The growing demand for connecting with each other across the world has proved to be a boon to the growth of social media platforms. But when it comes to ensuring the privacy and security of the platform, the control is in hands of few monopolies. Some claim to provide a secure medium of communication but their exploitation of users and misusing users' data with their centralized control over the policies has led to various controversies. Lack of trust towards these organisations have made people skeptical towards using these applications for extremely secure communication use-cases. Thus, a system with no central organisation in control and a trustless network is required. A trustless network is a network which does not requires the participants (users) to trust any central authority. These nodes themselves, as a group, can be trusted to make a decision which aligns with the interests of all. This is accompanied by a distributed network, where peers are connected to each other to form a mesh-like network called Swarm. This distributed network of connected peers is often attributed as the internet of tomorrow. The total number of monthly active users on the top 3 chat applications surpassed 4 billion users in July 2019. As of Oct 2020, WhatsApp alone has 2 billion monthly active users sending around 100 billion messages per day. With such vast number of people relying on chat applications, making these applications highly secure becomes a task of paramount importance.


Trepanobiopsy of the bone marrow followed by a histological study was performed in 3 patients with sarcoidosis diagnosed in peripheral lymph node (LN) biopsies. Granulemas revealed in trepanobiopsies were identical to those found in LN. Trepanobiopsy is advisable in patients with sarcoidosis having some changes in hemogram.


Along with the rapid development of cloud computing, IoT, and AI technologies, cloud video surveillance (CVS) has become a hotly discussed topic, especially when facing the requirement of real-time analysis in smart applications. Object detection usually plays an important role for environment monitoring and activity tracking in surveillance system. The emerging edge-cloud computing paradigm provides us an opportunity to deal with the continuously generated huge amount of surveillance data in an on-site manner across IoT systems. However, the detection performance is still far away from satisfactions due to the complex surveilling environment. In this study, we focus on the multitarget detection for real-time surveillance in smart IoT systems. A newly designed deep neural network model called A-YONet, which is constructed by combining the advantages of YOLO and MTCNN, is proposed to be deployed in an end–edge–cloud surveillance system, in order to realize the lightweight training and feature learning with limited computing sources. An intelligent detection algorithm is then developed based on a preadjusting scheme of anchor box and a multilevel feature fusion mechanism. Experiments and evaluations using two data sets, including one public data set and one homemade data set obtained in a real surveillance system, demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method in enhancing training efficiency and detection precision, especially for multitarget detection in smart IoT application developments.


Paper describes the method of preparing of hard glass layers on silicon substrates. The thickness of the wafers run from few to one hundred micrometers. Hard glass layers are applied for microwave semiconductor components as passivation layers or thick dielectric supports for beam-leads contacts to reduce parasitic capacitance.


The macroscopic properties of materials can be significantly influenced by the presence of microscopic interfaces. The complexity of these interfaces coupled with the vast configurational space in which they reside has been a long-standing obstacle to the advancement of true bottom-up material behavior predictions. In this vein, atomistic simulations have proven to be a valuable tool for investigating interface behavior. However, before atomistic simulations can be utilized to model interface behavior, meaningful interface atomic structures must be generated. The generation of structures has historically been carried out disjointly by individual research groups, and thus, has constituted an overlap in effort across the broad research community. To address this overlap and to lower the barrier for new researchers to explore interface modeling, we introduce a web-based interface structure databank (www.isdb.cee.cornell.edu) where users can search, download and share interface structures. The databank is intended to grow via two mechanisms: (1) interface structure donations from individual research groups and (2) an automated structure generation algorithm which continuously creates equilibrium interface structures. In this paper, we describe the databank, the automated interface generation algorithm, and compare a subset of the autonomously generated structures to structures currently available in the literature. To date, the automated generation algorithm has been directed toward aluminum grain boundary structures, which can be compared with experimentally measured population densities of aluminum polycrystals.


The kinematics and dynamics of human neutrophils in a narrow glass tube (4.9 μm to 6.3 μm in diameter) have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. Cells were activated by the tri-peptide (fMLP) to migrate through a tube with a mean speed of 0.15 ± 0.03 μm/s (54 activated cells). When a hydrostatic pressure was applied across the cell, the mean speed of the cell leading front linearly decreases when the pressure is increased. At a pressure difference of 1530 ± 140 Pa (9 activated cells), the cell was forced to stop. The cell migration has been approximated by a tractor-trailer model. The cellular motor (leading front), the tractor, produced a traction force by converting chemical energy into mechanical work. This motor has been characterized as a linear motor with two machine coefficients: (i) the maximum traction T 0 (37.7 nN) at V = 0, where V is the cellular speed (ii) the maximum cellular speed V max (0.15 μm/s). A characteristic time of approximately 100 s was measured for the action cycle of the linear motor. A phenomenological description of the chemotactic machine has been presented.


In the title salt, [Zn(C22H24N4O)(CH3CN)][Zn(ClO4)(C22H24N4O)(CH3CN)](ClO4)3, two differently coordinated zinc cations occur. In the first complex, the metal ion is coordinated by the N,N′,N′′,O-tetradentate acetamide ligand and an acetonitrile N atom, generating an approximate trigonal–bipyramidal coordination geometry, with the O atom in an equatorial site and the acetonitrile N atom in an axial site. In the second complex ion, a perchlorate ion is also bonded to the zinc ion, generating a distorted trans-ZnO2N4 octahedron. Of the uncoordinating perchlorate ions, one lies on a crystallographic twofold axis and one lies close to a twofold axis and has a site occupancy of 0.5. N—H⋯O and N—H⋯(O,O) hydrogen bonds are observed in the crystal. Disordered solvent molecules occupy about 11% of the unit-cell volume; their contribution to the scattering was removed with the SQUEEZE routine of the PLATON program [Spek (2009 ▶). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155.].


We report the 402C-G FOXL2 mutation status in 1 epithelial ovarian lesion in a 38-yr-old woman showing stromal proliferations that were morphologically indistinguishable from adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT). The lesion was a serous borderline tumor. The AGCT-like components were distributed within the septa and cyst walls. FOXL2 mutation was absent. The combination of an epithelial neoplasm and AGCT-like areas is rare but described. The AGCT-like components are likely to be tumor-like proliferations but not truly neoplastic AGCT. FOXL2 mutation testing may be useful in confirming an AGCT-like component.


This paper aims to explore how Malaysian cultures my influence the acceptance of assessment centres practice in Malaysia. Although assessment centres are are a popular technique that has been used and studied for at least 50 years, primarily in Western countries (Thornton & Rupp, 2006), there is a general lack of research into the implementation and effectiveness in developing countries in spite of a widespread growth in their use in recent years (Thornton & Krause, 2009). Therefore, it is important to understand how cultural differences may influence the implementation of assessment centres and how this might differ from its implementation in more developed nations. In this regards, this paper focuses on exploring the acceptance of assessment centres in Malaysia by using the organisational justice theory. Based on literature review, a conceptual framework of how the Malaysian culture may influence the acceptance of assessment centres in Malaysian public sectors will be proposed.


The ex-ante evaluation of policies using structural econometric models is based on estimated parameters as a stand-in for the true parameters. This practice ignores uncertainty in the counterfactual policy predictions of the model. We develop a generic approach that deals with parametric uncertainty using uncertainty sets and frames model-informed policy-making as a decision problem under uncertainty. The seminal human capital investment model by Keane and Wolpin (1997) provides a well-known, influential, and empirically-grounded test case. We document considerable uncertainty in the models's policy predictions and highlight the resulting policy recommendations obtained from using different formal rules of decision-making under uncertainty.


We measured the electrical resistivity and the thermal expansion of SmS at high pressures. It is known that the golden SmS undergoes an antiferromagnetic phase transition at a critical pressure (Pc2 ~ 18 kbar). At pressures slightly below Pc2, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a local maximum (hump). Combining the thermal expansion results showing the two-phase mixture of the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic phase in the vicinity of Pc2, we argue that the hump in the resistivity is caused by the pressure inhomogeneity. We also argue that the inhomogeneity gives rise to a striking effect on the pressure dependence of the residual resistivity, and speculate that in the limit of hydrostatic condition, the residual resistivity may show a rapid drop when the pressure is increased across Pc2.


The properties of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of materials are defined mainly, though not exclusively, by their composition, morphology and surface energy. In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and aluminum oxide-alumina (Al2O3) ceramics prepared by uniaxial pressing were studied in terms of surface energy. The surfaces of these ceramics were treated with nitrogen plasma, using a stainless steel reactor excited by a 13,6 MHz radio frequency operating at 50 W input power and 13 Pa nitrogen pressure. The surface morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Surface energy and contact angle measurements were taken using a RAME-HART goniometer. These measurements were taken as function of time, over a 21-day period. The contact angle and surface energy values were found to change by almost 34% in comparison to their initial values immediately following plasma treatment. Nonetheless, the hydrophilic character of the Al2O3 and TiO2 remained constant throughout the test period.


The paper states the conception,constitution,applications of Reverse Engineering.The techniques of Reverse Engineering such as data acquisition and data processing are discussed in detail.The data processing of the face in Sanxingdui is achieved with PolyWorks.It offers a valid way of the data processing in Reverse Engineering.


