Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is a very curable form of cancer for the majority of patients that receive standard primary therapy. Many patients will have a second opportunity for cure at the time of first progression using approaches that incorporate high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). In the non-curative setting, a group of patients (including patients with advanced age and comorbidities precluding standard therapy approaches and those with lymphoma that persists despite these treatments) will be treated with palliative intent. While these patients have had limited options in the past, novel therapies have rapidly become the standard of care in this setting. Antibodies targeting CD30 (the antibody drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin [BV]) and the immune checkpoint through PD1 (nivolumab and pembrolizumab) have now become standard approved treatments for patients beyond second-line treatment. The biology of PD1 appears particularly relevant in cHL, providing a strong clinical rationale for evaluating these agents in this malignancy. Clinicians in Canada now have several choices when making treatment decisions in patients with relapsed or refractory cHL (RR-cHL). Prospective trials are now determining the role of anti-PD1 antibodies in the curative setting.


The utility model discloses an American type out-opening window which comprises a window frame and an out-opening window leaf. The window frame is formed by frame aluminum and frame wood in a press-fitting mode, the out-opening window leaf is formed by leaf aluminum and leaf wood in a press-fitting mode, the out-opening window leaf is provided with a plurality of hollow glass pieces through splicing posts, connecting seams of the hollow glass pieces are fixed through splicing frame bars which are outdoor splicing frame aluminum bars, and wood cover plates are located indoors. According to the American type out-opening window, the outdoor splicing frame aluminum bars are arranged on the connecting seams of the glass pieces of the window leaf, the wood cover plates are arranged indoors, and therefore the glass pieces can be firmly spliced, and the sealing performance of the window leaf is improved.


Small-sided football training is an intense, versatile, enjoyable and social training type of exercise that combines high-intensity cardiovascular, endurance and strength training for participants across the lifespan. A mere 2×60 min weekly training is effective for broad-spectrum prevention and treatment of lifestyle diseases. Our conclusion is based on results of more than 100 scientific articles published since January 2009 in 30 international peer-reviewed journals.1–3 This evidence has led senior researchers to conclude in The Lancet that 'there is increasing evidence that sports participation has the potential to improve the health of nations'.4 Also, among the available evidence on the health benefits of different sport disciplines for adults, 'The best evidence was found for football and running. These can especially improve cardiovascular and metabolic health'.5

About one-third of the Football for Health studies have investigated football training in schools and in sports clubs. The conclusions are encouraging: (1) small-sided football training induces high heart rates, a large number of intense actions along with high involvement, technical success rates and training effects for boys and girls irrespective of body mass index, fitness …


In totalitarian systems, it would be difficult to find a Shakespearean play that lends itself better to political thematization than Macbeth, and the theatrical reception history of this tragedy in East-Central Europe is certainly indicative of how it has been employed to reflect on the current antagonisms of the country. Gradual but significant changes occurred in this reception during the past twenty-five years, after the fall of the Iron Curtain. Even if it has become a critical commonplace that the various modes of social and artistic expression had to redefine themselves after the changing regime in the former socialist block, we must observe the socio-political constraints of the period in which I would like to survey the history of Macbeth productions in Hungary. Before 1989, the theatrical scene in East-Central Europe was the field where perhaps the most intensive artistic experimentations were always combined, through the "double talk" or double coding of covert intellectual messages, with political awareness and subversive ideological critique. The theatre gradually developed a capacity to operate the mechanism of semiotic overdetermination or overcoding on two levels. 1 Other than the semiotization of every object on the stage, this overcoding functioned on a second level in the time of political censorship, since spectators and critics were constantly on the watch, looking out for meanings that could turn the theatrical representation into political allegory or a criticism of some aspect of the establishment. From the 1990s onwards, the theatre, like literature and cinema, gradually started to lose this political potentiality that could always guarantee some success if the performance was radical enough. This was, however, not only a loss of revolutionary opportunities, but also an emancipatory change, since the artistic expression no longer had to meet the expectations of a political horizon. The real liberation of the theatre was not only in the fact that it was no longer censored by the apparatus of party ideology, but through the break with the compulsory double talk of politicization that, for many, was the touchstone of artistic quality.


This article aims to provide an idea of a framework for implementing information technology in public sector financial management. This is based on the ongoing debate regarding the impact of information technology implementation on Government performance, including in the management of government finances. Through a literature review and understanding of the application of information technology in the context of Local Government in Indonesia, it was found that the concept of institutionalizing information technology was not sufficient to explain the benefits of implementing information technology on the performance of regional financial management, it was also necessary to consider the extent of the role of institutional actors that could potentially influence and have the power to legitimize and mobilize organizational resources to direct the institutionalization of information technology to explain comprehensively the variations in the implementation and benefits of implementing information technology in local financial management. As well as having implications for improving the process of implementing information technology in local governments, this article also opens up opportunities for future research development, particularly in relation to the role of information technology in public sector financial management


Swept-Source Optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) is a powerful tool for fast medical imaging. For the real-time 3D imaging, the wide tuning range over 100 nm and fast sweep rate over 100 kHz are typically required. We recently proposed a new wavelength-swept laser for SS-OCT. It is based on a principle called dispersion tuning. Since the cavity contains no mechanical components, such as tunable filters, we could achieve the very high sweep rate. In this review paper, we describe the principle of the dispersion-tuned swept lasers in detail and present our recent works on the application to the SS-OCT system.


This paper demonstrates a new approach in solving problems with capacity issues within a cement factory in Libya using the Witness simulation package that enables the development of discrete and continuous simulation model to simulate these processes. The model aims to support the implementation of management systems in Supply Chain Management and the introduction of Just-In-Time systems. In order to carry out the above, research has been carried out into processes of SCM and J.I.T. The developed Simulation model is based on Libyan Cement industry, exploring supply chain management (SCM) and Just IN Time (JIT) system from start to end of the processes. Therefore, the aim and objective of investigating supply chain management and applying JIT to the cement factory using simulation at the very stage has been successful and has exercised with the simulation scenarios 1,2 and 3. This was achievable simply based on many assumptions as addressed above and with the help of the witness software that executes duties with the aid of input and output rules that need to be applied accordingly.


The effect of glass fiber or mineral fiber on the mechanical properties of basic oxygen furnace steel slaggranulated blast furnace slag cementitious composites has been studied in this paper.The volume expansion of the cementitious composites was measured by boiling and autoclave tests.In addition,the distribution,as well as the interfacial adhesion of fibers in the paste,was observed by SEM.The results showed that the strength of cementitious composite mortars initially increased increasing amount of glass fiber,but decreased when the dosage exceeded 0.3%.The content of mineral fiber had little effect on the strength of mortars in the early curing stage.However,the late compressive strength of the mortar decreased,and the flexural strength initially increased and then decreased with increasing dosoge of mineral fiber.According to the autoclave tests,the expansion rate decreased by26.60% after adding 0.3% glass fiber,and decreased by 29.36% after adding 0.3% mineral fiber.SEM results showed that fibers were separate from the hydration products in the early curing stages,but became well connected at late curing stages.In addition,calcium hydroxide was produced on the surface of the fibers.The adhesion of mineral fiber with the paste was better than that of glass fiber.


Reaction of Os2(CO)8(μ-η1,η1-C2H4) with (η2-C2H4)Pt(PPh3)2 gives predominantly the heterotrinuclear cluster Os2Pt(CO)8(PPh3)2, 1. The reaction is accompanied by redistribution of the PPh3 ligand, and as a result, compound 1 exists in solution as three isomers (1a−c) due to the presence and disposition of a phosphine ligand on both Os and Pt. The nature of the isomers was deduced from a combination of 13C, 31P, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies, and the solid-state structure of the major isomer was corroborated by a single-crystal X-ray analysis. The isomers interconvert on the NMR time scale, and the mechanisms and energetics of the isomerization processes were determined by 31P NMR selective inversion magnetization transfer experiments. Two pathways for isomer exchange were identified. Isomers 1a and 1b exchange via an "olefin type" rotation of the diosmium fragment about the platinum center, whereas interconversion between 1a and 1c is accomplished by a restricted trigonal twist at the phosphine-substituted ...


The paper is concerned with the existence and global exponential stability of periodic solutions for inertial Cohen-Grossberg-type BAM neural networks with time delays. With variable transformation the system is transformed to first order differential equations. Some new sufficient conditions ensuring the existence and global exponential stability of periodic solutions for the system are derived by constructing suitable Lyapunov functions, using Weierstrass criteria and boundedness of the solutions. Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the obtained results.


Thirty (30) clinical cases of crossbred buffalo calves of either sex of 4-8 weeks of the age suffering from diarrhea were used for clinical validation of immunomodulation by Withania somnifera and Azadiretica indica at two different doses of 5 gm and 10 gm bid p.o. for 7 days. They were given along with standard treatment for diarrhea containing antimicrobials {trimethoprim and sulphamethoxazole} and rehydration therapy. Recovery was assessed on the basis of hematological parameters, protein profi les and total serum immunoglobulins. Signifi cant increases in total leukocyte, percent lymphocyte and absolute lymphocyte were recorded in calves fed Withania somnifera (10 gm) and Azadiretica indica (5 and10 gm). Serum globulins were found signifi cantly elevated in calves fed Withania somnifera (10 gm) and Azadirectica indica (10 gm). Albumin globulin ratio decreased in calves fed Azadirectica indica (10 gm). Total serum immunoglobulins were found signifi cantly elevated in calves fed Withania somnifera (10 gm) and Azadirectica indica (10 gm). In the present study, it was found that powder of Azadirectica indica showed better results in comparison to Withania somnifera at the same dose regimen. However, the dose rate of 10 gm bid showed better results compared to 5 gm bid.


