating diode is disposed between the output end of the AC-DC converting circuit and the powersupplying end of the inverse switch power supply. The batter input is connected with the power supplying end of the inverse switch power supply by the battery isolating diode. The invention also comprises a commercial power starting circuit which is disposed between the output end of the AC-DC converting circuit and a start-up control end of the inverse switch power supply and a battery low-voltage cut-off circuit, the output end of which is connected with the control end of the starting circuit. The invention is powered by commercial power and battery and the functions of automatically starting the commercial power and battery low-voltage cut-off are performed.


The demand of 3D city modeling has been increasing in many applications such as urban planing, computer gaming with realistic city environment, car navigation system with showing 3D city map, virtual city tourism inviting future visitors to a virtual city walkthrough and others. We proposed a simple method for reconstructing a 3D urban landscape from airborne LiDAR point cloud data. The automatic reconstruction method of a 3D urban landscape was implemented by the integration of all connected regions, which were extracted and extruded from the altitude mask images. These mask images were generated from the gray scale LiDAR image by the altitude threshold ranges. In this study we demonstrated successfully in the case of Kanazawa city center scene by applying the proposed method to the airborne LiDAR point cloud data.


A short-term forecasting method of passenger flow in the metro transfer channel based on Kalman filter is proposed in this paper.The state equation of the system of metro passenger flow is formulated first.Then the state transition matrix of the state equation is obtained based on historical data.After that,a grey relation analysis method is applied in solving the state transition matrix of the time series to be tested.By this,the problem of the short-term forecasting of metro passenger flow can be solved.At last,the metro passenger flow forecasting of Xidan station in Beijing is taken as an example,and the short-term forecasting of the passenger flow in the morning rush hour in one week is proceeded from the two respects of weekdays and weekends.


A multimedia communication system enables multimedia data's generation, storage, management,distribution, receiving, consuming, editing, sharing, and so on. In such systems, there are several security issues, which must be considered such as eavesdropping, intrusion, forgery, piracy and privacy,etc.For the instant the security of multimediainformation is achieved via the security of the database itself, inside the same manner, for all conventional and multimedia data. So, the cause for the creation of a security controldevice and a set of security guidelines for this sort of data is needed. The purpose is the fast development ofmultimedia data utilization in organisation activities. More and more distributed activities arebased on processing multimedia information in actual time, that's why the implementation ofany such securitysystem is vital.


This experiment mixed two common proteases,sodium chloride and ammonium sulfate,in order to extract the protease of Aspergillus oryzae.It also compared the effect of the mixing-salting with other single-salting.The result showed that the activity of the enzyme from mixed solution was 133.116U/mL,and those from ammonium sulfate and sodium chloride were 62.912U/mL and 65.722U/mL,respectively,which obviously indicated there was a better effect from the mixed solution.An L9(34) orthogonal experiment was made as well,considering the factors as extracting time,temperature,ammonium sulfate salting-out and sodium chloride salting-out.With modifications of time level on the base of formal achievements,it proved the four factors affect prominently the ability of Aspergillus oryzae and the best extraction conditions were as following:after 60min extraction under 40℃,using mixed solution of sodium chloride(0.2mol/L) and ammonium sulfate(0.03mol/L) to salt out the most active enzyme(activity as 140.011U/mL).


We herein report that flash heating microwave irradiation is a helpful tool in the formation of arylpyrimidines from the corresponding halopyrimidines. The palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of 2,4-di- and 2,4,5-trihalopyrimidines with phenylboronic acid under the above conditions are described. By use of the appropriate catalyst and the adequate halopyrimidine, good regioselectivity can be achieved in the 2-, 4-, or 5-positions of the heterocycle. In addition, we show that this methodology is ameneable for the stepwise preparation of mono-, di-, and triphenylpyrimidines.


Quality of scientific publications is being currently discussed considering different perspectives. In this text, we examine some of the main problems concerning textual production in science, emphasizing those considered of bad behaviors. Additionally, we present suggestions for authors, reviewers and editors in order to avoid misconducts in the publication process of scientific papers.


