Objective To strengthen the scientific management of post-doctoral fellowship in medical research institutions,and improve the post-doctoral system constantly.Methods Based on the actual situation of the unit post-doctoral research station,analyzes some problems existing in the development of the post-doctoral management.Results According to the existing problems in the management of post-doctoral work,combined with the practice in recent work,puts forward improving measures,tactics and suggestions.Conclusion Improving post-doctoral system,establishment of a main research team with the post-doctoral fellowship,is a basic part in strengthening university by talents.


In this paper, we examine quality of working life (QWL) and compare the predictors of QWL among 250 employees in a variety of information technology (IT) jobs in five companies. Quantitative data was gathered through questionnaires, totally 250 questionnaires were distributed to the respondent 220 questionnaires were returned and analyzed using SPSS version 16. The following QWL factors were examined: job satisfaction, Uncertainty and Attrition, fatigue& tension, the following predictors of QWL were studied: Adequate and Fair Compensation, Safe and healthy working conditions, Opportunities for training and development, Opportunities for career advancement, Social integration, Discrimination, Welfare Measures, and demographics(age, marital status, parental status and education). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and regression analysis to test the formulated hypotheses and the significance and reliability of the findings. The findings suggest there is a positive and significant relationship between QWL and employees' job satisfaction. Analysis shows that male workers are having high QWL than female workers in IT jobs. Quality of work life increases with Job satisfaction and decreases with Job Uncertainty and Attrition and Fatigue and Tension. IT companies are creating a positive environment for efficient and smooth work. Finally, the results of this survey can also used as baseline measures against which the findings of future quality of work life surveys can be compared. Such comparisons place this type of research within a continuous quality improvement framework.


(57) Abstract: The present invention is based, in part, to a method of modulating the function of serine / threonine protein kinases by quinazoline compounds. The method incorporates a serine / threonine protein kinase, for example, cells expressing the RAF. Furthermore, the present invention is, in an organism, an abnormal condition associated with serine / threonine protein kinase, describes a method of prevention and treatment by using a compound identified by the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention relates to quinazoline compounds and pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds.


BACKGROUND: Drug resistant TB is a global health problem and is a menacing threat especially in developing countries like India.The emergence of drug resistant TB is due to incomplete or improper treatment,resulting in a hindrance in the TB controlling programs in India.The most common causes of acquired drug resistance inM.tuberculosisare inadequate chemotherapeutic regimens and noncompliance by patients during therapy. Cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) is a recently introduced polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based method for detection of TB. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 13-01-2020 Date of Acceptance: 29-01-2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Women are underrepresented in the computer science field. In fact, only 15% of bachelor degrees in pure computer science are awarded to women [1]. The literature reveals various reasons for the underrepresentation of women in computing, including lack of role models [2]. An experimental class at DePauw University continued a project to expose fifth-graders to both programming and female role models, in order to change attitudes toward computing -- in particular, the attitudes of both boys and girls to the inclusion of girls in computing activities. The DePauw class visited the children a total of 5 times, administering an attitude scale (CATS [3]) as both a pre-test and post-test instrument. The children learned the programming language, Scratch, and developed two storytelling endings for books they had read in their current English curriculum unit. Pre- and post-test comparisons of the 10 CATS items (Likert-type attitude scale) were obtained using one-tailed t-tests for the 10 paired responses from the 20 children (10 boys and 10 girls). The t-test for item number 7 ("Technology is as difficult for girls as it is for boys.") yielded a p-value of 0.019, which was significant at the .05 level. Since little girls and little boys should think that computing is equally easy and equally difficult for each sex, the results provide one piece of evidence that providing a series of lessons involving Scratch by a team of students with sufficient female role models (4 female students and 4 male) can change children's attitudes toward computing.


"Anthranilic acid amides and their derivatives as cosmetic active compounds and pharmaceuticals." The present invention relates to the use of compounds of formula 1 specific (and mixtures thereof) in particular as cosmetic agents for inhibiting release of histamine from mast cells induced by substance P.


This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of natural diets on ovarian maturation in the blue swimming crab Portunus pelagicus . A total of 25 female crabs in the spent condition were collected from Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Five animals were used for histological examination of the ovary and the rest twenty were used for the feeding experiment. Four dietary groups each comprising 5 crabs, were fed with four different diets viz. , Loligo sp. , blood cockle, Anadara sp ., fish, Decapterus sp. and polychaete, Neries sp. , @10% of body weight daily. Throughout the experimental period, the number of days taken by the females to remature and become ovigerous again as well as the number of larvae produced in each treatment was recorded. The results showed that crabs fed with polychaetes rematured and became oveigerous faster (14.4±7.7 days), followed by crabs fed with blood cockle (14.8± 1.12 days), fish (21.2±11.2 days) and squid (26±12.2 days). However in contrast, squid was found to be the best diet in terms of producing more number of larvae (329240±193390 larvae), compared to crabs fed with scad fish (323500±118096 larvae), followed by cockle (263444±153,021 larvae) and polychaete (256520±160677 larvae).


The microstructure of the MgB2 wires with hydrocarbon, pyrene (C16H10) addition has been investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). In our study, MgB2 wires have been fabricated through powder-in-tube (PIT) process using pure Fe as sheath material and sintered at 600°C ~800°C for 30min to 4 hrs under high purity argon gas. TEM and EDS analyses were conducted on the specimens prepared by tripod polishing and ion milling method. The structural features such as second phases, interface and defects were investigated by electron microscopy.


On Sept. 25 the Global Health Council released a report that provides a first-ever country-by-country global analysis of the impact of unintended pregnancies on maternal deaths in developing countries. The report "Promises to Keep: The Toll of Unintended Pregnancies on Women's Lives in the Developing World" details more than 300 million unintended pregnancies and the deaths of nearly 700000 women between 1995 and 2000. Supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation the Global Health Council conducted the comprehensive analysis as a statistical measure for assessing progress on pledges to reform and fund reproductive health services made at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). It was at that conference that 179 nations made a commitment to fully support the reproductive health needs of the world's women. (excerpt)


The Internet has promoted several changes in the world. In this scenario, new theories, paradigms and methodologies have been discussed in the education area. In addition, as the development of learning material is expensive and time-consuming, the use of Learning Objects (LO) has been proposed for improving content reuse. However, the emphasis has been on how to describe LO, but it is not clear how to develop them. In addition, people want to satisfy their learning needs according to their personal characteristics such as knowledge background and learning style. The work presented in this paper proposes the increase of LO semantics. The idea behind our proposal is to develop LO based on a model for structuring knowledge (concepts, demonstrations and interactions) according to their context, representation and composition. This approach enables increased reusability and adaptability while providing better structured content material.


The major coal mine gas cause of the accident analysis,use software engineering thinking,construction of security early warning decision support system.The hierarchical design and assembly design are used.Digital gas to achieve real-time remote monitoring.Digital Underground for the realization of industrial-level monitoring and control network creation and visual simulation to provide integrated management of the practicable options.


This chapter presents a new approach for solving the paradoxical Blackman's association problem. It utilizes a new class of fusion rules based on fuzzy T-conorm/T-norm operators together with Dezert-Smarandache theory and the relative variations of generalized pignistic probabilities measure of correct associations defined from a partial ordering function of hyper-power set.


OBJECTIVE: The introduction of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has transformed HIV from a fatal disease to a chronic condition. However, although patients may be relieved of physical symptoms, studies have consistently shown the persistent existence of cognitive impairment, even in patients undergoing cognitive treatment, commonly referred as HIV – associated dementia. More specifically, findings show deficits in executive functions, resembling patterns more prominently found in frontal lesions. The advent of these findings showcase the need for appropriate neuropsychological screening tests in order to assess cognitive function in HIV patients. In this study, we assess the implications of introducing the FAB (Frontal Assessment Battery) to a simple, fast screening process.METHOD: We gathered data from 2 groups: a patient group consisting of HIV infected patients undergoing cART treatment at the AHEPA hospital in Greece, and from a control group. They patients underwent a short neurocognitive evaluation. We administered 3 short, fast screening tests: FAB, MOCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and MMSE (Mini Mental State Exam).RESULTS: Consisting with preexisting finding, HIV patients consistently scored lower than the control group in the executive function tasks. All 3 test were found to be highly correlated with each other, with MOCA being a predictor factor for FAB scores. In measuring the 3 tests' sensitivity to HIV associated cognitive impairments, we found that FAB was the most sensitive among the three.CONCLUSIONS: Our goal was to examine the utility of the FAB test when screening for cognitive deficits in HIV patients. We found that FAB can be a valuable tool in neuropsychological assessment, but given the varied nature of the HIV patients' cognitive profile, it should be accompanied with an extensive battery of tests


The applications of experimental spectroscopic techniques and quantum-chemical methods have increased in many domains of scientific research and these have proved very useful for studying the vibrational and electronic spectra as well as some other properties of molecules. The development of both Fourier transform techniques and quantum chemical calculations have become increasingly useful for the assignments and interpretations of the spectra. However, the calculated frequencies based on harmonic approximation generally overestimate the experimental ones as a consequence of the anharmonicity in molecular vibrations. To account for the anharmonicity, the vibrational second order perturbation (VPT2), vibrational self consistent field (VSCF) and correlation corrected VSCF (CC-VSCF) methods have been implemented. Although, these are of high computational cost, but the results are more accurate. The extension of density functional theory to the time dependent domain (TD-DFT) has also become the most widely used approach to simulate the optical properties of molecules and facilitates a better understanding of electronic spectra. The present thesis entitled, "Spectroscopic Studies of Polyatomic Molecules" is mainly concerned with the vibrational and electronic spectral studies of temozolomide [1], D-tyrosine [2], 4-hydroxy-7-methyl-1,8-naphthyridine-3carboxylicacid [3] and 2,3-pyrazinedicarboxylicacid [4] which are chosen because of their biological, pharmaceutical or industrial importance. The FTIR and FT-Raman spectra of these molecules are recorded and investigated using quantum chemical calculations at HF, DFT and MP2 levels of theory. In addition to harmonic frequencies, anharmonic frequencies are calculated using VPT2, VSCF, CC-VSCF methods. The vibrational assignments are made using potential energy distributions (PED), visual inspection of the animated modes and the literature. The correlation plots, root mean square (RMS) error and mean absolute deviation (MAD) values indicate a good agreement between the anharmonic and experimental data. The vibrational frequencies of temozolomide and D-tyrosine in solution phases reveal that the frequencies are little affected by the solvent. The frequencies computed using HF theory are found largely deviated from the experiment due to the neglect of electronelectron correlations whereas DFT and MP2 frequencies are closer. The deviations, if


