Lysosome‐associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3) overexpression is implicated in the development and progression of Sjögren's disease (SjD) by inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) and apoptotic cell death in salivary gland epithelium. The aim of this study was to clarify the molecular details of LAMP3‐induced lysosome‐dependent cell death and to test lysosomal biogenesis as a therapeutic intervention.


Technical crews on board of modern naval vessels need excellent support to maximize performance under a large variety of circumstances. The drive to save costs and reduce manning even increases the need for such support systems. Future Dutch naval ships include ship control centers which are manned depending on the status of ship and system. This new way of working not only sets new requirements for the technical system, but it also sets new requirements for the human operations and the corresponding operator capacities. This human aspect has been insufficiently addressed during all development and implementation phases of our current ships. 'Old' design and ship building methods, including the way industrial partners are involved, can't answer these questions completely. This paper presents a new cognitive engineering method, consisting of three important parts. The first part is the analysis of operational demands, human factor knowledge and envisioned technology. In the second part requirements are specified for the three mentioned areas of the first stage, using scenarios, claims and core functions. The third part consists of reviewing and testing to refine the requirements in iterative loops. The method has been applied and shows how it can improve ship design for two future Dutch ships.


New instrumentation has been developed that is dedicated to the measurement of surface morphology with high resolutions and short acquisition times. Sinusoidal phase-shifting interferometry is demonstrated to provide within an acquisition time of only a few milliseconds topographic images with ∼1 nm height precision, ∼1 µm lateral resolution, and a few tens of pm sensitivity. A white-light scanning microscope is also under development, using an in-house developed high speed, intelligent CCD camera, the first tests of which demonstrate the feasibility of providing topographic images of deep surface relief (several microns to several tens of microns) within less than 0.3 s. The useful lateral field of view can be extended by employing image "stitching" while maintaining a high lateral resolution. PACS. 07.60.Pb Conventional optical microscopes


Abstract From the earliest stages of reading and writing in the Japanese archipelago, the methodology of kanbun kundoku (vernacular reading of literary Sinitic) has been an important means of engagement with Chinese texts. The kanbun kundoku process of glossing and syntactic rearrangement transforms a literary Sinitic source text into a kind of 'translationese' that preserves as closely as possible the diction and structure of the original while making it accessible to readers who may have little or no competence in spoken varieties of Chinese. Yet whether this process should be understood as fundamentally a form of translation is a matter of debate among scholars. In this article, I argue that looking at the early modern phenomenon of ōbun kundoku, by which Japanese scholars applied kundoku methodology to European languages (including Latin, Portuguese, Dutch and English), can offer a valuable perspective. These forms of direct translation are an important although comparatively under-studied aspect of Japanese encounters with European texts and they offer an instructive perspective on kanbun kundoku: the longstanding Japanese method of engagement with foreign-language texts that was their inspiration. The theoretical writings of Japan's early modern scholars of Dutch unmistakably acknowledge a basic commonality between these two forms of kundoku while also clarifying the ways in which the application of kundoku to European languages was distinct from application to literary Sinitic.


This article discusses the impending modernization of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA), for which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is soliciting input with regard to possible changes. The author favors repeal of this Act, yet discusses the arguments for retention of the Act, and presents the case in light of present legislative alignments and objectives. The author argues that should Congress not act to repeal the legislation, then the SEC will reform PUCHA by means or reinterpretation.


Abstract : This report is a user's guide to the VTRPE (variable terrain radio parabolic equation) computer model. It is designed to provide the reader with a summary of the physics and numerical methods used in the VTRPE model, along with detailed instructions on the model's use and operation. The VTRPE computer program is a range-dependent, tropospheric microwave propagation model that is based upon the split-step Fourier parabolic wave equation algorithm. The nominal applicable frequency range of the model is VHF to K-band. The VTRPE program is able to make predictions for microwave propagation over both land and water. The VTRPE code is a full-wave propagation model that solves the electromagnetic wave equations for the complex electric and magnetic radiation fields. The model accounts for the effects of nonuniform atmospheric refractivity fields, variable surface terrain, and varying surface dielectric properties on microwave propagation. The code is written in ANSI-77 FORTRAN with MILSPEC-1753 FORTRAN language extensions. The VTRPE program is currently configured to run under the UNIX operating system on SUN minicomputers and CONVEX supercomputers, and under MS-DOS on 80386/80486-based PC's.


The paper states the normal procedure in a simple and interesting way, in which object-oriented visual programing tool is used to carry out program design. Such statement lets the beginner quickly grasp the spirit of the essential way in programming, and then steps smoothly into a further study.


The IEEE defines reliability as "The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time." To most project and software development managers, reliability is equated to correctness, that is, they look to testing and the number of "bugs" found and fixed. While finding and fixing bugs discovered in testing is necessary to assure reliability, a better way is to develop a robust, high quality product through all of the stages of the software lifecycle. That is, the reliability of the delivered code is related to the quality of all of the processes and products of software development; the requirements documentation, the code, test plans, and testing. Software reliability is not as well defined as hardware reliability, but the Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) at NASA is striving to identify and apply metrics to software products that promote and assess reliability. This paper discusses how NASA projects, in conjunction with the SATC, are applying software metrics to improve the quality and reliability of software products. Reliability is a by-product of quality, and software quality can be measured. We will demonstrate how these quality metrics assist in the evaluation of software reliability. We conclude with a brief discussion of the metrics being applied by the SATC to evaluate the reliability . I. Definitions Software cannot be seen nor touched, but it is essential to the successful use of computers. It is necessary that the reliability of software should be measured and evaluated, as it is in hardware. IEEE 610.12-1990 defines reliability as "The ability of a system or component to perform its required functions under stated conditions for a specified period of time." IEEE 982.1-1988 defines Software Reliability Management as "The process of optimizing the reliability of software through a program that emphasizes software error prevention, fault detection and removal, and the use of measurements to maximize reliability in light of project constraints such as resources, schedule and performance." Using these definitions, software reliability is comprised of three activities: 1. Error prevention 2. Fault detection and removal 3. Measurements to maximize reliability, specifically measures that support the first two activities There has been extensive work in measuring reliability using mean time between failure and mean time to failure.[1] Successful modeling has been done to predict error rates and


Modification of bitumen with various additives, including polymer ones, is one of the most effective ways to regulate the performance properties of asphalt concrete. Due to the high cost of polymers, a promising area of research is to reduce the polymer content, for example, by introducing mineral filler into its composition. A wide range of properties and unique structure of fullerene-containing natural shungite allow it to be used in various branches of science, industry and technology to create a variety of materials and determine the search for new areas of its application. One of the ideas that are currently under development is the use of shungite in conjunction with an organic binder used for the production of asphalt concrete. The work is devoted to the study of the influence of fine shungite on the characteristics of polymer-bituminous binder (PBB) and asphalt concrete. It is shown that the introduction of shungite into the PBB increases its viscosity, adhesive and cohesive properties, and the homogeneity of the mixture. This is due to the unique composition, structure and properties of shungite. The positive influence of the use of polymer shungite binder on the quality of asphalt concrete was established. With the introduction of 5% shungite in the PBB composition, the strength at 20 and 50°C, the strength of water-saturated samples, and the shear stability of polymer asphalt concrete significantly increased. This made it possible to reduce the polymer content of PBB by 10%.


We derive and compare several finite-difference frequency-domain (FD-FD) stencils for points on or near a planar dielectric interface. They are based on interface conditions or from modifying Helmholtz equation. We present a highly accurate formulation based on local plane wave expansion (LPWE). LPWE-based compact stencil is an extension of the analytically obtained LFE-9 stencil as used by the method of connected local fields (6). We report that merely using five points per wavelength spatial sampling, LPWE coefficients achieve better than 0.01% local error near a planar interface. We numerically determine that we have fourth to eighth-order accuracy in the local errors for LPWE stencils.


Surveys conducted in the south-western Dominican Republic showed that the penshell Pinna carnea is a consistent component of seagrass beds and is absent in adjacent sandflats. Population densities were low (0.012–0.076·m−2) and the size–structure skewed towards large individuals. Trials with different types of substrata in caged spat collectors, involving a combination of sand, seagrass blades and roots, and an artificial treatment by itself, indicated no settlement preference for any of the substrata tested. Comparison of additional spat collectors (caged and uncaged) indicated high predation losses (84%) for recently settled penshells. Experiments with penshells measuring 10–30, 50–70 and 90–110 mm (anterior to posterior dorsal tip) transplanted to plots in a seagrass bed and sandflat showed that predation losses decreased with increasing size and were much less in seagrass than in the sandflat. In 10-day trials, survival in the three size-groups was 27-fold greater in the seagrass bed than on the sandflat. During 3-day trials in the sandflat, survival increased from 6% for 50–100 mm penshells to 93% for 150–170 mm penshells. At the end of 100-day trials, during which the study area was subjected to Hurricane Dennis, the only surviving penshells were large individuals (90–110 mm) that had been transplanted to the seagrass bed. All individuals transplanted to the sandflat went missing. Growth measurements showed that small penshells grow rapidly (up to 2.2 mm·d−1), but the growth rate drops markedly at ~150 mm. Rapid juvenile growth may be a strategy for reducing the period of high vulnerability to predators. The high proportion of large individuals in the population likely represents the accumulation of successive recruitments as growth slows in older penshells. Pinna carnea is mainly restricted to seagrass beds because they provide more protection from predators than adjacent habitats. Moreover, the consolidation of sediments in seagrass beds by roots and algal rhizoids provides a degree of protection from physical disturbances such as hurricanes. The advantages provided by the seagrass habitat come at a cost because we detected a mortality factor in the seagrass bed (possibly related to the ~3-fold higher silt load) that was absent on the sandflat.


