The in vivo protecting activity of 9-propionylmaridomycin, a derivative of the new macrolide antibiotic, maridomycin, was compared with that of other macrolide antibiotics in mice infected with Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Diplococcus pneumoniae. The protective effect was almost similar to that afforded by several known macrolide antibiotics in mice infected intraperitoneally with certain strains of the gram-positive species described above. The skin lesion caused by intradermal challenge of S. aureus in mice also responded very effectively to treatment with 9-propionylmaridomycin.


The present paper deals with the results of the investigation of the polarization of the solar Corona observed at the total eclipse on the 21 of September, 1941. The data of the observation were obtained by the expedition of the Abastumani Observatory sent to Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic together with the expeditions of Leningrad Astronomical Institute and Kazan Engelhardt Observatory. The village Djalanash of Alma-Ata district was chosen as the location of our expedition where pavilions for observational instruments were built beforehand.

Our task was to study the degree and the direction of the polarization of the outer Corona in photographic and visual rays. The study of the polarization of the solar Corona enables us chiefly to investigate the physical nature of the Corona and to find out what particles cause the scattering of the sunlight in the Corona, in particular.

If the scattering of light is made by free electrons, then the degree of the polarization must not depend upon the wavelength, as it follows from Thomson's formula. But Cohn, Zakharin and others acknowledge in a number of works that the polarization of the Corona rather clearly depends upon the wavelength. At the same time Dufay and Grouiller showed that the polarization is independent of the wavelength.

From the works mentioned above it is seen that the degree of polarization is changed depending upon the distance from the Sun's limb and upon the position angle. But these dependence obtained by different observers were not alike. This shows that it is necessary to perform the observations and to work up the observational material obtained extremely carefully.

There is no doubt that reliable data of observations can answer the question what particles cause the scattering of the sunlight in the Corona. Probably the scattering of light is caused both by electrons and by dusty particles.

Besides, as supposed Young, there exists radiation of the Corona itself, we have on the whole partly polarized light mixed with the natural one.

In the summary of our paper we shall come back to the question the physical nature of the Corona, using the results of our observations.
In conclusion we can say that the polarization in the inner Corona is a little greater for photographic rays, than that for visual ones. But in the outer Corona their values come nearer and become almost identical. Generally speaking, having in view our remarks about the accounting of the background, we are inclined to consider the polarization not to be dependent upon the wave-length.

The maximum degree of polarization is at the distance from 4' to 12 from the Sun's limb (it is possible that the interval is wider). It is in this interval that takes place the deviation of the maximum of polarization depending upon the position angle.

The value of the degree of polarization is changed both according to the position angle and along the radius itself.

The polarization according to the position angle and along the radius is changed so much that it is difficult to compare the results of many writers who observed various eclipses and took different parts of the Corona both according to the position angles and along the radii. So no wonder that the insignificant values of polarization degree were obtained by Dufay and Grouiller.

If to examine our Table II it is easy to see that on some radii, for instance, φ = 75°, φ = 240°, the degree of polarization is less, than those of Dufay and Grouiller, but for φ = 132° the value is obtained the same as that of Cohn. So the existing theories of the polarization of the Corona relating to the polarization of the entire Corona must be considered to be of a very rough approaching to the reality.

Both the radii indicated above, and the radii φ = 48°, φ = 225°, φ = 228° and others display very small value of polarization in these parts of the Corona, i. e. it turns out that there are such regions in the Corona where the per cent of polarized light is very insignificant and therefore it is pοssible that mainly the radiation of the Sun itself takes place.
The opinion, existing up to the present time that the plane of polarization is radial, should be considered to be proved, but for the outer Corona the investigation of this problem becomes intensely complicated due to difficulty of accounting of the background of the sky and atmospheric polarization.

In the computations of the degTee and the direction of polariiation we did not take into account the displacement of the Moon's disc during totality. But it should be accounted, if the expositions of three succeeding photographs are more or equal to 15 sec each.

Our expositions were not so long.

As far as we know the indicated displacement was not taken into account by all other previous investigators. This fact must be considered to be the general drawback of the previous investigations.

