Shoes used in field sports such as football, rugby and baseball have variable studs on the soles, and these studs are very important parts for players' performance. However, they cause high pressure areas on the foot sole, with pain which sometimes injure the foot. To decrease this feeling is a very serious issue in the designing of spike shoes. So far, pressure feeling has been measured only by sensory evaluational methods, which have had various observational errors. Accordingly, the estimation of pressure feeling by using a numerical approach will become an important key in the designing of spike shoes. In this study, the stress fields distributed on the foot sole when wearing spike shoes were simulated by the finite elements method. Then an evaluational method of pressure feel was proposed by using this analytical stress distribution. The analytical results were compared with experimental ones, focusing on pressure feeling and distribution. By doing this, the validity of this proposed analytical procedure was confirmed. Also, the effects of changing the stud configura tion and loading condition were discussed.


While modelling the life history of the European pine saw-fly, a pest species of many pine-trees of northern and central Europe, the wind and rain are identified as significant components of larval mortality. In order to describe the relationship between the wind and larval mortality it is necessary to determine the power of the wind during the larval stage. The estimation of wind energy is dependent on the method by which the wind speed is recorded. A typical method employed for meteorological purposes yields a single wind speed value each day. This value does not take into account the variance of the wind speed and would result in an underestimation of the wind energy. In recent years this problem has been investigated by those wishing to assess the suitability of a site for wind power generation. Conventionally, an hourly wind speed profile is simulated for each day from the identifiable characteristics of the wind. A technique is developed here which employs a Markov chain to condition the 24th-hour value of the simulated wind speed to the actual wind speed value of the next day, thereby making better use of the available information. The simulated hourly wind speed data have no major discontinuities in the sequence of values from one day to the next, lending themselves to the integration of a time series spanning a period of several days. It provides both a stochastic element for the simulation and retains the autocorrelative nature of the wind.


In [3, Problem G, p. 34] the following problem is proposed: characterize the class o' of all flows which are disjoint from every distal flow. We show here that ai consists precisely of the weakly mixing minimal flows. In arriving at this conclusion we make use of a result (Corollary to Theorem 1) which has been arrived at independently by Keynes and Robertson [4, Theorem 3.4, p. 366]. In the following all transformation groups will be assumed to have compact Hausdorff phase spaces. For any unexplained notation or terminology the reader is referred to [1 ] and [3 ]. This research is part of the author's doctoral dissertation prepared at Yale University under the guidance of Professor S. Kakutani, whose assistance the author gratefully acknowledges. We say that a transformation group (X, T) is weakly mixing if given nonempty open subsets A, B, C, D of X there is tET such that AtnCC0 and BtnDS 0.


(57) Abstract: pump assembly 1,33,200 is used as a pump to send the blood continually. In one embodiment, the pump 1200 is a centrifugal pump, the impeller 100,204 is fully sealed within the pump housing 2,201 is suspended only by hydrodynamic methods. This suspension effect is the impeller by an electromagnetic means which is arranged outside the pump cavity 106,203 is obtained by rotating in the fluid 105. Hydrodynamic suspension is impeller with a profiled section such as a blade 8 having a tapered surface that leads to a rear edge portion 103,224 from the edge 102,223 front is formed in the bottom edge and the top edge 100,204 It is realized by. The present invention also provides estimation and control system for the pump assembly 1,33,200.


INTRODUCTION T HIS report describes :J method by which thin walled plastic tubing may be used to construct a n apparatus suit able fo r oxygenating blood outside t he body without a direct gas-blood in terface . T he abi lity of 8uch a membrane oxygenator to prov ide ga8 exchange during complete cardio-pulmonary bypass has been assessed by laboratory experiments. Determinations have been carried out both to delineate its usefulness as part of an extracorporeal circulatory system and to assess its ability to maintain the blood gas composition.


• Manage cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using an individualised approach, with lifestyle modification as the first step • For people without CVD, assess 10 year risk of a CVD event using QRISK3. This can be done as part of NHS health checks and for people likely to be at high risk based on data available in primary care health records • Tools that estimate the lifetime risk of CVD can be valuable to inform discussions and motivate lifestyle changes, especially in people who have modifiable CVD risk factors but a QRISK3 score less than 10% or age under 40 • Statin therapy is highly cost effective for the primary and secondary prevention of CVD events at all levels of CVD risk, and recommended doses are atorvastatin 20 mg for primary prevention and atorvastatin 80 mg for secondary prevention


Migration manifests an important response and adaptation measure to changes in the environment and socioeconomic conditions. In a time when environmental stressors and risks are unprecedentedly increasing, understanding the interplay between the underlying factors driving migration is of high importance. While the relationships between environmental and socioeconomic drivers have been identified conceptually, the comprehensive global-scale spatial quantification of their interactions is in its infancy. Here, we performed a geospatial analysis of gridded global net migration from 1990 to 2000 using a novel machine learning approach which analyses the interplay between a set of societal and environmental factors simultaneously at the place of origins (areas of net-negative migration) and destinations (areas of net-positive migration). We diagnosed the importance of eight environmental and societal factors in explaining migration for each country, globally. Nearly half of global in- and out-migration took place in the areas characterized by low adaptive capacity and high environmental stress. Regardless of the income level, income was the key factor in explaining net-migration in half of the countries. Slow-onset environmental factors, drought and water risk, were found to be the dominant environmental variables globally. Our study highlights that factors representing human capacity need to be incorporated into the quantitative diagnosis of environmental migration more rigorously.


Referring to the original idea of the phatic function as the use of language not to express thought, the present paper treats the phatic function in terms of its sociocultural significance. The purport of the phatic function being heterogeneous (sociability, the forecast of information, gratification, self-protection, identification of social status and ethnic properties, camouflage, word terror, etc.), it is found to reflect the sociocultural tradition of a community and to have considerable influence on the communicative function and social relations in general.


We propose a probing system for measurement of chemical concentration from deep tissue. The detection region of the probe of 0.5 mum-diameter was 0.134 mum in depth by FDTD simulation. Using this probe, calcium fluorescence at gradual depth was measured from a deep area of an insect brain where it was difficult by the optical microscope.


The expression of protective immunity to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in mice is mediated by T lymphocytes that secrete cytokines. These molecules then mediate a variety of roles, including the activation ofparasitized host macrophages, and the recruitment of other mononuclear phagocytes to the site of the infection in order to initiate granuloma formation. Among these cytokines, interferon y (IFN-y) is believed to play a key role is these events. In confirmation ofthis hypothesis, we show in this study that mice in which the IFN-y gene has been disrupted were unable to contain or control a normally sublethal dose of M. tuberculosis, delivered either intravenously or aerogenically. In such mice, a progressive and widespread tissue destruction and necrosis, associated with very high numbers ofacid-fast bacilli, was observed. In contrast, despite the lack of protective immunity, some DTH-like reactivity could still be elicited. These data, therefore, indicate that although IFN-y may not be needed for DTH expression, it plays a pivotal and essential role in protective cellular immunity to tuberculosis infection. C urrent murine models of experimental Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection indicate that the emergence of acquired immunity to this organism is mediated by populations of both class I and II MHC-restricted T lymphocytes, which secrete cytokines that result in the activation of para-sitized macrophages and promotion of the granulomatous response (1-4). The cytokine IFN-y, which is an effective inducer of antimicrobial mechanisms in several systems (5, 6) has been shown to inhibit the growth of mycobacteria in vitro (7-9), but its role in vivo has yet to be precisely defined. In this regard, we report here that mice in which the IFN-y gene has been disrupted (IFN-y gene knockout mice [GKO mice]), develop a fatal, disseminated form of disease when inoculated with a normally sublethal inoculum of M. tuberculosis . These results indicate, therefore, that IFN-'Y plays a pivotal role in the expression ofprotective immunity to this infection in the mouse. Moreover, this new immunodeficient mouse model may prove highly useful in the evaluation of therapeutic intervention strategies in the severely immunocom-promised host. Mice. GKO mice were generated as described previously (10). Briefly, a normal IFN-y allele in mouse embryonic stem cells was replaced with a defective gene using a targeted vector which introduced a termination codon after the first 30 amino acids of the mature IFN-y protein. The altered stem cells were injected into C57BL/6J blastocysts and transmitted via the germline. Heterozy-gous offspring …


The accuracy of the beat detector is very important for the overall system performance in computerised processing of the Electrocardiogram (ECG). In the present study we introduce the concept of multi-component based beat detection using Cross Correlation (CC) and Neural Networks (NN) techniques. In addition, a new beat detection algorithm is proposed. A database containing 2966 cardiac cycles was used to validate the approaches. Results have shown the ability of achieving a 7% improvement in detecting individual waveform components. Furthermore, the new approach was able to reduce the number of incorrectly detected waveform components by a factor higher than 15.


Abstract The main purpose of the submitted article is the estimation of financial investors' potential in Poland. There are four groups of collective investors on financial market in Poland like Banks, Insurance companies, Investment funds and Open Pension Funds, which have been analyzed. Their importance on financial market and especially on capital market in Poland is still rising. The dynamics of their assets value in 2009 – 2013 periods has been analyzed. Financial investors' assets and Gross National Product in Poland ratio has been calculated. The influence of the financial crisis and post-crisis time on the investment portfolios structure has been also reviewed.


