Alkylating agents such as Temozolomide (TMZ) significantly upregulate stress-induced NKG2D ligands targeted by innate immune effector cells. Genetic modification of γδT cells with an MGMT-expressing lentivector abrogates TMZ-induced lymphodepletion allowing simultaneous chemotherapy and γδT cell therapy in a process we have termed Drug Resistant Immunotherapy (DRI) resulting in a significant improvement in long-term survival in patient-derived xenograft (PDXT) models of primary and recurrent GBM. We have now initiated a Phase I clinical trial of DRI in primary GBM (BB-IND-17928) to determine the safety of this approach.

 Effector γδT cells are manufactured from a fractional apheresis product obtained immediately prior to post-resection chemo/radiotherapy. Cultures are propagated in a Miltenyi Prodigy® bioreactor using media containing Zoledronic Acid and rhIL-12, transduced with a P140K-MGMT lentivector, maintained for up to 14 days, harvested, and cryopreserved. At the initiation of maintenance TMZ therapy, patients receive 150mg/m2 intravenous TMZ and 1 x 107 γδT cells delivered through a Rickham reservoir inserted into the tumor cavity at primary resection. Treatment frequency escalates from one to three 28-day cycles in a standard 3 x 3 design.

 Closed system manufacturing in the Prodigy bioreactor produced 4.5 – 11.9 x 108 γδT cells (44–103 fold expansion) from the apheresis starting material (0.6–1.9% γδT cells) with vector copy numbers of 0.9 - 2.1 copies/cell and in vitro cytotoxicity against K562 44.3% - 77.9% at E:T 40:1. Products were successfully cryopreserved and retained in vivo potency against GBM PDXT in mice over single-agent TMZ (p= 0.0286). All cell products met sterility and identity criteria.

 These findings show that genetically modified γδT cells can be manufactured to clinical scale under GMP compliance in an automated bioreactor and cryopreserved to produce multiple doses of functionally-competent γδT cells. Patient accrual will initiate in 2019.


Computer simulations of the magnetizing process have been carried out by applying a numerical model to the theory of magnetization and demagnetization for magnetic materials. The numerical model (written using the Python programming language) is able to calculate the magnetization/demagnetization of the permanent magnet material according to its B-H curves. This numerical model is combined with an existing finite-element method (FEM) model in which the result of computations is the approximated potential value in the FEM mesh. The aim of this paper was to develop a tool able to simulate the behavior of an anisotropic sintered permanent magnet during the demagnetization process. The permanent magnet material that has been studied in this paper is sintered Nd-Fe-B and it was modeled taking into account an average misalignment angle related to the magnet easy axis. This model also takes into account different demagnetizing field directions, such as a demagnetizing field perpendicular to the orientation direction, which is often ignored. It is shown that even a demagnetizing field perpendicular to the magnetization direction can produce visible demagnetization effects. A Gaussian distribution of the average misalignment angle in the permanent magnet material is also taken into account as well as its variation. Demag curves have been calculated varying the misalignment angle and the intensity and direction of the external magnetic field. The simulation results are in perfect agreement with the 1/cosθ law. The model can be applied in many magnetization and magnetic tuning applications.


The neutron capture cross section of 137Ba has been measured to high resolution (AE/E ~ o· 2 %) below En = 60 keY. Average values of resonance parameters, extracted for resonances in the range 2·7 < En < 12 keY, are as follows: s-wave level spacing <D) = 380± 70 eV; s-wave radiative width <Tv). = 80±15meV; s-wave neutron strength function 104 So = 0'57±0'2; and p-wave neutron strength function 104 S1 = 0·45±0·2. The s-wave radiative width and the s-wave neutron strength function appear to be lower for 137Ba than for the other barium isotopes.


A 70-day experiment was conducted to evaluate the optimal formula of metal-enriched diet at the best per-formance in weight gain and feed conversion efficiency for juvenile yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.The juveniles of average 11.80g were fed with five different diets enriched with inorganic(Group 1) or amino-acid-chelated(Group 2) metal elements in different proportions.The weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, protein efficiency, and nutrients component and metal elements content in the fish muscle were determined.The results show that the enriched diet could enhance the fish growth performance, of which Group 2 was 16.86% higher than Group 1 in weight gain and other indicators.Metal elements deposited mainly in the bones but muscles.However, adding metal elements into fish diet showed no significant effect on the nutrient composition, amino acid composition and savor of muscle.The optimal formula of the enriched diet was Cu 4mg, Fe 140mg, Zn 20mg, Mn 12mg per kilogram diet.


Because the nitramine explosive has high mechanical sensitivity and shock wave sensitivity,the attention is given to the security of modern high energy propellant.In order to evaluate the security of NEPE high energy propellant,it's necessary to study and calculate the TNT equivalence of high energy propellant.The method for confirming TNT equivalence from the output of practiceal explosion is chosen to study TNT equivalence of high energy propellant in this text.The simulation pressure-scaled distance relations consistent with the experiment results got from 10 kg TNT and NEPE high energy propellant explosion are obtained by the least squares algorithm and curve regression.The relationship of TNT equivalence and contrast distance is obtained under 0.006MPa~0.500 MPa.Based on the simulation results,the TNT equivalence of the NEPE high energy propellant under 0.006MPa~0.500 MPa is derived as about 1.26.


As a preliminary study for evaluating bony changes of the alveolar crest, 1, 115 sheets of intra-oral roentgenograms obtained from 130 dental patients with the bisecting-angle technique were observed.In the age group lower than 30 years, the bone loss on the interalveolar and the interradicular septa were found in 72% and 16% of the samples. These values became higher with age. The former attained to a plateau level of 99% in the age group of the thirties and the latter the level of 51% in the age group the fifties.It was suggested that the progressive bony loss with age was characterized by homologous change in the age group less than forty, while heteromorphous change was predominant in the age group higher than forty, resulting from an increase in the case of transformation H-type bony loss into V-type one.Bony loss in the upper molars and the lower incisors might highly progressed than in others.In the portions of the molars and the second premolar, V-type of bone loss was more frequently recognized than H-type on the mesial site of the tooth of the interalveolar septa, but inverted on the distal site of the tooth of the interalveolar septa.In the portions of the incisors and the cuspid, frequency of bone loss with H-type was higher than that with V-type and wasnearly equal on both of the sites.


Freshwater (FW) rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) urinary bladders mounted in vitro under symmetrical saline conditions displayed electroneutral active absorption of Na+ and Cl– from the mucosal side; the transepithelial potential (Vt) was 0.1 mV, and the short-circuit current was less than 1 μA cm–2. Removal of Na+ from mucosal saline decreased Cl– absorption by 56% and removal of Cl– decreased Na+ absorption by 69%. However, active net absorption of both Na+ and Cl– was not abolished when Cl– or Na+ was replaced with an impermeant ion (gluconate or choline, respectively). Under physiological conditions with artificial urine ([Na+] = 2.12 mM, [Cl–] = 3.51 mM) bathing the mucosal surface and saline bathing the serosal surface, transepithelial potential (Vt) increased to a serosal positive ~+7.6 mV. Unidirectional influx rates of both Na+ and Cl– were 10–20-fold lower but active absorption of both ions still occurred according to the Ussing flux ratio criterion. Replacement of Na+ with choline, or Cl– with gluconate, in the mucosal artificial urine yielded no change in unidirectional influx of Cl– or Na+, respectively. However, kinetic analyses indicated a decrease in maximum Na+ transport rate (Jmax) of 66% with no change in affinity (Km) in the low Cl– mucosal solution relative to the control solution. Similarly, there was a 79% decrease in Jmax values for Cl–, again with no change in Km, in the low-Na+ mucosal bathing. The mucosal addition of DIDS, amiloride or bumetanide (10–4 M) had no effect on either Na+ or Cl– transport, under either symmetrical saline or artificial urine/saline conditions. Addition of the three drugs simultaneously (10–4 M), or chlorothiazide (10–3 M), under symmetrical saline conditions also had no effect on Na+ or Cl– transport rates. Cyanide (10–3 M) addition to mucosal artificial urine caused a slowly developing decrease of Na+ influx to 59% and Cl– influx to 50% in the period after drug addition. Na+ and Cl– reabsorption appears to be a partially coupled process in the urinary bladder of O. mykiss; transport mechanisms are both dependent upon and independent of the other ion. J. Exp. Zool. 287:1–14, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. The transport functions of the urinary bladder in freshwater teleosts have been studied extensively in vitro, particularly in the European rainbow trout (Salmo irideus, generally considered a strain of Oncorhynchus mykiss) (Lahlou and Fossat, '71, '84; Fossat et al., '74; Fossat and Lahlou, '77, '79a,b, '82), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) (Marshall, '86, '88; Marshall and Bryson, '91), and North American rainbow trout (O. mykiss) (Hirano et al., '73; Demarest and Machen, '82; Harvey and Lahlou, '86). The urinary bladder of a teleost fish is an enlargement of the paired mesonephric ducts which leave the kidney and unite to form the urinary bladder (Hickman and Trump, '69). It is a single-layered epithelium containing mitochondria-rich cells, microvilli, and cilia surrounded by a contractile muscular wall (Lahlou and Fossat, '84). In vivo studies have shown that ureteral urine is modified during residence in the bladder, yielding a urine with lower Na and Cl concentrations (Curtis and Wood, '91). Therefore, the urinary bladder functions as an accessory osmoregulatory organ to the kidney in the FW teleost, facilitating hyperosmotic regulation. The mechanism of Na and Cl transport in the urinary bladder of Salmo irideus has been characterized as electroneutral co-transport (Fossat and Lahlou, '79a). Thus the removal of either ion from the mucosal side induced the disappearance of the net flux of the other ion. This coupled NaCl transport is associated with an undetectable transepithelial potential difference (Vt) and shortAbbreviations used: FW, freshwater; SW, seawater; Gt, transepithelial conductance; Vt, transepithelial potential; Jms, influx; Jsm, efflux; Jnet, Jms – Jsm. Grant sponsor: NSERC; Grant sponsor: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. *Correspondence to: C.M. Wood, Dept. of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario Canada L8S 4K1. E-mail:firstname.lastname@example.com Received 6 October 1998; Accepted 29 November 1999 2 D.W. BURGESS ET AL. circuit current (Isc). The urinary bladder is termed a "leaky" epithelium due to its low transepithelial resistance Rt (~200 Ω · cm) and the paracellular pathway does not exhibit cation-selective properties, in contrast to other low-resistance epithelia (Fossat and Lahlou, '79b). In urinary bladder of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, by contrast, uptake of NaCl is again electroneutral, but Na or Cl transport continue when Clor Na-free solutions, respectively, are placed on the mucosal surface (Marshall, '86, '88). There is also evidence of independent Cl/HCO3 and Na/H exchange mechanisms, and there is no response of Na or Cl movement to the mucosal addition of the cotransporter antagonist bumetanide (Na–K–2Cl transport blocker). This "independent model" of mucosa to serosa absorption appears very similar to that normally presented for the freshwater teleost gill (Wood, '91; Perry, '97). It is of interest that two related salmonid species, albeit in different genera, demonstrated two very different methods of urinary bladder Na and Cl transport. Marshall ('88) has speculated that discrepancies between work done on Salvelinus fontinalis and previous work done on the urinary bladder of Salmo irideus reflected different techniques, holding conditions or genetic variations among the fish. The aim of the present study was to establish the mechanism(s) of Na and Cl transport in vitro in the urinary bladder of the North American strain of freshwater rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Isolated bladders were set up in Ussing chambers under openor short-circuit conditions and Na and Cl transport was measured under a variety of conditions. In particular we wished to determine whether the transport of these ions was coupled or independent. First, the urinary bladder was bathed in symmetrical saline, either with both ions present, or with one removed, and flux rates were measured using radiolabeled Na and/ or Cl. Second, artificial urine was used to more closely mimic the conditions found in vivo and similar experiments were performed as above. Third, with saline or artificial urine bathing the mucosal surface, a number of drugs known to affect Na and Cl transport in other transporting epithelia were applied. Finally, electrophysiological and kinetic transport properties of the epithelium were determined. Our results suggest that Na and Cl transport in the urinary bladder of O. mykiss is a partially coupled process, where uptake processes are both dependent on and independent of Cl and Na, respectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS


Chemical abundances of eight O- and B-type stars are determined from high-resolution spectra obtained with the MIKE instrument on the Magellan 6.5 m Clay telescope. The sample is selected from 42 candidates for membership in the Leading Arm (LA) of the Magellanic System. Stellar parameters are measured by two independent grids of model atmospheres and analysis procedures, confirming the consistency of the stellar parameter results. Abundances of seven elements (He, C, N, O, Mg, Si, and S) are determined for the stars, as are their radial velocities and estimates of distances and ages. Among the seven B-type stars analyzed, the five that have radial velocities compatible with membership of the LA have an average [Mg/H] of −0.42 ± 0.16, significantly lower than the average of the remaining two, [Mg/H] = −0.07 ± 0.06, which are kinematical members of the Galactic disk. Among the five LA members, four have individual [Mg/H] abundance compatible with that in the LMC. Within errors, we cannot exclude the possibility that one of these stars has an [Mg/H] consistent with the more metal-poor, SMC-like material. The remaining fifth star has an [Mg/H] close to Milky Way values. Distances to the LA members indicate that they are at the edge of the Galactic disk, while ages are of the order of ∼50–70 Myr, lower than the dynamical age of the LA, suggesting a single star-forming episode in the LA. VLSR of the LA members decreases with decreasing Magellanic longitude, confirming the results of previous LA gas studies.


This paper examines the current situation in the largest of the Baltic States - Lithuania - with respect to the development of international transport and logistics in the context of the severe political, economic and social changes that have taken place since 1991. Utilizing statistics previously unavailable for the region, the paper examines the impact of transition and the competitive role of East European carriers upon a specific international movement of electronic goods between Frankfurt/Main in Germany and Vilnius in Lithuania, developing a detailed cost model for the alternative modal choices that are available - road and ship/road. Rail transport is excluded as no international rail services between the two countries are available and there are no plans for such services in the near future. From this, a series of issues for the future in the context of potential EU membership, transport infrastructure developments and logistical trends is analysed.


This piece of work contains significant insight associated with the analysis of fluid transport in the vicinity of a constantly moving vertical plate with nonlinear thermal radiation. The heat transport at the wall surface is assumed to be influenced by convective boundary conditions. Furthermore, thermal transport is considered to be enhanced by nonlinear temperature variation with temperature (NDT). The boundary layer approximation equations are simplified through suitable alteration known as the similarity transformation. The resulting ODEs are translated into the IVP via shooting techniques and then integrated using the RKF45 algorithm in Maple. The impact of the dimensionless parameters dictating the fluid behaviour is demonstrated via graphs and tables. In the cause of the analysis, it is observed that the heat transfer enhances when the fluid flow in the direction +ve x-axis whereas the plate moves in the direction of the -ve x-axis but decreases when the plate and fluid move in the same direction. The skin friction coefficient decreases when the fluid flow is directed toward the +ve x-axis whereas the plate moves toward the -ve x-axis but is enhanced when the plate and the fluid move in the same orientation. The temperature and velocity profiles appreciate with the nonlinear thermal radiation when the motion of the plate and the fluid are on the same axis. The temperature gradient near the wall depreciated gradually due to nonlinear thermal radiation growth but appreciate in the free stream.


ORGANOLEPTIC EVALUATION OF APPLES CV. HONEYCRISP WITH POSTHARVEST ETHYLENE INHIBITOR TREATMENT O. Melnyk, O. Drozd Honeycrisp is an apple cultivar of American selection with a unique texture and high turgor of flesh, which provides high consumer demand. However, due to the non- simultaneous onset of harvest maturity, the fruits of this variety require multiple harvesting, sensitive to post-harvest cooling, and during storage they are affected by bitter pit, low-temperature burn and flesh browning. Consumers usually prefer to have firm, juicy, tasty and aromatic apples with flesh firmness not less than 4.5 kg / cm 2 . The firmness of the fruits cv. Honeycrisp for sale in the supermarkets should be higher than 6.2 kg / cm 2 . The article presents the results of organoleptic evaluation of apples cv. Honeycrisp with post-harvest 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment after two months of refrigeration storage, depending on the harvest time and cooling regime. The purpose of the research was to achieve high quality parameters of apples cv. Honeycrisp with different terms of harvesting, special mode of cooling and postharvest 1-MCP treatment. The research was conducted in the storage season 2014/2015 at the Department of Fruit Growing and Viticulture of Uman National University of Horticulture. Honeycrisp apples were collected and stored in a branch of the Department - the farm "Yanis", Khotyn district, Chernivtsi region. The apples were harvested from the same trees at harvesting maturity (first collection) and a week later (second collection), taking into account firmness of the flesh, content of dry soluble substances and iodine-starch test. Fruits of homogeneous ripeness degree of the highest commercial grade were selected from typical trees of pomology varieties, accounting units were immediately formed and examined for damage, and placed into paper lined boxes. On the day of collection, the products were cooled to 5 ° C overnight, followed by the storage at 2 ± 1 ° С and relative humidity 85-90% (conventional method) or cooled down slowly with a seven-hour exposure at 10 ° С and its subsequent decrease by 1 ° С per day to storage temperature 2 ± 1 ° С. After three days of loading the refrigerator, half of the products were treated with 1-MCP on the recommendation of the manufacturer of the drug "SmartFresh". After 24-hours exposure, the container was removed and the fruits, which were traditionally cooled, were stored in a chamber at temperature of 2 ± 1 ° C and relative humidity of 85-90%, and the samples with slow-cooling were maintained in accordance with the procedure described above. Non-treated (control) and experimental products were placed side by side, since ethylene has no effect on 1-MCP processed fruit. Apple organoleptic evaluation was carried out on a ten-point scale after two months of cold storage. The impact of the studied factors was evaluated by the multivariate analysis of variance based on the program "Statistica". After two months of storage, it was found out that apples cv. Honeycrisp collected in harvesting maturity had 1.1 points higher flavor, 0.6 higher firmness and crispness and 0.7 points higher overall score, compared to the fruits of the second collection. Juiciness, sweetness and sourness do not depend on the time of collection. Compared with slow cooling, the aroma of traditionally cooled fruits was 1.0 higher. Firmness, crispness, juiciness, sweetness, sourness and the overall assessment of apples do not depend on the cooling mode. The aroma evaluation of apples with post-harvest 1-MCP treatment was 3.1 points lower, the acidity was higher by 0.7 points, and firmness, crispiness, juiciness, sweetness and overall evaluation of apples are not dependent on treatment. Key words: Honeycrisp, 1-methylcyclopropene, harvesting time, cooling mode, cold storage, organoleptic estimation


Polycrystalline silicon thin film were prepared by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition(PECVD) technology using SiH_4 as material at substrate temperature of 550℃ and RF power((13.56MHz)) of 20W,respectively.The grain sizes and morphologies of the film were investigated by XRD and SEM.The result shows that preferential orientation of the film is 111,220,311.The film was annealed at 550℃,900℃ and 1100℃.It could be concluded that the sample annealed at higher temperature with longer time has higher fraction of polycrystalline silicon,larger grain size and preferential growh in 111 direction.


Petr Drulak, Zlatko Sabic (eds.): The Czech and Slovenian EU Presidencies in a Comparative Perspective. 1st ed. Dordrecht: Republic of Letters, 2010, 344 stran, ISBN-13: 978-9089790514, signatura knihovny UMV 57 400.


A mixed hydromagnetic‐electrostatic instability is found propagating perpendicular to the aligned magnetic field and electron streaming in a collisionless plasma. It is found that the growth rate may be comparable to that of the two‐stream instability, and there are cases where ions are heated more than electrons. The finite temperature case is considered and thermal damping of the instability is demonstrated.