OBJECTIVE
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators involved in a variety of cancer development. However, the role of Linc00210 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the clinical value of Linc00210 in NSCLC patients and the biological functions of Linc00210 in NSCLC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Gene expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was detected using qRT-PCR or Western blot. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and colony formation assays were conducted to evaluate the effect of Linc00210 on NSCLC cell proliferation. Transwell assay and annexin V-Fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC)/Propidium Iodide (PI) were done to analyze the effect of Linc00210 on cancer cell invasion and apoptosis, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay were performed to determine the target of Linc00210 and miR-16-5p. Besides, these assays were used to determine reciprocally inhibition of each other-controlled NSCLC cell behaviors. In vivo tumorigenesis experiments were applied to exhibit subcutaneous tumor growth.

RESULTS
Linc0021 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Knockdown of Linc00210 inhibited cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and increased cell apoptosis, and regulated the expression of Cyclin A1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Bax, and Bcl-2 in NSCLC cells. Further data showed Linc00210 bound to and directly modulated the miR-16-5p levels. Impressively, overexpression of miR-16-5p suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion, but increased cell apoptosis, and these behaviors could be overturned by overexpression of Linc00210 in vitro and in vivo. Finally, Linc00210 and miR-16-5p cooperatively controlled expression of protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2), a miR-16-5p target.

CONCLUSIONS
Linc00210/miR-16-5p/PTK2 signaling suggests a promising novel strategy for anti-NSCLC therapy.


Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunological profile of adult HIV-1+ patients coinfected with primary Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection who were free of antiretroviral drugs and inhabitants of the Brazilian Amazon region. Materials and methods: Primary EBV infection was screened by the semiquantitative detection of IgM and IgG anti-VCA. Genotypes were determined by conventional PCR. EBV and HIV viral load (VL) were quantified by real-time PCR. Cytokine dosage and cell quantification were performed by cytometry. Results: Only HIV-1+ individuals had primary EBV infection (7.12%). The EBV-1 genotype was the most prevalent (47.37%). The VL of HIV-1 was lower in the HIV/EBV-2 group. CD4+ T lymphocytes were inversely proportional to the VL of EBV in HIV/EBV-1/2 multi-infected patients. The HIV/EBV-2 group had the lowest cytokine levels, especially IFN-γ and IL-4. Different correlations were proposed for each coinfection. The late search for specific care related to HIV infection directly affected the cytokine profile and the number of CD8+ T lymphocytes. Symptoms were associated with the increase in VL of both viruses and cytokine profile. Conclusions: Different immunological profiles were associated with EBV genotypes in primary infection, with EBV-2 being more frequent in patients with low levels of HIV viral load. With late infection monitoring and consequent delay in the initiation of HAART, clinical changes and effects on the maintenance of the immune response were observed.


Studies from various disciplines have reported that spatial location of options in relation to processing order impacts the ultimate choice of the option. A large number of studies have found a primacy effect, that is, the tendency to prefer the first option. In this paper we report on evidence that position of the key in four-option multiple-choice (MC) listening test items may affect item difficulty and thereby potentially introduce construct-irrelevant variance. Two sets of analyses were undertaken. With Study 1 we explored 30 test takers' processing via eye-tracking on listening items from the Aptis Test. An unexpected finding concerned the amount of processing undertaken on different response options on the MC questions, given their order. Based on this, in Study 2 we looked at the direct effect of key position on item difficulty in a sample of 200 live Aptis items and around 6000 test takers per item. The results suggest that the spatial location of the key in MC listening tests affects the amount of processing it receives and the item's difficulty. Given the widespread use of MC tasks in language assessments, these findings seem crucial, particularly for tests that randomize response order. Candidates who by chance have many keys in last position might be significantly disadvantaged.


Abstract Purpose: Cyclists need to measure aerodynamic resistance accurately and reliably, as well as economically. Devices such as Notio Aerostick, an equipment device that includes one pitot tube, have appeared for this purpose. The aim of this study is, therefore, to test the reliability and degree of agreement in the evaluation of the CdA (coefficient of aerodynamic drag), assessed by means of the Notio Aerostick compared to the Virtual Elevation (VE) and Martin mathematical models. Method: Seventeen professional cyclists rode in a 250-metre-long velodrome covered with a concrete surface with their own time trial bikes. Each cyclist completed three rides of 15 laps at constant speed for the evaluation of the CdA, each of them in a different position [Baseline (B), Change 1 (C1) and Change 2 (C2)]. Results: The differences in CdA between methods were found for Martin in comparison with VE in all positions (p <.001) and with Notio Aerostick in B and C2 (p> .05). About differences of CdA for each method, considering between position changes, the results were the same for VE and Martin, but different for Notio Aerostick. Conclusions: Findings suggest that, notwithstanding Notio Aerostick is valid if we compare CdA values with respect to VE, since the direction of their between-positions CdA changes differs, the results of their aerodynamic evaluation could lead us to recommend different final setups. We need studies that evaluate different units of the Notio Aerostick device as well as the reliability and precision of each sensor that includes Notio Aerostick. Highlights The CdA calculated by the Notio Aerostick and VE, a mathematical model previously validated, can be interchangeable, however the final position recommended by each method may be different, since the changes in the following position are given by the changes of the CdA in the previous position. None of the three methods allowed elite cyclists to measure statistically significant differences between the proposed setups. Although the CdA differences between positions were not significant, they can be decisive in the final result of a time trial competition.


The main objective of providing digital data via web platforms is to facilitate sharing and exchanges between actors, and to enable the enrichment of data by its various users. The ability of computer systems to function with other systems or products, whether existing or future, defines the concept of interoperability. To do this, interoperability should refer to a standard aimed at structuring the data so that it is understood by the different actors and systems. Knowing this challenge, the Artists of Remote Sensing Tools, Information System, Technical Simulation and Spatial Analysis (ARTISTS) team at the Center for International Cooperation in Agronomic Research for Development (CIRAD) had set up a web cartographic platform, AWARE [1] for Agricultural Web Atlas for REsearch, gathering all the geographical data available and produced by researchers based in La Reunion Island in various areas such as crop protection, environmental risks, agriculture and integrated resource management, agricultural and food quality. AWARE allows to add layers of spatial information, to create maps from these layers, and to associate documents to them (fig.1). These resources, structured in open catalogs, accessible to all, make AWARE a tool for pooling, sharing and publishing research results for a wide audience: researchers, funders, professionals of agriculture, regional and international institutions… AWARE is also a means of archiving and storing geographic data on a reliable and secure platform. Finally, it relies on profiles management to respect confidentiality and broadcasting rights. Technically, AWARE is based on GeoNode [2], an open source geospatial content management system. GeoNode is more specifically a web-based application and platform for developing Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) and for deploying Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). Its development began in 2010, by the company BoundlessGeo, and the first sponsors are the United Nations with the World Food Program. GeoNode plays a key role for implementing interoperable spatial data infrastructures as it provides data and metadata management. These metadata are used as search criteria within AWARE data catalogs, and their export according to different standards (Dublin Core from w3c, ISO...) is possible and thus provides an accurate description of the datasets. GeoNode also ensures technical interoperability by implementing the Open Geospatial Consortium [3] standards better known as web services. This interoperability allows AWARE to be harvested and to harvest other remote geographic catalogs without physically having the data. In other words, AWARE can inventory data from other platforms in its catalogs and conversely its data can be listed in catalogs of other platforms. Interoperability also allows to serve spatial information to GIS software such as Quantum GIS or ArcGIS by making it visible, accessible and usable. Another advantage of using free technology such as GeoNode is to be able to contribute to its evolution by developing new functionalities and transferring them to the developer community. Thus, functionalities developed by the ARTISTS team were integrated into the GeoNode master branch. In Addition, the ARTISTS team has chosen to follow the INfrastructure for SPatial Information in Europe [4] directive (INSPIRE) in order to be compatible with French geographical data producers who have to apply it, who make their data available to CIRAD and who can be interested by the data of AWARE. The INSPIRE directive, which entered into force in 2007, aims to create a European SDI by 2021 for the purposes of environmental policies and activities which may have an impact on the environment. This SDI enables the sharing of spatial information on the environment between public sector organizations, facilitates public access to spatial information across Europe, and contributes to decision-making across borders. INSPIRE is based on a number of principles and rules including metadata management [5]. It recommends creating and entering metadata such as data identification, classification by ISO categories, keywords, provenance, time references, and access and use constraints in a detailed and accurate manner. It complements and reinforces the semantic interoperability between SDIs and thus allows to propose a richer content. By creating the AWARE platform, the ARTISTS team has created a real digital heritage of spatial information for CIRAD in La Reunion Island, and more widely for CIRAD. It meets the needs and objectives of a collective, first at the level of the content by cataloging the geographical data with reliable metadata, by enhancing the results of its research works, by improving its dissemination then at the level of the container , namely the SDI, by choosing a license-free, participatory, interoperable technology allowing it to be transferred to actors from the South countries with which the ARTISTS team works, and some of which may not necessarily assume a solution under private license . (Resume d'auteur)


A new and significant site of organic silty sand has been found beneath the Valders till at Valders Quarry in northeastern Wisconsin. This is now the earliest known late-glacial site associated with red till ice advances in the western Great Lakes area. Leaves of terrestrial plants washed into a small depression provide a date of 12,965 ± 200 yr B.P. (WIS-2293), which is significantly older than the Two Creeks Forest Bed (ca. 11,800 yr B.P.). Percentage and concentration pollen diagrams suggest that the site was open and distant from a closed Picea forest. No wood or Picea needles have been found. This date is statistically indistinguishable from 12,550 ± 233 yr B.P., the mean of three dates for the end of inorganic varve sedimentation at Devils Lake, 160 km southwest at the terminus of the Green Bay Lobe. Assuming that the Green Bay lobe vacated its outermost moraine in the interval from 13,000 to 12,500 yr B.P., only a short time was available for retreat of the ice margin over 350 km, drainage of red sediment from Lake Superior into the Lake Michigan basin, readvance of over 250 km, retreat of at least 80 km, and advance to this site. The time for these events appears to have been too short to resolve by current radiocarbon technique. This extremely rapid collapse of the Green Bay lobe has a calibrated age of about 15,000 cal yr B.P., about that of the dramatic warming seen in the Greenland ice cores.