AbstractIn an exploratory study, the relationship between the cognitive style (reflection-impulsivity) and achievement in an introductory programming course in high school was studied. Reflectives were found to be superior to impulsives in their scores on a program comprehension test. No significant differences were found in scores on a test measuring factual knowledge of programming language features and syntax. These results suggest that a reflective strategy facilitates the development of templates: schema's representing patterns of code associated with specific programming problems. It is hypothesized that instructional materials not concentrating on the writing of programs but on the reading, modification, and amplification of programs may force impulsives into a more reflective strategy, resulting in better achievement.


Building on conservation of resource (COR) theory, we investigated the relationship between workplace incivility and job performance through anxiety. We also explored the mitigating role of psychol...


A severe thunderstorm occurred on 27 June 1985 over Palam airport. The height., speed and shape of the radar echoes and the surface meteorological parameters associated with the thunderstorm, recorded at Palam and Safdarjung airports, have been studied and analysed. The wind Instruments Installed at Palam airport at the two runway ends, at a distance of 3 km from each other, recorded surface winds of 78 and 25 kt respectively at the same time in gusts from nearly opposite directions.

The intense surface draft and other associated meteorological parameters, including changes in them, suggest that there was a microburst cell which moved across Palam airport causing a wind shear of more than 100kt over a distance of 3 km.


This article examines a critical cultural thinking framework advanced to develop an analysis of difference as it pertains to race, gender, and sexuality. We examine student journals to document their use (or lack therein) of these critical cultural thinking concepts and how these concepts influence students' understanding of difference. While there are a number of tools that students can rely on for thinking critically, we advance four concepts that are central for the development of a critical cultural consciousness. 1 The critical cultural thinking skills we identify in this article are (1) organic experience, (2) relational analysis, (3) historical analysis, and (4) conception of power relations. We argue that these tools are central for an intellectual understanding of difference. As the student journals analyzed in this article demonstrate, in the absence of these tools of inquiry, much of the campus discourse reverts to oppressive frameworks, which not only serve to oppress students of color, women, and gay and lesbian students but also erodes the practice of citizenship that is crucial for the development of educational democracy.


Low financial literacy of population hinders the financial market development, limits the possibilities of using the savings for investing and creating the additional capital in the country. At the state level it results in inflation, the budget deficit creation, a decrease in country's gold and foreign exchange reserves, an increase in internal and external government debt. The article analyzes the approaches to understanding the concept of financial literacy, tools for its measuring and comparing at micro and macro levels, dynamics of savings and gold and foreign currency reserves, peculiarities of financial literacy through the analysis of dynamics and structure of revenues and expenditures of the government budget and the population of Ukraine. Factors influencing the financial literacy of the population have been systematized. The findings give an idea of creating the optimal managerial influence based on the estimation of financial literacy of the Ukrainian population with the help of specific statistical indicators to expand the possibilities of such influence and to regulate the economic processes to achieve the financial stability of the state and the population. The study showed low financial literacy at both population and state levels. However, at the micro level, creating the credit relations, as well as income, expenses, and savings is more effective than at the macro level.


This article deals with the efficiency of fractional integration parameter estimators. This study was based on Monte Carlo experiments involving simulated stochastic processes with integration orders in the range ]-1,1[. The evaluated estimation methods were classified into two groups: heuristics and semiparametric/maximum likelihood (ML). The study revealed that the comparative efficiency of the estimators, measured by the lesser mean squared error, depends on the stationary/non-stationary and persistency/anti-persistency conditions of the series. The ML estimator was shown to be superior for stationary persistent processes; the wavelet spectrum-based estimators were better for non-stationary mean reversible and invertible anti-persistent processes; the weighted periodogram-based estimator was shown to be superior for non-invertible anti-persistent processes.


An efficient hybrid algorithm, known as the "domain decomposition finite-difference time-domain" (DD-FDTD) method combined with a numerical thru-line (TL) calibration technique, is proposed and developed for the accurate parameter extraction of microwave circuits and structures. By means of a TL technique, the developed FDTD algorithm not only greatly increases the accuracy of numerical simulations but it also saves computation time and memory space. Moreover, the hybrid algorithm can be used for the parameter extraction of arbitrary complex circuits and structures, such as substrate integrated circuits (SICs). The SICs that are studied in this work are based on substrate integrated waveguides, which are useful for the design of millimeter-wave planar circuits such as filters, resonators, and antennas. On the basis of the characteristic features of numerical calibration process, an idea of domain decomposition is introduced to simplify the procedure of programming and simulation and to increase the simulation's reliability. Simulation and measurement results have verified this hybrid algorithm


A 19-month-old boy with a medical history of 1 febrile seizure presented to the emergency department (ED) with 2 days of vomiting and 1 day of diarrhea. He was accompanied by his non–English-speaking mother, who reported several episodes of nonbloody, nonbilious emesis and dark brown, watery stools. The patient had decreased intake of solid foods, but he had been breastfeeding well. Because of his diarrhea, the patient's mother was unsure how many voids he had had in the past day. He had not had fevers. The family history was significant for the patient's father recently being diagnosed with hepatitis C. The patient's mother brought him into the ED because of his symptoms and concern that he looked "yellow."

In the ED, the patient was afebrile with normal vital signs for his age (including heart rate of 146 beats per minute), and he was "well appearing and active" with moist mucous membranes and a capillary refill of <2 seconds. However, the ED provider additionally documented that the patient appeared "moderately dehydrated [and] slightly jaundiced," and he ordered a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). All values were within normal limits, including total bilirubin, except for a low bicarbonate of 16 mmol/L (normal 21–30 mmol/L) and an elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of 926 U/L (normal 129–291 U/L). The provider consulted endocrinology for the elevated ALP, who noted a broad differential for elevated ALP and that transient hyperphosphatasemia is a diagnosis of exclusion. They recommended checking 25-hydroxyvitamin D, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone to evaluate for underlying parathyroid, vitamin D, and bone disease. They also wrote that the team could check total and isoenzymes of ALP "if desiring further testing to help confirm [the] diagnosis of transient hyperphosphatasemia." The ED provider obtained these recommended laboratories, including the ALP laboratories, as well as a gamma-glutamyl transferase, acute …


Institute of Animal Biology NAAS, V. Stus Str., 38, Lviv, 79034, Ukraine. Tel: +38-098-266-52-53 E-mail: email@example.com Hunchak, A. V., Medvid, S. M., Stefanyshyn, O. M., Sirko, Ya. M., & Koretchuk, S. I. (2021). Microelement (Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe, Co, І) levels in quails and their eggs according to their forms and dosage in poultry diet. Scientific Messenger of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies. Series: Agricultural sciences, 23(94), 50–55. doi: 10.32718/nvlvet-a9410


Abstract In laboratory studies a bacterium isolated from pond water lysed cells of selected cyanobacteria, including species of Anabaena and Oscillatoria. The bacterium was a Gram negative rod that produced yellow colonies when streaked on BG-11 medium supplemented with 6 g/liter tryptic soy broth and solidified with 1% agar. The DNA sequence for the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterium indicated a relationship to species of Xanthomonas, but the sequence homology of 95.58% indicated no definitive match for the genus. Shake-flask cultures of the bacterium produced approximately 3 × 10 9 plaque-forming units/ml of culture broth when grown in BG-11 medium plus 6 g/liter tryptic soy broth and assayed in lawns of Anabaena sp. (ATCC 27898). Seven days after the bacterium was inoculated to shake-flask cultures of algae and cyanobacteria, average reductions in chlorophyll a were 94 to 98% for Oscillatoria spp. (ATCC 29205, UTEX 1567, O. cf. chalybea (LA OC-1), UTEX 390, UTEX 1566), 77% for Lyngbya sp. (UTEX 386), and 13 to 98% for Anabaena spp. (ATCC 27892, ATCC 27893, ATCC 27898, ATCC 27211, UTEX 1609, and UTEX 377). No significant reductions in chlorophyll a were noted for Chlorella vulgaris (UTEX 26), Scenedesmus subspicatus (UTEX 2594), Selenastrum capricornutum (UTEX 1648), Microcystis aeruginosa (UTEX 2063), or Plectonema boryanum (ATCC 18200). The bacterium could be a potential microbial algicide for some cyanobacteria, particularly species of Anabaena and Oscillatoria that have been associated with off-flavor in commercially grown channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus.


Auditory-visual illusion occurs when visual information and auditory information integrates in the brain. This is conceived because auditory information has temporal superiority than visual information. Purpose of the study is to investigate mutuality influence of auditory information and visual information. Subjects answered the number of sounds and flashes when the auditory and visual stimuli are presented. We selected five auditory and visual stimuli (percentage answered as 2 times were 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) from the auditory only and visual only case and combined the stimuli. Subjects answered the number of sounds and flashes when the stimuli are presented simultaneously. When comparing the rate of unilateral and bilateral case, auditory only case and a combination of ambiguous auditory stimuli and definite visual stimuli, auditory information tends to shift toward visual information. This result suggests that in this case, visual information has temporal superiority so auditory information can...


Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as pandemic health problem involving both developed as well as developing countries of the world, but still remains the most under diagnosed and under treated nutritional deficiency of the world. Vitamin D deficiency in adolescents may be asymptomatic or may present with vague manifestations including pain in weight bearing joints, difficulty in walking, climbing stairs and muscle cramps and can be easily misdiagnosed as Fibromyalgia, Chronic fatigue syndrome or even simply depression in adolescents. The present study was undertaken with the aim to evaluate the vitamin D status in adolescent population of this part of the country with abundant sunshine and with people having good economic condition. In this study, a total of 120 adolescents, including 45 boys and 75 girls were screened for their vitamin D (25OH – D) status from the month of May 2019 to December 2019. Out this 72 (60%) were having Vitamin D levels below 20 ngm/ml, 25 (20.8%) were having vitamin D level between 20-30 ngm/ml. Only 23(19.1%) had levels above 30 ngm/ml. This study has shown a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adolescence population of Jammu and it is suggested that all adolescent boys and girls who presentss with non specific musculoskeletal pains should be screened for vitamin D status. Introduction Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent in India. In our previous studies a very high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency along with other micronutrients has been observed in urban population of Jammu, comprising of pregnant women, 1 school going children 2 and elderly population of jammu. 3 The deficiency of Vitamin D, also known as sunshine vitamin, is very common in adolescents because of their changing life style, adaptation to western diet, decreased outdoor activities and more indulgence in indoor computer and internet games and less exposure to sunlight, As such vitamin D deficiency has assumed a pandemic proportions and is a major public health problem. 4 It is essential not only for skeletal growth but is important for many extra skeletal functions also and the deficiency has been linked with high prevalence of osteoporosis, cancer, 5,6 autoimmune disorders, 7 diabetes and other metabolic syndromes. 8 In our previous studies we have found a high prevalence of http://jmscr.igmpublication.org/home/ ISSN (e)-2347-176x ISSN (p) 2455-0450 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i3.99


The three main obstacles to the use of Nb-Zr strip superconductor in magnets have been overcome in recent work with this material. These three problems are as follows: 1) Anisotropy of critical current with magnet field direction: Nb-Zr strip in its as rolled state displays extreme anisotropy with the peak critical current occurring when the field is parallel to the rolling plane, making it difficult to use in anything but long solenoids. This effect has been drastically reduced by certain annealing procedures so that the minimum critical current is about 50 percent of the peak value instead of less than one percent for as rolled strip. 2) Truncation of the anisotropy curves with wide strips: With strips in excess of 1 mm in width the peak of the anisotropy curve becomes progressively more truncated or chopped off as the width is increased. By stabilizing with a copper backing, however, truncation can be completely eliminated so that the strip can be used with equal effectiveness in any width. 3) Coil degradation effect: The failure of superconductors in general to operate at their short sample critical currents when wound into a magnet is well known. Strip Nb-Zr is no exception and is in fact, worse than wire. However, when stabilized with copper to eliminate truncation, the coil degradation is also eliminated provided sufficient cooling passages are provided to remove the Joule heating released by flux jumps and eddy currents. Two actual coils (12.7 cm ID, 1.25 Wb/m2, and 2.54 cm ID, 3 Wb/m2) constructed with this stabilized material operate at the short sample critical currents. These developments have made it possible to construct large magnets from Nb-Zr strip and predict their performance in advance from short sample data. The high critical currents afforded by operation at the short sample critical currents permit designs using only a fraction of the material necessary in unstabilized coils.


Is provided a method of nucleic acid amplification using an external control, this method confirms the absence or presence of a particular target sequence, as well as the correct primers and probes. External control polynucleotide single-stranded, is amplified with primers having the same sequence as the target primer. Sequences specific to the probe and target and external control polynucleotide having a detectable label, allowing detection and measurement. Primer and detectable probe, in the case of hybridization of complementary self-quenching probe for both the target and the external control polynucleotide, adjacent or substantially adjacent. Kit PCR reagents, using real-time measurement or end-point measurements, for quick and accurate nucleic acid amplification assays, may be dispensed into the container.


The 2020 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is the first long-range plan that not only identifies transportation management strategies but also analyzes alternative levels of strategy implementation. The development of the transportation management component was coordinated through the Transportation Control Measures Development Task Force. Transportation management project proposals were analyzed with the regional travel model and off-network methods as part of the scenario testing for the plan. The results indicated that a regional strategy to establish a comprehensive and coordinated transportation management program can significantly increase transit ridership, reduce automobile use, increase ridesharing, lower regional vehicle miles of travel (VMT), and reduce emissions as compared with conditions without these management strategies. A range of transportation management strategies was identified for inclusion in the RTP. Selection of 11 specific strategies was based on their applicability by the year 2020 and their contributions to achieving RTP goals and objectives. Transportation demand management, transportation system management, and intelligent transportation system applications were analyzed to quantify their effectiveness and to finalize the package of strategies for inclusion in the RTP. Trip making, VMT, and emission reductions were calculated for each of the 11 strategies to compare the impact with the cost of implementation. An overview of the strategy objectives and the methods used to calculate the performance impacts of each strategy is provided. Costs associated with different levels of implementation were estimated and project requirements identified. The final package of 11 transportation management strategies, implementation efforts, funding requirements, and the expected benefits of these strategies are also discussed. The 11 strategies resulting from this planning process make up the transportation management component of the 2020 RTP.


Rearrangement of triethyl-and tetrabutyl-ammonium salts in chloroform solution has been revealed from the characteristic features of the ν(N+H) bands caused by Fermi resonance interaction. Temperature changes of the i.r. spectra show this process to be reversible. Rearrangement constants K1 and K–1 and enthalpies –ΔH(for some cases only) of this process have been determined by measuring the total integrated intensities of the ν(N+H) bands of complexes which are in equilibrium. K1 values of the tetrabutylammonium salts increase with decreasing hydrogen bonding strength in triethylammonium salts. The measured enthalpies of rearrangement and those calculated from the ν(N+H) bands of hydrogen-bonded complexes studied are in agreement. It has also been shown that tetrabutylammonium salt anions can participate in the rearrangement of hydrogen-bonded ion pairs like the organic bases studied previously.


Gallium nitride (GaN) has attracted significant attention for applications in both optical devices and high-power electronic devices. In order to spread the use of GaN devices, fabrication of bulk GaN crystals is highly desired. In this study, we demonstrate our trials to obtain a high-quality bulk GaN wafer by a combination of HVPE and Na-flux method.


When station blackout occurs on high temperature gas-cooled reactor, the decay heat will be absorbed by a residual heat dissipation system (known as cooling tank) which connected to the reactor cavity cooling system. The U-shaped heat pipe as passive cooling system is proposed as new feature of technology to absorb the decay heat in the high temperature gas-cooled reactor cooling tank, and to keep the water remains in its operating temperature and level. This research objective is to know thermal resistance of U-shaped heat pipe scale model based on variation of heat load and coolant velocity. The influence of water temperature in the circulating thermostatic bath as heat load on evaporator section and air velocity which flowed into the horizontal condenser fin were investigated experimentally. The heat loads were varied at water temperature of 45, 50, and 60°C. The air velocities were varied at 0.45, 0.83, and 1.06 m/s. The experiment result showed the lowest thermal resistance of 0.000027±0.0000000593 °C/W when U-shaped heat pipe was operated at hot water temperature of 60°C and air velocity of 1.06 m/s. The investigation result can be used as a model and initial knowledge to design large scale of U-shaped heat pipe as a passive cooling system in cooling tanks connected to high temperature gas-cooled reactor cavity cooling system. This result is also useful regarding to the thermal management of passive cooling process in cooling tank and it can improve the nuclear safety and be able to overcome the thermal problems caused by station blackout in high temperature gas-cooled reactor.


Are cited in this communication list of some floras useful for identification of species from french Guiana Ga chek list of families and references to South American oras and e natiirlichen Planzenfamilien ».


It was shown by van Eeckelen (1) that the yellow color of colostrum was due to the high content of carotenoids but the mechanism has not been clari i ed. By estimating the vitamin A level of the blood both during pregnancy and in the puerperal period, it has been shown that the plasma A level drops rapidly in the last stages of pregnancy even when adequate nourishment is given the mother. It has thus been presumed that the decrease in vitamin A is due to storage in the body and the rapid rise following parturition is due to mobilization of vitamin A sparked by parturition. This view is however defective as these investigators have only studied vitamin A without regard to carotenoids. Large quantities of vitamin A are of cause required by the new-born child but the large quantity of carotenoids in colostrum is hardly attributable to vitamin A requirement. The assimilatory ability of the new-born is still immature; hence, there is no reason for supplying vitamin A in the form of provitamin A which is known to be poorly utilized. Pregnancy is always accompanied by a marked disturbance in liver function and the conversion from carotenoids to vitamin A is therefore assumed to be disturbed. On the other hand, carotenoids cannot be converted to vitamin A in the mammary glands as has been stated by McCollum and Simmonds (2). An attempt was made by the author to clarify the relationship between carotenoids and vitamin A by measuring the levels of carotenoids and vitamin A in the blood.


Our department has been researching the influences of changes in particle size distribution on the physical properties of luting agents. It is said that luting agents are largely affected by contact with water. In the present study, changes in the physical properties after contact with water at the time of cementation were determined in several types of glass-ionomer cement for Luting (Gcement), which differed in particle size distribution, by using an ivory or agar jig. The physical properties of G cement were also examined after pretreatment of the abutment tooth with a surfacetreatment agent and a temporary cement inside the ivory jig.As a result, the greater the content of fine particles was, the greater the compressive strenght, tensile strength and scratch hardness of G cement tended to be. G cement containing high proportions of fine particles was not likely to be affected by water. Pretreatment suchas temporary cementation or surface-treatment prior to cementation for crown or bridge formation was found to be effective for preventing deterioration of the physical properties of G cement.


The differential pressure fluctuation signals against to the horizontal flow direction were measured in gas-liquid two-phase flow,and then the spectral entropy was extracted from these signals.The results indicated that the spectral entropy was less affected by ambient pressure and sensitive to the flow pattern.By analyzing the rules of spectral entropy with the changes of gas phase velocity,the movement characteristic of gas-liquid two-phase flow was revealed deeply.It could serve as valuable references for precise identification of flow pattern.