With the increasing use of silver compounds in medical applications and consumer products, some of the functions of silver containing compounds have been expanded, the benefits and dangers of silver containing compounds have some misunderstandings. This paper widely consulting the silver containing compound antibacterial mechanism and adverse reaction of the relevant literature, analysis and summary, of silver containing compound antibacterial progress on the mechanism and adverse reactions were reviewed, to provide a hint for the clinical application of silver containing compounds.

Key words:
Silver compounds; Anti-bacterial agents; Untoward reaction; Mechanism


Specimens of the subgenus Empis collected from different parts of Turkey between 1992 and 2006 were evaluated. Ten species of this genus were identified and 9 of these are the first records for the Turkish fauna.


This bachelor thesis focuses on the small fruit representatives from the plant genus Ribes L. currant, gooseberry and jostaberry. The beginning of theoretical part describes history of cultivation and basic botanical description of individual cultivars. The next part describes important substances contained in fruit as well as their importance in human diet and it also describes some basic products made of the Ribes L. genus representatives. The final section of the theoretical part contains basic principal of determination of individual nutritional parameters. In the experimental part several nutritional parameters were determined including dry matter, soluble solids, pH, titratable acids, formol number, reducing sugars and total phenolics. Individual species and cultivars were compared based on the results. KLÍČOVÁ SLOVA Ribes L., rybíz, angrešt, josta, sušina, rozpustná sušina, pH, titrační kyselost, formolové číslo, redukující sacharidy, celkové fenoly.


ABSTRACT. This study tested the effectiveness of a therapeutic community (TC) intervention on imprisoned Korean substance abusers. Volunteer participants from 2 Korean prisons were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 24) with the TC intervention or a control group (n = 24) with optional supportive sessions. Pretest and posttest data were collected on measures of abstinence self-efficacy and problem-solving skills. Participants in the TC intervention showed significant increases in abstinence self-efficacy and problem-solving skills, whereas those in the control group did not. The differences in abstinence self-efficacy for the TC were found for 2 of 3 subscales: Problem-Solving Confidence and Approach-Avoidance Style but not Self-Control. Further study is needed to replicate these findings with larger Korean prison populations and to establish the relationship between these skill dimensions and subsequent drug use and criminal recidivism for this population. Nevertheless, the findings suggest potential benefits of using a TC intervention with imprisoned Korean substance abusers.


We read with interest the article entitled ''Presence of Diastolic Dysfunction in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease'' by Yamasaki et al. They evaluated left ventricle (LV) function and measured plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). They reported a high prevalence of increased BNP levels and a strong independent association between the high BNP levels and the E/e0 ratio, which reflects LV filling pressure. This highlights the presence of diastolic dysfunction in patients with PAD. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a valuable diagnostic method for the detection of PAD. Measurement of ABI in patients with subclinical PAD allows the timely initiation of preventive measures as well as detecting vascular disease in other arterial beds. Although the ABI is the method of choice for the primary diagnosis of PAD, other diagnostic tools should be considered when there is clinical suspicion of PAD. Higher levels of N-terminal pro-BNP are independently associated with lower functional capacity in patients with PAD and may be a marker of hemodynamic stress in these patients according to the severity of PAD. There is also evidence that quitting smoking, improving the lipid profile, lowering the blood pressure, and administering antiplatelet drugs reduce the risk of vascular events in these patients. Statins not only lower the risk of vascular events but also improve the symptoms associated with PAD. Furthermore, some medications such as antihypertensive treatment, aspirin, and statins may influence ABI parameters. Alcohol intake was also positively associated with body weight, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and PAD. Diastolic heart failure, which is also called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HF-PEF), is a syndrome in which patients have signs and symptoms of heart failure, normal or near normal LV ejection fraction ( 50%), and evidence of diastolic dysfunction. Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated that more than half of all patients with heart failure have diastolic heart failure. Patients with diastolic heart failure are a fairly heterogeneous group with complex pathophysiologic mechanisms. According to the current guidelines, the diagnosis of HF-PEF requires 3 criteria such as signs or symptoms of heart failure, presence of a normal LV ejection fraction, and evidence of diastolic dysfunction. Also, measurement of BNP should be considered to exclude other causes of dyspnea and obtain prognostic information. Elevated BNP levels may occur in many diseases associated with hypervolemia such as chronic renal failure, chronic liver disease, and hyperaldosteronism. Also, respiratory diseases such as pulmonary embolism and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may be associated with high level of BNP without left heart failure. Important echocardiographic parameters for the assessment of diastolic function are atrial dimensions, myocardial mass, mitral inflow pattern, pulmonary vein flow, propagation velocity of mitral inflow, and tissue Doppler of the mitral annulus for classifying the patients according to the diastolic dysfunction (grades 1-4). The most notable echocardiographic abnormalities seen in HF-PEF are an enlarged left atrium with hypertrophy, reduced left ventricular relaxation, and elevated filling pressures. Triiodothyronine (T3) is inversely associated with markers of HF-PEF severity. Whether reduced T3 contributes to or is a consequence of increased severity of HF-PEF remains to be determined. Finally, a low ABI has been demonstrated as a marker of decreased renal function over time in a general population, and the presence of renal dysfunction in patients with PAD is associated with higher morbidity and mortality rates as well as the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Yamasaki et al used the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula to


Brain tumor and intracerebral hemorrhage are major causes for death among the people. Brain tumor is the growth of abnormal cells multiplied in an uncontrolled manner in brain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique plays a major role for analysis, diagnosis, and treatment planning of abnormalities in the brain. Bleed is detected manually by radiologists, but it is laborious, time-consuming, and error prone. The automatic detection method was performed to detect the tumor as well as bleed in brain under a single system. The proposed method includes image acquisition, pre-processing, patch extraction, feature extraction, convolutional neural network (CNN) classification, and fuzzy inference system (FIS) to detect the abnormality with reduced classification loss percentage. This chapter is compared with the existing system of tumor detection using convolution neural network based on certain features such as skewness, kurtosis, homogeneity, smoothness, and correlation.


Prime Minister John Howard has indicated that he wants to break down the welfare state as we know it and create a society that thrives on innovation and free enterprise. To do this will require a change in culture and attitudes in both the government and the community. The Coalition government argues that the state must withdraw its presence so market forces can be freed up to generate wealth, leading to greater prosperity for all Australians.

This article poses the questions: was change in the public service inevitable under the Coalition government? and have the Coalition thought through the consequences of the changes proposed? The evidence to date suggests a negative answer to both.


How affordable housing and open space advocates work together in a united institution to fund projects important to both causes.


8th grade Person of the Year project: Choose a person that you think has had a significant impact on history, literature, or both from any time period. Contains some documents with helpful tips on using library databases and NoodleTools.


The theory of random matrices contains many central limit theorems. We have central limit theorems for eigenvalues statistics, for the log-determinant and log-permanent, for limiting distribution of individual eigenvalues in the bulk, and many others.
In this notes, we discuss the following problem: Is it possible to prove the law of the iterated logarithm? We illustrate this possibility by showing that this is indeed the case for the log of the permanent of random Bernoulli matrices and pose open questions concerning several other matrix parameters.


In severe accident of PWR,large amount of hydrogen may accumulate in the containment,combustion or detonation may occur and challenge the integrity of containment.Passive autocatalystic re-combiners(PARs) should be installed to mitigate the hydrogen risk.Aiming at Lingao phase 2 nuclear power plant,using MELCOR and TONUS,a preliminary design of hydrogen mitigation system has been given.Different hydrogen mitigation systems are also compared in this paper.


Towada volcano is an active volcano in northeast Japan, that caused two large caldera‐forming eruptions at 36 ka (episode N) and 15.5 ka (episode L). Petrological analyses and phase equilibrium experiments were performed on silicic endmember rhyolitic pumices from these two eruptions to constrain the pre‐eruptive magma storage conditions. A common mineral assemblage of plagioclase + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + magnetite + ilmenite was observed in both eruptions, whereas amphibole (hornblende) was observed only in the episode L pumice. Mineral thermometers presented temperatures of 832–883°C and 802–870°C for the episode N and L pumices, respectively, with an oxygen fugacity of ∼nickel–nickel oxide (NNO) + 1 in log units. The water‐saturation pressures evaluated using the plagioclase‐melt hygrometer were in the range of ∼100–200 MPa. Experiments at 100–350 MPa and 825–900°C under water‐saturated and NNO‐buffered conditions successfully reproduced the mineral assemblages in both pumices, except for magnetite. Further constraints by phase compositions and phase proportions resulted in the preferred storage conditions of 840–850°C and 150–170 MPa for both eruptions. The emergence of hornblende in the episode L magma was likely caused by the higher CaO content compared to the episode N magma and not by the difference in the storage conditions. The storage depths at ∼5–7 km coincide with the depth of the low seismic velocity beneath the present Towada volcano, suggesting possible magma accumulation at the same depths as in the past caldera‐forming eruptions.


