Paraquat a widely used herbicide causes a variety of toxic effects on humans and animals. The present study is focused on the interaction of paraquat with the mouse erythroid system. Administration of paraquat (10 mg/kg body weight i.p. on alternate days in C57Bl/6 mice) induced a significant fall in blood erythrocyte count on 7, 14, and 21 day time points but the erythrocyte count reverted back to normal by 28th day indicating the emergence of refractoriness to paraquat. A marked surge in the blood reticulocyte count was observed in paraquat treated mice that also subsided by 28th day. Young erythrocytes in circulation were randomly eliminated from blood circulation in paraquat treated mice and a significant elevation in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was also observed maximally the erythrocytes of this age group. Cells representing various stages of erythroid differentiation in bone marrow and spleen were identified and enumerated flow cytometrically based on their expression of Ter119 and transferrin (CD71) receptor. Proliferative activity of erythroid cells, their relative proportion as well as their absolute numbers fell significantly in bone marrow of paraquat treated mice but all these parameters were significantly elevated in spleens of paraquat treated mice. These changes were essentially restricted to the cells belonging to the two earliest stages of erythroid differentiation. Taken together our results indicate that paraquat treatment causes a transient anemia in mice resulting from random elimination of young circulating erythrocytes as well as depressed erythropoietic activity in bone marrow. Spleen erythropoietic activity however was elevated in paraquat treated mice.


In this paper, we provide an efficient quality-of-service (QoS)-guarantee scheme using the cumulative-distribution-function-based scheduling (CS) algorithm in wireless fading channels. We first extend the CS algorithm such that it can encompass the practical environment with discrete user transmission rates. The extended CS algorithm can allocate the time fractions to users in arbitrary manner, and render an exact estimation of user average throughputs, through which it can provide differentiated QoS to each user. We also introduce the effective-capacity concept to describe the delay-constrained capacity of the CS algorithm, both in time-independent and time-correlated channels. In contrast to other existing scheduling algorithms, the CS algorithm enables calculating the effective capacity analytically, rather than estimating it by measurement on the queueing behavior. Using the effective capacity, we can check the feasibility of the user-specified QoS effectively in wireless time-varying channels


Presents three brief case studies to show how cognition and psychic activity were explored as energetic and economic transactions in a variety of experimental settings. First, in the 1870's German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin began a search for an objective measurement of cognitive performance in which he engaged for several decades. His investigations resulted in a graphic representation of cognitive efficiency, the Arbeitscurve, delineating numbers of additions per time interval in close resemblance to representations of machine efficiency. Second, at the turn of the century American nutrition scientist and agronomist Wilbur Olin Atwater convinced himself in a series of precision measurements that the human motor was a perfectly closed input-output system and that any mental surplus in the form of cognitive energy transformation did not count as contradictions to the principle of the conservation of energy. Third, at the beginning of the 20th century and on the basis of Atwater's results, German psychiatrist Hans Berger stipulated a special form of psychic energy for mediating between the principle of the conservation of energy and mental causality. Berger attempted to quantify psychic energy as one factor of brain metabolism. In the three cases of precision investigations into psychic life presented here, the experimental space of psychophysiology turned mental activity into a form of machine-like behavior.


An on-chip capillary electrophoresis-based DNA collection was applied to the isolation of target DNA species from a DNA mixture generated by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR), whose starting material was a ligation mixture of an insert and an expression vector. The collected DNA was then amplified by PCR and properly worked as template DNA in a coupled cell-free transcription/translation system. These results demonstrateed that total operation in standard genetic engineering can be performed in a cell-free condition.


Destruction of the suprachiasmatic nuclei in the golden hamster by bilateral radiofrequency lesions abolishes three well-documented circadian rhythms--locomotor activity, estrous cyclicity, and photoperiodic photosensitivity. Entrainment of these rhythms by light cycles fails in lesioned hamsters; females become persistently estrous; in both sexes locomotor activity becomes sporadic, confined primarily to the light instead of darkness, and is totally arrhythmic when lesioned animals are exposed to continuous darkness; the photoperiodic gonadal response (gonadal regression induced by short day lengths) is abolished; lesioned animals remain reproductively mature irrespective of photoperiodic treatment.


XTAG is an ongoing project to develop a wide-coverage grammar for English, based on the Feature-based Lexicalized Tree Adjoining Grammar (FB-LTAG) formalism. The XTAG system integrates a morphological analyzer, an N-best part-of-speech tagger, an Early-style parser and an X-window interface, along with a wide-coverage grammar for English developed using the system. This system serves as a linguist's workbench for developing FB-LTAG specifications. This paper presents a description of and recent improvements to the various components of the XTAG system. It also presents the recent performance of the wide-coverage grammar on various corpora and compares it against the performance of other wide-coverage and domain-specific grammars.


Objectives This study examined the association between anthropometric measurements, lifestyle factors and the prevalence of thyroid nodules among adults in Northeast China. Design We employed a cross-sectional approach involving a questionnaire survey, which focused on participants' living habits, and a physical examination that included anthropometry and ultrasound imaging. Setting The data were procured during multiple trips by medical teams from the first hospital of China Medical University to towns in Northeast China. Participants Of the 1092 participants, 489 did not have thyroid nodules (mean age: 54.02±11.49 years; 297 females (60.7%)), 99 had single thyroid nodules (mean age: 58.19±10.77 years; 59 females (59.6%)) and 504 had multiple thyroid nodules (mean age: 60.05±10.68 years; 394 females (78.2%)). Inclusion criteria mandated participants be over 20 years old without other medical conditions. We excluded individuals who had undergone surgical resection for thyroid nodules. Results The prevalence of thyroid nodules was significantly associated with being female (OR 2.569, 95% CI 1.937 to 3.405, p<0.001) and increased age (OR 1.054, 95% CI 1.041 to 1.066, p<0.001). This association was more pronounced in those with multiple thyroid nodules. For males under 60, non-smoking was inversely correlated with the prevalence of multiple thyroid nodules (OR 0.321, 95%CI 0.149 to 0.69, p<0.05). For females under 60, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was significantly linked with the prevalence of thyroid nodules (OR 0.978, 95% CI 2.614 to 2.705, p<0.05). Conclusions Besides gender and age, the prevalence of thyroid nodules in Northeast China correlates with smoking habits and DBP.


Neural Algorithmic Reasoning is an emerging area of machine learning which seeks to infuse algorithmic computation in neural networks, typically by training neural models to approximate steps of classical algorithms. In this context, much of the current work has focused on learning reachability and shortest path graph algorithms, showing that joint learning on similar algorithms is beneficial for generalisation. However, when targeting more complex problems, such similar algorithms become more difficult to find. Here, we propose to learn algorithms by exploiting duality of the underlying algorithmic problem. Many algorithms solve optimisation problems. We demonstrate that simultaneously learning the dual definition of these optimisation problems in algorithmic learning allows for better learning and qualitatively better solutions. Specifically, we exploit the max-flow min-cut theorem to simultaneously learn these two algorithms over synthetically generated graphs, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach. We then validate the real-world utility of our dual algorithmic reasoner by deploying it on a challenging brain vessel classification task, which likely depends on the vessels' flow properties. We demonstrate a clear performance gain when using our model within such a context, and empirically show that learning the max-flow and min-cut algorithms together is critical for achieving such a result.


The Bridges of Madison County has been always read as a popular love story, or has been associated with the middleaged people's inner worlds. The present paper interprets the novel through archetypal theory. Based on the analysis of archetypal characters and archetypal structures, the paper draws the conclusion that the employment of Biblical archetypes strengthens the tragedy of the novel and provides a new angle in understanding this late 20th novel.


A healthy oral cavity represents a complex microsystem changeable in a number and type of bacteria, fungi, viruses and protosoa. Bacterial flora is different on different areas of tooth. These areas were cllassified as open and closed ecosystems. The surfaces of enamel and exposed dentin and cementum, with dental plaque, could be considered as open tooth ecosystems. The root channel could be seemed as closed dentin ecosystem. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify prevalent microorganisms from: − dental plaque (open ecosystem) − infected root channel (closed ecosystem) The investigated group included 30 adult patients with Periodontitis periapicalis. The most common type of periodontitis was Periodontitis periapicalis chronica granulomatosa (63%). Both, paque and channel swabs were taken, at the same time, from the same tooth. Swab were immediately disseminated, in a dentist's office, on the medium for anaerobic, microarephilic and aerobic cultivation. Mediums for aerobic cultivation were incubated 20 hours in a thermostat at 37°C. Microaerophil and anaerobic condition were achieved by means of GAS-PAC bags (bio Merieux, Torlak). Members of streptococcus species were identified by the folowing methods: API-STREPTO system and SLIDEX STREPTO-Kit (bio Merieux) and by folowing tests: optohin, bacitracin, CAMP. Yeastes of Candida species were identified after incubation of 7 days, at the temperature of 37°C from Sabourad base. The polimorphic bacterial flora and Candida were isolated from plaque and channel swabs. The most common species of microbs in dental plaque were Streptococci spp. (nonhemolitics and viridans group). The most common species of microorganisms, in channel swabs, were Prevotella Porphyromonas group or gram negativ bacills. Porphyromonas gingivalis had been found in 60% of channel swabs and in 20% of plaque swabs (statistical significans of p < 0.05). In a closed ecosystem (root channel) Streptococci decreased whereas Lactobacilli increased.


