Objective: To investigate the changes of plasma pregnancy associated plasma protein-A(PAPP-A) level and the relationship among plasma PAPP-A level and blood pressure,waist hip ratio(WHR),blood lipids,blood glucose,plasma insulin,plasma highly sensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP) levels as well as other factors in hypertension patients with impaired glucose regulation(IGR).Methods: Plasma PAPP-A levels were assayed by ELISA in the IGR(IGR),hypertension patients with IGR(HT+IGR) and normal controls(NC).The relationship between plasma PAPP-A levels and blood pressure,BMI,WHR,blood lipids,HOMA-insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) and hs-CRP was also analyzed.Results: Plasma PAPP-A level in HT+IGR was significantly increased,as compared with IGR and NC [(21.22±4.12) vs(8.21±4.22) and(7.97±4.36) mIU/L,both P0.01].Plasma PAPP-A level was correlated positively with age,body weight,waist circumference(WC),hip circumference,DBP,visceral fat%(FAT%),BMI,WHR,TG,FFA,FPG,2hPG,FIns,2hPIns,HbAlc,HOMA-IR,hs-CRP(r=0.197,r = 0.249,r = 0.328,r = 0.201,r = 0.268,r =0.302,r = 0.337,r = 0.238,r = 0.252,r = 0.163,r =0.168,r = 0.211,r = 0.182,r = 0.209,r =0.191,r = 0.210,r=0.345,respectively P0.01 and P0.05).Multiple regression analysis showed that WC,DBP,2hPIns and HbAlc were independent related factors influencing plasma PAPP-A level.Conclusion: The changes of PAPP-A levels are associated with glucose and lipid metabolism and blood pressure,and it may contribute,in part,to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance(IR) and hypertension with diabetes complicated.


Two experiments were conducted to examine the visual comfort of stereoscopic images. The test video sequences consisted of moving meteorite-like objects against a blue sky background. In the first experiment, a panel of viewers rated stereoscopic sequences in which the objects moved back and forth in depth. The velocity of movement, disparity (depth) range, and disparity type (i.e., depth position with respect to the screen plane: front, behind, or front/behind) of the objects varied across sequences. In the second experiment, the same viewers rated stereoscopic test sequences in which the target objects moved horizontally across the screen. Also in this case, the velocity, disparity magnitude, and disparity type of the objects varied across sequences. For motion in the depth direction, the results indicate that visual comfort is significantly influenced by the velocity, disparity range, and disparity type of the moving objects. We also found significant interactions between velocity and disparity type and between disparity type and disparity range. For motion across the screen in the horizontal plane, ratings of visual comfort depended on velocity and disparity magnitude. The results also indicate a significant interaction between velocity and disparity. In general, the overall results confirm that changes in disparity of stereoscopic images over time are a significant contributor to visual discomfort. Interestingly, the detrimental effect of object velocity on visual comfort are manifested even when the changes are confined within the generally accepted visual comfort zone of less than 60 arc minutes of horizontal disparity.


Lessons are events which are fairly easy to recognize. They take place in a particular setting (e.g., a school or classroom), they normally involve two kinds of participants (the teacher and students), and they normally consist of recognizable kinds of activities (e.g., the teacher lecturing at the front of the class, the teacher posing questions and calling on students to answer them). A lesson is, hence, distinguishable from other kinds of speech events, such as meetings, debates, arguments, or trials. Like other speech events, however, lessons have a recognizable structure. They begin in a particular way, they proceed through a series of teaching and learning activities, and they reach a conclusion. This pattern of structure or organization is a result of the teacher's attempts to manage the instructional process in a way which will optimize the amount of learning that can take place in the time available. Wong-Fillmore (1985: 23-4) observes: How classes are organized and how instructional events are structured determine to a large extent the nature of the language that students hear and use in the classroom .... Two sets of characteristics appear to distinguish classes that work for language learning from those that do not. The first set relates to the way the classes are structured or are organized for instruction, the second to the way language is used in lessons. Research on teaching in mainstream classes has found that when teachers structure their lessons effectively, they: Begin a lesson with a short review of previous, prerequisite learning. Begin a lesson with a short statement of goals. Present new material in small steps, with student practice after each step. Give clear and detailed instructions and explanations. Provide a high level of active practice for all students.


One of the application of Groebner base to the classification of nonlinear circuits is proposed. The circuits are excited by a sinusoidal electric voltage or current sources with an angular frequency. In an evaluation of electric circuits the first thing we have to do is to estimate the amplitude characteristic which is defined as the polynomial equation of two variables. These variables are the amplitude of the sources and that of harmonic component of the current or voltage in the circuit elements. The estimation tends to be performed on individual nonlinear circuit. If we are able to classify the nonlinear circuits into several groups based on the amplitude characteristcs, we will have no need to investigate each nonlinear circuit. In order to have a Groebner base we first formulate the circuit equations as the sets of the nonlinear ordinary differential equation of several circuits with specific number of reactive elements such as capacitors and/or inductors. Applying a harmonic balance method to the circuit equations, we derive a simultaneous polynomial equations, which represents the periodic equilibrium state of the circuits. By adding the amplitude characteristic to the simultaneous polynomial equations we have another sets of polynomial equations in which each variable is the amplitudes of sine and cosine functions. Here we try to find a Groebner base for each set of polynomial equations using the lexicographical order. As the result, the last element of the Groebner base which makes the classification possible gives the amplitude characteristic of each circuit. As an example, a Groebner base is shown to classify the nonlinear circuits which are composed by one voltage source (sinusoidal function), one resistor, one capacitor and one nonlinear inductor of which characteristics is given by the polynomial function of the fluxinterlinkages. From these four circuits elements we can compose eight nonlinear circuits. Usually the different circuits are considered to have different amplitude characteristics. However, we have three types of the amplitude characteristics from the different circuits. By use of a Groebner base these eight circuits are classified into three categories from the point of view of the amplitude characteristics of fundamental harmonic oscillations.


Objective: To explore the effect of comfort nursing measures on patients with glaucoma,and improve the level of vision and comfort.Method:80 patients with glaucoma were divided randomly into the intervention group(40 cases) and control group(40 cases).The control group was applied for the traditional nursing method,the intervention group took the comfort psychological nursing measures,and then compared the nursing efficacy of them.Result:There was significant difference between intervention group and control group in complications' occurring and glaucoma patients were more satisfied with nursing(P0.05).Conclusion:Comfort nursing measures on patients with glaucoma is helpful to reduce complications and increase patients' satisfaction,and hence is worthy of being recommended in clinical practice.


Abstract This presentation highlights the development, implementation, and results of an educational session with undergraduate nursing students about end-of-life decision making. The purpose of this qualitative thematic analysis study was to explore student perspectives of end-of-life decision making following an education session. The aims were to 1) develop themes from student feedback on end-of-life decision making and 2) refine educational strategies to teach end-of-life decision making to nursing students. The study was conducted with 72 junior level baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate gerontological nursing course. An interactive lecture was developed, following short philosophical ethics readings, which brought the students up to date on the history of end-of-life discussions, key cases, and different frameworks to approach a cluster of ethical issues associated with end-of-life care. A debate pedagogical model was employed as an engaging activity in which students directly applied recently learned concepts. In the debate activity, students were divided into two teams. Each team was assigned a position, which was a specific response to the case question: Should practitioners assist in their patient's committing suicide? Should practitioners offer medical aid in dying? Each team conferred, presented their position, responded to the arguments or reasons from the opposing position. The session ended with a debrief by the course instructors. In the first semester, 31 nursing students completed four open-ended questions following the class. Results included increased student confidence discussing end-of-life issues and identification of two concepts commonly referred to in end-of-life care discussions and in bioethics, autonomy and dignity.


When studying cancer patient survival the interest lies in measure the time until the occurrence of an event, as well as the study of factors associated with the occurrence rates for that event. This is broadly known as survival data and the statistical method for analyzing such data is usually referred to as "survival analysis". In this thesis, standard survival methods, such as the Cox regression model, are recalled and a relative survival approach is preferred over a cause-specific. The analysis is also extended to introduce cure models as a useful tool to analyze and describe cancer survival data. Since some patients actually achieve cure rather than prolong survival, the proportion of patients cured of the disease can be a measure of interest and helpful in monitoring trends in survival of curable disease. Cure models are not widely known and have never been used in North Region of Portugal Cancer Registry (RORENO) reasearches. All these methods are further applied on colorectal and melanoma skin cancer data from RORENO, where this work were developed. Relative survival estimates and the use of the Cox regression model indicate sex and age as significant prognostic factors in both cancer types studied. With advantage in survival for women and younger patients. Tumour thickness also appeared to be strongly related to the prognosis for melanoma patients with bigger tumour sizes having worst survival rates. Anatomical site where colorectal cancer had developed, colon or rectum, had a different impact in the prognosis of the patient. When developed in the colon the survival estimates were significantly higher. Cure percentages are consistent with survival outcomes, since the identified factors with worse prognosis have also lower cure proportions. According to sex, the proportion of cured patients present a decrease from women (76% for melanoma, 60% for cancer of the colon and 53% for cancer of the rectum) to men (65% for melanoma, 54% for cancer of the colon and 51% for cancer of the rectum). Cure of melanoma and colorectal cancer patients is dependent on age and sex, as well as anatomical site of the cancer cells (colon or rectum) for colorectal cancer patiens. Efforts in prevention methods are required in order to reduce the percentage of patients presenting with bigger tumour sizes for melanoma. Besides the standard survival analysis to identify prognostic factors and make an overview of the patients survival during the follow-up, it is also important to know how many patients are actually being cured and what factors may have influence on that. This is the only way to understand if efforts and care methods adopted are being successful and actually enable cure from cancer.


