It is well known that cytogenetic abnormalities, the IgVH mutational status, ZAP-70 and CD38 have a significant prognostic role in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We therefore designed a 1 st line treatment approach for young CLL patients stratified according to the biological features of the disease. Between November 2005 and July 2008, previously untreated CLL patients ≤60 years, with advanced or progressive disease, from 21 Italian centers, were included in this study. High risk (HR) patients were defined by the presence of an adverse biologic profile: a 17p deletion in ≥20% of analyzed cells, or a 11q deletion associated with at least one additional poor prognostic factor (IgVH germline, ZAP-70+ ≥10% or CD38+ ≥7%), or a germline IgVH or mutated VH3-21 status and at least 2 additional unfavorable prognostic factors (ZAP+ ≥10%, CD38+ ≥7%, 6q deletion or trisomy 12). Low risk (LR) patients were defined by the absence of the above mentioned characteristics. For HR patients, treatment consisted of 4 monthly courses of Fludarabine and Campath-1H (FluCam; Flu 30 mg/m 2 iv; Campath-1H 30 mg iv, days 1–3). Patients who achieved a response with evidence of residual disease - by CT scan, flow cytometry and/or PCR - received a post-induction therapy including a reduced intensity PBSCs allogeneic transplant or, in the absence of a sibling donor, an autologous PBSC transplant or, in the absence of a sufficient harvest, Campath-1H sc (30 mg weekly for a maximum of 12 weeks). For LR patients, treatment included 6 monthly courses of Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide (FluCy; Flu 30 mg/m 2 iv and Cy 250 mg/m 2 , days 1–3). Patients with no response after 4 courses, were treated with Campath-1H sc (30 mg weekly for a maximum of 12 weeks). All patients received Darbepoietin alpha in case of anemia, G-CSF and Ciprofloxacin in case of severe granulocytopenia and PC prophylaxis with Bactrim. In addition, patients treated with FluCam underwent weekly CMV antigenemia monitoring and valacyclovir prophylaxis (2g/8h). So far, 74 young patients with advanced or progressive disease fulfilling the above criteria have been included in the study, 41 (55%) with a HR profile and 33 (45%) with a LR profile. Forty-five patients have completed the induction therapy, 24 HR patients and 21 LR patients. A response was observed in 17 HR patients: OR 71%, CR 30%, with 17% of patients obtaining an MRD- status; and in 20 LR patients: OR 95%, CR 57%, with a 19% MRD negativity. The 7 FluCam refractory patients were characterized by the presence of a 17p deletion in 3 cases and by multiple enlarged nodes in 5 (bulky nodes: 3 cases). Grade III–IV granulocytopenia was the most common toxicity after FluCam and after FluCy. However, long-lasting cytopenia was observed only in cases treated with FluCy. Asymptomatic CMV reactivation was detected in 3 cases treated with FluCam. Four patients, all treated with FluCy, have died. The causes of deaths were: febrile granulocytopenia in 2 cases, cerebral hemorrhage in 1 and multiple cerebral abscesses of unknown origin in 1. At present, 9 HR patients who achieved a response to FluCam have undergone a PBSC transplantation (allogeneic 3, autologous 6). In conclusion, the first analysis of this study, focused on young CLL patients with progressive disease stratified according to the biologic profile of the disease, has shown a high CR rate after FluCy given to patients with a LR profile and a considerable response rate with a low number of CMV reactivations after FluCam administered to patients with a HR profile. Factors predicting FluCy-related myelotoxicity warrant further investigation.


Perinuclear anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibodies (P-ANCA) recognize heterogeneous antigens, including myeloperoxidase (MPO), lactoferrin, elastase, cathepsin-G and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein. Although P-ANCA have diagnostic utility in vasculitides, they may also be found in patients with various other systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Nevertheless, the clinical significance and the targets recognized by P-ANCA in such patients remain unclear. For this purpose, herein we investigated the occurrence of ANCA-related antigenic specificities in 82 P-ANCA-positive sera by multiplex ELISA, as well as their association with other autoantibodies. The P-ANCA-positive sera corresponded to patients with vasculitides (n = 24), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 28), antiphospholipid syndrome (n = 5), Sjögren's syndrome (n = 7), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 3), systemic scleroderma (n = 1), sarcoidosis (n = 1) and Hashimoto′s thyroiditis (n = 13). In most P-ANCA-positive patients studied (51/82, 62.3%), these autoantibodies occurred in high titers (>1:160). The analysis of P-ANCA-positive sera revealed reactivity to MPO in only 50% of patients with vasculitides, whereas it was infrequent in the other disease groups studied. Reactivity to other P-ANCA-related autoantigens was also rarely detected. Our findings support that high P-ANCA titers occur in SARD. The P-ANCA-positive staining pattern is associated with MPO specificity in vasculitides, while in other autoimmune diseases, it mostly involves unknown autoantigens.


: Reinforcement learning aims at maximising an external evaluative signal over a certain time horizon. If no reward is available within the time horizon, the agent faces an autonomous learning task which can be used to explore, to gather information, and to bootstrap particular learning behaviours. We discuss here how the agent can use a current representation of the value, of its state and of the environment, in order to produce autonomous learning behaviour in the absence of a meaningful rewards. The family of methods that is introduced here is open to further development and research in the field of reflexive reinforcement learning.


Noise can be defined as an undesirable sound that pollutes the environment. If noise is continuous and exceeds certain levels, negative effects on health can be observed. In recent years, the impact of environmental noise (road traffic noise, railway traffic noise, air traffic noise and industrial noise) on human health has come under increasingly intense scrutiny. Noise can cause a number of negative effects on health that directly or indirectly affect humans. The occurrence of some certain and harmful health effects drives the onset of others and may contribute to the development of various diseases. Health is not only a state of physical well-being, but also mental well-being. Mental health primarily depends on the quality of life, which can be affected by various environmental factors, such as noise. An important aspect of fighting noise is the most effective protection of the population by avoiding sources of noise and reducing it. This can be achieved by introducing new technical solutions and new technologies, including devices that generate less noise. Another important measure is educating the society and influencing the change of individual and collective behavior, which may contribute to reducing the harmful factor, which is noise in human life, and minimize the resulting negative effects on health.


In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Joe Beckett carved his boxing career. Whilst there were many pugilists that represented Britain and Europe in the heavyweight championship title bouts during this era, Beckett's identity was unique. Born into a travelling Showperson family and boxing in the fairground booths from a young age, he was discovered by his long term manager in his late teens and catapulted into professional fighting. However, Beckett's remarkable Traveller and boxing career was not the only exceptional aspect of his life: his prominent involvement with the British Union of Fascists in the late 1930s ensured his detention under the British government's Regulation 18b in 1940. Beckett's life will be put into the wider context of British social, political and cultural history between 1850 to 1965. This study, of a traveller, his career as a professional boxer and British fascist is also explored through the concept of masculinity, adding further to the making and remaking of Beckett's identity. The thesis is divided into three main sections. First racial, ethnic and national identity; second, masculinity; and third fascism. Within these three sections themes including national identity, the representation of masculinity through professional boxing and the attraction of fascism are considered. By analysing sources in the private realm and imagery such as family photographs, media pictures, cigarette cards and postcards alongside state and public archives, the thesis highlights the importance of Beckett's persona utilising historical, anthropological and sociological approaches. Within the chapters a largely chronological approach is adopted primarily due to the progression of life story. This study especially considers the concepts of 'Britishness' in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in relation to Beckett. Themes such as race, 'whiteness' and wider minority/majority relation are considered throughout, exploring also the relationship between patriotism and nationalism in the life and career of Joe Beckett.


The TAUVEX space astronomy experiment to image wide sky areas in the 140 - 280 nm spectral region is part of the SODART telescope complex on SRG, and functions as a separate scientific instrument and as a service system for the spacecraft. The experiment consists of three bore-sighted telescopes with 20 cm diameter Ritchey-Chretien optics. Each telescope is equipped with a four-position filter wheel and can select one of six UV bands in the spectral region of operation. The photon-counting, imaging detectors cover a field of view of 0 degree(s).9, with 80% of the energy from a point source within about 10 arcsec. The image is sampled at 3 arcsec intervals. The sensitivity is such that stars of 10 - 11 mag in the UV are detected in 2 sec, and in a typical SRG pointing of 5 hours stars as faint as 20 mag are detectable. TAUVEX provides off-line aspect solutions for the SODART focal plane instruments and on-line fine pointing information to the SRG attitude and control system. The experiment is constructed by El-Op, Electro-Optical Industries Ltd., and is financially supported by the Government of Israel, through the Israel Space Agency and the Ministry of Science and Arts. By mid-1994 four models of TAUVEX had been produced and supplied to the SRG integrators: size and mass models in 1992, a thermal model in early 1993 and an engineering model in spring 1994. A qualification model is being tested intensively at El-Op these days and the flight model will be ready, after testing, burn-in and calibration, by the end of 1994. TAUVEX is a light-weight, low-power, versatile UV imaging experiment with significant redundancy, which is not limited to operations on-board SRG. The system may operate on other platforms, including small satellites, if such an opportunity occurs.


We investigate a model for randomly layered magnets, viz., a three-dimensional Ising model with planar defects. The magnetic phase transition in this system is smeared because static long-range order can develop on isolated rare spatial regions. Here, we report large-scale kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of the dynamical behavior close to the smeared phase transition, which we characterize by the spin (time) autocorrelation function. In the paramagnetic phase, its behavior is dominated by Griffiths effects similar to those in magnets with point defects. In the tail region of the smeared transition the dynamics is even slower: the autocorrelation function decays like a stretched exponential at intermediate times before approaching the exponentially small asymptotic value following a power law at late times. Our Monte Carlo results are in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions based on optimal fluctuation theory.