In this paper, an original optimization method to jointly determine a reduced study term and an optimum battery sizing is investigated. This storage device is used to connect a passive wind turbine system with a stand alone network. A Weibull probability density function is used to generate different wind speed data. The passive wind system is composed of a wind turbine, a permanent magnet synchronous generator feeding a diode rectifier associated with a very low voltage DC battery bus. This study is essentially based on a similitude model applied on an 8 kW wind turbine system. Our reference model is taken from a 1.7 kW optimized system. The wind system generated power and the load demand are coupled through a battery sized using a statistical approach.


Objective: Although widely used in the general population, sleeping pills and minor tranquilizers, also known as antianxiety agents, have been associated with undesirable outcomes. Reports about the association of these drugs with an elevated mortality rate are inconsistent and controversial. This study was designed to assess the mortality hazard associated with anxiolytic and hypnotic drug use in the National Population Health Survey in Canada. It was hypothesized that anxiolytic and hypnotic drug use would be associated with an elevated mortality hazard. Method: A population-based sample of 14 117 people aged 18 to 102 years participated in a longitudinal panel survey, with data collected every second year from 1994 to 2007. The primary outcome measures reported in this study are self-report use of anxiolytic and hypnotic drugs, and death. Results: For respondents who reported anxiolytic or hypnotic drug use in the past month the odds of mortality were 3.22 times more (95% CI 2.70 to 3.84) than for those who did not use anxiolytic or hypnotic drugs in the past month. After controlling for confounding sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health factors (including depression), the odds ratio was reduced to 1.36 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.70) but remained significant. Conclusion: Sedative drug use is associated with a small but significant increase in mortality risk. Further research is required to confirm the mechanisms by which sedative drug use increases mortality risk. Where possible, physicians should systematically consider possibilities for nonpharmacological treatment of sleep disturbances and anxiety.


The study investigated socioeconomic characteristics, aquacultural practices and constraints among smallholder fish farmers in the study location of Bo City, Southern Sierra Leone. The present study employed a survey research design. The smallholder farmers who were growing food for themselves, for sale, and for consumption by others as well as those who were primarily growing it for the market were each given 40 questionnaires in total. The results revealed that most of the respondents were male (90.0%), married (60.0%), lacked training in fish farming (57.5%) and the household income of most (60.0%) ranged from NLe600-NLe1,000. The farmers mostly opined low fish farming experience (70.0%), Semi-intensive fish farming (67.5%), low aquaculture development (57.5%), predominantly seasonal fish pond irrigation (77.5%). All of the respondents' view fish farming as an economically viable enterprise as well as a profitable (87.5%) entity. The mean rank of constraints was significantly (p ≤ 0.006) differed among fish farmers. The key fish farming constraints included culturing fish, fish feed in culturing fish, less interest, fewer fish farmers, high inputs, high cost of fish pond construction and intensive capital investment that could be exploited for improved productivity. The outcomes of these recent studies imply that fish farmers should receive training and funding for their operations to improve their competitiveness in their smallholder fish businesses as well as in the local and international aquaculture industries. Also, the governments and other practitioner authorities ought to implement policies and initiatives that would support fish farming activities, further research development in aquaculture, the development of the nation, and the fish farmers themselves.


Background: European legislation prohibits driving a passenger car when visual acuity is below 0.50 or visual field is less than 120 degrees horizontal. However insufficient acuity might be compensated using a bioptic telescope, and people with hemianopia might learn to use compensatory saccadic eye movements to improve fitness-to-drive. Methods: Several scientific studies have focused on introducing new rehabilitation programs in the Netherlands to enlarge the mobility options of visual impaired people. Melis-Dankers et al (2008) and Kooijman et al (2008) concluded that bioptic driving could safely be introduced in a European setting, provided that a close collaboration and education of relevant parties exists. Metting et al (2013) showed that nystagmus is no contraindication for the bioptic driving program. De Haan et al (2014) showed that a proper compensatory eye-movement training could compensate for the effects of hemianopia. Results: Since 2009, Royal Dutch Visio offers a nationwide rehabilitation program for visually impaired people who want to improve or regain independent mobility, called AutO&Mobility. The program does not focus on specific vehicles, but uses a holistic approach to mobility. Over 1200 participants entered the program so far. Vehicles vary form cars, slow motorized traffic, mobility scooters, mini-cars to even tractors. About 200 participants succeeded in obtaining or regaining a driving license for cars. Young people with nystagmus proved to be especially successful. Participants that did not meet the required visual functions for driving a car were offered mobility alternatives such as low-speed vehicles or public transport support. Conclusion: The holistic approach to independent mobility proved to be successful in a group of visual impaired people. Royal Dutch Visio developed a short but mandatory national training program for driving instructors, optometrists and driving officials who deal directly with participants with low vision. In 2016 we will organize an international training course for professionals.


Intention . To conduct a comparative analysis of the dynamics of the consolidation of intraarticular fractures of the posterolateral parts of the lateral tibial condyle, the anatomical and functional outcomes of surgical treatment of these patients after plate osteosynthesis with traditional anterolateral and posterolateral transfibular surgical approaches as well. Methodology. A comparative prospective study of the effectiveness of osteosynthesis in patients with fractures of the posterolateral part of lateral tibial condyle in two compatible clinical groups was performed in dynamics for periods of 7–10 days, 1, 3, 6 and 9 months after surgery. In the first group (25 patients), bone osteosynthesis was performed from traditional anterolateral approach (TALA), and in the second group (20 patients), from the posterolateral transfibular approach (PLTFA). The average duration of osteosynthesis operations was compared. The displacements of fragments of the articular surface of the lateral tibial condyle, the indices of the KSS and Lysholm scales, the results of measurements of the angle of flexion and valgus stress test of the knee joint were evaluated. Data processing was performed using the Data Analysis and Chart Master modules (Excel), the Basic Statistics / Tables module (Statistic for Windows) as well. Results and Discussion . In the PLTFA group, the average operation time was (81.0 ± 8.5) minutes (from 67 to 96 minutes), in the TALA group, the duration of operations was 35.8 % longer and averaged (110 ± 5.2) minutes (from 82 to 125 minutes) (p < 0.05). The values of the KSS and Lysholm scales in dynamics showed a steady and statistically significant (p < 0.01) increase with increasing time after surgery without significant differences between the groups. The angle of flexion of the knee joint increased more rapidly during the first three months, then the rate decreased from 6 to 9 months (p < 0.05) without significant differences between the groups. The frequency of displacements of fragments of the articular surface in the first group was statistically significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in the second group. Differences in the valgus-stress test indices in both groups reached a maximum after 9 months – 52 and 30 %, respectively. Conclusion . With PLTFA, surgery duration decreases, articular surface fragments are better reduced, and their subsequent displacement at the stages of treatment is less likely; therefore, this approach is preferable for osteosynthesis of fractures of the posterolateral parts of the lateral tibial condyle.


Each individual has different aptitudes and personalities. Schools have a very important rules to map students' interests according to students' talents and interests. This is very important because proper placement of interest can support students' academic ability. This study aims to create a standard measurement that can be used for mapping and tracking students' talent in high school becomes easier and measurable. There are 5 aspects related to aptitudes in this research such as visual reasoning test, numerical reasoning test, verbal analysis test, spatial recognition test and vocabulary test. The Rasch model was used to analyze the difficulty level of the item, and from the results of the study showed that the difficulty level of the item was in the normal distribution at the interval -3.57 to 4.5. By using the Google Form tool, students' aptitudes tests are developed and presented in varied form and can provide test result information automatically. The use of Google Form has several advantages, such as (1) the test does not have to be done simultaneously at the same time and place, (2) the item can be made more interesting because it can use images and audio visual facilities and (3) there is no need to duplicate the test paper since it is computer-based tests to minimize test administration.


Introduction: Falling during walking is a common occurrence in people with Parkinson's disease and is closely associated with severe social and medical consequences. Recent evidence demonstrates that arm swing affects dynamic balance in healthy young adults; however, it remains unexamined what its effect is in people with Parkinson's disease, particularly when combined with a secondary dual task. Methods: Twenty people with Parkinson's disease (63.78 ± 8.97) walked with two arm swing conditions (absent and normal) with and without a secondary dual task. Data were collected on a split-belt treadmill CAREN Extended-System (Motek Medical, Amsterdam, NL). Average and standard deviations for trunk linear and angular velocity were calculated along with their instantaneous values (during foot strikes) in all three axes. Averages and coefficient of variations for step length, time, and width; margin of stability; and harmonic ratios were also calculated. Results: Compared with normal arm swing, absent arm swing reduced the least affected leg's average step length and increased its step length coefficient of variation while increasing step time coefficient of variation in the most affected leg. Further, absent arm swing reduced trunk anteroposterior instantaneous angular velocity (least affected leg) and reduced anteroposterior instantaneous linear velocity (bilaterally). For the vertical axis, absent arm swing increased the trunk's average angular velocity but reduced its instantaneous linear velocity and angular velocity standard deviation (least affected leg). Additionally, the margin of stability increased when the arms were absent (least affected leg). Alternatively, dual tasking reduced average step time (most affected leg) and increased the step width coefficient of variation (bilaterally). Additionally, dual tasking increased the mediolateral average angular velocity, instantaneous linear velocity standard deviation (bilaterally), and instantaneous angular velocity standard deviation (least affected leg). For the vertical axis, dual tasking increased average linear and angular velocity standard deviation as well as instantaneous angular velocity standard deviation (bilaterally). Conclusion: Findings suggest that participants attempted to control extraneous trunk movement (due to absent arm swing) through compensatory responses in both lower and upper extremities. However, participants appeared to predominately compensate on their least affected side. Contrastingly, modifying mediolateral foot placement appeared to be the main means of maintaining walking stability while dual tasking.


Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is the main source of intractable lower back pain, and symptomatic IVD degeneration could be due to different degeneration mechanisms. In this article, we describe the molecular basis of symptomatic IVD degenerative disc diseases (DDDs), emphasizing the role of degeneration, inflammation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) regulation during this process. In symptomatic DDD, pro-inflammatory mediators modulate catabolic reactions, resulting in changes in ECM homeostasis and, finally, neural/vascular ingrowth-related chronic intractable discogenic pain. In ECM homeostasis, anabolic protein-regulating genes show reduced expression and changes in ECM production, while matrix metalloproteinase gene expression increases and results in aggressive ECM degradation. The resultant loss of normal IVD viscoelasticity and a concomitant change in ECM composition are key mechanisms in DDDs. During inflammation, a macrophage-related cascade is represented by the secretion of high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which induce inflammation. Aberrant angiogenesis is considered a key initiative pathologic step in symptomatic DDD. In reflection of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor expression is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in the hypoxic conditions of IVDs. Furthermore, IVD cells undergoing degeneration potentially enhance neovascularization by secreting large amounts of angiogenic cytokines, which penetrate the IVD from the outer annulus fibrosus, extending deep into the outer part of the nucleus pulposus. Based on current knowledge, a multi-disciplinary approach is needed in all aspects of spinal research, starting from basic research to clinical applications, as this will provide information regarding treatments for DDDs and discogenic pain.


By identifying and protecting the "reasonable expectations" of close corporation stockholders, the doctrine of shareholder oppression attempts to safeguard the close corporation minority investor from the improper exercise of majority control. The leading formulation of the reasonable expectations inquiry focuses on the shareholder's expectations at the time he decided to invest in the business. For the disputes that characterize most of the published oppression decisions, this "time of investment" focus is suitable, as the aggrieved shareholder is usually complaining about expectations that were established around the time of the shareholder's actual commitment of capital to the business. In certain significant contexts, however, a time of investment focus is problematic. First, a strict time of investment standard seems to ignore the possibility that post-investment expectations may arise. Focusing on one point in time - the time of investment - to measure the shareholder's expectations fails to capture potentially valid and reasonable expectations that may develop well after a shareholder commits capital to the venture. Second, a strict time of investment framework fails to account for close corporation shareholders who have made no investment at all in the company. This group of "non-investing shareholders" includes, among others, stockholders who receive their shares as gifts or inheritances. Because these shareholders have committed no capital themselves, there is, literally-speaking, no "time of investment" peculiar to them. For this group, therefore, an assessment of reasonable expectations at the time of investment may lead to a conclusion that no specific reasonable expectations exist at all. This Article analyzes whether and how the reasonable expectations inquiry could be applied to these changing expectations and non-investing shareholder cases. By conceiving of oppression as a doctrine that protects the fair value of the shareholder's investment, this Article provides a context for thinking about the purpose of the shareholder oppression doctrine and its accompanying reasonable expectations inquiry. Using this "investment model" of oppression as a guide, the Article argues that the law should view a reasonable expectation as a bargain struck between majority and minority shareholders over a specific entitlement the minority is to receive in return for its investment in the company. Because majority and minority shareholders may strike these "investment bargains" throughout their participation in a close corporation, the Article contends that the oppression doctrine should look for evidence of such bargains during the entirety of the shareholders' relationship, rather than merely at the narrower time of investment. The reasonable expectations inquiry, therefore, should reflect this broader perspective. Moreover, although non-investing stockholders do not, by definition, commit any of their own capital to the company, they too may reach mutual understandings with the majority that, if proven, should be protected as investment bargains. Part I of this Article discusses the nature of the close corporation and explains the development of the doctrine of shareholder oppression. Part II describes the investment model of oppression and the special nature of the close corporation shareholder's investment. While a time of investment focus for measuring reasonable expectations is not well-suited to disputes involving changing expectations or non-investing shareholders, this Part explains that a time of investment inquiry is nevertheless consistent with the theory of the investment model. Building on this analysis, Part III discusses the problems presented by shareholder expectations that change over time. Because corporate law seeks to prevent freeze-out conduct, this Part argues that the law should protect post-investment expectations. Moreover, by drawing from relational contract theory, this Part provides an additional basis for validating and enforcing post-investment expectations, even when the minority has provided no additional consideration. Part IV explores the puzzle of the non-investing shareholder and the various positions that the oppression doctrine could take towards these parties. After discussing whether non-investing shareholders should have (1) no specific reasonable expectations at all, (2) only the specific reasonable expectations of their investing transferors, or (3) any specific reasonable expectations that can be proven, this Part concludes that the third alternative promotes fairness and provides consistency with the investment model of oppression. Finally, Part V considers the role of the transferor's intent in single-founder cases. Rather than serving to bind successor shareholders, this Part suggests that the founder's intent should serve merely as an evidentiary factor in the reasonable expectations analysis.


The article explores the images of the German cities, Lubeck and Hamburg, presented in Nikolay Gretsch's travelogue "The real trip to Germany in 1835". The author determines the link between the images of the two cities and the tradition of describing Germany as an idyllic place. This tradition was widespread in Russian literature at the end of the 18th century — first half of the 19th century. In Gretsch's text, Lubeck and Hamburg are depicted as idyllic but to different degrees. The locus of Lubeck is a homogeneous, patriarchal and achronous idyll, a static space that seems to have frozen in the Middle Ages. In contrast to Lübeck, the city of Hamburg is depicted as a large, contemporary, and dynamic city — in other words, as a modern type of idyll. Moreover, its orderliness goes beyond the idyll and is defined by the rational organisation of space, which is characterised by heterogeneity. Firstly, the idyllic subloci are distinguished, where the key role belongs to the demi-natural images of the garden, the park and the promenade. Secondly, the utilitarian-rational subloci of the stock exchange, quay, and canals are described. Subloci, which are marked by both idyll and rationality, have been identified (e. g. an orphanage, an almshouse). Finally, the third spatial type identified marginal sublocations of seafarers' establishments associated with the motives of disorderliness — drunkenness, debauchery, etc.


There has been much discussion in the press about productivity improvements that grew at an annual rate of 3.55% from 2000 to 2003 [BW04]. One of the sources of this productivity growth is automation. We have all witnessed numerous ways in which companies have automated their business processes over the past decade. As a recent example, The Dallas Morning News reports in [Baj04] how Atmos Energy, the Dallas-based gas company, is automating its gas meter reading capabilities by using wireless technologies and thus reducing its staff by 225 employees over the next five years. In this article, we will examine current trends in the technology-driven automation and will argue that we are still in the early stages of a new wave of automation that will profoundly affect the economy and will significantly contribute to the productivity growth over the next 10 A¢Â¬Â 15 years. Industrial automation is an old phenomenon that goes back to the Industrial Revolution when machines replaced physical labor on a massive scale. Automation profoundly affected manufacturing over the past 25 years when industrial robots replaced various manual jobs in different spheres of manufacturing, including automobiles, computers and telecommunication equipment. More recently, automation was primarily driven by IT. For example, toll booth collectors recently became victims of IT-based automation when some of them lost their jobs to EZ-Pass technologies. Similarly, 225 employees at Atmos Energy will lose their jobs within the next 5 years due to the advancements in wireless technologies [Baj04]. Also, many cashiers in department stores and supermarkets will soon lose their jobs because of the advancements of the RFID tag technologies. Most of the jobs lost to automation have been routine production jobs, according to the job classification proposed by Robert Reich in [Rei91]. The main characteristics of these jobs are repetitiveness and structuredness since they have well defined procedural job descriptions. Examples of these jobs include assembly line workers, foremen, data processors, and toll collectors. The routine production jobs have been replaced by mechanical, electrical and IT-driven machines, including industrial robots and wireless communication devices. In this article, we claim that the next waive of automation will affect not only routine production workers, but also what Reich calls symbolic-analytic workers [Rei91], such asengineers, office and knowledge workers, managers, educators, and other groups of A¢Â¬ÂSmind workers.A¢Â¬Â? Although few of these jobs will be eliminated completely, many of the more routine tasks in these jobs will be delegated to A¢Â¬ÂSsmart machinesA¢Â¬Â? within the next 10 A¢Â¬Â 15 years, leading to major restructuring and consolidation of some of these jobs. This phenomenon is examined in the rest of this article.


Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that poses a threat in clinical settings due to its intrinsic and acquired resistance to a wide spectrum of antibiotics. Additionally, the presence of a subpopulation of cells surviving high concentrations of antibiotics, called persisters, makes it virtually impossible to eradicate a chronic infection. The mechanism underlying persistence is still unclear, partly due to the fact that it is a non-inherited phenotype. Based on our findings from a previously performed screening effort for P. aeruginosa persistence genes, we hypothesize that crosstalk can occur between two clinically relevant mechanisms: the persistence phenomenon and antibiotic resistance. This was tested by determining the persistence phenotype of P. aeruginosa strains that are resistant to the antibiotic fosfomycin due to either of two unrelated fosfomycin resistance mechanisms. Overexpression of fosA (PA1129) confers fosfomycin resistance by enzymic modification of the antibiotic, and in addition causes a decrease in the number of persister cells surviving ofloxacin treatment. Both phenotypes require the enzymic function of FosA, as mutation of the Arg119 residue abolishes fosfomycin resistance as well as low persistence. The role for fosfomycin resistance mechanisms in persistence is corroborated by demonstrating a similar phenotype in a strain with a mutation in glpT (PA5235), which encodes a glycerol-3-phosphate transporter essential for fosfomycin uptake. These results indicate that fosfomycin resistance, conferred by glpT mutation or by overexpression of fosA, results in a decrease in the number of persister cells after treatment with ofloxacin and additionally stress that further research into the interplay between fosfomycin resistance and persistence is warranted.


ABSTRACT As the number of localities committing to age-friendly progress increases worldwide, there is growing interest in the processes and contexts that lead to systemic and long-term age-friendly community (AFC) impact. Our study aimed to advance research in this area by exploring community events as a mechanism through which practitioners work toward AFC goals. We used semi-structured interview data with core teams that participated in a multi-year developmental evaluation of eight grant-funded AFC initiatives in New Jersey. We employed a constructivist grounded theory approach to analyze the data, focusing on how AFC leaders facilitate events and what they perceive as the value of events. Findings highlighted the centrality of an inter-organizational context for event planning and implementation, as well as the unique positioning of AFC leaders relative to other community actors. Results further indicated that AFC leaders view events as immediately benefiting older adults and local organizational partners, while also having longer-term strategic value, including by deepening older adults' engagement with the AFC initiative, providing opportunities for core teams to learn about aging in community, and expanding the AFC initiative's community presence. We interpret these findings within a community-building framework, theorizing that events can strategically build relational capacity to sustain age-friendly progress within broader community systems.


This study investigated the effect of soybean supplementation on the immune response in the senescence-accelerated-prone mice (SAMP8) and -resistant mice (SAMPR1, control). Male SAMP8 mice (6 mo old) were supplemented with or without nanonized (Nano-soy) or microparticled (Micro-soy) black soybeans (n = 8/group), respectively for 12 wk. Human PBMC and murine splenocytes were stimulated with mitogens and cytokines were determined by RT-PCR and/or ELISA. The results showed that food intake was similar among all groups. Isoflavone (daidzin and genistin) intake was higher in the Nano-soy group than the Micro-soy group. The lymphoproliferation and production of IL-2 and IFN-γ in the Nano-soy group had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those in the control and Micro-soy groups. The Nano-soy group mice reached these cytokine levels similar to SAMR1 mice. This result was consistent with the in vitro data that daidzein (a metabolite of daidzin), at a concentration of 10 μM, increased IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ production from PHA-stimulated PBMC (P < 0.05). However at higher dose (> 50 μM), daidzein only reduced IL-10 and IFN-γ levels, whereas genistein reduced levels of the IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ mRNA and protein. This suggests that the Nano-soy supplementation improved immune response in SAMP8 mice which may be attributable to higher daidzin content in the diet.


Despite the multitude of stents implanted annually worldwide, the most common complication called in‐stent restenosis still poses a significant risk to patients. Here, a "smart" stent equipped with microscale sensors and wireless interface is developed to enable continuous monitoring of restenosis through the implanted stent. This electrically active stent functions as a radiofrequency wireless pressure transducer to track local hemodynamic changes upon a renarrowing condition. The smart stent is devised and constructed to fulfill both engineering and clinical requirements while proving its compatibility with the standard angioplasty procedure. Prototypes pass testing through assembly on balloon catheters withstanding crimping forces of >100 N and balloon expansion pressure up to 16 atm, and show wireless sensing with a resolution of 12.4 mmHg. In a swine model, this device demonstrates wireless detection of blood clot formation, as well as real‐time tracking of local blood pressure change over a range of 108 mmHg that well covers the range involved in human. The demonstrated results are expected to greatly advance smart stent technology toward its clinical practice.


In this paper, we question the role of second additional language (that is, an optional, non-official language) teaching, with special reference to French at school level in South Africa. Over and above the fact that additional languages reflect minority cultures and communities (Greek, Serbian, Hebrew, etc.) we consider their real and potential place in the promotion of multilingualism. As revealed as part of a regional research project, sponsored by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie , entitled Curriculum, contextualisation et formation des enseignants (CCPFE-AUF-BOI-S0195COV0401), motivations for studying French in South Africa stem from the dual representation of its exoticism, constituting a form of "linguistic tourism", as well as its potential usefulness in various professional contexts. We question whether the basis for this language market which plays out in an exolingual, formalised context can make a real claim to promoting multilingualism within the South African linguistic ecology. In this regard, we will examine ways in which a shift in perspective from an "additive" to an integrative and plurilingual conception of language acquisition is required to resituate the teaching/learning of French as an authentic form of social and linguistic construction in South Africa. Using a socio-constructive (Molinie 2011) and co-actional model (Melo-Pfeifer 2015; Thomas 2014, Mroz 2012) to teaching French, we explore ways in which language acquisition can be a collaborative, integrative process, taking into account multiple cultural and language resources.


Nurses' assignment that based on patient acuity tool scores regulates the number of nurses on a shift according to the patients' needs, thus balancing nurses' workload and enhancing nurses' satisfaction with assignment. This study aimed at assessing nurses' satisfaction related to implementing of patient acuity tool-based assignment. Experimental posttest only design was used. This study was conducted in critical care units at the Menoufia University Hospitals in Shebin Elkom. Simple random sample of nurses was selected from the previous units that was divided equally into two groups: experimental group (n=89) and control group (n=89). Additionally, all first line managers of the same units were selected (n=33). Tools used for data collection included: (1): Nurses' Satisfaction with the Methods of Assignment questionnaire (posttest only). (2): First line managers Opinion Sheet to measure their opinion regarding implementation of the acuity tool-based nurses' assignment. Results of the current study revealed that the majority of nurses in the experimental group were satisfied with method of assignment that based on acuity scores after implementation of the program. Also, there was no statistically significant difference between nurses' satisfaction in the experimental group and their personal data except regarding their educational level and years of experience that was highly statistical. In conclusion, implementation of Kidd et al., new patient acuity tool was effective in improving nurses' satisfaction with assignment. Moreover, the highest percentage of first line managers agreed on implementation of the patient acuity- tool based assignment. Continuous incorporation of the patient acuity tool in nurses' assignment and generalization in other nursing units is a significant implication to promote proper distribution of nursing shift assignments and better nurses' satisfaction.


: The essential oil (EO) compositions and chemotypes of the important ethnomedicinal plant Vitex agnus-castus L. flowers, leaves, and fruits collected from Türkiye (Balıkesir and İstanbul) were identified in the present study. Different parts of the V. agnus-castus EO's in-vitro cytotoxic effects on the MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) and A549 (human lung carcinoma) human-origin cell lines were anaylzed in the current study. The composition of hydrodistiled EOs extracted from flowers, leaves, and fruits of V. agnus-castus were analyzed by GC–FID/MS. Monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpene compounds were detected as the predominant component class of the V. agnus-castus . EOs extracted from Balıkesir region were defined as the " α - pinene-1,8-cineole" chemotype, while EOs extracted from İstanbul region were defined as the "sabinene-1,8-cineole" chemotype. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons constituted more than 20% of the compounds in the EOs extracted from the flowers. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the in-vitro cytotoxic effects of flowers. This study is also the first to show the in-vitro cytotoxic effects of fruit, the most commonly used part of the plant, EO on the MCF-7 cell line. Balıkesir region's EOs were observed as more potent -especially the purple flower's IC 50 is about 4.68 µg/mL on the MCF7 cell line-than İstanbul regions, which might be attributed to the higher amount of α -pinene, caryophyllene, and limonene content. Our results indicated that the V. agnus-castus EOs, which contain α -pinene, 1,8-cineole, caryophyllene, and limonene as major components, showed relatively high cytotoxic effects compared to the control groups on the MCF7 and A549 cell lines.


We have previously shown that mice lacking the TSH receptor (TSHR) exhibit osteoporosis due to enhanced osteoclast formation. The fact that this enhancement is not observed in double-null mice of TSHR and TNFalpha suggests that TNFalpha overexpression in osteoclast progenitors (macrophages) may be involved. It is unknown how TNFalpha expression is regulated in osteoclastogenesis. Here, we describe a receptor activator for nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)-responsive sequence (CCG AGA CAG AGG TGT AGG GCC), spanning from -157 to -137 bp of the 5'-flanking region of the TNFalpha gene, which functions as a cis-acting regulatory element. We further show how RANKL treatment stimulates the high-mobility group box proteins (HMGB) HMGB1 and HMGB2 to bind the RANKL-responsive sequence and up-regulates TNFalpha transcription. Exogenous HMGB elicits the expression of cytokines, including TNFalpha, as well as osteoclast formation. Conversely, TSH inhibits the expression of HMGB and TNFalpha and the formation of osteoclasts. These results suggest that HMGB play a pivotal role in osteoclastogenesis. We also show a direct correlation between the expression of HMGB and TNFalpha and osteoclast formation in TSHR-null mice and TNFalpha-null mice. Taken together, we conclude that HMGB and TNFalpha play critical roles in the regulation of osteoclastogenesis and the remodeling of bone.


