Previous research on Japanese apologies has presented us with a somewhat static approach, connecting one linguistic form to one aspect of the social context. However, interaction itself is a dynamic and spontaneous process; consequently, apology expressions' meanings are situated and negotiated in the place of interaction. Therefore, in this study, shifts from gomen to su(m)imasen and gomen nasai, and from su(m)imasen to gomen nasai, were analyzed in order to demonstrate that Japanese apologies function as indexical signs of emotional expression. To this end, data was collected from Japanese television dramas, where the ongoing development of the relationships protagonists were involved in was chronologically observed. Using as analytical concepts, (1) the social context of an interaction, (2) the selves participants impersonate, and (3) the speech styles the interactions occur in, to explain situated variation in the use of apology expressions, the current study revealed new meanings an apology carries in a situated context and also reinforced some of the previous research findings.


AIM
To investigate whether HDL(2) can inhibit further oxidative modification of partially oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) by interrupting the chain oxidation reaction after lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) formation.

METHODS
Following incubation of LDL 400 microg protein/mL phosphate-buffered saline with Cu(2+) for 1.75 h (defined as 0 min), incubation was continued after adding HDL(2) 200 microg protein/mL or HDL(2) 800 microg protein/mL to give both ox-LDL+HDL(2) 200 microg protein/mL or ox-LDL+HDL(2) 800 microg protein/mL. As a control, ox-LDL 200 microg protein/mL and native LDL were prepared. Each sample was subjected to agarose gel electrophoresis and the LOOH in each sample was measured.

RESULTS
When the electrophoretic mobility of native LDL was designated 1, the relative electrophoretic mobility (REM) of ox-LDL increased significantly over time. The REMs of ox-LDL+HDL(2) 800 microg protein/mL from 10 min to 9 h were significantly lower than the REM of ox-LDL at the respective times (p<0.01). LOOH of ox-LDL+HDL(2) 800 microg protein/mL at 1, 3, 6 and 9 h was significantly higher than LOOH in ox-LDL at the respective times (p<0.01). The results of ox-LDL+HDL(2) 200 microg protein/mL were almost the same but to a lesser extent than the results of ox-LDL+HDL(2) 800 microg protein/mL.

CONCLUSION
The present findings suggest that HDL(2) can inhibit further oxidative modification of partially oxidized LDL by interrupting the chain oxidation reaction after LOOH formation in a concentration-dependent manner.


Motivated by pion productions in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, we study the p-wave pion absorption in highly excited nuclear matter. The basic absorption mechanism is the two-nucleon model with both pion and rho-meson rescattering. The excited nuclear matter is modeled by a finite temperature Fermi gas. We deduce that for a given pion kinetic energy, the mean free path for pion absorption depends weakly on the temperature of the nuclear matter, but strongly on the density. Its relevance to high-energy heavy-ion collisions is discussed.


This article analyzes the correlation between energy poverty percentage and unemployment rate for four European countries, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, comparing the results with the European average. The time series extracted from the datasets were imported in a hybrid model, namely ARIMA-ARNN, generating predictions for the two variables in order to analyze their interconnectivity. The results obtained from the hybrid model suggest that unemployment rate and energy poverty percentage have comparable tendencies, being strongly correlated. The forecasts suggest that this correlation will be maintained in the future unless appropriate governmental policies are implemented in order to lower the impact of other aspects on energy poverty.


Adoption of Land Management Practices (LMP) among crop farmers in Nigeria has not been effective, due, among others, to neglect of Livelihood Strategy (LS) in LMP programme intervention. This study investigated the nexus between LS and LMP. Multistage random sampling was used to collect primary data from 400 farmers in South West Nigeria. Probit regression model was used to analyze data for 2007 production season. Farmers engaged in staple Crops/Off-farm Income (LS1=30.0%); StapleCrops/WagesandSalary (LS2=22.5%);LS1/Vegetable/Fruits/Livestock Production (LS3=27.5%); LS3/Tree Crops (LS4=20.0%). Farmers adopt multiple LMPs for crop production. Agronomic Practices (AP = 80.0%) was preferred to other LMPs including Soil Management Practices (SMP = 65.0%), Conservation Practices (CP = 60.0%), Structural and Mechanical Erosion Control Practices (SMECP = 34.0%). The effect of other LS relative to LS1 on LMP reveals that households pursuing LS3 and LS4 are more likely to use SMECP and CP. LS2 households are more likely to use AP and SMP. The probability of adoption of SMECP, AP, SMP and CP increases with farmers' membership of CBO and years of education. Topography, farm size cultivated and tenancy security increase probability of adoption of SMECP. Adopters of AP and SMP cultivate small land and had contact with extension agent. Users of CP cultivate crops on slopy farm land. Farmers in rainforest belt are more likely to adopt SMECP and CP. Reverse is the case for AP and SMP. Thus, sustainable food policy and LMP programmes requires understanding of LS of the farming households.


Planning a railway system is done in multiple stages that are typically intractable to optimize in an integrated manner. This work develops a novel iterative approach to tackle two of these stages jointly: line planning and timetabling. Compared to existing approaches that iteratively ban a whole conflicting line plan when the timetable is found infeasible, our method can accurately identify the smallest set of incompatible services. Besides, by efficiently exploiting the available railway infrastructure, our method accounts for all the possible routing options of trains, a feature commonly neglected to reduce complexity but that helps gaining timetable feasibility. Using real data from a railway company in Switzerland, we find that our approach is (i) practical for solving real-life instances, (ii) an order of magnitude faster than existing benchmarks, and (iii) able to solve more instances. Our insights shed light on the necessity of considering infrastructure and banning conflicts rather than line plans in the joint line planning and timetabling problem.


This paper studies the long-term feasibility of citrus crop, either grown organically or employing integrated production methods, in the Region of Valencia, Spain. The concept of sustainability in agriculture has become a subject of general interest, and obtaining high-quality and safe food standards is a priority of the European Union authorities, especially after the recent crises of the European agrifood system. Citrus production made of 43.3% of Valencia's agricultural production in 2000 (CAPA 2003a), with the Comunidad Valenciana being the primary exporter of citrus for fresh consumption (Peris and Julia 2005a). Production-cost studies of the three orange-production systems used in the region (conventional, IP, and organic) were conducted as the research framework. Costs for each of these systems using oranges cultivated with flow irrigation and oranges grown employing drip-irrigation systems were developed. The long-term feasibility of the alternative citrus-growing systems was then analyzed using dynamic evaluation methods. Finally, the research was completed with the assumption of an inflation rate in the economic evaluation of the different cropping practices to reflect the true impact of the evolution of agricultural market prices on farmers' income.


Abstract Melipona subnitida (Hymenoptera: Apidae) is a stingless bee native to Caatinga biome in Brazil, well adapted to hot and dry climate of that region and has been traditionally explored for honey production. Here, we evaluate the genetic structure of 173 colonies of M. subnitida in northeast Brazil by partially sequenced mitochondrial genes cytochrome oxidase I (COI) to compare an introduced population isolated for 30 yr into the Island of Fernando de Noronha (IFN) with the continental populations. We identified high haplotype diversity (0.8220) with 14 haplotypes on the continental populations, being three new ones, compared with the database GenBank. The haplotype H4 was present at the center of network, occurring in four localities on mainland and fixed as a single haplotype on IFN. We propose that the island populations originally introduced carried one haplotype (H4), even though IFN population is suffering pressure by island effect through changes on morphology. Studies on island populations could be a model to understand the dynamics of isolated populations and sustainable management of this biome to preserve M. subnitida.


A novel peptide fluorescent chemosensor (H2L) with a lysine backbone and both -NH2 sites conjugated with cysteine and dansyl groups has been designed and synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis with Fmoc chemistry. This chemosensor is a promising analytical tool for detecting Cd(2+) based on the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) effect by turn-on response in 100% aqueous solutions. As designed, H2L exhibits excellent cell permeation and low biotoxicity as well as displaying relatively high selectivity and sensitivity. The chemosensor penetrated live HeLa cells and detected intracellular Cd(2+) by turn-on response. The binding stoichiometry and affinity, interference test, pH sensitivity, fluorescence quantum yield, quantum mechanical calculations, lifetimes, and cytotoxicity of the chemosensor H2L to Cd(2+) were also investigated. Moreover, H2L exhibits low biotoxicity with a limit of detection (LOD) for Cd(2+) of about 52 nM, implying that H2L can be used as a highly selective and sensitive peptide fluorescent chemosensor in biological systems.


The production process of witloof chicory, which consists of the root production stage, the storage of the roots and the forcing of the chicory heads, was monitored for the presence of softrot bacteria. In the Netherlands, bacterial softrot in chicory is caused by Erwinia carotovora subsp . carotovora ( Ecc ) and Pseudomonas marginalis . Populations of these species colonised the chicory leaves during the root production stage causing softrot only in the forcing stage. The colonisation incidence, the number of populations of both pathogens present on the chicory leaves, increased during the root production. Ecc was inhibited by high radiation levels during the first months of the growing season of the plants. The colonisation incidence of the chicory leaves was influenced by the average temperature throughout the growing season but not by nitrogen fertilisation of the crop or rainfall. The colonisation incidence of the stored roots decreased from harvest time in September until December but increased thereafter. High colonisation incidences during storage coincided with high disease incidence during the subsequent forcing period of the roots. Bacterial softrot occurred during forcing of the roots in all three forcing seasons. Nitrogen fertilisation of the plants, root immersion with calciumchloride and the sampling year had significant effects on disease incidence. Aggregation of diseased chicory heads in forcing trays could be described by an aggregation parameter of the beta-binomial distribution. Studies on the enzyme activity of the softrot bacteria showed that nitrogen and calcium effects on disease severity could be explained by the influence of these treatments on the activity of two pectolytic enzymes of the bacteria. Reduction of bacterial softrot is possible by reduced nitrogen fertilisation during root production and by application of calciumchloride to harvested roots.


