Purpose. With respect to the nature of Ti-Ta-Nb-oxides, which are included in the mineral associations that have historically gone by the now outdated name of "wiikites", there is no unanimity of opinion. The main difficulty in identifying them is associated with the complexity of their chemical composition, their metamict structure and the substantial changes in their initial mineral form due to the effects of natural weathering. The aim of this work is the development of methodology to identify Ti-Ta-Nb-oxides corresponding to the mineral formulas AB2O6 and A2B2O7. Methods. The methodology developed in the work includes two experimental approaches: 1) electron probe microanalysis of phases revealed through use of the SEM-BSE method. Based on the resulting data, a hypothesis about the nature of the Ti-Ta-Nb-oxides in a number of wiikite samples is proposed. 2) XRD analysis of those phases that are formed in the course of thermal annealing of samples from 200 to 1000°C. Based on the resulting data here, the previous hypotheses are either accepted or rejected for each sample. Findings. Using this methodology, three "wiikite" samples were analyzed (the experimental codes were Wk-2, Wk-3 and Wk-7). The Ti-Ta-Nb-oxides in two of these wiikites (Wk-2 and Wk-3) were preliminarily determined to be hydroxyyttropyrochlore and hydroxycalciobetafite, respectively. In the third sample (Wk-7), the Ti-Ta-Nb-oxide was classified as polycrase. The results of XRD phase analysis of the annealed samples were compatible with the primary hypotheses that hydroxycalciobetafite and polycrase were the initial minerals in "wiikites" 3 and 7, respectively. Originality. The paper considers the issue of the chemical conditions necessary for the recovery of the original Ti-Ta-Nb-oxide during recrystallization of the metamict structures. This is a problem that has not been substantively addressed in the literature. Also for the first time experimentally proved the existence of the polycrase in "wiikites". Practical implications. Completed work expands our knowledge of the mineral composition of the granitic pegmatites of the Baltic shield and the possibility of their use both for research purposes and for needs of national economy.


Two glycoside compounds from methanol extract of Peronema canescens Jack. (Verbenaceae) were isolated and elucidated using on the basis of Nuclear magnetic resonances (1H-, 13C- NMR), mass and ultra-violet (with diagnostic reagent).


Exposure of sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax oocytes to 25, 50, 100, and 300 IU ml−1 of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) resulted in a dose-dependent increase (ED50=60 IU ml−1) in the maximal maturation and volume response rate over a 120-h incubation period. Oocytes responded in a similar dose-dependent manner to graded doses of homologous sea bass pituitary extract (ED50=3·3#10−2 PE ml−1). The response latency of sea bass oocytes to endogenous and exogenous gonadotropins was similar (t1/2≃45 and 48 h, respectively). Both 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20βP) and 17α,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20βS) stimulated maturation in a dose- and time-dependent manner with t1/2 values less than those of hCG (15 h and 7·5 h at 100 ng ml−1, respectively); 17α,20α-dehydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20αP) was ineffective. 17,20βP was more potent at all doses tested. The stimulatory actions of gonadotropin and maturation-inducing steroid (MIS) involved both transcription and translation since maturation was significantly inhibited in the presence of actinomycin D and cycloheximide. Moreover, pituitary extract and hCG stimulated release of higher levels of 17,20βP in a dose- and time-dependent manner in follicle incubations as compared to 20βS suggesting that this steroid may in fact be the MIS in this species.


The study endeavors at foreseeing the effects of human related facets on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Pakistan. Organizations receive all their resources from the society and then as an Organization Citizenship Behavior (OCB) they pay back to the society in the form of social initiatives. CSR initiatives have been emerging in Pakistan since the last decade and organizations are thriving to become socially active for their sustainability. CSR initiatives stimulate both the internal customers (employees) as well as the external customers. This study however, focuses on the internal customers and their perceived outcomes as a result of CSR initiatives. The perception of Human Resource (HR) function as strategic partner has accentuated advancements in HR and organizations having superior HRP have a competitive edge over their competitors. Self-administered questionnaire measuring CSR, HR practices (HRP) and perceived employee outcomes (OC) were circulated among employees of various organizations practicing CSR in Pakistan. The results show that the CSR, perceived OC and HRP are positively correlated. Baron and Kenny test for mediation indicated that the HRP mediates the relationship between CSR and perceived OC. The study offers insights for the top managers to improve their HRP for positive employee behavioral outcomes as well as better CSR initiatives.


Stuart Arms Hotel, corner Todd and Parsons Streets, Alice Springs. The building shown in the photograph (itself demolished circa 1986) was the third Stuart Arms Hotel building on the site.


A new formaldehyde-free reagent based on acrylamide and glyoxal was synthesized to improve the elasticity, stiffness, and weight gain of silk fabric. The finishing process could be completed rapidly in 20 seconds. The results showed that the elasticity, stiffness, and weight gain of silk fabric were efficiently improved. The stiffness was improved from 0.03 to 0.88 N·m, the delayed crease recovery angle was increased from 240° to 288.6°, and the weight gain could reach 18.1%. The finished silk fabrics were durable. The breaking strength and tear strength were substantially increased, and the whiteness of the silk was well maintained. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface of the finished silk remained smooth. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis indicated the finishing reagent reacted on the silk, and X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that a new crystalline phase formed during the finishing process.


Peculiarities of formation of the texture and adsorption properties of «catalytic fibrous carbon» (CFC), formed on specially prepared nickel catalysts and providing a precipitation of more than 100-150 g of carbon per 1 g of a catalyst, were examined. The potential utilization of such CFC as adsorbents and support materials was illustrated


The main goal of the present paper is to investigate how BIM tools and Ecotect can be integrated as an active part of an integrated design process for conceptual architectural design. The integrated design has an interaction between the skills of the architect and the engineer thought-out the process and thereby avoiding problems solving after the design has been finalised. The process has been analysed from an architect's point of view dealing with design at fictive sites in Copenhagen. The results of the research indicate that BIM tools combined with Ecotect can deliver useable qualitative input for sketching investigations during a conceptual architectural design process.


In order to analyze gas centrifuge performance, it is essential to know the concentration distribution. In the present paper the basic equation for centrifugal separation is drived from Hirschfelder's expression for binary diffusion. This two-dimensional partial differential equation can be solved very accurately by numerical computation. The velocity profile of the flows being likened to a step function, the concentration distribution and separative performance can be calculated for various types of centrifuges. This permits determination of the relation holding between such factors as cut, feed flow rate, feed point and reflux rate. Furthermore, comparisons are made between concurrent and countercurrent flows, and a discussion is presented on the characteristics of various countercurrent-those embodying circulation, as well as devoid of circulation and of reflux. These results should prove very useful for basic designs of centrifuges.


Recently, various purposes such as computer vision, self-driving vehicles, self-directed shipping, and so on. Therefore, machine learning and deep learning algorithms have demonstrated strong routine. Using machine learning applications, we can implement sophisticated functionality without relying on complex code constructions. An alternative is to train a learning system on a collected training dataset and ensure that it performs as expected. Two main benefits of a deep-learning-based system over a hard-coded one exist. A Reinforcement Learning, and deep learning-based system does not require such complex hard-coded algorithms, which makes it less prone to error and easier to implement. In this study we proposed a deep learning-driven systems are able to adapt to different situations by retraining their algorithms on collected data. Proposed method influenced varying obtain leaning to another example of changing conditions. Systems can adapt even when input distributions change over time.


In some countries legislative measures to diminish the risk that work imposes on a pregnant woman and her unborn child have been introduced over the last 2 decades. In Finland the idea of preventing workplace-related reproductive hazards at the workplace has been integrated into legislation through two different types of laws. The legislation on occupational safety obliges the employer to make sure that work conditions are not likely to cause genetic damage to the worker and are not harmful to the unborn baby or to the reproductive health and pregnancy of the worker. In the European Community the Directive 92/85/EEC identifies pregnant workers and workers who have given birth recently or are breast-feeding as group of workers facing specific risks in the workplace. The report on the implementation of the Directive concludes that it has generally been well implemented by the Member States most of them having amended their legislation to take specific account of pregnant workers and the non-exhaustive list of agents processes and working conditions given in the Directive.


Late Holocene (Neoglacial) moraines occurring within 1 or 2 km of present glacier margins are prominent features in the forefields of Spitsbergen glaciers. 'Little Ice Age' moraines are typically the most extensive and best preserved; moraines of older Holocene advances are much less common. Where observed, older moraines occur as moraine remnants and provide irrefutable evidence of earlier Neoglacial advances. The fragmentary moraine record indicates two 'Little Ice Age' advances and two older Neoglacial advances. Lichenometry provides calibrated ages for periods of moraine stabilization. The oldest moraines stabilized by ca. 1500 years ago, and a second group of moraines stabilized by ca. 1000 years ago. 'Little Ice Age' moraines were deposited during two periods: an early group of moraines stabilized ca. 650 years ago and a later group during the last several centuries. The proposed moraine chronology compares well with other proxy climate records on Spitsbergen and with moraine records from areas bordering the Norwegian-Greenland Sea.


An indirect-heated phase-change switch (PCS) using germanium telluride (GeTe) has been fabricated using thermal actuation driven by thin film heater on the model. Switches require a low ON-state resistance and a high OFF-state resistance with OFF/ON resistance ratio of 105. The finite element analysis simulation is applied to simulate the temperature of individual node GeTe with different microwave heating pulses. Finally, in order to reduce the phase-change time and increase the switching speed of indirectly heated switching structures, a new four-port indirectly heated phase change switching structure is proposed. In this paper, the heat dissipation of the switch is increased by etching deep grooves on the back of the switch. This structure obviously reduces the phase change time compared to conventional indirectly heated phase change switches the time between ON-state and OFF-state is reduced by more than 19% and the total process is reduced by more than 47%. The GeTe PCSs with etched grooves not only significantly increases the switching speed, but also reduces the risk of recrystallization of the phase change material.


