183 Background: Emergency room (ER) visits during chemotherapy are costly. To identify potential causes of ER visits, we interviewed oncology patients and providers about symptoms and other factors related to ER visits. Methods: People with cancer (n = 19) and oncology physicians and nurses (n = 11) were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Interviews were transcribed. The study team developed a codebook and interviews were coded deductively. Four of the interviews were double coded. Results: Patients reported communicating with their physicians mostly by telephone. Patients reported a variety of distressing symptoms from chemotherapy including infection, mouth sores, distress, fatigue, neuropathy, gastrointestinal (GI) effects. Pain, fever, neuropathy, and dizziness were symptoms that motivated ER visits. Patients reported that contact with their care team and having a specific plan for symptoms helped prevent ER visits. Patients also reported that going through chemotherapy the first time was harder because they did not know what to expect and the patient education can be overwhelming. Providers did not always have formal protocols for proactively contacting patients but those that did contacted patients early in treatment. Providers reported GI symptoms, pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and infection as causes of ER visits. They reported difficulties assessing symptoms due to reporting inaccuracies and reticence to share details. Providers cited financial insecurity, remote living, and lack of social support as factors increasing risk of ER visits. Providers reported some patients would not call frequently enough while a smaller subset called more frequently than providers perceived as needed. Conclusions: Results suggest contact with the care team is crucial for preventing ER visits during chemotherapy. Symptoms causing ER visits were consistent with previous literature


In this paper we propose a novel system for automatic assessment of narrative answers using information retrieval algorithms. It is designed to help professors to evaluate the answers that they receive from their students. It is a Java application that communicates through a REST API. This REST API has at its core the Lucene library and exposes all the great functionalities that Lucene has. The application has one UI for the students and one UI for the professor. The student will select the professor, select the question, upload the answer and send it. The professor will evaluate the student answer using the algorithms that will be discussed in this paper. Also in this paper a series of experiments will be presented, and their result will give us a better understanding of the algorithms and have a taste of how they work.


The utility model discloses a fold-back linear electromechanical actuator adopting a tandem type planetary roller lead screw pair. The actuator mainly comprises a motor, a synchronous belt reduction mechanism, a tandem type planetary roller lead screw actuator and a controller, wherein the motion drives a first-stage planetary roller lead screw pair by the motor via the reduction of the synchronous belt and is transmitted to a second-stage planetary roller lead screw pair; the rotary motion of the lead screw is converted to linear reciprocating motion of a nut through revolution and autorotation of the roller, so that the linear motion of the two-stage nut is superposed, and the ratio of the stroke to the original length is increased. The left end support of the first-stage lead screw is a damping bearing, so that reverse self-locking is achieved. The motor is installed in a fold-back manner, i.e., the axis of the motor is parallel to that of the planetary roller lead screw. The fold-back linear electromechanical actuator has the advantages of constant transmission ratio kept by the transmission of the synchronous belt, uniform transmission speed, adaptability to long-distance transmitting power, low noise, impact resistance, installation easiness, low machining cost, large stroke-original length ratio, and the benefit for achieving self-locking.


Vertical greening plays an important role in increasing greening areas and forming its beautiful landscape in urban areas.Based on investigating vertical greening in 2 administrative regions and 3 industrial parks of Mianyang,some problems of the vertical greening were pointed out,such as simple plant species,little coverage,few application types and planting modes,poor maintenance and management and so on.On this basis,the key technologies and development prospects of the vertical greening were discussed in this paper.


The antioxidative activity of a medicinal herb mixture combined with traditional natural herbal materials was investigated. The medicinal herb mixture yielded 35.00% water extracts and 25.33% 80% ethanol extracts. The ethyl acetate fraction yields were 0.64% in the water extracts and 3.76% in the 80% ethanol extracts. The total flavonoid contents of the water and 80% ethanol extracts were 2.34 and 2.42%, respectively, and their total phenolic contents were 5.04 and 4.56%. The total flavonoid and phenolic contents of the ethyl acetate fraction were the highest in the various solvent extracts. The extracts were rich in salicylic and -coumaric acids. The electron-donating ability of the medicinal herb mixture was 43.32% in the water extracts and 41.32% in the 80% ethanol extracts, and the nitrite-scavenging ability was 9.68% in the water extracts and 8.94% in the 80% ethanol extracts.


This article deals with the important issue of modern cultural sciences — definition outline the social functions of the festival, acting as a special method of representation of art. Therefore, within the boundaries of the article is talking about the concept art festival, especially its impact on society and on the process of improving it in the role of cultural values. The diversity and unity of culture is reflected in art, is the basis of common cultural arts festival as a continuum, which socializes, inspires, allows you to set the interstate and interregional cultural contacts. Cross-cultural significance of the festival and brings us to the study of its social functions — in today´s globalized world and the integration of the festival becomes the translator of the national mentality and values of individual countries, a means of cultural reflection and cultural creation.


Operating parameters of measurement equipment for the laser ablation of detection in the mass spectrometer with inductively coupled plasma were optimized. Optimization was employed in order to choose the conditions for carrying analyzes to ensure high analytical signal intensities and low values of relative standard deviation. Optimization was performed on a model sample with physicochemical properties similar to those of real samples of soft tissue. The following parameters underwent optimization: the energy of the laser pulse frequency, beam diameter and scanning speed. The selection of the optimal operating parameters was determined based on the intensity of the signal analysis, RSD value and visual evaluation of the process of ablation. Measurements were made using a quadrupole ICP-MS spectrometer (Elan DRC II PerkinElmer) with a laser ablation system (LSX-500 Cetac).


The utility model discloses a female and male bailey steel truss for building anchors, which relates to a steel truss for bridge construction. The utility model is characterized in that an upper chord rod (4), a lower chord rod (10) and webs (6) are fixed into a bailey steel truss through the four corners of two equilateral prisms of four welded diagonal bars (7), three female ends and one male end are welded at the four corners of the female bailey steel truss, three male ends and one male end with one plug hole are welded at the four corners of the male bailey steel truss. The steel truss solves the problems that the supporting in a gorge with deep water and is difficult and bridging is difficult, and is applicable for bridging in gorges and mountains without any supporting.


The aim of the research was to determine the kids l ive weight changes depending on the age of weaning. An optimal live weight of Latvian g oat for the first time of coupling is from 30 to 32 kg. We have found that kids born with an average live weight 2.65 ± 0.045 kg come to such a weight in 10 to 11 months depending on the season o f birth, methods of breeding and the number of kids born to a goat. The growth of live weight was different among the research groups. It was affected by both the period of suckling and weaning age. At the age of 30 days the live weight of kids weaned on the first day after birth was signif icantly different than weaned after 60 days — 7.71 ± 0.044 and 8.09 ± 0.074 (P < 0.05) respective ly. When kids were 60 days old, the live weight was significantly higher for kids on the 60th day – 12.99 ± 0.119 (P < 0.05).


The title of my lecture might make one think that international law is something apart and distinct from practice. This way of speaking follows from the natural rhythms of the legal mind. Lawyers have a long tradition of dichotomy. We constantly talk of theory versus practice, law versus morality, jurisprudence versus legislation. We insist that black-letter law1 must be carved away from debates about what the law ought to be, and how it ought to operate in social and political reality. Law has come a long way in the last hundred years. The wisdom of legal realism and critical legal studies has made lawyers increasingly self-conscious, even a little embarrassed, about these inherited dichotomies. And nowhere should this be more so than in the arena of international law. Practice in and of itself is a fundamental constituent of what counts as customary international law. In the vocabulary of the international law illuminati?in the lan guage that James Joyce would say carries the "true scholastic stink"?practice is the "usus" which requires only that it be met by "opinio juris" for a norm to enter the international law canon. But we should need no fancy Latin tags to tell us that international law must actually work in the real world, or else be laughed at. Law, as I like to say, is a form of congealed politics. Law always anyway does political work; lawyers must ensure that it is work well done. This, then, is the aspiration. Yet law's moral and political realities seldom in fact match its practical impacts?and this is as much the case in international law as in law more generally. Here is one locus of dis illusion, one space of the ferment, which is your overarching theme in this lecture series. The prominence of ferment in international law now is perhaps ironic at the end of a decade in which the world's aspirations for international law have been so much larger than at any other time, bar the ending of World War II. I know that it is the current fashion, in academia particularly, to celebrate perpetual ferment?to abhor certainties (which are usually called "false" certainties) and to revel in nuance and uncertainty. But does this help save lives? So I repeat: The collapse of a bipolar world order made us hope for an international community undivided; for debates less tendentious, for a more cohesive approach to inter national conflicts, for a more coherent international practice guided by a more definitive international law, more definitive because now all nations might agree in good faith, rather than continue to snarl at each other behind tiresome Cold War barricades. Has this happened in fact? The establishment of the two ad hoc international criminal tribunals during the 1990s and the talk of an International Criminal Court (ICC) now can be seen as a reflection of a growing consensus. But these tribunals have attracted a certain con troversy. They have been unable to apprehend many of those indicted, because of an absence of political will. So too the ICC, which without U.S. signature and ratification is never likely to command the political backing required to act effectively. And the United Nations itself, ostensible overseer of international law, has had to acknowledge in two recently commissioned reports that its failures contributed to two of the most egregious events of the 1990s?the


Energy Systems, Inc. of East Haven, Connecticut is packaging Russian-built aeroderivative gas turbines for power generation. The ESI package is mounted in a trailer for transportation anywhere that there is a road. (It is also small enough to be moved by helicopter, where no roads are available.) The enclosure includes the gas turbine, control system, generator and switch gear. It is available for either 50 or 60 Hz, at all common voltages. The air filter housing is a separate, smaller structure which is attached at one end, and this can be trailered to the operating site as well. The primary application is power generation, for base load power for developing nations or emergency power in industrialized countries. The staff of ESI intends to make their package available quickly to those in need of power. The units will be shipped 16-18 weeks after the signing of a contract. Once at the site, the ESI package is also intended to be on-line quickly. If fuel is available at the site, they estimate set-up time to be on the order of 6-8 hours. 2 figs.