Over the past few decades, the semiconductor industry has been employing size shrinkage as the most efficient method to reduce production cost in order to fit more and more transistors on one unit area. Each size shrinkage has been categorized as either node or generation by the theoretical gate length of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). In the advanced node, such as the sub-10nm node, size shrinkage is not applicable due to the physics limitation of 193nm immersion lithography. Therefore, alternative methods, extreme ultra violet lithography (EUV) and multi-patterning solutions based on 193nm immersion lithography, are attracting significant attentions in research and development across the industry. Among the various patterning techniques, the front-runner is self-aligned multiple patterning (SAMP). This technique uses the sidewall spacer formation as a transferable pattern and achieve pitch halving purpose. By repeating this technique, the pitch halving can be executed countless times, theoretically; this gives this technique an advantage over other techniques. However, due to the device design and sidewall formation in both sides, an additional line cut step is required to be performed to fulfill the requirements of isolation and N/P boundaries. The most challenging pattern in the line cut step is the single line cut without defect formation.


Objective:Analyzes in the galactophore the papilloma radiography performance and the diagnosis value.Methods:In June,2005-June,2008 35 example papilloma patient who confirmed after the pathology makes the movie to my courtyard to carry on the review analysis.Results:The papilloma is the young drive pipe overflows a night of primary cause,this group of case young drive pipe radiography diagnosis papilloma's coincidence rate is 80%.Conclusions:The conclusion young drive pipe radiography the papilloma has the vital clinical significance regarding in the discovery and the diagnosis drive pipe.


Linearity of the RF fi;ont-end part fbr cellar phone handsets is getting one of the most irrrportant performances, This is because the very high power simnltaneous two-tone signals transmission is scheduled in the up-link carrier aggregation, which is the transmission technique of IJI'E-Advanced in fourth generation telecommunication system, in several years. In this situation, fbr SAW dnplexers, which are components of RF front-end portion, the requirement ofhigh linearity has become strong. In this work, the generation mechanisms of the second-order nonlinear signals of SAW devices and their effective suppression methods are discussed. As the one possibility of the cause of the


The success of today's enterprises is critically dependant on their ability to automate the way they conduct business with customers and other enterprises by means of e-business applications. Legacy systems are valuable assets that must play an important role in this process. Selecting the most appropriate architectural design for an e-business application would have critical impact on participating enterprises. This paper discusses an initiative towards a systematic framework that would assist in identifying a range of possible alternative architectural designs for such applications and how some of these alternatives can evolve into formal architectural patterns or anti-patterns. This paper focuses on e-business applications with some requirements and assumptions that are often presented in a few specific domains such as e-finance. The concepts presented in this paper are demonstrated using a real life case study in the domain of e-finance and in particular capital markets trading.


Plate tectonics might not be necessary for life to get started on a planet. But tectonics and continents are likely for life to persist and evolve in complexity.


A new compound-excited doubly salient brushless dc (DSBLDC) generator with power tracking rectification is proposed, which is constituted by a doubly salient electromagnetic machine (DSEM) with split field windings and a simple switched-mode rectifier. The configuration and operation principle are introduced. The inductance features of the generator are analyzed for the utilization of series field winding in switched-mode rectifier. Then the performance with the power tracking rectification method for variable speed operation is investigated by finite element (FE) analysis. The comparison between the proposed generator with power tracking rectification and conventional rectification is conducted, and the results show that the output power for low speed operation is improved substantially and the required field power is reduced. A 20kW prototype is designed and constructed. The preliminary experimental result agrees well with the simulated data. The new DSBLDC generator, with merits of simple configuration and flexible control, is a promising option for the automotive onboard power generation system.


A new fruit disease of Chinese dwarf cherry was observed in Xingcheng,Liaoning Province.This disease spread rapidly in the field and caused serious loss of the fruits production.In the study,a fungal strain isolated from the fruit was confirmed to be responsible for this new disease,and identified as Colletotrichum acutatum based on the morphology,cultural characters on PDA plate,sequence analysis of ribosomal DNA-ITS and PCR amplification with C.acutatum-specific primers CaInt2 and ITS4.This is the first report of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum on the fruits of Chinese dwarf cherry.


According to theory of semi-aerobic landfill,lab scale installment was set up.During the steady stage of landfill process,the volume fraction of methane,carbon dioxide and oxygen were detected in different sampling points.The effect of distance between sampling point and central gas tube to the volume fraction of oxygen was analyzed and simulated with mathematic model.Results showed that in the steady stage of semi-landfill,volume fraction of oxygen in different layers showed certain trend because of oxygen diffusing which resulted from the difference of temperature and oxygen concentration between inside and outside installment.With the combined effect of aerobic decomposition reaction,nitrification and methane oxidation in pile,volume fraction of O2 in bottom layer and middle layer declined under exponential law and volume fraction of O2 in upper layer showed parabolic shape because of its special structure.


This study focuses on the use of active flow control to reduce hover download on a 10.5% scale V22 powered model. In hover mode, approximately 10% of the total thrust is lost due to drag on the airframe. Two sources of download were investigated: impingement of downwash onto the wing and the fountain flow between the rotors. The download from the wing and fountain contribute 58% and 17.5% of the download respectively. Encouraged by the results of two-dimensional active flow control testing, which indicated significant download reductions on the V-22 airfoil, similar configurations were constructed for test and evaluation on a complete three-dimensional model of the V-22. Download measurement showed that a 15% reduction in download could be achieved with an oscillatory jet injected into the flow on the upper flap surface. A preliminary investigation using threedimensional PIV was performed in an effort to better understand the tiltrotor flow characteristics. The PIV data indicates that semi-span tiltrotor testing with an image plane has major effects on the global flow.


Joshua A Evensky1, Martyn S Green2, Sidney H Stein3*, Gary L Bowlin4 and Wainscott Hollis5 1Main Line Periodontics and Dental Implants, P.C., USA 2Department of Periodontology, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, USA 3Department of Periodontology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Memphis, USA 5Department of Prosthodontics, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, USA


Summary.  The prevalence of malignancies in US male patients with haemophilia, with or without concomitant viral infections, remains unknown. To estimate the prevalence of malignancy in US male patients with haemophilia. We investigated the prevalence of malignancies among male patients with haemophilia using data from a six‐state haemophilia surveillance project. Case patients with malignancies were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes abstracted from hospital records and death certificates during the surveillance period. Cancer prevalence rates were calculated for each year during the surveillance and compared with age‐ and race‐specific prevalence rates among the U.S. male population obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program. A total of 7 cases of leukaemia, 23 cases of lymphoma and 56 classifiable solid malignancies were identified among 3510 case patients during a total of 15 330 annual data abstraction collections. The rates of leukaemia, lymphoma and liver cancer among case patients were significantly higher than the rates among U.S. males as judged by prevalence ratios of 3.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4–7.0] and 2.9 (95% CI = 1.8–4.6), respectively. In contrast, the prevalence ratio of prostate cancer was lower than expected at 0.49 (95% CI = 0.31–0.77). Overall the prevalence of most cancers among case patients was similar to that of the U.S. male population. However, patients with haemophilia who have unexplained symptoms should be evaluated for malignancy.


Landfills are at present the most widely used waste disposal facilities. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) subtitle D requires the use of landfill covers to isolate waste, reduce the amount of water infiltration, and minimize gas migration. Prescribed covers permitted by current regulations are based on a barrier concept that requires them to employ resistive principles, i.e. a layer having low saturated hydraulic conductivity. A new concept, the focus of this study, is the evapotranspiration cover (ET) concept, which utilizes the water uptake capabilities of vegetation, and the storage capacity of fine-grained soils to reduce percolation into the underlying waste. ET covers provide many advantages over prescribed covers such as lower cost, good long-term performance, easy maintenance, congruence with nature, and flexibility to convert landfill cells into biocells in the future. However, within RCRA regulations alternative covers can only be used if they demonstrate equivalent reduction in water infiltration, and equivalent protection from wind and water erosion as prescribed covers. The objective of this study is to determine the feasibility of ET Covers in Florida. The study consisted of collecting climate data, soil samples, and vegetation characteristics from several regions of Florida. Hydraulic properties of the soil samples along with vegetation root density function were evaluated in the laboratory. The accumulated data was then used as input into an unsaturated flow model (UNSAT-H) to simulate infiltration into the waste during peak weather events. Simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the weather period, the effect of soil thickness, the effect of vegetation, and finally to determine what regions in Florida observe potential to implement ET covers.


The role of iron‐regulated mitophagy in lipid metabolism is unclear. Recent work by Long, Sanchez‐Martinez et al (2022) shows that iron chelation induces a primary change in lipid metabolism that promotes fat accumulation and precedes mitophagy.


Reaction of Grignard reagents with methyl 3-acetoxy-2-methylenealkanoates produces (2E)-2-substituted alk-2-enoates, whereas a similar reaction with 3-acetoxy-2-methylenealkanenitriles provides (2Z)-2-substituted alk-2-enenitriles in high (Z)-stereoselectivity.


The study considers the feasibility and prospects for using the data of the first forest inventory cycle for obtaining more objective and reliable assessments of carbon stocks and carbon removals by forests. The advantages of using the State Forest Inventory (SFI) data were demonstrated and quantitatively corroborated in specific contexts such as (1) the region of coniferous and broadleaved forests of the European-Ural part of Russia (EUPR) by field measurements at 9 105 permanent sample plots (PSP); (2) Republic of Karelia by measurements at 779 PSP; (3) 28 forest regions of Russia by measurements at 47,816 PSP. The following results were obtained: (1) In EUPR, the carbon stock values in the living biomass exceeded the corresponding data of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory by more than 50%, and by more than 80% in the Republic of Karelia; (2) In 28 forest regions of Russia, the volumes of woody detritus were congruent with the corresponding values of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. However, the estimation error was about ±8%, thus being characterized by lower uncertainty due to using a representative sampling. Further research is needed for improving the calculation methods and making use of all the characteristics that are determined through SFI.