Aim: According to the current guidelines, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) remains the first-line therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) B-stage and sorafenib is a small molecule target drug for BCLC C-stage. In clinical practice, clinicians have attempted to use stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plus TACE for treating intermediateto advanced-stage HCC. However, the therapeutic effects are still inconsistent. This meta-analysis was conducted to elucidate the validity and safety of the combination therapy of SBRT plus TACE in the patients with intermediate-to advanced-stage HCC. Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine, Chinese Knowledge resources integrated and Chinese Scientific Journal Full-Text Database was searched from their inception date to November 2018. The survival rates (half-year, one-year and two-year) were analyzed and compared between the observation groups and the control groups. The negative conversion rate of AFP and the total effective rate were also assessed. Risk ratios (RR) and 95%CI were calculated to express therapeutic effects. Results: A total of 1,210 patients from 13 eligible studies were included. The cooperation of TACE and SBRT notably ameliorated the whole survival rates of half-year, one-year, two-year, the negative conversion rate of AFP, and the total effective rate, compared with TACE or SBRT monotherapy [RR (the total effective rate), 1.412, 95%CI: 1.3091.523, P < 0.001], [RR (half-year survival rate), 1.196, 95%CI: 1.121-1.276, P < 0.001], [RR (one-year survival rate), 1.327, 95%CI: 1.236-1.424, P < 0.001], [RR (two-year survival rate), 1.479, 95%CI: 1.284-1.703, P < 0.001] and [RR (negative conversion rate of AFP), 1.756, 95%CI: 1.502-2.059, P < 0.001]. Sensitivity analysis supported the above


The paper analyses conscious flouting of usage conventions as a source of verbal irony. the concepts of language norm, linguistic anomaly, usage, and non-trivial language use and their application to the analysis of verbal irony are discussed. drawing on examples from the russian national corpus and non-fictional texts of various genres the author claims thatflouting of usage conventions does not necessarily lead to errors. conscious violation of the expected or normal language use can convey additional pragmatic meaning. if negative evaluation of the situation constitutes part of this meaning, the utterance is likely to be interpreted as ironic.


Conclusions: Different secular trends in outcomes for patients having TKR have been observed over the last decade. Although patient outcomes are better than a decade ago ERAS did not improve them at national level.


LUORIDATION is the addition of fluoride ion to a water supply so that the fluoride concentration reaches the optimum level to prevent a substantial degree of dental caries without leading to dental fluorosis. This optimum level usually ranges from 0.7 to i.o ppm, de040sce.' pending on climate; it could be even lower in some very hot climates. Fluoride is also used as a dietary supplement, as a therapeutic mouthrinse, in professionally-applied treatment in the dental office, and in toothpastes. This paper presents the epidemiological basis for fluoridation of water supplies and examines some of the political aspects of fluoridation. The scientific basis for alternative uses of fluoride will also be briefly examined and some policy suggestions made regarding the promotion offluoridation.


This article aims to provide a broad overview of the regulatory framework relevant to the quality and Good Manufacturing Practice aspects of investigational medicinal product regulation in Europe, describing the over-arching Clinical Trials Directive (2001/20/EC) and supporting European and national quality guidelines. A perspective is given on the high level texts, and the guidance and legislation developed under this umbrella. A brief description of intended function, interrelationships and development history to date is provided. Some examples of actual experiences with the interpretation and application of quality requirements for the Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier across Europe are shared. Possible developments to further enhance harmonisation of quality requirements in Europe and to ensure continued attractiveness of Europe as an environment for clinical research are discussed. The article covers the time period from publication of Directive 2001/20/EC in May 2001 to June 2008. The Clinical Trials Directive – origin and intent Directive 2001/20/EC1, commonly known as the Clinical Trials Directive, was published in its fi nal form in the Offi cial Journal of the European Communities on May 1, 2001. The main impetus behind development of the Directive had been to harmonise Good Clinical Practice requirements in Europe, and introduce Good Manufacturing Practice expectations to clinical trials supplies, also known as investigational medicinal products (IMPs). In addition, there was a broader intent to harmonise supportive data requirements for clinical trials submissions across Europe. In terms of implementation, the goal was that, from the May 1, 2001 effective date, EU Member States (MSs) would have a maximum of two years to transpose the Directive into their national legislation, and a further one year to implement the resultant regulatory requirements. While this has largely been achieved (and has included 10 additional EU accession countries) our understanding is that implementation is still ongoing in some MSs. Transposition – necessity and impact Harmonisation of requirements for clinical studies across Europe was, and is, a key goal of the Clinical Trials Directive and subsequent guidance documents. However, a required implementation step of Directive 2001/20/EC has been transposition into national MS legislation. It may have been anticipated, therefore, that a degree of divergence might result from the Directive's transposition. As transposition has progressed, it has become apparent that the combined effect of varying interpretation of the Directive text, together with superimposition of new requirements onto existing MS legislation has led to a more divergent picture than might have been foreseen. Currently, from a quality perspective, our experience is that a number of key divergent areas exist, which could usefully be reconciled. We expand upon this topic later in this article.


Abstract We test the hypothesis that cooperative membership is a trust and trustworthiness reinforcing device and that, as such, it affects (in a trust game) both trustors' and trustees' transfers and beliefs. In considering trust games played by sugar farmers in the Philippines, we find that (i) cooperative membership induces higher levels of trust and trustworthiness even in non-members because the players' behaviour is influenced by the information about their counterparts' cooperative membership status; (ii) an in-group bias is at work since, contrary to non-members' expectations, the positive affiliation-trustworthiness link works only among cooperative members.


Chicken is the most popular meat in the United States, and consumers may be exposed to multidrug resistant Salmonella and Campylobacter through consumption of retail chicken breasts. This study aimed to (i) determine the percentage of raw, packaged, retail chicken breasts from 27 metro areas that tested positive for Salmonella and Campylobacter; (ii) investigate the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of a subset of the isolates; and (iii) compare the Salmonella prevalence data to establishment level Salmonella categorization data published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) methodology was used to isolate and identify Salmonella (n = 672), Campylobacter (n = 499) from 400 g samples. National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) methodology was followed for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Salmonella (n = 52) and Campylobacter (n = 16) isolates. Salmonella was found in 8.6% of samples and Campylobacter in 4.2%. Having a 3 rating in USDA's Salmonella Categorization of Individual Establishments for chicken parts was predictive of having a higher Salmonella percent positive in our data set (p ≤ 0.05). A total of 73.1% of Salmonella isolates, and 62.5% of Campylobacter isolates were resistant to ≥one class of antibiotics, with 48.1% of Salmonella isolates resistant to ≥three classes. Current results support interventions that take a 'farm-to-fork' approach with distinction by poultry types and parts as well as serovars, to lower antibiotic resistant Salmonella infections in humans due to poultry. Highlights: Salmonella was found in 8.6% and Campylobacter in 4.2% of chicken breasts tested; A 3 rating by USDA was predictive of a higher Salmonella percent positive; 48.1% of Salmonella isolates were resistant to 3 or more classes of antibiotics.


10.2305/IUCN.CH.2017.PARKS-23-1K-ZI.en ABSTRACT Economic and non-economic benefits of protected areas were assessed in 58 national parks in the Dinaric Arc of Europe, involving over a thousand local people and identifying major economic benefits from tourism, rural development and water. The study used the Protected Area Benefits Assessment Tool in stakeholder workshops in all the parks studied. The results are being applied to improve protected area management and enhance collaboration with local stakeholders. The Dinaric Arc includes parts of eight countries in south-eastern Europe. While being one of the continent's most important areas for biodiversity conservation, it is under intense pressures from development and many of the region's protected areas are underfunded and undervalued. Understanding the full range of values and benefits of protected areas to stakeholders provides a good basis for developing management and policy responses and has proved popular with both governments and donor organizations. The results suggest that protected areas already provide significant economic benefits to local people in the region, often in places with few other options, and that further utilization of many ecosystem services is possible without undermining protected area objectives and effectiveness.


ABS TRACT Ob jec ti ve: Pros ta te can cer is a mul ti fac to ri al in he ri ted di se a se af fec ting one in six men in in dus tri al co un tri es. A number of mu ta ti ons in key pro te ins of the cell cycle mac hi nery or sig nal trans duc ti on path ways ha ve already be en as so ci a ted with pros ta te can cer; but re cently, a number of poly morp hisms in pro te ins that func ti on in less po pu lar cel lu lar path ways have been in ves ti ga ted as pos sib le risk fac tors. In this study, we eva lu a ted the ef fects of two ge ne poly morp hisms in enz ymes func ti o ning in dis tinct me ta bo lic path ways on pros ta te can cer sus cep ti bi lity. Ma te ri al and Met hods: Al le le and ge noty pe as so ci a ti ons of the COMT Val108/158Met and MTHFR C677T ge ne poly morp hisms we re stu di ed in a to tal of 112 Tur kish pros ta te can cer pa ti ents who constituted our study gro up while 145 he althy ma les cons ti tu ted our con trol gro up. Ge no mic DNA was iso la ted from the pe rip he ral blo od le u kocy tes of the sub jects and analy zed by two dif fe rent re al-ti me polymerase chain reaction as says. Re sults: The fre qu ency of the he te rozy go us COMT G/A and the ho mozy go us MTHFR T/T ge noty pes we re hig her in the study gro up compared to the con trol gro up (47.3% ver sus 34.5%; and 14.3% ver sus 7.6%, res pec ti vely). Pros ta te can cer sub jects with the he te rozy go us MTHFR C/T ge noty pe had hig her prostate specific antigen va lu es. Ne vert he less, no sta tis ti cally sig ni fi cant as so ci a ti on was found between the se poly morp hisms alo ne or in com bi na ti on and the risk of de ve lo ping pros ta te can cer. Conc lu si on: We sug gest that func ti o nal ge ne poly morp hisms in me ta bo lic pro te ins pre dis po se sub jects to in cre a sed risk of de ve lo ping can cer; but, not as strong as mu ta ti ons in pro toon co ge nes or tu mor-sup pres sor ge nes.