Noroviruses (NoVs), members of the Calicivirus family, are small, positive-polarity RNA viruses and the most important cause of human foodborne viral gastroenteritis worldwide. These viruses cause gastrointestinal disease, resulting in recurrent bouts of vomiting and diarrhea that typically last 24–48 hours. NoVs are transmitted via the fecal–oral route, most commonly through infected food or water or person-to-person contact, and result in 267 million infections [1] and over 200,000 deaths each year, mostly in infants and the elderly [2]. Vaccines and therapeutics are under development but face considerable challenges as there is no cell-culture system or small-animal model for human disease, and these viruses are highly heterogeneous and undergo antigenic variation in response to human herd immunity, further complicating our understanding of the complex immune interactions that regulate susceptibility and disease. Despite these limitations, considerable progress has been made in understanding NoV adaptive immunity. This article discusses our current understanding of virus–host immune interactions that regulate host susceptibility, virus evolution, and protective immunity. We focus on virion structure, serologic relationships among strains, molecular mechanisms governing the changing antigenic landscape of human NoVs over time, cellular immunity, and relationships between human herd immunity, antigenic variation, and histoblood group antigen (HBGA) recognition, which are predicted to drive the emergence of new outbreak strains that target different human populations and/or afford escape from protective herd immunity. We discuss the implications of these observations on future vaccine design. Specific Host and Virus Genetic Factors Influence NoV Susceptibility, Evolution, and Immunity


We exploit an influential 1991 Delaware court ruling to examine the impact of changes in managerial fiduciary duties on firms' accounting and contracting choices. The ruling expanded directors' fiduciary duties in favor of creditors and away from shareholders for a specific group of firms. Using a hand-collected sample of debt contracts around the ruling date, we find that, following the ruling, debt contracts of affected firms rely less on the use of income escalators (provisions in loan contracts which require changes in net worth to reflect losses in full, but only partially for gains and profits) and other conservative adjustments such as requiring net worth calculations to include extraordinary losses but not gains. In addition, affected firms exhibit lower abnormal accruals, greater magnitude and incidence of negative special items, and are more likely to adopt SFAS 106 using the immediate recognition method for OPEB liabilities. Our results hold across a battery of robustness tests. Overall, our study demonstrates how a shift in fiduciaries duties owed by management that enhances the relative power of creditors changes the nature of both financial reporting and debt contracting. JEL Classification: G3, L2, M41


Abstract The crystal field parameter 10Dq[cm⁻¹] of octahedral chromium obtained as the energy of the 4A2g → 4T2g band of Cr3+ in the electronic absorption spectra, EAS, of a series of 13 natural grossular-uvarovite garnets with compositions close to the binary join Ca3(Al1–xCrx)2Si3O12, depend on the chromium fraction xCr of the solid solutions as 10Dq[cm⁻¹] = (–515.51 · xCr) + 16579 (r = 0.984) The 10Dq[cm⁻¹]-values were evaluated in terms of local mean octahedral distances, R̅(Cr–O), [Å]local with the result that R̅ (Cr–O) local = 0.01262 · xCr + 1.9812 (r = 0.982) (a) Equation (a) is in very good agreement with mean 〈Al/Cr—O〉; distances of "individual" octahedra R̅i calculated for the case XCr(individual) = 1.00 from the distance relations obtained in X-ray structure refinements of low symmetry chromian garnets (Wildner and Andrut, 2001). The proves again, that the EAS-method to derive local 3dN-ion–oxygen distances is reliable. R̅ (Cr–O) local = ƒ(xCr) and the corresponding R̅i-function deviate strongly from the Vegard line of the crystal averaged function R̅(Cr–O)average = ƒ(xCr), the "virtual crystal model". This indicates significant structural relaxation around Cr3+[6] in the garnet solid solutions studied. The relaxation coefficient calculated from the data, ∊lim xCr→0 = 0.82, is closer to ∊ = 1.0 for full relaxation, i.e. the "hard sphere model", than to ∊ = 0.0 for absent relaxation in the "virtual crystal" model. This is proposedly related to the uptake of strain around octahedral chromium, in the large (CaO8) polyhedra interconnected with the octahedra of the grossular-uvarovite garnets.


Comment on Zimring et al, page [1105][1]

A new mouse model of transfusion of incompatible RBCs sheds light on the mysterious process of antibody-induced antigen suppression.

Antibody binding to red blood cell (RBC) antigens classically results in hemolysis. The converse is the phenomenon of "


In the newest version of ArcGIS®, the 3D Analyst extension will feature an implementation of a new 3D visualization software – ArcGlobeTM. What is unique about this software tool is that it allows the storage of limitless amounts (assuming limitless disk storage) of geospatial data and then the ability to interact with that data in a virtual environment. Further, ArcGlobe allows the representation of stored feature data using generic or specific 3D models in both OpenFlightTM and 3D StudioTM format. With the addition of the capability to import and display OpenFlight 3-dimensional models into ArcGlobe, ESRI has entered the arena of traditional real-time simulation technology; a technology that has been used for many years by NASA and the Department of Defense. Real-time simulation technology is a mature simulation environment and is a viable means to create immersive displays of GIS data in conjunction with realistic virtual landscapes. However, for this functionality to be a viable and "user friendly" capability, additional software must be developed to allow the implementation of rapid and user-transparent exploitation of OpenFlight and 3DS formats and associated capabilities. We have tested a prototype version of a non-proprietary, virtual object model and its associated library of 3-D objects. The object model and its associated 3-D model library provide translation and display mechanisms to port GIS data into the ArcGlobe simulation environment. This paper will provide background on the history of real-time simulation, our efforts to promulgate this technology into the GIS arena, and our current efforts to deliver a robust virtual object model and its associated 3-D model library.


Changes in crystal structure of ettringite on dehydration in normal atmosphere have been re-examined by means of thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Synthetic ettringite crystals were heated at various temperatures up to 200°C for durations of up to 7 h. The ettringite structure maintains some long-range order until the coordination number of calcium changes to 5 by dehydration of twelve water molecules from channels and columns with heat treatment at 70°C. When the coordination number of calcium decreases to 5, the short-range order of the structure is disrupted and ettringite becomes X-ray-amorophous. Subsequently, the rest of the water molecules in the columns and bridging OH groups in calcium polyhedra are removed, essentially destroying the framework of the columns. This is accompanied by changes in the coordination number of aluminium from 6 to 4.


In shipborne Transfer Alignment (TA) applications, partial observability is one of the most important factors limiting convergence velocity. This paper proposes a new method of attributing weak observable states and lever-arm variables to a group of constraints in order to improve the observability of TA model. This yields the so-called Constrained Transfer Alignment (CTA) model which is uniformly observable even under zero-manoeuvre conditions. Within this framework, the Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) and its stability analysis are also addressed. Finally, comparative simulation results are given to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach.


This study focuses on the issue of workforce variety among associations in India. It investigates the on-going viewpoints, of workers and businesses, in regards to the need, implementation, and the executives of variety in their particular associations. The paper attempts to cover different work settings by concentrating on a Public Sector Unit, an Indian MNC, and a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) association. The review examines the reality of execution ofDiversity concerning the earnestness of the view of the requirement for Diversity. The study attempts to uncover the purpose of workforce diversity andseeks the answer to whether diversity is being implemented by organizations only to pacify the sensibilities of moderate society or to expand the efficiency ofthe Organization.


Recently, neural twitter sentiment classification has become one of state-of-thearts, which relies less feature engineering work compared with traditional methods. In this paper, we propose a simple and effective ensemble method to further boost the performances of neural models. We collect several word embedding sets which are publicly released (often are learned on different corpus) or constructed by running Skip-gram on released large-scale corpus. We make an assumption that different word embeddings cover different words and encode different semantic knowledge, thus using them together can improve the generalizations and performances of neural models. In the SemEval 2017, our method ranks 1st in Accuracy, 5th in AverageR. Meanwhile, the additional comparisons demonstrate the superiority of our model over these ones based on only one word embedding set. We release our code for the method duplicability.