A recent workshop at the University of Washington focused on mathematical and computational aspects of modeling the dynamics of dense, gravity-driven mass movements such as rock avalanches and debris flows. About 30 participants came from seven countries and brought diverse backgrounds in geophysics; geology; physics; applied and computational mathematics; and civil, mechanical, and geotechnical engineering. The workshop was cosponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program, by the U.S. National Science Foundation through a Vertical Integration of Research and Education (VIGRE) in the Mathematical Sciences grant to the University of Washington, and by the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences. It began with a day of lectures open to the academic community at large and concluded with 2 days of focused discussions and collaborative work among the participants.


: To fully characterize the Co III − ' nitrene radical ' species that are proposed as intermediates in nitrene transfer reactions mediated by cobalt(II) porphyrins, di ff erent combinations of cobalt(II) complexes of porphyrins and nitrene transfer reagents were combined, and the generated species were studied using EPR, UV − vis, IR, VCD, UHR-ESI-MS, and XANES/XAFS measurements. Reactions of cobalt-(II) porphyrins 1 P1 ( P1 = meso -tetraphenylporphyrin


Background Food-EPI has been developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, Monitoring, and Action Support. It is classified into two components: 'policies' and 'infrastructure support'. The policy component includes 7 domains to address the key aspects of food environments, that can be influenced by governments to create healthy food choices. The infrastructure support component includes 6 domains that facilitate policy development and implementation to prevent obesity and NCDs. Good practice statements are proposed within each domain, describing 'best practices' governments put in place to contribute towards a healthier food environment. The aim of this work was to assess and compare the extent of implementation of national government policies and actions in Ireland, for creating healthy food environments against international best practice, and identifying the major implementation gaps. Methods Evidence on the extent of government implementation of different policies on food environments and infrastructure support was collected. Government officials validated the evidence document, and an online survey with public health experts and NGO representatives to rate the performance of government against international best practice was conducted. The experts independently scored the degree of implementation of those policies against international benchmarks. A one-day workshop was convened with the expert rating panel to identify potential policy actions. Online prioritisation of these actions will be prioritised. Results There was very little to low levels of implementation for indicators in the 'policy domain'. Specifically very low levels for 'Food composition targets for out of home meals'; restricting unhealthy food promotion to children', 'healthy public procurement standards;and 'zoning laws encouraging healthy food outlets'. Only one indicator in the policy domain was rated with a high level of implementation 'increasing taxes on unhealthy foods'. In the infrastructure domain experts rated policy implementation from medium to high. Experts identified 18 actions in the policy domain and 16 actions in the infrastructure domain to be brought forward for prioritisation. Conclusion This is the first Food-EPI to be conducted in Ireland. It will allow for the first time benchmarking of Irish food environment policies against international best practice and thus identify Government action (or inaction) to improve Irish food environments.


OBJECTIVES
Youth soccer participation, particularly among females, continues to grow worldwide. With the high incidence of sport-related concussion (SRC) in soccer, it is important to investigate if SRC occurs disproportionally by positions. Our hypothesis was to see no positional differences of SRCs, SRC-related characteristics, and outcomes among in female youth soccer athletes.

METHODS
Data were prospectively collected from participants at a single sports medicine institution between August 2015-April 2021. Female participants aged 8-18 diagnosed with SRC sustained during an organized soccer practice, scrimmage, or game were separated into 4 groups based on position: Forward, Midfielder, Defender, and Goalkeeper. Demographics, medical history, injury-related details, and outcomes were reviewed. A chi square test or Fisher's exact test were used for categorical variables. Continuous variables were compared with Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis test.

RESULTS
Two hundred fourteen participants were included: 52 Forwards, 65 Midfielders, 63 Defenders, and 34 Goalkeepers. No significant differences between the groups in age, race, ethnicity, or previous concussion history. Differences in mechanism existed with Goalkeepers most commonly reporting Head to Body Part. Goalkeepers, which make up 1/11 of the total positions on the field, had a significantly higher proportion of SRCs compared to Field Positions. (9.1% vs 15.9%)At 3-month post-enrollment, there were no significant differences in reported symptoms or return-to-play between the different positions.

CONCLUSION
In youth female soccer players, goalkeepers sustained a higher proportion of sport-related concussions compared to field players based upon the composition of a soccer team. The mechanism of injury also differed among the different soccer positions. However, no differences in concussion characteristics, outcomes, or RTP were seen across the different soccer positions.


Sleep electroencephalography in depressed patients reveals many signs of disrupted sleep, like long sleep latency, frequent awakenings, reduced amounts of time spent in the sleep stages 3 and 4, and early morning wakefulness. Upon total deprivation of sleep for one night, many patients experience an unexpected alleviation of their depression, which usually lasts until the subsequent sleep period. Attempts have been made to explain these changes of mood to result from induced changes in sleep physiological mechanisms. Such attempts can roughly be categorized in two classes. One class of hypotheses concerns proposed disturbances in circadian sleep control (i.e. the timing of sleep is inappropriately controlled), the other class concerns postulated disrupted homeostatic sleep control (i.e. the intensity of sleep is inappropriately controlled). For both types of theoretical approaches data have been published which are consistent with the hypotheses as well as data which are not.


The in vivo transalveolar transport of three large polar solutes, sucrose, inulin, and dextran (mol wt 60,000-90,00), was compared with the transport of urea in saline-filled dog lung. Apparent permeability coefficents (p', in cm X sec-1 X 10(6)) were as follows; urea: 2.4 +/- 0.28 (SD) greater than sucrose: 0.64 +/- 0.31 (P less than 0.001) greater than inulin: 0.12 +/- .05 (P less than 0.001)--not different from dextran (mol wt 60,000-90,000): 0.08 +/- .02 (P greater then .01). Calculation of the resistance of the alveolar epithelium compared to total barrier resistance for the various solutes indicates that approximately 90% of the total resistance resides in the alveolar epithelium. Comparison of the ratio of permeability coefficients to the ratio of free-diffusion coefficients in water shows similar values for the three large polar solutes, suggesting that permeation through the alveolar epithelium occurs by means of water-filled channels. The values for permeability coefficients of alveolar epithelium fit into the spectrum of values reported for other epithelial structures (including gall bladder, frog skin, and toad bladder); it seems to have a system of channels with a small number of wide "pores" (greater than 80 A) that permit permeation of large polar solutes and is not a relatively homogeneous structure.


Android applications do not seem to be tested as thoroughly as desktop ones. In particular, graphical user interface (GUI) testing appears generally limited. Like web-based applications, mobile apps suffer from GUI test fragility, i.e., GUI test classes failing or needing updates due to even minor modifications in the GUI or in the application under test. The objective of our study is to estimate the adoption of GUI testing frameworks among Android open-source applications, the quantity of modifications needed to keep test classes up to date, and their amount due to GUI test fragility. We introduce a set of 21 metrics to measure the adoption of testing tools and the evolution of test classes and test methods, and to estimate the fragility of test suites. We computed our metrics for six GUI testing frameworks, none of which achieved a significant adoption among Android projects hosted on GitHub. When present, GUI test methods associated with the considered tools are modified often, and a relevant portion (70% on average) of those modifications is induced by GUI-related fragilities. On average, for the projects considered, more than 7% of the total modified lines of code between consecutive releases belong to test classes developed with the analyzed testing frameworks. The measured percentage was higher on average than the one required by other generic test code, based on the JUnit testing framework. Fragility of GUI tests constitutes a relevant concern, probably an obstacle for developers to adopt test automation. This first evaluation of the fragility of Android scripted GUI testing can constitute a benchmark for developers and testers leveraging the analyzed test tools and the basis for the definition of a taxonomy of fragility causes and guidelines to mitigate the issue.


BACKGROUND
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormalities are common in CKD patients. However, there is variation in literature regarding frequency of ECG abnormalities in CKD patients and limited information in local population.

METHODS
The study design was cross-sectional in nature. All patients between ages of 20-80 years with CKD not previously on renal replacement therapy who were admitted to nephrology ward at a tertiary care facility over a 6-month period were included. All patients underwent 12 lead electrocardiograms (ECG). ECG abnormalities were defined based on accepted standard criteria.

RESULTS
Total number of patients included in the study was 124. Mean age of all patients was 49.9±13.8 years, 106 (84.8%) had hypertension, 84 (70%) had diabetes mellitus, and 35 (29.9%) had known cardiovascular disease. Mean serum creatinine was 7.2±3.4 mg/dl, mean eGFR was 10.6±9.2 ml/min/1.73 m2. Overall 78.4% of all CKD patients have one or more ECG abnormality. Left ventricular hypertrophy (40%), Q waves (27.2%), ST segment elevation or depression (23.4%), prolonged QRS duration (19.2%), tachycardia (17.6%) and left and right atrial enlargement (17.6%) were the most common abnormalities.

CONCLUSIONS
ECG abnormalities are common in hospitalized CKD patients in local population. All hospitalized CKD patients should undergo ECG to screen for cardiovascular disease.


The National Institute of Standards and Technology supplies calibrated standards of luminous intensity, luminance, and color temperature, and provides calibration services for submitted artifacts for luminous intensity, luminance, color temperature, total luminous flux, and luminance. The procedures, equipment, and techniques used to perform these calibrations are described. Detailed estimates and procedures for determining uncertainties of the reported values are also presented.