The invention relates to a method and a device for treating containers, wherein the containers transported along a predetermined transport path and brought together with at least one identifiable with regard to its quantity product such that the product is supplied to each container at a predetermined feed area of the transport path, wherein the product is guided along a feed path to the feeding area. In this case, at least one prior to treating individually calculated characteristic state and / or at least one further characteristic condition is according to the invention in a detection area, which is arranged in a transport direction of the containers upstream of the feed section is detected by a detection unit, which characteristic state and / or other characteristic state for a loading initial amount of the supplied product based on at least one mounting apparatus is characteristic, and wherein a remaining amount of the supplied product is determined on the mounting device in dependence on this characteristic condition, and / or other characteristic state during operation, and wherein said output function of this residual amount of a characteristic signal for a placement change becomes.


Masahide MATSUMURA, Hironori NAMIKI (Kyobasi Mentec Co.,Ltd.), Mototsugu TANAKA (Kyoto University), Hiroaki OZASA (Kyoto University), Masaki HOJO (Kyoto University), and Toshiyuki KITADA 11th European Conference on Composite Materials, May 31June 3, Rhodes, Greece, June 2004. As the 20 tons track load had been upgraded to 25 tons in 1993, most of existing bridges are remaining under poor loading capacity and are supporting heavy traffic load. In this study, adoption of carbon fibre reinforced composites (CFRP) where a post-tension is preliminary introduced by using newly developed device is investigated experimentally. A fracture behavior of adhesive interface between the CFRP and steel girder has been investigated on the basis of numerical and experimental results. Then it is found that the opening defection at the end of bonded CFRP can be extremely prevented by attaching the holding plates even under the pre-tensioned condition of the CFPRs.


This article which is written with a lot of research work is based on the vacuum system design principle and process.It has designed a process model of vacuum system and used Visual Basic 6.0 and Access database to construct the vacuum system design application software.The software mainly consists of starting module,vacuum chamber parameter setting module,vacuum pump parameter setting module,pumping time calculation module,save project module,etc.Using vacuum system design software can greatly improve the calculation accuracy,design efficiency and shorten the development cycle.


From May to October in 2010,the growth in stem diameter of three sample trees of Pinus armandii were measured by using band dendrometer,and its response to the meteorological factors was also determined in the south of Liupan mountain,Ningxia,China.The results showed that ① A daily course of stem change could be divided into three phases,i.e.,shrinking phase,expansion phase and growth phase.The maximum of stem diameter reached from 6:00 to 9:00 and the minimum value occurred about 16:00.② The seasonal pattern in the growth of daily stem diameter was consistent.Uniform growth period was from May to June,and the daily stem growth was ranged from 17.65 μm to 98.11 μm;and rapid growth period was from July to August,with the values ranged from 27.15 μm to 112.33 μm;but slow growth period was from August to October,with the values below 10 μm.Furthermore,the daily stem growth varied greatly among individual trees in the different social position in the stand.The rate of the stem growth for dominant trees was significantly higher than that of others.And the seasonal pattern of cumulative stem diameter growth could be satisfactorily described by the power function(R2=0.75-0.93,P0.01).3) principle component analysis and partial correlation analysis indicated that the minimum daily temperature,daily precipitation and solar radiation were three main meteorological factors to influence daily stem growth in these trees,but other factors including the average daily temperature,the maximum daily temperature and the daily vapor pressure deficit showed a great variability in the influence to tree growth.


Although Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's move to reinterpret Article 9 is indeed historic and groundbreaking, concerns about a resurgence of Japanese militarism are unwarranted.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report and summarize the findings from a doctoral thesis that analyze the construction methods' selection process, from a knowledge management perspective. The first author also reports her PhD journey.Design/methodology/approach – The research methodology is based on the development of case studies in three construction companies. In each case study, semi‐structured interviews, direct observation and review of companies' documentation were applied. The results of the case studies allowed the development of a prototype system for the construction methods' selection. The thesis research methodology is described in detail in this article.Findings – It was concluded that the construction methods' selection process is based in individual knowledge, therefore the construction industry needs to understand how to identify, acquire, store, transfer and use this knowledge. The construction methods knowledge system proposed in this research could help to resolve this proble...


HFpEF is a complex multi‐organ disease expected to represent >60% of all clinical heart failure cases by 2030. To date, the majority of therapeutic approaches to treat HFpEF have largely failed in either preclinical or clinical trials. Given the recent reports of diminished H2S bioavailability in HFpEF combined with the robust cardioprotective actions of H2S in cardiovascular disease, we sought out to test the effects of H2S therapy in a well‐established pre‐clinical HFpEF murine model.


e15574 Background: We retrospectively analyzed the effectiveness of post-TKI everolimus for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using the doubling-time of the tumor which may presents the activit...


In this article we expand on Albert's (1995) early attempts to apply music theory to the analysis of point-timing questions—questions of when to act. Building upon the Albert P5 model by applying concepts such as tonality, rhythm, musical shape, and harmony, we seek to understand why the FBI launched its assault upon David Koresh's compound in Waco, Texas, when it did. We suggest alternative solutions that might have resolved the crisis without the loss of life and consider the contribution of music theory to the problem of timing in general.


normally make preliminary sense out of diverse events leaves him with less room for re ection and synthesis than would be afforded by a less nominalist approach. The book's structure only heightens the one-thing-after-another quality of the text. There are ten main chapters, seven of which present a roughly sequential account of warfare in and beyond Europe from the 1880s through to the end of the Vietnam War. Halfway through come separate chapters on naval and aerial warfare, which cover the entire chronological span of the volume. Not everyone will be convinced by the author's claim that such compartmentalized treatment is justiŽ ed as a way of ensuring that these distinctive forms of Ž ghting get the attention they deserve. One might well argue that the best way for them to get the attention they deserve is by giving them their due weight in the overall analysis. Any book about global warfare should be more centrally concerned with sea power than this one is, while one does not need to be a technological determinist to recognize that the integration of air craft – from zeppelins to cruise missiles – into the conduct of war was the central operational problem of the twentieth century. The book concludes with what can only be described as a vestigial chapter on 'Social and Political Contexts', plus a few pages of conclusion in which the 'deŽ ciencies of a linear concept of military development' (p. 216) are recalled. The point is fair enough, and Ž rmly made. Yet the preponderance of discontinuity in historical experience does not make it a merit in historical writing. Beginning students will Ž nd this book tough going. Others may well appreciate its implied invitation to reconsider the connections among seemingly familiar events.


Safety is a growing concern in all sports, with the equestrian sector statistically more dangerous than most. Point Two USA hopes to make horse riding and competition a safer sport for all ages, riding levels, and disciplines with its innovative air vests, which use an inflatable air bag similar to those required in modern automobiles. Air vests are used to reduce the severity and frequency of injuries; however, no technology or equipment can eliminate all injuries associated with horse riding. After a strong entry in the United Kingdom in 2009, Point Two needs to formulate a comprehensive marketing plan for the larger U.S. market to expand its customer base to anyone getting on a horse who desires a safer ride. Its U.S. subsidiary has been primarily marketing with the same approaches used in the United Kingdom, heavily targeting English saddle riders in specific riding disciplines, such as eventing and dressage, both amateur and professional. The challenge for Point Two is how it can make headway in more...


Nearly thirty years ago New Zealand ushered in a revolutionary approach to monetary policy. This was formalised by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act 1989 which specified price stability as the primary function of monetary policy and provided operational independence for New Zealand's central bank. This innovation spawned the spread of more central banks around the world with a mandate to prioritise inflation targeting. This paper explains the historical origins of the RBNZ Act, its design and the ideas that influenced its design. It reviews how the practice of inflation targeting and the choice of policy instruments have evolved. The paper includes a review of research evaluating the impact of inflation targeting in New Zealand and concludes with a discussion of contemporary issues including a proposal before the New Zealand Parliament to introduce significant changes to the Act which could have important implications for future monetary policy.


Casting the largest popular vote yet recorded in any election in Germany, the German people elected on Sunday, September 14, 1930, the fifth Reichstag under the Weimar constitution. Using Article 48, the Brüning government had put into effect certain emergency measures which it considered necessary to alleviate the existing economic situation. But when called upon to pass upon these decrees, the Reichstag rejected them; whereupon the President, on the advice of the cabinet, dissolved the Reichstag and ordered new elections. The campaign occurred in a time of serious economic depression. Nearly three million unemployed persons were in receipt of government relief, either national or local. Taxes had been increased, salaries decreased, and there was widespread dissatisfaction. The government headed by Chancellor Brüning, from its inception a minority cabinet, appealed to the country to return to power with increased strength the parties which had given it support. On the other hand, the government was severely attacked by the Social Democrats for its use of Article 48; by the Nationalists because of its support of the Young Plan; by the Communists on general principles; and last, but not least, by the National Socialists led by Adolf Hitler, not on general principles, but without any principles at all! In many respects this election resembled the May election of 1924 more closely than the election of 1928. Not only was the election of critical importance to Germany and the world from an economic point of view, but it was also of great moment in the evolution of German political parties and democratic institutions in general.


Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Lasers in Manufacturing organized by IFS Conferences and sponsored by the Japan Society for Laser Technology and the Laser Institute of America.


This paper describes an application of genetic programming. Programs able of recognizing a pattern independent of its location are evolved. Usually the evolution of programs is controlled primarily by the tness evaluation function. This paper demonstrates how genetic programming can be encouraged to evolve programs with properties not being explicitly considered in the tness measure like location independence. The measurements taken include the use of automatically de ned functions allowing the problem to be decomposed into sub-functions, a special implementation of iteration and carefully chosen function and terminal sets. A main purpose was to minimize the restrictions imposed on the solution, i.e. giving the genetic programming as much freedom as possible while still encouraging the desired properties.


Much sociological research has focused on the exertion of power, while the subfield of subculture studies has preferred to engage in the study of resistance to power. Acknowledging recent conceptualizations of resistance (and Einwohner 2004; Raby 2005), this chapter considers the relevance of subcultural studies in theorizing resistance, specifically by highlighting three dimensions along which the concept may be mapped: passive ‐ active; micro ‐ macro; and overt ‐ covert. Reviewing research from the 1970s through the 2000s to show examples, I develop a conceptualization of each dimension, treating them not as sets of binary pairs, but rather as continua that co-exist and overlap. My goal is to move beyond a typological approach to resistance by encouraging other resistance scholars to critically engage with these dimensions and to use, modify or reject them as we build a pragmatic theory of resistance's usefulness and consequences.


Orbit equivalence theory considers dynamical systems from the point of view of orbit equivalence relations. The notion of cost is a useful invariant in this theory. When a countable group Γ acts on a space it defines an equivalence relation: "to be in the same orbit". We consider measure preserving actions on a standard probability measure space. Cost was introduced by G. Levitt in order to quantify the amount of information needed to build this equivalence relation. Consider for instance the Z-action on the circle R/2πZ given by two rotations a and b, whose angles together with 2π are rationally independent. Because of commutativity, there are many ways to check that two points are in the same orbit by using elementary jumps x ∼ a(x) and x ∼ b(x). Indeed, the information encoded in the data {a, b} is highly redundant. Chooses instead some interval Iǫ ⊂ R/2πZ of length ǫ > 0, and restricts the elementary jumps x ∼ b(x) to only those x's in Iǫ (and retain the a-jumps). Then Φǫ := {a, b|Iǫ} still generates the orbit equivalence relation R of the Z-action: the smallest equivalence relation containing all the (x, φ(x)) for φ ∈ Φǫ and x in the domain of φ, is R itself. In fact, because the a-orbits are dense, each point z admits some a-iterate a(z) in Iǫ, so that the connection between z and b(z) may be recovered in (2n+1)-jumps, namely n times a, followed by the restriction b|Iǫ and then n times a . The measures of the domains of a and b|Iǫ sum to 1 + ǫ. This is by definition the cost of Φǫ. And it is cheaper than the cost of {a, b}. Moreover, considering ǫ tending to 0 leads one to declare R to have cost = 1 (a priori ≤ 1, but Cost(R) ≥ 1 when the classes are infinite). More generally, consider an action α of a countable group Γ on a standard Borel space (X,μ), preserving the probability measure μ. Examples of such actions are plentiful, for instance Bernoulli shifts (X,μ) = (X0, μ0) Γ (Γ acting by precomposition on functions f : Γ → X0 preserves the product measure μ 0 ), or for instance the action by multiplication of a countable subgroup of a compact group with its Haar measure. In this measure theoretic context, all the constructions have to be measurable and sets of measure 0 are neglected. Assume that the action is free, i.e. the only element with a fixed point set of positive measure is the identity. Consider a countable family Φ = {φj} of isomorphisms φj : Aj → Bj between Borel subsets Aj , Bj ⊂ X whose graphs are each contained in Rα, i.e. for each j, each x ∈ Aj belongs to the α-orbit of φj(x). The cost of Φ is the number of generators weighted by the measure of their domains, that is to say Cost(Φ) = ∑ j μ(Aj). The cost of the action α, and equivalently of its orbit equivalence relationRα, is defined as the infimum of the costs over all generating Φ's: Cost(Rα) := inf{Cost(Φ) : Φ generates Rα}. It is clear, by taking the φj = α(γj) associated with a generating set (γj) of Γ that Cost(Rα) is less than or equal to the rank of Γ, i.e. its minimal number of generators. There is a pedantic way of defining the rank of a countable group: as the infimum of the measures of the generating subsets, for the natural measure on Γ, namely the counting-measure. When applied to Rα, this gives an interesting interpretation of the cost. As a subset of X ×X , Rα is simply the union of the graphs of the maps α(γ) : X → X , for γ ∈ Γ. There is a natural measure ν on Rα defined by pushing forward μ by the maps s : x 7→ (x, γ(x)) and gathering together the various measures sγ∗μ. The cost of Rα is equivalently defined as the infimum of the ν-measures of the subsets of Rα, that are not contained in any proper subequivalence relation. The Z-action above, for which we computed the cost, belongs to a larger class of examples. Ornstein and Weiss proved the following remarkable result: for any free action of an infinite


1. I know that plagiarism is wrong . Plagiarism is to use another's work and pretend that it is one's own. 2. I have used the Harvard convention for citation and referencing . Each contribution to and quotation in, this essay/report/projectl~r .. ..... . .. .... .... from the work(s) of other people has been attributed, and has been cited and referenced. 3 This essay/report/projectl@r .. .... ..... . ..... .... .. is my own work. 4. I have not allowed , and wil l not allow, anyone to copy my work


This article is voted to the analysis of linguistic mechanisms of euphemisms and alternative methods of transmission of lexical units which has a negative denotation based on contemporary Spanish literary texts by Lorenzo Silva Donde los escorpiones and Lejos del corazón. The author proves that in those texts dominate thematic groups of euphemisms which designate age and property discrimination, also there are euphemisms related to death phenomenon, in particular are discussed the euphemisms from military sphere, which designate preventive measures, armed defense and military police. Among the alternative methods on the semantic level are used the notion of positive politeness based on conditional clauses, adopted vocabulary from English, Latin, French, Italian languages and metaphorical expressions which are aimed at neutralization of enemies and military conflicts including metonymy substitution which contain the shade of formality in the texts.


The invention relates to a plant propagation technology, and particularly relates to a rapid pseudolarix propagation method based on stem node propagation. The rapid pseudolarix propagation method comprises the following steps of: 1, picking a newly germinated immature stem on a pseudolarix seedling trunk to be used as an explant; 2, inoculating to a basic culture medium, adding 0.02-0.04mg.L of indoleacetic acid, 0.03-0.06mg.L of naphthylacetic acid, 0.10-0.12mg.L of 6-benayl aminopurine and 2.70-2.80mg.L of gibberellin for rooting the immature stem of the pseudolarix and germinating an axillary bud, growing and culturing; and 3, carrying out rapid propagation, acclimatization and transplant on the pseudolarix plant. A tender stem tip on the pseudolarix wild seedling trunk is used as a material, and the stem is induced in a test tube to root and the axillary bud germinates and grows, and thus one-step rapid propagation of stem node reduplication is achieved, and high-quality seedlings are provided for artificial large-scale propagation and cultivation of the pseudolarix. The planting percent reaches 96.6 percent and the survival rate can reach above 93.8 percent.


Background and Objective: Spices and herbs have been added to foodstuffs since old times due to their medicinal, preservative and flavouring effects. They are, however, often contaminated with microorganisms. Gamma irradiation is currently used widely to eliminate microbial contaminations in foods. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of gamma irradiation on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of cinnamon ( Cinnamomum zeylanicum ). Materials and Methods: Samples of cinnamon were exposed to gamma irradiation at doses of 10, 15, 20 and 25 kGy, followed by preparing hydroalcoholic (50% ethanol) extracts from them for sequence analysis. The antioxidant activity of the irradiated and control samples was measured by DPPH radical scavenging, ferric reducing power, and bleaching of beta-caroten, and the total phenolic content was also determined. The broth diluting method was applied for the determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of E. coli and S. aureus . All tests were performed in triplicates, and the least significant difference (LSD) statistical test at α = 0.01 was used to compare differences among the means. Results: Gamma irradiation had no adverse effects on antioxidant activities and total phenolic content of the samples. Only at doses more than 10 kGy did the radical scavenging activity of the cinnamon extract increase (DPPH test). With regard to the effect of gamma irradiation on antimicrobial activity, as compared to the control value, there was no statistically significant difference in the activity of irradiated samples up to a dose of 25 kGy. Conclusion: Gamma irradiation treatment of cinnamon had no adverse effect on its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.Gamma irradiation at doses up to 25 kGy seems to be appropriate for cinnamon .


In video surveillance systems, noise and shake of background can influence the detection of moving objects greatly. This paper proposed an improved moving objects detection method based on Gaussian mixture model. First, it based on the Probability of every pixel in the time-domain of each Gaussian model, which is used to update the Weight and the Background. And then in the method of background subtraction we can detect the moving object with the self -adaptive threshold. The experimental results the proposed method deals well with the influence of both noise and shake of background with strong robustness.


Prematurity represents a major risk factor correlated to developmental disorders as well as neurological and neurodevelopment disorders. It impacts parent-infant relationships, negatively paving the way for neglectful and abusive behavior. The clinician must, therefore, work both directly with the infant and act in conjunction with the environment, especially the parents, as early on as possible.