Introduction. One of the crucial tasks in medicine is studying the molecular mechanisms of selective management of tumor cell apoptosis following conformational changes in protein molecules (ubiquitination). The purpose of the study. The aim of the project is to establish the role of ubiquitin and ubiquitinligase in dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells. Materials and methods. The study was carried out on the Jurkat tumor cell line (intact cells and cells cultured in the presence of an apoptosis inducer dexamethasone in the final concentration of 10 µmol. In intact and dexamethasone-affected Jurkat cells, implementation of apoptosis and the amount of FAS-, TNF Receptor 1 and cells with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed by flow cytometry using FITC-conjugated Annexin V and Propidium Iodide. The levels of NF-κB, Apaf-1, ubiquitin and ubiquitin ligase were determined by Western blot analysis. The activity of caspase-3 was measured by spectrofluorometry. Results. When adding the apoptosis inducer dexamethasone to the Jurkat cell culture, we registered a fall in the concentration of ubiquitin and a rise in the level of ubiquitinligase against the backdrop of activated receptor(an increase in the amount of Annexin V positive cells, FASand TNF Receptor 1) and mitochondrialmediated (an increase in the number of cells with reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and elevation of Apaf-1 level) pathways of apoptosis, as opposed to the intact cell culture. We estimated the completion of apoptosis by determining the activity of caspase-3 in the investigated tumor cells. Conclusion. The obtained findings allow the conclusion that ubiquitination of regulatory and effector proteins in programmed cell death is one of the molecular mechanisms that regulates and selectively controls apoptosis in Jurkat cells.


Potential roles of natural products have been identified for preventing or treating various diseases. Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of camel milk in an animal model of Parkinson's disease and compare it with standard treatment (levodopa + carbidopa combination). 40 Wistar albino rats weighing 200-250 gram were divided into four groups of 10 animals each. Group I was kept on water and served as normal control, group II served as negative control, treated with chlorpromazine (5mg/kg i.p.), group III was given camel milk (33ml/kg p.o) and group IV the standard combination of levodopa + carbidopa (100+10mg/kg) respectively, 30 minutes after chlorpromazine treatment. All animals were subjected to the drugs treatment for 30 days. Catalepsy was assessed by Bar test on day 21 and day 30 at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes interval. On 30th day animals were sacrificed and whole brains were examined for histopathological changes. The results revealed highly significant (p<0.001) anti-cataleptic effect of camel milk on day 21 and 30 in comparison to chlorpromazine. When compared with standard therapy, the results showed that anti-Parkinson's activity of camel milk was significant (p<0.01) on day 21. However, the difference in activity was non-significant on day 30. Histopathology of the brain showed that administration of camel milk reveals intact architecture with mild degenerative changes than chlorpromazine and levodopa + carbidopa treated animals. In conclusion, camel milk possesses anti-Parkinson's activity. However, its long term efficacy and safety needs to be evaluated clinically.


With the rapid development of technology and now, the greater the effort to increase the renewal of learning media in the use of results to support the learning process. Educators are required to be able to use media that can help the teaching and learning process. One of the uses of technology in developing learning media is the use of virtual laboratories. Virtual Laboratories are laboratories in the form of interactive multimedia-based software, which are computer-operated and can be used in laboratories. This Virtual Laboratory can be used in the course of Financial Application Software, Marketing Application Software and HR Application Software. By utilizing learning media using virtual laboratories can improve effective learning skills, can improve the reach of the teaching and learning process. There is no time and space. By utilizing this virtual laboratory, it can also eliminate obstacles in the learning process in the classroom. The system development methodology in this study is Prototyping-Based Methodology. The design of this virtual management learning media can make the process more interesting and not boring and allow students to learn teaching materials and include accessing and uploading tasks and also exercises to help students Keywords: Virtual Laboratory, Software, Application


Preference-based reinforcement learning (PbRL) can enable robots to learn to perform tasks based on an individual's preferences without requiring a hand-crafted re-ward function. However, existing approaches either assume access to a high-fidelity simulator or analytic model or take a model-free approach that requires extensive, possibly unsafe online environment interactions. In this paper, we study the benefits and challenges of using a learned dynamics model when performing PbRL. In particular, we provide evidence that a learned dynamics model offers the following benefits when performing PbRL: (1) preference elicitation and policy optimization require significantly fewer environment interactions than model-free PbRL, (2) diverse preference queries can be synthesized safely and efficiently as a byproduct of standard model-based RL, and (3) reward pre-training based on suboptimal demonstrations can be performed without any environmental interaction. Our paper provides empirical ev-idence that learned dynamics models enable robots to learn customized policies based on user preferences in ways that are safer and more sample efficient than prior preference learning approaches. Supplementary materials and code are available at https://sites.google.com/berkeley.edu/mop-rl.


The geochemical characteristics of the volcanism, occured in the western Anatolia, display calc-alkaline (Oligocene-Lower Miocene) and alkaline (Upper Miocene-Pliocene) affinities. These two different volcanism have an important role to understand the geodynamic evolution of the western Anatolia during the Neogene time. The Karakaya lamprophyres, one of the products of these volcanism lying in the western Anatolia, comprises alkaline basaltic rocks extruded into the ignimbrites. Petrographically, they have mostly hyalopilitic, trachytic, intersertal, vitrophyric porphyritic, pilotaxitic and glomeroporphyritic texture. Olivine (mostly altered to iddingisite and resorbed by carbonate), clinopyroxene (diopside, augite) and phlogopite (partly transformed into Fe-Ti oxide) as phenocyrst phase, and apatite, quartz, garnet and opaque minerals as accessory phase defined. In some thin sections, quartz phenocrysts are surrounded by clinopyroxene needles that evulated as evidence of magma mixing. These lamprophyres are characterized by low concentrations of SiO2, TiO2 and total Fe2O3, high concentrations of Mg#, enriched in LREE and LILE but variably depleted in HFSE. In the total alkali silica diagram, Karakaya lamprophyres mainly plot in the fields of trachyandesite, basaltic trachyandesite. According to mineral chemistry results, olivines show normal zoning by increasing of CaO and decreasing of Fo contents from core to the rim. Pyroxenes are classified as diopside and augite compositions. The mica minerals are generally phlogopite The overall data about the petrograhic and mineral chemistry exhibit that these lamprophyres appear to derived by fractional crystallization of a magma mixing which formed by melting of the continental crust with effect of the uprising lithospheric mantle during in a extensional tectonic regime after the Middle Miocene.


Leaves of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) plants were examined in a set of four experiments conducted in the summer of 2001 at USDA in Beltsville, MD. Red edge reflectance spectra and red (R) and far-red (FR) fluorescence emissions were acquired for adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces, in conjunction with foliar chlorophyll content, photosynthetic capacity (Amax), and C/N ratio. A red edge first derivative ratio was strongly related to chlorophyll content, Amax, and C/N ratio. R/FR fluorescence emission ratios also were related to Amax and C/N levels, and enabled species discrimination.


Abstract Richard Skelton's Landings sequence is one of the most sustained musical and literary projects of the last two decades. Critically lauded as an heir of Gorecki and Eno, Skelton began the sequence as a musical investigation of history and landscape, but it has developed into a succession of sound art pieces, performances, books, and pamphlets concerned with the mapping of rural spaces in England and Ireland. This paper critically elaborates the sequence's textual work, situating Skelton's music within his writing and within the historical and archival concerns that repeatedly emerge through his work. These concerns include the nature of biography and of the human within the landscape, the tenuous nature of sound, the question of historical naming, and the relationship of the land to the dead. Landings raises significant questions about archival practice and the relationships between material locations and art. This paper asks whether Skelton's work delineates something specific about archives and human identity, and whether these identities and the archives of history can be located materially.


In this article a possibility of application of the ultrasonic non-contact method for assessing the quality of yogurt was researched. A prediction assessment was made by an ultrasound based on four parameters – pH, conductivity, fat content, and viscosity. An ultrasonic device was developed to determine the parameters of yoghurt by modified ultrasound sensor available commercially. In order to obtain data for post-processing, a software application was designed for recognizing the ultrasonic signal through the image processing and analysis techniques. The developed algorithms and procedures were applied to determine the distance between the object and the sensor, whereby basic physico-chemical parameters of yogurt could be predicted with the lowest relative error. The working distance was 35 cm for the considered system. The survey results show that the parameters fat content, pH, conductivity, and viscosity of yogurt could be predicted by the proposed system for contactless measurement with accuracy of 94-97%.


An ab initio one-pot synthesis of the bimetallic clusters [Au nAg44- n(SC6H3F2)30]4- (abbreviated (AuAg)44; n ≤ 12) is reported. The mixed-metal (AuAg)44 clusters, synthesized with different reactant Au/Ag ratios, exhibit a fractal-like distribution, suggesting that nucleation of the icosahedral core is a fractal growth process. X-ray crystallographic studies provided unambiguous evidence that the doped Au atoms occupy the icosahedral sites and the maximal doping is 12. The number of Au atoms ( n) in [Au nAg44- n(SR)30]4- (SR = SC6H3F2) can be continuously tuned from 0 to 12. A three-way correspondence between single-crystal structure, MS, and UV-vis is established, thereby facilitating future identification (finger-printing) of the alloy [Au nAg44- n(SR)30]4- clusters. The temperature, solvent, and temporal effects in the synthesis were also investigated.


This paper presents a process study on the evolution of new ventures. We adopt the theoretical lens of "archetypes," which allows us to take a holistic perspective on new venture evolution and to provide rich insights into the interdependencies between the multiple contributory factors that shape the evolutionary process. Our analysis identifies three distinct "venture archetypes," which typically emphasize one focal area of a business, and it sheds light on the sequencing of these archetypes. We show how the case ventures go through interarchetype transitions, which are triggered by collective cognitive dissonance between the venture leaders' understanding of the old interpretive scheme and the emerging reality and are resolved through internal negotiations. The research provides insights into new venture evolution, the theory of organizational archetypes, and punctuated equilibrium perspectives on organizational change.