A new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 named Omicron induced a swift increase in COVID-19 cases across the world. Omicron variant-associated cases had a substantial impact on people's mental health. A cross-sectional social media-based survey was conducted (13-December-2021 to 25-Dec-2021) after the first case of Omicron variant has been reported in Pakistan. A designed questionnaire was used to gather data. The first part of the questionnaire contained demographic characteristics and second section comprised seven questions regarding fear toward the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Statistical analysis was performed by Graph Pad Prism version VII and MS-Excel. A total of 375 people were engaged in this survey. About 98.9% of participants had heard about the Omicron variant. Social media was found as the enormous source of Omicron variant information. The fear score was collectively high about 84.5%. Partakers who belong to urban areas had a significantly high fear score than the people who live in rural areas. Participants aged 21 - 40 had remarkably greater fear scores than other ages especially among healthcare workers in comparison with non-healthcare workers. Females were found eminently on a high fear level as compared to men. On an educational basis, post-graduates partakers had significantly high fear scores than the other graduates and high school/diploma holder participants. The current study provides a compact screening of the fear among the people of south Punjab Pakistan towards the Omicron variant of COVID-19. There is a need for development of strategies to overcome the fear by imparting new policies and awareness programs.


This paper proposes a model predictive control (MPC) scheme for the battery thermal management system (BTMS) of a given plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, namely the Toyota Plug-in Prius. As temperature plays a key-role in battery life and performance, BTMS design has become a critical problem in all of the battery-based technologies. Although BTMS control design in its basic form can be well represented by a reference tracking problem, there exists only little research in the literature addressing this important control problem. Due to the importance of a prediction component in thermal systems, the idea in this paper is to design a concrete BTMS controller using the nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) theory and examine its applicability to fill this gap. The promising simulation results indicate the prosperity of the proposed BTMS control methodology and thus pave the way for use of the model-based thermal management techniques in a wide range of upcoming battery-based devices.


Running the army strictly in accordance with the law is the model with the age of insight, which is adapt to the background of transformation period at present stage in China. Military executive power as an important part of military authority is critical point to achieve the goal of running the army strictly in accordance with the law. Military administrative relief system is an important guarantee for achieving military interests, to effectively check and balance the military expansion of executive power, raising the level of consciousness governed by law of the military administration.Various deficiencies existing in military administrative relief system in China, the perfect military administrative relief system is the important guarantee to realize military administrative power under the rule of law, and is also the institutional premise of implementation in accordance with the law.


PURPOSE
To compare the marginal discrepancy between milled interim crowns fabricated using intraoral digital scans acquired at different scanning distances.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Ten acrylic typodont teeth were prepared for interim crowns. Three different resin frames of 2.5-mm, 5-mm, and 7.5-mm heights were fabricated and attached to an intraoral scanner (Omnicam). Three groups were created based on the different scanning distances tested: 2.5 mm (Group A), 5 mm (Group B) and 7.5 mm (Group C). Intraoral digital scans were performed on four tooth surfaces: mesial, distal, buccal, and lingual (n = 10). Each experimental scan was used to design and fabricate a milled polymethylmethacrylate anatomically contoured crown. Vinyl polyether silicone was used three times to assess the marginal discrepancy of the specimens by measuring five marginal points on digital photographs. One-way analysis of variance test was used to analyze the data, followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference test (α = 0.05).

RESULTS
The mean marginal discrepancy values in Group C were significantly higher than those in Groups A (P ≤ 0.000) and B (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference between Groups A and B (P = 0.702). There were no significant differences among the four surfaces in any of the scanning distance groups (P1 = 0.583, P2 = 0.390, and P3 = 0.135; P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
The interim crowns fabricated with a scanning distance of 7.5 mm showed the greatest marginal discrepancy when compared with crowns fabricated using 2.5-mm and 5-mm scanning distances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


This approach paper defines the objectives, scope, and methodology for the evaluation of IDB Invest by the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE). At the 2015 annual meeting in Busan, the Boards of Governors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) decided to consolidate the IDB Group's private sector operations into the IIC. This decision was accompanied by a US$2.03 billion capital increase for the IIC over a 10-year period (2016-2025). This process of consolidation and capitalization, known as the private sector merge-out, took effect on 1 January 2016. In 2017, OVE completed a midterm review of implementation of the private sector merge-out to identify emerging lessons that might be helpful in completing the merge-out. In November 2017, the IIC was rebranded as IDB Invest. At the request of the Boards of Executive Directors of the IDB and IDB Invest, this evaluation was included in OVE's 2021-2022 work program. The Busan Resolution set forth a "Renewed Vision" for promoting development through the private sector. This Renewed Vision provides a long-term framework (2016-2025) for IDB Invest and focuses on strengthening development effectiveness, development impact, and additionality of operations, as well as maximizing the efficient use of resources and synergies between the IDB Group's public and private sector activities. The merge-out was selected as the way to implement this Renewed Vision. The challenges posed by the COVID-19 health crisis, as well as current discussions on the need to pursue a new business model for the institution and its financial and operational implications, make this an ideal moment to take stock of lessons learned and provide input for future discussions at the corporate level. Against this backdrop, this evaluation seeks to report independently to the Boards of Executive Directors of the IDB and IDB Invest on the effectiveness of the implementation to date of the Renewed Vision that gave rise to the creation of IDB Invest. This evaluation will also use the findings of OVE's 2017 midterm review of implementation of the merge-out to further analyze areas that had not yet matured at that time (e.g., finance, operations management, development effectiveness, etc.). The evaluation will cover the period from January 2016 (when the merge-out took effect) to December 2021.


While emotion has long been considered in functional and anthropological linguistics (Sapir 1921; Hymes 1972), affect and emotion has received relatively little attention in the Second Language Acquisition (SLA) literature. As Garrett and Young (2009) point out: "affect and emotion are terms that have been in the shadows of discussions of classroom foreign language learning, where the primary focus has been on the development of knowledge and use of the new language" (209). A consequence of this shadowy existence is that the role of affect and emotion in SLA is probably the least understood (Scovel 1978). Writers of handbooks of SLA devote only minimal attention to affect and motivation. Gass and Selinker (2008) discuss motivation in a portion of one chapter (out of a total of 14). Interest in affect has been greater among applied linguists working on second language teaching. In the preface to her edited book on the topic, Arnold (1999) notes that her contributors do not claim that


Pedagogical conversational agents (CA) support formal and informal learning to help students achieve better learning outcomes by providing information, guidance or fostering reflections. Even though the extant literature suggests that pedagogical CAs can improve learning outcomes, there exists little empirical evidence of what design features drive this effect. This study reports on an exploratory field experiment involving 31 pupils in commercial high schools and finds that students achieved better learning outcomes when preparing for their tests with a pedagogical CA than without. However, the drivers of this effect remain unclear. Neither the use frequency of the design features nor the pupils' expectations towards the CA could explain the improvement in marks. However, for the subjective perception of learning achievement, pupils' expectations was a significant predictor. These findings provide support for the use of pedagogical CAs in teaching but also highlight that the drivers of better learning outcomes still remain unknown.


Solar radiation is the primary source of energy for forest ecosystem.To explore the influence of subtropical evergreen forest on the distribution of solar radiation,a comparative study was made on the variation patterns of solar radiation above the forest canopy and open area in Ailao Mountains,based on the observation data of solar radiation from the Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Station in Ailao Mountains.There existed differences in the annual variation of solar radiation above the forest canopy and open area due to the seasonal variation of vegetation.The ratio of effective radiation to global radiation and the albedo above the canopy was lower than that above the open area,but the ratio of net radiation to global radiation was in adverse,due to the influence of the canopy.Compared with those in other areas of China,the ratio of net radiation to global radiation above the forest canopy in Ailao Mountains was higher,while the albedo was lower.The glboal radiation in the Mountains was averagely 207.7 MJ·m-2 and 357.5 MJ·m-2 higher than that in the Dinghu Mountains and Heshan Mountains with the similar altitude and vegetation type as Ailao Mountains,respectively,suggesting that high global radiation looked very important for the subtropical evergreen forests at the altitude above 2200 m and under temperate cool moist condition.


Abstract The late-nineteenth century in India, usually scrutinized for the emergence of anti-colonial nationalist thought and politics, witnessed broader, and potentially more radical changes in the making and re-making of political subjectivities as articulated within burgeoning vernacular public spheres. Vernacular publics coalesced around the emergence of new communicative forms, the formation of voluntary and political associations, and the restructuring of literary communities. It is within this context I place the writings of Gidugu Venkata Ramamurti (1863–1940). He proclaimed at the turn of the twentieth century that Telugu as a language had to be reformed in order for it to become an appropriate medium for the newly emergent Telugu public spheres. Through his study of linguistics, his commitment to educational reform, and his study of Telugu language and literature, Ramamurti became the spokesperson for a new Telugu that would be able to traverse the boundaries of modern genres of writing that flourished in the colonial era. Fully immersed in linguistic theories of the day, Ramamurti's concerns were primarily with language reform and its centrality in the remaking of political subjectivities. 'In this era there is an important challenge facing us. There is no Telugu word for 'challenge,' nevertheless, the word, 'dhikaaramu' or defiance, comes close. For that reason, I am calling this era, 'dhikaara yugamu,' the age of defiance. In the past, society was divided between free people and the enslaved. Soon, the enslaved defied the power of the free and freed themselves. In the past, women were not allowed to be educated nor were they allowed to work. Now they are asking themselves why they were not considered more productive in society? These days, women are performing all kinds of work. . . .Until recently, in most countries the wealthy held power. And now the poor are challenging the power of the rich'.1


In recent years, issues of culture paid much attention. Moreover, at the highest level emphasizes the importance of a strategic resource in the cultural context of the innovation economy. Unfortunately, we must note that, despite such statements, the government has put a priority the development of other areas, which led to a deterioration in the financing of culture. Thus, in the early nineties, organizations in the cultural field were on full state support, but now the funding from the state in the percentage decrease in the number of times. In connection with this urgent problem is to look for alternative sources of funding, fundraising.


