This work considers the problem of estimating the epipolar geometry between two cameras without needing a prespecified set of correspondences. It is capable of resolving the epipolar geometry for cases when the views differ significantly in terms of baseline and rotation, resulting in a large number features in one image that have no correspondence in the other image. We do conditional characterization of the probability space of correspondences based on Joint Feature Distributions (JFD) [21]. We seek to maximize the probabilistic support of the putative correspondence set over a number of MCMC iterations, guided by proposal distributions based on similarity or JFD. Similarity based guidance provides large movements (global) through correspondence space and JFD based guidance provides small movements (local) around the best known epipolar geometry the algorithm has found so far. We also propose a simple and novel method to rule out, at each iteration, correspondences that lead to degenerate configurations, thus speeding up convergence. We compare our algorithm with LO-RANSAC [2], NAPSAC [7], MAPSAC [19] and BEEM [9], which are the current state of the art competing methods, on a dataset that has significantly more change in baseline, rotation, and scale than those used in the current literature. We quantitatively benchmark the performance using manually specified ground truth corresponding point pairs. We find that our approach can achieve results of similar quality as the current state of art in 10 times lesser number of iterations. We are also able to tolerate upto 90% outlier correspondences.


Reports in the literature demonstrate that the percentage of unexplained fetal death occurs from 21 to 50%. Unexplained fetal death is defined as the demise of the fetus occurring at gestational age beyond 20 weeks or fetal weight of more than 500 g, with a thorough autopsy of the fetus and histology examination of the umbilical cord, placenta, and membranes, fails to demonstrate the cause of death.The following factors are associated with unexplained fetal death, maternal age beyond 35 years, overweight, ten years or less in a school, smoking, low socioeconomic status class and others.Fetal deaths are related to maternal medical disease, thrombophilia, umbilical cord accidents, cytogenetics, metabolic and congenital infections.The following is a review of the main aspects of unexplained fetal death.


Due to their small sizes, carbon based microelectrodes are commonly used for local and highly sensitive detection of electroactive molecules like dopamine in cell and tissues. Increasing the electrode number at the tip of a micro-electrode probe enables simultaneous detection of molecules at multiple points. In this study, probes containing single and multiple carbon fibers were fabricated, respectively. In order to fabricate such electrodes, single and 3-barrel glass capillaries were used. Briefly, carbon fibers were fixed to copper wires so that they can be easily inserted into glass capillaries as one in each barrel. Then the glass capillaries were pulled using a micropuller to insulate the carbon fibers with glass. The probes have the potential to be used for direct detection of dopamine like electroactive molecules as well as for detection of different analytes when each carbon fiber electrode is modified with different enzymes or antibodies.


Voltage and reactive power control in distribution systems includes the control of devices such as tap changer, shunt capacitor and feeder capacitors. The main objectives of this problem are defined as minimizing the power loss, reducing the reactive power transfer of the substation transformer and improving of the voltage profile. Control variables include the state of capacitors positions and main transformer under load tap changer position. Furthermore, by changing the capacitors locations in the network per year, the methods are improved in this paper. In order to solve the optimization problem, simulated annealing algorithm is used to replace the capacitors, and discrete binary particle swarm optimization algorithm is implemented to solve volt/var problem in any replacement. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, the IEEE 69 bus distribution test system, including one new shunt capacitor and ten existing feeder capacitors in some installable feeders is used.


PURPOSE
To identify the associations of eating alone with type D personality, depression, and rejection sensitivity among South Korean university students.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Data were collected from 370 students recruited from five universities using a self-reported questionnaire.

FINDINGS
Eating alone had significant correlations with type D personality and depression. Significant factors affecting eating alone were age, place of residence, type D personality, and depression. These factors accounted for 17% in eating alone.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
There is a need for interventional programs that can reduce the negative effects of eating alone and prevent depression among students with type D personality.


OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical efficacy of embolization and endoscopic coagulation treatment on rhinorrhagia.METHODS 112 patients of rhinorrhagia were selected,and 42 cases receiving endoscopic coagulation were divided to the observation group,and the rest of 70 cases receiving embolization were divided to the control group.The treatment effect and visual analog scale were compared and analyzed.RESULTS There were 41 patients cured in the observation group(97.6%),which was higher than that of the control group 49(70.0%)(P﹤0.05);1 case had recurrence(2.4%)in the observation group which was lower than that of the control group 21(30.0%)(P﹤0.05);Intraoperative VAS(8.02±1.01)was lower than that of the control group(8.92±1.12)(P﹤0.05);Postoperative VAS(4.78±1.11)was lower than that of the control group(7.96±1.03)(P﹤0.05).CONCLUSION The curing rate of endoscopic coagulation is higher than the embolization,the recurrence rate is lower,and intraoperative patients feel good.


RMark provides a formula-based interface for analysis of capture-recapture data with the program MARK. RMark reduces the development time of models and removes the potential for errors introduced from manual creation of design matrices in MARK. By providing an interface to MARK in R, all of the tools in R can be accessed to extract and manipulate data, plot or simulate. It also provides the potential to include MARK analysis in a reproducible document with Sweave and LTEX. I demonstrate RMark using the commonly analyzed European dipper data.


Maxillofacial surgeons are increasingly interested in the anatomy of mandibular mental region nowadays. The range of possible operations in the chin area is pretty wide, and many periodontal surgical manipulations with different vestibular accesses in this area are developed. Labial incisions in the area of the anterior part of the mandible are used also for genioplasty (1) and for the performance of intraoral transmental suction lipectomy (2). Bone blocks from the mental area are used as grafts for alveolar bone augmentation in the frontal part of the maxilla (3), and corticocancellous autografts from the chin are used to graft alveolar clefts (4). This area of the mandible is also one of the sites for the fixation of intraoral distractors and the subsequent transversal expansion of the mandible (5). Mandibular mental fractures healing peculiarities were specified by Rauer (6), Habal and Ariyan (7), and Malyshev and Kabakov (8). However, the anatomy of this area has not been sufficiently studied, therefore difficulties in the investigation of the innervation and blood supply are frequent. They are related to the limited anatomical access for the study of the terminal vessels, nerves and bone connections in the midline. The aim of this paper was to study the peculiarities of the anatomy, blood supply, and innervation of the chin bone and the surrounding soft tissues, along with the development of the chin in phylogenesis and ontogenesis. This study also Abstract This study examined the peculiarities of anatomy, blood supply, and innervation of the bone of mental region and the surrounding soft tissues, together with the development of chin in phylogenesis and ontogenesis. In addition, a comparative anatomical study of the innervation and blood supply of the bone and surrounding soft tissues in humans and animals was conducted. The conclusions of this research are as follows: the chin itself should be considered as a small area of bone with a triangular shape at the frontal part of the mandible. Its occurrence in humans can be attributed to an upright posture. During the formation of the foetus, this bone is formed from the separate centres of ossification, and for a long time period, it is presented separately from the mandible. The innervation and blood supply of the chin's protrusion are provided primarily by the sublingual arteries and nerves, which have special foramina on the lingual surface of the mandible. Knowledge of these peculiarities is necessary during the performance of local anaesthesia, implant placement, genioplasty, and in the treatment of fractures of the mental region of the mandible.


A taste test for expensive jamón highlights the importance of asking the right research question, say Katharine Wallis and Nicholas Zwar


Rheumatology referrals classified as non-urgent/routine are commonly non-inflammatory conditions or medically non-urgent and can have significant waiting times for appointments. These waits were further escalated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Early intervention for non-inflammatory conditions can be crucial to good outcomes and long wait-times can have significant adverse impacts while appropriate care pathways are determined. Recent UK GIRFT recommendations include using non-medical health professional expertise in assessment and management pathways to support right place, right time, right care. This study evaluated effectiveness, impacts and patient experiences of Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Triage and Assessment Clinics for routine new referrals.

 The non-urgent/routine referral waiting list was e-triaged by a Rheumatology APP and APN supported by clinical record searches. Patients were contacted by telephone to update on clinical status and appointment requirements determined. Triage criteria were applied to determine new referrals suitable for APP and APN Rheumatology clinics, which included low likelihood of inflammatory disease or new referrals for known diagnosis/stable conditions. Clinics were undertaken with collocated Consultant clinical supervision. Assessment findings were discussed and management agreed, or seen if needed. With waiting list attrition, clinics were expanded to include Consultant-determined stable condition reviews and follow-up reviews for non-suspected inflammatory disease.

 At 01 July 2021, 214 new routine referrals were waiting a Consultant appointment (n=103 over 2yrs). Since service initiation, clinic outcomes to date include: 69% (n = 243/358) new routine referrals discharged to GP or directed to right pathway with information, advice and self-management resources; 8% (n=29) escalated to urgent; 3% (11/358) with medical complexity remained on Consultant waitlist. Most common presentations seen included: Osteoarthritis (general or hand); Back and other spinal pain; Fibromyalgia; Persistent Fatigue and Widespread Pain; JHS/hEDS; Positive ANA without clinical features; Musculoskeletal conditions- other. To date, no patients have been re-referred and 329 new patient and 89 follow-up Consultant direct consultations have been spared. There is currently no wait-time for non-urgent/routine appointments. Patient experience feedback on the service has offered a 100% recommendation to continue and expressed highly positive experiences with the MDT approach. Patients value the breadth of expertise and care support, and the timely, thorough and professional service provided.

 Rheumatology non-urgent/routine new referrals with low probability of underlying autoimmune conditions may be effectively and efficiently managed in a collaborative model using an advanced practice physiotherapist and nurse. This innovation has expanded a traditionally medical pathway to an MDT model utilising value-adding non-medical expertise in service delivery. It has enhanced interdisciplinary learning and is a valued, collaborative approach to patient care. The initiative provides support to GIRFT recommendations of using an MDT skill-set to support improved patient access, service efficiencies and earlier intervention.
 Disclosure
 C. McCrum: Grants/research support; Funding grant to provide professional education workshops- Novartis, Janssen. B. Zeljkovic: None. C. Perera: None.