OF THE THESIS The necessity for an efficient drug-adverse reaction monitoring system has been recognised since the disclosure of the "ThalidomideCongenital deformation" association in 1962. As a consequence, the World Health Organization established its drug monitoring Centre in Geneva in January 1971, and now receives reports on adverse-ractions to therapeutic drugs from 19 national centres, among them the U.K. Centre which started in 196 3. The present monitoring system depends on voluntary reporting, hence the data are unavoidably poor, being non-homogeneous, irregular and. incomplete. Despite such defects, the thesis concentrates on two points. First, it introduces a probabilistic basis for drug monitoring that allows for the sources of trouble in real-life data; second, it presents a signalling procedure which is more sensitive in detecting "increases" in reporting than the one currently used. The WHO signalling procedure is based on Patwary's (1969) and Mandelt s (1974) statistics. In both, successive reports are assumed to form a set of independent Bernoulli trials, hence the number of "presences" of an event follows the binomial model. Chapter 3 shows that the binomial model is oversimplified to describe the number of "presences" in nature. Non-independence of successive reports, likely to occur in practice, seriously affects both tha distributional behaviour of the binomial model and the power of tests based on it. To control heterogeneities among reporters, a model is proposed that allows the partition of the population into subpopulations,


The current paper addresses the need to respond critically to the theoretical challenges that arise from the matrix of decolonial thinking and its relation to Theodor W. Adorno's negative dialectics. Methodologically, a conceptual framework has been developed to establish the possible communicating vessels between the different elaborations on decolonial thinking and Adorno's theoretical production. Bearing in mind the Castro-Gómez critique of Foucault, this approach disassociates itself from the idea that a thinker is Eurocentric on the mere basis of the locus of enunciation. This work posits that it is perfectly feasible to find an analytical exercise that allows a closer approach to Adorno's thinking. This implies a paradoxical double movement in the analysis. One is the critical study of the Adornian approach or negative dialectic from decolonial criticism, and the other is determining the possibility of tracing plexuses of concrete interpenetration between both theoretical universes.


SIRIUS Academics is a partnership of educators, technical experts, and corporate sponsors assembled to produce a highly interactive textbook replacement model for use in all course delivery modes. The model promotes student retention and success by integrating learning and motivation research, embedded assessments, and enriched multimedia content for student engagement.


This paper challenges the traditional view that unemployment is high because insiders determine the union wage. The insiders in this paper are characterized by being more efficient when they search for a job than the outsiders, implying that they experience relatively less unemployment. We assume that wages are determined by a monopoly union and further that a union leader is elected by a majority voting rule. Insiders may prefer a lower wage than outsiders, implying the possibility of lower unemployment when insiders are decisive in the union than if outsiders were decisive in the union.


A study of the daily activity pattern of 20 Spiny-tailed Lizards Uromastyx aegyptius microlepis individuals during two consecutive summers indicates that they emerge early, with a peak period of emergence between 0700 and 0800. A peak basking period occurs between 0700 and 1000, while a peak foraging period occurs between 0900 and 1100. The lizards retreat underground when the mean ambient temperature approaches 40 deg. C. Their activitfes above ground are strongly correlated with ambient temperature.


In the early 19th century, charcoal iron smelting was carried out in iron "plantations"-rural, small-scale operations which employed a primitive, age-old technology. Such crude techniques resulted in an enormous waste of the raw materials, particularly the charcoal fuel. The name "plantation" derives from the fact that these enterprises were often nearly self-sufficient communities, producing not only iron but also most of their own food, and were therefore as much agricultural as industrial operations. The quality of the iron produced at these plantations was usually quite good, but its price, due to the inefficiency of the processes used, was high. Two historians of the American iron industry-Peter Temin and Louis Hunter-have claimed that these characteristics of the charcoal


The aim of this paper is to study clinical prole of patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing hemodialysis. The objective of our study was to study the clinical prole and laboratory parameters of end stage renal disease. In this paper, the main focus is on nding out possible etiology which may lead to end stage renal disease. Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a major public health problem world over. The incidence of ESRD in India is approximately 150–200 pmp yearly. DM and hypertension are important causes of CKD. (1) Criteria for CKD (either of the following present for >3 months) is as follows: Markers of kidney damage (one or more) - Albuminuria (AER >or equal to30 mg/24 hours; ACR >or equal to30 mg/g >or equal to 3 mg/mmol); Urine sediment abnormalities; Electrolyte and other abnormalities due to tubular disorders; Abnormalities detected by histology; Structural abnormalities detected by imaging. (2) Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in Department of Nephrology, D.Y Patil Hospital, Nerul, Navi Mumbai. The study was started after the approval of Institutional Ethics Committee. A written signed informed consent was sought. A total of 140 patients presenting with symptoms of ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis thrice a week and with stable A-V stula as vascular access were enrolled. Prescription of hemodialysis was optimized.


The research was aimed at finding out the students' responses and perceptions toward the corrective feedback given in teaching speaking activity. The research applied quantitative methods by sending questionnaires to 70 students. The students' responses and perceptions for teacher's corrective feedback indicated that students think their spoken error should be corrected. In addition, the students want their teacher focus more on. They also agree if their friends should correct their error. The most popular corrective feedbacks in teaching speaking are the explicit correction, elicitation, and repetition. They have an effective function in detecting the students' mispronunciation and low accuracy and fluency. The other corrective feedback like implicit correction, recast, clarification request, and metalinguistic feedback are not favored because the percentage is lower than other corrective feedback. It indicates that not all of corrective feedback is effectively used in speaking.


The multimedia courseware plays an important role in the ideological and political teaching.The rational use of multimedia is important to arouse the students'interest in learning,integrate teaching resources,enhance the teaching staff's qualifications and improve teaching equality.As a modern teaching aid,the application of multimedia should correctly handle the relations among the textbook,the courseware,teaching materials and the teacher.


Proposes a coordinative decentralized control system architecture (CODA) as a fault-tolerant industrial plant control system. The system can be reconfigured to adapt to its conditions and environment by the coordination of its controllers. To guarantee the appropriate coordination, coordination protocol was designed to be the rules of cooperation among the controllers. The coordination mechanism is a combination of intercontroller activity and intracontroller activity. To verify its coordinatability, a prototype of CODA was tested by simulation.<<ETX>>


A field experiment was conducted during the post rainy (rabi) seasons of 2012-13 and 2013-14 at Agricultural Research Station, Gulbarga (Karnataka) to evaluate the time and dosage of imazethapyr in chickpea. The experiment was laid out with 12 weed-control treatments, viz. imazethapyr at 3 application rates (15, 20 and 30 g/ha) sprayed at 10 and 20 and 30 days after germination (DAG), pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha + one hand weeding at 25-30 DAS, weed free check and weedy check. Among the treatments, weed free check recorded significantly higher seed yield (1287 kg/ha), net returns (Rs. 29080/ha) and B:C ratio (2.30) and minimum weed dry weight and higher WCE (100%) followed by pre emergence application of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha + one hand weeding at 25-30 DAS. Among the different doses and time of application of imazethapyr, application of imazethapyr 30 g/ha at 10 DAG resulted in 57.9% higher grain yield (1098 kg/ha), lower weed dry matter (6.88 g/0.5 m2) and higher WCE (75.33%) over unweeded control and other treatments. Imazethapyr 30 g/ha at 10 DAS also recorded the highest net returns (Rs.22780/ha) and B: C ratio (2.08), which was closely followed by imazethapyr 20 g/ha sprayed at 10 DAG, 20 DAG and imazethapyr 30 g/ha at 30 DAG.


: In order to assess the status of Hypocryphalus mangiferae associated with wilt affected trees, the survey was conducted in different districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the year 2012 to 2015. Among the orchards surveyed, presence of the wilt was observed in 20 orchards, in which 31 plants were infected by wilt pathogen in association of bark beetle. Two types of bark beetles were collected from the wilted mango trees, which were identified as Hypocryphalus mangiferae and Sinoxylon sp. The H. mangiferae was found in majority of the cases. Observations indicated that wilt was caused by underground infection at the locations where the beetle association is not found with the wilted trees. On the other hand in case of aerial infection of Ceratocystis causing whole tree wilt or branch drying, bark beetle was invariable associated. In such cases evidences are that the disease was transmitted due to infestation of the beetles.


SummaryStudies were made to determine some of the factors which could modify the influence of a cold treatment of transplants on the maturity characteristics of three autumn cauliflower varieties. These included controllable experimental variables and uncontrollable environmental factors some of which were investigated by multiple regression techniques.Results from the four experiments indicated that while the cold treatment considerably shortened the harvest period of the majority of the crops grown, the magnitude of the response of individual crops was affected by the temperature conditions under which the plants were raised and also, on some occasions, by temperature conditions prevailing just after planting and at harvest. There were varietal differences in responsiveness to the cold treatments. Selection for uniformity of transplant growth stage did not increase the cold treatment effect. It is suggested that plant-to-plant variation in low temperature requirement for curd induction may be a factor c...


