Supplementary Figure 1 | Setting cutoff to identify links and hidden source. (a) Coarse-grained distribution of element values ln(1 − λ i)a ij times −1 in the reconstructed vector X of all nodes in a Newman-Watts small-world network (NW), where bin accumulation is implemented for the original distribution. The peak centered at zero corresponds to null connections and the other corresponds to actual links. A cutoff value can be set within the gap between the two peaks. (b) The values of ln(1 − λ i)a ij times-1 in the reconstructed vector X for Erdös-Rényi random networks (ER), Watts-Strogatz small-world networks (WS), NW and Barabási-Albert scale-free networks (BA), where green and yellow points correspond to existent links and null connections, respectively. All the networks share the same cutoff value of about 0.13. (c) Coarse-grained distribution of the structural variance σ in the NW network, where bin accumulation is exercised on the original distribution. The largest peak centered close zero corresponds to nodes of indirect neighbors of the hidden source and the large positive values of σ are associated with the immediate neighbors of the hidden source. A cutoff can be set within the largest gap. (d) The variance σ * i of element values in the reconstructed vector x of all nodes in the presence of a hidden source for ER, WS, NW and BA networks, where green and yellow points correspond to immediate neighbors and indirect neighbors of the hidden source, respectively. All the networks share the same cutoff values of about σ * i = 0.9. The network size in a,b is 200 and in c,d is 50, Θ = 0.25, ∆ = 0.45, λ i and δ i are uniformly distributed in the ranges (0.2, 0.4) and (0.4, 0.6), respectively. SIS dynamics are used for the illustration. Panels a and c correspond to Fig. 2a with n ˆ t = 0.4 and Fig. 5 in the main text, respectively.


Stability concept is often used to analyze genotype x environment interaction (G x E), by partitioning G x E variance into stability variance components for each genotype. A significant stability variance for a particular genotype indicates lack of stability. An existing computer program (STABLE) calculates the yield-stability (YS i ) statistic for balanced data sets only. Therefore, we developed a program (SAS-STABLE) that calculates stability variances for balanced as well as unbalanced data sets and is based on the restricted maximum likelihood method. Data may be stored in SAS files or other files that can be retrieved by SAS commands and statements used for data management. This program is for the Windows version of SAS for IBM-PC compatible computers; a mainframe version is also available. Variance components are solved by iterating on some starting values. Prior knowledge of the values of variances would reduce number of iterations to reach convergence and save execution time. SAS-STABLE can easily incorporate one or more covariates into the model and remove their effects from G x E variances for each genotype. Variances are tested based on the hypothesis H 0 : σ 2 = 0, assuming normal distribution.


The effect of dried clove powder of Allium sativum, dried latex powder of Ferula asafoetida and dried flower bud powder of Syzygium aromaticum in in vitro treatment against liver fluke Fasciola gigantica were studied. The anthelmintic activities of all the three plants were time and concentration dependent. A. sativum bulb powder 8h LC50 against F. gigantica was 5.48 mg/ml. Among different organic extracts, ethanol extract was more toxic than other organic extract. The ethanol extract of S. aromaticum (2h LC50 2.95 mg/ml) was more toxic against F. gigantica than A. sativum (2h LC50 3.48 mg/ml) and F. asafoetida (2h LC50 3.94 mg/ml). The 8h LC50 of column purified fraction of dried flower bud powder of S. aromaticum was 1.02 mg/ml whereas dried clove powder of A. sativum and latex powder of F. asafoetida were 1.87 and 2.75 mg/ml, respectively. The product of A. sativum, F. asafoetida and S. aromaticum may be used as anthelmintic.


Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was employed to detect the DNA polymorphism in each 23 individuals of the index samples from the wild and hatchery populations of Red Seabream. A total of 20 decamer arbitrary primers were used and 16 of them generated clear RAPD bands. Of them, 131 were obtained from the wild population and 123 from the hatchery population. The mean percentage of polymorphic fragments of wild population was 62.60% opposite to 54.47% in the hatchery population, while the average heterozygosity valued 0.4786 and 0.3633, respectively. The richer polymorphic bands and the higher value of average heterozygosity indicated higher genetic diversity level of this species and the great potential in piscatorial genetic improvement. The experiment revealed the fact that the percentage of polymorphic fragments and the value of average heterozygosity of the hatchery population were lower than those of the wild population. As a result, it implied that effective husbandry and management measures must be taken to avoid reduction of genetic diversity so as to enable the sustainable development of the mariculture.


Melanesians occupied the territory of New Caledonia for more than 3000 years before the arrival of the French "colons" in the middle of the 19th century. Traditional knowledge and conservation practices had been developed and refined over centuries before the first Europeans arrived in New Caledonia. Local traditional fisheries management techniques were adapted to local conditions and accorded well with the environment; according to what is termed a system of "sustainable development".


We calculate puncture initial data corresponding to both single and binary black hole solutions of the constraint equations by means of a pseudospectral method applied in a single spatial domain. Introducing appropriate coordinates, these methods exhibit rapid convergence of the conformal factor and lead to highly accurate solutions. As an application we investigate small mass ratios of binary black holes and compare these with the corresponding test mass limit that we obtain through a semianalytical limiting procedure. In particular, we compare the binding energy of puncture data in this limit with that of a test particle in the Schwarzschild spacetime and find that it deviates by 50% from the Schwarzschild result at the innermost stable circular orbit of Schwarzschild, if the ADM mass at each puncture is used to define the local black hole masses.


The most recent encounter between American Indians and archaeologists, over the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (P.L. 101-601), has left hard feelings on both sides. From the Indian point of view, conflict will be inevitable so long as archaeologists maintain a stance that privileges their interests as scientists over all other human considerations. Nonetheless there are some areas where American Indians and archaeologists might develop cooperative ventures, for example, in the investigation of Precolumbian contact and diffusion, and in clarifying the status of sacred sites.


Using Justice Department antiterrorism efforts as a case study, this article expands upon existing theories of pretextual prosecution by distinguishing a law enforcement system that employs a pretextual strategy from one that employs what I term technical or disingenuous prosecutions. Contrary to Justice Department claims, the data suggest that since September 2001, federal investigators continually have referred a large number of specious antiterrorism matters to federal prosecutors. The data further suggest that federal prosecutors are more likely to be engaging in technical or disingenuous prosecutions than pretextual prosecutions.


INTRODUCTION Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) was first characterized by Minor et al. as a bony defect of the superior semicircular canal resulting in vestibular and auditory dysfunction. The etiology of superior canal dehiscence (SCD) is not completely understood, though some suggest it may be associated with a congenitally thin or absent bony covering. In some cases it is made symptomatic by a second event, such as a closed head injury or acute change in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. Depending on the age of the patient and severity of symptoms, treatment can be conservative (e.g., interval audiometric testing, avoidance of provocative stimuli) or surgical (e.g., direct or indirect isolation of the bony defect via middle fossa craniotomy or transmastoid approach). Minor et al. initially presented the middle fossa craniotomy approach to repair an arcuate eminence defect in 1998. It is now the most commonly reported surgical technique, and its success is well established. Advantages of the middle fossa craniotomy include 1) direct access to the arcuate eminence defect without the need for labyrinthine bone removal and 2) exposure of the surrounding skull base to repair associated tegmen defects or encephalocele. The middle fossa craniotomy is also ideal for SCDS patients with a lowlying tegmen, as this method allows for wide exposure of the arcuate eminence without drilling close to the horizontal canal. The transmastoid technique avoids a craniotomy and brain retraction and is connected with lower morbidity and hospital stay. Transmastoid repairs have also been associated with tegmen defects and dural injury, which can result in a CSF leak or delayed encephalocele formation postoperatively. At our institution, we prefer the transmastoid approach in SCD cases involving the superior petrosal sinus to address a medial defect of the nonampullated end and in certain revision cases. One of the limitations of a middle fossa craniotomy is exposure of the medial skull base and the risks of temporal lobe retraction. When an arcuate eminence defect is very thin ("blue-lined") or falls along a downsloping tegmen, it can be difficult or impossible to visualize without significant retraction or drilling of the overlying skull base (Fig. 1). Excess retraction can lead to dural tears, CSF leak, or brain contusion. The additional extradural dissection needed to fully expose a medial superior canal defect can also increase the risk of facial nerve injury. The geniculate ganglion has been found to be dehiscent in up to 38.1% cases of SCD and is vulnerable to injury if more anteromedial exposure is needed. Due to several challenges with poor visualization of the SCD defect and prolonged temporal lobe retraction in craniotomies using binocular microscopy at our institution, we wanted to determine if an angled, rigid endoscope would assist in these special cases. Although there were no long-term complications associated with these surgeries, we believe that our standard approach was suboptimal. Better visualization would improve the safety and efficacy of the procedure. The use of a 0 endoscope during middle fossa craniotomy for SCD repair was mentioned in a poster presentation by Shaia et al. In the following report, we describe the use of 30 endoscopy in five patients with SCDS who underwent repair via middle fossa craniotomy. We hypothesize that skull base endoscopy is a safe and effective way to identify and repair a medial or From the Department of Otolaryngology (M.S.C., S.L., D.J.L.), Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston; Department of Otology and Laryngology (M.S.C., S.L., D.J.L.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Editor's Note: This Manuscript was accepted for publication November 8, 2013.


The temperature dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate R1 of 45Sc has been measured in scandium dihydrides and dideuterides. These data are satisfactorily accounted for by two contributions to R1, R1e due to conduction electrons, and R1Q due to quadrupole interaction fluctuations resulting from vacancy diffusion on the hydrogen (deuterium) sublattice. Describing these fluctuations by a Lorentzian spectral density and Arrhenius behavior for the vacancy hopping, analysis of the data yields values of the Korringa product A = T/R1e and the activation energy Ea and attempt frequency v0 for vacancy-diffusion. In contrast to v0 values based on proton measurements, the 45Sc results agree satisfactorily with the value based on inelastic neutron scattering measurements of hydrogen optic mode vibration frequencies, v0 ≅ 2 x 1014s-1. We conclude that hydrogen-hydrogen interactions are responsible for the lower v0 values derived from proton R1 measurements.