Background The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to the tumor progression and treatment failure. Our previous study demonstrated alterations in the TME during bevacizumab (Bev) therapy in human glioblastoma (GB) specimens obtained from patients who underwent surgical resection. Continuous Bev administration downregulates the expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), suppresses the infiltration of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), and increases cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) infiltration. However, one may argue that these immunosupportive effects might also be induced by radiation therapy (RT) or temozolomide (TMZ), and they cannot necessarily be attributed to Bev alone. Methods In the present study, changes in the molecules relevant to the TME were analyzed by immunohistochemistry using paired pre- and post-treatment samples of malignant glioma specimens from 15 patients who received RT and TMZ therapy without Bev. Results The expression levels of CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2), HIF-1α, CA9, nestin, CD4, CD8, CD163, PD-1, and PD-L1 were not significantly changed after the treatment with RT and TMZ. However, VEGFR1 expression and the number of Foxp3-positive cells tended to be upregulated and increased after the treatment (P=0.058, P=0.082, respectively). Conclusions This was the first study to show the alterations of TME following RT and TMZ therapy using paired pre- and post-treatment malignant glioma samples. Long-term treatment of RT and TMZ might worsen immunosuppressive TME in malignant gliomas.


Pike fry rhabdovirus (pfr) rna has been characterized as a single-stranded non-segmented molecule of about 4 X 10(6) daltons. In sucrose gradients in 0-1 M-NaC1 it had a sedimentation coefficient of 40 to 45S, somewhat lower than that Of Semliki Forest virus RNA. The sedimentation velocity of the RNA is strongly influenced by the salt concentration and divalent cations. It shows a buoyant density of 1-65 g/ml in caesium sulphate. The base composition of the RNA is 21-6% G, 25-I% A, 22-4% C and 30-9% U. It is thus comparable to the RNAs of other rhabdoviruses.


This paper mainly focuses on the influence of three kinds of media: air, air-10%PA (Nylon) and air-10% POM (polyoxymethylene) on low-voltage circuit breaker arcs. A three-dimensional (3-D) model of arc motion under the effect of external magnetic field is built based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations. By adopting the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package based on the control-volume method, the above MHD equations are solved. For the media of air-10%PA and air-10%POM, the distributions of stationary temperature and electrical potential and the transient motion processes are compared with those of air arc. The research shows that both air-10%PA and air -10% POM can cool the arc plasma and the former is more effective. Both of them can increase the stationary voltage as well. Moreover, the presence of the two mixtures can accelerate the arc motion toward the quenching area and ensures the arc quenched in time.


The purpose of this study was to test whether serum testosterone (T) concentrations characteristic of reproductively active, long-day-housed Siberian hamsters are necessary for compensatory increases in nonexcised fat pads following removal of epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and/or for the maintenance of seasonally appropriate body weights in these hamsters. Long-day-housed hamsters were castrated or left intact, sham or EWAT lipectomized, and given T or cholesterol (C) implants. All groups had ad libitum food access except for two castrated T-treated groups that were pair-fed to their C-treated counterparts to control for effects of T on food intake. C-treated castrates had decreased body weights compared with all other groups, suggesting a role of T in the maintenance of seasonally appropriate body mass. Since the T-treated hamsters pair-fed to these T-deficient animals exhibited seasonally appropriate body weights and fat pad masses, T does not appear to affect these parameters through the modulation of food intake. All fat pads of C-treated animals were smaller than those of ad libitum- or pair-fed, T-treated castrates; however, EWAT was the only fat pad that was smaller in the C-treated sham-lipectomized group than in gonad-intact sham-lipectomized hamsters. This result may indicate an enhanced sensitivity of EWAT to T. The effects of T on fat pad mass were not associated with proportionate changes in lipoprotein lipase activity, suggesting that the major effect of T on fat accumulation occurs through other mechanisms in this species. C-treated lipectomized hamsters compensated for the body fat deficit 8 weeks after lipectomy via statistically non-significant increases in retroperitoneal and inguinal WAT mass. This finding suggests that, whereas T is necessary for maintenance of seasonally-appropriate body weight, it is not necessary for fat pad compensation after EWAT lipectomy.


For the first time the differentiation of guadruple mutual system Li,Na,Са//F,WO4 was made. Derive phases are constructed and stable complexes of system are revealed. There were developed the reactions of chemical interaction which are typical for the lines of complete conversion for the mentioned quadruple mutual system and confirmed by x-ray phase analysis. Quadruple system LiF-Li 2WO 4-Na 2WO 4-CaWO 4 was investigated using differential-thermal analysis with applying projection-thermographic method. This system is a stable tetrahedron of quadruple mutual system Li,Na,Са//F,WO4. There was built and experimentally verified the topological model of the systems state diagram revealed two invariant points.


Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is an important parameter used in
numerous applications, such as climatological and hydrological studies,
as well as for water resources planning and management. There are several
methods to estimate ETo, being that the FAO Penman-Monteith (EToPM)
method is considered standard. This method needs many parameters
(solar radiation, air temperature, humidity and wind speed), however there are
still many uncovered areas, suggesting the need for methods of calculating
evapotranspiration based on few meteorological elements, such as
air temperature. Therefore, this study aimed
to determine the ETo by Hargreaves-Samani method in the experimental watershed
of the "Riacho do Papagaio" farm, in county of Sao Joao, in
north-eastern Brazil, using data of 2011 and 2012. Reference evapotranspiration
estimated by non-calibrated Hargreaves-Samani method (EToHS) was overestimated
in all months (RMSE = 1.43 mm·d-1), mainly in months of lower
evaporative demand (from May to July). Because of these tendencies, this method
cannot be used in its original form to estimate ET for this region; therefore,
a calibration of radiation adjustment coefficient (kRs) was performed. The
calibrated Hargreaves-Samani method (EToHSc) had better performance (RMSE =
0.52 mm·d-1), being suitable for predicting ETo in this region.


Background: Scorpion bite is fairly common in tropical regions (including southern, central, southeastern, and western parts of Iran). Scorpion bite complications include a range of local to systemic symptoms. The damage to the nervous system often occurs as sympathetic instability which is one of the systemic complications. There are rare reports of peripheral nerves injury following scorpion stings.
Case Report: Here we introduce a young woman that had a lesion of the left lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm, following a scorpion bite in the lateral side of her forearm.
Conclusion: Lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm is easily exposed to damage caused by cuts, deep burns, and other traumas, after moving to superficial soft tissues in the forearm. Scorpion bite can lead to peripheral nerve injury either indirectly by the skin and/or subcutaneous tissues scar formation or directly by inducing chemical injury to nerve tissue itself.


This paper introduces a neural style transfer model to conditionally generate a stylized image using only a set of examples describing the desired style. The proposed solution produces high-quality images even in the zero-shot setting and allows for greater freedom in changing the content geometry. This is thanks to the introduction of a novel Peer-Regularization Layer that recomposes style in latent space by means of a custom graph convolutional layer aiming at separating style and content. Contrary to the vast majority of existing solutions our model does not require any pre-trained network for computing perceptual losses and can be trained fully end-to-end with a new set of cyclic losses that operate directly in latent space. An extensive ablation study confirms the usefulness of the proposed losses and of the Peer-Regularization Layer, with qualitative results that are competitive with respect to the current state-of-the-art even in the challenging zero-shot setting. This opens the door to more abstract and artistic neural image generation scenarios and easier deployment of the model in. production


Three novel electrically small antenna configurations radiating a TE10 spherical mode corresponding to a magnetic dipole are presented and investigated: multiarm spherical helix (MSH) antenna, spherical split ring resonator (S-SRR) antenna, and spherical split ring (SSR) antenna. All three antennas are self-resonant, with the input resistance tuned to 50 ohms by an excitation curved dipole/monopole. A prototype of the SSR antenna has been fabricated and measured, yielding results that are consistent with the numerical simulations. Radiation quality factors (Q) of these electrically small antennas (in all cases ka <; 0.26) approach the limit of 3.0 times the Chu lower bound for a given antenna size, which is in line with a theoretical prediction made by Wheeler in 1958.


The research was conducted from March to April 2014 in experimental pond Fishery and Science Faculty of Riau University. The purposed of the research was to knowed the effect of different substituted fish meal with maggot meal that provide the best growth of Jambal siam (Pangasius hypopthalmus). The experiment was designed by Completely Random design with 5 substitution and 3 replication. The result indicated that differnt substitution fish meal with maggot meal doesn't have significantely effect on growth of Jambal siam (Pangasius hypopthalmus). The best result was achived by treatment E with 100% Maggot meal level. Total absolute body weight, spesific growth rate and feet efficiency was 30,16 grams, 4,76%/ day, and 69,3% respectively, while the best protein retention and survival rate on treatment C ( 50 % of maggot meal) of 44,52 % and 70 % respectively. Water quality during the research are temperature of 29 – 30 0 C, pH of 5 – 6, and disolved oxygen of 4,5 - 5,4 ppm. Key word :Maggot meal, Fish meal,Jambal siam (Pangasius hypopthalmus)


Intestinal transit times and daily stool weights were measured in 14 residents of Athens and 22 residents of a small village of Greece. Subjects in rural Greece have significantly shorter transit times (38.4 vs 56.8 hr) and heavier daily stools (172 vs 131 g) than those living in Athens. These findings may be attributable to the more refined diet of the urban Greek population and may explain the different incidence of certain bowel diseases in the urban and rural population of Greece.