Abstract The new species Iotonchus lotilabiatus n. sp. from Bat Xat Nature reserve in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam is described and the molecular data (18S and 28S rDNA) are given. Females of the new species are characterized by large body size (L = 3.8-5.2 mm); barrel shaped buccal cavity of large size (41–54×70–89 µm) with dorsal tooth apex located 22 to 23.5% of buccal cavity length from its base; reproductive system didelphic-amphidelphic, vagina long, corresponding almost half of body width at the vulva with distinct parrefringens vaginae, sclerotized and triangulated pieces in optical section; tail long filiform, ventrally arcuate, with three small caudal glands in tandem and prominent terminal spinneret. Males with spicules 119 to 148 µm in length, and slender, slightly curved gubernaculum, 39 to 44 µm long and with 13 to 14 ventromedian supplements. The new species Iotonchus lotilabiatus n. sp. is closest to I. miamaensis (Khan and Araki, 2002), but differs by having larger size of body length and buccal cavity, lower position of dorsal tooth apex; longer female tail with lower c but higher c′ ratios and the presence of advulval cuticular structures.


Objective Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was introduced to China in 2004 to reduce the harm of injecting drug users (IDUs). However, little is known about continued drug use, especially methamphetamine (MAMP), among MMT patients. Methods A survey was conducted among patients attending five major MMT clinics in Dehong Prefecture in 2014 to investigate the heroin and MAMP use and their associated risk factors. Participants were administered with face-to-face interviews, and urine tests for morphine and MAMP. Results A total of 2,121 were eligible and participated in the study. Among them, 220 (10.4%) were only positive for morphine, 12.9% were only positive for MAMP, and 196 (9.2%) were positive for both morphine and MAMP. Compared with neither use of heroin nor MAMP during MMT, heroin use (not using MAMP) was associated with ethnicity, shorter duration of MMT, lower dose of methadone, and having had no more than two sex partners in the past year; MAMP use (not using heroin) was associated with ethnicity, longer duration of MMT, higher dose of methadone and being aged <30 years (vs. ≥50 years); use of both heroin and MAMP was associated with being Dai minority (vs. Han), a marital status of divorced or widowed, having used drugs for ≥10 years and shorter duration of MMT. Conclusion These findings indicate the complexity in the treatment of heroin users and underscore the importance in prescribing appropriate methadone dosages in order to reduce both heroin and MAMP use.


Dome C, Antarctica is a prime site for astronomical observations in terms of climate, wind speeds, turbulence, and infrared and terahertz sky backgrounds (for example, see Aristidi et al. 2005; Storey et al. 2005). However, at present little is known about the optical sky brightness and atmospheric extinction. Using a variety of modelling techniques, together with data from the South Pole, the brightness of the night sky at Dome C is estimated in Kenyon & Storey (2006) including the contributions from scattered sunlight, moonlight, aurorae, airglow, zodiacal light, integrated starlight, diffuse Galactic light and artificial sources. The results are compared to Mauna Kea, Hawaii. We summarise the main conclusions.


This article deals with a new model for the M/G/1 retrial queue. We consider the process (M(t),N(t)) where M(t) is the total number of arrivals from the last departure until time t and N(t) is the number of customers in orbit at time t. We obtain the generating function together with a recurrent formula for factorial moments in the steady state. Limit behavior under heavy traffic is also studied. We use this process to get an estimator of the parameter of retrial and obtain its accuracy by solving some linear differential equations. We also give some numerical examples.


We propose a potentially practical scheme for implementing an n-qubit Toffoli gate by elaborately controlling the transport of ultracold ions through stationary laser beams. Conditioned on the uniform ionic transport velocity, the n-qubit Toffoli gate can be realized with high fidelity and high successful probability under current experimental conditions,which depends on a single resonant interaction with n trapped ions and has constant implementation time with the increase of qubits. We show that the increase of the ion number can improve the fidelity and the successful probability of the Toffoli gate.


The Unquestioned Images of Lab Coats in Postmodernism. David A. Kirby. Lab Coats in Hollywood: Science, Scientists, and Cinema. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 2011. 265 pp. ISBN 9780262014786. $28 he.Reviewed by Derek RichardOne of the most prevalent themes of postmodern culture is the reliance on the image. Postmodern scholars such as Jean Baudrillard have even gone so far as to suggest that the image has distorted our perception of reality. Moreover, Jean-Francios Lyotard argues that capitalism's emergence with science has played a large role in shaping postmodernism. If the image and commoditized science are indeed significant cultural themes, then a commercial technology that creates images for the masses demands attention. Cinema-and, above all, science fiction cinema-is especially relevant here because both the form and the content of the sf film embody the postmodern combination of the image and commoditized science. In other words, both the technological apparatus of cinema and the subject matter of sf films play a crucial role in shaping public perception.In Lab Coats in Hollywood, author David A. Kirby attempts to delineate this process by looking at the relations between sf cinema and technology as a source of an ideological imagination. Kirby sheds light on the relationship between the entertainment industry and science culture by analyzing the role of the science consultant on Hollywood films. Throughout the ten-chapter text the author transitions from highlighting the specific duties of a Hollywood science consultant on recent big budget sf films such as The Day After Tomorrow (2004) to addressing more ideological issues such as the dissemination of scientific knowledge, film's role in fostering scientific research, and filmic conceptual devices such as "technoscientific imaginary" and "diegetic prototypes" 14). "Ultimately," Kirby writes, "my interest as a science studies scholar is to understand how representations and narratives in entertainment media impact scientific culture" (15).In the first third of his book Kirby discusses the duties of the science consultant, whose primary responsibility on a typical Hollywood film is to achieve realism. Kirby cites Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) as a pivotal film that set the precedent for filmmakers using science experts for authenticity and verisimilitude: "A glance at the list of organizations contributing scientific and technical advice for 2001 dwarfs such input for any other film before or since" (2). Kirby transitions from citing examples of films that used science consultants to addressing the implications of verisimilitude in the media. "Virtual mass media's reality effect is a double-edged sword as it allows people to virtually witness science but it can also lead to questioning what is real" (28). His discussion of realism becomes even more interesting when he points out that a science consultant's work on a film often directly affects the science culture. For example, after his work on Armageddon (1998), science consultant Chris Gilman was hired by NASA to "design and manufacture a prototype External-Vehicular-Activity space suit to be used for real space walks" (91).The second part of the book deals with the relationship between films and scientific knowledge. It is in this section that readers gain the most insight into the persuasive potentialities of cinema. Kirby specifically discusses how films play a vital role in dealing with scientific information that is "in flux." For instance, Jurassic Park (1993) significantly impacted the debate concerning the genealogy of dinosaurs. One of the film's most salient features is that the dinosaurs are portrayed as having similarities to birds, not reptiles. This is no accident. Jurassic Park's science consultant was Jack Horner, one of the leading theorists on the bird-dinosaur debate at the time. …


The influence of mineralogical composition, saturating ions, and electrolyte concentration on the flocculation and dispersion behavior of various clay minerals was used to explain reductions in the hydraulic conductivity observed in many sodic soils containing little or no expandable clay minerals. Sodium-saturated clay minerals were found to differ in their sensitivity to flocculation by NaHCO3 in the decreasing order: illite, vermiculite, smectite, and kaolinite. Critical salt concentrations (CSC) were 185, 58, 28 to 60, and 8 me/liter, respectively, for the above clays. Very low concentrations of CaCl2 or MgCl2, on the order of 1 me/liter or less, were required to flocculate Ca- or Mg-saturated clays. At a sodium adsorption ratio of 15, CSCs were several times greater than those for CaCl2 or MgCl2. A small amount of smectite, possibly deposited on positively charged edges of kaolinite, was responsible for large increases in CSC values of kaolinite. The flocculation behavior of soil clays extracted from four California soils was influenced by their mineralogical composition, similar to the patterns observed for reference clay minerals.


Agriculture is a business issue that has long existed and will likely continue to exist throughout the ages. Similarly, on the issue of agricultural land use chrysanthemum that needs to be developed method of analysis using technology approach and computer science. This research intends to analyze and develop effective and efficient methods of chrysanthemum land use. The satellite imagery data covering pre-processing, processing and post processing in this research is mostly done with QGIS software. Satelite image used in this research is LANDSAT 8 OLI and band used are band 6, bang 5, band 2 and band 8. Stages of working this research include image cutting in the research area of all bands and all temporal images involved in research, pansharpening using "Orfeo toolbox", image classification with "semi-automatic clasification", then completed with analysis of land use change using "molusce". The result of this research is spatio-temporal data of two images of land use chrysanthemum in April 2017 and August 2017. The result of mathematical research is a statistical table of changes of agricultural land use on two temporal of image used as research object. In addition to the two results of the analysis data, this study also describes the digital image analysis method of agricultural land use chrysanthemum which is expected to be useful for remote sensing research on other research object or extension to this research.


Background COVID-19 epidemic has lasted for nearly 3 years, and revolutionized social life. In the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with Chinese undergraduate students to explore their understanding and experience of meaning in life. Meaning of life is interpreted from four aspects: life goals, life value, life enthusiasm, and life freedom. These four aspects are independent yet interrelated. Based on the free grasp of life, individuals explore and pursue the true meaning of life goals, acquire life value in evaluating the completion of life goals, and subsequently experience enthusiasm for life. Life enthusiasm and the perception of life value can help individuals to further understand and possess their meaning of life. Materials and methods The present study adopts the qualitative method to understand the experience of meaning in life among Chinese undergraduate students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and six people participated the study. The Grounded Theory was adopted to analyze the qualitative data. Results (1) Chinese undergraduates had clear life goals and obtained a certain sense of achievement and satisfaction when striving for these goals. (2) The life value of Chinese undergraduates was mainly to their families, but there was also a willingness to make due contributions to the country and society. (3) Chinese undergraduates' feelings about life were polarized, but they all expressed the view of "living in the moment and cherishing the present." (4) Chinese undergraduate students see life freedom as freedom of choice and generally believed that COVID-19 did not restrict their lives very much. (5) Chinese undergraduate students gained a deeper understanding of meaning in life after this major public health emergency.