The incidence of central nervous system metastases in breast cancer patients treated with the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) monoclonal antibody trastuzumab has been reported at 34% (1). To understand the most significant transcriptional changes associated with trastuzumab treatment in patients with breast cancer, we mined published microarray and multiplexed gene expression data (2, 3), comparing the primary tumors of patients treated with trastuzumab or not. We identified significant differential expression and transcriptional induction of the nerve growth factor receptor, NGFR, in the primary tumors and tumor cells of breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab. We suggest up-regulation of a receptor for a neurotrophic growth factor is a highly undesirable consequence of trastuzumab treatment in a population prone to develop metastases to the brain.


In post-modernist society,it has reached an unprecedented status because of so many dress patterns and so fast change of fashion.People are surrounded by so many fashion release conferences and media reports,and the evaluation to the dresses dazzles people.It seems that the rules of aesthetics is broken overnight,the designer may let the fashion models wear something that looks like garbage walking on the T stage,the consumers may buy a dress that was made a half century ago,and flashed it away.It is more and more difficult to understand the modern dresses,the major reason for it is that the new aesthetics theory system has not been set up while the new art is overturning the tradition.


As emmployees productivity can be affected by motivation, in order to improve the productivity, the company must give employees motivation, particularly motivation of reating good communication among employees, and creating new ideas, in wich such ideas will give the company strong influence in daily operational implementation. Again, with good work enviroment, there will be occupational innovations, so that it is possible to minimize occupational error as well as improve productivity. Creativiting can be arranged as a innovating strategy by a company in order to support its daily operations. In fact, based on the creative ideas, it is expected that there will be new innovations useful for company survival, particularly in global competition against other companies.


It is a real project, it is basically divided into three parts: A theoretical framework on concepts, definitions and a general overview of handicrafts in Quito and Ecuador, and a theoretical framework on issues related to Strategic Marketing. The second part is the artisan market research in Quito that includes a survey of artisans affiliated with the National Artisan Defense Board and interviews with people in the area. And finally, the marketing plan for the launch of the product NARANJITAS DE COLECCION, which contains a strategic plan of the Company, the marketing mix and the promotional campaign that includes a plan of Direct Marketing, Public Relations, Merchandising Techniques, Packaging and Labeling We wanted to execute this project, starting from the fact that initially we had a novel and creative product that did not have a strategic marketing plan to back it up, which is why plans and strategies were developed that in a short or medium term will guarantee positive results. It is expected that other students adopt this initiative, and take as an example this project, so that they realize that the University provides the necessary education and training, to form a company of its own.


ABSTRACT It has long been argued that perceptions of the class structure shape how individuals see their position in society. However, researchers using nationally representative data to study subjective social location rarely include class imagery in their models. This study uses OLS regression of two surveys, conducted 18 months apart following Iceland's 2008 economic collapse, to analyze the effects of class imagery on subjective social location. Results show that respondents who perceive the class structure as inegalitarian report lower subjective social location as compared to those with egalitarian class imagery. The influence of objective class position on subjective social location depends, partly, on class imagery. The study finds that Icelanders saw the class structure become more egalitarian and their own subjective social location climb following the collapse, even as the economic crisis deepened between the two surveys. These findings reflect that income inequality in Iceland dropped sharply after the collapse.


Extracted from text ... THE QUALITY EDGE May 2005 31
benchmarks
Service quality:
at last an index for South Africa
The impact of customer delight on business
So what if service levels are lower than the competition,
does it really matter? In a study conducted last year by
Ask Afrika, a marketing research consultancy, 6 000 consumers
across seven different sectors of the economy were
asked to rate the service quality of individual companies.
Overall loyalty ratings, measured by asking whether
consumers were prepared to recommend the company
again and whether they would continue to use the company
in future, were far higher in ..


A scalable fault-tolerant quantum-computer hardware with current noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices requires the juxtaposition of different types of quantum systems. In this sense, long-distance entanglement of stationary error-corrected logical qubits requires a photonic bus facil-itating inter/intra-connection among the cores of quantum processors, the units of quantum memories, and the worldwide quantum internet. This article proposes a photonic interface for 4 and 6-qubit encoding of surface-code logical-qubits in an atomic-lattice platform. Accommodating the lattice inside a cavity, the gate emits photonic-qubits that are entangled by the logical-qubits. The entangling mechanism is provided by the Fermi scattering of a Rydberg electron from the plaquette atoms trapped in a qubit-dependent lattice. Therefore, different arrangements of logical-qubits derive the central atom over distinguished eigen-states, featuring photon emission at the early or late times distinguished by quantum interference. Finally, entanglement swapping of two emitted photons would make the far separated plaquettes entangled in the logical basis.


Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have potential applications in key areas of modern technology. Knowledge on the composition of hetero-epitaxial grown QDs is very important for revealing the growth mechanisms and the structure-property relationships of the QDs. However, composition determination in QDs is not an easy task because of the small QD sizes especially in the vertical dimension. In this study, we used two techniques -[001] zone-axis bright-field diffraction contrast imaging combined with image simulations and electron energy filtering imaging (EFI) – to investigate the composition distributions in Ge(Si)/Si(001) QDs.


Hyperspectral data acquired using airborne push-broom sensors frequently contain geometric distortion caused by aircraft motion. This paper presents a simple single reference line algorithm to correct push-broom imagery for geometric distortions resulting from aircraft roll during the scan period. If a straight line is not available throughout the entire image, multiple lines may be drawn to correct the entire image. The algorithm was applied to two hyperspectral urban images (Terre Haute, Indiana, USA and Provo, Utah, USA) acquired during summer 2006. The results demonstrate that this method is an effective way to correct many of the errors caused by the effect of aircraft roll on hyperspectral push-broom sensors. After performing the reference line correction one of the images was georeferenced using a DOQQ, and a RMSE value of 1.5 meters was achieved. The correction program used to implement the method was programmed in Python, and the program can be downloaded from the project's website.


With the rapid development of the internet, an important strategic impact on online and traditional retailers is the internet coverage rate in a market population, especially in some rapidly developing countries, such as China, India, etc. where a growing population is within the reach of the internet. In this study, we focus on the role played by the internet coverage rate in a market population, and the competition it caused between online markets and traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. We use a game theoretic approach to examine the effect of internet coverage rate on the prices and profits of online and traditional retailers. In particular, we examine this problem under the Stackelberg competitive setting, as this model captures the essence of most of the competition on the web. First, we obtain the optimal prices, demands, and profits under this model. And then we run comparative statistics to determine policy decisions. Based on our results, we propose the appropriate strategy for the online and traditional retailers to adopt in a Stackelberg competitive market.


Since the catalogue of Buprestoidea was published (Bellamy, 2008-2009) we have been adding new taxa into the printed copy in the National Museum, Prague. During this work we have found some questionable descriptions which were published in the electronic publication "Procrustomachia" which has no official status and does not meet the requirements for the publication of scientific names in zoology; the names published in this way are unavailable according to the Code (ICZN, 1999, 2012). The situation is discussed in the following text.


A programme of research was undertaken to assess the environmental impact and level of risk associated with a major case of mercury pollution at a derelict chlor-alkali plant in Pavlodar, Northern Kazakhstan. Detailed surveys were carried out of the soils around the former electrolysis workshop, the groundwater quality beneath the plant and in the surrounding region, and sediment and water quality in nearby Lake Balkyldak and the River Irtysh. Fish from the lake and the river were also sampled, to assess human health and ecological risks. Soils at the former workshop and near other buildings associated with chlor-alkali production were found to be extremely heavily polluted, with hotspot concentrations in excess of 2 g/kg. Fish from the lake were unfit for human consumption, with mercury concentrations ranging from 0.16-2.2 mg/kg. Mercury concentrations in groundwater are high on the site itself and within the narrow band of the plume (up to 150 µg/L), as well as near the waste lagoons, but the contamination does not appear to have spread more than about 2.5 km from site. Mercury levels in groundwater in the general region are low, indicating that other routes of exposure such as the consumption of contaminated fish from the lake are far more important.


A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photodiodes for generating signal charge by photoelectric conversion in response to incident light. The photodiodes are formed on a substrate in either a one-dimensional arrangement or a two-dimensional arrangement; a charge transfer section is formed on the substrate for receiving the signal charge from the photodiodes and for transferring the signal charge toward an output portion; and a charge-accumulating region is formed on the substrate for receiving the signal charge from the output portion of the charge transfer section and for accumulating the signal charge. A reset circuit for resetting a state of the charge-accumulating region in response to a reset signal includes a first MOS transistor formed on the substrate, the first MOS transistor having a source connected to the charge-accumulating region, a drain supplied with a drain voltage for removing the signal charge, and a gate for connecting the source to the drain in response to the reset signal. Finally, a voltage generation circuit includes at least a second MOS transistor formed on the same substrate, the second MOS transistor serving as a first diode between the gate and the drain of the first MOS transistor. The voltage generation circuit generates a first forward voltage of the first diode in response to the reset signal, and applies the first forward voltage between the gate and the drain of the first MOS transistor.


The use of frequency domain equalization to change the perceived elevation of a loudspeaker over a fairly small range in the frontal plane (±20°) will be described. Because of the application (the center channel speaker in home video theater), several constraints were in effect. Among these were (1) the effect must be applicable over a broad range of people, and over a fairly broad listening area, (2) the equalization applied must not introduce an objectionable amount of ''coloration'' into the sound, and (3) the resulting circuit must be feasible to implement into a consumer product. The procedure used was to first determine equalizations from ratios of head‐related transfer functions measured on an artificial head and on human subjects. Salient features were then determined and implemented in hardware for listening tests, where further refinements took place. Despite a common assertion that there is little directional dependence in the median plane below 4–5 kHz, listening tests indicated a more convinc...


The corn picking machine can inflict mutilating wounds to the hand. The injuries often cause marked tissue necrosis and are grossly contaminated. The surgeon is faced with an injury which has occurred many hours before and in which uncertain tissue viability makes initial surgical debridement very difficult. There is a high rate of infection in those patients treated with primary skin cover. If tissue viability is in question, delayed skin cover should be used. The dominant hand is most commonly injured. Either traumatic or surgical amputation of one or more fingers is frequent. The thumb and radial side of the hand are more commonly spared than the ulnar side. The remaining fingers are often stiff, sensitive, and of little value to the patient.