Needle-embedding therapy is characterized by shallow puncture and long retention of needle, which can reduce the pain during acupuncture and prolong the time of acupuncture effect to improve the effect, especially suitable for perioperative patients. The study shows that the clinical application of needle-embedding therapy has the effects of sedation, analgesia, reducing stress response, protecting gastrointestinal function and promoting postoperative recovery. The paper shows the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment in the field of rapid recovery during perioperative period and provides a new method for perioperative patients.

Key words:
Acupuncture; Needle-embedding therapy; Perioperative period; Rapid recovery; Review


On the basis of interactive forces between caffeine and n-electron systems in aromatic hydrocarbons and in polyacetylenes a method has been developed, by which a better separation occurs when 10 per cent caffeine is added to silicagel than on silicagel alone. Furthermore, the interaction between the caffeine and the n-electron systems means that less destruction occurs compared to silicagel layers without caffeine.


O! Pioneers is one of Willa Cather's most characteristic works,from which we can see how Cather's own religious belief influences her view on her heroes and their fate as well.Cather also applies some commandments and allusions in Bible to the novel,which enriches the content of the novel.Comparing two different types of love——one is between Alexandra and Carl;and the other,Marie and Emil——the author of this dissertation believes that Cather has not only doubted some religious doctrine but expected to reform them as well.


Objective:To evaluate the imaging features and diagnostic value of chondroblastoma.Methods:24 patients with histology confirmed chondroblastoma and prior imaging by the varity imaging examinations were seen.24 patients received plain radiography.20 patients were performed by CT and 12 patients were performed by MRI.Results:All of 24 cases,the X-ray manifestations were bone destruction(22) and sclerosis ring around it(15),and stripe or spotty calcification(14).CT showed clearly bone destruction and sclerosis ring in 20 cases,and obvious stripe or spotty calcification(18);periosteal reaction (5) and swelling of soft tissue(9) were found.MRI showed clearly long T1 and long short mixed T2 signal intensity on 12 cases,clearly bone marrow edema(5) and periosteal reaction(3) were demonstrated.Synovitis occurred in 4 patient.Conclusion:The imaging features of chondroblastoma are of certain characterstic and the correct diagnosis can be made with X-ray in combination with CT and MRI.


A federal district court injunction in Illinois will reverberate beyond the Land of Lincoln by reaffiriming policy and law for local phone competition in the USA. Chief District Judge Charles P. Kocoras reminded legislators, regulators and telecommunications executives that state regulators are to employ federal telecommunications law and policy, specifically total element long run incremental pricing (TELRIC) for unbundled network elements (UNE‐s), to administer markets for local telephone services. The genius of the decision resides in its fidelity to sedulous implementation of telecommunications statute and precedents, and by so doing, in sustaining public policy that enhances consumer welfare, stimulates investment and spurs innovation.


In order to alleviate the issues of high costs, sophisticated circuit structures and limited applicability of traditional chip-less sensors, this paper innovatively designed a chip-less sensor based on the SRR combining sensitive materials with alumina ceramics as the substrate. HFSS can be utilized to simulate, examine how each antenna structural parameter affects the antenna's resonant properties, and decide on the ultimate size of the antenna. The working frequency of the resonator is 8.22 GHz - 8.58 GHz. According to the temperature-sensitive characteristics of alumina ceramics, the dielectric constant increases monotonically, with increasing temperature, which is used to mimic the change of external temperature. Through simulation, the resonant frequency of the sensor monotonically decreases from 8.58 GHz to 8.22 GHz with an offset of 0.36 GHz and a sensitivity of 0.9 MHz / °C for a change from 500 °C and 900 °C. The chip - less passive passive sensor designed in this paper has good resonance characteristics and achieves a wireless, passive, planar structure with high-cost performance and is suitable for various harsh environments.


ABSTRACT This article provides a critical analysis of conventional and Marxist theories of imperialism. The article then looks at the globalization of capital and imperialism in the twenty-first century and explores the relationship between these two phenomena and examines the forces behind modern imperialism, class struggle, and revolution for the transformation of capitalist imperialism in the twenty-first century with all its political implications. It argues that contemporary capitalist imperialism and its inherent contradictions are going to set the stage for the rise of a global working class movement that will lead to the transformation of capitalist imperialism through a worldwide proletarian revolution in the twenty-first century. Thus, the article concludes by articulating the superiority of Marxist theories of imperialism as against their liberal and critical counterparts in predicting the future course of development of capitalism and the challenges that it will face by an organized international working class movement that is destined to rise up against the capitalist-imperialist system and replace it with socialism in the not too distant future.


Protein-tyrosine kinase 2-beta (1009 aa, ~116 kDa) is encoded by the human PTK2B gene. This protein plays a role in tyrosine phosphorylation, signal transduction and the regulation of many cellular processes including apoptosis, cell migration, cell proliferation and cell adhesion.


Comparison of dust-retention capabilities of 11 green plants grew on 7main roads in Shijiazhuang was made.A correlation formula for the amount of total dust-retention per leaf of green plants corresponds with dust-retention time that was constructed.The factors that dust-retention time,the leaf surface micro morphology,leaf traits,the height between leaves and the ground,and the condition of roads were analyzed,to find out the difference of dust-retention capacities of the green plants.The results showed that Ligustrum vicaryi and Buxus megistophylla had the highest dust-retention capabilities with the record above 4.0 g/m2;Kerria japonica,Malus spectabilis Borkh,Jasminum nudiflorum Lindl and Prunus cerasifera were in the middle,with the record 2.0g/m2 to 4.0g/m2;Populus tomentosa,ligustrum lucidum Ait and Syringa oblatavar.albagave a lower result 1.0g/m2 to 1.5g/m2;Aesculus chinensis Bunge and Rosa chinensis showed the lowest dust-retention capabilities with the record 0.996g/m2 and 0.730g/m2.Two independent samples T-test gave the conclusion that the traffic situation of urban roads and the surrounding environment could significantly influence green plants' dust-retention capabilities.


A near field RF communicator comprises an inductive coupler (50, fig.2) for coupling to an RF H-field to provide an RF voltage signal; the communicator also comprises a clock signal deriver (63, fig3a) which receives the RF signal and provides an initial clock signal to a controllable delay line 226. The controllable delay line 226 provides an accurately known delay of one quarter of a cycle of the RF carrier frequency. This allows improved peak detection by the demodulator (54, fig.2). The delay circuit further includes an edge detector 220 coupled to the delay line 226 to detect edges of the clock signal within the line 226. Phase matching logic 210 (& fig.5) controls the delay line 226 in a manner responsive to the phase of the delayed clock from the delay line 226 relative to the initial clock signal 228. The phase matching logic is further responsive to the detection of an edge within the delay 226 by the edge detector 220. The invention provides high accuracy regulation and demodulation so that the maximum available power and modulation signal is derived from the received RF signal.


In this paper I offer three main challenges to James (2011). All three turn on the nature of philosophy and secure knowledge in Spinoza. First, I criticize James's account of the epistemic role that experience plays in securing adequate ideas for Spinoza. In doing so I criticize her treatment of what is known as the 'conatus doctrine' in Spinoza in order to challenge her picture of the relationship between true religion and philosophy. Second, this leads me into a criticism of her account of the nature of philosophy in Spinoza. I argue it is less piecemeal and less akin to what we would recognize as 'science' than she suggests. Third, I argue against James's core commitment that Spinoza's three kinds of knowledge differ in degree; I claim they differ in kind. My argument will offer a new interpretation of Spinoza's conception of 'common notions'. Moreover, I argue that Spinozistic adequate knowledge involves something akin to angelic disembodiment.


We present on-going work on XSpeed, a tool for parallel state space exploration of continuous systems with linear dynamics and non-deterministic inputs. XSpeed exploits the computational power of multi-core architectures to speed up reachability analysis. A parallel exploration algorithm with multiple initial sets in partitions of the time horizon has been proposed and implemented in XSpeed. A parallel implementation of a reachability algorithm using support functions as symbolic states is also provided. Performance of XSpeed is compared with an optimized implementation of the support function algorithm and with SpaceEx (LGG scenario), a scalable tool for hybrid systems with linear dynamics. Experiments on Intel core i7-4770 having 4 physical cores and 8 threads of execution show that XSpeed achieves a speed up of 5 times when compared to SpaceEx over a 28 dimensional Helicopter model. We could also show computation of precise reachable states with our parallel exploration algorithm in comparison to the support function algorithm.


To tailor the farming environment to a fish species, we should understand the species-specific responses to stimuli, including the degree of adaption and learning. Groups of gilthead sea bream were given a delay Pavlovian conditioning regime using a conditioning stimulus (CS) of light flashes signalling arrival of food. Controls were exposed to light flashes unrelated to feeding. Fish in both treatments showed an initial fear response of moving away from the CS combined with reduced swimming speed. In subsequent trials, the Control fish largely habituated the fleeing response but sustained to respond by reducing the swimming speed. The Conditioning fish also stopped to escape from the CS, but opposed to the Control group they gradually increased their swimming speed in response to the CS. In addition, the number of fish in the feeding/CS area increased and became similar to basal level after around 16 trials. A small and variable proportion of the fish displayed black vertical bands on their body and territorial behaviour, and a social hierarchy could interfere with the processes of habituation and conditioning. The swimming speed of the fish increased with number of dark individuals, but this was not found during the CS and the light stimulus thus seemed to overrule the effect of territorial behaviour. The persistent negative response to light flashes in the Control suggests that fish seemingly adapted to repetitive stressors are still in a state of alertness. The change in the response to light shows the potential for rewarding aversive stimuli to reduce stress.