Conical shock wave-turbulent boundary layer interaction data obtained for adiabatic wall conditions at supersonic free stream Mach numbers, including suction effects


An in-situ sol-gel method was used for the synthesis of boron-doped TiO2-CNT nanocomposites with varied boron concentrations from 1 to 4 mol%. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by various techniques, namely XRD, UV-DRS, TEM, PL, and XPS; all results show that 3 mol% B-TiO2-CNT nanocomposites have superior properties to pure TiO2, 3B-TiO2 nanoparticles, and other nanocomposites. TEM images clearly show the B-TiO2 nanoparticles decorated on the CNT surface. Photo-luminescence studies confirm that boron doping of up to 3 mol% in TiO2-CNT nanocomposites reduces the electron-hole pair recombination rate. The photocatalytic performance of the B-TiO2-CNT nanocomposites was tested against the photodegradation of toluene gas and the photocatalytic inactivation of E. coli in the presence of UV and visible light respectively. B-TiO2-CNT (3 mol%) nanocomposites show the highest photocatalytic activity.


This paper presents a MCM (multi-chip-module) microsystem for biological fluids analysis. It. is composed of three parts: (1) a CMOS silicon optical detection microsystem which includes a photodetector and a light-to-frequency converter for readout; (2) a dielectric thin-film based optical filter on top of the photodetector, fabricated using IC-compatible post-processing; (3) a glass die on top containing the microchannels fabricated using SU-8 techniques. The application is in the low-cost measurement of concentration of biomolecules in biological fluids, by the optical absorption in a part of the visible spectrum defined by the specific molecule. Signals proportional to the intensity of the light transmitted through the biological fluid are available at the output in the form of bit streams, which allows simple computer interfacing. The quantitative measurement of total protein in urine is successfully demonstrated. The photodiode responsivity is 224 mA/W with a FWHM (full-width-half-maximum) of 10 nm at /spl lambda/=600 nm. The optical system sensitivity is 1 kHz/Wm/sup -2/ at /spl lambda/=670 nm.


INTRODUCTION: Perinatal transmission is the dominant mode of transmission of the hepatitis B virus in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the present study was to determine the prevalence of HBsAg positivity in pregnant women attending prenatal clinics, and to identify the associated factors. METHODS: It was a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study, with data collection over a period of one month at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department (CUGO) at Hubert Koutoukou Maga National Hospital Center (CNHU-HKM) affiliated with the Medical School in Cotonou, Benin. The study population is all pregnant women of all gestational age who received prenatal care at the CUGO during the study period. Pregnant women who signed a consent form were screened using the Determine® Ag HBs rapid diagnostic test. The Pearson Chi-square statistical test was used for comparisons (p<0.05). RESULTS: Of the 250 pregnant women cared for during the study period, 166 consented to the screening. The prevalence of carriage of HBsAg was 14%. Anti-HBc and HBeAg were negative in all cases, indicating chronic infection. A history of hepatic pathology (p=0.01) and the presence of HIV infection (p=0.01) were significantly associated with the carriage of HBs Ag. CONCLUSION: The frequency of HBsAg carriage was high in pregnant women. It is essential to set up a systematic vaccination program, in the first hours of life, for all newborns in our country.


New rhenium sulfide complexes, [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(&mgr;-S(2))(&mgr;-S(2)COR)(S(2)COR)(2)](-) and [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(S(2)COR)(4)], and a new tungsten sulfide complex, [WS(S(2))(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(2)], have been synthesized and isolated via induced internal redox reactions involving the appropriate tetrathiometalate and 1,1-dithiolate disulfide. The red complex [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(&mgr;-S(2))(&mgr;-S(2)COR)(S(2)COR)(2)](-), 1, was isolated from the reaction of dialkylxanthogen disulfide, [(ROCS(2))(2)], and tetraethylammonium tetrathioperrhenate, [Et(4)N][Re(VII)S(4)]. Crystal structure analysis of 1 reveals an edge-sharing (&mgr;-S)(2) bioctahedron containing both bridging disulfide and xanthate ligands. This reaction is compared to the known reaction between tetraalkylthiuram disulfide, [(R(2)NCS(2))(2)], and [Et(4)N][ReS(4)], which produces the green complex [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(S(2)CNR(2))(4)]. The corresponding green alkyl xanthate analogue, [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(S(2)COR)(4)], 2, was synthesized by a simple redox reaction between rhenium pentachloride, ReCl(5), and potassium alkyl xanthate, [K(S(2)COR)]. Comparing 1 with other known [ReS(4)](-)/1,1-dithiolate disulfide reaction products, such as [Re(IV)(2)(&mgr;-S)(2)(S(2)CNR(2))(4)] and [Re(III)(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(S(3)CC(6)H(5))(2)], shows a correlation between the electron-donating ability of the ligand and the nature of the reaction product. Reactions of [Et(4)N](2)[Mo(VI)S(4)], [Et(4)N][Re(VII)S(4)], or [Et(4)N](2)[W(VI)S(4)] with dithiobenzoate disulfide, [(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(2)], reveal a correlation between the ligand-to-metal charge transfer energy band (LMCT(1)) of the tetrathiometalate and the reaction product. The known purple complex [Mo(IV)(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(4)] and two new green complexes, [Re(III)(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(S(3)CC(6)H(5))(2)] (recently communicated) and [W(VI)S(S(2))(S(2)CC(6)H(5))(2)], were isolated from related reactions.


Metamaterials are artificial structures with the ability of exhibiting unusual and exotic electromagnetic properties such as the realisation of negative permittivity and permeability. Due to their unique characteristics, metamaterials have drawn broad interest and are considered to be a promising solution for improving the performance and overcoming the limitations of microwave components and especially antennas. This paper presents a detailed review of the most recent advancements associated with the design of metamaterial-based antennas. A brief introduction to the theory of metamaterials is provided in order to gain an insight into their working principle. Furthermore, the current state-of-the-art regarding antenna miniaturisation, gain and isolation enhancement with metamaterials is investigated. Emphasis is primarily placed on practical metamaterial antenna applications that outperform conventional methods and are anticipated to play an active role in future wireless communications. The paper also presents and discusses various design challenges that demand further research and development efforts.


SUMMARY Ahipa is a legume of great interest for the production of raw materials (starch, sugar, oil and proteins) for industrial use. Its yield potential and ability to fix atmospheric N2 in association with rhizobia makes it an attractive option for low input agriculture systems. At present, it is cultivated on a very small scale as a food crop in a few South American countries. Little information is available on symbiotic N2 fixation in ahipa and no work has been performed on strain selection for inoculant production. Soils in southwest Europe are devoid of specific rhizobia able to nodulate on ahipa. Selecting rhizobia for symbiotic effectiveness from a collection led to the isolation of strains which provided greater shoot growth and N content under controlled conditions. In the field, inoculation at sowing with the selected strains increased significantly seed and tuberous root yield and seed protein content. The amount of N2 fixed, estimated by 15N natural abundance, reached 160–260 kg N ha−1. In previous work, ahipa appeared to be a promising alternative crop for the production of industrial raw materials. The results of the present study showed a yield increase in tuberous roots and seeds when applying effective rhizobia inoculants. Furthermore, a positive soil N balance was left after its cultivation making ahipa even more interesting for sustainable farming systems.


The majority of the documented experience in pediatric trauma care during the past decade of conflict is from the inpatient Role 3 mission. Pediatric patients (defined as 14 years of age or less) accounted for 5% to 10% of combat admissions. Care for these patients was resource intensive and mortality rates significantly higher than those seen in pediatric hospitals in the United States. The largest documented experience to date with explosive injuries and massive transfusions in children were reported from this conflict. Improvements in logistic and personnel support was seen throughout the decade of conflict, however long-term outcomes and clinical practice guidelines to direct future care for these children are lacking.


Abstract: The central histaminergic action on ischemia‐induced neuronal damage was examined by evaluating the histological outcome and the direct current (DC) potential shift in the hippocampal CA1 region in gerbils. An intracerebroventricular administration of histamine (10–100 nmol) improved the delayed ischemic damage in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells produced by 3 min of transient forebrain ischemia. A high dose (75 nmol) of mepyramine, an H1 antagonist, aggravated ischemia‐induced neuronal damage, but not a low dose (0.75 nmol). Administration of cimetidine (4 nmol) and ranitidine (3 nmol), H2 antagonists, aggravated the neuronal damage. An injection of histamine (100 nmol) prolonged the onset time of the ischemia‐induced sudden shift in the extracellular DC potential (anoxic depolarization; AD) to 133% of that in control animals. Administration of mepyramine (75 nmol) did not markedly change the AD, whereas injections of cimetidine (40 nmol) and ranitidine (3 nmol) reduced the onset latency to 47 and 45%, respectively. These findings suggest that the central H2 action serves to protect neurons by delaying the onset of AD in gerbils.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Current AUA Best Practice Statement recommends antibiotic prophylaxis for cystoscopy with manipulation, including stent removal, although no level 1b trials explicitly address prophylaxis for stent removal. We sought to prospectively determine the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics to prevent infectious complications after cystoscopic stent removal. METHODS: Following IRB approval, subjects undergoing removal of ureteral stent placed during stone surgery were recruited at UC San Diego and Genesis Healthcare from July 2016 to October 2018. Co-variates included age, BMI, comorbidities, surgery type, stone composition, UTI history, bladder urine culture (UCx) at stone surgery, bladder UCx and post-void residual at time of stent removal. Subjects were recruited at time of stent removal and randomized to treatment (single dose 500mg oral Ciprofloxacin) or control group (nothing). Subjects with indwelling stents longer than 3 weeks were excluded. Telephone contact with subject was performed 14 days after stent removal to assess for UTI symptoms, antibiotic prescriptions, or ED visits. Primary outcome was UTI within 2 weeks of stent removal-- defined by irritative void symptoms, fever or abdominal pain associated with clean catch culture >100k colonies/mL. RESULTS: To date, 65 subjects have been enrolled with 46 meeting final inclusion criteria for analysis (26 treatment, 20 control). No differences were seen with clinical and demographic variables (all p>0.053). Positive Ucx rate prior to stone surgery (16.7% vs. 11.8%, p=0.819) and at time of stent removal (16.0% vs. 11.1%, p=0.648) was not significantly different in treatment vs. control groups, respectively. Primary outcome: No subjects in either cohort developed symptomatic culture-diagnosed UTI within two weeks of stent removal. Of those subjects with documented phone follow up (Treatment n=22, Control n=19), no subjects in either group reported fever, seeing a physician or an emergency department for urinary complaints, receiving additional antibiotics or being admitted for infection. CONCLUSIONS: Initial data suggests antibiotic prophylaxis for cystoscopic removal of ureteral stents does not reduce infectious complication rate. Completion of the trial will help determine if the necessity of antibiotics during routine cystoscopic stent removal warrants AUA Best Practice Statement re-evaluation. Source of Funding: None