Background and aims Correction of vascular DNA hypermethylation may slow atherogenesis. We tested the anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic activity of macrophage-targeted DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitor SGI-1027. Methods, Results SGI-1027 was encapsulated into human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles (HSANP) functionalized with the PP1 peptide, a macrophage scavenger receptor 1 ligand, fused to a FLAG epitope (S-HSANP-FLAGPP1). Nanoparticle physico-chemical characteristics predicted good marginalization towards the vascular wall, although SGI-1027 encapsulation efficiency was relatively low (∼23%). S-HSANP-FLAGPP1 were rapidly internalized compared to non-functionalized and, surprisingly, functionalized void controls, and induced a shift towards an anti-inflammatory profile of secreted cytokines in human THP-1 macrophages. S-HSANP-FLAGPP1 colonized the atheroma and induced a significant ∼44% reduction of atherosclerosis burden in the aortic tree of ApoE-null mice compared to controls. A reduction in aortic root atherosclerosis was observed, although primarily induced by HSANP irrespective of loading or functionalization. No alteration of body weight, non-vascular tissue gross histology, plasma glucose, triglyceride or cholesterol were observed. HSA whether free or structured in nanoparticles, induced a 3-4-fold increase in HDL compared to vehicle. Conclusions We confirm that DNMT inhibition is anti-atherogenic and provide proof of principle that targeted HSANP are effective carriers for those molecules. SGI-1027 displayed a novel anti-inflammatory activity that is independent of cell proliferation and therefore likely unrelated to DNMT inhibition. HDL elevation may represent an additional advantage of HSA-based nanocarriers.


AbstractForty elementary student teachers and forty-nine secondary student teachers were administered three psychological Inventories and classified Individually into one 01 three categories of teaching success. Multiple discriminant analysis was used to analysis the data separately for the three elementary groups and for the three secondary groups. A value dimension significantly discriminate (p > .01) between the elementary groups with the middle success group possessing the greatest degree of this attribute. The secondary groups also were significantly discriminated (p > .05) from each other by a recognition dimension with the high success group evidencing the greatest degrees of this attribute. It appeared that groups of student teaching considered to be differentially successful In teaching cm be Identified as possessing varying degrees of certain psychological characteristics.


Research has been carried out by testing the antibacterial activity against Salmonella typhi using the diffusion method on NA medium with 3 times replication. Each concentration used was 1.25%, 2.5% and 5.0%. The results obtained show the zone of inhibition around the paper disk with different diameters for each concentration. For raw kapok banana peel with a concentration of 1.25% is 9.82 mm, 2.5% concentration is 10.54 mm and 5.0% concentration is 11.39 mm, while the positive control chloramphenicol is 14.14 mm and the control negative, no inhibition was found and for yellow kapok banana peel with a concentration of 1.25% was 6.67 mm, 2.5% concentration was 7.47 mm, 5.0% concentration was 8.58 and positive control chloramphenicol was 14, 5mm. So it can be concluded that the ethanol extract of raw kepok banana peel (Musa paradisiaca L) has a greater inhibitory power than yellow kapok banana peel (Musa paradisiaca L) against the growth of Salmonella typhi bacteria. It is hoped that further researchers will be able to conduct research on other microbes


Childhood diarrhea is one of the major public health problems. Diarrhea is the second most common cause of mortality in under-ve children. Use
of Oral rehydration salts (ORS) solution is the most cost-effective intervention to prevent diarrhea related mortality and morbidity. Aims And
Objectives: To evaluate the knowledge and practice towards ORS use in diarrheal disease among mothers of under-ve children in rural West
Bengal. This hospital based cross sectional study was carried out in pediatrics department of BSMCH, Bankura. Data aboutMethodology:
demography, knowledge and practice regarding diarrheal management and ORS use were collected with predesigned semi structured
questionnaire from 300 mothers of under-ve children who have suffered at least once from diarrhea in last one month. DemographicResults:
ndings indicated 54.3% mothers belonged to age of 18-25 years while illiterate and primary level educated mothers constituted 35% and 28% of
study sample, respectively. Though 87% mothers heard about ORS but only 68.7% mothers considered ORS as remedy of diarrhea. Knowledge
about preparation (42%), initiation (43%), amount (39%), timing of use (35.3%) and storage of ORS (22%) were unsatisfactory. Furthermore,
majority had no clue regarding Zinc (9.6%) and Rota virus vaccination (13.3). Age and education of the mother had statistically signicant (P<
0.05) association with knowledge and practice. In our study, mothers had lacuna in their knowledge about proper use of ORS.Conclusion:
Successful treatment of diarrhea depends on mother's knowledge and practices. Health Education should be aimed at rectifying those inadequacies
to reduce further mortality and morbidity


Abstract General anaesthesia causes hypothermia due to decreased metabolic rate and impaired thermoregulation. Many warming devices are in use to prevent heat loss, but little attention is paid to stimulate the body's own heat generation. All nutrients raise energy expenditure, and the highest thermic effect is ascribed to amino acids and proteins, 30–40% in the awake state. Amino acids infused during general anaesthesia exert a thermic effect that is fivefold enhanced compared with in the awake state, and may prevent postoperative hypothermia. It is still incompletely understood in which tissues and by which mechanisms nutrients stimulate heat production. However, these findings support the existence of an inhibitory action normally exerted by central thermosensors, in order to maintain oxidative metabolism within certain limits, to prevent hyperthermia. During anaesthesia, central thermosensors are silenced and hence, amino acid thermogenesis is exaggerated. The amino-acid-induced heat generation during anaesthesia predominantly occurred in extra-splanchnic tissues, most probably in skeletal muscle. It may reflect an increased protein turnover, as both protein breakdown and synthesis are energy consuming processes, known to generate heat. Possibly, amino-acid infusion provides substrates, otherwise mobilized from own tissues, needed for wound healing and immunological function. However, other cellular mechanisms may also contribute to this non-shivering thermogenesis.


Abstract Determining the reflections of technology integration applications that are to be performed in our schools is mportant to light the way of first steps of integration. In this research, the effect of a web-based instruction environment used by 31 different teachers ma high school to school culture is set forth. The school culture is analyzed within the frame of thoughts and relations of teachers and directors and the spread of these applications that are new for the school. Case study methodology has been applied in this study; the qualitative anc quantitative data have been assessed together. The qualitative data of the study include the interviews with teac-ners, in-class observations, interviews with school directors; the guantitative data are obtained from the surveys applied on teachers. In addition to this, the records obtained from web-based instruction environment have oeen also used for interpreting other data. At the end of the study, positive changes have been detected over the thoughts and relations of teachers and directors. Moreover, during this research, even though there have beer some exceptions, spread of web based instruction activities among teachers has taken place in parallel with the general technology diffusion theory. Asa result, we may say that thanks to this research, a culture based on the changes on the teachers and directors and school, usage of technology has started to be formed. Within this direction, the directors, teachers who are the important elements of school culture for technology mtegratior nave made suggestions for the applications to be applied in school. Key Words Web Based Instruction, School Culture, Technology Integration. Recently, integration of technology to education environments has been shown as one of the important reform studies in education (Black & Mc-Clintock, 1996; ISTE, 2006; Jonassen, Peck, & Wilson, 1999; Lim & Chai, 2004; Lim & Khine, 2006; Usluel, Mumcu-Kuskaya, & Demiraslan, 2007; Wu, Hsu, & Hwang, 2008). Within this direction, the school directors and teachers have important roles in technology integration in schools (Earle, 2002; Hew & Brush, 2007; Hsu & Sharma, 2006; Schoepp, 2005; Toprakci, 2006). It may be thought that if these roles are performed by school directors and teachers efficiently, there may be some changes also on school culture. In this research, the roles of school directors and teachers in technology integration have been handled within the frame of "Diffusion of Innovation" theory of Rogers (2003). This process is a multidimensional and difficult process which has many different dynamics such as teacher, director, student, technology (Aviram, 2000; Ertmer, 2006). The reasons of these difficulties have been showed to be lack of time of teachers by Al-Alwani (2005) and Jones (2004). Many researchers have suggested producing materials to meet the needs of teachers and encourage them to use these materials in order to remove these difficulties. In spite of many difficulties, there are also efforts that have positive results in technology integration (Becker, 2001; Ertmer; Jones; Karagiorgi & Charalambous, 2004; Lim & Hang; 2003; Schoepp, 2005; Van Den Berg, Vandenberghe, & Sleegers, 1999). One of these is the environment where teachers could design their online activities that were designed by Inbal, Dayan and Kali (2009); this research has showed that the change in technology usage is satisfactory. In order to get positive results in technology integration, some researchers have reassessed the vision of teachers and directors and suggested to arrange long term consultancy for teachers including pedagogical and technological approaches (Davis & Varma, 2008; Fishman, Marx, Blumenfeld, Krajcik, & Soloway, 2004). Besides many different applications, web based instruction applications also play an important role in technology integration studies in schools (Barker, 2002; Hannafin, Kim & Kim, 2004; Leamnson, 2001; Lee & Tsai, 2006). …


The early phases of an epidemic present decision makers with predictable challenges. Marc Lipsitch and colleagues write that the combination of urgency, uncertainty, and the costs of interventions makes the effort to control infectious diseases especially difficult.


The transformation method via pollen-tube pathway has great function in agriculture molecular breeding. This article is to introduce the mechanism, molecular evidence, technique details and the latest achievement applying this method. And we compare the advantages and shortages of this method with other transformation pathways. [Life Science]ournal. 2007;4(1):77-79J (ISSN: 1097-8135).