The author, having earned his Juris Doctor degree in the United States and taught law in Eastern Europe for the past 10 years, is in a unique position to offer perspective about teaching law in post Soviet‐occupied re‐emerging democracies. The article notes differences in the culture and atmosphere of legal education not only between the United States and countries such as Estonia and Lithuania, but also Finland, which may be considered as an example of the free, unspoiled traditional Europe. It is suggested that in order for a visiting professor or lecturer from the United States or even Western Europe to succeed in Eastern Europe, flexibility in teaching methods and a greater measure of tolerance of student immaturity is necessary, especially when new and unfamiliar teaching methods, such as the Socratic method, are introduced. The article also analyzes and criticizes the impact of the Bologna process – Europe's efforts to harmonize (read standardize) all higher education. The debate as to whether law s...


Memristors are ideal devices able to switch among different resistive states and to retain the most recent one even if the input voltage is removed. With such a characteristic memristors would be able to mimic the brain functions or to behave as universal memory device. The existence of the memristor was theorized by Leon Chua in 1971 but only in 2008 a first prototype device based on the use of an oxide layer was realized, later addressed as a redox-based resistance (switching) random access memory (RRAM). Since its discovery, scientists have been working to understand the mechanism behind the device switching and to eliminate the intrinsic device failures and poor reproducibility, that differentiate the real RRAM from the ideal memristor and that prevent its application in circuitry. There exist two main memristor designs, the valence change memory cell (VCM) and the electrochemical metallization memory cell (ECM). These devices rely both on the switching between a high resistance state (HRS) and a low resistance state (LRS) through the application of a high voltage. Along the same two electric terminals that led to the switching, the resistance state is measured by means of a low voltage. Aim of thesis is to study the yet unclear RRAM physical processes and switching mechanisms in order to pave the way for overcoming existing device weak points. In particular, in the first part we focused on understanding the mechanism of the most basic realization of a VCM memristor, i.e. the thin-film based one. Afterwards, we explained some controversial experimental results on more advanced ECM memristors, namely nanowire-based devices, revising the applicability of currently established conventional theories and proposing an alternative operational mechanism. Finally, we presented the stability and the electrical properties of a new two-dimensional material, i.e. MoS2, which could be applied in the memristive field. In thin-film based VCM devices, it is argued that the resistance switching occurs due to the motion of crystallographic defects under the effect of an electric field. These defects locally dope the insulating oxide increasing its conductivity. Once a filament of stacked defects connects the two electrodes an abrupt change in current is measured externally. Nevertheless, not much it is known about the atomistic nature of the switching, even less about its link with measurable external quantities such as total current. In this thesis work, we proposed a mixed continuum and Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulation to take into account both atomic-level properties, like defect diffusivity, and macroscopic quantities like internal temperature and overall device current. Thanks to this combination of computational methods, temperature can dynamically change during the course of the simulation. Results show how the height of defect diffusion barrier influences the switching mechanism. When the barriers are low (≈0.4 eV) the defects move as soon as the voltage is applied and correspondingly the device switching is fast, however at room temperature the resistance state is volatile. By contrast, if the barriers are relatively high (≈1.1 eV) the oxide has first to heat up in order for the defects to have enough energy to overcome the barriers. Therefore the temperature, although not generally controlled or explicitly considered in the experiments, plays a fundamental role in the switching. Such a heating stage provides the required state retention for practical applications. ECM devices are asymmetric structures composed by an electrochemically active electrode like Cu, a thin film that functions as an electrolyte, either a transition metal oxide or a germanium chalcogenide, and an inactive electrode, such as Pt. The switching from HRS to LRS is thought to take place when, due to the high electric field established by the external bias, atoms of the electrochemically active contact dissolve into the insulating oxide or chalcogenide thin film to form a conductive filament with the opposite contact. Recently, nanomaterials, particularly micrometer-long nanowires, have been applied as an insulating layer between the metallic electrodes thanks to the improved endurance and LRS/HRS ratio that they ensure. Surprisingly, in these devices the LRS is achieved even if no continuous filament was detected. By means of Density Functional Theory simulations, we proposed a mechanism valid for Cu/ZnO-NW/Pt devices in which atoms belonging to the electrochemically active electrode (Cu), rather than aggregating into a filament, spread on the surface. Particularly when in form of adatom, the adsorbed Cu dope the NW surface creating a conductive channel. Copper adatoms are easily dragged by electric field once the diffusion barrier is overcome thanks to the polarizing effect of the surface. In absence of an external voltage clustering is hindered by the same barrier. As opposed to this, the atoms from the inactive electrode (Pt), although they are as mobile as the Cu atoms on the NW surface, are extremely hard to extract from the contact therefore they do not participate in the switching process. Finally, in collaboration with Prof. Jeffrey Grossman at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we focused our attention on one of the materials that lately has been applied in numerous fields including resistive switching memories: MoS2. Due to its phase-dependent conductivity MoS2 could be applied to RRAM once the control on its phases is achieved. To this aim we proposed a new technique for the stabilization of the metastable metallic MoS2 T-phase over the stable semiconducting MoS2 H-phase by alloying with another metal dichalcogenide, SnS2, existing in the T-phase only. A combined Cluster Expansion and DFT approach was exploited to theoretically predict the phase diagram of MoxSn1-xS2 compounds. Our results show that the addition of impurities efficiently lowers the energetic cost of the MoS2 T-phase, and that alloying is an effective way to tune the TMD electronic properties. In a RRAM made with a MoxSn1-xS2 sheet the electric field may alter the local distribution of substitutional atoms so to induce a phase change only in a small portion of the material and alter the overall resistance state. Additionally, the reported intra-phase metal-semiconductor transition occurring for a slightly doped material could be useful for memristive applications.


The study of superhydrophobicity began with the observation and imitation of the superhydrophobic surface in nature. With the development of material characterization and fabrication techniques, more and more artificial superhydrophobic surfaces have been created, which show a broad prospect in application, such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, anti-fogging, anti-corrosion, oil-water separation and so on. The superhydrophobic surfaces in nature, including the leaf surfaces or skins, always play an important role in the survival of plants and animals. However, in contrast, the research of artificially fabricated biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces still remains at an initial stage in laboratory. To date, the major challenge for the practical application of superhydrophobic surfaces is their durability, which hence arouse more attention. The improvement of surface durability is of great significance for the application of superhydrophobic materials in real world. According to the difference in the dimensions of superhydrophobic materials and the differences in the dimensions of superhydrophobic structure units, the superhydrophobic materials are divided into five categories, namely the two-dimensional (2D) superhydrophobic surface based on zero-dimensional (0D) particle; the three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic material based on zero-dimensional (0D) particle; the two-dimensional (2D) superhydrophobic surface based on one-dimensional (1D) fiber; the three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic material based on one-dimensional (1D) fiber and the three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic material based on three-dimensional (3D) bulk material. The preparation methods and the studies of surface durability of each category are introduced. According to the research progress of durable superhydrophobic materials in recent years, the mechanisms for improving the durability of superhydrophobic materials are studied and the guidance to advance the application of superhydrophobic materials in real world are offered.


We consider an inverse source problem for the Helmholtz equation in domains with possibly unknown obstacles, which are much larger than the wavelength. The inverse problem is to determine the number and locations of point sources in the domain based on sparse measurements of the wave field. Our proposed strategy relies on solving a local inverse scattering problem to obtain the incoming directions of waves passing through an observation location. We formulate the problem as an L 1 constrained minimization problem and solve it using the Bregman iterative procedure. The wave direction rays are then traced back and sources are uniquely determined at the intersection of the rays from several observing locations. We present examples in 2D, however all of the formulas and methods used have direct analogues in 3D.


The fracturing and failures of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) after manual soldering onto printed wiring boards are often associated with a soldering-induced thermal shock that results in substantial mechanical stresses in the parts. Recommendations and guidelines for safe soldering conditions are well developed and documented; however, there is a lack of adequate testing for the selection of MLCCs that are robust enough to sustain stresses related to manual soldering. In this paper, various lots of X7R-type material MLCCs with different size have been subjected to three types of thermal-shock testing: terminal solder-dip test, ice-water test, and liquid-nitrogen drop test. The electrical characteristics of the parts were measured through various test conditions to determine critical temperatures that resulted in fracturing and electrical failures. Optical examinations and cross-sectional analysis were used to confirm the presence of cracks. The mechanisms of fracturing, factors affecting crack formation, and the effectiveness of different thermal-shock methods are discussed.


Employees' job satisfaction is an old concept in industrial relations and is influenced by a number of factors. Since the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, some of the government functions which used to be under the central government have since been devolved to the county governments. These functions include the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Public works and roads among others. Employees working in these ministries, among others, had their functions devolved to the county governments. The deployment to the counties had adverse effects among employees as exemplified by strikes of the employees of the Ministry of Health. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of selected job motivational factors on civil servants' job satisfaction within government devolved functions in Nakuru County. The target population was 1912 employees working in the devolved functions. The sample size of the study was 320 systematically picked across the devolved functions. The study used a close ended questionnaire as the main data collection tool. Both Pearson's correlation and regression analyses were used to establish whether the selected motivational factors were related to the exiting level of employees' job satisfaction. The study established that procedural justice and interactional justice contributed significantly to employees job satisfaction compared to communication and supervision.