This article is an analysis of the concept, Industrial Socialization. The paper presented core component or elements of the object of Industrial Socialisation in terms of constituent of cognitive orientation to be gained in industrial socialization process which include: History of organization, culture, ecology, goals and objectives, career path, output, changes etc. The authors assumed that industrial socialization determines role performance of employee. Consequently, present industrial socialization role performance matrix which indicates that managerial staff requires 70% and above cognitive orientation developed through socialization process to invoke high affective and evaluative orientation in order to produce natural motivation that enhances high and efficient role performance, while supervisory/technical staff requires 60% and clerical/artisan 50%. The paper recommended the replacement of training and retraining in industrial sociology literature with industrial socialization and resocialisation. The paper also recommends allocation of adequate resources for strategic development of employee socialization strategy in every modern organization as well as utilization of industrial sociologists as experts in designing, implementing, evaluating industrial socialization strategy in organization to enhance efficient and effective role performance by employees to boost organizational productivity, adjustment to change, as well as growth and development.


The study of learning and memory at the single-neuron level has relied on the use of many animal models, most notably rodents. Although many physiological and anatomical studies have been carried out in rats, the advent of genetically engineered mice has necessitated the comparison of new results in mice to established results from rats. Here we compare fundamental physiological and morphological properties and create three-dimensional compartmental models of identified hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of one strain of rat, Sprague-Dawley, and two strains of mice, C57BL/6 and 129/SvEv. We report several differences in neuronal physiology and anatomy among the three animal groups, the most notable being that neurons of the 129/SvEv mice, but not the C57BL/6 mice, have higher input resistance, lower dendritic surface area, and smaller spines than those of rats. A surprising species-specific difference in membrane resonance indicates that both mouse strains have lower levels of the hyperpolarization-activated nonspecific cation current I(h). Simulations suggest that differences in I(h) kinetics rather than maximal conductance account for the lower resonance. Our findings indicate that comparisons of data obtained across strains or species will need to account for these and potentially other physiological and anatomical differences.


The research aims to study the social significance in the conjunction of the word (woman) with (Baal) in one context, therefore, the linguistic meanings of these two terms are investigated, and what can be derived from their root of vocabulary, and subsequently this is applied to the story of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, with his wife Sarah. The Study concluded that the concept of Baal and what is derived from it means:  what grows in a place where water does not reach from a place higher than it, but only by what comes from the clouds, even if it intensifies and is solid and its roots reach the layers of the wet ground till it needs no more water, it takes it as much as needed, then it is distinguished with its fruit which is between wet and dry. Describing the female as (the woman) indicates that her nature is based on her need to others, and that she has the ability to adapt to  it, and this has been mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, or that the female is referred to as the original innocence, or that she has reached the summit of feminist perfection, especially in the context of overcoming crises, and what is related to marital life has emerged through the dualism of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and his wife Sarah.


ABSTRACT There is a view that China is a Confucian country and that its businesses adopt these values to underpin their business models and practices. In this article, a case is made that China is not a Confucian country, even though there are strands of Confucianism evident in society. Although some enterprises in China adopt Confucian approaches to management, this cannot be generalized to all businesses. We cannot, therefore, conclude that Confucian management has emerged as the prevailing feature of Chinese businesses.


The mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is a member of a high‐mobility group (HMG) family represented mostly by nuclear proteins. Although nuclear localization of TFAM has been demonstrated in some tumors and after treatment of tumor cells with anticancer drugs, the significance of these observations has not been fully elucidated. Here we report that both TFAM overexpression and impairment of its mitochondrial targeting can result in nuclear accumulation of the protein. Both M1 and M7 methionines of human TFAM (hTFAM) can be used for translation initiation with almost equal efficiency resulting in two polypeptides. The shorter polypeptide, however, is not located in the nucleus, despite truncation in the mitochondrial targeting sequence, and both isoforms are targeted to mitochondria with similar efficiency. We further demonstrate that nuclear TFAM confers significant cytoprotection against the chemotherapeutic drugs etoposide, camptothecin, and cisplatin. Three regions of hTFAM [HMG‐like domain 1 (HMG1) and HMG‐like domain 2 (HMG2), as well as the tail region] can effect nuclear accumulation of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fusions. The HMG1 domain contains a bipartite nuclear localization sequence whose identity is supported by site‐directed mutagenesis. However, this bipartite nuclear localization sequence is weak, and both N‐terminal and C‐terminal flanking sequences enhance the nuclear targeting of EGFP. Finally, several mutations in the HMG1 domain increased the mitochondrial targeting of the EGFP fusions, suggesting that the mitochondrial targeting sequence of hTFAM may extend beyond the cleavable presequence.


Machine learning algorithms deployed on edge devices must meet certain resource constraints and efficiency requirements. Random Vector Functional Link (RVFL) networks are favored for such applications due to their simple design and training efficiency. We propose a modified RVFL network that avoids computationally expensive matrix operations during training, thus expanding the network's range of potential applications. Our modification replaces the least-squares classifier with the Generalized Learning Vector Quantization (GLVQ) classifier, which only employs simple vector and distance calculations. The GLVQ classifier can also be considered an improvement upon certain classification algorithms popularly used in the area of Hyperdimensional Computing. The proposed approach achieved state-of-the-art accuracy on a collection of datasets from the UCI Machine Learning Repository-higher than previously proposed RVFL networks. We further demonstrate that our approach still achieves high accuracy while severely limited in training iterations (using on average only 21% of the least-squares classifier computational costs).


Tensile, Charpy impact and electrical resistivity measurements have been performed at ORNL on V-4Cr-4Ti and V-5Cr-5Ti specimens that were prepared at ANL and irradiated in the lithium-bonded X530 experiment in the EBR-II fast reactor. All of the specimens were irradiated to a damage level of about 4 dpa at a temperature of {approximately}400{degrees}C. A significant amount of radiation hardening was evident in both the tensile and Charpy impact tests. The irradiated V-4Cr-4Ti yield strength measured at {approximately}390{degrees}C was >800 MPa, which is more than three times as high as the unirradiated value. The uniform elongations of the irradiated tensile specimens were typically {approximately}1%, with corresponding total elongations of 4-6%. The ductile to brittle transition temperature of the irradiated specimens was less than the unirradiated resistivity, which suggests that hardening associated with interstitial solute pickup was minimal.


We study the problem of spin diffusion in magnetic systems without long-range order. We discuss the example of the 1D spin chain. For the system described by the Heisenberg Hamiltonian we show that there are no diffusive excitations. However, the addition of an arbitrarily small dissipation term, such as the spin-phonon interaction leads to diffusive excitations in the long time limit. For those excitations we estimate the spin-diffusion coefficient by means of the renormalisation group analysis.


Mobile devices, such as cell phones, and PDAs are becoming more popular each day. The large number of mobile users along with the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices has created a huge market for mobile commerce. But for that market to be realized users have to trust the security measures of m-commerce in general and m-payment in particular. In this paper a secure m-payment protocol for mobile devices has been proposed. The main objective in the proposed technique is to have the highest impact, and acceptance among average users. Hence, GSM the fastest growing network that accounts for 75% of the world's digital mobile market is selected as the network. For wider acceptance the simple and user friendly SMS text messaging protocol is selected as the transport channel. The proposed technique is independent of security measures and the systems inside banks and financial institutions. A pilot version of the protocol has been implemented. Simulation results, presented in this paper, indicate that the protocol achieves the expected level of security and can manage most security attacks, while remaining cost effective and easy to use for both the users, and the service providers


Emission control legislation has been adopted by many countries around the world. Increasingly, countries are choosing "environmentally friendly" motor vehicles. The purpose of this study is to review the basis for environmental concern with motor vehicles, to summarize the status of control programs and to assess the advantages of harmonizing the individual pollution control programs which are being developed (a).


Part I: Translation of leaderless mRNA in E. coli
Spedalieri G., Kohrer C., RajBhandary U.L.
Leaderless mRNAs are present in all three domains of life.
They do not have a 5' untranslated region (5'UTR), they start directly with the initiation codon, AUG in most cases. In Escherichia coli these mRNAs are very rare and show inefficient translation. In contrast, leaderless mRNAs are quite prevalent in archaea, where they are translated as efficiently as the "leadered" mRNAs containing the typical Shine-Dalgarno sequence.
In leaderless translation initiation 70S ribosomes are thought to be used without a typical pre-initiation complex involving a 30S ribosomal subunit. In this study, the goal is to answer two fundamental questions: (i) Is AUG strictly required as initiation codon? (ii) Is the formylmethionyl-tRNAfMet (fMet-tRNAfMet) required as initiator tRNA? Is the amino acid "methionine" important?
Using a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter system for studying in vivo translation of leaderless mRNAs in E. coli, we have found that the initiation codon AUG is not absolutely required and the amino acid "methionine" plays a fundamental role.