Multifunctional catalysts are of great interest in catalysis because their multiple types of catalytic or functional groups can cooperatively promote catalytic transformations better than their constituents do individually. Herein we report a new synthetic route involving the surface functionalization of nanoporous silica with a rationally designed and synthesized dihydrosilane (3-aminopropylmethylsilane) that leads to the introduction of catalytically active grafted organoamine as well as single metal atoms and ultrasmall Pd or Ag-doped Pd nanoparticles via on-site reduction of metal ions. The resulting nanomaterials serve as highly effective bifunctional dehydrogenative catalysts for generation of H2 from formic acid.


Research on the mesh simplification algorithm has been very active in the past years. The color features are very important and can be perceived by human observers. Nevertheless, these features are ignored by most simplification methods. For this reason, this paper presents the salient color features preserving mesh simplification method. First, the multiscale method for the estimation of the color saliency of 3D colored meshes is proposed. Then, the mesh simplification process based on the salient color features is presented. Finally, the experiment results show that the salient color features could be detected efficiently and this color saliency can improve the preservation of salient color features during the mesh simplification.


The impact of curriculum revision on the elementary school in recent years has generated renewed interest in classroom organization. Increased pressure on teachers to be adept in teaching the rapidly expanding areas of knowledge has once again focused attention on the relative merits of the self-contained classroom and the departmental program. The issue can be stated simply: Is one teacher teaching all subjects more effective than several teachers teaching separate subjects? Statistical studies of the effectiveness of departmentalization and the self-contained classroom often report findings that are contradictory and inconclusive. Investigations first by Gerberich and Prall, and later by Gibb and Matala, indicated some advantage for departmentalization, particularly in arithmetic and science (1, 2). Studies by Rouse, Spivak, and Woods, however, pointed to a somewhat generalized superiority for the self-contained plan (3, 4, 5). Studies by Jackson, Hosley, and Coffin found no significant differences favoring either group (6, 7, 8). The purpose of the study reported here was to compare, over a two-year


This research was conducted to investigate the impact of supply chain management strategies and practices on the retail supply chain performance specifically focusing on textile or apparel industry. For Sample selection we chose systematic random sampling method and a list of 120 retail stores located in Islamabad was developed. Data was collected from every second store on the list using a survey questionnaire, giving a sample size of 60 managers of textile retail stores. The data accumulated was analyzed by performing different statistical tests, reliability, mean, correlation, standard deviation and regression. The findings showed that supply chain practices have an impact on retail supply chain performance statistically but, supply chain strategies do not have an impact on retail supply chain performance. However, supply chain strategies and practices are significantly related to each other.


Based on the Collins integral and the complex Gaussian expansion of the aperture function,an approximately analytical expression for the field of Lorentz beams focused by an aperture-lens system is derived.By using the approximately analytical expression derived,the focal shift in Lorentz beams is investigated.Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the dependence of the focal shift on the Fresnel number and the aperture-lens separation-distance.The property of the focal shift for a Lorentz beam is also compared with that for a Gaussian beam.This research is useful to the applications of highly divergent laser beams.


Objective:The hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometric method was adopted for the determination of arsenica and selenium in drinking water.Methods:The water sample was treated by HNO3 and HClO4,in the medium of 5% HCl,to enter for Thiourea and L-Ascorbic acld,to determine the fluorescent light strength by the reducer of 20% NaBH4.Results:In the best conditions of the experimentation,the detection limit,arsenic was 0.526 μg/L and selenium was 0.452 μg/L.Recovery rate of the method was 94.8%~100.3% for arsenic and 95.1%~99.0% for Selenium.Conclusion:This method is simple,fast and accurate.


Search engines use web crawlers to collect documents for storage, indexing and analysis of information. Due to the phenomenal growth of web, it becomes vital to create high performance crawling systems. Augmentations to hypertext documents were proposed [6] so that the documents become suitable for parallel crawlers. PARCAHYD is an on going project aimed at designing of a Parallel Crawler based on Augmented Hypertext Documents. In this paper, the architecture of this parallel crawler is presented.


The author reviews the technology status and trends in power electronics and motion control with emphasis on AC machine drives. A comprehensive review of power semiconductor devices, power converter circuits, machine drives, and various motion control techniques is included. The impact of expert systems, fuzzy logic and neural networks in intelligent motion control is discussed.<<ETX>>


In this paper we discussed the development of a morphing wingtip device or winglet for aircraft. The aim of this research is enhancing the aerodynamic of aircrafts, by optimizing the winglet shape, angle and torsion, to reduce wingtip vortices at each flight stage, reduce drag, fuel consumption and increase its endurance. The development of a working physical wingtip device with morphing functionality, is possible by using piezoelectric MFCs (Macro Fiber Composites) as actuators in wing structures. Due to their excellent properties like flexibility, light weight, tolerant to damage and long term stability MFC fit most of the requirements and specifications of morphing structures. Unfortunately, they are based on the toxic compound of PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT). Lead-free materials can replace lead based compounds. Also, other aim of this inquiry is the development of piezoelectric lead-free compounds based on the solid solution Ba1-xCaxTi0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZT) with x = 0.1, 0.125, 0.15. The reason for choosing these compositions is because BZCT compounds could reach a piezoelectricity coefficient d33~400 pC/N. This value is comparable with commercial PZT, therefore it is a great candidate to replace it.


Abstract In a mailed survey, 268 primary care physicians used a 5-point Likert scale to rate 23 items regarding geriatrics curriculum in terms of the quality of their postgraduate preparation on the topic and in terms of importance for their subsequent practice. All mean preparation ratings were lower than importance ratings. Mean ratings scores were ranked, and importance minus preparation rankings suggest areas where more geriatric education is needed. Results indicate geriatrics is perceived as an under emphasized component of postgraduate training in internal medicine and family practice residencies.


The following short text will explore the professional challenges faced by Mr. Davood Salimi, an Iranian immigrant who suffers from hearing, memory, and coordination issues. At Salimi's request, the name of his medical condition will not be disclosed. The article will provide readers with a basic summary of Salimi's biographical information, such as his professional qualifications, and explain the tragic circumstances which led to the development of his medical condition. The invaluable career assistance which AIM CROIT provided for Salimi will also be briefly discussed. In addition, the founding of this organisation and its many accomplishments will be succinctly explained. Finally, the article will conclude with a summary of Salimi's future career goals and his advice for other individuals who suffer from disabilities.


As TCP protocol is designed for wired network originally,it congestion control mechanism is triggered into action when packet loss is detected. But the high bit error rate and node changing also should invoke packet loss in MANET. Such non-congestion packet loss,when dealt with by congestion control mechanism,cause poor TCP performance. The factors is analyzed,which affect TCP performance in MANET. And an overall view on some cross-layer work mechanisms of the improved schemes of TCP in MANET from the three levels are presented including the transmission level,the network level and the link level. Then the analysis and compare of these methods are given. Finally the future work is pointed out.


Accurate attenuation correction (AC) is needed for PET[MR in head and neck cancer. Dixon-based AC is used in the clinical routine ignoring racial and vertebral bones. ZTE MRI, previously used to segment skull in brain applications, is used here to detect bone in MRI in 7 patients. To account for fat in the neck, a combined ZTE and Dixon-based AC map is considered as fat and water are separated on the Dixon fat and water MRI. CT acquired on the same patients and registered to ZTE image formed an AC gold-standard. PET images reconstructed with Dixon, ZTE and ZTE-Dixon AC maps are compared to CTAC PET image. SUVmean and SUVmax were compared in volumes of interest (VOI) drawn on physiological uptake in the PET images. Results showed that ZTE-AC and ZTE-Dixon AC performed similarly in regions located in bones such as mandible and maxilla. ZTE-Dixon AC showed a decreased error in regions with interface: mastoid process, pterygoid muscles and airways. However, ZTE-based AC methods still showed an error higher than Dixon AC in nasal cavities due to partial volume effect. Consequently, the hybrid ZTE and Dixon AC map showed promising results for head and neck PET[MR especially in regions surrounding bones.


Achievement, mobility ABSTRACT ___________________________________________________________________ This research studies the effect of visual complaints on learning achievement. Visual complaints are such as headaches, objects that appear double, tired eyes, watery eyes, dry eyes, etc. High and low visual complaints are strongly influenced by the mobility of the students or their motor activities. Mobility has certain roles in maintaining students' concentration at a certain time. Students' classroom mobility is generally carried out through simple interactive learning, an effort to invite students to move and be active during the learning process. The current research is a part of a long-term undertaking on investigating effective learning strategies in vocational universities. It currently focuses on identifying suitable teaching-learning methods that can provide optimum results on students' academic achievement, especially in English as a subject. Keeping in view that the students' concentration decreases along with (1) the length of the lecture, and (2) the lack of students'


The invention provides a secondary combustion kiln for converting industrial waste gas CO2 into CO and a method thereof. A drying kiln capable of circularly recycling waste heat for secondary combustion comprises a kiln body and is characterized by further comprising a first air blower, a drying platform and a second air blower, wherein a gas channel is formed under the drying platform; the first air blower is used for conveying the gas in the kiln body to the gas channel; the second air blower is used for collecting the gas under the gas channel and conveying the gas to the kiln body. The waste heat of the kiln body can be used for drying articles in a drying chamber, namely the waste heat is recycled; the energy is saved; meanwhile, the air blower is capable of collecting the waste gas and secondary combustion of the waste gas is carried out, so that the energy in the waste gas is fully used while the pollution to the environment is avoided.


New modes of governance, such as network governance or public-private partnership have gained ground in environmental policy. While typically associated with long-term, well-established democracies, these interorganizational processes are emerging in countries with weak democracies such as those in Central America. Scholars on environmental governance are pondering if these new modes of environmental governance make decision-making more inclusive, transparent and accountable, while at the same time promoting effective environmental policy performance. We partially address this question by focusing on public and private actors' articulations of the issue surrounding biological corridors in Honduras. We draw on the institutional analysis framework of policy arrangement developed by Leroy and Ars to provide perspective on the main challenges that network governance confronts in unstable democracies. The case presented here highlights that persistent traditional political forms at the national level hinder network governance. At the same time, emerging collaborative attitudes promoted at local and international level are slowly challenging these traditional forms.