1. Zhao ZS,
2. Granucci F,
3. Yeh L,
4. Schaffer PA,
5. Cantor H

 (1998) Science. 279:1344–1347.

[OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2]

#### Purpose of the Study

The onset of autoimmune disease sometimes follows an acute viral infection. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is "molecular mimicry." According to this hypothesis, a virus could trigger autoimmunity if one of the viral proteins is very similar in structure …

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The Digital Twin is one of the future key technologies of digitization and Industry 4.0. Through coupling the vast amount of available static and dynamic data about a physical asset with intelligent software functions, it aims for simplifying the increasingly complex functions and interconnections of automation systems. This makes it necessary to provide the Digital Twin with updated and high-quality data about the physical asset. However, little attention is paid to data not generated by the asset itself but from external data sources. This is partly due to a lack of methodologies for identifying and evaluating external data relevant for a specific Digital Twin. The contribution of this work is a categorization of data for the Digital Twin and a methodology to support the identification of data from outside of the physical asset. The work-in-progress refers to the context of industrial automation and is to be validated in the future in laboratories containing discrete manufacturing facilities at Pforzheim University and the University of Stuttgart.


This book discusses recent developments in approximation theory and Fourier analysis, using different types of means such as delayed arithmetic mean and Deferred Cesaro mean. The theory of degree of approximation of functions by Fourier series provides various scientific applications in different branches of Science and Technology including partial differential equations, number theory, combinatorics, signal processing, cryptography, statistics, oceanography, optics, and many more. This book can be used as a textbook for graduate students, and as a valuable reference guide for young researchers in approximation theory.


This article will outline how Merrill's first principles of education and the Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives were leveraged to scaffold the construction of an OER visual literacy tool. It will demonstrate how each object of these two guides can be paired with specific H5P activities. The outcome of this tool is to build upon students' visual literacy knowledge so that they can analyse a work of art while gradually removing their reliance on detailed or frequent prompts.


In order to suggest suitable combustion chamber of the CNG engine for an agricultural and industrial use, 5 type of combustion chamber was found performance for combustion chamber to respond high-load and fuel efficiency. The combustion chamber of 5 type was found COV-imep less than 5%. In the case of thermal efficiency Open dish type was better than flat type. NOx was low emission at flat type by minimum flow in cylinder and HC was least emission at open dish Ⅰtype. The CNG engine for an agricultural and industrial was suggested the open dish Ⅱ type among the 5 type of combustion chamber in terms of high-load and suggested the open dish Ⅳ type in terms of fuel efficiency.


Fluid volume method was applied to simulate non-newtonian ink transfer in the second stage of gravure offset printing to study ink transfer from ink cell to rubber blanket.According to the simulation results,the influence of ink cell wall contact angle,plate contact angle and ink cell depth on ink transfer rate was analyzed.The contact angle combinations for the largest ink transfer rate were put forward.


A grey-based clustering method was proposed and applied on fuzzy system design. A new grey-clustering algorithm using grey relational analysis as the similarity measure was developed for data clustering. It was more effective and accurate than C-Means like algorithms when dealing with data clustering issue, when the compact and complete separate data were considered. Some data clustering examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed clustering algorithm. Next, an application of the proposed method on fuzzy system design is presented. The procedure of fuzzy system design can be separated into two parts. In the first procedure, the grey-clustering algorithm was employed to form a rough fuzzy system only from gathered input-output data. Then, the gradient descent method was used to determine a suitable parameter set of the formed fuzzy system. A nonlinear system modelling and an inverted pendulum control problem were then used to illustrate the validity of the proposed fuzzy system design procedure.


The paper considers the problem of mobile two-wheeled robot control in the task of tracking a given position on the plane. The main idea is based on the use of multi-level decomposition during the synthesis of the control law. A distinctive feature of the considered problem statement is consideration of the actuator's dynamic and the influence of external unknown disturbances. Using the synthesized control law, the asymptotic convergence of the robot to the path defined on the plane is ensured.


This thesis presents techniques for version data modeling and configuration management in VLSI design environments. These techniques are based on an object-oriented data model, which efficiently captures diverse semantics of VLSI designs and the design process. Relationships between versions are identified, and formally defined using design constraints. Constraints are also utilized for increasing designers' control over configuration binding, so designers can ensure the correctness of configurations or select components of preferred design styles. An algorithm is presented which minimizes the total area of a design, resulting from configuration binding under a maximum allowable delay. This algorithm achieves significantly better performance than previous work. A workspace model is presented which hierarchically organizes workspaces, configurations of CAD task-related design objects. Mechanisms for the model provide the snapshot and inheritance property, which facilitate system support for change propagation, release control, and design tracking.


www.escholarship.org/uc/item/5g0736p7 Department of Anthropology 232 Kroeber Hall University of California Berkeley, CA 94720-3710 SOURCE PROVENANCE OF OBSIDIAN ARTIFACTS FROM CA-SMA-113, WEST-CENTRAL CALIFORNIA CA-SMA-113 Arrowpoints produced from Napa Valley obsidian by M. Steven Shackley Professor and Director Emeritus Geoarchaeological XRF Laboratory University of California, Berkeley Report Prepared for Robert Cuthrell Department of Anthropology University of California, Berkeley 14 October 2011


A comprehensive evaluation model for layout of the main control room of nuclear power plants was proposed.Firstly the design scope and principle for the layout of the main control room were defined based on the standards,and then the index system for the comprehensive evaluation was established.Finally,comprehensive evaluation was carried out for the layout design by applying the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method in the index system.


The pricing of corporate bond with the default correlation was studied when the corporate holded the share of other corporates . On the basis of stochastic interest rate, the model of firm's bond with default correlation was established by means of reduced form and partial differential equations (PDE). Also, the close form formula for the pricing of the firm's bond was obtained. Finally, some numerical examples were given to illustrate how our models work.更多还原


Introduction. One of the promising directions of electromagnetic forming (EMF) is a contactless magnetic-pulse straightening of the automobile bodies. The efficiency and the quality of the straightening depend on design and operating principle of the straightening tool. In the modern technique of EMF a large number of the tools inductor systems (IS) is used in different configurations with uneven distribution forces on the treatment object that in turn does not meet the needs of the effective process of straightening. There appears the urgent necessity to create IS with high uniformity of the induced field and a high concentration of attracting forces in the working area of the tool. The most effective IS are the Inductor Systems with an Attracting Screen (ISAS). One of the most important considerations when choosing a particular design ISAS is the study of the electrodynamics processes with definition of excited loads. The nature and the course of the electrodynamics processes in accordance with design features determine the effectiveness and the efficiency of the ISAS. Therefore, in ISAS an additional coil for the concentration of the attracting forces in the working area should be entered. Purpose. The numerical analysis of the induced fields and the currents in the experimental models of ISAS with an additional coil was made. Methodology. In the idealization of the «extremely low» frequencies of existing fields, there were received rated dependences for density of the induced currents and distributed attracting force in ISAS and the external additional coil, through the use of the calculated model in the cylindrical coordinate system. Results. Insertion of the additional coil placed over the accessory screen allows to concentrate and increase the amplitude of the attracting forces in the central part of the working area of the inductor system. Practical value. 1. Numerical analysis of fields and currents in experimental models of Induction Systems with Attracting Screen (ISAS) and additional coil, designed to align the metal coatings of vehicles was made. 2. It is shown that if in ISAS they insert additional coil placed over the accessory screen significantly increases the amplitude of excited forces of attraction. 3. It is shown that the parallel connection of the primary and additional coils in ISAS allows to concentrate the forces of attraction in the centre of the working area of the tool for straightening automobile bodies.


Professors Polopolus and Wershow have prepared an informative and thought-provoking article. A major strength is their illuminating focus on the role of the agricultural economist in anti trust litigation. Particularly revealing is the discussion of the unique attorney-economist partnership involved in most anti trust cases. The agricultural economist can indeed find himself bewildered and frustrated in his role as an expert witness. The home court is that of the attorney. The rules of the game are his. These rules, as the authors point out, are geared to legal precedence, to Socratic dialogue, to yes-no and black-white answers, and ultimately to a guilty-not guilty verdict. The adversary nature of the proceedings creates an environment of much more perceived hostility than that involved in submitting research results to peer reviewers or in making presentat ions to farmers, businessmen, or policy makers. A paraphrase of a Kenneth Boulding verse illustrates the situation:


Providing health care in jails, prisons, halfway houses, and communitysupervised correctional programs, correctional facilities, and community systems has a direct effect on health outcomes of incarcerated populations. Moreover, effective linkages to a myriad of services upon release and assistance with community reintegration are key components for reducing recidivism. In an effort to highlight some of the disparity issues and challenges in corrections, we offer this issue, titled, Public Health and Incarceration: Social Justice Matters. In 2012, U.S. state prison systems, comprising 50 independent entities, incarcerated over 1.3 million people, of whom a disproportionate share were minorities, primarily African Americans and Hispanics.1 Despite recent reports that 2012 marked a decrease in the number of imprisonments of males and females, the U.S. continues to lead the world in incarceration of its residents. The reported decrease in incarceration may be attributed to alternative sentences, such as probation, which maintains individuals under correctional supervision. Mass incarceration disrupts families and affects health status and the quality of life within families. Prisoners are more likely than the general population to have chronic health conditions and infectious diseases. In 2012, 43.9% of offenders reported a chronic condition, relative to 31.0% of the general population; 21.0% of offenders had had an infectious disease, relative to 4.8% of the general population. The disparities in mental health and substance abuse are equally troubling.2 These health risks are not proportionately distributed across populations. African American males have an imprisonment rate of 2,841 per 100,000; Hispanic males have a rate of 1,158 per 100,000; and White males have a rate of 463 per 100,000. INTRODUCTION