The display device is equipped with a circuit for comparing the image data with the image data for the first two frames, or desired for the first, or the current frame. Processor if certain conditions are satisfied, instructs so that the process occurs. According to an instruction for processing, compared to the case where the pixels are driven on the basis of the data output from the normal processing, the signal generating circuit outputs the signal for reducing the degree of modulation, or modified by the relatively accelerate the transition of the gray scale. In this way, a drive signal to be suitable when the transition of the gray scale that is sufficiently large amount modulation, or modified by the display device is a display device that can also, to improve the display quality under the condition that can not be fit to drive a relatively small-scale circuit use can be realized.


A press roll 20 for treating a fibrous web, such as in particular a paper or cardboard web, in at least one formed with a respective counter-surface press nip comprises a rotatably mounted support 38, a circumferential around the carrier 38 press jacket 40 and at least one between the carrier 38 and the press cover 40 arranged support means 42, through which the pressing jacket 40 is supported in the region of a respective press nip on the carrier 38th In this case, means 44, 46 are provided to influence the deflection of the beam 38th Alternatively, it is also possible to support the press jacket by means of a respective supporting device through the shell of a hollow beam passing directly to an inner carrier.


In order to improve precision and efficiency of measuring pavement deflection in the transport area of China, a measuring machine based on embedded operating system µC/OS-II is designed with LPC2214 MCU. In the design, wireless communication technology, embedded technology, filter technology of software and hardware, anti-jamming technology and other advanced technologies are applied. The machine is divided into two parts: main-machine and sub-machine. The former is used to measure voltages from laser displacement, which will be sent to main-machine from wireless communication channel. The lather is used to calculate, store, display and print the deflection value. All the deflection heights and results will be sent to PC, which can be processed in further. Based on the machine, many experiments are carried out on different highways. The experiment results showed that error of road deflection was below 0.01mm and consuming time for each test was about 60 seconds.


Intentional coordination of Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with a conductive polymer was targeted to improve the proton conductivity and propose a better candidate material for fuel cell applications. Employing the concept of coordination networks, the conductivity of Nafion was amplified by fabricating a composite of it with an inexpensive and highly proton-conductive three-dimensional MOF, namely, {[(Me2NH2)3(SO4)]2[Zn2(ox)3]}n (1, Me = methyl, ox = oxalate). Along with slightly higher thermal stability, increased ion exchange capacity and lower water uptake were observed, and the addition of 1 wt% of MOF 1to Nafion was found to be maximally efficient. The physico-chemical characteristics of MOF and membranes were also studied. This study may offer a cost-effective and facile fabrication technique for a variety of proton exchange membranes with characteristic proton-conducting properties for fuel cell applications.


When and how much managers lie in company performance reports depends on how their colleagues would be affected by the results. New research by Associate Professor Marcel van Rinsum of Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) reveals managers are more likely to overstate numbers if it means colleagues get some kind of benefit. But they are less likely to lie if it means colleagues get less. So, even when lying, we are unselfish.


Objective:To study the effect of ankle foot orthoses on improving the abnormal gait pattern in spastic diplegia cerebral palsy children. Method:Gait analysis was performed in 16 spastic diplegia cerebral palsy children on the same day with barefoot and ankle-foot orthoses. Result:The use of ankle-foot orthoses produced a statistically significant increase in stride length and speed. In braces, ankle dorsiflexion at initial-contact, plantarflexion at toe-off , the Max. extension in stand phase, Max. flexion in swing phase and total excursion on sagittal plane were reduced, while hip extension at toe-off and the Max. extension in stand phase were increased. Conclusion:The ankle-foot orthoses is effective to improve the abnormal gait pattern.


Objective: To explore patients undergoing complex assisted reproductive technologies' (ART) opinions on both gamete and embryo donation, as well as the reasons to do it or not. Design: Cross-sectional study of descriptive bioethics, with ethnographic qualitative methodology using a semi-structured interview, applying speech analysis to the resulting written transcript. Setting: Private medical institution, in Lima, Peru. Participants: Twenty women and 12 men who had had at least one complex ART. Interventions: Semi-structured interview, applying speech analysis to the resulting written transcript. Main outcome measures: Opinion on both gamete and embryo donation. Results: Regarding embryo donation, 11 men would donate their embryos for infertility treatment, 6 for research purposes, and only one rejected both possibilities. On the other hand, all 20 women would donate embryos for infertility treatment and only 8 for research purposes. Participants who accepted gamete donations did not necessarily think they would donate their own gametes. Conclusions: Results suggest gamete donation is more commented and generally accepted; embryo donation, either to donate or to accept donation, is a more conflicting and less discussed subject. Cryopreservation is a complex subject, commented but also conflicting, whose acceptance or not as well as the probable cryopreserved embryos destiny depend on participants beliefs on life origin, personal ethics, etc. Hypothesis resulting from this study to be verified in future quantitative researches is that embryo donation could take place mainly for infertility treatment and exceptionally for research.


The conventional method for assay of weak f,-emitting isotopes in the effluent from a chromatographic column is to dry down portions of fractions on planchettes, which are then counted under a standard thin-window E.H.M.2.S. (G.E.C. Research Laboratories) tube counter. This technique is laborious and slow, although sensitive and quanti-tatively relatively accurate. Other ways of monitoring the liquid as it comes off the column, in-volving the use of the E.H.M. tube, have been described, but they are relatively insensitive because of the small area (5 cm.2) of the end-window. In the counter described below sensitivity is increased by running the liquid as a thin film in contact with a thin window seven times the area of the E.H.M. window.


Abstract The concentrations of As, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in dust samples from kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, and universities in Xi'an City have been determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The element concentrations in dust samples collected from the campuses were higher than background levels, in particular for Pb, Zn, Cr, Cu, Co, and Ba. Summary statistics and enrichment factors allowed for the differentiation between contributions from local soil and from anthropogenic sources. The results of a multivariate spatial correlation-principal component analysis demonstrated that metal concentrations could be related to natural and anthropogenic sources separately and in combination. Source apportionment based on multiple linear regression indicated that 67% of the trace elements could be ascribed to natural and traffic sources, 13% to industrial sources, 19% to construction activities, and an additional 1% to traffic and industrial sources.


NO is known to suppress mast cell activation, but the role of NO in mast cell survival is unclear. Ligation of the high‐affinity receptor for IgE (FcεRI) resulted in NO production in mast cells within minutes. This NO production was largely dependent on NO synthase (NOS) activity and extracellular Ca2+. The NO production required an aggregation of FcεRI and was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of endothelial NOS (eNOS) at Ser1177 and Akt at Ser473. The phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt and the production of NO were abolished by the PI‐3K inhibitor wortmannin. Although thapsigargin (TG) induced NO production as well, this response occurred with a considerable lag time (>10 min) and was independent of FcεRI aggregation and PI‐3K and NOS activity. Mast cells underwent apoptosis in response to TG but not upon FcεRI ligation. However, when the NOS‐dependent NO production was blocked, FcεRI ligation caused sizable apoptosis, substantial mitochondrial cytochrome c release, caspase‐3/7 activation, and collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential, all of which were inhibited by the caspase‐3 inhibitor z‐Asp‐Glu‐Val‐Asp‐fluoromethylketone. The data suggest that the NO produced by the PI‐3K‐Akt‐eNOS pathway is involved in protecting mast cells from cell death.


This abstract is dedicated to dual-wavelength polarization lidars (2β+2δ) and related particles backscattering Ångström exponents BAEp, as nowadays remotely evaluated by atmospheric multi-wavelength lidar instruments (Veselovskii et al., ACP, 2016). We here present two new lidar remote sensing developments applicable to every multi-wavelengths polarization lidars, as published in Miffre et al. (Rem. Sens. 2019, Opt. Lett. 2020).

As a first development, we investigate the size, shape and complex refractive index dependence of measured backscattering Ångström exponents (Miffre et al., Opt. Lett., 2020). If BAEp is generally considered as a particles size indicator, it actually depends on the particles size, shape (Mehri et al., Atm. Res., 2018) and complex refractive index as βp does. From a precise analysis of the polarization state of the backscattered radiation and of its wavelength dependence, in two components particle mixtures (p) = {s, ns} involving spherical (s) and nonspherical (ns)-particles, we could establish the relationship between BAEp, BAEs and BAEns. Then, by numerically simulating the two latter, we could discuss on the range of involved particle sizes and complex refractive indices.

The second development is related to the remote sensing observation of a new particle formation event with a dual-wavelength polarization lidar (Miffre et al. Rem. Sens. 2019). Where previous thoughts were that it is not feasible due to the small size of involved particles, we identified the requirements ensuring a (UV, VIS) polarization lidar to be sensitive to the subsequent particles growth following nucleation events promoted by nonspherical mineral dust particles. The presentation will explicit these optical requirements in terms of polarization and spectroscopy, as recently published in (Miffre et al., Rem. Sens., 2019).

The oral presentation will first present our dual-wavelength polarization lidar remote sensing instrument (2β+2δ), based on an unique laboratory Pi-polarimeter (Miffre et al., JQSRT, 2016). Special focus will be made on the (UV, VIS) calibration of the polarization lidar, as a decisive point for precise observations and interpretations. As an application case study, the oral presentation will then consider the lidar remote sensing observation of a nucleation event promoted by mineral dust. There, the involved particles sizes of freshly nucleated sulfuric acid particles and mineral dust will be retrieved by considering the above backscattering Ångström exponents analysis. As expected, the retrieved involved particles sizes reveal the underlying physical-chemistry of the nucleation process promoted by mineral dust (Dupart et al., PNAS, 2012). We believe this work may then interest a wide community of scientists.

Veselovskii, I., P. Goloub, D. N. Whiteman, A. Diallo, T. Ndiaye, A. Kolgotin, and O. Dubovik, ACP, 16(11), (2016).
Dupart, Y., A. Wiedensohler, H. Hermann, A. Miffre, P. Rairoux, B. D’Anna and C. George, PNAS, 109, 51, (2012).
Miffre, A., T. Mehri, M. Francis and P. Rairoux, JQSRT, 169, 79-90, (2016).
Mehri, T., P. Rairoux, T. Nousiainen, A. Miffre, Atm. Res. 203, 44-61 (2018).
Miffre A, D Cholleton, T. Mehri and P Rairoux, Rem. Sens., 11(15), 1761, (2019).
Miffre, A., D. Cholleton, P. Rairoux, Opt. Lett. 45, 5, 1084-1087, (2020).


BACKGROUND
We have studied the alterations produced in the diastolic function of the left ventricle after applying a protocol of cryopreservation at subzero temperatures.

METHODS
Isolated rabbit hearts and 5% polyethylene glycol (PM 4000) as the cryoprotective agent were used for the study.

RESULTS-CONCLUSIONS
Following cryopreservation we found a statistically significant increase in systolic function. However, the diastolic function shows worsening, with a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in mean stiffness, decrease in differential stiffness, (p < 0.05) and upward and leftward displacement of the diastolic pressure-volume curve.


Hundreds of studies have been conducted by lawyers, economists and political scientists on international trade and environment, yet very few attempts have been made to compare judicial decisions adopted in this area by the European Court of Justice, its Court of First Instance, and GATT/WTO rulings on trade and environment. Most of the existing publications are either limited in scope, because they only focus on a comparison of two cases at any one time, or are outdated, especially in the light of innovative European and Appellate Body jurisprudence of the last few years. Here, a comparison of the main trade and environment themes traversing the two bodies of case-law, including procedural issues, will be undertaken. This will cast light on the means by which the current tension between trade and environment might be resolved. Account will be taken of the different "constitutional" positions of judicial bodies in the two legal orders, the role played by the presence (or absence) of the legislator, and its influence on reasoning in judicial decisions.


The Sephardic newspaper Ilustra Guerta de Historia was published in Vienna between 1880 and 1882. It was run by Sem Tob Semo, one of the most influential figures of the Sephardic community of Vienna. This newspaper specialized in serial novels, yet it also published pieces of popular culture, in a section entitled "Sala de pasatiempo". This section included many riddles in Judeo-Spanish, almost completely unknown in Sephardic studies. The aim of this article is to present these Judeo-Spanish riddles, tracing their parallelisms with the Spanish tradition and attempting to establish their possible sources.


Abstract As America's public school population becomes more diverse, selecting culturally appropriate instructional materials becomes increasingly important. Though several existing scales assess the quality of curricula materials, most do not consider cultural relevance. The Curricula Appropriateness Scale (CAS) was designed to determine the appropriateness of curriculum materials for diverse populations. The final CAS contains six statements with a 4-point, Likert-type scale response option ranging from 1=strongly disagree to 4=strongly agree for each item. Item selection was based on a review of the professional literature and existing instruments. A local panel of experts (n=10) examined a draft version of the scale for content validity. Based on the panelists' comments, the scale was revised and piloted with 27 undergraduates enrolled in an elementary school health course. A national panel of experts (n=5) then examined the scale for content validity. Feedback from the national panel was used to revise the CAS for a second pilot test. Students enrolled in a second elementary school health course completed the second CAS during the assessment of the federally developed curriculum, Learning to Live Drug Free. Item consistency reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Psychometric characteristics and recommendations for using the CAS are presented.


Through a comparative study of Chinese modals"neng(能)"and"hui(会)"and English modals,this paper investigates their form-function matching and context embedding and discusses the pragmatic errors concerning the use of the two Chinese modals and the methods of rectifying the errors.


Tabata protocol (TP), usually consisting of eight to nine bouts of 20-sec of maximal exercise with 10-sec rest, is time-efficient intervention with both aerobic and anaerobic benefits. PURPOSE: This study investigated the effectiveness of different variation of TP as a warm-up procedure. METHODS: Twentyfive healthy subjects (13 females and 12 males) participated in this study. Participants performed 6 randomized exercise sessions separated by at least 48 hours. The exercise sessions involved 3-min (TP320:10; TP3-30:10), 5-min (TP5-20:10; TP5-30:10) or 8-min (TP8-20:10; TP8-30:10) consecutive bodyweight squats of either 20-sec workout with 10-sec rest (20:10) or 30-sec workout with 10-sec rest (30:10). Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), thigh skin surface temperature (TT), vertical jump performance (VJ), and flexibility (F) were measured before and after execution of the protocols. Countermovement jump was used to measure VJ and sit-and-reach test was used for measuring F. RESULTS Two-way ANOVA demonstrated significant condition*time interaction (p<0.01) and time main effect (p<0.01) for F. Significant condition*time interaction (p<0.01) and condition (p<0.01) and time main effects (p<0.01) were observed for HR. There were significant main effects for time with the post-test demonstrating higher values than the pre-test values for both SBP and DBP (p<0.01). Significant time main effect (p<0.01) was also noted for TT indicating reduction in TT following exercise bouts. CONCLUSION: The findings are suggestive of a decrease in F following a higher duration of exercise (TP8-20:10 and TP8-30:10). This may be ascribed to greater accumulation of metabolites (lactic acid, ammonia and hydrogen ion) in the working muscles, which may alter Type III and IV afferent neural activity to increase pain perception. Local tissue acidosis also stimulates bradykinin release, which may contribute to the transmission of nociceptive signals from skeletal muscle. Additionally, a higher duration of exercise may increase cortisol level that decreases the pain threshold level. Therefore, the decreases in flexibility may be explained by one or combination of metabolic, hormonal, and neurobiological changes stimulating the brain to inhibit the muscular response.


Herein, we reported the synthesis of hyperbranched aromatic–aliphatic co-polyester nanorods HBPE-CICA6 and HBPE-CICA2 by modifying the periphery of second generation hyperbranched polyester (HBPE) with 1-cyano-pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (CICA) groups. Structures of the HBPE-CICAs were confirmed by combined studies of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The potential application of HBPE-CICAs in ion recognition was investigated; in particular, HBPE-CICA2 exhibited remarkable selectivity for Fe3+.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect on the middle school students' attitude toward environment and interest in regional ecology and environment problem with PBL. The experimental group was made up with 96 students who were sampled for this study, and PBL program was applied to this group. The controlled group consisted of 103 students who were sampled this study, and traditional teaching method was applied to this group. The result is as follows: First, there was a statistically meaningful difference in attitude toward environment between two groups(F=51.929, p<0.1). It shows that PBL is very effective in attitude toward environment. Second, there was a statistically meaningful difference in interest for regional ecology and environment problem between two groups(F=9.707, p<0.1). It shows that PBL is an effective way to take learners' interest in regional ecology and environment problem. Third, The interview result shows that students who were applied to PBL comprehensed causes, solution and importances of the environment problem, Furthermore, the self-directed learning in PBL can make learners control their learning.


Studies of bilateral renal function have been made in four sheep with chronic unilateral ureteral fistulae. From a comparison of PAH and creatinine excretion it was concluded that renal haemodynamics and tubular secretory capacity for PAH were similar in the two kidneys. Also there was no gross difference between the kidneys in the rate of urine formation, the excretion of potassium and urea, and the ability to concentrate and acidify urine. When tested several months after transplantation, comparable bilateral excretion of sodium was seen in two of the experimental animals; in the other two sheep slightly more sodium was excreted by the kidney with the diverted ureter.

It is concluded that cutaneous ureterostomy in the sheep does not impair renal function. This surgical preparation is therefore a valuable one for studying the function of the kidney in undisturbed sheep.


We propose a transient and permanent error co-management method for NoC links to achieve low latency, high throughput and high reliability, while maintaining energy efficiency. To reduce the energy overhead, a configurable error control coding adapts the number of redundant wires to the varying noise conditions, achieving different error detection capability. Infrequently used redundant wires are used as spare wires to replace broken links. Furthermore, a packet rebuilding/restoring algorithm that cooperates with a shortened error control coding method is proposed to support a low-latency splitting transmission. With this co-management method, we manage transient errors and a small number of permanent errors, without using extra spare wires, to reduce the need for adaptive routing. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves up to 71% packet latency reduction and 20% throughput improvement, compared to previous methods. Case studies show that our method reduces the energy per packet by up to 68% and 48% for low and high permanent error conditions, respectively.


Wireless communication device (102) monitors the use of some functions by the user of the device (202). If the frequency of use of functions is low (204), the user selects the delete function from the memory (206), to free memory space for other functions (208). Instead of monitoring the availability of some features of a device, communication system, the user can also be notified to delete the function from device (216). Then, the device deletes the function to release the memory space for other functions (208). If the new functionality becomes available for wireless communications devices, the apparatus, a message for the user to notify whether the function can be used is broadcast (304). If the user wishes to obtain a new feature, the software code associated with the function, is downloaded to the communication device through a wireless interface (314). The device is then reconfigured to incorporate the new features to run (316).


Abstract This work deals with the elastostatic identification of industrial manipulators. By reviewing the basics of the physical elastic properties of both links and joints in the framework of the lumped stiffness modeling techniques, the Gramian nature of the stiffness matrices has been found out adequate to do so. Then, a novel optimization method has been developed, which incorporates the Gramian matrix formulation along a non-linear optimization process, acting as an intrinsic constraint for the conservativeness of the elastostatic modeling. Numerical and experimental analyses evince the effectiveness of the proposed method, as the elastostatic models obtained by means of the proposed technique predict more than 93.7% of the compliance deviations of a real industrial robot. The proposed method is simple enough to be jointly applicable to the most recent elastostatic model reduction techniques.


Computer Assisted Visual Interactive Recognition (CAVIAR) draws on sequential pattern recognition, image database, expert systems, pen computing, and digital camera technology. It is designed to recognize wildflowers and other families of similar objects more accurately than machine vision and faster than most laypersons. The novelty of the approach is that human perceptual ability is exploited through interaction with the image of the unknown object. The computer remembers the characteristics of all previously seen classes, suggests possible operator actions, and displays confidence scores based on already detected features. In one application, consisting of 80 test images of wildflowers, 10 laypersons averaged 80% recognition accuracy at 12 seconds per flower.


I believe that the success of any journal is intimately related to the quality of the refereeing process. Many people have devoted signi®cant amounts of time on behalf of this journal to ensure that the manuscripts which appear are of the highest possible quality. Authors recognize the value of the constructive comments that they receive. On very few occasions have the referees themselves been criticised by authors. I am indebted to those who have referred papers this year. I would like to take this opportunity to remind authors that I am always happy for them to suggest referees and to name con®dentially any that they would prefer that I did not use. There is also an appeals mechanism, and authors who are unhappy with the decision that I have made, on the advice of referees, can always ask for their manuscript to be reviewed again. During the last year, I introduced a policy of asking authors to submit anonymised versions of their manuscripts, so that referees would be unaware of their identity. Most authors have complied with this request. Where they have not done so, I have assumed that they are happy for their identity to be revealed. I have found that this mechanism works better than the open refereeing system that I piloted during 1999. I will therefore continue to ask authors to anonymise their manuscripts and hope that this will provide the fair and unbiased review process which is in the best interests of authors and editors.


This paper presents a novel manifold learning approach that takes into account the intrinsic dataset geometry. The dataset structure is modeled in terms of a Correlation Graph and analyzed using Strongly Connected Components (SCCs). The proposed manifold learning approach defines a more effective distance among images, used to improve the effectiveness of image retrieval systems. Several experiments were conducted for different image retrieval tasks involving shape, color, and texture descriptors. The proposed approach yields better results in terms of effectiveness than various methods recently proposed in the literature.


This chapter focuses on the contribution of social and economic thought to media studies in the United States. It details the migration of ideas from Germany and their creative application regarding the press to social and political conditions unique to the United States at the end of the nineteenth century. An evolving mass medium warranted theorizing its role and function in a democratic society and produced a critical literature of its performance. This chapter proposes that US media studies are partially the result of a realization in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century social thought that communication is an essential, binding force in a democratic society and partially the result of a turn to communication research void of larger philosophical concerns that had characterized the Chicago School in its consideration of communication and US democracy.

Keywords:

Media;
Democracy;
the Press;
Chicago School;
Germany


'Telv No.60'was bred by taking Ningbo local variety'241-1'as female parent and the introduced variety'G36'as male parent,through separate and systematic selection for 8 generations.It is early maturity.It takes 60 days from seeding to pod harvest in spring cultivation;and about 48 days in summer cultivation.Its whole growing period is 80-100 days.The tender pod is dark green,long stick-shaped with even size and identical color,about 60 cm long.A single pod weight is 18 g.It is of good quality,with high moisture content,low coarse fibre tender,crisp leaves and tastes good.This variety can grow normally from July to August and unease to premature senescence.It has stronger resistance to rust,whitely mildew and downy mildew than'901'.Its yield is over 30 t·hm-2.It has been extended to Ningbo,Zhoushan,Taizhou of Zhejiang province and Shanghai etc.


This study examines the performance implications of the fit between strategic orientations and incentive plan characteristics. Research hypotheses are based on a framework that draws upon managerial discretion and agency theories to identify the links between firm strategy, managerial motivation and control, managerial risk-bearing, and incentive plan characteristics. A pooled cross-sectional, time series research design is used to test hypotheses in a sample of 50 electric utility firms. Consistent with theory, results indicate that annual bonus plans that use cash incentives and accounting measures of performance lead to better performance among firms with Defender strategic orientations. In contrast, firms with Prospector strategic orientations realize performance benefits when they adopt stock-based incentive plans and use market measures to evaluate managerial performance. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Restoration projects in the United States typically have among the stated goals those of increasing channel stability and sediment storage within the reach. Increased interest in ecologically based restoration techniques has led to the consideration of introducing beavers to degraded channels with the hope that the construction of beaver dams will aggrade the channel. Most research on beaver dam modification to channels has focused on the long‐term effects of beavers on the landscape with data primarily from rivers in the western United States. This study illustrated that a role exists for beavers in the restoration of fine‐grained, low gradient channels.


This story stems from my field research on prostitution and trafficking in Russian women in northern Finland. This fictive narrative constructed from interviews with a young Finnish-Saame man in which he told me about his involvement with organized prostitution in the region aims to show how globalization concretizes at the local level and more specifically on gendered bodies. I could start telling this story by explaining what happened last week when the cops came and searched his house for drugs. Or when this guy unfortunately maybe arrogantly gambled his fishing boat to the man from the South. These events are consequences of previous events. So lets go further back in time a few months. Lets go back to early summer to the time before the fishing season. These events take place in the beginning of June 2001 in Utsjoki at the northern border across the river from Norway closer to the eastern border than to south of Finland. (excerpt)


Extralobar sequestration is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by a mass of pulmonary parenchyma with it is own pleura, lacking communication with the tracheobronchial tree, with a blood supply from descending aorta and varied venous drainage. In this case we report the association of a congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation, a lesion that communicates with the tracheobronchial tree and has a direct arterial supply to the pulmonary circulation. The risk factors and etiology are not completely elucidated, and the scarcity of reports about the occurrence of both of these pathologies makes the rarity of the case even greater and demonstrates the relevance of this study. We describe a case of ipsilateral left hemithorax lesions in a newborn patient who was diagnosed prenatally by a 32-week ultrasound. Early surgical intervention on the ninth day after birth instituted an effective operative excision with curative intention to treat.


In the present work, we have studied the alpha-like clusters (Be, C, O, Ne, and Mg) decay halflives in the transition metal region for (156−166Hf, 158−172W, 160−174Os, 166−180Pt, and 170−182Hg) nuclei. These half-lives have been calculated using the shape parametrization model of cluster decay in conjunction with the relativistic mean-field [1] (RMF) model with the NL3* parameter set. Thus calculated cluster decay half-lives are also compared with the half-lives computed using the latest empirical relations, namely Universal decay law (UDL) [2] and the Scaling Law given by Horoi et al [3]. From the calculated results, it has been observed that in the transition metal region, half-lives are minimum at Nd = 82 (Nd is the neutron number of the daughter nuclei), which is a magic number and shell effect at Nd = 82. Cluster emissions leading to the isotopes with Nd = 82 are easier to measure than those of non-α-like cases due to the large Q values in α-like cluster emission processes. Further, the Geiger-Nuttal [4] plots of half-lives showing Q dependence for different alpha-like clusters from various CR emitters that have been plotted are found to vary linearly.


Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assess the uses and benefits of item-level RFID across the apparel supply chain, to explore the buyer, supplier & dyadic perspective of benefits in terms of relationship within the channel members and to understand how RFID affects the buyer-seller relationships within the supply chain & to identify challenges in RFID deployment with special reference to India.Design/methodology/approach – The research design relied on two exploratory research methods: carrying out a multiple case study while building on the grounded theory approach.Findings – Item-level RFID technology has emerged as a key tool to help provide a superior level of intelligence for managing the flow of items throughout the supply chain. When used by each party within the supply chain, benefits of item-level tagging are magnified as the intelligence derived from every partner can be leveraged to improve processes, reduce costs, and increase profit margins. The interplay between RFID and buyer-seller relationships in a supply chain is an intricate phenomenon & it's observed that RFID improves this intricate relation. Technology prices will continue to decline as the use of RFID expands (tags, readers, antennae), thus reducing the overall cost of implementation. Originality/value – Owing to the fact that a better management of supply chain is related to the full understanding of the technologies implemented and the system under consideration, the paper provides some background to the RFID technology and its benefits for apparel industry.


Motor racing is one of the most popular sports in the world, in which it requires great physical and mental performance from the race drivers. However, the physiological changes of race drivers during and after races are little explored (14). According to Potkanowicz & Mendel (19), the racing driver (athlete) is exposed to extreme conditions, with high physical and mental demands, such as high speed and multitasking nature of driving the racing car (acceleration, braking, changes driving, attention to mirrors, gear shifting), prolonged and continuous periods of maximum performance, persistent thermal stress, repetitive exposure to G-Force, physiological, psychological and emotional stress in addition to the constant risk of accidents, serious injuries, and death. According to Durand et al. (10) in motorsports, due to the physical restrictions of access to the driver during races, associated with the use of safety equipment, very little is known about biological adaptations during competitions and training. However, Ebben and Suchomel (11) claim that in recent decades, racing drivers have recognized the importance of physical training, and recent studies have shown that some skills and physical requirements of racing drivers, such as maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and ventilatory volumes are similar to those of athletes in other sports, such as boxing, basketball, football and medium distance running. It is recognized that motor racing drivers are subject to high risk in sport, in this sense, Mansfield and Marshal (16) determine that the specific SCHLÜSSELWÖRTER: Motorsport, menschliche Leistung, Bewegung, experimentelle Forschung


Efficient photosynthesis of active oxygen species (e.g., •OH, •O2–, and H2O2) is of cardinal significance for environmental science and biochemistry. We report a system of o-C3N4/Ag2SO4 with solid-solution-like structure synthesized by coordinating the 5s orbit of Ag+ with surface 2p lone electrons of o-C3N4. The as-synthesized o-C3N4/Ag2SO4 demonstrates a unique electronic structure, as illuminated high light absorption, perfect redox potentials, large BET specific area, abundant active sites, and efficient interfacial charge transfer. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and Mott–Schottky measurements confirm that o-C3N4/Ag2SO4 photocatalysts demonstrate highly efficient activity for yielding •OH, •O2–, and H2O2 species with the Z-scheme photocatalytic principle. Experimental and DFT calculation reveal that the transferred electrons on the conduction band (CB) made up of Ag 5s were favorably shifted into the valence band (VB) composed of N 2p with the formed coordination under irradiation, greatly pr...


The provision of quality teachers is central to a nation's education system. This study evaluated two universities, based on teacher education curriculum models (concurrent and consecutive) using Stake's Antece-dents-Transactions-Outcomes (ATO) evaluation model, on the subject content and education components. The study was a descriptive type using a survey method. The sample comprised 514 teachers from selected secondary schools (188 consecutive and 326 concurrent), Research instrument was the Teachers Questionnai-re on Evaluation of Models of Teacher Education Curricula (TQEMTEC). The results indicated that teachers rated the consecutive teacher education curriculum model to be better. On the improvements needed, teacher educators suggested the inclusion of special education and more subject contents area for students enrolled in the concurrent, and an increase in the number of years for the pedagogical and practical aspects of the consecutive models. Results of the hypotheses indicated a significant difference between the views of tea-chers exposed to the concurrent and those exposed to consecutive teacher education models on subject con-tent, (t =2.47; df=512; Sig= 0.014 p 0.05). Based on the findings, a recommendation was made that the two models of teacher education should be further strengthened through improved subject content, particu-larly for the concurrent teacher education program.


A method for the metal-free synthesis of benzotriazoles in flow is reported. Using azides and in situ generated arynes, benzo-triazoles are formed in a [3 + 2] cycloaddition within minutes. Employing different substitution patterns of the azide and aryne coupling partners, a modular access to benzotriazoles is provided. Thermal strain of hazardous azides and accumulation of reactive intermediates is minimized by short reaction times in flow, improving the safety profile of the process. The scalability of the reaction is demonstrated.


Recent research suggests that major-ion composition of seawater changed significantly during the Phanerozoic.These secular variations in seawater composition,particularly with respect to x(Mg)/x(Ca) ratios are driven mainly by changes in the spreading rates along mid-ocean ridges,govern synchronized oscillations in the mineralogical composition of potash evaporates and marine nonskeletal carbonate components as well as skeletal carbonate components.This correlated with previously proposed calcite and aragonite seas. This paper has summarized the chemical evolution of the Phanerozoic seawaters,emphasizing its geological implications in carbonate sedimentation and biotic evolution.The oscillated chemical composition of seawater and the preliminary mineralogy of marine carbonates must have resulted in different carbonate sedimentation and early diagenesis,and even in late diagenesis.It is also demonstrated that the secular variation in the x(Mg)/x(Ca) ratio of seawater has not only controlled Phanerozoic oscillations in hypercalcification by simple taxa,but also has strongly influenced their skeletal evolution.Phanerozoic marine mass extinctions and their subsequent recoveries even recorded the influence of the x(Mg)/x(Ca) ratio of seawater on biotic evolution,such as in the Permo-Triassic transition.Comprehension is thus crucial in understanding the evolution of ecosystem through the Phanerozoic.


A self-balanced quadruped walking machine with leg mechanisms of 10-bar linkage is designed by a systematic approach. At first, an existing leg mechanism of 10-bar linkage is selected as the tentative design, and the dimensional synthesis is performed to obtain the desired foot trajectory by the optimization technique of ALM. Next, the speed ratio between the crank speed during the support phase and that during the transfer phase is decided by a two-speed control method to achieve a sufficient time period of support phase. Then, in order to make sure that there are always at least three legs on the ground for the wave gait to enhance the stability of locomotion, the foot point of each leg at a specific time is placed on the specific position upon the foot trajectory. The force analysis and computer simulation are carried out to evaluate the requirements for driving and to recognize the characteristics of the designed walking machine. And, the force transmission during the full cycle is realized and the specification of the driving motor is decided. Finally, a prototype of the designed quadruped walking machine is constructed and it is proven that this design is practical and feasible.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Objective To explore real-time ultrasonic elastography in the diagnosis of benign and malignant prostatic diseases.Methods Ultrasonic imaging features of 61 patients with 69 lesions of prostatic diseases proved by pathology were observed.Differences of benign and malignant lesions in elasticity grade were analyzed,and the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy rate were calculated.Results The majority of the elasticity grade in benign lesions was grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ,while malignant lesions covered grade Ⅲ—Ⅴ.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy rate of real-time ultrasonic elastography in diagnosis of malignant lesions was 77.78%(28/36),72.73%(24/33) and 75.36%(52/69),respectively.Conclusion Real-time ultrasonic elastography is useful in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant prostatic diseases.


The calculation result of thin plate stress obtained by finite element method is compared with that of thin plate stress obtained by elasticity.Four kinds of contact problems of assembly models are calculated through ANSYS and the number of rivets of every group is discussed on the riveted structure in this paper.It plays a guiding role to a certain degree in design for the riveted stiffened plates of the truck frame.


A comparison of exact and approximate calculations of the propagation constant of a rectangular wavegrride containing a centrally placed piece of setniconducting material has beerr made. The results show that the approximate solutions are subject to considerable error and also indicate a linear relationship between attenuation constant and conductivity that may beuseful for the measurement of the semiconductor properties.


Cube-corner indenters, by virtue of their acuity, possess a lowered threshold load for cracking. Shorter crack lengths allow the sampling of residual stresses in small spatial dimensions. We conducted cube-corner indentation on tempered and annealed glasses. Indentation crack geometry was found to be "quarter-penny." A stress-intensity factor for this geometry, and crack length decrements on tempered materials were used in a stress-intensity superposition to provide reasonable estimates of residual stress. Stresses ∼100 MPa over a length scale of 10 μm, and 30 MPa over 20 μm were measured accurately, indicating that cube-corner indentation is a promising tool for materials characterization.


THE RECENTLY INCREASED INTEREST IN SEXUALITY IN PSYCHOANALYSIS has been reflected in more discussion in the literature. The papers in this volume have aimed to expand this interest and describe some of the newer ideas and questions. Depathologizing homosexuality has resulted in more attention to clinical and theoretical issues concerning sexual object choice and development and women's sexual responses. The extent to which sexual orientation and object choice are "choices" is a subject of some debate. For example, Golden raises some questions about the ways in which sexual orientation is experienced as a matter of "choice" for some individuals as described in a series of interviews. She also discusses some of the determinants. There is also a renewed interest in the role of the female body and its relationship to the female psyche. Notman has defined a number of these concerns. The implications of these papers have created both the need and the possibility to revise long-held ideas about developmental pathways and origins of these responses. It is clear that these papers do not answer all the questions about the complex issues of the development of a sense of gender identity and sexuality. We hope, however, that they take us a step further along the way.


Nabokov is a miniature example of their experiences during migration 'Signs & Symbols'' is the subject of our study's silence in his madness. Our aim underlying a young person's disease, madness story will show how unlike literature and details of emotions experienced by the desire to escape the deathly silence of the embodied life is to figure out how to work has been characterized. In this study, Vladimir Nabokov's 1948 '' Signs & Symbols '' short story analysis by way of literature and the similarities or differences between madness comparison method and the author of the migration period of the title was written, we examine the positivist analysis method. ''Everything that the theme of that and everything is a password'' believing an unstable young man, and the story is condensed to an old family of the struggle trying to cope with it by adhering to the madness of silence hypothesis, we try to identify with the said work.


The iso-electronic series, Ca2−xSrxRuO4, is studied within the GGA (and spin-orbit coupled GGA) plus DMFT formalism using the hybridization expansion of continuous time Quantum Monte Carlo (CT-QMC) impurity solver. GGA+DMFT, along with CT-QMC impurity solver we used, provides insights into the retarded electronic correlations at finite temperatures. We use GGA+U and energy considerations at T = 0 for complementary understanding of the ground state structural and electronic properties. While the dynamical correlations make Sr2RuO4 a Hund's metal, they drive Ca2RuO4 to a Mott insulating ground state. We study the single-particle and two-particle responses at three different points (x = 2.0, 0.5, 0.0) to understand the anomalous cross-over from Hund's metal (x = 2.0 ) to a Mott insulator (x = 0) and observe that a structural distortion is likely to be responsible. Further, dynamical correlations reveal that the band-width (W) of the Hund's metal is larger than its effective local Hubbard U, and a finite Hund's coupling JH helps it remain in a bad metallic and nearly spin-frozen state over a large temperature range. Ca2RuO4, though, is driven to the proximity of a Mott transition by the narrowing of band width (U/W > 1.5). We show that there is a critical end point of second-order structural transition at x = 0.5, where spin fluctuations become critical and follow the scaling of local quantum criticality. We argue that this critical end point of quasi-3D nature is associated with an effective dimensional cross-over from the quasi-2D structures of x = 2.0 and x = 0.0 end-members. Finally we draw an electronic and magnetic phase diagram in T-x plane with these novel inputs, with a fan like region starting from the quantum critical end point at x = 0.5.


In time series analysis, tests for serial independence, symmetry, and goodness-of-fit based on divergence measures, such as the Kullback-Leibler divergence or Hellinger distance are currently receiving much interest (see Granger, Maasoumi, Racine (2004) as a recent example). We consider replacing the divergence measures in these tests by kernel-based positive definite bilinear forms. In this way we avoid the common practice of using plug-in estimators. Our approach separates the problem of consistent estimation of the divergence measure from that of estimating the underlying joint densities consistently. We construct a test for serial independence on the basis of the introduced bilinear forms. Optimal bandwidth selection is a common problem in the nonparametric econometrics. To confront this problem we use an adaptive bandwidth procedure over a range of different bandwidth values. In order to produce an exact test, a permutation procedure is favoured over the use of asymptotic theory. Our results are illustrated with simulations for various data generating processes relevant to financial econometrics. We compare the performance of our test with existing nonparametric tests for serial independence. For certain class of processes our approach produces higher power in comparison with BDS test and the test of Granger, Maasoumi and Racine


Kazuo Ishiguro, receiver of the Nobel Prize for Literature in the year 2017, isa Nagasaki-born writer. He developed his writing career in the year 1982 and many of his novels have historical contextual ideas. The literary attributes of Ishiguro's works are acknowledged for his uniqueness in English writing and method. It blends the sequence of the plot, to the extraordinary subjectivity of the portrayal, and to the historical sensitivity which truly interweaves with the depictions.The nostalgic and evocative characteristics of his writings make him the master of prodigious artistic works. The renowned novel of Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day, which bagged him the prestigious Booker Prize in the year 1989, portrays the psychological niceties associated with the protagonist of the novel, Stevens.  Stevens is a butler who works under an aristocrat whom he revered the most at the beginning but later he was betrayed by knowing the facts of his lordship being associated with the Nazis during the World War.  Through the Trauma Theory this paper anatomizes the traumatic experiences of the mind, ramifications of thoughts and also the restrained dealings of human nature.This theory investigates the effect of trauma in writings and society, by examining its mental, logical, and social criticalness.The novel relocates the inherent presence of the theory throughplenteous incidents and contemplates on Stevens' thoughts.


The Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) is distributed throughout the continental Asia. Nowadays in eastern Europe there have been detected individuals of C. capreolus with mtDNA of C. pygargus but the origin of this introgression is not clear as there have been not many data available concerning the phylogenetic pattern of the Siberian roe deer. To reveal the source of the introgression and to provide the most comprehensive picture of Siberian roe deer phylogeography we analyzed mtDNA control region fragment (610bp) of 352 roe deer samples combined with 139 sequences available in GenBank. We detected 105 haplotypes and seven mtDNA haplogroups. The proportion of different haplogroups in the regional populations varied longitudinally, with a major shift in Central Siberia. Haplogroups A, C and E were the most frequent in Europe, in the areas de�ned as introgression regions. In Asia, their shares declined (E) or vanished (A). Seven genetic populations of the Siberian roe deer, including two populations in the range of the European roe deer with the Siberian mtDNA lineage, were detected. Genetic diversity of mtDNA in the Siberian roe deer proved to be greater than it was documented earlier. Two ancient haplogroups, occurring predominantly in Europe, have been a remnant of the past natural interbreeding between the Siberian and the European roe deer that most probably had occurred hundred(s) kyr BP. Translocations of the Siberian roe deer to Eastern Europe performed in the 19th and 20th centuries have also left signals in the populations of the European roe deer.


An efficient method is proposed for N-adamantylation of primary carboxamides and sulfonamides, ethyl carbamate, and 4-nitroaniline using the stoichiometric amount of 1-adamantanol in the presence of 5 mol% aluminum triflate in nitromethane. Similarities and differences between adamantylation of some azoles catalyzed by aluminum triflate in nitromethane and the reaction catalyzed by Brønsted acids were revealed.


A medicament containing an agent inhibiting in vivo pathological apoptosis may contain: an agent capable of blocking the reception or transduction of signals leading to cell suicide, or an agent providing or generating a co-signal enabling normal cell differentiation and multiplication, or an agent which, alone, causes cell proliferation and differentiation, and generates cells which have lost the suicide capability in pathological conditions, or an agent capable of inhibiting the signals which make a cell capable of responding to activation, by pathological apoptosis. Said medicaments may be used in treating retrovirus related diseases, and in particular diseases related to the lentiviruses such as the HIV in humans.


The exchange of mass between a slender drop and a viscous liquid in an axisymmetric extensional flow and at large Peclet numbers is examined. Four cases are discussed: an inviscid drop and a viscous drop, under both creeping flow conditions and when the external flow has a weak amount of inertia. Solutions are presented as a function of the capillary number (Ca ≫ 1), the viscosity ratio (κ ≪ 1), the external Reynolds number (Re ≪ 1), and the Peclet number (Pe ≫ 1). The results suggest that the steady mass transfer rate, to or from the slender drop, is proportional to the elongation rate to the (relative) high power of 3/2. In general, as inertia increases, the drop becomes thinner and longer, and the average tangential surface velocity and the surface area increase, resulting in larger mass transfer rates, especially near the breakup point.


Rational expectations dictate that firms respond to shifts in the hospital payment system as a result of health sector reform. To determine the impact of system reform on levels of hospital diversification and operating ratio for 88 teaching hospitals and 88 community hospitals during the period 2005 - 2010. The 44 teaching hospitals are matched with 44 other teaching hospitals experiencing the same market position in 2005, but having different levels of diversification. Likewise, 44 non-teaching community hospitals are matched with 44 other community hospitals in 2005, having varying manager preferences for service-line diversification 2006-2010. Diversification and operating ratio are modeled in a two-stage least squares (TSLS) framework as being jointly dependent. Institutional diversification is found to yield better financial position, and the better operating profits provide the institution the wherewithal to diversify. The impact of external government planning and hospital competition is also measured. Some services are in a growth phase, like bariatric weight loss surgery and sleep disorder clinics. An institution life cycle hypothesis is advanced to explain hospital behavior: boom and bust, diversification and divestiture, occasionally leading to closure or merger. Management's attitude concerning risk and reward is considered.


This issue is "new" in two senses. It opens what we might call the "new normal" after a year since the COVID outbreak. It is also the first issue published by Routledge of Taylor & Francis Group, our new publishing partner. As I have mentioned in previous editor's notes (14.3 and 14.4), COVID intruded unexpectedly into our lives and its impact was immediate. Compared to this, our move to Routledge has been and will be a rather longer process of consultations and discussions. The transfer from Duke University Press (DUP) to Routledge may be seen by many as a huge undertaking, as the two publishers look so very different – one scholarly, and the other commercial. Even so, from an editorial perspective I would say that the decision is prudential and responsive. It reflects a long debate among STS scholars about the future of academic publishing, one example of which can be seen in the launch of Engaging Science, Technology and Society, 4S's official open-access journal, in 2015. For EASTS, with our previous publishing contract about to end, the journal sponsor and editorial team was granted an opportunity to rethink what EASTS had already done and what it might develop into in response to global trends toward a robust publishing environment in which every journal, while maintaining the highest academic quality, has also to be financially sustainable, reader-friendly, and, last but not least, fair to its contributors. With these concerns in mind, we see more similarities than differences between DUP and Routledge. Both are renowned publishers with high reputations in the humanities and social sciences. More importantly, they share with EASTS a common will to achieve excellent scholarship and to acknowledge the rise of STS in Asia. The question, as we see it, is not about choosing a publisher according to the character of its business; instead, as a journal based in and committed to East Asia, we need an innovative partner that recognizes an emerging readership in this region and possesses flexible, accessible, and socially laden strategies to find and cultivate it. The COVID pandemic made urgent this necessity. In 2020, hundreds of scholarly works about the social, cultural, and historical aspects of COVID were produced; without an equally responsive publishing and delivery infrastructure, however, few of


From the Publisher:
Lambert and Osborne's content appeals to professors who want to cover traditional CS1 material using the powerful capabilities Java provides. Chapter One starts out strong by introducing students to the topic of problem-solving. Object-oriented design and Java features are introduced as needed.
Professors who teach CS1 in Java face a dilemma: either restrict the course to character-based terminal I/O with a C++ look, or introduce graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and overwhelm students with the details of Java's Abstract Windowing Toolkit(AWT). To overcome this dilemma, the text comes with a software package, BreezySwing™, which simplifies the programming of GUIs. BreezySwing insulates students from the complex details of laying out window components and responding to interface events. Lambert and Osborne's book and software package enable students to enjoy the excitement of writing GUI-based programs without being overwhelmed by or distracted from the more basic issues of algorithm design and the factoring of programs into classes. The University Edition of Borland's JBuilder 4 is packaged with the text.


Abstract The aim of this study was to quantify the behavioural use of shade during a New Zealand summer, and to determine the effects of shade availability on body temperature and milk production. Holstein‐Friesian cows were either grazed with access to shade, or grazed in an adjoining part of the field with no shade, for two 10‐day periods in a cross‐over design with 10 cows per treatment. Vaginal loggers recorded body temperature and video cameras recorded shade use. Cows started to use the shade when the temperature reached 25°C and shade use increased exponentially with increasing ambient temperature. Data analysis for behaviour and body temperature was restricted to 6 days on which the maximum temperature was ≥25°C. Milk production data were analysed across the entire experiment of 20 days. Despite cows spending 80 min per day in the shade, there were no differences between shaded and unshaded cows in grazing time per 24 h. Shaded cows had lower peak and mean body temperatures during the day than unshaded cows, but there was no difference in mean 24‐h body temperature. Milk production was 3% greater for shaded cows than for unshaded cows. These results indicate that even during temperate summer conditions, dairy cows will use shade and that this has benefit in reducing body temperature during the warmest parts of the day.


A study was made of the luminescence and absorption spectra of LiF--U single crystals grown by the Kyropoulos method in an open crucible with different activator concentrations. In the activator concentration range from 0.01 to 0.03%, an effect of the redistribution of the intensity among the bands was discovered in the luminescence spectrum. At the same time, the absorption spectrum is shifted into the longer-wave region. It is shown that luminescence may be used for studying the growth processes of impurity crystals. (auth)


Fraxinus velutina is the main host of Zeuzera leuconotum Butle.In order to study the chemical compounds in Fraxinus velutina that can induce Zeuzera leuconotum Butle and then lay foundation for developing attractant for Zeuzera leuconotum Butle with active component of essential oil from Fraxinus velutina,the essential oil was extracted from Fraxinus velutina using steam distillation method in this study.Component analysis was carried out for the essential oil by using GC-MS.25 compounds were found,and 19 of them were considered to be components of volatiles of Fraxinus velutina,which account for 90.82%,and consist of alkyl,ester,ketone,aldehyde and phenol.


The 1,4-addition of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)hydroxylamine to alkylidene acetoacetates afforded in one step 3,4,5-trisub-stituted isoxazolidines. An investigation on the effect of the Lewis acid catalysis on the regioselectivity of the addition is also herein reported.


This paper reports the structural, dielectric and pyroelectric properties of PZT ceramics modified by 5% rare earths i.e. La3+, Ce3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+ and Gd3+. Out of these PLZT and PGZT were in tetragonal phase. The lattice volume decreases as rare earths ionic radii decreases except PEZT and PGZT. Dielectric constant is found to increase with temperature but decreases with frequencies. The value of tan(delta) , however, decreases up to 80 degree(s)C and the increases slightly. The pyrocurrents (p) as well as pyrocoefficients (pi) increase with temperature up to 50 degree(s)C and then remains constant up to 80 degree(s)C. Above 80 degree(s)C (p and pi) increase linearly with temperature. The pyro coefficient (pi) and figures of merit of these ceramics are comparable to other thermal IR sensor materials. The preparation of these ceramics is relatively simple, inexpensive and properties can be tailored according to the desirable characteristics of the sensors. The results of the studies have shown that these ceramics would be very useful for the development of thermal IR sensors.


This article reviews literature on whole-school approaches to behaviour management in order to address these questions: How is a whole- school approach to behaviour management defi ned in the literature? What are the key principles that make a whole-school approach effective? What are the key systems that make a whole-school approach effective? Is the involvement of students an important aspect of a whole-school approach? The review highlights current work on belonging, which shows that a person's sense of belonging has an impact on their engagement and therefore achievement in a school setting. For a whole-school approach to be effective it must have a positive impact on the engagement of the students. The fi ndings of this review suggest that schools implementing a whole-school approach must fi rst examine the quality of the relationships within their school as these have an impact on students' experiences of belonging. The principles and values about relationships that a school holds will shape the kind of whole -school approach they develop.


PURPOSE: A pipe of a heat exchanger for a boiler coated for erosion prevention and a coating method thereof are provided to improve the airtightness and durability of a pipe. CONSTITUTION: A method of coating for the protection against erosion processing in a boiler heat exchanger piping is as follows. An exterior wall of the piping is sanded, uniform surface roughness is secured. The foreign material of the exterior wall of the piping is removed, and the exterior wall of the piping is preheated to 35~40°C. A ceramic pigment spreads in a powder coating method. The piping is dried to the temperature of 200~250°C for 30~60 minutes in the drying furnace.


As the TV world is going digital, new solutions to some conversion demands on TV archive materials need to be specified, and at the same time change of format need to be taken into consideration. Telecine was and still is the main conversion tool used to get electronic video signals of film pictures, and still protect projects closest possible artistic atmosphere of film image, or documentary content of archived material, but film is not what TV archive is all about. Differences appear because of different TV screen aspect ratio, as well as different resolution. Therefore different balance of picture elements, because of the format conversion processes results with different content or atmosphere of the TV projected picture. In this article some possible combinations of transmitted signal and TV aspect ratio are compared.


Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common human malignancy and the sixth most common cause of death from cancer worldwide. In Europe and the United States, the proportion of adenocarcinoma has increased due to the increase of Barrett's adenocarcinoma. On the other hands, in Japan most cases are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma except esophagogstric junction including Barrett's adenocarcinoma is extremely rare.

 We experienced two cases of tumors with morphologically no distinct squamous or glandular differentiation and confirmed not to be Barrett's adenocarcinoma. No clear positive findings for p40 and p63 by immunohistochemistry.
 Case 1 is 69-year-old man. Esophagectomy was performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Macroscopic findings of the resected specimen showed 59 × 43 mm of tumor (type 2) at upper to middle thoracic esophagus.
 Case 2 is 53-year-old man. Esophagectomy was performed without neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Macroscopic findings of the resected specimen showed 68 × 46 mm of tumor (type 1) at middle thoracic esophagus.

 Pathological examination revealed that the cancer cells showed mainly solid proliferation and no clear keratinization and gland formation was observed. The relationship with the duct of esophageal gland proper was not observed.
 Immunohistochemistry, tumor cells showed no neuroendocrine differentiation(ChromograninA-, synaptophysin-)and negative for p40, p63 and CK14, on the other hands tumor cells were positive for CK18.

 By the WHO classification, in addition to adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction, squamous cell carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumor, and salivary gland type tumor, there is an item of undifferentiated carcinoma. However, tumor cells of our cases had not such strong atypia, and immunohistochemical study showed glandular differentiation. Although we could not clarify the origin of tumor, it was suggested that there may be carcinoma other than adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction, which may have glandular elements.


Objective To explore if B lymphocyte stimulator (BlyS) stimulates B lymphocytes from patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) to produce anti-high affinity IgE receptor (FceRI) or anti-IgE antibodies. Methods Totally, 300 CIU patients and 300 health controls were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were obtained from these subjects. Peripheral blood B lymphocytes were isolated and cultured in vitro for 72 hours. Then, BlyS of various concentrations (2, 4, 8, 16 ng/ml) was added to the culture medium of B lymphocytes followed by another 72-hour culture. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of BIyS, anti-FceRl and anti-IgE antibodies, as well as the supernatant levels of anti-FceRI and anti-IgE antibodies. The relationship between BlyS and anti-FceRI and anti-IgE antibody production was assessed. SPSS software version 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. Chi-square test was performed to compare the positivity rate of antibodies, and analysis of variance and least significance difference-t test to assess numerical data. Results The CIU patients showed higher levels of serum BlyS (t = 3.04, P 〈 0.01), anti-FceRI antibodies (t = 3.51, P 〈 0.01 ), and anti-IgE antibodies (t = 3.29, P 〈 0.01 ) compared with the health controls. The serum level of BlyS was positively correlated with that of anti-FceRI antibodies (r = 0.93, P 〈 0.01 ) and anti-IgE antibodies (r = 0.91, P 〈 0.01 ). The levels of anti-FceRI antibodies and anti-IgE antibodies were significantly increased in the culture supernatant of patient-derived B lymphocytes treated with BlyS compared with those remaining untreated ( t = 3.67, 3.56, respectively, both P 〈 0.01 ), and the concentration of BIyS was positively correlated with the levels of both anti-FeeRI antibodies and anti-IgE antibodies (r = 0.96, 0.91, respectively, both P 〈 0.01 ). The coincidence rate between the serum and supernatant was 94.76% and 87.84% in the detection of anti-FeeRI antibodies and anti-IgE antibodies respectively. Conclusions BlyS level is upregulated in the serum of patients with CIU, which may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CIU by stimulating B lymphocytes to produce anti-FceRI antibodies or anti-IgE antibodies.

Key words:
Urticaria;  B cell activating factor;  Antibodies, FeeRI;  Antibodies, IgE;  B-lymphocytes


The requirements for sustainability and transition to a circular economy are key elements in the design and production of the components made by polymeric materials. The European Commission has issued a number of new directives with strict roadmaps to all State Members, in this regard. Some directives have already started to take effect; others are reaching their implementation deadlines. Limiting the consumption of raw materials and energy, as well as recyclability will lead to an increased reconversion of the current manufacturing technologies. However, all these goals must also take into account the quality aspects of the products. The testing methods must be adapted to certify the properties stated in the product sheets. This paper analyzes welding quality aspects in the production of hollow balls, made of polymeric materials, objects resulting from the joining of two hemispheres. As a case study, benchmarks from the cosmetic industry commonly known as deo roll balls were used. The first part of the paper presents the classic technology for manufacturing deo roll balls by extrusion blowing process. Below are some alternative technologies for manufacturing these balls by joining two hemispheres. The last part of the paper analyzes the welded joints by destructive and non-destructive testing methods. The basics that underlie the joining by welding polymeric materials as well as notions of rheology and material structure in the heat-affected zone are essential elements in explaining defect occurrence. A strict control of the welding parameters can offer good chances for implementing technologies to produce large series of spherical objects made of polymeric materials, objects that are made through alternative joining methods, more precisely by welding two hemispheres. The experiments carried out also highlighted some vulnerabilities of the proposed alternative technologies, their possible causes as well as the possibility of solving defects. These studies may underlie similar applications in which spherical objects are used.


Peer ReviewedTitle:Irregular lattice model for quasistatic crack propagationAuthor:Bolander, J ESukumar, N, University of California, DavisPublication Date:03-01-2005Publication Info:Postprints, UC DavisPermalink:http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9qn7n4sbAdditional Info:Phys. Rev. B 71, 094106 (2005)Abstract:An irregular lattice model is proposed for simulating quasistatic fracture in softening materials.Lattice elements are defined on the edges of a Delaundy tessellation of the medium. The dual(Voronoi) tessellation is used to scale the elemental stiffness terms in a manner that renders thelattice elastically homogeneous. This property enables the accurate modeling of heterogeneity,as demonstrated through the elastic stress analyses of fiber composites. A cohesive descriptionof fracture is used to model crack initiation and propagation. Numerical simulations, whichdemonstrate energy-conserving and grid-insensitive descriptions of cracking, are presented. Themodel provides a framework for the failure analysis of quasibrittle materials and fiber-reinforcedbrittle-matrix composites.


In this note we present a characterization of pointwise induced operators on Lp-spaces with finite measures, 1 < p < oo. An operator P is pointwise induced if and only if I Pul = PIuI and P1 = 1. As an application we obtain a characterization of the linear positive isometries mapping 1 into 1.


Process for increasing the solidity of a porous component (10) of plastic, forming a porous component (10) of plastic, using granules (1) of plastic, by means of a tridimensional generative procedure, then applying a medium (5) which is introduced into a plastic component having a porosity, characterized in that the means (5) has a component which dissolves the component plastic and enters a homogeneous bond with the plastic component.


Glazed curtain walls are facade systems frequently chosen in modern architecture for mid and high-rise buildings. From recent earthquakes surveys it is observed the large occurrence of non-structural components failure, such as storefronts and curtain walls, which causes sensitive economic losses and represents an hazard for occupants and pedestrians safety. In the present study, the behavior of curtain wall stick systems under seismic actions has been investigated through experimental in-plane racking tests conducted at the laboratory of the Construction Technologies Institute (ITC) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) on two full-scale aluminium/glass curtain wall test units. A finite element model has been calibrated according to experimental results in order to simulate the behavior of such components under seismic excitation. The numerical model investigates the influence of the interaction between glass panels and aluminium frame, the gasket friction and the stiffness degradation of aluminium-to-glass connections due to the high deformation level on the curtain walls behavior. This study aims to give a practical support to researchers and/or professionals who intend to numerically predict the lateral behavior of similar facade systems, so as to avoid or reduce the need of performing expensive experimental tests.


21 years into democracy South Africa is marked by starkly contrasting experiences in the lives of its citizens. For some few, theirs remains a society defined by opulence and social, economic and political entitlements that accompany it. For a few beneficiaries, democracy has brought with it remarkable changes which have translated through their lives in economic, political and social empowerment and wellbeing. Accompanying these changes has been the establishment and importantly, the enhancement of access to modern political and legal democratic and participatory institutions of governance for these citizens. And yet, for the remaining majority of South Africans, their experience is marked by social and economic deprivation, poverty and vulnerability. These latter experiences are attributable to the historical legacy of colonialism and apartheid which continues to present itself in the form of persistent poverty and inequality in a 'new South Africa.' It is within this new South Africa, that this deprivation is further exacerbated by an increasingly unaccountable and unresponsive government 'at war with its citizens.' Service delivery protests, then have become a (if not the) way in which the poor and vulnerable get together as a collective, to try and take on the government in way they know how within their means, on deprivations of housing, electricity, water, sanitation, social assistance, healthcare and education. Finding an alternative legal means, whereby poor and vulnerable people themselves, may address these challenges is in the purpose of this thesis. However, the emphasis is not on addressing the plight of vulnerable groups through dependency from outside help, but on finding a means in which the agency (albeit constrained) of people to address their own concerns is recognised. The work investigates how law can enhance the collective agency of poor people to change their socioeconomic circumstances. In particular I investigate how the class action, a legal device which can enable people to come together collectively as a class in litigation for the enforcement of their rights of access to housing, electricity, water, sanitation, social assistance, healthcare and education, can achieve this. I provide recommendations on legal reform on how best access to courts can be made easier through the removal of barriers for impoverished communities to collectively enforce their socio-economic rights. I position the Regulation of Gatherings Act, a legislation which is aimed at affording legal protection to protest action, as a as accessible gateway into towards class litigation.


BACKGROUND: A number of variables have been shown to influence whether an individual who experiences an emergency psychiatric assessment is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. This study focused on the theoretical orientation of the assessing clinician as a possibly influential variable. The theoretical orientation being studied was Bowen family systems theory or Bowen theory (Bt). Overall the Bt perspective looks at the family as the primary crucible that generates symptoms but at the same time as the natural unit and the best built-in resource to deal with those symptoms. AIMS: This study examined whether the theoretical orientation of the nurse psychiatric assessor would affect her inpatient admission rate of patients seen for psychiatric evaluation in an emergency department (ED). METHOD: A clinician/researcher with extensive experience applying Bt in clinical practice worked in a Crisis Management Service providing psychiatric evaluation and disposition in a busy community hospital ED. Given Bt's emphasis on the system rather than individual pathology, the clinician researcher hypothesized that her psychiatric hospitalization rate would be lower than the other clinical nurse specialists. A retrospective chart review analyzed 1 year of cases from all referrals that might have resulted in psychiatric hospitalizations (n = 1,801). RESULTS: The clinician/researcher's psychiatric hospitalization rate was significantly lower (p = .004) than the other clinicians. CONCLUSION: An approach to psychiatric assessment in the ED applied a Bt perspective in a way that significantly reduced psychiatric hospitalizations.


The search for dietary supplements to reduce the risk for atrial fibrillation (AF) has a long history. Observational data have often shown an


This research is conducted to determine the efforts of police in handling criminal cases of motorcycle theft. Motorcycle theft is a crime that has high number of case statistically in Sleman Area. Based on the above description, the researcher wants to determine the efforts of police as law enforcers in maintaining security, maintaining order, enforcing the law, providing protection, providing shelter and services to the
community by doing the thesis entitled The Efforts of Police In combating the Motorcycles Theft in Police Jurisdiction Resort Sleman.The statements of problems in the research are to know the efforts and the obstacles faced by police forces in combating the motorcycles theft in the jurisdiction of Police Resort Sleman. The research method for this study is empirical legal research, while, the source of the data is in the form of primary data and secondary data as supporting data. The conclusion of this research is that the preventive effort is the effective way in tackling the number of motorcycle theft case. Preventive efforts include specific operations, selective raids, and patrolling. However, there are also the obstacles encountered such as the lack of awareness, lack of security system, less the maximum sentence given to perpetrators and lack of social skills to be given to motorcycle theft.


Several models were successfully developed to reproduce the dynamic behavior of ZnO surge arrester, but the accuracy and reliability of these models are only evaluated for residual voltage calculations. This paper presents a model developed with the specific goal of achieving reliable and accurate modeling of the energy absorbed by a ZnO surge arrester during impulsive transients. To develop and test the model, an experimental database was built, composed of responses of ZnO varistors to current impulses. The database contains the response of varistors of different classes and manufacturers, subjected to current impulses with different waveforms and amplitudes. Then, using system identification techniques, a mathematical model was proposed and validated. The proposed model was successfully tested on the same circumstances that traditional models are used and its performance was compared with the most relevant existing ZnO model. The results indicate that the developed model is an overall valid model for ZnO surge arresters and that energy calculations performed with it are more accurate and reliable.


Nanocatalysis has arisen in the last few years as a bridge between heterogeneous and homogenous catalysis.1 Metals deposited on the surface of magnetite nanomaterials have been used with the aim to increase the contact between the reagents and catalyst, mimicking homogeneous catalysts while presenting the advantages of heterogeneous catalysis such as easy separation from the reaction mixture, and recyclability.1 Lewis acid supported on magnetite, constitute a very important synthetic tool for the multi-component approaches, e.g. Biginelli reaction. This transformation still attracts researchers attention because 3,4-dihydropyrimidin2(1H)-ones obtained from this multicomponent reaction showed a wide range of biological activities.2 Attempting to disclose further developments on sustainable protocols, heterogeneous catalysis and nanomaterials,3 herein, we report the multicomponent synthesis of 3,4dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones using a new, efficient, recyclable and reusable ferrite-Nb2O5 nanocatalyst.


Olive oil contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic
acid (Djaelani, 2015). However, the high content of unsaturated fatty acids causes the
oil to be easily damaged by frying process (deep frying), causing changes in
unsaturated fatty acids isomerized "cis" form into "trans" form (Sartika, 2008).
Increased intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) can be one of the cause of insulin
resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM II) (Krisnasary et al., 2012). Objective :
This study aims to determine the effect of dietary trans fatty acids from olive oil on
blood glucose levels in male mice. Method: This experimental research with pre and
post test control group design method uses 24 male mice divided into 2 groups,
control group (without treatment) and treatment group (olive oil) for 4 weeks. Then,
the fasting blood glucose and 2 hours Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) are
measured. Result: The result showed that fasting blood glucose level was 117,44 ±
18,941, post-pre fasting blood glucose was 37,78 ± 26,428, OGTT blood glucose
level 150 ± 36,527, and post-pre OGTT blood glucose level was 69, 11 ± 34,697.In
the Independent Samples T test, there are significant differences on fasting blood
glucose levels, post-pre fasting blood glucose levels, OGTT blood glucose levels, and
post-pre OGTT blood glucose levels between control group and treatment group after
treatment (p < 0.05). Conclusion : 138 mg / 100 ml trans fatty acids from olive oil had
significant effect on fasting blood glucose and 2 hours OGTT in male mice.


This protocol describes two innovative algorithms: 1) A minimal event distance aneuploidy lineage tree (MEDALT) inference algorithm allows implementing genetically meaningful distances and is scalable to current single-cell datasets containing thousands of cells, and 2) A statistical routine, Lineage Speciation Analysis (LSA), enables prioritization of CNAs and genes that are non-randomly associated with the observed lineage expansion and thereby are potentially functionally important.