The introduction of traditional houses is one of the materials in social studies subjects at the 5th grade public elementary school in SD Negeri 4 Klambu Grobogan. Media that still uses textbooks in the form of text and still images, and still uses conventional methods (lecture, question and answer and assignment). In addition, students prefer to play gadged or mobile phones besides learning. For this reason, we need learning media that can display 3D objects in real-time, one of them using Augmeted Reality (AR). By using AR, it ismexpected tombe ablemto providemmotivation and enthusiasm for student learning, the learning process becomes enjoyable and student learning outcomes increase. This study uses the Research and Development method. In this study are data and data, design, validation, student trials, data analysis, product revisions, and final products. Professional data collection techniques, interviews, literature studies and questionnaires. While to find out the feasibility of learning media using the descriptive term percentage. To measure the level of learning media using thempre-test andmpost-test, and alsomusing themnormality test,mMann-Whitney test, and N-gain. While the class 28 grade 5 students of SD Negeri 4 Klambu Grobogan amounted to 90.17% Very very feasible category, and the pre-test results were 49.6 and post-test 83.9. It can be concluded that AR learning media for learning material for introducing traditional houses, as well as being effective in increasing understanding of material and student learning outcomes.


The cabbage webworm, Hellula undalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a tropical pest on crucifers (Brassicaceae), differentiated among host‐plant species for oviposition in laboratory and field tests. White mustard, Sinapis alba (L.) var. Selinda, was the preferred host‐plant, followed by Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. et. Coss var. Canadian brown mustard, and pak‐choi, Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. Joi Choi, Black Behi and Bai Tsai. Glucosinolates (GS), secondary plant compounds characteristic to the Cruciferae plant family, and their breakdown products were analyzed by using HPLC and GC‐MS‐techniques. Species differed in GS composition and concentration. Content of GS was highest in S. alba with progressively lower contents detected in B. juncea and B. chinensis. The aromatic GS, 4‐hydroxybenzyl‐GS and benzyl‐GS, were detected in S. alba. In B. juncea the alkenyl GS, allyl‐GS, dominated, whereas in varieties of B. chinensis indolyl and alkenyl GS predominated. Oviposition of H. undalis females on the non‐host‐plant Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis (L.) Fruwirth was stimulated by application of GS extracts from the crucifer species; the extract from S. alba was preferred, followed by extracts from B. juncea and B. chinensis. Hydrolysis of GS in the plant extract from B. chinensis causes loss of the oviposition stimulatory effect of the extract. Application of the GS, allyl‐GS, and benzyl‐GS also stimulated oviposition by H. undalis. Significantly more eggs were laid on leaves treated with the aromatic GS, benzyl‐GS, than with the alkenyl GS, allyl‐GS. Host‐plant odor attracted H. undalis females but not males, in behavioral assays conducted in a Y‐tube olfactometer. Low concentrations of the GS hydrolysis product, allyl‐isothiocyanate, induced anemotaxis of females, but a high concentration of allyl‐isothiocyanate was repellent. Oviposition by H. undalis females was not stimulated by host‐plant volatiles. Females laid eggs on inserted traps and the walls of the Y‐tube regardless of presence or absence of host‐plant odor. The relevance of these results in the context of crucifer‐insect interactions is discussed.


The diffusion of styrene into linear low density polyethylene in a solution of supercritical CO2 was investigated using NMR microimaging. For both pure styrene and styrene dissolved in supercritical CO2, the diffusion was found to follow Fickian kinetics. Supercritical CO2 was found to enhance the rate and extent of diffusion of styrene into the substrate by up to three times under the conditions of this investigation, compared to pure styrene. NMR imaging was used to measure the concentration profiles of the styrene penetrants in real time, and the results were fitted to a Fickian model for diffusion. At a CO2 pressure of 150 bar and temperature of 40 degrees C, the diffusion coefficient of a 30 wt-% solution of styrene into LLDPE was calculated to be 1 X 10(-11) m(2). s(-1). This is significantly faster than the diffusion coefficient measured for pure styrene diffusion at 40 degrees C (3 x 10(-12) m(2). s(-1)). The diffusion coefficients determined by gravimetric analysis were slightly higher than those determined by the imaging method. This was probably due to residual styrene and/or polystyrene adhering to the surface of the films in the gravimetric technique.


Historical fire records and meteorological observations, spanning more than 1 century (1894–2010), were gathered and assembled in a database, to provide long-term fire–weather associations. We investigated the relationships between forest fire activity and meteorological parameters and sought to find temporal patterns and trends in these historical records and to identify any linkages between meteorological parameters and fire occurrence in the eastern Mediterranean region. Trend analysis of the time series revealed a statistically significant increase in the number of fires and air temperature, particularly after the mid-1970s. Fire occurrence, expressed as the annual number of fires and total burnt area, was strongly correlated with the mean maximum and the absolute maximum air temperature which, in turn, was related to the occurrence of summer heat waves. Total burnt area was also strongly negatively correlated with fire-season precipitation, and positively correlated with 2-year-lagged annual and summer precipitation, underlying the effect of precipitation in controlling fuel production and moisture. These findings support the argument that although annually lagged precipitation totals may have a marginal effect on fire risk by influencing biomass production and accumulation, the lag0 weather parameters are the main drivers of fire spread by directly controlling fuel moisture.


AIM: To study the effects of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on T-lymphocyte subsets in keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH)-immunized mice.METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were immunized with KLH and injected with different dosages of CCK-8 or saline simultaneously. Positive CD4+and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood or splenocytes were measured by flow cytometry. The production and mRNA level of Th1 cytokine, IFN-γ and Th2 cytokine, IL-4 in the splenocytes were evaluated by ELISA and RT-PCR, respectively. In addition, lung tissue sections were made with HE staining.RESULTS: CCK-8 downregulated the positive CD4+and CD8+ T lymphocytes both in peripheral blood and in splenocytes in KLH-immunized mice, resulting in the reduction of CD4+/CD8+ ratio.CCK-8 improved the production of IFN-γ, elevated IFN-γ gene transcription, whereas cut down the production of IL-4, decreased IL-4 gene transcription. CCK-8 lightened the pulmonary inflammation induced by KLH.CONCLUSION: CCK-8 inhibits CD4+T lymphocytes activation, Th2 cytokine mRNA expression and protein production in KLH-immunized mice, indicating that CCK-8 modulates adaptive immune response.


Abstract. We present a framework for dynamic textures (DTs) recognition and localization by using a model developed in the text analysis literature: probabilistic latent semantic analysis (pLSA). The novelty is revealed in three aspects. First, chaotic feature vector is introduced and characterizes each pixel intensity series. Next, the pLSA model is employed to discover the topics by using the bag of words representation. Finally, the spatial layout of DTs can be found. Experimental results are conducted on the well-known DTs datasets. The results show that the proposed method can successfully build DTs models and achieve higher accuracies in DTs recognition and effectively localize DTs.


This volume sets out to delineate a distinctive Black intellectual tradition rooted in the understandings and experiences of people of African descent living in the United States and their perspectives on race, systematic racism, and the world. Following the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling wherein the US Supreme Court gave constitutional sanction to racial segregation, Black people acted with particular diligence to fashion new theories of race, identity, and culture that served to validate Black humanity. The result was a comprehensive system of thought specifically designed to challenge Jim Crow, lynching, disfranchisement, discrimination, and other forms of racial oppression that were now facts of law, not just facts of Black life. The essays collected here concentrate on the ideas that Black artists and intellectuals, performers and protest activists, institutions and organizations, and educators and religious leaders developed to fight against the persistent waves of racial oppression sweeping over generations of Black people in the United States. Indeed, these ideas animate the long struggle of Black people for equal justice....


Abstract- 4H-SiC PiN diodes have been manufactured on a Norstel epitaxied P+ZN/N* substrate with a combination of Mesa and JTE as edge termination. A breakdown voltage of 3.3 kV has been measured at lmuA regardless the active area (0.16 and 2.56 mm2). A differential on-resistance of 1.7 mOmega.cm2 was extracted at 15A-25degC. The recovery charge was only of 300 nC for a switched current of 15A at 300degC at a blocking voltage of 500V. 50% of the diodes exhibit a voltage shift of about IV, after a 60 hours DC- stress (25degC-225degC). The leakage current level remains unaffected after the DC stress.


Based on the observations from the two deformation observation fields lying in the western and eastern areas of the Fushun city segment of Hunhe fault,the current activities of the Fushun city seg-ment of Hunhe fault are analyzed and studied.The results show that: 1) At present,there are no tec-tonic activities along the Fushun city segment of Hunhe fault;2) The Hunhe fault external to the Fushun coal mining district is not activated and the land subsidence is mainly due to the coal mining of the Fushun coalfield.


After the description of Ascalaphus (Haploglenius) obscurus Westwood, 1847, the type specimen was lost. Thus, the genus and subfamily classification of the species became uncertain. Later taxonomists (Hagen 1866, McLachlan 1873, van der Weele 1909) could not clarify the correct combination of the genus (Haploglenius, Idricerus). Tauber et al. (2019) found the syntype of the species, this solved a number of nomenclatural and taxonomic problems. Ascalaphus (Haploglenius) obscurus Westwood, 1847 is moved to Protidricerus obscurus (Westwood, 1847) (comb. n.) and the lectotype is designated. Protidricerus philippinensis Esben-Petersen, 1927 (syn. n.) is a junior synonym of Protidricerus obscurus (Westwood, 1847). Instead of Ascalaphus (Haploglenius) obscurus Westwood, 1847, Stylascalaphus fabiani Mészáros & Ábrahám, 2005 is designated to type species (present designation) of Stylascalaphus Sziráki, 1998. Mansellacsa longicornis Hölzel, 2004 (syn. n.) is a junior synonym of Stylascalaphus krueperi (van der Weele, 1909).