Abstract The Yampi Shelf comprises part of a Palaeozoic to Mesozoic flexural ramp margin, which dips to the north-west away from the flanking cratonic (Proterozoic) Kimberley Block. The basement itself has a rugose topography, with some basement blocks being elevated by as much as 500 m above the surrounding basement. Progressive onlap of the Early Cretaceous post–rift seals onto the ramp means that the regional seal both thins and becomes sandier margin-ward. In margin-ward locations, some prominent basement highs are 'bald' of seal, whereas in others, the seal thins dramatically onto the back of topographically prominent, landward-dipping tilt blocks. Acquisition of three geochemical remote sensing technologies, namely RadarSat Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), water column geochemical sniffer (WaSi) and Airborne Laser Fluoresensor (ALF) data, and their integration with regional seismic and high resolution bathymetry data over part of the inboard Yampi Shelf, has revealed the following. Hydrocarbon seepage was confirmed independently by SAR, WaSi and ALF, though the relative response and sensitivity of each technology to seepage of varying rates and compositions appears to be quite different. Overall, the principal seeping hydrocarbon is dry ( 300 ppm in the bottom waters (~100 times background), is closely associated with prominent basements horsts which are bald of seal. These intense zones of seepage tend to be large (10-30 km across), though their seismic expression is muted, and is often restricted to diffuse zones of relatively poor coherency, or the presence of a very prominent amplitude anomaly at the seafloor. SAR anomalies are located ~10 km inboard from the intense WaSi anomalies, right over a prominent basement 'headland' which defines the regional 'zero-edge-of-seal'. The SAR anomalies appear to be due to the leakage of relatively heavy, biodegraded oil, of a type similar to that found in the Cornea oil discovery nearby. This offset between the location of seeping dry gas and heavy oil (if truly causal and not due to drift associated with currents and wind etc), may be reflecting the differences in the relative permeability of gas and oil. The oil, being heavier, may have migrated further inboard, and only leaked when the seal is virtually gone; in contrast, the more mobile gas 'breaks through' the seal sooner, and as a consequence, dry gas seeps are developed in more basin-ward locations. These observations suggest that where the regional seal thins over inboard basement highs, or where the seal itself pinches-out regionally, are prime areas in which to capture a 'snap-shot' of the present-day migration across a margin.


The authors investigate the regional and temporal variability of sinking organic matter in a region south of the Canary Islands. Both chlorophyll degradation products and amino acid analyses are applied to infer the origin and degradation state of the organic matter. This is in principle an important study, designed to test the influence of eddies on particle flux during both a summer and winter season in this eddy and filament influenced region. The paper is well written, but I have serious concerns mainly with regard to the interpretation of the presented data:


Abstract A study on interspecific coexistence in corvids (Corvus corone comix, Corvus corone corone, Corvus frugilegus, Corvus monedula, Pica pica, Carrulus glandarius) has been carried out in the valley of Susa (northwestern Italy). Both ecological (niche and habitat choice) and behavioural (intra‐ and interspecific aggression) factors were considered. Niche analysis took into account the distribution of species on ground (foraging activity), as well as on trees (resting activity). Habitat use was described referring to types of field under cultivation associated with tree formations. Niche and habitat matrices were subjected to Cluster Analysis and Principal Components Analysis. As for intra‐ and interspecific aggressions, a few indices taking into account the number of aggressions together with the number of observations, the time of observation and the number of individuals, were used. Both niche and habitat analyses showed a clear ecological similarity between carrion and hooded crow. The rook result...


[Objective] The purpose was to study the effects of different rotation modes on microbial population in gravel mulched field,then create good soil ecological environment by drawing up reasonable cultivation system to provide a theoretical basis for promoting agricultural sustainable development of agriculture.[Method] Soil samples were taken from gravel mulched field in Xiangshan Area,Zhongwei City,Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and their microbial population was analyzed.[Result] Compared with the watermelon continuous crop,the microbial diversity index was higher in the planting mode of mung bean(Vigna radiata),pumpkins(Cucurbita moschata),oil sunflower(Helianthus annuus),squash(Cucurbita pepo L.) and sesame(Sesamum indicum) rotating with watermelon(Citrullus lanatus).[Conclusion] Rotating effectively adjusts soil microbial population,which is conducive to improving microbial population diversity and stability,and eventually improving the soil ecology environment.Among these rotation modes,squash rotation with watermelon was the best.


It was generally acknowledged that the area of lower shaft,belly and bosh of blast furnace was a weak link of the whole structure.With the application of copper stave,this problem has been solved.Meanwhile,the BF life has been prolonged significantly.However,because of the slag skull being removed from copper stave hot surface,phenomena of naked on copper stave hot surface happened occasionally which resulted in copper stave being damaged extensively and had serious influence on production.The damage condition was described.By means of metallography,SEM and EDS,chemical analysis,a sampling study has been made on damage copper cooling stave of blast furnace.The results show that,the damage of copper stave is caused by hydrogen embrittlement which is due to higher oxygen content of copper stave scoured by high temperature gas current.Also,several suggestions on preventing the damage of copper stave has proposed.


This paper presents an FSK modulator suitable for a transmitter chain within the new USB Power Delivery standard. The proposed solution performs a binary FSK modulation using a relaxation voltage-controlled oscillator with a voltage averaging feedback. A reference proportional to supply is used to compensate real-time frequency variations, whereas the frequency spread due to the process is corrected by an 8 bit trimming system. The considered input signal bit rate is 300 kbps and the carrier frequency is 23.2 MHz with ±0.5 MHz frequency deviation. The proposed modulator grants ±0.9% accuracy against PVT spread by consuming 1.2 mW and phase noise at 20kHz from the carrier lower than -56 dBc/Hz.


A photoredox-catalyzed three-component reaction of thianthrenium salts, hydrazines and DABCO∙(SO2)2 is accomplished, providing a facile access to diverse arenesulfonohydazides in moderate to good yields. Broad substrate scope generality is demonstrated,...


Determining the location of MOS is a comprehensive evaluation problem which is affected by various factors,it can be solved by Fuzzy AHP.The main factors which influence MOS's location are studied.A kind of evaluation index architecture determining MOS's location is put forward according to the affiliation between factors.IFAHP is used to determine the evaluation index's weight.In order to improve the accuracy of weight calculation and reduce computation amount,a new quantitative method named five-mark method is proposed to establish priority matrix.Example shows that IFAHP is fully applicable in determining MOS' location.


In view of the universal present situation where general rural buildings have low earthquake resistance ability,a new type of practical,economical,simple and reliable seismic technology called steel-asphalt composite isolation pier was put forward.Specimens were made according to the correlation theory,and experiments on a masonry model were also carried out.The tests have shown that the steel of the isolation pier works in the elastic range when the peak value of the acceleration is below 0.3 g.The acceleration reduction factor of the isolation pier is between 0.14-0.67 when different peak values of the loading condition are input,and good damping effect can be obtained because most of the energy has been absorbed by the isolation pier especially to high frequency loading wave.The details of the seismic design of rural masonry structure can be reduced,and the funds thus saved can be used for this new steel-asphalt composite isolation pier.In the end,the total cost of the houses does not increase.


March 28, 1973 Industrial relations — Unfair dismissal — Complaint — Time limit — Employee ignorant of right to compensation — Complaint more than four weeks after dismissal — Whether "practicable" to have presented complaint earlier — Industrial Tribunals (Industrial Relations, etc.) Regulations, 1972 (S.I. 1972 No. 38), Sch. r.2(1)(a).


Abstract Tag-based estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality rates supplement annual stock assessments of migratory striped bass Morone saxatilis in the interjurisdictional fishery along the Atlantic coast. We estimated a 17-year time series of annual survival and fishing mortality (F) rates for striped bass (>711 mm) tagged during winter trawl studies (1988–2004) off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia. The geographic and temporal distributions of tag recoveries were consistent with published patterns of striped bass migration and indicated that this southern overwintering aggregate of striped bass is composed of mixed stocks. Incremental increases in bias-adjusted annual fishing mortality rates (from 0.00–0.26) and decreases in the proportion of fish released alive (from 0.762–0.198) coincided with periods of regulatory change during the 17-year time frame. Our estimates of F fall below the current management triggers and should be considered along with other estimates of F within the str...


The literature on radiation nephritis is reviewed. Radiation nephritis may be produced in several experimental animals with numerous different irradiation techniques. Some 63 cases of radiation nephritis have been recorded in the literature. Another clinical case suggestive of radiation nephritis is presented. Radiation nephritis may develop when both kidneys receive irradiation in excess of 2,500 r tissue dose in five weeks. Radiation nephritis can be avoided in most cases by more careful arrangement of treatment areas. 80 references. (auth)


An inventory of bedrock material has been made from different levels in some moraine types situated in the areas around Storvindeln and Storavan. The results show that moraine forms which have a curved morphology transverse to the direction of ice flow, always have a high content of local bedrock material independent of till thickness. In many cases the local bedrock material is represented more in the upper levels of the moraine. Large transverse ridges with less curvature have a highly variable bedrock content. Drumlins may lack local bedrock material over a distance of many kilometres. The variable distribution of local bedrock material in different moraine types has been interpreted as a function of ice pressure, temperature, and movement during deglaciation.