In pinhole gamma-camera imaging, both penetration and scattering in the pinhole edge material can account for a significant fraction of the total number of photons detected, particularly if the pinholes are tiny. This study characterises the effects of penetration and scatter with micropinholes made in lead, tungsten, gold and platinum. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for I-125 (27-35 keV) and Tc-99m (140 keV) point sources. The simulations account for the effects of photoelectric interaction, Rayleigh scattering, Compton scattering, ionisation, bremsstrahlung and electron multiple scattering. As a typical example, in the case of a Tc-99m point source and pinholes with a diameter of 300 microns in gold or platinum, approx. 55% of the photons detected resulted from penetration and approx. 3% from scatter. For pinhole diameters ranging from 100 to 500 microns the penetration fraction for tungsten and lead was approx. a factor of 1.0 to 1.6 higher and the scatter fraction was 1.0 to 1.8 times higher than in case of gold or platinum. Using I-125 instead of Tc-99m decreases the penetration fraction by a factor of 3 to 11 and the scatter fraction by a factor of 12 to 35. In addition, for all materials studied, the total amounts of penetrated and scattered photons changed linearly with respect to the pinhole diameter.


This review paper introduces the research progress of bioelectronic nose and bioelectronic tongue technology in vitro and in vivo in our group recent years. Bioelectronic nose and bioelectronic tongue is one kind of biomimetic sensors system or a smart instrument combined electronic sensors with biological olfactory and gustatory organ and pattern recognition techniques etc. In this research work we presented some novel ideas in series including culturing living olfactory and gustatory tissue and cells and cell network on the surface of devices and the implanted electrode in olfactory bulb, and while the paper also gives some practiccal applications in the fields of detection of odorants and tastants in food.


Purpose: To study the possibility of achieving assured safety for the environment and public in all modes of operation of small nuclear power plants (SNPP) and providing real civil liability insurance for nuclear risks at reasonable financial costs.
Material and methods: Particular attention on small nuclear power plants is driven by regional development, local communities and productions, which are not covered by centralized transport and energy supply. The peculiar properties and benefits of energy production at SNPP are considered, including: the possibility of locating in remote regions; the short construction period and the modular structure of SNPP; availability of potential to improve safety and reliability; reducing the size of the sanitary protection zone up to the boundaries of the technological site; the reality of liability insurance (full financial responsibility of the operator) for nuclear damage to third parties caused by an accident at SNPP at reasonable financial costs; industrial serial production; ability to move the entire nuclear power plants with small modular reactors in the assembled form, etc.
A comparative analysis of the technical characteristics of the SNPP and a conventional nuclear power plant from a safety perspective is made.
Results: The results of the SNPP safety analysis performed on the basis of the design documentation of the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" is presented, with particular attention to assessing the consequences of design and beyond design basis accidents, in terms of probabilistic safety analysis and assessment of the maximum possible damage to third parties. The maximum possible damage to third parties from severe accidents is estimated to be about 0.5 billion RUR, which is hundreds of times less than damage from a catastrophic accident at a conventional NPP. Estimated costs for insurance of damage to third parties from an accident at SNPP will not exceed 1 kopeck/kWh. Possible approaches to civil liability insurance for nuclear risks and aspects of legal support are considered.
Conclusions: The results of the analysis allow to conclude that it is possible to provide in the future: the achievement of practically assured safety of the SNPP for the environment and the public in normal operation and possible design and beyond design basis accidents; real civil liability insurance for nuclear risks of SNPP at reasonable financial costs.


Introduction Recent years have witnessed a burgeoning interest in the phenomenon of intertextuality. A number of scholars have attempted to identify places where later biblical writers have made use of earlier texts and have also tried to show just how they have used them. Such intertextual investigations have taken place both within the Old Testament' and in relationship to the use various sections of the New Testament make of the Old.2 The book of Zephaniah is deserving of such an intertextual investigation. While it is true that a number of scholars, those from an earlier generation as well as contemporary ones, have made mention of Zephaniah's reliance on previous prophets,) no one has fully


The health benefits of regular physical activity are well documented, yet many women face barriers (financial, physical, safety, time) to incorporating


The genetic linkage of strong earthquakes with fault tectonics in continental regions gives grounds to assume that the high intensity gradient fields of tectonic stresses in local areas lead to tectonic ruptures (earthquakes) and following aftershock activity including co-seismic effects. We present the results of modeling of stress-strain state (SSS) in the epicentral zone before and after the strong tectonic earthquake 26.01.2001, M=6.9 in the north-western India. For this purpose, we used the author's software package of SSS calculation for heterogeneous blocks disturbed by a system of tectonic faults (elastic formulation of the problem). The calculations were based on the experimental geological, geophysical, and seismological data available for this region. It is shown that areas of high stresses that were formed before the earthquake determine the epicenter position and location of strong aftershocks with M≥5, whereas the stress drop areas correspond to location of weaker aftershocks. The majority of aftershocks are concentrated in the region of static stress drops exceeding 5 MPa. Assuming the thickness of seismogenic layer equal to 25 km, the energy released is ∼2⋅20 J, which exceeds the energy of seismic waves radiated in the rupture process of the 2001 earthquake by two orders. The results of modeling indicate that the epicentral zone of the possible future strong earthquake corresponding to high stress area moves to the south. The results obtained can contribute to the possibility of forecasting the locations of strong earthquakes in seismically active regions based on SSS modeling of heterogeneous blocks disturbed by tectonic faults.


Batch manufacturing processes have been widely used in various manufacturing processes, such as wafer fabrication, IC fabrication, and gridline printing process in the solar battery fabrication. In a batch manufacturing process, products are produced batch-by-batch. Thus, total process variations are generally divided into batch-by-batch variation and within-batch variation. The main purpose of this study is to provide an efficient method for testing the batch-processing process yield. Base on the one-way random effect model, the generalized pivotal quantity is utilized to establish the generalized confidence interval for assessing the process yield index. By simulations, the proposed method shows that its empirical coverage probability is not affected by the batch effect, and is still close the nominal coverage probability as the batch size increases.


During the 20th century, the world's air transportation system has changed dramatically with the gradual emergence of commercial aircraft. One of the immediate impacts of civil aviation on the environment is noise pollution. The continued growth of the aviation industry and expansion of airport capacity depends on how well noise compatibility planning is handled. Noise metrics and the effect that noise has on the communities that surround an airport are the key topics that must be understood in order to evaluate and critic how the expansion of the airports can be aligned with the demands of the local communities for a quieter environment. A short literature review is presented on these two topics including the most recent research that has been conducted. Furthermore a case study on Boston Logan International airport is presented to provide an example of how airport expansion can have a positive effect for the communities that t live in the area adjacent to the airport, in terms of cumulative noise exposition levels. The results of the studies are evaluated and some recommendations for future research are proposed. Thesis Supervisor: Professor David H. Marks Title: Professor of Engineering Systems and Civil and Environmental Engineering Noise Aviation Pollution in Airports-Logan Airport Acknowledgements First I would like to express my gratitude to Professor David Marks, for his guidance and encouragement during this thesis. He always supported me even when things went wrong. He was a port in my thesis storm. Next I would like to thank Dr. Eric Adams for his precious advice and his continuous guidance during this whole Masters program year. From the weekend at Talbot House to his invitation at his house, where I had an unforgettable Christmas dinner he helped me to maintain a balance between work and fun. I would like to thank my friends and relatives in Greece for believing and especially Sophia for his dedication, love and patience during this whole year. It is very important when you make a huge effort to achieve you goals, to know that you have people who care about you and with whom you can discuss all your thoughts all your dreams, and all your problems, even via e-mail! Finally, and most of all, I would like to thank my parents in Greece for their unconditional love and support who helped me to realize my dream to come to MIT. Their love and understanding was a constant source of motivation and strength for me. I remember during my military service when I was about to abandon any idea for graduate studies, they were the people who supported me most of all to continue in the right direction and advised me do not afraid to target the moon. Antonis Boutatis Cambridge, Massachusetts May, 2001 "2av/3y81s OTO 7t77yawpO yza 'z7V IcaxK1 va EV%6EaYG va Elvat qaKpVS o pouos......." KABA<PHE


This paper aims to understand the process of interorganisational learning (IOL) in spatial agglomeration. We propose an IOL model to analyse the horizontal relations between actors in different social spaces based on episodes of learning in a Brazilian stone-sector spatial agglomeration. We collected data on 81 participants and analysed them based on content analysis with NVivo 9. The main results highlight an IOL integrative model that presents: 1) the constituent elements of IOL; 2) the role played by different actors; 3) the relationships and the intensity of the bonds established between these actors.


Neohelice granulata were collected during a bloom dominated by Microcystis sp. in Patos Lagoon (RS, Brazil) and then sacrificed at different times of depuration in laboratory in order to verify microcystin (MC) content and toxic effects in hepatopancreas of the estuarine crab. Biochemical measurements were: lipid peroxidation (LPO), activity of glutathioneS-transferase (GST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). No variation of crab biochemical parameters and MC content (mean value = 32 μg kg) was verified during the depuration period. MC content of the lyophilized bloom sample was determined by HPLC (0.129 μg mg). MC concentration in water at the sampling site was 1.92 μg L. Experimental assays were also performed via oral exposure (by gavage), in doses and time exposure varying between 0 and 55 μg kg and 48 and 96 h. Analyzed variables were: GST activity (remained unaltered in all experimental conditions), LPO (augmented after 48 h in doses higher than 5.5 μg kg but the opposite was observed after 96 h at the same doses) and oxygen consumption (increased in all doses and times of exposure). We conclude that (1) there is an absent or low depuration rate of MC; (2) oxidative damage should be attenuated by antioxidant defenses other than GST; (3) higher oxygen consumption should favor reactive oxygen species generation.