Now a days, the demand for multimedia data services has grown up rapidly. One of the most promising multi-carrier system,Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is basis for all 4G wireless communication systems due to its large capacity to allow the number of subcarriers, high data rate and ubiquitous coverage with high mobility. OFDM is significantly affected by peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR).The Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) Spreading is one of the scheme to reduce the PAPR Problem in OFDM system. This paper presents the DFT spreading technique to reduce the PAPR problem. The PAPR reduction capability of this technique is demonstrated by presenting simulation results of PAPR.


The characteristics and structure of the titled copolymer are presented and discussed in the present paper.The copolymer is characterized by IR and 1H NMR.The copolymer is a product of high alternation.The content of meleic anhydride is 47% in the copolymer.The copolymerization can be realized in solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbon and alkane.The yield is higher in aromatic hydrocarbon than that in the others.The suitable Al/Fe molar ratio is 2~6.The suitable Fe/ α,α′ dipyridyl molar ratio is 1.From kinetic studies the activation energy of copolymerization is evaluated to be 89 6 kJ/mol.


: Nitrided ferrochromium is a common alloy for alloying chromium and nitrogen in liqurid steel during the course of steelmaking. In our tests nitrided samples are metallographically examined and analyzed with the help of electron probe apart from microhardness measurement.Tests show that during the nitriding nitride Cr2N is first formed in the alloy,that as the nitride in the case is formed unceasingly the nitrogen content will increase steadily and Cr2N will transforms into CrN,that nitrogen content will decrease from surface to inside and that the hardness of the nitride is higher than the alloy matrix.


The idea of the freedom of conscience as an outcome of the long history of religious conflicts in Europe emerged in XVII–XVIII centuries as protection of minority ('dissident') religious beliefs, which for various reasons stood outside the mainstream Christian confessions and established churches. Since then, it is widely acknowledged that the freedom of conscience as the preserve of individual belief both framed by and independent of theological standards is the core of the human rights and civil liberty. For many centuries, Christianity was quite intolerant towards deviations of the mainstream dogmas; the deviations were considered heretical and severely punished. When Christianity became official religion of the Roman Empire, "religious freedom was replaced by religious oppression as enemies of the Church and enemies of the State became more of less interchangeable. Moreover, since many 'enemies of the State' were also Christian, this resulted in wars which pitted believers against believers". (Evans, 1997, p. 2) Similar developments arose in non-Christian societies outside Europe, albeit to a different degree: for example, in Muslim lands, the dominant religious forces imposed various limitations on minority religions, although in general, intolerance of other religions was not as extreme as in Europe. The common development in the medieval period of the European history was the unity of the state central authority and the dominant religion, which was aimed at the prevention of practicing of other religious beliefs. It was almost impossible to view conscience outside a theological framework: "The result was that while the minority approach towards religious belief might have differed from the majority, thereby raising an issue of conscience, a similar oppressive outcome resulted when, or if, the minority assumed power" (Hammer, 2018, p. 12). The Reformation generally recognized the individual conscience, but only in the framework of the word of God. Nevertheless, the idea of the personal


For the monitoring of rice, which is one of the major crops consumed worldwide, remote sensing is becoming popular technology, eliminating time consuming, expensive and complex field surveys. In rice monitoring, Leaf Area Index (LAI) is one of the most important biophysical attributes that characterizes the phenological growth stage, yield and health conditions. In this context, its monitoring with remote sensing tools is of great interest and has been studied extensively. In this work, LAI estimation of paddy rice fields located in northeast Turkey was analyzed using optical and radar sensors, specifically Landsat 8 OLI-derived NDVI, radar polarized backscattering values from TerraSAR-X (HH, VV) and Sentinel-1 (HV, VV). The area chosen for the study was one of the largest rice cropping areas in Turkey. In this region, the agricultural fields are owner dependent, i.e., there are time shifts between seeding days among neighboring fields. The topography is flat, and the sowing method is broadcasting, implying random seeding instead of regular straight-row seeding (Erten et al., 2015). The single season rice cultivation cycle occurs from late May to early October. A total of 8 paddy rice fields were selected from this agricultural land. An overview of the selected fields is shown in Figure 1. A detailed field survey was conducted at 4 independent points per field on August 28, 2015, and also when the crops had reached the reproductive stage. LAI, vegetation height and fraction of photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) were obtained by hemispherical photographs acquired at nadir with a CI-110 Plant Canopy Analyzer.


Plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) can be oxidized in vitro and in vivo as can low density lipoprotein (LDL), which causes many changes in HDL properties, such as peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine, apolipoprotien aggregation or degradation. HDL oxidative modification in vivo might be induced by arterial endothelial cells, macrophages and blood polymorphonuclears, monocytes. Ox-HDL might metabolize through scavenger receptors but not normal HDL receptors. Ox-HDL has many atherogenic roles. Vitamin E, C supplementation can inhibit HDL oxidation and may prevent the atherosclerosis.


Food quality and competitive system The changes in the competitive scenario which agribusiness companies must deal with have determined the transition to an economic model in which the territory assumes an increasingly more important role. The objective of this work is to contribute to the broad debate on sustainable competitive development in a local key, to understand what could be the possible repositioning strategies for the agribusiness sector. This study, starting with the traditional determinants that, according to Porter, differentiate the competitive advantage of a country/territory system, aims to identify "particular" variables which will allow the focalization on a "sustainable" competitiveness in a territory. Furthermore, given the centrality of agribusiness in a strategy of competitive sustainable development, the most significant elements that characterize the baseline scenario are presented and possible strategic options for the sector are analyzed. Finally, a possible strategy is proposed for the overall development of agribusiness to enable this sector to contribute to a sustainable competitive development orientated on a "quality of system" approach.


This paper describes the mathematical formulation, the numerical solution, and the validation of a linear refraction-diffraction model for steep bathymetry. The model involves two coupled governing equations derived from, respectively, the exact seabed boundary condition and the Laplace equation. It reduces to the extended and the original mild-slope model, when the seabed slope is small. Although the present approach is based on depth-integration of flow characteristics, it correctly accounts for the vertical component of the seabed fluid velocity. The formulation is based on the weighted-residual method, and the hybrid element solution is derived from a Galerkin approach. The capability of the present model to simulate flow velocity and wave amplitude over three-dimensional bedforms is examined in a parametric study. The computed results are compared with the original and extended mild-slope solutions and verified with those of a three-dimensional wave model. The present depth-integrated model has the same data requirements as other two-dimensional models, but provides accurate three-dimensional results with only a fraction of the CPU time that would be required by a three-dimensional model.


The article deals with the management of high-tech engineering enterprises in the context of digitalization. The relevance of the topic of the article is due to the fact that the use of automated control systems is a fairly powerful tool with which planning, management, accounting, optimization of the production process takes place and, as a result, production efficiency increases significantly. The authors pay attention to the automated process control system, ERP system and PLM system. The goals and objectives of the management of engineering enterprises are disclosed. In conclusion, blocks are proposed for which it is necessary to assess the current level of digitalization, as well as the principles of introducing digital technologies in the development of new products.


This research presents a flexible, low cost ferroelectret integrated into a piece of ordinary textile. The textile ferroelectret is made of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane)-ZnO (Zinc oxide) nanoparticle mixture that spin cast on both side of a textile. The PDMS-ZnO textile ferroelectret achieved 55% piezoelectric coefficient d33 remaining, compared with 35% of pure PDMS textile ferroelectret. The measured piezoelectric coefficient d33 of the PDMS-ZnO textile ferroelectret is maintained at 220 pC/N after two weeks.


This book was written across a period of intense turmoil and change in higher education in Australia and England. We are deeply unsettled by these changes and wish to open up the discussion about what it means to be an academic and engage in academic work in the 21st century. Accordingly, each of the authors has nominated a theme or lens through which to examine the changes, tensions and uncertainties that have erupted in higher education. Thus, we offer this book as a constellation of ideas that traverse a number of aspects of our work and identities as academics. The overlap between these ideas is deliberate so that the multiple and complex challenges that underpin the higher education landscape can be examined.


The crystal orientation of an exfoliated black phosphorous flake is determined by purely electrical means. A sequence of three resistance measurements on an arbitrarily shaped flake with five contacts determines the three independent components of the anisotropic in-plane resistivity tensor, thereby revealing the crystal axes. The resistivity anisotropy ratio decreases linearly with increasing temperature T and carrier density reaching a maximum ratio of 3.0 at low temperatures and densities, while mobility indicates impurity scattering at low T and acoustic phonon scattering at high T.


A new type of edge-detecting filter is presented, based on a new type of image convolution in which colour images are convolved with a pair of quaternion-valued (hypercomplex) masks. When applied to a colour image, the new filter converts areas of smoothly-varying colour to shades of grey, and generates colours in regions where colour (but not intensity) edges occur in the image. The result may be easily thresholded for chromaticity to produce an edge image exhibiting colour only where the original image exhibited a sharp change of colour.


The inFlow's pivotal study (conducted under IDE G970029) was limited to women with a urodynamically confirmed diagnosis of atonic bladder. (Atonic bladder was the term commonly used to describe impaired detrusor contractility or IDC at the time the study was conducted and so will be used in this document.) This document reviews the following topics related to IDC/atonic bladder: 1) the lack of standardized terminology, 2) causes and medical consequences and 3) current treatment options and their limitations.