The article discusses the current state of research on the problems of urban communities in conflict. The research base was the corpus of domestic and foreign scientific publications, formed on the basis of a search in scientometric databases. Based on the review and analysis of scientific literature, the author identifies the main problems that are in the focus of attention of specialists: the essence of urban communities themselves, the parameters of their participation in urban politics, as well as their actual participation in conflict processes. In accordance with this, research areas and main issues that are at the center of scientific discussions are highlighted. These include the identification of the essential features of urban communities at the present stage of their development, taking into account network technologies of interaction; the formation of civil and political subjectivity of urban communities; ways to include urban communities in the system of political management of urban conflicts. The latter direction involves various formats of participation: from protest actions to the creation of collaborative planning institutions. In foreign studies at this stage, relatively more attention is paid to this issue than in Russian. The further necessity of studying the functioning of urban communities in conflict situations is substantiated.


At each point where a section was made through the defences, the construction was the same. At the outer edge there appeared a kerb of boulders; behind this rose a structureless rampart of earth and stone, containing a roughly built wall, and firmly coagulated with vitrified matter from top to bottom. No vitrifaction\r\nappeared in the rampart either in front or in rear of this wall, and it is thus a fair assumption that the wall was built and vitrified previous to the erection of the rampart against it. Excavation in the interior revealed evidence of occupation and the recovery of substantial numbers of moulds and glass fragments. It is argued that the number and variety of the moulds suggest a founding factory, established for the purposes of trade. There is evidence of two phases of occupation, one in the Roman period followed by a second phase in the ninth or tenth century.


Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques are commonly used in spaceborne and airborne side-looking radar imaging applications, where the relatively high platform speeds enable the formation of very long synthetic apertures, which provide images with high angular resolution. However, the recent development of new autonomous ground vehicles, with relatively slow speeds, calls for new SAR imaging methods to obtain high angular resolution images. In this paper, the concept of forward-looking multiple-input multiple-output SAR (FL-MIMO-SAR) is analyzed and applied for short-range millimeter-wave radar forward-looking imaging in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Moreover, if the antenna inter-element spacing in the MIMO array is small, the FL-MIMO-SAR imaging system will provide low or no angular resolution refinement at the radar boresight region, i.e., Doppler beam sharpening (DBS) ineffective region. To solve that, the combination of FL-MIMO-SAR and sparse MIMO arrays with large inter-element spacing (FL-sparseMIMO-SAR) is proposed. Aspects such as the signal model, image reconstruction, complexity reduction, and the left-right ambiguity for FL-MIMO-SAR imaging systems are addressed. In addition, different imaging scenarios for AMRs are simulated using a frequency-modulated continuous wave radar simulator. Simulation results are validated with real measurements. It is shown that the proposed combination of FL-MIMO-SAR and MIMO arrays with large inter-element spacing manages to significantly suppress the grating lobes, which come from the sparsity in the antenna array. Moreover, the proposed FL-sparseMIMO-SAR helps to relax the requirements on the synthetic aperture length and solves the DBS-blind region problem, thanks to the larger real sparse MIMO array and the grating lobes suppression with the FL-SAR processing. Finally, the results show high potential for radar imaging systems, with FL-sparseMIMO-SAR capabilities, to be employed in the applications of AMRs towards smart factories and warehouses.


Planets smaller than Neptune and larger than Earth make up the majority of the discovered exoplanets. Those with H2-rich atmospheres are prime targets for atmospheric characterization. The transition between the two main classes, super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, is not clearly understood as the rocky surface is likely not accessible to observations. Tracking several trace gases (specifically the loss of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)) has been proposed as a proxy for the presence of a shallow surface. In this work, we revisit the proposed mechanism of nitrogen conversion in detail and find its timescale on the order of a million years. NH3 exhibits dual paths converting to N2 or HCN, depending on the UV radiation of the star and the stage of the system. In addition, methanol (CH3OH) is identified as a robust and complementary proxy for a shallow surface. We follow the fiducial example of K2-18b with a 2D photochemical model on an equatorial plane. We find a fairly uniform composition distribution below 0.1 mbar controlled by the dayside, as a result of slow chemical evolution. NH3 and CH3OH are concluded to be the most unambiguous proxies to infer surfaces on sub-Neptunes in the era of the James Webb Space Telescope.


Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter spp. bacteria that cause citrus greening, a disease of worldwide importance. Olfactometry was employed to test responses of D. citri to odours from intact citrus plants (Mexican lime, Citrus aurantifolia, sour orange, Citrus aurantium, Marsh grapefruit, Citrus paradisi and Valencia orange, Citrus sinensis), citrus plants previously infested with D. citri, and odours of conspecifics including nymphs, adult insects of same and opposite sex, and their products (honeydew), both alone and in combination. In contrast to other studies, psyllids of both sexes were attracted to volatiles of undamaged Mexican lime leaves, whereas undamaged grapefruit attracted only females, and leaves of Valencia and sour orange did not attract either sex. All four plant species attracted female psyllids when previously infested, but only Mexican lime and sour orange‐attracted males. Thus, Citrus species appear to vary in the production of both constituitive and induced volatiles that attract adult psyllids. Volatiles emitted by nymphs did not attract either sex, but psyllid honeydew was attractive to males, likely due to female pheromone residues. Males oriented to the odour of females, whereas the reverse was not true, and neither males nor females oriented to same‐sex volatiles. The addition of conspecific cues (adults, nymphs or honeydew) did not increase female attraction to previously infested leaves, but male response was increased by the presence of adults and honeydew, regardless of plant species. Thus, female psyllids appear to orient more strongly to volatiles of plant origin, whereas males respond more strongly to cues emanating from females and conspecific excretions. These results suggest that female psyllids drive the initial colonization of host plants, whereas males orient to females and infested plants. Identification of the specific volatiles involved may permit their use in monitoring and management of this pest.


In this paper we present a novel approach to determine the exact diameter (longest shortest path length) of large graphs, in particular of the nowadays frequently studied small world networks. Typical examples include social networks, gene networks, web graphs and internet topology networks. Due to complexity issues, the diameter is often calculated based on a sample of only a fraction of the nodes in the graph, or some approximation algorithm is applied. We instead propose an exact algorithm that uses various lower and upper bounds as well as effective node selection and pruning strategies in order to evaluate only the critical nodes which ultimately determine the diameter. We will show that our algorithm is able to quickly determine the exact diameter of various large datasets of small world networks with millions of nodes and hundreds of millions of links, whereas before only approximations could be given.


Recognising syphilis can be challenging due to enormous variability in disease presentation. We present a case of 56-year-old female patient, without any medical history, with unilateral cervical lymphadenopathy and night sweats since 3 weeks. Initial differential diagnosis consisted of infectious disease, lymphoproliferative disease and autoimmune disease. Despite considerable diagnostic efforts, including serological tests for common infectious diseases, a CAT scan and histologic examination, no diagnosis was found. After reconsideration, serologic testing for syphilis was performed and was positive. Hereby, the final diagnosis of syphilis was made. Neurosyphilis and HIV coinfection were ruled out before treatment with benzylpenicillin was initiated. After which our patient made a full recovery. Treatment delay could have been considerably diminished if the localised lymphadenopathy was recognised as possible syphilitic disease. In future cases this could not only prevent further dissemination and potential morbidity in the individual patient as well as further emergence within the population.


We study the generation of dissipative solitons (DSs) in the model of the fiber-laser cavities under the combined action of cubic-quintic nonlinearity, multiphoton absorption and/or multiphoton emission (nonlinear gain) and gain dispersion. A random component of the group-velocity dispersion (GVD) is included too. The DS creation and propagation is studied by means of a variational approximation and direct simulations, which are found to be in reasonable agreement. With a proper choice of the gain, robust DS operation regimes are predicted for different combinations of multiphoton absorption and emission, in spite of the presence of the perturbation in the form of the random GVD. Importantly, the zero background around the solitons remains stable in the presence of the (necessary) linear gain. The solitons are stable too against a certain (realistic) level of noise. Another essential finding is that the quintic gain in the form of three-photon emission (3PE) offers an alternative mechanism for supporting stable solitons, provided that it is not too strong. The DSs coexist in low- and high amplitude forms, for a given value of their width. The low-amplitude DS is stable, while its high-amplitude counterpart is subject to the blowup instability, in the presence of the 3PE. Interactions between DSs show various scenarios of the creation of breather states through merger of the two solitons.


Consumption of black tea has been popular widely across the world. Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been used as a daily beverage since time immemorial. Tea is mainly available in three variants, approximately 76% to 78% of the tea produced and consumed worldwide is black, 20%-22% is green and less than 2% is oolong. Tea is an excellent source of poly phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids. The catechins, also known as polyphenols present in the tea are mainly ascribed for the beneficial effect of tea in type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. These active components (catechins) constitute seven forms including epigalocatechingallate (EGCg).The purpose of this review will focus on the effect of black tea catechins extracted from the Camelliasinensis plant on type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.It is hoped that black tea can be consumed in a suitable manner as a supplement to prevent the advancement of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome along with imparting other health benefits as well.