Part II: Structural and functional characterization of
cspD mRNA in Escherichia coli
Gaetana Spedalieri, Anna Brandi and Anna Maria Giuliodori

Expression of cspD, a gene belonging to the csp family of
Escherichia coli, is exclusively induced at 37°C during
stationary-phase or upon glucose starvation and does not increase during cold-shock. To shed light on the mechanisms responsible for the regulation of cspD expression, I have elucidated by enzymatic and chemical probing the secondary structure of cspD mRNA as a function of temperature. The structure, which was also validated by mutagenesis, demonstrates that cspD mRNA does not undergo any temperature-dependent structural rearrangement.
Functional analyses suggest that the presence of a helix
occluding the initiation codon might be partly responsible for the scarce translation of cspD mRNA and that RNase III is likely involved in the regulation of cspD gene expression. Overall, these data suggest that induction of cspD, like that of many other csp gene of E. coli, is controlled also at a posttranscriptional level.


A simple linear beam idealization of a cold-formed steel portal frame is presented in which beam elements are used to idealize the column and rafter members, and rotational spring elements are used to represent the rotational flexibility of the joints. In addition, the beam idealization takes into account the finite connection length of the joints. Deflections predicted using the beam idealization are shown to be comparable to deflections obtained from both a linear finite element shell idealization and full-scale laboratory tests. Using the beam idealization, deflections under rafter load are divided into three components: Deflection due to flexure of the column and rafter members, deflection due to bolt-hole elongation, and deflection due to in-plane bracket deformation. Of these deflection components, the deflection due to bolt-hole elongation is the most significant and cannot, therefore, be ignored. Using the beam idealization, engineers can analyze and design cold-formed steel portal frames, including making appropriate allowances for connection effects, without the need to resort to expensive finite element shell analysis.


Comparative histological data suggest that papillary renal cell tumors in adults and Wilms' tumors in children develop from maturation-arrested cells of similar origin. Wilms' tumor is characterized by genetic changes at the chromosome 11p region. In the present study, we have analyzed 10 papillary and 10 non-papillary renal cell tumors and determined the allelic status of 6 loci on the short arm of chromosome 11. Only one papillary renal cell carcinoma among the 20 tumors showed a loss of constitutional heterozygosity for the chromosome 11p region. These data suggest that separate molecular events occur in the development of Wilms' tumor and papillary renal cell tumors, subsequent to the proliferation of maturation-arrested cells of the kidney.


This session will discuss findings of a multi-site research study that contributed to a multi-site implementation project focused on issues pertaining to retention of undergraduate engineering students. Speakers will address the recommendations and subsequent implementation strategy made to engineering schools through two short presentations. Participants will be asked to respond to questions related to the challenges and ideas of implementing specific recommendations made to engineering schools resulting from these initiatives. PACE, Project to Assess Climate in Engineering is a multi-site research project funded by The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation intended to identify issues that affect persistence among engineering undergraduates while paying specific attention to the intersection of race, gender and academic experience. PACE had three main data collection components: an online student survey; interviews with current undergraduate engineering students; and interviews with undergraduate students who changed majors. All 21 PACE schools received a final report including recommendations based on data from the survey and interviews. This session will discuss the prevalence of certain recommendations that appeared across many institutions. Presenter: Elizabeth Litzler, Research Manager, PACE Director for Research, Center for Workforce Development, University of Washington Facilitator: Suzanne Brainard, Principal Investigator, PACE Executive Director, Center for Workforce Development, University of Washington Facilitator: Susan Staffin Metz, Co-Principal Investigator, PACE Senior Advisor, Center for Innovation in Engineering & Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology ENGAGE, Engaging Students in Engineering, is a five year Extension Services project funded by the National Science Foundation's Gender in Science and Engineering program. The overarching goal of ENGAGE is to increase the capacity of 30 engineering schools to retain undergraduate students by facilitating the implementation of three research-based strategies to improve student day-to-day classroom and educational experience. The three strategies were selected because there is research evidence that implementing the strategies increases retention of undergraduate engineering students, particularly women. Presenter: Susan Staffin Metz, Principal Investigator, ENGAGE Senior Advisor, Center for Innovation in Engineering & Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology Facilitator : C. Diane Matt, Co-Principal Investigator ENGAGE, Executive Director, WEPAN Facilitator: Patricia Campbell, Co-Principal Investigator, ENGAGE, President, Campbell-Kibler Associates


BACKGROUND There are some reports in the literature, which suggest that cardiac tamponade drainage may transiently affect systolic function and also cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We did not find any reports of acute ventricular failure and ARDS secondary to mediastinal tumor resection without tamponade. CASE REPORT Here we report a 48-year-old woman presenting with massive pericardial effusion without tamponade in whom tumor was resected through median sternotomy using cardiopulmonary bypass. ARDS and acute heart failure were two rare complications that happened at the end of the operation secondary to a sudden decompression of the heart from tumor pressure. CONCLUSION ARDS and acute heart failure are two rare complications, which can happen after large mediastinal tumor resection.


The Hamiltonian of an electron confined in a parabolic quantum dot in the presence of perpendicular magnetic field, donor impurity, and tilted electric field, has been solved by employing an exact diagonalization method. All the energy matrix elements have been derived in analytical forms. We have displayed the variation of the computed energy levels, binding energy and heat capacity of the quantum dot with the physical Hamiltonian parameters like: external magnetic and electric fields, confining strength, tilt angle and temperature. It's found that the binding energy increases as the magnetic field increases. However, it decreases as the electric field increases. The dependence of the heat capacity on the electric field and magnetic fields and impurity has also been investigated. The calculated results show that heat capacity increases as the electric field increases, while it decreases with the enhancement of the magnetic field. In addition, the presence of the donor impurity is found to enhance the heat capacity. The present results are consistent with those reported in the literature.


Both Western-styled mediation and African-styled mediation are practised in South Africa. Each of these models is applied in specific social contexts. In this article a brief explanation of what is meant by the term divorce and family mediation is provided.  Thereafter the principles and processes of both Western-styled divorce and family mediation and African-styled group mediation are explored. Attention is given to the roles of mediators in both of these models as well as the ubuntu-styled values found in African group mediation. In Africa, there is a tradition of family neighbourhood negotiation facilitated by elders and an attitude of togetherness in the spirit of humanhood. Both of these show a commitment to the community concerned and a comprehensive view of life. In Africa conflicts are viewed as non-isolated events and are viewed in their social contexts. Not only are consequences for the disputing parties taken into account but also consequences for others in their families. These methods can be found in present-day methods, which are either used independently of imported Western structures or used alternatively to such structures.  In this article the concept of mediation circles, as currently found in Western-styled mediation are also covered. Additionally, the provisions of the Children's Act 38 of 2005 referring to mediation as well as the provisions of the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 and family group conferencing in the realm of restorative justice in South Africa are  critiqued. It is suggested that divorce and family mediation can learn from the principles of restorative justice applied during family group conferencing as well as from African-styled group mediation.


Lipodystrophy (LD) with varying degrees of lipohypertrophy, lipoatrophy, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance is one of the complications of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and occurs in one to 33 % of HAART-treated, HIV infected children. We summarize the data on the role of leptin, adiponectin, the growth hormone axis, glucocorticoids, sterol response element binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), the tumor necrosis factor alpha axis (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin- 18 (IL-18), interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in the pathophysiology of LD. Adiponectin levels are generally decreased in LD, whereas leptin levels are increased. Systemic cortisol levels are not elevated in LD, even though glucocorticoids seem to play an important role in LD and the phenotype can be reminiscent of Cushing syndrome. GH resistance in LD needs to be better characterized. While some cytokines show promise as markers for LD, it is difficult to tell whether their derangement is a cause of or the effect of LD.


Five sweet potato varieties (Ex –igbariam local, TIS 86/0356, TIS 8441, TIS 87/0087, and TIS 2532.OP.1.13) were evaluated for yield and agronomic performance in Imo State University Farm, Owerri. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. The planting density was 33,000 plants/ha and NPK (15:15:15) fertilizer was applied blanket at the rate of 100kg/ha. Significant (p= 0.05) differences were obtained in the performance of the varieties in fresh tuber yields, vigor at six weeks after planting, leaf area/plant, fresh biomass, tuber dry matter and biomass dry matter yields. Variety TIS 86/0356 gave significantly (p= 0.05) the highest mean fresh tuber yield of 7.38 t/ha and a significantly (p=0.05) high mean biomass dry weight of 3.08 t/ha, whereas the variety TIS 8441 gave the lowest mean fresh tuber and biomass dry matter yields of 1.28t/ha and 1.29t/ha, respectively. Variety TIS 86/0356 was therefore recommended for sweet potato growers in the region. Key words: Sweet potato, varieties, yield evaluation.


Context. The Juno probe that currently orbits Jupiter measures its gravitational moments with great accuracy. Preliminary results suggest that the core of the planet may be eroded. While great attention has been paid to the material properties of elements constituting the envelope, little is known about those that constitute the core. This situation clutters our interpretation the Juno data and modeling of giant planets and exoplanets in general.
Aims. We calculate the high-pressure melting temperatures of three potential components of the cores of giant planets, water, iron, and a simple silicate, MgSiO3, to investigate the state of the deep inner core.
Methods. We used ab initio molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the high-pressure melting temperatures of the three potential core components. The planetary adiabats were obtained by solving the hydrostatic equations in a three-layer model adjusted to reproduce the measured gravitational moments. Recently developed ab initio equations of state were used for the envelope and the core.
Results. We find that the cores of the giant and ice-giant planets of the solar system differ because the pressure–temperature conditions encountered in each object correspond to different regions of the phase diagrams. For Jupiter and Saturn, the results are compatible with a diffuse core and mixing of a significant fraction of metallic elements in the envelope, leading to a convective and/or a double-diffusion regime. We also find that their solid cores vary in nature and size throughout the lifetimes of these planets. The solid cores of the two giant planets are not primordial and nucleate and grow as the planets cool. We estimate that the solid core of Jupiter is 3 Gyr old and that of Saturn is 1.5 Gyr old. The situation is less extreme for Uranus and Neptune, whose cores are only partially melted.
Conclusions. To model Jupiter, the time evolution of the interior structure of the giant planets and exoplanets in general, their luminosity, and the evolution of the tidal effects over their lifetimes, the core should be considered as crystallizing and growing rather than gradually mixing into the envelope due to the solubility of its components.


