1133 Iron is an element essential for functions of many enzymes as well as DNA synthesis in the human body. It has long been suspected that iron contributes to cancer development by oxidative DNA and protein damage, which therefore has been the focus of cancer research related to this metal. Recent studies indicate that iron is an important co-factor of HIF-prolyl hydroxylase, an enzyme involved in HIF degradation. HIF is the most recognized for controlling the regulation of an array of genes helping cells adapt to low oxygen conditions. The goal of this research has been to examine how cellular iron participates in oxygen sensing and cellular hypoxic response. We hypothesized changes in cellular iron levels during hypoxia contribute to HIF stabilization and downstream biological events. For the experiments in this study, we have used MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells as our model. We have shown that cells exposed to 1% O2 for 6 h responded with significant decreases in cellular iron bound to low molecular weight chelators (LMW-Fe;81.9 vs. 31 nmol/mg protein; p


With the help of the Blended Learning theory and the current teaching of applied technology university, Blended Learning model of marketing course is designed. First of all, the author got in-depth knowledge of the relevant theories of Blended Learning and the teaching status of applied technology universities through the literature and observation method. The author looked into the students' attitude towards new teaching model and through the questionnaire survey and set the stage for Blended Learning. The Blended Learning model was designed by taking the teaching environment, resources, process, evaluation and so on into consideration. Finally, the designed teaching model is put into teaching practice. It is concluded that Blended Learning motivates students and help students get practical skills by the means of data analysis and questionnaire survey. Multiple evaluation methods can evaluate students' learning results in all aspects.


University's moral teacher must possess the wide and solid culture rudimentary knowledge,possess ability to learn and follow natural science,the humanities,high-new technological,can control modern education medias,use modernized teaching technology,can educate aesthetics and art to melt organically in teaching,can science predict knowledge develop trend,dynamic development in knowledge flexible in response,can train student's adaptability to changes and innovation ability effectively.


In summary, the results of this study seem to justify an affirmative answer to each of the original questions forming the basis of this study, provided the physician is alerted to the precautions and reservations mentioned. With these in mind, the "Draw-A-Man" test would seem to be a useful instrument, suitable for the use in a busy office practice. The utility of this technique as a screening procedure certainly seems warranted.


octafluoropentyl) 9Hfluorene�2,7�disulfonate, which exhibit intensive absorption in the near IR region of the spectrum: pentamethine with an open polymethine chain (λmax = 790 nm) and nonamethine with sixand fivemembered saturated rings at δ,δ´�positions of the chain (λ max = 1044 and 1086 nm, respectively). To make comparisons, anionic dyes with analogous structure of the polymethine chain, viz., 1,3�dimethylbarbituric and 1,3�diethylthiobarbituric acid derivatives, have been also synthesized. Quantum chemical analysis of the electron struc� ture of the dyes has been performed. Their solvatochromism in polar solvents depends weakly on electrophilicity and nucleophilicity of the medium and is primarily determined by universal interactions. This is the reason that they, in contrast to cationic dyes, retain a high selectivity of absorption (sharp absorption bands) and universal contour of electronic bands in strong polar solvents even with the long polymethine chain. Special solvatochromic effects of the anionic dyes in weakly polar media have been revealed and interpreted. The role of a counterion in these effects has been analyzed.


Abstract:Literary narrators often have warped perceptions of reality and/or motives to deceive. To inspire confidence in questionable sources, I argue, authors sometimes take advantage of readers' cognitive biases. This article explains how three rhetorical devices—maxims, illustrative anecdotes, and speculative statements—can appeal to these predispositions so as to make dubious claims seem credible. Drawing examples from Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, I illustrate how these stylistic elements can lead readers to trust the narrator more than they rationally should, and I propose that these tactics are essential to our enjoyment of the novel.


The objective of the present study was to identify the degree of damage to the histological architecture of haemopoietic tissues viz., liver, anterior kidney and spleen in A. morar exposed to various sublethal concentrations (10%, 20% and 30% of LC 50 value) of lindane for a period of 60 days. The exposed liver had distention of sinusoids, necrosis, vacuolation and degenerative process in the cellular architecture. Anterior kidneys manifested necrosis, tubular vacuolation, followed by total damage of the tissue. Spleen on the other hand showed deposition of haemosiderin pigments, necrosis, vacuolation followed by proliferation of melanomacrphage centres. Total degeneration of the splenic tissue was observed by the end of the experiment. The results of this histological analysis of various fish tissues indicate a direct correlation between insecticide exposure and histopathological disorders observed.


In this dissertation, I grapple with the problem of global drug resistance and moral responsibility which, as far as I am aware, has so far not been presented as a topic of ethical inquiry. It represents a conundrum involving three major factors: microbial adaptation and change, human social factors and environmental changes. Drug resistance is a phenomenon in which certain microorganisms, when exposed to antimicrobial agents, may acquire the beneficial trait of drug resistance which ensures a better potential for their survival. The acquired trait of drug resistance I argue renders such microorganisms 'supra-natural '. Supra-natural is a term I coin for entities that have been imposed upon nature by human design; they do not follow the natural evolutionary processes of adaptation and change. Drug resistance is classified as an emerging infectious disease. Human social factors and environmental change (particularly population growth, density and consumerist practices) enhance the rise of emerging infectious diseases. Through such increasing destructive practices, stress is placed on the environment. Environmental stress facilitates the rise of new and old infectious diseases and the spread of drug resistant supra-natural microorganisms. Thus, our ability to treat successfully illnesses and injuries in humans, animals and plants is increasingly impaired. Morally, we are responsible for the problem of global drug resistance. Drug resistant microorganisms exist in nature and concerning this, we can do nothing. At best, we can only try to control the problem using prudential measures. The problem of global drug resistance represents both a biomedical ethical and an environmental ethical issue. Is there a way out of the human-nature debate? Through Bryan Norton's enlightened anthropocentrism, I identify the ways in which his thesis may be applied to the problem of human and environmental concerns and show its applicability in broadening the parameters of biomedical ethics education to include environmental concerns.


Thispaperintroduces an electronic circuit implementation ofanintegrate-and-fire cell. Thecell generates outputcurrent pulses whentheinputlight intensity exceeds a given threshold. A firing cell alsotransmits itsfiring pattern to neighbouring cells, thereby causing blocks ofcells tofirein synchrony when theirdetectors receive similar inputlight intensities. Thesynchronicity andfrequency ofthepulses canbe usedtocodeanimageintoseparate regions orobjects. The actions ofthecell aredemonstrated withthesimulation ofalinear 8-cell array.


A system and a method for providing a context-oriented event service are provided to reduce overhead generated from a filtering function of a reflective context-oriented event service by using an adaptor, and support reflective and dynamic context-oriented channel management to uniformly distribute load. A communication platform layer provides a situation/context-based distributed service by using a lightweight device and a communication protocol in a wired/wireless environment. An agent platform layer comprises a component for maximizing service efficiency, autonomously adapted to the environment, and adapting merit of an agent system. An external layer comprises a self-growing engine and an ontology-based context awareness engine to provide an intelligent service. CALM(Component-based Automatic Layered Middleware) is equipped with a tool for forming an agent-based platform. The CALM support a context-oriented interface definition language for expressing context when an agent development tool kit and the component providing the context are developed.


The River Teno in Northern Lapland is one of the mo st important Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) rivers and also contains an extensive, but lar gely unstudied, population of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.). Scales from 298 individual trout caught in th e river system were analysed for C and N stable isotopes with the aim of distinguishing be tween freshwater resident and sea migrating trout and to identify po ssibly different migration patterns within the system. Trout juveniles and invertebrates were used as freshwater reference material for isotope values and sea trout caught in Tanafjor d as sea reference material. According to the stable isotope analyses, in the ma in river and in the Inarijoki and Karasjoki tributaries, the major proportion of all the trout analysed were clearly anadromous. In contrast, in the Utsjoki tributary t hat contains numerous large lakes, freshwater residency seems to be the predominant tr out life history pattern. Whereas in the upper river sections and tributaries clearly distin guishable δC and δN clusters appear, the lower Teno sections show a continuous pattern i n δC and δN signatures with no clustering, probably caused either by repeated migr ations between freshwater and marine environments or by feeding in the estuary with inte rm diate isotope values. In this large, completely free flowing river system, the availabil ity of lakes seems to affect the anadromous migration considerably, but the distance to the sea appears less influential.


Objective To predict prognosis in patients with chronic severe hepatitis (CSH) by model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scoring system and study the effects of age, sex, etiology, low serum sodium, persistent ascites on MELD. Methods MELD scores of 300 patients with CSH were calculated according to the original formula. The 3-month's mortality was measured, and the validity of the model was determined by means of the concordance(c) statistic. The influential factors of MELD were also studied.Results In the groups with MELD score 20~29, 30~39 and over 40, the 3-month's mortality of patients with CSH was 56.0% , 76.5% , 98.2% respectively. The c statistic of 3-month's mortality was 0.782 . Univariate analysis showed that mortality was significantly related to age (P= 0.047 ), etiology (P= 0.039 ), serum sodium (P= 0.029 ) and ascites (P= 0.031 ) for patients with MELD scores 20~29. In multivariate analysis, in patients with MELD scores 20~29, age (P= 0.012 ), etiology (P= 0.024 ), serum sodium (P= 0.005 ) and ascites (P= 0.017 ) were independent predictors of mortality; for MELD scores over 30, only MELD scores (P= 0.015 ) was independent predictive. Conclusion MELD is a reliable method for predicting the mortality in patients with CSH. In the group of MELD score 20~29, the factors including age, etiology, presence of low serum sodium and persistent ascites may influence MELD scoring system. The MELD score is the decisive predictor of prognosis of patients with CSH when MELD scores is over 30.