Abstract The problem of evaluating the electromagnetic field of a perfectly electrical conductor wedge located over stratified media is solved through Fredholm integral equations derived by using the generalized Wiener–Hopf technique. The numerical solution of the integral equation is efficiently accomplished by a simple quadrature method. Numerical simulations that illustrate the validity of the proposed method as well as some applications are presented.


Establishing the Shanghai multi-polar RD center is extremely important and is an urgent strategic mission.Therefore,we should speed up the construction of open-style RD information center in the Yangtze River Delta,speed up an intermediary technical service system which consistent with the multinational corporations;Select the enterprises and projects which have relative competitive advantages and development potations in the global multinational corporation industry chain as key domains which first supported,and formulate gradual preferential policies which consistent with the international convention.


Okra and capsicum were inter-cropped with relatively short statured crops; beet-root, knol-khol, onion and peas. Based on the yield of vegetable, edible protein and calorie yields were calculated. It was observed that the short statured quick growing vegetables were superior in nutritional yield. Inter-cropping systems were higher nutritition yielders compared to the yield of companion crop in pure stand. It was found nutritionally beneficial to grow beet-root, knol-khol and peas with okra and capsicum.


1. Experiments were made on the respiration of bran at different moisture levels using a continuous absorption apparatus in which the humidity of the air-stream was adjusted to be at equilibrium with the respiring bran. The rate of respiration was accelerated with increasing moisture content and was very rapid deterioration due to the high respiration rate and microbiological damage. 2. Experiments were made on the storage of bran at known moisture contents in closed tins in the laboratory and also in sacks kept under farm conditions. The total nitrogen content of the bran stored in the tins appeared to increase during storage. From similar increases in total phosphorus, it is clear that the increase in total nitrogen was caused by a loss of dry matter from the stored feeding stuff, a fact which was further demonstrated by the loss in dry weight of the sacks of bran with attributed to two causes: (1) the respiration of the plant cells still active in the bran itself, and (2) the respiration of developing micro-organisms. It is evident from these experiments that fresh bran, free from insect infestation and stored at a moisture content of less than 13%, will have a very low respiration rate and will, therefore, not be liable to heating. Bran of 15–19% moisture content respires at a much faster rate and the time for which such material can be stored with freedom from heating or other types of deterioration will be limited.


The article analyzes the PRC's regional integration strategy, which substantiates active investment cooperation between China and South Korea. East Asian integration seems very important both for China and the Republic of Korea, since it gives them unique chance for creating regional market fitting their own parameters. From more distant perspective China-Korea strategic cooperation may guarantee both states solid diplomatic positions in the dialogue with such powers as USA and Japan. In that connection, bilateral diplomacy of China and South Korea, which reflects mutual aspiration toward more close partnership, causes serious anxiety of Japan. At the same time, tight interlacing of economic interests in the relations between South Korea with China and the USA permits Seoul to join any Beijing's or Washington's initiatives in the North Korean direction in any convenient time.


In this paper we analyze inexact inverse iteration for the nonsymmetric generalized eigenvalue problem $\bf{A}\bf{x} = \lambda \bf{M}\bf{x}$, where $\bf{M}$ is symmetric positive definite and the problem is diagonalizable. Our analysis is designed to apply to the case when $\bf{A}$ and $\bf{M}$ are large and sparse and preconditioned iterative methods are used to solve shifted linear systems with coefficient matrix $\bf{A}-\sigma \bf{M}$. We prove a convergence result for the variable shift case (for example, where the shift is the Rayleigh quotient) which extends current results for the case of a fixed shift. Additionally, we consider the approach from [V. Simoncini and L. Elde´n, BIT, 42 (2002), pp. 159-182] to modify the right-hand side when using preconditioned solves. Several numerical experiments are presented that illustrate the theory and provide a basis for the discussion of practical issues.


BACKGROUND Adolescent dating violence (DV) is a growing problem in the United States. Identifying the most optimal venue for screening and determining risk factors for DV is important for treatment and prevention programs. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of DV among male teens presenting to a Midwestern pediatric emergency department (PED) and to determine risk factors, types of injuries sustained, and interest in social service assistance. METHODS Males (13–21 year old) presenting to a PED were prospectively enrolled. Exclusions included never dated, non–English speaking, critically ill, active psychosis, or caregiver nonwillingness to leave during study participation. The computerized survey consisted of demographics, a validated DV screen, risk factor assessment, and injuries from DV. At completion, all participants received DV educational materials and were offered social service referral. RESULTS Of the 262 eligible approached participants, 198 (75.6%) were enrolled. The mean ± SE age of participants was 16.2 ± 0.13 years, with 106 white (53%) and 77 African American (39%). A total of 99 (50%) had DV education in the past; 39 (19.7%) screened positive for DV. Risk factors for those who screened positive include the following: 9 (29%) endorse riding in a car with a dating partner who was driving intoxicated, 27 (87%) admitted to drinking alcohol, and 11 (35%) have been treated for an sexually transmitted infection. Almost all injuries sustained as a result of DV (83%) were minor (scratches or scrapes). Only 2 (5%) accepted social service intervention and none for their DV exposure. CONCLUSION One in five teen males who present to a PED in our population screened positive for DV. Using specific risk factors could aid practitioners in identifying those children more likely to screen positive. Injuries sustained were mild, and most did not accept social services consultation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level II.


Rising sea level at sedimentary shores entails a hunger for sand to lift nearshore bottoms accordingly. To meet this demand, waves tend to take sand from the shoreline. However, the resulting shoreline retreat is rarely tolerated at populated coasts. To stop shoreline erosion, hard defence structures frequently are deployed at the North Sea coast. These hard defences divert the hunger for sand to those shores not yet defended. This produces a long-shore domino effect, replacing a sequence of zoned sedimentary habitats rich in biodiversity. Submerged hard defences may serve as gateways for alien species invasions. The consequences are habitat loss and ecosystem transformation. Where recreational sandy beaches are subject to erosion, artificial sand replenishments are often used to compensate for losses. Although this enhances the level of disturbance, organisms dwelling in beaches are adapted to cope with such dynamics. Sand nourishments may also help to avoid the negative effects hard structures have on the sedimentary shore environment. As an alternative to the sprawl of hard coastal defences we here suggest to flush sand through pipelines from offshore sandy bottoms towards the Wadden Sea. In contrast to sand replenishments confined to exposed beaches, the intervals between successive renewals at sheltered shorelines would extend over several decades. This could allow near-shore zones to adapt their morphology to the rising level of the sea, and characteristic biota to colonize the offered substrate. Shores already armed by hard defences could be supplied with sand deposits in the form of spits and bars to initiate a diverse transition zone between land and sea. These sand deposits may serve to mitigate wave forces, may help to regain former habitat diversity, and with their dynamics constitute an attractive feature of the coast-scape. Sand nourishments at the inner shore of the North Sea coast would not only restore lost habitats but also could proactively prevent further habitat degradation by adapting the coastal slope to the rising level of the sea.


This report details the results of environmental research performed between January 1980 and January 1982 on horizontal in-situ oil shale retorting at Geokinetics (DOE/GKI). Discussion is presented under the headings: atmospheric resource research; hydrologic resource research; ecological resource research; cultural-economic resource research; environmental permits; industrial safety and health; and risk assessment and mitigration. This report is a highly functional consolidated record of actual research conducted at the DOE/GKI research site. A summary report of activities between 1977 and 1979 is included. Separate abstracts have been prepared for each main heading section of the report for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (DMC)


This paper proposes a system of Electronic Official Document Interchange System based on security.It can match the secure needs of Electronic Official Document,that is Integrity,Privacy,sender′s and receiver′s Authentication. Especially it can also provide long-term Non-repudiation service,that is said,it can authenticate whether sender has sent and receiver has received the Official Document and can give auxiliary evidences when disputation happens between sender and receiver,or when either of sender and receiver loses his stored evidences.


The invention aims to provide a manufacturing method of a corrosion-resistance alloy hot-rolled steel pipe with high acid resistance and excellent comprehensive corrosion resistance. The manufacturing method of the steel pipe comprises the steps of: iron smelting by a blast furnace, predesulfurization of molten steel, converter top-bottom compound blowing, LF furnace refining, continuous casting of a steel pipe blank, heating, perforation, continuous rolling, tension diameter determination, correction, cooling and prewashing; the prewashing is performed for the inner wall of the steel pipe by a corrosion inhibitor; after the corrosion inhibitor is contacted with the inner wall of the steel pipe, a layer of uniform protective film is formed on the inner wall of the steel pipe, so that the corrosion resistance of the inner wall of the steel pipe is improved; sodium gluconate preferably realizes absorption of such metal ions as aluminum and copper in the steel pipe to form ion complex compounds to prevent electrochemical corrosion; the corrosion inhibitor has multiple slow release mechanisms to preferably realize the corrosion resisting effect; and when the pipe conveys crude oil, the corrosion inhibitor has no need to continuously feed, so that the maintenance workload is low.


INFECTIOUS DISEASESA team of researchers argues in work published this week that syphilis originated as a milder, nonsexual disease in the New World and evolved into its current form after Europeans arrived.


When α=β=γ=0, this result is already established by H. Brezis and L. Veron in [BV]. They proved this result by using a comparison principle and a weak maximum principle. Although the operator in this paper is degenerate at the origin, their methods still work under some modifications. In fact we first construct a suitable super-solution, and then we derive a pointwise estimate by a weak muximum principle and Kato's inequality. As a application we will deduce that if u∈(C2(B') satisfies


The present invention relates to novel fluorene empty non crystalline form, it processes for their preparation and therapeutic applications, especially the use in treating malignant Meter-Rate. Empty non-crystalline forms flu


Silver Nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are increasingly used in various fields including medical, food, healthcare consumer and industrial purposes due to their unique physical and chemical properties. The conventional physical and chemical methods of synthesis of Ag-NPs seem to be very expensive and hazardous. Interestingly, biologically prepared Ag-NPs show high yield, solubility and high stability. The biologically Ag-NPs was characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy and SEM with EDAX. The appearance of specific absorbance peak at 440 nm indicates the presence of Ag-NPs. The development of Ag-NPs as anti-arthritic molecules is one of the most interesting approaches for arthritic treatment as it can overcome poor delivery and the problem of drug resistance. The anti-arthritic activity of developed MO-AgNPs was determined by albumin denaturation assay. MO-AgNPs (Moringa Olifera leaves extract loaded silver nanoparticles) exhibit 25% higher anti-arthritic activity when compared with standard Aspirin drug.