At this year's hotly anticipated MACH 2022 at the Birmingham NEC, XYZ Machine Tools will launch two new groups of machining centres to the market and Machinery finds out more


The resting potential in relation to the dielectric behaviour of a suspension of biological cells has been investigated. For this purpose a model of conducting spherical particles surrounded by low-conducting shells with surface charge densities has been considered. A general expression was derived for both alpha and beta dispersions, which reduces in the corresponding limiting cases to those of Garcia and co-workers, Pauly and Schwan and Schwarz. The resting potential value is shown to determine alpha dispersion, while having a negligible effect on beta dispersion. The model emphasizes the possibility of obtaining the resting potential through alpha and beta dispersion experiments on synchronized spherical cell suspensions.


ABSTRACT A bovine rotavirus, NGRBg8, isolated from the feces of a calf with diarrhea in Nigeria was characterized by reverse transcription-PCR, nucleotide sequence analysis, and Northern blot hybridization. The nucleotide sequence of the VP7 gene of the strain was most closely related to that of a Nigerian human G8-serotype strain, HMG035 (99.9%). The NSP1 gene of strain NGRBg8 is highly related (99.4%) to that of a Thai G8 bovine strain, A5-10. Northern blot hybridization revealed a high overall genomic relatedness of bovine strain NGRBg8 with human strain HMG035; all 11 RNA segments hybridized to each other. Thus, the results show the close relationship between G8 bovine and human rotaviruses in Nigeria.


In vitro combinations of MK-801, an NMDA receptor antagonist, and alpha-phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN), a free radical scavenger, have been tested for possible additive neuroprotective effects against anoxia/hypoglycemia (Ax/Hg)-induced neuronal damage. Rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures were exposed to Ax/Hg for different lengths of time to vary the severity of the insult. Cell death (CD) was assessed using propidium iodide fluorescence and expressed as a percentage of the total neuronal cells present. Pretreatment with PBN alone (500 microM) provided significant protection against moderate ischemic injury and reduced CD from 65% in controls to 2% in the treated group (P < 0.003). A longer ischemic exposure time caused more neuronal damage, which was only slightly reduced by PBN, but significantly reduced by MK-801 (30 microM) (4% CD with MK-801 vs 75% CD in controls; P < 0.0003). With a further increase in the time of ischemic exposure, MK-801 was still protective (33% CD with MK-801 vs 90% CD in controls; P < 0.002), although the combination MK-801 + PBN was more efficient (7% CD with combination, P < 0.01 compared to MK-801 alone). With yet a further increase in the ischemic exposure, PBN or MK-801 alone was not protective; however, a combination of the two still provided significant protection (64% CD with combination vs 100% CD with MK-801 alone; P < 0.01). PBN was protective when administered up to 2 h after Ax/Hg (66% CD in controls vs 36% CD with PBN 500 microM; P < 0.007). The combination MK-801 + PBN was able to increase the therapeutic window up to 3 h (61% CD in controls vs 41% with PBN alone vs 7% with MK-801 + PBN; P < 0.002 compared to PBN alone). In conclusion, the combination of MK-801 and PBN increases both the efficacy and the time window of protection against ischemia.


With a interpolation method on the P-$\mu$ plane, a hybrid equation of state is explored. The quark phase is described by our newly developed self-consistent two-flavor Nambu$-$Jona-Lasinio model. It retains the contribution from the vector channel in the Fierz-transformed Lagrangian by introducing a weighting parameter $\alpha$ [Chin. Phys. C \textbf{43}, 084102 (2019)]. In the hadron phase we use the relativistic mean-field theory. We study the dependence of hybrid EOS and mass-radius relation on $\alpha$. It is found that increasing $\alpha$ makes the hybrid EOS softer in the medium pressure. We can get stellar mass larger than $2M_\odot$. Further, we calculate the tidal deformability $\tilde\Lambda$ for binary stars and compare with recent analysis GW170817 [Phys. Rev. X \textbf{9}, 011001 (2019)].


Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders were audited in October and December 1989 at the teaching hospital of the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. October audit results were presented at a medical staff meeting in November to determine if education would improve compliance. There were 22 DNR orders in October, 17 (77%) were out of compliance with hospital policy due to failure to obtain written consultation from a second attending. Although not required by hospital policy, there were 11 instances (50%) in which patients (or families) were required to provide written documentation of their wishes (a living will) before the attending would write the order. There were 22 DNR orders in December, eight (36%) were out of compliance due to failure to obtain written consultation from a second attending. There were no instances of attendings' requiring patients (or families) to provide written documentation of their wishes. Education improved compliance with hospital DNR policy, but physicians were still reluctant to obtain consultation from colleagues.


Computer Graphics (CG), Digital Arts and Media fields have evolved considerably over the past few decades. This growth makes it difficult for educators and professionals to keep up with the pace of change, since they must achieve deeper understanding and master new content of computers and imagery, from the latest technology developments. Thus, providing with the necessary means for educators work to be appraised and to be available to others for use is an important resource for CG and for the Community of CG educators and professionals, worldwide. This paper describes and discusses the current status of CGEMS, an online server for educational refereed content that aims at supporting the community of CG by allowing educators to contribute with, and access, high-quality curricular resources.


Introduction: there is much concern about power supply to small and remote villages and industrial facilities, such as crude oil and gas fields, in the present-day power industry. Systems using renewable energy sources are the most innovative solutions to this problem. The need for electric energy storage units complicates the use of renewable energy sources. Versatile types of storage units, working on different principles, are in use now. Flywheels, working on the principle of mechanical accumulation of energy, are of particular interest.Methods: both traditional and advanced designs of electric energy accumulation systems are analyzed in the article. Recent advancements in machine building, power engineering and structural materials are contributed into structural elements of an electric energy accumulation system.Results and discussion: basic strengths and weaknesses of electric energy storage units were identified in the course of the analysis. The author substantiated the need for new effective electric energy storage units working on the principle of mechanical accumulation of potential and kinetic energy. The conclusion is that advanced engineering solutions, such as flywheels and energy efficient reversible electric machines, can boost the efficiency of electric power storage systems. The solution underlying the design of an energy efficient storage unit is offered to electric power industry players.Conclusion: the storage unit under development has flywheels and energy efficient reversible electric machines. It improves the energy efficiency of both classical power generation systems and those using renewable energy sources.


The purpose of this paper was to undertake a comprehensive review of Kirkpatrick's four-level evaluation model. Included was a brief discussion on the additions that have been suggested by critics attempting to make it more responsive to training practitioners' needs as well as researchers' inquiries. Also included is a contrast of Kirkpatrick's model with the expanded model offered by Holton (1996) and a discussion of several key areas of agreement with his model as well as areas of concerns with Holton's criticism of Kirkpatrick's four-level model. This article also discussed the relationship of two key factors, not widely examined in the transfer of training literature that could impact the transfer of training to the workplace, namely trainee attributes and the supervisory role in training transfer as affected specifically by a manager's degree of transformational leadership. A model depicting the balance between these two factors on training transfer was presented in an attempt to assist training professionals seeking to further understand the effects of this interaction on training transfer. Several recommendations were suggested to help training practitioners. Finally several recommendations were given for future studies.


Outlines a survey of site practice and of mortar compositions undertaken in the North East of England by the Construction Industry Division of the Department of the Environment and sponsored by the National House Building Council, designed to investigate the type of mortars specified for housing construction and the extent to which site‐mixed mortars achieved the specification. Discloses the results of the survey and indicates that a relatively large proportion of such mortars will contain somewhat less cement than specified.


The reaction of In3+ ions with 2,5-di(2H-tetrazol-5-yl) terephthalic acid (H4dtztp) affords a 3D indium-organic framework, [In(dtztp)0.5(OH)(H2O)]·H2O (1) with a (3,6)-connected net. 1 shows good thermal (300 °C) and chemical stabilities (various organic solvents and acidic/basic solutions) and excellent water tolerance (7 days at room temperature or in boiling water). The acetylene (C2H2) sorption behavior of 1 indicates significant separation selectivity over CH4, as confirmed by breakthrough experiments on the realistic gas mixtures. Meanwhile, the MOF with the Lewis and Brønsted acidic bifunctional catalytic sites catalyzes the CO2 conversion with different epoxides with high yields. The fluorescent properties reveal the efficient probing performance of 1 for nitrofurantoin (NFT) and metronidazole (MDZ) in water with a low detection limit (ppm).