683 THE INTERNET is empowering women in ways that would not have been imagined a decade ago. Online activism has generated worldwide support for women's issues such as violence against women, political oppression, and economic inequities. The ability to broadcast information online has allowed the dissemination of information without censorship, while the ability to find information online has enlightened and empowered women, sometimes in life-enhancing ways, such as when they find critical health information online. Online, women have created community and social support. Communication patterns also are being altered online, allowing freer expression. Online anonymity and lack of face to face (ftf) interactions frees individuals of social and physical restraints, and has allowed women to express parts of themselves that they might not otherwise in a safe environment, enabling them to explore new identities, heal inner wounds, and express sexuality. The Internet opens up new possibilities for women of social, political, and economic power. However, the impact of the Internet for women is not all positive. The Internet also has created and amplified problems for women. Women have been targets of online oppression, harassment, and some have become real-life victims because of their online participation and/or activism. There is a wealth of misinformation as well as information online, and it can be difficult to distinguish the validity of that information. Regardless of gender, users need tools to evaluate that information. Online groups can create support for deviant and undesirable behavior, and can legitimatize hostile, inappropriate, or dangerous behavior, some directed explicitly at women. Online sexuality may be liberating for many women, but there is much sexual harassment online. Pornography has proliferated online, much objectifying and victimizing women and girls. The same conditions that create healthy free expression and exploration of self online (anonymity, lack of ftf contact, lack of physical and social restraints) also can foster uncensored hostility such as flaming and harassment, creating an uncomfortable or hostile environment for both men and women. Females may be particularly affected by hostile climates because of gendered communication styles and expectations. Online communication patterns may amplify gender differences and miscommunication. Power is not distributed equally online, and women worldwide have been last to come online; these may amplify rather than diminish existing gender social, political and economic inequities in the Digital Age. Promise and peril: the Internet has brought both to women. The promise of the Internet to enrich women's lives is being fulfilled, but perils exist as well. These two themes resonate throughout this issue. As special editor of this issue, I was struck by the consistency of these themes in the articles, which otherwise were unified only by their focus on women. The Internet is not inherently good or bad although sometimes people have characterized it as one or the other. Dichotomous, either/or arguments do not do justice to our understanding of how the Internet is impacting our lives. This issue highlights that the Internet has been a


Belida fish (Notopterus notopterus, Pallas 1769) is one of Indonesia's endemic fish that has high economic value so that the catch is so high and has begun to decline in population from nature. The purpose of this study was to analyze the behavior and reproduction of belida fish that nurtured with stocking density and different types of feed. This study was conducted from April to June 2018 in the Fish hatchery and Breeding Laboratory of Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty, Riau University. The design used is a randomized complete design with stocking density treatment consisting of 5, 10, and 15 tail/m3 and type of feed consisting of pellet + vitamin E feed and trash fish feed (dumbo catfish cubs). The results showed that the best treatment was in the stocking density of 5 tail/m3 and trash fish feed (dumbo catfish cubs) showed aggressive fish behavior in chasing the feed given, resulting in reproductive value consisting of the fish number of gonad maturity (TKG IV) as many as 5 fishes, gonado somatic index value of 0.58%, the fecundity of 6,053 eggs, egg diameter of 2.49 mm and semen volume of 0.045 ml.


We present a multi-terminal routing algorithm for field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The routing problem for the FPGAs is difficult due to the preplaced routing segments that can be connected only by the pre-existing switches. We describe a sequential router that routes multi-terminal nets in a single stage, i.e., global routing is not required. The multi-terminal routing greatly reduces the total wire length as the multi-terminal tree approximates the steiner tree as opposed to a minimum cost spanning tree. Our router requires very small channel width. In addition, our router places an upper bound on the worst case delay by routing a multi-terminal net within its bounding box. Within the bounding box each terminal is routed in a distance that is less than or equal to the max(l(i,o)), where o is an output pin, i is an input pin, and l(i,o) is the Manhattan distance between an input and output pin. Our router has generated excellent routing results for some of the industrial circuits.<<ETX>>


The findings are presented of a nutrition survey carried out in the framework of the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project in March/April 1995. The major aim of the study was to obtain closer information on the food habits and food consumption patterns of the fishing population, especially the quantification of fish and small fish in particular, consumed at the household level. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect relevant information on demographic, education and occupational profiles; the information was collected in 39 villages in the southern sector of Kainji Lake. (PDF contains 75 pages)


Five new monoterpenoid polyols were obtained from the fruits of Cnidium monnieri CUSSON (Umbelliferae). They were characterized as distereomers of 3, 7-dimethyloctane-1, 2, 6, 7-tetrols (3 and 4), (6, 7-threo)- and (6, 7-erythro)-3, 7-dimethyloct-3(10)-ene-1, 2, 6, 7, 8-pentols (5 and 6) and trans-p-menthane-1β, 2α, 8, 9-tetrol (7), respectively.


The advance of structural analysis has been allowing design of more economic and consequently more flexible structures. Due to this advance, Civil Engineering began to deal more frequently with new kind of problems, such as structures more susceptible to vibration. Several solutions were conceived to reduce vibrations: structural modification, stiffness increasing and finally the use of vibration absorbers. This paper has purpose of comparing multiple vibration absorbers with single vibration absorber systems, and showing the advantages of using multiple vibration absorbers. One of these advantages is the possibility of evaluating errors of calibration and including these errors in the process of calibration. Another advantage is that multiple vibration absorbers require low damping ratios. The analysis will be performed by a numerical tool implemented with an optimization method that will calculate optimal parameters for absorbers calibration. The system uses, for comparison, the discretized model of a platform located at Structural Laboratory of COPPE/UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro-Brazil), designed for experimental tests to describe loads induced by human activities.


In this paper, we developed a facile, energy-efficient process for producing highly graphitized activated carbon (AC) using wet distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as the feedstock. The three-step process included hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), KOH activation, and a short burst of direct microwave irradiation. We found that the presence of a small amount of graphene oxide (GO) in DDGS could significantly change the morphology of the produced carbon (from spherical particles to flakes) and increase the degree of carbonization and graphitization of the biomass. The AC produced with and without GO was made into supercapacitor electrodes, and their electrochemical properties were compared. This study proves that GO-assisted HTC and direct microwave irradiation is an effective method for biomass carbonization, and the AC produced using this method is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.


ity that various intellectuals held views in private that were different from what was acceptable in public f rom 166o onward, and that their writings have to be reexamined with this fact in mind for clues as to what they actually believed. And this reconsideration may give us a better history of the emergence of "new" views at the beginning of the eighteenth century. RICHARD H . POPKIN Washington University


The alga Cystoseira indica was used for copper (II) removal from aqueous solutions. Effects of initial pH, ion concentration, contact time, and different pretreatments on biosorption were investigated. Potentiometric titration, chemical modification, FTIR and ICP analyses were performed to study the biosorption mechanism. Ho's pseudo‐second order model described kinetics data appropriately. Adsorption isotherm was fitted to Langmuir model with the maximum adsorption capacity of 72.1 mg g−1 at pH 4 and 25°C for 0.6 g l−1 of biomass. Strong, weak, and very weak acidities which were calculated from potentiometric titration were respectively 1.50, 1.49, and 0.67 me per g dry biomass. Sulfonate, carboxyl, and amine functional groups were involved in biosorption. Treatment with alkali and salt increased biosorption capacity, while acidic treatment decreased it. Ions of Na+, Sr2+, Ca2+, Zn2+, H+, and Mg2+ were released into the solution due to copper removal which indicated that ion exchange was a mechanism of biosorption. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38: S323–S330, 2019


In its Taylor decision the Special Court for Sierra Leone denied immunity ratione personae to the, at the time of the indictment, President of Liberia. This article first analyzes the legal reasoning of that decision. The Court's finding that it is an international court is approved; the consequence it attaches to that finding is criticized. The decision is then presented as an illustration of the negative consequences of relying upon controversial elements of the ICJ's Arrest Warrant case. It is suggested that instead of the distinction between national and international courts, the difference between criminal responsibility and procedural immunity could have been the basis for the reasoning of the ICJ and Special Court.


In 1994, a special writing group of the Stroke Council of the AHA published guidelines for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke.1 The guidelines, based on the best available evidence, focused primarily on the prevention and treatment of the complications of acute stroke such as cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure, aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infections, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, decubiti, and seizures. The authors further concluded that "until more data are available, the use of heparin remains a matter of preference for the treating physician" and "that thrombolytic therapy is not currently recommended for the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke."1 No supportive recommendations were given for any neuroprotective strategy, nor therapies given to stimulate neurological recovery.

In the 8 years since these guidelines were published, a large number of randomized studies of treatment strategies for acute stroke have been completed. These trials have included thrombolytic agents given intravenously, intra-arterially, or both, antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapies, neuroprotective agents, pharmacological and mechanical therapies to stimulate neurological recovery, and the use of stroke units. In addition, many pilot studies of new therapies for acute stroke have been reported and are entering Phase II and Phase III studies.

The current state of knowledge regarding the treatment of acute ischemic stroke that are based on these randomized studies can be summarized as follows. (1) Intravenous thrombolytic therapy, if administered within the first 3 hours after stroke, improves functional outcome after acute ischemic stroke. Even within the first 3 hours, the likelihood of an excellent outcome increases with earlier treatment. The effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy after 3 hours has yet to be conclusively demonstrated but studies are ongoing. (2) Intravascular intervention with medical therapies and mechanical devices is an active area of investigation. (3) Aspirin and other …


A water-saving irrigation control system based on DSP is presented,which can be applied to real-time monitoring for the soil moisture and also realize the automatic water-saving irrigation on Soil.The system is controlled by TM S320C5402,and adopts the TDP principle of the AQUA-TEL-TDR sensor to transfer the electrical signals into digital signals through MAX1246;moreover,through the serial port,it can be connected with PC which will calculate the required amount of irrigation and time,and then feedback them to C5402,finally,start the alarm device and begin to irrigate.


The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multipolar electrode device (35), in particular a multipole, for use in a mass spectrometer. The task of known manufacturing methods for electrode devices with pre- and / or post filtering to improve, is solved by the electrode rods (13, 15) of electrodes rod arrays (9) for pre- and / or post-filter (5, 7) together with support elements (25) are processed in one operation. Furthermore, the invention relates to such electrode device (35), and a mass spectrometer with such a multipolar electrode device (35).


In recent years, decision diagrams have earned a prominent place in the field of logic design as means of efficient representation of switching function, in terms of needed storage space and processing complexity, especially for the tasks of design, testing and verification of logic circuits. In this paper, we focus on a XML based system for description of the structure of decision diagrams with special attention on its application in high-level synthesis, automatization of design of logic networks. The system we propose is capable of automatically producing hardware description, RTL models in VHDL. It uses XML for description of decision diagrams and a set of XSLT based scripts for conversion of decision diagrams to VHDL hardware model. VHDL is a well established industrial standard in this area and the RTL models produced by in this way can be synthesized using commercial logic synthesis tools. This feature permits fast prototyping and much quicker experimentation regarding decision diagrams in the fields of logic synthesis and circuit testing. It also enables our framework to take the central role in much wider scope connecting various other software packages that deal with decision diagrams on some level with industrial standard simulation and synthesis software.


The teaching process design of exploratory experiment of chemistry is one of the difficult points for the teaching of chemistry exploratory experiment.Combining with teaching practice,the thesis discussed the teaching methods and attracted points for a few teaching links.It also drew a diagram for the teaching process of exploratory chemistry experiment.


The article accepts the idea of a right to food as a socially basic right - everyone's minimum reasonable claims on the rest of humanity. It then tries to determine whether, and how, a global right to food might become a reality for the present generation of hungry people. Physical constraints to increased agricultural production, while important, are not insurmountable barriers to achieving a right to food. More fundamental are choices about the shape of development programs within countries - and their immediate beneficiaries - and the way in which international transactions distribute the costs, risks, and burdens of guaranteeing a sustainable right to food. The author argues that international changes should be made to minimize the current tendency for the greatest burdens and costs of securing a right to food to fall on individuals and collectivities with the fewest resources for changing the existing political and economic structures.


Uterine leiomyomas are the most common neoplasms in women of reproductive age. Approximately 40% of these neoplasms show recurring structural cytogenetic anomalies, including del(7)(q22), t(12;14)(q15;q24), t(1;2)(p36;p24), and anomalies affecting 6p21 or 10q22. Using positional cloning strategies, we and others had previously identified HMGA1, HMGA2, RAD51L1, and MYST4 (previ- ously referred to as MORF); as primary target (fusion) genes associated with tumor development in three of these distinct cytogeneticsubgroups. Here, we report the positional cloningof a single, recur- rent, leiomyoma-associated anomaly, t(1;2)(p36;p24). Molecular characterization of the reciprocal breakpoint intervals showed that that AJAP1 (alias SHREW1) and NPHP4 flank the breakpoint on chromosome 1 and that ITSN2 and NCOA1 flank the breakpoint on chromosome 2. Detailed analysis of the breakpoint regions revealed that in this particular case the translocation was associated with a 27-bp deletion on chromosome 1 and a 136-bp duplication on chromosome 2. No breakpoint-span- ning (fusion) genes were identified. In silico prediction of transcription factor binding sites, however, indicated the presence of several such sites in the respective breakpoint regions, and major changes therein as a result of the t(1;2)(p36;p24) under investigation. We postulate that transcriptional dereg- ulationofoneormoreofthesebreakpoint-flankinggenesmaycontributetothedevelopmentofhuman


A study was carried out during 2011-12 in Department of Soil Science, University of Nsukka, Nigeria. The study assessed the influence of different land uses and slope positions on variability of some selected soil properties. Correlation between clay, dry bulk density, soil organic carbon (SOC) with slope and land use was highly significant (P<0.001). Clay content decreased downslope, increased in forest soil and with depth but silt-sand increased upslope. Soil bulk density increased with depth, upslope and cropped soil. Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) was 48.4% less under footslope, decreased with depth and increased (42.9%) in fallow/grassland soil. Volumetric soil moisture under cultivated and fallow soils was significant (P<0.05). Soil total nitrogen, SOC and cation exchange capacity were significantly different (P<0.05) for different land uses. Soil available phosphorus value was statistically similar. However, all the soil property values were found statistically higher in forest soil than in soil of other land uses. Spatial analysis showed various relations between these soil properties, slope and land uses. No-till practices and ridge-furrow system were recommended to increase SOC for soil and water conservation. The study is useful for knowing the land use effect in relation to slope position on soil properties of UkpabiNsukka located in semi-humid agro-ecology zone of Nigeria.


The volume change rate and some physical properties of the spec ial rubber (R)/PE wax and R/LDPE blends in dinner and toluene were investigate d. In same soaking time,the volume change rate in dinner or toluene gradually d ecreased and the time to get swelling balance became long with the increase of P E wax and LDPE. The common physical properties of R/PE wax(80/20) and R/LDPE (70 /30) vulcanizate had no obviously different.


This paper analyzes the interrelation between gestures and speech in the construction of multimodal metaphors in the "legislative session" genre. Based on Multimodal Semiotic Blending (MSB), an adaptation of Brandt and Brandt's (2005) model (MIRANDA; MENDES, 2014; AVELAR, in press), an illustrative analysis of the multimodal metaphors found in the sessions was performed, focusing on the verbal and gestural resources used by the participants. To do so, five scenes were selected from two legislative sessions performed by two so-called "Representative-pastors" of the Brazilian House of Representatives: Marco Feliciano and Silas Malafaia. Finally, the metaphors and the gestures performed by both politicians were compared. The conclusion reached in this study demonstrated how MSB can be relevant when analyzing the iconicity of material resources (mainly gestures) used by the participants.


This subpart applies to discharges to waters of the United States and to the introduction of process wastewater pollutants into publicly owned treatment works from wood preserving processes that use direct steam impingment on wood as the predominant conditioning method; processes that use the vapor drying process as the predominant conditioning method; direct steam conditioning processes which use the same retort to treat with both salt and oil type preservatives; and steam conditioning processes which apply both salt type and oil type preservatives to the same stock.


In recent years, there has been a marked increase in hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" in order to recover natural gas from deep beneath the earth's surface. As a result of this drilling, there has also been a rise in the concern of gases escaping during the "fracking" process and contaminating nearby water sources. In order to test for possible dissolved gas contamination, most laboratories refer to a standard operating procedure entitled "RSK175". This procedure calls for static headspace sampling of the water samples and calculating the amount of dissolved gas using Henry's Constant. However, as RSK-175 is a standard operating procedure and not a formal method, interpretations can vary. In order to address this issue, a formal method is currently being written by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Committee D-19. This application will test for dissolved gases using the procedures established in the ASTM method.


AbstractThe organic-rich upper Jurassic Draupne and Heather Formations are the main proven source rocks of the Norwegian North Sea. We have developed a workflow for the organic geochemical, petrophysical, and seismic characterization of the Draupne and Heather Formation source rocks in a 2348  km2 study area in quadrant 25 in the Viking Graben in the Norwegian North Sea. We characterized the vertical and lateral organic richness variations using biostratigraphy, organic geochemical data, and petrophysical logs. The Draupne Formation is a rich (6.5 wt.% total organic carbon [TOC], 360 HI), oil-prone, immature to early oil mature source rock, representing a 25-m-thick condensed section, partly eroded over the Utsira high and thickening to 150–300 m toward the deep grabens. The underlying Heather Formation is also an oil-prone (4.4 wt.% TOC, 270 HI), 30- to 400-m-thick, more mature source rock. To map the TOC distribution using seismic, we performed detailed seismic interpretation and seismic attribute analy...


Electroacoustic resonators have proved to be appropriate candidates as VOC sensors owing to their high mass sensitivity. However, one of their drawbacks is their sensitivity to other external factors like the humidity. Here we propose an AlN-based solidly mounted resonator for VOC detection and humidity discrimination. This ability is achieved by defining different areas within the same device with different resonant characteristics by integrating carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in part of the exposed surface while leaving the other bare. While CNTs act as sensing elements adsorbing VOC molecules, hence originating larger frequency shifts, the bare zone is affected only by the ambient humidity.


This paper presents the prospects of measuring in three Z decay channels using the baseline detector with GeV at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC). Simulated Monte Carlo events were generated and scaled to an integrated luminosity of 5.6 ab–1 to mimic the data. Extrapolated results to 20 ab–1 are also reported. The expected statistical precision of these measurements after combining three channels of Z boson decay was 7.7%. With some preliminary estimation on the systematical uncertainties, the total precision is 7.9%. The performance of the CEPC electro-magnetic calorimeter (ECAL) was studied by smearing the photon energy resolution in simulated events in the channel. In the present ECAL design, the stochastic term in resolution plays the dominant role in the precision of Higgs measurements in the channel. The impact of the resolution on the measured precision of as well as the optimization of the ECAL constant and stochastic terms were studied for further detector design.


Coaching via chatbots can be classified as digital self-coaching. At TH Köln, an AI-based StudiCoachBot is currently being developed and implemented. The research focus is on investigating effectiveness factors in human-machine-coaching, especially in the working alliance. An interaction script for the coachbot was developed. The concept of self-disclosure was selected as an effectiveness factor, operationalized and its effectiveness compared to the self-developed concept of information disclosure. The use case is student coaching on the topic of exam anxiety. The Conversational AI Rasa was selected as suitable system architecture. The effectiveness of chatbot coaching was investigated in a study with ten students using a questionnaire. The results show that chatbot coaching is already well accepted in its current form. Information disclosure of a coachbot shows higher effectiveness in establishing a working alliance than self-disclosure of a chatbot. The study contributes to the effectiveness of digital self-coaching tools.