Enzyme-immobilized magnetic microparticles (EMMP) have been prepared for use as a microreactor in flow injection analysis (FI). The microparticles were directly injected into the FI system. Their retention occurred within the flow line by small permanent magnets located near the detector. The analytical utility of this concept was illustrated by the assay of glucose using glucose oxidase (GOx), immobilized microparticles, and amperometric detection of liberated hydrogen peroxide. The microparticles were derived from silica gel (nominal pore diameter, 15-80 nm) by impregnation with a citric acid/ethanol solution and a ferric nitrate/ethanol solution and then by calcination in a nitrogen atmosphere to produce ferrimagnetic fine particles of spinel-type iron oxide (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) inside the pore. They were characterized by X-ray diffraction. The calibration curve of the glucose sample (2 microL injected) was linear between 2.5 x 10(-6) and 5 x 10(-4) mol/L (R = 0.9995), and the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-6) mol/L or 0.36 ng of injected glucose (S/N = 3). The repeatability for a 5 x 10(-4) mol/L glucose solution was RSD = 1.5% (n = 6). Application to the assay of glucose in a fermentation broth is illustrated. The GOx MMP were stable and active for more than eight months when kept at 10 degrees C.


An analysis of the results in the provision of public education under different institutional contexts is carried out for Colombia where, during the decentralization process, different degrees of autonomy to manage education public expenditures have coexisted. The analysis is undertaken by using frontier analysis techniques, which allow us to estimate cost and production functions, in order to determine differences in costs and technical efficiency in the provision of education across regions. The results show that the strength of decentralization had a more positive impact on increasing enrollment than on the improvement of the quality of education. It was also found, that high levels of cost and production inefficiency are present in different regions of the country, implying that savings in public expenditure and better educational results could be achieved if all local authorities could operate at the most efficient level.


Introduction:Self-management in COPD aims to ensure that timely intervention is provided at exacerbation. Our project aim was to create a plan to use in primary and secondary care to streamline the management of COPD patients. Methods:20 patients with COPD were asked structured questions about medication use, information presentation, exacerbation recognition and management. A focus group was held to discuss content, structure, and cost of the plan. A draft version was piloted with COPD inpatients. Time taken to explain and complete the plan and patient feedback was recorded. Results:Structured questionnaires-20 patients, 11 male, Mean age 70 (49-86). 70% did not have an existing medication prompt, 25% prompted by daily tasks, 5% by family. 50% preferred information in text, 20% pictures, 30% both. Exacerbation symptoms in 60% included breathlessness, 30% cough, 20% lethargy, 15% chest tightness, 10% reduced appetite, 5% panic. 25% did not understand the term exacerbation. When managing an exacerbation, 40% rested, 40% took medication, 25% called for help, 10% did breathing exercises. 10% didn't know what to do. 5% already had a written plan. Contact in an exacerbation in 30% was paramedics, 25% family doctor, 15% community nurse, 15% family, 10% nobody, 5% NHS direct. 25% relied on others to call for help. Pilot: Mean time to explain/complete the plan 6.5 minutes (4.5-9). Feedback was positive overall. Conclusion:The process of developing the self-management plan has given insight into existing experiences of COPD management and highlighted gaps in knowledge. It is hoped the integrated approach will unify the care pathway for COPD patients locally.


ABSTRACT Light from a tungsten filament source is passed through sections of sediment 1 to 6 mm thick. Transmitted infrared radiation is recorded by an ordinary camera loaded with infrared sensitive film. Sediments are generally more transparent to infrared radiation than to white light. For this reason, infrared photographs reveal sedimentary structures that are difficult or impossible to resolve with the visible spectrum. Infrared film can detect subtle differences in density, composition, and texture. This technique is best applied to relatively clean, sand-sized sediments because of their high infrared transparency.


Abstract Mobile elements (MEs), making ∼50% of primate genomes, are known to be responsible for generating inter- and intra-species genomic variations and play important roles in genome evolution and gene function. Using a bioinformatics comparative genomics approach, we performed analyses of species-specific MEs (SS-MEs) in eight primate genomes from the families of Hominidae and Cercopithecidae, focusing on retrotransposons. We identified a total of 230,855 SS-MEs, with which we performed normalization based on evolutionary distances, and we also analyzed the most recent SS-MEs in these genomes. Comparative analysis of SS-MEs reveals striking differences in ME transposition among these primate genomes. Interesting highlights of our results include: 1) the baboon genome has the highest number of SS-MEs with a strong bias for SINEs, while the crab-eating macaque genome has a sustained extremely low transposition for all ME classes, suggesting the existence of a genome-wide mechanism suppressing ME transposition; 2) while SS-SINEs represent the dominant class in general, the orangutan genome stands out by having SS-LINEs as the dominant class; 3) the human genome stands out among the eight genomes by having the largest number of recent highly active ME subfamilies, suggesting a greater impact of ME transposition on its recent evolution; and 4) at least 33% of the SS-MEs locate to genic regions, including protein coding regions, presenting significant potentials for impacting gene function. Our study, as the first of its kind, demonstrates that mobile elements evolve quite differently among these primates, suggesting differential ME transposition as an important mechanism in primate evolution.


An important aspect of managing service-oriented grid environments is management of agreement relationships between service providers and their customers. The key concept in addressing these agreements is service level agreement. In this paper we motivate the need for SLA lifecycle management in services grid and present results of our analysis on functional and non-functional requirements. Afterwards the state of the art in managing service level agreements is revisited by a comprehensive evaluation of current efforts and their respective strength and weaknesses in service level agreement lifecycle management systems. The results of this evaluation have been applied to the development of the open management platform Adaptive Service Grid which is an EU founded research project.


A critical-state model has been used to calculate the magnetic response of a superconducting sample to an applied a.c. magnetic field. The analysis has been performed for both a cylindrical and a slab geometry and evaluated up to the tenth harmonic. It is shown that standard expressions derived using the critical-state model which relate the critical current density to the d.c. magnetic moment can be used in a.c. measurements to within an accuracy of by replacing the term for the d.c. magnetic moment by , where is the minimum lossless rms magnetic moment; the apparent penetration of the field beyond the centre of the sample (i.e. an overshoot) found in flux penetration measurements is an artifact of the analysis and cannot be used as direct evidence for granularity. Flux penetration measurements on non-granular NbTi from 4.2 K up to in magnetic fields up to 10 T are presented which provide good agreement with calculations.


Drift waves are destabilized by the ionization of neutrals at the plasma edge and stabilized by electron Landau damping. The transport equations, the "Ansatz" Qe* ∝ Γe*Te (where Qe*, respectively Γe*, is the electron heat, respectively the particle flux) and the mode's marginal stability condition form a self-contained set for the determination of the edge temperature and density profiles. The electron temperature at the separatrix and the particle confinement time are also obtained and compared to experimental values; the particle confinement time, in particular, is very close to the heuristic energy confinement time of Kaye-Goldston. If it is further assumed that energy and particle exhausts are along the open field lines of a magnetic island belt associated with the instability and intersecting the last closed equilibrium magnetic surface, then the theory provides an estimate of the level of the magnetic component of the mode, which is also compared to some experimental data, and a scenario for equilibrium bifurcation. Independently from the details of the transport mechanism, the bifurcation can, quite generally, be associated with the positive (∝ Te3/2) dependence of electron Landau damping on temperature.


Abstract This paper explains how to manage a mobile network within a physical space to achieve specific objectives of the user and their environment. The mobile networks enrich the user experience, improve the management of environmental resources and increase user interaction with their environment. Intelligent environments have various definitions depending on the context in which they are treated. From the mobile networks point of view, the intelligent environments are spaces plenty of embedded systems to create interactive spaces for its users and to enhance the activity of ordinary people. Within an intelligent environment must be considered communication between intelligent autonomous systems, intelligent personal devices, management information systems, mobile devices, etc.


Rectangular cross-section bismuth nanowires with dimensions of 50 nm by 70–200 nm (thickness by width) were fabricated using an electron beam writing technique. Individual nanowire measurement is possible using this method. The resistivities of the 50 nm thick nanowires were dependent on line width. The measured resistivity of 70, 120 and 200 nm wide nanowires was 4.05 × 10−3, 2.87 × 10−3 and 2.30 × 10−3 Ω cm at 300 K respectively. Temperature-dependent resistance measurements indicated that the electrical conductivity of the Bi nanowires was carrier dependent, and the carrier density decreased at low temperature, showing that the all the Bi nanowires exhibited semiconductor behaviour. The size-dependent resistivity of the Bi nanowires was an indication of the ordinary size effect in the one-dimensional nanowire, where the carrier mobility was grain boundary scattering dominated.


Diseases of poplar caused by the native fungal pathogen Sphaerulina musiva and related species are of growing concern, particularly with the increasing interest in intensive poplar plantations to meet growing energy demands. Sphaerulina musiva is able to cause infection on leaves, resulting in defoliation and canker formation on stems. To gain a greater understanding of the different responses of poplar species to infection caused by the naturally co-evolved Sphaerulina species, RNA-seq was conducted on leaves of Populus deltoides, P. balsamifera and P. tremuloides infected with S. musiva, S. populicola and a new undescribed species, Ston1, respectively. The experiment was designed to contain the pathogen in a laboratory environment, while replicating disease development in commercial plantations. Following inoculation, trees were monitored for disease symptoms, pathogen growth and host responses. Genes involved in phenylpropanoid, terpenoid and flavonoid biosynthesis were generally upregulated in P. balsamifera and P. tremuloides, while cell wall modification appears to play an important role in the defense of P. deltoides. Poplar defensive genes were expressed early in P. balsamifera and P. tremuloides, but their expression was delayed in P. deltoides, which correlated with the rate of disease symptoms development. Also, severe infection in P. balsamifera led to leaf abscission. This data gives an insight into the large differences in timing and expression of genes between poplar species being attacked by their associated Sphaerulina pathogen.


