Parasystole is an arrhythmia in which a regular sinus rhythm is complicated with regularly recurring ectopic beats that compete with the sinus rhythm for the stimulation of the ventricles. The definition of the parasystole is somewhat different from one investigator to ano ther. In 1964, SCHMROTH 1) presented a paper concerning the definition of par asystole. He analyzed the properties of the protective mechanism in parasystole and defined arrhythmia in terms of these properties in the following manner: Arrhythmia is a dual rhythm in which (a) two pacemakers concurrently and independently contribute to the rhythm of the heart;(b) the ectopic pacemaker is protected from the impulses of the other pacemaker. Such protection is situated within, or in the immediate vicinity of, the ectopic pacemaker and appears throughout the whole phases of the ectopic cycle;i.e.,the refractory phase and the apparently non-refractory phase. Parasystole is recognized by the fol lowing three electrocardiographic signs : (1) Marked variation in the coupling of the ectopic beats ; (2) the regular appearance of the ectopic beats ; and (3) the appearance of combination, fusion, or summation beats (mixed sys toles)2).In human beings, parasystole is not an infrequent arrhythmia, but is closely correlated with the presence of heart disease. KATz and PICK3' found 153 instances of parasystole in 100,000 ele ctrocardiograms of 50,000 consecutive


In the wake of the financial crisis the destination regeneration debate for achieving sustainable tourism development requires the definition of an appropriate governance system, the establishment of a critical mass of local stakeholders and procedures for effective decision making aimed at balancing economic, environmental and socio-cultural assets and interests. This paper examines one of the most innovative contributions to the regeneration debate by Vargo and Lush's "(2004)" Service-Dominant Logic and its foundational premises. It leverages social capital to establish an embedded destination governance model thus transforming destination's government, enterprises and civil society into resource integrators. The latter provide social support for the effective development of interdependent knowledge and skills networks, offering tourists value propositions and achieving a sustainable cooperative advantage. This approach is applied in rural marginal areas of Trentino, Italy, to establish new territorial governance models able to support local development by a value cocreation process.


Web service composition has gained tremendous interest with emerging application development. Automatic service composition is a key aspect in overcoming runtime problems that arise due to dynamic nature of runtime environment. In SOA, applications are formed through the combinations of independently developed web services that lead to emergence of different dependencies among the component services. The challenge of web service composition is to manage such kind of dependencies among web services when there is large number of services. In this paper, an inheritance based Bully Election approach is proposed for analyzing dependency among services and generating automatic service composition plan. It also identifies the coordinator service on which the execution of other services is dependent. Experimental result shows that the proposed approach is able to reduce the composition time complexity by including only the selected services on the composition plan.


The cooperative braking has the potential of significantly enhancing vehicle platoon economy, safety and traffic capacity. The main target of the cooperative braking is to ensure interconnected vehicles keep within the safe spacing range and stop at the desired target stopping positions smoothly, accurately. In order to achieve above-mentioned goals, this paper proposes a novel fast terminal sliding mode controller for cooperative braking of vehicle platoon with consideration on unknown dynamics. Firstly, the longitudinal vehicle dynamics model is presented. Then, for the purpose of achieving finite-time consensus of the cooperative braking of vehicle platoon, a prescribed position braking policy with safety gap constraints is adopted to avoid serial rear-end collisions and a novel distributed fast terminal sliding mode control strategy is adopted to speed up the convergence of the cooperative braking controller and eliminate the influences of unknown dynamics . Finally, the simulation results are demonstrated to validate our controller and cooperative braking policy.


We present three extensions of the frequency domain approach proposed by Schruben and Cogliano (1987). The first is the assignment of multiple frequencies to input factors. The frequency selection in this case is nearly identical to that of one frequency per factor. The second extension is the use of the time series of batch means to flatten the noise spectrum and make the identification of peaks in the output spectrum easier. Finally, we show that using common random numbers (as suggested in Schruben and Cogliano, 1987) for the signal and noise runs do indeed tend to decrease the peaks in the noise spectrum and also facilitate factor identification.


3,6-Difluorocatechol, which cannot act as a monooxygenase tyrosinase substrate, is an oxidase substrate, and, in contrast to other catechols, oxidation does not lead to suicide-inactivation, providing experimental evidence for an inactivation mechanism involving reductive elimination of Cu(0) from the active site.


Objective To explore the postoperative complications between thyroid gland lobectomy and subtotal thyroidectomy. Methods 198 cases of patients with thyroid surgery admitted in our hospital from 2007 to 2011 were selected, in whom 100 cases received the thyroid gland lobectomy, and 98 cases received subtotal thyroidectomy. The clinical data were analyzed retrospectively, and the postoperative complications of the two surgical methods were compared. Results 100 cases with thyroid gland lobectomy were all successful, 5 cases had postoperative complications, accounting for 5.0%; 98 cases with subtotal thyroidectomy were were all successful, 8 cases had postoperative complications, accounting for8.2%. Conclusions Thyroid gland lobectomy has less surgical trauma and fewer postoperative complications. For patients to undergo thyroidectomy, surgical approaches will be carefully chosen based on patients' diseases, to minimize complications, improve patients' prognosis, and promote patients' health.


Background: Individuals' emotions are challenged when encountering serious conflicts originating from having a relative admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). Objectives: To assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress, and to identify factors associated with these emotions among relatives of Jordanian patients admitted to CICU. Methods: This descriptive study recruited 164 participants through a convenience-sampling technique. Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) theory constituted the theoretical structure for the study, and psychological burdens were measured through the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) (Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995). Results: 33.6%, 48.2%, and 39% of participants had moderate-to-extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety, and stress respectively. Psychological burdens were associated with family members' gender and educational level, and the patient's condition. Among family members, spouses reported the highest level of psychological burden. Conclusions: ...


It is by now well established that noise itself can be useful for performing quantum information processing tasks. We present results which show how one can effectively reduce the error rate associated with a noisy quantum channel, by counteracting its detrimental effects with another form of noise. In particular, we consider the effect of adding on top of a purely Markovian (Lindblad) dynamics, a more general form of dissipation, which we refer to as generalized-Markovian noise. This noise has an associated memory kernel and the resulting dynamics is described by an integro-differential equation. The overall dynamics are characterized by decay rates which depend not only on the original dissipative time-scales, but also on the new integral kernel. We find that one can engineer this kernel such that the overall rate of decay is lowered by the addition of this noise term. We illustrate this technique for the case where the bare noise is described by a dephasing Pauli channel. We analytically solve this model, and show that one can effectively double (or even triple) the length of the channel, whilst achieving the same fidelity, entanglement, and error threshold. We numerically verify this scheme can also be used to protect against thermal Markovian noise (at non-zero temperature), which models spontaneous emission and excitation processes. A physical interpretation of this scheme is discussed, whereby the added generalized-Markovian noise causes the system to become periodically decoupled from the background Markovian noise.


Key Words: Motivation, Students, Learning English.

Motivation encourages someone to do something. Motivation is characterized by affective arousal. At the beginning it constitutes a psychological strain and the strata of emotion. The state of emotion will encourage a motivated behavior. Motivation is marked by responses to achieve the goal. A motivated person will make direct responses toward a certain goal.
Formulation of the problem: 1) How are the motivations of the first year students of MTsN Tungggangri in learning English; how is their intrinsic motivation and how is their extrinsic motivation? 2) From the two types of motivations, which one is higher; intrinsic or extrinsic motivation?
Objectives of the study: 1) To know the condition of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of the students in learning English and 2) To know which one is higher between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in learning English of students in MTsN Tunggangri, especially for the first year students.
Method of the research: 1) the research design used in this study is descriptive research with quantitative approach. 2) The objects of the research are 54 students the first year students at MTsN Tunggangri Kalidawir Tulungagung. 3) Variable of the research is single variable that is the motivation of the first year students in learning English. 4) The primary data are the student's list score of questionnaire about the motivation in learning English. 5) Data collection methods are a) Distribute question sheet with the questionnaire as the instrument. b) Observation method with the instrument observation guide. c) Interview method with the instrument interview guide. d) Documentation method with the instrument documentation guide. 6) The analysis techniques data used quantitative data uses statistic percentage.
The research finding: The intrinsic motivation is : 46,3 % who have outstanding criteria, 35,2 % have very good criteria, 16,7 % students have good criteria and 1,9 % students have fair criteria of motivation. The extrinsic motivation of students that is : criteria of outstanding 37,04 % and also very good criteria is 37,04 %, good criteria is 24,07 % and fair criteria is 1,9 % students. So, the conclusion from the tabulating data is that the higher motivation of the students in learning English is their intrinsic motivation.


Because of the civil aviation safety consideration,the parts that are wrongly removed from the airplane at trouble-shooting hours must be tested to verify their quality again before being installed back to the plane. It increases maintenance cost and demands for spare parts. Through analyzing the regular patterns between thus-removed parts and the reliability of spare parts,similarities or differences are detected and analysed further to find reasons to get rid of the under quality ones,retaining the ones of high quality. This analysis is a kind of supporting factor in the maintenance policy making process to the airlines' economic benefit.