JiapigouHaigou gold mineralization zone is a structuralmagma active zone in eastern part of the northern margin of North China plate. The gold deposits were located in the turn or intersecting of large regional structures, gold ore bodies were located in brittle structures, occurred in the early stage structures or formed in Mesozoic era. Wall rocks of gold ore bodies formed in different era are diversified. The ArgonArgon age of goldbearing quartz vein is approximately 102 Ma. All of the above studies show that the location era of JiapigouHaigou gold mineralization zone is Mesozoic


Abstract. Thin-walled tubes are widely used as energy absorption
devices for their low cost and high manufacturability. Introduction of the
origami technique enables the tube to follow a pre-determined failure mode
and to improve its energy absorption efficiency. This paper examines the
energy absorption characteristics of the origami crash box under
quasi-static axial crushing. Both experimental and numerical results show
that the origami pattern develops a diamond-shaped mode, bringing a
reduction in initial peak force and a significant increase in energy
absorption compared to the conventional hexagonal tube. The sensitivity of
its energy absorption performance to various parameters is studied, and it
is shown to achieve 68.29 % increase in the specific energy absorption and
13.91 % reduction in the initial peak force in the optimal case.
Furthermore, an analytical solution is presented for the energy absorption,
which achieves reasonable agreement with the numerical results.


Objective To understand the distribution of human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells(HPDMSCs) in rats by intravenous injection,and to evaluate the possibility of immune rejection in rats as a result of transplantation of HPDMSCs.Methods After isolating MSCs from the human placenta,the immunophenotypes of cell was observed by flow cytometry,and the rats received an injection of PKH26-labeled HPDMSCs via the caudal vein.After the success ful transplantations,the distribution of HPDMSCs in rats was detected by fluorescence microscope.and the organs conditions of the rats were also observed.Results The results showed that intravenous injection had no obvious acute and chronic immune rejection.In addition,HPDMSCs was detected in the liver,kidney cortex,lung,but the pathology of related organs had no obvious lymphocyte infiltration and proliferation of fibrous tissue.Conclusion Natural immune tolerance may exist between HPDMSCs and rat organs.


This paper considers two ancient instances of engagement with the ruin: resonant descriptions of Troy in the second-century historian Tacitus and in the Neronian poet Lucan. Both represent the encounter with the ruin as alienating, which provokes interpretations corresponding to those of modern engagements with ruins. These instances undermine the particularity of the modern experience of ruins and instead introduce a dialectic between the ruin and the imperial state. Although one might assume that the ruin as a symbol of times past offers a locus outside Modernity or the (Roman) imperial state from where an oppositional perspective becomes possible, this alienation works instead to reinforce political norms. The ruin operates as an illusion of opposition. Although totalitarian systems operate with monological visions of history and unitary imaginaries, and the ruin would seem to encourage plurality, imperial time operates in more complex ways, which allow different historical periods to be enfolded in and subordinated to the imperial dialectic. Collective memory in the imperial society is critically ambivalent and that ambivalence imbues imperial society with a pervasive sorrow.


INTRODUCTION
Postural control in a standing position is externally reflected by the displacement of the centre of pressure (COP). It is necessary to determine COP movement normal patterns in order to obtain an accurate balance assessment.

MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY
A non pathological subject group was studied using NED/IBV s. v. e. evaluation equipment. Static trials based on Romberg's test were undertaken in addition to the analysis trials of voluntary postural control.

RESULTS
Normal patterns have been obtained for the COP displacement and for the maximum forces produced in the anteroposterior and midlateral axes.

CONCLUSIONS
COP movement comparative analysis, related to postural behaviour patterns of non-pathological persons, represents an accurate method to assess postural balance in a standing position. This information enables the design of individual and customised rehabilitation strategies in order to reduce the risk of falling.


Summary Background. In Spanish language, no self-report instruments have been specifically developed to measure symptoms of bipolar disorder. The patient's perspective provides valuable information useful to diagnose and treat the disorder. Objective. To develop a self-report scale for measuring manic symptoms making use of the EMUN scale. Materials and methods. The items of the EMUN scale were transformed in a first person language by two psychiatrists. This preliminary version was evaluated in a pilot testing and adjusted according to this evaluation. A second pilot study applying the adjusted version to 20 patients having bipolar disorder was performed. Results. A 26 items scale including symptoms of mixed episode was developed. This scale measures three clinical relevant dimensions in mental health: frequency, severity and maladaptive effect of symptoms. Conclusions. The instrument developed can be a useful tool for researchers and in clinical settings to support educational interventions and patient's follow-up.


VETS and farmers in the UK are being encouraged to ensure that they are familiar with the clinical signs of Schmallenberg virus, a newly identified virus that has affected sheep, goats and cattle in Europe. Two outbreak assessments by Defra give an indication of how the situation has developed. In a preliminary assessment published on December 20, 2011, Defra noted that, since the summer of 2011, the Netherlands and Germany had reported outbreaks of a disease in cattle, with clinical signs including fever, loss of condition, up to a 50 per cent reduction in milk yield and, in some cases, diarrhoea. The clinical signs cleared after a few days, and the number of reports had declined. In Germany, reported cases were confined to North Rhein Westphalia, while in the Netherlands more than 80 affected farms were reported across the country. The assessment noted that, although the cattle recovered, reports were now being received of deformities in early-stage cattle as well as sheep in the Netherlands, although no clinical signs similar to those seen in cattle had been reported in sheep. Typical deformities seen in lambs had included crooked necks, hydrocephalus and stiff joints. Most were born dead, and infected live lambs did not survive. Samples from affected cattle in Germany had been sent to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute and tested for bluetongue virus, pestiviruses, Rift Valley fever, epizootic haemorrhagic disease and others. All were excluded. Further testing using new technologies had demonstrated Orthobunyavirus-like sequences, which were most closely related to Akabane, Aino and Shamonda viruses. These viruses belong to the Simu serogroup of orthobunyaviruses, which contains 25 different viruses that mainly affect animals and cause mild clinical disease, although infection of early-stage fetuses can cause abortion or congenital disorders. All are transmitted by insect vectors. The new virus has been named Schmallenberg virus, after the German town from which the initial reports of disease were made. Regarding imports of livestock from Europe to the UK, the assessment noted that, according to the EU trade notification system, there had been 185 consignments of cattle, totalling nearly 3000 animals, imported from the Netherlands, and 51 from Germany, of nearly 1500 animals. Many of these would have been in-calf heifers. There had been five consignments of 38 sheep from Germany and four from the Netherlands of 63 animals. Approximately half were females. The assessment noted that it might be too early to see the extent of the problems in cattle. 'Therefore, animal keepers would need to be aware of lambs or calves born between now and summer 2012 and report any abortions and deformities, which may be submitted for testing, particularly if from imported cattle or sheep. As infection may have occurred some time ago, it would be difficult to take disease control measures.'


Base on the specific requirements of the power supply for plasma generator of the high current duopigatron ion source,the structures and function of the filament power supply and the arc power supply are introduced,the designs of main circuits are analyzed.The results of the discharge test show that the performance of the power supply system meets the design requirements.


Berthold M. Kuhn and Dimitrios L. Margellos present a thoroughly reflected analysis of global trends shaping our future. Key megatrends include climate change and sustainability, digitalization, growing inequalities, urbanization and smart cities, the progression toward a green economy, and sustainable finance. Addressing geopolitical shifts and the future of multilateralism, the authors also discuss new trends in democracy and governance, migration, and health and nutrition, as well as civilizational developments like demography, diversity, identity politics, individualization, and shifting gender norms. Based on their own research and a series of interviews with leading analysts and researchers from different world regions, the authors present cutting-edge content on the future of humanity.


In this work, we propose a deep audio-visual fusion model to estimate the saliency of videos. The model extracts visual and audio features with two separate branches and fuses them to generate the saliency map. We design a novel temporal attention module to utilize the temporal information and a spatial feature pyramid module to fuse the spatial information. Then a multi-scale audio-visual fusion method is used to integrate different modalities. Furthermore, we propose a new dataset for audio-visual saliency estimation. The proposed dataset consists of 202 high quality video squences with a large range of motions, scenes and object types. Many of the videos have high audio-visual correspondence. Several experiments are conducted on different datasets. The results demonstrate that our model outperforms the previous state-of-the-art methods by a large margin and the proposed dataset can serve as a new benchmark for the audio-visual saliency estimation task.


Three methods have thus far been developed to convert a serum ferritin value to the absolute amount of storage iron. Walters et al. (4) noted in 1973 that 1 ng/ml of serum ferritin was equivalent to 8 mg of iron stores. Cook et al. (2) found a similar correlation where 1 ng/ml equalled 10 mg of storage iron. Saarinen and Siimes discovered a linear correlation between the logarithmic value of serum ferritin and the iron stores expressed as mg/kg body weight (3). Table 1 shows the differences between these methods in converting the average serum ferritin values in adult male and female, in children weighing 15 and 30 kg, as well as in the newborn. Strikingly, the methods differ from each other, particularly in the newborn where the methods of Walters et al. and Cook et al. result in marked overestimation: about 30 times as high values as estimated by chemical analyses (5). We agree with Caballero et al. (1) that the estimation in the preschool child is the lowest by the Saarinen and Siimes method. Caballero et al. state that a child weighing 14 kg may have 468 mg of storage iron. This value seems to be unusually high compared to those that are obtained by any other methods. Further, it is unfortunate that they do not give data on the serum ferritin concentration in that particular child because it would have been the first time when a direct comparison between serum ferritin and iron stores has been given. It would also be the real way to compare these three methods. We are confident that none of the three methods fit well all circumstances and all age-groups because critical experiments are


A natural starting point for an age-period-cohort analysis is to assess the suitability of an independence model. If necessary, modifications are then made to the independence model to account for the effects of period and cohort.
Data are usually made available for analysis in a two-way contingency table categorised in terms of rounded age and rounded period. The linear relationship age=period-cohort does not hold exactly under rounding and the observation in a cell rounded age-by-period is not necessarily the same as an observation in a cell rounded age-by-cohort. In practice, independence models are discretised incorrectly such that the age-by-period data are used for model fitting as if the data are rounded age-by-cohort. The independence model is often deemed to be unsuitable as a description of the data and modifications are made to the independence model according to a proportional hazards assumption. We investigate whether the need for modifications is only apparent due to the misrounded treatment of the data. The case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is used as an illustrative example.