From the Book:
Preface: "When we think about the future of the world, we always have in mind its being at the place where it would be if it continued to move as we see it moving now. We do not realize that it moves not in a straight line, but in a curve, and that its direction is changing constantly."
-Ludwig Wittgenstein

Writing this book was a tremendous challenge. The potential topics of CCIE certification are vast, ever expanding and ever changing. In order to cover the wide range of topics covered in this book, assistance from several associates in the Cisco community was required. In particular, I would like to thank Valeriy Pavlichenko (CCIE) for providing technical editing services. Valeriy is one of the most disiplined and systematic internetworking engineers in the business. Without his feedback, much of the work of this book would not have been done. Secondly, special thanks must be given to Brent Baccala, the editor of the Internet Encyclopedia at. Brent provided key contributions to Chapters Nine, Eleven and Fourteen. Brent Baccala is blessed with a tremendous combination of brilliant technical insight and strong writing skills. Brent's ability to explain highly technical topics clearly has been tremendous inspiration to me. Finally, special thanks must be given to fellow Cisco Certified Instructor and CCIE Rajah Chowbay. Rajah assisted in drafting Chapter Seven of this book as well as provided tremendous influence in the structure in each and every chapter of this book.

Thanks must also be given to Mr. Albert Spaulding and his company ARS, Ltd. (Alexandria, Virginia) for providing the time and resources to write this book. Thank you Mr Spaulding andARS!

Specific contributions to the book came from the following associates:

Paul Bourghese (CCIE and Certified Cisco Instructor) for developing Chapter Twenty-Four. James Park (CCIE and Certified Cisco Instructor) for editing Chapters Sixteen, Seventeen and Twenty-Five. Fred Ingham (CCIE and Certified Cisco Instructor) for editing Chapters Twenty-One as well as Chapters Twenty-Three through Twenty-Nine. Summantra Roy (CCIE) for reviewing Chapter Twenty-One. Guillermo The Marine!! Rastelli for providing graphics and logistics support.
All ARS Bridges, Routers and Switches for CCIEs students. ARS BRS students are the best and brightest students in the internetworking industry! Remember my students, "Can you spot the issue?"

Writing this book also required extensive support of friends and family. Special thanks goes out to my mother, my brothers and sisters, my dear friends Spottie, the Constable of France and the Schwarz Graf. Finally, I must thank my wife Lania and two daughters Andreina and Gabriela for their love and support during the long lonely months of writing this book.

For further information on topics covered in this book.


: Introduction: This study was undertaken to improve patient adherence to lipid tests. More numbers of laboratories are now performing these tests without the need for a 12 h fast at random times during the day. Methods: The study consisted of 51 volunteers and venous blood was collected in a 12 h fast and after a meal the next day. The volunteer then comes back to the laboratory for blood collection 2, 3 and 4 h after having usual breakfast. The following tests: cholesterol, triglycerides, C-LDL, C-HDL and VLDL with the Enzyme/Colorimetric method on Beckman-Coulter®AU5800 equipment and Beckman-Coulter reagent will be performed. In addition to the dosage, C-LDL was calculated by Fried Ewald Equation. Results: It was observed that there was no significant difference for the parameters of TC and C-HDL as compared in the fasting lipid profile versus 2, 3 and 4 h after the meal, and for the calculated C-LDL, with average TC (p=0.237), C-HDL (p=0.130) and for C-LDL (p=0.089). However, for the dosed C-LDL, TG and VLDL showed significant differences with the respective mean concentrations and standard deviation for each hour after 2 h C-LDL (112.1 ± 33.6 mg/dL, p=0.008), 3 h (111.7 ± 35.0 mg/dL, p=0.019) and 4 h (115.0 ± 34.9 mg/dL, p=0.017) for TG 2 h (156.0 ± 86.4 mg/dL, p=0.000), 3 h (148.5 ± 92.0 mg/dL, p=0.000) and 4 h (143.4 ± 93.0 mg/dL, p=0.000) and for VLDL calculated: 2, 3 and 4 h (35.9 ± 53.5 mg/dL, p=0.000, 35.2 ± 53.6 mg/dL, p=0.001, and 34.0 ± 53.6 mg/dL, p=0.000). Conclusion: Our data confirmed that the meal did not influence the TC, C-HDL and C-LDL calculate data, but for TG, VLDL and C-LDL doses a significant difference was observed at post-meal concentrations. Analyzing our data, we observed that the best blood collection time could be between 2 and 3 h after the meal, where the degree of lipemia would have less influence in most individuals.


The problem of how best to help an athlete to achieve his maximum output is not a new one, considering that even in ancient times special diets and herbs were prescribed by specialists in athletic training and massage. Moreover, the ingenuous search for a magic philtre, that can transform a man into a hero, is a myth deeply ingrained in the human spirit, and it can only be dispelled by persuasion founded on scientific evidence. Thus the only solution to the problem of doping, which is a matter of such concern to team managers and physicians, is to explain to the athletes the damage that such a practice does to their physique through an uncontrolled expenditure of energy, and to their morale by engendering an inferiority complex. An enormous range of drugs, substances and methods have so far been used in order to push to the utmost the physical capacity of an athlete in a particular performance, from coca leaves to vitamins, coffee, cardiotonics, symphato-mimetics, phosphoric com-


The methyl ester of β,β-dibromo-N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)dehydroalanine was synthesized by treating the methyl ester of N,N-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)dehydroalanine with trifluoroacetic acid, N-bromosuccinimide and triethylamine. This compound was then used in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions with several (benzo[b]thienyl)boronic acids to give the corresponding β,β-bis(benzo[b]thienyl)dehydroalanine derivatives in good to high yields (55−90 %). After several experiments, the best conditions were shown to be: (benzo[b]thienyl)boronic acid (5 equiv.), [Pd(PPh)2Cl2] (20 mol %), Na2CO3 (4 equiv.) in DME/H2O (10:1). The Suzuki cross-coupling products were treated with Pd(OAc)2 and Cu(OAc)2 in DMF at 160 °C to give the (benzo[b]thienyl)pyrroles in moderate to good yields (25−62 %). Other attempts were carried out using only Cu(OAc)2, the thienylpyrroles being, in some cases, isolated in lower yields. Preliminary fluorescence studies show that the (benzo[b]thienyl)pyrroles can be used as biomarkers. All of these compounds are non-proteinogenic amino acids that can have biological activity or can be used in conformational studies in order to establish structure-activity relationships. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2003)


The reduced display size of handheld mobile devices imposes severe usability and visualization problems. Adaptation to specific usage context is a key feature to overcome usability and display limitations on mobile devices. I intend to explore adaptive mobile visualization and develop a framework that can efficiently manage the adaptation methods used in the adaptation objects, according to the different contexts dimensions present.


For as long as there have been people there has been migration. People have always sought to improve their lot. Many people have done so willingly whilst others have believed there to be little option for them but to relocate in order to avoid violence, terror or economic dysfunction. It is said that for those living in Somalia, Egypt looks pretty good. For those living in Egypt, Greece looks pretty good. For those living in Greece, Belgium looks pretty good and for those living in Belgium, Canada looks pretty good. The process of globalisation has facilitated, increased and sustained the significant movement of populations. Although this thought process is not universal it is clear that for some the grass will always be greener elsewhere. This fact constitutes a significant political challenge for most countries which are required both to ensure sufficient immigration to provide succour to the national economy but also to ensure that sovereignty is maintained over such movement. The IOM (2005) has argued, for example, that Central Asia, whilst not a recognised trafficking ̳hot spot', is seeing huge irregular flows of people within the region and out of it. It notes (IOM 2005) that ̳[t]he limited access to transparent and efficient visa and recruitment services means that the majority of these movements are irregular, and a proportion involve trafficking. Both the scale of movements and the limited capacity in the region to assist and manage migration heightens potentials for exploitation'. It is important to note, however, that this paper concentrates upon trafficking of persons rather than smuggling of persons. In the case of the former a person may be forced to relocate and/or be recruited to work overseas but misled as to the nature of (the usually exploitative) work they initially undertook to perform. In the case of the latter a person pays simply to be relocated to another country, is fully complicit in the process and is rarely, if ever, exploited by those who facilitated his/her relocation once s/he is in situ.


Aim To assess compliance of our paediatric department with internationally recommended standards for the assessment and management of egg allergy. Methods Written records of all egg challenges performed in a paediatric assessment unit were collected from 2013–2018. We divided reactive symptoms into three categories; GI, respiratory (mild wheeze) and mucocutaneous involvement. We compared the reactions in children with pre-existing risk factors to those without. The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) recommends that children with mild egg reactions have incremental forms of egg at home. They recommend in-hospital food challenges are reserved for children with co-existing asthma or previous anaphylaxis. We compared our practice with their 2010 egg allergy management guidelines. Results There were 161 challenges over five years. 92% of those challenged passed (n=149). 27.9% (n=45) had no reaction. 42 charts were available for more detailed assessment. In the charts reviewed 47% (n=20) had asthma and 57% (n=24) had previous history of anaphylaxis. Of those with asthma, 73.6% (n=14) passed the challenge and 26% (n=5) failed and developed anaphylactic symptoms. The median age of those who failed in this asthma cohort was 9.4yrs and 10.7yrs in those that passed. One patient developed all three symptoms, and 9 developed two symptoms. In the non-asthma cohort (n=22) two patients developed all three, 11 had two symptoms, six patients had one symptom. Of the 24 children with an anaphylaxis history 79% (n=19) passed the challenge and 20.8% (n=5) failed - all of whom also had asthma. Older patients were more likely to pass – median age 11 vs 9.7yrs. Conclusion The natural course of egg allergy is to diminish with age. This combined with the BSACI recommendation that clinical diagnosis is sufficient for most children who are not high-risk, removes the need for in-hospital food challenges. Our results show older children were more likely to pass reinforcing the predictability of the natural history. We also showed that even in the 'at risk' group a high percentage were passing and their reactions weren't significantly worse than those without asthma. We currently do not implement BSACI guidelines. This is expensive and may preclude true high-risk candidates from specialist assessment. This study raises some questions: Could children with mild asthma be observed reintroducing baked egg rather than going through a formal challenge? Is it possible to predict the who is going to react from risk factors?