【Objective】 To measure the vision-related quality of life of high myopia patients after LASIK. 【Methods】 The vision- related quality of life questionnaire was used to take a survey in 80 high myopia postoperative patients and 80 high myopia patients before LASIK to evaluate the vision-related rate of quality of life and get to know common dysopsia. The more score, the more dysopsia. Other measurements including vision, diopter, and contrast sensitivity test. 【Results】 The overall quality of life score of patients was reduced from(16.2 ± 8.9) to(8.6 ± 8.2)(P 0.05) after LASIK surgery. The higher positive rate of dysopsia in the first 6 items: visual fatigue from computer and reading(28.8%), vague in near vision(22.6%), vague at night(22.6%), dryness(20.1%), glaring at night(20%), driving difficulty at night(17.5%). The scores of visual fatigue from computer and reading were significantly associated with postoperative visual acuity and high spatial frequency(18 cpd)(r =-0.257,-0.265). The scores of vague in near vision was significantly associated with postoperative visual acuity and postoperative diopters(r =-0.306, 0.270). The scores of vague at night was significantly associated with postoperative visual acuity, low spatial frequency(3cpd) and postoperative diopters(r =-0.436,-0.226, 0.478). The scores of glaring at night was significantly associated with postoperative visual acuity, all spatial frequency and postoperative diopters(r =-0.265 to-0.408). The scores of driving difficulty at night was significantly associated with postoperative visual acuity, high spatial frequency(18cpd) and postoperative diopters(r =-0.351,-0.249, 0.369). 【Conclusions】 Significant vision-related quality of life improvements were found in the majority of high myopia patients in the long- term after LASIK. Visual fatigue from computer and reading is the most common dysopsia.


This study aims to find solutions related to civil construction problems such as road damage and foundation cracks, providing information on changes in physical and mechanical properties of clay due to physical and chemical changes by optimizing the utilization of industrial waste produced
 that is dry dust collector and silica ceramic sand waste. The advantage of the resulting product is in the innovation of combining two different types of industrial waste as soil clay stabilization material. It is done to answer the growing demands of Green Technology in civil engineering,
 the innovation the waste utilization is expected to increase the soil strength so the infrastructure built on can be supported better. The research designed is laboratory experiment with chemical stabilization method that is by performing a series of physical properties tests including specific
 gravity, water content, plasticity index, and mechanical properties test including Standard Compaction Proctor and California Bearing Ratio test using Japanese Standard on original soil and soil combined with dry dust collector waste and ceramic silica sand waste (stabilized soil). The results
 showed the increase of California Bearing Ratio value by 5.5% compare to original soil in the 0% Dry Dust Collector with 5% silica ceramic sand waste composition. The addition of Dry Dust Collector decreases the California Bearing Ratio value, so as with addition of both waste type.


Abstract Thirty-three genera and thirteen species of Acarina were identified, Mesostigmata were represented by 12 genera. Eight genera were found in Prostigmata. The Astigmata were represented only by Tyrophagus. Cryptostigmata were represented by 12 genera, with a probability of certain new species in Galumna, Cryptacarus, Leptogalumna and Lohmannia. In all, 15 species and 19 genera of Collembola were identified and among them Drepanura and Seira have probably some new species. The other soil arthropods consist of Diplura, Pauropoda, Symphyla, Palipgradi, Uropygi, Schizomida and Pseudoscorpionida.


Suitable for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) loop heat exchange system comprises a separate EGR heat exchange means 2,3. In the initial phase of the engine working cycle, the exhaust gas is used by the first heat exchanger preheating the engine lubricating oil. In a later phase of the cycle, the recirculated exhaust gas is diverted to flow through 2, this exhaust gas is cooled by the second heat of the engine coolant.


The rocks of the Riachuelo Formation, Sergipe Basin, Brazil, represent an example of carbonate sedimentation related to the drift phase during the opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. The Carapeba and Brejo quarries exhibit the best onshore outcrops of the drift carbonate section along the Brazilian continental edge. Field studies and microfacies analysis of the outcropped sedimentary section showed six sedimentary deposits related to the physiography of a carbonate shelf. Proximal mixed deposits are represented by the rich-terrigenous dolostone. Levels with alternate layers of fine grained sandstones and siltstones are here related to distal facies of submarine fans deposits. Mudstones with miliolids and textularids represent a lagoonal environment in a semi-restricted middle shelf. Packstones, grainstones and occasionally wackestones with oncoids, intraclasts and peloids represent sedimentary deposits related to the back of shallow sandy bars and environments at the interface with the lagoon. Grainstones whit ooliths, oncoids, intraclasts and bioclasts, with trough cross-bedding, represent a shallower shoreface environment over the shallow carbonate back on outer shelf. Cements and other post-depositional features suggest four different diagenetic environments: a) marine phreatic diagenetic environment with active water circulation; b) marine phreatic diagenetic environment with stagnant water; c) freshwater phreatic diagenetic environment; d) burial diagenetic environment. The sedimentary succession is formed by shallowing upward cycles overlain by a possible transgressive surface, which may indicate the passage of a lowstand to a transgressive system tract.


Objective To evaluate ultrasound in gastrointestinal perforation in the application of value to assist the clinical diagnosis.Methods A retrospective comparative analysis of our hospital in January 2006~October 2010,60 cases of gastrointestinal perforation in patients with ultrasound and X-ray inspection.Results Ultrasound diagnosis for gastrointestinal perforation is higher than the X-ray examination,especially in patients with free intraperitoneal gas-negative(P0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound can help improve the diagnosis rate of perforation,gastrointestinal perforation as a screening method of choice for patients,is worthy of clinical application.


Geomarketing, a new way of knowledge-based marketing, integrates geographic analysis, reasoning, and technology for the improvement of the business judgmental decision. Geomarketing can help you find out who your best customers are and apply geographic analysis techniques to discover where to find more of them. Solving almost any sales and marketing challenge start with knowing who your customer is. Therefore; private hospitals, as commercial businesses with huge investments, also need to find out their best customers and discover where to find more of them. In other words, private hospitals also need customer profiling with geomarketing tools. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyze spatial density, based on the demographic characteristics of customers of private hospitals. A small private hospital, located in Eskisehir city center was chosen for this study. In one year period, the address locations, frequency of visits, clinic choices and neighborhood concentrations of the patients, due to the demographic characteristics, were examined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the hospital patient records.


We provide numerical solutions to the momentum and energy balance of a kinetic theory for the steady, collisional shearing of identical, inelastic, frictional spheres between two different types of boundaries—rigid-bumpy and erodible, in the absence of gravity. A rigid-bumpy boundary is a source of fluctuation energy for the flow, an erodible boundary is a sink. As a consequence, the characteristics of shearing between two rigid-bumpy boundaries, two erodible boundaries, and a rigid-bumpy and an erodible boundary are all different. Here, we display these differences and relate them to measurements of inhomogeneous shearing and the development of shear bands in laboratory experiments.


The high-temperature microwave complex permittivity of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} superconductors was characterized using a coaxial probe system designed and built in the authors` laboratory. An anomalous different in complex permittivity between a green sample and a sintered sample was analyzed with respect to oxygen content being a possible key factor to affect the dielectric properties.


PPQ insectary sites began in 1989. We started with two caged sites. The first releases made were with nigriscutis at one site and cyparisiae and flava at the other site. Neither one of these sites had done particularly well, but some insects were found at both sites before we terminated the sites. In 1990 we did releases at 15 sites. Several of these sites are producing where collections are now being made.


Questionnaire surveys to measure the health status among patients of one of the national leprosariums in Japan were conducted in 1991 and 1995. In the first survey, a total of 243 patients answered the questionnaire, of which the response rate was 73.6%. As for the second survey, 241 patients answered the question naire of which the response rate was 91.9%. The questionnaire asked the parti cipants on their health status which were comprised of physical health status aspect, degree of life satisfaction, and social aspects that consisted of participat ing in group activities. Improved physical health status, increased level of life satisfaction, and decreased participation in group activities were found among patients. These findings sug gest the effects of the abolition of the Leprosy Prevention Law that took effect in April, 1996 and improvement of treatment environment for the patients. The difference in method of data collection between the first survey and the second one showed the limitations of the study.


The observation of hot plasmas in the interstellar medium requests efficient mirrors in the 80-120 nm wavelength range. Contrary to that of most metals, the high reflectivity of pure aluminum is maintained close to 80% in this range. Unfortunately, it is drastically reduced to values lower than 10% by the strongly absorbing thin alumina layer which spontaneously forms itself upon air contact. Usually the deposition of thin fluorides films on aluminum (MgF2 or LiF) is used to prevent the alumina formation and consequently extend the high reflectivity range from visible towards shorter wavelengths. But this approach works only from the alumina to the fluoride bandgap (λ ≈ 100 nm). Other materials were studied by Larruquert who reported a measured reflectivity as high as 34% at l = 90 nm by using a Al/MgF2/SiC thin films stack. The aim of the investigation reported here is to define and test different and original aluminum based thin films stacks which optimize the mirror reflectivity in the 80-120 nm range. We present the results of our simulations from a large number of materials and the first experimental tests of the predicted best solutions.