The aim of the work was verification of the hypothesis that weak power frequency (50 Hz) magnetic fields (MF) affected the number of free oxygen radicals in living biological cells and that these changes could be qualitatively explained by the radical pair mechanism. The experiments were performed on rat lymphocytes. One‐hour exposure to 50 Hz MF at 20, 40, or 200 μT flux densities was performed inside a pair of Helmholtz coils with axis along or crosswise to the Earth's static MF. Iron ions (FeCl2) were used as a stimulator of the oxidation processes. Oxygen radicals were measured by fluorimetry using a DCF‐DA fluorescent probe. Only in the lymphocytes exposed at 40 μT MF directed along the Earth's static MF there was a decrease of fluorescence in relation to non‐exposed samples. Our observation seems to confirm the hypothesis that low level power frequency MF affects oxidative processes which occur in living biological cells and that this effect can be explained by the radical pair mechanism. Bioelectromagnetics 25:607–612, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The present paper aims at evaluating the experimental flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beam strengthened by Near Surface Mounted (NSM) rebars and combined with ferrocement jacket. RC beams of 150 mm width, 200 mm depth and 2100 mm length were made up with brick aggregate concrete. Different ratios of NSM rebars were installed in grooves of the RC beams by using epoxy resin and half of them were wrapped by expanded wire mesh with cement mortar. After curing properly and adequately, four-point bending tests were carried out upto failure on fourteen RC beams divided in two groups depending on their concrete strength. From each group, one beam was left un-strengthened to act as the control beam. Yield and ultimate strengths, failure behaviour of the beam, pre and post cracking behaviour of the beams and ductility were observed, reported and discussed based on the measured load and deflection. The test results show that flexural strength can be significantly increased along with achievement of excellent ductility by using NSM rebars with low cost and locally available technical and implementing manpower. For NSM rebars combined with Ferro-cement jacketing technique, strength is increased significantly but ductility is decreased compare with the NSM rebars technique. © 2019 Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. All rights reserved.


Objective To investigate the influence of hyperthermic CO2 pneumoperitoneum on the biological behaviors and the expression of metalloproteinase-2 of human colorectal cancer cells.Methods COLO 205 cells were treated by hyperthermic CO2 pneumoperitoneum(HT-CO2) at 43°C for 3 to 4 hours.The effects of HT-CO2 on the biological behaviors of COLO 205 cells were also measured by invasion and metastasis assay in vitro.Differential proteins were identified by quantitation assay using isotope labeling and confirmed by Western blot and RT-PCR.Results HT-CO2 treatment inhibited invasion and metastasis of COLO 205 cells in a time-dependent way,and at the same time decreased the expression of metalloproteinase-2.Conclusion HT-CO2 could inhibit the invasion and metastasis ability of COLO 205 cells,and the possible mechanism might be associated with decreased expression of metalloproteinase-2.


The concept of using elastomeric coatings for improving the ability of existing structures to dissipate energy due to severe impulsive loading or critical shaking conditions was investigated by many researchers in the past and is still an area of considerable interest. In recent years, polyurea has been successfully applied as a coating material for such a purpose demonstrating a remarkable improvement of the survivability of structures subjected to severe shock and impact conditions. In this work the improvement of the damping properties of polyurea was proposed. The dynamic properties of this polymer were enhanced by reinforcing it with two classes of fillers in the form of short fibers and ceramic particles. We present the results of the experiments that we carried out on the reinforced polyurea materials and we compare them to those of the pure polymer. Particularly, the behavior of the reinforced materials in dynamic conditions showed that these composites have improved mechanical properties and especially higher damping characteristics with respect to those presented by the pure (non reinforced) elastomer. These properties are highly desirable for the dissipation of the energy released by an impact event.


Photography and painting belong to the same category----art. They both not only have the same artistic characteristics, but also have their own characteristics. This paper has studied the same characteristics between the two, analyzed the similarities and differences to grasp firmly the essential characteristics of photography.


The results of an investigation into the metal properties and geometry of small-radius bends having a radius to tube diameter ratio of 1.0-1.5, which are made from 20- and 12Kh1MF-grade steel by a technology involving an axial thrust against the tube in the cold state. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the metal of these bends are found to be near the related properties and microstructure of the metal in the large-radius bends made by conventional methods in the cold state. The investigation showed that the cold-worked small-radius bends did not need any heat treatment.


The research aimed to establish the relationship between factors such as self-esteem, emotional states, and computer anxiety mediated by self-confidence in creativity in learning in post-pandemic university students. The methodology used for the study was non-experimental research; a questionnaire was applied to a convenience sample of 271 students (n=21; 𝛼 =0.906 𝜔 =0.917), validity and reliability tests were carried out, and using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM), the analysis of the proposed model was carried out. The results showed that computer anxiety is accentuated when there is a demand for the use of ICT and a lack of computer resources; it influences self-confidence and creativity in learning and emotional states. In the same way, self-esteem influences self-confidence, creativity in learning, and emotional states. The research provides critical foundations to improve the conditions for developing creative skills in learning.


This study examined college students' learning processes and outcomes by collecting their feedback on the process of creating text summaries. The data were collected by conducting surveys, in which all questions were open-ended. The students' written products and graphic organizers were also collected. The data were analyzed through content analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The results show that the students considered summary as a potential vehicle for multiple purposes: including understanding a whole text, self-testing their understanding of a text, practicing content organization, improving their writing skills, and identifying the most important information. The students used several strategies for an effective summary, among them, the use of graphic organizers was the most popular method. They revealed that the skills of reading and writing are interrelated, meaning that their thinking processes unified their reading and writing processes. The students had difficulty in delivering appropriate grammar and vocabulary, and their written information was acted as multiple functions, such as guidance of future teaching, suggestions for improvement in reading and writing, and self-testing on their own language abilities. The students conveyed their positive experiences about text summary such as, building confidence in writing, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and helping their long-term memory.


Introduction. Oxidative stress (OS) is recognized as a contributing factor to the development of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH) in premature infants. In the modern scientific literature, there is a lack of unequivocal recommendations for the management of PPH, considering the levels of OS, what determines the need for the development of a differentiated approach for management to infants with pulmonary hypertension.The aim of the study. To increase the efficacy of management of premature infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension with asphyxia and respiratory distress syndrome based on the development of the algorithm of a differentiated approach for management of pulmonary hypertension considering the levels of oxidative stress as determined by the urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG).Material and methods. Were analyzed the observations of 96 infants born prematurely at gestational age of 26/1–34/6 weeks: group I consisted of 50 infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), group II - 50 infants with RDS associated with perinatal asphyxia. PPH was determined by echocardiography on the 1st and on the 3rd-5th day of life, and quantitative determination of the urinary 8-OHdG (ng/ml) was performed on 44 neonates on the 1st and in dynamics on the 3rd-5th day of life using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For comprehensive radiographic assessment of PPH, all infants received chest X-Ray with determination of Moore's, Schwedel's, and cardiothoracic indexes (CTI).Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 software. Under the conditions of normal distribution of quantities, parametric statistical methods were used to calculate the arithmetic mean (M) and the representativeness error of the mean (m). Using Fisher`s exact test (φ) we analyzed the quantitative parameters. Using the heterogeneous sequential Wald procedure, development of diagnostic criteria was performed. The essence of the procedure is to determine both diagnostic (DC), prognostic coefficients (PC) and diagnostic informativeness (I) of the investigated indicators. The minimum informativeness of the feature required for addition to the developed algorithm was considered I ≥ 0.25.The algorithm was developed on the basis of diagnostic coefficients of clinical and anamnestic data of the examined groups of children, echocardiographic criteria for the presence and determination of the degree of PPH, the dynamics of OS levels and their comparison with the indicators of a comprehensive radiological assessment of pulmonary hypertension in prematurely born infants with RDS and perinatal asphyxia in association with RDS in gestational age of 26-34 weeks.Design of a study was discussed and approved at a session of the Ethical commission of the Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education (Prot. № 5 from 18.12.2020). All parents gave an informed consent for examination of their children.The study was carried out in accordance to the plan of the research work of the Department of Neonatology of the Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education "Study of features of the course of oxidative stress diseases in newborns" (January 2022 - December 2024), state registration number 0122U000025.Results. Has been developed an algorithm of a differentiated approach to management of premature infants with RDS and asphyxia with PPH, the essence of which - is to improve and individualize the method of mechanical lung ventilation (MLV) for each individual case.Conclusions. For prematurely born infants at gestational age 26-34 weeks, is important to determine the level of the urinary 8-OHdG on the 1st and 3rd-5th days of life to decide the severity of OS. For management of newborns with PPH, in the case of an increase of the level of 8-OHdG by the 3rd-5th day of life, is recommended to increase the ventilator parameters; in the case of a decrease - diminish the ventilation parameters or extubate an infant.


