We are developing a new technique to insert foreign DNA into a living cell using a microelectromechanical system. This new technique relies on electrical forces to move DNA in a nonuniform electric field. To better understand this phenomenon, we perform integrated modeling and experiments of DNA electrophoresis. This paper describes the protocol and presents the results for DNA motion experiments using fabricated gel electrophoresis devices. We show that DNA motion is strongly correlated with ion transport (current flow) in the system. A better understanding of electrophoretic fundamentals allows for the creation of a mathematical model to predict the motion of DNA during electrophoresis in both uniform and nonuniform electric fields. The mathematical model is validated within 4% through comparison with the experimental results.


This paper analyzed the feasibility of convert the constant flow hydraulic system to variable system in order to realize the regulating of the water flow rate in central air conditioning.The detailed design scheme,which uses transducer and industrial cornputer to implement the hydraulic system energy efficiency controlling for this projiect,is illustrated.The hardware system which uses transducer and computer is connected by RS-485.Software partially uses Visual(C++6.0) to compile the entire procedure.Result of the project proves the energy-saving effect of this control system.


Manuscript received November 20. 1997: accepted Februap 20, 1998. From the Department of Ophthalmology (A.M.F.W.. W-C.L.) and the Seuro-ophthalmology Unit (J.A.S). Division of Nturolog!. the Toronto Hospital and the University of Toronto. Ontario. Canada. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. James A. Sharpe. Division of Neurology. the Toronto Hospital. EC 5-04?. 399 Bathurst Street. Toronto. Ontario. Canada M5T 2S8. preretinal. and \-itreous hemorrhage (Fig. 2). Terson's syndrome was diagnosed. and obsenation was recommended. Three months later. the patient's visual acuity was 20125 OL'. and the hemorrhage resolved. Terson's syndrome refers to the occurrence of \.itreous hemorrhage with tSXH) ( 1 ). Intraocular hemorrhagesubretinal. intraretinal. and preretinal (subhyaloidkcan also occur ( 2 ) . Garfinkle et al. (2) observed vitreous hemorrhage in 3% to 5% of patients with SAH. whereas intraocular hemomhage without vitreous hemorrhage occurred in 20% to m% ( 2 ) . The pathogenesis of Terson's syndrome is unclear. One widely accepted theory (3) suggested that the sudden increase in intracranial pressure in SAH is transmitted to the optic nene sheath through the subarachnoid communication between the ovtic canal and intracranial cavity. The optic nerve sheath dilates and compresses both the central retinal vein and retinochoroidal anastomoses. thus reducing retinal venous drainage. with rupture of retinal vessels and hemorrhage into~the vitreous. Patients with Tenon's syndrome have a poor prognosis. with a mortality rate that is twice that ~f'~atie;ts with SAH in whom there is no vitreous hemorrhage (2 ) . For those who sunive. visual recovery is usually good as the intraocular hemorrhage slowly resolves (4), and conservative management is recommended. Patients should be followed for ocular complications sbch as glaucoma and epiretinal membrane. Nonclearing vitreous hemorrhage may benefit from vitrectomy (5).


John Cornwell was invited by the Vatican to conduct a new investigation into the circumstances of Papa Luciani's death and the allegation that he was poisoned in an assassination plot. This is the story of a quest that took the author from Rome to Milan, to Zurich, to Ireland and to New York, in pursuit of the men who had been close to John Paul I at his death.


PURPOSE: A method of manufacturing parts using sinter-hardened metal powder is provided to facilitate process management by regulating the amount of copper to 100~200 weight% so as to prevent the production of alloy. CONSTITUTION: A method of manufacturing parts using sinter-hardened metal powder comprises the steps of: compressing metal powder at the pressure of 65~70 tone/cm^2 to form a metal power molded product, sintering the molded product by heating it at 1100~1140°C for 10~30 minutes, cooling the sintered product at the speed of 1~3°C/sec in the nitrogen atmosphere, annealing the sintered product at 180~200°C for 60~90 minutes in the air atmosphere to obtain tempered martensite, and shaping the sinter-hardened product.


This research was conducted in the District Ampel, Boyolali district with
the title: Beef Cattle for Business in the Ampel District". The purpose of this
study are: 1) To know differences to care of beef cattle are carried out by the
breeder. 2) To know the effect of treatment on the way to the development of beef
cattle. 3) To know the contribution of income to the income total of the family.
This study used survey method. Sources of data derived from primary data
and secondary data. Analysis of the data used in this research is the analysis table,
which includes frequency tabulation. And the analysis focuses on the spatial
geography.
The results showed that the differences of the care affects the growth of beef
cattle in the area of research. The indicator is the availability of water resources in
the study area. In the village of Sari temple daily weight growth of 2 to 3 kg / day
and for village development Sampetan daily weights of 1.5 to 3.5 kg / day. The
amount of revenue contribution to total family income of at most <50% for Candi
Sari of the village from 19 respondents and the village Sampetan from 15
respondents. This shows that in the study area has a considerable influence on the
income total of the family.
Keywords: business, beef cattle


We study the thermodynamics of two flavor color superconducting (2SC) quark matter within a nonlocal chiral quark model, using both instantaneous and covariant nonlocal interactions. For applications to compact stars, we impose conditions of electric and color charge neutrality as well as β equilibrium and construct a phase transition to the hadronic matter phase described within the Dirac–Brueckner–Hartree–Fock (DBHF) approach. We obtain mass-radius relations for hybrid star configurations which fulfill modern observational constraints, including compact star masses above 2M⊙.


Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of aryl- and heteroaryl chlorides with potassium aryl- and heteroaryltrifluoroborates have been accomplished with the supporting ligand S-Phos in good to excellent yield. Hindered biaryls and substrates containing a variety of functional groups can be prepared. Suzuki-Miyaura couplings of a 3-pyridyl boron-based nucleophile with aryl- and heteroaryl chlorides proceed in good to very good yield. [reaction: see text]


Zooarchaeological studies have provided from each particular analytical way, substantive information about the occupational history of hunter- gatherer societies, installed in our NOA early Holocene, contemplating the synchronous variability as well their development. In a coevolutionary sense, it has established an ongoing and intensive relationship of humans with some animal population, as in the case of camelids. It has been a source of innovations in the field of resources management, which has led to economic reconversion and complexity of the organization and social networks. We present in this paper the contribution that could be recognized provides the morphological study of fibers, cortical cells and furs, in relation to the identification of taxa, availability, utilization and processes involving the relation human- fauna.


Flux-biased loops including one or more Josephson junctions are ubiquitous elements in quantum information experiments based on superconducting circuits. These quantum circuits can be tuned to implement a variety of Hamiltonians, with applications ranging from decoherence-protected qubits to quantum limited converters and amplifiers. The extrema of the Hamiltonian of these circuits are of special interest because they govern their low-energy dynamics. However, the theory of superconducting quantum circuits so far lacks a systematic method to find these extrema and compute the series expansion of the Hamiltonian in their vicinity for an arbitrary nonlinear superconducting circuit. We present such a method, which can aid the synthesis of new functionalities in quantum devices.


Blue phosphors with the formula of 2(Sr0.99,Eu0.012+)O-0.16B2O3-0.84P2O5 were synthesized by a solid state reaction method. Phosphors were calcined at 1 100, 1150, 1200 ℃ and 1250 ℃ under a reducing atmosphere. Photoluminescence spectra of these phosphors were measured. The effects of calcining temperature on structural variations of the phosphors were investigated. According to X-ray diffraction results, the crystal assembly of the sample calcined at 1200 ℃ is Sr6BP5O20 with a unitary tetragonal phase in the P4/mmm space group with the cell parameters a and c as 0.979 4nm and 0.9516nm, corresponding to the emission at 478 nm. In the case of phosphors synthesized at temperatures lower than 1200 ℃, α-Sr3(PO4)2 and α-Sr2P2O7 phases were found with the emission at 420nm.


Triple junctions in polycrystalline silicon for solar cell applications have been studied by TEM (transmission electron microscopy). The typical characteristic of these junctions is the existence of high-symmetry interfaces, i.e. twins of different order. Whenever the triple junction contains two such interfaces, the intersection axis is a CSL (coincidence site lattice) symmetry axis. In this case the mutual relation of the grain boundaries of the triple junctions is revealed by symmetry rules, since the boundaries are described by symmetry elements of the corresponding CSL which do not belong to the symmetry group of the parent lattice. Therefore, the different variant orientations of these CSL symmetry elements, implied by the symmetry of the lattice, are used for the study of triple junctions. A junction is geometrically characterized by the point-group-symmetry properties. The observations concern symmetrically different triple junctions of the same type of macroscopically stable grain boundaries and faceted and microfaceted interfaces. It is shown that in silicon the thermodynamically favored twins are combined by specific symmetry rules. The results are discussed in accordance with the possible growth mechanisms.


Keywords The study centers around a mathematical model of a pulsed selectively radiating discharge that functions as part of an illumination device and experiences energy interaction with its own wide-range radiation of a complex discrete-continuous structure, the radiation returning to the plasma. We examined some charac-teristic features of lighting systems with the close spa-cing of elements that are identified with "optical boilers" (for example, laser pumping systems) charac-terized by multiple passes of the lamp radiation in the device media and surface network. The study shows that the radiation returned to the plasma and partially absorbed by it leads to an increase in temperature and redistribution of the radiation components from one part of the spectrum to another. This creates the pre-requisites for controlling the spectral quality of lamp radiation by means of selectively reflective coatings on the surface of the tube that stabilizes the discharge. As a result, we obtained quantitative data on the ratios of optical density and reflection coefficient providing effective plasma heating by the returned radiation, as applied to powerful xenon radiation sources used for pumping the amplifier cascades of laser fusion synthesis neodymium setups. Findings of the research show that with relatively moderate values of the reflection coefficients on the inner surface of the


(TBF). Furthermore, effective erythropoiesis could also contribute to increased TBF through an absolute increase in the normally senescing red cell mass. In a center-based ancillary study, we estimated in vivo TBF by determining carboxyhemoglobin in the blood (HbCO).n2 A goal of this study was to gather important safety information about increased TBF, a potential r-HuEPO side effect, since the premature infant has a shorter red cell life span than the full-term infant, limited capacity for eliminating the pigment, and thus a propensity for hyperbilirubinemia.


"So what if I learn to manage stress?" The answer to that question is that you will live a longer, healthier, more successful and more enjoyable life.Neglecting stress is hazardous to your health. The health-enhancing effects of positive stress management are clearer than ever. In fact, it has been shown that you can turn back the hands of time on your biological clock by 16 years by managing stress. (Roizen, 2003; Roizen, 1999). Twentieth-century clinical studies now prove that:


Abstract N-Phenyl-N′-arenesulfonylhydrazine(I-II) on pyrolysis by refluxing in an atmosphere of nitrogen at ca. 240°C give SO2, H2S, NH3, arene, biaryl, aniline, azobenzene, diaryl sulfide, diaryl sulfone, arenesulfonic acid, phenyl hydrazine and carbazole derivatives. N-Benzylidene-N′-benzenesulfonythydrazone(III) on similar treatment gives the previous products in addition to benzonitrile, bibenzyl, stilbene, 2-phenylindole and 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylthiophene. The observed results have been interpreted in terms of a free radical mechanism involving the homolysis of N[sbnd]N and S[sbnd]N bonds.


The beat time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{fpt}}$ associated with the energy transfer between two coupled oscillators is dictated by the bandwidth theorem which sets a lower bound ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{\mathrm{fpt}}\ensuremath{\sim}1/\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\omega}$. We show, both experimentally and theoretically, that two coupled active LRC electrical oscillators with parity-time ($\mathcal{PT}$) symmetry bypass the lower bound imposed by the bandwidth theorem, reducing the beat time to zero while retaining a real valued spectrum and fixed eigenfrequency difference $\ensuremath{\delta}\ensuremath{\omega}$. Our results foster design strategies which lead to (stable) pseudounitary wave evolution, and may allow for ultrafast computation, telecommunication, and signal processing.


Objective To study effects of neural stem cells(NSCs)transplantation on neurocyte apoptosis and bcl-2 expression of rat after spinal cord injury(SCI).Methods 40 SD rats were divided into four groups randomly:Normal group,SCI group,NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group.SCI model was induced with electrocircuit control spinal cord injuring device.NSCs in logarithmic phage were labeled with Brdu.The NSCs were transplanted into the injured site after SCI.The expression of Brdu and bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemisty,and cell apoptosis of TUNEL were used to observe neural cell(immunohistochemisty and immunofluorescence).The improved Rivlin method(namely,slope test)was used to assess the motor function following spinal cord injury in rats.Results NSCs labeled with Brdu could be detected in the spinal cord after transplantation.TUNEL positive cells were significantly decreased at each time point in NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group than that of SCI group(P0.01),the grey level of bcl-2 positive neurons at each time point in NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group were higher than those of SCI group(P0.01),the expression peak of bcl-2 was postponed and reached the peak on 7thd.On 7thd,14thd and 28thd after transplantation,inclined plane test of NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group were higher than those of SCI group(P0.01).There were no significant differences between NSCs group and BrdU+NSCs group(P0.05).Conclusion The transplantation of NSCs can survive in the injured site of spinal cord,upregulate more obviously the expression of bcl-2 and inhibit neurocyte apoptosis after spinal cord injury,then promote more remarkably functional recovery of hind limb in rat after SCI.


The present invention relates to a portable vacuum to effectively conserve battery power of the vacuum pump for sucking exudate from a suction head connected to the tube-generating device and a medical suction device using the same. The present invention is connected to one end connected to the connection pipe of the suction head tube; And is connected to the other end of the connection tube, and to maintain the vacuum pump and the vacuum state in which a built-in motor and generating a negative pressure comprises a vacuum generating device which includes a vacuum pump controller for controlling the power supply to the vacuum pump, the vacuum pump controller as the current pressure minimum pressure, cut off the power supply for the vacuum pump, and until such time as a minimum pressure is the pressure of the vacuum pump a preset when it reaches its maximum pressure, the current pressure preset applied to the vacuum pump If it is falling until it reaches the maximum pressure characterized in that for driving the vacuum pump. A suction device, a vacuum pump, a portable type, the negative pressure, battery power,


This research work focuses on production of sound weld by Resistance Spot Welding (RSW) process and correlate the mechanical properties of Dual Phase (DP) steel joints with its microstructural features. The main application of resistance spot welding was used to build white body assembly in automotive industry. The welded joint recorded maximum value of 21.3 kN in TSFL and 18.3 kN in CTSFL. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Optical Microscope (OM) of the Nugget Zone (NZ) revealed lath/needle like microstructures with effect of severe cooling rate. The TEM microstructure exposed the formation of martensite (α/) in the Nugget Zone (NZ) and tempered martensite (Tα/) in Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), which accounts for superior joint strength of DP lap shear joints. Furthermore, crystallography studies reported the phase composition and crystallinity in weldments as cementite and magnesium carbide in [101] and [200] indices that accounts for high hardness of 584 Hv in the weldments.


^ clinical usage. These terms found favour because the clinician could not reliably distinguish between the processes of 'thrombosis', 'embolism'and 'haemorrhage', and because concepts of the pathology of stroke have changed with the discovery of "lacunar infarcts' and increasing awareness of extra-cranial vascular disease. Most studies are concerned only with certain types of stroke, e.g. completed stroke resulting in major deficit such as hemiplegia. If such a temporal classification is used, any assumption this makes about underlying pathology must be made clear. Since the vast majority of neurological deficits characterised by rapid onset of loss of function on one side of the body will be of vascular origin, and 80 per cent of them will be 'thromboembolic', any very large series might iron out such problems of definition. But many studies are on relatively small numbers, which makes definition, classification and diagnosis crucial.


The present study investigates synthesis of waste-derived heterogeneous acid catalyst from rubber de-oiled cake using sulfuric and chlorosulfonic acids. The synthesized catalyst was characterized using XRD, XPS, FE–SEM, EDX, BET, and acid density titration. Maximum biodiesel yields of 91.2 ± 1.1% and 93.7 ± 1.3% were obtained at molar ratio = 12.8:1, catalyst loading = 8.18% (w/w), and temperature = 63 °C in single-step process (duration 3 h) and two-step process (duration 1 h), respectively. Two-step process resulted in lower activation energy of 55.98 kJ/mol, as compared to 69.62 kJ/mol in single-step process. The predominant role of ultrasound in process intensification was observed in two-step process, where sum of activation energies (27.47 kJ/mol) of three individual reaction steps was lower as compared to mechanically agitated system (49.07 kJ/mol). The catalyst retained activity until three cycles of reuse.


Cross sections for production of 88Zr and 88Y were measured for proton and deuteron induced nuclear reactions on Mo, Nb, Zr and Y targets up to 80 MeV proton and 50 MeV deuteron energy. Stacked foil activation technique and high‐resolution γ‐spectrometry were used for irradiation and for detection of the radioactive residuals. The experimental data up to Ep=100 MeV and for Ed=50 MeV were compared with the earlier literature data and with the theoretical calculations based on the ALICE‐IPPE code. Production yields of the different production routes are compared.


To assess whether 1‐year mortality in older patients experiencing a first admission for acute heart failure was related to sex, and to explore differential characteristics according to sex.


C omputing is leading a revolution—everything we do is changing at a pace never experienced before in human history. Whether we talk about the pervasive, ubiquitous, mobile, grid, or even the social computing revolution, we can be sure that computing is impacting the way we interact with each other, the way we design and build our homes and cities, the way we learn, the way we communicate, the way we play, the way we work. Simply put, computing technologies are increasingly affecting and transforming almost every aspect of our daily lives. Unfortunately, the changes are not always positive, and much of the technology we use is clunky, unfriendly, unnatural, culturally biased, and difficult to use. As a result, several aspects of daily life are becoming increasingly complex and demanding. We have access to huge amounts of information, much of which is irrelevant to our own local sociocultural context and needs or is inaccessible because it is not available in our native language, we cannot fully utilize the existing tools to find it, or such tools are inadequate or nonexistent. Thanks to computing technologies, our options for communicating with others have increased, but that does not necessarily mean that our communications have Human-centered computing studies the


Dear Sir, Cancer incidence and mortality have virtually remained the same for the last 3 decades. During this time cancer research has been driven by the somatic mutation theory of cancer, which considers that cancer is a genetic disease caused by the acquisition of multiple mutations in key genes that control cell proliferation, cell death and genetic stability. This theory implies that cancer preventive and therapeutic strategies should be aimed at preventing or correcting these genetic alterations. It is recognized, however, that these alterations may be too unstable and too numerous to reverse and that the practical benefits derived from this theory may be very difficult to meet. This suggests that it is necessary to identify key carcinogenic events that can be exploited for the development of clinically useful anticancer strategies. Most of the energy that our cells need to live is obtained through the process of oxidative phosphorylation (oxphos). In this process, ATP generation is coupled with a reaction in which O2 is reduced to H2O. But under certain conditions O2 can also be reduced to H2O via the reactive oxygen species superoxide anion (O2 ). Here I briefly discuss several lines of evidence that suggest that an excessive generation of O2 2 is a key event in carcinogenesis. The first piece of evidence that supports this view is that cancer cells have increased O2 2 generation and that an excessive O2 2


With discussions of the practice of design in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia fresh in our minds, Bill's overview of early landscape improvements caused us to question how culturally bound we may be. While we agreed that American technology benefits many of our international clients, we wondered whether, in the scramble to secure international business, we might also be unconsciously exporting our versions of improvement and quality of life. We were again drawn toJensen's thoughts on indigenous vegetative, animal, and human landscapes. Mark Hirshberger of Aspen, Colorado's Design Workshop used his firm's work to stress the importance of working with each country's local design professionals: making an understanding of their culture a part of the design process. He told us how the usual response to requests for information--"maybe tomorrow"--can often be circumvented by understanding and working within cultural mores, local institutional practices, and the "common" people's values. The collection of base information may take on the character of a Tom Clancey novel, but the work gets done, and done well. Los Angeles practitioner Chris Soltis reinforced the importance of understanding the culture in which we work. One frustration he faced in Japan was the reluctance of Japanese clients and their employees to explain things that an American would probably not understand. He suggested hiring one's own interpreter. A client's employees will rarely literally translate anything that may be construed as offensive to their boss. Another frustration arises from what Soltis described as a culture caught between ancient traditions and westernization. His frustration was with the brutalization of the land. In the desire for perfection and an unwillingness to lose face, the Japanese remove risk from the game of golf by having hills removed, greens made perfectly level, and any remaining slopes traversed by escalator. Walter Netsch, an architect and retired partner of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and Larry Zuelke, FASLA, longtime director of landscape architecture with The Architect's Collaborative, shared their experiences in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The uniqueness of culture and class were readily apparent not only in terms of their projects' scope, but also in the elaborate, fantastic plans proposed by their wealthy "spend it if you got it" clients. Their descriptions of grand projects, the opportunities to design and dream at will, caused the women in our group to share glances and comment, not for the first time: "They are describing a world closed to our talents." Although the subjects of discussion were far-ranging, Saturday morning's reflective review of the week clearly showed that we kept coming back to three common grounds: science, art, and society. The intense discussion of the last few hours produced an outline of an anthology, a collection of thoughts held together under the umbrella of the trilogies. The anthology is due for distribution to the landscape architecture schools. Leaving The Clearing was not easy. Tears were shed, deep personal friendships had been made, wrinkles were replaced with relaxed expressions. In my case, I didn't welcome having to return to Washington, but I have to admit I brought a renewed conviction in the profession, its future, and the people who would bring it to fruition. We all grew, we were all invigorated. I speak for everyone when I say thank you to Don and Louise Buchholz, resident managers of The Clearing; Bernie Dahl and Jennie Russell, symposium coordinators; andJens Jensen, insightful realist and spiritual guide. Thanks for the barefoot classes, oatmeal breakfasts, provocative latenight talks at the council ring, camp fires and fresh popcorn at the cliffs, and puckish dancing before the spectacle of the northern lights. Bob Scarfo is Associate Professor of Landscape Design, Department of Horticulture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742.


This is the first of two papers which summarise key concepts in health economics and explains the differences in the various types of economic evaluation published in the economics literature. Examples from the economic analysis of mental health care are used to illustrate the key points. This paper explains the concepts of scarcity, rationing, opportunity cost and efficiency from a health economics perspective, and presents an ethical argument for the use of health economics in making decisions on resource use in mental health care.


Morphological changes in cells associated with disease states are often assessed using clinical microscopy. However, the changes in chemical composition of cells can also be used to detect disease conditions. Optical absorption measurements carried out on single cells using inexpensive sources, detectors can help assess the chemical composition of cells; thereby enable detection of diseases. In this article, we present a novel technique capable of simultaneously detecting changes in morphology and chemical composition of cells. The presented technique enables characterization of optical absorbance-based methods against microscopy for detection of disease states. Using the technique, we have been able to achieve a throughput of about 1000 cells per second. We demonstrate the proof-of-principle by detecting malaria in a given blood sample. The presented technique is capable of detecting very lower levels of parasitemia within time scales comparable to antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests.


ABSTRACT The advent of ridesharing introduced changes in transportation planning and raised issues regarding its acceptance and usage by potential users. This study contributes to the existing ridesharing literature by focusing on the implementation of ridesharing services in academic institutes. An online survey is deployed in the Region of Attica, Greece to explore the factors that may contribute towards using ridesharing to travel to and from academic institutes by using a service that is hosted by the institute and offered only to its registered students and employees. In total 844 respondents completed the survey. Identified factors for ridesharing passengers are grouped into: (1) reasons, (2) motives, and (3) constraints, and three models are developed by using ordinal logistic regression. An additional model is built for ridesharing drivers. Results for passengers suggest that reasons for ridesharing, such as, sustainability, socializing, and travel cost, and motives for ridesharing, such as the payment method, passenger awards, and number of passengers, are among significant factors that affect passengers to rideshare. Security and driver experience may hinder participation in ridesharing services in academic institutes. The study concludes with a discussion for transportation planners and service providers for implementing successful ridesharing services.


On treating with ammonium acetate in DMSO aroyl formyl ketene dithioacetals were transformed into valuable intermediates 3-amino-2-aroyl-3-(methylsulfanyl)-2-propenals, which could be explored for the synthesis of aroyl aminopyrazoles.


Zooplankton has a non-random distribution in the pelagic community and exhibits various levels of patchiness (HAURY et al., 1978). Recently, particular attention has been focused on investigating the small-scale vertical and horizontal distribution of zooplankton assemblages which are important for monitoring marine processes and disturbances to marine ecosystems (PAFFENAn investigation into the spatial distribution of copepod abundance, using an "Adriatic Trap", in the epipelagic layer of the south Adriatic Sea, was performed during 4 cruises at 5 stations from April 1993 to June 1994. Samples were collected at 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 75, and 100 meter depths. Nauplii were the most abundant identified at all stations and depths, corresponding to an average of 69-81% of all copepod individuals. With respect to the total number of postnaupliar copepods, the 0-50 m layer was dominated by specimens of calanoids (49.7%), while in the 50-100 m layer, the most abundant taxa were cyclopoida-oncaeids (31.5%), cyclopoida-oithonids (23.5%) and harpacticoids (6.7%). Our research also clearly indicates that copepodites and small adult copepods, such as calanoids, Paracalanus parvus, Clausocalanus paululus, oithonids Oithona similis, Paroithona parvula, oncaeids Monothula subtilis, Oncaea zernovi, Spinoncaea ivlevi and harpacticoids Microsetella norvegica, M. rosea, were particularly dominant in the euphotic zone. Consequently, the problem of loss of small and undeveloped copepods through standard plankton nets requires that other quantitative methods must be utilised for an objective evaluation of total copepod population.


There are important challenges to the estimation and identification of average causal effects in longitudinal data with time-varying exposures. Here, we discuss the difficulty in meeting the positivity condition. Our motivating example is the per-protocol analysis of the Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction trial. We estimated the average causal effect comparing incidence of pregnancy by 26 weeks had all women been assigned to aspirin and complied versus been assigned to placebo and complied. Using flexible targeted minimum loss-based estimation, we estimated a risk difference of 1.27% (95% CI: -9.83%, 12.38%). Using a less flexible inverse probability weighting approach, the risk difference was 5.77% (95% CI: -1.13%, 13.05%). However, the cumulative probability of compliance conditional on covariates approached zero as follow-up accrued, indicating a practical violation of the positivity assumption, which limited our ability to make causal interpretations. The effects of non-positivity were more apparent when using a more flexible estimator, as indicated by the greater imprecision. When faced with non-positivity, one can use a flexible approach and be transparent about the uncertainty, use a parametric approach and smooth over gaps in the data, or target a different estimand which will be less vulnerable to positivity violations.


It would be useful if software engineers/instructors could be aware that remote team members/students are having difficulty with their programming tasks. We have developed an approach that tries to automatically create this semantic awareness based on developers' interactions with the programming environment, which is extended to log these interactions and allow the developers to train or supervise the algorithm by explicitly indicating they are having difficulty. Based on the logs of six programmers, we have found that our approach has high accuracy.


lers who as slaves and consequently perforce against their collective will made and survived the harrowing journey by sea in the opposite direction" (p. 133). However, only time will tell whether Wyatt has succeeded in advancing the case of marginal history. This book is an important addition to the growing literature on ethnic identity in imperial China and I look forward to the lively student seminar discussions that it will no doubt provoke. However, I have to admit that it left me with a confounding sense of alienation such as I have rarely, if ever, felt in reading Western history of China. I can find only one explanation: the book is premised on American notions of African blackness. Consequently, it is peppered with assumptions about blackness and black consciousness, and indeed slavery, which are not generally shared in Britain (at least not in multi-cultural London). Here, despite the best efforts of a small minority to persuade us otherwise, black is not equated with all peoples of African descent, but most frequently with Jamaicans (and all the complex spectrum of cultural and ethnic markers that entails). Jamaicans, Nigerians, Somalis, Algerians and many others are all frequently referred to as black as opposed to Caucasian, but they are rarely, if ever, perceived by themselves or others as one 'black' group or community, akin to Black-Americans. In this sense, at least, the British like the premodern Chinese are perhaps more culturally discriminating than Americans—which is not to say they are colour-blind.


We have studied the spin torque efficiency of Pt1−xBix/Co based heterostructures for spin–orbit torque (SOT) switching devices. While the field-like component of the SOT shows a relatively small change with the Bi concentration (x), the damping-like component (ξDL) abruptly increases with increasing x. The increase in ξDL with x is largely associated with the change in the Pt1−xBix layer resistivity (ρxx). The spin Hall conductivity (σSH) estimated from ξDL and ρxx remains nearly constant at ∼830 (ℏ/e) Ω−1 cm−1 for 0 < x ≲ 0.6. Further substitution of Bi results in the formation of PtBi2, which causes smaller σSH than that of alloys with smaller x. The magnetic easy axis of a 0.6 nm thick Co layer points along the film normal when x is smaller than ∼0.7. Exploiting these characteristics, we show current-induced magnetization switching in the heterostructures. The efficiency to switch a perpendicularly magnetized Co layer is the largest when x ∼ 0.5. These results demonstrate the potential of Pt1−xBix alloys for spin–orbit torque magnetization switching devices.


The two of us commonly know a proposition just in case (i) we both know it, (ii) we both know that we both know it, (iii) we both know that we both know that we both know it, and so on. In a recent paper titled 'Uncommon Knowledge', Harvey Lederman (2018) argues against the possibility of common knowledge. His argument rests on the empirical claim that there are minor individual variations in how we perceive things. This motivates a principle about perception: when two people are perceiving something and it perceptually appears a certain way to one of them, then for all that person knows, it perceptually appears a slightly different way to the other. In this paper, I challenge Lederman's perceptual principle and thereby his argument. In particular, I argue that there are some circumstances in which things perceptually appear a certain way to me and nonetheless I know that they don't perceptually appear in a slightly different way to you. Indeed, I argue that not only are there exceptions to the perceptual principle, but they are widespread.


Cu(In,Ga)Se2(CIGS)thin films were deposited by an one-stage co-evaporation process.This paper mainly discusses the effects of substrate temperature(Tsub)on the structure and morphology of CIGS thin films.The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The results first show that the Tsubhad a great influence on the growth of CIGS thin film.The grain size increases with increasing Tsub.When Tsubreaches 250℃,the CIGS phase starts to form,but only when the Tsubis as high as 450℃,the GIGS film deposited can preliminarily meet the requirements of CIGS solar cell.


CLEANER AIR PRE-FILTER SYSTEM FOR internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine SYSTEM, MACHINE MECHANICAL OPERATING IN A SIGNIFICANTLY BORN OF CONTAMINANTS ENVIRONMENT AND EXHAUST COOLING SYSTEM COMPACT FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. Discloses a diffuser for a mechanical machine having an internal combustion engine that consumes fuel and air to a breathing device to exhaust aftertreatment which periodically raises the exhaust temperature to a high level. The diffuser has a venturi section and contaminants in excess of an intake air pre-filter are directed to the venturi to aspirate and dispose throttling excess contaminants while cooling the exhaust stream. Additional openings in the divergent diffuser section assist in providing significant reductions in exhaust temperatures in a short axial envelope.


OBJECTIVE
To research the cytotoxicity and in vitro antiproliferative effect of the six flavone compounds extracted from Laggera pterodonta.

METHOD
The cytotoxicity on the normal cells and antiproliferative effect on tumor cells were tested by MTT assay, and then the preliminary structure-activity relationship was analysed. The phase distribution of the cell cycle and apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULT
The results of MTT assay showed 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone and chrysosplenetin B inhibited growth of A549 and Hela cells significantly with a dose dependent mode, while exhibited low cytotoxicity to the two normal cells, Vero and EVC304. Both compounds contain ortho-phenolic methoxyl moietys in their structures. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that Hela cells treated with increasing quantities of chrysosplenetin B increased the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase, and Hela and A549 cells treated with increasing quantites of the 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone and chrysosplenetin B increased the apoptosis rates.

CONCLUSION
The 5,7,3',4'-tetramethoxy-3-hydroxyflavone and chrysosplenetin B extracted from L. pterodonta showed high antiproliferative effect on cancer cells with low cytotoxicity on normal cells, and took the effects on A549 and Hela cells through the hold-up of the G2/M phase of the cell cycle and induction of the apoptosis.


The present invention is essentially by mass%, Al: 4% more than 5% or less, V: 3.5% 2.5% or more or less, Fe: 1.5% to 2.5% or less, Mo: 1 2.5% .5% or less, the balance being made of Ti, and the pro-eutectoid α phase volume fraction of 10% or more and 90% or less, the average crystal grain size of the pro-eutectoid α phase 10μm or less, parallel to the rolling direction a grain aspect ratio of pro-eutectoid alpha phase is about alpha + beta type titanium alloy bar of 4 or less in the cross section. alpha + beta type titanium alloy bar of the present invention, ductility, excellent fatigue characteristics and workability.


in cell multiplication and repair triggers cancer. Most of the common diseases have also been found to have a genetic component. For example, Diabetes mellitus is attributed to mutations in genes as varied as those of the Major Histocompatibility Complex to genes that code for calcium transporters. Genes coding a metalloproteinase, Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA-G) and collagen type IV amongst several others have been implicated in Asthma. Similarly, many genes have been associated with cardiovascular disease including those for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, coagulation factor III, a K channel, fatty acid binding protein and estrogen receptor. Other genetic diseases are monogenic, where mutation in a single gene results in disease. The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains a complete catalog of these genes and genetic disorders (http://omim.org/). Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and next generation sequencing (NGS) are already being applied clinically for the molecular characterization of tumors, diagnosis of rare disorders, development of targeted therapies, identifi cation of pharmacogenetic variants and elucidation of the genetic basis of common diseases.


A new way of severely deforming ductile metals in order to refine their microstructure is proposed. It is called incremental angular splitting and originates from the idea of orthogonal cutting. It is intended to intensify plastic deformation in the cutting zone and lead to faster refinement of the microstructure. A laboratory experiment carried out on Al 1070 has proved the technical feasibility of the process. As the first indication of process capability, micro hardness measurements have been used to compare incremental angular splitting and incremental equal channel angular pressing.


Due to the rapid advancements in information and communication technologies, the digital data is exponentially growing on the internet. The insurance industry with tough competition has emerged as information rich domain based on health, assets, and life insurance for public. Customers expect to receive personalized services that match their needs, preferences, and lifestyles. But a large portion of population is still unfriendly to the insurance selection. Major reasons could be the time and complexities involved in selection of suitable policies. This paper presents the state of the art of the research done in insurance recommendation systems at national and international levels. Multi-criteria decision-making methods are compared with collaborative filtering and data mining techniques. Their suitability to the field of life insurance recommendation is analyzed. The paper identifies the lack of public dataset of customers and life insurance policies and highlights the need for a personalized, neutral, and unified model for effective information computing for life insurance recommendations.


Natural disasters invariably provoke a range of reactions. Bereavement mingles with an ger. The need to commemorate competes with the urge to blame. Boosterism gets a boost. No matter how deep the ash or how high the rubble, you will always find a politician or business leader promising to bring back a just-ruined city bigger and better than before. Storms, fires, earthquakes, mudslides?these are mere blessings in disguise. What was broken, dysfunctional, and decrepit has been leveled or swept away. Now, long-overdue improvements can finally be launched. The optimistic narratives of resilience and resur rection, so necessary for marshaling the will and the capital to rebuild in the teeth of catastrophe, fill the pages of American urban history. They resounded after the great Chicago fire of 1871 and the Galveston hurricane of 1900. In San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of 1906, local boosters styled themselves "regenerators," to let people know they were as interested in purification as in rebuilding.1 Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans's pledge to restore the waterlogged metropolis to all its former grandeur, and then some, echoed that language of rebirth and renewal. The businessmen and de velopers, civic leaders and college presidents, who dominated his Bring New Orleans Back Commission (bnobc) repeated it as well, even as many of them favored shrinking the city's footprint. President George W. Bush paid boosterism the ultimate compliment when he told a national television audience from a mostly darkened French Quarter sev enteen days after the storm: "We will not just rebuild, we will build higher and better."2 Natural disasters also have political effects. Without fail they shift the ground of lo cal politics. The looting that inevitably follows catastrophe triggers repressive measures. To restore law and order, the militia comes to town. The police are told to shoot to kill. Vigilantes are given license. In a short time, the assault on civil liberties elicits a demo cratic backlash, if not challenges in the courts. Then there is the political opportunism of the business community, which tends to view crises as terrible things to waste. Good


China launched its health reform in 2009, aiming to establish universal health coverage (UHC) for financing, while pursuing policy changes in delivery through public hospital reforms for more efficient and quality care. The reform has made significant improvements in the health care system and infrastructure, offering new opportunities for different stakeholders. Some questions, however, remain as to whether the reform is successful in achieving the equity goal of benefiting most patients in terms of changes in access, costs, and quality of care. What reform experiences and lessons can China and other Asian countries share with each other? This ISPOR Conference has therefore been designed to focus on the patient's voices in shaping health care policies in the Asia-Pacific region. The Opening


In this paper, we introduce metric learning into Sign Language Recognition(SLR) for the first time and propose a signer adaption framework to address signer-independent SLR. For adapting the general model to the new signer, both clustering and manifold constraints are considered in the adaptive distance metric optimization. The contribution of our work mainly lies in three-folds. Firstly, a Weakly Supervised Metric Learning(WSML) framework is proposed, which combines the clustering and manifold constraints simultaneously. Secondly, the general framework is applied to signer adaptation and achieves good performance. Thirdly, a fragment based feature is designed for sign language representation and the effectiveness is verified in large vocabulary datasets. Our proposed WSML framework can be decomposed into two key steps. The first one is to learn a generic metric from the given labeled data. Then the second step is to realize the distance metric adaptation by considering the clustering and manifold constraints with the unlabeled data. To learn a generic distance metric, the labeled data are used under clustering assumption with classical large margin hinge loss. Specifically, the distances between data points within the same cluster(with same label) should be minimized and the distances between data points from different clusters(with different labels) should be maximized. Here we define the index set with same labels as Sg = {(i, j)|yi = y j,xi,x j ∈ Xl} and the index triplet Bg = {(i, j,k)|yi = y j,yi 6= yk,xi,x j,xk ∈ Xl}. The objective function is


Software reuse and component_based software development are an inevitable trend in software engineering development and industrial production.Two important activities involved are building and integrating of reusable software components.Software components' reusing condition,environment and question is first presented,a component model supporting interface connection architecture,plug and socket architecture,and architecture_based component assembling framework are then proposed,and the building and assembing process of resusable software components is finally specified.


This paper studies two methods of interconnecting heterogeneous local area networks (LANs) such as Carrier-Sense Multiple-Access (CSMA) and token ring networks in an open systems environment, and evaluates the associated system performance. The first interconnecting method is to link the two LANs through gateways; the second is to use an architecture in which some stations on the ring LAN are also linked to the CSMA LAN via a multiplexer. Through such interconnected LANs, the Department of Defense end users can process data and applications seamlessly in an open systems environment. It has been shown that the second method (a type of dual interface) gives better performance in minimizing the response time and token rotation time, causing less traffic congestion. By allowing routing at the stations on the ring, the comparison becomes rather arbitrary. An optimal traffic routing ratio is determined for the second interconnection method. Moreover, a threshold routing ratio, beyond which the first interconnection is superior in performance, is computed.<<ETX>>


A good research is a research with a clear research novelty of research originality. However, finding the novelty or originality is one of the most challenging process in research in any field.  Although there are many proposed models to assist researchers and scholars to determine research novelty-such as Systematic Literature Review, K-Chart, Card System, Decision Tree, Mind Mapping- most of the tools or models fail to fulfill the need of some researcher to effectively present the complex result of literature review. To deal with this obstacle, a new tool named SLM (Systematic Literature Mapping) is proposed in this article in order to visually present the result of a complex literature review in the form of a decision tree that leads to an effective and efficient literature review process. The newly proposed model combines SLR (Systematic Literature Review), an established-well-known tool for literature review with a model named K-Chart. To verify the proposed model, a case study is discussed to accompany the example of the application of this new tool. The case study is finding the research opportunity of the application of big data in the industry.  The result shows that SLM is capable to serve its purpose in the process of literature review


The effect of air-humidity on bubble of the cured two-component polyurethane was studied. Through moisture-thermal -curable experiment, not only the effect of different temperature of prepolymer and curing agent on bubble was discussed,but also the way of eliminating bubble was found in high moisture.


We set up an explicit dual multiperipheral model, which is similar to the models of Huan Lee, Veneziano, and Chan and Paton, but explicitly takes into account the deferred thresholds arising from the production of resonance clusters. We assume that there are two such clusters, one with (mass)/sup 2/ approx. = 0.5 GeV/sup 2/ (rho,..omega..,epsilon, . . . ) and the other with (mass)/sup 2/ approx. = 1.5 GeV/sup 2/ (f,B,D,A/sub 2/, . . . ). At lower energies only the first plays any role, and we find that the total vacuum-state cross section sigma proportional s/sup ..cap alpha../P-italic-circumflex /sup -/ /sup 1/ on the average, where ..cap alpha../sub P/ approx. = 0.85. For s approximately-greater-than 50 GeV/sup 2/, on the other hand, the second cluster also comes in, and sigma flattens out. This behavior has all the features of the experimental data and is thus a completely satisfactory alternative to the conventional description in terms of the P and f. In addition, all of the parameters describing our vacuum singularities can be calculated a priori in our model, and are in reasonably good agreement with the data. (AIP)


In this paper I discuss a number of ideas on the representation and perception of space, time and energy and how these ideas have been inspirational in creating experiential art works. Areas I have explored include the concept of a fourth dimension, alchemy, mimetics, immersion, artificial-life and ideas about the nature of consciousness. I carry out these explorations through "art as a mode of enquiry", producing experiential artworks rather than written theory. This paper summarises a number of ideas I have found useful and inspiring in creating artworks that explore the perception and experience of space, time and consciousness.


which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ith the establishment of the online publishing system of Journal of Dental Research, Dental Clinics, Dental Prospects (JODDD), the journal started to enjoy a broader audience outside its publishing home in Iran. In fact, visitors to the JODDD website from other English, and even non-English-speaking countries, outnumber visitors from Iran, which again puts an emphasis on the importance of scholarly communication in an international language , despite the fact that publishing in English by non-natives has been quite an effort for the editorial team. Nonetheless, the editorial team of JODDD is glad to be able to publish a journal that can attract an international readership. In the third volume of the journal, we published articles from international contributors outside Iran. We are looking forward to seeing more submissions from all around the world, and hope that JODDD will become a forum for researchers, clinicians and educators in the field of dentistry and related sciences in this part of the world. We are optimizing our process to help authors prepare manuscripts that can be quickly and efficiently reviewed, edited, and finally published. We have made efforts to reduce the time for reviewing of manuscripts, which will result in the timely publication of research results. In addition to the Expert Medica database for health professionals (EMCARE), JODDD is now indexed in WHO Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR), the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and Index Coperni-cus. With higher visibility that these databases bring to the articles published in JODDD in addition to the Google Scholar search engine, authors will enjoy a broader readership for their articles. In this issue, we have focused on a pre-malignant lesion that often degrades the quality of life of the involved individuals. Oral lichen planus is important for the dental practitioner from multiple standpoints. Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory and immu-nologic mucocutaneous lesion. Patients usually complain of lichen planus symptoms following the onset of the symptoms and signs for the rest of their lives. It is considered a pre-malignant lesion, and therefore, its diagnosis and treatment need special attention. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, which is home to JODDD, has been planning to be recognized as the national reference center for the lichen planus. We are grateful to Dr. Ardeshir Lafzi, the Editor-in-Chief, who is …


Due to the existing large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power generation installations, accurate PV power forecasting is critical to the safe and economical operation of electric power systems. In this study, a hybrid short-term forecasting method based on the Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) technique, the Deep Belief Network (DBN) and the Auto-Regressive Moving Average Model (ARMA) is proposed to deal with the problem of forecasting accuracy. The DBN model combines a forward unsupervised greedy layer-by-layer training algorithm with a reverse Back-Projection (BP) fine-tuning algorithm, making full use of feature extraction advantages of the deep architecture and showing good performance in generalized predictive analysis. To better analyze the time series of historical data, VMD decomposes time series data into an ensemble of components with different frequencies; this improves the shortcomings of decomposition from Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) processes. Classification is achieved via the spectrum characteristics of modal components, the high-frequency Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) components are predicted using the DBN, and the low-frequency IMFs components are predicted using the ARMA. Eventually, the forecasting result is generated by reconstructing the predicted component values. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, it is tested based on the practical information of PV power generation data from a real case study in Yunnan. The proposed approach is compared, respectively, with the single prediction models and the decomposition-combined prediction models. The evaluation of the forecasting performance is carried out with the normalized absolute average error, normalized root-mean-square error and Hill inequality coefficient; the results are subsequently compared with real-world scenarios. The proposed approach outperforms the single prediction models and the combined forecasting methods, demonstrating its favorable accuracy and reliability.


This article discusses the right to just compensation for regulatory takings of private property in the context of the history of the right to property in England and the founding generation in the United States. It challenges the conclusions of an influential 1964 Yale Law Journal article by Professor Joseph L. Sax, demonstrating that Professor Sax's misplaced reliance on continental writers rather than English writers lead him to adopt a more statist understanding of the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment than is warranted by its history. This article demonstrates how the Magna Carta was intended to strengthen tenure in land by insisting on due process requirements for the taking of land and compensation for the taking of certain classes of chattels, and shows how the control of land was a significant source of political power and personal liberty. The article continues by demonstrating the importance of property in the turbulent political developments of the seventeenth century, including King Charles' creative methods of taxation without the consent of the people through Parliament, and the importance of property in the Petition of Right that was forced on the King. The article compares the Petition of Right and surrounding events with the justifications given by America for separating from the British Crown in the Declaration of Independence. It also discusses the role of property during the interregnum and the important political writing of that time. The article further discusses the importance of property during the American Revolutionary era, including opposition to taxation without representation, and demonstrating the relationship between takings and taxation in that period. The article also discusses the historical problems of Professor Sax's approach to regulatory takings and modern misconceptions about the history of the Takings Clause. The paper concludes that the right to property is fundamentally defined by control and, therefore, regulation of property can take property by depriving the owner of control. This paper further concludes that the distinction between taxation that applies universally and takings that apply more narrowly is critical to determining whether a regulatory taking has occurred. This means that a regulation that is more general is less likely to constitute a taking than one that is more specific. The article also concludes that a taking may occur where the executive is provided with significant discretion to direct the use of property. ∗ Jeffrey B. Teichert, LLM, George Washington University, JD, Brigham Young University, is President of Teichert Law Office, PC, in Bellingham, Washington. He would like to thank Professors Renee Lettow Lerner and Robert J. Cottrol of George Washington University for their excellent suggestions and careful review of this project. He would also like to thank Brett Thornton for his helpful suggestions.


Myocardial infarction is mainly a process resulting from the rupture of the plaque protective fibrous cap in response to mechanical forces and physiological activity. Exposure of the blood to the prothrombotic content of the atheroma may result in the formation of a clot. A mechanical event is generally the trigger of a plaque rupture, where the plaque can no longer bear the different stresses. Plaque vulnerability to rupture can be evaluated with a finite-element analysis on a 3D model, obtained from intravascular ultrasound images, along with the mechanical properties of the coronary arterial wall evaluated from elastography analysis. Finite-element analysis of both fluid and wall and their interaction can be performed to evaluate plaque vulnerability and to select patients at higher risk who should undergo more aggressive therapies. This article presents the integration of intravascular imaging into the plaque rupture biomechanics study.


Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a biologically active lysophospholipid that controls cellular differentiation, survival, and migration of several cell types. S1P is produced by mast cells, platelets, and macrophages, and is secreted in the extracellular fluid.1 S1P binds a family of G-protein–coupled receptors with a diverse pattern of expression on immune cells, thus mediating the emigration of thymocytes from the thymus and the trafficking of lymphocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) in secondary lymphoid organs.1 S1P1 is the most abundant S1P receptor on T cells and is also expressed on DCs. T cells from S1P1-deficient mice or mice treated with S1P1-downregulating drug FTY720 (FTY) rapidly leave the blood, are sequestered in the lymph nodes, and mount a diminished response to immune challenges in tissues. FTY also inhibits DC function, thereby preventing IgE secretion and asthma in experimental animals.2 In patients with multiple sclerosis, oral FTY reduces the number of lesions and the amount of clinical disease activity.3 In de novo renal transplantation, FTY is as effective as mycophenolate mofetil in preventing graft rejection when used in combination with cyclosporine. Therefore, FTY appears to be a very promising immunemodulating agent. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is mediated by donor T cells that recognize host alloantigens, and is associated with beneficial graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects in recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. In murine bone marrow transplantation (BMT) models, administration of FTY inhibits GVHD without abrogating GVT. It has been accepted that FTY prevents GVHD by trapping T cells in secondary lymphoid organs.4 In this issue of Blood, Taylor and colleagues present an elegant approach to visualize donor GFP-expressing T cells migrating to various recipient organs after transplantation. In the early phase of GVHD development, greater numbers of donor effector T cells accumulated in Peyer patches and mesenteric lymph nodes in FTY-treated recipients, but such an accumulation quickly diminished. Consistent with these data is the concept that FTY facilitates activation-induced T-cell death in the lymph nodes.5 Taylor and colleagues found fewer donor effector T cells in spleen, inguinal, and axillary lymph nodes, and in the gut-associated lymphoid tissues in FTY-treated recipients. In contrast, FTY did not reduce donor effector T cells in the liver or lung, implying that FTY does not prevent effector T cells from reaching epithelial organs targeted by GVHD. The other novel finding presented in the article is that FTY reduced host DCs in recipient spleen before transplantation, and that pretreatment of the host alone was sufficient to inhibit GVHD. After transplantation, expansion of donor CD4 and CD8 effector cells was blunted by the same magnitude as host DCs were depleted by FTY before transplantation. Because host DCs are also required for optimal GVT, it was no surprise that FTY therapy impaired GVT. FTY alone appeared modestly immune suppressive, and combination therapy was required to prevent GVHD. FTY was additive with adoptively transferred donor T regulatory cells (Tregs), providing the rationale for testing the combination for GVHD prevention in humans.


Battery modeling is becoming more and more important in advanced battery management systems (BMS). Equivalent circuit models are widely used for their low computational requirements but they struggle with lower accuracy, which remains a challenge for the future. In this paper, a special focus is dedicated to the battery hysteresis effect, which significantly complicates the whole battery modeling and estimation processes. Measurement of the open circuit voltage (OCV) and parameter identification of the equivalent circuit model for the most used Li-ion battery technologies nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) were performed. Experimental results showed that the most common approaches of battery modeling are not accurate enough and can cause problems, especially in the state of charge (SoC) estimation. Besides that, the lower the temperature, the bigger impact of the hysteresis effect, especially during discharging. That indicates this effect is closely linked to diffusion processes inside the electrode material, which are slower at lower temperatures. These findings have a great potential to help in the modeling of the hysteresis effect in the future.


We discuss here the radiometric chronology, stable isotopes, site characteristics and burial practices for three of the Mesolithic Muge concheiros, Moita do Sebastião, Cabeço da Arruda and Cabeço da Amoreira. We conclude that the sites were initially used as cemeteries in which bodies were normally buried in flexed positions and covered by mounds with little indication of elaboration or differentiation.


This paper examines the various ways in which the notions of 'multicultural ism' and 'ethnicity' have been used by various Australian state institutions to contain, redefine and redirect the demand for ethnic rights. The Reports of several major official enquiries are analysed: The Go/bally Report (1978) and Participation, the Report of the New South Wales Ethnic Affairs Commission (1978). The major thrust of the analysis is that the politics of multiculturalism have served as an ideology, obscuring the class nature of the migrant experience and deflecting attention from class-based politics.


From a western Mediterranean point of view, the reign of Justinian may seem a brief parenthesis in the history of Europe, a failed attempt to resurrect an empire already dead. Justinian's reconquest of Italy was brought to nothing by the Lombard invasion of 568, and North Africa fell to Muslim armies within a century. From a Roman ecclesiastical perspective the balance sheet is even more negative. The sad story of the Three Chapters Controversy and the souring of relations between Constantinople and Rome contributed greatly to Justinian's reputation for divisive autocracy in ecclesiastical affairs. This chapter does not seek either to defend the western attitude toward Justinian's religious politics or to clear his name. Instead it explores the "parting of the ways" between West and East signaled by these differing ecclesiastical perspectives. In Justinian's day there was still no consensus about the emperor's place in Christian society, and the question of the relations between church authority and political power played a major role in the parting of East and West, especially in the West, where imperial power was weak. The eclipse of imperial authority in the West during the fifth century created new conditions for its churches and demanded new definitions of their relation to the emperor. Even in times of tension, Rome and Constantinople desired the unity of church and empire and the defense of Christianity, but the assumptions underlying these diverged significantly. The reunion of the western provinces with Constantinople during Justinian's reign highlighted and even reinforced these differences. Seeing the Age of Justinian as a major phase in this process of separation gives new insights on the Roman church and the complex history of its relations with Constantinople.


Ethnic communities in general have their own ideas and opinions about health and has multifarious knacks to overcome the diseases. The overall health status of the tribal community is the outcome of the several interacting factors. The health of the ethnic people is invariably connected with socio-cultural and magico-religious practices since ancient times. They have developed indigenous ways of healing practices to protect their health against various kinds of diseases. There is a popular belief prevalent among them, that some of the diseases are caused by evil spirits as well as malevolent deities for which they observe specific rituals to appease them. Again, the pristine method of curing diseases and ailments in general are done by application of varieties of wild roots, herbs, plant as well as animal parts. However, with the establishment of modern Medicare facilities within the rural tribal areas, they avail the benefits of the same along with integrally sticking to their pristine medicare system. In this present endeavour a humble attempt has been made to examine the continuity and change of the ethnomedicinal practices related with health care system among the Deoris of two homogenous Villages of Majuli District of Upper Assam.


Machine-type communication (MTC) is a promising technology to constitute a significant part of the fifth-generation (5G) systems. Group paging (GP) is a very effective method to solve network overload problem resulted by massive MTC devices. However, its performances dramatically decrease when increasing the number of MTC devices being paged. To solve this problem, a group paging overload control method based on access class barring (ACB) is proposed in this paper. In ACB-based group paging overload control method (AGO), the base station (BS) controls the number of devices connected to the network at the same time through the ACB mechanism, and scatters the paging operation of the MTC devices over a GP interval instead of letting all of the devices start the channel access procedure at nearly the same time. Simulation results show that compared with classical Group paging (GP) and Pre-backoff (PBO), the paging method we proposed improves the access success probability of MTC devices.


Hodgkin disease (HD) is defined by a variable number of Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells associated with a mixture of histiocytes, epithelioid cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Some cases, characterized by a large number of tumor cells, are difficult to differentiate


It can be said that the law generally takes two forms: statutory and common law. Statutory laws are those laws made by the legislatures of the either the State or Federal government. Whereas, common laws are a result of Court interpretations of reasoned law, and are often referred to as "judge-made" laws. The Common Law dates back in history to the English Legal System. During that period of time, judges presided over cases, reached decisions and shared them with each other. Many legal issues pertaining to the rights and responsibilities associated with trees are governed by laws which are the product of court interpretation. Many such court interpretations have withstood the test of time and still remain the law of the land to this day. However, it appears that new interpretations of old common law theories are taking place by today's courts causing common law issues pertaining to trees to branch off into new directions. What follows is a brief discussion of two recent changes of common law issues which have occurred regarding trees and the duty of care to be exercised by landowners.


The article presents a systematic revision of early Pleistocene small-sized deer of Europe, their taxonomy, morphology, individual and ontogenetic variation, ecology and evolution. Cervus nestii (AZZAROLI, 1947) is the most ancient representative of the "elaphus group" and is closely related to the actual red deer. Dama eurygonos (AZZAROLI, 1947) and D. vallonnetensis (DE LUMLEY et al., 1988) belong to an archaic lineage of fallow deer with simple non-palmed antlers. Metacervoceros rhenanus (DUBOIS, 1904) is a primitive deer similar to actual forms of the genus Axis. The emended definitions of the species are proposed. Key-words: Early Pleistocene, Cervidae, taxonomy, morphology, systematics, evolution. ΠEPIΛHΨH: Στη μελέτη αυτή παρουσιάζεται η συστηματική αναθεώρηση των μικρόσωμων ελαφιών του Κάτω Πλειστοκαίνου της Ευρώπης, η ταξινόμησή τους, η μορφολογία και οντογενετική τους ποικιλότητα, η οικολογία και η εξέλιξή τους. Το είδος Cervus nestii (AZZAROLI, 1947) είναι ο αρχαιότερος αντιπρόσωπος της «ομάδας elaphus» και σχετίζεται άμεσα με το αρτίγονο ελάφι. Η Dama eurygonos (AZZAROLI, 1947) και η D. vallonnetensis (DE LUMLEY et al., 1988) ανήκουν σε μία αρχαϊκή εξελικτική γραμμή του Dama dama με απλά μη παλαμοειδή κέρατα. Ο Metacervoceros rhenanus (DUBOIS, 1904) είναι ένα πρωτόγονο ελάφι όμοιο με τις αρτίγονες μορφές του γένους Axis. Προτείνεται αναθεώρηση των ειδών. Λέξεις-κλειδιά: Kατώτερο Πλειστόκαινο, Cervidae, συστηματική ταξινόμηση, μορφολογία, εξέλιξη. * Tα μικρόσωμα ελάφια του Kάτω Πλειστοκαίνου της Eυρώπης. régionale du Menton, France (MPRM); Musée National de Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHNP); Musée National de Prehistoir les Eyzies de Tayac, Dordogne, France (MNP); the Institute of Zoology of University of Wroclaw (IZUW); the Paleontological Institute, Moscow (PIN); the Paleontological Museum of the University of Lyon (PMUL); the National Museum of Natural History, Kiev (MNHK). The types involved in the systematic revision: Dama nestii nestii AZ Z A R O L I 1947 (type species); holotype IGF 363 (antlers), MGUF Dama nestii eurygonos AZZAROLI 1947, holotype IGF 245 (antlers), MGUF Pseudodama lyra AZZAROLI 1992; holotype IGF 1934V (antlers), MGUF Pseudodama farnetensis AZZAROLI 1992; holotype IGF 194V (antlers), MGUF Cervus nesti vallonnetensis DE LU M L E Y et al. 1988; holotype Nr. 10170 (antler), MPRM. Cervus warthae CZYZEWSKA 1968; holotype Nr 1, (skull), IZUW. Cervus (Cervodama) pontoborealis PIDOPLICZKO & FLEROW 1952; cast of holotype (shed antler), MNHK. The comparative material on modern deer used in the present work is stored in the Zoological Department of NHML, the Zoological Museum "La Specola" of MGUF, and the Zoological department of MNHNP. Methods and Terminology The terminology of dental morphology in ruminants proposed by HEINTZ (1970) and on antler morphology according to LISTER (1990) is followed in the present study. The method of study of cranial morphology by VISLOBOKOVA (1990) with minor modifications is applied in the research. The methodology by JANIS (1990) on body mass prediction is applied for size estimation of fossil deer. Morphological criteria of a Genus The attempts of PFEIFFER (1997) and DI STEFANO & PETRONIO (1998) to apply the postcranial morphology in the systematical study of the cervid genera and subgenera gave inadequate results. The limb bones of ruminants influenced by environmental and biomechanical factors during locomotion have a minor interest for the systematic study at the genus and subgenus level. The postcranial morphology depends of the species ecology and locomotion strategy, the landscape character and the body weight ( SO K O L O V et al., 1964; GA M B A R Y A N, 1970; SUTULA, 1990; KÖHLER, 1993). Thus, the possible resemblance between the V i l l a f r a nchian "P s e u d o d a m a" and actual Dama in postcranial morphology may suggest only the similar locomotion strategy and ecological preferences. Hence Euraxis is rather an artificial group that contains the species sharing with the modern Axis the similar ecological adaptations (locomotion type, habitat, body size), but not the real evolutionary proximity. The cranial morphology (besides the exosomatic parts like the predental portion and preorbital fossae) provides a set of plesiomorphic characters that have a t a x o n o m i c value for genus level in the systematics of actual and fossil deer (FLEROW, 1954; SOK O L O V, 1959; VI S L O B O K O V A, 1990): 1) the proportions of facial and neural parts of skull; 2) the shape of parietal bones; 3) the shape and relative length of frontal bones; 4) the position, orientation and length of pedicels; 5) the size, position and shape of orbits; 6) the morphology and size of ethmoidal openings; 6) the position and length of nasal bones; 7) the position and shape of the naso-frontal suture; 8) the position of the upper dentition row with respect to orbits; 9) the size and shape of bulla timpani; 10) the shape of basioccipitale; 11) the morphology and proportions of the lower mandible (shape of processus angularis, the angle between horizontal and ascending portions). The attempt of MARKOV & DANILKIN (1999) to apply the cranial morphometry in the systematic study of modern subspecies of Cervus elaphus gave unfit results that confirm the necessity of proper taxonomic evaluation for characters involved in the systematic research. The morphology of dentition and antlers are more widely used in the systematic research and various authors suggested the following characters as morphological criteria at the genus level (FLEROW, 1952, 1962; HEINTZ, 1970; VISLOBOKOVA, 1990; AZZAROLI, 1992): 1) the angle between labial and lingual slopes of upper molars, which is correlated with tooth crown height; 2) the presence or absence of upper canines. The antler morphology traditionally is applied in the cervid genera description (PI D O P L I C Z K O & FL E R O W 1 9 5 2 ; HE I N T Z, 1970; AZ Z A R O L I, 1992). The implication of antler morphology in the systematics of genera is restricted only to the general plan of antler construction observed in several species. Morphological criteria of a Species The species description is based on the exosomatic characters that depend of the certain ecological niche of species (FL E R O W, 1954; SOKOLOV, 1959; VISLOBOKOVA, 1990; AZZAROLI, 1992). The cranial and dental characters of the species rank are the following: 1) the relative length of the predental part and the correlated length of dia s t e m a ; 2) the shape of premaxillary bones; 3) the length of nasopremaxillar suture; 4) the size and degree of development of preorbital fossae; 5) the shape of frontal appendages (pedicles); 6) the development of cingulum, P a l e o m e r y x f o l d and other additional enamel folds; 7) the ratio between premolar and molar tooth series length; 8) the molarisation of lower fourth premolar (P4). JANIS & LISTER (1985) described a rather high individual variation of P4 in pecorans and suggested a cautious implication of this character in taxonomy studies. The high morphological variation of P4 is shown for Cervus 90 Roman Croitor


Illustrations are traditionally used in primary education to explain mathematical reasoning, however, not every visual representation facilitates understanding of mathematical ideas. Therefore, the search for effective forms of visual representation of concepts is a topical issue of didactics. The purpose of the research, the results of which are presented in this article, is the development, substantiation of the didactic principles of concept visualization through the use of educational modeling and their implementation in the educational materials in Mathematics for primary school. Keywords: primary mathematical education, visualization, educational modeling, visual educational model, didactic principles of visualization. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/p.2017.40


THE UML WAS developed to help maintain coherence among the many design and implementation views and artifacts in an iterative development lifecycle, keeping all stakeholders aligned as changes are made from iteration to iteration. Mr. Miller's characterization of the UML as designed to support Waterfall development processes is false.1 Having risen in the context not of academia but rather of real-world, complex softwareintensive systems, the UML was developed as a pragmatic tool that reflected best practices in software engineers, such as the concepts of multiple views (as now codified in ISO/IEC 42010), continuous integration, and continuous deployment (both of which preceded and became a part of modern agile methods). Beginning in 1982, Rational employed iterative development to create its integrated software engineering tool set. The Rational Environment, first released in 1985, included direct support for iterative development, incorporating knowledge gained during its construction. To successfully deploy this product, Rational's field teams engaged with customers to help them transition from Waterfall to iterative development. In developing the UML during the mid-1990s, Grady, Jim, and Ivar incorporated the experience gained by these field teams as they worked with customers developing complex, long-lived software using an iterative lifecycle, later formalized in the Rational Unified Process. This evolution took place not only in the context of real, complex systems but also in collaboration of the inventors of Waterfall (Win Royce); spiral methods (Barry Boehm); and the software engineering work of Parnas, Liskov, and others. The UML came into being during a particularly important sea change in the nature of computing: from algorithmic languages to object-oriented ones; from mostly monolithic, single computer systems to highly distributed ones; and from systems that could be built by small teams to large teams of teams. Indeed, the UML and the Rational Unified Process did not reflect the ossified, high-ceremony practices of the earlier eras; they represented the beginning of our current era of software engineers and, through their concepts, have made possible—and are very much consistent with—modern agile approaches. Dave Bernstein Contact: email@example.com Grady Booch Contact: email@example.com


Photoretractive materials have been extensively studied since they have many attractive characteristics for data storage, optical interconnections, associative memory, phase conjugation mirrors, holographic interferometry[1].


The study of the foldirig inechanism of proteills is currently limited by the cur rent computer technologies and by the in siÏico simulation methods. Whule certain techniques of workload distribution have been devised to study more complex sys tems. other techniques relv 0H the simplification of the different process involved in folding. The activation-relaxation technique (ART Nouveau) is one of those simplified activateci methods that enable the navigation of the energetic surface. In conjunction with the reduced representation energy potentiaÏ OPEP, ART lias been used to study the folding of small proteins and the aggregation process of peptides. In this work, we present our resuits of the folding trajectories of the B domain of Staphytococcus anreus protein A using ART-OPEP. This 60 amino acids protein forms a bundle of three o:-helices and is well known and studied by hoth theorists and experimentalists interested hi its folding process. Our resuits present a different picture of the energy landscape of this protein, mie that is punc tuated by funnels leading to topologies found in other proteins. We then continue by presenting the implemeiîtation of two rigid bodies algorithms in the ART nou veau method. These algorithms are useci to eliminate the less interesting degrees of freedom that are bond lengths and bond angles. Our analysis of these methods are that they do not provide a noticeable gain in performance over the original ART nouveau. Mots clés staphylococcal proteiri A, ART nouveau, OPEP, FRODA, geometrical simulations, rigid bodies


Upside-down storms (UDSs) are winter precipitation events where temperature increases with time. We postulate that all mid-winter increases in streamflow will result from UDSs due to high snow levels and extreme precipitation. We identified UDSs using two 915 Mhz S-band snow level radars along the windward side of the northern Sierra Nevada and five streamflow gauges between 2010-2014. UDSs were defined as times when snow levels rose more than 500 m and took place during mid-winter increases in runoff. We explored the characteristics of these storms using atmospheric reanalysis products, surface weather and satellite observations. A prototypical case study is provided. With one exception, all UDSs coincided with mid-winter peak runoff events resulting from the high snow levels (mean snow level 2.2 km msl) and extreme precipitation (>95th percentile). All UDS cases occurred during the presence of one or more landfalling atmospheric rivers. The definition of UDSs should be expanded to include these key drivers of snow hydrological extremes (high snow levels, rain-on-snow, and extreme precipitation).


Abstract : The main focus of our work at Rush has been on the taping of human- to-human tutoring sessions and the analysis of the transcripts of those sessions with regard to both language and content. The language analysis involves study of vocabulary, syntax, semantics, and discourse for use in the understanding of ill-formed input and the generation of responses. The anlaysis of content focuses on tutoring rules, modeling rules, and the underlying knowledge used by the tutor. At IIT we are working on the development of the lexical functional grammar rules and lexicon for the cardiovascular sublanguage, on the development of a cardiovascular knowledge base for the tutoring system, on a Prolog prototype for the tutor we are trying to build, and on the initial plans for a tutoring system in Lisp to support our research in text generation. The context of our work is an attempt to build an intelligent version of a remarkably effective conventional tutoring program, CIRCSIM, designed and implemented in Basic. CIRCSIM is intended to tutor first year medical students in the complex negative feedback processes used by the human body to maintain blood pressure.


Advances in both diode laser design and packaging technology, particularly thermal management, are needed to enhance the brightness of fiber coupled diode lasers while maintaining the small size and light weight required for defense applications. The principles of design for high efficiency fiber coupling are briefly covered. Examples are provided of fielded and demonstrated 100 and 200 micron diameter fiber coupled packages ranging in output from a few hundred to kW-class units in fibers, to include sub-kg/kW capabilities. The demand for high-power and high-brightness fiber coupled diode laser devices is mainly driven by applications for solid-state and fiber laser pumping. The ongoing power scaling of fiber lasers requires scalable fiber-coupled diode laser devices with increased power and brightness. A modular diode laser concept combining high power, high brightness, wavelength stabilization and low weight, which is considerable concern in the SWaP trades needed to field defense systems, has been developed. In particular the defense technology requires robust but lightweight high-power diode laser sources in combination with high brightness. The heart of the concept is a specially tailored diode laser bar, with the epitaxial and lateral structures designed such that only standard fast- and slow-axis collimator lenses in combination with appropriate focusing optics are required to couple the beam into a fiber with a core diameter of 200 μm and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.22. The spectral quality, which is an important issue especially for fiber laser pump sources, is ensured by means of Volume Holographic Gratings (VHG) for wavelength stabilization. This paper presents a detailed characterization of different diode laser sources based on the scalable modular concept. The optical output power is scaled from 180 W coupled into a 100 μm NA 0.22 fiber up to 800W coupled into a 400 μm NA 0.22 fiber. In addition we present a lightweight laser unit with an output power of more than 300 W for a 200 μm NA 0.22 fiber with a weight vs. power ratio of only 0.9 kg/kW.


The most inactive Americans are over the age of 65. Age-related physiological changes affect the ability to perform certain types of exercise. The cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems are directly affected by these age-related changes, resulting in the modification of an exercise regimen. Individualized exercise programs depend on comorbidities, which limit the risks and maximize the benefits of exercise. Evidence supports the benefits of wellness exercise programs. The type of exercise beneficial for an individual is dependent on his or her overall health, disease state, and medications. Age-related physiological changes lead to the development of a wide range of chronic disorders that are often mistakenly assumed to be part of the normal aging process. The purpose of this article is to review the age-related physiological changes associated with exercise, the benefits and risks of exercise, and the wellness guidelines for initiating exercise in an individual over 65 years old. Included in this article is a discussion of the specific exercise guidelines for osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, obesity, psychological health, and diabetes mellitus.


In this era of globalization, many people consider the financial sector of public sector organizations as a waste and a source of funding. Loss of public trust in lost public sector organizations. In addition, accountability reports on public sector organizations are only oriented to "output" rather than "outcome". This discusses the phenomenon that public sector organizations pay more attention to the value of money that can be considered inputs, outputs, before the results that underlie the three main elements namely economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Research in the city of Manado using the value for money method, in terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. The analytical method used in this thesis research using descriptive qualitative methods, namely the results of interviews and with the data collected were analyzed and conclusions were collected. The results of the research obtained from the research results of the Manado City Health Office obtained the value for money method for economic measurement and efficiency, achieving good results. However, to measure success is still not good, decided one of the programs carried out has not been approved. Manado City Health Office should pay more attention to the results of the community in each program that is carried out, so that it is easier to find out which programs meet the requirements or not.


Single and coincidence gamma spectra and gammagamma directional correlation were measured in cesium136. Spin assignments of the low-lying levels in barium136 were proposed as follows: 830 (2+), 1660 (2+), 1900 (4+), and 2240 kev (6+). No essential difference from other even-even nuclei was found, and the transition from the first to the second 2+ level had the property of E2 predominant and B(E2: 2'-- 2)/B(E2: 2'-- 0) < 100. (L.N.N.)


: The article deals with the technology of disposal of waste refrigerant fluid for the process of one-stage dehydrogenation of n-butane by oxidative thermal destruction with the production of bituminous varnish as a commercial product, which allows solving the problems of neutralizing and processing the waste of petrochemical industries and bottoms with the aim of saving resources and raw materials. fraction of non-volatile substances - 37%; adhesion strength with metal - 0.2 MPa; elasticity of the film in bending, 0.9 mm; stability of the film with a static effect of water - 48 hours.


The friction stir welding process is used to weld 20 mm thick 7A52 aluminum alloy. The joint properties and structure are analyzed by means of optical microscope and SEM etc. The results show that 7A52 aluminum alloy can be welded successfully with correct parameters. The yield strength of welded joint reaches 87% of that of parent materials. Dynamic recrystallization takes place in the weld nugget zone and fine grains are achieved. The tensile fracture of FSW appears to be dimple and the fracture mechanism is analyzed through dislocation theory.


The paper addresses contemporary usage of online environments, particularly social networking websites such as Facebook. It is concerned with issues of privacy and security, and the extent to which many Internet users are unaware of the full extent of potential problems. In exploring this topic, the paper engages with Friedman"s The Lexus and the Olive Tree (1999), as well as with a range of more recent literature, and with documentary footage from both television and YouTube. Firsthand qualitative material from these sources serves to highlight the conflicting and sometimes contradictory opinions that today"s "digital natives" hold vis-a-vis their online safety. The paper also examines the Internet and social networking in the light of Foucault"s theoretical engagement with Bentham"s Panopticon (drawing on Discipline and Punish (1977) and Power / Knowledge (1980)). Foucault uses the Panopticon as a metaphor for contemporary society, with regard to how (at least the possibility of) constant surveillance serves to regulate behaviour. It is argued that the Panopticon still retains some validity as an explanatory device for online contexts, but not without some qualifications concerning the roles of those involved in surveillance, and their agendas.


The sequential quadratic programming (SQP) used to solve to the discharge power of energy storage system (ESS) for load factor improvement in residential consumer is presented. The load factor increases due to the peak shaving and off-peak filling of consumption profile by discharge and charge of energy storage system. A simulation of residential user (5 kW) with ESS (1.5 kW/3 kWh) shows that the consumption profile becomes flat and lower peak value. If the large amount of residential users install small energy storage, the effect of load factor improvement can help the power system overcome the problem of reserve margin shortage.


We investigate collective effects in the strong pinning model of disordered charge and spin density waves (CDWs and SDWs) in connection with heat relaxation experiments. We discuss the classical and quantum limits that contribute to two distinct contribution to the specific heat (a Cv ∼ T−2 contribution and a Cv ∼ T α contribution respectively), with two different types of disorder (strong pinning versus substitutional impurities). From the calculation of the two level system energy splitting distribution in the classical limit we find no slow relaxation in the commensurate case and a broad spectrum of relaxation times in the incommensurate case. In the commensurate case quantum effects restore a non vanishing energy relaxation, and generate stronger disorder effects in incommensurate systems. For substitutional disorder we obtain Friedel oscillations of bound states close to the Fermi energy. With negligible interchain couplings this explains the power-law specific heat Cv ∼ T α observed in experiments on CDWs and SDWs combined to the power-law susceptibility χ(T ) ∼ T−1+α observed in the CDW o-TaS3. PACS. 71.45.Lr Charge-density-wave systems – 05.70.Ln Nonequilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics – 63.50.+x Vibrational states in disordered systems – 75.30.Fv Spin-density waves


Background It remains uncertain whether there is a protective effect of inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) against lung cancer in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Methods Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Medline were comprehensively searched. Random-effects model meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) for lung cancer incidence among ICs users versus non-ICs users in patients with COPD. Stratified analysis was performed based on region and age of each study. This review was registered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42020159082). Results Based on data from 181,859 COPD patients with a total follow-up duration of 1,109,339.9 person-years, we identified that the use of ICs in COPD patients was associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer [HR: 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62–0.86; P<0.001]. The region-specific HRs for lung cancer incidence were 0.62 (95% CI: 0.62–0.86; P=0.004), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.60–0.97; P=0.028) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.61–1.08; P=0.155) among European, Asian and North American COPD patients, respectively. Additionally, we found the consistent outcome among age groups (≥70 years old: HR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.65–0.99, P=0.043; <70 years old: HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.56–0.99, P=0.040). Conclusions This study demonstrates that ICs have a protective effect against lung cancer in COPD patients. It could provide guidance for clinicians in the prevention of lung cancer among patients with COPD.