Imprecise input data imposes additional challenges to grid scheduling. This paper introduces a novel scheduler based on fuzzy optimization called IP-FULL-FUZZY which considers uncertainties of both application demands and of resource availability. The effectiveness of the proposed scheduler is compared to those of a non-fuzzy scheduler as well as to those of a fuzzy scheduler which considers only uncertainties of application demands. Results evince the advantages of adopting the proposed scheduler.


The basic Particle Swarm Optimization( PSO) algorithm has the problem of easy to get into local optimum when used in geomagnetic navigation path planning. Based on PSO and Quantum Evolution( QE)algorithm,the Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization( QPSO) algorithm was applied to solve the problem.Combined with constraints of aircrafts and characteristics of geomagnetic matching navigation,an adaptive evaluation function was designed as fitness function. The simulation results show that QPSO has faster convergence speed and can avoid falling into local optimum effectively,which prove the availability and feasibility of QPSO for applying to path planning based on geomagnetic matching navigation.


In this Reply we question the conclusion of van de Water and Herweijer (WH) [preceding Comment, Phys. Rev. E 51, 2669 (1995)] about the evidence of multiscaling behavior in the dissipation range of turbulence. We perform the same analysis suggested by WH for the data set used by Benzi [ital et] [ital al]. [Phys. Rev. E 48, 29, (1993)] to establish extended self-similarity. At variance with WH, we do not observe any evidence of multiscaling. We argue that data filtering in WH could produce a misleading effect at very small scales. The combined effect of multiscaling and extended self-similarity is an important question that needs to be investigated in more detail, both theoretically and experimentally.


E-commerce is the process of conducting commerce through computer networks. An individual sitting in front of a computer may use all of the internet's resources to purchase or sell things. Unlike conventional commerce, which is carried out physically with a person's effort to travel and obtain items, e- commerce has made it simpler for humans to eliminate physical labor and save time. This online business management system has also assisted retailers in saving money on upfront costs such as storefronts and staff. The objective is to design an advanced e- commerce system with a smart chatbot to provide a user-friendly experience for consumers. Consumers will save time with the quick accessibility feature of the chatbots in the system. With the help of natural language processing, we have developed a realtime chatbot with smart features. On this smart e-commerce website, we have tried to solve some of the problems with the existing e-commerce platform in our country. The system operates on the Django platform, which is built on Python. The system's architecture is created by using Django's Model-View- Template. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and bootstrap are utilized for the front end and validation. For the backend, we have used an SQLite database. Clients, as it has been discovered, usually have a difficult time shopping on e-commerce because no support assistant can provide immediate feedback. The system consists of several sections, including the registration system, the login system, the search system, the order system, the add product system, the view product system, the order received system, and an interface to communicate with the bot. If users have any queries, they may contact the admin panel via the contact us page. Overall, the system is quick and reliable. A user-friendly interface boosts the purchasing experience for consumers across the country who have access to the internet. The system's accuracy is high enough for satisfying results and thus successfully supports people in making better judgments while being low-cost and user-friendly in design.


Background To facilitate mass distribution of azithromycin, trachoma control programmes use height instead of weight to determine dose for children 6 months to 15 years old. WHO has recommended azithromycin distribution to children 1–11 months old to reduce mortality in high mortality settings under carefully monitored conditions. Weight was used to determine dose in children 1–5 months old in studies of azithromycin distribution for child survival, but a simplified approach using age or height for all aged 1–11 months old could increase programme efficiency in real-world settings. Methods This secondary analysis used data from two cluster randomised trials of azithromycin distribution for child mortality in Niger and Burkina Faso. An exhaustive search algorithm was developed to determine the optimal dose for different age groups, using tolerance limits of 10–20 mg/kg for children 1–2 months old and 15–30 mg/kg for children 3–11 months old. Height-based dosing was evaluated against the existing trachoma dosing pole and with a similar exhaustive search. Results The optimal two-tiered age-based approach suggested a dose of 80 mg (2 mL) for children 1–2 months old and 160 mg (4 mL) for children 3–11 months old. Under this schedule, 89%–93% of children would have received doses within tolerance limits in both study populations. Accuracy was 93%–94% with a three-tiered approach, which resulted in doses of 80 mg (2 mL), 120 mg (3 mL) and 160 mg (4 mL) for children 1–2, 3–4 and 5–11 months old, respectively. For children 1–5 months old, the existing height pole would result in 70% of doses within tolerance limits. The optimisation identified height-based dosing options with 95% accuracy, although this would require changes to the existing dosing pole as well as additional training to measure infants lying flat. Conclusions Overall, an age-based approach with two age tiers resulted in high accuracy while considering both concerns about overdosing in this young population and simplicity of field operations.


We are honored to introduce the May 2018 special issue of Teacher Education and Special Education (TESE) titled "The Science of Teacher Professional Development: Iterative Design Studies Across Content Areas." This special issue grew out of the Teacher Education Division (TED) spotlight session at the 2016 Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Convention & Expo in St. Louis, Missouri. Mary Brownell led this panel session titled "The Science of Teacher Education: What Do We Know? Where Do We Go?" With a sizable audience in attendance and many thoughtprovoking comments and questions directed at panel members, we perceived a need to extend the exchange that began there. This special issue of TESE is intended to stimulate further discussion and sharing of ideas among prospective and seasoned teacher education researchers for assisting some to initiate, and others to expand, their research agendas. In a broader sense, this special issue aligns well with the journal's mission to encourage research that improves the teaching of children and youth with disabilities. Specifically, this special issue offers readers more detailed descriptions of studies highlighted during the spotlight session at CEC and includes a critique of these studies with recommendations for further research on teacher PD in special education. The first three papers provide examples of U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), Institute of Education Sciences (IES)–funded research projects focused on teacher professional development (PD) and content-area teaching and learning with students with and without disabilities. A fourth and final paper serves as an evaluation of the three research projects based on assumptions of teacher learning in teacher PD and offers implications for future research. This introduction to the special issue includes background information about the funding agency and the specific types of research projects highlighted in this special issue, followed by a brief introduction to each of the four papers. IES was established in the USDOE with the passage of the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 and houses four centers including the (a) National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), (b) National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), (c) National Center for Education Research (NCER), and (d) National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). Although each Center has its own focus and responsibilities, NCSER ". . . supports rigorous research on infants, toddlers, children, and youth with and at risk for disabilities through advancing the understanding of and practices for teaching, learning, and organizing education systems" 751032 TESXXX10.1177/0888406417751032Teacher Education and Special EducationGriffin and Brownell research-article2018


Dual frequency addressing of nematic pi‐cell devices produces submillisecond switching times since the liquid crystal can be driven both parallel and perpendicular to the applied field and there is no kick‐back of the director during switching. The nucleation of the V state in devices containing dual frequency liquid crystal materials is much slower than that in conventional pi‐cells, however. Polymer stabilization of the V state eliminates the need for nucleation each time the device is used. In this paper we present a polymer stabilized pi‐cell containing a dual frequency liquid crystal material, and show that the presence of the polymer network significantly influences the switching of the device. Some optimization of the addressing scheme is required when switching the polymer stabilized device in order to avoid transient formation of the twisted state. Using this optimization, the switching time is under 3 ms across a wide range of addressing voltages. 1Now at: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, ML3 9PL.


By the use of metal belt typed step-less variator manufactured with self-contained design,an experimental research was carried out on the frictional factor and transmission efficiency of metal belt transmission. The experiment was conducted under 3 kinds of conditions.Keep the inputting rotational speed and the speed ratio a constant under various kinds of experimental conditions and adding load grade by grade on the adjustable rheostat,the inputting and outputting torque and rotational speed of step-less variator were measured out.By means of data processing,the relationship between loading and rate of slip difference,frictional factor and transmission efficiency was obtained,and the analysis of experimental result was conducted.For the sake of fully elaborating the transmission capacity of metal belt transmission and obtaining rather high transmission efficiency,its practical transmitting torque while doing the design should be set at 80%~90% of the maximum transmittable torque.Fractional factor f =0.08 and transmission efficiency q =0.92 can be regarded as bases of designing.


(57) cosmetic and pharmaceutical field of extract SUMMARY plant of Concordia, Dikotoma (Cordia dichotoma), in particular, use the present invention in the dermatological field, in particular, biomechanical effect of the skin, particularly its elasticity It is held or improve sexual, reducing the delay or depth the appearance of wrinkles, and, due to improving the tightening of the skin, as an active ingredient of the cosmetic composition of interest that prevent the effects of aging on the skin of on the use of Concordia-Dikotoma of the extract of the plant. Also, extract be one formulated with excipients which are pharmaceutically acceptable, essentially or pharmaceutical composition to treat the effects of aging of the skin by actinic radiation, especially dermatological composition It relates to the use of Cordia-Dikotoma extracts of plants for the preparation.


This paper describes a piezoresistive micro pressure sensor with a size of 50μm made by a standard CMOS foundry and a novel post process. The material of the sensor diaphragm is silicon dioxide, and the piezoresistors are made by polysilicon. For releasing the diaphragms of the micro pressure sensors, this work proposes to use the front-side etching technique with etching holes of 5μm×5μm only. Finally, we use one of the protein stuffs, gelatin, to seal the etching holes. The sensitivity of the piezoresistive pressure sensor is 8.56±0.13 mV/V/psi.