Purpose. To compare the efficiency of using traditional exercise therapy for coxarthrosis, and the original complex of exercises based on manual therapy soft-tissue techniques.
Materials and Methods. A comparative analysis made regarding the efficiency of using traditional exercise therapy for coxarthrosis and after the hip replacement, as well as the original exercise complex based on the soft-tissue techniques of manual therapy. The complex proposed by the authors includes exercises with gravitational loading, postisometric relaxation, relaxing exercises of accelerated rhythm and small amplitude, and it is directed to improving the hip functional state (the decrease of the pain syndrome severity, the increase of range of motion, the increase of tolerance to loads).
Results. The results of using the proposed exercise complex in the system of restorative treatment demonstrated its great efficiency comparing to traditional exercise therapy.
Conclusion. The proposed exercise complex allows to relieve the suffering of patients with joint pathologies and to improve their quality of life.


I am very happy to present my first book on "Odonata of Sawanga( Vithoba) lake". Odonata are the indicators of ecosystem. They are stunningly beautiful. Distribution and diversity of odonata at Sawanga(Vithoba) , also called as Malkhed talav is reported in this book. The book explains morphology, life cycle and ecological importance of odonata, distribution and diversity of odonata at Sawanga (Vithoba) lake. This book is useful to young researchers, students, environmentalists, Nature lovers, forest workers, environmentalists, conservationists, policy makers and upcoming scientists.


The TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) altimetry reveals quasi-biennial (QB) variability in the southern Japan Sea. Sea surface height anomalies of a biennial nature are most energetic in the Yamato Basin, the southeastern most part of the Japan Sea, where they can be as large as 20 cm and extend for 100–200 km. On the basis of the in situ measurements of Maizuru Marine Observatory, the 2–3 year variations are associated with thermohaline anomalies in the upper 300 m layer. The local QB oscillation is studied with a reduced gravity model of the Japan Sea. The model is forced by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting daily wind and seasonal inflows/outflows through the three major straits of the sea. The model sensitivity experiments suggest that the QB variability can be associated with the sea's response to wind forcing of particular years, more specifically, 1992 and 1996, and to some extent, 1994. An approximate Kaiman filter is employed for assimilation of the T/P altimeter data into the reduced gravity model. It filters out observational noise and intraseasonal sea level variability and allows the model to dynamically interpolate T/P observations. The results of the assimilation indicate that the QB anomalies are strongest at 37.5°N, 134.5°E and propagate west-northwest with a speed of ∼0.01 m s-1, contributing to variations of the Tsushima Warm Current.


Until the past decade, optical microscopy of biological specimens was strongly limited by diffraction and scattering, affecting imaging resolution and depth, respectively. Now, numerous methods are available to overcome each of these limitations, but sub-diffraction limited resolution imaging over large volumes of scattering tissue is still a challenge. This work concerns the development of a new method, Expansion Microscopy (ExM) for achieving effect sub-diffraction-limited optical images in biological specimens. In ExM, the specimen is embedded in a swellable gel material to which fluorescent probes are chemically anchored. The embedded tissue is strongly digested so that it will not hinder uniform expansion driven by the gel. The gel with embedded, fragmented tissue is washed in water, triggering expansion of around 4-fold in each dimension. A variant of the method, ExM with Protein Retention (proExM) is presented that allows proteins themselves, rather than fluorescent probes, to be anchored by a small molecule cross-linker to the gel, so that the method may be carried out entirely with commercial components and standard antibodies. Thesis Supervisor: Edward S. Boyden Title: Professor, MIT Media Lab


It is shown that MS Fortran-77 compilers allow to construct recursive subroutines. The recursive one-dimensional adaptive quadrature subroutine is considered in particular. Despite its extremely short body (only eleven executable statements) the subroutine proved to be very effective and competitive. It was tested on various rather complex integrands. The possibility of function calls number minimization by choosing the optimal number of Gaussian abscissas is considered. The proposed recursive procedure can be effectively applied for creating more sophisticated quadrature codes (one- or multi-dimensional) and easily incorporated into existing programs.


The key objective of this article is to analyze the concept of legal aid, its significance, challenges, and potential solutions. This article by using the doctrinal research methodology, presents a comparative analysis of legal aid "in the context of international law" and Pakistani law, highlighting "the" similarities and dissimilarities between the two systems. Access to justice and legal representation are fundamental principles in international and national legal frameworks, ensuring that individuals have adequate assistance in navigating the legal system's complexities. This article examines the relevant provisions in international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which underscore the importance of legal aid. Additionally, this article explores the role of international organizations, such as the European Court of Human Rights, in providing legal aid to individuals involved in international criminal proceedings. On the other hand, Pakistani law recognizes the importance of legal aid as well, albeit with its own unique features and challenges. This article examines the constitutional provisions and statutory laws in Pakistan that guarantee the right to legal representation for individuals, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged. By understanding the similarities and dissimilarities between these systems, policymakers, legal practitioners, and scholars can identify potential areas for improvement and enhance access to justice for individuals, irrespective of their economic or social status. This article concludes that international law recognizes legal aid as a universal right and various international treaties make it mandatory for states (i.e., Pakistan) to ensure access to legal aid for those who cannot afford it.


Life cycle assessment (LCA) usually involves some uncertainty. These uncertainties are generally divided in two categories such lack of data and data inaccuracy in life cycle inventory (LCI). This paper explo.es a methodology on dealing with uncertainty due to lack of data in LCI. In order to treat uncertainty of LCI data, a model for data uncertainty is proposed. The model works with probabilistic curves as inputs and with Monte Carlo Simulation techniques to propagate uncertainty. The probabilistic curves were derived from the results of survey in expert network and Monte Carlo Simulation was performed using the derived probabilistic curves. The results of Monte Carlo Simulation were verified by statistical test. The proposed approach should serve as a guide to improve data quality and deal with uncertainty of LCI data in LCA projects


Synthetic small interfering RNA (siRNA) can suppress the expression of endogenous mRNA through RNA interference. It has been reported that siRNA can induce type I IFN production from plasmacytoid dendritic cells, leading to off-target effects. To separate immunostimulation from the desired gene-specific inhibitory activity, we designed RNA strands with chemical modifications at strategic positions of the ribose or nucleobase residues. Substitution of uridine residues by 2′-deoxyuridine or thymidine residues was found to decrease type I IFN production upon in vitro stimulation of human PBMC. Thymidine residues in both strands of a siRNA duplex further decreased immunostimulation. Fortunately, the thymidine residues did not affect gene-silencing activity. In contrast, 2′-O-methyl groups at adenosine and uridine residues reduced both IFN-α secretion and gene-silencing activity. Oligoribonucleotides with 2′-O-methyladenosine residues actively inhibited IFN-α secretion induced by other immunostimulatory RNAs, an effect not observed for strands with 2′-deoxynucleosides. Furthermore, neither 5-methylcytidine nor 7-deazaguanosine residues in the stimulatory strands affected IFN-α secretion, suggesting that recognition does not involve sites in the major groove of duplex regions. The activity data, together with structure prediction and exploratory UV-melting analyses, suggest that immunostimulatory sequences adopt folded structures. The results show that immunostimulation can be suppressed by suitable chemical modifications without losing siRNA potency by introducing seemingly minor structural changes.


The aims of this study were to investigate drug resistance rates, types of extended spectrum beta lactamases (ESBLs), and molecular epidemiological characteristics of 43 Shigella sonnei isolates. Ampicillin-sulbactam, amoxicillin-clavulanate, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin were the most active antibiotics. Five isolates harbored blaSHV-12, blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-15. More than 90% of the isolates had an indistinguishable pulsotype.


With this study, it is aimed to reveal the effect of economically sustainable dairy goat breeding in order to provide sufficient income. For this purpose, in Canakkale Province, which has 234.408 thousand head goats, mostly dairy goat breeding, 30 enterprises were selected through proportional sampling to determine the herd size for technical herd analysis and economic sustainability in family subsistence. The parameters obtained are milk yield (2.1 L), herd size (168.21 heads), number of animals milked (82.54 heads), milk marketing rate (96.75%). 52.30% of milk production costs are variable costs and 47.70% are fixed costs. Feed costs have the highest share in total production costs with 43.88%. In the enterprises, 68.34% of the total gross production value obtained from goat breeding is milk, 27.06% is Productive Fixture Increase and 4.60% is fertilizer income. The cost of 1 L milk in the enterprises was calculated as 1.73 TL (USD 0.36), (the average rate of 1 USD in 2018 is 4.81 TL). 1 L of goat milk price is 3 TL (USD 0.62), (Canakkale, Turkey, sales price, 2018) considering; It has been determined that the enterprises make an average profit of 1.27 TL / L per liter (42%). With the calculated parameters, a profit of 602.27 TL (125.21 Dollars) was obtained from only milk sales in a production period from a dairy goat. A family of four the poverty line, according to the Turkey Statistical Institute 2018 poverty study results are reported on a monthly 6609.000 TL. As a result of the research, the average milk yield is 2.10 L, and as a result of the calculation made considering the average milking time of 225 days and the profit obtained from it, the number of milky goats that will meet the poverty line for a family of four was determined as 131 heads.