Lake Dianchi is a famous plateau freshwater lake,whose basin is the most active area of socio-economy in Yunnan Province.Through systematic investigation socio-economic development and changes of aquatic environment in 1988-2009,the main influencing factors of such changes were analyzed.Results showed that the annual increasing rate of population,GDP,and urbanization in the Lake Dianchi Basin reached 3.3%,18%,17% in recent 20 years,respectively;With the rapid development in socio-economy,total water consumptions and pollutant emissions continuously increased.At the same time,the water quality in main rivers deteriorated significantly,with the percentage of rivers with water quality type-Ⅴ increased by nearly 4 times.The water quality of inner(Lake Caohai) and outside of the lake were degraded to worse than type-Ⅴ.The deterioration of water quality and lake eutrophication have become important water environmental problems in Lake Dianchi,which are difficult to be relieved in the short term.In the basis,we proposed some measures and recommendations to improve the water environment in the basin,including optimizing industrial structures,construction of sewage treatment systems,wastewater reclamation,rural environmental protection,ecological compensation mechanism and so on.


PurposeHotels are considered one of the keys to tourism industry, without which it is impossible to visualize this industry. Setting the proper price for hotels has always been a nuisance for the decision makers because of its direct relationship with the demand for hotels. Thus, in the current study a Stackelberg game between the government (leader) and the hotels (follower) has been presented to determine the optimal price under competitive conditions. The selected hotels are different with respect to energy consumption and the environmental impact. Thus, the government makes efforts to control their prices with incentives and tariffs.Design/methodology/approachThe fuzzy inference system (FIS) has also been applied to forecast the hotel demand. Therefore, first off, the demand forecast criteria have been chosen by the experts and in the continuation, it has been screened by fuzzy Delphi approach. Finally, the quantity of hotel demand is computed by the Mamdani inference system. A mathematical model has been presented for determining the optimal sequencing of hotels and minimizing the searches to find a hotel.FindingsA case study based on the data extracted from online travel agencies (OTAs) has been presented to validate the proposed model. The results demonstrate that by the ranking position increase, the number of the tourists decreases and the higher the star number of a hotel, the lower its ranking position.Originality/valueConsidering the energy saving and environmental impacts in hotel pricing and considering the government's intervention in hotel revenues regarding the incentives and tariffs are the innovations of the present study.


We find for the first time that the electrochemical performances of the α-Fe2O3 nanostructures depend on their exposed facets. Density functional theory calculations are carried out to better and scientifically understand the effect of different exposed facets at the atomic-scale level.


Mumbai High structure, formed on the western Indian shelf, is situated in an average water depth of 75 m. The field comprises of heterogeneous, thin multilayered carbonate reservoirs having variations in porosity and permeability. The principal reservoir is an L-III carbonate sequence. However, apart from L-III, additional reservoirs like sandstone, basal clastics and basement rocks are also present in the field.


This paper analyzes the statistical data of the new books collection, and books circulation, etc. Of the library of Xi'an University of Science and technology, expounds some practical problems existing in university library's literature resources construction under the new information environment, and puts forward some suggestions on optimizing the collection structure, adjusting the loan period, setting the counter of the popular books, and implementing the coordinated circulation service, etc.


Objectives: To describe the real-world data on the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNtech BNT162b2 and AstraZeneca-Oxford AZD1222 vaccines against COVID-19 in a large cohort in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: A total of 18,543 subjects received a single-dose of either of the vaccines at one vaccination centre in KSA, and were followed up for three to eight months. Clinical data from medical records, adverse events (AEs) from a self-reporting system, and COVID-19 infection data from the national databases were retrieved and analysed. Results: Subjects median age was 33 years old with an average of 27.3 body mass index and the majority were male (60.1%). 92.17% of the subjects had no COVID-19 infection post-vaccination. Diabetes mellitus (p=0.0325), organ transplantation (p=0.0254), and morbid obesity (p=0.0014) were risk factors for infection post-vaccination. Unlike vaccine type, being Saudi, male, or obese was more likely to get the infection earlier. AE reports from 1084 subjects included injection site pain, fatigue, fever, myalgia, headache. Conclusion: Single-dose COVID-19 vaccines in KSA showed an effectiveness rate of 92.17% up to eight months follow-up. The rate for AZD1222 was higher than what have been previously reported. Side effects and AEs were within what has been reported in clinical trials.


Incubation of crude enzyme preparations from leukemia L1210 ascites cells with l,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-l-nitrosourea (BCNU) caused decreases in the DNA nucleotidyltransferase activity. l-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-l-nitrosourea was as active as BCNU, but l-(2-chloroethyl)-l-nitrosourea and 1methyl-1-nitrosourea were much less active. 2-Chloroethyl isocyanate was about equal to BCNU in activity, and this fact is consistent with the possibility that a major portion of the observed inhibitory action of BCNU is due to the 2-chloroethyl isocyanate generated from it. Incubation of commercial DNA with BCNU did not signifi cantly alter the activity of the DNA as a primer for the crude DNA nucleotidyltransferase system. Incubation of intact L1210 ascites cells with 2.5 X 10~3 M


Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive neuroendocrine skin cancer localized mostly on exposed, sun-damaged skin – on the head and neck. Although rapidly increasing incidence of MCC is observed, the pathogenesis of the tumour is unclear. Diagnosis is based on clinical and histopathological examination together with immunohistochemistry. Discovery of the Merkel cell polyomavirus and its association with Merkel cell carcinoma may significantly contribute to understanding of MCC pathogenesis and development of new methods of therapy. Surgery with adjuvant radiotherapy is the essential treatment of the localized disease. SŁOWA KLUCZOWE: rak z komórek Merkla, MCC, poliomawirus, MCV.


Deviations from the current codes and standards are considered acceptable in a SMR in areas where the design criteria impose significant conservatism provided the intended function of the structure or equipment to achieve a safe shutdown of the plant is not impaired. In addition to the site-specific response spectra, deviation from the seismic design analyses may be expected in the areas of soil-structure interaction, damping, load combinations, and the consideration of ductility for a SMR. In addition, a screening process to determine which structural elements and equipment items should be selected for review is considered acceptable for the SMR, rather than reanalyzing every element of every system. An example of the SMR conducted for the Midland Energy Center is presented.


Richard P. Brief has made a valuable contribution to the history of depreciation theory by drawing attention to Ladelle's remarkable paper of 1890.1 But he does less than justice to his discovery when he asserts that Ladelle saw the depreciation problem merely as one of cost allocation and not as one of asset valuation.2 Rather, the strength of Ladelle's position lies precisely in his recognition of the fact that an equitable allocation of intertemporal joint costs must rest upon a sound valuation of the bundle of residual services to, be transferred from one period to the next. There are two aspects of Ladelle's argument which need to be considered separately. First, there is his derivation of a general formula for the amount of depreciation chargeable against each year of an asset's life if expectations held at the time of purchase are fulfilled; second, there is his contention that non-fulfilment of expectations need have no effect upon the annual depreciation charges which were determined at the time of purchase of the asset. The former aspect will be discussed in Section I of this note, the latter in Section II.


Previous theoretical approaches based on mathematical models by other researchers to the subject of radon emanation assumed straight linear travel of radon generated in grains constituting rocks or soils. However, it is difficult for these approaches to explain high radon emanation coefficients for rocks or soils without the introduction of the ideas of radon indirect recoil or a threshold for imbedding into grains. Unlike them, the present authors proposed anotherhypothesis based on the idea of radon zigzag travel and elucidated high radon emanation in a previous paper. The radon zigzag travel is caused by many collisions of radon with atoms constituting the grains. The results of the theoretical calculation successfully supported the claims of nanopore presence by Rama and Moore and radium layer presence near grain surfaces by Krishnaswami and Seidemann in a unified manner. However, the present authors think there is still room to improve their theory and they want to entice researchers toward a better explanation of high radon emanation for rocks or soils. Therefore, they give a probabilistic basis for their hypothesis and make a comparison between radon emanation coefficients obtained on straight linear and zigzag travel models, before concluding with a validity check of the models.


environment has been accompanied by a wave of c oncerr: over the potential negative side effects on the quality of worklife of user employees. Issues'which have surfaced include: visual, postural and other health hazards; increased work stress; and adverse impact on the overall quality of life. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of these problems and report on both the findings and recommendations of various studies that have been conducted on these issues. This paper is also inten ded to emphasize the vital role that authorities involved in the management of information systems must play to seriously address these concerns. We must insure the best use of office automation while, at the time, providing for a better quality The fruits will lead to


Phytoplankton is generally assumed as the most important source of organic matter for bivalves in many estuaries and coastal zones. In particular, fdter feeding bivalves pump seawater through their gills to retain suspended particulate matter (SPM), including inorganic particles. Since phytoplankton has a high energetic value, the higher its fraction in SPM, the higher the quality of the filtered material. In the Belgian coastal zone (BCZ) SPM concentration features a gradient from East to West due to a high turbidity area in front of the port of Zeebmgge. It has been observed that when SPM concentration increases, its organic fraction (phytoplankton plus detritus) decreases [Fettweis et al., 2008] as it becomes more and more diluted in the inorganic material: this implies a decrease in food quality for filter feeders.


The ideal modality of complex anorectal fistula treatment usually has the merit of low recurrence rate, minimal incontinence, and improvement of patients' quality of life. The aim of this research is to provide a systematic review of the surgical management of complex anorectal fistula repaired with a biological plug. The related studies, including randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, and observational studies collected in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, EmBase, Cochrane library, Springer link, Web of Science, and Medline databases from January 1995 to October 2015 were evaluated carefully. One thousand sixty-four cases of higher and lower complex anorectal fistula were analyzed. A literature research showed that a total of 96 full-text publications resulted from the related studies, among which 30 studies with 1,064 patients were tabulated in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The fistula closure rate of the procedure in these studies is 55.6% (confidence of interval range 51.9%59.2%), whereas the recurrence rate is 43% (CI, 38.7-47.3%). The abscess formation rate is 7.8% (CI, 5.7-10.5%). Meanwhile, the extrusion rate of the plug is 13.6% (CI, 11-16.9%). Fistula closure is achieved by using the anal fistula plug in approximately 55.6% of patients with complex anal fistula. Further randomized, controlled, multicenter, double-blinded, clinical trials studying objective parameters of fistula healing are still needed to substantiate these findings. Standardized plug insertion technique and fixed perioperative parameters are also necessary.