Abstract The authorities at Mesa Verde National Park have been building and managing temporary and permanent shelters over excavated mesa-top archaeological sites since 1919. Over twenty shelters have been built over the years. These have varied from informal vernacular constructions to structures designed by professional architects for the specific needs of the Park. There are presently twelve shelters in the Park. Two of the existing twelve shelters are informal 'temporary' shelters built by Park staff and are over sites that are not on exhibit to the public. The other ten shelters are over sites on exhibit and were designed by professional architects. One is of metal and was built in 1969. The other nine shelters are constructed of precast concrete with a wooden roof, built in 1984–87. The professionally designed shelters have been fairly successful in protecting the sites that they cover. In 2000 a wildfire damaged four shelters in its path but the archaeology protected by these shelters was undamaged.


It analyzed the designing method of the A/D Circuit,which is composed of AD7706 chip in hardware and software.It is proved that this control system has the advantages of high precision,high speed and steady performance.


Although many authors have prepared useful papers to illustrate the existence of chaos and to enhance the reader's understanding of chaos by using theoretical, simulation or experimental setups, any chaos-based laboratory work-board has not been designed or implemented for studying chaotic circuits and systems. We designed and implemented a laboratory tool for studying mixed-mode chaotic circuits. In this paper, we will introduce this versatile laboratory tool.


More than 50% microRNAs (miRNAs) are located in tumor-associated genome of amplification region or fragile site, which may also act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor gene (TSG). Recently, researches show that the expression of miR-449 is lower in human gastric, lung and ovarian cancer, and may act as TSG. The abnormal expression of miR-449 plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis and progression, and elucidating its function and regulatory mechanism can provide valuable diagnostic, prognostic biomarker for cancer management.

Key words:
Neoplasms; Gene regulatory networks; microRNA-449


As deeply as the Siloam tunnel runs beneath the limestone spur of Iron Age Jerusalem, so deeply flawed is Rogerson and Davies' palaeographic assessment of the Siloam inscription. Anything more than a cursory analysis demonstrates that the letter forms of the inscription belong to a reliable sequence of the eighth-seventh century BCE and do not fit the palaeo-Hebrew sequence of the Hasmonean period. The epigraphic data are clear, coherent, and compelling.


Abstract: We have isolated from an American lobster (Homarus americanus) olfactory organ cDNA library a clone, lobGαs, with >70% identity to mammalian and arthropod Gαs sequences. In genomic Southern blots, a fragment of lobGαs detected only one band, suggesting the lobsters have a single Gαs gene. In brain and olfactory organ, lobGαs mRNA was expressed predominantly in neurons, including many of the neuronal cell body clusters of the brain. Gαs protein was also expressed broadly, appearing on western blots as a band of 51.8 kDa in brain, eyestalk, pereiopod, dactyl, tail muscle, olfactory organ, and aesthetasc hairs. These results suggest that lobGαs plays a role in a wide variety of signal transduction events. Its presence in the olfactory aesthetasc hairs, which are almost pure preparations of the outer dendrites of the olfactory receptor neurons, and the expression of lobGαs mRNA in the olfactory receptor neurons of the olfactory organ indicate that lobGαs may mediate olfactory transduction. That virtually all ORNs express lobGαs mRNA equally predicts that hyperpolarizing odor responses mediated by cyclic AMP are a property of all lobster olfactory receptor neurons.


The stereochemistry of the chain end of poly(methyl methacrylate) prepared under group-transfer polymerization conditions and terminated with 13 CH 3 I in the presence of tri(dimethylamino)sulfonium difluorotrimethylsiliconate (TASSiMe 3 F 2 ) is determined by 13 C NMR and compared with the tacticity of the chain. The propagation statistics reveal consistency with a Bernoullian process for the entire temperature range studied (-96 to +45°C), confirming previous reports based on main-chain triad tacticity alone


PART ONE: THEORY AND RESEARCH DESIGN Implicit Theoretical Assumptions in Research Designs - Hubert M Blalock Jr Conceptual Models in Population Studies - K Mahadevan Causal Modelling in Population Studies - J Jayachandran PART TWO: INTERDISCIPLINARY METHODS Comparative Historical Demography - J Dennis Willigan Dynamic Categorical Analysis of Life Histories Approaches to the Study of Human Migration - A K M Nurun Nabi and P Krishnan Sociology and Population Research - K Mahadevan, R Jayasree and S Shivaraju Population Decisions - Vaida D Thompson and Abbas Tashakkori Psychological Models Geography and Population Studies - Leszek A Kosinski and Feroz J Kurji Systems Science Developed in China for the Study of Population Problems - Jingyuan Yu, Chi-hsien Tuan and Guangtian Zhu Mathematics and Population Research - P Krishnan Epidemiologic Methods in Population Studies - Lory M Laing Anthropology and Population Studies - Raghubar D Sharma et al PART THREE: MODELS FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT Loglinear Models for Qualitative Dependent Variables - Alfred DeMaris and K V Rao A Computer Program for Macro Simulation in Demography - N M Lalu Third World Development and Quality of Life - K Mahadevan et al Toward a Holistic Model PART FOUR: PROJECTIONS AND ESTIMATION Projecting Households and Families in Canada by the Headship Rate Method - M V George and J Perreault Strategies for Dealing with Uncertainties in Estimating Survivorship at the Higher Ages - Charles J Mode and Herman E Gollwitzer PART FIVE: ACTION RESEARCH Successful Diffusion Through Satisfied Adopters - K Mahadevan An Action Research Design Population Education Through Integrated Development - K Mahadevan An Action Research PART SIX: A PREMIER METHODOLOGIST Prof N K Namboodiri - N M Lalu


This paper describes an investigation into the applicability of NDE techniques for the inspection of superalloy specimens with a thermal barrier coating (TBC), both in unloaded condition and during constant load exposure at high temperatures (creep). More specifically, the eddy current (ET) and ultrasonic (UT) techniques were investigated for the characterisation of the TBC, while the acoustic emission (AE) technique was examined for the monitoring of the degradation incurred in the material during creep. Both uncoated and TBC specimens of single crystal and directionally solidified material were used in the investigation. The main conclusions of the investigation are: The ET technique can be effectively used in the measurement of the coating thickness. The phase and the length of the lift-off response give information about the thickness of the bond coat and top coat, respectively. Differences in the bond and top coat thickness of about 10 μm can be distinguished. The UT technique does not provide enough information about the thickness or the quality of the TBC. The AE technique can be effectively used during creep testing to monitor the evolution of the material degradation, particularly in the coating layer of the TBC specimens. A distinctly different AE response was observed in the TBC specimens when creep tested at a different temperature (750 to 950oC). A correlation between the number of AE events and the number of coating cracks was demonstrated. Introduction: Industrial gas turbine (IGT) manufacturers have demanding targets for efficient and clean power generation. These targets require higher turbine inlet and blade/vane operating temperatures and therefore the use of single crystal (SX) superalloys is invariably necessary. Moreover, the greater the temperature advantage of a particular SX alloy, the less cooling air is required. The selection of a SX superalloy for use in an IGT blade/vane application is dependent on both its high temperature properties and its castability. SX superalloys offer very good mechanical properties that can, together with appropriate coatings and advances in cooling technology, enable the IGT manufacturers to achieve the operating conditions required for efficient and low emission power plant. Although the blades and vanes are now routinely coated for oxidation and corrosion protection, a thermal barrier coating (TBC) is believed to be essential to meet the demanding efficiency and emission targets. At the same time, however, it is essential that component production and engine maintenance costs do not increase at a disproportionate rate. The production costs are primarily associated with the purchase of the raw material, the casting and heat treating procedures. Maintenance costs are linked to the reliability of the blade/vane components, the frequency and type of inspection, and the intervals for their scheduled replacement (Ref. 1). This paper describes an investigation into the applicability of NDE techniques for the inspection of CM186LC SX specimens with a thermal barrier coating (TBC), both in unloaded condition and during constant load exposure at high temperatures (creep). CM186LC SX is a Ni-based superalloy with addition of Rhenium (second-generation superalloy). The chemical composition of this material is given in Table 1. Besides SX material also directionally solidified (SD) material was used in the investigation. C Cr Co Mo W Al Ti Ta Re B Zr Hf Fe Ni 0.069 6.0 9.3 0.5 8.4 5.7 0.7 3.4 2.9 0.015 0.006 1.4 0.065 Balance Table 1 Chemical composition of typical CM186 bar stock (wt pct) Both uncoated and TBC specimens were used in the investigation. The TBC system deposited on the specimens consists of an oxidation-resistant PtAl bond coat (referred to as CN91) and a ceramic (ZrO2+6-8% Y2O3) top coat. The CN91 bond coat was applied using a Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) process resulting in a single phase structure of 50-75 μm thickness. The top coat was deposited using an electron beam physical vapour deposition process (EB-PVD) that gives a 'distinctive' columnar structure, typically 100-150 μm thick, see Figure 1(a). All specimens were coated at Chromalloy (UK). Following destructive examination of selected coated specimens, it was found that the bond and top coat layers often varied in thickness (see also Fig. 5). Further, in some specimens the bond coat displayed an unusual second 'white' phase (probably intermetallic phases including PtAl and Pt2Al) close to the ceramic/bond coat interface, see Figure 1(b). The differences occurred due to the production in different batches.