When an expert system is being developed for nuclear power plant (NPP) accident diagnosis, the most difficult problem is the manipulation of the time-varying dynamic variables. To meet this need, the authors propose modification of the rules for accident diagnosis when plant parameters and conditions are varying. In addition to the rule-modification method, a pattern-matching method using the performance index is suggested. This system also uses the results of transient analysis and accident analysis codes as a database. To simulate this expert system, PROLOG was used to construct the knowledge base. The inherent backtracking inference strategy was used for the inference engine. Feedwater line piping failure was selected for system verification. >


Abstract During spent nuclear fuel reprocessing ruthenium is liable to form black ruthenium deposits on the stainless steel walls of process equipments. These deposits promote corrosion and can eventually obstruct the off-gas lines. The results of decontamination of 304L stainless steel test specimens covered with RuO(OH)2· x H2O deposits by permanganate ions in alkaline medium are described. The ruthenium deposits were dissolved by oxidation of RuO(OH)2 to RuO42− ions, while the permanganate ions were reduced to MnO42− ions and then to manganese dioxide MnO2. The parameters affecting the kinetics of oxidative dissolution of these deposits were examined. The results indicate that the oxidative dissolution kinetics depends on the instantaneous surface area of the deposit, and that the dissolution rate increases with the concentrations of MnO4− and OH− ions.


The mountainous areas of Ethiopia represent one of the most extreme environmental challenges in Africa faced by humans and other inhabitants. Selection for high-altitude adaptation is expected to have imprinted the genomes of livestock living in these areas. Here we assess the genomic signatures of positive selection for high altitude adaptation in three cattle populations from the Ethiopian mountainous areas (Semien, Choke, and Bale mountains) compared to three Ethiopian lowland cattle populations (Afar, Ogaden, and Boran), using whole-genome resequencing and three genome scan approaches for signature of selection (iHS, XP-CLR, and PBS). We identified several candidate selection signature regions and several high-altitude adaptation genes. These include genes such as ITPR2, MB, and ARNT previously reported in the human population inhabiting the Ethiopian highlands. Furthermore, we present evidence of strong selection and high divergence between Ethiopian high- and low-altitude cattle populations at three new candidate genes (CLCA2, SLC26A2, and CBFA2T3), putatively linked to high-altitude adaptation in cattle. Our findings provide possible examples of convergent selection between cattle and humans as well as unique African cattle signature to the challenges of living in the Ethiopian mountainous regions.


The Treaty of Amsterdam was the result of the 1996–1997 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) among the then 15 EU member states (March 1996–June 1998). Its three core objectives were making Europe more relevant to its citizens, enabling it to work better and preparing it for enlargement, and giving it greater capacity for external action. It was the first IGC since the enlargement with Austria, Finland, and Sweden, who had joined the European Union (EU) in 1995. The negotiations took place in the aftermath of the collapse of the communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe, opening the prospect of an eastern enlargement. Shortly before the start of the IGC, the Madrid European Council (December 1995) had confirmed that the decisions on launching the accession negotiations would be taken within six months of the conclusion of the IGC.
 The Treaty was not the critical juncture in European-integration history, which the previous Maastricht Treaty had been. The 1996–1997 IGC tried to complete some of the unfinished work of its predecessor. This included the further extension of qualified majority voting (QMV) and codecision, the shaping of a European security policy and making further progress in dossiers such as energy, civil protection, and the hierarchy of norms. Still it would be erroneous simply to downplay the Treaty as a mere "leftover" text. Under the leadership of the successive Italian, Irish, and Dutch presidencies, the heads of state or government reached an agreement on an employment chapter, a strengthening of social policy, the creation of the position of a high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), a partial communitarization of cooperation in the field of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), provisions on flexible integration and the integration of Schengen into the Treaty. Highly sensitive issues such as the reweighting of the Council voting system and the size of the European Commission were postponed to the next IGC. After a relatively smooth ratification process, which raised little public attention, the Treaty of Amsterdam entered into force on May1, 1999.


The elite theory seen in theoretical perspective within the ambit of Political Sociology offers certain possibilities as far as description and, perhaps, explanation of power in a society are concerned. This theory implies that power, on a macro-social level, is concentrated in the hands of an elite whose manipulation of the power enables it to control its total society irrespective of the form of government in that society. In this article an attempt is made to present very briefly the basic traits of the elite theory. After briefly giving attention to the meaning of the concept 'democracy', an indication is given of the conclusion of the problem of the elite's place within a democracy. In other words an attempt is made to determine whether the elite theory is compatible with democracy. S. Afr. J. Sociol. 1985, 16(1): 22–27


The use of hydrocolloids in the modern meat industry is the one of prospective directions for improving functional and technological characteristics of meat and meat products, including poultry at long storage terms. A series of concrete requirements to functional-technological, physical-chemical and organoleptic parameters is offered for canned poultry in correspondence with minimal specifications for the quality of products of an animal origin. There is presented the study of the optimization of the process of meat products sterilization using meat of chicken-broilers, quails and hydrocolloids depending on physical-chemical and organoleptic properties. The parameters of quail meat use in recipes of canned poultry meat with hydrocolloids were considered.  The influence of the sterilization process on characteristics of chicken-broiler and quail meat was established. There was revealed the essential difference in the influence on functional and technological parameters of canned quail meat using hydrocolloid mixtures comparing with canned chicken-broiler meat, manifested in changes of MKC (moisture keeping capacity), plasticity and salt content in jelly. At changing sterilization regimes, there takes place the change of physical and chemical characteristics of gels that correlates with organoleptic characteristics.  For providing high quality parameters of canned poultry meat and industrial sterility, sterilization regimes for canned chicken-broiler meat must be realized for containers with the volume 500 with sterilization time no more than 90 minutes. For canned quail meat the sterilization process duration must be increased to 120 min at the temperature 115 ° С.


Abstract Hyperspectral and sophisticated multispectral imagery are increasingly used to obtain detailed information on species composition, condition, biomass, and other characteristics of coastal marshes. However, how differing levels of tidal inundation affect the reflectance characteristics of emergent marsh vegetation remains not well documented. In 1994–1996, general reflectance spectra were collected for three common brackish marsh species with different canopy architectures (Schoenoplectus americanus, Spartina patens, and Spartina cynosuroides) in field experiments in which changing levels of tidal inundation were simulated in specially nonreflected enclosures. Reprocessing the data with software not then available has allowed greater delineation of variations in the data, especially in the red–near-infrared boundary, that previously could not be differentiated. Spectra for all three species showed significant reductions in near-infrared reflectance (900–1100 nm) with progressive substrate inundation, the sharpest decline occurring for S. americanus, for which the narrow, tapering culms allowed substantial submergence of total aboveground biomass (and greatly decreased leaf area index [LAI]) after water depths on substrates reached 15 cm. Increasing inundation produced a particularly significant change in the 700–825-nm band of the spectral curve. Maximum peak percent reflectance shifted as much as 40 nm in these wavelengths, with two maxima over 100 nm apart in wavelength appearing in both the S. americanus and S. patens curves at water depths >30 cm. Simulations of Landsat Thematic Mapper bands show that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is highly correlated with LAI and suggest that NDVI-based estimates for marsh biomass can be strongly influenced by the effects of marsh canopy submergence on LAI.


Data security is becoming more and more important in data exchange. Once the data is leaked, it will pose a great threat to the privacy and property security of users. Copyright authentication and data provenance have become an important requirement of the information security defense mechanism. In order to solve the collusion leakage of the data distributed by organization and the low efficiency of tracking the leak provenance after the data is destroyed, this paper proposes a concatenated-group digital fingerprint coding based on CFF code and Reed-solomon (RS) that can resist collusion attacks and corresponding detection algorithm. The experiments based on an asymmetric anti-collusion fingerprint protocol show that the proposed method has better performance to resist collusion attacks than similar non-grouped fingerprint coding and effectively reduces the percentage of misjudgment, which verifies the availability of the algorithm and enriches the means of organization data security audit.


BACKGROUND
There is a lack of consensus on measures to assess implant performance in clinical research.

OBJECTIVES
To investigate the outcomes measures and reference groups employed to evaluate and compare implant success and failure.

DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE (OVID) and Web of Science with searching reference lists of included papers.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Inclusion: root form, titanium implants in dentate or edentulous individuals. Longitudinal studies reporting survival or success outcomes on at least 20 participants ≥ mean 5 years.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS
Descriptive statistics.

RESULTS
Two-hundred and sixteen studies were included. Implant survival was the most commonly reported primary outcome (60%) with success at 15.7%. Success constituted a wide variety of measures with little consistency. A percentage of 98.6% of studies employed the implant as the unit of analysis with little consideration of clustering within patients. The status of periodontal and general heath of study groups was unclear for more than 80% studies. The proportion of studies comprising randomized trials or using appropriate analytical methods increased from 1980 to 2011.

LIMITATIONS
Considers only English language and there was no author contact.

CONCLUSION
In view of the disparate outcome measures employed to assess dental implant performance, agreement is needed both on a core set of implant outcomes and their statistical management.


A 68-year-old female with liver cirrhosis presented at the Emergency Room of our hospital with copious tarry stools. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed an isolated gastric variceal rupture, and we performed endoscopic injection sclerotherapy using cyanoacrylate, on four occasions, resulting in successful hemostasis. Injection of CA is a useful emergency treatment option for gastric variceal bleeding without gastro-renal shunt.