ABSTRACT Preparations ofthe"induced protein" which appears in the rat uterus within 40minof estradiol adminis- tration have recently been reported to contain phosphopro- tein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase, EC 188.8.131.52) activity. Wefoundthat these two proteins distribute differently onammoniumsulfate fractionation ofuterine cy- tosol. Preparative cellulose acetate electrophoresis afforded complete (>99.9%) separation of phosphoprotein phospha-tase activity from the induced protein. The specific activityof phosphoprotein phosphatase in uterine cytosol was un- changed 1, 4, 12, or 24 hr after estradiol administration.These results are incompatible with the view that the in- ducedprotein mediatesestrogen action by virtue ofaninher- entphosphoprotein phosphatase activity.Administration of estradiol-17fl to immaturerats, or matureovariectomized rats, results in an increased rate of synthesisof a uterine protein which has been designated "induced protein" (IP) by Notides and Gorski (1). Synthesis of


In order to reduce influences of discharge of CO2 and other contaminants produced by traffic transportation on atmosphere,development of low-carbon fuels is an effective method.This paper carries out comprehensive review for key techniques for producing fuel alcohol from aspects of raw materials of lignocellulose,pretreatment techniques,fermentation technology,enzymolysis,strains of fermentation and removal of inhibitors affecting fermentation,etc.,and points out that improvement of strains of fermentation enabling saccharomyces cerevisiae to have ferment alcohol produced by amylaceum and xylose at the same time is direction and emphasis of research in the future.


The study is focused on the past and present of teaching foreign languages in the area of Slovakia from 1918 to 2018. It contains an overview of the way foreign language teaching in this area was organized for the period of hundred years. The study places the educational reforms concerning teaching foreign languages in a historical perspective which reflects the increasing importance attached to the teaching of foreign languages by national policy.


Financial planners are keenly aware of, and routinely warn clients about, sequence risk; that is, the possibility of facing a sequence of low returns early in retirement that may force retirees to scale down significantly the plans they had made. This really is a scary scenario, but one that the evidence here shows that retirees are not very likely to encounter. A new and refined definition of sequence risk is advanced in this article, linking this type of risk to the sustainability of a withdrawal strategy. Furthermore, three ways of assessing sequence risk are proposed, among them one that enables a retiree to monitor the sustainability of his withdrawal strategy periodically and to introduce adjustments when necessary. The ultimate message of this article is that retirees should be informed, but not obsess, about sequence risk. Key Findings ▪ Sequence risk, or the possibility of facing a sequence of low returns early in retirement that forces retirees to scale down their plans significantly, is a scary scenario. ▪ The evidence suggests that, however scary it might be, sequence risk is not very likely to hit retirees, who should certainly be informed, but not obsess about, this type of risk. ▪ Three ways of assessing sequence risk are proposed here, among them one that enables retirees to monitor the sustainability of a withdrawal strategy periodically and to introduce adjustments when necessary.


In order to improve the imaging processing efficiency of two-dimensional interpolated synthetic aperture radar (SAR) polar format algorithm (PFA), the SINC interpolation based on block RAM group approach was proposed in this paper. Sampling floating point coordinates were converted to the fixed point, with the integer part of the coordinate being the address. And the echo data and the remaining fractional part were written into the block RAM group. And then we completed the addressing of the echo data and interpolation kernel coefficient in a clock. Echo data were weighted and the interpolation result was obtained. The parallel structure was easy to implement and pipeline output the result to be interpolated. Interpolation points can be down compatible, and it doesn' t increase resource utilization. Based on the SINC interpolation polar format algorithm, the measured data are processed by FPGA, experimental SA R data of 8 KB × 16 KB points can be processed with 1. 78 s when the system operating frequency is 200 MHz, which verifies the validity of the scheme.


Background: There has been a drastic increase in herb-drug interactions day-by-day as a result of an increase in the population using herb and its supplements along with the contemporary medicines. Objectives: To discuss the safety of usage of herbal medicines along with contemporary medicines in the management of lifestyle disorders. Method: This is a systemic review with narrative analysis. A study was carried out to understand the mode of herb-drug interaction in lifestyle disorders. Literature search was conducted with various titles and reports on medical indexed journals, focusing on herb-drug interaction on selected lifestyle disorders. Conclusion: The issue like herb-drug interaction can successfully be combated by bringing change in the curriculum, active participation of regulatory agencies, reforms in statutory bodies and by creating a golden triangle of traditional and modern medicine, and science.


The partition coefficient is a thermodynamic property, widely used for predicting the pharmacokinetic behavior of drugs in the biophase. We are currently interested in obtaining octanol/water relative partition coefficients, through the use of free-energy perturbation methodology within the Discover program (version 2.9.7) of MSI. In this program, however, free-energy perturbation calculations can only be performed using the all-atom CVFF force field. In this work, we have, therefore, derived new parameters for the all-atom CVFF force field that reproduce relevant physicochemical properties of liquid 1-octanol. Moreover, we have described here a methodology designed to derive partial charges and give an improved description of the electrostatics of 1-octanol. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 80: 999–1006, 2000


Ten hearts of mature healthy Buffalo (Bos bubalis L.) were employed to investigate the histological and histochemical structures of the moderator bands. Hearts were gently dissected and the moderator bands were collected. The specimens were processed histologically and subjected to different stains. Grossly, the moderator band (Septomarginal trabeculae) was a single muscular band that was found only in the right ventricle of the buffalo heart. It extended from the interventricular septum to the free ventricular wall especially at the base of the papillary muscle, crossing and passing through the ventricular cavity. Histologically, the moderator band was invested in a dense capsule of connective tissue, endocardium that is mainly consisting of three layers; the endothelial layer of simple squamous epithelium, subendothelial layer of loose connective tissue and the subendocardial layer that connects the endocardium with myocardium. Internally, about 4/5 of the core, myocardium is of the cardiac muscle fibers that arranged in bundles of one direction while only about 1/5 is lodged by purkinje cardiomyocytes that were arranged in bundles distributing mainly in two areas within the moderator band; the subendocardial layer beneath the subendothelial connective tissue and myocardium in between the cardiac myocytes bundles. Centrally, a medium-sized artery of thick wall and a very distinct internal elastic lamina was observed running at the center of the band myocardium and is surrounded with the cardiac myocytes bundles.


This study examines promoter methylation and genetic variation in the S-COMT gene in saliva and blood-derived DNA of 20 monozygotic twin pairs (mean age 4 years), who were discordant for intrauterine development due to severe feto-fetal-transfusion syndrome, and in blood-derived DNA of 93 unrelated individuals. The manuscript assesses an interesting hypothesis and is well written. However, I have some concerns the authors should address:


This research investigates the design of a novel microwave induced plasma torch for the surface modification of non-corrosive fibres. The system was developed to reduce the equipment cost, and production time needed in the conventional plasma treatment. To generate a consistent and low-cost microwave plasma jet at atmospheric pressure, a waveguide-based applicator at 5.8GHz was used. The system uses a microwave signal generator connected to a traveling wave tube to provide the required power. The applicator consists of a nozzle section and a tuning section to decrease the reflected power. Argon gas flows through the copper nozzle, and the high electrical field due to the microwave power, between the gas nozzle and an aperture in the waveguide, causes the gas to become a plasma that flows as a jet through the aperture and into the atmosphere. The effect of plasma treatment on surface characterisation of fibres was performed using contact angle measurement, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope and the results are presented and analysed. Thus, the optimised plasma condition for each separate fibre is utilised. Fibres treated with optimised plasma condition were further used in investigating the fibre-matrix interfacial properties. Furthermore, the effect of the plasma treatment on the flexural behaviour of cementitious composites was investigated using three-point bending. The results show some improvement in the fibre surface properties, so there is a potential of using the developed plasma system in the production of construction composites.


Quasi-Putonghua"is a quite common phenomenon among college students in Guangxi.An effective solution to this problem is to improve their standard of Putonghua.


All Muslims agree that the Qur'an is the first and main source of Islamic law. Nevertheless, this scripture does not guarantee the same result of interpretation, given that the background of life surrounding of the interpreter is different. This paper will review the forms of ikhtilaf al-mufassirin and the causes that bring it up. In examining the causes of ikhtilaf al-mufassirin, there are at least two causes; (1) a common cause, such as the occurrence of ikhtilaf in the case of qira'at, i'rab, musytarak, hakakat-majaz, 'am-khas, mutlaq-muqayyad, mujmal-mubayyan, amr-nahi, nasikh-mansukh, and ikhtilaf in positioning reason as the source of shari'a law; (2) special causes, such as ikhtilaf in criticism of sanad and matan, ikhtilaf in taking a source of law, and ikhtilaf in the case of aqidah and madhhab. While the forms of ikhtilaf al-mufassirin there are also two forms; (1) ikhtilaf tanawwu', ie dissent of opinion which is all aimed at the same intention; (2) ikhtilaf taddad, that is, differences of opinion which is conflicting and can not be united.


The author studies the problems of developing Russian tax system and offers suggestions for the organization of Russian tax policy. She also analyzes the problems of developing the operations of Russian banks, compares different opinions regarding the necessity of increasing banks' tax burden, analyzes the dynamics of tax revenues from the credit organizations in Primorsky Region and gives her assessment of the recent measures aimed at the stimulation of banking operations.


The concept of equity sensitivity suggests profound differences in individual notions of fairness, and distinguishes between benevolents' (givers) and entitleds' (takers). This study extended existing research by exploring the connections between equity sensitivity and business ethics variables. It unfolded in three phases and utilized samples of employed North American respondents. Entitleds tended to respond in less conventionally ethical ways than benevolents; for example, by being more Machiavellian. A proposed model depicting the relation ships among the variables provided a good fit to the data in the first of these samples, and some of the findings were replicated in the second sample. A portrait of benevolence began to emerge that contradicted earlier conceptualizations. Benevolents seemed to hold disparaging views of others who lack strong work ethics, and to regard ethically dubious behaviours in which the employing organization could benefit as relatively acceptable. In a third sample, benevolence was surprisingly associated with right-wing authoritarianism. Implications for the conceptualization and etiology of benevolence were derived, and the assumption of homogeneity in concepts of what is fair and equitable was further challenged by the results.


Reduction is essential in controller design for flexible aircraft, leading to model uncertainty and modeling error. It is difficult to ensure robust stability by conventional controller. In order to resolve that problem, a robust controller, which can not only control flexible aircraft attitude but can also restrain structure vibration quickly, is designed using H∞ mixed sensitivity control method. The controller is reduced to fourth-order and sixth-order by balanced truncation. Controlling effects of the reduction controller are studied by simulating. Simulation results show that compared with full-order controller, response performance of attitude angles using sixth-order controller isn't affected and the controlling effect for fourth-order structure transform mode of aircraft is also roughly the same. Fourth-order controller can make attitude angle of aircraft and vibration of structure transform mode stable and the stable time is similar to full-order controller.


The Elementary School Journal Volume 84, Number 2 ? 1983 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 001 3-5984/84/8402-0004$01.00 While the informational report has been a staple of the elementary school classroom for many years, the headaches associated with this task (for both teachers and students) have become almost as traditional as the assignment itself. Teachers have many stories about the strange and wonderful efforts students make to cope with informational reporting. A startling fact emerges from reviewing a selection of elementary school reports: beyond surface problems of topics that are too broad, the fuzzy sense of audience, proliferation of trivia, wholesale copying from the encyclopedia, and confusion about the real function of a report, a great many children seem to be marching sentences across the page with no regard as to what these sentences mean as a connected whole. This


A NEW APPROACH TO FIGHTING CRIME Crime has continued to fall over the last few years despite substantial reductions in the number of police officers employed and the continued weakness of the domestic economy both factors that one might have expected to generate a rise in criminality. This decline in crime is also reflected in its relative importance as an issue for voters. Theresa Mary May ( Home Secretary) issued a document which provides new directions to combat crime. In the document noted : -First, it sets out the case for change. Second, it sets out the new approach to fighting crime. -Third, it sets out what the approach means for each of the key people and organisations involved in the fight against crime. Fourth, it sets out how it will work in practice. The police now have just one clear objective: to cut crime. But the police can't cut crime on their own. Local councils, health services, probation and fire and rescue services all play a vital role too in keeping communities safe. They all do an amazing job, but in the past their activities have been hindered by reporting burdens, unnecessary rules and a lack of discretion. What? A new approach tofighting crime The Government's approach to fighting crime involves a radical shift in power . The police and their partners will be given far greater freedom to do their jobs and use their discretion. The public will have more power to hold the police and Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) to account and feel empowered to reclaim their


Present economic situations in some underdeveloped countries indicate a lack of proper supply chain and usage of RUTF (Ready to Use Therapeutic Food) or LNS (Lipid Based Nutrient Supplement) for improving child malnutrition. This mini review attempts to demonstrate how lipid-based nutrient supplements can aid in the recovery of children suffering from malnutrition, which is the leading cause of death among children and adolescents worldwide. Lipid Based Nutrient Supplements, or LNS, are typically utilized in emergency situations such as food shortages, medical problems, and so on. Because of their simple formulation and basic characteristics they are straightforward to use and appetizing to children. Production parameters of this supplement are very crucial in maintaining the shelf life and feasibility of the various missions around the world. LNS dosage is also discussed in this mini review paper along with factors upon which a LNS should be evaluated.


This paper demonstrates the use of genetic algorithms (GAs) for size optimization of trusses. The concept of rebirthing is shown to be considerably effective for problems involving continuous design variables. Some benchmark examples are studied involving 4‐bar, 10‐bar, 64‐bar, 200‐bar and 940‐bar two‐dimensional trusses. Both continuous and discrete variables are considered.


Let k be a field of zero characteristic, and let F be a function field over k of genus g. We normalize each valuation v on F so that its order group consists of all rational integers, and for elements u1, …, un of F, not all zero, we define the (projective) height as The sum formula on F shows that this is really a height on the projective space .


Genomic DNA diversity of 46 tea cultivars from China, Korea and Japan was investigated by RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) technique and unweighted pair group with mathematic average (UPGMA) analysis. Total 200 DNA bands were amplified by 19 effective random primers, with average of 10 5 bands per primer and 4 4 bands per cultivars. 84 3% of the DNA bands was polymorphic. The genetic diversity degree was 86 2% in the Chinese tea cultivars and 78 2% in the Korean tea plants. The variation of genetic distances between the 46 tea cultivars varied from 0 279 to 0 654. The results of UPGMA showed that the 46 tea cultivars could be classified into 4 groups. Tea cultivar Yabukita from Japan and the tea cultivars from Korea had close relationship to the Jiukeng, a tea cultivar from Zhejiang of China.


In this paper an integrated optical isolator based on an apodized Kerr-like nonlinear Bragg grating is proposed and investigated carefully. The proposed structure has high enough isolation more easily than 40-dB using apodized nonlinear multilayer stack. Effects of types of apodization and number of layers on isolation are investigated. From presented simulations, we find out that types of apodization and number of layers have critical effect on isolation. Also, the transmitted field distribution for forward and inverse cases are calculated and demonstrated. The proposed method is suitable for integrated purpose and easy for implementation. The proposed structure is simple and easy for control of optical isolation. So, the proposed method is a suitable approach for realization of integrated isolators instead of the magneto-optical based isolators.


Previous studies have focused on the presence of reflux in selected cohorts with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM), but little is known regarding the wider incidence of occult reflux and associated mucosal changes. We aimed to correlate gallbladder mucosal abnormalities with objective evidence of PBM and occult pancreaticobiliary reflux (PBR) in an Australian population undergoing cholecystectomy.


Steens Mountain and Leslie Gulch populations of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) in Oregon were experimentally augmented in 2000 and 2001, respectively, with ewes from the Santa Rosa Mountains population of Nevada, a herd with higher genetic diversity. The intent of these augmentations was to reverse declining trends in herd productivity through increases in genetic diversity. In this research we investigated the demographic response of the Steens Mountain, the larger Steens metapopulation, and Leslie Gulch California bighorn sheep herds to experimental genetic management. We evaluated preand post-augmentation demographic trends using several metrics derived from yearly herd inventory data. Our results suggest that both the Steens Mountain and Leslie Gulch herds exhibited demographic changes after augmentation. Steens Mountain changed from strongly declining in numbers to a more stable pattern whereas the Leslie Gulch population metrics increased substantially over the full course of our study. The responses we observed indicated that inbreeding depression potentially played a role in previous downward trends of our study populations, but further research will be necessary to assess this hypothesis.


The development and implementation of a successful case strategy is one of the priority tasks for a attorney in the course of a preliminary investigation. The paper examines the question of what factors favorably influence the formation of a successful case strategy by the defense attorney at the stage of preliminary investigation. The author argues that the right of a defender to visit his client as provided by the legislator is a prerequisite for an attorney to build up an effective position to protect the rights and legitimate interests of the client, in accordance with which the content of his future work is determined. The paper also examines the problem of the lack of appropriate conditions provided for by law for organizing a meeting between an attorney and his client in the investigation and inquiry bodies, and offers practical recommendations to strengthen the guarantees of the independence of an attorney during a preliminary investigation.


Wolff seeks to support his thesis by examining a variety of literary genres and characteristic themes which he claims are shared in common by Amos and the teachers of tribal or clan wisdom in the Old Testament. He cites as illustrations of clan instructional wisdom the prophet's use of such devices as series of comparisons (3:3-6, 8), the interrogative style (5:25f.; 6:2, 12), the "woe-cry" (5:18; 6:1), the numerical sequence (1:3, 6, 13, etc.), and the exhortation speech (5:4f., 14f . ) . He also cites characteristic themes in Amos that show a wisdom background.


Teleoperated rescue robots have recently been on demand. However, it is known that the teleoperation of a robot hand mounted on a rescue robot is difficult. Therefore, we proposed a new haptic device that presents a haptic sensation for the teleoperation of a robot hand. The device stimulates the back of the hand instead of the palm of the operator. The determination of the required specifications by an experiment with subjects is presented in this paper. To design the device, the interval of the stimulation points (i), the diameter of the stimulation point (d), and the force of the stimulation (f) should be optimized. From the experimental results, we found that the accuracy rate was highest, when (i, d, f) = (30mm, 6mm, 0.9kgf). Moreover, we considered the decided specification in an additional experiment.


The ball bearing was found damaged by pitting corrosion. Compositional analysis on the corroded regions revealed presence of Na and Cl. On the other hand, the roller bearing was damaged due to ingression of foreign material like aluminium and also due to corrosion. The source of aluminium and Cl in the lubricant needs to be identified and corrective measures incorporated to prevent the recurrence of similar failure.


Summary. Calamus temii T. Evans from Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary, north-east Thailand is described as a new species. It is distinctive in its combination of arborescent habit, grouped, concolorous leaflets less than 40 cm long, laminar, black rachis spines, strongly tattering primary and secondary inflorescence bracts (unusual in the genus), short, stout, appressed female rachillae and dark, almost globose fruits with a ruminate endosperm. It seems most similar to the poorly known Chinese species C. melanochrous Burret.