The Journal of the EADV (JEADV) was officially launched during the 2nd Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Thus we feel that this report on the works of this Congress deserves to be hosted in the JEADV. Our motivation for publishing this informative overall report was the large number of letters which we have received, with very touching expressions from distinguished colleagues in the International Dermatological and Venereological field appreciating and congratulating the work of the Congress. The decision for the realization of this Congress in Athens was made by the Board of the Academy on October 2, 1987 (Luxembourg) when the late N. Parissis was appointed President of the 2nd EADV Congress. With the encouragement of the Board of the Academy, the experience acquired during the previous (extremely successful) Congress in Florence and the assistance of selected Greek colleagues, we started to organize the Congress; this was done with great heaviness in our hearts when Prof. Parissis died. Then, at the most crucial period of this organizing effort, the Gulf War began, presenting a great obstacle by affecting negatively the optimism of the organizers. Talk about preparing a Congress sounded strange. Furthermore, the Organizing Committee had only minimum funds available (5-6 thousand dollars) and no one was eager to support us during this period (JanuaryFebruary 1991). Nevertheless, our optimism and determination were unfailing and kept us working, with the continuous support of Triaena, the Official Congress Bureau. The Congress also benefited from the contributions of all who assisted in advertising the event, in particular the publication of articles and announcements in important international medical journals. Moreover, the eventual sponsorship of the pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies was significant. The objectives of the Congress were clear. They can be summarized as follows.


The article substantiates the necessity to study modern students' values in connection with Russia crisis state. The author has analyzed the dynamics of students' values and value orientations in Russia and formulated the theoretical points as the result of her own research of students' personality value orientations in 2010 which revealed the outlined tendency of narrowing the gap between terminal and instrumental values


Two experiments were conducted to assess the bioavailability of both manganese (Mn) and methionine (MET) in a Mn-MET chelate (Mn-MET). In the first experiment, Hubbard female chicks were fed graded levels of Mn as either Mn-MET or feedgrade MnO in both the presence and absence of phytate and fiber derived fium a corn-soybean meal mixture (C-SHM). Bioavailability of Mn was determined by assessing Mn-uptake by tibia from chick~ fed graded levels of Mn-MET relative to those fed graded levels of MnO by use of multiple regression slope-ratio methodology. Mn deposition in tibia per unit of supplemental Mn consumed was much greater in chicks fed the fiber- and phytate-free casein-dextrose diet than in those fed this same diet with a 10% addition of C-SBM. When either Mn concentration in bone, or total Mn in bone, was regressed on supplemental Mn intake, MnMET was found to provide 30.1% (basal diet) and 74.4% (basal + 10% C-SHM) more bioavailable Mn than that provided by MnO. Although total bone Mn as well as bone Mn concentration regressed on Mn intake yielded similar results for Mn bioavailability, total bone Mn provided better regression fits (i.e., R 2) and thus a more precise basis for statistical discrimination between slopes obtained with the standard (MnO) and the test (Mn-MET) cc~. In the second experiment chicks were fed graded levels of either MET or Mn-MET for 9 days. Weight gain was recorded and bioavailability of MET determined by cc~0aring regressions of gain on MnMET intake to that of gain on MET intake. Bioavailability of MET in MnMET was found to be 68%.


This research was carried out on Zamora city- Palanda, with the purpose of determine the structure and floristic composition of always-green under mountain forest microwatershed's, "El Suhi". The studies were carried out from May to November 2015 at an altitude of 1 680-2 000 m, and. For removal of information, five temporary plots of 20 mx 20 m (400 m2) were instaled for trees greater than or equal to 5 cm D1,30 m, inside of them three subplots of 5 mx 5 m (25 m2) were delimited for bushes and five subpilots of 1 mx 1 m (1 m2) for herbs.
To calculate the floristic composition, ecological parameters were calculated: Absoluty density (D), relative density (DR), relative dominance (DMR), relative frequency (FR) and index importance value (IVI): structural profiles was performed through a transect of 10 x 50 m, where the trees equal or older than 5 cm D1,30 m were registred in distances X and Y.
52 families, 81 genera, 36 species and 64 morphospecies were registred, they were distributed in 20 species and 39 tree morphospecies, 9 species and 15 shrubby morphospecies 7 and species and 10 herbaceous morphospecies. The most diverse families in the tree layer are: Rubiaceae , Lauraceae , Clusiaceae , Euphorbiaceae and Melastomataceae ; in the shrub layer : Piperaceae , Solanaceae and Poaceae ; and in the herbaceous layer : Dryopteridaceae , Polypodiaceae and Araceae . Most ecologically important species include Alsophila cuspidata and Nectandra lineatifolia in the tree layer; Chamaedorea linearis and Philodendron sp. in stratum shrub and Elaphoglossum sp.2. and Peperomia sp. in the herbaceous layer . Most natural regeneration is contained in the category seedlings with 48.51 %, followed by the brinzal category with 42.45% , the category latizal low with 7.76 % and finally the high category with 1,28 latizal %


Machine learning method has gradually become an important and effective method to analyze reservoir parameters in reservoir numerical simulation. This paper provides a machine learning method to evaluate the connectivity between injection and production wells controlled by interlayer in reservoir. In this paper, Back Propagation (BP) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are used to train the dynamic data with the influence of interlayer control connectivity in the reservoir layer as the training model. The dataset is trained with dynamic production data under different permeability, interlayer dip angle, and injection pressure. The connectivity is calculated by using the deep learning model, and the connectivity factor K is defined. The results show that compared with BP, CNN has better performance in connectivity, average absolute relative deviation (AARD) below 10.01% higher. Moreover, CNN prediction results are close to the traditional methods. This paper provides new insights and methods to evaluate the interwell connectivity in conventional or unconventional reservoirs.


The purpose of this paper is to describe the development process of evidence based recommendations about weight lifting (WL) on breast cancer survivors with lymphedema related to surgical interruption of axillary lymph nodes. It provides an overview of the incidence of breast cancer, and breast cancer related-lymphedema (BCRL). Also it describes the breast cancer primary treatment that increases the incidence of developing lymphedema, evaluates the current evidences. Next, details are given of WL recommendations developed by the author.


Human Colonization of new lands implied historically the diffusion of new plant species and the exploitation of local plant resources and forests by human communities. Phoenician colonization in the 1st millennium BC had important consequences in Mediterranean agriculture and the exploitation of vegetation in colonized areas. Later, Roman agriculture introduced new changes. The anthracological analysis or charcoal analysis of the archaeological record of the site of Utica can inform us about the long term transformations in vegetation in North Africa. The original vegetation, consisting mainly of Pistacia lentiscus, would see its population reduced due to the implantation of non-intensive olive production in Phoenician and Punic periods. Nevertheless, since the Roman Imperial Period there was a strong decline of natural vegetation, in correlation of the important increment of olive trees, which indicate the presence of intensive oil production, mainly to be exported to Rome. Furthermore, the appearance of walnut trees presents novel data regarding the expansion of arboriculture throughout the Mediterranean in hand with the Phoenicians during the 1st millennium BC. The anthracological analysis of Utica presents important information regarding the natural vegetation that existed when the Phoenicians arrived, and the transformation that happened throughout time, corresponding to the management of the surrounding landscape during the Phoenician, Punic, and Roman periods.


The nuclear quadrupole resonance of C135 nuclei was reported previously for p-dichlorobenzene molecules present as an impurity in p-dibromobenzene. The frequency shifts of p-dichlorobenzene in several other compounds were studied. The span of the frequency shift in xylene samples was in the range of about 530 kc, whereas the span was about 35 kc for the other compounds studied. (B.O.G.)


Steel, the tensile strength is 980MPa or more according to the present invention shows a high yield ratio, and workability (specifically, strength - ductility Ping Heng) is excellent. The steel sheet satisfy C: 0.06% or less than 0.12%, Si: 0.2% or less, Mn: 2.0 ~ 3.5%, at least one element selected from Ti, Nb and V the group consisting of: a total of 0.01 ~ 0.15%, B : 0.0003 ~ 0.005%, P: 0.05% or less, S: 0.05% or less, Al: 0.005 ~ 0.1%, and N: 0.015% or less, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities, with respect to the entire metal structure, ferrite : more than 5% but less than 15% martensite: 25 to 55%, bainite and tempered martensite: 30% or more in total, but less than 70%, and the average ferrite grain diameter: 3.0μm or less.


The last number of Journal ofAutomatic Chemistry marked the first edition produced by our new publisher, likewise this second issue also marks a new departure. Part ofthis issue is devoted to the publication ofabstracts for the International Congress on Automation in the Clinical Laboratory. This meeting is being held in Barcelona from 19 to 22 April 1982, and the abstracts are devoted to various aspects ofautomation as applied to the clinical laboratory. However, the problems ofapplying computers to instrumentation, or to the general work-flow in any laboratory, present similar problems to the user and to the systems designer and there is considerable merit in sharing experiences. Further details on the papers abstracted can be obtained directly frgm their autho, although hope that several of them will submit the full text of their papers for publication in the Journal. Every participant at the congress will be presented with a copy of the Journal with their registration documents. If it is the first time that they have seen the Journal, we welcome them as readers and hope that within these pages they will find much ofvalue to their work. also hope that they have a valuable and enjoyable congress and gain much of value from their participation. On a personal note, have just returned from a brief visit to the 33rd Annual Pittsburgh Conference and the large exhibition will be presented in the next issue. There, during a discussion with two members ofmy main editorial board--Professor Howard Malmstadt and Dr RolfArndt--about inviting Professor G. Horlick to the editorial team, a very interesting suggestion was raised. It was proposed that the formation of a society of laboratory automation would be an attractive concept and that it should be directly linked to .the Journal. This should encourage a broader subscription base for the Journal and promote conferences on laboratory automation where clinical chemists and industrial chemists, along with those in academic life, can discuss the many problems involved in introducing computerization and automation into various work environments. The proposal certainly has considerable appeal and would welcome reactions from our readers. A world-wide conference on laboratory automation, along the lines of the congress in Barcelona, would be a valuable forum for discussing the problems and advantages of automation. An interesting development at Pittsburgh was the introduction of an automated system based on robotics. The Zymark Corporation was formed in March 81 to develop, manufacture and market instrumentation for automated laboratory-scale processes used in chemistry and biochemistry. The Zymate Laboratory Automation system combines robotics and laboratory stations to automate the procedures used in sample preparation. For example liquid handling, sample conditioning, separation and chemical modification. In addition to the instrumentation, the Zymark Corporation has developed an educational program to provide a foundation in modern techniques of sample preparation--this program is available on a subscription basis. Whilst the approach is not totally new--the Robot Chemist and similar systems were launched more than 10 years ago--the technology now available makes the chances of success of this new venture more likely. Future developments along similar lines are eagerly awaited.