This article argues for a fundamental raison d'être reconceptualization of international investment law (IIL) through Martha Fineman's 'vulnerability theory'. The theory helps identify the structural sources of IIL's shortcomings, whilst philosophically challenging the one-sided view that foreign investors are entitled to protections, but are free from obligations vis-à-vis the communities affected by their undertakings. Emphasizing the productive power of the state to take positive action that acknowledges ordinary citizens' embeddedness within, and dependence upon, surrounding structures, the vulnerability theory challenges the hegemonic perception of the state as a source of danger – a view which has hitherto undermined both the potency and the enforceability of investor obligations. Used as a heuristic device in studying both IIL's existing structures and the potential avenues for reimagining it, Fineman's theory not only shines a novel light on the foundational premises of IIL, but also grants theoretical traction to existing ideas about improving the system.


Human-wildlife conflicts have been a major problem in parts of Meru District since the 1920s. There have been numerous cases of loss of human lives due to wild animal attacks, predation of livestock and crop destruction by wild animals in the district. Despite the magnitude of humanwildlife conflicts (HWC) in the district, the underlying causes for the conflicts have not been studied. This study therefore examined the social, political and economic aspects of HWC in Meru District in the period 1920 to 1939. The study analysed the impact of wildlife conservation on people's livelihoods and the responses by government and local communities to the conflicts. To achieve these objectives, the political ecology perspective was used. This perspective examines interactions between political, economic, social and environmental factors over time. The research relied on both secondary and primary sources. The former included published works that were obtained from various resource centres, while the latter were obtained from the Kenya National Archives (KNA) and field interviews. Sources from the KNA included both monthly and annual reports from the provincial administration and the Ministry of Wildlife and Tourism. Oral interviews were also conducted in the study area. Forty informants were interviewed during fieldwork. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the informants. This ensured that only knowledgeable persons were interviewed. Initial informants directed the researcher to other potential informants. Interview schedules targeting local residents, the provincial administration and wildlife conservation agents were used. These categories of informants enriched the study through different perspectives to the HWC Phenomenon. Data analysis involved usage of "data cards" that were useful in sorting out data. The cards were categorised according to the themes highlighted in the study objectives. Chronology was also used in the categorisation of "data Cards." In the analysis, the data were tested against the objectives of the study. The study found out that, while there were efforts to ameliorate HWCs in the district which included logging, poaching and destruction of crops and livestock by wild animals, the methods used were ineffective. The findings of the study may assist policy-makers to formulate wildlife conservation policies that could help ameliorate HWC, which could lead to improved standards of living in the district.


The technology of microwave extraction was applied to extract flavonoids from Qiamagu.Ultraviolet spectrophotometry method was used to determine the content of flavonoids in extracting solution of Qiamagu.The effects of average microwave output power,ratio of solvent to material and treatment time of microwave and extract frequency on the extraction yield were investigated.The orthogonal test results indicated that the optimum conditions of microwave extract were as follows microwave output power 450W,treatment time of microwave 70 seconds,the concentration of alcohol 70%,the material-fluid rate 1:20,under this condition,the content of flavonoids was 0.502%.


In "On Denoting," Bertrand Russell maintains that the key to an understanding of denoting ordinary things is an analysis of the logical syntax of sentences containing the definite article 'the'. In somewhat the same vein, I think that the key to an analysis of denoting propositions and facts must be an analysis of the logical syntax of sentences containing the complementizer 'that', the word that forms that-clauses, such as 'that snow is white'. I But my conclusions are the opposite of Russell's. His insight was to reject the natural idea that combining 'the' with a common noun phrase yields a phrase, a definite description, that acts as a syntactic-semantic unit and refers to a thing. I defend the natural idea that combining 'that' with a sentence yields a phrase, a thatclause, that acts as a syntactic-semantic unit and refers to a proposition or fact. Treating that-clauses as units flies in the face of conventional practice of the last few decades of work in modal, epistemic, and deontic logic. In these enterprises, the role of the word 'that' is to adhere to a verb or adjective to produce an operator, such as 'It is possible that' or 'x knows that', the whole of which combines with sentences in non-truth functional ways. Russell, had he considered this view, would have said "This leaves that-clauses, by themselves, wholly devoid of meaning, but gives a meaning to every proposition in whose verbal expression they occur" (paraphrased from On Denoting). This practice sees 'Mary believes that snow is white' as having the structure


A device for generating radiation source based on a discharge includes a cathode and an anode. A discharge is created in a material comprising an alloy of two or more substances.


ABSTRACT His symposium employs established social science theory to frame and place into comparative perspective the case of Belarusian mass mobilization that began in August 2020. We not only argue and explain how this is a case of mass mobilization that occurred in a competitive authoritarian context, but also that is a far more "typical" example (rather than an outlier) of protest mobilization occurring in political repressive contexts. We propose both empirical and methodological guidance for the study and analysis of such cases, whilst warning against accepting initial reports of mass protest phenomena at face value. Examining how each study presented in this special issue makes a measured and innovative empirical and conceptual contribution, correcting or revisiting accepted "truths," providing a new framing and/or analyzing original data. The case of Belarus before and after August 2020 underlines the importance and the empirical and ethical challenges of studying stability and change in public opinion and state-society relations in authoritarian settings.


Concerning the current situation of Heilongjiang Netcom customer service center,this paper studied the customer service system.Combining with the requirement and the real problem of the customers,the paper designed a new customer service center architecture,improved the original system.This paper introduced the system structure of the Heilongjiang Netcom customer service center,the main functions of all kinds of modules and the business implementations.At the same time,on the basis of the three layers structure of the accessing database,the application server,proxy and outer interface are also designed.


Background: Success of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test-and-treat (T&T) strategy requires high antiretroviral (ART) uptake and retention. However, low ART uptake and retention continue to be reported in ART programs. This study assessed ART uptake and retention outcomes of the HIV T&T strategy in three HIV clinics in Cameroon.Methods: A retrospective chart review was done for 423 patients who initiated HIV care within a period of three months prior to the implementation of the HIV T&T strategy, and for another 423 patients who initiated HIV care within a three-month period following the HIV T&T strategy implementation. For each group, sociodemographic, ART uptake and retention data were collected. Chi square and Student T tests were used to test for differences proportions and means between the two groups at p <0.05 and 95% confidence interval.Results: The mean ages (years) in the pre-T&T and the T&T groups were 39.73 and 39.72, and the proportion of female were 65.85% and 65.08% respectively. ART uptake proportion was higher amongst those enrolled under the T&T strategy (98.08% vs 95.39%, p=0.02). A greater proportion of the patients in the T&T group initiated ART within 2 weeks following HIV diagnosis (55.84% vs 48.17%, p=0.03). However, ART retention at 24th month was lower in the T&T group (78.83% vs. 85.79%, p=0.01).Conclusions: The findings suggest that the T&T strategy is associated with higher ART uptake, earlier ART initiation, and lower ART retention. This underscores a need for strategies to improve ART retention under the HIV T&T guidelines.


We present and analyze an adaptive margin-based algorithm that actively learns the optimal linear separator for multi-dimensional data. The algorithm has the capacity of adapting to unknown level of label noise in the underlying distribution, making it suitable for model selection under the active learning setting. Compared to other alternative agnostic active learning algorithms, our proposed method is much simpler and achieves the optimal convergence rate in query budget T and data dimension d, if logarithm factors are ignored. Furthermore, our algorithm can handle classification loss functions other than the 0-1 loss, such as hinge and logistic loss, and hence is computationally feasible.


Commodity price prediction is a notoriously difficult task, and fluctuations in this space have large social, economic, and political consequences, as the recent precipitous drop in oil prices has demonstrated. The ability to predict the movements of commodity prices is highly consequential: a successful prediction algorithm could inform a company on how to hedge against risk or form the basis for a profitable algorithmic trading strategy. In this project, we employ logistic regression, support vector machine, and Naive Bayes classification algorithms. The input to each model is a collection of time series including technical indicators, macro-market features, and other commodities. Each model outputs a vector v ∈ {0, 1} , in which the nth coordinate indicates whether a given commodity index will have achieved net positive return n ∈ {1, ..., N} days in the future. We begin our exploration with the findings of Jennings' commodity ETF prediction project (Stanford MS&E 447) which demonstrate that models constructed on feature spaces consisting of solely price data and corresponding momentum indicators are insufficient for predicting price movements. This agrees with the conclusions of Kinlay, who ran 1,000,000 different machine learning algorithms using only price data and derivative features and found that none of the models' predictions were distinguishable from noise on out-of-sample data [4]. Kinlay published his 1,000,000 models paper in response to research like that published by Ticlavilca et al [7] and Huang [5] which seems to indicate that machine learning on technical indicators can produce useful and reliable results. Kinlay suspected that the success of many of these researchers is due to sampling bias, and thus performed his exhaustive 1,000,000 model test. The research by Kase [1] and Jegadeesh [3] demonstrating the profitability of momentum-based trading strategies may have inspired recent attempts by machine learning researchers to use feature spaces consisting only of technical indicators. Mindful of this prior work, we conduct an iterative process of feature engineering and exploratory analysis to construct an improved input feature space, and show that our model implementations can successfully generalize to out of sample data. II. DATA AND FEATURES


It has been reported that selenium and tellurium react with bismuthiol II to form 1 : 4 complexes(Se or Te : reagent). In this work the composition of the complexes precipitated from an aqueous phase was also confirmed to be 1 : 4 by elementary analysis. However, it was revealed that the complexes were mixtures of Se(II)- and/or Te(II)-bismuthiol II, and disulfide of the reagent by vapor pressure osmometry. Selenium (IV) and Tellurium(IV) oxidize a part of the reagent to disulfide and are themselves reduced to Se(II) and Te(II), followed by combining with the reagent to from the Se- and Te-bismuthiol II complexes. This reaction is quantitative and the disulfide contained in the precipitate was confirmed by IR spectra. Once large amounts of the precipitates are dissolved in benzene and chloroform, they soon reprecipitate from the organic phase. The precipitates were confirmed to be 2 : 2 complexes by elementary analysis, mass spectra, and gel permeation chromatography.