At last l should like to express my sincere gratitude to computers T. Megrelishvili, X. Kalandadse, E. Dolidse and E. Brodskaja, who have done almost all work On measurements and computations.
December, 1942


Sea spray aerosol (SSA) is one of the major natural aerosol sources and is produced when wave breaking entrains air into ocean surface water, which subsequently breaks up into bubbles. These bubbles rise to the surface and can scavenge biogenic material. Once they reach the surface, they burst and produce both a large number of relatively small film drops that result from the disintegration of the bubble film cap and a smaller number of jet drops that result from the collapse of the bubble cavity and are typically larger in size than the film drops. The production of SSA is influenced by several factors, including wind speed, sea state, seawater temperature, salinity, and the physicochemical and biological condition of the ocean. SSA can significantly impact Earth's radiation budget by scattering incoming solar radiation directly and by acting as cloud condensation nuclei. To improve our understanding of the impact of sea spray aerosols on the Earth's climate, it is critical to understand the physical mechanisms which determine the size-resolved SSA production flux. Furthermore, SSA can be a vector for the emission of primary biological airborne particles (PBAP) from the oceans to the atmosphere. PBAP encompass bacteria, viruses, pollen and spores and can be present in the atmosphere in form of agglomerates, single particles or cell fractions. Although, the abundance of PBAP typically only make up < 0.1% of the number of aerosols, this does not imply their insignificance. On the contrary, PBAP are known to be very efficient cloudand ice condensation nuclei and thus can influence cloud properties such as cloud phase, albedo and lifetime, thereby affecting the Earth's climate as well as biogeochemical cycles. As the Earth is 70% covered by oceans, of which most could be characterized as remote, quantifying the PBAP emissions over these waters are important for the enhancement of climate models. The goal of this thesis was to study the factors impacting SSA emissions and the emission of primary biological particles with SSA with particular focus on bacteria emissions. This was done both through laboratory and field experiments in the Baltic Sea and in the Azores archipelago using a plunging jet sea spray simulation chamber and various techniques to characterize aerosol emissions. More specifically, a parameterization for the SSA production flux as a function of salinity and temperature was derived from laboratory experiments and a wind speed and sea state dependent parameterization were derived from ambient eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements in the Baltic Sea. The combination of EC flux measurements and laboratory generated SSA allowed to derive a chamber specific scaling factor that could be applied to derive bacteria emission fluxes ranging between 16-63 cells m s from the Baltic Sea. Bacteria were found to be 13-488 and 9-148 times enriched in SSA compared to the underlying seawater from mesocosm experiments in the Baltic Sea and Azores, respectively. A comparison of single cell abundance estimates from fluorescence microscopy and real-time measurements of PBAP with diameters > 0.8 μm using a bioaerosol sensor revealed that the latter yielded consistently lower concentrations. The discrepancy was explained by differences in the sampling approach and size cut-offs (i.e. single cells versus agglomerates or particle-attached cells). As such, both methods are applicable to different research questions and should be considered complementary. An analysis of the microbial community composition in the aerosols and underlying seawater showed selective aerosolization of certain bacteria taxa. Furthermore, selective growth and a decrease in alpha diversity in the seawater was observed when the mesocosm experiments were operated in a closed mode (meaning that the seawater was not exchanged over the duration of each experiment), which can however be circumvented by continuously replacing the water in the mesocosm. Ambient measurements of PBAP revealed diurnal variations with a peak during the early morning hours that was correlated to changes wind speed, wave height, air temperature, relative humidity, latent and sensitive heat flux.


Abstract Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica) range throughout the western United States and Mexico and exhibit substantial geographic variation in morphology and behavior. Western Scrub-Jays are a polytypic species complex with three distinct groups (californica, woodhouseii, and sumichrasti) associated with geography and distinguished by morphology, genetics, and behavior. Until recently, the Island Scrub-Jay (A. insularis) and the Florida Scrub-Jay (A. coerulescens) were considered subspecies within the Western Scrub-Jay complex. We analyzed mitochondrial DNA sequences (control region I) to reveal the phylogenetic relationships within Western Scrub-Jays and used maximum likelihood, a Bayesian approach, and a relaxed phylogenetic approach to construct phylogenies. In addition, we used several methods to estimate divergence time between clades. Our results reveal that the interior woodhouseii group, which contains the sumichrasti subclade, and the coastal californica group have had a long and independent evolutionary history. However, samples from a contact zone in western Nevada were genetically woodhouseii and morphologically californica. Island Scrub-Jays evolved from the coastal californica, which makes Western Scrub-Jays paraphyletic with respect to Island Scrub-Jays. To solve the problem of paraphyly and to more accurately define the diversity that exists within Western Scrub-Jays, we suggest splitting Western Scrub-Jays into two or three species, California Scrub-Jay (A. californica), Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay (A. woodhouseii), and, potentially, Sumichrast's Scrub-Jay (A. sumichrasti).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present work was to determine the presence of various rickettsiae and protozoan in raw milk and the assessment the potential, milk-borne route in the spread of selected zoonotic pathogens.

MATERIALS
A total of 119 raw milk samples collected randomly from 63 cows, 29 goats, and 27 sheep bred on 34 farms situated on eight communities in eastern Poland were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the presence of pathogenic rickettsiae (Coxiella burnetii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp.) and protozoan (Toxoplasma gondii).