The basic principles of the through-flow theory of turbomachines are described and an improved method of analysis is developed which includes a consistent loss model. The application of this new method requires only a minor modification to existing computer programs for calculating turbomachinery flow patterns.


Aims: Antibiotic resistance mechanisms in pathogenic bacteria constitute an important obstacle in the fight against infection. Controlling the spread of resistant pathogens by utilizing antimicrobial activity on their surfaces may help us in this fight. There are many plant and wood species that have been previously tested for their antibacterial and antiviral properties. In this study, walnut (Juglans regia), white mulberry (Morus alba), white oak (Quercus alba), yellow pine (Pinus sylvestris), and beech (Fagus sylvetica), which are among the wood species used in the production of products that are in constant contact with humans in daily life, such as furniture, doors, and beads, were examined in terms of an antistaphylococcal effect.
Methods: Five groups of tree species and glass samples selected as a positive control were cut into 1 cm3, contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus solution with a concentration of 1*106 CFU/ml, and monitored for five days. Each day, five randomly selected samples from each group were sonicated with phosphate buffered saline. Samples taken from the sonicated solution were cultured on tryptic soy agar, and the number of bacteria per sample was calculated. One sample selected from the uncontaminated samples was incubated with 0.5 McFarland standard bacterial solution on Müller Hinton agar, and the diameter of inhibition was evaluated. The study was repeated twice. The significance level was set at 0.05.
Results: The agar diffusion method showed inhibition zone only in Q. alba and M. alba. In samples contaminated with bacteria, the highest antistaphylococcal effect was found in Q. alba. This was followed by M. alba, P. sylvestris, F. sylvetica. There was no significant difference between J. regia and the positive control.
Conclusion: In this study in which we wanted to emphasize the importance of the antimicrobial activity of surfaces for pathogens known to live on the surface environment, all trees except J. regia showed antistaphylococcal activity. It is thought that the procyanidins?phenethyl, benzyl, and benzyl?in the bark of the trees are effective. In previous studies, Q. alba in particular is recommended for anti-infective use due to its high inhibition effect. Antibacterial activity was also found in F. sylvetica, which is known to have antiviral activity. Antibacterial activity was not demonstrated for J. regia. In order to prevent the spread of infection in collective living areas, it is recommended that trees be selected that contain antimicrobial raw materials such as M. alba, Q. alba, P. Sylvestris, and F. sylvetica and to evaluate the use of extracts from these trees as natural and edible products to combat bacteria.


Introduction: There is a controversy that the expulsion of meconium is synonymous with hypoxia and fetal distress. Other authors consider it as a physiological process that can be handled from the perspective of normal delivery. Objective: To determine to what extent the presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid is related to an increased incidence of neonatal complications. Material and methods: observational, comparative, prospective, longitudinal cohort and type. Inclusion criteria: Gestantes term of 37 to 41 sem.6d. Data from two samples: The first parameter or a sample control infants were born with clear amniotic fluid 40 units. -The Second group those who were born with meconium-stained amniotic fluid: amniotic fluid light green, dark green, frankly meconium (mashed peas) 49. Which they were compared for neonatal complications. the chi-square test of homogeneity was used for comparison of categorical variables, all the analysis worked with a significance level of 5%. The information processing was performed using SPSS statistical software version 21 was applied average, median, mode, standard deviation. Results: Regarding the general characteristics with the presence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid mothers had a mean age of 27 years with an average of 1 children having their children weighing at birth 3281 g. , And Apgar at minute 7 and 5 minutes 8 .; and the presence of clear amniotic fluid mothers had a mean age of 25 years with an average of 1 children having their children an average weight at birth 3469 g. And a minute Apgar 7 at 5 minutes and 9. In the group with meconium staining of the amniotic fluid neonatal complications they occurred in 6 cases and in the amniotic fluid clear one case, by making the ratio analysis is that there are statistically significant differences. Regarding the type of complication of children with presence of amniotic fluid with meconium staining they showed most followed by perinatal asphyxia meconium aspiration syndrome. As for the ratio of the intensity of meconium staining from light green to frankly meconium and neonatal complications was concluded that as staining increases more neonatal complications being these differences statistically significant. As for the relationship of the degree of staining of the amniotic fluid-minute Apgar newborn it shows that both variables are not related. While the relationship of the degree of staining of the amniotic fluid with Apgar at 5 minutes shows that more Apgar score at 5 minutes staining of the amniotic fluid is clear. Conclusion: There are more neonatal complications in children with meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, but the magnitude of neonatal damage was not significant. Key Word: amnótico fluid , meconium , Apgar Correspondencia a: Mgter.Lourdes Arencio Heredia email@example.com Dra.Obst.Jannet Escobedo Vargas email@example.com Mgter.Obst.Ruth Rosas Gamarra email@example.com Dr.Jesús Saldaña Díaz email@example.com Rev. Postgrado Julio 2016 / Vol.2 / Nro.2 Scientiarvm


PURPOSE: A charging system and a method thereof are provided to easily and rapidly charge a DC energy storage device. CONSTITUTION: An input connector(50) is combined with an alternating current power source(52). An output connector(62) is combined with an electric vehicle(40). A variable output transformer(100) comprises a primary side(102) and a secondary side(104). The primary side is combined with the input connector. The secondary side is combined with the output connector. A controller(110) is combined with the transformer. [Reference numerals] (110) Charging station control; (140) Grid control(throttling); (142,144) Charging station


A 17 GHz receiving multibeam active phased array, based on modular "suopertiles," was built and tested. The array was launched and placed in geostationary orbit in 2008. The tile concept is characterized by low volume and low mass, making it well suited for satellite-antenna applications, and in particular for deployed multibeam active phased arrays for communications satellites. The modular design facilitates low recurring cost in a high-volume continuous production. Both component and array measurement data are presented in the paper. Measured array-antenna patterns were in good agreement with estimated and predicted values, proving that the array can be built according to its requirements, and calibrated and controlled to generate independent beams with low sidelobes from low-rms excitation errors.


Summary form only given. High-order harmonic generation (HHG) in gases with sub-30 fs driving laser pulses has been demonstrated to be a powerful technique for the production of short-pulse coherent radiation in the soft-X-ray range up to 0.5 keV. Much of the efforts were directed towards understanding of existence of the plateau, and the position of the cutoff. A detailed analysis, with high spectral resolution, of the HHG processes in this ultrafast driving pulse temporal regime is still far from being complete. In this work we undertake a characterization of the spectrum emitted in the process of HHG in neon: both the harmonic spectral position and profile were investigated by changing experimental parameters. The excitation source was a Ti:sapphire laser providing 25-fs, 0.7-mJ pulses at 1 kHz. Particular attention was devoted to the laser design in order to deliver a pedestal-free excitation pulse.


Intact C3H/Bi and BALB/c mice infected with Murine Sarcoma Virus‐Harvey (MSV‐H) at 3–16 days developed either "early" erythroblastic splenomegaly with concomitant severe anaemia and sarcomas at sites related to the route of inoculation or, after a perceptible delay, "late" lymphocytic leukaemia. These effects were dependent on the dilution of the virus and the age of the recipients. Neonatal thymectomy both accelerated the erythroblastosis and increased the tumour incidence in older 14–16 day recipients but prevented (or indefinitely postponed) the lymphocytic leukaemia. This differential action of neonatal thymectomy is discussed in the light of current immunological theory. A virus causing only lymphocytic leukaemia was separated by passage from the plasma of leukaemic intact or non‐leukaemic thymectomized mice. Thus, in these experiments, MSV‐H behaved as a complex of two viruses, one causing the early changes and a second, always present in higher concentration but slower acting, responsible for the late changes.


The results of studies on the optimal level of zinc, which are additionally introduced into feed for rabbits grown for meat, are presented. Experimental researches were conducted in the conditions of the problematic research laboratory of feed additives of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. A scientific and economic experiment was carried out on young rabbits of HYLA hybrids of the French company EUROLAP. The study was conducted by group method. In the 42-day age, 60 rabbits were selected, out of which, according to the analogues principle, three groups were formed – one control and two experimental, with 20 rabbits (10 females and 10 males) in each. The research lasted for 42 days. It was used full-grain granulated feed for feeding the experimental young rabbits, which according to the chemical composition differed in content of zinc in them. Rabbits of the control group received feed containing zinc 50 mg/kg, the second – 100 mg/kg, the third – 150 mg/kg. It was established that feeding of rabbits in the 43–84-day-old age with feed containing zinc 100 mg/kg contributes to an increase in body weight by 2.9%, and an increase in average daily growth during the growing season, respectively, by 4.7%. Feed costs per 1 kg growth in young rabbits consuming feed containing Zinc were 1.0% lower than the control group's young. Rabbits which were fed with feed containing zinc 150 mg/kg were inferior to body weight and average daily increments, respectively, by 1.4% and 2.7% of animals fed with a feed with a zinc level of 50 mg/kg.


The Mojave Desert is affected by fire every year. With each fire comes the removal of old growth and, in its place, new growth – consisting primarily of those species which thrive in disturbed areas. The focus of my research is to look at plant communities that have been disturbed by fire, and examine the successional pathway of these disturbed environments. The seven environments I analyzed were burned within the last twenty years and are found in the Coleogyne ramosissima ecotone throughout the Spring Mountain range near Las Vegas, Nevada. The data was collected with randomly chosen circle plots in the burned environments, as well as the neighboring unburned environments. There was no correlation found between the length of time since the fire and the level of diversity of the environment. However, the degree of evenness is higher in the burned environments as compared to the unburned environments. It appears that there was not enough time between the fires to see a difference in the composition of the community.