Greenhouse gases are: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. In December 2020, the European Council approved a new target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and a net domestic emission reduction of at least 55% compared to 1990, and climate neutrality for 2050. Careful monitoring of emissions is needed to achieve these goals. The paper aims to evaluate and compare the carbon dioxide emission coefficient, in the case of burning different fuels: petroleum fuels and biofuels. The calculation model was developed based on the mathematical relationships taken from specific publications. Kerosene, Liquiefied Petroleum Gas, Gasoline COR 95 Euro 5 and Diesel Euro 5 are the petroleum fuels used in the study. The used biofuels are: Bioethanol, Biobuthanol, Biodiesel (soybean) and Biodiesel (rapeseed). The results provide data on the amount of CO2 that reaches into the atmosphere. Based on the information obtained, a fuel ranking can be made and decisions can be taken regarding their choice.


This thesis entitled "The efforts of the police in providing protection for victims of hit and run". the number of traffic violations in large cities make the police must be prepared to carry out its duties and responsibilities in society as law enforcement officers. many victims are found to violate traffic, it is necessary for police efforts in providing protection for victims of traffic accidents. Protection procedures such as: receiving reports from the public, coordinating with relevant agencies, came to the scene of the accident, take the victim to the nearest hospital, secure evidence, conduct research in the scene, to call witnesses to the inquiry, and submit the case file to the public prosecutor. The constraints faced by the police in performing such procedures is the lack of infrastructure, funding, and ethics in traffic, so that the accident would not have happened if people had ethics in pass-traffic.


The presence of large quantities of dyes in the wastewater has garnered more attention
to the world as they can possess harmful effects both to the human beings as well as
to the living organisms. Almost every products and foods that we consume daily
consist of dyes, thus making the amount of dyes being released into the wastewater
keeps increasing year by year. Various types of adsorbents have been synthesized in
order to overcome this problem. The discovery of geopolymers as a potential adsorbent
is significant due to its amorphous and porous structure. In this study, geopolymers
synthesized from fly ash were used as the adsorbent.


Expansions in the oscillation modes of tidally perturbed bodies provide a useful framework for representing tidally induced flows. However, recent work has demonstrated that such expansions produce inaccurate predictions for secular orbital evolution when mode damping rates are computed independently. We explore the coupling of collectively driven modes by frictional and viscous dissipation, in tidally perturbed bodies that are both non-rotating and rigidly rotating. This exploration leads us to propose an alternative approach to treating the damping of tidally driven oscillations that accounts for dissipative mode coupling, but which does not require any information beyond the eigenfunctions and eigenfrequencies of adiabatic modes.


The adaptive formation of enzymes for the oxidation of L-arabinose, lactose, and D-glucuronic acid was inhibited by dihydrostreptomycin in a strain of Escherichia coli which would not grow in the presence of this antibiotic. Adaptive enzyme formation was not inhibited in E. coli variants which would grow in the presence of dihydrostreptomycin or which required the antibiotic for growth.


Eu-doped GaN(Mg) exemplifies hysteretic photochromic switching between two configurations, Eu0 and Eu1(Mg), of the same photoluminescent defect. Using the above-bandgap excitation, we studied the temperature dependence of photoluminescence (TDPL) of transitions from the excited 5D1 level of Eu3+ for both configurations of this defect. During sample cooling, 5D1→7F0,1,2 transitions of Eu0 manifest themselves at temperatures below ∼200 K, while those of Eu1(Mg) appear only during switching. The observed line positions verify crystal field energies of the 7F0,1,2 levels. TDPL profiles of 5D1→7F1 and 5D0→7FJ transitions of Eu0 show an onset of observable emission from the 5D1 level coincident with the previously observed, but hitherto unexplained, decrease in the intensity of its 5D0→7FJ emission on cooling below 200 K. Hence, the 5D0→7FJ TDPL anomaly signals a back-up of 5D1 population due to a reduction in phonon-assisted relaxation between 5D1 and 5D0 levels at lower temperatures. We discuss this surprisin...


In the light of sociology, thoughts SARS have brought people embody four aspects: to cultivate a mode of globalization thinking; to guarantee citizen'rights to know public affairs; to attach importance to sustainable development in ecology; to form a good habit in public health.


Objective To study the raltionship between FK506-binding protein 52(FKBP52)and hypospadias. MethodsThe immunohistochemistry SP method was used to evaluate the FKBP52 expression in urethral plate and prepuce of 45 hypospadias patients with different serious degree, using normal prepuce as controls. ResultsThe expression of FKBP52 in urethral plate (80%) and prepuce (62. 2%) were significantly lower than those in control group (93.3%). The expression of FKBP52 in urethral plate (83. 3%) and prepuce(75%) in mild hypospadias group, was no significant difference with that in severe hypospadias group(urethral plate76. 2%, prepuce47. 7%). ConclusionsFKBP52 has a close relationship with the incidence of hypospadias, while has no obvious relationship with the severity of hypospadias.

Key words:
Hypospadias;  Immunohistochemistry


Effective monitoring solutions are critical to the smooth running of enterprise systems. However, real-world constraints present several challenges in designing such solutions. With the increasing scale and complexity of today's enterprise IT systems and their increasing use for business-critical applications, traditional approaches to monitoring must be reconsidered. This article stresses the need for a paradigm-shift from manual intuition-led approaches to an automated analytics-driven approach to monitor the IT systems. The authors propose that analytics-led solutions can provide powerful levers to design monitoring and event management solutions for next-generation enterprise IT systems.


Rod amplifiers of 51-mm diameter and disk amplifiers with diameters of 51 and 86 mm were designed and some units have been built for use in a four-beam high-energy glass laser at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). The design goals and measured characteristics of these amplifiers are discussed. Data on self-focusing damage in both rods and disks are presented. Important characteristics of capacitor-bank design, flashlamp construction, and laser glass are discussed. Completion of the four-beam system is scheduled for early 1974.


The invention discloses a positioning method in novel silk screen printing CCD (charge coupled device) image identification, comprising the following steps of: (a) conveying PCBs (printed circuit boards) to an operating platform part to be initially positioned and clamped by virtue of an introducing part and an operating platform conveying part; (b) obtaining a CCD positioning identification template by adopting a manually programming method; (c) calculating angular deviation and distance deviation by virtue of the PCBs and MARK points on a silk screen, controlling the operating platform to correspondingly adjust position and angle; and (d) moving an image acquisition device to the position above the PCBs and the MARK points, respectively shooting the PCBs and the MARK points of the silk screen by virtue of a CCD camera, matching the obtained image with the CCD positioning identification template, and carrying out automatic printing after a matching requirement is achieved. The invention provides a whole set of system, the system can automatically detect offset between the center of an object window required to be retrieved by a user and the center of any pattern, the offset is namely correction, the correction is added during counterpoint calculation, and counterpoint actuating quantity is calculated and a counterpoint action is executed. For various patterns used for counterpoint of a base plate, the various patterns can be simply counterpointed without high correction proficiency requirement, and printing counterpoint accuracy can be improved.


A spinal cord injury is associated with a loss or reduction of motor and sensor function. During the rehabilitation process, gait training and standing exercise play a significant role in partial restoration of motor ability. In this paper we introduce a case study, which determines the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) during locomotion attempts in water. Within eight weeks a paraplegic subject conducted 14 training sessions involving tSCS and one session containing a combination of tSCS and functional electrical stimulation (FES). For assessment purposes, inertial sensor units (IMUs) and electromyography (EMG) sensors were used in water during locomotion.


A commercial formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner, Biotrol BTB 183-25 W, was fed to dairy cattle in an attempt to control house fly, Musca domestica L., larvae in the feces. A maximum lanai mortality of 32% was obtained when cows were fed 3200 ppm of this formulation.

In an in vitro experiment, complete control of home fly larvae was obtained at a level of 12,800 ppm of feces.


We present a family of partitions of $W_\mathcal{G}$, the set of walks on a directed graph $\mathcal{G}$. Each partition in this family is identified by an integer sequence $K$, which specifies a collection of cycles on $\mathcal{G}$ with a certain well-defined structure. We term such cycles resummable, and a walk that does not traverse any such cycles $K$-irreducible. For a given value of $K$, the corresponding partition of $W_\mathcal{G}$ consists of a collection of cells that each contain a single $K$-irreducible walk $i$ plus all walks that can be formed from $i$ by attaching one or more resummable cycles to its vertices.
We characterise the entire family of partitions of $W_\mathcal{G}$ by giving explicit expressions for the structure of the $K$-irreducible walks and the resummable cycles for arbitrary values of $K$. We demonstrate how these results can be exploited to recast the sum over all walks on a directed graph as a sum over dressed $K$-irreducible walks, and discuss the applications of this reformulation to matrix computations.


The volume of MEMS devices shipped per year has increased by an order of magnitude in each of the past 4 decades. Earlier this year, Robert Bosch celebrated shipping a total of 1B MEMS devices (since about 1995), mostly in the automotive space. This year, Knowles Acoustics has also celebrated shipping a total of 1B microphones (since about 2003). What can we expect in the coming decade? Now that MEMS is convincingly penetrating the rapidly growing and evolving consumer electronics market, we can expect remarkable changes in MEMS technology. While smaller volume applications will continue to use older 150mm manufacturing facilities, the accelerating trend to build MEMS on 200mm wafers will increase. This will mean that traditional CMOS foundries will garner an increasing share of MEMS manufacturing. In addition, there is developing a trend to integrate multiple sensor functions on the same MEMS chip, or inside the same MEMS package. MEMS has barely scratched the surface of new application areas in RF and in biotech — these areas will grow dramatically in the next few years. As MEMS sensors and other devices continue to proliferate into every conceivable consumer product, many new opportunities for new MEMS products and new MEMS companies will open over the coming decade.