This study aims at providing a comprehensive account of the types of errors produced by Saudi female EFL students in their use of articles, based on the Surface Structure Taxonomies (SST) of errors. Data were collected from written samples of 100 first-year female EFL students at the Department of English in the University of Ha'il. Students were given one-and-a-half hours to write on one of six different descriptive topics related to their life and culture. Analysis of errors in students' written samples revealed that while students made a considerable number of errors in their use of articles according to SST, omission errors were the most frequent, while substitutions were the least frequent. Additionally, among all types of omission errors identified, the omission of the indefinite article 'a' was the most frequent. In sharp contrast, the omission of the indefinite article 'an' was the least frequent error. Not surprisingly, errors relating to the addition of the definite article 'the' were the most frequent, which correlates with the fact that the definite article is used more widely in the Arabic language than in English. In fact, the English article system is a complex aspect of English grammar. It is one of the most difficult areas of acquisition for even the most advanced learners who have perfectly learnt all other features of the language. This means that EFL instructors may tolerate these errors and look at article errors as more serious. Further, results showed that Arabic interference was not the only source of errors, but that English was a source of many errors as well. Findings showed that 57. % of the errors were interlingual ones, indicating the influence of the native language. Thus, interlingual errors are the most commonly occurring types. On the other hand, intralingual errors represented 42.56% of article errors. This result also indicates that L1 interference strongly influences the process of second language acquisition of the articles, having a negative effect on the learning process. Teachers and instructors should therefore point out more clearly the differences between L1 and L2 in the use of articles.


Objective Multiple clinical prediction rules have been developed, but lack validation. This study aims to identify a set of prediction algorithms for influenza, based on electronic health record (EHR) structured data and clinical notes derived data using Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) driven natural language processing (NLP). Materials and Methods Data were extracted from an enterprise-wide data warehouse for all patients who tested positive for influenza and were seen in ambulatory care between 2009 and 2019 (N = 7,278). A text processing pipeline was used to analyze chart notes for UMLS terms for symptoms of interest to improve data quality completeness. Three models, which step up complexity of the dataset and predictors, were tested with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-selected parameters to identify predictors for influenza. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves compared test accuracy across the three models. Results Three models identified 7, 8, and 10 predictors, and the most complex model performed best. The addition of the UMLS-driven NLP symptoms data improved data quality (false negatives) and increased the number of significant predictors. NLP also increased the strength of the models, as did the addition of two-way predictor interactions. Discussion The EHR is a feasible source for offering rapidly accessible datasets for influenza related prediction research that was used to produce a prediction model for influenza. Combining data collected in routine care with data science methods improved a prediction model for influenza, and in the future, could be used to drive diagnostics at the point of care.


This study concerns with presupposition by main character of The Last Samurai movie. The objectives of this research were to find out the type of presupposition , the dominant type of presupposition and why the dominant type become dominant by main characters dialogue in this movie. This reseach was conducted by applying qualitative describtive design. The data of this reseach were taken from the dialogue by main character of The Last Samurai movie, it is Nathan Algren. The data were collected and analyzed based on 6 types of presupposition according to Yule, which are Existential, Factive, Lexical, Structural, Non-factive, and Counterfactual. The finding of this study shows that all of the types which are found in the dialogue by main caharacter in The Last Samurai movie. They are Existential is 40 items (61.53%), Factive is 7 items (10.76%), Lexical is 3 items (4.61%), Structural is 3 items (4.61%), Non-factive is 1 item (1.53%), and Counterfactual is 11 items (16.92%). The existential presuppositionbecome the dominant type. The implication of the dominant type of presupposition which is used in the dialogue by main character in The Last Samurai movie is the movie wants to tell about the existence of the players in this movie to viewers from their properties or their job by their each characters. It can make the story more interesting to watch.


Using the case of Dick, an inmate treated in the Psychiatric Ward of the Penitentiary of Nuutania in Tahiti, the author describes the difficulty and even impossibility of formation of traditional family units in Polynesia. The characteristic features are lack of communication, the role of the unspoken and isolation. Old taboos no longer provide controls in crisis situations. Basic landmarks allowing symbolization of the law have disappeared and people now turn to an outside source, metropolitan law which nevertheless remains "alien". This ultimate consensus is the last vestige of Polynesian culture. The different parties appear to be satisfied by this arrangement, the last bastion before the appearance of a totally unstructured society in which the underlying violence is no longer held in check by sacred beliefs.


The Cooling tower is an auditor system that is used for the heat transfer process where the heat is not useful anymore. There are several factors in the cooling tower operations that can be observed for cooling tower performance. A large number of bacteria on cooling towers become potential of scale precipitation that can decrease the cooling tower thermal effectivity because the scale will act as an inhibitor for heat transfer rate since the scale has a high value of thermal resistance. The ozone will be injected into the cooling water to reduce the scale precipitation growth rate that can decrease the cooling tower performance. This research intends to find the characteristic of the ozonation effect from cooling tower performance and water quality. The method for water quality checking is the AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) method, Titrimetric, Gravimetric, and Spectrophotometric. The output of this research is characteristic of cooling tower performance each day and rate of water quality before and after ozonation and each day. The effectiveness value results obtained in this research was 0.12 % for the lowest value and 8.74 % for the highest value. Ozonation has been proven to improve the water quality rate of cooling towers but has not been proven to improve the performance or effectiveness of cooling towers for an ozonation period of 15 days.


An analytical technique is developed for designing multidimensional (M-D) separable-denominator recursive digital filters that meet, simultaneously, magnitude and phase specifications. A cubic symmetry that exists in the M-D frequency response is incorporated into the M-D filter structure. The denominator and the numerator of an M-D transfer function are designed separately. The former is used to approximate constant group delays and the latter is used to adjust an overall magnitude response. The filter is analytically designed by solving linear equations only. This serves to reduce the amount of calculations drastically. The stability of the resulting filter is always guaranteed. Finally an example is given to illustrate the utility of the proposed technique.


Let $G=(V, E, w)$ be a weighted, directed graph subject to a sequence of adversarial edge deletions. In the decremental single-source reachability problem (SSR), we are given a fixed source $s$ and the goal is to maintain a data structure that can answer path-queries $s\rightarrowtail v$ for any $v\in V$. In the more general single-source shortest paths (SSSP) problem the goal is to return an approximate shortest path to $v$, and in the SCC problem the goal is to maintain strongly connected components of $G$ and to answer path queries within each component. All of these problems have been very actively studied over the past two decades, but all the fast algorithms are randomized and, more significantly, they can only answer path queries if they assume a weaker model: they assume an oblivious adversary which is not adaptive and must fix the update sequence in advance. This assumption significantly limits the use of these data structures, most notably preventing them from being used as subroutines in static algorithms. All the above problems are notoriously difficult in the adaptive setting. In fact, the state-of-the-art is still the Even and Shiloach tree, which dates back all the way to 1981 [1] and achieves total update time $O(mn)$. We present the first algorithms to break through this barrier. •deterministic decremental SSR/SSC with total update time $mn^{2/3+o(1)}$ •deterministic decremental SSSP with total update time $n^{2+2/3+o(1)}$ To achieve these results, we develop two general techniques for working with dynamic graphs. The first generalizes expander-based tools to dynamic directed graphs. While these tools have already proven very successful in undirected graphs, the underlying expander decomposition they rely on does not exist in directed graphs. We thus need to develop an efficient framework for using expanders in directed graphs, as well as overcome several technical challenges in processing directed expanders. We establish several powerful primitives that we hope will pave the way for other expander-based algorithms in directed graphs. The second technique, which we call congestion balancing, provides a new method for maintaining flow under adversarial deletions. The results above use this technique to maintain an embedding of an expander. The technique is quite general, and to highlight its power, we use it to achieve the following additional result: •The first near-optimal algorithm for decremental bipartite matching


This paper deals with the use of Monte Carlo experiments for investigating noise phenomena associated with hot carrier transport in semiconductors. In the first part of the paper procedures and problems associated with the design and interpretation of such experiments are discussed. The use of a Monte Carlo experiment is then demonstrated by estimating the velocity fluctuation spectrum of electrons in GaAs. Significant new results and insights are obtained. In particular, two new Spectral peaks are discovered and explained in terms of underlying physical processes, certain simple intuitive assumptions often made in noise theory are shown to be unjustified, and a criterion for the minimum flight time needed for estimates of "conventional" diffusion coefficients is obtained.


This paper investigates the optimum bias to achieve a highly efficient and linear Doherty power amplifier (DPA) with memoryless digital predistortion (DPD). The DPA is implemented using 25-W GaN HEMTs The PAE of 54.5% is achieved at an output power of 40 dBm for a 2.14-GHz continuous wave. The bias optimization and memoryless DPD are employed to improve the linearity of the DPA. The 11th-memoryless polynomial and recursive least square algorithm are used to implement the memoryless DPD. For a one-carrier WCDMA signal at an output power of 36 dBm, the adjacent channel leakage ratio at ±5-MHz offset are below −48 dBc with the drain efficiency of 40% after the linearization with the optimum bias.