Excess caloric intake and irregular circadian rhythm could severely impair female reproductive, metabolic, and immune function. However, the similarities and differences between their individual and combined effects and mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Due to limitations and confounding factors in clinical research, we used these two kinds of unhealthy factors to intervene the mice singly or in combination to explore their effects on individuals.


Composition of the high frequency switching-mode power supply is stated.Considering the characteristics of the high frequency switching-mode power supply,from each parts in the high frequency switching-mode power supply,the discussion stresses on the design of the high frequency switching-mode power supply circuit EMC,printed circuit board EMC of power supply,as well as the EMI suppression methods such as shielding and so on.By taking these measures,the high frequency switching-mode power supply is ensured to meet the requirements of EMC.


Maxine Hong Kingston is one of the most famous female Chinese American writers in 20th century. Her famous novel The Woman Warrior confirmed her status in American literature. The novel describes the heroine's life as a Chinese American and depicts the psychological course and conflict when confronting the pressure from both gender and culture. This book indicates Kingston's pursuit of the harmony and balance in a variety of aspects. This paper mainly focuses on the harmony and balance between East and West. The first part deals with the theme of mother and daughter's relation, in which the mother represents the traditional Chinese culture while the daughter struggles among the conflicts of eastern and western culture. Secondly, the novel conveys the ethnic women's appeal by talking about the texts of the novel. The author also reveals the Chinese Americans' pursuit of self-identity. Kingston was writing with an intense aspiration of speaking for the Chinese. The third part is the theme of silence and articulation in which Kingston tries to reconstruct their identity by breaking up the silence and articulating their appeal. Kingston also put forward a dream of globalization and unity in her novel.


Objectives National Health Service (NHS) waiting times have long been a political priority in Scotland. In 2002, the Scottish government launched a programme of investment and reform to reduce waiting times. The effect on waiting time inequality is unknown as is the impact of subsequent austerity measures. Design An interrupted time series analysis between the most and least socioeconomically deprived population quintiles since the introduction of waiting time initiative 1 July 2002 and austerity measures 1 April 2010. Setting All NHS-funded elective primary hip replacement, primary knee replacement and arthroscopy patient data in Scotland from 1 April 1997 to 31 March 2019. Participants NHS Scotland funded patients treated in Scotland. Main outcome measures Trends and changes in mean waiting time. Results There were 135,176, 122,883 and 173,976 NHS funded hip replacement, knee replacement and arthroscopy patients, respectively, in Scotland between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2019. From 1 July 2002 to 31 March 2010, waiting time inequality between the most and least deprived patients fell and increased thereafter. For hip replacements before 1 July 2002, waiting time inequality increased 1.07 days per quarter; this changed at 1 July 2002 with significant slope change of −2.32 (−3.53, −1.12) days resulting in a decreasing rate of inequality of −1.26 days per quarter. On 1 April 2010 the slope changed significantly by 1.84 (0.90, 2.78) days restoring increasing inequality at 0.58 days per quarter. Knee replacements and arthroscopies had similar results. Conclusions The waiting time initiative in Scotland is associated with a reduction in waiting time inequality benefiting the most socioeconomically deprived patients. Austerity measures may be reversing these gains.


Through the phase-separation system composed of phenols and concentrated acid, the phenol components are selectively hybridized into C1-positions of phenylpropane units of native lignin to give 1, 1-bis(aryl)propane-type linear polymers (lignophenols) quantitatively. Lignophenols have unique properties such as high phenolic activity and obvious phase transition. Furthermore, the functionality of lignophenols was able to be controlled using the intramolecular switching function: Under alkaline condition, C1-phenols in lignophenols nucleophilically attack adjacent C2 as switching devices, followed by the cleavage of aryl ether linkages. In ligno-p-cresol and ligno-2, 4-dimethylphenol with similar switching functionality and structural characteristics, ligno-p-cresol was highly hydroxymethylated (HM) on the cresolic nucleus to give network-living pre-polymer. On the other hand, ligno-2, 4-dimethylphenol having reactive sites mainly on the terminal unit gave linear-living pre-polymers. The structures of polymerized lignophenols were controlled by mixing ratio of HM-ligno-p-cresol and HM-ligno-2, 4-dimethylphenol or by the hybridization ratio of p-cresol and 2, 4-dimethylphenol in lignophenols followed by hydoxymethylation. The resulting polymer chains were cleaved at the switching points to give low molecular weight subunits by the switching function. Recyclable composites were prepared by the combination of cellulose and HM-lignophenol (the mixing ratio of HM-ligno-p-cresol to HM-ligno-2, 4-dimethylphenol was 1:0, 1:1, 0:1, respectively). The composites had glossy surfaces and looked like wood. The dimensional stability of composites was improved significantly with increasing mixing ratio of HM-ligno-p-cresol to HM-ligno-2, 4-dimethylphenol. Using the switching functionality of lignophenol, the composites were re-separated into lignophenols with low molecular weight and cellulose.


In this experiments,the I-V curves of the photovoltaic cells with the different areas and light intensities had been measured.The short circuit current(Jsc),open circuit voltage(Voc) and the fill factor(FF) had been also obtained to exam the factors which are critical for the energy efficiency.The experiments showed us the equivalent series resistance and shunt resistance plays a key role for the energy transfer efficiency.As decreasing the series resistance and increasing the shunt resistance,the energy efficiency can be enhanced more than 33% at least.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of how different forms of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and simultaneous marketing communications (MC), two crucial components of relationship marketing, affect consumer persuasion when presented in a business-to-customer (B2C)-sponsored vs a customer-to-customer (C2C)-sponsored social network site (SNS). A concise typology of eWOM is also proposed. Design/methodology/approach – An experiment involving different social network movie sites was conducted testing the effects of different eWOM along with a comparison to MC on consumers' interest in, and likelihood to watch movie DVDs. Findings – The empirical results showed that not all eWOM types have the same persuasiveness and community sponsorship as a source credibility cue is more influential from a C2C-sponsored SNS than from a B2C one, particularly for many-to-one eWOM communications. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include both positive and negative types...


Raman study of as-grown and H 2 O 2 -etched surfaces of Zn 0.1 Cd 0.9 Te single crystal has been performed. A distribution of Te precipitates on the surface of as-grown ZCT, which increases after etching, has been encountered. With high irradiation powers, due to the oxidation of the surfaces, new bands of TeO 3 2− are evolved. A downward shift in the peak position, as well as a halfwidth broadening, of all Raman modes has been observed with increasing laser power. The phenomenon, due to the formation of insulating oxide of tellurium in a dispersion of Te precipitates and vice-versa, has been attributed to the quantum confinement of phonons.


The George W Bush Administration has blasted into the White House proclaiming a national energy crisis which no one except Mr Bush and Mr Cheney, both former energy company executives, can detect. California's blackouts seem more the result of profiteering by energy companies and their fellow travellers in the California legislature than of a national problem. Yet the White House sees a crisis which either does not exist or they are inventing one to pump up the already substantial revenues of their past, present and probably future buddies in the energy business. The book presents analyses which substantiate the fact that energy policies have been around for sometime and perhaps deserve a more serious response than ham-handed profit taking.


It is now generally recognised that intensive animal production is a major contributor to pollution of environment. Within the European Union for example, farm animal effluents have been identified as a major source of nitrate pollution of water systems. These environmental concerns regarding groundwater contamination with nitrate, phosphorus and other elements led to the issuance of a Council Directive in 1991, limiting the amount of N in slurry to be spread on farm lands. For example, in pigs or poultry about 65% of the the ingested dietary-N is excreted via urine and faeces (Kirchgessner and Roth, 1993) implying that the efficiency of utilization of dietary protein by these species is only about 35–40%. One of the current approaches to reduce the risk of N pollution of the environment is via dietary manipulations involving the feeding of low-protein amino acid-supplemented diets (Aletor et al., 2000; Gruber et al., 2000). The overall principle is to ensure a more efficient dietary-N utilization by these animals by feeding them low-protein diets supplemented with essential amino acids (EAAs) in better agreement with standard dietary recommendations. In an earlier report (Aletor et al., 2000) it was demonstrated that feeding low-protein diets confers potential economic advantage while the accompanying increased efficiency of dietary Nutilization lowers the amount of excretable N into the atmosphere. However, while N-excretion was decreased by as much as 41% without affecting weight gain, a consistent observation in low-protein feeding to broilers is the substantial increase in body fat retention (deposition). The increased carcass fatness is undesirable, not only from the point of view of nutrient economy, but also product quality and human health considerations. One suggested approach to attain desirable carcass fat levels in low-protein fed broilers, relate to the dietary incorporation of conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs). The CLAs are a mixture of positional (9,11 or 10, 12) and geometric (cis and trans) isomers of linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12-octadecadienoic acid) with only one single bond separating their double bonds (Fritsche and Steinhart, 1998) unlike linoleic acid which has its double bond separated by two single bonds. Although CLAs occur naturally in dairy products and ruminant meat, they are currently being produced industrially by alkaline isomerization. Some of the biological activities ascribed to CLAs include anti-carcinogenesis (Ha et al., 1987), immune modulation (Cooke et al., 1993), enhanced weight gain and feed efficiency (Chin et al., 1994), prevention of atherosclerosis (Lee et al., 1994), body fat reduction and body nutrient repartitioning (Pariza et al., 1996; Park et al., 1999; Jahreis et al., 1999; Simon et al., 2000). Another dietary supplement with potential for body fat reduction is Precose (Acarbose) or Bay g 5421. Bay g 5421 contains oral a-glucosidase inhibitors currently used in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in humans. It is an oligosaccharide obtained from the fermentation process of a micro-organism, Actinoplanes utahensis (Bayer, 1999) and it is chemically known as O-4,6-dideoxy{{(1S,4R,5S,6S)-4,5,6-trihydroxy3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-yl)amino)-a-D-glucopyranosyl-(1–4)-O-a-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-D-glucose. Unlike the sulfonylureas, this oligosaccharide does not enhance insulin secretion, but brings about anti-hyperglycaemic action by competively and reversibly inhibiting pancreatic a-amylase and membrane-bound intestinal a-glucoside hydrolase enzymes. Until now, there is paucity of information on studies aimed at correcting for increased body fat deposition that is consistent with feeding broiler-chickens low-protein diets. The need for such studies is compelling, because inspite of the benefits to the environment of the concept of feeding low-protein, amino acid-supplemented diets, it is unlikely to command wider commercial acceptability if the problem of increased carcass fatness persists. This need forms the major basis for the design of the present study which investigates the effect of low-protein amino acid-supplemented diets in combination with the inclusion of two levels of CLAs or an glucosidase inhibitor, respectively.