The removal of Victoria blue dye form water and waste water by adsorption on China clay is greatly influenced by the pH of the medium. The pH of the adsorbate solution effect the nature of the surface properties of adsorbents the degree of ionization and speciation of aqueous adsorbate species and ultimately the rate and extent of the adsorption. The initial concentration of the dye taken was 1.0 × 10-6 M and the China were agitated at 30° C (±°C). The pH of the dye solution was changed from 3.0 to 8.0 using NaOH or HCI solutions of appropriate strength. The results the variation in adsorption with different pH have been recorded.


This study involved a total of 131 subjects systematically selected and assigned to one of three experimental groups who assembled multi-piece truck wheels after having either "written," "oral," or...


We appreciate Drs. Gresheim and Schreiner's comments and are pleased to hear that they also are having good results with nasal CPAP. We have recently corresponded with a large number of neonatal centers who have been using nasal CPAP. Several of them noted that with endotracheal CPAP they too were able to improve oxygenation in a few babies who had "failed" the nasal approach. It certainly seems worth a try if the infant is not apneic, thus requiring controlled mechanical ventilation.


The extent (or lack) of phylogenetic signal for key ecological traits reveals the role of evolutionary processes on present‐day ecosystem function and hints on future ecological trends under climate change scenarios. This approach has been applied to South American tropical moist forests, but not to the highly threatened seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF), despite the acknowledgement of their unique evolutionary history. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated the legacy of evolutionary processes on vital ecological characteristics among SDTF trees: regional dominance, tree size and soil preference. We used tree community data on 313 plots of SDTF (12.52 ha) and locally collected soil data in central‐eastern Brazil. For each assessed trait (three for regional dominance, three for tree size and nine for soil preference), we investigated the legacy of evolution using two different approaches: calculating the extent of phylogenetic signal and comparing the fit of four different models of evolution. Above‐ground woody biomass and tree size showed strong phylogenetic signal. Most of the SDTF biomass stock was concentrated on a few large‐sized and closely related tree genera. Among the soil preference variables, only phosphorus displayed significant, albeit weak, phylogenetic signal. Synthesis. Our study is the first to show that evolutionary constraints related to tree size significantly determine regional biomass stocks of seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) in a few closely related tree lineages. This suggests that even isolated SDTF fragments with low taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity can play an important role in the global carbon cycle, storing disproportionally large amounts of carbon in trees that belong to high‐biomass lineages. Whether these lineages also share climate change‐induced mortality risk deserves future investigation, as they are largely responsible for the maintenance of regional SDTF biomass stocks.


Literary tourism is a type of tourism that gains importance with visits to real or fictional places, especially to destinations in Europe where writers and their work are associated. It is also of great importance because it ensures that the diversity of tourism is increased and spread throughout the year. Turkey has a very rich literary culture. If its value is fully understood, great gains can be made in the name of literary tourism. Kahramanmaraş is a city with a strong cultural background and many unique values. These lands have produced many poets, writers and bard from past to present. It is the only city in Turkey that has applied to the Creative Cities Network with the theme of literature. The study was carried out through the example of Kahramanmaraş, in order to contribute to the concept of literary tourism and literary tourism practices in the world and in Turkey. In the study, a situation analysis was made by making use of document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, and the advantages that literary tourism would bring to Kahramanmaraş were revealed. In order to develop literary tourism in Kahramanmaraş, it is important to bring places related to poets and writers to literary tourism in different formats, to make literature museums more functional, to organize literature festivals, and to create literary tourism routes. The development of literary tourism in Kahramanmaraş will contribute greatly to the tourism economy of both the country and the region. Keywords: Geography, Literature, Literature Tourism, Kahramanmaras.


We check the ab initio GW approximation and Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE) many-body methodology against the exact solution benchmark of the hydrogen molecule H2 excitation spectrum and in comparison with configuration interaction (CI) and time-dependent Hartree-Fock. The comparison is made on all the states we could unambiguously identify from the excitonic wavefunctions' symmetry. At the equilibrium distance R = 1.4 a0, the GW+BSE energy levels are in good agreement with the exact results, with an accuracy of 0.1∼0.2 eV. GW+BSE potential-energy curves are also in good agreement with the CI and the exact result up to 2.3 a0. The solution does not exist anymore beyond 3.0 a0 for triplets (4.3 a0 for singlets) due to instability of the ground state. We tried to improve the GW reference ground state by a renormalized random-phase approximation (r-RPA), but this did not solve the problem.


Chair of Commission established in February 2000 describes its remit, consultation process and its recommendations relating to definition of charities, legal form, trustees' powers, registration and regulation and protection of public


Ferroelectric Liquid crystal having Smectic C* phase at room temperature was capable of forming Langmuir monolayer due to presence of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups in it. Surface viscoelasticity properties of FLC monolayer spread on water surface had been determined by dynamic oscillation method and discussed as a function of surface pressure. Dynamic viscoelastic properties such as G (Elastic modulus), G' (storage (elastic) modulus), G' (Loss (viscous) modulus) and phase change with sinusoidal oscillation had been measured at phase changing surface pressure values. As monolayer was becoming condensed, increasing trend was observed in G' values while G' was decreasing. At higher frequencies, viscous modulus G' had negative values. This relaxation phenomenon was probably caused by conformational rearrangements that acted to fluidize monolayer. Phase change tan θ was positive, response in surface pressure was ahead of the de-formation in area and the monolayer had positive dilatational viscosity. ...


Robert G. Gregory. The Rise and Fall of Philanthropy in East Africa: The Asian Contribution. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers: 1992. x+251 pp. Bibliography. Index. Tables. $32.95. Cloth. Besides painting broad, comprehensive pictures of South Asian economic activity and philanthropy in the four East African territories (Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda and Zanzibar), these books are dotted with sample and typical biographies of Indian businessmen, cultural and social leaders. They also contribute, in their concluding parts, to the ongoing theoretical debate on Third World state and development. The two volumes are not merely complementary but overlap to a considerable degree; some introductory sections and whole paragraphs in later chapters are repeated verbatim. There is also some redundancy within each book. The source base for these works includes government documents from Great Britain and India, as well as East African countries, and numerous interviews with East African Asians and their relatives elsewhere, Africans, East African Arabs and a few Europeans. The thoroughness of these efforts compensates to some degree the deplorable lack of contemporary records vital to Gregory's topics. Thus, in many instances, Gregory is hard put to evaluate the reliability of his informants' perceptions and recollections, which sometimes cannot be substantiated and on occasion are contradictory. All the more credit goes to Gregory for painstakingly presenting the available information and sifting it for hard data.


Background Odontogenic keratocysts (OKC) are cystic lesions appearing in the jaws, usually asymptomatic with a progressive growth into the bone. Many of them are diagnosed by a routine radiological examination. Material and Methods This study reports a 12-year-old girl that presented an asymptomatic large radiolucent unilocular lesion associated to the crown of 3.8 that caused displacement of the molar and the inferior alveolar canal. Differential diagnosis included OKC, unicystic ameloblastoma, ameloblastic fibroma, dentigerous cyst and orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst. Two surgical interventions were performed; first, a marsupialization, and 10 months after, the third molar extraction plus cyst enucleation, mucosa excision and the application of Carnoy's solution. Results The anatomopathological exam confirmed diagnosis of OKC. There was no evidence of recurrence after 2 years of follow-up. Conclusions Marsupialization followed by surgical enucleation with mucosa excision and Carnoy's solution can help manage treatment of OKC, a lesion characterized by an aggressive behavior. Key words:Odontogenic keratocyst, mucosa excision, carnoy solution, third molar, tooth extraction.


The structural obstacles of agricultural land use in China rest with cultivated land and woodland hold a lower share than pasture, high grade cultivated land reduces rapidly based a small number,the lack of effective forest and grass area brings on lower plant cover rate. For the target of harmonizing the agriculture products supply and ecological environment reconstruct,we should optimize agricultural land use allocation based on woodland,centered on cultivated land,assisted on garden plot,supported on pasture land and ensured on water area. Furthermore,we expect get diplex efficacies both in industry development and ecological reconstruct through adjusting space distribution of agricultural land use,improving landscape pattern and increasing environment capability.


In today's date, due to swift increase in the demand of electricity, it is very crucial to maintain the power system network healthy and fault free. However, addition of various power electronic devices in the power system leads to the injection of harmonics. These harmonics are one of the major reasons for the system degradation. It is therefore, important to detect, analyze and monitor these disturbances in the electrical signals. This can be achieved using Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU). Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) is the commonly used algorithm for the estimation of phasor in PMU, but due to various drawbacks it can be replaced by Recursive Discrete Fourier Transform (RDFT) Algorithm. Hence, this paper gives mathematical differences between DFT and RDFT algorithms in brief and advantages of RDFT algorithm.


The article offers an insight into the practical implementation of Soviet folk art policy in everyday life in the Estonian SSR. Bureaucratic rules, state control, material aid, social prestige and motivation, the ""folk art"" competitions, media coverage, the folklore protest movement, etc., are the topics of this article. By looking closer at the ways of dealing with, interpreting and adopting the political and ideological requirements, the author explains why the Sovietised style of ""folklore"" could erase its Communist image in favour of a national Estonian one, and continue to be appreciated as part of the generally highly-valued ""folklore"" in Estonian society today.