This study uses a comprehensive sample of listed firms in China from 2001 to 2004 to provide evidence of tunnelling and propping via related lending. My evidence shows that controlling owners engage in tunnelling and propping through related lending, although tunnelling dwarfs propping in terms of number and magnitude. State ownership and pyramidal structure increase the level of tunnelling lending, while the presence of large non-controlling shareholder reduces it. More cash held by firms leads to more tunnelling by controlling owners. High debt ratio contributes to tunnelling lending instead of deterring it. Related lending has different performance and valuation outcomes. While tunnelling lending adversely affect firms' operational performance and market valuation, propping lending shows a positive effect on market valuation although not on profitability. JEL classification: G32, G34


I. Definition and Classification of Composite Dykes. Those dykes which are filled with materials differing one from another in chemical composition or mineralogical constitution may be conveniently spoken of as 'composite dykes.' In some cases the diverse rocks found in the same dyke may be only varieties of a single type, exhibiting dissimilarities in the proportions or arrangement of their several mineral constituents; but in other cases two or more rock-species, absolutely distinct, may be found to enter into the constitution of a single dyke. A careful study of these composite dykes shows that they fall naturally into two classes, as follows :— (A) Composite dykes in which a differentiation has gone on in the material that has filled the dyke.—This differentiation usually results in the separation, or partial separation, of the vitreous base of the rock from the crystals scattered through it ; but in some cases the crystallizing process, acting selectively within the dyke, has led to the formation of rocks which, in different parts of the dyke, show marked variations in chemical composition or texture, and even in mineralogical constitution. The separation of the glassy from the crystalline materials in this variety of composite dykes takes place in various ways ; the vitreous material may form lateral bands (' selvages ') or irregular patches, or it may fill ' amygdaloidal' cavities. But in all cases there is found to be a more or less perfect gradation from the one type of rock to the other. (B) Composite


The drive in data storage technology towards utilizing magnetic films with lower magnetostriction (to reduce the magnetoelastic energy term) and reduced thickness has resulted in the requirement for more sensitive, reliable, and easy-to-use tools to monitor magnetostriction. A measurement tool based on an in-plane rotating and saturating magnetic field and laser-beam-deflection technique, which is able to meet these requirements, is described. The tool developed offers high accuracy, large dynamic range, long-term stability, simple sample insertion, and a fast, easy measurement procedure. With this tool, the measurement of small magnetostriction coefficients of thin soft-magnetic films can become a simple, fast, and reliable procedure, thus helping the development of magnetic thin-film production processes and routine composition control. >


There has been a resurgence of interest in the propagation characteristics of open integrated microstrip transmission lines. This is due in part to the discovery of diverse propagation regimes for higher-order modes on open lines. In contrast to the dominant EH/sub 0/ mode, three distinct propagation regimes exist for higher-order modes on microstrip transmission lines. In this paper, a rigorous spectral-domain integral equation formulation is used to analyze propagation in all three regimes. This formulation provides a clear physical picture of the different propagation regimes based on the mathematical location of poles and branch points in the complex spectral-variable plane. As an illustration, the formulation is applied to the case of an isolated uniform microstrip transmission line. The integral equation is discretized via the method of moments, and entire-domain basis functions incorporating suitable edge behavior are utilized to provide convergence with relatively few terms. The results obtained are compared to the results of other workers, and good agreement is observed. >


Objective: This paper examines the cultural grounding and sensitivity in the concept, implementation, instrumentation and findings of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative (WHO-WMS). Conclusions: The WHO-WMS Initiative is managed by agencies in Boston and Geneva and covers 28 sites in 27 nations worldwide. It uses the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument (CIDI) translated to make diagnoses in 150,000 people. A large body of potentially influential data has been produced. The Initiative assumes that psychopathology is universal and not culturally determined. This assumption cannot be safely sustained. As a result, survey findings using ethnocentrically Western instruments and diagnoses may be uninterpretable, yet may misdirect policy and treatment. There are cautions here for ethnically and linguistically diverse nations such as Australia and New Zealand.


This paper will focus on the relationship between the pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) signal and the dyadic lattice. A method for estimating the PRBS function by a series of Haar wavelets is derived and explained. Relating the PRBS signal to the Haar wavelet is advantageous because the Haar wavelet forms an orthonormal wavelet basis. Multiresolution analysis is used to write the PRBS signal as a finite series of Haar wavelets, and the dyadic period of the PRBS signal is exploited to make this task easier. The PRBS signal and dyadic lattice are shown to be complimentary choices for the wavelet-correlation (W-C) method.


Height-in-picture emerges between 6 and 7 years of age in children's drawings as the first indication of portrayal of depth relationships, but can be promoted earlier by the use of a number of experimental manipulations. The present studies investigate whether changing, and hence drawing attention to, the child's viewpoint promotes use of height-in-picture. In the first study, 5/6- and 6/7-year-old children were asked to draw two blocks, arranged in depth. Following this, the child-array relationship was altered, either by moving the child through 90 degrees or by rotating the array through 90 degrees. Children then drew again what was now a left-right arrangement, whereupon the transformation was reversed and they made a final drawing. Only when children moved to a new standpoint was there a significant increase in vertical portrayal between first and third drawings. It was not simply the movement of the child that prompted use of height-in-picture because there was no such effect in conditions in which the child was moved but made an unrelated drawing from the new position. These results indicate that making viewpoint salient by asking for a drawing from a new position prompts young children to portray a simple depth relationship.


Mainly because of migration of young people, the Australian population is young in comparison with the population of other economically developed countries. Fragmentation and excessive reliance on institutions of care of handicapped and elderly people have led to efforts at coordination of services, quality assurance, and a balance between institutional and community-based services.


Since its first presentation before the American Ophthalmological Society, 1 in 1953, the multiple-pattern method of visual field examination has been widely accepted and used in clinics and in private practice. It has proved to be an effective technique for visual field screening in mass examinations of personnel in industry, in the armed forces, in driver-testing, and in glaucomadetection surveys in various parts of the country. There is now a considerable literature on the method. Much data has been accumulated through personal communication with a large number of the more than 500 users of the visual field screener. Some of this material was collected in response to a questionnaire. Numerous unsolicited reports have been submitted by users who attested to the accuracy and speed with which the method was able to detect a wide variety of visual field defects, later confirmed by standard perimetric techniques. We have considerably enlarged our


The perfectly matched layer (PML) was first introduced by Berenger as a material absorbing boundary condition (ABC) for electromagnetic waves. In this paper, a method is developed to extend the perfectly matched layer to simulating seismic wave propagation in poroelastic media. This nonphysical material is used at the computational edge of a finite-difference algorithm as an ABC to truncate unbounded media. The incorporation of PML in Biot's equations is different from other PML applications in that an additional term involving convolution between displacement and a loss coefficient in the PML region is required. Numerical results show that the PML ABC attenuates the outgoing waves effectively.


Global Positioning System observations in Southeast Alaska show evidence for interannual variations in uplift rates, which are consistent with an acceleration of mass loss rates across the region from the 1990s to 2012. We constructed an updated regional loading model based on updated twentieth century average deglaciation estimates. This model features a larger mass loss rate overall than the model used in previous studies. We adopted a viscosity model with an upper and lower mantle viscosity from VM5a but with a low viscosity asthenosphere as in previous regional studies. We varied the asthenospheric thickness, asthenospheric viscosity, and lithospheric thickness to find the Earth model that best fits the data, which has a lithospheric thickness of 55 km and an asthenosphere with thickness 230 km and viscosity 3 × 1019 Pa s. There is a strong tradeoff between the asthenosphere thickness and viscosity, and different estimates or assumptions about the asthenospheric thickness is one of the main causes of the varying viscosity estimates of previous studies. We find a higher viscosity than previous studies in part because we find that a thicker asthenosphere fits the data better than a thinner one and also because the higher twentieth century mass loss rate compared to earlier studies requires a higher viscosity to predict the same uplift rates. Vertical velocities predicted by the model drop rapidly with distance from the ice masses, while horizontal velocities are smaller but extend for a longer distance.


Abstract The paraelastic-to-ferroelastic phase transition in the lithium vanadium oxide bronze ∊ʹ-Li0.527V2O5 was studied by low-temperature, high-resolution Guinier diffractometry. At the transition the symmetry changes from orthorhombic Pmmn to monoclinic P21m11 at Tc = 285(5) K. At all temperatures anisotropic broadening of the reflections occurs, indicating the presence of stacking faults in this layer structure. X-ray intensity calculations in terms of a one-dimensional model of stacking disorder were carried out in order to elucidate the structural changes induced by the phase transition, and to determine the critical behaviour of the order parameter Q. The symmetry relations between the Pmmn and P21m11 phases allow the development of the spontaneous strain which is, in this system, proportional to the change in cos α. A bilinear coupling between es and Q was found.


The present study aims to evaluate the bulk residual stresses in SLM parts by using neutron diffraction measurements performed at E3 line -BER II neutron reactor- of Helmholtz-Zentrum fur Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin. Together with microstructure characterization and distortion measurements, it is possible to describe the stress state throughout the whole sample. The sample was measured in as-build condition (on a build plate) and after releasing from the build plate. The used material is the nickel based superalloy 718. This alloy is widely used in aerospace and chemical industries due to its superior corrosion and heat resistant properties.
Obtained results indicated different residual stress states for each of the transversal, longitudinal and normal component. The normal and transversal component exhibits a rather compressive behavior while the longitudinal was tensile in the center part of the sample and became compressive towards the tip. As expected, the absolute values of all stress components decreased after releasing the sample from the building plate. A surface scan utilizing a coordinate-measuring machine (CMM) allowed us to present top surface distortion before and after releasing. The top surface showed a distortion around ±80µm after releasing. Microstructure evolution in the scanning-building cross-section is largely dominated by columnar grains. In addition, many small random orientated grains are prominent in the regions of a laser overlap during SLM.
In summary, for the sample of superalloy 718 manufactured by SLM, a small distortion occurred when removing the sample from the build plate whereby the residual stress state decreases. Moreover, the observed columnar grains in the building direction could give a reason for the lowest stress values in that normal direction. However, the most important parameter controlling the residual stresses is the temperature gradient. Hence, future investigations are planned for a different scan strategy to distribute the laser impact in a more homogenous manner.