OBJECTIVES
To investigate the timing and effect of surgical treatment of diplopia caused by hypertrophic inferior rectus in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy and pathologic changes of inferior recti.

METHODS
Eleven diplopic patients with restrictive superior motion and enlarged inferior recti confirmed by CT scan were collected, and the inferior recti were recessed. Specimens of inferior recti obtained during operation were stained by HE, PAS and observed by light microscope.

RESULTS
There was no diplopia after operation when patients looked down and horizontally in eleven cases. Eye position was normal. HE and PAS stain showed stiffness of muscular fiber, small muscular cell with degeneration, obvious proliferation of fibrous tissue in endomysium, perimysium and epimysium, which enlarged extraocular muscle.

CONCLUSION
Poor function of inferior recti due to enormous proliferation of fibrous tissue and degeneration of muscular fiber results in the occurrence of diplopia. Recession of inferior recti can eliminate patients' diplopia.


The identification and quantification of gas-phase organic compounds, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), frequently use gas chromatography (GC), which typically requires high-purity compressed gases. We have developed a new instrument for trace-concentration measurements of VOCs and intermediate-volatility compounds of up to 14 carbon atoms in a fully automated (computer-free), independent, low-cost, compact GC-based system for the quantitative analysis of complex mixtures without the need for compressed, high-purity gases or expensive detectors. Through adsorptive analyte preconcentration, vacuum GC, photoionization detectors, and need-based water-vapor control, we enable sensitive and selective measurements with picogram-level limits of detection (i.e., under 15 ppt in a 4 L sample for most compounds). We validate performance against a commercial pressurized GC, including resolving challenging isomers of similar volatility, such as ethylbenzene and  m/ p-xylene. We employ vacuum GC across the whole column with filtered air as a carrier gas, producing long-term system stability and performance over a wide range of analytes. Through theory and experiments, we present variations in analyte diffusivities in the mobile phase, analyte elution temperatures, optimal linear velocities, and separation-plate heights with vacuum GC in air at different pressures, and we optimize our instrument to exploit these differences. At 2-6 psia, the molecular diffusion coefficients are 6.4-2.1 times larger and the elution temperatures are 39-92 °C lower than with pressurized GC with helium (at 30 psig) depending on the molecular structure, and we find a wide range of optimal linear velocities (up to 60 cm s-1) that are faster with broader tolerances than with pressurized-N2 GC.


Terbium and gadolinium underwent a martensitic transformation from P6/3mmc into Fm3m when pulverised tribophysically, whereas dysprosium resisted this strain-induced change.


Smoking is the main risk factor for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A recent study demonstrated by quantitative microcomputed tomography (µCT) that IL-17A-deficient mice exposed to cigarette smoke are protected from increases in lung volume and decreased lung density. This suggests that Th-17/IL-17-dependent immune mechanisms mediate smoke-induced lung damage, such as the development of emphysema. Here, we demonstrate a more complex role of IL-17A in the development of lung damage in mice chronically exposed to smoke. Physiologically relevant pulmonary function showed that IL-17A deficient mice were per se not protected from smoke-induced emphysematous disease. Respiratory compliance was increased in IL-17-deficient mice after smoke exposure, even though IL-17-deficient mice were partially protected from smoke-induced changes in the total lung capacity and hysteresis. Histology and morphometry showed that smoke-exposure results in loss of lung structure in IL-17-deficient mice. These results suggest that, in the present disease model, IL-17A rather has a protective than a deleterious role in smoke-induced loss of lung function.


If thin-walled closed beams are analyzed by the standard Timoshenko beam elements, their structural behavior, especially near boundaries, cannot be accurately predicted because of the incapability of the Timoskenko theory to predict the sectional warping and distortional deformations. If a higher-order thin-walled box beam theory is used, on the other hand, accurate results comparable to those obtained by plate finite elements can be obtained. However, currently available two-node displacement based higher-order beam elements are not efficient in capturing exponential solution behavior near boundaries. Based on this motivation, we consider developing higher-order mixed finite elements. Instead of using the standard mixed formulation, we propose to develop the mixed formulation based on the state-vector form so that only the field variables that can be prescribed on the boundary are interpolated for finite element analysis. By this formulation, less field variables are used than by the standard mixed formulation, and the interpolated field variables have the physical meaning as the boundary work conjugates. To facilitate the discretization, two-node elements are considered. The effects of interpolation orders for the generalized stresses and displacements on the solution behavior are investigated along with a numerical example.


We present a novel method for inserting objects, specifically humans, into existing images, such that they blend in a photorealistic manner, while respecting the semantic context of the scene. Our method involves three subnetworks: the first generates the semantic map of the new person, given the pose of the other persons in the scene and an optional bounding box specification. The second network renders the pixels of the novel person and its blending mask, based on specifications in the form of multiple appearance components. A third network refines the generated face in order to match those of the target person. Our experiments present convincing high-resolution outputs in this novel and challenging application domain. In addition, the three networks are evaluated individually, demonstrating for example, state of the art results in pose transfer benchmarks.


Curcumin, the yellow pigment of tumeric (Curcuma longa L., Zingiberaceae), is one of the most widely used spices in the East Asia. Curcumin has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and chemopreventive effects. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that the chemopreventive potential of curcumin depends partly on its ability to induce cytoprotective proteins through the activation of nuclear factor erythroid-related factor-2 (Nrf2), the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. The present study was aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the activation of Nrf2 and induction of cytoprotective gene expression by curcumin. Incubation of mouse epidermal (JB6) cells with curcumin resulted in the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) at both mRNA and protein levels. Curcumin-induced expression of HO-1 and NQO1 was abrogated in cells transiently transfected with Nrf2 siRNA. Furthermore, embryo fibroblasts from Nrf2 knock-out mice were not responsive to curcumin, compared with those from wild-type animals, in terms of inducing HO-1 and NQO1 expression. While curcumin treatment increased protein expression of Nrf2, it failed to alter the steady-state level of the Nrf2 mRNA transcript, suggesting that protein stabilization might be involved in curcumin-induced Nrf2 accumulation. Treatment of JB6 cells with curcumin did stabilize Nrf2 by inhibiting ubiquitination and subsequent 26S proteasomal degradation of Nrf2. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1 (Keap1), a substrate adaptor of Cullin3-Rbx1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, has several reactive cysteine residues, and modification of these cysteine residues has been proposed as a molecular mechanism underlying oxidative and electrophilic stress-induced activation of Nrf2. The thiol-reducing agent dithiothreitol abrogated curcumin-induced accumulation of Nrf2 and expression of cytoprotective proteins. In addition, tetrahydrocurcumin, a non-electrophilic analogue of curcumin that lacks the α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group, failed to induce cytoprotective protein expression as well as Nrf2 nuclear translocation, indicative of a pivotal role of cysteine residues of Keap1 in curcumin-induced Nrf2 activation. Cells transfected with a mutant Keap1 protein in which cysteine 151 is replaced by serine exhibited reduction in curcumin-induced Nrf2 activation. Although curcumin did not cause dissociation of Cullin3-Rbx1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex components, it increased interaction of Nrf2 with the Keap1. Thus, it is likely that curcumin inhibits the ability of the Cullin3-Rbx1 E3 ubiquitin ligase to target Nrf2 for ubiquitination by modifying Keap1 Cys 151 residue. This may change the conformation of the complex and saturates the binding capacity of Keap1 to Nrf2, facilitating nuclear translocation of Nrf2. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2011;4(10 Suppl):B67.


The synthesis of a new series of 1-alkoxybenzyl-4-(2-pyrimidyl)piperazines 2-methyl or 2,6-dimethyl substituted, related to piribedil, is described. Besides compounds (IV)-(IX a, b), the isomer (XI) of (V) was also prepared. Central dopaminergic and alpha-blocking activities both in vitro and in vivo were determined for all compounds. Derivatives (IV), (VII), (XI) were also studied for peripheral vasodilator and sympatholytic activities.


Poland's successful political, economic, and social transformation since the 1990s has seen the dynamic development of family enterprises. Most of them are in the small- and medium-sized enterprises sector and have become an important part of the Polish economy. What drives these family firms is not necessarily physical or even financial capital, but continuous human or social capital. We analyze how family businesses are based on the interdependence of family ownership and business with the social capital of the family. This article reflects on how the government, in encouraging small- and medium-sized enterprise development in an economy with traditionally low social capital, can benefit from the example of high social capital found in family firms. The article contains the interpretation of the results of research conducted in 2009–2010 and 2014–2016.


The purpose of this study was to measure the stability of the odontoid process after fracture and subsequent screw fixation. To accomplish this, we mechanically reproduced Type II and Type III odontoid fractures on isolated C2 vertebrae by varying the direction of load. These fractures were subsequently stabilized with a single 3.5 mm screw and retested for multidirectional stability and load to failure. Reduced and instrumented specimens were found to have a stiffness equivalent to one half of that of the unfractured odontoid. Load to failure was also slightly less than one half of the original fracture force (average 160 ib). Screw failure was by a cut-out mechanism in all Type III fractures and by bending of the screw in all Type III fractures. Our findings, in conjunction with the existing literature, strongly suggest that Type III fractures result from extension forces, whereas Type II fractures result from lateral or oblique loading forces. Single screw fixation of an odontoid fracture will provide stability equal to approximately one half that of the unfractured bone.