Abstract : Temperature distribution and its variability with altitude are examined. The average temperature profile is compared with vertical temperature distribution which is averaged out for assigned readings at the surface of the earth. The question of the expediency of grouping surface temperature in order to obtain its vertical variation at specified temperature values at the surface of the earth is clarified.


During hajj, some pilgrims shave or shorten their hairs in streets or in unlicensed salons which lack health and safety standards. This study was undertaken to determine the occurrence of fungal contamination of hair samples in pilgrims who practice this kind of haircuts. About 150 hair specimens collected in pre-sterilized Petri dishes. Each hair specimen was cultured into two Sabouraud's dextrose agars, one of them was fortified with chloramphenicol and cycloheximide. The result showed that 103 samples were found positive for fungal growth. The number of non-dermatophytes was 88 (85.4%) mainly Aspergillus (66), Penicillium (19), while the dermatophytes number was 15 (14.6%) mainly M. audouinii (5) followed by T. terrestre (4) species. The highest dermatophytes number (3) was seen in three nationalities Egyptian, Nigerian and Pakistani, while the highest age group number was seen in people with age < 20 years old (5) followed by people with age group > 60 years old (4). It was concluded that unsafe or unhygienic haircuts can be a potential risk for dermatophytic fungal infection. It is worth noting that the numbers of healthy salons need to be increased.


This study aims to analyze the market behaviors of franchised restaurant starters and provide fundamental data to guide restaurant franchisers in formulating effective the affiliate registration strategies by clarifying factors that influence the selection of a franchise on business conditions (for Korean, Western, Japanese and powered-dish restaurants). This is done by analyzing the evaluation standards and differences in each business condition of franchise business, which is one of the fastest growing forms of distribution.


The adsorption of C{sub 60} and the co-adsorption of C{sub 60} and H{sub 2}0 on {alpha}-A1{sub 2}0{sub 3}(1102)(2 {times} l) has been investigated by temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) spectroscopy. C{sub 60} is adsorbed on a clean and well-characterized sapphire surface at room temperature by evaporation from a thin C{sub 60} film previously vacuum deposited on a stainless steel substrate or from C{sub 60} powder enclosed in gold foil. Multilayer desorption of C{sub 60} (detected as a doubly ionized particle, m/e=360, with a quadrupole mass spectrometer) is observed with a peak temperature for desorption increasing from 520 to 570 K with increasing coverage. The peak shape is characteristic of zero-order desorption kinetics with an activation energy of 32.4 {plus minus} 0.4 kcal/mol and a pre-exponential factor of 4.3 {times} 1O{sup 12} monolayer/s. At submonolayer coverages (< 0.5 monolayer, where one monolayer equals 1.21 {times} 10{sup 14} molecules/cm{sup 2}) the bonding of the C{sup 60} to the substrate is observed with a peak temperature for desorption between 430 and 460 K. Activation energy and pre-exponential factor calculated based on first-order desorption kinetics are 25 {plus minus} 6 kcal/mol and 6.3 {times} 10{sup 11} s{sup {minus}1} respectively. Exposure Of C{sub 60} to a watermore » predosed surface at room temperature did not displace the adsorbed surface hydroxyls. Concomitant desorption of C{sub 60} and some water is observed from a water predosed surface subsequently exposed to C{sub 60} multilayers. Whereas, water post-dosed onto a C{sub 60}-covered surface has a reduced sticking probability.« less


This paper discusses the production of space in Brasilia, the national capital city of Brazil. The objective is to contribute for the analysis of the role of planning, ideology and city image in the production of metropolitan space. The perspective adopted assumes the following relations: social, economic and ideological context; public policies for territorial organization; and the perceived image and spatial practices towards the land and the environment. The basic assumption is that not only planning culture but also social perception, influence environmental quality in cities. City images, while collective experiences, have a decisive role in spatial practices. Furthermore, key actors may create city images to suit their interests. The analysis focuses on the influence of territorial planning policies, not only in the continuous production of a segregated space, but also in the recent establishment of a chaotic metropolitan growth. Since the start in the nineteen fifties, the governmental discourse attributed to Brasilia the image of an ideal city. The modernist city plan not only expressed the progress period in which the country was to enter, but also served as a model. The conservative development that characterized the ensuing phases and influenced territorial management was determinant to produce a dual urban structure. The governmental discourse, however, continued to produce an image of a planned and equalitarian city. The analysis suggests that the perception of a disruption between governmental discourse and effective action may have contributed for spatial practices that emphasize private over public interests. In Brasilia, the perception of a disjointed image seems to have influenced spatial practices, turning them away from planning directives. The main source utilized is a bibliographical research and references to different territorial plans for the city, considered representative of different periods through which the urbanization of Brasilia has evolved.


Pollen substitutes are currently widely used in apiculture because of a lack of natural forage and an increasing need for bees for pollination services. A major concern in the confection of bee diets is whether specific ingredients, such as GMO grain, or contaminants such as pesticides that are applied to crops, negatively impact bee health. We measured hemolymph protein levels and the lifespan of honey bees fed on diets containing non-hybrid (IAC-Airan), hybrid (AG 7088) or transgenic (AG 8088YG) maize, the seeds of which had been treated with fipronil, imidacloprid or left untreated. Corn from these plantings was harvested, dried and finely ground, and then used for the preparation of corn-based diets. Groups of 100 newly emerged bees were placed in cages, where the diets were offered ad libitum. Honey bee lifespan was similar for all the corn diets, though shorter than for bees fed beebread and longer than for bees fed only honey. Total protein in the hemolymph of bees fed with transgenic maize was 15% lower than in bees fed on non-hybrid maize; lipophorin and vitellogenin, were more reduced, by over 30%. Irrespective of corn variety, imidacloprid resulted in over 25% lower levels of lipophorin compared with the control. Lower storage and transport protein levels would compromise the ability of the bees to rear brood and develop an adequate immune response to pathogen challenge. Consequently, transgenic maize, as well as any maize produced from seed treated with imidacloprid should not be included as ingredients in honey bee diets.


The constitutive properties of the lateritic soils, near Worsley, located some 200 km south of Perth, W A, are the products of weathering and lateritisation of igneous rocks. These processes have produced a highly leached and cemented soil profile. Laboratory based testing will significantly underestimate strengths and over estimate the compressibilities of these lateritised soils. The camkometer (self boring pressuremeter) is most appropriate for testing these soils. The shear stress vs strain relationships thus derived show initial linearity to the peak stress followed by either work softening or hardening behaviour. Simplified models integrating geological causes with geotechnical effects are presented to explain their unusual constitutive properties. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 287689. (Author/TRRL)


Jobs are often valued not just for the wages they pay but also for the nature of the work and the outputs of the employer. We explore how altruism and social motivations shape choices about where to work. We consider workers who, acting on altruism, optimize work and consumption choices to maximize their contributions to society. They have two mutually exclusive options: a job with a high wage at a for-profit firm and a lower-paid job with a nonprofit. Working for the for-profit firm allows workers to maximize their financial contributions to the nonprofit ("earning to give"). Working at the nonprofit allows workers to donate their labor. While firms generally benefit when workers are motivated by more than wages, we show that the interests of socially-motivated workers and those of the nonprofit do not always align when workers' budget constraints bind. When workers feel "warm glow" from working for the nonprofit in addition to acting on purely-altruistic motivations, choices by workers with binding budget constraints are now more likely to align with the nonprofit's interests, but choices are also more likely to misalign for other workers.


With the development and progress of society and ideology, almost all countries show increasing concern and acceptance for sexual minorities. However, the social pressure borne by sexual minorities should not be underestimated, especially in schools, workplaces, and other places. LGBT teenagers are under tremendous pressure, and traditional schools' education and school climate often regard them as minorities or even freaks. The mental health of adolescents is also a critical issue. Therefore, our research studied how schools affect the socialization process of sexual minority youth groups: performance, causes, and effectiveness. This research idea is divided into four steps. First, it should clarify the relevant concepts of moral socialization and self-stigmatization of LGBTQ. Secondly, finding out the negative and positive factors in school and the specific performance of these factors' influence on teenagers' cognition and behaviors. Next, think about how to create a proper climate for sexual minorities. Finally, proposing a feasible solution. Our research not only recognizes the impacts and importance of schools on sexual minorities but also knows how to help sexual minorities integrate into society through schools in practical applications, breaking through the limitations of traditional themes and filling the gap in this study.


PAHs are widespread environmental contaminants. Despite the relatively high turnover rates for enzymatic breakdown, PAHs have been detected in tissues from species at various trophic levels. As a consequence they have the potential to be passed on to the higher levels of the foodchain. As a model for the primary carnivores in the terrestrial foodchain the common shrew (Crocidura russula) is studied in the laboratories. The authors investigated the effect of exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) on cytochrome P450 isoenzymes in relation to the effect of a known strong inducer of the MFO system i.e. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The compounds were dissolved in oil and mixed with food. Shrews were exposed for a period of one week to BaP at concentrations equivalent to 10 or 100 mg/kg bodyweight per day (n = 3 for each dose group) and to TCDD at a concentration equivalent to 10 {micro}g/kg per day (n = 5). Controls received a diet with only the carier (oil) added. At termination of the experiment, hepatic CYP1A1 associated EROD activity was induced 20% in both the low and high dosed BaP group. In the TCDD exposed shrews EROD was induced up to 776% compared to the controls. Related MFO activities, more » including PROD, BROD, MROD and site specific testosterone hydroxylation are under investigation and the results will be presented. The relevance of MFO induction by PAHs and the use of these parameters as biomarkers for PAH exposure will be discussed. « less


The present invention provides a robot system, the robot system comprising a robot which includes a workpiece feature expressly incorporated within the hand, even in bulk can be efficiently taken out sequentially workpiece. Hand comprising: a fixed base portion leading end of the robot arm; swingably mounted on the base at least two fingers; provided in the roller arrangement of each of the front end of the finger, the roller device is a provided in the finger a small motor, a drive transmission mechanism by a driving roller rotatably driven by a motor, and the rotation of the belt means rotates together with the driving roller via a belt driven roller.