Garrod, B. (2008). Whale watching codes of conduct. Pp. 530-531 in: Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments. Luck, M. (Ed.). ISBN:9781845933500


Efforts to understand the origin and growth of massive black holes observed in the early Universe have spurred a strong interest in the evolution and fate of rapidly-accreting primordial (metal-free) stars. Here, we investigate the evolution of such Population III stars under variable accretion rates, focusing on the thermal response and stellar structure, the impact of the luminosity wave encountered early in the pre-main sequence phase, and the influence of accretion on their subsequent evolution. We employ the Geneva stellar evolution code and simulate ten models with varying accretion histories, covering a final mass range from 491 M$_{\odot}$ to 6127 M$_{\odot}$. Our findings indicate that the critical accretion rate delineating the red and blue supergiant regimes during the pre-main sequence evolution is approximately $2.5\times10^{-2} $M$_{\odot}$/yr. Once core hydrogen burning commences, the value of this critical accretion rate drops to $7.0\times10^{-3}$M$_{\odot}$/yr. Moreover, we also confirm that the Kelvin-Helmholtz timescale in the outer surface layers is the more relevant timescale for determining the transition between red and blue phases. Regarding the luminosity wave, we find that it affects only the early pre-main sequence phase of evolution and does not directly influence the transition between red and blue phases, which primarily depends on the accretion rate. Finally, we demonstrate that variable accretion rates significantly impact the lifetimes, surface enrichment, final mass and time spent in the red phase. Our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate evolutionary patterns of Population III stars subjected to variable accretion rates.


Objective:To isolate the water-soluble steroidal saponin from Dioscorea batatas and to assess its effectiviness of anti-cardiovascular disease. Methods:The fresh rhizome of Dioscorea batatas was extracted with boiling water and then was extracted with ethyl acetate and n-butanol fraction. The water fraction was isolated by the reversed-phase ODS and MCI column chromatography. The chemical structure was elucidated by means of 1H-NMR,13C-NMR,135DEPT,HMQC and HMBC spectroscopic analyses. 30 SD rats were randomly divided into three groups:control group(n=10),I/R group(n=10),and saponin preconditioning group(n=10)followed by I/R induction(SY-1). The following parameters were measured and analyzed:LVEDP,LVDP,dp/dtmax,dp/dtmin,MAP and LDH. Results:One steroidal saponin was isolated from the fresh Dioscorea batatas and its compound was identified as(25R)-26-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-furost-5-en-3β,22ξ-diol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1→4)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside. The results showed this compound greatly improved the protecting of I/R injury of isolated hearts in rats. Conclusion:This compound is a water-soluble steroidal saponin with five sugar moieties,double sugar chains. It contributes the great effectivities of anti-cardiovascular disease.


The M w 7 . 8 Kahramanmaras¸ Earthquake was larger and more destructive than what had been expected for the tectonic setting in Southeastern Turkey. By using near-field records we provide evidence for early supershear transition on the splay fault that hosted the nucleation and early propagation of the first rupture that eventually transitioned into the East Anatolian fault. We also find, for the first time ever, field observational evidence showing the mechanism of sub-Rayleigh to supershear transition. We estimate the instantaneous supershear rupture propagation speed to be ∼ 1 . 55 C s and the sub-Rayleigh to supershear transition length to be around ∼ 19 . 45 km, very close to the location of one of the stations, closest to the epicenter. This early supershear transition might have facilitated the continued propagation and triggering of slip on the nearby East Anatolian Fault leading to amplification of the hazard. The complex dynamics of the Kahramanmaras¸ earthquake warrants further studies.


In Sri Lanka all public signs are required by law to be in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. This article investigates the multiple, clashing ways that Sri Lankan Tamil speakers (Tamils and Muslims) living in-country and abroad interpret Tamil signage blunders in relation to the position of ethnic minorities in the postwar nation. I incorporate ethnographic interviews to examine how three Tamil speakers made sense of a signboard, displayed in several government buses in Colombo, in which the Tamil portion read "reserved for pregnant dogs" instead of "reserved for pregnant mothers." I situate their responses in an account of the circulation of Tamil signage errors on Facebook. I argue that Tamil speakers' disparate interpretations reflect contrasting semiotic ideologies concerning the intentionality of the blunders and the relationship between the posted signboard images and lived sociolinguistic practices (Keane 2003, 2018), which have implications for imagined postwar futures and transnational Tamil political activism.


PCNSL is a rare disease, affecting about 1200 people each year in the United States. Its very name highlights its most unique feature: a diffuse, large B-cell lymphoma limited to the CNS. It may involve the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, spinal cord, or the eyes which are actually neural tissue. How does such a malignancy arise in the only organ system of the body that is devoid of lymph nodes and lymphatics?


Objective To investigate the plasma prolidase (PLD) and prolinase activity in clinical diagnosis of liver fibrosis. Methods A colorimetric method was used to detect the prolinase and ALT activities in 32 patients with chronic hepatitis, 27 posthepatitic cirrhosis and 14 severe hepatitis. Then a comparison to 30 healthy individuals (the control group) was also done. Results In liver disease group, the levels of PLD in patients with chronic hepatitis, chronic severe hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were statistically higher than those in the control group (P0.01). In comparison of the abnormal rates between PLD and ALT, PLD in chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis elevated significantly (P0.05 or 0.01), and moreover, the level in cirrhosis increased most significantly. Conclusion PLD activity is a good index in diagnosis of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis.


There will have been 13 lines with more than 500 km in length for the rail transit in Shanghai by 2012.At the same time,the urban development involves the construction of underground space that requires deep foundation pits.As a consequence,researches on the influences of deep foundation pits on the existing neighboring tunnels have become an important task.Based on the foundation pit of Wheelock Square,some protection measures which should be considered during the design and construction period for protecting metro tunnels are introduced.It may be valuable for the foundation pits more than 10 m in depth and less than 10 m in length near tunnels.


Reflex relaxation using transcutaneous electroneurostimulation (TENS) has been employed in premature labor. Low-frequency TENS proved helpful in the prevention and therapy of un-coordinated uterine contractions and thus in the reduction of perinatal mortality.


The researches of cultivation of winter wheat with application of the biologically active substance potassium humate and nitrogen fertilizers of different concentrations N20 and N40 and their interaction N20+GK and N40+GK showed that potassium humate, without being a mineral fertilizer, increased the crop capacity, nitrogen content in grain, mass proportion of grain protein, nitrogen content in grain protein, Grain nutrition and quantity of gluten were the same as nitrogen fertilizers in concentrations of N20 and N40, and had comparable values for grain protein mass fraction, nitrogen removal with grain protein, grain nutrition and quantity of gluten; it also showed decrease for yield and nitrogen removal with grain of the crop up to 12% under simultaneous action of N20+GK and N40+GK. The application of potassium humate is ecologically and economically profitable from all the presented options, moreover the value of the crop yield is comparable with the applied nitrogen fertilizers in the concentrations of N20 and N40. In view of economic component of agricultural production in conditions of forest-steppe zone of Middle Volga region at the present time intensive system of agriculture with elements of biologization is possible.


The pasting and rheological properties and the microstructure of normal cornstarch(CS) and waxy cornstarch(WCS) mixed with soy protein isolate(SPI) were characterized before and after dry heating using a rapid visco analyser(RVA), a rheometer, and by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). Dry heating with SPI led to a significant increase in starch viscosity; the increase in viscosity of WCS was observed to be more pronounced than that of CS. There was a significant increase in the G′ and G′ values and a corresponding decrease in the tan δ value of the dry heated mixtures, compared to those of untreated starch. This indicated an increase in gel network structure formation in pasted starch after dry heating; in fact, the gel network of heated pasted starch became more solid-like compared to that observed in untreated starch. The SEM images revealed the occurrence of starch accumulation after dry heating of starch with SPI; in addition, compared to CS/SPI, WCS/SPI was observed to form a larger lump. The accumulation of starch molecules suggested the occurrence of interactions between starch and SPI after dry heating; the interactions of WCS and SPI were more pronounced than those of CS and SPI. This simple heating process(with SPI) could be used as a promising method for the modification of WCS.


Understanding axon guidance is important for developing therapies to restore neuronal connections damaged by injury or disease. Axons migrate in response to extracellular guidance molecules that induce or inhibit axon outgrowth activity within the axon. The direction of guidance is determined by the attractive and repulsive responses that the axon has to the guidance cues. In a deterministic model of guidance, the direction of guidance can be precisely determined if the attractive and repulsive effect that each cue has on the axon is known. But what if there are numerous attractive and repulsive responses induced by multiple guidance cues, and the direction of the attractive and repulsive events fluctuates? If the effect that each attractive and repulsive event has on guidance becomes too complex to measure then understanding how each molecular cue influences the guidance decision becomes impossible.


Aim of the work Determine vitamin D receptor gene BsmI, FokI polymorphism and 25-hydroxyvitamin D in early Egyptian rheumatoid patients and its association to subclinical atherosclerosis. Patients and methods This study included forty early rheumatoid arthritis patients and forty healthy controls. Disease activity score 28 (DAS-28), Modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ), Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) were assessed using B-mode ultrasound, Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), Lipid profile, anti cyclic citrullinated PolyPeptid (anti-CCP), serum interleukin-6, Total serum vitamin D and genotype determination of BsmI, FokI polymorphism and allel frequency were measured. Results Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 25% of patients. There was no significant difference between RA patients and controls regarding the distribution of BsmI genotype frequencies and allele. However, a significant difference between rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls regarding the distribution of FokI genotype and allele frequencies was found. In addition, FokI polymorphism and the F allele was significantly associated with RA. anti-CCP, interleukin-6 levels, (cIMT) and vitamin D deficiency were significantly higher in the presence of bb homozygote of BsmI genotypes and FF homozygote of FokI genotypes. A significant negative correlation between 25 hydroxy vitamin D levels with (DAS-28), ESR, (CRP), and IL-6 (P < 0.001). However, there was positive correlation between 25 hydroxyvitamin D levels and HDL-C (P < 0.001).


In the UK there is a widening gap between the farm-gate and retail prices for red meat and pork products. This study attempts to discover the reasons behind this increase by analysing the determinants that are responsible for the increasing margins. Monthly data from January 1982 to March 1996 are used as beyond this period the data are seriously distorted by the BSE scare. The predictive ability of econometrics and neural network models are compared. Although the results from econometrics were overall better it is argued that a combination of the two methods would be the ideal.


Mimics of the natural cell membrane, such as lipid vesicles and supported lipid membranes, have gained significant attention in recent years. This is primarily due to their ability to provide scientists with a model system allowing a large arsenal of scientific tools to be used in studies of biological reactions that are naturally controlled by the cell membrane and its components. An in depth understanding of these processes, which are essential for the integrity and function of cells in all living organisms, is not only of high scientific interest, but also a key component in the development of therapeutic drugs and in disease diagnostics. In the latter contexts, various surface-based biosensor platforms have recently gained increased attention. This stems from the potential of such platforms to provide real-time, label-free and array-based analysis of cell-membrane mediated processes. However, progress in this direction is not limited to new sensor concepts alone, but also includes sophisticated surface modification schemes, which are compatible with array-based sensor platforms.
This thesis work has been focused on the two latter issues, and contributes in essence with (i) a new means of distributing lipid vesicles on surface based array formats, using site-selective and sequence-specific sorting of DNA-modified vesicles on DNA arrays (Paper I to III; this is the major part of the thesis) and (ii) a new platform for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies of supported membranes that span nanoscale holes in thin (~50 nm) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) windows, designed to be compatible with studies of single ion-channel processes (Paper V and Progress Report in Chapter 6).
The concept used to modify lipid vesicles with DNA was based on self incorporating cholesterol-modified DNA. Significant efforts were put on increasing the strength of this coupling (Paper III), and a new method to quantify the DNA density on vesicles has been developed (Paper IV). In addition, as a precursor step towards nano-aperture spanning lipid membranes, an investigation was made of the influence on lateral lipid diffusivity in supported lipid membranes formed on substrates with nanoscale pits (Paper V).
The lipid-based surface-modification protocols developed within this work have in common that they are compatible with studies of different types of membrane residing proteins on a single chip, making it likely that the concepts developed will contribute significantly to the field of array-based detection of membrane protein function. The work on nano-holes and hole-spanning lipid membranes has created a valuable platform towards the goal of studying single trans-membrane proteins, specifically ion channels.


Our main contribution is a protocol that provides strong mobile authentication with non-repudiation using SMS messages. For ensuring these properties, governmentally controlled PKI, and SIM cards with electronic identity application are used. Moreover, our protocol provides confidentiality and integrity of transferred content. An application that implements this protocol was developed and tested in a partly simulated environment. Furthermore, we developed a protocol for mobile payment for vending machines. In comparison to current systems, this protocol contains several enhancements in security, usability and cost both from the client as well as from the service provider point of view.


Automatic bath controllers have become necessary to satisfy the strict requirements imposed by many users of the electroless nickel coatings. They allow the bath to be maintained within close limits, providing optimum bath performance and deposit quality. They can also provide the records needed for today's quality control and SPC programs. Bath controllers offer many benefits for electroless nickel plating, even for the smallest plating operation.


Grain amaranths (Amaranthus spp.) are ancient crops from the Americas that are consumed as pseudo-cereals and vegetables. Two grain amaranths, A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus, originated in Central America, and A. caudatus in South America. Flowering time variation plays a central role in their uses as seed, vegetable and biomass crops. We characterized phenotypic variation for plant height, flowering time and seed setting among 253 genebank accessions including three grain and two wild ancestor species (A. hybridus and A. quitensis) in the temperate climatic and long-day conditions of Germany. Among grain amaranths, A. cruentus flowered early and 88% accessions set seed. A. hypochondriacus accessions were mildly or highly photoperiod-sensitive with a lower proportion of seed setting (31%). A. caudatus accessions were mildly photoperiod-sensitive and failed seed production. Photoperiod-insensitive accessions set seed regardless of their origin, and mildly photoperiod-sensitive accessions set seed if they originated from regions with higher temperatures. Overall, Central American accessions of both wild and domesticated amaranths showed large variation in flowering time and photoperiod sensitivity, whereas variation among South American wild and domesticated amaranths was limited to mild photoperiod sensitivity. This observation is consistent with a model of independent domestication in Central and South America, and suggests a potential Central American origin of A. hybridus followed by migration to and selection against high photoperiod sensitivity in South America. Our results provide useful information for the design of breeding programs for different uses, and provide insights into grain amaranth domestication by considering flowering time as an adaptive trait.


Objective To study the efficacy observation and clinical analysis of intercostobrachial nerve reservation in the modified radical mastectomy.Methods 60 patients with breast cancer were randomized into the control group(without reservation the intercostobrachial nerve during the modified radical mastectomy) and the observation group(reservation the intercostobrachial nerve during the modified radical mastectomy),30 patients per group.The postoperative complications,and postoperative skin and sensory function abnormality in axillary and medial upper arm,and the local recurrence during 3-year-follow-up period were observed and compared.Results Compared with the control group(10.0%),the postoperative complications in the observation group was not obviously changed(13.3%),P0.05.Compared with the control group(60.0%),the incidence of postoperative skin and sensory function abnormality in axillary and medial upper arm in the observation group was significantly decreased(10.0%),P0.05;With 3-year-follow-up period,no patient with local recurrence and distant metastasis was observed in the two groups.Conclusion The reservation the intercostobrachial nerve during the modified radical mastectomy was able to obviously decrease the postoperative skin and sensory function abnormality,improve the quality of the prognosis with the low local recurrence rate,and worthy of clinical promotion.


The aim of this study is to explore the extent to which students who have completed, or are still engaged in, a PD consider that either the product of their doctorate or the process of doing it, have "impacted" on their professional practice and development. A range of case studies/ narratives/ stories from students who were willing to openly engage in the activity of personal reflection on how the PD influenced, impacted upon or altered their own professional practice and development provide part of the evidence base for this research. Data were also collected from written documentation including evidence from completed PD theses. In the next phase of this research we intend to collect further data from interviews and focus groups. The data from those who participated serves to inform the main research question: what is the impact of the professional doctorate on students" professional practice and personal development? In addition, it is helping us to begin to conceptualise some of the problematic terms in the debate around professional doctorates and to show how "impact" and influence might work in the professional practice of PD students.


The first chapter presents a model of legal interpretation in a hierarchical court. Using a two-level court in which judges have spatial preferences over doctrine, the model examines how appeals, panels, and other structural features of the court affect the incentives of judges and promote uniform interpretation of the laws. The threat of appeal has a moderating influence on judges in the lower court. When the cost of appeal is low, this effect will be stronger, but the lower court will also have less influence on the final decision. Hence, under many conditions, overall uniformity will be maximized at an intermediate cost of review. Factors that may increase the predictability of rulings on the higher court, such as panel size, may weaken the incentives toward moderation on the lower court. The second chapter analyzes judicial decision making in three-judge appellate panels. When judges are ideological but have a preference for consensus, there will be negotiation among the three judges in an effort to reach agreement. This paper constructs a model of judicial negotiation, where judges have preferences on an ideological spectrum and disutility from disagreement. The parameters of the negotiation model and the judges' ideological inclinations are then estimated on a data set of sex discrimination cases using maximum likelihood estimation. The results find strong evidence that judges' votes are influenced by their panel colleagues, but that this influence mostly takes the form of outvoted judges joining the majority. However, judges in the minority appear to have a small but significant effect on case outcomes. The third chapter examines the impact of liability law on firms' investments in product safety when such investments take the form of fixed costs and liability does not apply equally to competing products. Using a model with one innovative good and one competitively supplied good, the paper finds that asymmetric liability deters safety innovation when the adminstration of the tort system is inefficient. When inefficiencies in the tort system are small, however, incentives to develop safer products may be stronger under asymmetric liability. Thesis Supervisor: Glenn Ellison Title: Professor of Economics


This paper aim to present the static and dynamic analysis of stone arch of historical monument building of senate hall Allahabad University. The senate hall is old stone and masonry structure constructed in 1915 (102 year). The modelling of arch is performed using finite element software Ansys workbench 14.0. Static and dynamic analysis results shows that under standard gravity load of the arch, the maximum Von Mises stress are generated 2.24 MPa at middle of column main arch. The structure is safe under gravity loading. The maximum deformation of 9.69 mm is estimated at top of the main arch. The dynamic modal analysis of arch is performed for three mode frequencies (Hz) 0.21384, 0.70478 and 1.394.


This study aims to find out the customer satisfaction of E-commerce Venus based on E-Service Quality. This study uses seven E-Service Quality dimensions consisting of efficiency, fulfilment, system availability, privacy, responsiveness, compensation, and contact. This study used Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) method to determine the attributes that made customers not satisfying. The result showed that the customers are satisfied with E-commerce Venus service's but there are some improvement to do. Based on IPA analysis, E-commerce Venus there are no attributes on top priority to improve and ten attributes must be maintained. But, there are four indicators that have high gap values that E-commerce Venus needs to improve.


In the third year of the project, all research areas were surveyed in accordance with the original proposal of the project. The accomplishments of the project are reflected in the following list of publications (the numbers refer to the table with project outputs): one book [3] and one chapter in book [4], and the journal articles [1] and [2]. Moreover, the achievements of the project were presented at four international conferences and workshops (focused on formal linguistics, natural language processing, and lexical resources) and published in their conference proceedings [6], [5], [8], and [7] as well as in the proceedings of the Meeting of the Commission on the Grammatical Structure of the Slavic Languages of the International Committee of Slavists (henceforth Grammatical Commission) [10]. In addition, four oral presentations were delivered at the conference devoted to the valency in Slavic languages [12], [13], [14], [16], one in the Seminar of Formal Linguistics [11], and one at the Meeting of the Grammatical Commission [15]. One journal article was submitted to a journal with impact factor [17] and two articles were submitted to reviewed journals [18], [19]. The research teams of the collaborating institutions – the Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics (MFF UK) and the Slavonic Institute (SI CAS) – closely collaborated: an internal seminar was organized in June, attended by all team members as well as by other researchers; research plans, partial results as well as open problems and possible solutions were intensively discussed via e-mail. Members of both teams participated in the international valency conference held in Prague (Research of Verbal Valency in Slavic Countries in the Past and at Present), organized by the Slavonic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Western and Southern Slavic Studies of the University of Warsaw.


Objectives: Infection prevention and control (IPC) in hospitals is key to safe patient care. Currently, no data are available regarding the implementation of IPC in hospitals in Indonesia. We assessed the existing IPC practices in a nationwide survey using the World Health Organization (WHO) IPC assessment framework tool (IPCAF) to identify strengths, weaknesses, and challenges. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July to November 2021. Of all general hospitals in Indonesia, 475 (20%) were selected using stratified random sampling based on class (ie, A, B, C, and D; A being the larger hospitals with ≥250 beds) and region. IPCAF was translated into Indonesian and was tested in 4 hospitals. Questions were added regarding challenges in the implementation of IPC. Introduction meetings were held online with all selected hospitals, after which the IPCAF was sent as an online questionnaire. Results: In total, 355 hospitals (74.7%) participated in this study. The overall median score of IPCAF was 632.5. The level of implementation of IPC was mostly advanced (56.9%), followed by intermediate (35.8%), basic (7.0%), and inadequate (0.3%). The core component with the highest scores was IPC guidelines; almost all hospitals had guidelines on the most important topics, including hand hygiene. Core components with the lowest scores were surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), education and training, and multimodal strategies. Although >90% of hospitals indicated that surveillance of HAIs was performed, 57.2% reported no availability of adequate microbiology laboratory capacity to support HAI surveillance. The most reported challenges in the implementation of IPC were behavior change and lack of availability of antibiograms. Conclusions: The implementation of the IPC core components in most Indonesian hospitals was "advanced." For surveillance of HAIs, the need for the availability and capability of the microbiology laboratory was revealed.


ABSTRACT This paper presents a computer-based method for formulation and efficient solution of nonlinear, constrained differential equations of motion for spatial dynamic analysis of mechanical systems and its application to automobile crash simulation. Nonlinear holonomic constraint equations and differential equations of motion are written in terms of a maximal set of Cartesian generalized coordinates, three translational and four rotational coordinates for each rigid body in the system, where the rotational coordinates are Euler parameters. A numerical integration algorithm with positive-error control, employing a predictor-corrector algorithm with variable order and step size, integrates for only the independent variables, yet effectively determines dependent variables. The program is used to analyze plastic deformations of structures by employing a plastic hinge concept. The structure is divided into several components that are connected by plastic hinges. Each plastic hinge is modeled by a joint-spr...


The article traces the evolution of the relationship between public and private during the development of human communication, starting from the earliest stages, when communication of a public nature was nothing more than a purposeful translation of general norms of behavior, taboos, beliefs, worldviews, attitudes toward power, helped to coordinate the efforts of the members of a clan, a tribe, in order to survive, to preserve some stability, to exist in time and space. Practically, such a model with some variations prevailed over a long period of human development. The new time has generated a new communication actor - a person who claimed to own a share of the private zone. In this sense, the practice of using social networks is interesting, with all their features within the stated theme: accessibility for supervising bodies and advertising are the defense of personal data, the possibility for communication in forums.


The main purpose of this research is to analyze possible implications of the European Union enlargement on tourism development and real estate market in Croatia.Therefore, the analysis done in this paper is primarily focused on interrelated development of tourism and real estate markets as well as on the effects of the capital inflows on macroeconomic aggregates in Croatia. The accession of Croatia to the EU and real estate market liberalization will obviously create positive economic effects for local property owners, but on the other side a large number of downsides must be analyzed as well. Medium and long term effects of capital inflows are specially investigated with respect to competitiveness of other industries and in regard to issues with social problems that might emerge in the areas with developed tourism industry.


Rationale: Patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have complex organ support needs that necessitate prolonged stays in the intensive care unit (ICU), likely to result in a high incidence of neuromuscular weakness and loss of well-being. Early and structured rehabilitation has been associated with improved outcomes for patients requiring prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation, but at present no data are available to describe similar interventions or outcomes in COVID-19 populations. Objectives: To describe the demographics, clinical status, level of rehabilitation, and mobility status at ICU discharge of patients with COVID-19. Methods: Adults admitted to the ICU with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and mechanically ventilated for >24 hours were included. Rehabilitation status was measured daily using the Manchester Mobility Score to identify the time taken to first mobilize (defined as sitting on the edge of the bed or higher) and highest level of mobility achieved at ICU discharge. Results: A total of n = 177 patients were identified, of whom n = 110 survived to ICU discharge and were included in the subsequent analysis. While on ICU, patients required prolonged periods of mechanical ventilation (mean 19 ± 10 d), most received neuromuscular blockade (90%) and 67% were placed in the prone position on at least one occasion. The mean ± standard deviation time to first mobilize was 14 ± 7 days, with a median Manchester Mobility Score at ICU discharge of 5 (interquartile range: 4–6), which represents participants able to stand and step around to a chair with or without assistance. Time to mobilize was significantly longer in those with higher body mass index (P < 0.001), and older patients (P = 0.012) and those with more comorbidities (P = 0.017) were more likely to require further rehabilitation after discharge. Conclusions: The early experience of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom resembles the experience in other countries, with high acuity of illness and prolonged period of mechanical ventilation required for those patients admitted to the ICU. Although the time to commence rehabilitation was delayed owing to this severity of illness, rehabilitation was possible within the ICU and led to increased levels of mobility from waking before ICU discharge. Clinical trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04396197).


Background AS and PsA patients without clinically evident cardiovascular disease have a high prevalence of subclinical cardiovascular disease in form of increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques compared to matched controls. Objectives To evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis by determining carotid IMT and the presence of atheromatous plaques in a sample of patients with PsA and AS, and analyze its relationship with demographic, clinical and analytical characteristics. Methods Observational and cross-sectional study of 70 spondyloarthritis patients (40 PsA according to the CASPAR classification criteria and 30 AS patients According to the New York classification criteria) were randomly selected from our cohort in 2013. We recorded age and sex of patients, disease duration, joint count, VAS for pain and for global disease activity, BASDAI and BASFI score, ESR, CRP, HLA-B27 and Cw0602, CV risk factors as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, smoking status, glycemia, lipid profile and BMI. IMT (mm) and carotid plaques were measured in the right common carotid artery and the study was performed using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound. Continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U test. Proportions were compared by chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Correlation between carotid IMT and continuous variables was tested via estimation of Pearson's partial correlation coefficient adjusted by age at the time of the study. Two-sided P values less than 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 17.0 program. Results Carotid IMT was correlated with age (rho =0.444, p<0.0001), abdominal circumference (r =0.409, p=0.001) and CRP level (r =0.496, p=0.001). Uveitis was associated with higher IMT (0.74 vs 0.62, p=0.046). Also high blood pressure was associated with higher IMT (0.73 vs 0.59, p=0.02). Atheromatous plaques were present in around 10% of patients and were associated with higher IMT (p=0.040). All the other variables were not significantly associated with IMT. Patients with PsA had slightly greater carotid artery IMT than AS (0.67 vs 0.60, p=0.076). Conclusions In our patients with SAp the carotid intima-media thickness is associated with older age, presence of atheromatous plaques, hypertension, obesity, higher C-reactive protein serum levels and uveitis. References Gonzalez-Juanatey C, Llorca J, Amigo-Diaz E, Dierssen T, Martin J, Gonzalez-Gay MA. High prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in psoriatic arthritis patients without clinically evident cardiovascular disease or classic atherosclerosis risk factors. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Aug 15; 57(6):1074-80 Gonzalez-Juanatey C, Vazquez-Rodriguez TR, Miranda-Filloy JA, Dierssen T, Vaqueiro I, Blanco R, et al. The high prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis without clinically evident cardiovascular disease. Medicine (Baltimore) 2009; 88: 358–65 Acknowledgements We wish to express our enormous gratitude to Dr. C Gonzalez-Juanatey Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4712


In this article we study what we chose to call exotic properties of NHMS and NHSMS. The interplay between stochastic theory of NHMS and NHSMS and other branches of probability, stochastic processes and mathematics, we believe is a fascinating one apart from being important. In many cases the information needed for the evolution of a NHMS is a larger set than the history of the multidimensional process NHMS. In our world where an overflow of information exists almost in all problems, it is almost surely that this will be available. Here, we extend the definition of the NHMS in order to accomodate this case. In this respect we arrive at the defnition of the 𝒢-non homogeneous Markov system. We study the problem of change of measure in a 𝒢-non homogeneousMarkov system. It is proved that under certain conditions the NHMS retains the Markov property, while as expected the basic sequences of transition probabilities change and it is established how they do so. We also find the expected population structure of the NHMS under the new measure in close analytic form. We also define the 𝒢-non homogeneous semi-Markov system and we study the problem of change of measure in a 𝒢-non homogeneous semi-Markov system. It is proved that under certain conditions the NHSMS retains the semi-Markov property while as expected the basic sequences of transition probabilities change and it is established how they do so. We prove that if the input process of memberships is a non homogeneous Poisson process, then asymtotically and under certain easily met in practice conditions, the compensated population structure of the 𝒢-NHMS is a martingale. Finally we prove that the space of all random population structures, under easily met in practice conditions, is a Hilbert space.


Since Japan's first post-World-War II election more than a quarter of a century ago, the basic pattern of politics has been a confrontation between progressive (that is, Socialist and Communist) and conservative forces. Political power has rested firmly in the hands of the conservatives all during this period with the exception of about nine months between late May, 1947, and early March, 1948, when the Socialists headed a coalition cabinet. But the Socialists were not truly in power because they commanded only a minority of both the popular vote and National Diet seats.


A 56 years old male patient presented to our institution with a gradually progressive bulbous, multi-lobular, non-tender,rm, rubbery swelling of tip and dorsum of nose over last 20 years, extending to bilateral alae, with prominent skin pores, causing functional and cosmetic impairment. Condition was clinically diagnosed as rhinophyma and accorded 6 points under Rhinophyma Severity Scale. Under general anaesthesia, excision was done by shaving of the mass from underlying cartilage without damaging it, with the use of loop electro-cautery. Wound was allowed to granulate and heal by secondary intention, with no recurrence observed in follow-up. Histopathological examination conrmed rhinophyma


The aim of this report was, in the first place, to examine entry and exit arrangements of buses. A more safe and comfortable journey for the handicapped was also studied. A proposal of a "nordic bus", serving as a standard is described and measures given. The entry or exit for wheel-chairs may be facilitated by different kinds of lifts or platforms. A prototype of a "transport chair" is discussed. Fastening of the wheel-chair and passenger is an important matter for traffic safety and different devices are presented. Handrails and correctly designed steps would make it easier for people with difficulties to walk. The blind or people with defective vision have to be informed orally about bus stops etc, and a standard design of bus would facilitate the orientation. Visible signs are needed for people with impaired hearing. It is also important to choose the interior material to minimize problems for allergic people, and to install an air-filter for preventing dust. (TRRL)


The paper presents a position sensing method for IPM motors based on an observer referring to the estimated frame of reference, eliminating problems with position dependent inductances. Convergence of the estimation error to zero is proofed, under the assumption that the mechanical time constant is much larger than the electrical one. The observer can be used right from startup to rated speed, so bump from a startup strategy is avoided. In order to verify the observer experiments have been performed


To the Editor:

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation (PBSCT) has been increasingly used and may replace autologous bone marrow transplantation for treatment of cancer patients with high-dose chemotherapy. Granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (colony-forming units–granulocyte-


For high-performance silicon-carbon (Si-C) based anode materials used in high energy-density lithium ion batteries (LIBs), it is an urgent need to rationally construct a stable SEI film and load a...


With the increasing demand for telecommunications services in recent years, in order to minimize the number of antennas on spacecraft, this paper proposed a wide-band compact corrugated horn feed antenna for Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS) and Fixed Satellite Services (FSS). Simulation is done to verify the performances of the design. The simulation results indicate that the horn antenna can cover the 10.7GHz-21.2GHz frequency band with return loss less than −28 dB and the antenna has good pattern symmetry in both E-plane and H-plane with phase center stability. The proposed corrugated horn feed antenna has wide application prospects in the field of satellite communication.


This paper discusses a theoretical interface framework among software tools used to develop embedded and off-line diagnostic tests from a system engineering perspective. A universal test development model is defined as a basis for discussion of generic categories of system testing tools. The interface framework benefits are identified and several recommendations are presented to advance interface and standards development.<<ETX>>


Design and optimization of efficient and compact nano-optical isolators based on irregular arrays of dielectric rods are presented. These designs allow electromagnetic waves to propagate in single direction and prevent them from propagating in the opposite direction. This way, high forward transmission is achieved, while the main source is protected from reflected waves. Effective optimization algorithms are integrated with the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA), a fast and accurate full-wave numerical solver, to design efficient isolators composed of different arrangements of dielectric elements with controlled forward and backward transmissions.


Producers in the wine industry are increasingly competing in the area of product differentiation. The focus of this article is product differentiation via sustainable viticulture and consumer perception. The authors report on their independent research, assess previous findings in the literature, and examine the industry trends. The study concludes with important observations on wine consumer perceptions of sustainable practices in the wine industry and implications for industry practices and product development.


It is demonstrated by means of collisionally activated decomposition (CAD) that [C3H5O]+ originating from metastable [C4H8O]+˙ ions are either acylium [C2H5CO]+ (a) or hydroxycarbenium [CH2CHCHOH]+ (b). Butanone gives exclusively a but 2-methyl-2-propen-1-ol, 2-buten-1-ol, 3-buten-1-ol, butanal and 2-methylpropanal lead to ion b. Both structures a and b are produced from 3-buten-2-ol. These results are discussed in conjunction with experimental and calculated (MINDO/3) thermodynamic data.


Flexible-shelled eggs of the lizards Phrynocephalus przewalskii and P. versicolor were incubated under different thermal and hydric conditions to elicit the effects of incubation environment on hatching success, embryonic development and duration as well as hatchling phenotypes. Embryogenesis of the two species was not sensitive to changes in the hydric environment except P przewalskii incubated in 30 degrees C group. Temperature significantly altered the duration of embryogenesis, with cooler temperatures leading to a longer incubation period. Hatching success was greater at 26 and 30 degrees C than at 34 degrees C.-The hatchlings incubated at 26 and 30 degrees C had longer snout-vent length, larger body mass, and better locomotor performance than those incubated at 34 degrees C. Compared to P. przewalskii, P versicolor had a shorter incubation period and yielded smaller hatchlings, which then had a higher survival rate in cooler and drier habitats. We conclude that an incubation temperature of 30 degrees C would produce the best balance among developmental rate, hatching success, and post-hatching performance. We speculate that the upper temperature limit for incubation of P versicolor eggs may be slightly higher than 34 degrees C.


This paper introduces a hybrid optimization approach, an inexact two-stage mixed integer linear programming (ITMILP) model, for the planning of regional solid waste management systems under uncertainty. The model improves upon the existing mixed integer, two-stage stochastic and interval-parameter programming approaches by allowing uncertainties presented as random distributions and discrete intervals, as well as policies expressed as allowable waste-loading targets to be effectively incorporated within a general optimization framework. In the modeling formulation, penalties are imposed when the policies are violated. In its solutions algorithm, the ITMILP model is transformed into two deterministic submodels, which were solved sequentially. Application of the developed methodology to the planning of a waste management system indicates that reasonable solutions for the binary and continuous decision variables can be generated through this approach. Considerable information was generated regarding decisions of facility expansion within a multi-period, multi-scale and multi-waste-level context; and optimal waste flow allocation patterns were achieved within the waste management system. The ITMILP model was then employed to generate a number of decision alternatives under various policy conditions, allowing for more in-depth analyses of tradeoffs between environmental and economic objectives.


Provides a case study of total quality implementation at a company which designs, manufactures and installs safety and control systems, employing over 1,000 staff worldwide. Reports on each stage of the implementation, noting the involvement of a university in the cultural analysis of the company. Claims positive results from the implementation, including reduction in build costs and budget hours; and considers the way ahead, noting that there remains much still to do.


Most researches have been done for past few decades on distributed sensor and also fabricating the fibre optic to make sensor to detect vibration, cracks on the building and environmental factors. Due to the fact that fibre optic sensors are small, electrically isolated and immune to electromagnetic fields, they are an adequate choice to incorporate into the composite material designs. In this study, the transmission losses due to pressure on an optical fiber to determine the pressure sensitivity were investigated using a commercial optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR). A multimode optical fiber (50/125) was subjected to pressure using various mass in the range of 500 g to 2000 g at 25 m and 50 m from the end of the fiber. The mass was placed on the fiber using microbend test rigs.


Objective
To study the effect of mind mapping on cognitive ability in elderly with mild cognitive impairment(MCI).

Methods
A total of 60 elderly aged were randomly divided into training group (30 cases) and control group(30 cases). Elderly in control group received routine maintenance of living habits. The elderly in the training group received mind mapping training intensively for 30 minutes every day for 12 months. The training effects were evaluated by mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and abilities of daily living scale(ADL).

Results
After training, the score of MMSE in the training group(six months: 25.55±1.17; one year: 26.30±1.64) were significantly higher than before intervention(P<0.05) and higher than that of control group(24.90±1.97)(P<0.05). The score of ADL in the training group(14.47±0.64) were significantly lower than before intervention(14.47±0.64) and that of control group(15.47±1.19)(P<0.05).

Conclusion
Mind mapping training can improve the cognitive abilities of MCI older people.

Key words:
Old people; Mind mapping; Cognitive ability; Mini-mental state examination