Within the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism, the doping and temperature dependence of the superfluid density in cuprate superconductors is studied throughout the superconducting dome. It is shown that the superfluid density shows a crossover from the linear temperature dependence at low temperatures to a nonlinear one in the extremely low temperatures. In analogy to the dome-like shape of the doping dependent superconducting transition temperature, the maximal zero-temperature superfluid density occurs around the critical doping δ ≈ 0.195, and then decreases in both lower doped and higher doped regimes.


Phenylethynyl substituted benzenes 1, 2 and 3 are synthesized by the Pd-coupling reaction of phenylacetylene with the corresponding bromobenzene; the third-order optical non-linearity [χ(3)(ω)] increases with the participation of π-conjugation through the triple bond as determined by the degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) method in a chloroform solution.


Poultry Science Association meeting 2014, Corpus Christie, TX (USA). The digestible lysine requirement of laying hens while maintaining an ideal amino acid profile D. Kumar*, C. Raginski, K. Schwean-Lardner, and H.L. Classen University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada As laying hens continue to improve in egg production and other characteristics, it is relevant to examine their response to dietary digestible ideal amino acid level. Research using Lohmann LSL pullets (28 to 40 wk of age) compared digestible lysine (Dlys) intake levels of 550, 625, 700, 775 and 850 mg/hen/d, with Dlys kept in proportion to other essential amino acids. Each treatment was replicated 10 times (2 cages of 6 birds each). Diets containing 500 and 850 mg Dlys/kg feed were blended every 3 wk based on feed intake to produce diets that would provide treatment levels of Dlys intake. Data collection included egg production (5 d/wk), and feed intake, egg weight and egg specific gravity every 3 wk. Feed efficiency (kg feed/kg egg mass; kg feed/dozen eggs) was calculated based on egg and egg mass production, and feed intake. Data were analyzed for Dlys effects using SAS 9.3 and a completely randomized design; regression analysis was used to study the relationship between dependent variables and Dlys intake. Analyses were considered significant when P<0.05. In the following results, the impact of Dlys on response criteria will be described in text as well as with bracketed treatment means with means listed in order of increasing Dlys intake (550, 625, 700, 775 and 850 mg/hen/d). Means followed by different superscript letters are significantly different according to Tukey's mean separation test. Actual Dlys intake (mg/d) varied slightly from treatment objectives as shown by the comparative values shown in brackets (550 vs 553; 625 vs 647; 700 vs 719; 775 vs 804; 850 vs 856 mg/d). Hen-day egg production increased in a quadratic fashion with Dlys intake (88.4, 94.4, 96.7, 97.2, 97.0 %). Egg weight (54.4, 57.0, 58.5, 59.7, 60.0 g) and egg mass (48.5, 53.9, 56.5, 58.0, and 58.0a g/h/d) increased in a similar fashion with Dlys intake. Egg specific gravity (1.089, 1.088, 1.088, 1.088, 1087) decreased quadratically with increasing Dlys intake. Feed efficiency (kg feed/kg egg mass – 1.87, 1.79, 1.74, 1.68, 1.67) decreased in a quadratic manner. In contrast, Dlys intake did not affect feed per dozen eggs (1.32, 1.32, 1.32, 1.31, 1.30 kg feed per dozen). In conclusion, the requirement of laying hens for amino acid balanced Dlys varies with response criteria.


Alkaline phosphatase activity was assessed concomitantly with total phosphorus, orthophosphate and phosphomonoester concentrations in two meso-eutrophic reservoirs with distinct age and subjected to different kinds of environmental influence. Differences in conductivity, temperature and pH were found. However, during the study period alkaline phosphatase activity was similar in both reservoirs. Water colour was higher in S. Serrada Reservoir. This fact can be related to (1) reservoir age (2) high internal disturbance (3) large imputs of allochthonous detritus, resulting from the combined effect of grazing, fire and catchment slope. Despite the high water colour recorded in S. Serrada, alkaline phosphatase activity was apparently not inactivated by humic substances. Besides, the obtained results demonstrated that hydrolysis of phosphomonoesters by alkaline phosphatase was not important for orthophosphate regeneration in these reservoirs. Probably orthophosphate was always available to biota. In fact, in the experiments based on Selenastrum capricornutum Printz algal test, similar phytoplankton growth responses were obtained for different phosphorus concentrations. Thus, these results seem to indicate that phosphorus was not a limiting nutrient in either reservoir. Although phosphatase activity was significantly correlated with some phytoplankton genera in both reservoirs, no significant correlations were found between enzyme activity and chlorophyll-a. Significant correlations between phosphatase activity and crustacean zooplankton were only recorded in S. Serrada. In spite of these results there was some indication that the main source of phosphatase might have been bacteria involved in decomposition processes instead of phyto- and zooplankton taxa.


The paper describes a thermal convertor mounted in a 75 Ω coaxial line, which consists of two thin resistance films heated by the electric current being measured, with a thin-film thermocouple attached to the midpoint of each resistance film to give the temperature rise at the point. Both the heater and the thermocouple are depostited on a sustrate and insulated from each other; thus it is decribed as an 'indirectly heated thermocouple'. It was found that the device could be calibrated in terms of d.c. power dissipation and give measurements of power in the range −25 to +22dBm with an accuracy of within ±2% at frequencies of 0–1GHz. Morever, comparison of the performance of the thin-film theormoelectric element with other power measuring instruments indicates that it is of acceptable accuracy, even at microwave frequencies up to 6GHz.


Excitation of Alfvén modes is commonly viewed as a concern for energetic particle confinement in burning plasmas. The 3.5 MeV alpha particles produced by fusion may be affected as well as other fast ions in both present and future devices. Continuum damping of such modes is one of the key factors that determine their excitation thresholds and saturation levels. This work examines the resonant dissipative response of the Alfvén continuum to an oscillating driving current when the driving frequency is slightly outside the edges of the toroidicity-induced spectral gap. The problem is largely motivated by the need to describe the continuum absorption in the frequency sweeping events. A key element of this problem is the negative interference of the two closely spaced continuum crossing points. We explain why the lower and upper edges of the gap can have very different continuum absorption features. The difference is associated with an eigenmode whose frequency can be arbitrarily close to the upper edge of the gap whereas the lower edge of the gap is always a finite distance away from the closest eigenmode.


A geographic information systern (GB) interfaced with a distributed hydrologic model for urban watershed analysis. Basic data layers are digitized into a spatial database, and the system topological data structures are used to generate feature attributes and data products necessary for modeling. Additional programming allows the system to use the coordinate values of features in the watershed to directly calculate flow-plane geometry and routing distances of overland pow paths, gutters, and storm sewer segments. Access to coordinate values in the coverages also allows the system to automatically determine the connecting drainage network, or the order and direction of pow throughout the urban drainage area. This is a significant improvement over other systems in which the order and direction of the network must be determined and digitized by the user. The combined modeling system is capable of analyses of urban drainage problems at a variety of scales (inlet, block, basin) and at a level of spatial detail not heretofore accomplished.


The intention of this research is to characterize and the factors that influence in the adolescent's professional choice that they study at public schools of the State of Sao Paulo to discuss. One worked with 32 (thirty two) subjects among 14 and 18 years that study at public schools. A questionnaire was used, elaborated by the own researcher, with the objective in identifying the youth's feelings in relation to the studies and his possible academic future. The test was applied EAC-IJ (scale of solemnity-concept infant-juvenile) destined to evaluate, in a reliable way, the solemnity levels - concept and the quality of relationships that the people establish with itself and with the people that surround them. Then the test QUATI was applied (Questionnaire of Evaluation Typological), in order to evaluate the characteristics psychological presents in the adolescents. Through the 1


+*Litzenberger, J B; *Tummala, P; *Jacobs, C R +*Veterans Administration Medical Center/Stanford U niversity, Palo Alto, CA email@example.com INTRODUCTION Osteocytes are mechanosensitive cells in bone and a re believed to be responsible for initiating and coordinating oste genic and osteoclastic processes in vivo. Dynamic fluid flow has been shown to be a potent regulator of bone cell metabolism, but the molecula r mechanism through which osteocytes sense mechanical stimuli is unknow n [1,2]. Integrins, heterodimeric cell adhesion proteins, are ideal can didates for mechanosensitive molecules in bone due to their str uctu al and catalytic capabilities. The aim of this study is to investiga te the role of integrins in mechanotransduction in osteocytes. In response to mechanical stimuli, osteocytes coord inate a cellular response to load by directing effector cells to dep osit or resorb bone [3,4]. Intracellular calcium ([Ca ] i) mobilization and MAPK signaling in response to fluid shear stress are associated th e eposition of bone matrix proteins in vitro [2]. Independent of calcium signaling, an increase in cyclooxygenase-2 transcription results in prostaglandin release from osteocytic cells and in bone formation in vivo [5–7]. It has also been shown that osteocytes have a loading-indu ced inhibitory effect on osteoclastogenesis, as measured by a decrease in the ratio of RANKL to OPG [8]. We hypothesize that inhibiting integrin s gnaling in osteocytic cells will decrease the production of mo lecular signals that drive osteogenic and osteoclastic processes in bone .


The LOWTRAN-7 computer code for calculating the propagation of IR radiation through the atmosphere is evaluated in the 8-12 microns wavelength region. Good agreement was found between calculated and measured radiances, except for the LOWTRAN 7 single scattering mode that is based on a conservative scattering approach which results in too high sky radiances.


Abstract : Most behavioral scientists agree that organizational roles of styles have their roots in cultural values and are motivationally sustained. The investigators have selected two diverse samples to study the impact of motivation on role preference and role pressures. The eighty-three students and one hundred seventy nine salesmen showed similar patterns of correlations between scales from the Motivation Analysis Test with roles from the Response to Power Measure (Sweney), the Supervise Ability Scale, and the Responsibility Index (Elsass and Sweney). Authoritarian roles seem predicated on fear, self sentiment, mating, pugnacity and status-assertion. Equalitarianism seemed related to superego self sentiment, and in students, affection. Permissiveness was related to high parental concerns, fear, comfort, and repressed hostility. The Rebel role was most related to fear, pugnacity, repressed affection and mating, self sentiment and status seeking. The Critic is low on pugnacity, fear and comfort, but high on self sentiment. The ingratiator seems to be motivated by low fear and pugnacity, but high affection and concern about parents. (Author)


| Our study aimed at addressing the question "Do spermatozoa biometric measures prove its fertility poten-tial?". Therefore, we carried out a comparative study of the buffalo bull's fertility potential between Italian and Egyptian breeds based on morphometric analysis of frozen-thawed semen and in vitro fertilization. Semen was evaluated post-thawing for plasma membrane integrity, morphology, and motility. Sperm morphology was quantified using computer-assisted evaluation. The cleavage rates, morula, and blastocyst morphologies were recorded for the in vitro assessment of the fertilizing capacity. Our results show substantial differences in motility, viability, abnormalities, plasma membrane ( P <0.001), and acrosome integrities ( P <0.01) between the two bull breeds. Spermatozoa of Egyptian bulls are characterized by a longer head length, larger head area and a higher ellipticity. In contrast, Italian buffalo spermatozoa are characterized by a wider head base and acrosomal width, larger head perimeter, higher rugosity, and difference in head shape. The total flagellum and principal piece lengths are longer in Italian bull sperm. Midpiece (volume and width) and principal piece (volume) measures are increased in Egyptian bull sperm. In contrast, the blastocyst rate was significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in Italian than Egyptian bull semen. There is no marked difference between the two breeds in cleavage and morula rates. In conclusion, the detected considerable variations in sperm biometry between the Egyptian and Italian semen/spermatozoa are attributed to the significant variations in the in vitro fertility potentials.


The purpose of this paper is to develop intelligent watering robot based on STM32 for indoor breeding flowers and plants, which can realize functions such as intelligent watering, foliar spray and automatic watering.  Considering that the water storage capacity of the airborne water tank is small, it is unable to cope with the needs of the water-loving plants or going out for a long time. By using the robot occupants, it is only necessary to regularly store the water in the water tank to ensure the living environment of the flowers and plants in the home, thereby reducing the burden on the occupants to care for the flowers and plants in the house, or to take good care of the flowers and plants at home when the occupants go out.


Yao Nai's poetic theory was unique in the period of Qianlong Emperor and Jiaqing Emperor in Qing dynasty. His widely spread Collection of Modern Poems embodies his poetic ideas. Basically, Yao Nai attaches importance to literary talent(才力), singularity(奇警), and textual research. He interprets poems as articles and adopts the critical methods of circling and marginal comment.


In this paper, we concentrate on different aspects of the spatial digital divide and seek to answer three questions : Are there still spatial inequalities in the adoption of these technologies ? Is there a so-called "second level" geographical divide characterized by important differences in the intensity of Internet use between firms that have adopted these tools ? Do the appropriation processes and logic of diffusion of ICT adopters vary according to the type of area in which they are located (urban vs. rural areas) ? To answer these questions we have constructed and original model of technological diffusion (of the type developed by Battisti and Stoneman, 2005) that merges two types of models : those that concentrate on epidemic effects, and the so-called equilibrium models that model the decision to adopt new technologies as the result of an economic calculation by firms which depends on their internal characteristics and those of their competitive, industrial and local environment. This model uses data drawn from a recent national survey (ICT and e-commerce, 2002). One of the main results is that, for a given size and sector, altouhough there no longer are spatial inequalities in terms of ICT adoption in France, there are still important inequalities in firms' processes of ICT appropriation and use. ...French Abstract : Dans cet article, les auteurs se concentrent sur differents aspects de la fracture numerique spatiale et cherchent a repondre a trois questions : Existe-t-il encore aujourd'hui des inegalites spatiales dans l'adoption de ces technologies ? Existe-t-il une fracture spatiale dite de second niveau caracterisee par une faible utilisation d'Internet et du mail par des entreprises ayant pourtant adopte ces outils ? Peut-on observer des processus d'appropriation et/ou des logiques de diffusion distincts parmi les entreprises adoptantes selon leur zone de localisation (urbaines vs. rurales) ? Pour y repondre les auteurs ont construit un modele original de diffusion de technologies (de type Battisti et Stoneman, 2005) qui cherche a combiner les modeles se concentrant sur les effets de la contagion et ceux dits d'equilibre modelisant la decision de l'adoption comme le resultat d'un calcul economique des agents en fonction de leurs caracteristiques propres et de celles de leur environnement concurrentiel, industriel et local. Ce modele est teste sur une enquete nationale recente (TIC et commerce electronique, 2002). L'un des principaux resultats est que si, a taille et a secteur des entreprises donnes, des inegalites spatiales liees a l'adoption des TIC ne sont plus a l'oeuvre en France, elles demeurent en revanche toujours tres importantes dans les processus d'appropriation et d'usage de ces technologies par les firmes.


This paperuse the private enterprises which listed in A-shares from 2009 to 2013 as samples to examine the influence of executives' (chairman, CEO, CFO) gender differences on investment decisions and financing preference. The results show: the impact of gender on the company's investment efficiency and M & A decision-making is not obvious, but if the listed company has female chairman, CEO or CFO, it will significantly slow the growth rate of company size and reduce the size of the company's external financing, a further selection of external financing shows female executives will be more inclined to choose equity financing, thereby reducing the company's debt to equity ratio.This study gives suggestions on the selection of new executives and optimizing the structure of the senior management team.


This paper presents a 3-D water-flow reconstruction algorithm for use on stereo-camera systems. It contains two major contributions. The first is the stereo-camera calibration method. A vanishing line is used to get a closed-form solution of the parameters of one camera and then the bicamera parameters are recursively updated for more precise results. The second contribution is the stereo matching of particles in the water flow. The difficulty here is that the correspondence of the maximum-correlation-coefficient method is not right for all water flow particles, because the illumination environment is not uniform and the aperture of the two cameras is different. We use relaxation labeling and template matching to cluster the water particles into group sets and compute the best correspondence of these sets based on epipole and camera geometry. The experimental results are reliable.


In recent years, college English teaching situation in our country has undergone great changes. The society has put forward higher requirement of college students' language ability, communication ability in particular and has specific requirement of English application ability. Reform of English teaching is necessary in terms of teaching belief, teaching mode and means.


According to Fuzzy Topology having close relationship between Topology Structure and Order Structure, this paper introduces into main theorem of topology categories and sets the seal on basic of studying topology.


Industry, healthcare, and various other sectors are rapidly adopting the Internet of Things to drive information and automation systems. However, as the number of devices increases, the number of information sent over the network increases as well, inducing network congestion and a potential latency increase. To ensure that demanding applications, such as smart vehicles, are supported in the current network infrastructure, we provide a general methodology of distributing software from the cloud toward the edge, reducing multiple objectives such as latency. In this research we define several problems in multi-objective distribution scenarios, and compare several methodologies for defining and solving the problem. Additionally, we propose a method for decreasing the problem complexity, improving performance with only slightly reduced accuracy.


RESEARCH ARTICLE ABSTRACT: The amounts of old-growth forest present under current and pre-harvesting era disturbance regimes in the dominant higher elevation (900-2300 m) forests in eastern British Columbia (B.C.) wet co~d Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) _._. _. --.--.-~-=-~====~~---== --Nutt:)"forests·(ESSFwc);-and-oneimportanrgroup-ofESSFwcforests;1:he-Northern-MonaslIee-(ESSFwc2)


Thursday, Jun 21: 8:00 AM 9:15 AM 1968 Symposium Thursday Symposia AM Our community has contributed to a shift in neuroscientific inquiry, which emphasizes the relevance of studying large-scale networks to understand the organization of the healthy and diseased brain. The purpose of this symposium is to shed light on hubs, crucial building blocks of those networks that ensure efficient communication between the individual elements and sub-modules of the network. Given their relevance in maintaining network stability, the identification of hubs is crucial for our understanding of network architecture and their mapping may provide a synoptic view on macroscale structural as well as functional organization. Moreover, numerous studies have suggested large-scale network reorganization in disease and, in particular, high susceptibility of hub regions to pathology.


The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significance and importance of introducing intelligent devices to improve living standards. Technological advancements and inventions have proven particularly beneficial during times when face-to-face contact is limited. Machine vision, as a cutting-edge paradigm, has emerged as a significant tool in handling various COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 situations. Intelligent devices aim to automate processes and enhance society's quality of life by reducing reliance on human intervention. However, security concerns and technological advancements necessitate organizations and businesses to adopt robust security and privacy mechanisms instead of solely relying on intelligent and smart measurement methods. This article aims to present a comprehensive overview of security and privacy mechanisms for facilitating efficient communication, decision making, planning, information recording, and management using smart devices in postpandemic scenarios. Additionally, the article offers a summary of potential techniques and basic solutions for secure communication in the future.


The problems of the Chinese financial system, and particularly of its banks, have been well known. Since the reform era began in 1978, steady progress has been made in transforming the financial system, despite which some core problems of the financial system remain unresolved:1 The financial system is unbalanced and underdeveloped. The securities markets are dwarfed by a banking system that is large measured against Chinese GDP, and deep—by the same measure—even when compared with developed economies. The banking system dominates the financial system, even under circumstances and during periods in which technically bankrupt banks might have been lending to inherently more creditworthy companies. In addition, stateowned agencies control both the financial and capital markets. •


The binding of NAD, * NADH and ADPR to LADH was accompanied by different temperature dependence of the phosphorescence decay rate of the tryptophan residue buried within the protein over the temperature range 0 to 30°C in aqueous solution. As a result of thermally induced transition with a hysteresis cycle in the response to temperature, the Arrhenius curves of the phosphorescence decay rate for NAD- and ADPR-EtOH-LADH complexes were overlapped with those for NADH- and ADPR-LADH complexes, respectively. The typical value of the decay rate at 0°C for the samples distributed at intervals over the range 20–1.5 sec -1 suggesting that the degree of stability of LADH dimer decreased in the order NADH->NAD->EtOH->ADPR-LADH. In order to explain those results by thermal fluctuation process, a model for the conformation changes of the micro-environment around the residue is presented.


It is obvious that energy is the engine that drives the economy of any nation. Fortunately, Nigeria has abundant natural energy resources that can bring her economy to the fore of development. This study therefore, evaluates the effect of energy consumption on Nigerian economy for the period of 1980-2017. Specifically, the objectives were to ascertain the impact of disaggregated energy consumption on industrial, agricultural and telecommunication sector contribution to Nigerian economy respectively. The study employed secondary data sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin between 1980 and 2017.The Secondary time series data were analyzed using Augmented Dickey Fuller unit root test and Ordinary Least Square techniques. The famous AK model of the endogenous growth theory was employed. The findings of the study showed that disaggregated energy consumption as was incorporated to modify the model used to achieve the specific objectives was simultaneously significant. The study therefore, concluded that any policy action lines taken to cause variations on energy consumption will have significant effect on Nigerian economy especially in the long run. The study recommended that adequate energy should be supplied to the industrial and agricultural sector so as to boost domestic production and at a reduced cost.


The utility model discloses a transformer station intelligent robot inspection system which includes a monitoring center. The monitoring center is connected with at least one station-grade robot intelligent inspection system of a transformer station via a network. Each station-grade robot intelligent inspection system includes at least one base station. At the same time, the transformer station is also provided with an environment information acquisition subsystem and fixed point auxiliary monitoring subsystems which are arranged at various places where monitoring devices are required in the transformer station. An intelligent inspection robot is provided with an intelligent inspection robot lower computer which is connected with a detecting unit. The detecting unit includes an infrared detecting unit and an ultraviolet detecting unit. The ultraviolet detecting unit includes an ultraviolet video server and an ultraviolet detecting device. The transformer station intelligent robot inspection system is optimal in inspection path, excellent in safety protection, and high in intellectualization, and has the advantages of full-time fault detection and seamless video monitoring, thus providing a novel technical detection method and the all-around safety guarantee for the intelligent transformer station.


A 42-year-old man presented with a 1-week history of intensely pruritic eruption on the dorsum of his right foot. He had gone for a barefoot stroll on the beach a few days before the onset of serpiginous, erythematous raised tracts with bulla formation.


Ethanol extracts of 60 plant species were screened against 2nd stage juveniles of Meloidogyne javanica. Some of the plant extracts showed significant nematicidal properties. Percent mortality of juveniles increased with the exposure time to the extracts. Extracts of Annona squamosa L., Cocculus pendulus (Forsk.) Diel, Datura fastuosa L. and Solanum surattense Burm. f. produced 100% mortality of juveniles after 72 hr exposure.


The quality of accounting information determines the reliability of an entity's financial statements. Accounting information is a product that is included in the accounting information system. An important concern for the quality of accounting information in financial statements is accounting studies whose indicators include reliable, relevant, comparable, and understandable information. Several variables are thought to affect the quality of accounting information. In this study, the variables of employee competence, leadership commitment, and internal audit role are tested on the quality of state-owned accounting information. The research method was descriptive quantitative. The population was 31 employees who handled state property from the unit level to the central level and internal auditors who reviewed the administration of state property. The data collection technique used a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The influence model was analyzed using SPSS version 23. The findings depict that employee competence and leadership commitment have no effect on the quality of accounting information for state property. Meanwhile, the role of the internal audit gives a positive and significant effect. From the simultaneous test, the three independent variables, in a positive way, significantly affect the quality of state property accounting information.


During starvation and stress, virtually all organisms arrest their protein synthesis and convert their ribosomes into a state of dormancy in which a special class of proteins, known as hibernation factors, protect the ribosome from damage. In bacteria, two major families of hibernation factors have been characterized, but the low conservation of these proteins and the huge diversity of species, habitats and environmental stressors has made the discovery of new dormancy factors challenging. In this study, we identify a new bacterial protein involved in ribosome dormancy. We first characterize dormant ribosomes following cold shock in the psychrophilic bacterium Psychrobacter urativorans using proteomics and cryo-EM. We show that during cold shock, ribosomes in this organism associate with a previously uncharacterized protein that occupies ribosomal active centres and multiple drug-binding sites. Our structure reveals that this new factor, which we term Balon, bears no resemblance to known bacterial hibernation factors. Instead, it belongs to a family of bacterial homologs of the eukaryotic translation factor aeRF1. We identify unique motifs present only in Balon but not its archaeal or eukaryotic counterparts that allow it to engage with the peptidyl transferase center and decoding center of dormant bacterial ribosomes. We then show that, across the bacterial kingdom, Balon-encoding genes are found in nearly 20% of known species and are located in operons involved in different types of stress responses, including osmotic and thermal shock, hypoxia, acid, tRNA damage and antibiotic stress. Taken together, our work shows that bacterial cells possess a functional homolog of eukaryotic translation termination factor, which is likely repurposed into a stress-response protein. This finding illuminates a long-sought evolutionary connection between the bacterial and eukaryotic protein synthesis machinery. factor RaiA. Regardless of this evolutionary scenario, our finding of Balon as a functional aeRF1-type protein in bacteria provides the first proof that bacteria encode a functional archaeo-eukaryote-type factor of protein synthesis. This finding reveals that bacteria and eukaryotes share a higher similarity in their machinery of protein synthesis than suggested by conventional models of protein synthesis, although high evolutionary divergence of their shared aeRF1 factors allows the bacterial kingdom to use these factors as a stress response mechanism in contrast to their requirement for basal translation in eukaryotic cells. designation of Balon as a ribosome dormancy factor that bacteria can upregulate Balon in response to stress. reconstruction and heterogenous refinement with C1 symmetry, which resulted in the map with a resolution of 3.23 Å. This map was used to build a model of the P. urativorans ribosome and ribosome-associated proteins. At this point, some heterogeneity was observed at the Balon binding site and decoding centre. To resolve this, the dataset was repicked and reprocessed with RELION 3.1 67 for focused classification ( Fig. S1, Fig. S2 ). Particles were extracted in a 450 pixel box and subjected to several rounds of 2D classification prior to initial 3D refinement using the cryoSPARC map as an initial reference, low-pass filtered to 80 Å. Following this, polishing, CTF refinement and post-processing produced a map of 3.2 Å resolution. Angular assignments from this refinement job were used to carry out a masked classification without alignment, focusing on the Balon density and decoding centre. The final subset of Balon-occupied particles (10,632) was refined and post-processed (3.65 Å). Finally, a local resolution map was calculated (3.1 – 9.7 Å). All reported estimates of resolution are based on the gold standard Fourier shell correlation (FSC) at 0.143, and the calculated FSC is derived from comparisons between reconstructions from two independently refined half-sets.


The highlights on Conflict to peace describes the importance of Post-conflict cash benefitsare necessary to restore social balances after longperiods of civil unrest orwar and are part of there conciliation processfor a country and society.However, these policies/programs can have along-term fiscal impact,be very regressive, be difficult to retract, and crowd out other social protection programming.Hence, policy makers need to carefully weighthe advantages and disadvantages of different design options in the delivery of these cash benefits. Second part of the note relies heavily on examples from a few countries where detailed data were available. Countries seem to be divided into two types: (a) those that provide continuing benefits on a monthly basis and (b) those that provide benefits as a one-time payment often immediately following the resolution of the conflict. Third part of this note looks at how countries can begin to move their social protection spending away from the huge focus on conflict-related categorical benefits and toward the typical categories that other governments protect with cash benefits, the poor and the vulnerable, but recognizes that this process will be different for the two types of countries. Countries with one-off benefits also often start with benefits that are less targeted toward the poor and vulnerable. Initially being more inclusive may help promote social cohesion,but eventually these countries also need to move toward more focus on the poor and vulnerable, regardless of their treatment during the conflict. Finally, Fourth part offers conclusions based on the experience and analysis. Post-conflict countries, particularly middle- and higher income countries, tend to provide recurrent benefits for those who participated in and were affected by the conflict,resulting in substantial fiscal costs, a crowding out of expenditures on other poor and vulnerable groups,and limited reintegration in the labor market. Numerous post-conflict countries, in particular, lower income countries, most commonly in Africa and Asia,have also delivered one-off benefits to 'war veterans' or'ex-combatants' through demobilization and reintegration programs.A smooth transition to sustainable safety nets and pension systems is necessary for these benefits to have impact andbe fiscally sustainable.


Objective To investigate the effects of fluoxetine on the changes of protein levels of SIOOB and its receptor for advanced glycosylation end product-specific receptor(RAGE)in hippocampus in rat depression model.Methods The depression model was made by the chronic unpredictable mild stress. Forty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control(NC),fluoxetine(10 mg·kg~(-1),ip)(F+D), stress(D),stress/fluoxetine(10 mg·kg~(-1),ip)(F+NC)groups,with ten in each group.The behavior of rats was tested at baseline and on the 22nd day during experiment.The S100B and RAGE level in the hippocampus was measured with confocal laser scanning microscopy and the Western blotting.Results(1) In comparison with the D group,the depressive behavior in F+D group was significantly improved(P 0.05).(2)The expression of protein S100B(fluorescent intensity 18±5,A value 3.24±0.45)and RAGE(fluorescent intensity 16±5,A value 2.89±0.24)in hippocampus of D group was lower than group NC(S100B:25±7 and 5.28±0.48;RAGE:24±6 and 5.68±0.29)(P0.05).Compared with group D,S100B(fluorescent intensity 23±3;A value 5.00±0.34)and RAGE(fluorescent intensity 22±4;A value 4.93±0.54)in hippocampus of group F+D were significantly increased(P0.05).Compared with group NC,S100B(fluorescent intensity 31±5,A value7.34±0.29)and RAGE(fluorescent intensity 30± 4,A value 7.43±0.32)in hippocampns of group F+NC were increased significandy.Conclusion Chronic unpredictable mild stress could down-regulate the protein level of S100B and RAGE in hippoeampus,which be elevated by fluoxetine.S100B and RAGE may be involved in development and maintenance of depression and related to the mechanism of the antidepressants therapeutic action.


Abstract : Because of the unacceptably high color and chlorine demand in surface waters at some remote U. S. Air Force radar sites in Alaska, a method was sought to remove these objectionable characteristics. Carbon filters and chemical treatment have proved either ineffective or too expensive. Treatment with hypochlorite was shown to be effective and acceptable in the laboratory, where samples showing from 40 to 70 units of color were successfully treated by chlorine doses ranging from 10 to 40 mg/1. The rate of color removal was faster at the higher doses; however, the chlorine residuals persisted for longer periods of time.


The calculation of resonance shielding by the subgroup method, as incorporated in the MIRANDA module of the AUS neutronics code system, is compared with Monte Carlo calculations for a number of thermal reactor lattices. For the large range of single rod and rod cluster lattices considered, AUS results for resonance absorption were high by up to two per cent National Library of Australia card number and ISBN 0 642 59810 X The following descriptors have been selected from the INIS Thesaurus to describe the subject content of this report for information retrieval purposes. For further details please refer to IAEA-INIS-12 (INIS: Manual for Indexing) and IAEA-INIS-13 (INIS: Thesaurus) published in Vienna by the International Atomic Energy Agency. NEUTRONS; RESONANCE ABSORPTION; REACTOR LATTICES: FUEL RODS; FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS; MODERATORS; WATER; GRAPHITE; M CODES; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; TOTAL CROSS SECTIONS; MONTE CARLO METHOD; HIFAR REACTOR


Results A total of 616 patients were admitted by field triage and 821 by emergency departments. Baseline and angiographic variables were similar in the 2 populations. Patients admitted by field triage had a significantly shorter median door-to-balloon time compared with patients admitted by emergency department triage (83 min, interquartile range 67 to 100 min vs. 103 min, interquartile range 80 to 135 min; p 0.001). Door-to-balloon times of less than the recommended 90 min were achieved in 61% of field triage patients, but only in 36% of nonfieldtriage patients (p 0.001). After adjustment for relevant baseline variables, patients admitted by field triage had a reduced risk of reaching the combined end point of all-cause mortality or nonfatal myocardial infarction (hazard ratio: 0.67; 95% confidence interval: 0.46 to 0.97; p 0.035).


When two persons are debtors and creditors to each other, each of them may submit a declaration of intent to the other party about deduction. A declaration of will to deduct may be submitted before the commencement of court proceedings, during it or after its termination. A declaration of intent by one of the parties must be introduced to the proceeding in the form of an offsetting claim. Therefore, the important question arises whether the declaration of will on deduction made before or after the initiation of the proceedings, but also outside of it, must also be introduced to the proceeding in the form of an offsetting claim. Settlement of the issue is important because in the event of an affirmative answer to such a question the objection of deduction will have to meet the requirements arising from art. 203 1 k.p.c.


In order to reduce the adverse effect of backlash nonlinearity on dual-motor driving servo system, the system model is firstly described. Then a novel adjustable parameters PID control algorithm combining fuzzy RBF neural network control with PID control is proposed for the first time, and analyzed its stability. In the simulation analysis, the system track step signal, ramp signal and sine signal, respectively. Simultaneously, different interference signal were applied to system output when system tracking different signal. Simulation results show that the proposed control algorithm has smaller tracking error and better anti-interference ability than that of mere PID control, because PID parameters can automatically be adjusted as the system tracking error changes. In the end, white noise interference signal are applied to system output in the experiment analysis. The experiment results also validate the higher tracking accuracy and stronger robustness of the proposed control algorithm than that of PID control.


Objective:To investigate the effect of short course intensive insulin therapy on stress hyperglycemia in critically ill patients.Methods:One hundred and eight patients without diabetes in ICU were randomly divided into treatment group and control group 54 patients in each group.Treatment group was received intensive insulin therapy for 7 days,During the periods the blood glucose was maintained between 4.4-8.3 mmol/L,then they were given conventional insulin treatment maintaining the blood glucose between 4.4-11.1 mmol/L,conventional insulin treatment was administrated in control group to maintain the blood glucose between 4.4-11.1 mmol/L.Results:The days in ICU,the days of mechanical ventilation,the incidence of nosocomial infections,the rates of MODS and mortality were significantly lower in treatment group than in control group(P0.05).The morbidity of hypoglycemia were no significant difference between the two groups(P0.05).Conclusion:In critically ill patients,short course intensive insulin therapy can effectively control the stress hyperglycemia,improve the prognosis and reduces the morbidity of hypoglycemia.


Handbook of Multicultural Counseling, second edition, by Joseph G. Ponterotto, J. Manuel Casas, Lisa A. Suzuki, and Charlene M. Alexander (Eds.), 2001.


The article is devoted to the organization of classes for the development of creative imagination on Museum material. The author proposes the use of the regional component, contributing not only to the development of creative imagination of students, but also increase the process of Patriotic education of the individual.


This paper proposed some corollaries to obtain some performance measures of multipurpose machine from its single machine units . It is well known that multipurpose scheduling problems are NP-Hard. Similarly, increases in the number of machine in scheduling problem induce additional computational complexity and new problems, thus the larger the number of machines in a scheduling problem, the higher the degree of computational complexity involved. Therefore, any attempt to obtain the performance objectives of multiple machine environment scheduling problems from its single machine component will make the problems more amenable to solution and increase the efficiency of any proposed algorithm. This paper proposed some rules that can be used to obtain some performance objectives of multipurpose machine environment from its single machine units. It is concluded that partitioning multipurpose machine scheduling problems to its single machine units scheduling will provide a platform for further research work to propose an optimal algorithm for some multipurpose machine scheduling problems.


In pre-May-4th days, the development of literary conception in our country continued under the influence of modernity, a reflective and critical modern awareness. Owing to different receptions of modernity and miscellaneous effects of exotic perceptions of art and literature, modernity of literary conception was a different picture in the eyes of different persons. Some called for criticizing the feudal dynasty to develop a nation-based political-educational literature. In contrast to the former, some were objected to the political-educational tradition by advocating a pure literature as a relief to satisfy one's desire for life, believing in the view of play by "self-discipline" and "he-discipline". Some introduced "aestheticity", taking literature as decribing human life in appreciating the beautiful. Some maintained the literary spirit of fighting, regarding literature as something "non-use for use". And others called for using literature for leisure by giving the fullest display of its recreational function. Different as they were, all these literary views discussed "human life". In fact, they offered different implications, which showed the different orientations and different aspects of modernity. They introduced great numbers of modern academic terms which were to become part of modern theory of literature in our country and continue to be used today.


International students and their level of adjustment is an important thing that should be studied because it is one of the factors to drive the local universities towards World Class University. A study was conducted to the postgraduate international students at UTM pertaining their level of adjustment, acculturative stress and coping skills in order to adapt themselves here, also the relationship between the adjustment and acculturative stress and coping skills applied. A total of 189 respondents were selected for the study. The analysis method chosen are mean scores, frequencies, percentage and correlation. The instruments used in this research are SACQ, ASSIS and The Brief Cope Scale. The result of this research stated that they have a moderate level of adjustment, acculturative stress and coping skills in UTM. This research also revealed that there is a positive correlation and significant relationship between both adjustment and acculturative stress and coping skills. Some suggestions are proposed for the future researcher and the organization for example to intensify the related programs and enhance the existing module to improve their adjustment in UTM. Therefore, this study is expected to help enrich the existing studies as well as to enhance the development of education sector in our country.


To examine associations of foot symptoms with self‐reported and performance‐based measures of physical function in a large, biracial, community‐based sample of individuals ages ≥45 years.


Over  time,  the  People's  Republic  of  China's  Government  has  under-gone significant transformations. From the 1950s – up to the 2010s the PRC`s state-building was significantly influenced by both economic and ideological factors. After the establishment of the republic until the 1970s China was frequently shaken by ideological and political campaigns. Since the late 1970s, China has managed while maintaining the political system to start the transformation of its economy. Economic and ideological factors complemented each other during the State building in the 1980s – 2010s. These practices resulted in creating a public administrative system, which although using the best foreign practices, still did not contradict the traditional Chinese cultural values. Studying China's experience and positive results provides useful and important data, which help to understand the specific way of China's development during this period.


Poster: "ECR 2012 / C-1330 / Diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and Pictoral demonstration of white matter tracts on 3 tesla MR System." by: "A. Bherwani1, A. Kohli2, D. Rajput2; 1400077/IN, 2Mumbai/IN"


Social network users expect the social networks that they use to preserve their privacy. Traditionally, privacy breaches have been understood as the malfunctioning of a given system. However, in online social networks, privacy breaches are not necessarily a malfunctioning of a system but a byproduct of its workings. The users are allowed to create and share content about themselves and others. When multiple entities start distributing content without a control, information can reach unintended individuals and inference can reveal more information about the user. Accordingly, this paper first categorizes the privacy violations that take place in online social networks. Our categorization yields that the privacy violations in online social networks stem from intricate interactions and detecting these violations requires semantic understanding of events. Our proposed approach is based on agent-based representation of a social network, where the agents manage users' privacy requirements by creating commitments with the system. The privacy context, including the relations among users or content types, are captured using description logic. The proposed detection algorithm performs reasoning using the description logic and commitments on a varying depths of social networks. We implement the proposed model and evaluate our approach using real-life social networks.


The published sources are being analyzed in the article, which review special aspects of the USA policy in Eastern Asia in the 30-70s of XIХ century. The author marked four groups of published documentary materials. The first group includes publications of the official documents of American government in the period under review. There are letters among of establishments, diplomats, American leading merchants who did trade in China and Japan. The cables and the reports of envoys of the USA to Far Eastern countries are included to this category in the period under review.

The second group of the sources includes the memoirs and diaries of political leaders and diplomats, who were involved to the development of Eastern Asian direction of American foreign policy – B. Tyler M. Perry, T. Harris and others.

The third group of the sources includes the published materials in the periodicals United States, Great Britain, China and Japan. The documents of this category are allowed to analyze public sentiment in the USA according the policy in Eastern Asia.

The fourth, special group of sources includes scientific works, wrote by contemporaries of the events under study. The value of these works is explained by the fact that they are written in the context of those views on the policies of the US and other Western countries, which were then widespread.

The authors of the works evaluated the activity of Washington in the Pacific Ocean differently, who marked achievements and failures of the American presidents and they gave their advice according the strategy of the USA policy in Eastern Asia.

As a result of the research, the author concludes that the documentary provides an opportunity to understand the position of official Washington on various events related to US policy in East Asia, to show the progress of military companies, negotiations, scientific expeditions and diplomatic missions carried out by Americans in the East countries and in the Islands of Pacific ocean.


The Spread of cameras and sensors and cloud technologies enable us to obtain life logs at ordinary homes and transmit the captured data to a cloud for life log analysis. However, the amount of processing for video data analysis in a cloud drastically increases when a very large number of homes send data to the cloud. In this research, we aim to improve the efficiency of distributed video data analysis processing by using the parallel deep learning framework Chainer [2] and the distribution processing platform Apache Spark [1] (Spark). In this paper, we construct a Spark cluster and investigate the performance of parallel data processing using Spark varying parameter settings.


Background: Statins are associated with several muscle complaints, such as: myositis, myalgia, muscle weakness, muscle spasms and rhabdomyolysis. Age, race, gender, dose of statin, concomitant medications, concomitant disorders and genetics have been reported as the most important risk factor for statin-induced myalgia. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of atorvastatin-induced myalgia in hospitalized patients in Tehran, Iran.
Methods: In this cross sectional study, a questionnaire was developed by expert panel opinions. The questionnaire was included various items regarding demographic data and myalgia evaluation factors. Seven hundred patients were included in the study and necessary data were gathered. Finally, the data were analyzed and a statistical model was designed to predict the myalgia risk factors.
Results: The rate of myalgia was 44.3% among studied patients. By developing a multivariate logistic model, female gender (OR= 0.47, P-value<0.001) was one of the most important factors in myalgia occurrence.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that gender, age, atorvastatin dose, duration of atorvastatin usage and presence of myotoxic disease are the main predictors of myalgia in Iranian population. Hence, the findings of this study can be considered to predict the myalgia incidence risk in Iranian population.


In order to improve the data quality, the big data cleaning method of distribution network was studied in this paper. First, the Local Outlier Factor (LOF) algorithm based on DBSCAN clustering was used to detect outliers. However, due to the difficulty in determining the LOF threshold, a method of dynamically calculating the threshold based on the transformer districts and time was proposed. Besides, the LOF algorithm combines the statistical distribution method to reduce the "misjudgment rate". Aiming at the diversity and complexity of data missing forms in power big data, this paper improved the Random Forest imputation algorithm, which can be applied to various forms of missing data, especially the blocked missing data and even some horizontal or vertical data completely missing. The data in this paper were from real data of 44 transformer districts of a certain 10kV line in distribution network. Experimental results showed that outlier detection was accurate and suitable for any shape and multidimensional power big data. The improved Random Forest imputation algorithm was suitable for all missing forms, with higher imputation accuracy and better model stability. By comparing the network loss prediction between the data using this data cleaning method and the data removing outliers and missing values, it was found that the accuracy of network loss prediction had been improved by nearly 4 percentage points using the data cleaning method mentioned in this paper. Additionally, as the proportion of bad data increased, the difference between the prediction accuracy of cleaned data and that of uncleaned data was greater.


Three high-pressure structures of methane hydrate, a hexagonal structure (str.A) and two orthorhombic structures (str.B and str.C), were found by in situ x-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The well-known structure I (str.I) decomposed into the str.A and fluid at 0.8 GPa. The str.A transformed into the str.B at 1.6 GPa, and the str.B further transformed into the str.C at 2.1 GPa which survived above 7.8 GPa. The fluid solidified as ice VI at 1.4 GPa, and the ice VI transformed to ice VII at 2.1 GPa. The structural changes occurring with increasing pressure were observed reversibly with decreasing pressure. The symmetric stretching vibration, ν1, of the methane molecule observed in the Raman spectra changed along with the structural changes. The bulk moduli, K0, for the str.I, str.A, and str.C were calculated to be 7.4, 9.8, and 25.0 GPa, respectively. The difference in the bulk moduli implies the difference in fundamental structure of the high-pressure structures.Three high-pressure structures of methane hydrate, a hexagonal structure (str.A) and two orthorhombic structures (str.B and str.C), were found by in situ x-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The well-known structure I (str.I) decomposed into the str.A and fluid at 0.8 GPa. The str.A transformed into the str.B at 1.6 GPa, and the str.B further transformed into the str.C at 2.1 GPa which survived above 7.8 GPa. The fluid solidified as ice VI at 1.4 GPa, and the ice VI transformed to ice VII at 2.1 GPa. The structural changes occurring with increasing pressure were observed reversibly with decreasing pressure. The symmetric stretching vibration, ν1, of the methane molecule observed in the Raman spectra changed along with the structural changes. The bulk moduli, K0, for the str.I, str.A, and str.C were calculated to be 7.4, 9.8, and 25.0 GPa, respectively. The difference in the bulk moduli implies the difference in fundamental structure of the high-pressure structures.


ABSTRACT This article presents a method of constructing a rich class of orthogonal designs that include orthogonal Latin hypercubes as special cases. Two prominent features of the method are its simplicity and generality. In addition to orthogonality, the resulting designs enjoy some attractive space-filling properties, making them very suitable for computer experiments.


Kazuo Ishiguro's 2005 novel Never Let Me Go portrays an isolated boarding school, Hailsham, where the students are human clones reared to donate their vital organs. The students regard donation as their mission in life and have no rebellious idea in mind. Their unquestioning obedience is by no means accidental. Chapter One explores Hailsham educators' policies of minimization and obscurantism, illustrating how these two strategies imprint the idea of inferiority on the students and induce them to recognize the system that exploits them. Chapter Two investigates Hailsham education, especially its curricula, which regulates, controls, and misleads the students, making every revolutionary idea insignificant to the students, and thus preventing them from transgression. Chapter Three examines the spatial structure of Hailsham such as landscape and architecture to manifest that Hailsham space not only locks the students in school but also traps them through surveillance. By analyzing the educational policies, curricula, and space of Hailsham, I argue that the educational and spatial environment molds the students into both the willing accomplices who monitor their companions and the willing victims who never attempt to go beyond the boundaries of their roles.


The process of electron-impact ionization of atoms, normally called (e,2e), has been studied for three decades. Most of this work has concentrated on energies far from autoionization resonances. However, for electron energies corresponding to an autoionization resonance, it is not possible to distinguish electrons that have been ejected directly from the atom from those that were first excited to an autoionizing level and subsequently ejected. As a result, these two processes will interfere and the interference can potentially be sensitive to different physical effects from the normal (e,2e) process far from resonances. In this paper, we will examine (e,2e) for cadmium in the energy range of autoionizing levels. First-order distorted-wave results will be compared with recent measurements. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}


Purpose: Investigate the error in IMRT dose delivery from changes in beam quality, symmetry, and MLC positional errors. Methods: A complex (3533 MU, 216 segments, 0.181 modulation complexity score) H&N IMRT plan was delivered to the RPC's IMRT H&N phantom on a Varian Clinac 2100CD. The plan was delivered as a baseline and then again after adjusting the in‐plane and cross‐plane symmetry by 5% and 3%, respectively. The beam was adjusted back to baseline performance and the beam quality was hardened by nearly 2% (%dd) by altering the bending magnet current. The beam was then readjusted to baseline and the plan was delivered with MLC offsets of +1 mm and +3 mm. Radiochromic film and TLD within the phantom were used to analyze the 2D dose distributions and absolute doses. Results: Relative to the baseline delivery, differences in absolute dose delivery of up to 0.6% and 3.2% were observed with changes in in‐plane and cross‐plane symmetry, respectively. The beam symmetry changes gamma analyses (±7%/4mm) resulted in a 0.4–11% change in the percent of pixels passing. The small change in beam quality resulted in a 6% average absolute dose and 24% pixel pass rate difference. MLC offsets of 1 mm and 3mm resulted in average absolute dose differences of 12% and 32%, respectively, and a gamma analyses 21% and 33% change in pixel pass rate for each offset, respectively. Conclusions: Accurate IMRT dose delivery is a long, complicated chain of events, each of which might contribute to dose delivery errors. Performing a risk‐based FMEA analysis (presented by TG‐100) to establish a QA program for IMRT requires knowledge of the error magnitude in dose delivery from key failure modes. Beam quality and MLC offsets resulted in the largest dose delivery errors. Additional failure modes are being investigated. Work supported by grants CA10953 and CA81647 (NCI, DHHS).


Abstract A plea is made for the wider use of concise descriptive phrases instead of rock-names of the conventional type, which are usually uninformative. The writer's case is discussed in relation to the so-called "mugearites".


A dedicated setup comprising an efficient cryogenic device for the in situ preparation of large surface areas of prototypical organic glass formers in a wide temperature range (170–340 K) is presented. This setup provides the necessary temperature and vibrational stability for surface x-ray and neutron scattering experiments, including the extremely sensitive technique of x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS). XPCS is an emerging method which is made possible by the high coherent photon flux produced by third-generation synchrotrons. We demonstrate that microscopic motion at the surface can be studied in a direct way in the liquid and supercooled state using XPCS. In addition, we have used a charge-coupled-device detector to record two-dimensional images of static speckle patterns forming on surfaces in the glassy state.


Territorial Choice: Rescaling Governance in European States H.Baldersheim & L.E.Rose The Danish Revolution in Local Government: How and Why? P.E.Mouritzen Finnish Power-shift: The Defeat of the Periphery S.Sandberg The Swedish Model Under Stress: Waning of the Egalitarian, Unitary State? A.Lidstrom The staying Power of the Norwegian Periphery H.Baldersheim & L.Rose Larger and Larger? The Endless Search for Efficiency in the UK P.John Step-by-step: Territorial Choice in the Netherlands M.Boedeltje & B.Denters Multiple Choice: The Persistence of Territorial Pluralism in the German Federation M.Walter-Rogg France and its 36,000 Communes: An Impossible Reform? E.Kerrouche Italian Regionalism: A Semi-federation is Taking Shape - or is it? M. Brunazzo Efficiency Imperatives in a Fragmented Polity: Reinventing Local Government in Greece P.Getimis & N.Hlepas Top-down or Bottom-up? Coping with Territorial Fragmentation in the Czech Republic M.Illner A Comparative Analysis of Territorial Choice in Europe - Conclusions H.Baldersheim & L.E.Rose Bibliography


The health status of the rural community under the study is measured in terms of vital statistics, and living conditions in relation to demographic data. The findings reveal that this rural population can be considered a very unhealthy one. For instance, the infant mortality rate is 98.4 per 1000 live births, and 80.0 per cent of the total population were found to be infected by one or more parasitic diseases. Allocation of resources has been recommended to raise the standard of living, in order to bring about a better hygienic environment. Accessibility of health services through expansion of primary health care, and in this sphere the use of health auxiliaries should yet again receive special consideration.


Objective To investigate the relationship between expression of Ha ras mDNA and telomerase in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma and tumor clinical features.Methods By using in situ hybridization and silver straining TRAP reaction methods,the expression of Ha ras and telomerase in 91 samples of bladder transitional cell carcinoma was detected.Results The detectable rate of Ha ras mDNA and telomerase was 73% and 92% respectively in the 91 samples of bladder transitional cell carcinoma.The postive rate and intensity of Ha ras and telomerase were positively correlated with the tumor maligancy.Among the different clinical stages,no significant difference was found in the expression of Ha ras and telomerase (P0.05).Conclusion Ha ras and telomerase might play an important role in the tumorigenesis and could be used as a marker to evaluate the tumor maligancy,duration and prognosis.


Abstract The influence of temperature and humidity on the determination of benzene concentration were characterized using a piezoelectric crystal gas sensor. Sensing layers coated with polymethylphenylsiloxane and polyvinylchloride was used for real-time monitoring of benzene, a major atmospheric pollutant. When the humidity was varied from 35% to 75%, the detection limitations of the sensor were reduced and the response and frequency recovery times increased. However, when the temperature was increased from 5 °C to 60 °C, the response and recovery time were decreased but the sensitivity performance was degraded. Models were developed for the correlation between the benzene concentration and temperature and humidity.


Integrating high mountain agribusiness into socioeconomic livelihood provides a unique opportunity to bring about large-scale poverty mitigation countrywide. The purpose of the paper is to add empirical evidence to discuss the best possible ways to develop the high mountain agriculture in Bhutan to gain a significant contribution towards economic growth, employment creation, and household income generation. The study reveals that it is time for Bhutan to focus on agribusiness and it should have an enabling policy for promotion of agribusiness to generate more revenue and to make farming sustainable. As agriculture in the mountain region is very challenging, this paper examines how Bhutanese are managing agriculture and supporting their sustainable livelihood.


Secularism is an ethical system founded on the principle of natural morality and
independent of revealed religion or supernaturalism. In the political realm, secularism is
generally defined as a concept that exhorts the separation between religion and state.
This research seeks to elucidate political secularism in two Islamic parties in Indonesia:
Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa and Partai Amanat Nasional that traditionally enjoy a
historical connection with Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyyah. This research is
qualitative employing inductive, deductive and analytical-critical methods for analyzing
the data. It is a combination of both library and field research. Data was collected
through documentation compiling books, papers, articles and the likes, and open
interviews. Through applying these methods, the study figures out that both PKB and
PAN are of substantive Islamic parties conceiving a symbiotic-mutualistic construct of
relation between Islam and state; each of which is inseparable and yet irreconcilable.
The study also discovers certain elements of political secularism in both parties. Among
these elements are the parties' stance in placing Islam on a par with the other religions
and their reluctance in rendering it as the sole ideology. PKB and PAN furthermore
declare themselves as open and inclusive parties not confining their membership only to
the Muslims. The membership is also open to the non-Muslims. Such political
secularism is also apparent in their political culture in that Islam declines to be the
source of political legitimacy being substituted by both democracy and nationalism.
This secularism on political culture is becoming even worse as Islam ceases to be the
identity of PKB and PAN as Islamic parties. Both parties are disinclined to be
designated as Islamic and concurring with their agglomeration as national, open and
inclusive parties instead. The study also discloses that the apparent political secularism
in PKB and PAN is inflicted by various factors like leadership, government and the
1970s' Muslim intellectuals. On the one hand, these three factors have successfully harmonized Islam and democracy or nationalism, but on the other, they overthrown the
Islamic ideology and identity of PKB and PAN.


To screen receptor of vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV),the calves oral mucosal epithelial cells T7phage display library was constructed.The total RNA of calves oral mucosal epithelial cells was extracted using Trizol reagent.Then,mRNA was separated and purified by mRNA isolation kit and the ds cDNA were synthesized by reverse transcription.ds cDNA ends were ligated EcoR Ⅰ/HindⅢlinkers,then ds cDNA were digested by EcoRⅠ/HindⅢ,so that we got ds cDNA ends containing EcoR Ⅰ/Hind Ⅲ sticky ends.All digested ds cDNA were separated by Mini Column,only ds cDNA fragments more than 400bp were collected.Then,the collected ds cDNA were ligated into the T7Select 10-3bvector.After packaging in vitro,the recombinant T7Select 10-3bvectors were transformed into BLT5403,so we could construct the T7phage display library.The results indicated that the titer of un-amplified library was 1.3×107 PFU/mL,and the recombination rate was 95.8%.After amplification,titer of library was 2.6×1010 PFU/mL.Randomly picked 100plaques were identified by PCR, 95% of the inserted cDNA fragments were longer than 400bp in length.These results indicated that the calves oral mucosal epithelial cells T7phage display library was successfully constructed.


The water protection zone of the Tsimlyansk reservoir was chosen as the object of research. The subject of the study was the assessment of the intensity of manifestation of dangerous coastal processes of the reservoir: abrasion-latency, erosion activity. A method for monitoring erosion processes in water protection zones of water bodies using a software and hardware complex based on unmanned aerial vehicles and GIS technologies has been developed and tested. The optimal type of digital elevation models has been determined for assessing the density of the erosion net-work, determining the types of banks and the intensity of manifestation of abrasion and landslide processes, measuring the morphometric characteristics of erosional landforms. The types of erosional landforms were determined and the zoning of the territory of the water protection zone of the Tsimlyansk reservoir was carried out according to the density of the erosional dissection of the relief. Studies have shown that the predominant erosional forms of the relief of the water protection zone of the Tsimlyansk reservoir are ravines and gullies. The maximum average value of the density of the erosional network of the relief within the boundaries of the administrative districts of the reservoir coast falls on the Surovikinsky district. In the Kalachevsky district, the maximum value of the density of the erosion network is noted within the water protection zone of the Tsimlyansk reservoir.


Since 2009, Marssonina coronaria (Mc) leaf blotch disease has become a problem in low input apple production in Middle Europe resulting in early leaf fall and reduced yield and quality of the fruits. Due to difficulties in unambiguously assigning early leaf spots to Mc leaf blotch, a quantitative fluorogenic PCR (TaqMan) was developed for testing suspicious leaf and fruit samples for the presence of Mc. More than 100 symptomatic leaf and fruit samples originating from different organic and low input production sites were analysed. The majority of samples showing early symptoms without typical acervuli, but assumed to be Mc positive by growers and advisors, tested negative. Later in the season, the accordance between visual assessment and positive qPCR increased. This test can therefore be used for early diagnosis of unidentified leaf spots and to provide support for deciding the appropriate preventive and direct measures to control spread of the disease.


Abstract Introduction Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disease that can affect multiple organ systems including the central nervous system in 5-15% of patients, yet it is a rare cause of intrasellar lesions (<1%). Its presence in the pituitary-hypothalamic region may be the first manifestation of the disease and result in various degrees of pituitary dysfunction, ranging from selective deficiency to panhypopituitarism. Herein, we present a case of pituitary neurosarcoidosis in a woman with hyperprolactinemia and amenorrhea. Case Presentation A 32-year-old African American woman with a past medical history of uterine fibroids and hypertension was referred for hyperprolactinemia and amenorrhea. She endorsed occasional headaches and complained of decreased libido and 10lbs weight gain. Her BMI was 41.93 kg/m2, BP 148/69 mm Hg, HR 92. Her exam was significant for slight divergent eyes with mild superior defects in the visual fields, as well as cervical lymphadenopathy. Her serum sodium was 143 mmol/l, prolactin 72.2ng/ml, TSH 2.350 mIU/L, FT4 0.58 ng/dl, ACTH 26 pg/ml and AM cortisol 10.6 mcg/dl, and cosyntropin stimulation testing was normal. She was started on levothyroxine. Brain MRI showed heterogeneous enhancement of the pituitary gland and a thickened infundibulum. To evaluate for systemic disease a chest CT scan was done, revealing multiple pulmonary nodules, patchy infiltrates with tree-in-bud appearance, as well as mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. She had circumferential thickening of the distal esophagus. Biopsies of the esophagus and a sub-carinal lymph node revealed acute esophagitis with ulceration, and well-formed noncaseating granulomas with stains negative for mycobacteria and fungi. A diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made with presumed pituitary involvement. Treatment with prednisone 35 mg a day was initiated with resulting decrease in size of the pituitary gland and infundibulum on repeat MRI after 8 months. In an attempt to decrease steroid use, she was started on azathioprine but failed treatment. She showed improvement on MRI imaging with methotrexate and her steroids were subsequently tapered, but unfortunately, her hyperprolactinemia and amenorrhea did not resolve despite 18 months of stable imaging and treatment. Conclusion In patients with diffuse infundibular and pituitary thickening, a diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis should be considered. Although corticosteroid therapy improves radiologic lesions, its resulting side effects may require steroid sparing therapy, and in this case azathioprine was not effective, yet methotrexate was. However, hormonal dysfunction persisted, and menses had not returned as of 1.5 years despite resolution of imaging abnormalities on MR. Further prospective studies are needed to determine how aggressive initial therapies should be and which ones might work best to preserve pituitary function.


To enhance the informatization management of military cadres' physical examination work, the Management System for Physical Examination Information of Military Cadres was developed. In this paper, the methods of using the system to realize sharing information together, optimizing management procedure , automatically supporting health education, establishing health records and providing reliable data analysis etc were introduced. Software efficiency after having been extended through the whole military were evaluated, furthermore, the improvement direction in the future was discussed.


Content-based image retrieval technology overcomes the defect of subjective one-sidedness of text retrieval method and objectively describes the essential features of images. However, the semantic description of images in text mode is lost, which leads to the reduction of retrieval accuracy. To improve the performance of the retrieval system, image semantic description is used to improve the human-machine interface and interactive performance of the retrieval system. Then, the proposed visual feature-semantic classification algorithm is experimented to test its performance. The results on a random image set show that the proposed algorithm has better retrieval performance than traditional semantic classification algorithm and correlation sorting algorithm.


We conduct a randomized résumé audit study, simultaneously examining the returns to education, experience, and physical attractiveness among young workers applying for entry-level, formal sector jobs in a developing country context. Employers do not value postsecondary education without a degree. Postsecondary vocational training increases the likelihood of a callback but only for blue-collar occupations typically offered only to male workers. Work experience is valued across most occupations; however, among service-sector jobs with in-person customer interactions, attractive applicants receive 23% more callbacks, swamping the returns to experience. Our results can help young workers make optimal choices to ease their school-to-work transition and guide policy makers in the design of labor market programs to ensure youth have the skills and qualifications that employers demand.


This chapter deals about an existing treaty which is in conflict with that norm becomes void and terminates if new peremptory norm of general international law emerges. There is a close relationship between Articles 64 and 53, the latter dealing with the situation of an existing peremptory norm, and the former with the case of a new peremptory norm of general international law. The link is established by the various terms common to both provisions, e.g. the words jus cogens in their respective titles. In view of the central importance of jus cogens, Article 64 appeared justified to include a separate provision in the convention dealing solely with the particular situation of jus cogens superveniens. Article 64 can be qualified as an emerging rule of customary international law.Keywords: customary law; peremptory norm; superveniens; treaty


Objective To analyze the early diagnosis and treatment of opened abdominal injuries.Methods The data(from February 2001 to December 2011) of 102 cases with opened abdominal injuries were summarized retrospectively.Results Among 102 patients,98 cases were cured,2 patients died from serious bleeding shock,1 patient died from postoperative abdominal serious infection,1 patient died from postoperative MODF.The successful rate was 96.1%.Conclusion The key point of emergency treatment for opened abdominal injuries is early make sure whether penetrating abdominal trauma and intra-abdominal visceral injuries exist and whether needing emergency operation.For the patients with opened abdominal trauma,it should be depended on the injury process,abdominal sign and necessary examination to decide whether need exploratory laparotomy.Once the operative indication appears,the patients should be performed operation at once.It is very important for successful operation that comprehensive,careful and sequential exploration.Laparoscope surgery for opened abdominal injuries has many advantages such as early diagnosis and treatment,less trauma and complication,but the surgical indication should be strictly grasped.


Introduction. "Suicide tourism," the practice of traveling to a foreign destination to commit suicide, has been described in the medical literature. Additionally, committing suicide by self-administering veterinary medications has been previously described. Case Descriptions. We report two successful and one unsuccessful suicide attempts involving border-town travelers utilizing self-administered veterinary pentobarbital over a 1-year period. Discussion/Conclusion. Health care practitioners should be aware of and informed about this phenomenon.


The behavior of salt-forming under a non-equilibrium status was experimentally determined for the system of MgSO4-K2SO4-H2O during boiling evaporation.The experiments of solution evaporation were carried out at a constant boiling temperature of 75 ℃ by a heating agent with a fixed temperature of 105 ℃.The evaporation intensity used was about 240—260 g/(h·L).The compositions of liquid and solid phase were analyzed at the time when primary nucleation occurs and several points of further evaporation.According to the experimental results the concepts of primary,extend and conditional salt-forming regions were proposed.The experimental results show that:(1) the primary salt forming regions of K2SO4,Leonite,Langbenite and MgSO4·H2O were observably different from those in Equilibria Phase Diagram.The width of primary forming region of K2SO4 and Langbenite are reduced,and the width of primary forming regions of Leonite and MgSO4\5H2O are extended in different degrees.(2) Under the condition of having crystal seed,the width of salt-forming region is larger than that of primary salt-forming region in different degrees for different salts.(3) The extend salt forming regions of each salt caused an overlap.In the overlay region,what kind of the salt is formed depending on the seed of crystal.This overlay region is defined as conditional salt forming region,which is a special character in the non-equilibrium state phase diagram,and does not exist in the Equilibria Phase Diagram and Metastable Phase Diagram.


This chapter discusses digital transformation, looks at digital enterprise strategy framework, reviews some success factors of digital enterprise, and introduces a model of sustainable digital business.


[Unpublished texts by Friedrich Sellow. 1 ‐ Journey to Jesuit Missions of Saint Peter's Province of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)]. Excerpts from an unpublished letter sent in 1826 by Friedrich Sellow to Altenstein Baron reporting his journey to the former Jesuit Missions of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) are reproduced in Portuguese in this article, for the first time, along with a drawing of the same botanist.


Speech recognition technology is now being used to augment verbal delivery of lectures in three Australian higher education classrooms. The University of the Sunshine Coast, Murdoch University and Central TAFE are collaborating to widen participation within the classroom for students, particularly those with a disability. The technology has surmounted a barrier to equal participation for students with a disability without the need for invidualised augmentative assistance such as note takers or tape recording of lectures. This paper reports on outcomes of the implementation of the technology to date.


A solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas is a very rare tumor of unclear histogenesis. Its frequency is 1–2% of the total number of exocrine tumors and about 5% of cystic tumors of the pancreas. Only 130 mainly publications related to separate clinical observations of this pathology are available in medical literature. We found no works describing the complicated course of a solid pseudopapillary tumor of the pancreas in children. The article describes a clinical case with a probable complicated, life threatening course of a solid pseudopapillary pancreatic tumor in children due to peptic erosion of tissues and vessels with capsular rapture.


In reference to Nazi Germany and Hitler's rise to power, there is a tendency to believe the public were forced and terrorised into complying with the Nazi order. However, when analyzing the occurrence of events, it is quite obvious that the public gave their consent when it came to the rise of the Nazi power. This paper will discuss how Hitler was able to use the failure of the Weimar government to attract the public, how he built the "People's Community" with the approval of all the sections included within the community, and finally how the documentary film Triumph of the Will shows the support the Germans had for Hitler and the Nazi regime.


A simple, low-cost accessory (patent pending) with only two flat mirrors and a new variable-angle mechanism has been developed for infrared specular reflectance measurements. The system allows the angles of incidence to be varied continuously from 15° (near normal incidence) to 85° (near grazing angle) without losing the alignment of the accessory. The reflectivity of boron nitride thin films deposited on metallic substrates has been measured at different angles of incidence to demonstrate the utility of this accessory.


The present paper is focused on the study regarding the contamination of feedstuffs with aflatoxin and presents the percentages of contaminated samples. It has also been study the effect of the aflatoxin contamination upon the poultry production on different types of poultry.


The process of K-medoids algorithm is that it first selects data randomly as initial centers to form initial clusters. Then, based on PAM (partitioning around medoids) algorithm, centers will be sequential replaced by all the remaining data to find a result has the best inherent convergence. Since PAM algorithm is an iterative ergodic strategy, when the data size or the number of clusters are huge, its expensive computational overhead will hinder its feasibility. The authors use the fixed-point iteration to search the optimal clustering centers and build a FPK-medoids (fixed point-based K-medoids) algorithm. By constructing fixed point equations for each cluster, the problem of searching optimal centers is converted into the solving of equation set in parallel. The experiment is carried on six standard datasets, and the result shows that the clustering efficiency of proposed algorithm is significantly improved compared with the conventional algorithm. In addition, the clustering quality will be markedly enhanced in handling problems with large-scale datasets or a large number of clusters.


Considering the working conditions and demands placed before the workers in the area of clothing engineering, their working condition in the workplace can be evaluated using the Workplace Assessment Analysis (OADM). With the OADM method it is possible to detect flaws and failures created during the formation process of a workplace and also flaws in organising a production system. The experimental part of the work gives an example of a workplace assessment using the OADM method in the technological process of sewing in the workplace of performing a sewing operation of the shoulder stitch on children's T-shirt. The data collected by the survey point to a high level of motor coordination of body, hands and legs with forced positions of the head and the body as a consequence of a poor sitting position, misalignment of the working space dimensions, inappropriate working method and unfavourable conditions of the working environment


The World Trade Organization, which came into existence at the conclusion of the Uruguay Round, is in charge of administering a plethora of new trade rules. The main thrust of the new rules is to reduce or abolish tariffs and quotas on a wide range of products. Some tariffs and quotas were abolished immediately, but others will not be abolished, or even reduced, for several years. Unfortunately for Korea, several of Korea's major exports, especially in the area of textiles, will continue to face relatively unfavorable tariffs and quotas for many years to come, partly because of the successful efforts of protectionists to delay the implementation of tariff and quota reductions on these goods. The WTO rules also include some less obvious protectionist measures, most notably in the areas of environmental and labor standards and antidumping. Korean companies stand to be adversely affected by these hidden protectionist measures. This paper discusses some of the potentially adverse effects that WTO rules are likely to have on Korean companies and makes suggestions for reform.


7053Background: Clinical outcomes of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) are heterogeneous. Specific mutations and mutation patt...


JAMSTEC has a stock drum winch which was winded 8000 m class Optical – Electric composite armored cable (composite cable) for using Deep-Tow. In fiscal 2011, by using the composite cable, JAMSTEC conducted research cruise for 2011 Tohoku earthquake. But, an optical trouble was happened, and communication by using the composite cable became impossible between Deep-Tow and mother ship. On the other hand, this composite cable is necessary for great depth sea survey for example source zone survey of 2011 Tohoku earthquake. So conversion of composite cable is immediately required. Therefore the composite cable ' s renewal was done. Through the renewal, the optical loss budget was drawn for composite cable to be operated over 5000 m depths. It is confirmed that the optical loss of the underwater optical connector is within the range of the optical loss budget. The utilizable channel of this cable is improved from two channels to four channels. And the optical loss was also measured in operation during free-fall. In this paper, the author report above.


A displaced basicervical hip  fracture with physeal  separation of the greater trochanter in a 9.5 years old  boy is described. This was caused by falling from a height  of 4 meters. A satisfactory result according to Ratliff's  clinical and radiological criteria was obtained following  open reduction, internal fixation using four thin Kirshner  wires and additional use of a hip spica for 8 weeks.  Forty years  review showed normal and painless hip  movements and gait. The forty year follow up radiology  exams showed slight flattening of the femoral head without  signs of avascular necrosis, shortening and thinning of the  femoral neck and greater trochanter. The joint space was  found to be normal. The resulted shortening of 1cm of  the leg did not cause any problem to the patient.


Based on the practice of blocking water by curtain grouting in Geleshan tunnel and the application experience of this technology,a grouting method to block water is presented for discussion.The application result shows that this method is important and significant to the tunnels going through karst region, mine goaf and enriched water tunnel.


The necessity is analyzed for conducting education of oil gas storage and transportation engineering by school-enterprise cooperation.According to the requirements of application-oriented undergraduate talents in the development of oil gas storage and transportation industry and local economy,the practical teaching system based on school-enterprise cooperation,i.e.'one theme,three platforms,four levels', is constructed to highlight the practical ability of engineering projects in student training system.After nearly three years of teaching practice,it is proved that the new practical teaching system has a good effect on students in engineering quality,practical ability and innovative spirit,and enhancing the employability and competitive-ness.


Sepsis as the host responsive syndrome is one of the main concerning issues and costly disease on intensive care unit (ICU) in the 21st century. Epidemiological studies have showed that mortality rates of sepsis in ICU and hospitals among 37 countries were 39.2% and 49.6% respectively [1].  Complicated nature of sepsis is still not well understood and this makes it hard to treat and manage. According to the failure of current therapies in the management of sepsis and the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains, new pharmaceutical approaches are needed to trigger precise molecular pathways in septic patients [2]. Metformin (1,1 dimethyl hydrochloride) is a unique member of biguanide family and approved as an anti-diabetic product with minimal adverse effects. Beyond the conventional role of metformin in medication for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) [3], it has been shown that metformin has anti-cancer possession [4] obese adolescent's treatment [5], decreased risk of cardiovascular disease [6-7], inflammation recovery in burned subjects [8], antioxidant and anti oxidative stress traits [9], protection against hypertension and polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS) improvement [10]. Despite its valuable properties, many controversies exist on its administration in septic subjects. The rising lactate level has a pivotal role in sepsis initiation, on the contrary inhibitory effects of metformin on complex I of mitochondria cause metformin associated lactic acidosis (MALA) in some cases, so until now this drug is banned in septic patients [11-13]. New investigations claim that less than 10 persons per 100,000 patient-years suffered from lactic acidosis in metformin users with pre-existing illness and organ impairment [14]. In 2012, Green et al. explained that the median level of lactate in metformin group was higher than the control group among septic patients, but all subjects had the same mortality risk [15]. Four years later, in a cohort study Dounias-Barak et al. claimed that mortality rate in septic persons after metformin administration was lesser than the control group [16]. Thereafter, Parker et al. found that the kinetics of lactate did not differ between metformin and non-metformin consumers in septic patients [17]. A substantial role of metformin attributed to AMPK(AMP activated protein kinase) activity. It plays fundamental role in cellular homeostasis via allosteric potential. Also AMPK poses positive effects against inflammation and senescence, which promote synthesis, metabolism and regulation of cellular pathways [18]. AMPK is a heterotrimer kinase with serine/training (Ser/Thr) residues. Phosophorylation of AMPK in Thr172 with metformin leading to AMPK activation. Phosphorylated AMPK is so called p-AMPK. AMPK is known as a natural metabolic switch, when ATP to ADP content falls down, activated cascade reactions leading to inhibition of ATP consumption pathways and stimulate ATP production [19]. Recent experimental studies have shown a close relationship of metformin in AMPK phosphorylation, in sepsis management. In 2013, Park et al. discussed about the role of metformin against bacterial lipo polysaccharide (LPS) infection on in-vivo and ex-vivo models of mice. They concluded that metformin induced p-AMPK, affected bacterial viability via neutrophil chemotaxis facilitation. It has been demonstrated that neutrophil on metformin group invaded bacteria more powerful than the control group and diminished TLR4 [20]. Tzanavari et al. showed that metformin affected AMPK preserved myocardial tissue with the improvement of fatty acid oxidation gene expression level and maintained normal metabolic function of cells in LPS induced sepsis [21]. Next publication claimed that activation of AMPK-α1 after metformin administeration in pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) culture and murine models relieved alveolar edema, lung tissue permeability improvement and reconstructed micro-circulation of lung tissue after LPS injection [22]. Vaez et al. revealed that metformin pre-treatment influenced cardiomyocyte of septic rats via altered cardiac index, reduced gene expression level of TLR4, MyD88 and TNF-α and elevated rate of p-AMPK. Moreover metformin improved myocardial injury in histopathological assessment [23]. Another publication of Vaez et al. indicated metformin prescription in septic male Wistar rats, leading to upregulation of phosphorylated p-AMPK then after ameliorated lung tissue infiltration and pulmonary congestion, attenuated inflammatory markers such as MyD88, myeloperoxidase (MPO), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and doweregulated TLR4 [24]. These two studies represented that metformin may have protective effects on cardiopulmonary damage after LPS induced sepsis on ex vivo models. Liu et al. studied on experimental models of acute lung injury (ALI) after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) of rats. They confirmed that metformin converted AMPK to p-AMPK improved acute lung injury, restored mitochondrial complexes (III and IV) function and reduced Hypoxia-inducible factor 1- α (HIF-1α) in macrophages [25] (Figure 1). In conclusion, a growing body of evidence on in-vitro and in-vivo models revealed that metformin might have a potential role in sepsis management via AMPK activation, modulation of cellular functions and alleviation of multi-organ dysfunction followed by cytokine storms. Moreover, this biguanide drug had a crucial role to protect signaling pathways against oxidative stress and motivating internal cell reactions during sepsis. According to the importance of biguanide administration in septic patients, it should be noted that many differences and questions between experimental cases and human subjects remain unsolved and there is a long way to metformin admnistration in clinical trials . It seems that more research to confirm metformin advantages in septic patients is required. Further laboratory studies will need to focus on larger sample sizes of animals, tracing precise mechanisms of cellular reactions due to sepsis initiation and simulation mammalian models same as the human population will establish more valid and reliable results.


The extent and altitudinal range of permafrost in the Tien Shan has changed many times during the Holocene. The lower limit of permafrost has risen significantly, but from time to time it has regressed. For example, the limit of permafrost during the Little Ice Age was lower than it is now by about 300–400 m. Based on the distribution of relict permafrost features in the Tien Shan, the mean annual air temperature in the Little Ice Age was 2–3°C lower than today. During the last years, permafrost temperatures have increased 0.1 to 0.4°C.