In this article I aim to re-visit the contested concept of populism. I urge scholars to approach the study of this polymorphous ideology known as 'Populism' with an open mind. Today, it is no longer necessary to strictly separate the ideological characteristics of populism from its particularistic discursive and strategic elements. I propose that the populism of the left and the right share similarities that could possibly outweigh their differences. I first outline a set of misconceptions that have prevented us from realising that populism does in fact hold a redemptive side to it which can ultimately be positive to contemporary democracy. Second, I discuss the three main modern approaches to populism (ideational, socio-cultural, political-strategic) and provide a brief but useful critique of all of them. Third, I present my very own 'fresh' approach to the topic and provide an in-depth definition of populism in order to give "right-wing" and "left-wing" populism a better and fairer hearing, especially in an era where the discontents of world populations towards political elites are increasing. Finally, I share some thoughts on what the future direction of the study of such an intricate marvel like populism should entail, also addressing the question of whether in times likes these the left-right divide is still relevant.


This paper, starting with the realistic significance of the improrement of service quality of the Chinese mobile communication ,after reviewing theories about service quality, us blueprint technique to abstract some indicators which influence the service quality of telecommunication and makes some analyses The research result show that customers are very satisfied with the quality of communication and the with the service quality This paper also demonstrates that the degree of outsourcing has a negative effect on the customers satisfaction


This study provides a histologic examination of twelve cans of beef dog food and assesses the contents of each brand. Two random samples from each of twelve cans of beef dog food were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, sectioned at 4 microns, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The percentage of meat content (defined as skeletal muscle content) was estimated by superimposing a grid over photomicrographs (n = 7 each sample); the number of grid line intersections overlying skeletal muscle tissue (meat) was recorded and used to determine an estimate of the meat content. The percentage of meat content ranged from 0.2 to 13.6% (median 1.3%). There was no correlation between meat content and the calculated cost per ounce of food (range $0.04–$0.47; median $0.15). In the brands examined, a relatively small portion of the contents of canned beef dog food comprised meat, despite the labeling which advertised 'beef' on each can. There was no correlation between cost and the estimated meat content. A variety of other tissue types were variably identified in the sampled food, including connective tissue, blood vessels, bone, cartilage, lung, peripheral nerve, skin, adipose tissue, and rarely other solid organs such as kidney and pancreas.


The "multiplicative" Kunneth Theorem given in [2] states that for K and L torsion-free differential graded rings, the ring H(K (R) L) is completely determined by the homology spectra of K and L. A natural question then is: What is required to determine the ring H(K (R) L) if K and L are not necessarily torsion-free? The purpose of this note is to give a (partial) answer to this question. In particular, we shall show that the results of [2], suitably modified, can be extended to give a more general multiplicative Kunneth Theorem (Theorem 3.2) for which we need only require that H(Tor (K, L)) 0, instead of the condition that both K and L be torsionfree. Finally, we indicate briefly how these results can be carried over to the case of any finite number of complexes. The chief difficulty with an arbitrary complex K is that the short exact coefficient sequence 0-Z Z -Z --0 does not remain exact (on the left) when tensored with the complex K, and hence no connecting homomorphism H(K, m) ----> H(K) is defined. The basic idea needed to remedy this defect and to produce an analogue for the homology spectrum of a torsion-free complex (which reduces to the homology spectrum in case K is torsion-free) is to move from the homology spectrum to the hyperhomology spectrum of a complex.


School leaders have a number of roles that should be played together, including educators, managers, administrators, supervisors, motivators, entrepreneurs, and leaders. The role of school leaders as leaders and as instructional leaders specifically.This study aims to analyses the correlation between strategic and directive leadership on school leaders performance. The analysis used is a qualitative approach with a correlation design. This research was conducted using a survey method. The population in this study was the leader staffs (head and deputy head) of schools from kindergarten to high school/vocational school. The samples were taken from all existing leaders. The method used was regression and correlation as well as a significance test with the F test and the coefficient of determination (R2). The population in this study were the leadership staff (heads and deputy heads) of schools starting from kindergarten to high school/vocational school. The sample/population was taken from all the existing leaders, as many as 18 people.  This study also used interview and questionnaire techniques, namely holding questions and answers with representative sources to answer problems in the field (school). The analysis used is a qualitative approach with a correlation design. The results of the study showed that Strategic and directive leaderships have a significant effect on the school leader's performance. Strategic leadership has a stronger influence on leadership performance, while directive leadership has a weaker influence.


Using of the enriched foodstuff becomes vital necessity for strengthening of health and preventive maintenance of diseases. The wide circulation has gained application of food filaments as functional component of a compounding of many confectionery products. Various ways of manufacture of products with functional additives are developed.


Given the growing global demands on energy and fresh water, nuclear energy has become a promising source of power and freshwater production. Maximizing the nuclear power plant efficiency requires running the plant at maximum power capacity, however, the actual load might not require such huge power supply (1000 MWe +). Power plants operation with high to maximum efficiency has a profound effect on financial prices and environmental conditions for clear reasons which commands the attention towards various expensive and not efficient energy storage techniques (thermal, electrical and hydro). In this work, energy storage is substituted by a desalination plant that utilizes the excess energy to power the desalination unit. Therefore, this work explores the potential of water desalination as a proxy for energy storage systems in nuclear power plants. Various water desalination technologies are examined and compared in terms of economy, water quality and production capacity. Barakah nuclear power plant is used as a case study with APR1400 reactor design. On the desalination side, Reverse Osmosis (RO), Multi-Stage Flash (MSF), Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) and hybrid combinations are studied.


Q 1 (Principle of the largest term). i. Let (a n , n ∈ N) and (b n , n ∈ N) be sequences in R +. Prove that lim sup n→∞ 1 n log(a n + b n) ≤ lim sup n→∞ 1 n log(a n) ∨ lim sup n→∞ 1 n log(b n) and lim inf n→∞ 1 n log(a n + b n) ≥ lim inf n→∞ 1 n log(a n) ∨ lim inf n→∞ 1 n log(b n). ii. Let (A n , n ∈ N) and (B n , n ∈ N) be sequences of events. Suppose that lim n→∞ 1 n log P(A n) = −a and that lim n→∞ 1 n log P(B n) = −b. Deduce that lim n→∞ 1 n log P(A n ∪ B n) = −(a ∧ b) and that lim n→∞ P(A n |A n ∪ B n) = 1 if a < b 0 if a > b [Need: elementary limits] Q 2 (Lower-semicontinuity). Let f : X → R ∪ {∞} be a lower-semicontinuous function on a Hausdorff space X (i.e. assume the level sets {x : f (x) ≤ α} are closed for all α ∈ R.) i. Let K ⊂ X be compact. Show that if inf x∈K f (x) < ∞ then the infimum is attained in K. ii. Are all convex functions lower-semicontinuous? iii. Let g : R → R ∪ {∞}, and let g * (x) = sup θ∈R θx − g(θ). Show that g * is lower-semicontinuous. iv. Suppose X is a metric space. Show that f is lower-semicontinuous if and only if whenever x n → x then lim inf n→∞ f (x n) ≥ f (x). [Need: elementary topology] Q 3 (LDP for alternatives). Let (X n , n ∈ N) and (Y n , n ∈ N) satisfy large deviations principles with good rate functions I and J. Let Z n = X n if B n = 0 Y n if B n = 1 where B n ∼ Bin(1, p), and is independent of X n and Y n. Show that Z n satisfies an LDP with rate function z → I(z) ∧ J(z). [Need: abstract large deviations]


"There are several methods of applying water to alfalfa, their suitability depending on character of soil and subsoil, climate, water supply, size of farm, money available, and other factors. Because of the rapidity of its growth and the number of cuttings during the season, alfalfa requires more water than other crops. This may lead to carelessness and the consequent application of too much water, which must be avoided. No fixed times can be recommended for watering the crop. The appearance of the alfalfa, more particularly the color of the plant, is the best indication of the need of water. This bulletin is written for the purpose of putting the farmer in a better position to understand the proper methods to adopt in building ditches on his farm and in applying water to his crops." -- p. 2


The reactions of NO+ with H2O have been studied in a photoionization mass spectrometer. Nitrosonium ions produced by Kr resonance radiation at 10.03 eV react with water in a field free region. Products observed are NO(H2O)n+ (n=1, 2, 3) and H(H2O)n+ (n=1–5). Rate constants are calculated, heats of formation of hydrated NO+ are estimated and some evidence is presented which is consistent with a structure of NO(H2O)n+ where the waters are hydrogen bonded in a linear fashion rather than forming a solvation sphere.


This paper discusses the conversion of telephone sample and new member absorption to build an online survey of fixed sample library, which aims to improve the survey ability of China customer satisfaction index, improve the survey efficiency and save the cost of the investigation.


Multi-path time-varying,high noise and serious attenuation of underwater acoustic channel make the received signals distortion,sudden and random errors make high bit errors rate,it can't ensure reliability of system.It proposes spread spectrum Underwater Acoustic Communication(UWAC) system based on non-binary Low Density Parity Check(LDPC) codes,which adopts lower triangular form of Quasi cyclic-LDPC(Qc-LDPC)parity-check matrix,the iterative coding and decoding based on symbol can correct the sudden and random errors effectively,and there is no information loss during the transform between bit and symbol when improving underwater limited spectrum efficiency.The theoretical analysis and simulation results show that compared with the binary LDPC code,turbo code and convolution code based on bit,non-binary LDPC code based on symbol can satisfy the bit errors rate of spread spectrum UWAC system with more lower SNR,proves the validity of system.