We present combined MD-DFT calculations to investigate the electronic, optical, and charge-transport properties of six triphenylamine-based hole-transporter materials (HTMs) used in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSC), including the state-of-the-art material in this field, 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-4-methoxyphenylamino)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (spiro-OMeTAD). We find that all of the studied materials present typical features of a HTM: (1) delocalized highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO); (2) hole reorganization energies higher than the electronic ones; and (3) transparency in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Among the investigated compounds, 4-(4-phenyl-4-α-naphthylbutadienyl)-N,N-di(4-tolyl)-phenylamine (HTM1) shows the most promising features: a low HOMO energy level that favors high open-circuit voltage in solar cells, high adiabatic ionization potential ensuring great stability in terms of resistance to ionization, and small exciton binding energy. Our results also ind...


Abstract Objective Compassion is oriented towards perceiving and relieving suffering. Hence, its development is beneficial for mental health. Many interventions aimed at cultivating compassion in patients have been empirically supported. This meta‐analysis analyses the effectiveness of compassion‐focused therapy (CFT) in decreasing self‐criticism, a vulnerability factor that has been related to several mental health problems, and in increasing self‐soothing. Methods A literature search was conducted in the PsycInfo, Web of Science, Medline and Scopus databases, through which 7 controlled trials (N = 640) and 7 observational studies (N = 207) were retrieved. Results The results of the meta‐analysis determine that CFT decreases the level of self‐criticism and increases the ability to experience soothing. The size of the effect varies depending on the design of the study and the subscale of the test used to measure self‐criticism (Forms of Self‐Criticizing/Attacking and Self‐Reassuring Scale). Conclusions CFT has proven to be an effective intervention for reducing self‐criticism. However, given that the number of studies is small and that only half of them are controlled trials, the results must be interpreted cautiously. More randomized controlled trials comparing CFT with other therapies are needed to determine the effect of this intervention on self‐criticism with more scientific evidence.


This essay is an introduction about the design technique of ventilation systems widely used in laboratories and problems which need to be paid attention to. The essay also includes some simple introductions about gas emission, exhaust processing and energy recovery in laboratories.


Nurses are taking on more medical tasks but is this appropriate? If so, does this advance nursing practice? The issue hinges on the nurse's competency which is central to professional nursing practice.


The incorporation of stearic acids into peripherally charged dendronized polymers (denpols) and their release, initiated by external triggers, is characterized in solution. Using continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) spectroscopy on spin-labeled stearic acid derivatives it is found that – depending on the generation (1–4) of the dendron side groups – up to 2.2 of these spin probes can be hosted per macro-monomer unit of a denpol. The orientation of the stearic acid guests inside the denpols is further determined by double electron–electron resonance (DEER) experiments. To this end, the dipolar coupling between 15N-labeled dianionic spin probes (Fremy's salt), self-assembled on the surface of the cylindrical denpols, and the incorporated spin-labeled fatty acids is measured. The arrangement of these fatty acid guest molecules is comparable to the arrangement of fatty acids incorporated in layers of ionic surfactants, the carboxyl group pointing towards the periphery and the hydrophobic tail into the hydrophobic interior. The loading capacity of the denpols scales exponentially with their generation. Finally, the fatty acid guests can be released from the denpols by increasing pH or charge screening.


Tax losses are a major issue, the different descriptions used overlap.
Controlling such losses will first require a new paradigm to define
different categories, enabling them to be organised consistently


Objective To realize real-time data transmission of multiple remote terminals ECG monitoring.Methods Mutiple ECG collection terminals were used through a wireless local area network which was linked to servers in the data center though WCDMA.Results ECG data real-time acquisition and monitoring were realized in remote ECG real-time automatic diagnosis system based on network computer.Conclusion Acquisition and control of large amount of real-time data are realized.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2008,29(2):18-20]


Consistency is an essential aspect of the quality of metadata. Inconsistent metadata records are harmful: given a themed query, the set of retrieved metadata records would contain descriptions of unrelated or irrelevant resources, and may even not contain some resources considered obvious. This is even worse when the description of the location is inconsistent. Inconsistent spatial descriptions may yield invisible or hidden geographical resources that cannot be retrieved by means of spatially themed queries. Therefore, ensuring spatial consistency should be a primary goal when reusing, sharing and developing georeferenced digital collections. We present a methodology able to detect geospatial inconsistencies in metadata collections based on the combination of spatial ranking, reverse geocoding, geographic knowledge organization systems and information-retrieval techniques. This methodology has been applied to a collection of metadata records describing maps and atlases belonging to the Library of Congress. The proposed approach was able to automatically identify inconsistent metadata records (870 out of 10,575) and propose fixes to most of them (91.5%) These results support the ability of the proposed methodology to assess the impact of spatial inconsistency in the retrievability and visibility of metadata records and improve their spatial consistency.


INTRODUCTION
Tuberculosis continues to be a global public health problem, the extrapulmonary form being estimated to occur in 10-20% of immunocompetent individuals, increasing in patients who are carriers of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); its diagnosis is difficult with conventional methods due to the paucibacillary nature of samples. The Xpert® MTB/RIF test represents an important development in the molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and has been used with a variety of non-respiratory clinical samples.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the effectiveness of Xpert® MTB/RIF in the detection of M. tuberculosis and sensitivity to rifampicin in patients with suspected extrapulmonary tuberculosis attending Hospital Universitario de San Vicente Fundación in Medellín in 2013-2014.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This was a descriptive, cross-sectional ambispective study of 372 consecutive samples from 301 patients with suspected extrapulmonary tuberculosis, who were subjected to bacilloscopy, followed by culture in Ogawa Kudoh and the Xpert® MTB/RIF molecular test.

RESULTS
The most frequent base diagnosis (60%) for the 182 patients was infection with HIV. Using the culture as reference, the sensitivity and general specificity of the molecular test was 94% (95% CI: 83-100) and 97% (95% CI: 95-99), respectively; for bacilloscopy it was 38.71(95% CI: 19-57) and 100% (95% CI: 99-100), respectively. Sensitivities higher than 75% were found in analyses stratified by samples. Thirty-seven of the isolates were sensitive and one resistant to rifampicin.

CONCLUSION
Xpert® MTB/RIF performed well in samples from different tissues and liquids, representing a significant advance in support of extrapulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in terms of time and percentage positivity.


Allele frequencies for eight STRs (CD4, FES/FPS, MBPB, TH01, TP53, TPO, F13A1, VWA) were estimated from samples (sized between 279 and 328) of unrelated individuals born in S. Tome e Prõ Âncipe (Gulf of Guinea, West Africa). # 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.


In Thailand, the municipal solid waste (MSW) generated is currently about 71,700 tons a day. Moreover, solid waste management (SWM) is an interdisciplinary issue. The concept of WM has been embraced by Thailand through the setting of a national master plan for SWM. Several waste to energy (WTE) projects have been initiated. The anaerobic digestion WTE power plant in Rayong municipality was selected for performance evaluation. It is able to treat 70 tons of organic waste per days but its actual throughput has decreased to 20 tons per day based on limited amount of waste separation effected to isolate organic waste. In addition, a better digester design is required for the actual organic waste generated. Thermal processes such as gasification and incineration in Hatyai have been applied for mixed waste. However, they suffer from the limitation that high moisture content waste can cause fluctuating heating values. Also, the environmental impact on nearby communities is an important concern. Meanwhile, investment in WTE project has been encouraged by the introduction of the feed-in tariff (FiT) rate paid for electricity generated through sustainable processes to promote energy recovery from MSW. The keys to success for WTE technologies are waste separation at source and development of machine innovation.


The methods and outcome of a senior undergraduate project related to the control of a turbulent cylinder wake flow using plasma actuators are summarized in this article. The study integrates computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with experimentation and combines fluid mechanics with flow control research, crossing the boundaries between engineering disciplines. Comput. Appl. Eng. Educ. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 727–735, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com; DOI 10.1002/cae.20278


conclude their family configurations can be in the best interest of their children? Goldberg astutely concludes that one does not appreciate the power of essentialist concepts of ''nature'' until one defies them, as these men do. Nor does one appreciate the hidden powers of ''normality'' unless one ventures beyond the norm. Why would two men having dinner with two preschool children seem to be a ''family?'' They are more likely decoded as two friends taking their children out for dinner to allow the children's real parents—their mothers—a respite from parenting. The gender roles and rules that are wrapped around us do not pierce routine until violated. Let a gay father—or any father, for that matter—paint his son's nails pink and see what happens in preschool. Gay men presumptuous enough to think they might excel as parents must create their own scripts, and Goldberg's chapters give the actors their words, the words of her participants. The men must agree that they want to be parents; they must confront a mostly indifferent but sometimes hostile adoption empire and win its favor; they must figure out how to allocate family and work assignments despite individual preferences as they will have a third set of needs to manage; they must learn how not to be the exotic figures in the family portrait; they must calibrate how gay to be in the social worlds their children inhabit. All of these scenes must be written and revised by men from different backgrounds and different family histories, with different aspirations and fears. Does the play end up being ''Our Town'' or ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' Is it an amateur or a professional production? Does it matter? Yes, it matters, mostly because they are men; and, under these conditions, the performances must be exemplary. Goldberg has spoken to a well-educated group of gay men and does not pretend to have a truly representative sampling of gay fathers. The men talk to her with considerable self-awareness, introspection, vulnerability as well as vanity. This helps make the book the important contribution that it is, not a flawed effort without generalizability. Forced to figure out how to be parents as well as gay men, these men can help all men understand how the nature of masculinity makes becoming a father deceptively and extraordinarily difficult. To become a father requires the rejection of many fictions that have saddled men for generations.