Nanobiotechnology connects the scientific openings between chemistry, physics and biology on the nanoscale. These guides to a lot of modern techniques help and create good result in medical-phtherapeutic appliances. Now a day nanoparticles good aspirants for drug discovery and new therapeutic applications. It consists of the nanotechnology and biotechnology. Nanobiotechnology will help the combination of therapeutics with diagnostics and make easy to improve the specific medicine suitability for an individual and prevent the immune system from side effect drugs delivery. This article explores the nano biotechnology y for detecting specific disease in medical field.


The use of suspended strip lines is becoming a powerful transmission technique at millimeter wavelengths because of low attenuation, weak dispersion, and various merits in manufacturing processes. This paper estimates effects of side-wall grooves of these lines on transmission characteristics within the TEM wave approximation.


Elections with small margins of victory represent an important form of electoral competition and, increasingly, an opportunity for causal inference. Scholars using regression discontinuity designs (RDD) have interpreted the winners of close elections as randomly separated from the losers, using marginal election results as an experimental assignment of oce-holding to one candidate versus the other. In this paper we suggest that marginal elections may not be as random as RDD analysts suggest. We draw upon the simple intuition that elections that are expected to be close will attract greater campaign expenditures before the election and invite legal challenges and even fraud after the election. We present theoretical models that predict systematic dierences between winners and losers, even in elections with the thinnest victory margins. We test predictions of our models on a dataset of all House elections from 1946 to 1990. We demonstrate that candidates whose parties hold structural advantages in their district are systematically more likely to win close elections. Our ndings call into question the use of close elections for causal inference and demonstrate that marginal elections mask structural advantages that are troubling normatively.


Equilibrium partial melts under anhydrous conditions have been determined for a MORB pyrolite composition (considered suitable
 for the production of primary MORB melts) from 8 to 35 kb and a relatively more depleted peridotite composition, Tinaquillo
 lherzolite, at 15 and 20 kb. The equilibrium partial melts were determined using 'sandwich' experiments. The primitive MORB
 glass DSDP3-18-7-1 was used in experiments using MORB pyrolite while a calculated liquid composition from Jacques & Green
 (1980) was used in experiments with Tinaquillo lherzolite. The equilibrium partial melts in conjunction with previous studies
 are used to establish a melting grid from 5 to 35 kb in the CIPW normative basalt tetrahedron. Equilibrium partial melts from
 MORB pyrolite combined with constraints imposed by the composition of primitive MORB glasses, MORB picrites and primitive
 trapped glass inclusions are subjected to olivine fractionation calculations to establish the range in composition of primary
 MORB melts. The results suggest primary MORB melts segregate from MORB source diapirs at pressures of 8 to 25kb in equilibrium
 with either lherzolite or harzburgite residues. MgO contents of primary MORB melts range from 10–17 wt.% while primary melts
 with > 17 wt.% MgO are of minor importance. Primary MORB melts range in composition from slightly ne-normative and more hy-normative
 picrites to olivine and quartz normative olivine tholeiite. Although some primitive MORB glass compositions are possible primary
 melts from 8–20 kb the majority of primitive MORB glass compositions are derived by olivine fractionation (11–25 wt.%) from
 more picritic parents from pressures of 15–25kb. The results of this study are in agreement with previous workers suggesting
 that there is an array of primary MORB melt compositions which evolve to multiple saturation in olivine+ plagioclase + clinopyroxene
 at different points along a latm. cotectic via differing degrees of olivine fractionation.


Abstract The rapidly growing organ transplant list combined with the rising patient mortality while on this waiting list has prompted an interest in donors other than heart beating brain dead organ donors (HBOD). Organ donation after cardiac death (DCD) offers a possible solution to this exacerbated shortage of donor organs for transplantation. Under the DCD protocol, donors can be subdivided into controlled or uncontrolled categories. Due to warm ischaemia and deterioration of the quality of organs, uncontrolled donors are seldom used in the USA. The more widely used controlled DCD protocol attempts to approximate the ideal conditions for organ recovery that exist with organ procurement from heart beating donors. These donors are controlled because the timing and thus the process of donation are controlled through the timing of cardiopulmonary support. The controversy regarding the timing of death and the definition of irreversibility after cessation of cardiopulmonary activity continues to fuel the ongoing ethical debates regarding the criteria for death in DCD protocol. Despite every good intention to work within the framework of the dead donor rule, lack of uniform criteria surrounding the definition of death makes application of this rule challenging. In addition to establishing some uniformity in the criteria for death, it is time to consider abandoning the dead donor rule and consider the process of informed consent for organ donation.


OBJECTIVE To investigate the utilization of health services of children in Suzhou, and explore the risk factors. METHODS It's a cross-section telephone survey. By stratified random sampling method, 1 800 children and their parents were sampled and surveyed. RESULTS The incidences of fever rhinorrhoea and diarrhea were 7.0%、 38.3%、 4.0% of children in the previous one month. The rate of hospital visit when fever occurredwas the highest in Suzhou children(83.9%) , then followed by that of vomit(46.9%). If children got fever, cough or rhinorrhoea, vomit or diarrhea, the rate of the parents would visit doctor were 96.4% 、 70.0%、 92.0%. The most common behaviors of those not to visit hospital was self-treatment and their major concern were too many patients in the hospitals. CONCLUSION The incidences of influenza-like illness and other common symptoms were high in Suzhou children, there exist substantial regional disparities in medical seeking behavior.


Cell-free secretory products (secretome) of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been shown to attenuate tissue injury and facilitate repair and recovery. To examine whether iPSC secretome facilitates mechanically-induced compensatory responses following unilateral pneumonectomy (PNX), litter-matched young adult female hounds underwent right PNX (removing 55-58% of lung units) followed by inhalational delivery of either the nebulized conditioned media containing iPSCs secretome (iPSC CM) or control cell-free media (CFM); inhalation was repeated every 5 days for 10 treatments. Lung function was measured under anesthesia pre-PNX and 10 d after the last treatment (8 weeks post-PNX); detailed quantitative analysis of lung ultrastructure was performed postmortem. Pre-PNX lung function was similar between groups. Compared to CFM control, treatment with iPSC CM attenuated the post-PNX decline in DLCO and DMCO, accompanied by a 24% larger postmortem lobar volume and distal air space enlargement. Alveolar double-capillary profiles were 39% more prevalent consistent with enhanced intussusceptive angiogenesis. Frequency distribution of the harmonic mean thickness of alveolar blood-gas barrier shifted towards the lowest values while alveolar septal tissue volume and arithmetic septal thickness were similar, indicating septal remodeling and reduced diffusive resistance of the blood-gas barrier. Thus, repetitive inhalational delivery of iPSC secretome enhanced post-PNX alveolar angiogenesis and septal remodeling that are associated with improved gas exchange compensation. Results highlight the plasticity of the remaining lung units following major loss of lung mass that are responsive to broad-based modulation provided by the iPSC secretome.


The evident contrast between the time symmetry of fundamental microscopic laws and the time asymmetry of macroscopic processes is a challenging physical problem. The observation of unitary evolution of a general physical system by an idealized observer whose recording and processing information is time neutral is studied in a full information context. In the macroscopic limit, a contradiction between observations and predictions done at different times appears. It implies that the observer cannot read records performed at times when the entropy of the system is larger.


This work presents lhe design and procedure of a DC-to-AC converter using a ZVS Commutation CeB developped by Barbi and Martins (1991) and applied to the farnily of DC-to-DC PWM converters (Martins et alii, 1993 a). Firstly, we show the ccB applied to buck converter (Martins et alii, 1993-b). The stages of operation and the main current and voltage equations of the resonant devices are presented. Next, we adapt the converter to the regenerative operation mode. Hence, the fuB bridge converter at low frequency operation is conected on the DC-to-DC stage (at high frequency) output ends (Seixas, 1993). Commutation of zero voltage for ali switches, PWM at constant frequency and neither overvoltage nor additional current stress are observed by digital simulation. The design example and experimental results obtained by prototype rated at 275V, IkW and 40kHz are also presented.


Polymer mortars are used frequently to repair pavement owing to their excellent properties (mix flexural strength ≥5.75 MPa, compressive strength ≥25 MPa). To repair concrete pavement with polymer mortars rapidly, uniform microwave energy can be used to reduce hardening time of polymer mortars. In this study, the distribution of electromagnetic fields in an industrial microwave facility was optimized, and an area AG with uniform and intensive electric field was obtained. Then microwave curing process of epoxy mortars containing fly ash in the area AG was optimized, and mechanical strengths of the epoxy mortars cured in the optimum process were tested. The results show that, although the distribution of electromagnetic fields in the microwave facility is non-uniform overall, there still are some brush-fire areas, where electric field distribution is relatively uniform. Epoxy mortars added with 10 wt% fly ash can be cured rapidly (approximately 20 min) in the area AG and exhibit outstanding mechanical strengths, which can be used to repair concrete pavement rapidly.