RESULTS
The only prevalent pathogen was T. gondii, which was found in 10 samples of cow milk (15.9%), in one sample of goat milk (3.4%), and in one sample of sheep milk (3.7%). One sample of cow milk was positive for C. burnetii; however, the sequence analysis did not confirm any species of Coxiella or Coxiella-like organisms, but showed 100% homology to Psychrobacter alimentarius. None of the examined samples showed the presence of A. phagocytophilum or Rickettsia spp.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest a potential hazard of milk-borne Toxoplasma infection, mostly by consumption of raw cow milk. The milk-borne spread seems to be limited or nonsignificant in the case of C. burnetii, A. phagocytophilum, and Rickettsia spp. The false-positive sample for Coxiella spp. suggests that some care should be taken in the interpretation of the results obtained by using the PCR method.


Migrant youth develop different ways of dealing with their migrant background, some celebrate and reify their ethnicity, some distance themselves from people of the same background, and some situationally create new cultural repertoires and draw on multiple cultural frameworks. This paper describes two different ways in which second-generation Italians in Switzerland publicly celebrate their migrant background. Although they all grew up in similar socio-economic conditions, some have appropriated a discourse that celebrates cultural diversity as an integral part of Swiss society with the aim of increasing their political rights, while others publicly emphasise their Italianness and use Latino cultural categories to assert their ethnicity. Both groups employ a culturalist discourse, the former emphasising their belonging to Swiss society and culture, and the latter celebrating their difference. This paper discusses how these two kinds of identity politics are on the one hand related to the socio-economic and cultural context in which the second generation grew up, and, on the other, to the educational background and peer-group associations developed during young adulthood. By showing this plurality of social and cultural patterns of belonging among members of the second generation, the paper highlights the reflexive character of cultural practice and discourse.


This report provides statistics on worldwide use of geophysical methods in 1975. Data were obtained primarily through a survey questionnaire which was mailed out to more than 1500 companies, government agencies, and universities that use geophysical techniques for petroleum exploration, oceanography, engineering, mining, geothermal exploration, and groundwater exploration. Response to the survey was excellent and provided detailed information on more than 2100 geophysical surveys. Data on unit costs, methods used, and line‐miles covered are believed to be more accurate this year as a result of better cooperation from industry in filling out the questionnaires. Computer processing was utilized in tabulating the statistics to provide increased accuracy and detail. Data not supplied on the questionnaire for costs or line mileage were estimated on the basis of worldwide averages to produce a more comprehensive report.


It is unclear how many species of Gobiosoma occur in Brazil and what their geographic distributions are. Here we combine data from a comprehensive morphological survey and a molecular analysis to clarify this uncertain taxonomy and place Brazilian Gobiosoma within a phylogenetic framework. Recent collections in Brazil, from the states of Ceará to Santa Catarina, and in Uruguay yielded two allopatric species of Gobiosoma that are distinct in genetics, meristics, morphometrics, scale pattern and coloration. Comparisons were made with types and specimens of Gobiosoma hemigymnum, Garmannia mediocricula, Gobiosoma spilotum and Gobiosoma parri and all other known species of Gobiosoma. We place G. parri in synonomy with G. hemigymnum with a distribution of Rio de Janeiro to Uruguay and Argentina. The northern species, that extends from the states of Espírito Santo to Ceará, is described as a new species, Gobiosoma alfiei. A key to the Atlantic species of Gobiosoma is provided.


The paper explores a neglected condition for legitimate self-defense, 'The Success Condition,' according to which otherwise immoral acts can be justified under the right to self-defense only if they are likely to gain protection from the perceived threat. The idea behind this condition is that if measures cannot reasonably be expected to provide defense, they cannot be justified under the title of self-defense. The success condition also accords well with the other constraints for legitimate self-defense, namely necessity and proportionality. However, it gives rise to a disturbing paradox for it prohibits self-defensive measures in cases where we feel that such measures are not only fully permissible but even heroic. To dispel this paradox, I develop 'The Honor Solution,' according to which the success condition is retained in these cases, because the self-defensive acts succeed (or are expected to succeed) in protecting the victim's honor. Finally, I explore the implications of the success condition, coupled with the honor solution, for the morality of wars. I argue that the restrictions on the defense of honor are stronger in wars than in individual self-defense, which explains why the "reasonable hope of success" condition in jus ad bellum usually refers to success in staving off the actual attack of the enemy, not to success in merely defending the honor of the country under attack.