The primary objective of "Long-Term Care in Motion" (LTCMo) within the project INNOVAGE was to create a social innovation with the potential to promote physical activity (PA)-related behavior in a nursing home (NH) setting. It represents a model project based on a natural lab approach (i.e., investigation of a maximum number of NH residents in their "real ecology"). The project's activities were based on four main objectives: 1. Examination of the potential of PA interventions among NH residents based on a systematic review evaluating previous studies in this field. 2. Development, implementation, and long-term establishment of a multidimensional intervention program addressing NH residents (combination of physical exercise approaches) and staff (competence training) in two NHs in Heidelberg (Germany). 3. Exploration of an innovative mixed-method assessment strategy to reflect PA-related behavior and life space as well as potential intervention effects among the vulnerable population of NH residents that may become a model for the examination of social innovations in this area in general. 4. Broad dissemination of findings to relevant stakeholders and users


Leaf architecture was investigated in three species of the family Bombacaceae. The mature leaflets from both fresh and herbarium materials were cleared using the method of Mohan Ram and Nayyar (1977), and terminologies of Hickey (1973) were used to determine the leaf characters and the venation patterns. The whole lamina is more or less symmetrical in all the species investigated. The major venation pattern conforms to the types of camptodromous mixed with festooned brochidodromous, and festooned brochidodromous. In all the members of the family studied, the primary and secondary veins are ornamented with parenchymatous bundle sheaths. Imperfectly developed areoles are predominant over the developed ones. The size and the shape of the areole is variable. The vein endings may be simple, or once or sometimes twice dichotomously branched. The highest venation order of the family is sixth degree. Marginal ultimate venation is looped. Tracheids are either uni-, bi-, tri-, or multi-seriate and vary in shape and size, and are commonly found at the free ends of the veins. Extension cells and isolated tracheids are not common. These characters are remarkably different from those in members of the Malvaceae.


We present radiative transfer simulations for blue kilonovae hours after neutron star (NS) mergers by performing detailed opacity calculations for the first time. We calculate atomic structures and opacities of highly ionized elements (up to the 10th ionization) with atomic number Z = 20–56. We find that the bound–bound transitions of heavy elements are the dominant source of the opacities in the early phase (t < 1 day after the merger) and that the ions with a half-closed electron shell provide the highest contributions. The Planck mean opacity for lanthanide-free ejecta (with electron fraction of Ye = 0.30–0.40) can only reach around at t = 0.1 days, whereas that increases up to at t = 1 day. The spherical ejecta model with an ejecta mass of Mej = 0.05 M⊙ gives the bolometric luminosity of at t ∼ 0.1 days. We confirm that the existing bolometric and multicolor data of GW170817 can be naturally explained by the purely radioactive model. The expected early UV signals reach 20.5 mag at t ∼ 4.3 hr for sources even at 200 Mpc, which is detectable by the facilities such as Swift and the Ultraviolet Transient Astronomy Satellite (ULTRASAT). The early-phase luminosity is sensitive to the structure of the outer ejecta, as also pointed out by Kasen et al. Therefore, the early UV observations give strong constraints on the structure of the outer ejecta and the presence of a heating source besides r-process nuclei.


He, however, prescribed, and hoped for the best. A few days afterwards he was called again, the patient being manifestly in a very dangerous condition; and, again, after making the most thorough investigation of the patient and attendant circumstances, failed to satisfy his judgment as to the true nature or the cause of the illness. Being thus brought to a dead stand; Sir Andrew looked round the room to see if he could


Objective To investigate of the tissue TGF-β changes at early stage of hypertrophic scar formation and the value of scar blisters in hypertrophic scar.Methods The TGF-β1 content in the blister fluid and the blood were quantified with ELISA,patients(n=15)with hypertrophy scar after depth burn were included,three time point(each n=5)on early stage( 0.01),the TGF-β1 in the blister of normal skin was also not elevated(P>0.01),but TGF-β1 level in the scarblisters hypertrophic scar was elevated significantly[ 90 d,(534.4±125.9)pg/L,P<0.01] and higher than the normal skin blister and the blood(P<15.6 pg/L.P<0.01),the increased TGF-β1 1evel in the hypertrophic scar blisters were persisted for at least three months.the TGF-β1 level of scar blister on the 3th month of hypertrophic scar formation reached a peak [(534.4±125.9)pg/L,P<0.01].Conclusions The data in this study indicates that TGF-β production at the early stage of hypertrophic scar formation is increased and may play an important role in scar formation;scar blisters is a valuable approach in hypertrophic scar study.

Key words:
Scar; Blister; Cytokine; Transforming growth factor β


The method of large eddy simulation (LES) has a high potential to accurately predict complex turbulent flows. Gas turbine combustion systems feature a number of phenomena interacting with each other such as swirl with recirculation, complex turbulent mixing and combustion of premixed, non-premixed as well as partially premixed nature. We therefore tend to approach the simulation of real gas turbine combustors step by step. The aim of this paper is to document some of the progress made at EKT in assessing the capability of LES in flows separately exhibiting distinct features of gas turbine combustors. Some results from two configurations are presented and discussed: a non-confined isothermal swirl flow with precessing vortex core and a non-premixed bluff-body flame.


Regionalisation strategy areas are defined by the former Department of Local Government and Planning as administrative areas for the Queensland Regionalisation Strategy and the Queensland Infrastructure Plan.


AIM:To prepare domperidone sustained-release floating tablets and establish a method for isolation and determination of related substances. METHOD:The tablets were prepared by the use of HPMC and Carbopol as gel matrix. In vitro release rate and floating capability were observed to evaluate the formulation; HPLC is adopted using Hypersil ODS_ 2 column, the mobile phase is methanol-5 g/L ammonium acetate solution-triethylamine, and its mobile rate is 1 ml/min, with detective wavelength of 285 nm. RESULT:The floating capability of domperidone sustained-release floating tablets is good and the formulation could ensure the desired in vitro release rate. The detective limit of domperidone was 23.76 ng/ml, 4 related substances were determined. CONCLUTION:The tablets prepared can achieve sustained release with short floating lagtime; The method of determining related substances was simple, sensitive, and accurate.


Ahslraci-This paper proposes and justifies P Lifccycle oriented Information Framework for network and service managemcnt, to manage the lifecycle of the information through the difrercnt layers: from the end-users sewice management level to the equipment management level. The workflow framework provides a couple of information flow scenarios leading to define a flexible management information structure featuring intclligenee, mobility, introspection, and polymorphism.


We report our clinical experience with the first 54 cases of long bone fractures treated with the Fixion IM Nail. This innovative nailing system eliminates the need for interlocking screws and reaming of the medullary canal when the nailing of a long bone fracture is needed, offers a minimally invasive procedure for intramedullary nailing, and significantly reduces fluoroscopy exposure. Biomechanically, the nail assumes the hourglass shape of the medullary canal by its abutment to the medullary walls. The formation of a supporting forces entity, that could be defined as "the bone-nail supporting forces system entity," becomes practically an integral part of the medullary walls at the points of attachment. In order to avoid using interlocking screws and reaming of the medullary canal when the nailing of a long bone fracture is required, the "FIXION IMN" system was proposed. Since March 1999 we have implanted 54 Fixion Intramedullary Nails for traumatic and pathological fractures in 50 patients with a mean age of 52 years (18 to 85). Among these patients, 33 had humeral fractures, 13 had tibial fractures, and 8 had femoral fractures; the pathological fracture cases consisted of 4 humeral cases and 1 femoral case. The Fixion IM Nail system consists essentially of four longitudinal bars connected radially by four thin membranes. The nail is sealed proximally with a unidirectional valve. During insertion, the nail is connected to a driver handle which assists with insertion and serves as a conduit for the saline during the expansion process. Inflation of the nail is by means of a pump that connects to the driver handle. Once in position, the nail is expanded by inflation under controlled pressure with saline. The expansion causes abutment of the longitudinal bars to the inner surface of the canal along the entire length, resulting in fixation of the fracture. The procedure is monitored fluoroscopically and clinically to ensure accurate reduction of the fracture. The surgeries were uneventful. Postoperative complications were not reported in any of the cases. The nail was inserted easily and good fixation was achieved. The patients made a complete recovery with early pain-free mobilisation and full range of motion.


Somewhere between pure science and pure hard-won experience lies technological success. This year's rich variety of achievements in photonics and optoelectronics extends to both extremes of the range.


Through investigation into the present situation of our country industry of big data,combined with the eastern Midwest informatization development situation in our country,from the policy support,investment,combined with the product function integration,network integration,manufacturing and service integration,penetrating into ICT technologies to other industries,etc.Big data of our country industry regional present situation and development were analyzed.


Nobel Economics Laureate, Amartya Sen, has argued that democracy is the twentieth century's greatest achievement (1999: 3–4). It is by far the most popular form of political system globally, defined first and foremost by open and fair electoral participation—the purest concept of representation—and also by freedom of speech and movement. Yet, at what should be its 'moment of triumph', there instead hangs a question mark over its quality in advanced industrial western states. Perhaps the most obvious aspect to this problem is that, despite elections constituting the most pivotal element of what defines democracy, partisan identification has been in steady decline for several decades in countries with long-established systems of democratic governance (Dalton and Wattenberg 2000; Webb et al. 2002), while electoral turnout itself has been falling since the 1990s (Blais 2007). This decline is interpreted by many as being especially problematic when we consider that age also appears to be an important factor—younger people seem to be less and less likely to vote, while the demographic of party memberships is now skewed heavily towards the upper end of the age spectrum (Dalton 2008: 86). In issue 44(2) of Representation, Michael Saward comments on the 'widespread sense that we are facing a crisis of representation' (2008: 93). As a consequence, a considerable amount of scholarly attention has been devoted to the question of how to improve levels of democratic engagement in countries like the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) where democracy is prized as something intrinsically linked to national identity and a highly successful global export (Putnam 2000; Stoker 2006). Indeed, a number of solutions are possible within the context of British politics: introducing term limits for elected politicians to revive the concept of politics being about public service rather than careerism; greater constitutional reform, including the introduction of a fully elected upper chamber, as well as devolving more power away from London and closer to people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; and, most directly, electoral reform—which would do away with the existence of 'safe seats' where there seems little point in people voting at all. With that last point in mind in particular, this special issue of Representation, a journal with a long and distinguished record of publishing informed contributions to the debate on electoral systems, focuses, as a case study, on a political system where such questions are especially pertinent—one of the constituent parts of the UK: Scotland. Since May 2007, four different voting systems have been operating in Scotland—making it effectively one of the world's most prominent electoral reform testing laboratories. With a relatively homogeneous electorate of four million voters and a Northern European political culture which is sometimes compared to that of the Nordic states (Arter 2004), any lessons to be learned here about civic engagement clearly cannot be replicated in every system of democratic governance. Nevertheless, case studies are important in political science—for example, it is widely


In this letter we propose a novel method for direct data-based design of an output feedback controller for output-error processes in the single-input-single-output case. We consider a finite number of input/output data points collected from the system. Based on them, we define a set of state-space perturbed models consistent with data, where a bound on the disturbance is obtained by scenario optimization, and the structural properties of the models in this set are theoretically analyzed. This leads to a linear matrix inequality for the design of the feedback control law with probabilistic asymptotic stability guarantees. A simulated non-minimum phase system illustrates the approach.