A theoretical and experimental study of the equilibrium of an electrostatically neutralized, relativistic electron beam (30 kA, gamma =1.75) in a metal wall torus (R0=75 cm, r0=7.5 cm) with an applied toroidal field (Btheta =100-1000 G) is presented. Since complete electrostatic and partial magnetic neutralization of the beam is assumed in the analysis, its equilibrium position is a stable orbit shifted outside the minor axis. First order orbit theory is used to calculate the guiding center drifts which develop when the beam is not launched on this equilibrium orbit. This motion is a result of the gradient and curvature of the magnetic field as well as a wall force. In addition, computer solutions for more exact trajectories are presented. Experimental results obtained from a 90 degrees torus sector show displacements which are in good agreement with the calculated drifts.


he gospel song and its stylistic peculiarities found its origin and development in the United States. Though a certain sentimentality and subjectivism in text, together with certain musical characteristics common to gospel songs, appeared in the tune books of Lowell Mason, Thomas Hastings, William Batchelder Bradbury, and others during the first half of the nineteenth century (Ellinwood 1953:105), the great upsurge of gospel songs did not begin until after 1870 and might conveniently be dated from the English tour of Dwight Lyman Moody and Ira David Sankey in 1873 (McCutchan 1937:277-78). R. G. McCutchan writes of the gospel songs:


Section 1 - Testing Theories of Empirical Phenomena.- to Section 1.- 1.1. Symmetric Tests of the Hypothesis That the Mean of One Normal Population Exceeds That of Another.- 1.2. Statistical Tests as a Basis for 'Yes-No' Choices.- 1.3. Prediction and Hindsight as Confirmatory Evidence.- 1.4. On Judging the Plausibility of Theories.- Section 2 - Causes and Possible Worlds.- to Section 2.- 2.1. Causal Ordering and Identifiability.- 2.2. On the Definition of the Causal Relation.- 2.3. Spurious Correlation: A Causal Interpretation.- 2.4. Cause and Counterfactual (with Nicholas Rescher).- Section 3 - The Logic of Imperatives.- to Section 3.- 3.1. The Logic of Rational Decision.- 3.2. The Logic of Heuristic Decision Making.- Section 4 - Complexity.- to Section 4.- 4.1. Theory of Automata: Discussion.- 4.2. Aggregation of Variables in Dynamic Systems (with Albert Ando).- 4.3. The Theory of Problem Solving.- 4.4. The Organization of Complex Systems.- Section 5 - Theory of Scientific Discovery.- to Section 5.- 5.1. Thinking by Computers.- 5.2. Scientific Discovery and the Psychology of Problem Solving.- 5.3. The Structure of Ill-Structured Problems.- 5.4. Does Scientific Discovery Have a Logic?.- 5.5. Discussion: The Meno Paradox.- Section 6 - Formalizing Scientific Theories.- to Section 6.- 6.1. The Axioms of Newtonian Mechanics.- 6.2. Discussion: The Axiomatization of Classical Mechanics.- 6.3. Definable Terms and Primitives in Axiom Systems.- 6.4. A Note on Almost-Everywhere Definability.- 6.5. The Axiomatization of Physical Theories.- 6.6. Ramsey Eliminability and the Testability of Scientific Theories (with Guy J. Groen).- 6.7. Identifiability and the Status of Theoretical Terms.- Name Index.


Nitrobenzene wastewater is hardly degraded, highly toxic and quickly diffuse. The treatment of nitrobenzene wastewater with high concentration has been well studied, but there is little study about the treatment of low-concentration nitrobenzene wastewater. Ordinary water treatment technology is unable to treat this kind of water. Long-term drinking can be seriously harmful on human health and ecological environment is destroyed. In this article, the synthesis of β-cyclodextrin polymers and the adsorption of β-cyclodextrin polymers on nitrobenzene at low concentration were studied, and the effects of solid-to-liquid ratio with pH were discussed. In addition, regeneration of β-cyclodextrin polymers is also discussed. Results show that in the per 100mL solution containing 100mg cyclodextrin polymers, the effects of solid-to-liquid ratio is the best. The adsorption efficiency of nitrobenzene solution can reach more than 80% in solution of 200μg/L, 500μg/L, 1mg/L, 2mg/L. The best adsorption time is 2h, pH has little effect on the adsorption efficiency. The ethanol is selected as the best regenerative agent, which retains the regeneration of 80% after four times.


List of contributors. Preface and acknowledgements. Introduction. New uses for old phylogenies: an introduction to the volume O.R.P. Bininda-Emonds. 1: Reviews of existing methods. The MRP method B.R. Baum, M.A. Ragan. An assessment of matrix representation with compatibility in supertree construction H.A. Ross, A.G. Rodrigo. MRF supertrees J.G. Burleigh, O.Eulenstein, D. Fernandez-Baca, M. J. Sanderson l. Everything you always wanted to know about average consensus and more F.-J. Lapointe, C. Levasseur. Tangled trees from multiple markers: reconciling conflict between phylogenies to build molecular supertrees J. Cotton, R.R.M. Page. 2: New supertree methods. Supertree methods for ancestral divergence dates and other applications D. Bryant, C. Semple, M. Steel Supertree algorithms for nested taxa P. Daniel, C. Semple. Quartet supertrees R. Piaggio-Talice, J.G. Burleigh, O. Eulenstein Bayesian supertrees F. Ronquist, J. Huelsenbeck, T. Britton 3: Methodological considerations. Some desiderata for liberal supertrees M. Wilkinson, J.L. Thorley, D. Pisani, F.-J. Lapointe, J.O. McInerney Taxonomy, supertrees and the Tree of Life R.R.M. Page. Garbage in, garbage out: data issues in supertree construction O.R.P. Bininda-Emonds, K.E> Jones, S.A. Price, M. Cardillo, A. Purvis Reconstucting divergence times for supertrees: a molecular approach R. Vos, A. Mooers. Performance of supertree methods on various data set decompositions U. Roshan, B.M.E. Moret, T.L. Williams, T. Warnow 4: A critical look at supertrees. Unrooted supertrees: Limitations, traps and phylogenic patchworks S. Bocker. The cladistics of matrixrepresentation with parsimony analysis H.N. Bryant. A critique of matrix representation with parsimony supertrees J. Gatesby, M. Springer. Supertrees, components and three-item data D.M. Williams. 5: Supertrees and their applications. A molecular supertree of the Artiodactyla A.S. Mahon. Supertrees: using complete phylogenies in comparative biology J.L. Gittleman, et al. Using supertrees to investigate species richness in grasses and flowering plants N. Salamin, T.J. Davies. Detecting diversification rate variation in supertrees B.R. Moore, K.M.A. Chan, M.J. Donothue Taxon index. Subject index.


Conceptual climate models provide an approach to understanding climate processes through a mathematical analysis of an approximation to reality. Recently, these models have also provided interesting examples of nonsmooth dynamical systems. Here we develop a new conceptual model of glacial cycles consisting of a system of three ordinary differential equations defining a discontinuous vector field. Our model provides a dynamical systems framework for a mechanism previously shown to play a crucial role in glacial cycle patterns, namely, an increased ice sheet ablation rate during deglaciations. We use ad hoc singular perturbation techniques to prove the existence of a large periodic orbit crossing the discontinuity boundary, provided the ice sheet edge moves sufficiently slowly relative to changes in the snow line and temperature. Numerical explorations reveal the periodic orbit exists when the time constant for the ice sheet edge has more moderate values.


The presence of thermally altered and broken flint artifacts is common at archaeological sites. Most studies focus their attention on the effects of heat treatment on flint to improve knapping qualities, disregarding the effects of fire over flint under uncontrolled conditions. This paper aims to show how under uncontrolled heating processes flint artifacts develop different heat alterations (such as levels of breakage, presence of scales, etc. ) as a result of vertical distribution, volume or raw material and to establish a gradient of rock changes and behavior. Artifacts where macroscopically analyzed and a series of uncontrolled heating experiments through the distribution of flint blanks under two hearths were carried out, allowing a comparison of the before and after of the blanks. Preliminary results show how levels of breakage, surface alteration or development of heat alteration features can be differentiated according to artifact volume, vertical distribution and level of surface alteration. Results also show how two different raw materials react differently to similar thermal impact, and how surface alteration reacts at different rhythm in the case of recycled artifacts. We conclude that levels of thermal alteration can be differentiated through macroscopic analysis of flint surface.


Aim: To examine trends in neonatal, infant and under‐five mortality rates in a northern Vietnamese district during 1970–2000, and to analyze socioeconomic differences in child survival over time.


The Constitution is the foundation of the American government and the American sys tem of justice. The role of the judiciary is to interpret the Constitution in such a way that its mandates are followed. From time to time courts have found it necessary to limit consensual, agreed-upon acts of litigants when such acts conflict with constitutional strictures. Such was the situation faced by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. Johnston, 258 F.3d 361 (5th Cir. 2001), where the court had to consider whether, with the consent of both parties, the hearing and issuance of a final order by a federal magistrate in a habeas corpus proceeding stemming from a federal felony prosecution violated Article III of the Constitution. The facts surrounding the case are quite simple. Edward Johnston was convicted by a jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas of possession with intent to distribute several controlled substances and sentenced to 135 months in prison. Following the affirmance of his conviction and sentence on direct appeal, he filed a motion, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 2255, to vacate, set aside, or correct his sentence. Both Johnston and the government consented to proceed before a magistrate judge, pur suant to 28 U.S.C. 636(c)(1), which provides that "upon the consent of the parties, a ... United States magistrate ... may conduct any or all proceedings in a jury or nonjury civil matter and order the entry of judgment in the case, when specially designated to exer cise such jurisdiction by the district court or courts he serves." Following the magis trate's denial of the 2255 motion on the merits, Johnston appealed, raising the question of whether the magistrate judge was lawfully empowered to hear 2255 motions stem ming from a felony prosecution. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the magis trate's denial of the 2255 motion on the grounds that permitting a magistrate to rule on such motions in matters involving felony prosecutions violated Article III of the Constitution. United States v. Johnston, 258 F.3d 361 (5th Cir. 2001). In a well-reasoned opinion, Judge DeMoss adopted the two-step analysis set forth in United States v. Dees, 125 F.3d 261, 264 (5th Cir. 1997) for considering whether the parties consent to have a magistrate consider a 2255 petition was appropriate. As framed by the court, the questions that needed to be addressed were:


Introduction The Wheelchair Users Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess shoulder pain in wheelchair users during daily functional activities. The WUSPI contains 15 items, scaled 0-10 on a visual analog scale (10 = worst pain ever experienced). The WUSPI has been shown to be both reliable and valid for wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). This tool may be useful to both clinicians and researchers in detecting shoulder pain and function in wheelchair users.