Most of current research into edge computing involves using devices only for sensing and communicating data. In contrast, by offloading machine learning on the device that constitutes the source of the data, one can construct a system with better privacy protection and reduced communication cost. We therefore consider an edge computing model in which rich clients also participate in machine learning. Experiments conducted using facial images confirmed the benefits of the proposed model in terms of privacy and communication costs.


Measurements of the fine space-time structure of short gravity-capillary waves in the presence of turbulence, as well as Ku-band scattering at grazing and moderate incidence from mechanically-generated waves in a wave channel are presented. This study was stimulated by the need to investigate the influence of nonlinear features of the scattering surface, which contribute to scattering at grazing incidence. Mechanically generated steep periodic (3 to 6 Hz) waves were used as a source of bound parasitic capillary waves. An oscillating (2 to 7 Hz) grid was used as a source of subsurface turbulence. A scanning laser slope gauge (SLSG) and an imaging slope gauge were used to measure short waves of length 0.2-20 cm, and frequencies up to 150 Hz. A dual polarized (VV, HH) coherent pulsed Ku-band scatterometer with 3 ns temporal resolution was used to obtain Doppler spectra of the scattered signals for grazing angles from 12 to 30 degrees. Simultaneous time series of wave slopes and microwave scattering and their frequency spectra permitted a comparison of these parameters both with and without turbulence. It was found that the energy of bound short waves increased substantially (by 10-40%) on interaction with the turbulence. Measurements of the Doppler frequency shift and amplitude of the scattered signal are consistent with this change in the wave field, and reveal Bragg scattering by the bound waves.


The central cyclohexenone ring of the non-planar title compound adopts an envelope conformation. The crystal structure of the compound is stabilized by C—H⋯O and C—H⋯π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.


Electric Vehicles (EVs) are becoming an integral part of the transportation fleet in many countries. They have substantially progressed to become a mainstream component of the smart electricity grid and are catalyzing changes in policies and regulations relating to power distribution systems. EVs represent distributed storage units whose load depends on the driving patterns and the battery charging characteristics. Random and uncontrolled EV charging has implications on both the network loading and the charging cost since time-based pricing is in effect for many utility companies. A well-managed charging system is thus important and must consider asset loading as well as time-varying tariff. This paper presents a regulated charging scheme that takes into account the charging cost which is reflective of both the transformer loading and the utility-level Time of Day (ToD) tariff. The task of finding a charging schedule that gives the least overall charging cost for the day has been formulated as an optimization problem for an actual distribution utility in India. The driving pattern was estimated based on a survey of EV owners plying in the utility license area. The results demonstrate how such a controlled charging scheme can save on the customers' money and help the utility manage its load curve by ensuring that the distribution transformers serving the EVs are not overloaded.


. Upon re-examining the characteristic polarization angle sweep of rotation-powered pulsars, we find that the sweep is percep tibly shifted by aberrational effects and by polar-cap current flow. In addition to the previously known phase shift of the entire sweep by A<1? = —ir/RL, aberration shifts the polarization angle itself by A*I/ = — (10/3)(r/i?i) cos a. Similarly, current flow above the polar cap shifts the polarization sweep by A*? = (10/3)(r/i2z,)(J/ JGJ) COS a, potentially providing a method of directly measuring the magnitude of the current. The competition between these two effects produces a potentially observ able signature in the polarization angle sweep.


Human–Machine teaming is a very near term standard for many occupational settings and still requires considerations for the design of autonomous teammates (ATs). Transparency of system processes is important for human–machine interaction and reliance but standards for its implementation are still being explored. Embedding social cues is a potential design approach, which may capture the social benefits of a team environment, yet vary with task setting. The current study examined the manipulation of transparency of benevolent intent from an AT within a piloting task requiring suppression of enemy defenses. Specifically, the benevolent AT maintained task communication as in a neutral condition, but included messages of support and awareness of errors. Benevolent communication reduced reported workload and increased reported team collaboration, indicating that this team intent was beneficial. In addition, trust and acceptance of the AT were rated higher by individuals tasked with depending on the system to protect them from missile threats. The need for information from ATs is beneficial, however may vary depending on team type.


A simple decomposition of a r/spl times/c/spl lcub/0,1/spl rcub/-matrix is defined in terms of a collection of disjoint submatrices obtained by deleting a "minimal" set of columns. In general, the number of such simple decompositions is /spl Theta/(2/sup r/). A class of matrices, namely, vertex-tree graphic, is defined, and it is shown that the number of simple decompositions of a vertex-tree graphic matrix is at most r/spl minus/1. Finally, the relevance of simple decomposition to the well-known problem of cluster formation on /spl lcub/0,1/spl rcub/-matrices is uncovered, and an O(r/sup 2/c) time algorithm is given to solve this problem for vertex-tree graphic matrices. >


The evidence for Spartan treatment of certain cities suggests that the Peloponnesian League had two types of members, great powers dealt with by negotiation and defeated cities whose obligations were defined by treaty.


This report summarizes the work performed to update the analyses of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy in 2014 and early 2015.
New computations of missions with Falcon 9 v1.1 have been performed. In particular, the planned mission of Jason 3 for which the first stage is expected not only to land on a barge but also to return parallel to the shore close to the launch site has been simulated. The new version of Falcon 9: Falcon 9 v1.2 (or Falcon 1.1 full thrust) has also been modelled to assess its performances, including missions with return to landing site (RTLS). Finally, the Falcon Heavy model has been updated to take into account the modifications introduced by Falcon 9 v1.2.
For each mission simulation, a mass breakdown along with the parameters of ascent and descent trajectories studied is specified. The performance of the Falcon 9 v1.2 is assessed for CRS and GTO mission including landing on a barge and RTLS (Return to Launch Site) from Cape Canaveral and Boca Chica. For some missions, such as the CRS missions, several models with variation of the size of the launcher or the characteristics of the engine are studied to assess their influence on the Falcon 9 performances, and thus the impact of the uncertainties on the accuracy of the models.
Finally the GTO+ SES-8 mission has been simulated to assess the performance of the Falcon 9 v1.2 without descent propellant in this particular orbit, to assess in which area Falcon 9 could compete with Ariane 5 for the GEO market.


The importance of energy has been rooted in every aspect of human life. If we have no access to electricity and depend on traditional biomass fuels to meet household energy demands, it will mean we cannot enjoy the modern energy service. With the deepening international understanding of the issue, many countries have been promoting the practice of eliminating energy poverty, and the "universal access to affordable, clean and sustainable energy" has become one of the post 2015 UN development goals.


NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed an integrated systems engineering approach to promote a culture of tailoring for program and project policy requirements. MSFC's culture encourages and supports tailoring, with an emphasis on risk-based decision making, for enhanced affordability and efficiency. MSFC's policy structure integrates the various Agency requirements into a single, streamlined implementation approach which serves as a "one-stop-shop" for our programs and projects to follow. The engineers gain an enhanced understanding of policy and technical expectations, as well as lesson's learned from MSFC's history of spaceflight and science missions, to enable them to make appropriate, risk-based tailoring recommendations. The tailoring approach utilizes a standard methodology to classify projects into predefined levels using selected mission and programmatic scaling factors related to risk tolerance. Policy requirements are then selectively applied and tailored, with appropriate rationale, and approved by the governing authorities, to support risk-informed decisions to achieve the desired cost and schedule efficiencies. The policy is further augmented by implementation tools and lifecycle planning aids which help promote and support the cultural shift toward more tailoring. The MSFC Customization Tool is an integrated spreadsheet that ties together everything that projects need to understand, navigate, and tailor the policy. It helps them classify their project, understand the intent of the requirements, determine their tailoring approach, and document the necessary governance approvals. It also helps them plan for and conduct technical reviews throughout the lifecycle. Policy tailoring is thus established as a normal part of project execution, with the tools provided to facilitate and enable the tailoring process. MSFC's approach to changing the culture emphasizes risk-based tailoring of policy to achieve increased flexibility, efficiency, and effectiveness in project execution, while maintaining appropriate rigor to ensure mission success. © 2016 The Authors.


This paper explores ways of measuring implicit and explicit second language (L2) knowledge and examines the relationship between these measures and measures of general language proficiency. Scores were obtained from a timed oral production test, a timed grammaticality judgement test (administered twice), a delayed grammaticality judgement test and an interview designed to tap metalingual knowledge, all of which focused on learners' knowledge of verb complementation in English. A factor analysis revealed a two-factor solution, reflecting a clear distinction between those measures that incorporated a time constraint (hypothesized to reflect implicit knowledge) and those that did not (hypothesized to tap explicit knowledge). Both factors were found to correlate with scores on the Secondary Level English Proficiency Test (SLEP). However, only one measure of explicit knowledge (the Delayed Grammaticality Judgement Test) was found to be significantly related to scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The significance of these results for language teaching and testing is considered.


The support documents for the Six-Year Review 3 of existing National Primary Drinking Water Standards contain extensive information including protocol for the review, and chemical contaminant health effects among others


Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been regarded as distinguished Ad Hoc networks that can be used for specific applications. Since a WSN consists of potentially hundreds of low cost, small size and battery powered sensor nodes, it has more potentials than other Ad Hoc networks to be deployed in many emerging applications. The WSNs raised many new challenges such as: the design of embedded sensors and wireless networking technologies, in other word the routing protocols. Many Ad Hoc routing protocols such as Ad Hoc On demand Distance Vector (AODV), Dynamic Source Routing Protocol (DSR), and Destination Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV), which have been developed particularly for the wireless mobile Ad Hoc networks (MANETs), have been proved to perform well on MANETs. In this paper, a performance study will be extended, using some simulation network models, to investigate how well AODV, DSR, and DSDV routing protocols work on WSNs, in static environments, using NS-2 simulator. The performance study will focus on the impact of the network size, network density (up to 500 nodes), and the number of sources (data connections). The performance metrics to be used in this work are average end-to-end delay, packet delivery fraction, routing overheads, and average energy consumption per received packet.


Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of aripiprasole in treatment of female schizophrenics with risperidone induced hyperprolactinemia. Methods All 117 female schizophrenics with hyperprolactinemia after fixed dose risperidone treatment were randomly assigned to aripiprazole group (n=60) and control group (n=57), and received additional aripiprazole 5 nag daily or placebo for 6 weeks respectively. The plasma prolactin (PBL) level was measured at weeks 0 and 6, and the Brief Psychiatric Bating Scale (BPBS) and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) were assessed. Results (1)Plasma prolactin levels were significantly reduced after the study compared with the baseline [(26±6) μg/L vs. (112±40)μg/L] in aripiprazole group (P= 0.000), however there were no significant difference between pre- and post treatment in control group (P =0.180). (2) At weeks 6, the decline rate and the normal ratio of plasma prolactin levels were significantly higher in aripiprazole group [(75±8) % vs. 82%]than in control group [(5±30) % vs. 4%] respectively (beth P = 0.000 ). (3) Compared with the baseline, the BPRS score showed significant reduction in both groups at the end of the study (both P=0.045). The incidence of side effects showed no significant difference between aripiprazole and control group(P =0.553). Conclusion The results indicate that aripiprazole may be effective and safe for the treatment of female schizophrenics with risperidone induced hyperprolactinemis.

Key words:
Risperidon;  Hyperprolaetinemia;  Schizophrenia;  Aripiprazole


We previously reported a novel polymeric surface coating, namely, HaloFilm™ that can immobilize and extend the antimicrobial activity of chlorine on surfaces. In this study, we demonstrated the continuous antiviral efficacy of HaloFilm when applied on stainless steel and cotton gauze as two representative models for non‐porous and porous surfaces against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). Forty‐eight hours post HaloFilm application and chlorination and 2 h post the viral challenge, the inoculum titre was reduced by 2.25 ± 0.33 and ≥4.36 ± 0.23 log10 TCID50 on non‐porous and porous surfaces, respectively. The half‐life of the virus was shorter (13.86 min) on a HaloFilm‐coated surface than what has been reported on copper (46.44 min).


Ever increasing demand for customized software to support specific business processes, especially in the services industry, call for more leverage in the software development process. The leverage must come from two sides. First, a useful approach must yield shorter time-to-delivery and lower per-product-cost than currently employed approaches. Second, the cost of maintaining (making extensions and adaptations) a software system is to be reduced. In our view, framework-based software development is currently the most promising approach in providing such leverage.


CHRIS (Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) is an exploring hyperspectral remote sensor, carried on board PROBA-1 satellite. This satellite was launched in October, 2001 by the European Space Agency. With the properties of high spatial resolution, multi-angle observation and hyperspectral imagery, CHRIS offers a precious data resource for monitoring water quality. To monitor water quality by remote sensing technique quantitatively, a crucial step is to accomplish atmospheric correction accurately to gain above-water reflectance. Compared with remote sensing images over land, water reflectance is a weak signal, which requires more accurate atmospheric correction. 6S (Second Simulation of Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) and MODTRAN (Moderate resolution TRANsmittance code) are two widely-used radiative transfer models. Most softwares utilize these two models to perform atmospheric correction of remote sensing images. This paper apply two sorts of softwares, including the 6S-based REMS (Remote Sensing Environmental Monitoring System) and MODTRAN-based ACORN (Atmospheric CORrection Now) to remove atmosphere effects over three CHRIS images acquired under different view angles over Meiliang Bay, Taihu Lake. We compared the reflectance spectra extracted from the atmospherically corrected images with in-situ measurement. The result shows that the water reflectance corrected by REMS and ACORN are quite close to the measured data. The correlation coefficients over the whole spectral range reach 90%. The angle properties of in-situ measured data are analyzed, and the angle properties of corrected images are more obvious than those of in-situ observation. The difference values of reflectance under the three view angles are bigger in green light than in red and near infrared light, agreeing with the measurement. The angle properties of reflectance corrected by ACORN better correspond with those of measured reflectance.


Coral reefs provide a habitat for many marine organisms and support the safety, coastal protection, well-being, and food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people. The focus on coral species diversity cannot be overemphasized. One of them, Astrogorgia, contains many marine natural active substances, and has important scientific research value and application prospects. Most of the current research on the active substances of the genus Astrogorgia is based on unidentified species, and in-depth taxonomic studies are urgently needed. A total of 1185 samples were collected from 2014 to 2021 in the waters of Xiamen Bay. Herein, the morphological identification, electronic microscopy, and gene fragment sequencing methods were used for the taxonomic study. There are three species of Astrogorgia identified, including Astrogorgia lafoa, A. arborea, and A. dumbea. Among them, A. lafoa and A. arborea are newly recorded species in the waters of China. A. lafoa is distributed in Qingyu Island, A. arborea is distributed in Wuyu Island, and A. dumbea is widely distributed in Baiha Reef, Qingyu Island, Wuyu Island, and Xiaobai Island. In this paper, the geographical distribution and the habits of 18 species of Astrogorgia are summarized, and the evolution of family and genus classification of Astrogorgia is discussed. The results enrich the geographical distribution information and coral species diversity records of Astrogorgia in China.


A unique seismic monitoring system is being used at the Boron open pit mine to aid in the early detection of potential slope stability problems. The system was developed in a joint venture between U.S.BORAX and the U. S. Bureau of Mines. The main components of the system are a bore-hole geophone or electromechanical transducer, an amplifier, and a strip-chart recorder. The subaudible rock noises caused by minute readjustments of the rock in the slope during mining are recorded. Stable slopes have a low seismic noise level whereas a high noise level indicates a potentially unstable slope before there is any physical evidence of slope failure. The disturbances generally increase in number and magnitude as slope stability decreases. The same technique also is used to determi e the effectiveness of corrective action. End_of_Article - Last_Page 563------------


"There is no cloud," goes the quip. "It's just someone else's computer." It's funny because it's true: With cloud computing, your data and apps reside in a remote data center, which you share with many users even if it feels like it's all just for you. Remarkably, a very similar mode of computing was also popular from the 1960s into the 1980s, when it was called time-sharing. At one point, the pioneering firm Tymshare boasted the world's largest commercial computer network. Rivaling even the ARPANET, it gave customers the illusion of having a powerful machine at their disposal, even if it was really someone else's.


Although the Japanese water sector is economically and socially important, few empirical studies are available to help analysts and policy-makers understand the performance patterns in the industry. This study applies non-parametric methods to 5,538 observations on 1144 utilities that supplied drinking water between 2004 and 2007. With a comprehensive census of utilities, the present study controls for a number of factors affecting efficiency: region, prefecture, ownership/governance, water source, vertical integration (purchased water or integrated), peak factor, per capita consumption, customer density, water losses, monthly water charge, outsourcing, subsidies, gross prefecture product, and time. Thus, we are able to derive more comprehensive conclusions regarding efficiency patterns in Japan.


The results of the cytokine profiles study in various biological substrates for children's allergic diseases presented in solitary domestic and foreign publications being often contradictory that determines importance of this research. Methods. There was the research of the cytokine profile of nasal secretion in 120 children with allergic rhinitis (AR), which in 40 cases combined with bronchial asthma. The control tests rates - 20 healthy peers. The levels of the Interleukins (IL) 4, 8 and 13, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF<0) and interferon gamma (IFNy) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The predominance of IL-8, increased synthesis of IL-13 and IL-4 in children with AR in the structure of the cytokine profile has been recorded. During activation of allergic immune inflammation the proportion of IL-13, IL-8 and IFNγ was substantially similar. During an exacerbation of the disease the proportion of IL-4 in nasal secretion was significantly higher than in the remission period and in mild clinical course of the disease. The content of IL-8 in nasal secretion during AR exacerbation was significantly higher than in the remission period. In children with isolated AR the IL-8 level was 3.2 times lower than in children with complex lesions of the upper and lower respiratory tract but significantly higher than the control tests rates. During the rhinitis exacerbation a statistically significant increase of IL-4 concentration in nasal secretion has been recorded. The INFγ content was definitely different in the disease periods, a correlation with the activity and severity of allergic inflammation as well as the presence of allergic pathology have been revealed. The following Conclusions. The researches have revealed the information value of the cytokine spectrum monitoring of nasal secretion in children with AR to determine the nature, focus, activity and severity of allergic inflammation as well as the program effectiveness evaluation in pharmacotherapy.


By using the compact density matrix approach and iterative procedure, a detailed procedure for the calculation of the linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients was given in the electric-field-biased semi parabolic quantum wells(QWs). The simple analytical formulas for the linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients in the systems are also deduced. Numerical result on typical GaAs materials shows that,the linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients sensitively depend on the applied electric field and the confined potential frequency of the semiparabolic QWs systems as well as the incident optics beam intensity.