The effect of surface modes of propagation on coupling to fast waves in the lower hybrid range of frequencies is studied theoretically and experimentally. The previously reported 'up-down' poloidal phasing asymmetry for coupling to a uniform plasma is shown to be due to the properties of a mode which carries energy along the interface between the plasma and the conducting wall. Comparison of the theory with coupling experiments performed on the PLT tokamak with a phased array of twelve dielectric loaded waveguides at 800MHz shows that the observed dependence of the net reflection coefficient on toroidal phase angle can be explained only if the surface wave is taken into account


This thesis consists of three main parts. The first and most important part, in terms of effort and time spent, is devoted to the estimation of the importance of accessibility for production at the firm or plant level using three different econometric estimation approaches. The results could have implications for the calculation of "wider" economic benefits of transport infrastructure, stemming from agglomeration externalities (e.g., scale economies). There are both methodological and result-wise conclusions that can be drawn from this research: methodologically, first, using unbalanced firm-level data requires the use of proxy variables to account for (initial) firm-specific unobserved productivity effects, and non-random exit from the dataset. Second, there are unsolved theoretical problems when applying an essentially aggregate approach to productivity analysis on disaggregate data, viz., relating to the existence of aggregate production functions, and to the aggregation of productivity from a disaggregate level to a more aggregate level in a spatial framework. Result-wise, clear productivity differences are presented, when comparing firms in the same time period but in different locations with different accessibility. However, it is not possible in this dataset to detect increased productivity for representative firms stemming from the opening of the Oresund link. It is therefore discussed whether the reason for this result could be the inappropriateness of output measures in a competitive business environment, where a large portion of the benefits are gradually transferred to consumers and thus remain unmeasured. Other, more comprehensive structural approaches to econometrics, including the demand side of the economy, are also recommended. The second part of the thesis treats an unjustly neglected area of transport research: the validation of transport demand models. These transport models are for example used to calculate the new traffic patterns and changes in accessibility from a transport infrastructure investment like the Oresund fixed link, around which most of this thesis orbits. The third and last part, written with two co-authors, deals with the "vulnerability" of the road network, in terms of effects on the travel time delays of the users when a link is disrupted. The calculated indices of importance and exposure could also be seen as extreme forms of accessibility, especially when there is no alternative route besides the one that is cut-off.


Refurbishment of hydro-generators promises an increased lifespan and improved efficiency. Old generators are not only less efficient but also less reliable; their fault occurrence is more common. The economic impact of out-service time can be astronomical. Thus, refurbishment is a critical task; but it is challenging too. Most of the conducted works focus on the material update, enhancing the cooling network, and obtaining better efficiencies. Modifying winding type, i.e. conversion from lap winding to wave winding is rare since it often requires a change in the slot number. Such a move can be laborious, size change can become mandatory. In this study, a refurbishment design strategy is proposed which includes a winding type conversion. The task is to implement a wave winding since it has less out-service time and is easily replaced by field workers. In this paper, an old generator that started operation in 1956 is used for a refurbishment. This study promises a guideline to hydro-generator designers who work on a refurbishment study on old hydro-generators that have diamond coils.


A novel Mg-containing aluminophosphate |C4H12N2|[Mg2Al6(PO4)8(H2O)4] (JU96) has been hydrothermally synthesized using piperazine as a structure-directing agent. Its framework, constructed by the connection of AlO4/MgO4(H2O)2 polyhedra and PO4 tetrahedra, exhibits a new 4-connected zeolite-like topology with intersecting 8-ring channels. Such a framework contains unique [44·66·86] cages that are occupied by diprotonated piperazine cations. Study shows that the presence of Mg atoms and the pH value of the reaction gel have a vital effect on the formation of JU96.


Concentration profiles for Ca, Na, Al, K, Fe, Ti, Mg, Sr, and Ba obtained by electron microprobe and secondary ion mass spectrometry from plagioclase crystals, together with textural observations from interference contrast microscopy, are consistent with contrasting magma dynamics in two subvolcanic reservoirs from which silicic lavas erupted at the Tatara-San Pedro volcanic complex, Chilean Andes. The I km3 late Pleistocene (68 ka) Tatara dacite is chemically homogeneous, phenocryst-poor, and contains crystals of opacitized hornblende, orthopyroxene, and titanomagnetite, plus 2 mm euhedral plagioclase phenocrysts with simple zoning patterns. Except at their rims, analyzed phenocrysts show nearly monotonic core-to-rim changes from An' to Anr,, including slight decreases in MgO and FeO' and slight increases in Ba, Sr, and K concentrations. Abrupt, but small, chemical shifts are associated with many subtle dissolution surfaces. In contrast, the 0. I km3 of chemically and texturally heterogeneous Holocene San Pedro dacite contains crystals of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, hornblende, biotite, titanomagnetite, ilmenite, and abundant 2 mm euhedral plagioclase phenocrysts, plus plagioclase and olivine xenocrysts derived from fragmented quenched basaltic inclusions. Analyzed phenocrysts span the range from An, to Anrr. Abrupt increases of 15 molo/o An, large increases in MgO, FeO', and Sr, and decreases in Ba and KO concentrations are associated with a few major dissolution surfaces. Plagioclase xenocrysts of Anro_ru have higher Sr, MgO, and FeO' and lower Ba and K concentrations than the phenocrysts, reflecting crystallization from a basaltic melt. In both dacites, phenocryst rims decrease in Sr and increase in K and Ti relative to equilibrium values as a consequence of rapid crystal growth at high undercooling during magma ascent and eruption. Modeling of variations in apparent Dg1"v-.t, implies growth rates for the <100 pm phenocryst rims of l0-'cm/s, suggesting that magma ascent may have taken several months. Provided these kinetic effects are identified, the remainder of the concentration profiles for Sr, Ba, Mg, and K in plagioclase phenocrysts can be inverted using partition coefficient expressions to monitor the temporal evolution of melts in the preeruptive magma chambers. Monotonic melt trends and periodic thermal dissolution of Tatara dacite phenocrysts imply a magma chamber closed to inputs of new magma and heat. Repeated cycles of crystal growth and weak dissolution occurred during phenocryst retention in thermally driven convection cells characterized by steady-state laminar flow. In contrast, dissolution events associated with large, abrupt shifts in melt Sr, Mg, and K/Ba toward basaltic values indicate that in the Holocene magma chamber heating of silicic melt adjacent to basaltic inclusions during magma mingling caused plagioclase dissolution. Renewed plagioclase $owth from the resulting small volumes of hybrid melt recorded highly localized chemical mixing by diffusion and accompanying cycles of fractionation.


Meta-analysis has attracted great interest among clinical practitioners in recent years, leading to a steady output of related publications. Meta-analytic articles are easily found in the MEDLINE database using the publication-type option. This paper reviews how to use and understand meta-analysis with a special reference to chemotherapy applied to cancer patients. It is described in relationship to evidence-based medicine (EBM) and clinical practice guidelines. Cochrane collaboration is also referred to as an active voluntary organization conducting meta-analysis. In the technical sections, statistical issues and graphic representations are clearly illustrated using the example of hepatic arterial infusion for colorectal cancer patients. The difference between fixed and random effects models is briefly explained. Finally, an example from Cochrane Library, namely progestagen therapy for endometrial cancer, is illustrated to show the implications of meta-analysis for clinical practice.


Background The RAS association domain family protein 1a gene (RASSF1A) is one of the tumor suppressor genes (TSG). Inactivation of RASSF1A is critical to the pathogenesis of cancer. Aberrant TSG methylation was considered an important epigenetic silencing mechanism in the progression of ovarian cancer. A number of studies have discussed association between RASSF1A promoter methylation and ovarian cancer. However, they were mostly based on a small number of samples and showed inconsist results, Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to better identify the association. Methods Eligible studies were identified by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CNKI databases using a systematic searching strategy. We pooled the odds ratio (ORs) from individual studies using a fixed-effects model. We performed heterogeneity and publication bias analysis simultaneously. Results Thirteen studies, with 763 ovarian cancer patients and 438 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The frequencies of RASSF1A promoter methylation ranged from 30% to 58% (median is 48%) in the cancer group and 0 to 21% (median is 0) in the control group. The frequencies of RASSF1A promoter methylation in the cancer group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The pooled odds ratio was 11.17 (95% CI = 7.51–16.61) in the cancer group versus the corresponding control group under the fixed-effects model. Conclusion The results suggested that RASSF1A promoter methylation had a strong association with ovarian cancer.


Let π be a cuspidal automorphic representation of GL4(A) with central character μ. It is known that π has Shalika period with respect to μ if and only if the L-function L(s, π, V 2 ⊗μ) has a pole at s = 1. In [JM], Jacquet and Martin considered the analogous question for cuspidal representations πD of the inner form GL2(D)(A), and obtained a partial result via the relative trace formula. In this paper, we provide a complete solution to this problem via the method of theta correspondence, and give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Shalika period for πD. We also resolve the analogous question in the local setting.