Although the August 1972 cosmic ray storm (i.e., a rapid succession of Forbush decreases) was the greatest in more than 3 decades of continuous observations, halving the flux of galactic cosmic rays above 1 GeV, its basic characteristics were not unusual despite its unprecedented magnitude and complexity. However, the associated ground level event of August 4, representing the arrival of relativistic solar particles, displayed abnormal features. It is suggested that the observed nucleonic intensity enhancement was a consequence of the acceleration of ambient lower-energy solar protons to relativistic energies by reflection between two shocks moving with respect to each other in the interplanetary medium. A reexamination of the only other recorded disturbance that approached the magnitude of the recent cosmic ray storm shows that the ground level event of July 19, 1959, may have been similarly produced by this interplanetary acceleration mechanism.


Abstract: This article discusses a mechanical model of human body to treat with four degrees of mobility, it is apparent the simulation model 4-movement variation EPPC with representations as well as the phase diagram for each mass. This pattern is characteristic of performance athletes and persons performing various physical exercises in wards of fitness equipment with vibrators. Key words: vibration, biomechanical model, displacement model, amplitude, vibration, elastic and dumping constants


This paper proposes a cost model of data accesses with memory constraints in distributed systems. A data structure is proposed to adapt the cost model for a reflective memory system (RMS). The data structure is based on data regions that are defined by an action of read/write. The cost of the proposed data structure is analyzed using the reads/writes communication time by the proposed cost model. Finally, this paper proposes the optimization method that minimizes the cost of the proposed model due to the bounded size of memory


Objective
To evaluate the application of plaque forming assay in the quantification of rhinovirus.

Methods
Rhinovirus was inoculated to Hela cell when the monolayer of cells achieved 90% fusion in 24-well plates. After culturing on semi-solid agar culture medium for 3-5 days, the cells were fixed with formaldehyde and were dyed with crystal violet. The number of plaque was counted.

Results
Rhinovirus could be quantified precisely by the assay with Hela cells.

Conclusions
Plaque assay could be a relatively effective method to determine the quantity of rhinovirus. The temperature, value of pH and Mg2+ may be the important factors during the laboratory test.

Key words:
Rhinovirus; Plaque assay; Hela cells


Over the past few years there has been a gradual recognition that obstruction to outflow from the left ventricle may be determined by lesions other than fusion of the aortic valve cusps or congenital diaphragms below or above the cusps. This syndrome has been described by Brock (1957, 1959), under the title of Functional obstruction of the left ventricle, and he instances a patient in whom hypertension produced left ventricular hypertrophy that narrowed the outflow tract of the left ventricle in systole. Bercu et al. (1958) used the term Pseudo-aortic stenosis to describe a patient with apparent aortic stenosis who at autopsy had gross generalized ventricular hypertrophy only. Morrow and Braunwald (1959), under the heading Functional aortic stenosis, instance two patients with apparent sub-aortic stenosis who at open operation were found to have no anatomical obstruction. Recently Teare (1958), from autopsy studies, gave the first adequate description of Asymmetrical hypertrophy of the heart, a condition in which the interventricular septum in particular is grossly hypertrophied and bulges into both ventricular cavities. One of his cases presented with signs of mitral stenosis; another was studied by us during life and found to have signs of obstruction to right ventricular inflow tract, and fourteen members of her family also had heart disease with similar signs (Hollman et al., 1960). Fig. 1 shows the heart in one of these patients. We have now seen 8 patients in whom we believe that hypertrophy of the left ventricle of undetermined cause has caused obstruction to left ventricular outflow (pseudo-aortic stenosis). Some have had signs suggesting inflow obstruction of one or both ventricles in addition, and we propose the term Obstructive cardiomyopathy as being a suitable descriptive title for the whole group. In one of our patients the obstruction was successfully dealt with by open-heart surgery.


I, IN, 1916, PrOfessor Ludwig Hirschfeld, bacteriologist-in-chief to the Royal Serbian Army, isolated'by blood culture abacillus which, for reasons about to' be defined, he labelled "Paratyphoid C.'; The patients from whom the organism was cultivated were suffering'from "enterica," but no ' ,known bacillus of the enterica group was isolated and no serological' confir"mation 0 was obliai,ned. Profe,llsor Hirschfeld considered that the , organism was distinct from, the known paratyphoid bacilli isolated from the Serbian soldiers suffering from ent,erica, and' he decided to add, this -bacillus to his preventive vaccine. In December, 1916; a vaccine, was' prepare,d in his laboratory at Sedeswhich contained B. typhosus and paratyphoid bacilli A, B 'and C,' and V. cholel'fE.' This vaccine was employed in the -Serbian army for preventive inoculation in 1916, 1917, and 1918: In December, 1916, a bacillus was obtained by blood culture from a Serbian soldier at an Anglo-Serbian.ho'spital suffe_ring from enterica, and as it was found to' be atypical it, was sent to one of us (L. S. D.) for further investigation; This organism proved to be a ,str~in of the para' e. bacillus. ,An, antiserum w4ich was prepared with this strain of para C. corresponded to the para C. antiserum supplied to us by Pl'ofe-!,sor Hirschfeld, and the organisms'were in ap respects similar. It was decided to prepare a para C antigen for the laboratories in Macedonia similar to those employed for the typhoid and paratyphoid A and B reactions at the Oentral Laboratory, and also a supply of para -C antiserum. At subsequent periods this organism was isolated by blood culture from Serbian soldiers (six) in Anglo-Serbian hospitals, and further , strains were obtained from the fmces of Serbs and others (ten) who were suffering from severe diarrhooa or enterica. The organism was not isolated by us or O}lr co-workers from the urinary tract. ,It is now known that, in addition to typical enterica, the B. par~typhosus C may give, rise ,to


Microneme 3 (MIC3) protein tachyzoites Toxoplasma gondii is one of protein which plays an important role during cell host invasion. Gene encoding MIC3 protein has been studied and it was suggested a potent vaccine candidate against Toxoplasma gondii infection. The aim of this research is to clone and sequence the gene encoding MIC3 protein of tachyzoites Toxoplasma gondii local isolate by amplification using polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. The amplified DNA fragment was cloned into pGEM-T and transformed into E. coli XL-1 Blue by heat shock method. Recombinant plasmids were isolated using alkali lysis method and analyzed by digestion using restriction endonuclease enzymes PstI, HindIII, NcoI and EcoRV. The recombinant plasmids then sequenced to find out the nucleotide sequence of insert gene by ABIPRISM 377 DNA Sequencer. The DNA sequence then were analyzed by computer software for alignment. The result showed that transformation in E. coli XL-1 Blue by pGEM-T produced one clone that was encoding MIC3 protein. Analysis of 489 bp from 5' and 447 from 3' of gene sequence showed 97-98% homology with gene encoding for MIC3 protein of RH isolate. Keywords: MIC3 protein, Toxoplasma gondii, tachyzoite, recombinant DNA


Wilcox and Wilcox (1988) illustrate how latent class models can be used to analyze the decisionmaking strategies adopted by examinees when responding to multiple-choice test items. In particular, they derived and tested what they called a second response conditional probability (SRCP) model for a 30-item test of spatial ability. A criticism of their method and results is that their SRCP model did not give a good fit to data for 6 of the 30 items on the test. One suggestion made by Wilcox and Wilcox for solving this problem was to increase the number of distractors or at least to choose distractors with the goal of testing whether a specific model does indeed give a good fit to data. The purpose of this note is to illustrate that this approach can yield improved results. In particular, the SRCP model is now found to give a good fit to data for 29 of the 30 items. For the one item where a poor fit was obtained, the responses made by males fit the model, whereas the responses made by females did not. Adding one more latent parameter to the SRCP model gives a good fit to all 30 items.


Picking cluttered general objects is a challenging task due to the complex geometries and various stacking configurations. Many prior works utilize pose estimation for picking, but pose estimation is difficult on cluttered objects. In this paper, we propose Cluttered Objects Descriptors (CODs), a dense cluttered objects descriptor which can represent rich object structures, and use the pre-trained CODs network along with its intermediate outputs to train a picking policy. Additionally, we train the policy with reinforcement learning, which enable the policy to learn picking without supervision. We conduct experiments to demonstrate that our CODs is able to consistently represent seen and unseen cluttered objects, which allowed for the picking policy to robustly pick cluttered general objects. The resulting policy can pick 96.69% of unseen objects in our experimental environment that are twice as cluttered as the training scenarios.


Based on the function analysis of river water and the consideration of utilizing floodwater as a kind of water resources,a structural analysis method of river water resources is put forward.The method divides the whole volume of river water into four segments: environment water volume,safety water volume,risk water volume and disaster water volume.The boundary between two water volumes is determined by a special river flow,which is related to the situation of river bank and water demand.Taking the rivers in north China as the research background,the conceptions,the functions and the calculation of these four kinds of water volumes are discussed.For the practical application,Harbin hydrological station on main stream of Songhua River is taken as an example to study the river water resources structural division and the characteristics of each water volume.The result indicates that the analytic method presented can quantitatively classify river water resources.And it may be a theoretical basis for effectively using each portion of river water resources in a proper way.


at 2.0 V. The capacitance density increased with decreasing film thickness to 8.18 fF/m2 for the 46 nm thick film. The 72 nm thick SmT film had small quadratic and linear voltage coefficients of capacitance of 158 ppm/V2 and 283 ppm/V, respectively, and a temperature coefficient of capacitance of 207 ppm/°C at 100 kHz. Overall, amorphous SmT films are good candidate materials for MIM capacitors.


Focusing on the nanobiomedical imaging, medically functional biointerfaces and translational medicine, we have developed a functional cluster of imaging, nano-characterization, nano-fabrication and micromanipulation facilities, including two combined imaging systems based on the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), which provides a perfect platform for real-space studies on living micro/nanoscale biointerfaces at high resolution. Methodological breakthroughs in the imaging of living biointerfaces have been made as a result. Using the above techniques, our research concentrates on medically functional biointerfaces, i.e. special functional biointerfaces which are closely related to human health, disease and medical activities. The concept of "micro/nanoscaled topography-coupled-mechanics mechanisms (TCMM)" has been introduced into the study of medically functional biointerfaces, focusing specially on interfaces in blood vessels, bone and cancer tissues. Inspired by the functional biointerface among blood/vessel/blood-flowing and its related theory extracted from Chinese medicine, we put forward a novel borderline discipline—"biomechanopharmacology" to underline the relationship between biomechanics and pharmacology in the biomedicine field. In view of the drawbacks of biomedicine approaches to date, we advocate for translational medicine, and emphasize the two-way relationship between the "bench" and the "bedside" in the field of medically functional biointerfaces at the micro/ nanoscale. As a result, the artificial-adhesion controllable interfaces, such as bioinspired micro/nanoscale interfaces for better blood compatibility or aptamer-mediated efficient capture and release of T lymphocytes were developed. Moreover, we also translated microscale mechanical parameters for use as "biomarkers" in clinical tests. To sum up, our researches are expected to open a new way to better understand the treatment of major diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer.


Quality management is the crucial factor in market competition for a manufacturing enterprise.But there are many elements that influence quality management.How to identify which are the key elements and adopt corresponding strategies is of difficulty for improving quality management level.This paper presents a series of quality elements and an evaluation index model and collects the related data of quality management of 120 enterprises in the form of questionnaire.According to the correlation coefficient matrix,factor loadings matrix and factor scores matrix which are calculated by factor analysis method,the present quality management levels of manufacturing enterprises is evaluated.Consequently,corresponding suggestions are presented.


The annual Interregional research and practical conference "Epilepsy and Paroxysmal Conditions as an Interdisciplinary Problem" was held in Moscow 19/02/2020, bringing together neurologists and epileptologists from Russia. The event was dedicated to the memory of Gagik N. Avakyan, who was President of Russian League Against Epilepsy (RLAE) for many years. The paper contains key messages of the plenary session.


Engineering company operates a wastewater collection and treatment facility for their clients in Myton, Utah. The facility receives fracking and produced wastewater from various pumping stations, and then treats the water for disposal at the injection well located on site. Electrocoagulation followed by two clarifiers and 5 micron filter was used. Since many particles float or just "swim" inside the clarifier we performed a flocculation flotation pilot study followed by full scale installation of the flocculation flotation -the GEM Systems. This manuscript summarizes the results of the pilot studies and operational performance and problems of the full scale 600 GPM GEM Systems


Hydroalumination of cyanamides 1 with di(isobutyl)aluminium hydride affords intermediate compounds 3, which have dimeric structures in the solid state with four-membered Al2N2 heterocycles and exocyclic N=C double bonds. The reactions of 3 with acyl chlorides yield N′,N′-disubstituted N-acylformamidines 5, whereas reaction with sulfonyl chlorides give the corresponding N-sulfonylformamidines 7. In contrast, carbodiimides 8 react with dialkylaluminium hydrides R2AlH (R = tBu, iBu) to give compounds 9 in which one C=N bond of the carbodiimide is reduced to form an amidinate ligand and a second molecule of the hydride is coordinated through an Al–N and an Al–H–Al bond. Treatment of 9 with acyl chlorides yields N,N′-disubstituted N-acylformamidines 10, whereas reaction with sulfonyl chlorides gives the corresponding N-sulfonylformamidines 11.


The Ministry of Education issued the new curriculum of P.E major in 1997. The students generally applause the new curriculum, but they are still dissatisfied with some aspects of the new curriculum, such as the elected course, practical course and teaching practice. The paper further provides some valuable reform strategies.


We read with interest the results of the survey conducted by Dr Fanning concerning monitoring during sedation given by non-anaesthetic doctors [1]. Their findings should serve as a wakeup call for all those involved in the safe management of patients undergoing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures under sedation. It is of concern that not all sedation practitioners adhere to minimal monitoring standards recommended by the Association of Anesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland [2], that administration of supplementary oxygen is often omitted and that relatively few have received adequate training in sedation practice. It is perhaps not surprising that the reported incidence of adverse events, particularly hypoxia and respiratory depression, was unacceptably high. Ensuring patient safety and comfort during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is particularly challenging. Anaesthetists are not routinely involved directly in managing such patients and the responsibility commonly rests with a nurse practitioner. The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death 2004 report 'Scoping our Practice', which included all upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopies, highlighted a number of areas for concern. These included 23% cases inadequately monitored, 14% cases excessively sedated and 3% cases given sedation and monitored by the endoscopist alone [3]. Overall 30 day mortality was 3%. The majority of patients who underwent ERCP were aged 70 years and over and ⁄ or ASA 3–5. Critical incidents occurred in 9% cases. A recent large national survey of practice in five regions of England reported that 98.5% of 5264 ERCPs were nominally performed using conscious sedation, with only 1.5% under general anaesthesia [4]. Twelve per cent patients experienced significant pain or discomfort during the procedure. At the request of the radiology department in our hospital, an experienced senior anaesthetist has been allocated to manage the pre-operative assessment and management of all patients scheduled for ERCP during the past two years. We have found that a high proportion of patients do not tolerate the procedure at all well under 'conscious sedation' and general anaesthesia is required in the majority of cases. Routine monitoring comprises continuous electrocardiography, automated non-invasive blood pressure measurement, pulse oximetry and capnography. Once venous access has been secured, the upper airway is prepared with topical lignocaine 10% spray. Oxygen is then administered to all patients via a nasal sponge at 2–3 l.min. Patients are positioned appropriately and intravenous midazolam 1–3 mg is given, followed by a target-controlled infusion of propofol, adjusted according to patient response. One of the main problems inherent in using any sedation technique is the difficulty in monitoring adequately the rate and depth of respiration, and therefore in recognising promptly partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway and apnoea. Patients are usually positioned semi-prone and access to the patient is restricted by the presence of the radiologist and associated paraphernalia. In our view, dependence on a decrease in oxygen saturation to less than 90% as the criterion for intervention, as stated in one of the guidelines published in the United Kingdom [5], is necessarily a late and unsatisfactory indicator of a potentially life-threatening complication. Accordingly, we now routinely monitor respiration using capnography, a method that was ignored in Fanning's survey. A nasogastric tube is passed into the pharynx before induction of anaesthesia, the distal end of which is attached to the Luer fitting of the capnograph tubing (Fig. 3). A viral ⁄ bacterial epidural filter is interposed to prevent contamination of the capnograph. The resulting capnogram provides useful information of similar quality to that obtained in the operating theatre. Inadequate rate or depth of respiration, and obstruction of the upper airway can be identified readily with appropriate immediate intervention. With the adoption of these techniques, we believe that both the safety and comfort of our patients has improved over the past two years. The performance of ERCP is facilitated, with attendant benefits of reduced procedure time and increased procedural success rate. We would recommend that all units undertaking ERCP consider involving their anaesthetists in the management of this challenging group of patients.


The farmland potential productivity is the potential capacity of land used in farming,forestry and stock raising etc,the study of farmland potential productivity in Mianyang city is significance. The model of farmland potential productivity in Mianyang city is worked out,the potential product is calculated,and its four indicative functions are analyzed in this thesis.


A monolithic, ultra-compact fiber probe integrating a nitrogen-vacancy diamond microcrystal, a dual-core photonic-crystal fiber (PCF), and a microwave transmission line is shown to enable a highly sensitive dual-channel vectorial magnetic field measurements by means of simultaneous optical detection of magnetic resonances through the two fiber cores. A reliable detection of microscale magnetic-field variations as low as ∼10 µT/(Hz)1/2 is demonstrated using a dual-core PCF with a core-to-core separation of 6 µm. Such a fiber probe is shown to provide a unique tool for a vectorial three-dimensional mapping of weak magnetic fields induced by microscale objects.


AIM: To explore clinical application of CT guided percutaneous core cutting needle biopsy (PCNB) in the recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the parapharyngeal space after radiotherapy. METHODS: From August, 1997 to July, 2002, 32 cases, in whom the recurrence or fibrosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the parapharyngeal space after radiotherapy could not be diagnosed by CT, MRT or 18 FDG PET examinations, were given CT guided PCNB to observe the complication of PCNB and pathologic diagnosis coincidence rate of the clinical follow up. RESULTS: Coincidence rate of pathologic diagnosis and clinical follow up was 100%. The complication of CT guided PCNB was ache at the point of puncture without any injury of blood vessel and nerves. CONCLUSION: CT guided PCNB in the recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the parapharyngeal space after radiotherapy is feasible, successful, and safe.


Objective To investigate the effect of Pericarpium Zanthoxyli (HJ) on guinea pigs trachea in vitro and its therapeutic mechanism. Methods The actions of HJ on the contraction of normal trachea and on the spasm of spasmodic tracheas caused by acetylcholine (Ach) and histamine phosphate (HIS), as well as the actions on intracellular Ca2+ - dependent contraction and extracellular Ca2+ - dependent contraction induced by HIS were observed. Results HJ could inhibit the guinea pigs trachea contraction , antagonize the contraction of trachea spasm induced by Ach and HIS , restrain the extracellular Ca2+ - dependent contraction induced by HIS in a dose- dependent manner. Conclusion HJ has an antiasthma effect.


The protein extracts through salt fractionation including whole egg white disrupted developmental cycle of insect by prolonging the duration of the larvae to migrate into next stage of life cycle. The maximum larvae mortality and delay in total developmental time was recorded in PPT-I Protein extract obtained through salt fractionation treatment. As per analysis, decrease in tolerance was observed in sequence: adults > pupae > larvae.