Neutrophils have been described as potent antigen-presenting cells able to activate T cells by MHC/TCR interaction and costimulatory molecules in tumor immunity. However, little is known about the direct interaction between neutrophils and CD4 T cells with respect to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We have previously shown that OX40L expressed by monocytes from SLE patients promote the differentiation of naïve and memory cells into IL21 secreting T cells that are able to help B cells1,2.In this study, we investigate OX40L expression on neutrophils from SLE patients and contribution of these OX40L+neutrophils in SLE pathogenesis to modulation of the B cell helper role of CD4 T cells.Surface expression of co-stimulatory molecules (OX40L, ICOSL, GITRL, 4-1BBL) on neutrophils from SLE patients and healthy donors (HD) was measured by flow cytometry (FC). Neutrophils from HD were stimulated with TLR7 or TLR8 agonists and IFNα after 5 hours of culture, OX40L expression was measured by FC and Western Blotting. CD4 T cells were cultured with the stimulated neutrophils for 3 days. At the end of the co-culture, percentages of IL21-expressing T follicular (Tfh) and peripheral helper (Tph) cells measured by FC. These generated T cells were also cultured in the presence of memory B cells. After 5 days of co-culture, plasmablast generation and Ig levels were assessed by FC and ELISA, respectively. Inhibition of OX40-OX40L interaction in vitro was achieved using ISB 830, a novel anti-OX40 mAb currently used in clinical trials.Among the co-stimulatory molecules tested, percentages of OX40L+neutrophils in SLE (n=54) were increased compared to HD (n=25)(mean + SD: HD = 1,34%±1.62 vs SLE = 4,53%±8.1; p=0.29). OX40L expression positively correlated with SLE disease activity score (SLEDAI) (p = 0,04; r = 0,31) and with anti-DNA antibodies (p= 0,04, r = 0,33). Of note, the percentage of OX40L+neutrophils was higher in anti-sm-RNP+patients (n=16, mean= 9%±9.8), compared to anti-sm-RNP-patients (n=27, mean = 1,4%±2.5; p = 0,02). The percentage of OX40L+neutrophils was higher in patients with class III or IV lupus nephritis, and inflammatory infiltrate within the kidney biopsy disclosed OX40L+neutrophils, in close contact with T cells. Neutrophils from HD express OX40L with TLR8 agonist, or IFNα priming followed by TLR7 agonist. When memory CD4 T cells were cultured in the presence of TLR8-stimulated neutrophils, the proportion of IL21-expressing Tfh (CXCR5+PD1+) and Tph (CXCR5-PD1hi) were increased, compared to culture with unstimulated neutrophils. This process was dependent on OX40-OX40L interactions, since in vitro treatment with the anti-OX40 blocking antibody ISB 830, inhibited the differentiation of memory T cells into Tfh and Tph. Both generated Tfh and Tph were able to promote the differentiation of memory B cells into Ig-secreting plasmablasts.Our results disclose an unprecedented phenomenon where cross-talk between TLR7/8-activated neutrophils and CD4 lymphocytes operates through OX40L-OX40 costimulation, and neutrophils promote the differentiation of pro-inflammatory Tfh and Tph, as well as IL21 production. Therefore, OX40L/OX40 should be considered as a potentially therapeutic axis in SLE patients.[1]Jacquemin et al. Immunity 2015;[2]Jacquemin et al. JCI Insight 2018Angela Pappalardo Grant/research support from: Ichnos Sciences, Elodie Wojciechowski: None declared, Itsaso Odriozola: None declared, Isabelle Douchet: None declared, Nathalie Merillon: None declared, Andrea Boizard-Moracchini: None declared, Pierre Duffau: None declared, Estibaliz Lazaro: None declared, Marie-Agnes Doucey Employee of: Ichnos Sciences, Lamine Mbow Employee of: Ichnos Sciences, Christophe Richez Consultant of: Abbvie, Amgen, Mylan, Pfizer, Sandoz and UCB., Patrick Blanco Grant/research support from: Ichnos Sciences


This paper exploits intertemporal variations in employment protection across countries and finds that rigidities in labor markets are an important determinant of firms' capital structure decisions. Over the 1985–2007 period, we find that reforms increasing employment protection are associated with a 187 basis point reduction in leverage. We interpret this finding to suggest that employment protection increases operating leverage, crowding out financial leverage. This result does not appear to be due to pretreatment differences between treated and control firms, omitted variables, unobserved changes in regional economic conditions, and reverse causality. Heterogeneous treatment effects are consistent with our economic intuition.


The major aim of this study is to learn about and enhance the work done by the bookseller and bookbinder Francisco de Guzman at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, between 1779 and 1800. This work has been carried out by consulting the books of accounts and files of the Academy's Archives as sources for the study and analysis in situ of the bindings reviewed in the documentation, which gave us the opportunity to better get to know the type of bindings ordered, their prices, materials and beneficiaries, and also helped us to better understand the history of the institution itself, as well as the guild of booksellers, printers and bookbinders in Madrid and, consequently, the society of Madrid at the time.


Carbon dioxide at concentrations of 15-50% by volume was evaluated for its ability to control insect and mite populations in nonairtight bins of wheat stored at 12-15°C for 84 d. Unsealed bins and sealed, untreated bins served as controls. Compressed carbon dioxide was introduced into the bottom of the bins on days 0, 7, 14, and 28, and the bins were sealed to allow 5-, 6-, or 14-d half-lives of the gas from loss through diffusion. Levels of carbon dioxide were generally higher at the bottom locations in the bins (range of maximum, 30-50%) than at the top (range of maximum, 15-32%), where the greatest losses occurred, and oxygen levels never fell below 11% at any sample location. Overall levels of carbon dioxide in the bins stayed higher in bins that were more airtight. Populations of the insects Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Ahasverus advena (Waltl) and the mites Tarsonemus granarius Lindquist, Paratriophtydeus coineaui Andre, Lepidoglyphus destructor (Schrank), and Aeroglyphus robustus (Banks) were sharply reduced by day 28 in bins having the two highest carbon dioxide levels. Pests were virtually absent by day 42 in the most airtight bins. There were generally no differences in arthropod numbers in bins with 6- or 14-d half-lives for carbon dioxide loss. Seed germination and fungal infection by the Aspergillus glaucus group were not affected by the carbon dioxide. Frequent additions of carbon dioxide can compensate for Jossof gas in incompletely sealed bins and provide effective control for arthropod pests.


Aim Optimal revascularization strategy in multivessel (MV) coronary artery disease (CAD) eligible for percutaneous management (PCI) and surgery remains unresolved. We evaluated, in a randomized clinical trial, residual myocardial ischemia (RI) and clinical outcomes of MV-CAD revascularization using coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR), or MV-PCI. Methods Consecutive MV-CAD patients (n = 155) were randomized (1 : 1 : 1) to conventional CABG (LIMA-LAD plus venous grafts) or HCR (MIDCAB LIMA-LAD followed by PCI for remaining vessels) or MV-PCI (everolimus-eluting CoCr stents) under Heart Team agreement on equal technical and clinical feasibility of each strategy. SPECT at 12 months (primary endpoint of RI that the trial was powered for; a measure of revascularization midterm efficacy and an independent predictor of long-term prognosis) preceded routine angiographic control. Results Data are given, respectively, for the CABG, HCR, and MV-PCI arms. Incomplete revascularization rate was 8.0% vs. 7.7% vs. 5.7% (p=0.71). Hospital stay was 13.8 vs. 13.5 vs. 4.5 days (p < 0.001), and sick-leave duration was 23 vs. 16 vs. 8 weeks (p < 0.001). At 12 months, RI was 5 (2, 9)% vs. 5 (3, 7)% vs. 6 (3, 10)% (median; Q1, Q3) with noninferiority p values of 0.0006 (HCR vs. CABG) and 0.016 (MV-PCI vs. CABG). Rates of angiographic graft stenosis/occlusion or in-segment restenosis were 20.4% vs. 8.2% vs. 5.9% (p=0.05). Clinical target vessel/graft failure occurred in 12.0% vs. 11.5% vs. 11.3% (p=0.62). Major adverse cardiac and cerebral event (MACCE) rate was similar (12% vs. 13.4% vs. 13.2%; p=0.83). Conclusion In this first randomized controlled study comparing CABG, HCR, and MV-PCI, residual myocardial ischemia and MACCE were similar at 12 months. There was no midterm indication of any added value of HCR. Hospital stay and sick-leave duration were shortest with MV-PCI. While longer-term follow-up is warranted, these findings may impact patient and physician choices and healthcare resources utilization. This trial is registered with NCT01699048.


During hypertension kidney fails to maintain Na balance, leading to increased blood volume and blood pressure. It has been suggested that humoral defects and in the last decade in Na transport disorders have been described in different tubular segments. Our aim was to investigate the interaction between antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and angiotensin II (Ang II) in oxygen consumption (QO2, as a marker of Na transport ) in the loop of Henle , in normotensive and hypertensive animals. To do that we used suspensions of thick ascending limbs of the loop of Henle and and measured QO2, cAMP and superoxide production. We found that In normotensive animals, the basal QO2 was 112 ± 5 nmol O2/min/mg protein. ADH (1 nM) increased QO2 227% compared to baseline values. In the presence of ADH and Ang II (1 nM) initially decreased QO2 with a subsequent recovery (279 ± 17 nmol O2/min/mg protein). ADH increased cAMP levels, whereas Ang II decreased it. In contratst, ADH caused no effect in superoxide levels in thick ascending limbs of normotensive and increased after 3.3 minutes incubation. In hypertensive rats, the QO2 was stimulated by 98% after ADH. In these rats, and Ang II + ADH produced an initial decrease QO2 and a subsequent over-stimulation by ADH (184 % increase , p


The authors present the results of a study of efficiency of Skin-Cap in treatment of withdrawal dermatitis after application
of topical glucocorticosteroids.
The study involved 46 patients who had topical corticosteroids applied on their face skin in the anamnesis, who were
divided into two groups depending on the therapy. The efficiency of treatment was assessed based on the dynamics of the
Dermatological Index of Symptom Scale (DISS).
A comparative assessment of the efficiency of treatment with the use of the Skin-Cup cream and non-specific antiinflammatory
drugs showed the highest efficiency of application of activated zinc pyrithione, which was became apparent in
reliably more intensive reduction of the DISS and certain subjective and objective symptoms of the inflammatory reaction.
Good results of the study substantiate the expediency of administration of Skin-Cap in treatment of patients with
symptoms of withdrawal dermatitis as this drug facilitates the course of the disease and results in faster elimination of
the inflammation. Application of the cream containing activated zinc pyrithione makes it possible to avoid administration
of system drugs.


BACKGROUND
Chemoresistance is an important factor determining the response of tumor to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression-mediated drug efflux is one of the mechanisms responsible for multi-drug resistance. Our study was aimed to determine the role of P-gp expression as a predictor of response to NACT in locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
P-gp expression was performed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR] in 76 patients with LABC. Response to adriamycin-based regimen was assessed both clinically and with contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan before and after NACT. The significance of correlation between tumor and P-gp levels was determined with Chi-square test.

RESULTS
Twenty-one had high and 55 had low P-gp expression. On analyzing P-gp expression with response by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, statistical significance was obtained (P = 0.038). Similarly, assessment of P-gp expression with response by Response Evaluation in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria in 48 patients showed statistical significance (P = 0.0005).

CONCLUSION
This study proves that P-gp expression is a determinant factor in predicting response to NACT. Finally, detection of P-gp expression status before initiation of chemotherapy can be used as a predictive marker for NACT response and will also aid in avoiding the toxic side effects of NACT in non-responders.


Main themes : Specific objects 1) Reinforce the knowledge of the epistemological foundations of these methods, so as to help the student de-velop his/her own evaluation of their relative relevance. 2) Provide the student with tools for the construction and analysis of comprehensive interviews (area of rele-vance of the method, practical modalities for the negotiation of the interview, social conditions for the pro-duction of data, social relation between interviewer-interviewee, interview guide, ) 3) Provide the student with tools for the realisation of 'life-story accounts' or socio-biographical interviews area of relevance of the method, practical modalities for the negotiation of the interview, social conditions for the production of data, ) 4) Presentation and use of a variety of methodological tools for the analysis of qualitative data collected via a comprehensive interview and life-history accounts.


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This paper is a critique of a recent Australian study of the term structure of interest rates. It argues that the tests used are likely to be biased and provides some evidence of this effect.


The invention relates to a household appliance (1) comprising a housing (2) which surrounds a receiving space and with a door (3), with which a charging opening of the receiving space can be closed and which is arranged pivotable relative to the housing (2), and open state is in a stowage compartment (14) in the housing (2) retractable, wherein the door (3) with a guiding device (18) is coupled, with which the movement is guided in and out of the stowage compartment (14) and the guide device (18) has at least one bearing unit (17) which (a) is about a rotary axis rotatably mounted and on which guide elements (19, 20) are arranged, wherein the guide device (18) is designed such that on a first Bewegungsteilweg a is between an open and a closed position of the door (3) bemessenden total path of movement of the door (3), the axis of rotation (a) of the bearing unit (17) on a displacement path (30) in a direction away is moved from the receiving space horizontally forward. The invention also relates to a method for opening and closing a door (3).


Formulations of Bay SIR-8514 [1-(4-trifluoromethoxyphenyl)-3-(2)-chlorobenzoyl)urea] were evaluated in shallow golf course ponds against nuisance aquatic midges. The WP formulation, applied at the rates of 0.11 and 0.28 kg/ha. inhibited adult emergence of species of Tanytarsus, Chironomus , and Procladius for 2 weeks. Bay SIR-8514 granules applied at these two rates effectively suppressed adult eclosion of these midge species for up to 4 weeks after treatment. No difference was found in the duration of control for the two treatment rates. Both formulations showed good activity in reducing midge larval densities.


© 2012 Kanunnikova et al., licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Use of CoA Biosynthesis Modulators and Selenoprotein Model Substance in Correction of Brain Ischemic and Reperfusion Injuries


This qualitative multiple case study aims to describe the experiences of two Black women who chose to leave the classroom and transition to other roles within the field of education. Using metaphorical analysis, this study employed the four-capital theoretical framework. This framework connects human capital, structural capital, social capital, and positive psychological capital as factors related to teacher attrition and retention. This study illustrates how the participants' experiences fit into the four-capital theoretical framework and highlights the metaphors the participants use to describe their transition. The researcher conducted two semi-structured open-ended interviews in which the participants were asked to describe their experiences in the classroom as well as their experiences in their new positions. The researcher analyzed the metaphors used by the participants and categorized their responses based on the four capitals. The identified metaphors offered a vivid description of the participants' experiences. The results indicated that although the experiences of the participants are similar to those found throughout the literature, the four-capital theory helps describe their experiences more holistically. Rather than having isolated reasons for leaving the classroom, the attrition of the participants can be explained by examining the interconnectedness of the various capitals. These findings suggest that teacher retention and attrition be studied by looking at a variety of causes as opposed to isolated factors.


Kaleidoscope is the European Research Network shaping the scientific evolution of technology enhanced learning (TEL). It integrates the leading research teams in the field, who work collaboratively across educational, computer and social sciences to transform the quality and reach of the learning experience. Kaleidoscope fosters innovation and creativity through the development of new technologies, methodologies and concepts, defining the challenges and solutions for interdisciplinary research.

Kaleidoscope's goal is to inform knowledge transfer between education, industry, and the wider society. Through its scientific programme, Kaleidoscope is helping to build a dynamic knowledge-based economy for Europe, engaging with social, economic and political stakeholders at all levels. As a Europe-wide research Network our research is unusually broad-based and multicultural, a genuinely European vision for the role of technology in shaping our education policy, embracing the different perspectives of the member states.


The objective of this study was to evaluate rumen microbiota of four adult male sheep, castrated with rumen cannula, alloted in a randomized split-plot block design. The animals were fed Brachiaria decumbens hay based diet, with increasing levels (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg BW) of supplement with maize, soybean meal, urea and mineral mixture. The rumen fluid samples were collected from animals during fasting and at 2, 4 and 6h after feed, and analyzed immediately after the collection, for the parameters pH, methylene-blue reduction, cellulose digestion, activity and tally of ciliate protozoa (cel/mL). The pH values lower and higher than 7.0 were found during fasting (0h) and 2h after feed, respectively. The population of ciliated protozoa and its activity were higherat the highest supplementation level (P<0.05). At 0.5 g/kg BW level of supplementation, the population of protozoa decreased with the increase of pH, and greater number of protozoa /mL in rumen fluid was observed during fasting. Cellulose digestion and methylene-blue reduction were not affected by the treatments or after-feed hours (P<0.05). It was concluded that, during fasting, the increasing levels of supplementation affected positively the population of ciliated protozoa in the rumen but did not influence the bacterial activity. KEYWORDS: feeding; sheep; infusorians; pH; rumen.


Objective To investigate the disease constitution in Xiaokunshan Township Health Center(XKST) in Songjiang District of Shanghai City from 2008 to 2010,so as to provide baseline data for further study.Methods Questionnaire and focus interview were carried out to collect the case records information of XKST inpatients from 2008 to 2010.The first diagnoses were classified according to ICD-10.Data including general information of the inpatients and discharge diagnosis etc.were rearranged and analyzed by using Excel and SPSS software.Results a) The total numbers of inpatients were 1608,1328 and 1209 from 2008 to 2010,respectively.Males were fewer than females(48.60% vs.51.40%,46.69% vs.53.31%,44.58% vs.55.42%);b) The systematic disease spectrum included 14 categories,which accounted for 66.7% of ICD-10;c) The top three systematic diseases accounted for 85.71%-87.10%,which included the respiratory,digestive,circulatory systematic diseases;d) The total 12 of the top 15 single diseases were the same,including chronic bronchitis,chronic cholecystitis,coronary heart disease,vertebral basilar artery insufficiency,cerebral infarction,acute bronchitis,acute upper respiratory tract infection,pneumonitis,acute tonsillitis,acute gastroenteritis,bronchopneumonias and acute enteritis;and e) The inpatients with acute diseases were more than those with chronic ones in 2008 and 2009,and they were mainly equal to or younger than 15 years old;while in 2010,the acute diseases were fewer than the chronic ones,and they were mainly seen in patients equal to or more than 65 years old,and males were more than females.Conclusion a) In recent three years,the main systematic diseases that inpatients have suffered are respiratory,digestive and circulatory diseases.The chronic diseases focus mainly on chronic bronchitis and coronary heart disease,while the acute diseases mainly are infectious diseases;b) The top 15 single diseases are stable since 12 of them are the same;and c) Further attention should be paid to the inpatients with chronic diseases over 65 years old and those with acute ones younger than 15 years old.


In wireless communication network to hold different types of efficient services such as electronic mail, internet, mobile user, audio and television broadcasting for the purpose of communication. Each service can have individual service quality, high efficiency, high mobility, low cost and specific frequency band of operation. The Intelligent Cognitive Radio Network is the recent advanced technology in wireless communication. The standard CRN used to achieve reliable communication and effective high efficiency spectrum sensing. In this proposed technique used to properly sensing the channel continuously, harvesting the RF energy using micro strip antenna, when data will be transmitted in the Primary User channel so this technique is called as RF powered CRN. The un-allocated Secondary User channel utilized the harvested power from the Primary User for the purpose of effective channel sensing and data transmission. The RF powered CRN technique used to improve the efficiency of channel sensing and energy harvesting. Here energy harvested from GSM band Primary User data transmission. The new RF powered CRN method used to directly find the Primary User and Signal Noise Ratio (SNR).


The educational gradient in health is a well-established phenomenon. Despite receiving a great deal of scholarly attention, questions about the universality of the relationship remain. Specifically, there is relatively little research investigating whether the relationship extends to racial/ethnic minority populations. Also, the mechanisms through which education improves health are not well understood. This dissertation adds to our understanding of the educational gradient in health by focusing on two questions. First, does education affect health equally across racial/ethnic groups? And, second, do the intervening variables that connect education to health operate equivalently across groups?


Abstract The only two series of carboxylic acids, 3-nitro- or 3-cyano-4-alkoxybiphenyl-4′-carboxylic acid, are known to exhibit the optically isotropic phase (SD). Now we synthesised 4-(branched alkoxy)-anilinebenzylidene-4′-carboxylic acid series, all being racemic, and investigated their mesophase properties by means of DSC, optical microscopy and X-ray measurement. As a result, some branched azomethine derivatives were found to form a SD phase. We also synthesised cinnamic acid derivatives with branched alkoxy tail that were turned out to exhibit either SD phase or hexagonal columnar phase. We tried biphenyl or azobenzene core analogues which were found to produce a highly ordered smectic phase or no mesophase, respectively. At this stage, we suppose it plays an important role that the branch is introduced into the terminal chain and a certain dipole moment is located within the mesogenic core. These factors may allow the peculiar molecular packing that causes an optically isotropic property.


Simple Summary The global beef industry is currently challenged with improving production efficiency while fostering judicious use of limited natural resources. Sustainable management systems are warranted to ensure that worldwide demands for beef and ecological stewardship are met. Supplementing cattle with omega-6 fatty acids is a nutritional intervention shown to sustainably enhance productivity across different sectors of the beef industry. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent research that describes the advantages of supplementing omega-6 fatty acids on traits that are critical to beef production efficiency, including reproduction, immunocompetence, growth, and quality of carcass and beef products. Abstract Global beef production must increase in the next decades to meet the demands of a growing population, while promoting sustainable use of limited natural resources. Supplementing beef cattle with omega-6 fatty acids (FAs) is a nutritional approach shown to enhance production efficiency, with research conducted across different environments and sectors of the beef industry. Omega-6 FA from natural feed ingredients such as soybean oil are highly susceptible to ruminal biohydrogenation. Hence, our and other research groups have used soybean oil in the form of Ca soaps (CSSO) to lessen ruminal biohydrogenation, and maximize delivery of omega-6 FA to the duodenum for absorption. In cow–calf systems, omega-6 FA supplementation to beef cows improved pregnancy success by promoting the establishment of early pregnancy. Cows receiving omega-6 FA during late gestation gave birth to calves that were healthier and more efficient in the feedlot, suggesting the potential role of omega-6 FA on developmental programming. Supplementing omega-6 FA to young cattle also elicited programming effects toward improved adipogenesis and carcass quality, and improved calf immunocompetence upon a stress stimulus. Cattle supplemented with omega-6 FA during growing or finishing periods also experienced improved performance and carcass quality. All these research results were generated using cattle of different genetic composition (Bos taurus and B. indicus influenced), and in different environments (tropical, subtropical, and temperate region). Hence, supplementing omega-6 FA via CSSO is a sustainable approach to enhance the production efficiency of beef industries across different areas of the world.


Self-tuning regulators with on-line adaptation of the weights in a quadratic loss function are considered. The criterion for control is to minimize the variances of one or several process variables. Design constraints are taken into account by introducing explicit state and input variance restrictions. The algorithm solves the necessary optimality conditions of the variance-constrained optimal control problem using a stochastic approximation method. A particularly simple algorithm is obtained if the control is based on a single-step loss function. An example taken from multivariate cement kiln control shows, however, that there are practical situations when it is necessary to use a more complex algorithm, which requires the on-line solution of a Riccati equation.


This paper focuses on the concept of cultural racism, a relatively new term that emerged after World War II. The term, which is also referred to as new racism, postmodern racism, neo-racism, and differentialist racism, generally refers to the form of racism that deems one racial group superior over another based on cultural differences, not biological differences. Biological racism believes racial superiority is determined based on physical and genetic features. The study takes an in-depth analysis of the process in which the backlash of World War II and following social movements caused the shift from biological racism to cultural racism. Cultural racism functions the same way as biological racism. Cultural stereotypes and associated identities are used as justifications for racial discrimination. In Europe, cultural racism presents itself in the form of European cultural superiority, justifying discrimination and exclusion of immigrants and refugees. In South Africa, cultural racism is used to rule under the system of Apartheid and continue anti-black racism. In the United States, cultural racism combines with stereotypical cultural stereotypes to maintain the racist status quo and hide the racial reality of the country.


We show that the possibility of having light gluinos is not in conflict with recent LEP measurements and also that cosmology does not rule it out in any convincing way. In unified N=1 supergravity models, one expects that also the "photino" will be light. Moreover it leads to $upper$ limits on the masses of the other supersymmetric fermions, for example, the lightest chargino should be lighter than about 75 GeV, an thus detectable at LEP200.


Ignatius Chistiawan , in this paper explain that in the management of buildings, frequent damage to buildings due to the increasing load beyond the load plan. Safety of building users to the dangers of building collapse is the main priority. The addition of load beyond the load on the building plans because of changes in building functions often lead to the collapse of the building. The addition of load beyond the load on the building plans because of changes in building functions often lead to the collapse of buildings. Structural strength e valuation to the condition of existing building is required and w hen it is necessary to give reinforcement to the plate, beams and columns before adding a new load. additional reinforcement is one way of strengthening the column . Research was focused on performance evaluation of structure on existing condition relate at regulation of the Procedure of Concrete Structure Calculation for the SNI 2847-2002. From some previous research, the basics of analysis and design of flexible and practical calculation examples retrofitting columns with the addition of reinforcement can be concluded that this method is easy and practically implemented and can improve the flexural strength of reinforced concrete columns . Keywords : load addition, evaluation, strength, safety.


Edible coatings are a viable alternative method to enhance food shelf life that can be designed using different biopolymers. This study evaluated the effect of a whey protein–pectin coating reticulated by microbial transglutaminase (mTG) on improving roasted peanuts' shelf life. Peroxide value, water content, peanut color, and the solution's contact angle were studied. The latter was improved by the presence of the enzyme. The results showed that the presence of the coating on the peanut surface reduces the peroxide value and water content, probably as a consequence of an improved barrier effect due to the presence of mTG, which protects the kernel. Enzymatically reticulated whey protein–pectin coatings are a promising alternative to enhance the shelf life of roasted peanut kernels using natural ingredients.


Experimental and numerical studies were performed to investigate crack initiation behavior near a surface of stainless steel and tungsten when subjected to extremely high heat flux. The improved electron beam test facility was used as the heat source. Two-dimensional thermal and elasto-plastic stress analyses were also performed. From the results for stainless steel, micro-cracks about 0.1mm deep only initlated in the resolidified layer along dendrites. No cracks propagated into the non-melted zone, and repeated heating of up to 20 times did not affect the depth and population of the cracks. According to the elasto-plastic stress analyses, no fatigue cracks were expected. Cracks with a depth of more than a few millimeters were observed in a tungsten plate. The cracks initiated at a boundary between heated and unheated areas. They grew into the non-melted zone, and curved towards the center part of the heated area. The elasto-plastic stress analyses indicated that the cracks were initlated due to the residual tensile strain after heated at the surface of the test specimen. When the heat flux was repeated, the cracks propagated and penetrated to the rear side of the test specimen in several repetition.


The article deals with the management process of maritime transport enterprises of Ukraine. Emphasis is placed on the activities of the Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine. It is determined that in modern business conditions, the process of improving the functioning of seaport administrations, which are a component of the transport infrastructure of the state's economy, is gaining relevance. In this regard, seaports are the object of close attention on the part of state authorities, and their effective functioning is the object of scientific research both in Ukraine and in the world. It is noted that in our country there has been a significant decentralization of powers in the maritime transport management system, which has both positive consequences (attraction of private capital in the development of port infrastructure, the beginning of the separation of the functions of port activities from infrastructure management to management of the efficiency of port activities), and negative consequences – the reduction of the number of units of the fleet under the flag of Ukraine and the deterioration of the system for ensuring the safety of navigation.
The search for ways to build a rational management system in the field of maritime transport, taking into account increasing its efficiency and ensuring safety, is a general problem, which can be solved using the best world experience. The article examines the experience of maritime administrations in the leading maritime states of the world (Great Britain, USA, Germany and Sweden).
Taking into account foreign experience, it can be concluded that the main task of the Administration of seaports of Ukraine is to create favorable conditions for the competitiveness of ports, which will lead to the growth of the gross domestic product, the formation of which is significantly influenced by the work of the port sector, where the maximum opportunities for exporting transport services and transit potential of countries are concentrated. However, having a unique competitive advantage in its geopolitical position, Ukraine does not have sufficient competitiveness of port services. The development of regional seaport complexes can have a significant impact on the economic growth of territorial entities, entrepreneurial activity and competition in the market, the influx of investments and qualified personnel, and the development of innovative technologies. The main role in the development of seaports can belong to public management using the mechanism of public-private partnership, as in the advanced countries of Europe. Sea ports must be considered as a system that is heterogeneous in relation to regions, it is formed due to significant differences in the area of geographical location, provision of resources, the structure of the economy, the achieved development of various spheres of the economy, the conditions for entering the market environment, the rates of transformation of forms of ownership, etc. It is the application of leading foreign experience that will help to restore the activities of Ukrainian seaports in the post-war period, a period of rapid economic growth and expansion of investment opportunities.


We welcome Valdez"s recent contributions to the developing corpus of ethnographic observations concerning the production and use of Ch'arki in the Andes and to our understanding of the interpretative value of differential camelid bone concentrations in Andean archaeological sites. The numerous issues raised by Valdez would require more space than is available in this forum to adequately address them. What we will present here can only hope to outline the most salient points of contention and encourage further investigations into these problems.