Representing games through their pixels offers a promising approach for building general-purpose and versatile game models. While games are not merely images, neural network models trained on game pixels often capture differences of the visual style of the image rather than the content of the game. As a result, such models cannot generalize well even within similar games of the same genre. In this paper we build on recent advances in contrastive learning and showcase its benefits for representation learning in games. Learning to contrast images of games not only classifies games in a more efficient manner; it also yields models that separate games in a more meaningful fashion by ignoring the visual style and focusing, instead, on their content. Our results in a large dataset of sports video games containing lOOk images across 175 games and 10 game genres suggest that contrastive learning is better suited for learning generalized game representations compared to conventional supervised learning. The findings of this study bring us closer to universal visual encoders for games that can be reused across previously unseen games without requiring retraining or fine-tuning,


This collection of original essays in honor of American drama critic Ruby Cohn captures the rich mixture of discourses on the act of theater. The variety of approaches- from formalist to feminist- pays tribute to the centrality of Beckett in any evaluation of just what constitutes the "modern" in modern, contemporary, postmodern, and experimental drama.The essays devote attention to playwrights like Sam Shepard, Caryl Churchill and David Hare, Jane Bowles, Arthur Miller, and Suzan-Lori Parks, and urge us as well to reconsider Shakespeare, Strindberg, and such visionary theater practitioners as Antonin Artaud and Joseph Chaikin. They also investigate the dynamics of actor, character, and audience, and offer insights into contemporary German theater, Noh drama, and Balinese theatrical practices. Whatever their subject, these suggestive and original pieces always bring us back to Beckett in fresh and surprising ways.The contributors are H. Porter Abbott, Linda Ben-Zvi, Herbert Blau, John Russell Brown, Sue-Ellen Case, William Coco, Elin Diamond, Bernard Dort, James Eigo, Martin Esslin, Carla Locatelli, John Orr, Janelle Reinelt, Antonia Rodriguez-Gago, Yasunari Takahashi, and Hersh Zeifman."Any enthusiastic student of drama--whether professor or undergraduate, theater historian or theater critic, member of acting company or member of an audience--will find "The Theatrical Gamut" both enlightening and provocative."--Jill Levenson, University of TorontoEnoch Brater is Professor of English and Theater, University of Michigan.


Abstract. Global reinsurer Munich Re has been collecting data on losses from natural disasters for almost four decades. Together with EM-Dat and sigma, Munich Re's NatCatSERVICE database is currently one of three global databases of its kind, with its more than 30 000 datasets. Although the database was originally designed for reinsurance business purposes, it contains a host of additional information on catastrophic events. Data collection poses difficulties such as not knowing the exact extent of human and material losses, biased reporting by interest groups, including governments, changes over time due to new findings, etc. Loss quantities are often not separable into different causes, e.g., windstorm and flood losses during a hurricane, or windstorm, hail and flooding during a severe storm event. These difficulties should be kept in mind when database figures are analysed statistically, and the results have to be treated with due regard for the characteristics of the underlying data. Comparing events at different locations and on different dates can only be done using normalised data. For most analyses, and in particular trend analyses, socio-economic changes such as inflation or growth in population and values must be considered. Problems encountered when analysing trends are discussed using the example of floods and flood losses.


The kinematics, neuromuscular control, and hydrodynamic aspects of normal locomotor activity in larval zebrafish have been extensively studied. Although locomotion depends heavily on the fluid properties of water, we have little knowledge of what sensory and developmental cues zebrafish larvae receive from their interaction with the fluid medium in which they grow. In this study, I manipulate the viscosity of water in which larvae grow until 5 and 7 days postfertilization (dpf) and record the kinematics of routine turns in their growth medium. Larvae are then transferred to a new medium of different viscosity and filmed again after short and long acclimation periods. Four hypotheses are tested: (1) larval kinematics are constrained by muscle activation patterns, (2) larval kinematics are guided by kinematic objectives, (3) routine turning control is independent of early locomotor experience, and (4) response to novel fluid environment is independent of developmental stage. The results indicate that a kinematic parameter, stage 1 angle, correlates with the kinematics of stage 1 while muscle activation patterns likely constrain stage 2. Development of this behavior is not dependent on locomotor experience both at 5 and 7 dpf, although the two age groups respond differently to increased viscosity.


Nickel and chromium coatings were produced on the copper sheet using plasma spraying and laser remelting. The sliding wear test was achieved on a block-on-ring tester and the corrosion test was carried out in an acidic atmosphere. The corrosive behaviors of both coatings and original copper samples were investigated by using an impedance comparison method. The experimental results show that the nickel and chromium coatings display better wear resistance and corrosion resistance relative to the original pure copper sample. The wear resistance of the coatings is 812 times as large as original samples, and the wear resistance of laser remelted samples is better than that of plasma sprayed ones. The corrosion resistance of laser remelted nickel and chromium samples is better than that of plasma sprayed samples respectively. The corrosion rate of chromium coatings is less than that of nickel coatings, and the laser remelted Cr coating exhibits the least corrosion rate.


The official analytical method of residue pesticides in herbal medicines by KFDA cannot be applied to all of the pesticides and herbal medicines because of various active materials in herbal medicines and various physicochemical properties of pesticides. Moreover, liquid-liquid partition uses harmful solvents such as methylene chloride and is consuming a lot of time and effort. In order to improve the problems, we have studied for the availability of the analytical method applying the macroporous diatomaceous earth (MDE) column instead of liquid-liquid partition to simultaneously analyze five pesticides in two dried herbal medicines The results showed that the recovery rates of acetamiprid and azoxystrobin in Astragalus root by GC/ECD ranged from 89.6 to 94.1%, from 86.8 to 94.4%, respectively, and those of bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos in Cnidii Rhizoma by GC/MS ranged from 83.6 to 88.4%, from 77.4 to 83.8%, from 82.6 to 84.3%, respectively. Also, the coefficients of variation (CV) for triplication ranged from 0.5 to 1.7%. The results satisfied the criteria of residue pesticide analysis, setting 70~120% for the recovery rate and below 10% for the coefficient of variation. The improved methods are safer to residue pesticide analysts, faster and less laborious than the KFDA official method.


BACKGROUND
A noninvasive method for the determination of size and spatial relationships of atrial septal defects to adjacent cardiac structures, which would be advantageous to those contemplating device closure, is described. The aim of the study was to examine the value of transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiography for this purpose.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Three-dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in 17 patients. Left-to-right shunt (by oximetry in 16 of 17 patients) was 2.4 to 16.2 L/min, and the Qp/QS ratio was 1.4 to 4.7. The defect area of the atrial septal defect was measured throughout the whole cardiac cycle each 40 ms from the three-dimensional data set. Results were compared with shunt parameters by oximetry and with intraoperative measurements. Distances between atrial septal defect and mitral and tricuspid annulus and the orifices of the caval and pulmonary veins were also measured. The atrial septal defect area ranged from 0.2 to 2.4 cm2 (diastole) to 0.5 to 5.6 cm2 (systole). The maximal area at end-systole was 108% of the area at beginning of systole, and the minimal area at end-diastole was 43%. The defect area correlated significantly with the Qp/QS ratio (r=.70), and the maximal atrial septal defect diameters as measured by using three-dimensional echocardiography correlated well with intraoperative measurements (r=.87). Distances to mitral and tricuspid annulus and to the superior caval vein were determined in all patients. Distances to orifice of the inferior caval vein were measured in 12 patients, and orifices of right pulmonary veins were visible in 5 patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Transesophageal three-dimensional echocardiography of atrial septal defects allows the determination of the instantaneous defect area and its dynamic changes and thus provides valuable information about the distances to adjacent cardiac structures. This may have clinical implications for the selection of patients suitable for interventional closure and for the assessment of procedural success.


We demonstrate in a simple climate model that there exist nonlinear feedbacks between the atmosphere, ocean, and ice sheets capable of producing century/millennium timescale internal oscillations resembling those seen in the paleoclimate record. Feedbacks involve meridional heat and salt transports in the North Atlantic, surface ocean freshwater fluxes associated with melting and growing continental ice sheets in the northern hemisphere and with Atlantic to Pacific water vapor transport. The positive feedback between the production of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and the meridional salt transport by the Atlantic thermohaline circulation tends to destabilize the climate system, while the negative feedback between the freshwater flux, either to or from the continental ice sheets, and meridional heat flux to the high-latitude North Atlantic, accomplished by the thermohaline circulation, stabilizes the system. The thermohaline circulation plays a central role in both positive and negative feedbacks because of its transport of both heat and salt. Because of asymmetries between the growth and melt phases the oscillations are, in general, accompanied by a growing or decreasing ice volume over each cycle, which in the model is reflected by increasing or decreasing mean salinity. The magnitude of the oscillations can be as large as the fluctuations observed in the melt water fluxes during the last deglaciation, suggesting that the feedback mechanisms themselves may have been actively involved in the deglaciation process. The feedbacks could potentially play a causal role in the Dansgaard-Oeschger events. They are also candidates for driving the apparent major ice sheet rapid collapses (in approximately 300 yrs.) that appear to have occurred at intervals of 7 ky to 10 ky, identified in the North Atlantic sediment record as Heinrich events.