We experimentally and numerically investigate the quantum accelerator mode dynamics of an atom optical realization of the quantum delta-kicked accelerator, whose classical dynamics are chaotic. Using a Ramsey-type experiment, we observe interference, demonstrating that quantum accelerator modes are formed coherently. We construct a link between the behavior of the evolution's fidelity and the phase space structure of a recently proposed pseudoclassical map, and thus account for the observed interference visibilities.


OF GENDER IN JUVENILE SIBERIAN STURGEON (ACIPENSER BAERII) by JENNIFER LYNN MUNHOFEN (Under the Direction of Stephen J. Divers) ABSTRACT Early gender identification is essential in order to preferentially raise greater numbers of female sturgeon (Acipenseridae) for caviar production in aquaculture facilities. As many freeranging species of sturgeon are threatened or endangered, the ability to confirm gender antemortem can be critically important for conservation and recovery projects. The goal of this study was to compare the accuracy of non-invasive ultrasonography and minimally-invasive endoscopy for the identification in 140, three and four-year-old Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), against the gold standard of gonadal biopsy and histology. Histology confirmed the gender for 128/140 (91.4%) fish. Histology and endoscopy agreed on the gender of 124/128 (96.9%) fish. Histology and ultrasonography agreed on 113/128 (88.3%) fish. Ultrasonography was significantly faster than endoscopy (11.8s versus 21.9s respectively). Endoscopy was more invasive but more accurate. The minor reduction in accuracy associated with non-invasive ultrasonography may be an acceptable trade-off in aquaculture and free-ranging applications.


The Enchanted Castle tells the story of Jerry, Jimmy and Cathy, three children who discover a magical castle occupied by an invisible princess, and enter a world full of magic and adventure. Specially written for children whose reading ability is beginning to grow as part of the Usborne Young Reading Programme.


Introduction: Cognitive impairment and personality changes following brain tumors may be due to frontal network disruption. The effects of different tumor components such as residual tumor size, gliosis, edema and encephalomalacia on frontal behavior syndromes is unknown. The aim of our study was to determine the relation between tumor components and apathy, disinihibition and executive dysfunction, using the FrSBe, a standardized rating scale. Methods: 31 brain tumor patients who completed the FrSBe were included. Questionnaires were scored and raw scores converted to T-scores (mean 50, SD 10) according to published norms. Using OsiRIX, brain lesions were manually segmented on the Fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence into residual tumor, gliosis, edema and encephalomalacia. Spearman correlations were used to determine the relationship between tumor components and frontal behaviors as measured by FrSBe scores. Results: Clinically significant levels of Apathy were endorsed on the patient self-report and family-rating scales of the FrSBe (mean T-scoreᄆ SD: 65.19ᄆ 17.28 and 68.75ᄆ 17.57, respectively). Self-reported Executive Dysfunction was also clinically significant (68.16ᄆ 14.63). Encephalomalacia was positively correlated with family ratings of Apathy (r=0.491; p<0.045), Disinhibition (r=0.532; p<0.034), and Executive Dysfunction (r=0.583; p<0.018). None of the other features of the brain lesions showed correlations with the FrSBe. Conclusion: Family ratings of three frontal behaviors are correlated with encephalomalacia in brain tumor patients. Our results suggest that tumor components have differential effects on frontal circuits. Systematic assessment of these behaviors in brain tumor patients may provide better understanding of these differential effects, and have implications for treatment.


【This study was carried out to improve the method of tapping sap from Betula platyphylla Sukatschev, Betula costata Trautv., Betula schmidtii Regel, Betula davurica Pallas, Betula ermanii Cham, Acer mono Maxim and Acer pseudo-sieboldianum Kom and to use it to natural drinks. The mal or results are as follows: 1. It is no difference of the amount of sap by tapping methods and species of trees. The larger D.B.H. is, the more amount of sap can be gotten. So we thought that the best tapping method is hole-drilling to prevent trees from damage. 2. Sap contains sugars and mineral materials. Birches have glucose and fructose, much more mineral materials than maples. Sugar of maples is mainly sucrose. 3. We assume that mineral materials of birches are effective to urination, to make a stong dody and sucrose of maples is effective to recover from one's fatigue by controlling the blood sugar. 4. In vacuum packing after sterilizing the sap in low temperature, it could be stored more 1 year. So, it is possible that sap will be commercialized.】


Background: Hymenoptera stings are one of the common causes of anaphylaxis. The prevalence of systemic allergic reactions seems to be higher in highly exposed populations such as beekeepers and individuals receiving live bee acupuncture (LBA). However, there are a very few of studies on venom allergy in these populations. We performed two observational studies to describe the characteristics and risk factors of venom allergy in beekeepers and the LBA population.Methods: A total of 99 beekeepers and 127 individuals receiving live bee acupuncture were interviewed. Skin prick tests were performed on subjects with suspected bee venom allergy.Results: The prevalence of bee venom allergy was 34.3% among beekeepers and 29.0% in the LBA population. Systemic reactions occurred in 11.3% of the LBA population, and 28.3% of beekeepers. For beekeepers with exposure to 2-4 stings per year and ≥5 stings per year, the risk for developing venom allergy increased to 6.745-fold (95% CI 2.139-21.266) and 42.297-fold (95% CI 7.060-253.399) respectively, compared to the ≤1 sting per year group. Conversely, in the LBA population, compared to frequency ≤2 LBA stings per week, the adjusted OR of venom allergy was 0.281 (95% CI 0.075-1.047) and 0.166 (95% CI 0.045-0.612) for frequency 3-6 LBA stings per week and ≥7 stings per week respectively. The knowledge of adrenaline and venom immunotherapy was limited in both beekeepers and traditional doctors.Conclusion: The frequency of stings with high risk for bee venom allergy was >4/year in beekeepers and <3/week in the LBA population. The education on anaphylaxis management should be strengthened.


A Conceptual Design and Aerodynamic Study of Business Jet BWB Aircraft is carried out focusing on BWB Aerodynamics, including Wing Planform Configuration and profiles, and their relationship to the Design Requirements and Objectives. Possible Configuration Variants, Mission profile, Flight Envelope requirements, performance, stability, as well as the influence of propulsion configuration and noise considerations of BWB aircrafts are considered and elaborated. Parametric study performed on wing planform, thickness, and twist optimization, with design variables including overall span plus chord, sweep, thickness, and twist at several stations along the span of the wing prior to more structured optimization scheme. Considerations are also given to range, trim, structural design, maximum lift, stability, control power, weight and balance. A statistical study and review on prevailing market demand lead to the choice of a candidate of conventional Subsonic Business Jet, which will be used as a baseline for the aerodynamic and configuration conceptual design. The chosen business jet accommodates 10 passengers as a baseline. Some aerodynamic and performance improvement is then carried out through parametric study to arrive at the best solution meeting the design requirements and objectives. Index Term-Aerodynamic, Aircraft Conceptual Design, Blended-Wing-Body, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Hybrid-


The Earth sciences have played a key role in understanding the origins and subsequent development of the first American cultures ("Paleoindians"), a broad and often contentious topic in archaeology. Geoarchaeological approaches used to understand the peopling of North America are equally broad at a range of spatial scales. At subcontinental scales, geoarchaeological research revolves around lowered seas levels and fluctuating glacier margins. Modeling sea‐level changes and the high‐precision dating of ice retreat over Canada is helping to understand the environmental conditions, route(s), and timing of the earliest human entry into and colonization of North America. Stratigraphy, a fundamental principle in both archaeology and geology, first established the antiquity and chronology of the earliest artifact assemblages by demonstrating clear association of artifacts and Pleistocene fauna. Many Paleoindian sites also yielded stratigraphic records with evidence of markedly different depositional environments in the past. The ancient fauna and the striking contrasts between past and present depositional environments has long attracted the attention of archaeologists and Earth scientists alike because of the paleoenvironmental implications. Reconstructing the evolution of paleo‐lakes and paleo‐wetlands is aiding in the understanding of ancient landscapes and their evolution. These landscape‐scale studies and micromorphology also provide insights into Paleoindian subsistence.


Yeast enolase (2-phospho-D-glycerate hydrolyase, E.C. 188.8.131.52) has been crystallized by vapor diffusion from a solution containing 22% PEG 4000, 100 mM Tris buffer pH = 9.3, 200 mM Li(2)SO(4). The crystals are monoclinic with a = 122.5, b = 111.8, c = 63.7 A, beta = 95.6 degrees, space group P2(1) and two dimeric molecules are present in an asymmetric part of the unit cell. Crystals have been successfully transferred to an artificial mother liquor, pH = 7.8, 20 mM in Mg(2+) and 5 mM in 2-phospho-D-glycerate. We believe that under these lower salt concentration and more alkaline conditions we should be able to localize the two metal ions that participate in catalysis as well as examine binding of high-affinity inhibitors.


Optic disc drusen are the inherited changes, which occur in about 0.3% of the population. The optic discs of patients with drusen characteristically show a lumpy, bumpy border and bright irregular deposits. Drusen are generally asymptomatic, but in some cases visual defects occur. B-scan sonography, fluorescein angiography and computed tomography are the best imaging procedures for diagnosing of the optic disc drusen. Drusen are quite often associated with various vascular anomalies and complications. Patients with retinitis pigmentosa and angioid streaks have a higher prevalance of drusen. Although, no effective treatment of optic disc drusen has been established, regular examinations should be carried out in order, to recognize accompanying complications. This paper presents current knowledge on the pathogenesis, diagnostics, vascular changes and disorders associated with the optic disc drusen, as well as on their complications and management.


Adolescents are at risk and need serious attention, especially in sexuality in the development of adolescent life. Premarital sexual in Indonesia from time to time is very worrying. Nowadays teens consider premarital sexual as a normal and normal thing to do. Adolescent attitudes affect the behavior carried out.This study reveals the relationship of self-control with attitudes toward premarital sexual initiation of adolescence. This study uses the correlational method and data collected from a sample of 277 students, which were found using proportional random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a self-control scale (23 valid items, = 0.876), and a scale of adolescent attitudes about pre-wedding sexual behavior (25 valid items = 0.913). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, because to describe the object studied through the sample as it is. The results show that there is a negative and significant relationship between self-control and attitudes towards premarital sexual initiation of adolescence. It can be concluded that the higher the self control of students eating the lower the attitude of students towards premarital sexual initiation of adolescence.