A cutting tool (12) and a cutting insert (14), each of which including a base surface (18, 34) and an anti-slip arrangement (24, 40) adjacent thereto. Each anti-slip arrangement (24, 40) includes an actuator surface (30, 44) and non- parallel first (26A, 42A) and second (26B, 42B) abutment surfaces, and the actuator surface (30) of the cutting tool (12) is a surface of a clamp (28) of the cutting tool (12). The cutting insert (14) is mounted on the cutting tool (12) via engagement of the base surfaces (18, 34) thereof and the clamp (28) is operable to bias the actuator surfaces (30, 44) against each other and thereby force the first (26A, 42A) and second (26B, 42B) abutment surfaces against each other, for preventing slippage of the cutting insert (14) along the tool's base surface (18).


A highly important part of software engineering education is requirements collection and analysis, one of the initial stages of the Software Development Lifecycle. No other conceptual work is as difficult to rectify at a later stage or as damaging to the overall system if performed incorrectly. As software engineering is a field with a reputation for producing graduate engineers who are ill-prepared for real-life software engineering contexts, this paper suggests that traditional educational techniques e.g. role-play, live-through case studies and paper-based case studies are insufficient in themselves. In an attempt to address this problem we have developed a games-based learning application to teach requirements collection and analysis at the tertiary education level. One of the main problems with games-based learning is that there is a distinct lack of empirical evidence supporting the approach. This paper will describe the evaluation of the requirements collection and analysis process using a newly developed framework for the evaluation of games-based learning and will focus on evaluation from a pedagogical perspective.


The extraction of valuable metals from low-nickel matte via a calcified roasting-acid leaching process was investigated. The influences of process parameters on the extraction of metals were studied, including the roasting temperature, roasting time and the addition of CaCO3. Under the optimum condition, 92.4% of Ni, 97.1% of Cu, 95.1% of Fe, and 91.2% of Co were recovered. In addition, the removal of iron via goethite precipitation process was studied. The results show that 99.8% of Fe could be removed by goethite process. The reaction mechanism of calcified roasting of low-nickel matte was also studied by XRD and XRF analysis. It was shown that the formation of ferrite can be effectively inhibited by CaCO3 addition, leading to enhancement of the metal recovery.


Species distribution modeling, which uses species-environment relationships to predict species' geographic ranges, is a powerful technique for biogeographical and ecological analysis as well as for conservation planning. However, it has typically been underutilized for invertebrates and for freshwater species, as modeling these groups can pose unique challenges. Here I present methods for modeling odonate distributions and demonstrate these methods for four North American species. I show that incorporating expert-derived range maps as spatial priors can significantly improve model performance as compared to MaxEnt models. I also introduce a new distance to freshwater layer as an environmental variable, and show that this is an important predictor of presence for all tested species. The methods and example cases presented here contribute to a greater understanding of this ecologically important but understudied taxonomic group. Introduction Environmental change caused by human activity poses a severe threat to biodiversity worldwide. Current extinction rates are orders of magnitude higher than background rates (Vitousek et al. 1997), and freshwater systems are especially vulnerable to biodiversity loss (Dudgeon et al. 2006). In order to conserve and protect species, it is crucial to understand their biogeography and spatial distribution (Jetz et al. 2012). One key method used to study species' biogeography is species distribution modeling. Species distribution models (SDMs) use species-environment relationships to predict areas that contain suitable habitat for a given species (Pearson 2007, Elith and Leathwick 2009). These predictions are generated by combining species occurrence records (observations of individuals) with background climatic or topographic information. They have a wide range of applications, including predicting species response to climate change, designing reserves for conservation purposes, quantifying biodiversity hotspots, and predicting species geographic ranges when occurrence data is scarce (Elith and Leathwick 2009, Collins and McIntyre 2015). While species distribution modeling has become a popular method of ecological analysis and conservation planning, relatively little work has been done on insects as compared to vertebrates and flowering plants (Ballesteros-Mejia et al. 2013), despite the fact that insects make up the majority of the world's biodiversity. Species-level occurrence records, which are necessary for SDMs, are often lacking for invertebrates and there has not been as much interest in insects as there has been in more charismatic species. Where insect species records are available, they are often collected opportunistically rather than as part of systematic surveys, which can lead to biased data. However, one group of insects that has drawn considerable attention is Order Odonata— dragonflies and damselflies. Because they are charismatic insects that are relatively easy to identify by sight, there is significantly more occurrence data for odonates than other invertebrates (Collins and McIntyre 2015). Odonates have also drawn attention because they are very sensitive to environmental change (such as changes in temperature and water quality) and therefore serve as indicators of freshwater ecosystem health and biodiversity (Clausnitzer et al. 2012, Simaika et al. 2012). Dragonflies are effective indicators of threat status for birds, mammals, and amphibians when making conservation decisions, but those groups are not always accurate indicators for dragonflies or other invertebrates (Simaika et al. 2012). Therefore, identifying important areas for dragonfly conservation can also provide valuable insights for the effective conservation of numerous other freshwater species. A number of studies, reviewed by Collins and McIntyre (2015), have modeled Odonata distributions in recent years. Modeling odonate distributions presents some unique challenges. Odonates have an aquatic larval stage and terrestrial adult stage; they therefore require freshwater habitats, but adults may be observed in areas that are not suitable for larvae (Kalkman et al. 2008). This separation of niches between adults and juveniles makes odonate distribution particularly difficult to model, and it may be necessary to model adults and larvae separately to gain a full understanding of their distribution (Patten et al. 2015). Though interest in modeling odonate distributions has increased recently, few studies (three of the thirty reviewed by Collins and McIntyre 2015) have focused on North American odonates, and most only modeled a few species. In this paper, I develop methods to model Odonate distributions for all species across North America, and present full results for four case species. I build on modeling methods using generalized linear models (GLMs) and MaxEnt methods, and then present a novel method for modeling Odonate distributions using spatial priors derived from expert range maps. I also introduce two new environmental layers based on remotesensing imagery, which may be useful for modeling many freshwater species. By improving SDM methods for dragonfly and damselfly species, I hope to open the door to fine-grain analyses of these important insects over large spatial extents. Methods Species Occurrence Data Species occurrence records were compiled from several databases: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (gbif.org 2015), iNaturalist (inaturalist.org 2015), Odonata Central (Abbott 2006-2016), and Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation (BISON) (U.S.G.S. 2015). The data from iNaturalist and Odonata Central is citizen science data; the data has been collected by amateur enthusiasts who upload their species observations to online databases. Citizen science has become an increasingly widespread source of biodiversity data for scientists in the past decade and has been successfully used to augment species occurrence records (Barve 2014, Silvertown 2009). The records from citizen science data in this study were only included if they were designated as "research-grade" or vetted by experts. Any occurrence records without geographic coordinates or dates were excluded. Records were only included if they dated from 1950 onwards, as this is the time scale of the available environmental data. Where coordinate accuracy information was available, I only included points with coordinate accuracy of under 1 km, which is the grain of the environmental data. Only records of adult specimens were included. Lastly, all duplicate records were removed from the combined dataset. The combined and cleaned data yielded a total of 181,386 records of 786 distinct species or taxonomic units. Environmental Data Environmental variable layers were compiled from a variety of sources (Table 1). Variables were selected that were assumed to be ecologically significant for dragonfly species, and preliminary models confirmed their significance for test species. All layers covered the extent of North America. Hydro1K layers were re-sampled from a 1 km equal area grid to a 30 arcsec grid using nearest neighbor resampling. All other layers had a 30 arcsec (approximately 1 km) spatial grain. Because odonates have aquatic larval stages, hydrological variables are likely to influence their distributions. Most freshwater species distribution models use hydrological variables that are derived from digital elevation models (DEMs), which model stream networks using topographic features as opposed to observed water availability. However, these models may not always accurately predict the location of water. I therefore introduce two new layers, derived from satellite-based Landsat imagery (Hansen et al. 2014; Woodcock et al. 2008), which identify water using direct remote sensing observation. The first of these layers is a proportion freshwater layer, derived from 30 m resolution satellite imagery aggregated to 1 km cells (Amatulli, unpublished, based on Hansen et al. 2014). The second layer is a distance to freshwater layer, which measures the distance to the nearest grid cell containing any freshwater. Both DEMderived and satellite imagery-based sets of variables were included in the models. Table 1. Environmental variables used as predictors in species distribution models for North American Odonata. Variable Variable Name Source of Layer Mean annual temperature Bio_1 WorldClim (Hijmans et al. 2005) Mean annual precipitation Bio_12 WorldClim (Hijmans et al. 2005) Precipitation seasonality Bio_15 WorldClim (Hijmans et al. 2005) Land cover of mixed/other trees Lc_class4 EarthEnv (Tuanmu and Jetz 2014) Land cover of cultivated/managed land Lc_class7 EarthEnv (Tuanmu and Jetz 2014) CTI ground wetness index cti HYDRO1K (USGS) Flow accumulation fa HYDRO1K (USGS) Proportion land vs. proportion freshwater Proportionland Giuseppe Amutulli, unpublished, based on Hansen et al. 2014 Distance to nearest cell containing freshwater Waterdistance New layer, based on Hansen et al. 2014 Species Selection In order to determine how the models perform for groups of species with different ecological and geographical requirements, species were divided into groups. Only species with a minimum of 1000 presence records were considered for modeling. These groups included ecological differences (lentic vs. lotic) and taxonomic differences (dragonflies vs. damselflies) which are also associated with distinct ecological niches. Four focal species were selected from groups with ecological and phylogenetic differences: Argia vivida (1769 presence records), Erythemis simplicicollis (5278 presence records), Lestes rectangularis (1135 presence records), and Libellula vibrans (1231 presence records). Lestes rectangularis and Libellula vibrans are both lentic species, whereas Erythemis simplicicollis is lotic and Argia vivida is a generalist that can use both lentic and lotic water. While Argia vivida and Lestes rectangularis are damselflies (suborder Zygoptera), th


The restraint concrete stress-strain relation which from Mander et al was used through a series of proper reduction and derivation based on practical application,the distortion ability formulas of bridge piers with rectangular or circular section were expressed by the mechanical stirrup ratio,the axis-pressure ratio,the curvature ductility coefficient and the bridge pier area ratio,etc.Comparing the outcomes from the presented formulas to 25 groups of data from test,the correlation research outcomes and the requirement of specifications,the result indicates that the correctness of distortion ability formula and the stirrup level that get by this formula.In order to facilitate the practical application,the transformation of this formula which expresses the relationship of the mechanical stirrup ratio with displacement ductility coefficient of bridge pier top and damage index was got.On this basis,performance-based seismic design method for RC bridge pier was proposed and a project example analysis was given.The result tallies well in the average meaning with the result of non-linear time history analysis,which confirmed the rationality of this formula further.


Any, even the least ones, changes in inner environment are immediately percepted by multiple receptors: baro- or presso-, mechano-, thermo-, osmo-, gluco-and others id est the receptors reacting to pressure changings, mechanic and temperature influencings, changings in blood osmotic pressure as well as glucose content in blood. Such receptors are located in inner organs (stomach, liver, heart), in vascular walls as well as in brain different structures (hypothalamus, middle brain reticular formation, medulla oblongata). For example, thermoreceptors are located in hypothalamus anterior pre-optic zone; glucoreceptors reacting to glucose content and availability for cells are present in intermediate brain, liver, stomach and small intestine. means to the term understanding


In casual discussions interlocutors trying to present their arguments in direct confrontation with an opponent have to handle several tasks: They have to present their complex arguments more or less intact and coherent, interrupt the opponent and take the turn, make their turns locally and globally fit in the course of the interaction, influence and change the course of action and the topical development as well as renew their disagreement. Dissension markers as a subclass of discourse markers contribute to the solution of these rhetorical tasks in natural argumentative interaction. The article presents the most important dissension markers taken from a corpus of casual discussions between Russian, Polish or Ukrainian speakers and shows, how they support the interactive construction of complex arguments on the different levels of interaction.


The preservation of desert environments from the pollution generated by the urban extension has become an important issue in the protection of fragile ecosystems. Geo-environmental engineers often face this challenge when they design landfills for solid waste or lagoons for wastewater on top of very pervious soils which are characterized by sabkha soils. A modern landfill or a lagoon must be designed to prevent fluids in the waste migrating from the site to the underlying soil formations. With the help of sand/bentonite mixtures and geosynthetics innovative solutions can be offered to several situations. This paper gives an overview of these several solutions and the design principles behind these options. Also, the paper give some new insight on which properties of sand/bentonite mixtures are important for designing natural protective liners on sabkha soils. Furthermore, the paper will present the clayey product which can be used into these structures.


The objective of this study was to demonstrate the bioequivalence of 2 oral tablet formulations of rivaroxaban 20 mg in healthy Mexican volunteers under fed conditions. This phase I, single‐blind, single‐dose, randomized, two‐sequence, two‐period crossover study included 32 volunteers. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two sequences: test formulation (single 20 mg dose) in the first period followed by the reference formulation (single 20 mg dose) in the second, or vice versa. Blood samples were collected predose and at predefined timepoints across a 48‐hour period after drug intake. Rivaroxaban plasma concentrations were measured using a validated high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method. Pharmacokinetic parameters included maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the plasma concentration‐time curve from time zero to last measurable concentration and to infinity (AUC0‐t, AUC0‐∞), time to reach Cmax, and half‐life. Safety was evaluated through adverse‐event monitoring using subject interviews and recording of vital signs. The 90% confidence intervals for the test/reference geometric mean ratios of Cmax (100.4%–112.7%), AUC0‐t (96.5%–111.6%), and AUC0‐∞ (95.5%–109.5%) were within the bioequivalence acceptance range (80‐125%). Two adverse events (headaches) were recorded. Both formulations of rivaroxaban 20 mg tablets were bioequivalent and well tolerated in a healthy population of Mexican volunteers under fed conditions.


We report a case of Gianotti‐Crosti syndrome associated with human herpesvirus‐6 (HHV‐6) infection. An eight‐month‐old girl developed monomorphous papules on her cheeks, buttocks, and extremities after the subsidence of exanthema subitum. Viral antibody analysis confirmed primary HHV‐6 infection. HHV‐6 may be added to the list of causative agents of Gianotti‐Crosti syndrome.


Market forces and government policies, including the Tenth National Development Plan (2007-2012), are moving Thailand toward a more geographically specialized economy. There is a growing consensus that Thailand's comparative and competitive advantages lie in amenity services that have high reliance on the following: (i) fashion and design; for example, jewelry, garments, ceramics, advertising, media; (ii) human interaction in the application of technology, often high technology; for example, world-class medicine and spas; (iii) cuisine; for example, high-value processed foods and specialized restaurants; and (iv) high quality natural and built environments, in support of beach tourism, retirement communities (domestic and international), and second home and footloose knowledge worker lifestyles. Such an economy places a higher premium on the quality and accessibility of so-called place. Successful development in Thailand will require higher quality landscapes and better natural resource management. At the same time, the manufacturing economy is becoming more specialized, around vehicle production (pickup trucks), petro-chemicals, consumer appliances and electronics, certain types of electrical and mechanical intermediate goods, and agro-processing. Increased value added in these areas requires deepening of economic clusters and geographic clustering to realize agglomeration economies, including creation of learning communities. On the supply side, the increased importance of the amenity economy is consistent with the concept of sufficiency economy, a core principle underlying the Tenth National Development Plan. Risks to successful implementation of an amenity-based development strategy include energy crises, urban terrorism, environmental degradation especially in amenity regions natural disasters, political instability, congestion and pollution in core Bangkok, and shortages of appropriately skilled labor.


Objective:To compare the accuracy of ultrasonography with palpation in the diagnosis of axillary nodal metastasis in breast cancer.Methods:Preoperative ultrasonography and palpation and postoperative histopathology were performed on 110 axillae of 106 patients undergoing radical surgery for breast cancer.Results:Of the 110 axillae,there were 82 metastatic lymph nodes by pathological examination,70 by palpation,and 78 by ultrasonography.The sensitivity,specificity,and diagnostic accordance rate (DCR) were 68.3%,50.0% and 63.6% in palpation,and 87.8%,78.6% and 85.5% in ultrasonography;there were significant differences in the sensitivity and DCR between the palpation and ultrasonography (P0.05~0.01).Conclusion:Ultrasonic examination has the advantages of high sensitivity and DCR over the palpation,and may be served as a routine examination in the diagnosis of axillary nodal metastasis in breast cancer.


In the area where water depth is large that excludes the use of a bottom-fixed structure,floating breakwater is the option due to its light weight,mobility,economics,and water exchange capacity.Floating breakwater also protects deep-water fish cages against severe waves and currents.A original floating breakwater —board-net floating breakwater was physically investigated in laboratory.The relationships between the wave dissipation coefficient and the wave period,board width,net number,board stiffness,and current direction and velocity were investigated.Regular waves of height 2.5,4.5 and 6.0 m with periods ranging from 6.0 to 10.0 seconds were used.The water depth was 20 m.The results show that the proposed breakwater has good wave dissipation capacity,but its design parameter should be considered according to the wave and current conditions in the vicinity of the breakwater.


Abstract The effect of Pd on spreading and reaction of CeO2nanocrystallites with silica support on high temperature reduction in hydrogen was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). Without Pd, CeO2nanocrystallites (size ca. 5 nm) began to spread onto the silica at 870 K, producing at 970 K uniform nearly amorphous overlayer. With Pd, the spreading occurred at 100 K lower temperature and moreover at 970 K the raft-like Ce4.67(SiO4)3O silicate crystals were formed in contact with the Pd particles. Chlorine from the PdCl2precursor reacted with ceria at 770 and 870 K to form the ribbon-like CeOCl crystals, which at 970 K became unstable, probably undergoing transformation into Ce silicate. Formation of Ce silicate and CeOCl during the high temperature reduction is a possible mechanism of the deactivation of the ceria-promoted Pd/SiO2catalysts (irreversible Ce4+to Ce3+reduction).


Little work has been done on academic dishonesty in the Middle East. This research investigates the nature of the relationship between contextual factors and aca demic dishonesty using a sample from three private universities in Lebanon, and compares the results to a sample from seven large universities in the US. Using the basic model of McCabe et al. (Research in Higher Education 45(3):357-378, 2002), we found additional evidence for the strong role perception of peers' behavior plays in understanding student decisions concerning academic integrity. Cross cultural comparisons of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding academic dishonesty were pivotal in this research. Our results support the view that Lebanese university students are strongly influenced by the norms of the collectivist society in which they are raised as compared to the more individualistic society found in the United States.


Zeeman measurements are reported on the 1044 and 1045 meV lines of a Li centre in Si, showing that the lower-energy line involves a spin triplet excited state and the higher-energy line a spin singlet excited state. Uniaxial stress data are analysed to show that the transitions occur at a trigonal centre and have orbital Gamma 3 excited states with properties very similar to the valence band and conduction band extrema of Si.


ALL procurements and procurement specifications are made with an attempt to obtain equipments that are reliable. The present, classical method of attempting to achieve this is to require that the equipment operate satisfactorily when exposed to a level of environmental stress called for in the governing specification. Usually, these environmental conditions are applied singly, and all are not necessarily applied to any one equipment. While the successful fulfillment of these classical conditions may be necessary, it is not a sufficient condition for equipment reliability. A satisfactory plan for the development of reliable equipment must account for the following: 1. Appraisal of the intereffects of environments on stresses produced and on resultant failures. 2. Measurement of how close equipment strength is to environmental stress; i.e., whether the equipment would fail if the severity of the environment were increased slightly or whether failure would not occur until the severity of the environment were increased many times. 3. Normal variations in the strength of the equipment; i.e., there must be assurance that it was not a random chance that a particular equipment successfully withstood a specific environmental stress. 4. Appraisal of the effects of normal variations of the magnitude of environmental stresses in specific applications.


This article is focused on elementary algebra in physics. After a brief recall of what should be understood in this topic, the paper examines common difficulties. Results of inquiries conducted with students at university level (first to fourth year) and with trainee teachers are presented and discussed. The authors point to the advantages of using schemes that explicitly specify two different kinds of indications: coding arrows, on the one hand, and realistic arrows on the other. Some examples of questions suitable for an interactive work with students are proposed.


The invention die vinylarene dioxide, for example, divinyl comprising a benzene dioxide, the die vinylarene dioxide is related to the epoxy resin composition having a styrene impurity of the impurity concentration of less than about 15% by weight (e.g., ethyl styrene) will be. This produced a die vinylarene dioxide die vinylarene dioxide, and die vinylarene dioxide different from the one or more further formulation of other epoxy resins; And (i) divinyl epoxy resins and blends of divinyl arene dioxide and one or more different epoxy resins arene dioxide; (Ii) at least one curing agent; And (iii) it may be used for selectively producing a curable epoxy resin composition, the curable epoxy resin composition or formulation comprising a comprising at least one catalyst. A very low concentration of styrene in the die vinylarene dioxide of the present invention impurity provides an epoxy resin composition having a low viscosity, better storage stability and better thermal stability.


These lecture notes are based on a graduate course given at the "LudwigMaximilians-Universität München" during the winter term 2007/2008 as part of the "Theoretical and Mathematical Physics" master programme‡. Although the main target group of this course were master students, we decided to prepare these notes for a more general audience including Ph.D. students and Postdocs. These lecture notes are intended to give an introduction to conformal field theories in two dimensions with special emphasis on computational issues important for applications in string theory. We assume the reader to be familiar with Quantum Mechanics on the level of a graduate course and to have some basic knowledge of quantum field theory, even though the later is not a necessity. The notions of conformal field theory will be introduced in due course, however, string theory is not introduced in a self-contained manner. While familiarity with string theory is not a prerequisite for understanding these notes, for students intending to appreciate the presented techniques we highly recommend to study an introductory book on string theory in parallel.


Mobile informational strategy has a higher demand on the network supporting system and aims at the implementation of user oriented service management. As the indexes of customer perception are the direct reflection of the network quality, it is particularly important to analyze the indexes. In this paper, varieties of factors affecting customer experiences on the network quality are analyzed. A customer perception template is designed based on the related standards of QoE and the 5W model; a set of common extraction methods of customer perception indexes are given. According to the practical application of the customer perception template, the contribution coefficient of customer perception indexes that ha ve a great influence on the service quality are achieved by the statistical analysis model.


Since the first case report of ureteral invasion of stomach cancer by Schlaginweit in 191 1. less than 30 cases have been documented in the literature. Most of the ureteral invasion have not been diagnosed in living patients until the new imaging modalities. especially computed tomography. (CT) became available. CT is being used popularly in the staging workup of stomach cancer. We experienced 19 cases of ureteral metastasis during the period from June 1989 to May 199 1. Except for four cases. one each from pancreatic cancer. colon cancer. uterine leiomyosarcoma and unknown origin. the rest of the 15 caese were from stomach cancer leading to our supicion that ureteral metastasis of stomach cancer is much more frequent than other cancers. Therefore. we analyzed CT findings and mode of metastasis to the ureter by stomach canter.