As headlines and news stories from all across the world report, the business and financial indicators for the plasma protein therapeutics industry are all pointing down. While this industry has had similar cycles before, at the heart of the issue today are unbalanced reimbursement policies, struggling global economies, and a limited customer base. Almost prophetically, Dr. Rankin spoke eloquently of these and other warnings on the perilous economic seas. Looking at the supply side (of the industry) we know that the acquisition cost of raw material is increasing significantly. We also know that there is a 40 percent real increase in the cost of high quality plasma in the last seven years and that these acquisition costs are getting warped by the costs associated with the various voluntary and involuntary regulatory conditions that manufacturers must meet. On the donor compensation issue, I will simply say, Source Plasma represents a large majority of resources in terms of acquisition costs and allocation of internal resources of manufacturers. As an economist, the fact is that increasing acquisition costs of the raw material is going to drive up the therapy costs. With regard to the movements to self-sufficiency, as an economist, this is simply the restraint of free movement of goods and it introduces further inefficiencies to the product market, thus driving up costs. In terms of manufacturing and costs, we know that donors are tested for certain diseases. We also know that there are slight differences between compensated and non-compensated donors when they are tested and we know that there are inventory holds. There are international variations in the regulatory requirements that add to the costs too, which is one reason that industry needs to obtain harmonization. What this means for a company that intends to have a global product is that it must, in fact, meet the most stringent requirements in any market in which it hopes to sell its product.


Using the model of earthquake da mage prediction of building group based on existing earthquake damage matrix proposed by Sun Baitao and others, on the basis of key project of the " 11th Five-Year " earthquake disaster mitigation in Guangdong province: the seismic performance census of cities above county level buildings and structures in key area for earthquake surveillance and protection, the paper does similarity calculation for the cities that have done earthquake damage prediction and census cities on seismic fortification criterion, acquires building time, building storey number, building function and acquires plane shape these five parts, and the earthquake damage matrix of census cities. Comparative analysis results show that the application of the method for earthquake damage prediction of building group is feasible.


Historically transformations are occurring in order to problematize poverty and strategies to confront it. More recently the debate has been stretched between, on the one hand, the neoliberal vision that sees poverty as a matter as unmet needs, and takes the insertion in the market benchmark to reduce it and on the other, the approach critical theorists, who interpret it as a matter of nature and also political confrontation which would require intense and qualified participation of affected populations. This paper introduces different approaches to the analysis and interpretation of the behavior of very poor people living in the periphery of Porto Alegre aiming to theoretically contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon of poverty in peripheral countries of modernity, such as Brazil.


Based on an elastic similarity model(1 ∶20),the structural dynamic performance of hydraulic radial working gate is studied by the method of experimental modal analysis and ANSYS finite element method respectively.The study result shows that the modal frequency obtained from the calculation made by the ANSYS finite element method on the structure of the gate is well-coincided with the data got from the experimental modal analysis,and then the design of the gate structure is reasonable,and furthermore,the second order and third order modal frequencies of the structure have been basically separated from the range of the main frequency(0~3 Hz) of the flow-induced vibration,It is demonstrated that the ANSYS finite element method is an effective assistant tool for the conventional experiment method to calculate the dynamic performance of the structure of the radial gate.


In the course of first five-year plan, based on renewal and development in the early period of the foundation of P.R.C., Hubei provincial Party Committee and provincial people′s government enlarged quantity of processing and ordering goods, established united-management of government and capitalist in isolated lines of industry, and developed united-management of government and capitalist in all lines of industry. In the end of 1957, fundamental socialist reform of the Hubei national capitalist industry was completed. It changed ownership′s structure in Hubei industry.


The partition function for the square lattice completely filled with dimers is analyzed for a finite n × m rectangular lattice with edges and for the corresponding lattice with periodic boundary conditions. The total free energy is calculated asymptotically for fixed ξ = n/m up to terms o(1/n2−δ) for any δ > 0. The bulk terms proportional to nm, the surface terms proportional to (n + m) which vanish with periodic boundary conditions, and the constant terms which reveal a parity and shape dependence are expressed explicitly using dilogarithms and elliptic theta functions.


For the sake of investigating the influence of nanoparticles on the reduction in structural damage of neat polyimide (PI) and PI nanocomposites, scanning electron microscope (SEM) based microscopic study was conducted on unaged and aged pure PI and PI/TiO2 nanocomposite samples exposed to partial discharge activity under high frequency ac voltage stress. PI/TiO2 nanocomposites with 2, 3 and 5 wt.% were fabricated adopting in-situ polymerization technique. Partial discharge (PD) aging measurements were made and PD characteristic parameters were obtained to analyze the electrical performance of both neat PI and PI nanocomposites. Based on microscopic structural analysis, it was found that PI nanocomposite sample experienced less structural damage in contrast with neat PI. Smaller and lesser number of voids were found in PI/TiO2 nanocomposites than that of neat PI in result of PDs reduction in PI nanocomposite.


Purpose: To evaluate the current anti‐vascular endothelial growth factor (anti‐VEGF) treatments for macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusions. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies between January 2013 and July 2018. Reference lists of published articles were searched and if necessary, authors were contacted to provide additional data. Meta‐analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta‐analysis software. The best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central foveal thickness (CFT), injection frequency, and adverse events were evaluated. Results: Seventeen studies involving 1070 eyes were included in the meta‐analysis. The mean differences in 12‐month changes in BCVA and CFT were 14.4 ETDRS letters (P < 0.001) and ‐289.2 &mgr;m (P < 0.001), respectively. Visual acuity gains were maintained at 24 months (14.2 letters, P < 0.001) and CFT continued to reduce (‐327.45 &mgr;m, P < 0.001). The incidence of severe adverse events was low and similar across all anti‐VEGF therapies. Prospective studies administered a greater number of injections compared with retrospective studies, being 6.6 and 4.4 injections, respectively over 12 months (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Intravitreal treatment with anti‐VEGF agents demonstrated significant anatomical and functional gains in treating macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusions.


BackgroundSouth African (SA) National Department of Health (DoH) released new guidelines for the management of HIV/AIDS in April 2010. We discuss here controversial issues and operational challenges in the guidelines; the stimulation of debate and contributing to future guidelines; the timing of initiation of antiretroviral treatment, scope and timing of laboratory monitoring and testing of concomitant conditions, operational challenges such as paediatric HIV treatment and nurse-driven care, and procedures relating to the guidelines such as the need for transparency of the guideline committee and the standard of evidence used to develop the guidelines. We welcome comment and sharing of further insights that will contribute to future guidelines. Our motivation stems from the facts that South Africa's HIV epidemic is not abating; its Millennium Development Goals are not being met; and child and maternal mortality are worse than they were in 1990. 1


The article is devoted to the development of a methodology for calculating the number of auto-mobiles-a taxi in the hours of maximum demand and the number of taxi stops in the resort city. On the required number of automobile taxi in the hours of maximum demand influenced by the following indicators: the average daily mileage of a taxi; the coefficients of non-uniformity of traffic by hour of day, day of week and month of the holiday season; the average number of passengers per trip in a taxi; the utilization rate of the run. The total number of points landing in cities of various sizes affected by the following factors: the area of the territory; the total number of taxis in the city; the performance of the taxi; the amount of demand of the population and tourists for taxi transportation or its calculated volume; the amount of time spent on hiring a taxi. Selection of the Parking position of the rolling stock and the balance of the car must ensure that: the minimum distance of pedestrian walking to the Parking lot; no crossing of traffic flows; the possibility of organizing a clear priority for the departure of the cars. All operational and technical performance of taxis is determined on the basis of survey data. The formulas for calculating the required number of cars-a taxi and the total number of taxi stops.


Several surgical procedures are being performed on daily basis globally along with continuously expanding research in all surgery fields. Objective: To assess the surgery related research trends and performance in Arab countries using bibliometric indicators. Methods: In this descriptive bibliometric study, data were extracted from the Web of Science (WoS). All surgery related English language articles, from 2001 to 2021 from Arab countries were analyzed in R-Bibliometric package. Results: There were 10,269 articles in English language, with 158 authors' countries. There was increase in publications each year with escalating trend from 2017 onwards. Al-Qattan MM was the leading author with >200 publications and >2000 total citations (TC)), while the highest h-index was demonstrated by Alio 25. Egypt USA, and Saudi Arabia were leading in production and TC. Cairo University (Egypt) and King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) were the leading affiliations. International Journal of Surgery Case Reports was the leading sources. Case report, bariatric surgery, surgery, laparoscopy and sleeve gastrectomy were the most frequently used keywords. Conclusions: This study showed increasing publications over time with more productivity since 2017. The magnitude and increasing trend of obesity and bariatric surgery-research was observed. Egypt and Saudi Arabia were leading contributors, which signifies the need of more efforts from other Arab countries. More collaboration among Arab researchers, increase in funding sources, efforts toward high impact research in the field of surgery, and support for less resourceful countries are warranted in future