We herein report the case of a 75-year-old male who had shown many psychiatric symptoms, but whose autopsy disclosed the presence of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). When he was 70 years old, the patient had presented with stereotyped behavior, dietary changes, and a decline in social interpersonal conduct in clinical settings, and it was thought that these symptoms were consistent with a behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), and he lacked the core features of DLB. Nevertheless, this case was pathologically defined as the limbic type of DLB after he died at the age of 75 years. Looking retrospectively at the clinical course, it was considered that the following features were suggestive or supportive of DLB: neuroleptic sensitivity, autonomic symptoms, and psychiatric symptoms. It can be presumed that the bvFTD-like behavioral disturbances were caused by the severe Lewy pathology of the locus ceruleus (LC) and left anterior temporal region. The clinical symptoms of DLB might be more multifarious than has conventionally been thought, because the symptoms can be modified by the pathological spread of DLB within the brain. It is important to be aware of these possible symptoms of DLB so as not to overlook the diagnosis in the clinical setting.
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Impairment of the autonomic nervous system is frequently detectable in diabetic patients. Symptoms and signs are less often observed but if present may be very important with regard to quality of life, metabolic control, and prognosis. Currently used methods to detect disturbances of the autonomic innervation of the cardiovascular system are easily performed, noninvasive, reliable and reproducible. They are not very time consuming and require only standard technical equipment allowing the quick identification of patients at risk. Damage of the cardiovascular autonomic nerve function may explain apparently disparate complaints and signs, i.e. orthostatic hypotension, painless myocardial ischemia, complications during anesthesia, postprandial hypotension and development of the diabetic food syndrome. The diagnosis of asymptomatic cardiovascular neuropathy should always induce attempts to intensify diabetes treatment because better metabolic control may improve or at least stop deterioration of nerve function.


High-resolution core-level and valence band x-ray photoemission spectroscopy measurements were performed on perovskite oxide powders synthesized for applications in solid-oxide fuel cells by high-temperature solid-state reaction (x = 0.3 and 0.19) and by room-temperature mechanical activation of the precursors (x = 0.3). A structure in the valence band at about 1 eV below the Fermi level was clearly observed and assigned to the emission from the Mn 3d-derived states, thereby allowing the extraction of information about correlation effects in this type of material. Both the core-level and valence band spectral features were found to be independent of the choice of synthesis route. This finding indicates that mechanical activation, due to its lower synthesis temperature, can represent a valid alternative method of synthesis allowing a better control of the microstructure.


The localization of the major cytomegalovirus glycoprotein, both in the viral particle and in the cell membrane, was studied by means of indirect immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy using a guinea pig anti-glycoprotein hyperimmune serum recently obtained by Gonczol et al. [1986]. By indirect immunofluorescence a slight and uneven positivity was observed on the plasma membrane of unfixed cells starting from 72 h postinfection (p.i.) until the end of our observation time (7 days p.i.). At immunoelectron microscopy the plasma membrane proved positive only where the virus and dense bodies budded through the membrane to form their own envelope. Extracellular viral particles (both viruses and dense bodies) appeared very strongly labeled on the external surface.


Fair trials are universal principles included in various international human rights instruments, procedural law and professional codes of conduct that guide judges in analyzing, hearing and deciding cases. Identifying these isntruments enables us to assess the presence or absence of a fair trial. On this basis, the researcher formulates the research problems in the study as follows: first, what is the tendency of violation of the Code and the Judicial Code of Conduct (KE PPH)? Second, what is the tendency of the recommended sanction and sentence for the period of 9 (nine) years of KY (2005-2014)? This research is classified as non doctrinal legal research with socio-legal approach. The study concluded that: first, for the first five-year period, there are no significant increasing trend of case reports, while during the second five years there was a significant raise of case report. Meanwhile, the most region with most case reports is Jakarta Special Region. The most common type of violations of KE PPH is the unprofessional, undisciplined, unfair and dishonest behavior of the judge. Second, as with types of sanctions the moderate sanctions and medium sanctions are highly dominant. Meanwhile severe sanctions in the form of dishonorable discharge, dismissal with pension rights and unofficial sanction for 1-2 years is likely to increase from year to year.


This paper presented the main characteristics of hardware-software architecture for controlling the autonomous mobile robot RTT. This vehicle is a rover-type research prototype with a six-wheel Rocker-Bogie suspension, which operates in rough terrain under arbitrary conditions. The whole system is designed by a scalable paradigm, and provides high degree of hardware-software modularity, to allow easy reconfiguration and adaption for new tasks. The hardware architecture, has a dedicated computer based in OS Linux, where all the functions of the vehicle are controlled using modular data acquisition systems and hardware drivers to interface sensors and actuators. The software architecture uses a collection of several concurrent asynchronous threads using the JDE-Robot middleware. Schemas provides hardware abstraction layer HAL, TCP/IP communications and components for intelligent behaviors. Also, a SSH server is used to communicate the remote station to monitor and programming all vehicle functions. The architecture has been tested obtaining good results, controlling the robot performance and managing the procedure of capturing, processing, and delivering all sensory information. Keywords— Robotics, Mobile Robot, Rover, Software Architecture, Hardware Architecture, JDERobot.


The impact of maternal depression on child development has been widely studied. It has been understood based mainly on an interactionist theoretical framework, focusing on the mother-infant interaction quality. Depressive mothers' interactive behaviours tend to be characterized as either intrusive or withdrawn. For the authors, both styles may have a negative impact on infant development because the stimulation and modulation of the state of alertness offered by the mother are inadequate for the infant's emotional regulation. Little is known about the impact of maternal interactive styles on the development of the infant's exploratory behaviour during the first year of life. Therefore, the present study aims to theoretically reflect on the infant's emotional development and, in particular, on the infant's exploratory behaviour in the context of maternal depression. Initially, some studies on mother-infant interaction and the social Rev Bras Cresc Desenv Hum 2005;15(2):69-81 8 0 Cristiane Alfaya, et al. emotional development in the first year of life are described. Empirical studies on infant development in the context of maternal depression are then highlighted, and finally, empirical studies on mother-infant interactive behaviours in the context of maternal depression are discussed. The development of the infant's exploratory behaviour is understood based on theoretical perspectives which highlight the infant's sense of competence and voluntary control, as well as manual, tactile and visual exploration, directed attention, demonstrations of preference and curiosity, locomotion capacity, environment exploration behaviours, and cooperation. The importance of considering maternal behaviour for better understanding the development of the infant's exploratory behaviour comes from the idea that the mother needs to present permissiveness and encouragement regarding the infant's behaviour, stimulating the infant's sense of competence and voluntary control so that he/she can separate and become secure to explore the environment. Similarly, the continuous expression of the maternal feeling of confidence and expectation during the infant's exploratory behaviours is fundamental to the development and maintenance of the infant's exploratory behaviours, which is independent of the maternal depressive symptomatology.


Magnetic resonance first-pass imaging of a bolus of contrast agent is well adapted to distinguish normal and hypoperfused areas of the myocardium. In most cases, the signal intensity-time curves in user defined regions of interest (ROI) are studied. As image acquisition is ECG-gated, the images are acquired at the same moment in the cardiac cycle, and the basic shape of the heart is similar from one view to the next. However, superficial respiratory motion can displace the heart in the short-axis plane. The aim of this study is to correct for the respiratory motion of the heart by performing an automatic realignment of the myocardial ROI based on a method tracking the movement of the lung-myocardium interface. Visual and quantitative analyses performed on 120 curves show a very good concordance between the automatic methods and the manual one.


Why is it that HR specialists appear to have difficulty applying their knowledge, systems and techniques in a systematic way when it comes to professional services firms (PSFs) – particularly when the drivers for developing powerful HRM practices within such businesses seem more pressing than ever? This paper analyzes the ways HR specialists and PSF managers/partners differ in their understanding of organizations and their management. The analysis supports the argument that, while HR specialists and the discipline of HRM are governed by bureaucratic logic in their approach to management, PSF managers by contrast are driven by professional logic. This creates a number of subtle as well as explicit tensions and disconnects that will have to be tackled if the practices of HRM are to prevail in PSFs. This paper contributes to HRM literature as well as institutional theory, by applying an analysis of institutional logics to HRM practice in PSFs. The paper builds on interviews with five HR managers who have held positions in PSFs, as well as a longitudinal case study of PSF managers in one of the 'Big Four' accounting firms. The paper offers a number of tentative proposals around how HRM and PSFs might transcend the described gulf between the two approaches to management.


The intention of this study is to investigate how vehicles on highway bridges affect the seismic responses of the bridges under strong ground motions. Most highway bridge design codes do not consider the live load in the seismic design of highway bridges be-cause of the low probability of the two events of the critical live load and an earthquake occurring at the same time. As a result, little attention has been paid to the influence of vehicle loads on the seismic responses of highway bridges. However, considering the high probability of traffic jams on urban roads, it is preferable to examine and clarify the dynamic interaction effect of vehicles on road bridges while subjected to seismic loads. In this study, the vehicle-bridge-ground motion interactions are realized by combining ABAQUS and MATLAB. ABAQUS provides a GUI environment to establish the numerical bridge model and apply the seismic forces, while MATLAB provides a platform to control the iterations in both time and force increments. As a preliminary study, a simplified 3D pier-beam bridge model loaded with multiple vehicles with two degrees of freedom moving at a constant speed has been considered. When subjected to identical, strong seismic loadings, it was observed that the transverse accelerations of the bridge with moving vehicles are smaller than those without moving vehicles. Further, permanent deformation occurs after earthquakes because of yielding at the bottom of the pier; it was observed that the permanent deformations of the bridge with moving vehicles tend to be smaller than those without moving vehicles.


Introduction Asbestos-induced diffuse pleural thickening (DPT) remains a relatively common but poorly understood disease. Methods We reviewed the clinical, physiological and radiological features of patients referred to our department for assessment. Diagnosis was based on a history of asbestos exposure, chest radiographic pleural thickening with blunting of costophrenic angle, and exclusion of other likely causes of pleural disease. Results 75 patients were identified. All were male. Mean age was 65±9 years. Asbestos exposures occurred in shipyards (n=35), construction work (n=19), power stations (n=4) and other/multiple sites(n=17). Median duration of asbestos exposure was 13 years. Presentation occurred at a median of 36 years (range: 12–55 years) after onset of exposure. Pleural disease was an incidental radiological finding in 18% (n=14). 72%presented with breathlessness, 27% with chest pain, and 11% had flu-like symptoms. 40% (n=30) presented with a pleural effusion, which was suspected to be asbestos-related. Mean latency for development of pleural effusions was 31 years (range: 12–55 years). 24 of these were unilateral only, and 6 were bilateral. Right-sided effusions were five times more prevalent than left-sided effusions. After the diagnosis of a pleural effusion, DPT was noted radiologically after a median of 7 months (range: 1 month to 2 years). In 10% (n=3), the effusion persisted over a median follow-up period of 2 years. Overall, 73% (n=55) had unilateral disease at presentation and 24% (n=13) were observed to progress from unilateral to bilateral disease after a mean time of 3.1±3.6 years (range: 1 month to 13 years) after onset of disease or diagnosis. Once established, the degree of thickening remained stable in 91% (n=68). There were no significant differences in either duration of asbestos exposures or latency in patients with stable versus progressive disease. No difference in duration of asbestos exposures was also found between those with unilateral versus bilateral disease. Most patients had restrictive abnormalities on lung function testing with mean TLC 74% and mean RV 73% of predicted. Radiographic appearances correlated poorly with lung function impairment or symptom progression. Conclusion Understanding its natural history should help clinicians diagnose and manage asbestos-induced benign pleural thickening.


This paper presents an efficient method of the contest-based adaptive variable length code (CAVLC) decoder with power Optimized for H.264/AVC standard. In the proposed design, according to the regularity of the codewords, the first 1 detector is used to solve the problem that the traditional method of table-searching has low efficiency and high power dissipation. Considering the relevance of the data used in the process of RunBeforepsilas decoding, arithmetic operation is combined with FSM, which achieves higher decoding efficiency. According to the CAVLC decoding flow, clock gating is employed in module level and register level respectively, which reduce 43% dynamic power dissipation. The proposed design can decode every syntax element in one clock cycle. When the proposed design is synthesized at clock constraint of 100 MHz, the synthesis result shows that the design costs 11300 gates under a 0.25 um CMOS technology, which meets the demand of real time decoding in H.264/AVC standard.


The α'-acyloxylation of cyclic enones with linear carboxylic acids is described. The reaction is promoted by KMnO4 in the presence of a carboxylic acid and its corresponding carboxylic anhydride. The optimization of the reaction has been carried out using the statistical methodology known as design of experiments. The optimized reaction conditions have been evaluated in terms of substrate scope and compatibility with different functional groups. The methodology has been applied to the synthesis of densely oxygenated guaianes and guaianolides.


This is a case study of five isolated orbital nerve inflammatory pseudotumor cases presenting with protrusion and visual acuity of the right eye. Optic disk edema was observed by ophthalmoscopy. Plain and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to examine the orbital fat and enlargement of the right optic nerve sheath along with orbital magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic test. The visual acuity (VA) of all the admitted patients was 1.5/20. All the patients reported attacks of retrobulbar pain and severe headache at fairly regular intervals. The patients on clinical examination were found to have protrusion, reduced visual acuity of the right eye with an ipsilateral afferent pupillary defect. There was no motility of the right eye and the exophthalmos of the right part was 27 mm. On examination, patients were diagnosed to have idiopathic orbital inflammation and received steroid therapy for 6 months. Thereafter, patients received surgical treatment to remove the superior wall of the orbit followed by cortisone therapy for a further 6 months. The follow-up examination of the patients for one year revealed a gradual improvement in the vision of all the patients. The VA of the right eye for all the patients was 6/20, and the exophthalmos was now around 19 mm. Thus, a dramatic response to surgery and steroid treatment was observed in all the patients. Keywords: Orbital fat, Visual acuity, Optic disk edema, Optic nerve, Cortisone therapy


ABSTRACT Internal Working Models of the attachment system modulate emotional responses and the Disorganized attachment pattern is characterized by the breakdown of such regulation. Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is an index of flexible emotional responding. This study investigated vmHRV in non-clinical adults with an Organized or Disorganized attachment pattern before, during, and after the recall of attachment memories via the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Whereas the Organized group exhibited a typical decrease in vmHRV during the AAI and asubsequent return to a baseline-like pattern, the Disorganized group unexpectedly showed a sustained increase in vmHRV during the AAI which also persisted during the recovery phase. Results suggest that while Organized face the recollection of attachment memories by showing the adaptive stress response characterized by parasympathetic withdrawal and immediate recovery, individuals with Disorganized attachment need to keep regulating their emotions effortfully both during and after the recall of potential traumatic events.


This paper presents designing virtual manufacturing cells methodology intended for practical use is small enterprises. Methodology is comprised of three steps which guides to comprehensive solution for creating virtual manufacturing cells, taking into account routing flexibility. In this paper assumptions of Group Technology and cluster analysis were used. By proper applying of described rules, planning process and controlling of intermittent manufacturing is improved which leads to increased flexibility.


Abstract Principal components of water reuse systems include ammonia removal, disease control, temperature control, aeration, and particulate filtration. Effective ammonia removal techniques include air stripping, ion exchange, and biofiltration. Selection of a particular technique largely depends on site-specific requirements (e.g., space, existing water quality, and fish densities). Disease control, although often overlooked, is a major problem in reuse systems. Pathogens can be controlled most effectively with ultraviolet radiation, ozone, or chlorine. Simple and inexpensive methods are available to increase oxygen concentration and eliminate gas supersaturation, these include commercial aerators, air injectors, and packed columns. Temperature control is a major advantage of reuse systems, but the equipment required can be expensive, particularly if water temperature must be rigidly controlled and ambient air temperature fluctuates. Filtration can be readily accomplished with a hydrocyclone or sand fil...


Human knowledge within Western culture is generally adjudged to have reached its apogee in terms of the study of the natural world and the development of technological equipment directed towards making life worth living. Meanwhile, the attainment of such a sophisticated status in Western scientific research has been facilitated by its experimental methodology which has made possible the transfer of knowledge from one generation to another. However, other non- Western forms of knowledge that lack these characteristics are regarded as "unscientific". African indigenous knowledge, a victim of such censure, is seen as an unscientific accumulation of native wisdom, lacking in sophistication, logicality, coherence, and technicality which disqualifies it from being called "scientific" knowledge as we have it in Western culture. This paper seeks to argue that the rejection of African indigenous knowledge as "unscientific" knowledge stems from a false dichotomy. Keywords : Africa, Indigenous Knowledge, Scientific, Epistemology and Culture.


Modern man sees with one eye of faith and one eye of reason. Consequently, his view of history is confused. For centuries, the history of the Western world has been viewed from the Christian or classical standpoint-from a deep faith in the Kingdom of God or a belief in recurrent and eternal life-cycles. The modern mind, however, is "neither" Christian "nor" pagan-and its interpretations of history are Christian in derivation and anti-Christian in result. To develop this theory, Karl Lowith-beginning with the more accessible philosophies of history in the nineteenth and eighteenth centuries and working back to the Bible-analyzes the writings of outstanding historians both in antiquity and in Christian times. "A book of distinction and great importance. . . . The author is a master of philosophical interpretation, and each of his terse and substantial chapters has the balance of a work of art."-Helmut Kuhn, "Journal of Philosophy""


As to sea level rise
(SLR) contribution, melting and setting afloat make no difference for land
based ice. Melting of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) into water is impossible
in the upcoming several centuries, whereas breaking and partially afloat is
likely as long as sea waters find a pathway to the bottom of those ice sectors
with basal elevation below sea level. In this sense WAIS may be disintegrated
in a future warming climate. We reassess the potential contribution to eustatic
sea level from a collapse of WAIS and find that previous assessments have
overlooked a contributor: slope instability after the cementing ice is removed.
Over loading ice has a buttressing effect on slope movements the same way ice
shelves hinder the flow of non-floating coastal ice. A sophisticated landslide
model estimates a 9-mm eustatic SLR contribution from subsequent landslides.


THE ATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCE OF TROPICAL DIABATIC HEATING ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING ENSO ON INDIAN MONSOON Youkyoung Jang, PhD George Mason University, 2011 Dissertation Director: Dr. David M. Straus In order to understand the relationship between the El Niño-Sourthern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian summer monsoon, the atmospheric response to the tropical diabatic heating is studied in a general circulation model (GCM). We modify an existing GCM by adding a relatively small diabatic heating with an idealized structure. In this method, the atmospheric circulation forced by the inserted forcing interacts with convection and existing atmospheric circulation to produce a coupled dynamical convective response (GCM effect). In experiments using climatological sea surface temperature (SST), idealized anomalous cooling over the Maritime continent induces anomalous downward motion (similar to one branch of Walker circulation during El Niño) and asymmetric anti-cyclonic circulation extending toward India, which opposes the climatological monsoon flow. In turn, this anomalous circulation weakens the Indian monsoon precipitation and it seems to explain the relationship between ENSO and the Indian monsoon. Another coupled dynamical convective response is the response of the diabatic heating related to surface convergence, when the idealized heating is over elevated SST. Depending on the longitudinal and latitudinal location of the forcing, the pattern of atmospheric response influencing the Indian region changes and the sensitivity of the diabatic heating response in terms of magnitude is also different. In further experiments, a slab ocean model is applied over the western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The air-sea interaction reduces mean precipitation in the region of a large rainfall such as the equatorial Indian Ocean. When the idealized heating is inserted over the warm SST, the response of the full diabatic heating shows a negative feedback. On the other hand, the idealized cooling shows a positive feedback of its response. This is because strengthened atmospheric circulation induced by the idealized forcing (both heating and cooling) releases latent heat flux from the ocean to the atmosphere and cools down the ocean temperature. The anomalous cold SST gives the positive feedback to the heating experiments and the negative feedback to the cooling experiments. For the more realistic experiments the idealized heating over the central/ eastern Pacific is also inserted in the model in addition to the western Pacific cooling. The diabatic heating response of the wide idealized heating over the central/ eastern Pacific enhances the western Pacific cooling by anomalous downward motion as compensating vertical motion over the western Pacific. The Kelvin-wave like response also appears to propagate eastward all the way to the Indian region, thus interacting with the monsoon flow. The observed diabatic heating (diagnosed) of El Niño events is used to simulate the anomalous atmospheric circulation related to the Indian monsoon. For the normal monsoon of the 1997/98 event the Indian Ocean warming is added to compensate the effect of the western Pacific cooling on India. For the dry monsoon of 1982 event negative precipitation is simulated but the atmospheric circulation anomaly is too large compared with observation. Chapter 1: Introduction


Septoplasty often provokes aesthetic and unaesthetic sequelae of the anterior third and the tip of the nose. In a retrospective study of 100 patients these changes and sequelae have been analysed preoperatively and six months postoperatively. The postoperative changes are systematically referred to the surgical steps described in the operation notes. The dynamics of sculpturing the anterior border of the quadrangular cartilage, the effects of septal realignment, the influence on the tip support structures are outlined. The importance of minimum surgical touch is stressed. Examples of aesthetic and unaesthetic sequelae caused by functional septoplasty are presented.


The digital switchover (DSO) is a term used to describe the transition from analogue to digital technology for the delivery of television and radio broadcast services. It is a complicated global process and countries have taken widely differing amounts of time to complete it. Few African countries are likely to meet the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) deadline of 2015. The biggest impact of this transition is improved television service through better picture quality, improved national coverage, and a wider choice of channels. But improvements are also expected in broadband internet through the efficiency gains afforded by digital broadcast technology. The spectrum that the switchover liberates presents a significant opportunity for extending internet access (through mobile broadband). This is particularly significant for Africa, where the internet penetration rate is only 16 percent, half that of Asia and the Pacific. If managed effectively, the DSO could boost economic and social development and support the delivery of programs related to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by enabling increased access to and delivery of digital services, for instance, remote educational content. The DSO process can also enable a range of competitive service offerings; improve the coverage of digital services even in remote areas; make access to communication networks more equitable; while serving as a catalyst for optimizing the management of public-domain spectrum resources. Those countries that are least likely to achieve the DSO deadlines are also those which can least afford to miss out on this opportunity. Targeted policies and investment can contribute to a successful transition that supports information society goals and broader development objectives.


Early youth and abitur 1928-1938--Weimar Republic and National Socialism in peace. From the beginning of studies to the extension of the unscheduled assistantship for another year with effect from 1 October 1938 1939-1942-From the beginning of the war to dismissal from the Wehrmacht and the wartime habilitation under Helmut Hasse The fight over "German logic" from 1940 to 1945: A battle between amateurs Recovery and docent position 1942 to 1944 Arrest, imprisonment, death and Nachlass Conclusion Tables of the life of Gerhard Gentzen Appendix A: Gentzen and geometry, by C. Smorynski Appendix B: Hilbert's programme, by C. Smorynski Appendix C: Three lectures, by Gerhard Gentzen Appendix D: From Hilbert's programme to Gentzen's programme, by Jan von Plato Bibliography Index.


ScAlMgO4—easily cleaved in c-plane—forms a natural superlattice structure of a ScO2 layer and two Al0.5Mg0.5O layers stacking along c-axis. ScAlMgO4 is one of the RAMO4-type layered multicomponent oxides and a promising lattice-matching substrate material for InGaN and ZnO. Identification of the topmost layer and the surface atomic structure of the cleaved ScAlMgO4 (0001) are investigated by the X-ray crystal truncation rod scattering method. It is confirmed that ScAlMgO4 is cleaved between the two Al0.5Mg0.5O layers. The two parts separated at this interlayer are inversion symmetric to each other and without surface charge. This prevents parallel-plate-capacitor-like electrostatic force during the cleavage. Two different mechanisms are proposed for the two types of cleavage caused by the impact of a wedge and by the in-plane stress due to an overgrown thick GaN film. It is also revealed that about 10%–20% of the topmost O atoms are desorbed during a surface cleaning at 600 °C in ultra-high vacuum. Surface observations using reflection high-energy electron diffraction are possible only after the high-temperature cleaning because the electrical conduction caused by the oxygen deficiency prevents the charge-up of the insulating sample.ScAlMgO4—easily cleaved in c-plane—forms a natural superlattice structure of a ScO2 layer and two Al0.5Mg0.5O layers stacking along c-axis. ScAlMgO4 is one of the RAMO4-type layered multicomponent oxides and a promising lattice-matching substrate material for InGaN and ZnO. Identification of the topmost layer and the surface atomic structure of the cleaved ScAlMgO4 (0001) are investigated by the X-ray crystal truncation rod scattering method. It is confirmed that ScAlMgO4 is cleaved between the two Al0.5Mg0.5O layers. The two parts separated at this interlayer are inversion symmetric to each other and without surface charge. This prevents parallel-plate-capacitor-like electrostatic force during the cleavage. Two different mechanisms are proposed for the two types of cleavage caused by the impact of a wedge and by the in-plane stress due to an overgrown thick GaN film. It is also revealed that about 10%–20% of the topmost O atoms are desorbed during a surface cleaning at 600 °C in ultra-high vacuum. Surfac...


Metamorphic rocks on the Moon are an important yet under-studied suite of lunar lithologies that have been identified in the Apollo and lunar meteorite collections [1]. These rocks, with granoblastic textures, are generally referred to as granulites; however, unlike their terrestrial counterparts, they are considered to represent the products of only high-temperature (> 1000 oC) thermal metamorphism that completely re-crystallised their protolith(s). Lunar granulites are commonly sub-divided into two main compositional groups related to their protolith lithologies. The Fe-granulites, found at most Apollo landing sites, are generally accepted to derive from metamorphosed plagioclase-rich igneous cumulates, termed the ferroan anorthosite (FAN) suite. The FAN suite are important lithologies as they represent products of the primary lunar crust. The Mg-granulites are found mostly at the Apollo 16 landing site and within lunar meteorite samples; the protolith(s) of this latter group is not well understood [2].  Early studies have linked the protolith to secondary magmatic intrusions into the primary anorthositic crust (termed the Mg-suite); however, recent studies have tentatively connected the protolith to a Mg-rich variation of the primary crustal plagioclase cumulates (termed the MAN suite). The occurrence of MANs is controversial, it is unclear how the MAN suite fits into canonical lunar crustal formation models [3]. To investigate the protoliths of the granulite suites, we report in situ trace- and minor-element abundances for olivine and pyroxene grains within Fe- and Mg-granulites, determined by LA-ICP-MS and EPMA respectively. Trace-element data presented here indicate that the Mg-granulites are compositionally similar to the MAN suite. Furthermore, by comparing plagioclase trace-element data with peak metamorphic temperatures (calculated using two-pyroxene thermometers [4]), we find no relationship between metamorphic temperature and diagnostic trace-element signatures suggesting that both granulite suites experienced similar thermal metamorphic conditions. Additionally, we estimate the duration of metamorphic heating using experimentally derived diffusion rates of minor elements in minerals,  (such as Ca in olivine [5]). Both the calculated cooling rates and peak metamorphic temperatures can set constraints on the metamorphic heat source responsible for thermally annealing the Fe- and Mg-granulites. Specifically, we are able to assess whether the granulites formed as a result of shallow (<1 km) burial of the protolith by impact melt sheets or hot, impact-generated fall-back breccias [6]; or deep (> 1km) contact metamorphism of the protolith due to the emplacement of magma chambers or upwelling plutons within the lunar crust [7].

[1] Lindstrom & Lindstrom, 1986, JGR, 91(B4), 263-276 [2] Treiman et al. 2010. MaPS, 45, 163-180. [3] Gross et al. 2014, EPSL, 388, 318-328. [4] Brey & Köhler, 1990, J Pet, 31, 1353-1378. [5] Dohmen et al, 2007, PCM, 34, 389-407. [6] Cushing et al. 1999, MaPS, 34, 185-195. [7] Hudgins et al. 2011, Am Min, 96, 1673-1685.


High Performance Lightweight Concrete (HPLWC) could be considered as a combination of high performance concrete and structural lightweight concrete. HPLC was produced by partially replacing cement in concrete with mineral admixtures and partially replacing light weight aggregates with coarse aggregates. The usage of mineral admixtures leads to the saving of cost, energy and resources conservation. In the present work HPLWC was produced by two ways. One was using air entraining agent and the other was using light weight aggregate (expanded clay). In the former case, air entraining agent was added as additive in different percentages and in the later case the coarse aggregate was partially replaced with different percentages of expanded clay as light weight aggregate. In both the mixes, cement was replaced partially with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and Metakaolin (MK) in two different percentages. In total there were eight different combinations of mixes were studied at three different ages of concrete namely 7, 14 and 28 days of concrete. The optimum mix is selected from the 7, 14, 28-days age compressive strengths of different mixes. The beams cast for control and obtained optimum mix were tested to determine the Load – Deflection characteristics and peak load, first crack load  were observed. The obtained results are compared with the control mix. . From the results obtained the decrement of compressive strength of 13% and 26% for mix containing AER and LWA respectively. Whereas the constant Load-Deflection characteristics, Peak load in bending and moment curvature has been observe