Tensile strength and fracture behavior of thermally aged Cu/electroless Ni-P/Sn-3.5Ag solder joint were investigated for three different Ni-P thicknesses (3.9, 7.3, and 9.9mum) to examine the mechanical reliability of the solder joint. The tensile testing results showed that Ni-P thickness influences the solder joint strength considerably. In the case of thin Ni-P, the tensile strength decreased with increase in aging duration, whereas, it increased in the case of thicker Ni-P. The failure mode and fracture surfaces were also found to depend upon Ni-P thickness. In the solder joint with thick Ni-P, failure mode was ductile and fracture surfaces were inside the bulk solder. Whereas in the joint with thin Ni-P, with aging duration, failure mode changed from ductile to brittle and fracture surfaces shifted from inside the bulk solder to the (Ni1-xCux)3 Sn4/Ni-Sn-P and Ni3P/Cu interfaces. The depletion of Cu from the Ni3P/Cu interface and the formation of (Ni1-xCux)3Sn4 intermetallic at the Ni3Sn4/Ni-Sn-P interface were found to be the main causes for the brittle failure. The Cu depletion resulted in the formation of layer of voids at the Ni3P/Cu interface and thereby in the loss of adhesion between Ni3P layer and Cu surface


Porcine acelluar dermal matrix (pADM), known as pure collagen with three dimensional structure, was used to explore the interactions between porcine collagen and a metal complex in this study. The metal complex mainly consists of elements Zr, Al and Ti (patented product named DMT-II). Tests of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), the crosslinking degree, Diffraction Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were carried out to further probe the microscopic changes between collagen and the metal complex. Results have revealed that the DMT-II could react with collagen between fibers and at functional groups in the collagen molecules. The unique structure of collagen has been retained with only small changes of intensity of the characteristic absorption peaks appeared. The highest thermal denaturation temperature of pADM after reaction with DMT-II (50%) was 86.6 °C, which has been improved by 18.9 °C. The crystal structure analyzed by XRD showed that DMT-II affected the triple helical structure of collagen to some degree, proving that the reaction took place at the collagen molecules. Through morphology observation, it was clear that DMT-II changed the fiber distribution, and the fibers in pADM assembled together to form a tight layer. By a series of tests, results showed that the reaction between collagen and DMT-II could take place both in fibers and in collagen molecules, which paved a new way for collagen modification.


Liner notes by Al Rose ; cover design by Johnny Donnels ; pictures by John Kuhlman ; made in New Orleans


Objective: To observe the efficacy of putting mannatide into the thorax during the operation on pleural effusions and the time of pulling out thoracic drainage tube after lung cancer radical surgery. Methods: Totally 118 patients with lung cancer undergoing radical surgery in our hospital from Jun 2012 to Nov 2013 were studied retrospectively. Mannatide was used in 69 patients( 19 of VATS; 50 of thoracotomy) during the operation.Mannatide( 50 mg) was dissolved in 250 m L saline,and then put into the thorax for 10 min before sternum closed.Forty-nine patients( 13 of VATS; 36 of thoracotomy) did not receive mannatide during the operation. The pleural effusions and the time of pulling out chest tube in all the patients were recorded and analyzed. Results: In VATS group,the time of pulling out thoracic drainage tube did not change,but the pleural effusions were significantly reduced after putting mannatide into the thorax during the operation( P 0. 05). In thoracotomy group,mannatide reduced both the pleural effusions and the time of pulling out thoracic drainage tube after operations( P 0. 05).Conclusion: Putting mannatide into the thorax during the lung cancer radical surgery reduces the pleural effusions;it can reduce the time of pulling out thoracic drainage tube in part of the patients.


CASE REPORT A previously healthy adolescent female patient presented with a 6-month history of crusted painful pustules, papules, and weeping plaques involving the scalp, ears, neck, axillae, umbilicus, pubis, and perianal area with no associated systemic symptoms (Figure 1, A and B). She had no personal past medical history and no history of previous prolonged medication use. Notably, her family history was positive for autoimmune hepatitis in her father, and her mother had a history of "positive antibodies for lupus" during pregnancy. At the time of presentation to our institution, the patient had already been assessed by numerous physicians with multiple therapies attempted including topical steroids of all potency classes, topical mupirocin ointment, topical nystatin, oral trimethroprim and sulfamethoxazole, and oral cephalexin. Despite these therapies, the patient and her guardian reported only a mild and transient improvement in her symptoms. On initial clinical assessment at our institution, a presumptive diagnosis of inverse psoriasis was entertained. A skin biopsy demonstrated psoriasiform dermatitis with spongiosis and intracorneal neutrophils with retention of the granular cell layer, consistent with, but not diagnostic for, an early phase of psoriasis. Given the combined clinical and pathological findings, the patient was subsequently prescribed topical betamethasone and calcipotriene. Although therewas some thinning of the plaques with this regimen, they did not fully resolve, and the patient continued to have pustules and discharge. Methotrexate was then added. Multiple swab cultures of the pustules and discharge demonstrated mixed bacterial growth, and trimetroprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) was incorporated for treatment of a presumed superinfection. Despite increasing the methotrexate dose over the period of 4 months and multiple courses of TMP/SMX, the patient continued to flare with this regimen. Adalimumab was then commenced. Although therewas an apparent initial response to adalimumab, after 3months of therapy, the patient had a significant flare prompting rebiopsy. In contrast to the first biopsy, which showed a population of intraepidermal neutrophils, this sample demonstrated prominent and well-developed intraepidermal pustules. Additional histologic findings included spongiosis, papillary dermal edema, and an associated neutrophilic and lymphocytic infiltrate in the dermis (Figure 2). Direct immunofluorescence of adjacent, uninvolved skin was negative. Because of this development, a diagnosis of subcorneal pustolosis was considered. Methotrexate and adalimumab were discontinued, and dapsone was commenced. While on dapsone, there was some improvement in the


In this study, a power converter topology and control schemes for the power converter stages are proposed for a DC extreme fast charger. The proposed system is composed of a cascaded H-bridge (CHB) converter as the active front end (AFE), and an input series output parallel (ISOP), which includes three parallel connected dual active bridge (DAB) cells. A modified Lyapunov Function (LF) based control strategy is applied to obtain high current control response for the AFE. An additional controller to remove the voltage unbalances among the H-bridges is also presented. Additionally, the triple phase-shift (TPS) control method is applied for the ISOP DAB converter. A Lagrange Multiplier (LM) based optimization study is performed to minimize the RMS current of the transformer. The performance of the proposed converter topology and control strategies is validated with MATLAB/Simulink simulations.


SOARES, J. B. Event Discrete System model editor, based on interpreted Petri nets. São Carlos, 2001. 63p. Dissertação (Mestrado) Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo. The Petri net is a powerful graphical and mathematical tool, which has been developed and improved to the modeling and analysis of Discrete Event Systems. One of its limitations is the large profusion of graphic elements in complex models. Some interpreted Petri nets consist in proposals to solve this kind of limitation. This work's main goal is to implement a Petri net graphical editor and analyzer framework, using concepts of code reuse and design patterns. In this way, an opensoftware was proposed, which enables the continuous development process, providing the inclusion, reuse and improvement of functionalities. As a result, it was possible to incorporate the edition of some Petri net extensions, essentially the interpreted, through the reuse of mathematical and graphical edition functionalities of Place/Transition Petri net.


Ceramic Yb:YAG is a suitable gain medium candidate for high-energy lasers. The use of a combination of TEOS and MgO sintering aids led to uniform microstructure independently on the increase of thickness. Samples were thoroughly characterised.


Surveys were conducted to explore the eulophid fauna in rice ecosystems of Tamil Nadu during 2015-16 in three different rice-growing zones viz., western zone, Cauvery delta zone and high rainfall zone. In the present study, a total of 161 eulophid individuals were collected from rice ecosystems that represent 3 subfamilies, 8 genera and 14 species. The three subfamilies were Entodoninae, Eulophinae and Tetrastichinae. Alpha and beta diversity were computed for the three zones and the diversity indices (Simpson's index, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou's index) revealed that the high rainfall zone as the most diverse zone, while western zone being the least. Aprostocetus benazeer Narendran was found to be the most abundant species in the rice ecosystem with a relative density of 12.4 per cent. On comparing the species similarities using the Jaccard's index in between the three sites taken in pairs, it was found that 66 per cent similarity between western and Cauvery delta zones and 42 per cent similarity between high rainfall and Cauvery delta zones and 35 per cent similarity between high rainfall and western zones.