We develop a new econometric approach for the estimation of second-price ascending-bid auctions with a stochastic number of bidders. Our empirical framework considers the arrival process of new bidders as well as the distribution of bidders' valuations of objects being auctioned. By observing the timing of bidder arrival, the model is identified even when the number of potential bidders is stochastic and unknown. The relevance of our approach is illustrated with an empirical application using a unique dataset of art auctions on eBay. Our results suggest a higher impact of sellers' reputation on bidders' valuations than previously reported in cross-sectional studies but the impact of reputation on bidder arrival is largely insignificant. Interestingly, a seller's reputation impacts not only the actions of the bidders but the actions of the seller as well. In particular, experience and a good reputation increase the probability of a seller posting items for sale on longer-lasting auctions, which we find increases the expected revenue for the seller. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


119Sn‐Mossbauer emission spectra of Sn119Sb, Sn119mTe and Sb2 119mTe3 were measured. Defect 119Sn atoms occupying the lattice sites of Sb and Te in the matrices were identified from the isomer shifts of the emission lines. The isomer shifts of normal and defect 119Sn were found to correlate with the electronegativities of the nearest neighbor atoms in metals and the binary compounds of Sn, Sb, and Te. These results were utilized to estimate the final state of energetic 119Sb and 119mTe after p and α reactions in SnSb and SnTe. The recoil atoms were found in scarcely perturbed lattice points. Their distribution in the lattice was as expected from the electronegativities of the recoil atoms and the lattice components. In SnTe the effect of Sn vacancies on the fate of recoil 119Sb was studied.


The behaviour of point contact elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) films under a two-stage impact load is investigated for two cases, in which the initial load is applied or the initial impact gap is given. The film thickness and its profile are observed using the optical interferometry technique. It is found that the film thickness profile obtained by the two-stage impact load is approximately estimated by superposing the film thickness profiles produced independently by the corresponding two impact loads. It is also proved that the impact load under rolling and/or sliding conditions brings about a crescent-shaped oil entrapment only at the inlet periphery of the EHL conjunction, and the lubricant passes through the conjunction at approximately the entrainment velocity. Therefore, the film in the EHL conjunction is not directly influenced by the impact load.


Abstract The Sb–S and In–S binary systems were assessed thermodynamically using the CALculation of PHase Diagrams (CAL-PHAD) approach based on the experiment data in the literature. Both phase diagrams revealed a congruent melting compound and liquid immiscibility. Therefore, associate species, Sb2S3 and In2S3, were introduced into the associate model to describe the liquid phase during optimization. The binary intermediate compounds, Sb2S3, InS(α, β), and In6S7, were treated as stoichiometric phases. Considering the wide composition range, In2S3(α, β, γ), were modeled using the sublattice model. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters representing most of the reliable thermodynamic properties and phase diagram information were derived.


Local and global connectedness, arcwise connectedness, path connectedness, and order relation are among the main structural components of complicated neural networks, communications networks, and other multidimensional discrete systems. All such systems are finitely connected. They can be considered as subspaces of some integer product spaces, Alexandroff spaces, primitively derived spaces, or other subclass of primitively path connected spaces. Connectivity, local connectivity, and order relation in such spaces are examined here. Finite connectedness and lexicographic union of ordered topological spaces are especially important because of their widespread applications.<<ETX>>


PREVALENCE OF NECK DISABILITY DUE TO TEXT NECK IN THE POPULATION OF GOA AND ITS ASSESSMENT USING GONIOMETER: A SURVEY


The cinicization of Marxist Scientific Methodology is the important historical subject that must be faced by China while it is allover turning its society from traditional one to modern one. The third generation of leading collectivity with Jiang Zemin as the central figure takes "the Three Represents" theory as the Party's action direction while it leads the people in carrying out this subject and puts forward the great leap to "innovation" dialectics in methodology, thus promotes the exploration of Marxism for the ruling Party's 'combining three in one' theory to an entirely new realm.


TRUMPET is a series of dynamic subcritical experiments planned for execution in the U1a.102D alcove of the U1a Complex at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The location of LLNL drifts at the U1a Complex is shown in Figure 1. The data from the TRUMPET experiments will be used in the Stockpile Stewardship Program to assess the aging of nuclear weapons components and to better model the long-term performance of weapons in the enduring stockpile. The TRUMPET series of experiments will be conducted in an almost identical way as the OBOE series of experiments. Individual TRUMPET experiments will be housed in an experiment vessel, as was done for OBOE. These vessels are the same as those utilized for OBOE. All TRUMPET experiments will occur in the zero room in the U1a.102D alcove, which is on the opposite side of the U1a.102 drift from U1a.102C, which housed the OBOE experiments. The centerlines of these two alcoves are separated by only 10 feet. As with OBOE experiments, expended TRUMPET experiment vessels will be moved to the back of the alcove and entombed in grout. After the TRUMPET series of experiments is completed, another experiment will be sited in the U1a.102D alcove and itmore » will be the final experiment in the zero room, as was similarly done for the OBOE series of experiments followed by the execution of the PIANO experiment. Each experimental package for TRUMPET will be composed of high explosive (HE) and special nuclear material (SNM) in a subcritical assembly. Each experimental package will be placed in an experimental vessel within the TRUMPET zero room in the U1a.102D alcove. The containment plan for the TRUMPET experiments utilizes a two-nested containment vessel concept, similar to OBOE and other subcritical experiments in the U1a Complex. The first containment vessel is formed by the primary containment barrier that seals the U1a.102D drift. The second containment vessel is formed by the secondary containment barrier in the U1a.100 drift. While it is likely that the experiment vessel will contain the SNM from the experiment, the containment plan for the TRUMPET experiments only assumes that the experiment vessel provides shock mitigation and serves as a sink for the heat produced by the detonation of the HE. It is possible that one or more of the experiment vessels may seep SNM into the zero room from a failure of a seal on the vessel. This containment plan covers the entire series of TRUMPET experiments. At this time, we don't know exactly how many experiments will actually be conducted in the TRUMPET series. However, we know that the maximum planned number of experiments in the TRUMPET series is 20. This number may be modified on the basis of results obtained from each TRUMPET experiment. After the final experiment in the TRUMPET series is completed, a larger experiment will be conducted in the U1a.102D alcove. A separate containment plan will be developed and presented to the Containment Review Panel (CRP) for that larger experiment. As with OBOE, this containment plan is intended to cover all TRUMPET experiments. We will not develop a separate containment plan for each experiment. Before each experiment we will present a statement to the CRP that each TRUMPET experiment falls within the parameters presented in this document. If an experiment falls outside the parameters in this document, a containment plan for that experiment will be developed and presented to the CRP for a full containment review.« less


Given that written texts are characterized by indexicality and incompleteness; how is it that they are read and followed then judged adequate? In particular how are social scientific arguments read as plausible under such conditions? It is suggested that the very natural language that renders such arguments in principle problematic, provides a resource in its textual particulars for the repair of indexicality. The article analyzes some local textual features with methods borrowed from conversational analysis to demonstrate three reader/writer strategies 'age orientation', the categorization of a population as more than incidentally juvenile; establishing 'author authority' ; and 'investing' (apparently senseless actors with 'purpose'.


By combining the results obtained by Kugo and Higashijima on the relation between zero mass renormalization and mass shell renormalization with those of the present author on the triangular anomalies in quantum electrodynamics, a simple identity is derived. Namely, we have where ra(e) denotes the anomalous dimension of the mass insertion vertex m vVeinberg's equation and rp(e) that of the pseudoscalar vertex.


Objective To know the relationship of anxiety and feelings of control during labour among primiparae.Methods Selected 90 primiparae from the July 2007 to September 2007,investegated anxiety condition and feelings of control during labour of them by related questionnaire and scales,and then analyzed the relationship between them.Results The anxiety score among the 90 primiparae was significant higher than that of in normal women.There was a negative correlation between the anxiety and feelings of control during labour among the primiparae.Conclusions Lower feelings of control indicats higher anxiety in labour among primiparae.

Key words:
Primipara; Feeling of control in labour; Anxiety


We present an unusual photoconductive response in doped GaAs and InP semiconductor epitaxial layers and demonstrate that such a response is due to the longitudinal optic (LO) phonon-induced Fano resonance instead of the traditional kinetic mechanism. Theoretical calculations based upon the present mechanism are in excellent agreement with the experimental results and the developed formalism should be universally applicable to the related photoconductive processes of other doped semiconductors.


The currently available mortality prediction models (MPM) have suboptimal performance when predicting early mortality (30‐days) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on various external populations. We developed and validated a new TAVI‐MPM based on a large number of predictors with recent data from a national heart registry.


Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations combined with enhanced sampling techniques are becoming widespread methods to investigate chemical phenomena in catalytic systems. These techniques automatically include finite temperature effects, anharmonicity, and...


The aim of the project was to realise rare earth doped planar silica waveguide lasers. Research centred on two rare earth ions: neodymium taking advantage of the four level laser system near 1.05 mum and erbium with emission at 1.54 mum, in the important third telecommunication window. Research concentrated on SiO2-P2O5 glass films fabricated by the flame hydrolysis of SiCl4 and PCI3. The resultant low density glass soot was deposited onto silica or oxidised silicon substrates, which was then sintered at temperatures up to 1350


This is a study of the psychodynamics of heroin abuse among students. Some took heroin as part of a pattern of mixed drug abuse; others were frankly addicted. Twenty students were studied in detail using psychoanalytic interviewing techniques emphasizing free associations, dreams, and fantasies. They were seen as often as necessary to obtain an adequate psychodynamic picture. Short term therapy was administered when possible. Psychological tests (WAIS, Rorschach, TAT, Sentence Completion, Figure Drawing, Word Association) were performed and used as an independent check on the clinical findings. The students were white and black males from affluent, middle-class, and ghetto backgrounds; they represented all major religious denominations, and ranged in age from high school seniors to graduate students. Three cases which illustrate the psychodynamics of heroin abuse are presented in detail. The passivity and surface blandness of these students were cloaks for destructive and self-destructive impulses. These students had all suffered unusual pain in their early relationships with their mothers which made it virtually impossible for them to form close relationships with young women. Heroin use was bound up in their attempt to deal with anxiety engendered by intimacy. It helped them keep their distance emotionally. Heroin enabled them to overcome potency anxieties by insuring that their pleasure was from the drug and not from the sexual experience. It conferred on these students the illusion of an invulnerability which they sought to protect them against the abrasions of relationships which they saw as inherently painful.


Matt Weisfeld is about the concept of Object-Orientation (OO), arguably the most important practical concept in software development. In his exposition, Weisfeld considers the programming part of the OO process. He firmly believes and tries to convince his readers that UML is not an essential part of the OO thought process. The Object-Oriented Thought Process is in its fourth edition. The first edition appeared in 1998. Weisfeld holds a Master in Computer Science and an MBA, has extensive experience in OO programming since the 1990s, and is also as college professor. The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Fourth Edition is intended as a professional development book. It is organized into 15 chapters and an index. Canadian computer scientist Craig Larman is mentioned in the Introduction and some other chapters, although his name was somehow omitted from the Index. of these having less than 20 pages. Therefore, the concept of OO is the essential matter, making the " thought process " an accurate description of the content. Code snippets, diagrams and figures are used for the illustration of different cases. A small user case is presented to illustrate the OO paradigm. The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Fourth Edition may be useful to business managers and project managers who would like to understand the nature of OO concepts. Weisfeld makes interesting connections between OO and Web technologies, and this would make The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Fourth Edition useful for web designers and developers. UML elements are treated in a limited way, and for that reason, The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Fourth Edition cannot be used as an introduction to OO design with UML. More than a third of The Object-Oriented Thought Process, Fourth Edition is dedicated to modern applications of the OO paradigm. The code examples employ several OO programming languages, thereby demonstrating a certain neutrality towards different vendors. Weisfeld made also the courageous decision


All pre-registration nurse training in the UK will soon be offered at degree level only. Until that time, nursing students approaching their final year face a dilemma - to take the degree route or not.


A clear need exists for improved soundings of the atmospheric state for purposes of weather prediction. In particular, lidar offers the promise of making detailed profile measurements from space of temperature, water vapor, and perhaps most importantly, wind speed and direction. In order to make satellite Doppler lidar wind measurements both feasible and practical in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, Doppler measurements using both aerosol and molecular scattered signals will be required. This suggests a lidar system operating in the visible or near ultraviolet to exploit the strong molecular scattering at these wavelengths. Additionally, the hardware constraints imposed by spaceborne large aperture optics make the use of a non- diffraction limited receiving telescope or telescopes very attractive. This effectively discourages the possibility of making this type of measurement from a satellite platform by coherent detection means. A technique for making Doppler wind measurements using low-coherence Doppler lidar will be described and ground-based measurements demonstrating the capability will be shown. The technique utilizes high spectral resolution Fabry-Perot interferometry to measure the small Doppler shift and is equally applicable to aerosol or molecular scattering. In particular, the scalability of this type of lidar system to full spaceborne use will be discussed.


*Adherence to Software Safety standards such as NASA STD 8719.13B can be costprohibitive for many software projects. Developing a means to effectively ensure software safety while minimizing the impact of the effort on project budgets is critical to future space development work. While methods exist which utilize exhaustive resources to ensure safety down to the most fundamental levels of code, keeping software safety needs within the scope of a System Safety budget can be difficult. While developing excellent requirements, settings rigorous coding standards and utilizing error checking software are crucial to ensuring safe code early in the development process, the Safety Analysis and Testing will define the largest part of any Software Safety Program. The methods utilized within the Space Shuttle Upgrades Development program at United Space Alliance, LLC utilized processes which would fulfill software safety requirements for an elaborate safety-critical software package while keeping resources at a modest level. Through functional analysis, Fault Trees were developed with hardware and software interrelationships and faults identified. Identification of potential hazard causes through the fault tree led to the development of Software Safety Causal Analyses (SSCA). The SSCA is a methodology by which software activity is presented in a linear, graphical format in an attempt to identify gaps or conflicts within expected software behavior. In the SSCA, requirements/components are arranged in sequence, while also presenting the interactions of each component with other software or hardware. In addition to the SSCA working as a safety tool, it has proven benefits to requirements traceability, change processing, testing and management system review.


A truly personal and reactive computer system should have access to the same information as its user, including the ambient sights and sounds. To this end, we have developed a system for extracting events and scenes from natural audio/visual input. We find our system can (without any prior labeling of data) cluster the audio/visual data into events, such as passing through doors and crossing the street. Also, we hierarchically cluster these events into scenes and get clusters that correlate with visiting the supermarket, or walking down a busy street. Thesis Supervisor: Alex P. Pentland Title: Department Head/Associate Professor, Media Arts and Sciences


We study neutrino emission from long gamma-ray bursts. The collapse of very massive stars to black holes, and the consequent jet formation, are expected to produce high-energy neutrinos through photomeson production. Such neutrinos can escape from the source and travel up to the Earth. We focus on the case of Population III progenitors for gamma-ray bursts. Neutrinos can be the only source of information of the first stars formed in the universe. The expected signal is rather weak, but we propose that gravitational lensing by nearby supermassive black holes might enhance the neutrino emission in some cases. We implement a Monte Carlo analysis to ponder the statistical significance of this scenario. We suggest that an observational strategy based on gravitational lensing could lead to the detection of neutrinos from the re-ionization era of the universe with current instrumentation.


Eleven patients with maxillofacial vascular malformations were reported and their treatment was discussed. Our results demonstrated that the accessory preoperative transcatheter arterial embolization with gelfoam for vascular malformations could effectively decrease blood loss and blood transfusion, keep the operative feild clear, shorten operative time, Facilitate radical resection of the lesion and improve the successful rate of operation. The ligation of afferent vessels and external carotid artery was in futility and even deleterious effects.


By creating (semi-)autonomous group structures in enterprises the work content of the workers changes. Workers are confronted with new working which are enriched by new technologies. Existing training tools for apprentices do not present the interaction between different tasks within a workshop. MuTil will implement a scenario with a complex combination of problems typically appearing in a workshop. The apprentices shall then solve these problems in a simulation environment. Through this learners will get a better understanding of working with computers, web based software etc. MuTil is a combination of teaching, learning and simulation. MuTil will force learners to apply their knowledge in a computer model of a workshop and to transfer their gained experience into real world environments.


By analyzing the continual way of ecological forest tourist,this paper putts forward the plan for the forest eco-tourism in protection of resource,planning of tourism,manage,development,publicize.


In the present study, we aim to assess the reliability and gender-specific validity of an original questionnaire (Q-LADR) in evaluating the knowledge of legal anti-doping regulations and to examine the gender-specific associations between Q-LADR and potential doping behavior (PDB) in senior-level professional athletes. The participants were team-sport players from Croatia and Montenegro (n = 479, 179 females, 21.3 ± 3.3 years of age). Apart from Q-LADR, they were tested in sociodemographic, sport, and doping factors. The results show the proper test–retest reliability of the Q-LADR (Cohen's kappa = 0.65; average percentage of the equally responded questions: 84%). Men achieved higher scores for the Q-LADR than women (t-test = 9.55, p < 0.001). The Q-LADR score was correlated with age in men, and with number of doping tests and sport success in men and women. Lower Q-LADR scores were correlated with neutral (in women) and positive doping attitudes (in men and women). The results confirm the importance of testing knowledge on the legal issues of anti-doping regulations for athletes, with the possible applicability of findings in the global fight against doping in sport. In order to provide equal opportunities for all to be involved in professional sport, special attention should be paid to vulnerable groups (i.e., women, younger athletes, and those who have not achieved sport success).


Background: Menstrual hygiene is itself a taboo and a matter of shame to express in public in developing countries even though it is crucial for a sound reproductive health matters. This study was aimed to identify the knowledge and practice on Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent school girls in Nepal. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted by using semi-structured and self-administered questionnaire. Frequency and percentage tables were used for uni-variate analysis and statistical analysis was done by bi-variate Chi-square statistics or Fisher exact tests. Results:  The adequate knowledge on menstrual hygiene (MH) was found in 85.5%. The MH practice was appropriate in 45.5%. Mother was the main source of information (37.14%) to daughters, about menstrual hygiene (MH). Respondents had no idea how to dispose off sanitary pads (51.72%) and also felt shy to use it (24.13%) and therefore its use among the girls was low. The statistical analysis revealed that level of knowledge was significantly associated with educational status (p-value=0.000) and religion (p-value=0.006), while the ethnicity (p-value>0.05 ) had no statistical relationship. The level of practice showed no association with all three predictors (p-value>0.05). Moreover there was found significant statistical association between the level of knowledge and practice (p-value=0.047). Conclusion: Since, knowledge and practice levels are statistically significant, the level of knowledge about MH can be increased for better practice by intervening the awareness programs in community. Even though the school girls have better knowledge, socio-economic and cultural factors obstruct them for appropriate practice that must be assessed and simplified.