Context: Person-centred integrated primary care delivery is often at odds with how current health care systems are structured, resulting in slower than expected uptake of the model. Adopting goal-oriented care, an approach which uses patient priorities, or goals, to drive what kinds of care are appropriate and how care is delivered, may offer a way to improve implementation. Objective: This case report presents three international cases of community-based primary health care models in Ottawa (Canada), Vermont (USA) and Flanders (Belgium) that adopted goal-oriented care to stimulate clinical, professional, organizational and system integration. The Rainbow Model of Integrated Care is used to demonstrate how goal-oriented care drove integration at all levels. Study design: Theoretical concept mapping using comparative case studies to illustrate theoretical connections. Setting: 3 interprofessional primary care practices delivering goal-oriented care in Ottawa (Canada), Flanders (Belgium), and Vermont (United States). Population studied: Interprofessional primary care practices. Intervention: Interprofessional teams delivering goal-oriented care. Outcome measures: Describe how goal-oriented care advances clinical, professional, organizational and system level integration. Results: The three cases demonstrate how goal-oriented care has the potential to catalyze integrated care. In Ontario, goal-oriented care enabled integration at clinical and professional levels, helping clinicians to work together across professional boundaries. In Vermont, the model enabled professional and organizational integration, helping professionals to work across organizational boundaries to support high needs patients. In Flanders, goal-oriented care is being adopted as part of a larger primary care system transformation. In all cases goal-oriented care served to activate formative and normative integration mechanisms; supporting processes that enable integrated care, while providing a framework for a shared philosophy of care. Conclusions: The framework presented in this work helped to demonstrate how goal-oriented care can be used to establish a common vision and philosophy to drive shared processes, acting as a powerful tool to enable integrated care delivery. This comparative case work provides lessons for other


Although general economic theory predicts that liberalization has positive effects for agricultural market integration of developing countries, there is on ongoing scientific debate on whether market liberalization policies do yield the expected positive outcomes in developing economies. Arguments used to contradict the theoretical findings are that bottlenecks in infrastructure, poor legislation and public order situations, unpreparedness to face competition and large disparities among economic agents may undermine the expected outcomes. Literature shows that that well-functioning of markets is a pre-requisite to achieve the objectives of liberalization.
To contribute to the ongoing debate this dissertation investigates the direct and indirect impact of market liberalization in Bangladesh. Liberalization has been adopted three decades ago in Bangladesh on the ground that it will enhance market and production efficiency and welfare. This dissertation uses both ex-post and ex-ante approaches and follows a theoretical framework based on Winters (2002) and McCulloch et al., (2001) but with some modifications. Three decades after their introduction time has come to quantify the impact of the reforms and to try to quantify real effect on markets, production and welfare. To be able to combine market, production and welfare effects in a single framework, the thesis analyzes first how agricultural markets are functioning. Indeed still very little evidence exists on how well the spatial and vertical markets for staple food commodities and in particular for rice have performed in the years following market liberalization in Bangladesh, even if well-functioning markets form the key translation mechanisms through which policy reforms may affect the economy (Winters, 2002).
In the first empirical analysis, the dynamic relationship between the world and domestic Bangladesh rice market was investigated by using a multivariate cointegration and error correction model. The results show that there exists a long-run uni-directional equilibrium relationship which means that the domestic prices adjust to the world prices. Our results highlight that the Bangladeshi rice market is cointegrated only partially with the world market. This conclusion emphasizes the need for developing adequate policies to secure food availability in particular in years of increasing world prices. Polices should aim to reduce domestic price volatility induced by world market volatility.
In a next chapter, the spatial market integration among major selected rice markets in Bangladesh is investigated in the presence of threshold effects because of the potential role of transaction cost in price adjustments. First, a full information maximum likelihood (ML) cointegration test is performed for identifying the cointegration relationship and causality. Then, Hansen and Seo (2002) threshold cointegration (using Supremum Lagrange Multiplier (SupLM)) and threshold vector error correction model are estimated to account for a neutral band representing transaction costs. Our test results confirm the presence of the threshold effect in spatially separated rice markets in Bangladesh. Results highlight the importance of directing policy goals towards reducing transaction cost to increase market efficiency in Bangladesh rice market.
In the third empirical chapter, an asymmetric error correction-EG model is estimated to investigate the widely-held belief among public and consumers that rice prices are manipulated in Bangladesh. This model investigates the existence of asymmetry between wholesale and retail rice prices in Bangladesh. The results show that the wholesale-retail price relationship is asymmetric with respect to price increases and price decreases and so confirm the fear and concerns of consumers about the existence of price asymmetry in Bangladesh. It indicates that although liberalization policy induced competition among chain participants, this is not sufficient for perfect market functioning.
In a fourth empirical chapter, the welfare impact of different policy interventions in the food grain markets in Bangladesh is estimated using an economic surplus approach. Results reveal that over the period of analysis, the loss in consumer surplus exceeded the gain in producer surplus plus the gain in government revenue. Therefore, the policy of interventions resulted in a deadweight welfare loss for society. In contrast, the policy of liberalization shows that the gain in consumer surplus is larger than the loss in producer surplus. So, there is a net welfare gain to society.
In the fifth empirical part, a panel data stochastic production frontier model was estimated to trace the impacts of market reform policies (proxied by effective protection coefficient or EPC) on efficiency and productivity growth of rice at the farm level in Bangladesh using a unique cohort of three-period panel data. The approach is used to measure the total factor productivity (TFP), technical change (TC), and technical efficiency change (TEC) in rice production and then to investigate the impact of EPC on the TFP, TC and TEC. Results show that the TFP index has increased due to an upward shift of the technology frontier. Although TC has increased, TEC declined during the post reform period, thereby, depressing TFP growth. The market liberalization policies exerted positive impacts on TC and TFP growth but negatively on TEC. So it means that although market reforms have succeeded in delivering productivity growth, the government must now focus on reinforcing measures to improve efficiency at the farm level.
The last empirical part of the thesis analyzes the impact of further liberalization and changes in world market prices of agricultural commodities as an exogenous shock on Bangladesh using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling approach in a single country comparative-static framework. The results show that trade liberalization increases the welfare of all households while world market price increases tend to decrease welfare. It means that although trade liberalization generates a welfare increase for households this is dependent on the relative level of world commodity prices.


Islamic religious learning at school, which is only two hours a week, makes parents aware of the importance of religious education as one of the provisions of life for their children. The origins of Madrasah Diniyah are similar to those of Islamic boarding schools, beginning with recitation in mosques, langar, and surau. Madrasas, as Islamic educational institutions, have emerged and developed along with the entry and development of Islam in Indonesia. The importance of religious education is also felt by several madrasas, which require their students to live in dormitories, or what we know as boarding.


Although the development of linear control theory is well established, real industrial processes contain significant non-linearities that give limited credence to the optimal performance of controllers over a wide operational region. Consequently, the development of techniques that enable the design of a controller suitable for operation with a non-linear process would be beneficial. This paper describes the development and implementation of an on-line, one-step-ahead, optimal predictive controller incorporating a neural network model of the process. The scheme is based on a Multi-Layered Perceptron neural network as a modelling tool for a real non-linear, dual tank, liquid level process. The model validation techniques are described as well as the choice of network structure and topology. The ability of the trained neural network to represent both a simulation of the process, modelled from first principles, and the actual process is investigated. The implementation, of the optimal control algorithm, to both the simulation and the real process are described. Results are presented to illustrate the steady-state and transient performance of the control scheme.


Along the maize value chain in Ghana are a wide range of risks that confront actors; the risk chain actors' face include production and marketing risks. Accordingly, risk management, which has become an integral part of maize value chain activities, is challenged with several factors, some of which are economic, institutional, social and behavioral factors. This study posits that risk preferences/behavior of farm decision-makers in the maize value chain have empirical importance for economic and policy analysis. Thus, an experimental gambling approach was used to elicit the risk aversion behavior of respondents (farmers). Here, the respondents' risk aversion behavior over varying game levels was investigated. The multinomial logit model was used to investigate endogenous and exogenous factors explaining the risk behavior. The data were obtained by interviewing 220 maize farmers who were sampled with a two-stage sampling procedure. This study revealed that most of the farmers in the study area exhibited risk aversion behavior. About 33% of farmers showed extreme risk aversion behavior at the games' lowest level and increased to 45% as the game level rose. It was also found that sex, age, level of formal education, access to credit, access to the storage facility, household size, farm size and the number of extension visits to the farm significantly explained the risk aversion behavior the maize farmers exhibited. Because farmers are risk-averse and become more risk-averse as stakes become high, any farm innovations to be introduced to them must be implemented gradually, especially with the low-income farmers. It is also critical to make risk mitigation 'handles' available to farmers so that they can rely on them during times of risk.


To understand the effectiveness of Japan's health care system for HIV/AIDS, including prevention, diagnosis, access to antiretroviral treatment, and treatment outcomes, clinical information on HIV/AIDS cases was collected through questioners sent to 377 registered HIV/AIDS clinics in Japan. The data were collected in 2009 and 2014, and 9,040 and 14,569 cases were obtained, respectively. Prevalence of on-treatment cases linked to care were 69.6% and 87.8% in 2009 and 2014, respectively, demonstrating improvement in treatment coverage over the recent 5 years. The proportion of cases with undetectable HIV RNA in the 2014 survey was 87.7%. Thus, our survey revealed that the two of the UNAIDS Fast-Track targets, 90% treated and 90% virally suppressed, are close to being reached. However, Japan appears to have fallen short of the upstream cascade target of 90% diagnosed. Japan needs to radically reform its strategies for attracting people to HIV testing and to develop a system for estimating the number of people living with HIV. Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt Introduction In Japan, newly diagnosed HIV-1-infected cases are reported under a mandatory system managed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare since 1984, when the first HIV-1 case was reported officially. Since then the annual number of newly diagnosed cases has increased each year, until it reached a plateau at about 1,500 cases per year in 2007 (Figure 1) (1). Though the increase in the number of new cases has leveled off, it has not decreased thereafter, and the total number of HIV-seropositive cases has been accumulating continuously and linearly, exceeding 23,000 in 2013 (2). Regarding antiretroviral-treatment status, combination antiretroviral treatment (ART) was introduced in Japan as a standard of care in 1997, similar to other high-income countries, beginning the era of ART. Since the dawn of this era, acquisition of drug resistance has been the major risk for treatment failure. However, the number of drug-resistant cases had decreased dramatically and HIV infections are now better controlled due to the development of new antiretrovirals with improved pharmacokinetics profile, high genetic barrier to resistance acquisition, and alleviation of patients' pill burden by single tablet regimens. These improvements in ART and A ce pt e M an us cr ipt recent successes in prevention studies with the use of antiretrovirals (3) raise the possibility of developing strategies to slow the HIV epidemic, and even more, to eradicate this life-threatening infection. To confront the HIV epidemic, Gardner and colleagues raised the importance of countries engaging HIV-infected individuals in the full spectrum of HIV care (4). Furthermore, the WHO and UNAIDS raised ambitious but achievable targets for 2020: 90% diagnosed, 90% treated, and 90% virally suppressed (5). Here we report the current status of the HIV epidemic and engagement in antiretroviral treatment in Japan as well as possible ways to achieve an "AIDS-free generation" in our country. Methods To assess HIV-treatment outcomes throughout Japan, we surveyed 377 and 389 registered HIV/AIDS treatment clinics in 2009 and 2014, respectively. The survey questionnaires included (i) number of HIV-1 infected cases, (ii) number of cases receiving ART, (iii) number of cases maintaining viral load <20 copies/ml for more than 3 months, and (iv) number of cases with viral load >500 copies/ml. The 2009 survey did Ac c pt ed M an us cr ipt not include question iii because the focus was more on drug resistance. Results Clinical information was collected on 9,040 HIV-infected cases from 211 clinics (56% of all clinics) in 2009 and on 14,569 cases from 216 clinics (56%) in 2014. The proportions of cases receiving treatment in 2009 and 2014 were 69.6% and 87.8%, respectively (Fig. 2), demonstrating a significant improvement in ART coverage (p<0.0083) in the 5 years between the two surveys. In the 2014 survey, most cases receiving antiretroviral treatment (87.7%) were found to have undetectable HIV RNA levels. On the other hand, 97 (1.5%) and 142 (1.1%) cases in 2009 and 2014, respectively, were found to have uncontrolled viral load including drug-resistance cases. This study was conducted according to principles in the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the ethical committee at NMC (#2014-777). Discussion Through two surveys carried out 5 years apart, in 2009 and 2014, we observed a significant improvement in the proportion of HIV-infected cases receiving treatment in Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt Japan. Given sufficient supplies of antiretrovirals and financial support in Japan, this improvement could be due to change of therapeutic approach with earlier introduction of initial treatment in accordance with updates of DHHS guideline (6). This introduction of the early treatment may be accounted for the suppressed HIV transmission and the reduced number of newly diagnosed cases. Our surveys showed that two UNAIDS targets, 90% treated and 90% virally suppressed, were almost achieved at the time of the 2014 survey. However, the first goal, 90% diagnosed, is difficult to measure as the number of HIV-1-infected cases has not been estimated in Japan. In terms of the proportion of cases linked to care, the second step of the treatment spectrum, we applied the total number of diagnosed cases (16,903 in 2009 and 24,535 in 2014) that were reported to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Fig. 1) and determined these proportions as 53.5% and 59.4% in 2009 and 2014, respectively. These estimates were not sufficiently high, but they should be considered minimum estimates because of the following limitations in the data. First, only 56% of clinics, in both 2009 and 2014, replied to our questionnaires. The remaining clinics did not provide the number of HIV cases they treated, underestimating Ac c p ed M an scr ipt the proportions of cases linked to care. However, the number of missed cases may not be as large as one might imagine from the 56% coverage because the facilities that answered our survey include the major HIV/AIDS clinics in Japan that treat large fractions of HIV cases. The second limitation, which is related to the number of cases linked to care considered in the first limitation, comes from the current government reporting system not requiring follow-up information, such as deaths and deportation from the country. Thus, the number of diagnosed cases living with HIV/AIDS is overestimated. These two factors suggest that the proportion of cases linked to care could be higher than the simple calculation of 53.5% and 59.4%. Through the concept of an HIV treatment spectrum, the targets and requirements needed to improve Japan's incomplete engagement in HIV care became evident. The estimated number of HIV-positive cases, the most upstream information in the care spectrum, is missing and not defined. The actual number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Japan must be clarified by improving the current HIV reporting system. In addition, improving the prevalence of HIV diagnosed cases requires considering and preparing multiple approaches to bring HIV testing into at-risk populations, including Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt self-tests and opt-out tests at clinics and hospitals. Appendix Followings are 252 members of the Japanese HIV-MDR Study Group in alphabetical order: Kensuke Abe, Takuya Adachi, Yusuke Ainoda, Ikuo Akutsu, Masaru Amishima, Tsunehiro Ando, Yuki Anma, Kunihiko Arai, Koya Ariyoshi, Ai Asai, Shoji Asakura, Yugo Ashino, Hiroshi Chiba, Hisanao Chisuwa, Go Eguchi, Tomoyuki Endo, Takeshi Fujii, Teruhisa Fujii, Yasuhiko Fujii, Toshiaki Fujikane, Akira Fujita, Yumiko Fujitomo, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Ryuki Fukuda, Hitoshi Funatomi, Yoshitaka Furukawa, Norihiro Furusyo, Fumito Goda, Tsutomu Hachiya, Hiroyuki Hagiyama, Rumiko Hanada, Isano Hase, Ryota Hase, Naoki Hasegawa, Chihiro Hasegawa, Teruto Hashiguchi, Yoshinori Hashimoto, Shuji Hatakeyama, Toshiaki Hayashi, Yasuhiro Hayashi, Jun Hayashi, Kenji Hayashibara, Masayuki Hino, Kazufumi Hiramatsu, Keiko Hodohara, Miwako Honda, Yuji Honda, Igen Hongo, Masahide Horiba, Tomoaki Hoshino, Naoto Hosokawa, Tomoku Ichimiya, Hidetoshi Igari, Hiroshi Ikeda, Satoshi Ikegaya, Takeshi Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt Ikegaya, Yoshihiko Ikeno, Takafumi Ishibashi, Tadao Ishida, Yoji Ishida, Tadashi Ishida, Yoshiaki Ishigatsubo, Satoru Ishikawa, Toshihiro Ito, Takeshi Ito, Ayumi Ito, Tomoki Ito, Ichiro Itoda, Aikichi Iwamoto, Hiromichi Iwasaki, Seowoong Jung, Yasutaka Kakinoki, Satoru Kaneda, Yuichi Kato, Hideaki Kato, Yoshio Kato, Satoi Kawaguchi, Seigo Kawai, Hiroyasu Kaya, Masao Kikuchi, Hiroshi Kikuchi, Ikuo Kikuchi, Seiji Kinoshita, Takahiro Kinoshita, Hirohiko Kitakawa, Katsuyuki Kito, Hajime Kobayashi, Sumiko Kobayashi, Kentaro Kobayashi, Michiko Koga, Ichiro Koga, Chisato Koike, Michiaki Koike, Yusuke Koizumi, Shunichi Kojima, Mariko Komatsu, Mitsuru Konishi, Takeharu Kotani, Yoshitsugu Kubota, Hirokazu Kuroda, Mitsutoshi Kurosawa, Katsuhiro Kuwabara, Shunichi Maeda, Tadashi Maeda, Yasuhiro Maeda, Hironori Maeda, Yoshikazu Maruyama, Yoshiharu Masaki, Takeshi Masubuchi, Yoshishige Masuda, Masafumi Masuda, Shunji Matsuda, Takao Matsumoto, Itaru Matsumura, Tadashi Matsushita, Keiichi Mikasa, Rumi Minami, Toshikazu Miyagawa, Kyoko Miyagi, Takuto Miyagishima, Masaki Miyamaoto, Yoshihiro Miyashita, Fumihisa Miyauchi, Taito Miyazaki, Masatsugu Miyazawa, Koji Morinaga, Atsuko Moriya, Kiyoharu Muranaka, Masayuki Murata, Atsushi Nagasaka, Kenichi Nakamura, Ac ce pt ed M an us cr ipt Norihiko Nakanishi, Hirotomo Nakata, Yasuhiro Nakatani, Megumi Nakazawa, Yuta Nanjo, Munetoshi Narukawa, Masayoshi Negishi, akeaki Nishibori, Masami Nishiwaki, Masaaki Noda, Shosaku Nomura, Toshio Numao, Katsuyuki Obara, Rentaro Oda, Yuko Ogata, Toshiki Ohira, Hiroaki Ohnishi, Kyuma Ohta, Shinichi Oka, Kazuhisa Okada, Akihiko Okayama, Seiko Ono, Yasuo Ota, Maki Otsuka, Shinya Rai, Azemoto Ryosaku, Toshiaki Sai, Hi


We report on experiments with surface emitting microcavity semiconductor lasers with a mesa-like three-dimensional structure. Mode selectivity is introduced by the small diameter of the top mirror, making single transverse mode oscillation possible. This leads to a reduced threshold pump power as compared with a planar sample with the same structure; on optical pumping we observed a threshold power of about 7 µW at 4 K. The observed laser threshold and spontaneous emission coefficient were compared with the theoretical prediction, giving a reasonable agreement.


The present invention relates to a method of driving a vehicle, determining a collision probability of the vehicle, occupant restraint system of a vehicle when a collision corresponding to the collision probability has occurred a measure of whether it how effectively protect a vehicle occupant It represents, comprising determining an efficacy parameter corresponding to the occupant restraint system, to be able to reduce the occupant of the fault at the time of collision, and performing at least one failure mitigation measures based on efficacy parameters obtained. The present invention further relates to a corresponding apparatus and computer program.


The conventional A* algorithm may suffer from the infinite loop and a large number of search data in the process of motion planning for manipulator. To solve the problem,an improved A* algorithm is proposed in this paper by the means of selecting middle points and applying variable step segments searching during the searching process. In addition,a new method is proposed for collision detection in the workspace. In this paper,the MOTOMAN MH6 manipulator with 6-DOF is applied for motion plan. The algorithm is based on the basis of the simplification for the manipulator and obstacles by cylinder enveloping. Based on the analysis of collision detection,the free space can be achieved which makes it possible for the entire body to avoid collisions with obstacles. Compared with the Conventional A*,the improved algorithm deals with less searching points and performs more efficiently. The simulation developed in VC + + with OpenGL and the actual system experiments prove effectiveness and feasibility of this improved method.


The effect of ceramic metallization process on the performance of vacuum interrupter was researched by X-ray thickness test, metallographic analysis, tensile strength test and air tightness test. Electroplating Ni and coating Ni metallization processes were used in this research. The thickness of electroplating Ni is 3.5μm-6μm, and that of coating Ni is 4μm-6μm. The Ni layers of electroplating Ni and coating Ni are both continuous, but electroplating Ni is not uniform. A little Ni layer can be seen from electroplating Ni ceramic after vacuum brazing. The tensile strength difference of standard tensile pieces between them is little. The air tightness difference of vacuum interrupter between them is not obvious.