A commutative encryption is a kind of an encryption system that enables a plaintext to be encrypted more than once using different users' public keys. In this system, decryption is not required before the encryption/re-encryption processes. Moreover, the resulted ciphertext can be decrypted by the designated decrypters without considering the order of public keys used in the encryption/re-encryption processes. In other words, the order of keys used in encryption and in decryption do not affect the computational result. Commutative encryption scheme is found useful in many real life applications such as in secret sharing, database integration and etc. However, regardless of its usefulness, few paper demonstrates how to construct such kind of a commutative encryption. In this paper, we propose a new commutative encryption scheme based on the ElGamel encryption and provide the security proof in the random oracle model.


The mechanism of pulsed thermography(PT) for debonding defect in GFRP laminate panel was studied by numerical simulation.The relations between information parameters and the parameter of defectwere analyzed by the ANSYS software.The results indicate that both the maximum differential temperature and maximum contrast are decrease with the depth of detect and increase with the radius of defect.


In this essay, I begin with the premise that everyday organizing is inextricably bound up with materiality and contend that this relationship is inadequately reflected in organizational studies that tend to ignore it, take it for granted, or treat it as a special case. The result is an understanding of organizing and its conditions and consequences that is necessarily limited. I then argue for an alternative approach, one that posits the constitutive entanglement of the social and the material in everyday life. I draw on some empirical examples to help ground and illustrate this approach in practice and conclude by suggesting that a reconfiguration of our conventional assumptions and considerations of materiality will help us more effectively recognize and understand the multiple, emergent, and shifting sociomaterial assemblages entailed in contemporary organizing.


This chapter includes the evolution of cyber forensics from the 1980s to the current era. It was the era when computer forensics came into existence after a personal computer became a viable option for consumers. The formation of digital forensics is also discussed here. This chapter also includes the formation of cyber forensic investigation agencies. Cyber forensic life cycle and related phases are discussed in detail. Role of international organizations on computer evidence is discussed with the emphasize on Digital Forensic Research Workshop (DFRWS), Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWDGE), chief police officers' involvement. Authenticity-, accuracy-, and completeness-related pieces of evidence are also discussed. The most important thing that is discussed here is the cyber forensics data.


The Special Olympics has been a controversial program for persons with disabilities. Research has often found negative results concerning the Special Olympics, and there have been numerous discussions in the literature concerning pros and cons of the Special Olympics. The purpose of this article is to articulate and elaborate on concerns regarding the Special Olympics, to promote discussion about these issues, and to suggest future directions for service delivery.


The COVID19 crisis has redefined the way of life, production and work methodologies: however, during this period, the positive attitude of citizens has contributed significantly to overcoming the first part of the crisis, supporting the arduous work of farmers , cleaners, transporters, bus and subway drivers, replenishers, supermarket cashiers, policemen, health workers, and health personnel, who have formed a first line of struggle to contain the virus and to this is added the discipline of the confined citizenry who have attacked their routines to show support for the courageous dedication of those who have allowed us to maintain everyday life in our lives The development of activities in the period of the COVID19 crisis, has redefined the way of inhabiting spaces;Obviously, the adaptation to new circumstances is a challenge, since the idea of public and private is reconceptualized © 2020 University of Barcelona All rights reserved


Low earth orbit (LEO) satellites plays an important role in Earth observation and communication fields. Since communication with LEO has time limitation, it is important to have high data rate transmitters in addition to small volume and lightness properties. In this work, an X-band (8.2 GHz) solid power amplifier is designed with an output power of 7W, total gain of 18.5dB and bandwidth of 200MHz as a part of an onboard transmitter with a data rate of 100 Mbps. The power amplifier has three stages where a medium power amplifier from MITEQ used as driver amplifier and the two stage power amplifier is designed with FLM7785-4F and FLM7785-12F internally matched transistors from Fujitsu Quantum Devices and the efficiency of the first stage is 19% and the second stage is 35%, and the overall efficiency is 29%. Key-Words:Power amplifier, class AB, X-band, low earth orbit satellite, high data rate, intermodulation products.


Preamble: Experimentation with animals has made possible major contributions to biological knowledge and to the welfare of man and animals, particularly in the treatment and prevention of diseases. Many important advances in medical science have had their origins in basic biological research not primarily directed to practical ends as well as from applied research designed to investigate specific medical problems. There is still an urgent need for basic and applied research that will lead to the discovery of methods for the prevention and treatment of diseases for which adequate control methods are not yet available notably the noncommunicable diseases and the endemic communicable diseases of warm climates. Past progress has depended, and further progress in the foreseeable future will depend, largely on animal experimentation which, in the broad field of human medicine, is the prelude to experimental trials on human beings of, for example, new therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic substances, devices, or procedures. There are two international ethical codes intended principally for the guidance of countries or institutions that have not yet formulated their own ethical requirements for human experimentation: The Tokyo revision of the Declaration of Helsinki of the World Medical Association ( 1975); and the Proposed International Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects of the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences and the World Health Organization (1 982). These codes recognize that while experiments involving human subjects are a sine qua non of medical progress, they must be subject to strict ethical requirements. In order t o ensure that such ethical requirements are observed, national and institutional ethical codes have also been elaborated with a view to the protection of human subjects involved in biomedical (including behavioural) research. Because of differing legal systems and cultural backgrounds there are varying approaches to the use of animals for research, testing, or training in different countries. Nonetheless, their use should be always in accord with humane practices. The varying approaches in different countries to the use of animals for biomedical purposes, and the lack of relevant legislation or of formal self-regulatory mechanisms in some, point to the need for international guiding principles elaborated as a result of international and interdisciplinary consultations. The guiding principles proposed here provide a framework for more specific national or institutional provisions. They apply, not only to biomedical research but also to all uses of vertebrate animals for other biomedical purposes, including the production and testing of therapeutic, prophylactic, and diagnostic substances, the diagnosis of infections and intoxications in man and animals, and to any other procedures involving the use of intact live vertebrates.


Webcare via public and private social media. A corpus study on the effect of Conversational Human Voice in the PT sector

 This study investigates the use of Conversational Human Voice (CHV) by a Dutch Public Transport (PT) operator in reactive webcare conversations with travelers on private and public social media channels and the effect of this use on the traveler's sentiment during the conversation. In this study, CHV is unraveled into eight aspects. 244 conversations were analyzed, selected from the PT-operator's public and private social media channels. Messages sent by the PT companies were coded for CHV; messages of travelers were coded for sentiment. The aspects organization responds as an individual and informal language were used the most often by the PT operator. Use of CHV is similar on private social networks and public social networks, with the exception of organization responds as an individual (used more on private social networks) and language to compensate the lack of non-verbal communication (used more on public social networks). Furthermore, results show that the use of sympathy has a positive effect on the traveler's sentiment.


Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer with unknown etiology and generally poor outcome. It is characterized by rapid onset with diffuse edema (peau d'orange) and redness (erythema). Several studies have implicated a mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) like virus, also called human mammary tumor virus (HTMV) [1] as a possible etiologic agent in breast cancer [2-4] and we have observed increased expression of this suspected virus in IBC [5]. The aggressiveness of this form of breast cancer increases the opportunity to investigate environmental triggers since the latent period is likely to be much shorter than that for non-inflammatory breast cancer, which can be decades in becoming clinically apparent [6]. Several reports suggesting important environmental contributions include a Tunisian study showing that women with breast cancer living in rural areas have a much higher risk of developing the inflammatory form of breast cancer than women living in urban areas [7], the decrease in incidence in Tunisia over decades attributed to improving socioeconomics status [8, 9], and the observation of time-space clusters of IBC [10, 11]. A particularly striking finding is the clustering of IBC, which we reported in a California workplace [10], but other clusters have also been observed [11]. North Africa has been reported to have a higher incidence of IBC than other parts of the world [12, 13] and this observation has correlated with the finding of viral antigens and sequences supporting the role of the MMTV like virus in Tunisian breast tumors more frequently than in tumors from breast cancer patients in other parts of the world [5, 14]. The apparently more important impact of environmental factors on IBC etiology is compatible with a recent study suggesting that genetics play less of a role in IBC than in non-inflammatory breast cancer [15].


A press item published on The Reporter newspaper about the 'AgKnowledge Africa Share Fair' event held in Addis Ababa from 18-21 October 2010.


Nurturing the supply and demand of logistics is the driving force of the development of the logistics industry,but researchers did not pay more attention.The paper focuses on the development of logistics industry based on taxation perspective.Taxation problems in developing logistics are listed as:the phenomenon of paying taxes repeated is serious;comprehensive tax burden is relatively high;difficulties in collection and management and tax loopholes exist.Advices to developing logistics in tax perspective are taken.


Long before the triumph of Jackie Robinson, America had a strong tradition of black baseball with its own pantheon of superstars--Rube Foster, Oscar Charleston, Smokey Joe Williams, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, and many more. This was the other half of American baseball, the half that was ignored for decades. Yet these black players, on their black teams and in their black leagues, may have been playing the most exciting--and possibly the best--baseball seen in America during the sixty "blackball" years from 1887 to 1947. Certainly, in over four hundred games that have been uncovered between the black teams and barnstorming white big leaguers, the blacks won at least two out of three. John Holway, who has done more than anyone to gain recognition for the Negro Leagues and to help their most deserving stars gain their rightful places in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, crisscrossed the country in the late 1960s and early 1970s seeking out the surviving veterans of the old Negro Leagues and putting their stories on tape; he then spent countless hours in libraries to confirm these stories. The result, in the words of nearly two dozen old-time players, and with statistics from the newspapers of the time, is one of the most important books on baseball history. Long out-of-print, this revised edition of Voices from the Great Black Baseball Leagues is supplemented with a new introduction, new photographs, and newly-researched statistics, to present the living history of some of the best baseball ever played.


The lifetimes of the first excited states of ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{25}$ and ${\mathrm{Al}}^{25}$, at 0.58 and 0.45 MeV, respectively, have been measured using a pulsed Van de Graaff beam technique. The mean lives were found to be (4.82\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10) nsec for ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{25}$ and (3.33\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.07) nsec for ${\mathrm{Al}}^{25}$.


Security advisor Henk Boshoff says that farmers should avoid becoming soft targets for potential farm attackers. He spoke to Gerhard Uys about making a farm and its surrounding communities safer.


INTRODUCTION TO PRICING AND MANAGEMENT OF FINANCIAL SECURITIES Mathematics of Compounding Primer on Pricing Risky Securities Portfolio Management Primer on Derivative Securities DISCRETE-TIME MODELING Single-Period Arrow-Debreu Models Introduction to Discrete-Time Stochastic Calculus Replication and Pricing in the Binomial Tree Model General Multi-Asset Multi-Period Model CONTINUOUS-TIME MODELING Essentials of General Probability Theory One-Dimensional Brownian Motion and Related Processes Introduction to Continuous-Time Stochastic Calculus Risk-Neutral Pricing in the (B, S) Economy: One Underlying Stock Risk-Neutral Pricing in a Multi-Asset Economy American Options Alternative Models of Asset Price Dynamics Interest-Rate Modeling and Derivative Pricing COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES Introduction to Monte Carlo and Simulation Methods Numerical Applications to Derivative Pricing Appendix: Some Useful Integral Identities and Symmetry Properties of Normal Random Variables Glossary of Symbols and Abbreviations References Index


Dear Editor, We report a case of a 30-year-old primigravida, with unremarkable family history, who had an ultrasound examination at 19 weeks, revealing a fetus with bowed long bones of the lower limbs (Fig. 1a), angulated tibiae, clubfeet, micrognathia, unilateral choroid plexus cyst (8 mm) and bilateral renal pyelectasis (8 mm). Fetal karyotype was 46,XX. Growth parameters were: biparietal diameter 45 mm (50), head circumference (HC) 150 mm (50), abdominal circumference 160 mm (50), femur 23 mm (10), tibia 13 mm (<5), fibula 10 mm (<5), humerus 17 mm (10). No other thoracic, abdominal and/or extraskeletal congenital malformations were detected. The pregnancy was terminated at the 21 week. Fetal examination revealed: total length 21 cm (<5), foot length 2.8 cm (<5), HC 17 cm (10), weight 250 g (10), thigh length 5 cm, leg length 3.5 cm, low-set ears, flat face, short nose and anteverted nostrils, microretrognathia, bowed femora, osseous spikes at the middle of both tibia, clubfeet and 11 pairs of short ribs (Fig. 1b). Molecular analysis identified a de novo heterozygous c.358C>T transition in exon 1 of SRY-box 9 (SOX9) gene that lead to campomelic dysplasia (CD) by substitution of arginine at position 120 to the polar neutral cysteine (Fig. 2a). This missense mutation of High Mobility Group DNA-binding domain of the protein could cause CD by haploinsufficiency or either reduce or abolish the DNA-binding ability of the mutant SOX9 protein (Fig. 2b). Replacement of the previous aminoacid, Ala119Val, has been described to cause CD (Jakubiczka et al. 2001). Campomelic dysplasia is generally characterized by bowing of femora and tibiae, hypoplastic scapulae, small thorax with 11 pairs of slender ribs, pelvic malformations and club feet. Radiological features include hypoplastic vertebral bodies, abnormal cervical vertebrae, kyphoscoliosis, absence of mineralization of the thoracic pedicles and vertical narrow iliac wings. Other characteristics are macrocephaly, hypertelorism, depressed nasal bridge, low-set ears, Robin sequence, cleft palate and flat face (Mansour et al. 2002). Two-thirds of XY individuals with CD have either sex reversal or genital defects (Wagner et al. 1994). In prenatal period, CD is characterized by the shortening and marked anterior bowing of femur and tibia. Increased nuchal translucency, ventriculomegaly, cardiac and renal anomalies and late polyhydramnios have also been described (Massardier et al. 2008). Families with recurrence have been described and somatic and germline mutations have been confirmed in a few families (Wagner et al. 1994; Gentilin et al. 2010). SOX9 mutations were scattered throughout the three exons with missense, nonsense, frameshift and splice-site mutations, but there did not appear to be any obvious correlation between the mutation's features and the condition's severity. Frameshift and many nonsense SOX9 mutations predict a prematurely truncated protein that misses TA domain and all, or part, of the HMG domain. Missense mutations are exclusively located in the HMG domain, affecting the DNA-binding capacity of SOX9. Mutations that alter the TA domain have been predicted to lead to CD as a result of the loss of SOX9's transactivation domain (Meyer et al. 1997). The diagnosis of a skeletal dysplasia in a prenatal setting is a dilemma because it is often difficult to establish a specific diagnosis based on ultrasound findings alone (Gentilin et al. 2010). Commonly, prenatal diagnosis of CD is made in the second trimester of pregnancy: Promsonthi and Wattanasirichaigoon (2006) reported a 3D ultrasound diagnosis made at 26 weeks' gestation and emphasized the advantages of the surface-rendering mode of 3D ultrasound in evaluating fetal skeletal dysplasia; Gentilin et al. (2010) described five cases prenatally detected between 12 and 32 weeks in which the diagnosis was confirmed by molecular analysis of SOX9 gene; Tonni et al. (2013) reported a previously unreported de novo missense mutation in p.His165Pro in a fetus with severe bowing of the long bones, cystic hygroma, Pierre Robin sequence, bilateral hydronephrosis and ascites. Massardier et al. (2008) reported two cases suspected at the 13 week and presented with hygroma colli along with anomalies in the lower but not the upper limbs: when first trimester hygroma colli is accompanied by specific findings of the lower limbs, the diagnosis of CD can be investigated through SOX9 mutation analysis. Instead, Gimovsky et al. (2008) reported the diagnosis and obstetrical management of a patient with late initial recognition at 33 weeks gestation of a fetus with shortened fetal extremities with Correspondence: Sebastiano Bianca, Centro di Consulenza Genetica e Teratologia della Riproduzione, Dipartimento Materno Infantile, ARNAS Garibaldi Nesima, Via Palermo, 636, 95123 Catania, Italy. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Received November 25, 2013; revised and accepted January 14, 2014. Fig. 1 Two-dimensional ultrasound images performed at 19 weeks of gestation, showing the angulations of the long bones of the lower limbs (indicated by red arrows) and clubfoot (a). Fetal frontal view showing specific phenotypic signs of campomelic dysplasia: flat face, short nose, anteverted nostrils, microretrognathia, short and bowed lower limbs, osseous spikes of both tibia and clubfeet (b). Permission has been obtained from the patient's parents for presentation. bs_bs_banner


Downstream integration is a key managerial area to improve performance in supply networks. Though most studies agree that downstream integration positively influences performances, the literature also reports cases of failures in achieving significant improvements. This evidence suggests that some factors may act as moderators on the downstream integration-performance relationship. This paper analyses the impact of downstream integration on supply network efficiency and the moderating effect on this relationship of supply network performance measurement systems. Data from a sample of 200 manufacturing plants settled in several countries around the world demonstrate that this moderating effect exists. Therefore, in order to strengthen the impact of downstream integration on supply network efficiency, managers should combine interventions on downstream integration and supply network performance measurement systems, rather than investing and focusing on downstream integration only.


The article considers the usage of specially selected means of the physical training and sport in juvenile deviant behavior prevention. The data presented and the empirical results confirm the topicality of the research in the field of juvenile deviant behavior prevention.


The central role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in effective organization development (OD) efforts is illustrated by data that were collected from 160 personnel in five organizations before and after a one-year OD effort. The results indicate that the CEO is clearly the single most important person in successful OD efforts. Further, data from questionnaires and interviews indicate that there is more to successful change efforts than merely the passive involvement of the CEO. Successful OD efforts require positive changes on the part of all organizational personnel in general, and on the part of the CEO in particular. The primary reason for the importance of the CEO is that most organizations place the CEO at the focal point of power in order to increase organizational effectiveness.


The name of the present invention is a "multi-input multi-output symbol demapping method system." In a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, multiple receive antennas produce received signal vector Y, the reception signal vector Y comprises the elements of each receive antenna. Example demapping method is carried out in the MIMO receiver, in the search space orthogonal whole constellation symbol points include phase shift keying (QPSK) search. The QPSK search results, the search space is reduced to less than all of the quadrants, and the received signal vector data is scaled and converted to the reduced search space. For lower-level QPSK search and repeat the process until modulation order is reduced until the QPSK constellation. Then may transmit the search result corresponding to a hard or a soft decision decoder.