The article identifies and describes some axiological dominants in the musical thinking of Georgy V. Sviridov. Particular attention is drawn to his logos style – the desire to be "involved in the way as the top began", "innermost essence of the world". Strengthening the tradition of Russian musical culture that focuses on unity melos and logos, Sviridov – it ought to be assumed – is committed to particular clarity in understanding and recreating this unity. Clarifying the overall methodological setting of the composer on "removing" the music out of living speech, the authors show that the specific forms of that removing are associated by composer with a folk reality (of its original syncretism or verbal archetypes and music) as well as an everyday living language (its rhythm, tempo, melodic intonations). The authors specify that the historical logoi, prophetic utterances or the texts with the highest degree of performativity (poetical, especially liturgical texts) are a practical measure of the method of Sviridov' "consolidation" of musical works, artistic removing of music uniqueness and undisplaced in the holistic reality of logoi, the worlds of historic human being. All these words are understood by him as human responses, harmonious and simple answers to the exalted words, the Word of God; all these answers are the joyful and respectful attempts to be in a sublime or answerable fellowship with Him. There is also a historical metaphysics of George V. Sviridov; he thinks of historic Russia as a spiritual and holiness of life. This metaphysics of national forms is realized as some judgments of the composer in his own diary; it would be better to appreciate that metaphysic view as a cultural outline of Sviridov's musical thinking..


In-situ and extra abdominal repair of uterine wound during cesarean section are two valid approaches. This study was carried out to compare intra operative and post operative morbidity in women undergoing caesarean delivery using these two techniques. This is a prospective interventional randomized controlled study. The study subjects include 170 women undergoing Lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) at Southern Railway HQ hospital, Chennai. Intra operative and post operative parameters were analysed in all the study subjects. In in-situ group, 12.6 % women experienced intra operative pain and 30.1% women in extra abdominal group. Intra operative nausea and vomiting was seen in 16.1% women in in-situ group and 28.9% women in extra abdominal group. 1.1% women in in-situ had post-operative febrile morbidity and 8.4 % had in extra abdominal group. The median fall in haemoglobin was 1.30 g/dL and 1.40 g/dL in in-situ and extra abdominal group respectively. In-situ repair of the uterine wound at cesarean delivery is associated with lesser incidence of intra operative pain , intra operative nausea or vomiting and post operative febrile morbidity compared to extra abdominal repair technique.


There are a number of important motivating factors for both workers and firms that stimulate the formation of private pensions. Workers may desire a pension as a means of saving for retirement. Private pensions may be preferable to other types of retirement annuities because of the well known favorable tax treatment afforded pensions. By placing money in a private pension account, the workers can in most cases receive a higher return than from a comparable non-pension investment.' The demand for pensions, however, is tempered by their relative riskiness and illiquidity.2 One of the main motives of firms for offering a pension is to reduce costs and thereby increase profits. If turnover is costly to firms, such as when they invest in their workers' training, the reduction of quits can be profitable. Pensions with delayed vesting provision tend to reduce turnover by increasing the workers' costs of quitting. While it is certainly useful to isolate the important factors that influence the formation of private pensions, such analysis is necessarily incomplete. Private pension agreements are not reached in isolation, but are part of an overall agreement between a firm and its workers. The terms of a pension agreement are affected as well as do affect the path and magnitude of wages. In recent years there have been several interesting analyses of the role pensions play in labor contracts. Schiller and Weiss [10] have found empirical support for the proposition that the presence of pensions in a labor contract tends to reduce worker turnover. Barnow and Ehrenberg [1] consider the effects of pensions on labor turnover from the opposite perspective. They show that the cost of funding future pension benefits increases as the worker


A second phase baseline emissions survey was conducted on stationary reciprocating engines and gas turbines used in the gathering and transmission of natural gas. Emission rates for all tests were calculated in pounds per hour, pounds per million BTU heat input, and grams per horsepower-hour output. Emission rates of piston engines were determined at or as near to rated speed and load as possible and some relative comparisons were made. Emission trends for a number of reciprocating engines were developed as a function of engine operating parameters; such as ignition timing, scavenging air pressure, engine speed and load. Details are given on the preliminary changes made to the test procedure that was used in the initial survey conducted in 1972/1973.


The chemical doping method is often adopted to obtain metal-free conducting materials. To date, it is still a great challenge to controllably prepare metal-free semiconducting and conducting materials by tuning the inherent structure of a material. In this work, a class of novel one-dimensional (1D) covalent-organic polymer (COP) has been designed, whose cross-sections are triangular, tetragonal, pentagonal and hexagonal, and their electronic properties are explored. The tetragonal 1D COP exhibits unique phenomena in electronic properties, i.e. the tetragonal COPs with mono- or trilayer defects (odd defects) show semiconducting properties, while they become conductors for the two cases of non- or bilayer defects (even defects). This observation indicates that they comply with the characteristics of semiconducting and conducting switches induced by the odd–even defects. Therefore, we infer that for the tetragonal configuration, the odd–even defects could potentially manipulate the electrical behavior of the COP material. The discovery provides a new direction for the targeted synthesis of semiconducting and conducting materials by tuning the inherent structure of materials, which is entirely different from the chemical doping method yielding metal-free conducting materials.


Investigations at 0.633 mu m and 1.15 mu m in the He-Ne laser show that beat frequencies at about c/2l and 2c/2l between neighbouring axial modes are found to shift linearly with inserted cavity loss. These effects are explained using Lamb theory. Information is gained concerning the stability of mode distributions. The effect is also investigated in the argon ion laser at 0.488 mu m.


The compressor comprising a housing defining a suction pressure portion and a discharge pressure portion includes a first and second scroll member to form the compression pockets. A first chamber located on the first end plate of the first scroll member has a first and a second passage, and the first and extending through the end plate comprises a first hole communicating with the first chamber. The first hole provides communication between said compression pockets and the chamber. First by the piston positioned in the chamber are displaced in the axial direction, the piston first and and when in the second position isolate the first passage from communication with the second passage, the first hole when the piston is in a first position with and block the communication with the first passage, when the piston is in the second position provides communication between the first hole and the first passage.


@ArchaeologyFitz I take the view that we need to push back and figth back against the tyranny racism and sexism built into publishing in #HigherEd


Considerable controversy surrounds the biostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic interpretation of Antarctic marine Pliocene sequences (Webb & Harwood 1991). The object of this note is to document and reassess a marine Pliocene diatom assemblage from the Larsemann Hills and to discuss its significance with respect to other Antarctic Neogene deposits.


An integrated multimedia file system supports the storage and retrieval of multiple data types. In this paper, we first discuss various design methodologies for building integrated file systems and examine their tradeoffs. We argue that, to efficiently support the storage and retrieval of heterogeneous data types, an integrated file system should enable the coexistence of multiple data type specific techniques. We then describe the design of Symphony -- an integrated file system that achieves this objective. Some of the novel features of Symphony include: a QoS-aware disk scheduling algorithm; support for data type specific placement, failure recovery, and caching policies; and support for assigning data type specific structure to files. We discuss the prototype implementation of Symphony, and present results of our preliminary experimental evaluation.


A novel hybrid display pixel structure is proposed. This pixel structure consists of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) and reflective liquid crystal displays to form an emi‐flective display. With a single pixel circuit and proper driving method, the pixel circuit can drive LC cells and OLEDs in one display system. Moreover, a compatible fabrication process of the hybrid device has been examined. By utilizing the reflective LCD, the wash‐out phenomenon of OLED under bright ambient light can be compensated.


Graphical data presentation plays a very important role for lots of monitoring applications. Nowadays there are many environments for implementing it like MSChart in Microsoft VB, JFrameChart in Java and Waveform Graphs in LabVIEW. However, they are not always adequate and flexible enough to design powerful software. In this paper an ActiveX component for graphical data display is designed and implemented. Its data model, curve model and other key functions have been illustrated in detail. The component can be applied to multiple monitoring applications for both desktop and web applications. Results show that the component is flexible and reliable. And it shortens the system development cycle remarkably.


The government of Ecuador seeks to develop national productive matrix, this is the reason why they have been implementing incentives and benefits for companies that produce goods made in the country, to thereby be able to develop products that are competitive enough to Ecuadorian consumers so they do not need to buy foreign products. In addition, consumption of cosmetic products, including shampoo, has increased given that people spend a larger part of their income for personal hygiene products for their families. This is how the idea to manufacture and market a shampoo with biodegradable ingredients that has 4 benefits in 1 in a doypack presentation, making it a more economical product for men and women aged 20 to 30 years of Quito who are interested in maintaining a proper care of their hair. The overall marketing strategy is to focus on a niche market and position itself in the market by offering a product with several benefits with a lower price compared to the competition. The amount of investment needed is USD 40,600 to carry out this project, which will be financed with 60% own capital and 40% debt, with 11,50% interest. It was determined that the project is viable by performing the financial plan where a NPV and IRR 17,082.42 was obtained and 30.19% respectively.