The structure of beryllium isotopes in the mass range A = 8–12 has been investigated using the properties of different bands, which are populated in specific reactions. The different structures are formed in transfer reactions with neutron stripping on 9,10Be or proton pick-up on 12,13,14C. The slope in the linear dependence of the excitation energies on J(J+1), where J is the spin, has been deduced for 13 bands and compared for common systematics. From the measured moments-of-inertia the α - α distance has been deduced for molecular structures.


The effect of distance from the city centre on selling price, tax assessment and gross income is investigated for income property in proximity to the city centre. Hedonic estimation with a multiplicative model specii cation is used to estimate the relationship between property characteristics on the one hand and price, assessment and income on the other. The sample consists of centrally located apartment buildings in downtown Stockholm sold during a recent three-year period. The application is specii c to Stockholm, but the methodology and the insights gained are general. The results include the estimation of price gradients for the dependent variables. The models are used for estimating the implicit capitalisation rates in the property market as a function of the distance to the centre. We also estimated where the market appears to place the city centre as implied by the observations. Although no rent gradient was found, we were able to detect a signii cant negative price gradient. The former is reasonable considering the rent control ordinances. The latter indicates the existence of a negative land rent gradient.


Supply chains are characterized by multiple firms providing their resources and processes to meeting customer demand in an efficient manner. There exists a great variety of approaches for solving the inherent coordination problem. It has been acknowledged that the autonomy of supply chain participants - and their business objectives - as well as the contractual relations between participants have to be maintained when designing a coordination mechanism. Often, new mechanisms are triggered by innovation in the software industry. This paper adopts the basic idea of Cloud Computing and takes a Cloud perspective on supply chain systems: It proposes to represent supply chains as a set of service offerings and customer demand as service requests; coordination is then a problem of determining optimal service compositions. We evaluate our proposal in a case study of airport service supply chains.


A series of near‐equatorial radio occultations of Cassini by Saturn occurred in 2005 and again in 2009–2010. Comparison of the temperature‐pressure profiles obtained from the two sets of occultations shows evidence of a descending pattern in the stratosphere that is similar to those associated with equatorial oscillations in Earth's middle atmosphere. This is the first time that this descent has been observed in another planetary atmosphere. If absorption of upwardly propagating waves drives the descent, the implied absorbed flux is 0.05 m2 s−2, at least as large if not greater than on Earth.


Hemorrhage of any degree following tonsillectomy is disconcerting to both the patient and the physician. In spite of astringents and ordinary measures, occasionally a local or general anesthetic must be used, and suturing must be employed. An ordinary skin clip properly placed without using an anesthetic, will save considerable time and trouble and can easily be removed in from twenty-four to thirty-six hours with an ordinary hemostat. Instrument to control hemorrhage With the instrument illustrated, a skin clip can be used with ease, and best of all with little danger of losing the clip in either the bronchus or the esophagus. The ends of the instrument hold the clip, together with the spring tesion, in a manner that prevents loss of grip on the clip until the operator compresses the same. The instrument may be obtained from Pilling and Sons Company. Philadelphia.


We present a generic framework for the specification and reasoning about reduction strategies in the lambda calculus, representable as sets of term decompositions. It is provided as a Coq formalization that features a novel format of phased strategies. It facilitates concise description and algebraic reasoning about properties of reduction strategies. The formalization accommodates many well-known strategies, both weak and strong, such as call by name, call by value, head reduction, normal order, full β -reduction, etc. We illustrate the use of the framework as a tool to inspect and categorize the "zoo" of existing strategies, as well as to discover and study new ones with particular properties. during


Implementing ecosystems-based adaptation (EbA) to climate change is challenged by the need to monitor biophysical, socio-cultural, and economic impacts which are usually context-specific. Therefore, robust frameworks are required that integrate impacts to better understand EbA effectiveness. Monitoring frameworks that are universally applicable to EbA are desirable, however their universal application is problematic as they should reflect a community-driven design that accommodates both donor reporting functions and the generation of local-level data and information to support management actions and community initiatives. Initial products from this research include a generic, five-step process for developing and testing adaptation indicators, a robust framework consisting of (i) the indicators, data and information used to design the framework, (ii) the operational EbA platform that houses and computes the adaptation indicators, and (iii) the participating institutions, and initial, community-level applications to guide water management, replenishment of the vegetation cover, and business development. Immediate benefits to rural communities include the re-orientation of performance indicators mapped to their needs as opposed to donor reporting alone. The framework contributes to the set of tools currently in use for EbA monitoring by offering an umbrella within which existing tools can be applied. Near-term future research will focus on improving the utility of the framework and its platform beyond reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) by adapting the EbA platform to support changing management needs. Future research will be needed to understand the extent to which the environmental changes in The Gambia compared to changes across the Sahel and Sudano-Sahel regions of West Africa and whether the lessons learned from The Gambia could be extrapolated to the subregion.


Abstract Few historical topics and regions lend themselves to such grand narratives as the Arctic. Dramatic landscapes, extreme climate, heroic explorers and their national pride merge and provide us with fascinating and catchy stories. The current situation of climate change, new possibilities of exploiting natural resources and potential territorial conflict have placed the Arctic in the spotlight once more. Current tensions often call for historical explanation, and scholars hurry to provide them. My perspective on eighteenth century Russian concepts of the Arctic Ocean, however, does not immediately contribute to a better understanding of present challenges. I will not be telling the Russian side of the story in the race among nations to the North Pole or explain how the Russians came to plant a flag under the Pole in 2007. The argument in this article stems rather from a general and explicitly historical interest in territoriality and sovereignty; in concepts, consequences and contradictions. How could absolutist sovereignty, which in the eighteenth century was sovereignty in the making, work "beyond territory"?


As an animate learning theory and teaching theory, constructivism has been accepted by many educators and is being widely applied in modern teaching practice. One of its subjects is how to direct the development of instructional software in CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning). As a tool in classroom for assisting the teachers and students to implement teaching activities, instructional software should have different formats under different objective conditions and environments, and should have different functions and roles in different modes. However, because CALL has multiplex application modes, it is vital that we just introduce four main modes: classroom teaching, individual learning, the network classroom, distance education and virtual reality. The purpose of this paper is to analyze these five teaching modes and offer correspondent design principles of instructional software based on constructivist learning theory.


In this study, the growth index including plant height, compound leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf water content, number of branches, and leaf biomass per plant and the icariin flavonoids such as epimedin A, epimedin B, epimedin C and icariin of Epimedium pseudowushanense were determined on 30 d and 60 d under light intensity(18.2±2.5) μmol·m~(-2)·s~(-1)(L1) and(90.9 ±2.5) μmol·m~(-2)·s~(-1)(L2), and white light as control, red light, blue light and yellow light were used as three light quality treatments, to study the effect of light quality on the growth and flavonoids accumulation of E. pseudowushanense. The E. pseudowushanense was sui-table for growth under L1 light intensity, the blue light treatment significantly reduced the leaf area, but had little effect on the stem height, the red light treatment and the yellow light treatment had no obvious effect on the stem height and leaf area, but the yellow light treatment significantly increased the germination of new branches, and had a sustained promoting effect, and the biomass was significantly higher than the white light treatment at 60 d. The content of icariin flavonoids in red light, blue light and yellow light treatment was higher than that in white light treatment at 30 d and 60 d under L1 light intensity, while yellow light treatment promoted the synthesis of icariin flavonoids to the largest extent, which was 1.8 and 1.9 times of white light treatment(30 d and 60 d).Under L2 light intensity, the effect of strong light on promoting stem germination became the main factor, while the yellow light treatment showed no significant effect on promoting stem germination, and the red light treatment exhibited a significant effect on reducing leaf area. Icariin flavonoids under red light, blue light and yellow light treatment were all lower than that under white light treatment, that is, the effect of white light treatment on the synthesis of icariin flavonoids is better than red light, blue light and yellow light treatment. When the time of strong light treatment was longer, the degradation range of icariin flavonoids in other light treatment appeared, while red light treatment promotes the synthesis of icariin flavonoids. Therefore, the influence of light quality on E. pseudowushanense is quite different under different light intensity, no matter from growth index or flavonoid content index. The results support that the biomass and icariin flavonoid content can be increased by providing appropriate red and yellow light.


In manufacturing shops in practice, machine capacity is often constrained by more than one type of resource. Yet research mainly focusses on the effects of only one type of resource that constrains machine capacity, e.g. labour, tooling or auxiliary constraints. In response, we use simulation to assess the impact of order release, dispatching and resource assignment rules in make-to-order job shops with multiple resource constraints. The capacity wasted while a machine stands idle waiting for other resources increases with the number of constraints, and all three production planning and control functions have little impact on this waiting time. Effective production planning and control can however improve operational performance in terms of time and tardiness-related measures. In general, combining order release control with a dispatching rule that prioritises jobs for which all resources are available at dispatching and a longest queue resource assignment rule leads to the best performance. Most importantly, and rather counterintuitively, prioritising orders with the fewest missing resources worsens the performance of both the dispatching and resource assignment rule since it reduces resource utilisation during periods of high load. Results from dual resource-constrained shops are consequently not directly transferable to more complex resource-constrained shops.


In this paper, acoustic noise reduction of high speed train pantograph was approximately expected by aerodynamic characteristics such as lift and drag fluctuations. In order to expect the acoustic noise of the pantograph, lift and drag forces were measured and were analyzed. Experimental models were 2 dimensional panheads and 1/4 scale pantograph with the rectangular panhead and the optimized panhead. In the wind tunnel test of 2-dimensional panhead, aerodynamic forces measurement and flow visualization both of the rectangular and the optimized panheads were performed. In the tests of 1/4 3-dimensional pantograph, aerodynamic forces and wakes behind panhead were performed. Finally, to expect the acoustic noise reduction, aerodynamic characteristics of the panhead and the pantograph were analyzed.