The objective of this study is to examine the effect of greenwashing on consumer purchasing decisions of quality-labels on food packaging. Claims regarding environmentally friendly and sustainable products are nowadays an essential factor that influences the purchasing decisions of consumers. In response to this trend, different marketing strategies have come into play. Some companies are adapting their internal processes in order to qualify for certified label status; whereas others have responded with the use of fake labelling, thus conducting greenwashing. How do consumer attitudes change when skepticism arises due to knowledge of greenwashing? Even fair companies could suffer from other firms' deceptive behaviour, which generally influences the market conditions. Primary data in the form of a vignette study was gathered to identify how consumer awareness of greenwashing affects their purchasing decisions in terms of consumers' attitude and the perceived value for quality-labelled products. The findings of this study reveal that consumer attitudes and their perceived value of quality label have significantly changed. The importance of quality-labelling has decreased, indicating the negative effect of greenwasing practices for all organisations in this market segment.


When making projections in Environmental Outlooks, in estimating the future environmental costs RIVM considers these costs as being constant through time. However, in reality these costs are not constant, but they decrease as a result of scale- and learning effects. This report presents a method to determine the decrease of costs during a period of time. In doing this, empirical data about environmental technologies is collected. Five clusters are composed, and per cluster a formula is derived that describes the cost decrease through time. These formulas are fitted with the help of a statistical package. Using RIVM's database of environmental technologies, an exercise is done calculating the environmental costs by attaching each of the 800 technologies to one of the five clusters. The conclusion is that by considering costs to be constant the total environmental costs are overestimated. The exercise shows that this overestimation is about 10%. Because of the limited set of empirical data, the clustering of the technologies and the arbitrary attachment to the clusters the results of this study should be considered as indicative.


The text examines the painted decoration of a Thracian tomb, dated to the 6th – 5th century, discovered in the village of Ruzhitsa (Bulgaria). The aniconic type of this decoration gives the opportunity to discuss several important issues related to the development of wall painting in the Aegean, including the interdependence between vaseand wall painting. Important conclusions are drawn from the analysis of the painted geometric and plant motifs: their potential religious and eschatological significance is here explored. The ideosyncratic decorative system of the Thracian tomb is a local manifestation of the cultural koine in the Aegean Mediterranean during the 6th – 5th centuries BCE.


Over the past 36 years, the General Assembly authorized a total of 64 tax credit programs, which have goals that include: supporting low-income housing, rehabilitating old buildings, encouraging private donations for social causes, and enticing companies to create jobs (Joint Committee on Tax Policy 2009, "Tax Credit Creation Timeline") The credits have different features, resulting in 36 unique tax credit programs.


This paper describes the ratio of levels of combustible species (CO, HC, CO2 and lambda) of a four-cycle otto motor with a six-stroke MUB-2 motor with additional combustion duration and two working steps. The increase in combustion duration aims to re-burn combustible species that have not been completely burned in the first combustion. This study used a 4 stroke motor with a capacity of 125 cc and then modified it into a 6 stroke motorbike with twice the duration of combustion. The observed local atmospheric conditions at a relative humidity of about 76% rH, and the ambient temperature and pressure were around 24 ° C and 101.32kPa, respectively. The implementation of data retrieval with crankshaft rotation at intervals of 600 rpm from 2400 rpm to 7200 rpm.Using an anlyser gas, the MUB-2 six-stroke engine showed 12.36% CO levels, 27.30% HC levels, 30.8 CO2 levels % and 1.7% lower lambda than conventional four-stroke engines. This means that in the 6 stroke MUB-2 motor, the combustion process of the air and fuel mixture is more perfect than the conventional 4 stroke motor.


Spin transfer in deep‐inelastic Λ electroproduction has been studied with the HERMES detector using the 27.6‐GeV polarized positron beam in the HERA storage ring. The longitudinal spin transfer DLL, from the virtual photon to the Λ has been extracted as a function of z, the fraction of the virtual photon energy carried by the Λ. The observable D LL′ is sensitive to both helicity conservation in the fragmentation process and to hyperon spin structure. Including all data taken at HERMES during the years 1996–2000, a preliminary average value of D LL′ = 0.04 ± 0.09 is obtained in the current fragmentation region xF > 0. These results are explained by a Monte Carlo simulation based on the Lund string model. The principal conclusion of these studies is that even in the forward‐production region xF > 0, Λ production in medium‐energy deep‐inelastic scattering is complicated by the influence of the target remnant.


Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis (CE) of blood and tissue samples have been used to distinguish between deer species such as red deer, sika deer, wapiti and reindeer. We constructed 4 species-specific primers by using the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA and cytochrome b as an internal PCR control. The amplified species-specific product lengths of 199, 299, 245 and 375 bp for red deer, sika deer, wapiti subspecies and reindeer, respectively were detected from mitochondrial D-loop DNA fragments. The specificity was confirmed by analysis of blood and tissue samples of 4 deer antlers and 8 other samples of mammalian DNA (mouse, rat, pig, chicken, cat, cow, dog and human DNA). The specificity and accuracy of the multiple primers for identification were assessed at various concentrations and from mixed samples. In this study, we established a method for the identification of deer species using deer antlers. Key words: Deer antler, identification, mitochondrial DNA, multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR).


The formation and growth of interior fatigue cracks have been studied thoroughly during the last decades, due to the high practical importance of accurate predictions about the fatigue lives of structures and machine components. This is of special interest in the VHCF regime, for which the ultrasonic fatigue method is especially useful. Fracture mechanical values and lifetimes can be measured at constant and variable amplitudes. Endurance limits and ΔK thresholds can also be determined very quickly (e.g. 1010 cycles within a few days). Three different materials were studied. For chromium steel, internal crack formation and a fracture mechanical analysis of its growth were carried out. For a specially manufactured Mg alloy, microstructural features leading to interior cracks were analysed. Finally, for polycrystalline high-purity copper, the conditions for interior-crack formation and growth were determined. The utilization of FE-SEM microscopy assisted in interpreting the prevailing mechanisms responsible for endurance limits, lifetimes and fatigue-crack growth thresholds.


At the Conference Dr. L. HAWTREY MAY (Cambridge) talked about the medical care of overseas expeditions; Dr. G. GRANT (Cardiff) and Dr. J. KERSHAW (School Health Association) discussed the liaison between school and university health services; Dr. R. RAINES (Hull) and Dr. J. Scorr (Keele) described the design of their new Student Health Departments; and Dr. P. W. W. GiFFoRD (Sheffield) outlined a scheme for disseminating information on student health developments. A full conference report may be obtained on application to the Hon. Secretary, Dr. S. E. Finlay, The University, Leeds 2.


Four different inoculation methods were tested on six corn genotypes, under field condition. In call cases 1ml. Of 5 x 105 conidial suspension was applied, as follows: injection with a hypodermic needle in the central part of the ear (M1), injection in the silk channel (M2),  inoculum deposition on a wonded section of the ear (M3), inoculum deposition on the ear silk (M4). According to the statistical analysis the most efficient method was M3, followed by M1, M4 and M2. Fusarium spp and A. flavus showed a significative negative correlation (p>0,01) among them. Methods where inoculum was placed on the upper part of the ear showed more Fusarium and other fungi competition with A. flavus, and less efficiency. No statistical differences was found among genotypes.


n the grounds of the faded gran deur of the Art Deco building of the Musee de la Place Soweto is an enfilade of stable-like spaces. One of these is an unfinished open beamed structure with a strut di viding it visually into two areas. The floor is rough and marked. It is a space outside of the main venues designated for the Biennale and thus on the periphery. One of the Dak'Art artists, Claudia Cristovao, selected this space, which was largely ignored by other exhibitors, to show her multiple channel video installation Fata Morgana or The Mirage, where people who were bom in Africa but left as children dur ing the years of African independence from colonial rule were asked to describe their memories and projections. An imaginary country emerges from these stories, not any one "real" country but one "global Africa" as real in each person's mind as it is impos sible to find on any map. Surrounding five small, intimate screens recording the indi vidual interviews is a large projection of a Namibian "ghost town"-a community built during the diamond rush and desert ed almost immediately by the prospectors searching for a more promising area. This town is slowly being swallowed by the col ored desert sands, which stand for the shift ing sands of memory and the projections of the interviewees who speak in Portuguese with French subtitles. After the grand prize-giving ceremony, where Christovao was recipient of one of the major prizes, I was approached by an Eng lish-speaking fellow South African curator who had trouble understanding the piece. It then became apparent that we, as members of the jury, were mainly Francophone and therefore the Portuguese and French used in the interview structure was clear. However this use of language (prevalent in the many multimedia pieces) set up barriers for many viewers. For me, this incident was key in the context of this biennale, whose theme was "Afrique: Entendues, sous-entendus et malenten dus," officially and loosely translated in the catalogue as "Africa: Agreements, Allusions, and Misunderstandings." The notion of an "African" contemporary art is as problem atic as the notion of an African identity. In this age of globalization there is now a bi ennale style of art. Many of the exhibitors are familiar names on the international bien nale circuit whether it be in Venice, Istanbul, Valencia or Cairo. The overall theme focus ing on the continent has inherent problems. Africa is a complex and large continent with fifty-odd countries, where languages and cultural practices are many and chan nels of communication are generally poor. Until recently, a person who wanted to trav el from South Africa to Dakar had to fly to Europe and then back again to Africa. That in itself was a symbolic journey, where to discover one's own continent meant doing so via Europe. Maybe it is still a bit like that-many "African" exhibitors are resi dents of France, Holland, and the US, while most of their work is involved in examin ing issues of identity and the histories which they are trying to recuperate. At least a third of the exhibits of Dak'Art 2006 were digital ly based, flying in the face of the stereotypes of Africa that are still held by many of the prominent Westem collectors and curators who visited the Biennale hoping to capture some of the African romanticism demon strated by many of the exhibiting artists. This romanticism was manifested by the in corporation of elements such as recycled ma terials, soil surrounding the exhibits, African print fabrics, and references to "traditional" art forms or materials-practices that have successfully and calculatedly brought many African artists into the international arena. El Anatsui's work was an outstanding ex ample of departure from these stereotypes, his use of aluminum bottle tops and copper wire raising these materials to the level of a transformative experience. His painstaking method of stitching together the discarded pliable bottle tops, piece by piece, produced a large-scale theatrical object that folds and unfolds like a curtain, claiming a dramatic space and asserting a dominant position. The artwork suggests West African traditions of sewing opulent cloth into ritual garments which, when worn in particular ceremonies, linked the living and dead. The sense of scale, drama, and history in this work cre ated a spiritual experience from a twenty first century African city's debris. To return to the overall theme, for me the whole of the show did not equal the sum of its parts. The structure of a biennale can be problematic in that the idea of mul tiple venues is designed primarily for a general survey rather than a curated show. The Venice Biennale was originally con ceived as a symbol of the carving up of Eu rope into nation states, and the idea of discrete national pavilions persisted for many years. Biennales now often serve as tools for the promotion of cultural tourism and occur in cities where art is moribund between such events. The idea of the exhibition itself as a work of art is one that has gained currency in the last few years, but is often neglected in international shows about African art that have suffered from the "survey" syndrome. The Dakar Biennale, being a large-scale show about African art in Africa, lost the oppor tunity to make a studied and coherent state ment. Works seemed to be placed without consideration of the relationships between them, and thus the opportunity to set up dialogues and visual connections was lost. Due mainly to problems with funding, many curators and artworks arrived in a haphazard manner, often at the eleventh hour, creating a situation in which spaces, instead of being planned and prescribed, were chosen by those who either happened to arrive on the turf first or who shouted the loudest. Dak'Art 7 succeeded, then, primarily as an event and only secondarily as a curated exhibition. This is, after all, the most sus tainable biennale on the continent, and one that provides a unique space for the com ing together of African art and its assess ment. It brings the world to Africa rather than bringing Africa to the world. a


The relationship between factors of human capital demutualization is not illustrated by current research. In order to overcome above drawbacks,this paper,based on the systematical induction of factors of human capital demutualization,analyzed the hierarchy of relationship between factors using Interpretive Structural Modeling( ISM),make a hierarchical chart and reach a model of affecting factors of human capital demutualization. The paper methodizes the staggered factors,clears the fundamental factors that located in the bottom of each sub-region and also shows the driving force and dependence of each factor using cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification( MICMAC).


A nation's telecom system plays an important role in its socio‐economic development. This case study assesses the technical and organizational readiness of Ethio‐Telecom to implement Cloud Computing services to serve Africa's fast‐growing demand for Cloud Computing. The study used the STOPE (Strategy, Technology, Organization, People, and Environment) model as a theoretical base. A structured survey questionnaire was used to gather data from 100 mid and operational level employees. An interview was conducted with top‐level officials to elicit information about the strategic direction of the company. We used structural equation modeling software for analyses and model testing. The SMART PLS results point to the appropriateness of the STOPE model for the assessment of Ethio‐Telecom's Cloud Computing readiness. Additional analysis revealed that Ethio‐Telecom's Strategy, Technology, Organization, and Environmental dimensions need only minor improvements while the People dimension requires significant improvements to successfully implement Cloud Computing services. We mapped interview and document analysis data to the STOPE model constructs. This qualitative approach further validated the results we got in the quantitative analysis. We believe the mixed methodology, SMART PLS for quantitative analysis and e‐Learning Readiness Survey to determine individual dimension readiness, and quantitative analysis, used in this study have added to the body of knowledge.


This paper studies the codesign optimization approach to determine how to optimally adapt automatic control of an intelligent electric vehicle to driving styles. A cyber-physical system (CPS)-based framework is proposed for codesign optimization of the plant and controller parameters for an automated electric vehicle, in view of vehicle's dynamic performance, drivability, and energy along with different driving styles. System description, requirements, constraints, optimization objectives, and methodology are investigated. Driving style recognition algorithm is developed using unsupervised machine learning and validated via vehicle experiments. Adaptive control algorithms are designed for three driving styles with different protocol selections. Performance exploration method is presented. Parameter optimizations are implemented based on the defined objective functions. Test results show that an automated vehicle with optimized plant and controller can perform its tasks well under aggressive, moderate, and conservative driving styles, further improving the overall performance. The results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed CPS-based codesign optimization approach.


Democratic centralism plays an important role both in the Marxist theory of nation and the theory of Party construction.There are two theoretical analytical patterns among theoretical workers,which are analytical pattern of "integration" and analytical pattern of "analysis".These two analytical patterns have their own rationality and theoretical predominance as well as theoretical and practical predicaments.


It is shown that in the absence of a macroscopic external field, the direct correlation function in the planar interface between two fluid phases has a slow decay in the transverse directions. This is in contrast to all earlier assumptions and approximate results. More generally, when several fluid phases meet along a surface of contact, it is found that the direct correlation function decays slowly in the surface of contact. These results hold provided that self-maintained interfaces exist and the intermolecular forces decay rapidly enough at infinity.


OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF) on bone formation induced by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2(rhBMP-2) in repair of mandibular defects in rabbits.

METHODS
56 adult domestic rabbits were classified into five groups. The mandiblar three-wall defects(1.5 cm x 0.5 cm, full thick) were created in right sides. The defects were implanted with various grafts: PLA/rhBMP-2/bFGF, PLA/rhBMP-2, PLA/bFGF, PLA and no implant as control group. At 2, 4 and 8 weeks after operation, the effectivenesses of defect repaire were observed by histological and roentgenographic analysis.

RESULTS
The composite consisting of three materials stimulated more bone formation than of two materials, and the latter was more than single PLA(at 4 weeks postoperation, P < 0.05). All experimental groups, which had one or two growth factors, were significantly higher compared with control group in every stage of postimplantation.

CONCLUSION
PLA has good biocompatibility, absorbability and osteoconductibility, rhBMP-2 and bFGF are cooperated in bone healing process, and PLA/rhBMP-2/bFGF is a promising bone substitute in clinical uses.


Abstract: Methamphetamine (Meth) is an illicit substance known to interfere with catecholaminergic systems and a popular recreational drug among young adult women, that is, in gestational age. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate‐limiting enzyme of the synthetic pathway of catecholamines, is a good marker to assess potential effects of Meth in catecholaminergic (particularly in dopaminergic) systems. In the rat, prolonged neonatal Meth exposure altered several dopaminergic markers (TH activity and gene expression) in substantia nigra pars compacta (SN) and in caudate‐putamen (TH activity) when animals matured. However, it was never verified whether gestational exposure to Meth might compromise TH enzyme in the pups during the neonatal immature periods. The present study was designed to address this issue by analyzing TH gene expression, measured by in situ hybridization in SN and ventral tegmental area (VTA), dopaminergic areas that are well characterized as target areas for Meth, and in rats prenatally exposed to this psychostimulant. To this end, dated pregnant Wistar rat dams received 5 mg Meth hydrochloride/kg body weight/day. It was administered subcutaneously from gestational day 8 until 22. The control group was pair‐fed and saline injected, using the same experimental protocol as for Meth‐treated dams. On the day of birth (postnatal day 0, PND 0), litters were culled to 8 pups, sex‐balanced whenever possible, and were followed until the day of sacrifice (PND 7, 14, or 30). Meth treatment differentially affected TH mRNA levels in VTA and SN, in an age‐ and gender‐dependent manner. Thus, TH mRNA levels were decreased in the VTA of PND 7 and PND 14 females gestationally exposed to Meth; this effect was not evident in males or on PND 30. TH mRNA levels also tend to decrease in SN of PND 14 females gestationally exposed to Meth. Collectively, the present results indicated that gestational Meth exposure affects TH gene expression in the postnatal life, a phenomenon that appears to be transient, since it is no longer evident by the end of the first month of life in the rat.


The asymptotic homogenization technique is applied to evaluate the effective properties of thin plates with periodic heterogeneity. The effect of shear deformation in the homogenization process is evidenced and the role of cell slenderness, besides that of the plate, is clarified by several numerical analyses.


Continuum mechanics originates with the linear elasticity model of Cauchy, developed in 1827. However, continuum mechanics fails when the displacement field becomes discontinuous and thus undifferentiable, as is the case with strain-softening, cementitious materials. To compensate for the inability of continuum mechanics to model cracking behavior, the discipline of fracture mechanics was developed in the twentieth century. The cohesive crack model is currently the most commonly used fracture model for cementitious materials. In 1998, the peridynamic (near-force) model was presented by Silling. In the peridynamic model, which is the logical extension of the cohesive crack model to the "cohesive particle model", a nonlocal force interaction is assumed to take place between all pairs of infinitesimal particles within a neighborhood of finite size. The peridynamic pairwise force function completely defines the material behavior. The peridynamic model requires no derivative of the displacement field, and thus the displacement field need not be continuous. Therefore, cracks and other discontinuities can emerge unhindered as the solution progresses. Large deformations can be easily accommodated, as no kinematic strain assumptions need be made. This paper compares and contrasts the applicability of the peridynamic model and the continuum mechanics model to plain and reinforced concrete, and presents simulations and laboratory results of a lap-splice experiment.


A simple spectrophotometer was designed using cardboard, a DVD, a pocket digital camera, a tripod and a computer. The DVD was used as a diffraction grating and the camera as a light sensor. The spectrophotometer was calibrated using a reference light prior to use. The spectrophotometer was capable of measuring optical wavelengths with a theoretical accuracy as high as 0.2 nm. Using this spectrophotometer, wavelengths are determined via image processing.