Abstract The toxicity and killing potential of various insecticide baits to the black field cricket (Teleogryllus commodus Walker) (Orthoptera:Gryllidae) were investigated in laboratory trials. A selection of these baits was tested against field populations of crickets in large-scale aerial bait application trials which covered > 800 ha of Northland hill country. Maldison concentration in grain baits could be increased to 1½× the standard concentration with a subsequent reduction in the rate of grain used per ha. This could result in cost savings of up to 37%, particularly at high cricket infestations. A grain bait, dyed green to reduce losses from birds, gave a level of cricket kill similar to that of the standard maldison bait. Maldison treated sawdust bait was effective at high cricket densities. Pirimiphos-methyl, fenitrothion, and decamethrin gave kills comparable to the standard maldison bait. Pirimiphos-methyl showed the most promise as an alternative to maldison when incorporated on a grain bait.


The analysis of baseflow variation combined with the precipitation in a time series allows for inferences about the effects of climate change and groundwater exploitation. Considering the importance of Urucuia Aquifer System, which represents a strategic water source in Western Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, we proceeded to study the influence of this aquifer in the flow rate of the Rio Grande basin, located on the left bank of the Sao Francisco river. We used time series of flow rates and precipitation data from 1977 to 2013 and the methods of hydrographs separation were fixed range, sliding interval, local minimum and smoothed minima. The results demonstrate that the baseflow corresponds to the main component of the rivers flow rate contributing with 81.75% to 93.06%. The correlation between precipitation and baseflow trends shows that the baseflow decreasing is related to the fall of precipitation rates. However, the rate of baseflow decreasing (0.75% a 3.04% per year) is severer than the rate of precipitation (0.07% a 0.88% per year), thus indicating that other factors such as over-exploitation of the aquifer are responsible for the fall of the Rio Grande baseflow over time.


This introductory chapter describes the drivers for recent and future changes in healthcare: (1) socio-economic developments in society (in particular the aging society and the growth of chronic disease), (2) the healthcare politics that these developments induce, and (3) advances in healthcare technology. Three major trends in healthcare technology are singled out: The impact of Moore's Law on medical imaging, molecular medicine, E-health and personal healthcare.


Simple and sensitive spectrophotometric methods for the determination of fenitrothion in either pure form or in Its formulations are described. The methods are based on the diazotization of reduced fenitrothion followed by coupling with alcoholic iminodibenzyl (IDB) in acidic medium to give a purple coloured product having a λ m a x or 575 nm (first method) or coupling with 4-amino-5-hydroxy-2,7-naphthalene disulfonic acid monosodium salt (AHND) to produce red color product with λ m a x of 523 nm (second method) at pH 11.5. Both the methods are highly reproducible and have been applied formulations and In water samples. The proposed methods have been applied successfully for the determination of fenitrothion residues In water samples uplo the ppb level with the preconcentration on Amberlite XAD-4.


Responsive web design is a web design approach aimed at designing sites to provide an optimal viewing experience. The basic idea of designing a responsive website is to fit in the content, based on the size of the device without hiding any content and changing the view of layout. Since the visitors of different websites through handheld devices in increasing day by day, it has become necessity to design the websites with responsive layout. Responsive website designing have reduced the problem of resizing, panning, and scrolling and accessing them from any device. People can now access information easily with responsive websites because they respond to need of users and the devices they are using. The layout of site changes based on the size and capabilities of the device. Responsive designing have reduced lot of efforts of organizations in developing and maintaining the websites for different devices. This can be achieved by using CSS3 and HTML5 for designing. Different classes are designed in CSS which are used at multiple location in code, these classes' helps reducing number of line of code of the project and prevents from inline styling, which helps in maintaining symmetry throughout the design and layout. This paper will elaborately discuss the need of these websites today, how they benefit the users, how to design these websites, what are the challenges faced while designing such websites and how to resolve them and what are its future implications. ————————————————————


This paper outlines a preliminary perspective on teamwork and adjustable autonomy in groups involving a mix of humans and autonomous agents. Unlike other approaches to agent teamwork, a humancentered perspective to human-agent interaction is used. The paper describes how we are integrating the Brahms and KAoS agent frameworks in order to model and simulate realistic work situations in space and to support the design of robotic and software agents for human-agent teamwork.


Approximately 350 million people have diabetes and only fifteen percent achieve the glycemic target. It is achieved by different drugs targeting liver, intestine, bet cells and adipose tissue. SGLT2 inhibitors are the new em erging group targeting kidney and inhibiting the sodium glucose co transporters h ence renal reabsorption of glucose in proximal renal tubule. In present review we inve stigate SGLT2 inhibitors for their potential role in management of diabetes with focus on their advantages and limitations. We searched pubmed, medline database with the term SGLT, SGLT2 inhibitors, Gliflozins for published research work. Searched articles critically evaluated for information including abstracts. Free accessible full articles and


Reading Hebdige today is indicative of two important discourses, one of which has become the axiomatic starting-point for anyone interested in the topic, whereas the other one remains highly under-theo1ized. The first is the insight among scholars about the utterly problematic nature of the concept of "Americanization."2 Against definitions that evoke ideas about an ominous one-way transmission, American cultural influence is


IT IS, I BELIEVE, profoundly important for development and the process of decolonisation that an indigenous publishing industry should be established in independent Africa. It is also going to be extremely difficult, if the experience of the East African Publishing House is anything to go by. In the wider imperialist context it is perhaps significant that there is little pressure for this among the French-speaking countries and that much of the initiative in the English-speaking areas has come from individual British firms seeking an advantageous commercial position vis-a-vis their rivals. An indigenous publishing industry is important on several counts. It is important, first, for straightforward nationalistic reasons. Books are still probably the most effective single instrument for the purveying of ideas in the developing countries, and we cannot accept that these ideas must all originate, or first be subject to sieving, in London, New York, Paris or Brussels. It is important, secondly, on economic grounds. There is no technological reason why all the basic educational course books, and indeed most of the supplementary ones, at both primary and secondary level, should not be written, edited, designed, printed and published in Africa rather than in London, Malta, Paris or Hong Kong. This will lead to significant savings in foreign exchange and will have other obvious beneficial economic effects. Thirdly, there are inestimable cultural advantages. For example, if there had been no indigenous publisher in East Africa, Song of Lawino, by Okot p'Bitek, a cultural phenomenon of great importance for East Africa, would probably still be unpublished. I said that it would, however, be difficult to establish an indigenous publishing industry in Africa. In this, publishing is not really very different from any other industry. If you read a book we published recently called Who Controls Industry in Kenya ?1 you will begin to grasp the full extent of our problem. Western economic imperialism is a far more subtle and slippery animal than his political brother. He will do anything, compromise any principles, as long as he can still see something somewhere in it for him. He only turns really nasty when he loses all hope. The author is Publishing Director of the East African Publishing House in Nairobi. The paper was originally delivered as a talk to the Conference of the UK African Studies Association at Sussex on 19 September, 1968. His publications include The Myth of 'Mau Mau' (with Carl G. Rosberg), London, 1967. 1. Based on the Report of a Working Party established under the auspices of the National Christian Council of Kenya. 139


With a constant increase in the number of users and the amount of data that they transmit among themselves, modern communication system networks cannot cope with the download. As an alternative to network compression, to increase the capacity of the network, mobile traffic is unloaded in the form of a direct connection D2D (device-to-device) between the equipment of users who are in close proximity to each other. Thus, D2D interaction is one of the most promising areas of development of communication systems, because it is becoming a new component in addition to the mobile network. It is important that this technology ensures the interaction of mobile network users without the use of a centralized infrastructure, which reduces its load. This interaction allows you to upload data streams from the mobile network to the D2D system, which can operate at unlicensed frequencies. As a result, the D2D system provides shorter connections for communications, increased energy efficiency and better traffic flow management. The development of D2D technology is a simple and reliable way to increase the bandwidth of mobile networks without the need to change its structure. But at the same time, several features arise that are related to the consideration of the interference and the distribution of radio channel resources. In this work, we consider a model of a D2D direct connection system with mobile support that  serves streams of user data (sessions), as well as a way to control the downloading of traffic from mobile network to a D2D connection. The above theoretical and simulated results allow us to study communication system with the possibility of D2D interaction, to evaluate their capacity and energy efficiency. The presented mathematical approach takes into account the dynamics of user traffic in time and the placement of system nodes in space, which is confirmed by simulation results.


The global political, economic and social changes in the country and the strengthening of inter-ethnic and international contacts then integration processes in the multi-ethnic society have led to the emergence of a new educational paradigm. The basic requirement of which is the transition from the intuitive and technocratic disciplines' connection, knowledge and skills accumulation to the increase of individual and social intelligence, from the classical and often «open» triad «knowledge - skills - abilities» to the closed cycle «knowledge - skills – abilities – foregrounding (application, technology) » - knowledge production, competence development though the priority is given to communication. This interpretation of the new educational paradigm has led to a need for a more thorough study of communication processes, including the intercultural communication in general and in the foreign languages teaching in particular. The society informatisation is seen not only as a technological phenomenon, but also as a modern culture phenomenon. Therefore, multimedia appears as the newest and rapidly expanding information environment of modern multicultural linguistic reality as the new technological reality.


The method of quantitative anthocyanin definition in black currant ( Ribes nigrum L.) fruits is developed. The new approach to standardization the black currant fruits is offered, expediency of use the black currant fruits as perspective source of antocyanins substances nature is proved.


1. Present Status of Planning France lives with a paradox. On one hand, planning values benefit from a high status. Quality of space, whether aesthetic, social, or environmental, is considered important. There is an overall consensus to accept public intervention and legal constraints for planning purposes. At the same time, the figure of the planner and the extent of his role are regularly questioned. For instance, introducing more "flexibility" and "simplicity" into planning regulations is a recurring debate. The status of planners has decayed over the last 30 years. Until the 1970s, planning was a prestigious activity, performed by the powerful central administration in order to lead French society into modernity and progress. Since the 1980s, the planning system is decentralized and multi-actor. Today, planning power rests with the local and regional governments. Public participation has developed, advisory bodies reflecting civil society have been established, and a nebula of NGOs lobby for planning activities. The private sector is a partner for planning endeavors and brings in profitability logic. As a result, although administrative bodies of all territorial levels have inherited quite strong powers, they make little use of them and prefer consensual solutions. Planning activities have splintered among the various policy fields. Housing, urban regeneration, and economic development clusters have developed separate bodies and agendas. As a result, planning is being challenged by other policy fields and sector approaches. In society, the figure of the planner has been criticized for being technocratic and authoritarian. Planners have evolved to become mediators, but their status has also weakened. Paradoxically, selfconfident star architects have a better image. For instance, in 2008, the French government organized a consultation about the future of the capital region (Grand Paris): All 10 teams invited to contribute were led by famous architects.


The article attempts to theoretically include foreignness in the context of the philosophy of life(Lebensphilosophie). The feeling of strangeness is a primary life experience. Moreover, it resultsin cultural or ethnic antagonism. Foreignness is a radicalized form of otherness. Also, foreignnessis constituted by polarized difference and dualistic thinking.


Through an analysis of composition factor of university student's own competitiveness and graduate's careers market,the article has proposed the way through improving the knowledge level and using ability,improving ideological and morals standards,improving culture and physical and psychological quality,improving managerial ability to strengthen one's own competitiveness of university student at school.


The paper analyses South Korean development, which has been hailed as a `miracle' by many scholars. It identifies four factors as necessary to South Korea's economic growth: cheap labour, land reform, the developmentalist state, and the international political economy. The paper questions the facile celebration of the `miracle', and stresses some of the costs of South Korean development.


Simple Summary Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive malignancies, accounting for 14.5% of all central nervous system tumors and 48.6% of malignant central nervous system tumors. The median overall survival (OS) of GBM patients is only 15 months. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the epidemiology of GBM and factors that may have a significant impact on the risk of GBM. Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive malignancies, with a median overall survival of approximately 15 months. In this review, we analyze the pathogenesis of GBM, as well as epidemiological data, by age, gender, and tumor location. The data indicate that GBM is the higher-grade primary brain tumor and is significantly more common in men. The risk of being diagnosed with glioma increases with age, and median survival remains low, despite medical advances. In addition, it is difficult to determine clearly how GBM is influenced by stimulants, certain medications (e.g., NSAIDs), cell phone use, and exposure to heavy metals.


Background The short‐term gastric damage seen with non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in man may involve inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX‐1) and COX‐2 as well as the topical irritancy, which is dependant on the acidity (pKa) and/or lipophilicity (log P7.4).


This paper studies the behavior of worker flows and wage rigidity in Portugal before and during the recent crisis. The most distinctive feature of the impact of the current crisis on the labor market is the reduction in hirings and the increase in wage cuts for continuing workers. We show that churning, the replacement of departing workers with new ones, has decreased substantially during the crisis. Hirings have a larger contribution to the Portuguese business cycle than separations. Furthermore, high-quality firms dominate the reaction of the labor market to the economic conditions. The observed halt in labor market flows was not replaced by wage flexibility. There is a great deal of wage flexibility in Portuguese firms and there is no evidence that wage rigidity indicators increase with the business cycle. On the contrary, we show that larger and high-paying firms reduce the share of minimum wage workers in recessions. Our results show that in recessions jobs become stickier in high-quality firms and there is a shift in employment towards smaller and low-paying firms. Thus, Portuguese recessions are characterized by a sullying effect: jobs created in recessions are likely to be low-paying and temporary, which magnifies the negative impact of recessions in labor productivity and explains the procyclical behavior of match quality.


Accurate mapping,inventoryassessment, andhabitatdescriptions arecritically important for the development of plant conservation strategies of rare plants. Georgia plume, Elliottia racemosa (Ericaceae), is a rare threatened plant endemic only to the state of Georgia. In this study, census and distribution data were collected and the ecological habitat characterized for all known populations of georgia plume using geographic information system/global positioning system (GIS/GPS)-based methods. Causes for population losses and decline were assessed by evaluating both extant populations and historically reported but currently inactive sites. Landowner permission was obtained to visit 56% (32 of 57) of all known recorded populations. Over 40% of visited locations no longer contained georgia plume; 58% of inactive sites were associated with anthropo- genicdisturbancesincludingfarmingandtimber.Populationsnotvisitedbygroundwere evaluated using aerial photographs: of 29 putative populations, 66% were judged highly unlikely to contain georgia plume based on current land use. Census data verified that many populations have few individuals: 75% contained less than 45 individuals; over one-third contained 12 or fewer individuals. Over 80% of extant populations had an area of less than 0.3 ha. Field and aerial assessments of recent and historically noted populations confirm that georgia plume has disappeared from many previously reported locations and that fewer than two dozen populations may remain.


Amoxicillin is one of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in children. It is,
therefore, administered as the first choice of antibiotics for respiratory, gastrointestinal, neuronal, and skin infections. This study aimed to determine whether
amoxicillin use affects the formation of dentin and enamel during the secretion and
early phases of mineralization. Sixteen pregnant adult Wistar rats were equally divided into two groups. The first group that did not receive the drug was prescribed
a saline solution (control group), and the other group received 250 mg/kg/day
amoxicillin (study group). The treatments were administered daily by oral gavage
from the 13th gestation day to the end of gestation. After birth, the newborn also
received the same treatment as their mothers from the first day of birth until 7 or
12 days after birth. The newborns will be sacrificed at 7 and 12 days postnatally.
The jaws will be dissected, and the maxilla, where the samples are fixed in 10%
formaldehyde solution, and the upper first molars will be analyzed. Immunostaining with MMP-20 on day 7 and 12 were performed. A significant difference in the
positive expression of ameloblast for MMP20 antibody between groups was observed at 7 days (P = 0.014) and no significant difference at 12 days (P = 0.347).
A significant difference for positive expression of odontoblast for MMP20 antibody between groups in both durations was observed at 7 days (P = 0.178) and not
a significant difference at 12 days (P = 0.143) and powerful expression in enamel
matrix during early mineralization stage in the control group and strong expression
in the study group. The current findings indicate that amoxicillin affects the expression of MMP20 during the secretory stage by decreasing the expression of
MMP20 in ameloblast, and the expression of MMP20 decrease in cells during the
early mineralization stage in both groups at different rate.
Keywords: Amoxicillin, Enamel, Immunostaining, MMP20, ameloblast


This paper presents the development of control and power electronics parts for a BLDC motor drive. The signals from the most commonly used sensors for this application are used. The first one is the incremental encoder for speed and relative position detection, the other one is the three-signal Hall sensor which provides information about the absolute rotor position needed for electronic commutation. The contemporary three phase bridge driver integrated circuit used in this application provides good protection functionality to protect the bridge and the motor from excessive currents and short-circuit conditions. Hardware instead of software implementation of electronic commutation is implemented to provide more reliability. Both unipolar and bipolar PWM schemes are implemented. Besides the driver explanation, experimental results concerning speed and position control are presented.


This paper reviews four techniques for adding one value, such as a summary statistic, to all observations in a SAS ® data set: "if _N_ = 1 then set datasetname"; PROC SQL; PROC SQL INTO a macro variable; and CALL SYMPUTX to create a macro variable. Programmers can use these methods to avoid hard coding and to write more flexible code. Pros and cons of each technique are reviewed. This paper also discusses situations in which one method may be more useful than others. Real-life examples are provided for each technique. This paper requires a basic understanding of the DATA step, PROC SQL, and macro variables.


In this paper, an improved unified SPH(smoothed particle hydrodynamics) method is proposed to realize the realtime haptic rendering with hybrid environment which contains fluid, rigid body and so on. Firstly, the SPH method for fluid is reviewed briefly. Then the improved unified SPH model is proposed as the objects model to perform the collision detection and calculate the feedback force. The following chapter gives the calculation process of haptic rendering. At last, an experiment where a rigid ball coupled to a haptic device interacting with fluid and rigid body is designed. The buoyancy, resistance and contact force are all simultaneously simulated in the experiment. The results show the feedback forces are continuous and smooth, which verifies the validity and efficiency of the method.


ABSTRACT. Permethrin‐treated pieces of netting and simulated bednets were evaluated against Anopheles gambiae Giles and Aedes aegypti (L.) in the laboratory. When female mosquitoes were allowed to feed on a human arm through pieces of impregnated netting fastened at the end of tubes, doses above 2 g/m2 were required to stop blood‐feeding of both An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti. A much lower dose prevented Ae. aegypti from feeding on mice through impregnated netting. When mosquitoes were released in a room and a human subject sat under a permethrin‐impregnated (0.2 g/m2) bednet with an arm pressed against the net (mesh 1.5 mm), mosquitoes failed to bite through the net. All the mosquitoes trying to bite through or entering the net through holes cut in it were knocked down within 30 min of release and ultimately died. Permethrin‐impregnated wide‐mesh (4 or 8 mm) bednets similarly prevented entry and caused high mortality‐rates of An. gambiae.


This is a study on the evaluation Community housing Projects under peoples plan in Kerala with reference to Thrissur district.The study evaluated three housing schemes like Indira Awas Yojana ( IAY), EMS housing project and MN Laksham veedu reconstruction project. Our study comprised 300 samples from Mullurkkara Panchayath of Vadakkanchery block and Mattathur, Thrikkur and Pudukkad Panchayath of Kodakara block, since these blocks have implemented large number of Community Housing Projects.Based on the detailed study of the three Community Housing Projects, it is noted that the projects have been generally efficient in terms of macro and micro level indicators. Moreover, on the basis of the direct response of the beneficiaries, it is noted that in both EMS and MNLP schemes, they are 100 % satisfied with the schemes. Still, more improvement in the implementation of the scheme is needed. Beneficiaries should also take keen interest in the construction and maintenance of their house.


Significance At fertilization, repetitive calcium signals are induced in mammalian eggs that are essential for activating embryo development. These signals are supported by calcium influx from the surrounding medium. Two ion channels supporting calcium influx into eggs, CaV3.2 and TRPV3, were identified previously. Here we find that a third channel, TRPM7, is essential for this function. In the absence of both TRPM7 and CaV3.2, the calcium signals induced by the fertilizing sperm stop prematurely. Female mice carrying eggs lacking TRPM7 and CaV3.2 are subfertile. Because TRPM7 channel function is modulated by ions in culture medium, these findings highlight the importance of exact culture medium composition used during laboratory procedures for human assisted reproduction therapies. The success of mammalian development following fertilization depends on a series of transient increases in egg cytoplasmic Ca2+, referred to as Ca2+ oscillations. Maintenance of these oscillations requires Ca2+ influx across the plasma membrane, which is mediated in part by T-type, CaV3.2 channels. Here we show using genetic mouse models that TRPM7 channels are required to support this Ca2+ influx. Eggs lacking both TRPM7 and CaV3.2 stop oscillating prematurely, indicating that together they are responsible for the majority of Ca2+ influx immediately following fertilization. Fertilized eggs lacking both channels also frequently display delayed resumption of Ca2+ oscillations, which appears to require sperm–egg fusion. TRPM7 and CaV3.2 channels almost completely account for Ca2+ influx observed following store depletion, a process previously attributed to canonical store-operated Ca2+ entry mediated by STIM/ORAI interactions. TRPM7 serves as a membrane sensor of extracellular Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrations and mediates the effects of these ions on Ca2+ oscillation frequency. When bred to wild-type males, female mice carrying eggs lacking TRPM7 and CaV3.2 are subfertile, and their offspring have increased variance in postnatal weight. These in vivo findings confirm previous observations linking in vitro experimental alterations in Ca2+ oscillatory patterns with developmental potential and offspring growth. The identification of TRPM7 and CaV3.2 as key mediators of Ca2+ influx following fertilization provides a mechanistic basis for the rational design of culture media that optimize developmental potential in research animals, domestic animals, and humans.


Correlation function implementation methods are reviewed and their performance under non-stationary signal condition described. Transit time measurement techniques based on methods for detecting the most significant peak position of a cross-correlation function are described and dynamic performance, defined by the sample data nature of the output indication is noted as a major deficiency. Simple analogue, negative feedback, time delay tracking loops offer an acceptable dynamic performance, but In practice these may track spurious peaks. Improvements have been made to the basic tracking circuit which results in the most significant peak always being tracked and hence a reliable transit time measurement system is formed, with a good dynamicperformance, which is suitable for use in industrial correlation flow meters. Flow measurement is noted as an important application area for this work. Parameters affecting the performance of this correlation based measurement system , in particular under non-stationary signal conditions, have been reviewed. A detailed analysis of the performance of the tracking loop is presented. Transfer function analysis of the loop has shown it to be a first order system. Experimental results have closely confirmed predictions derived from the linear transfer -function. A flow noise simulator was designed and constructed to investigate the performance of the improved circuit. Performance of the improved tracking circuit under changing signal conditions was investigated and the results obtained indicates that It can be designed to offer industrially acceptable performance.


The Nature Editorial titled "Smoke and Mirrors" 1 on the Second International Vatican Adult Stem Cell meeting was ironically itself a collection of smoke and mirrors beginning with the lack of a named author. The editorial focused on an Italian parliamentary decision to allow stem cell treatment for a child with a devastating and lethal disease that had been stopped by regulators against the parents and physicians wishes 2 . In actuality, the Vatican is a State separate and independent from Italy, and balanced, compassionate, and realistic regulatory oversight was not questioned at the Vatican meeting. The editorial opted for prejudicial phrases such as: "sick children were paraded". Instead the meeting was inclusive of concerns from patients. The author states that the Vatican is "naïve". A less sensational description of the Vatican's position is altruism. The editorial states that the meeting was "shamelessly choreographed" "with stem cell companies and scientists desperate to hawk a message". This denigrates all speakers at the Vatican conference including a Nobel Laureate as well as other academic researchers not affiliated with companies marketing adult stem cells. In contrast, the World Stem Cell Summit was praised for including scientists, doctors, patients, and stem cell companies 3 . Perhaps it could be said that the Nature editorial was itself shamelessly choreographed to hawk a message. Demagoguery is the antithesis of Science. No person or institution should have their freedom of speech or ethical concerns ridiculed or made to fear collaboration especially from a scientific journal. On the other hand, there are historical concerns and lessons why religion, business, science, and State require transparency, independence, and separation. Unfortunately, the Nature editorial missed the opportunity to discuss these transcendent concepts. emotional trigger words and promote détente of the stem cell debate are in the best interest of patients, science, and humanity.


Prolapse is defined as a protrusion, permanent or on exertion, in the vaginal lumen, at or outside the vulvar opening, of all or parts of the vaginal walls more or less lined with the bladder, rectum and adjacent peritoneal cul de sac, as well as the vaginal fundus secured to the cervix. The pathophysiology of pelvic static disorders remains, to this day, not fully understood. Physiological aging and multiparity are considered by most authors to be the major determinants of these disorders. The hypothesis of a degeneration of the connective tissue is often put forward, with alteration of the biosynthesis of collagen and / or elastin leading to a loss of elasticity of the muscle fibers. The onset of prolapse is enhanced by the number of pregnancies and deliveries, birth weight, family history and history of hysterectomy and vulvectomy. ABSTRACT


The aim of this paper was to examine changes in prefectural income inequality and industrial structure during the pre-war period (1874-1940). The findings of the analysis can be summarized as follows. Prefectural income inequality, which increased in the early stages of Japan's modern economic development, was mainly due to within-industry differences in labor productivity. From 1874 to 1890 labor productivity differences in the manufacturing, mining, and construction sector increased considerably. Although further analyses are necessary to draw firmer conclusions, it appears that the rise of major industrial centers such as Osaka during this period played a key role. Nevertheless, it is important to note that industrialization was not confined to urban centers, but also took place in other (rural) regions, where increases in employment in the manufacturing sector kept pace with the leading areas. In this sense, it could be said that industrialization during this period was not regionally biased. Moreover, regional inequality increased only moderately in the following period from 1890 to 1909, when the industrialization process had gathered steam. The reason is that although differences in labor productivity due to differences in industrial structure increased during this period, within-industry productivity differences in manufacturing and services did not rise further or in fact declined. A likely reason, it was suggested, was active investment in rural areas as part of the "regional industrialization ideology," which mitigated labor productivity differences. Overall, the analysis in this paper suggests that changes in industrial structure and in withinindustry differences in labor productivity played a key role in shaping trends in spatial income inequality in Japan.


The M-AESA program is a joint IT-SE initiative for the development of a capability driven MRFS concept. The goal of the program is to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a reconfigurable architecture for a new platform driven family of systems, capable to exploit the most relevant operational functions (Radar, EW, Comm.psilas) according to the operational scenarios. The program, which follows a number of different national initiatives, benefits from different cultural approaches and perspectives, and aims to achieve and assess a leadership in Europe for such new family of R.F. systems. This paper describes the conceptual approach which substantiates this joint initiative.


Background: Acute aortic dissection (AAD) classically presents with severe chest, back, or abdominal pain. However, there have been several documented cases presenting with atypical features. Making diagnosis is difficult when the classic pattern of pain is absent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with painless AAD in the emergency settings. Methods: One hundred and twenty-four patients with AAD were admitted our hospital from 2002 to 2007. After excluding patients with an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, 98 patients (53 males, 45 females; 66±12 years) were studied. Results: Sixteen patients (17%) had no pain (Painless group) and 82 patients had pain (Painful group). Eighty-one percent of the Painless group and 70% of the Painful group had a type A dissection. A history of cerebrovascular disease was more frequent in the Painless group (P=0.01). The Painless group more frequently had a persistent disturbance of consciousness (44% vs 6%, P<0.001); syncope (25% vs 1%, P<0.001); and a focal neurologic deficit (19% vs 2%, P=0.006) as presenting symptoms. The systolic blood pressure was lower in the Painless group (P<0.001). Imaging study findings were not significantly different. Cerebral ischemia (50% vs 1%, P<0.001) and cardiac tamponade (38% vs 13%, P=0.01) were more frequent complications in the Painless group. The time from admission to a definite diagnosis was significantly longer in the Painless


Catalogue of the work of Photolanguage in 'East Sussex Modern', Electro Studios, Hastings, with essays by Andrew Mead, Photolangauage and a portfolio section of art work.


The topic of cerebrovascular disease encompasses vascular pathology extending from the aortic arch cephalad and includes lesions in both the anterior and posterior cerebral circulations. Most of the disease processes are related to atherosclerosis and involve either occlusive or aneurysmal changes. Other pathologic entities, such as kinks, coils, and carotid body tumors, do occur but are much less common. Of the 500,000 new strokes that occur each year in the United States, it is estimated that up to 60% are related to atherosclerosis of the carotid bifurcation. It is therefore not surprising that carotid endarterectomy has become one of the most frequently performed operations on the vascular tree. In this review, we limit our discussion to carotid artery bifurcation occlusive disease. Specifically, we have concentrated on the pathology, natural history, preoperative evaluation, and perioperative management of these conditions. Although there have been contributions to all aspects of the management of cerebrovascular disease, these areas have witnessed the most significant changes during the current review period.


The level of green financial infrastructure is measured using a symbiometric model with the Chinese provincial panel data from 2008 to 2020, and also the carbon emission efficiency is measured using the super-efficient SBM-DEA model with the carbon emission data at the provincial level. This paper tests the carbon emission efficiency improvement and convergence effects of green financial infrastructure using fixed-effects models, non-dynamic panel threshold models and spatial econometric models, while considering the role of environmental regulation in the process. It is found that green financial infrastructure significantly contributes to the improvement of carbon emission efficiency and accelerates the convergence rate of carbon emission efficiency between regions; the carbon emission efficiency improvement and convergence effects of green financial infrastructure are influenced by the intensity of environmental regulation, and we point out that either too strong or too weak environmental regulation will weaken the effectiveness of green financial infrastructure, which means there is a significant threshold effect; the spatial durbin model shows that the effect of green financial infrastructure on carbon emission efficiency has a spatial spillover effect of "neighbors as partners", that is, while green financial infrastructure promotes the improvement of carbon emission efficiency in the region, it also helps to promote the improvement of carbon emission efficiency in the neighboring regions. Therefore, China should accelerate the improvement of the green financial infrastructure system, improve the carbon emission rights market trading system, enhance the effectiveness of environmental regulation, and strengthen regional economic cooperation, so as to empower the development of low-carbon and green economic transformation.


The flow past a circular cylinder at a subcritical Reynolds number 3900 was simulated by the method of detached-eddy simulation (DES). The objective of this present work is not to investigate the physical phenomena of the flow but to study modeling as well as numerical aspects which influence the quality of DES solutions in detail. Firstly, four typical spanwise lengths are chosen and the results are systematically compared. The trend of DES results along the span increment is different from previous large-eddy simulation (LES) investigation. A wider spanwise length does not necessary improve the results. Then, the influence of mesh resolution is studied and found that both too coarse and over refined grids will deteriorate the performance of DES. Finally, different orders of numerical schemes are applied in the inviscid fluxes and the viscous terms. The discrepancies among different schemes are found tiny. However, the instantaneous flow structures produced by 5th order WENO with 4th order central differencing scheme are more abundant than the others. That is, for the time-averaged quantities, the second-order accurate schemes are effective enough, whereas the higher-order accurate methods are needed to resolve the transient characteristics of the flow.


Abstract : Given k normal populations with unknown means and a common known (or unknown) variance a two-stage procedure P sub 1 with screening in the first stage to find the population with the largest mean is under concern. It was proposed and studied previously by cohen (1959), Alam (1970), Tamhane and Bechhofer (1977, 1979) and Gupta and Miescke (1979). But up to now a conjecture concerning least favorable parameter configurations in an indifference zone approach remained unproved for k or = 3. In this paper we give a non-standard proof of the conjecture in case of k = 3 for P sub 1 which (under minor changes) works also for a simplified version P sub 2. Besides, the point is exposed where another (more intuitive) method of proof fails to work. (Author)


In the literature and in Zambia's public life, there exists a dichotomy of perceptions about published works. The works published by mainstream publishers are viewed as prestigious: in cultural circles, in firm opposition to self-published books, they are 'the right thing to do'. This article seeks to problematise such perceptions. I discuss the Zambian publishing environment and my own experiences of self-publishing. I also explore ideological perspectives on the commonly assumed axioms that anchor the dichotomy of perceptions about published works. I maintain that literary products that enter the market should be judged according to their inherent appeal, quality, marketability and profitability, rather than their mode of publication.


At its Fifteenth Plenary Session, held December 9-10, 1976, the Administrative Conferences of the United States adopted Recommendation 76-5, which urged federal agencies to utilize the procedures set forth in subsection 4(b) and (c) of the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946 (the APA) before they issue, amend or repeal an interpretive rule of general applicability which is likely to have a substantial impact on the public. This would be accomplished by publishing each interpretive rule in the Federal Register, with a concise statement of its basis and purpose and an invitation for written comments. While the differences give rise to legal consequences of crucial importance to the administrative lawyer, many administrative agencies have indiscriminately mingled "legislative" and "interpretive" rules in such a way as to make their use and understanding very difficult. The relevance of the distinction, found in Section 4 of the APA, is that an agency is not required to provide notice or an opportunity to participate to interested parties before issuance of an "interpretive rule" (unless otherwise required by statute), whereas an agency must do so before issuance of a "substantive" rule. Agencies traditionally have exercised broad discretion in their characterizations of agency action. In this article, the author addresses whether an agency's failure to afford minimal procedural protections to the public is a violation of Section 4 of the APA. After defining the two types of regulations, the author considers the origin of the distinction. He then discusses the procedural protection afforded through the embodiment of the distinction in the APA. Finally, the author analyzes in-depth the judicial interpretations of Section 4. Although certainty in recognizing a legislative rule or an interpretive rule will always be difficult to achieve, his analysis of the distinction provides a considerable degree of predictability.


In this article generalisations of numeric functions related to a number of prime divisors of a given number are investigated. Upper and lower limit values of a number of prime divisors of a bounded power of integer are obtained.


1 Dual whole‐cell recordings were made from pairs of synaptically coupled excitatory neurones in the 'barrel field' in layer (L) 4 in slices of young (postnatal day 12–15) rat somatosensory cortex. The majority of interconnected excitatory neurones were spiny stellate cells with an asymmetrical dendritic arborisation largely confined to a single barrel. The remainder were star pyramidal cells with a prominent apical dendrite terminating in L2/3 without forming a tuft. 2 Excitatory synaptic connections were examined between 131 pairs of spiny L4 neurones. Single presynaptic action potentials evoked unitary EPSPs with a peak amplitude of 1·59 ± 1·51 mV (mean ± s.d.), a latency of 0·92 ± 0·35 ms, a rise time of 1·53 ± 0·46 ms and a decay time constant of 17·8 ± 6·3 ms. 3 At 34–36 °C, the coefficient of variation (c.v.) of the unitary EPSP amplitude was 0·37 ± 0·16 and the percentage of failures to evoke an EPSP was 5·3 ± 7·8%. The c.v. and failure rate decreased with increasing amplitude of the unitary EPSP. 4 Postsynaptic glutamate receptors in spiny L4 neurones were of the AMPA and NMDA type. At −60 mV in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+, NMDA receptors contributed 39·3 ± 12·5% to the EPSP integral. In Mg2+‐free solution, the NMDA receptor/AMPA receptor ratio of the EPSC was 0·86 ± 0·64. 5 The number of putative synaptic contacts established by the projection neurone with the target neurone varied between two and five with a mean of 3·4 ± 1·0 (n= 11). Synaptic contacts were exclusively found in the barrel in which the cell pair was located and were preferentially located on secondary to quarternary dendritic branches. Their mean geometric distance from the soma was 68·8 ± 37·4 μm (range, 33·4‐168·0 μm). The number of synaptic contacts and mean EPSP amplitude showed no significant correlation. 6 The results suggest that in L4 of the barrel cortex synaptic transmission between spiny neurones is largely restricted to a single barrel. The connections are very reliable, probably due to a high release probability, and have a high efficacy because of the compact structure of the dendrites and axons of spiny neurones. Intrabarrel connections thus function to amplify and distribute the afferent thalamic activity in the vertical directions of a cortical column.


The deployment of the sensors is of importance in WSNs,it reflects the cost and the capability of monitoring.It becomes one of the fundamental issues following location and tracing.Although lot of research work have been conducted outside china,yet there are a number of challenges due to the different situation and goal in each application.Based on a lot of most recent published papers and research results the challenges,research status and the advantage and disadvantage of some existing algorithms are analysed.The possible future work for deployment algorithm is pointed out.Taking the design in environment monitoring as example,the important part is discussed.


The following pages offer a reflection about Valle de los Caidos (Valley of the Fallen) as a place of violence. The text provides some conceptual considerations, discusses the state of the question about policy of memory, and studies that have been done on that stage between 1939 and 2011. It also analyzes the television representation of the Valley of the Fallen, the classifying ways of violence, informative sense and its possible connection with the categories of holocaust denial.


Abstract Online advertisers have the non-trivial job of jointly assessing the effects of banner ad design elements available in a large number of such formats. Our research found that animated formats are superior to static formats in most settings. It confirms that they can improve engagement, since they can generate higher recall, attract user attention, and create favorability for the advertised brand. Yet, static formats can still be effective when it comes to price ads and re-targeting. Most interestingly, we found that re-targeted ads are effective only if they offer price incentives. Another interesting finding is that the tactic of serving blanks – for instance, for page views from foreign countries – can distort simple measures of campaign effectiveness, such as click-through rates.


Robotic computed tomography (CT) consists of two separate manipulators which carry the source and detector, respectively. Various errors occur in motion due to lack of rigid connection, which may change scanning trajectory of this system. Some methods aimed at recovering geometry relation have occurred. However, these methods are relied on circular scanning trajectory. Projection matrix is the matrix form of geometry definition, which contains geometric parameters in the matrix and transforms geometry calculation into homogeneous matrix calculation. It is suitable for robotic CT because of its irrelevance between angles. Besides, iteration reconstruction algorithm makes no assumptions on scanning trajectories, which is suitable for arbitrary scanning trajectories. Hence, this study combines iteration reconstruction algorithm with the concept of projection matrix to fill the gap. In this study, we established a transformation between projection matrix and ray function, and construct corresponding projection model. Projection matrix based iterative reconstruction algorithm was then developed and validated by simulation and experiment. Uncooperative rotation of manipulators, jitter in motion and non-circular motion trajectories were simulated. FDK, projection matrix-based FDK and projection matrix-based iterative method were compared. Real experiments were also conducted. The results showed projection matrix based iterative reconstruction could lead to better image quality against motion error. In summary, this study provided a high-precision reconstruction approach for robotic CT.


A thin circular plate with a free or movable boundary, and weakened along an internal concentric circle, is considered. The frequencies of the circular plate varying with the radius of the weakened circle and the extent of the weakening represented by an elastic rotational restraint are determined. The results for the first four modes are tabulated. For the free plate, the internal weakening only slightly decreases the fundamental frequency of the plate, which is advantageous. For the plate with a movable edge, the internal weakening greatly decreases the fundamental frequency, especially for the purely hinged case.


A practical implementation of DSP based detection and control strategy for SAPF (Serial Active Power Filter) is presented, which is used in the compensation for power net voltage distortion. Its main hardware structure and software control flows are discussed in detail. The used TI's Digital Signal Processor (DSP), TMS320F240, is introduced, including its functions and specific futures. The software functions and design flows are also discussed. The interrupt server routine XINT3, which is the most important subroutine in the whole system, is shown in particular. Compared with the analog detection and control method, the digital method has shown great advantages and wide application future.


Since polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) can be obtained by utilizing organic waste as a substrate, they form one of the most suitable classes of organic acids with many applications, ranging from medical supplies to energy and biorefinery products. In total, PHAs are found in at least in 150 different molecular forms, with the basic differences determined by the length of the carbon skeleton (4 to 14 C-bonds) and the radicals, which are formed by many organic groups. These characteristics make up their unique physicochemical properties, biodegradability and nontoxicity. Many new approaches are now being developed to obtain PHAs and modify these molecules into new green chemicals as well as renewable alternatives for petroleum and other non-sustainable compounds. This mini review gives insight into the genetic characteristics of PHA synthases, the most important enzyme group related to this compound. This review addresses chemical techniques to modify PHAs to obtain compounds with a high market value. Therefore, this work shows new applications and possibilities for PHA, such as drug-delivery systems, building block chemicals, new polymeric structures for tissue scaffolds and certain energetic compounds, such as n-butanol..


Enteral nutritional support is used in care for patients with head and neck cancer. This study describes the frequency and timing of gastrostomy tube placement and corresponding Medicare nutritional support claims in patients with head and neck cancer.


Vitamin E(tocopherol),one of the ma-jor vitamins a human being needs,is an impor-tant antioxidant as well as a radical scavengerin organisms.However,no determinations ofvitamin E concentration for dilatationcardiomyopathy have yet been reported athome or abroad.The authors have used


The purpose of the present invention is to estimate, with a small amount of computation, a linear prediction synthesis filter for which an internal sampling frequency has been converted. A linear prediction coefficient device of the present invention converts a first linear prediction coefficient calculated on the basis of a first sampling frequency to a second linear prediction coefficient of a second sampling frequency different from the first sampling frequency. The linear prediction coefficient device is provided with: a means for calculating, on a real axis of the unit circle, a power spectrum corresponding to the second linear prediction coefficient for the second sampling frequency, on the basis of the first linear prediction coefficient or a parameter equivalent thereto; a means for calculating, on a real axis of the unit circle, an auto-correlation coefficient from the power spectrum; and a means for converting the auto-correlation coefficient to the second linear prediction coefficient of the second sampling frequency.


Oil-based mud has shown a commended performance over the years in mitigating borehole instability especially when penetrating through a reactive shale zone which is known to have swelling and dispersion problems. However, the strict environmental regulations worldwide have limited the use of oil-based mud. Therefore the methyl glucoside, known as MEG, a specially formulated water-based mud has been introduced where its performance is close to the oil-based mud. This project studied the effect of using MEG in potassium chloride (MEG/KCl) mud in controlling shale swelling and dispersion. Five different concentrations (0, 5, 15, 25, and 35% by weight) were used in the hot rolling dispersion test. Besides, the rheological properties and fluid loss control were also tested as per the American Petroleum Institute – Recommended Practice – 13B (2009). The results showed that MEG/KCl mud was capable of improving the shale inhibitive performance to mitigate the shale swelling and dispersion problems. The higher concentration of MEG used such as 25% and 35%, the less shale would swell or disperse. However, the effectiveness of MEG was corresponding with clay content present in the shale.


Offshore wind farms are becoming an attractive solution for wind power in many developed countries. The voltage source converter (VSC) based multi-terminal high voltage direct current (MTDC) transmission system is an attractive technical option to integrate these offshore wind farms with the onshore grid due to its unique performance characteristics and reduced power loss via extruded DC cables. In this paper, an adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) based coordinated control design has been addressed for MTDC system in order to enhance the reliability and to balance the power. A four terminal VSC-MTDC system which consists of an offshore wind farm and oil platform is implemented in MALAB/SimPower Systems software. The proposed model is tested under different fault scenarios and simulation results show that the novel coordinated control design has great dynamic stabilities and also the VSC-MTDC system can supply Ac voltage of good quality to offshore loads during the disturbances.


The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a fiber reinforced plastic plate type spring. The method comprises the following steps of prepreg preparing, clipping, layering, heat forming and post-processing. The implementation process includes clipping a unidirectional fiber prepreg and a bidirectional fiber prepreg into needed shapes, and attaching the clipped unidirectional fiber prepreg and the bidirectional fiber prepreg on a die to be manufactured into a preformed body according to a set layering mode. The preformed body can be one layered through one or more of the unidirectional fiber prepreg and the bidirectional fiber prepreg. The preformed body can be manufactured into a needed composite material plate type spring through lamination forming, post heat treatment and mechanical processing. Heat forming of plate springs is controlled through temperature, time and pressure. The composite material plate type spring has the advantages of being high in strength, light in quality, fatigue resistant, good in heat stability and small in deformation.


While some of the more exciting and innovative techniques for preventing and reversing cerebral ischemic deficits have proved disappointing, there are still many options available to surgeons interested in these problems. This article reviews (a) prophylactic procedures to augment blood flow and/or prevent embolization and (b) salvage procedures following neurovascular accidents.


(BJ 6.350) Those who discard their weapons and surrender their persons, I will let live. Like a lenient master in a household, I will punish the incorrigible but preserve the rest for myself. So ends Titus' address to the embattled defenders of Jerusalem in the sixth book of Josephus' Jewish War (6.328-50). It is the most substantial instance of communication between Romans and Jews in the work. Titus compares himself to the master of a household and the Jewish rebels to his slaves. Is this how we expect a Roman to describe empire? If not, what does it mean for our understanding of the politics of Josephus' history? The question is particularly acute given that this is not just any Roman but Titus himself: heir apparent and, if we believe Josephus, the man who read and approved this historical account. It is thus surprising that, while the speeches of Jewish advocates of submission to Rome such as Agrippa II (2.345-401) and Josephus himself (5.362-419) have long fascinated readers, Titus' speech has received little or no attention. Remarkably, it is not mentioned in any of three recent collections of essays on Josephus. This paper aims to highlight the rhetorical choices that Josephus has made in constructing this voice for Titus—particularly his self-presentation as master—and the interpretive questions these raise for his readers. It should go without saying that the relationship of this text to anything that Titus may have said during the siege is highly problematic. (Potentially more significant, but unfortunately no less speculative, is the question of how it might relate to any speech recorded in the commentaries of Vespasian and Titus that Josephus appears to have used as a source.) What we have is a Josephan composition that is embedded in the broader narrative of the Jewish War.


The climate is changing, not just where we live at ground level, but also where we fly in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Climate change has important consequences for aviation, because the atmosphere's meteorological characteristics strongly influence flight routes, journey times, and turbulence. This presentation will review the possible impacts of climate change on aviation, which have only recently begun to emerge (as opposed to the impacts of aviation on climate change, which have long been recognised).


The culture used wheat bran as media for four kind of mold strains such as Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus kawachii, Aspergillus usamii and Rhizopus javanicus to examine which strain could higher the activity of amylase most which is used for alcohol fermentation. It also provided three different kind of wheat bran media containing starch of 47%, 51% and 55% respectively for each strain. For each media it also added three different kind of nitrogen sources; ammonium sulfate, casein, and ammonium sulfate and casein equally mixed. Each nitrogen source added was subordinately differentiated into three different percentages, 2%, 4% and 6% respectively, except the 2% for the ammonium sulfate. The results obtained were summarized as follows (1) The activity of was highest in the media of starch value 47% of wheat bran with 6% of casein added. (2) The activity of was highest in the media of starch value 51% of wheat bran with 2% of the equal mixture of ammonium sulfate and casein added. (3) The activities of both and of Aspergillus usamii were highest in the media of starch value 47% wheat bran with no addition of nitrogen source. (4) Of the four strains examined, the activities of and cultured in Rhizopus javanicus were both relatively higher. (5) The activities of and of the strains examined became lower as the percentage of starch contents increased except in Rhizopus javanicus.


Since the last decade, wind energy has been one of the fastest-growing energy sources globally. Nowadays, much of the new power capacity installed is due to wind farms, onshore and offshore. The rapidly falling costs per kWh of wind power have made it more competitive with conventional power supply. However, the further development of onshore wind farms is restricted in many countries due to resource and environmental reasons. Therefore, offshore wind farms, which could overcome these limitations, have attracted more interest from the industry. Additionally, the offshore wind farms, mainly in floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT), owns high power efficiency due to being located in areas of constant and fast wind speeds. This study firstly reviews the major FOWT prototypes, Semi, Spar, and TLP, structures originally from the offshore oil industry. The review mainly focuses on the status of existing FOWT projects in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Lastly, the research identifies the technical challenges of FOWT that must be addressed to reduce the overall cost.


This work draws the attention on the influence of tropospheric ducting on the propagation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) frequencies. The propagation of AIS signals in the cases of elevated range-dependent and surface-based range-dependent ducts formed by elevated trapping layers is studied. The importance of the accuracy of the refractivity profiles' approximation is briefly discussed. The AIS signals propagation is modeled by the parabolic wave equation method for which the refractivity profiles serve as environmental input. The propagation simulations results show that the AIS frequencies can be more affected by elevated trapping layers leading to the formation of elevated ducts than by large surface-based ducts also formed by elevated layers. The results once again outline that the reconstruction of refractivity profiles must be as accurate as possible and that for long maritime paths multiple profiles may be needed to obtain reliable AIS data.


Techniques are applied for the sorption of rhenium from the leaching solution of the fume of calcinating molybdenite concentrate by 201×7 strong base anion exchange resin.By analyzing the main ion from the leaching solution be pretreatmented,the 201×7 strong base anion exchange resin is used in experiment.The influencing factors on the sorption were investigated,with medium pH,sorption time,saturation adsorption for rhenium etc.We also select a effective desorption agent for rhenium on the loaded resin,and have been experimentally for dynamic desorption.The results show that the best effect for adsorption in leaching solution is pH=9.0.The saturation adsorption for rhenium is 92 mg/g on the 201×7 anion exchange resin.Nitric acid solution is a effective desorption agent for rhenium on the loaded resin.


High-performance AlInAs/GaInAs HBTs for low-power digital circuits have been demonstrated. Large-area devices exhibit high current gain (up to 600), observable down to low currents. Small-area devices display f/sub t/ up to 78 GHz and f/sub max/ up to 45 GHz. Fitting S-parameter measurements to an equivalent circuit model shows that f/sub max/ is limited by a large R/sub b/C/sub bc/ time constant in the base circuit. These transistors have been used to fabricate the first frequency divider demonstrated in this material system.


To observe the effect of different types of "coloured" noises, I examined four types of plants (peas, beans, radishes and shamrocks) exposed to three varieties of "coloured" noise (white noise, violet noise and Brownian noise). I discovered that most plants grew better when exposed to white noise, but that violet noise was more efficient at stimulating radish growth.


Sri Lankan minorities constantly face discrimination and experience marginalization. This has reduced their access to education and ability to demonstrate leadership within state campuses. Further, there exists a dearth of minority leadership research in Sri Lanka. As a result, this paper reviews a wide variety of contemporary literature to elaborate on the possible reasons for limited access and leadership within state universities amongst minorities. Based on the reviewed literature, two critical problems were identified. Firstly, the irregular distribution of students, professors, and fiscal resources is a major impediment to university access and leadership. Secondly, systematic ethnocentric policies advocated through responsible authorities are also a reason for limiting educational equality and leadership among minority students within campuses. Because of these two problems, the authors reason how improved diversity and appreciation for all cultures through curricular and policy changes could enhance access, equality, and leadership for everyone including minority groups in the state university system. Further, by understanding the present barriers, the researchers encourage other scholars to consider leadership research in the future to address untapped aspects of minority discourse and related educational reforms in Sri Lanka.  Article visualizations:


Research about the application of Luxmeter measuring instrumental with white diode laser to distribute the light intensity in pure or candle-contaminated cooking oil. This research is conducted by varying the range, so the result of intensity value is acquired. The result of research shows that there are differences in the light intensity value of both pure and candle-contaminated cooking oil. The output of measuring instrument in this research shows a different number between pure cooking oil and candle-contaminated cooking oil. Based on the data analyzed, 5 cm range from the Luxmeter sensor is the most sensitive area. From the calculation, the value acquired is 273,1349 ± 0.06 Cd, that means if the reading value is more than that value, the oil is identified as candle-contaminated if less the oil is pure.


The knowledge of the prevalence of drug resistant tuberculosis in the population is important information about the epidemiology of the disease in the country. In Poland, the incidences of drug-resistant tuberculosis have been monitored since the early years of chemotherapy. In the period from 1997 to 2012 were four prospective studies covering the whole country. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence primary and acquired drug resistance of M. tuberculosis strains isolated from patients in Poland in 2012, compared with the results obtained in previous studies (1997-2008). Material and methods: The material for the work was taken from 4781 tuberculosis patients excreting susceptible and drug resistant bacilli during the 12-months from 1st January to 31st December 2012. Data about patients were collected based on the results of routine diagnostic tests carried out in tuberculosis laboratories. Division by age group, verification and analysis of data was performed according to WHO recommendations. Drug susceptibility testing was performed on solid medium (L-J) by proportion method and liquid medium using the Bactec MGIT 960 system. Results: In this study we were included 4136 patients with tuberculosis (86.9% new and 13.1% treated cases). Among 3596 studied untreated patients 157 (4.4%) excreting drug resistant bacilli. MDR-TB was found in 12 (0.6%) patients and bacilli resistant to 4 drugs in 7 patients (0.2%).Among previously treated patients 63 (11.7%) excreting drug resistant bacilli. MDR-TB was found in 24 patients (4.4%), bacilli resistant to 3 drugs SM+INH+RMP (11 patients – 2.0%) and 4 drugs SM+INH+RMP+EMB (6 patients – 1.1%). Conclusions: Among untreated patients 157 (4.4%) excreting drug resistant bacilli, in previously treated patients 63 (11.7%). Excreting drug resistant bacilli MDR-TB was more often in previously treated (4.4%) than untreated patients (0.6%).


Brain activity is accompanied by changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the differential blood oxygenation that are detectable using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The process of identifying brain activation regions can be facilitated by estimating the hemodynamic response function (HRF). There have been some remarkable new developments in statistics to handle this problem. In this paper, we introduce a novel procedure which is capable of adapting itself to any of the existing methods by improving its performance through the application of a penalized smoothing technique. Using a computer experiment and a real fMRI data set, the proposed procedure is assessed by comparing its performance very favorably to the popular SPM based method. AMS 2000 subject classifications: Primary 62H35, 62G08; secondary 62H12.


The study evaluated the completeness of the information contained in the records of Hyperday of a Basic Unit of Health (UBS) in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Transversal delineation was used through the collection of secondary data. The copies of 567 records filled out in UBS from 2002 to 2008 were analyzed. The data were registered as "filled out" and "no filled out" in a precodified questionnaire. Among the data of obligatory completion, the largest incompleteness percentages were in the identification fields, detaching the number of the national card of health (95,6%), the zip code (47,2%) and the federal unit of birth (27,3%). Among the data of optional completion, largest gaps were identified in the fields of no medicamental treatment (97, 0%) and capillary glycemia (56,7%). In relation to the fields of clinical data, all of them had low incompleteness. The results demonstrate that the SisHyperday in study possesses a good completion in most of the analyzed variables.


The article deals with criminal-legal aspects of such restraint as commitment and house imprisonment, proposes measures for improving the legislative regulation of these restraints and their practical application, formulates conclusions concerning these problems reflection in mass media, as well as typical accusatory trends in this sphere of criminal-legal jurisdiction, their causes and preventive measures.


This paper attempts to find the optimum matching solution for engines and waterjets. Three waterjets of 4500, 6000 and 7500 kW output are considered. For each, three design alternatives are analyzed: a) the waterjet indirectly driven by the diesel engine via gears; b) directly driven, but by a larger derated engine or c) directly driven, but by a non derated engine, acting on a high speed waterjet. Extensive calculations have been carried out for two ship examples: a monohull of 100m and a catamaran of 80m length, each driven by four waterjets. The results have been technically and economically evaluated and conclusions drawn.


Cities and city regions are on the global agenda as key sites for contemporary societal development, in terms of agglomeration of economic activity, places of everyday life and dense networks. The majority of economic, political and social activities is today formed by urbanisation, and an increasing number of people are living and working in city regions. At the same time, many cities and peripheral regions are struggling with job losses, industrial restructuring and depopulation, and thus, many countries face new forms of spatially economic and social inequalities. This special issue is about the contemporary urbanisation processes and the transformation of cities and urban systems in the European context using Denmark as a particular case. Denmark provides a present-day example of urban transformation, and its urban system resembles that of many other European countries – Denmark having one large urban centre and a long tail of smaller cities and towns. Thus, the papers in this issue provide insights into contemporary urban changes.


Objective:To discuss the feasibility of the reduced contrast dose with saline flushing in pulmonary CT angiography of patients with standard weight with gemstone CT.Methods:According to the contrast dose,40 patients with standard body weight(BWI 18.5~24.0㎏/㎡)undergoing computed tomography pulmonary angiography(CTPA)were randomly divided into 2groups:reduced contrast was treated with 15 mL contrast and 50 mL mixed solution(10% contrast and 90% saline)flushing,control group was treated 50 mL contrast and 30 mL saline flushing.The images were evaluated and analyzed by two experienced radiologists independently.Results:With rank sum test,the grading scores on the manifestation of the pulmonary artery and the posterior basal segmental pulmonary artery from the two radiologist were not significantly different between the two groups(P0.05).The grading scores on the manifestation of the vena cava from the two radiologists were significantly different between the two groups(P0.05).The differences of CT value between main pulmonary artery and left artium,the posterior basal segmental pulmonary artery and vein from the two radiologists between the two groups were not significantly different(P0.05).Conclusion:The good image quality is obtained with the reduced contrast dose with saline flushing in pulmonary CT angiography of patients with standard body weight with gemstone CT and is satisfied for clinical diagnosis.


When he submitted his dissertation on Morbid Grief Reactions: A Review of the Literature to the University of London in 1959, Parkes made his first major contribution to the study of grief and bereavement. There followed a series of publications (e.g. Parkes, 1965, 1971) which culminated in the first edition of the book reconsidered here. On my first reading of this book, I was reminded of Samuel Johnson's comment that "the two most engaging powers of an author are to make new things familiar, and familiar things new". Parkes' descriptions of unusual reactions to loss are presented in a fashion which makes them feel reassuringly familiar, and those reactions which are more commonplace are described in a way which requires us to consider them anew.


The current study reports upon further evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Learning and Development Survey. Originally tested on 113 local government employees, the Learning and Development Survey was found to have good reliability, however there was a large proportion of redundant item, with 62 indicators spanning six constructs. These six constructs were: Organisational Opportunities: Learning Climate, Organisational Constraints, Individual Goal Engagement, Individual Goal Selection, Organisational Opportunities: Work Tasks, and Individual Goal Disengagement. In the current study, factor analysis, internal consistency analysis and item reliability analysis were conducted to reduce the total number of items and retain the optimal indicators of the latent factors. The six factors were replicated in the analyses, however the number of items was reduced. Despite a reduction in the number of items, internal consistency remained high, and inter-factor correlations were reduced. A MANOVA was conducted with age and occupation type acting as independent variables, and the factors from the revised Learning and Development serving as the dependent variables. Findings from the MANOVA analysis determined that employees over 45 years of age reported fewer opportunities for learning and development at work than employees aged less than 45 years, especially in blue collar settings. Older workers were also found to be less engaged in learning and development goals than younger workers.


1. Intrinsically portable field maintenance tool comprising: a communication processing module, configured to connect to the connected field device; camera configured to obtain at least one image relating to the field device; a controller coupled to the process communication module and operatively connected to the chamber, wherein the controller is configured to store said at least one image related to the field ustroystvu.2. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 1, wherein the chamber is an internal component of a portable intrinsically safe field maintenance tool obsluzhivaniya.3. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 1, wherein said at least one image includes a photograph field ustroystva.4. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 3, wherein said image is a photograph, "have been found to" 5 field device. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 4, wherein said at least one image also includes a field picture "as left" .6 device. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 3, wherein said image is a photograph "as left" field device .7. Intrinsically safe field portable instrument according to claim maintenance. 1, wherein said at least one of


T he notion of essential subsemimodule was introduced by Pawar in [6].  In this paper we define semi-essential subsemimodule and extend some results of essential subsemimodule to semi-essential subsemimodule over a semiring.


Sustainable development is important to ensure a balanced consideration of social, environment and economic needs in the property development sector. To ensure the success of sustainable development, a strong partnership and unity between all key players in the development is a must. Under the World Green Building Council (WGBC), about 80 nations have been joining them to ensure the continuous development of green building is enhanced and all the nations moving forward in promoting green building to replace conventional method of development that harm our environment. The GBI, GreenRE and MyCREST are the assessment tools used in assessing green buildings in Malaysia. With immediate actions in current situation for future generation, the impact of green building industry on environment will be beneficial for all of us and the variety of green building criteria will ensure that green building development is vital in producing better living place for all mankind.


The kinetic mechanism of spontaneous aluminum ion (Al3+) hydrolysis reaction in aqueous solution is investigated using the density functional theory–quantum chemical cluster model method. Three typical reaction pathways for the spontaneous Al3+ hydrolysis reaction are modeled, including (1) the traditional spontaneous proton dissociation on the Al3+ inner-shell coordinated waters; (2) the conventional bulk water-assisted proton dissociation; and (3) the second-shell water-assisted synergistic dissociation of the protons on the Al3+ inner-shell waters. The results show that the electrostatic effects between Al3+ and its coordinated waters alone cannot fully account for the proton loss on an inner-shell coordinated water. It is suggested that the main reaction pathway for natural hydrolysis of aqueous Al3+ is the second-shell water-assisted synergistic proton dissociation, in which the participation of the second hydration shell is crucially important. The calculated synergistic proton dissociation rate con...


Small unilamellar liposomes were prepared in an aqueous medium by the sonication of phospholipids containing diene or triene groups in their hydrocarbon acyl chains. These liposomes were polymerized by gamma-ray irradiation. Conversion of polymerization was successively followed by UV spectrometry. Diene-type lipid liposomes were revealed for which a gamma-ray dose of 0.8 Mrad was required for complete polymerization and which were polymerized more easily than triene-type lipid liposomes. Triene-type lipids required 2.3 Mrad gamma ray to polymerize them completely. Contrary to UV-irradiation polymerization, there was no concentration dependence on the polymerization. Structure of the polymerized liposomes were confirmed by electron microscopy as small unilamellar liposomes. Study on the leakage of fluorescein from inner aqueous phase of the polymerized liposomes revealed that polymerized triene-type liposomes were relatively more stable than the polymerized diene-type liposomes.


Wind power generation has expanded rapidly in the past two decades and supplies 20% of Denmarkpsilas electricity, and 5 - 7% in Germany, Spain and Ireland. It is likely that Ireland will be the first of these countries to reach the 10% level, probably by 2010. The Irish grid does not have the benefit of strong interconnection with neighbouring grids, as is the case with Denmark. If wind power is to push past the 10% level in Ireland, new system operational strategies will be needed. This paper describes a potential application for controllable domestic heat loads, and flexible distributed generation in power systems with significant capacities of uncertain wind generation. The paper demonstrates the prioritisation of these two balancing resources, the first derived from the electrical heat load component of system demand, the second derived from distributed diesel generation. The methods described can be effectively used to help match demand with generation during times of wind forecast errors.


The uniaxial natural fabric Grewia tenax was treated with sodium hydroxide, acetic acid, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and polycarbonate (PC) solutions, and characterized by a variety of techniques. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry were used to characterize the thermal behavior of the fabric. Attenuated total reflectance-infrared spectroscopy was used to characterize the fabric constituents. The morphology of the fabric was studied using scanning electron microscopy technique. X-ray diffraction studies were carried out to determine crystallinity of the fabric. Chemical composition and tensile properties of the fabric samples were also studied. Significant changes were observed in the fabric with various treatments. Tensile properties of the fabric were observed to have improved with PVA and PC treatments. The tensile strength of the fabric was found to be decreased on alkali and acetic acid treatments. The authors conducted all these tests before and after treatments except the chemical composition.


This book is a challenging project covering an overview of conceptual, theoretical, methodological and empirical aspects of the Europeanization research agenda. It shows that this area has matured considerably since the late 1990s, but nevertheless various contributions emphasize that there is still much to be done. This project therefore does not limit itself to providing an extensive overview of the state-of-theart. It gives considerable attention to the gaps in current research and uses this to provide suggestions for further study. The handbook covers a great deal. In order to 'satisfy a growing "encyclopaedic" desire' (p. 6) it consists of 25, relatively short, chapters. These include four theory and methods chapters, nine politics and polity chapters and ten policy chapters. These were all written anew for this occasion by an impressive list of 29 (mostly) renowned scholars from the fields of international relations, EU studies and comparative politics. Each chapter has the same outline – introduction, core research questions, key problems and conclusion – which makes it a very clear and comprehensive handbook. The problem remains that Europeanization is a contested concept. In the concluding chapter Lehmkuhl suggests it is not possible to provide a static idea of what Europeanization entails: 'the concept of Europeanization is better understood as a living concept that evolves over time and allows for alterations' (p. 340). As a result, any project will have problems with including 'the variety and richness characterizing Europeanization research' (p. 338). The editors argue it has been their intention to provide a critical overview. One of the main problems with Europeanization research is that until now it has been mostly restricted to small-N and based on thick description (pp. 16–17). This limits comparison and creates problems of generalizability. It is therefore argued that Europeanization has not moved away from concept to theory. However, for example, Haverland's chapter shows that recently this is changing. There are more comparative case studies and statistical research and the research area is opening up for multiple strategies. But also important, Europeanization research starts to cover more disciplines. Despite the fact that this draws attention to common problems of Europeanization studies, it fails to apply adequate solutions. Nevertheless, by pointing out the potential and the pitfalls of Europeanization research, the handbook provides a comprehensive contribution to the Europeanization literature. BARBARA BRINK University of Strathclyde JCMS 2008 Volume 46. Number 2. pp. 477–495