The ectomycorrhizal symbiosis is a predominant tree-microbe interaction in forest ecosystems sustaining tree growth and health. Its establishment and functioning implies a long-term and intimate relationship between the soil-borne fungi and the roots of trees. Mycorrhiza-induced Small Secreted Proteins (MiSSPs) are hypothesized as keystone symbiotic genes, required to set up the symbiosis by modifying the host metabolism and/or building the symbiotic interfaces. Since L. bicolor MiSSP8 is the third most highly induced MiSSPs in symbiotic tissues and it is expressed in fruiting bodies, we report its functional study by analysing phenotypes of L. bicolor MiSSP8-RNAi mutants and MiSSP8 in planta subcellular localization. The MiSSP8-RNAi knockdown mutants are impaired in their mycorrhization ability with Populus, with the lack of fungal mantle and Hartig net development. When expressed heterologously in planta, MiSSP8 shows a punctate localization that partially colocalize with plasmodesmata. Moreover, MiSSP8 displays a fungal-specific repetitive motif, present in proteins from both saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi. MiSSP8 is a Laccaria-specific small-secreted protein required for early stages of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis. Our data suggest that MiSSP8 has a possible dual role: one in basic fungal biology regulating hyphal aggregation and another in planta, related to its plasmodesmata co-localization.


Independent and reliable evaluation of the advances in fingerprint recognition is extremely important for several reasons: 1) to give governments, organizations and to every potential user a clear panorama of the potentiality and current limits of this technology; 2) to compare and rank different solutions (academic and commercial); 3) to provide unambiguous benchmarks/protocols to researchers to track their advances. This paper discusses the fingerprint evaluation campaigns organized in the recent years, focusing on the three editions of the Fingerprint Verification Competition (FVC).


In this work, stress concentration factors (SCFs) of a round bar with a circular-arc or V-shaped notch Kt are considered on the basis of exact solutions for special cases and accurate numerical results. First, for the limiting cases of deep and shallow notches, the body force method is used to calculate the SCFs ; then, the formulas are obtained as Ktd and Kts. On the one hand. upon comparison of Kt and Ktd. it is found that Kt is nearly equal to Ktd if the notch is deep or blunt. On the other hand. if the notch is sharp or shallow, Kt is mainly controlled by Kts and the notch depth. The notch shape is classified into several groups according to the notch radius and depth ; then, the least squares method is applied for calculation of Kt/Ktd and Kt/Kts. Finally. a set of convenient formulas useful for any shape of notch in a round test specimen is proposed. The formulas yield SCFs with less than 1% error for any shape of notch.


The design of a distributed multimedia application involves both temporal and spatial synchronization problems related to the processing, transport, storage, retrieval and presentation of data, sound, still images and video. Within this general framework, the paper aims at defining a new multimedia synchronization mechanism, the so-called conditional delivery mechanism, which appears particularly useful for achieving both intraand interstream synchronization. Main motivations behind this synchronization mechanism are first discussed on a simple example, namely a distributed application in the area of distance and interactive training, and then the details of the mechanism are presented. This presentation starts with an informal discussion on simple examples, which is followed by a formal specification of the mechanism based on the use of a temporal extension of the Formal Description Technique LOTOS.


We consider the following k-sparse recovery problem: design a distribution of m× n matrix A, such that for any signal x, given Ax with high probability we can efficiently recover x satisfying ‖x− x‖1 ≤ C mink-sparse x′ ‖x− x‖1. It is known that there exist such distributions with m = O(k log(n/k)) rows; in this thesis, we show that this bound is tight. We also introduce the set query algorithm, a primitive useful for solving special cases of sparse recovery using less than Θ(k log(n/k)) rows. The set query algorithm estimates the values of a vector x ∈ R over a support S of size k from a randomized sparse binary linear sketch Ax of size O(k). Given Ax and S, we can recover x′ with ‖x′ − xS‖2 ≤ ‖x− xS‖2 with probability at least 1 − k−Ω(1). The recovery takes O(k) time. While interesting in its own right, this primitive also has a number of applications. For example, we can: • Improve the sparse recovery of Zipfian distributions O(k log n) measurements from a 1 + approximation to a 1 + o(1) approximation, giving the first such approximation when k ≤ O(n1− ). • Recover block-sparse vectors with O(k) space and a 1 + approximation. Previous algorithms required either ω(k) space or ω(1) approximation. Thesis Supervisor: Piotr Indyk Title: Associate Professor


Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an interventional method for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis. TAVI is indicated in patients who have been identified by the heart team as surgically inoperable or operable at very high risk. The advantage is minimal invasive approach with the absence of sternotomy and extracorporeal blood circulation. Interventional procedure does not allow direct visualization of the anatomical relations at the site of the final valve position (aortic anulus). For this reason it is essential to ensure appropriate view by high quality imaging methods. A standard method for the evaluation of the anatomical relations before TAVI is multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) with 3D reconstruction. In the future, the MDCT would be replaced by three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE), which does not require ionizing radiation, there is no postcontrast nephropathy and hypersensitive reaction to iodine compared to MDCT. Furthermore, it provides direct measurements during the procedure and ensures easier and cheaper dispensarisation of the patients. A multicenter randomized PARTNER trial clearly demonstrated significant benefits of inoperable patients with severe aortic stenosis treated by TAVI. Recently published CoreValve US Pivotal randomized trial demonstrated higher efficiency and safety of TAVI in direct comparison with surgical treatment. The aim of this review is to provide current knowledge of TAVI, preparation of the patients before the intervention, the process of intervention, dispensarisation, as well as affecting the quality of patients life.


The 2010 Constitution provides a legal framework that guarantees an all-inclusive rights-based approach to health service delivery to Kenyans. It provides that Kenyans are entitled to the highest attainable standards of health, which includes the right to healthcare services including reproductive health care (Article 43). The purpose of this study was to investigate the the extent to which management of devolved health services influence health-care service delivery in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands in Kenya. This study was guided by fiscal decentralization theory and theory of performance improvement, as well as sequential theory of decentralization. This study used a triangulation of both positivism and phenomenology. The population under this study constitute the Sub-Counties in ASAL in Kenya with a sample size of 89 Sub-Counties being sampled and 3 patients from each of the 89 sampled sub counties. This study found that, since the onset of devolution, there has been introduction of more healthcare facilities at counties in ASAL resulting with sub-county leaderships have been largely considering the opinions raised by the residents while implementing health services decisions. Management of devolved health services, healthcare has greatly made health facilities and services more accessible to residents compared to before with the previous five years recording great improvement in the quality of the health services at county health centers. The national government should therefore consider increasing financial resources to counties, which would eventually enhance health manpower for better service delivery. This study therefore recommends that the hospitals management should come up with strategies that can help improve financial resources to fund facilities improvement.


LB-145 DNA topoisomerase 1 (top 1) is considered an important enzyme to relax supercoiled DNA for transcription, replication and mitosis. Elevation of the top 1 levels in solid tumors compared to normal tissue has made top 1 a promising target for antineoplastic drugs.
 Since topotecan and irinotecan were launched as promising anticancer agents, camptothecin derivatives have been studied well over a last decade. Camptothecin analogs must be infused for long periods for cancer treatment as they reverse the CPT-trapped cleavage complexes within minutes and their inactive decomposed carboxylates are in equilibrium with active lactone forms under physiological conditions. Moreover, these analogs can cause resistance because the drugs are also substrates for the efflux transporters. For overcoming these critical drawbacks of camptothecin drugs, the development of novel non-camptothecin top 1 inhibitors has been actively pursued.
 As a part of our ongoing effort to develop isoquinoline antitumor agents as for alternative camptothecin derivatives, we designed indenoisoquinolines as constrained forms of 3-arylisoquinolines. Generally, constrained structures are considered to have little conformational entropy compared to flexible forms and can be more efficiently fitted into the active site of a receptor. Potent top 1 and cytotoxic activity of indenoisoquinolines led us to explore the structure-activity relationships study based on the x-ray structure of indenoisoquinone into DNA-top 1 complex.
 Through this study, an intramolecular cycloaddition reaction was employed to efficiently generate 11-hydroxyindenoisoquinlines. The cytotoxic activity of these analogs was then measured in various cancer cells with top 1 inhibition activity. The alkoxy derivatives displayed higher cytotoxicity and top 1 inhibitory activity than the 11-hydroxy and 11-keto compounds. Although the reason for these higher cytotoxicities and top 1 activity is presently not clear, the top 1 activity could be explained by a docking study using FlexX in the Sybyl program.


The liquid concentration and temperature dynamic behavior of a stirred tank heater with bypass stream (STHB) has been studied experimentally. A cylinder tank was designed and arranged for experimentation in laboratory. The tank has two input streams, stream-1 (salt solution with its volumetric rate of f1 [cm3/sec], salt concentration of cg1 [gr/cm3]) and stream-2 (water-stream with its volumetric rate of f2 [cm3/sec]). A part of the stream-1 was bypassed (f3 [cm3/sec]) and mixed with the output stream of the tank (f5 [cm3/sec]). The electric heater was employed for heating liquid in the tank. Since the tank was designed overflow, the liquid volume in tank was always constant. In this work, the mass and thermal disturbance load has been made based on step increase and decrease. Those disturbance included the changes of the bypass volumetric rate (f3), the water volumetric rate (f2), and the electric heat (qe). The dynamic behavior of the STHB has also been explored. As can be seen from our investigation in laboratory, the STHB produced a stable response. Furthermore, the open loop dynamic simulation using computer programing was also done, and its simulation results were compared with the experiment data from laboratory. The developed mathematical model of the STHB has been solved numerically. Scilab software was chosen to examine such mathematical model. This study also revealed that the trends of simulation results were quite similar with those in our experiment results.