Results of recent numerical, one-dimensional core collapse calculations for 10M/sub sun/, 15M/sub sun/ and 20M/sub sun/ population I stars are reviewed. The physics model is discussed, including recent improvements in the nuclear equations of state, and nuclear binding energies. None of the models produces prompt explosions as a direct result of core collapse and bounce.


An uncertainty analysis method for tower structures subjected to a wind load is presented. Random samples of material properties and section dimensions are generated based on the LHS technique and then used to establish uncertain FEMs for transmission towers. Based on tower models incorporating uncertainty, our analysis reveals that there are six possible initial failure tower members but only one for the deterministic model. Finally, the influence of wind attack angle is discussed.


In this paper, a multicriteria traffic adaptive control method is proposed which makes it possible to fully use the existing decision structure of the control plant. This approach represents a variety of trade-offs between operational efficiency, traffic intrusion into the environment, economy, an demands of various road user groups in an integrated way.


Abstract : This report treats characterization of the pulse transformer at TNO PML Pulse Physics, Delft. The pulse transformer constitutes the final step of an energy compression system, called the Kapitza facility, and is able to amplify the current up to 24 times. The pulse transformer consists of a primary single layer winding of 24 turns which is enclosed by an aluminium secondary winding, consisting of one inner- and one outer which are coupled in parallel. Characterization means: determination of the electrical quantities, such as the ohmic resistance and the inductance of the primary and secondary windings. A current source able to deliver single-wave currents with adjustable frequencies was used. From the measurement it appears that the main inductances decrease and the ohmic parasitic included currents in aluminum secondary winding.


Badminton smash is one of the most powerful techniques among all the racket sports. It may divide into smash and jump smash. The purpose of this study was to analyze the surface EMG activity of upper extremities between smash and jump smash by eight Taiwan elite badminton players. We used two digital video cameras to obtain the 3D kinematics data of shuttlecock, and measured the surface EMG signals of seven upper limb muscles. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the two smashes in initial shuttle velocity. Though the movements of the two smashes were similar, there were significant difference between the two smashes in the sequence of the surface EMG activity of the upper limb and the mean IEMG amplitude in a few muscles. We found that the jump smash exerted the higher EMG activity than smash in the phase before contact point.


A method is developed for the analysis and extracting the optimal structural parameters of GaN/AlGaN Bragg-confined structures, in order to maximize the intersubband absorption on bound–above-the-barrier transitions at wavelengths in the near infrared spectral range. The "built-in" electrostatic field originating from piezoelectric and spontaneous polarization, and band nonparabolicity are taken into account. The optimal GaN/Al0.65Ga0.35N Bragg-confined structure designed for maximal absorption at λ=1.3 μm (950 meV) provides a fractional absorption of 1.5%, at 2×1012 cm−2 doping per active well.


Le mosche del capitale coheres with a wide line of thought developed by Volponi and regarding the transformations of Italian society in the period of transition towards neocapitalism. From this perspective, the paper analyzes three fundamental aspects of the novel: the editing and the allegorical structure of the text in relation to the connection between allegory and utopia in Volponi's narrative; the system of the characters with regard to the absence of a leading character (the protagonist is the power conceived as a language transfiguring reality) and with regard to the parallel between the author's and the main character's experiences; the critical and conflicting attitude of the forms (comic, grotesque, estranging) through which itself is represented.


Infrared absorption spectra of exudates from 65 species of gymnosperms were measured using micro–Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. On the basis of the infrared spectra, three compositionally distinct groups of exudates can be distinguished: resins, volatile-rich resins, and gums. Resins and volatile-rich resins are mainly composed of terpenoids, whereas gums are polysaccharides. Resins and volatile-rich resins are restricted to conifers (Pinophyta). Gums, on the other hand, are produced by some conifer families including Araucariaceae and Podocarpaceae; nonconifer gymnosperms including Ginkgo (Ginkgophyta), cycads (Cycadophyta), and Welwitschia (Gnetophyta); and angiosperms. Using spectral band ratios, conifer resins can be subdivided quantitatively into two distinct resin types that reflect compositional differences in their terpenoid constituents and broadly parallel different conifer families. The first type of resin (pinaceous resin) is produced by members of Pinaceae and consists mainly of diterpenes that are based on abietane/pimarane skeletal structures. The second type (cupressaceous resin) is associated with members of the Cupressaceae, Sciadopityaceae, Araucariaceae, and Podocarpaceae and consists mainly of diterpenes that are based on the labdanoid structures. Variability within the resin spectra correlates with the number of free hydroxyl groups, and it can be used to assess the degree of resin polymerization. Volatile-rich resins are found exclusively within Pinaceae, reflecting a generally higher abundance of volatile mono- and sesquiterpenoids in resins of this family. The results of the FTIR spectroscopy have direct implications for the assessment of the fossil potential and the chemotaxonomic interpretation of modern and fossil gymnosperm exudates.


The preambule gives the reasons for the relevance of the problem of experiencing the loss and grief of the perished law enforcers` wives in Ukraine, providing them with psychological counseling and the necessary psychological assistance based on the modern scientific heritage, world and local practical experience. The aim of the study is to examine the theoretical and practical approaches of providing psychological assistance to widows, as well as to analyze the impact of psychological assistance on the overall level of adaptive grieving.The main part reveals the main theoretical and practical approaches to the definition of varieties, structure and content of systemic psychological support based on extreme psychology and crisis intervention. It was noted the necessity of providing emotional support and psychological assistance at the early stages of experiencing grief and loss. It presents the brief description of the factors influencing psychological state of the person, who is in an emergency situation - the sudden death of a loved one.The concept of adaptive and non-adaptive ways of responding to stress factors, based on a study by E. Lindemann, is considered. Psychological reactions are described that correspond to different phases of a crisis state after a traumatic event, accordingly to the studies of D. Aguilera and J. Messick. The results of a comparative experimental psychological examination of the perished law enforcers` wives are set out in order to determine the significance of individual factors of socio-psychological adaptation for the formation of effective psych correctional programs. Statistically reliable data on the impact of psychological support on the general level of socio-psychological adaptation are obtained. In conclusion, it is stated the reasonability of providing the psychological assistance in case of loss, taking into account the hierarchy of personal problems. Experimentally proven that, when providing systemic psychological assistance, there is a tendency towards to of adaptability and emotional comfort indicators, decrease of level and moving away from problem situations avoidance.


Beekeeping, otherwise known as apiculture is a lucrative business providing supplementary or major income to the people in rural areas. Honey has certain health benefits, with its nutritional composition closely similar to fruits and is a natural sweetener. Honeybees are also a good pollinator and gives valued products such as beewax, propolis, bee venom, etc. However, for commercial beekeeping, selection of bee species is very important and for yearly flow of honey, a beekeeper should know the flora preferred by the bees for every seasons. The present study revealed that, out of the total 161 plant species identified, which is visited by the honeybees (Apis cerana and Apis mellifera) for nectar and pollen, maximum plant species belong to the horticultural crops (33%) followed by the wild plants and forest trees (29%); and ornamental plants and avenue trees (28%). The least (10%) was recorded in agronomic crops.


Carobeth Laird's Encounter With an Angry God and Limbo unravel the notion that man/self is the focus of autobiography as genre. Instead, Laird's concept of selfhood rejects masculinist centrality and includes American Indians, the elderly, and the western landscape of the early 20th century as self-extension. Ultimately, Laird's strategies for self-recovery illuminate a personal ecosphere in which life writing not only documents but integrates self, history, and myth.


ABSTRACT As American and British gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals have made major wins for "pinnacle rights," such as same-sex marriage, attention has increasingly moved to a previously overshadowed part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community: transgender (trans) people. Alongside more visibility in popular culture, trans people have been the subject of policy debates and proposals in both countries, seeking to both restrict and expand their rights. In this article we examine the extent to which language choice affects public support for policies pertaining to trans people in the United States and United Kingdom. We draw upon two survey experiments conducted in the United States and United Kingdom in July 2016 and find that, in general, different ways of referring to the trans population do not affect policy opinions. This study has implications for both understandings of the effectiveness of framing in increasingly media savvy environments and for the future of trans-related policies in the United States and United Kingdom.


Through the fourth industrial revolution, today such technological innovations and methods have become available which enable the development of complex logistics systems where the entire supply chain can be operated in an automated way. The aim of the study was to investigate how to increase the efficiency of logistics processes through the exploitation of the opportunities offered by the fourth industrial revolution. The paper presents the essence of Industry 4.0, the technological conditions of the fourth industrial revolution, its opportunities and challenges, and examines its impact on both intra-corporate and non-corporate logistics processes. We analyze the operational processes of logistics networks and the efficiency gains achieved through Industry 4.0 applications. Reliability and quality assessment of logistics networks are a complex problem. In this paper, we will present an innovative solution which is based on Industry 4.0 infocommunication solutions and the application of risk management and quality assurance tools, one that enables the optimal selection of logistics service providers in the network from a reliability point of view.


A semiautomated nitrous acid fluorometric method for the determination of reserpine and rauwolfia alkaloids in unit dose is described. A simple, manual, alcoholic acid extraction method for the recovery of reserpine or reserpine-rescinnamine group alkaloids from a large number of tablets or powders is described. Following the chloroform extraction of the sample solution, the extract is washed with dilute hydrochloric acid and bicarbonate solutions and then reacted with nitrous acid to produce a yellowish-green fluorescence. The fluorogen is measured at an excitation wavelength maximum of 390 nm. and a fluorescent wavelength maximum of 510 nm. The automated system is designed to determine reserpine or rauwolfia alkaloids in the concentration range of 0.15-0.3 g.%. The rate of analysis of the samples is set at 20 an hour. Reserpidine, yohimbine, and bendroflumethiazide do not interfere in the reserpine or rauwolfia alkaloids determination.