Pattern storage by a single neuron is revisited. Generalizing Parisi's framework for spin glasses we obtain a variational free energy functional for the neuron. The solution is demonstrated at high temperature and large relative number of examples, where several phases are identified by thermodynamical stability analysis, two of them exhibiting spontaneous full replica symmetry breaking. We give analytically the curved segments of the order parameter function and in representative cases compute the free energy, the storage error, and the entropy.


In this paper, we describe a simple and efficient approach for synthesis of highly luminescent InP/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs) in gas-liquid phase reaction using zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) as a new phosphorus source and indium(III) myristate as indium precursor. The effects of experimental conditions, such as the ratios of reactants, reaction temperature and overcoating time of ZnS shell, were systematically investigated. We observed that the molar ratio of In:myristic acid (MA) and the overcoating time of ZnS had significant influences on the optical properties of the InP/ZnS core/shell QDs. Under the optimal conditions, we prepared highly photoluminescent InP/ZnS QDs with emission range of 540–660 nm and the quantum yields were about 30–60%. The characterization of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the InP/ZnS QDs had good monodispersity and a nice crystal structure. Furthermore, we observed that the luminescence efficiency of InP/ZnS QDs was significantly improved after UV irradiation in the presence of dithiothreitol. Compared with the commonly used expensive and extremely flammable tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphine (P(TMS)3) as phosphorus precursor, Zn3P2 is a low-cost and stable phosphorus source. Our method is an easy and fast way for large-scale synthesis of highly luminescent InP/ZnS QDs for wide applications in the future.


Environment can be understood as the space where human live and on which depend the quality of their life and health, taking into account those of future generations. Some environment components are: property which forms part of cultural heritage, characteristic aspects of landscape, rocks, air, soil, under soil, fauna, flora, forests, water, and sea. Use and management of sea resources are under specific prescriptions.


Reinforced concrete structures such as bridge decks, parking garages, and marine structures can enjoy long years of sound structural integrity if they are not exposed to chloride-containing (or other aggressive) environments. The situation changes, however, when the concrete becomes contaminated with large levels of chloride. This is accompanied by a loss of passivity and the result is accelerated corrosion of the steel. In a recent investigation of the effects of repairs on the corrosion of steel in concrete, concrete slabs containing a rectangular recess were allowed to corrode preferentially in the recessed area during exposure to salt water ponding. The slabs were subsequently repaired, re-exposed to salt water ponding, and later opened to examine the effects of the repair. Throughout the investigation, corrosion potentials of steel in selected regions of the slabs were monitored. The results of this investigation, as well as the implications of this research on repairs in general, are discussed. For the covering abstract see ITRD E111699.


Background: Using patient data from the electronic health record (EHR) and computer logic, an "electronic phenotype" can be created to identify patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in real time to assist with syndrome-specific antimicrobial stewardship efforts.1 We adapted and validated the performance of an inpatient CAP electronic phenotype for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Methods: An automated scoring system was created within the EHR (Epic Systems) to identify hospitalized patients with CAP based on the variables and logic listed in Fig. 1B. We adapted a score used by the Michigan Hospital Medicine Safety Consortium (HMS) to identify patients with CAP, with additions made to improve sensitivity (Fig. 1).1 The score can be displayed in a column within the EHR patient list (Fig. 2). We validated the electronic phenotype via chart review of all hospitalized patients on systemic antimicrobials admitted to a medicine team consecutively between November 8 and 18, 2021. Patients who were readmitted within the validation time frame were excluded. We assessed the performance of the electronic phenotype by comparing the score to manual chart review, where "CAP diagnosis" was defined as (1) mention of "pneumonia" or "CAP" as part of the differential diagnosis in the admission documentation, (2) antimicrobials were started within 48 hours of admission, and (3) radiographic findings were suggestive of pneumonia. After initial evaluation, the scoring system was adjusted, and performance was re-evaluated during prospective audit and feedback performed on EHR CAP–positive patients over 13 days between July 2022 and December 2022. Results: We included 191 patients in our initial validation cohort. The CAP score had high sensitivity (95.83%), specificity (92.2%), and negative predictive value (99.35%), though lower positive predictive value (63.89%) was noted (Table 2). The rules were further refined to include bloodstream infection only with Haemophilus influenza or Streptococcus pneumoniae in rule 2B, and azithromycin was removed from "CAP antibiotics." After these changes, repeated evaluation of 88 patients with positive CAP EHR score was performed, and only 20 (23%) were considered false-positive results. Conclusions: Electronic phenotypes can be used to create automated tools to identify patients with CAP with reasonable performance. Data from this tool can be used to guide more focused antimicrobial stewardship interventions and clinical decision support in the future. Reference: Vaughn VM, et al. A statewide collaborative quality initiative to improve antibiotic duration and outcomes in patients hospitalized with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia. Clin Infect Dis 2022;75:460–467. Disclosures: None


Objective: To observe the evolution of global infarction in rabbits on proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1H-MRS), and explore the dynamic evolvement process of the metabolite, such as Naa、Cr、Cho and Lac within the globally infarct brain tissue. Methods: 12 New Zealand rabbits underwent decapitation after anesthesia, then the heads were kept warm by using a 37 C water chamber. 1H-MRS research was performed on a Marconi 1.5T MRI system. 1H-MRS were performed before operation as well as at 0.5h, 1h, 2h, 4h, 6h, 8h, 12h and 24h after operation. Results: Cho level did not change obviously after global infarction. Lac rose to high level at 0.5h, and remained steady relatively in the high level from 0.5h to 24h after decapitation. Naa and Cr level decreased linearly and continuously after global ischemia. Conclusion: 1H-MRS could noninvasively detect the dynamic evolvement process of the metabolite within the global infarct brain tissue.


Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in low resource settings in India are often poorly diagnosed, leading to missed opportunities for early initiation of treatment and poor patient pathways. There is also a poor understanding in rural communities of the causes of CRDs; many symptoms are incorrectly attributed to asthma and treatment is inconsistent and often based on inaccurate diagnoses. There is a high prevalence of CRDs in rural regions of India. It is vital that interventions are developed to improve an understanding about CRD in low resource settings in India in order to reduce exposure to common risk factors and improve access to evidence based care. We piloted a frontline health care worker delivered educate, screen and treat intervention programme. We explored the role of stakeholders engagement towards the development of feasible community based interventions. The hypothesis was that without meaningful engagement with the key stakeholders, long term sustainability of the programme would be limited and potentially viewed as primarily for the organisations self-interest. A mixed method study combined a quantitative online survey of the sensitised health care providers and a qualitative assessment of the other stakeholders engagement activities. The methods of qualitative data collection included focus group discussions, feedback and individual interviews and data analysis used a thematic framework. We identified key stakeholders and investigated their knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, practices, educational needs and suggestions for improved care for CRD. Three main themes were 1) Community trust building 2) Mismatch between community awareness about CRD and access to evidence based care resources 3) Finding effective communication methods for low health literate and older age group population with CRD. First theme was built on two sub-themes: sensitised influential people in the community (community advisory committee); empowered, trained health workers in the community for patient screening and navigation. Second theme informed by three sub-themes: availability of sensitized health care providers and empowered health system; recognizing access to evidence based care for CRD in the region/district; recognizing the communitys change in behavior related to management of CRD with education. Third theme was informed by 2 sub-themes: communitys ability to understand the messages through different educational media and tools; challenges in engaging the low health literacy population. The findings of this study add to the literature on the numerous challenges faced by patients with CRD in low resource settings, indicating the need for identifying and educating key stakeholders, continuous support of patients, personalised education, and capacity building of health care providers. Given the significant challenges that the patients face, a feasible primary health care model needs to be developed incorporating strategies to deal with these challenges.


The invention relates to a waste incineration fly ash sintering reduction treatment technique which is especially applicable to treatment and disposition of waste incineration fly ash of which the salt content is lower than 20%. The fly ash is added with a dechloridation fusing assistant to intensify the volatilization of heavy metals and the decomposition of dioxin, heavy metals and chlorine salt are intensively concentrated in secondary fly ash within a relatively low temperature range, and then the secondary fly ash is washed by water so as to further realize concentration of pollutants and reduction of the fly ash. The water-washed fly ash is returned to a rapid sintering device so as to completely degrade dioxin type pollutants; water-washing liquid is evaporated and concentrated to recycle the salt by using the afterheat of a sintering system, the concentrated liquid and mud obtained by evaporation and the obtained sintered body are safely buried or recycled. The treatment technique disclosed by the invention is relatively simple in overall process and equipment, the energy consumption and the treatment cost are relatively low, the environmental friendliness of the obtained end product is improved, and the long-term potential impacts of the fly ash on the environment are minimized.


Debates on the adaptation of literary works to the cinema have already surpassed moral judgments related to fidelity and treason, finding a more objective approach. It implies, for example, the comparison between the movie adaptation and the original work focusing on intertextuality and using, as points for analysis, the selection of literary material made during the filmic realization process, the visual achievement of the literary text, the update of some of the themes brought out by the writer and the narrative focus, among others. This work aims at analyzing the narrative structure of Gunter Grass' novel The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel) and Volker Schlondorff's homonymous movie by observing the complex articulation of Grass' narrative focus and the director's rendering of that structure, which results in different ways of perceiving and interpreting both the narrating character and the universe he is placed in.