The Sichuan Basin is the major target for shale gas exploration in China because of its rich gas stored in unexploited black shale with multiple bed series. National Shale Gas Exploitation Areas have been established since 2012, the proved geological shale gas reserves is 9210×108 m3 and 90.25×108m3 annually output has been achieved by the end of 2017.
 The operating Sichuan Basin shale gas area located in the major compression tectonic experienced multiple geological structure movements in Earth history, showing characteristics of high steep structure with faults greatly developed. It's proven that the key factors in exploiting these targets are well acknowledged by the efforts to land and expose the lateral within the sweet zone. To successfully place lateral in reservoirs from geological perspective must overcome challenges of high uncertainty structure identification to make soft landing and maximize horizontal exposure in the sweet zone.
 While it comes to shale gas reservoir, to pave the way for fracture operation and achieve good well completion, the drilling requires a relative gentle well path, keeping well path inclination with limitation, which requires to make azimuth turning to achieve this.
 To ensure the optimum placement of the well in sweet zone, the integration of rotary steerable drilling system (RSS) with borehole images measurements in real-time have been implemented with the employment of well placement technique.
 The borehole image portrays structural profile while drilling whilst the rotary steerable drilling system provides accurate trajectory control. With the help of borehole image and proactive log correlation, the trajectory can be landed precisely into desired best quality reservoir, although the formation dip and actual target depth become much different with geological prognosis. During the lateral section, the trajectory was also controlled effectively in the high-quality reservoir despite of structural variation and reservoir property change. Through use of Fit-For-Purpose solution it effectively improves drilling efficiency and positively impacts well production. These achievements subsequently help to optimize wells deployment plan and wells with longer lateral horizontal section were planned for greater predictable production rate.


Two new species of the genus Diastolinus are described for the island of Cuba, D alfaroi and D orientalis. After securing and comparing large series from the type localities of Diastolinus macamboensis and D. garciai, as well as from intermediate territories, we suggest, that these two taxa are indistinguishable; therefore we consider D. garciai as a junior synonym of D. macamboensis. In the private collection of the senior author are represented several new, undescribed populations.


The construction site of the hydraulic engineering has a high danger factor and the correct wearing of reflective safety clothes ensures the safety of workers. Therefore, the detection and testing of reflective safety clothes wearing is an important task in the construction site of a hydraulic engineering. However, the traditional manual supervision strategy has the problems of low efficiency, narrow scope, and poor real-time performance in complex working conditions. Based on YOLOv3 that is a classical target detection model, this paper proposes a reflective safety clothes detection algorithm (YOLOv3-CCD) based on an attention mechanism and an improved loss function. By adding the CA (Coordinate Attention) mechanism module to the backbone network, the characterization ability of the target feature is enhanced, so as to solve the Long-Term dependencies problem in the detection process; The loss function is changed from IOU-Loss (Intersection Over Union Loss) to CIOU-Loss (Complete-IOU Loss), so that the network takes the aspect ratio into consideration when selecting the prediction box, which improves the accuracy of target positioning; In the post-processing of the algorithm, we improved NMS (Non-Maximum Suppression) to solve the problem of dense target detection being missed. Experimental results show that compared with the original YOLOv3 network model, the algorithm has stronger robustness and the overall detection accuracy is 1.8% higher than that of the original network. Moreover, the detection speed is 32 frames per second, which is faster than the original network.


A 76-year-old man had severe aortic stenosis and underwent elective transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Aortic annulus sizing by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was 25 mm. Multislice CT showed adequate iliofemoral arteries calibre with no severe calcifications. The procedure took place by right transfemoral access using a percutaneous closure device (ProStar XL Percutaneous Vascular Surgical System; Abbott Vascular, Redwood City, California, USA). A 26 mm balloon-expandable Edwards–Sapien XT valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, California, USA) was successfully advanced, however, with some resistance at …


"Crowood Sports Guides" provide sound, practical advice that will help make you a better sportsperson whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your sport. Featured in this book are: information boxes containing key points and top tips; sequence photographs and detailed diagrams in colour; a thorough analysis of the four strokes [Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Freestyle]; starts and turns analysis, including the individual Medley; valuable advice on techniques, coaching, drills, training, tapering, nutrition, and competition psychology; and an introduction to rules and equipment.


OBJECTIVE
To examine how autonomy and pubertal status explain age decreases in maternal involvement in type 1 diabetes management across adolescence, how they relate to metabolic control, and the reasons that guide declines in maternal involvement.

METHODS
One hundred twenty-seven children ages 10-15 years with type 1 diabetes and their mothers participated. Data included maternal and child report of diabetes management, child report of autonomy level, maternal report of pubertal status, maternal reports of reasons for transfer of diabetes responsibility, and glycosylated hemoglobin (Hba(1c)) values.

RESULTS
Autonomy and pubertal status partially mediated age effects on reports of maternal involvement. Mothers' reasons for transferring responsibility included responding to the child's competence, promoting competence and maturity in their child, and minimizing hassles and conflict. The transfer of diabetes responsibility from mother to child without sufficient autonomy and when pubertal status was low was related to higher Hba(1c) values.

CONCLUSIONS
The importance of chronological age for changes in maternal involvement suggests the need to examine mothers' and adolescents' developmental expectations for diabetes management. The reasons for transferring responsibility from mother to child suggest many avenues for intervention.


The main object of this research is to develop highly transparent polymeric films with the anti-static property. In order to enhance the miscibility between inorganic and organic phases, a coupling agent, HEMA/TiO(subscript 2) precursor, was made from HEMA and Ti (OBu) (subscript 4). The HEMA/TiO(subscript 2) precursor was subsequently mixed with a homogeneous isopropyl alcohol solution of MMA/DVB and BPO initiator. This reaction solution was prepolymerized at 60℃. Finally, the coated thin film was crosslinked by heat to form a highly transparent thin film with good optoelectronic properties from hybrid organic-inorganic nano-composites. The conductive filler content, the reaction procedure and the curing conditions were the control parameters for this study. The morphology structure of nano-composite film was investigated by SEM. Then, the solution is spin-coated with the spin coator at room temperature. According to the results of TGA survey, the thermal decomposition temperature (Td) of pure polymer was 372℃. When the metal oxide (TiO(subscript 2)) was added to the polymer, the thermal decomposition temperature (Td) elevated to 392℃. The glass transition temperature was not detected below 200℃ by DSC. The surface resistance of hybrid films was reduced from 3.47×10^13 Ω/cm^2 to 2.36×10^8 Ω/cm^2. According to the morphology structure estimated by SEM, the optic thin films were evenly distributed with inorganic particles and the average particle size of these composites was less than 100nm. The excellent optical transparency was achieved in the visible region. The properties including thermal properties, electrical conductivity and light transparency were measured and discussed. Finally, the potential of these new synthetic films applied to the optical field was evaluated.


What affects individual preference for different types of political regime? This paper investigates the determinants of individual preferences for democratic values and looks at differences in impact of influencing factors in transition and non-transition countries. It combines both individual and country level characteristics in order to see whether they impact personOs attitude. I found that preferences for democracy are formed by impact of both individual and country-level factors. However, the direction of impact depends on the type of political regime and stage of economic development in the country. First, GDP per capita, growth of inequality and inflation are positively affecting personal preferences for democratic values in the democratic countries and negatively in the countries with autocratic regime. In turn, growth of unemployment in democratic countries decreases individual support of democracy and has a positive impact on support in the countries with autocratic regime. That agrees with the literature that beliefs and attitude towards political systems depend on countryOs past experience. Age has different effect in transition and non-transition economies proving that being raised in different environments matters in terms of formation of political preferences.


The current paper presents low-power analog integrated circuits (ICs) for wireless electrocardiogram (ECG) detection in personal health monitoring. Considering the power-efficient communication in the body sensor network (BSN), the required low-power analog ICs are developed for a healthcare system through miniaturization and system integration. The proposed system comprises the design and implementation with three subsystems, namely, (1) the ECG acquisition node, (2) the protocol for standard IEEE 802.15.4 ZigBee system, and (3) the radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuits. A preamplifier, a low-pass filter, and a successive-approximation analog-to-digital converter (SA-ADC) are integrated to detect an ECG signal. For high integration, the ZigBee protocol is adopted for wireless communication. To transmit the ECG signal through wireless communication, a quadrature voltage-controlled oscillator and a 2.4 GHz low-IF transmitter with a power amplifier and up-conversion mixer are also developed. In the receiver, a 2.4 GHz fully integrated CMOS radio-frequency front-end with a low-noise amplifier, and a quadrature mixer is proposed. The low-power wireless bio-signal acquisition SoC (WBSA-SoC) has been implemented in TSMC 0.18-μm standard CMOS process. The measurement results on the human body reveal that the ECG signals can be acquired effectively by the proposed SoC.


Alkali activation is studied as a potential technology to produce a group of high performance building materials from industrial residues such as metallurgical slag. Namely, slags containing aluminate and silicate form a useful solid material when activated by an alkaline solution. The alkali-activated (AA) slag-based materials are promising alternative products for civil engineering sector and industrial purposes. In the present study the locally available electric arc furnace steel slag (Slag A) and the ladle furnace basic slag (Slag R) from different metallurgical industries in Slovenia were selected for alkali activation because of promising amorphous Al/Si rich content. Different mixtures of selected precursors were prepared in the Slag A/Slag R ratios 1/0, 3/1, 1/1, 1/3 and 0/1 and further activated with potassium silicate using an activator to slag ratio of 1:2 in order to select the optimal composition with respect to their mechanical properties. Bending strength of investigated samples ranged between 4 and 18 MPa, whereas compressive strength varied between 30 and 60 MPa. The optimal mixture (Slag A/Slag R = 1/1) was further used to study strength development under the influence of different curing temperatures at room temperature (R.T.), and in a heat-chamber at 50, 70 and 90 °C, and the effects of curing time for 1, 3, 7 and 28 days was furthermore studied. The influence of curing time at room temperature on the mechanical strength at an early age was found to be nearly linear. Further, it was shown that specimens cured at 70 °C for 3 days attained almost identical (bending/compressive) strength to those cured at room temperature for 28 days. Additionally, microstructure evaluation of input materials and samples cured under different conditions was performed by means of XRD, FTIR, SEM and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP).