Using the near infrared fluxes of local galaxies derived from Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)/Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) J(1.25 μm) K (2.2 μm) & L (3.5 μm) band maps and published Cepheid distances, we construct Tully-Fisher diagrams for the nearby galaxies. The measured dispersions in these luminosity-linewidth diagrams are remarkably small: σJ = 0.09 magnitudes, σK = 0.13 magnitudes, and σL = 0.20 magnitudes. These dispersions include contributions from both the intrinsic Tully-Fisher relation scatter and the errors in estimated galaxy distances, fluxes, inclination angles, extinction corrections, and circular speeds. For the J and K bands, Monte Carlo simulations give a 95% confidence interval upper limit on the true scatter in the Tully-Fisher diagram of σJ ≤ 0.35 and σK ≤ 0.45. We determine Milky Way's luminosity and place it in the Tully-Fisher diagram by fitting a bar plus exponential disk model of the Milky Way to the all-sky DIRBE maps. For "standard" values of its size and circular speed (Sun-Galactic center distance R0 = 8.5kpc and Θ0 = 220km/s), the Milky Way lies within 1.5σ of the TF relations. We can use the TF relation and the Cepheid distances to nearby bright galaxies to constrain R0 and Θ0: − log (R0/8.5kpc) + 1.63 log (Θ0/220km/s) = 0.08 ± 0.03. Alternatively, we can fix the parameters of the Galaxy to their standard values, ignore the Cepheid zero-point, and use the Tully-Fisher relation to determine the Hubble Constant directly: H0 = 66 ± 12 km/s/Mpc. We have also tested the Tully-Fisher relation at longer wavelengths, where the emission is dominated by dust. We find no evidence for a Tully Fisher relation at wavelengths beyond 10μm. The tight correlation seen in L band suggests that stellar emission dominates over the 3.3 μm PAH emission. Subject headings: Galaxy: fundamental parameters Galaxy: general galaxies: distances and redshifts COBE data sets were developed by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center under the guidance of the COBE Science Working Group and were provided by the NSSDC.


This study explores the hypotheses that implementing effective total quality management TQM programs improves the operating performance of firms. The winning of quality awards is used as a proxy for the effective implementation of TQM programs. Changes in various performance measures for a test sample of quality-award winners are compared against a sample of control firms. Our statistical tests provide strong evidence that firms that have won quality awards outperform the control firms on operating income-based measures. Over a 10-year period, from 6 years before to 3 years after the year of winning the first quality award, the mean median change in the operating income for the test sample is 107% 48% higher than that of the control sample. There is reasonably strong evidence that firms that have won quality awards do better on sales growth than the control firms. Over the 10-year period, the mean median change in sales for the test sample is 64% 24% higher than that of the control sample. We also find weak evidence that firms in our test sample are more successful in controlling costs when compared with the firms in the control sample. In addition, the results indicate that firms in our test sample increased their capital expenditures more than the control sample over the time period prior to winning quality awards. Compared with the control sample, the test sample shows higher growth in both employment and total assets.


The frequency of floods that often occur in Indonesia has made floods one of the national disasters designated as national priorities. The flood disaster has caused many casualties and material losses. For the government to anticipate more flood victims, a flood information system is needed that can provide real-time flood information in the form of location information and the level of flood level. Based on these problems, this research article aims to build a flood disaster information system in real-time location-based information using data communication based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). The system design is built in two systems, namely the client system or flood detector consisting of ultrasonic sensor components as input modules, Arduino Uno microcontrollers as processing modules and SIM900 modules as output components. Next is a server system consisting of Wavecom GSM Modem as input component and PHP Engine software, mySQL database, Apache Web Server as data processing. In processing flood information, the client system sends location and water level data using SIM900 in the form of SMS to the server system. The server system processes the data so that it produces information on the location and height of the flood that can be distributed through the website. This study produced a location-based flood disaster information system prototype with data communication between flood detectors and flood information system servers using Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) media.


As assessment serves several important purposes in medical education, it is a vital element in the training of doctors. A rigorous assessment system, therefore, is an essential requirement in enhancing quality and accountability of medical education. This can be achieved by considering the utility formula which takes in to account the validity, the reliability, the educational impact, the practicability, the cost-effectiveness and the acceptability of assessment. All utility elements of a given assessment should be satisfactorily engaged for it to be psychometrically rigorous and sustainable in a particular context. This article discusses the utility elements in relation to medical assessments and introduces some useful measures for achieving acceptable utility.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa has shown itself to be particularly adept at colonizing CF lungs and intractable to treatment even with the most aggressive therapy. Failure to control colonization with P. aeruginosa is a major cause of pulmonary debilitation that ultimately leads to almost all of the deaths in CF patients. During bacterial infections, macrophages produce many proinflammatory cytokines, among which TNF-a is believed to be the principal cytokine mediating many of the catastrophic host responses to bacterial infections. Little is known about the virulence factor(s) of P. aeruginosa in the pathogenesis of CF lung infections in terms of TNF-a production. The aim of this study was to determine the virulence factor(s) of P. aeruginosa with regard to TNF-a production. The kinetics of TNF-a production by live P. aeruginosa coincubated with RAW 264.7 macrophages was studied. RAW 264.7 macrophages were challenged with P. aeruginosa at concentrations of 10,10 and 10 C F U / ml respectively. The production of TNF-a by macrophages increased in a time-dependent fashion with peak levels occurring at about 8 hours, after which the amount of TNF-a decreased, possibly related to TNF-a degradation by proteases from macrophages as well as P. aeruginosa itself. However, the data suggested a possible inverse relationship between the peak values of TNF-a produced and the number of bacteria added into macrophages, in that macrophages challenged by lower numbers of P. aeruginosa produced higher levels of TNF-a, accompanied by a


Abstract : Localized silicon fusion and eutectic bonding for MEMS packaging have been preliminarily investigated through the U.S. Army SBIR Phase I program entitled "Multi- Power Source for MEMS Packaging", contract #: W56HZV-05-C-0092. This methodology allows localized heating at the bonding area without overheating the temperature-sensitive MEMS device. This paper presents the newly developed three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) of localized heating for MEMS packaging, for analysis of the electrical problem, thermal problem, and the coupling between the two problems. It was confirmed that high temperature is confined and controllable in the heater-on-circuit localized heating technology.


Despite the hype that the peer-reviewed journal is dying and does not fit today's modes of scholarship, the number of journals is flourishing; and the problems of editing and publishing them has become even more complex. The digital environment presents new challenges and also throws into high relief some very old ones, for example copyright and plagiarism. We are well past the early days of electronic journals—when the very phrase meant they were not peer reviewed and not indexed and did not represent the respected literature of a field. Digital content can now include everything from junk to the highest quality—and most expensive—flagship academic books and periodicals. There is a proliferation of business models, by which I mean things like regular subscriptions, a whole range of open access categories, and new forms of bundled or aggregated packages of journals. Is it all a big free-for-all, as some say; or, if not, what differentiates these many products? It is not actually the format or the delivery channel or even the business model. As has been the case for centuries, it is a question of who are the scholars that are producing and editing the information, and what are the institutions—such as universities and publishers—that are hosting and issuing the material. Ultimately it is a matter of who has standing and credibility in a given field. I want to look at that rather traditional problem of validation in the field and what happens as the definitions and scope of the field evolve. This is ultimately what gives birth to so many new journals, as fields of academic and professional interest subdivide into more depth, recombine to articulate wider syntheses, or weave to form interdisciplinary domains. portal is itself a product of this sort of movement and a case study for interdisciplinarity in the field of library science. There may be a chicken-and-egg problem as to which comes first in the dynamics of an evolving discipline. Does the practice change, and gradually the journals catch up? Or, can leaders in a field establish journals with an innovative mission and encourage scholarship to pursue those directions? It is probably a little of both; and, unfortunately, there can be roadblocks and prolonged disconnects no matter which route is taken.


Along with the development of technology, social media has become one of the products of the 4.0 revolution period, which has progressed rapidly. Through social media, everything can be reached in a short distance and time. However, there is an impact from this progress, one of which is the development of social conflict in society. The purpose of this research is to provide an analysis and study of the impact of social media on society. This research method is in the form of library research taken from texts that discuss social media. The results of the study show that social media can trigger conflicts in the community if users are not wise in filtering content on social media. The existence of social media also has a positive impact on society as an example of how information is received by the public more quickly in educational programs. The ease of life is also felt by the community with the existence of social media. So social media users need to be educated on the wise use of social media and take benefits in people's lives to overcome conflicts that exist in society.


The reaction of a mixture of barium and rhenium (3:1) at 850 °C under flowing nitrogen yielded the nitride-oxide (Ba6O)(ReN3)2 (R (No. 148); a = 8.1178(2) A, c = 17.5651(4) A; V = 1002.43(5) A3; Z = 6). According to a structure refinement on X-ray powder diffraction data, this compound is isostructural to a recently described nitride-oxide of osmium of analogous composition. The structure consists of sheets of trigonal ReN3 units and trigonal antiprismatic Ba6O groups. The Ba–O distance of 2.73 A is close to the sum of the respective ionic radii. The trigonal ReN35– nitride anion displays a Re–N bond length of 1.94 A, and is planar within the limits of experimental error. The constitution of the anion was confirmed by IR and Raman spectroscopy. The nitride-oxide is stable up to 1000 °C, semiconducting (σ = 4.57 × 10–3 Ω–1·cm–1 at RT), and paramagnetic down to 25 K. A Curie–Weiss analysis resulted in a magnetic moment of μ = 0.68 μB per rhenium atom.


This nonpartisan study of the imperfect but steadily developing system for containing the risks of such technologies as chemicals, nuclear power, and genetic engineering views regulatory efforts over a period of decades, noting the surprisingly low number of disasters, and finds an ad hoc but intelligent social process at work.


The Full-Off Fitting of Movable Bracket using conventional line have received a dynamic contact impact between contact wire and pantograph of electric rolling stock, so this impact cause a rapid vibration of foreword and back near the supporting point of movable bracket. The Full-Off Fitting on Movable Bracket in conventional line differs from that in high speed line. Now conventional line have required a speed up for new electric locomotive and electric car. In speed-up track and big impact place, the Full-Off Fitting and the dropper often get demage. We have done a study of buffering function to solve that problem in conventional line. We have find a need adopting buffer fitting. It is decrease a dynamic impact between contact wire and pantograph of electric rolling stock.


The present invention provides a method for using a printing method using a printing blanket of silicon-based compositions and printing method using the composition, said composition comprising: 1) a binder resin, 2) having boiling point solvents having a boiling point less than 100 deg.] C of the low-boiling solvent, 3) having a boiling point above 100 ℃ less than 180 [deg.] C and a, and a high-boiling solvent 4) having a boiling point above 180 [deg.] C, wherein said high-boiling solvent and the low the binder resin having a boiling point of the solvent 3 (cal / cm3) 1/2 or less and the difference of the solubility parameter difference with the solubility parameter of 4 1/2 or more (cal / cm3) blanket silicon-based, and a silicon-based for swelling of the following parameters 2 blanket.


Key Points Question Is functional outcome similar among potential embolic sources after cryptogenic stroke, and is it better or worse compared with that in cardioembolic stroke? Findings Among 2261 patients with cardioembolic stroke and 2163 patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source in this multicenter hospital-based stroke registry cohort study, multivariable-adjusted odds ratios of functional dependency increased in patients with cancer-associated stroke vs cardioembolic stroke but decreased in patients with paradoxical embolism vs cardioembolic stroke. Meaning Potential embolic sources should be considered an important variable associated with functional outcome after cryptogenic stroke.


Modern day protection systems require easy implementation of detection and classification algorithms. Analysis of three phase voltages can impart substantial information regarding the detection and type of the faults. These signals vary with several factors like fault location, inception angle and impedance. In this study, the detection and classification of high impedance faults in a transmission line is proposed using alienation coefficients which are obtained by juxtaposing half cycles of absolute voltage signals using the moving window technique. The alienation coefficients obtained are compared with the corresponding threshold values to detect and classify the faults. Case studies undertaken by the variation of fault locations and fault inception angles have successfully validated the proposed algorithm.


We give some characterizations for the critical values at infinity of a rational function in two complex variables in terms of the Euler characteristic, the Malgrange condition and the M-tameness


Background Subpleural pulmonary interstitial emphysema is defined as the air in the subpleural portion of the lung, and the clinical relevance is not well understood. Purpose to evaluate the frequency, temporal course, risk factors, and clinical significance of subpleural pulmonary interstitial emphysema (PIE) in patients with pneumomediastinum resulting from ruptured alveoli and other causes. Material and Methods This was a retrospective study of 130 patients with pneumomediastinum on CT between January 2009 and December 2019 at 2 hospitals. Patients were divided into 3 groups as follows: spontaneous pneumomediastinum (n = 101), pneumomediastinum due to blunt trauma (n = 16), and pneumomediastinum due to another known cause (n = 13). The frequencies of radiographic features (subpleural PIE, peribronchovascular PIE, pneumothorax, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysematous changes) between the 3 groups were compared by the χ2 or Kruskal–Wallis test. Odds ratios were calculated to evaluate candidate risk factors for subpleural and peribronchovascular PIE. Results Subpleural PIE was observed in 0%, 15.8%, and 31.3% of patients with pneumomediastinum due to another cause, spontaneous mediastinum, and blunt trauma, respectively. In most patients, subpleural PIE resolved spontaneously (85.7% within 8 days). Two patients with pulmonary fibrosis showed recurrent subpleural PIE on follow-up. Young age showed increased risk for subpleural PIE (odds ratio [OR] 0.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0–0.99). Conclusion Subpleural PIE was only detected in patients with pneumomediastinum due to ruptured alveoli and resolved spontaneously and rapidly. Subpleural PIE may be one route the air from ruptured alveoli to the mediastinum.


Frequency synthesis is one of the most important and most actively researched subjects in the field of VLSI mixed-signal circuit design. Among the existing techniques in this area, Fractional-N architecture is a widely used one for generating frequencies which are not integer multiple of the input reference frequency. Flying-Adder architecture is an emerging technique which is based on a new concept, Time-Average-Frequency, to generate frequencies. This paper presents an in-depth analysis and comparison between the two methods.


A case of deafness due to coincident perilymph fistula and subluxation of the incudo-stapedial joint is presented. Prompt surgical intervention confirmed the nature of the injury and repair resulted in a return to near normal hearing levels.


Combined with the phase transformations in rolling,the phase configuration,the tensile strength,and the yield strength with different terminal rolling grain sizes in Q235strip steel have been theoretically calculated using the covalent electron number(n A )of the strongest bond in phase cells and the interface electron density difference(Δρ)in alloys.The calculated results agree well with the results of real production.Therefore,the calculation method of terminal rolling tensile and yield strength in the non-quenched-tem-pered steel containing pearlite is given by the alloying electron structure parameters.


Stress ulceration has been studied in various high-risk populations. This review presents recent studies about risk factors for the development of stress-related mucosal damage and compares different treatments for prophylaxis and therapy of stress-related mucosal damage and stress ulcer bleeding.


Asymmetric gear is a very relevant and essential power transmitting component in aviation vehicle as they do not need back gear motion. But research on asymmetric gear with different stress relieving features is very expensive and time consuming id it is done physically. So numerical analysis with CAD model of asymmetric gear with stress relieving features is a very economical as well as efficient way to do virtual testing with different gear configuration. In the present work an investigation has been done numerically using FEA software named ANSYS 18.1 on an asymmetric gear tooth with circular holes as Stress relieving features for the structural analysis under some pre-defined loading value.


A scheme for suppressing the correlated noise in signals transmitted over the bosonic Gaussian memory channels is proposed. This is a compromise solution rather than removing the noise completely. The scheme is based on linear optical elements, two N-port splitters and N number of phase flips. The proposed scheme has the advantages that the correlated noise of the memory channels is greatly suppressed, and the input signal states can be protected excellently when transmitting over the noise channels. We examine the suppressing efficiency of the scheme for the correlated noise, both from quantum information of the states directly transmitted through the noise channel and also from the entanglement teleportation. The operation of phase flips in our scheme is important for the suppression of the correlated noise, which can diminish the effect of noise in quantum communication. Increasing the number of beam splitters also can improve the suppressing efficiency of the scheme in quantum communication.


This article discusses the layout of a non-contact fiber optic connector for high-power laser radiation delivery systems in the field using Expanded Beam technology (Beam Expander). The technology being implemented, in contrast to contact technology, helps to reduce optical loss from contamination and displacement of the core of optical fibers. The diameter of the beam after passing through the lens becomes 15 times larger than the core of the optical fiber, thereby reducing losses from dust particles at the ends of the optical fibers, which, due to their size, can introduce significant losses. In such connectors, it is proposed to use ball lenses since they are convenient to install and relatively inexpensive. The connector itself is a design with ball lenses, the radiation on which is first converted into a parallel light beam of a larger diameter, and then focuses again on the end of the output fiber. A model was developed, thanks to which the locations of spherical lenses were calculated relative to each other and relative to optical fibers, at which losses would be minimal. The prototype of the connector was assembled from the following components: multimode optical fiber delivery, laser pump diode 975 nm, micromotors, ball lenses and optical power meter. K-8 glass and transparent aluminum oxide Al2O3, traditionally called sapphire in optics, were used as lens materials. The relationship between the transmittance of radiation and the diameter of ball lenses was investigated. Such a connector can be used in laser delivery systems, such as explosive squibs in the aerospace and mining industries.


Planned Parenthood of New York Citys (PPNYC) Adolescent Research Initiative (ARI) was launched in 1995 to ameliorate barriers young people face in accessing reproductive health care in New York City. The program has three main components: 1) a Community Engagement Process which resulted in community-developed and conducted surveys in four neighborhoods; 2) an analysis of PPNYCs client data and in-depth interviews with adolescent clients who did not return for services; and 3) direct observational surveys in 10 family planning clinics that primarily serve teenagers. On the basis of data collected through these projects PPNYC developed alternative protocol for its clinics that are currently being pilot-tested. This report focuses specifically on the Community Empowerment Process and lessons learned from the four surveys. Recommendations are presented in terms of parents mass media service providers policy makers and youth advocates and adolescents. In addition to gathering valuable data from over 1500 New York adolescents the project mobilized more than 100 individuals in four communities and provided them with tools to begin the process of social change.


Figure 2. QQ-plot of all meta-analysis results based on at least 10,000 individuals. Background Common SNPs explain a substantial part of the liability to ADHD. Recently we also found that polygenic scores based on a meta-analysis of ADHD clinical diagnosis predict continuous measures of ADHD symptoms in the general population. Next, we performed a genomewide association (GWA) meta-analysis in populationbased cohorts of ADHD symptoms.


As advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer have evolved in recent years, cancers that were once considered to be relatively homogeneous diseases are now being recognized as comprising distinct subtypes. These subtypes may differ in etiology, molecular profile, sensitivity to treatment, and prognosis. Examples include luminal (mainly estrogen receptor–positive), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive, and basal breast cancer subtypes; non–small-cell lung cancer associated with EGFR or EML4-ALK mutations; and melanoma associated with BRAF (V600E) or c-KIT mutations. In head and neck cancer, we have traditionally combined squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx in clinical trials. This has been justified on the basis of similar etiology (tobacco and alcohol) and similar sensitivity to radiotherapy and systemic therapy. However, it has also been recognized that there are differences in clinical behavior, treatment outcome, and prognosis with regard to primary site. Although surgery has remained the primary treatment for oral cavity cancers, organ preservation with primary chemoradiotherapy has been widely used over the last two decades for cancers of the oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. It has become apparent over this same time period that a new subtype of oropharyngeal cancer resulting from human papilloma virus (HPV) has emerged. The proportion of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer has steadily increased, and in many countries, this subtype now represents the majority of new oropharyngeal cancers. HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer differs from other oropharyngeal cancers with regard to risk factors, clinical features, sensitivity to treatment, and prognosis. Patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer have markedly superior survival after chemoradiotherapy compared with those with HPV-negative oropharyngeal cancer. Preliminary reports of the pattern of failure suggest that this is because of lower rates of locoregional failure, second malignancies, and death as a result of other causes. There does not seem to be a significant difference between the two in the rate of distant metastasis as site of first failure. Over the last 5 years, two new treatment options for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck—taxane-based induction chemotherapy and concomitant cetuximab and radiation administration— have emerged after widely publicized clinical trials. However, the designs of the initial randomized trials of both these approaches did not include comparisons with standard concomitant chemoradiotherapy regimens. We have learned that the regimen of docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (TPF) improves overall survival compared with cisplatin and fluorouracil when followed by radiation alone or radiation and weekly low-dose carboplatin. Although it had been clearly established that induction chemotherapy decreases distant metastases, the improvement with TPF, surprisingly, was demonstrated to be a result of improvement in locoregional control. The pivotal trial showing that the addition of cetuximab to radiation produced superior results compared with radiation alone was first presented in 2005; however, we do not have any results from randomized trials comparing this regimen with a standard concomitant chemoradiotherapy regimen. It is clear that both of these treatment approaches are being widely used in clinical practice, but with the currently available evidence, there remains considerable uncertainty about the relative efficacy and indications of these approaches compared with standard concomitant chemoradiotherapy regimens. Ongoing and recently completed trials should better define the role of induction chemotherapy and epidermal growth factor receptor–targeted therapy concurrent with irradiation. In this issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kies et al report the results of a phase II trial incorporating cetuximab into a short weekly regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel induction followed by what the authors describe as risk-based local therapy. Although the overall results are good, it is difficult to determine the relative contributions of induction chemotherapy, cetuximab, HPV status, and risk-based local therapy. On the basis of the results of a trial involving patients with relapsed or metastatic head and neck cancer, which demonstrated that theadditionofconcurrentandmaintenancecetuximabtochemotherapy improved overall survival and response rates, it was reasonable to anticipate that the addition of cetuximab to induction chemotherapy might also be beneficial. However, Kies et al report that complete response rates achieved with their regimen did not seem to be better than those reported using the same regimen without cetuximab. Furthermore, in contrast to the TPF regimen, the weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel regimen, while clearly an active induction regimen, has not been demonstrated to be superior to the cisplatin and fluorouracil regimen. In the trial by Kies et al, the majority of patients had oropharyngeal cancer (41 of 47; 87%). We know that 12 of 26 tumors tested were HPV positive, and this group had a better prognosis than the JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY E D I T O R I A L VOLUME 28 NUMBER 1 JANUARY 1 2010


Traffic volume prediction is the key approach of highway planning stage. Grey forecast model can be used to predict the traffic volume under the condition of lacking traffic volume datum. This paper firstly points out the defect of Grey prediction formula in traditional GM(1,1) model through analyzing the Grey forecast theory, then modifies and expands the old formula, propose the new prediction formula, which gives a new way to improve the prediction accuracy. Next, constitutes the Grey self-adaptable model based on the new prediction formula for prolonging the prediction period. Finally, employs the model in traffic volume prediction for a certain station in Hebei Province. The result obtains that the simulation effect and the prediction accuracy using the new formula is higher than the result of the traditional GM(1,1) model. The case study indicates that the prediction method is not only reasonable in theory but also owns good application value in traffic volume prediction.


This paper is a contribution to a better knowledge of the Sierra Madre del Sur, one of regions in Oaxaca less known and studied floristically. The study was carried out in the central portion of Municipality of San Jeronimo Coatlan, District of Miahuatlan. The phanerogamic flora of the region includes 123 families, 370 genera and 680 species. Short descriptions of the three vegetation types found in the area are provided, and the floristic affinities with other Mexican regions are discussed.


The garbage collection (GC) system of .NET Framework is to reduce the possibility of memory leak and access violation fromsome application programs,but the problem still exists because of the working system of the GC. It is always found the GC to be misun-derstood during the program development. Based on the analysis of this problem,this article is going to explain briefly the root cause ofmemory garbage,the theory of the garbage collection system,its main objective and release mode.


This study evaluated the effectiveness of different ultrasound machines for removing metal cast post-and-cores. 24 models of maxillary central incisors roots were made using acrylic resin. Each root had his canal patterned with resin Duralay (Reliance Dental) for making prosthetic metal cast post-and-cores, which were fused in Nickel-Chromium alloy (VeraBond II). Cores were cemented to the roots using zinc phosphate cement (SS White) and then stored in a humid environment for 30 days. The samples were divided randomly into two groups (n = 12), according to the ultrasound equipment used to remove the cores. For group I, a Sonic Jet-Total (Gnatus) unit was used and for Group II the Jet Ultrasound (D700) appliance was used. For removal of cores, both devices were operated at full power, with ultrasonic tips focusing on each face of the cores by up to 60 seconds, starting by the buccal surface and at the sequence, palatal, mesial, distal and incisal surfaces until the core have been removed or the cycle completed. The time required for removing each of the cores was tabulated, and the obtained data were statistically analyzed by student's t-test for independent samples. No statistical difference was observed between the analyzed groups (p> 0.005). It can be concluded that both devices tested showed the same level of effectiveness in the removal of intracanal cores.


Viennois and co-workers (1) characterized Lxr knockout mice that, interestingly, develop hyperplasia of the ventral prostate. The Lxr-knockout mice have the potential to develop into a novel and very important mouse model system for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) with similar symptoms as in human such as hyperproliferative epithelium and hypertrophic stroma. Such an in vivo model system would be a very useful tool to analyze the development and progression of BPH and perhaps in future also as a test system for therapeutic treatment of BPH. BPH is an increasingly important health problem of man. There is a rising incidence of hyperplasia of the prostate during age. An estimated 50% of men have histological evidence of BPH at the age of 50–60 yr and 75% at the age of 80 yr, whereas in 40–50% of these men, BPH becomes clinically significant (2). The hyperplasia of the prostate may compress the urethral canal causing partial or complete constriction of the urethra. This hinders the normal flow of urine. Also the bladder may be unable to be emptied completely, causing retention of urine in the bladder and subsequently strangury associated with lower quality of life. Furthermore, incomplete voiding can lead to growth of bacteria in the bladder and an increased risk of urinary tract infection. The main two currently used medication directions of BPH address on one hand the relaxation of smooth muscles such as by -blockers and on the other hand the reduction of dihydrotestosterone production using 5 -reductase inhibitors. The latter is used to inhibit the activation of the androgen receptor (AR; NR3C4), known as a major factor promoting growth of the normal prostate and also BPH. Interestingly, herbal medications are often used for treatment of BPH. These include extracts from saw palmetto, pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo), pollen extracts from rye grass (Secale cereale), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), and the African plum tree (Prunus africana; Pygeum africanum). For most of these plant extracts, the active compounds are not yet discovered. From the bark of P. africanum, specific compounds have been identified that exhibit AR-antagonistic function, indicating that the bark contains natural herbal AR antagonists (3). Testosterone promotes prostate cell proliferation; however, relatively low levels of serum testosterone are found in patients with BPH (4, 5). This indicates that also other causes of BPH must be considered. Notably, the consumption of certain fatty acids, particularly of animal origin, has been correlated with increased prostate problems. High cholesterol levels and diabetes are associated with prostate cancer development (6, 7). This may suggest that cholesterol signaling could be involved in development and progression of BPH. The liver X receptors (LXR) are important regulators of cholesterol, fatty acid, and glucose homeostasis. LXR are, as the AR, members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-controlled transcription factors. LXR bind as ligands endogenously oxidized forms of cholesterol, the oxysterols, that are present in animal fat. Two isoforms of LXR have been identified and are referred to as LXR (NR1H3) and LXR (NR1H2) classified into the subfamily 1, the thyroid hormone receptor-like members of the nuclear receptor superfamily. The activation of LXR has been shown to inhibit cardiovascular disease and reduce atherosclerosis in animal models. Liver LXR expression is crucial for whole-body cholesterol homeostasis and reverse cholesterol transport in mice. LXR agonists improve glucose tolerance in a murine model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance by regulating genes involved in glucose metabolism in liver and adipose tissue (8, 9).


In this paper an easy method for the iron loss prediction in PWM inverter fed induction motors is presented. The method was initially proposed and validated for the prediction of the iron losses in non-oriented soft magnetic material with PWM supply. Starting from the iron losses measured with sinusoidal supply and the PWM waveform characteristics, a fast and reliable prediction of the iron losses in the motor can be obtained too. The method requires the separation of the iron losses in the hysteresis and eddy current components with sinusoidal supply, plus the average rectified and RMS values of the applied PWM voltage. The proposed method has been proved on an induction motor prototype able to provide a good accuracy in the iron losses measurement. The comparison between the measured and predicted iron losses with PWM supply have shown an excellent agreement with an error lower then the 5%, confirming the method validity.


violent overthrow.of the existing system; but Mr. Spargo does not take this view. It is not the destruction of the family, nor the extinction of' religion. It is not the abolition of private property.. It 'isthe socialization, or. collective ownership, of capital-that part of wealth that is used in further production. That form of property the Socialist claims it is necessary to socialize because the private ownership of it leads inevitably to the exploitation of one class by another class. While Socialism seeks to develop the class-consciousness of those who, they claim, constitute the exploited class, it is done only as a means to the end of abolishing the class distinctions which have their founda. tion in the private ownership of the means of ·production. There is in this book no railing against capitalists. What the capitalists do other men would do in their place. The evil is in the system, and not in the. depravity of capitalists. He holds that no more dangerous doctrine can be preached than that the evils of the present system are due to the wickedness of .oapitalists; for, if the exploited classes should have this conviction firmly planted in their he-arts, it would. lead inevitably to the most disastrous and bloody catastrophe. There is certainly much truth in this contention, which calls for the utmost discrimination on the part of those who, while opposing Socialism, are seeking to correct the manifest evils of the present order. Everybody should read this book who wishes to hear 'a most sane presentation of the case for Socialism by one of their accredited representatives. C. S. GARDNER.


THE December number of The Open Court contains an article on the Nativity of Christ as contrasted with other Nativity stories, especially those of Mithras and Dionysus. We had occasion to refer to the presence of the ox and the ass in Christian pictures and legends which begin to make their appearance in the fourth century. In speaking of similar modes of religious art, we omitted to mention a remarkable illustration which ought not to be


INTrODUcTION Road traffic crashes pose social and economic problems in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and worldwide. The safety belt is a passive device that can reduce the severity of injuries to vehicle occupants during the in-crash phase. Safety belt laws point to the belief that safety belts are effective. However, such effectiveness is meaningless if safety belts are not worn. While T&T aspires to attain safety belt usage above 90 percent by the year 2030, three studies that attempted to measure safety belt usage in Trinidad indicate that the trend does not appear to be moving in that direction.1 There is a need for increased safety belt usage; however, there is no structured program of monitoring. Some car manufacturers provide laptype safety belts for rear seats. In many countries, safety belt laws are limited to front seat positions, which reflects an underestimation of the risks to rear seat passengers in the event of a car crash. Recent studies show that the use of rear seat belts also reduces the severity of injuries to occupants in front seats. Previous observation studies of safety belt use in Trinidad were limited to the extent of safety belt law (such as observations of drivers and front seat passengers in small vehicles). These studies concluded that a sense of compliance with the law as well as risk-taking on the part of motorists may affect safety belt use levels. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to observe safety belt usage by front and rear occupants of all vehicles; and 2) to observe factors that are likely to affect safety belt usage levels. The study was conducted through field observations and questionnaires administered to drivers. Results of this study can be used in developing a monitoring program for safety belt usage. SAfeTy BelT ISSUeS IN TrINIDAD In an attempt to understand safety belt usage in Trinidad, four issues are summarized: safety belt laws and regulations; safety belt effectiveness; safety belt usage levels; and culture.


The perforation may be caused by the foreign body itself, by the patient's efforts to rid himself of the offending body, or very occasionally by instrumentation. Orton (1930) states that perforating foreign bodies of the cesophagus may be classified as those which perforate at once and those which perforate by erosion. Sharp fragments (as in the present case) cause immediate perforation of the cesophagus, while perforation by ulceration and erosion is usually due to prolonged sojourn of a foreign body in the eesophagus.


Abstract This paper compares the Pearson Chi-Square and Kolmogorov good-ness-of-fit tests with respect to validity under the following conditions: (1) the N independent observations are tabulated and arranged into k mutually exclusive groups that are equally probable under the hypothesis to be tested; and (2) both N and k are "small"; i.e., not greater than 50. A random sampling experiment was performed, and the results show that in general for the conditions considered, the Pearson test is more valid than the Kolmogorov test.


HAVE A SHAFT CONDUCTOR ELECTRIC MOTOR SHAFT COUPLED TO A threaded nut axially retained by thrust bearings ROLLS OF REACTION, leading a threaded rod LINEAR HAVING A ACTUATOR LINK INTEGRAL SURETY GUIDED BY ROLLERS antifriction HEADS LINEAR SIDE REACTION .


A lot of supporting tools for vitalizing brainstorming sessions have been proposed. Some of them show the participants hints for discussions, e.g. keywords and images, to the members. The author's research group also has proposed a supporting system for vitalizing brainstorming sessions, in which related images of ideas thrown in the session are shown for the participants as hits. However, the effects of this type of hint had not been investigated yet. Thus, experiments were conducted to show the effects. In the experiments, effects of three types of hints, (1) relevant words of the words used in ideas presented in the discussion, (2) images retrieved by using words used in ideas presented in the discussion as keywords, and (3) images retrieved by using relevant words of the words used in ideas presented in the discussion as keywords, were compared. As a result, it became clear that the third type of hints can increase number of utterances and diversity of the subjects in discussions.


Acute fetal distress is a common obstetric complication during delivery, it may lead to adverse outcomes of perinatal infants. In the perinatal period, identify acute fetal distress by reliable fetal monitoring methods in the early stage, deal with the cause of the disease effectively, and decide the optimal time and way of termination of pregnancy, which is in order to improve the neonatal prognosis and reduce long-term complications.

Key words:
Fetal distress; Fetal monitoring; Prenatal diagnosis


Aim. To study clinical efficacy of a new, class III, antiarrhythmic agent, nibentan, in various supraventricular (SV) cardiac arrythmias. Material and methods. In total, 153 patients with atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or SV tachycardia were examined. Electrocardiography monitoring, echocardiography, electrolyte balance assessment, biochemical blood assay were performed. Left ventricular (LV) kinetics and perfusion was measured by myocardial computer scintigraphy method. The results were processed with 4DM spect program. Results. Nibentan demonstrated high antiarrhythmic activity in various SV cardiac arrhythmias No significant effects on central hemodynamics and LV myocardial perfusion were observed. Conclusion. In this trial, a new medication, nibentan, demonstrated the qualities of a true class III antiarrhythmic agent.


Coagulation is an important process used in water and sewage treatment. Because of its complexity and many factors affecting its speed and efficiency, th ere is a need for continuous research of a fundamen tal as well as a utilitarian nature. The kinetics of the coagulati on process is still not fully investigated or expla ined. This is due to the limitations of laboratory experiments, in contr as to computer simulation, which offers practicall y unlimited experimental possibilities. This paper presents the results of research carried out using a computer p rogram simulating the coagulation of a suspension containi ng spherical particles of sol and spherical particl es of coagulant. The effect of excess and deficiency of c oagulant on the formation time of the first flock w as identified. The influence of parameters such as the concentrati on of sol, size of coagulant particles, and the ini tial velocity of sol and coagulant was analysed. The study revealed that both deficiency and excess of the used coagula nt decreased the rate of the coagulation process. It w as also found that an increase in the simulated ini tial velocity of the sol (mixing), as well as the increase in the pa rticle diameter and concentration of the sol increa sed the speed of sol destabilisation.


The amino acids of hydrolyzed protein have been shown in previous studies 1 from this laboratory and clinic to be effective in promoting the synthesis of serum albumin and in various types of hypoproteinemia. Nearly all of these were instances of chronic or subacute hypoproteinemia, many of nutritional origin. In this preliminary report we present experimental evidence that the same mixture of amino acids and polypeptides is beneficial in the therapy of acute protein loss which occurs in severe uncompensated (i. e. fatal) hemorrhage. Although the value of plasma and whole blood transfusions is an established principle of vast importance in the treatment of shock, it is probable that in wartime the number requiring such treatment might well exceed the available supplies of plasma and that in the armed forces many situations might arise in which blood donors were not available. Because of the relative ease and economy with which


Water scarcity and soil fertility have been long recognized as the most crucial factors limiting maize production. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was conducted during 2021 planting season at North-West university Research Farm to investigate the comparison of Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) maize and hybrid maize varieties under different irrigation frequencies and soil types. The experiment was a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment fitted in a randomized complete block design in four replicates. The treatment factors consist of irrigation frequency (1, 2 and 3 times in a week), soil types (Sandy and Sandy loam) and maize variety (WEMA and PANNAR varieties). Results indicated that the tallest plant height (41.99 and 56.38 cm) was recorded with three times irrigation frequency at 46 and 53 DAP. The maize variety sown in the sandy loamy had a higher number of leaves (6.50 and 7.75) at 46 and 53 DAP, respectively. The WEMA variety had higher chlorophyll content (13.73 SPAD) at 46 DAP. The PANNAR maize variety had higher chlorophyll content (16.65 SPAD) at 53 DAP. Highest shoot dry weight (4.30 g) was obtained in sandy loam soil type. WEMA variety had highest total dry matter weight (20.90 g). The result indicated that sandy loam, maize variety and irrigation frequency three times enhanced the growth of WEMA variety and PANNAR hybrid. WEMA maize produced the highest dry matter compared to PANNAR. This showed that WEMA variety could tolerate water deficit compared to the PANNAR hybrid.


In the first essay (Chapter 2), we develop an efficient payoff function approximation approach to estimating lower and upper bounds for pricing American arithmetic average options with a large number of underlying assets. This method is particularly efficient for asset prices modeled by jump-diffusion processes with deterministic volatilities because the geometric mean is always a one-dimensional Markov process regardless of the number of underlying assets and thus is free from the curse of dimensionality. Another appealing feature of our method is that it provides an extremely efficient way to obtain tight upper bounds with no nested simulation involved as opposed to some existing duality approaches. Various numerical examples with up to 50 underlying stocks suggest that our algorithm is able to produce computationally efficient results.

Chapter 3 solves portfolio choice problem in multi-dimensional jump-diffusion models designed to capture empirical features of stock prices and financial contagion effect. To obtain closed-form solution, we develop a novel general decomposition technique with which we reduce the problem into two relative simple ones: Portfolio choice in a pure-diffusion market and in a jump-diffusion market with less dimension. The latter can be reduced further to be a bunch of portfolio choice problems in one-dimensional jump-diffusion markets. By virtue of the decomposition, we obtain a semi-closed form solution for the primary optimal portfolio choice problem. Our solution provides new insights into the structure of an optimal portfolio when jumps are present in asset prices and/or their variance-covariance.

In Chapter 4, we develop a estimation procedure based on Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods and aim to provide systematic ways to estimating general multivariate stochastic volatility models. In particular, this estimation technique is proved to be efficient for multivariate jump-diffusion process such as the model developed in Chapter 3 with various simulation studies. As a result, it contributes to the asset pricing literature by providing an efficient estimation technique for asset pricing models.


Severe precipitation events occur rarely and are often localized in space and of short duration, but are important for societal managing of infrastructure such as sewage systems, metros etc. Therefore, there is a demand for estimating expected future changes in the statistics of these rare events. These are usually projected using RCM scenario runs combined with extreme value analysis to obtain selected return levels of precipitation intensity. However, due to RCM imperfections, the modelled climate for the present-day usually has errors relative to observations. Therefore, the RCM results are ‘error corrected‘ to match observations more closely in order to increase reliability of results.

In the present work we evaluate different error correction techniques and compare with non-corrected projections. This is done in an inter-model cross-validation setup, in which each model in turn plays the role of observations, against which the remaining error-corrected models are validated. The study uses hourly data (historical & RCP8.5 late 21st century) from 13 models covering the EURO-CORDEX ensemble at 0.11 degree resolution (about 12.5 km), from which fields of selected return levels are extracted for 1 h and 24 h duration. The error correction techniques applied to the return levels are based on extreme value analysis and include analytical quantile-quantile matching together with a simpler climate factor approach.

The study identifies regions where the error correction techniques perform differently, and therefore contributes to guidelines on how and where to apply calibration techniques when projecting extreme return levels.


The purpose of this study is to clarify of spatial consciousness reflected on dancehall in modern Japan. Through several drawings of the project of dancehall at Hotel Lake Biwa constructed by The Policy of Tourist Industry during1930s, there are some conflicts and reflections at the points of various appearances and plans on design process. The beginning of this project, it was designed as a dancehall under the policy of promotion of dancing by Shiga Prefecture. A few years later, suppression of dancing by the police administration had caused some changes from dancehall to multi-purpose hall on design process.


The invention discloses a method for recycling ammonia gas in a process of producing 4-aminotrifluorotoluene. The method comprises the following steps: injecting exhaust-absorbing ammonia water into a vacuum pump water tank, adding process water into a primary falling-film absorption tank, adding clean water and process water into a secondary falling-film absorption tank, opening a tertiary water-spraying absorption tower, opening a primary falling-film absorption tower and a secondary falling-film absorption tower, sampling the circularly-absorbed ammonia water and submitting the circularly-absorbed ammonia water for inspection, pumping the circularly-absorbed ammonia water to a material-washing ammonia water high-level tank at a material-washing station from an ammonia water storage tank, and directly pumping the circularly-absorbed ammonia water into an exported ammonia water tank truck from the ammonia water storage tank after sampling the ammonia water and submitting the ammonia water for inspection if needing to export the ammonia water. The method has the beneficial effects of greatly reducing the emission of the waste gas of the ammonia gas when recycling useful materials, thereby reducing the pollution to the environment and increasing the economic benefit.


Forty‐five subjects with a complete deficiency of myeloperoxidase were identified in an area of the region Friuli‐Venezia Giulia in north‐eastern Italy using the Hemalog D system as the screening technique. Histochemical and biochemical tests performed on the leucocytes of some of these subjects confirmed the defects shown by the Hemalog D system. The defect was of genetic origin in seven subjects. The genetic origin could be suspected in another eight subjects since more than two affected members were present in a given family. Eosinophil peroxidase, which is present in MPO deficient subjects, interfered with the guaiacol assay of MPO, and in several cases masked the genetic transmission. An assay was developed using o‐dianisidine as the electron donor which considerably reduced the interference by EPO. With this assay an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance was found. The MPO deficient leucocytes had a higher respiratory burst than control cells and an impaired bactericidal activity, at early post‐phagocytic periods, which became comparable to that of control cells at later stages. Particle ingestion by the MPO‐deficient cells was normal.


AIM: To investigate whether whole anterior maxillary teeth and premaxillary could be distracted rapidly aided by alveolar surgery.METHODS: Bilatery maxillary canines were extracted and anterior maxillary osteotomy was performed in 6 beagles.After cementing the routine tooth-borne appliance,the distraction device was force loaded by 0.5 mm/d to retract the whole anterior maxillary teeth for 12 d.Three animals were executed immediately after distraction was completed and the other 3 were executed 4 weeks after the fixture.Cephalometric and periapical films were taken before force loading and execution.RESULTS: Tooth and radiograph measurement indicated that the anterior teeth moved 4.54 mm on average and the posterior teeth moved 1.31 mm.The anterior teeth rotated 3.4 degree clockwise.The average skeleton movement was 1.34 mm,but there were big variations between dogs.No apparent complications such as root resorption,loosening of tooth or bone necrosis occurred.CONCLUSION: Alveolar surgery can increase the orthodontic tooth movement of whole anterior teeth,but it has no apparent effect on premaxillary.


Is there an "ideal" curriculum for a public relations master's program housed in a traditional college of journalism and communications? A review of previous studies on graduate education in communication and public relations, interviews with public relations graduate students and industry professionals, and focus groups conducted with students and leading public relations educators suggest a need to balance curricular coverage of mass communication with public relations.


Based on lower approximation operator C1 and upper approximation operator Cmacr1, this paper investigates granularity-wise separations in covering approximation space (U, C), where C1 and Cmacr1 are Zakowskipsilas approximation operators. By these investigations, some characterizations for granularity-wise separations are obtained and some relations among granularity-wise separations are established.


The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), a critically endangered species, is the only cetacean species in the Yangtze River following the extinction of baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). To inform conservation actions, two important questions need to be addressed: what is the threshold value of survival rate, and what is the threshold value of population size? We calculate the instantaneous rate of population increase (r) for the Yangtze finless porpoise for various combinations of the calf and the non-calf survival rates. We also test the probability of extinction for different minimum carrying capacities for 100 and 500 years using a stable population model. The threshold value of the non-calf survival rate is never lower than 0.869, but current estimates from field data have been far below this threshold. Our model based on extinction probability and carrying capacity suggests that the threshold for the population size to persist 100 years required 113 animals, and 472 animals are required to persist 500 years. Therefore, we recommend establishing an ex situ reserve network to guarantee the minimum 100-year carrying capacity. To ensure the long-term population viability, we suggest establishing two in situ reserve zones in two lakes and their surrounding reserves to meet a minimum 500-year carrying capacity. In addition, measures to avoid further habitat fragmentation should be priority. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


We introduce a new iterative scheme for finding a common element of the set of solutions of an equilibrium problem and the set of common fixed point of a finite family of 𝑘-strictly pseudo-contractive nonself-mappings. Strong convergence theorems are established in a real Hilbert space under some suitable conditions. Our theorems presented in this paper improve and extend the corresponding results announced by many others.


ABSTRACT The paper presents a mathematical model for a doubly-fed induction generator driven by a variable-speed prime mover. The primary circuit of the generator is supplied at rated frequency and output power is obtained from the secondary circuit. The components of power generated by the machine are presented. The steady-state stability limits of the generator are investigated. Comparison between the predicted and experimental results shows that although the model is simple, good agreement is obtained.


This work Proposes a GPS systems and a microcontroller (ESP 32-S) together to keep track of Alzheimer's patients in real time so they can be safe when they leave the house. With the Neo-6M GPS sensor, the current latitude and longitude of the patient will be communicated to the caregiver. The distance of the patient from the caretaker is calculated based on the latitude and longitude and is shown on the cloud dashboard. The dosage and name of the medicine are sent as a reminder to the device. The device also detects the patient's temperature and pulse rate and displays it on the LCD of the device i.e. SSD1306 with the help of LM35 and the MAX30102 sensor respectively. It also displays the oxygen levels of the patient using MAX30102 sensor. In case of a collapse of the patient, the fall is detected using the MPU-6050 sensor and the caretaker will be alerted through a message and emergency care can be addressed.


Linear canonical transformation (LCT) is a generalization of the Fourier transform and fractional Fourier transform. The recent studies have shown that LCT is widely used in optics, signal processing and applied mathematics, and the discretization of the LCT becomes vital for the applications of LCT. Since the discretization of LCT cannot be obtained by directly sampling in time domain and LCT domain, the discretization of the LCT becomes the focus of investigation recently. Based on the development history of LCT discretization, a review of important research progress and current situation of discretization of the LCT is presented in this paper. Meanwhile, the connection among different discretization algorithms and the future development direction are given. It is of great reference value for researchers to fully understand the LCT discretization method and can further promote its engineering applications.


One Introduction.- 1. Overview.- 2. Risk Assessment.- Two Ethical Problems with the Method of Revealed Preferences.- 3. The Commensurability Presupposition.- 4. Occupational Risk and the Theory of the Compensating Wage Differential.- Three Decision-Theoretic Problems with the Method of Revealed Preferences.- 5. Risk Evaluation and the Probability-Threshold Position.- 6. The Linearity Assumption.- 7. Where We Go From Here.- Selected Bibliography.- Index of Names.- Index of Subjects.


In the present essay, the author calls into question the pluralist accounts within Law, in which, parting from a comparison between the structure of normative systems different from State Law, and the structure of the latter, with the aim of attributing to the first the characteristic of being a legal system, because they presumably share the same basic characteristics. From the author point of view, this could result in a way, not of criticizing the hegemonic capitalist legal system, but, on the contrary, in augmenting it, because these accounts end up utilizing the categories proper of the capitalist legal system in order to explain alternative normative systems; running the risk of destroying the alternative ethicity upon which the last are constructed. For these purposes, the author takes into account various Hegelian notions, the two most important: "the abstract person" and "the beautiful soul". In the last part, the author arguments that through "Hermeneutical Pluralism" it is possible to avoid, not only the lost of ethicity in Law, which distinguishes modernity, but, rather, it could help to magnetize the ethicity of alternative normative systems into abstract Law.


Wang Long, the hero of the novel The Good Earth, is endowed with both the inferiority and superiority complex, which govern his behavior. The unique life story of Pearl S. Buck, her inferiority and superiority complex serves as one of the important factors of her creation of The Good Earth.


The coal combustion at high temperature is unfavorable for the captured sulfur reaction. The functional relation between the temperature and the reaction free energy of calcium basis captured sulfur agent during coal combustion is obtained based on the thermodynamics principle. The dynamics equation and its interrelation parameters of calcium sulfate decomposition may gain from chemistry reaction dynamics. At the reduction atmosphere condition, the secondary decomposition of calcium sulfate will be happened at more low temperature that is demonstrated by the theory and experiment. Theory and practice decomposition temperature is very identical. The calcium sulfate decomposition temperature may increase if the CaO and Al 2 O 3 exist in coal ash. Application condition of calcium basis captured sulfur agent is also provided.


Abstract: The manuscript of Xin Ji Wen Ci Jiu Jing Chao is a special textbook for childrenin the Dunhuang documents. It may be classified into parental precepts and assorted refer-ence. Research has been made of the version in both the British and French collections butfew scholars have ever touched it in the Russian collection. Among the eight numberedpieces, six were mistaken for sections of Bai Xing Zhang. The present paper concluded af-ter careful comparative studies that they could be pieced into three sheets and were under-stood to be components of Xin Ji Wen Ci Jiu Jing Chao copied by a certain man of lettersduring the reign of the Return-to-Allegiance Regime in Dunhuang.


In the member States of the European Union, Directive. 93/13 / EEC on unfair terms in Europe consumer contracts provides the legal interpretation on unfair terms in consumer contracts with professionals. However, experience and correlating the Romanian national court jurisprudence of other European countries demonstrate that the process of standardization and harmonization of European Union law in this matter supports deficiencies, still absorbing the directive of unfair terms and still giving contrary solutions in the courts . The national legislation, Law no. 193/2000 must be completed since the CJEU case law in the field, so mostly for solving these cases the procedure is cumbersome.


This paper analyses the principle of differential protection devices produced by three main manufacturers in China.Then an improved testing method of ratio differential protection is derived,which is based on the principle of approaching the boundary of ratio braking status.This method can be easily performed by using three phase instrument,and can be applied to different kinds of protection devices.The method obviously improves test efficiency as well as its accuracy.Finally,a test example is performed to verify the practicability and accuracy of this method.


The paper explores the use of portfolios as a reflective learning tool in initial teacher education using qualitative case study data from Malta. In January 2001, the Faculty of Education, University of Malta, introduced the professional development portfolio (PDP). The aim of the study was to explore whether student teachers used their PDP as a reflective learning tool and what they learnt from the process of developing their PDP. The study shows that for the Maltese student teachers the PDP did help them to reflect on their practice and grow and develop a sense of identity of who they were as teachers. However, they were also very aware that their PDP would be used for employment purposes. The tension between the formative and summative aspects of the PDP was resolved by carrying out small group tutorial sessions during which student teachers could voice their views, share experiences and obtain feedback in a non‐threatening environment. The learning which took place during these tutorial sessions was then used to develop a final presentation document.


Dead reckoning is a promising yet overlooked smart-phone based indoor localization technology. It relies on phone-mounted sensors for counting steps and estimating walking directions, requiring no massive deployment of additional sensors or landmarks. However, it suffers from the misalignment between phone's direction and human's movement direction, which makes the estimated walking direction unreliable and eventually leads to inaccurate location estimation. To solve this problem, this paper introduces SWiDir, an approach that calibrates walking direction by integrating active smartphone sensing with passive WiFi sensing. SWiDir deploys a few WiFi devices to form a correction zone, and use their WiFi Channel State Information (CSI) to infer human's movement inside the zone. We adopt the training-free WiFi Fresnel Zone model, and introduce an accurate and robust direction estimation model by exploring the geometrical relationship between the user's movement and its impact on the Fresnel zones. We built our testbed with 4 Raspberry Pis, forming a large correction zone and evaluated SWiDir across 5 participants in 2 different real environments. Our extensive experiments show that SWiDir achieves 8.89 degrees of average 75 percentile error in walking direction estimation, which is 64% lower than the state-of-the-art existing approaches.


Social attitude in respect to business failure and role of the employees. Non financial analysis of the failure risk. Analysis of the failure risk based on the financial statements.


In this work, cellulose acetate (CA) nanofiltration (NF) membranes were prepared via non-solvent phase inversion technique (NIPS). Polymer concentration was varied from 22 to 25 wt% in order to study its effect on the membrane properties. The fabricated membranes were characterized in terms of morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, water content, water permeability and salts retention such as Na2SO4, CaCl2 and NaCl. Membranes performances were evaluated for cadmium Cd2+ removal using three types of cadmium salt: CdCl2, Cd(NO3)2 and CdSO4. The effects of several operating parameters such as the pH of the feed solution (2-12), trans-membrane pressure (0-14 bar), feed concentration (10-4-10-2 mol.L-1) and ionic strength were also studied and investigated. Results evidenced that the prepared CA-NF membranes consists of a sustainable remediation of Cadmium contamination for safe water supply.


The Welsh Language: a Personal Perspective 1. The Origins of Welsh 2. Welsh in the Early British Kingdoms 3. Welsh in the Middle Ages 4. From the Act of Union to the Industrial Revolution 5. The Welsh Language in the Era of Industrialization 6. Welsh in the Later Nineteenth Century 7. Welsh in the First Half of the Twentieth Century 8. The Second World War and After 9. The Welsh Language Today 10. Welsh and the Other Non-state Languages of Europe 11. The Characteristics of Welsh


Previous studies have found an association between HLA‐B*1502 allele and lamotrigine‐induced Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (SJS)/ toxic epidermal necrosis (TEN) spectrum in Han Chinese populations. This study aims to investigate the association between HLA‐B*1502 and lamotrigine‐ or phenytoin‐ induced SJS/TEN in an Iranian population. The medical records of twenty‐eight lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN patients and twenty‐five lamotrigine‐tolerant controls as well as eight phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN and twelve phenytoin‐tolerant controls were extracted between March 2013 and March 2019 from the university hospitals in Mashhad, Iran. The presence of HLA‐B*1502 allele was determined using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among lamotrigine‐induced patients with SJS/TEN, 11 (39.3%) patients tested positive for the HLA‐B*1502 while only 3 (12.0%) of the lamotrigine‐tolerant controls tested positive for this allele. The risk of lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN was significantly higher in patients with HLA‐B*1502, with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.74 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–19.73, p = 0.032]. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of HLA‐B*1502 for lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN was 39.29%, 88.00%, 78.57% and 56.41%, respectively. The HLA‐B*1502 allele was present in 2 (25.0%) of phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN cases and 5 (41.7%) of the phenytoin‐tolerant controls tested positive for HLA‐B*1502 allele. The risk of phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN was not higher in the patients with HLA‐B*1502 (OR = 0.467 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.065‐3.34, p = 0.642]). Lamotrigine‐induced SJS/TEN is associated with HLA‐B*1502 allele in an Iranian population but this is not the case for phenytoin‐induced SJS/TEN.


Engine performance test was conducted by using seven diesel fuels with different cetane number on a high pressure common rail,turbo-charged Euro Ⅳ diesel engine with intercooler in order to analyze the effect of cetane number on engine performance.No any engine adjustment was made during the test.The results show that as cetane number increases by one unit,the fuel consumption will reduce by 0.2 %,PM reduce by 0.6 %,HC and SOF reduce 1.5 %,while the increase of cetane number has a little effect on engine power,NOx and DS emissions.The increase of cetane number results in advanced ignition of pilot-injected fuel and has no obviously effect on combustion duration and shape of heat release curve.


In this work, glycerol and hot-pressing treatment were utilized to enhance the water-resistant and mechanical properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) film. Recently, MFC films have been suggested as promising materials for various applications such as flexible electronics, micro-optical devices, and biosensors. However, their poor water resistance and brittleness prevent the widespread use of MFC films. In this study, the combination of glycerol and hot-pressing treatment was used to overcome these limitations. While the plasticizing effect by glycerol greatly enhances the stretchability and flexibility of the MFC film, hot-pressing treatment improves its water resistance and mechanical strength. The wet strength of treated MFC film using a glycerol solution with a concentration of 2.5% (v/v) (H-MFC/2.5%G) was 41.3 MPa compared to 3.3 MPa of untreated MFC film. Moreover, the strain at break and tensile strength of this film was significantly improved. The present MFC film can be used as an eco-friendly, robust, and flexible platform for advanced applications.


An early ovulation was induced in 4 adult cows of the luteal stage by ad-ministration of gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogue 16 hr (group I of two cows) or 32 hr (group II of two cows) after the treatment with a prostaglandin F2α analogue. Five hundreds were administered to them daily for 10 consecutive days from the day of induced ovulation. One cow of group I luteinization was functionally insufficient and estrus appeared 5 days after induced ovulation. A small corpus luteum was formed in the other cows of this group. Luteinization was inadequate in the two cows of group II. The blood plasma progesterone level exhibited a transitional increase in the cow with a small corpus luteum formed of group I six days after induced ovulation. It remained low in the other cows of both groups even after induced ovulation. In con-clusion, treatment with hCG had no luteotrophic effect. It was presumed that luteal hypoplasia have been caused by the poor response of a follicle to luteinizing hormone after ovulation.


ICT transformation in education around the world began in the 17 th century; since then, technology education has adopted various methods to help teachers in classroom. Now, in the 21 st century, the education system requires teachers and school administrators to apply new information and communication technologies that provide knowledge to practice their abilities and skills.  This paper aims to discuss the use of Delphi technique in identifying ICT literacy competencies for teachers in Malaysia. Delphi technique is an approach that is used to get a consensus from experts and this technique involved several rounds of questionnaires. The Delphi technique process provided an effective methodology for identifying the complex series of events needed to explore. This study comprised a total of 20 experts included officials from the State Education Department, officers from the District Education Office, lecturer from Institute of Teacher Education, primary school teachers and secondary school teachers in Terengganu. Two rounds of the Delphi process were needed to satisfy the criteria for consensus in this study. It is hoped that the proposed standards could be serve as guidance as well as the basis for training programs for teachers in Malaysia.


ObjectiveTo study the expression of glutathione S-transferase-π(GST-π) gene in the tissues of ovarian tumors and its clinical significance. MethodsGST-π gene expression in tissues of 10 benign tumors and 40 malignant tumors was detected by immunohistochemical method of labeled streptavidin biotin(SP method).Chi-square test was used to analyze the interrelation between the expression of GST-π gene and histological type,pathological grade, clinical stage and preoperative chemotherapy. Results Positive expression of GST-π gene was detected in 26 cases out of 40 malignant ovarian tumors(65%); no positive expression was demonstrated in 10 benign ovarian tumors. There was no interrelation between expression of GST-π gene and histological types of tumor tissues and preoperative chemotherapy (P0.05). The positive expression rate in lowly differentiated cancer (85.71%)was higher than that in highly and moderately differentiated cancer (33.33%,P0.01), whereas positive expression rate of epithelial ovarian carcinoma in stage Ⅰ~Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ were 20% and 71.4%,respectively. The expression rate might increase with the progress of tumor stage. The remission period of positive expression group was shorter than that of negative group, and the tumors were easily recurrent in recent days. ConclusionsDetection of GST-π gene expression rate shows certain clinical significance in the judgement of chemotherapy efficacy, overcoming of drug resistance and estimation of prognosis. Patients with positive GST-π gene expression are poor in chemotherapy efficacy and prognosis,for this positive expression belongs to drug resistance mediated by non-P-glycoprotein mechanism. [


The effects of feed processing, pea cultivar and their interaction on the nutritional value of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) for poultry were evaluated in regard to its apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn), apparent protein digestibility (APD), and rate and extent of starch digestion. Amino acid sparing as affected by the rate of starch digestion was studied in laying hens and broiler chickens. Also, the effects of feeding a slowly digested starch (SDS) from pea on performance and metabolism of broiler–breeder pullets were investigated.
The first objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of screen–hole size, cold pelleting, and pre–pelleting conditioning temperature on nutrient digestibility of pea. There was no interaction between dietary treatments on all studied parameters. Small hammer–mill screen–hole size (3.2–mm) increased AMEn, APD, and extent of starch digestion values compared with coarse screen–hole size (6.4–mm). The AMEn and extent of protein digestion were not affected by cold pelleting, but the site of protein digestion was affected. In contrast, cold pelleting increased the rate and extent of starch digestion. Pre–pelleting conditioning temperature affected AMEn of pea in a quadratic fashion but had no positive effect on starch digestibility. The 70°C of pre–pelleting conditioning temperature maximized pea AMEn. Increasing pre–pelleting conditioning temperature decreased APD in a linear fashion.
The second objective of this research was to study the effects of feed processing, pea cultivar and their interaction on AMEn, APD, and rate and extent of starch digestion. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted. An in vitro procedure simulating the gastric and small intestine conditions of chickens was developed to predict the rate and extent of starch digestion as affected by pea cultivar and sieve–hole size (0.5–, 1.0–, 2.0–mm). The rate and extent of starch digestion of cereal grain samples (barley, corn, and wheat) was also compared to pea starch. No interactions were found between pea cultivar and sieve–hole size on the kinetics of starch digestion. Pea cultivar affected the rate and extent of starch digestion. The small sieve–hole size in the in vitro assay resulted in a higher rate and extent of starch digestion. Pea starch was slowly digested in comparison with cereal grains. The in vivo experiment confirmed that fine grinding and pelleting improves AMEn and APD. Cultivar effects on AMEn and APD were observed, but no interaction was found between pea cultivar and feed processing.
The third objective of this research was to investigate whether feeding SDS from pea would have sparing effect on amino acid utilization in chickens. In the first experiment, the effects of three levels of pea inclusion 0, 150, 300 g/kg on the response of laying hens to three levels of lysine intake (700, 780, and 860 mg per day) were evaluated using performance and production criteria. This experiment revealed that pea inclusion up to 300 g/kg in laying hen diets was well tolerated by laying hens and…


1. Reuter DA, Huang C, Edrich T, Shernan SK, Eltzschig HK. Cardiac output monitoring using indicator-dilution techniques: basics, limits, and perspectives. Anesth Analg 2010;110:799–811 2. Bottiger BW, Rauch H, Bohrer H, Motsch J, Soder M, Fleischer F, Martin E. Continuous versus intermittent cardiac output measurement in cardiac surgical patients undergoing hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 1995; 9:405–11 3. Bendjelid K, Schütz N, Suter PM, Romand JA. Continuous cardiac output monitoring after cardiopulmonary bypass: a comparison with bolus thermodilution measurement. Intensive Care Med 2006;32:919–22 4. Zollner C, Goetz AE, Weis M, Morstedt K, Pichler B, Lamm P, Kilger E, Haller M. Continuous cardiac output measurements do not agree with conventional bolus thermodilution cardiac output determination. Can J Anaesth 2001;48:1143–7 5. LaMantia KR, O'Connor T, Barash PG. Comparing methods of measurement: an alternative approach. Anesthesiology 1990; 72:781–3 DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e3181f33910


One way of helping the recovery of women philosophers of the past is to inscribe them in one of the philosophical traditions that help shape our understanding of history. This is what Jacqueline Br...


The purpose of this article is to explain a new method to establish the existence of an exceptional collection of length three for a fake projective plane $M$ with nontrivial automorphism group, related to a conjecture of Galkin–Katzarkov–Mellit–Shinder in 2015. Our method shows that thirty fake projective planes support such a sequence, most of which are new. In particular, this provides many new $H$-phantom categories.


Contents 1. B0 Radioimmunotherapie bij het B-‐cel non-‐Hodgkin lymfoom. Samenvatting 2. B1 Radioimmunotherapy for aggressive and transformed B-‐cell non-‐Hodgkin lymphoma. Introduction 3. B2 Radioimmunotherapy for indolent B-‐cell non-‐Hodgkin lymphoma in relapsed, refractory and transformed disease. Biodrugs 2006;20:201-‐207 4. B3 Preparation and evaluation of 89Zr-‐Zevalin for monitoring of 90Y-‐Zevalin biodistribution with positron emission tomography. B4 Biodistribution, radiation dosimetry and scouting of 90Y-‐ibritumomab tiuxetan therapy in patients with relapsed B-‐cell non-‐Hodgkin's lymphoma using 89Zr-‐ibritumomab tiuxetan and PET. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2012;39:512-‐520 6. B5 No harmful impact of 90Yttrium-‐ibritumomab tiuxetan combined with BEAM on bone marrow microenvironment. B6 Long-‐term follow up of BEAM alone or in combination with [radio]immunotherapy as conditioning for auSCT in aggressive lymphoma. Submitted 8. B7 Phase III BEAM vs. 90Yttrium Ibritumomab tiuxetan [Zevalin]/BEAM with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for chemorefractory/relapsed diffuse large B-‐cell non-‐ Hodgkin lymphoma. Appendix 9. T6 T-‐cel non-‐Hodgkin lymfoom en coeliakie: van refractair naar EATL. Samenvatting 10. T1 Novel approaches in the management of refractory celiac disease. T2 Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in refractory celiac disease with aberrant T cells. T3 Auto-‐SCT in refractory celiac disease type II patients unresponsive to cladribine therapy. Bone Marrow Transplant 2011;6:840-‐846 13. T4 Disappointing outcome of autologous stem cell transplantation for enteropathy-‐associated T-‐cell lymphoma.


This paper presents an architecture to interconnect wireless sensor networks with the Internet, to extend the accessibility of this network. The presented solution is based in a proxy concept, using just the application layer of both networks. The objective is to verify the possibility to interconnect these different standards of network using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the web services technology. The real implementation and its tests suggested that is possible and viable.


A versatile instrument code named SPECS (for Switched Proton Electron Channeltron Spectrometer) has been developed for measurement of charged particles in space. Particles entering the device pass between a pair of deflection plates across which is established a voltage Vi. Particles of a given charge and different energies are then deflected into a set of five channeltron devices located on one side of the deflection plates, while particles of the opposite polarity but comparable energies are deflected into a funneltron located on the opposite side of the plates. Thus, electrons and protons are detected simultaneously in a total of six differential energy intervals. The voltage Vi is then changed over six steps: ±35 V, ±350 V, and ±3500 V. In this way electrons are measured over an energy range of about 50 electron volts (eV) to about 100 000 eV. Protons are measured over the same energy range, with the lowest detectable energy set by the intrinsic channeltron efficiency of detection of positive ions at ...


This thesis explores the projection of violent direct action in the case of Iraq and Afghanistan since 2007 through May 2011. Machine-coded events data from the free, publicly available, on-line Reuters archives was fitted to both regressor and time series models to test the hypothesis of self-feeding, vicious cycle of violence that grapples both of these countries up through 2011, even as US troops are moving out. The models offering the best statistical fit were used to generate forecasts for the number of expected hostile attacks in June 2011.


Neural networks derived from diffusion‐weighted MRI (DW‐MRI) may shed light on disease progression and pathology propagation in Alzheimer's disease in vivo. In this work analysis of the path properties of such networks are presented. Geodesic or shortest paths are fundamental in understanding key network phenomenon such as the propagation rates of information, infection or pathology. For example, the ubiquitous small‐worldness property of natural occurring biological and social networks is based on having short paths between any pair of entities in the network.


Kinetic studies on the adsorption of α-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae on the anion exchanger, Duolite A-568, and the hydrophobic resin, Duolite XAD-761, were carried out in a fixed bed. The efficiency with respect to the adsorbate and adsorbent was determined to estimate the performance of the process of adsorption. The effect of flow rate, α-amylase inlet concentration, temperature, and particle size of the packing was analyzed. In addition, the transient response, in the form of experimental breakthrough curves, was fitted using a phenomenological mathematical model accounting for the external-film and pore-diffusion mass-transfer mechanisms as well as axial dispersion along the column. Also, a Langmuir isotherm was included in the model to account for the extent of the equilibrium of adsorption. The model described satisfactorily the experimental breakthrough curves and it proved to predict successfully the behavior of a scaled-up bed using the kinetic and equilibrium parameters estimated previously. Thus, the mathematical model can be considered a reliable tool for process design and scale-up of similar systems.


Teacher formation requires the integration of different models, metacultural, experential and situated, to realize a professionality based on PCK: in the framework of EU MOSEM Project we carried out a researchbased formation for teachers with different modalities. Blended modality, dedicated to the discussion on some aspects related to disciplinary and conceptual knots, aims to work implementation and to transform a proposal according to the personal style and classroom context. Problem Solving activities play a fundamental role in reflection and new elaboration: teachers carried out original proposal with respect to those proposed by the project.


Abstract Country-level contexts can be important drivers that explain cross-national differences in individuals' social entrepreneurship decisions. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of favourable cultural contexts that influence individuals to pursue social entrepreneurship. Our findings confirmed that cross-national social entrepreneurship differences can be explained in part by considering cultural leadership ideals at the country-level. Specifically, the country context of low self-protective cultural leadership ideal had a positive impact on individual decisions to pursue social entrepreneurship. The results provide a theoretical and practical basis to understand the influence of the contextual factor on social entrepreneurship.


s published in the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology have been reviewed by the organizations or JNA Affiliate Societies at whose meetings the abstracts have been accepted for presentation. These abstracts have not undergone review by the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology. Abstracts From the Neuroanaesthetic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting — Sheffield, May 8–9, 2014s From the Neuroanaesthetic Society of Great Britain and Ireland Annual Scientific Meeting — Sheffield, May 8–9, 2014 A Pilot Study to Assess if Delayed Cerebral Ischaemia Following Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Affects Interhemispheric Variation Measured Using Bilateral Bispectral Index Monitoring (BiBIS) J.C. Andrzejowski, FRCA FFICM*, K. Brennan, MRCS FRCA*, D. Turnbull, MD, FRCA*, G. Eapen, FRCA*, U. Patel, MD, FRCSw, M.D. Wiles, MMedSci (ClinEd), MRCP, FRCA, FFICM*. *Department of Anaesthesia. wDepartment of Neurosciences, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK. Background: Delayed Cerebral Ischaemia (DCI or vasospasm) affects up to 40% of patients following subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Bispectral index monitoring can detect some types of cerebral ischaemia. We used bilateral Bispectral Index (BiBIS) monitoring to ascertain if a left to right (L-R) interhemispheric difference (BiBISd) was greater in patients with DCI following SAH. Methods: Ethical approval was obtained to apply BiBIS to patients following admission with acute SAH. Monitoring was removed if a patient could not tolerate it and was replaced if it became disconnected. Neurological observations and haemodynamic parameters were collected. Hourly averaging of downloaded data was carried out, with a difference of 10% in BiBISd [(L-R)/L 100] regarded as significant. Data are reported as mean (SD) or median (range) as appropriate. Results: Twenty five patients were recruited over a 12 month period. Five patients were excluded since data was not complete. Patients were monitored for 8 (3–22) days representing 162 (54–504) hours of monitoring. Complete data were available for 89 (7–311) hours. For the period of complete data recordings, overall BiBISd was >10% for 31% of the time, with an absolute BiBISd of 7 (5) over this period. In the 7 patients with DCI, BiBISd was >10% for 36% of the recorded time (absolute BiBISd=5) vs 27% of recorded time in patients with no DCI (absolute BiBISd=8). (P<0.001, Fisher's exact). Discussion: In this observational pilot study in neurocritical care patients, BiBISd is greater than 10% for a larger proportion of monitored time in patients with DCI. This cohort of patients also demonstated interhemispheric BIS variation more frequently than in previously published work in anaesthetised patients. Further work is warranted to investigate if this overall finding is of clinical significance or can be used to predict or diagnose DCI. References: 1. Harclerode Z, Andrzejowski J, Coley S et al. Bispectral index detects intraoperative cerebral ischaemia during balloon assisted cerebral aneurysm coiling. F1000Research. 2014;2:225 (doi: 10.12688/ f1000research.2-225.v2). 2. Smith M, Wiles M, Andrzejowski J. Interhemispheric EEG variability measured using a bilateral Bispectral Index (BIS) sensor. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2012;24:244. Evaluation of the Management of Patients Undergoing Cerebral Angiography at Risk of Contrast Induced Nephropathy L.K. Kessack, MBChB, MRCP, FRCA, T. Gregory MBBS, MRCP, FRCA, E. Schulenburg, MBChB, DA(SA), FCA(SA), MMED. Department of Anaesthesia, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK. Introduction: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) is an important cause of acute renal impairment. Contrast is used during cerebral angiography procedures for subarachnoid haemorrhage, arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and venous stenting. Patients at risk of CIN should be identified preoperatively. Risk factors include pre-existing renal impairment, age over 70 years, congestive cardiac failure, diabetes mellitus, metformin and administration of nephrotoxic drugs. We wished to check if we were appropriately identifying and managing the patients at risk of CIN. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients undergoing cerebral angiography for subarachnoid haemorrhage, AVM and venous stenting over a five month period at Addenbrookes Hospital. Estimated GFR was calculated by the abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. We excluded patients aged less than 18 years. Results:We reviewed 69 cases with a mean age of 50 years (range 19–87). All patients had a preoperative creatinine recorded. Preoperative renal function is shown in Table 1. Twenty patients had only a preoperative creatinine recorded of which 14 (70%) had one or more risk factors for CIN. The patient CKD 3 was pre-hydrated and the patient with CKD 4 was given Visipaque, a less nephrotoxic contrast agent. Using Wilcoxon pairs, we demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative e-GFR (86 vs. 78). (P=0.002). Conclusion: There was a statistically significant reduction in e-GFR post contrast administration. All patients with risk factors for CIN should have a postoperative creatinine recorded. Patients presenting for interventional radiological procedures with significant risk factors for developing CIN should have adequate precautions pre and intraoperatively to minimise the risk including prehydration and use of appropriate contrast agents.


A mechanism for converting motions and an internal combustion engine having the same are provided to improve power converting efficiency of the engine by increasing a torque in converting expansion force of compressed gas into a torque of a crank shaft. A mechanism for converting motions includes a connecting rod(30), a plurality of crank shafts(50A,50B), a plurality of rotating members(60A,60B), and a plurality of link rods(40A,40B). The connecting rod is disposed on a first shaft(X1), and reciprocates along the first axis. The crank shafts are disposed out from the first axis. The rotating members are assembled to the crank shafts so as to rotate the crank shafts. Each link rod has one end connected to the rotating member and the other end connected to the connecting rod such that the other end of the link rod is rotatable.


The invention discloses a method and a device for monitoring tumble. The method for monitoring tumble comprises: utilizing a mode recognition method, creating a human body tumble behavior recognition model based on a support vector machine to screen standard feature vectors capable of serving as human body tumble judge, and judging the tumble state of the human body through the joint judge of the mode recognition of the support vector machine and the inclination angle threshold. The device is composed of an acceleration sensor, a microcontroller, a GPS (Global Position System) module, a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) module, and the like. The method for monitoring tumble is used for monitoring the acceleration and inclination angle data in a tumble process in real time, correctly recognizing the human body tumble state and timely sending the tumble information and direction to family members of the user and nurses of a community hospital to rescue the user in time. According to the invention, tumble detection is more reliable, tumble judging accuracy is improved, individual difference error is effectively reduced and recognition capability of different tumble categories is greatly improved.


Within the framework of the Boundary Element Method (BEM), we develop a computational scheme to account for nonlocal hydrodynamic effects in three -dimensional metallic nanoparticles of arbitrary shape. In contrast to conventional field-based methods, the reported scheme is formulated based on vector and scalar potentials. Especially, an extra scalar potential is introduced to describe longitudinal fields due to the hydrodynamic motion of electrons. The computational scheme is demonstrated for a canonical structure, i.e. sphere, for far field properties, e.g. scattering cross sections, and an excellent agreement is found with generalized Mie theory.