Miller and colleagues reported red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization prevalence (AIP) of 14.4% (34/237) in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients recruited into a randomized trial across 31 US centers. Trial protocol allowed exclusion of 27 already alloimmunized patients; had these patients been taken into account, true AIP would have reached 16.1% (61/378). We analyzed AIP in adult (>16 years) SCD patients cared by our hospital, located in an ethnically mixed area of South London (surrounding boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark have, respectively, 25.9 and 26.8% Black race population, i.e., approx. 155,000 people). A total of 659 SCD patients (55% female) attended our hospital over a 10-year period (2000-2009). During this period, 314 of 659 (47.6%) patients received at least 1 RBC unit at our hospital (median, 10 units [range, 1-876 units]; median age of transfused patients was 35 [range, 16-82] years; 197 were women [62.7%]). RBC alloantibodies were detected in 39 patients (12.4%). A total of 64 alloantibodies were identified (1-8; median, one per patient): 26 (40.6%) were directed against Rh and Kell system antigens (excluding antibodies that do not require prophylactic matching, e.g., C or Kp). Overall, 21 of 39 alloimmunized patients (53.8%) had Rh and/or K antibodies, either alone or with other antibodies. AIP in women was 14.2%, compared with 9.4% in men (NS; p = 0.28, Fisher's exact test). Of note, of 12 patients with multiple (≥2) alloantibodies, 11 were female. Of 40 patients on regular automated RBC exchanges, eight (20%) developed antibodies: two anti-C and one each anti-E, -f, -C, -Kn, and -Kp. One patient developed anti-K and -Kp. Most of these antibodies ceased being detectable after a short time. None led to discontinuation of transfusion program. Matching for C, c, E, e, and K antigens in SCD patients was deemed "desirable" by the British Committee for Standards in Haematology in 1996; it was instituted in our hospital around 1997, shortly after the National Blood Service began issuing RBC units with full Rh and Kell phenotype printed on the label. Sixteen years later, the proportion of Rh/Kell alloantibodies in our study group is still high (40.6%), although it compares favorably with an earlier UK study that reported 17.6% alloimmunization rate, with 66% antibodies being within the Rh/Kell systems. Whereas a proportion of patients may have become alloimmunized before 1997, an unexpectedly high prevalence of Rh/K antibodies may be accounted for by less stringent antigen matching in emergencies, errors in blood selection, or transfusions received in centers with less experience with SCD patients. The presence of variant Rh genes, as suggested by the finding of anti-D in an individual with a "partial D" and an alloanti-e in an e+ patient, may also compound this problem. AIP increased with the number of RBC units received, but appeared to plateau after transfusion of 11 to 25 units. Patients who had received more than 100 RBC units had AIP of 22.2%, compared to 19.6% in those who had received 11 to 25 units and 12.9% in recipients of 6 to 10 units. These rates are very similar to those reported by Miller and colleagues, possibly reflecting the proportion of "antibody makers" in SCD population. In an attempt to gauge the clinical impact of RBC alloimmunization, we defined a group of patients who would be impossible to support on a regular basis; these included patients with: 1) alloantibodies against highfrequency antigens, for example, anti-hr; and 2) multiple antibodies that would reduce the theoretical availability of RBCs to less than 1%. Four of 39 (10.2%) alloimmunized patients fulfilled the above criteria. Thus, the impact of alloimmunization on blood availability appears limited to a minority of patients. Intriguingly, the ratio of alloimmunized to nonalloimmunized patients varied among age groups: 16 to 25 years, 0.08; 26 to 35 years, 0.16; 36 to 45 years, 0.17; 46 to 55 years, 0.12; and more than 56 years, 0.10. Decline after the age of 36 to 45 years suggests that mortality may be higher in alloimmunized subjects. Alternatively, evanescence of alloantibodies in the absence of exposure to cognate antigens may have contributed to this decline. Prevalence of alloimmunization in patients with SCD in our center is similar to that reported by Miller and colleagues. AIP appears to have declined in comparison with historical data, despite increased blood usage, presumably due to matching for Rh/K antigens. However, rates of Rh and Kell alloimmunization still remain relatively high. Impact of alloimmunization on survival in SCD merits further investigations.


When mechanisms such as starvation and bilateral nephrectomy, which are followed by a depression of erythropoiesis in the adult guineapig, are applied to the newborn guinea-pig, the same effect on erythropoiesis can be observed as in the adult. The effect of starvation on the neonatal erythropoiesis in the guinea-pig appears to be of the same extent as that seen in the adult from the first day of life (Fig 2). The effect of bilateral. nephrectomy in the newborn guinea-pig starts early after birth, rapidly and progressively reaching the degree of depression of erythropoiesis seen in the adult nephrectomized guinea-pig (Fig 3). The data observations in the rat suggest that neonatal erythropoiesis is governed to a significant degree by factors other than those affecting red cell production in the adult. After birth the


Coordinated electrical activity allows pancreatic β‐cells to respond to secretagogues with calcium entry followed by insulin secretion. Metabolism of glucose affects multiple membrane proteins including ion channels, transporters and pumps that collaborate in a cascade of electrical activity resulting in insulin release. Glucose induces β‐cell depolarization resulting in the firing of action potentials (APs), which are the primary electrical signal of the β‐cell. They are shaped by orchestrated activation of ion channels. Here we give an overview of the voltage‐gated potassium (Kv) channels of the β‐cell, which are responsible in part for the falling phase of the AP, and how their regulation affects insulin secretion. β cells contain several Kv channels allowing dynamic integration of multiple signals on repolarization of glucose‐stimulated APs. Recent studies on Kv channel regulation by cAMP and arachidonic acid and on the Kv2.1 null mouse have greatly increased our understanding of β‐cell excitation–secretion coupling.


The dynamic characteristics of elementary 1/f γ fluctuations of the field-emission current from local surface areas of a p-type silicon are investigated experimentally. Binary fluctuators are shown to be a dominant component of flicker noise. These fluctuators jointly form an inertialess (up to 1 μs) random process in the form of a telegraph signal. Two computer models of binary fluctuators are considered that are characterized by the power spectra of the form 1/f γ .


Abstract : The primary objective of the proposed research was to gain a fundamental understanding of strategies, mechanisms, and scaling laws for successful control of separation using zern-net mass-flux (ZNMF) actuators. The key issue that was systematically studied was the optimal excitation frequencies in separated flows characterized by convective and/or global instabilities. The study was a complementary experimental/ numerical effort that capitalized on previous collaborations and was aimed at leveraging the respective strengths df CFD and experiments. The numerical component employed two different solvers will allowed us to investigate chord Reynolds numbers Re(c) up to O(10%). The complementary experiments use a large flat plate model equipped with a two-dimensional ZNMF actuator slot. Both the experiments and computations employed nonlinear spectral analysis to quantify quadratic coupling between the various instability mechanisms in separated flows. Outcomes included fundamental insights int0 the non-linear dynamics of separated airfoil flows and their implications for ZNMF separation control as well as development of improved lumped element design tool for ZNMF actuators in separation control applications.


A capillary gas chromatography was established for the determination of muscone in four species of Chinese patent medicines. The samples were purified by Sep Pak silica gel cartridges. The calibration curve was linear within the range of 0.00422~0.422 μg with a correlation coefficient of 0.9997. The average recoveries of ShexiangBaoxin pills, XinBao pills, XinDan pills and KeHuang capsules were 98.8%, 97.7%, 98.6% and 101.8 %, respectively.


395 Background: The aim of this study was to determine best technique for future preoperative staging and operative planning in colon cancer using MRI at 1.5T, and feasibility at 3.0T.

METHODS
39 scans were performed in 4 healthy volunteers comparing bowel distension using different oral contrast techniques; no oral preparation, 1L of water, 1L of poly ethylene glycol (Klean-Prep), and 1L of 2.1% barium sulphate and 3.2% sorbitol solution (E-Z-Cat) at 1.5T. Bowel distension was scored blindly by 2 experienced radiologists. A further 35 scans compared image quality of T2-weighted pulse sequences; 2D-TrueFISP, 3D-TrueFISP, HASTE, 2D-TSE and 3D-TSE. Scans were scored for movement artefact, colon wall and colon mesentery visualisation. Signal to noise ratio (SNR) was calculated. Inter-observer agreement was assessed using Cohen's Kappa. Equivalent optimised protocols were derived at 3.0T and tested for feasibility.

RESULTS
Inter-observer agreement for scoring was good (kappa = 0.61-0.67). Sorbitol-barium sulphate gave significantly better small bowel distension than no oral preparation, water and Klean-Prep (mean score 3.8 vs 1.6, 2.2 and 1.9, p≤0.007). 2D TrueFISP sequences gave the highest mean score for scan quality, significantly better than 3D-TSE, 2D-TSE, 3D-TrueFISP and HASTE (mean 10.6 vs 3.2, 7.8, 7.7 and 7.4, p≤0.012). 2D-TSE sequences obtained best SNR, significantly greater than obtained using 3D-TSE (p=0.045). 3.0T sequences were comparable or superior.

CONCLUSIONS
Colon imaging using MRI requires fast sequences and adequate bowel distension. Our observations indicate that 2D-TrueFISP and 2D-TSE sequences with 1L Sorbitol-Barium sulphate orally give the best T2-weighted images of the colon wall and adjacent structures for cancer staging at 1.5T; equivalent 3.0T protocols are possible. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


Applying professional practices, working with the pharmacy assistant and engaging the customer can grow the digestion category, reports Lisa Offord.


The Marshall method is still the method of choice for the design of Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) in South Africa. During the validation of a HMA mix design, considerable variability was encountered in Marshall test results for the same mix supplied by different laboratories. The variability was of such a degree that it would influence design decisions or could lead to conflict over product acceptance. A study was undertaken to investigate the extent and consequences of the inter-laboratory variability. The results, presented in this paper, show that the tests included in the Marshall design method are subject to considerable interlaboratory variability. The variability should be taken into account during the design phase as well as during quality control and product verification. One of the deficiencies in the current standard test method is that it is lacking an effective method of calibrating the compaction effort for different hammers. The results indicate a need to calibrate the Marshall hammers of all parties taking part in a project and for every HMA mix that is used. Also, a need was identified for a national proficiency testing scheme to aptly identify, and subsequently correct, sources of variability in the testing processes.