Establishing and mastering continuous experimentation as an instrument in the portfolio of software product managers is of growing importance resulting in continuous renewal of products for continuous user satisfaction. Product managers for purely software-based products like web-based applications found in online web-shops or smartphone apps can monitor usage profiles of their products in the context of their customers' usage (i.e. the "field"). However, in the area of interconnected embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, or with Internet-of-Things (IoT), such continuous experimentation is under-explored and in many cases understandably not considered due to safety considerations. In this position paper, we are outlining challenges and opportunities of continuous experimentation for cyber-physical systems.


The purpose of this study is to find out the forms and types of expressions of "belittling" in opinion texts of Kompas and Republika newspapers, and to describe them as teaching materials for Indonesian language class XII. This research is a qualitative descriptive study; the data in this study are in the form of sentences and paragraphs contained in the Kompas and Republika opinion texts in October 2021. The data collection utilized observation and documentation. The data validity test utilized theory triangulation. The data analysis used the method of distribution of marker reading techniques and the referential identity method. The results showed that there were belittling expressions in the opinion texts of Kompas and Republika, and the types of expressions included expressions of belittling educational institutions, the government, corruptors, the millennial generation, and a persona. This research can be applied as teaching material in Indonesian language learning in class XII high school, in the form of opinion texts, with material for evaluating information in opinion texts contained in Kompas and Republika newspapers.


Speech enhancement systems are typically trained using pairs of clean and noisy speech. In audio-visual speech enhancement (AVSE), there is not as much ground-truth clean data available; most audio-visual datasets are collected in real-world environments with background noise and reverberation, hampering the development of AVSE. In this work, we introduce AV2Wav, a resynthesis-based audio-visual speech enhancement approach that can generate clean speech despite the challenges of real-world training data. We obtain a subset of nearly clean speech from an audio-visual corpus using a neural quality estimator, and then train a diffusion model on this subset to generate waveforms conditioned on continuous speech representations from AV-HuBERT with noise-robust training. We use continuous rather than discrete representations to retain prosody and speaker information. With this vocoding task alone, the model can perform speech enhancement better than a masking-based baseline. We further fine-tune the diffusion model on clean/noisy utterance pairs to improve the performance. Our approach outperforms a masking-based baseline in terms of both automatic metrics and a human listening test and is close in quality to the target speech in the listening test. Audio samples can be found at https://home.ttic.edu/~jcchou/demo/avse/avse_demo.html.


A resource-intensive industrial development, particularly in some Asian countries, characterized the last century. Its main causes can be ascribed to the significant elongation of life expectation, and to the overall increase in the standards characterizing the quality of life. The drawback of these positive aspects is the emergence of problems related to the industrial development: water stress, the environmental pollution, and the increase of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.


Introduction Barrett's metaplasia, a precursor of oesophageal adenocarcinoma, is characterised by a change of the distal squamous oesophagus to a columnar/intestinal phenotype. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic change seen in Barrett's metaplasia are not known. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is a transcription factor originally identified in hepatoma cells, but with essential functions in gastrointestinal tract development and function. HNF4a is not normally found in squamous epithelium but is identified in Barrett's metaplasia. The objectives of this research was to examine the utility of HNF4a in inducing a columnar/intestinal phenotypic change in squamous oesophageal epithelium following ectopic expression. Methods Ectopic HNF4a expression was induced in a mouse model of squamous epithelium using adenoviral vectors. The intestinal markers, cytokeratin 8 (K8), villin, trefoil factor 3, alkaline phosphatase and mucin2, along with the squamous epithelial proteins p63 and K14 were examined using immunohistochemistry or PCR following HNF4a expression. Results Three days of ectopic HNF4a is sufficient to provoke the expression of intestinal markers villin, trefoil factor 3 and K8 in squamous oesophageal cells. The expression of the squamous transcription factor p63 is down regulated following HNF4a expression. Interestingly ectopic HNF4a provokes the expression of E-cadherin in squamous oesophageal cells grown under low calcium conditions. Conclusion HNF4a is a new candidate factor for the induction of Barrett's metaplasia. Ectopic expression is sufficient to provoke a change in the phenotype of squamous cells consistent to that seen in Barrett's metaplasia. These experiments demonstrate for the first time the expression of columnar intestinal markers (K8, villin and trefoil factor 3) in squamous oesophageal cells following forced HNF4a induction. Understanding the molecular steps that regulate the induction of HNF4a in squamous epithelium will provide further insight to the early initiation of Barrett's metaplasia and may provide therapeutic opportunities.


It has been shown that antibodies of three different types and contained in foreign or homologous serum appear in the blood stream but slowly and in slight degree after intratracheal injection. Conversely, such antibodies are retained in the lungs over a relatively prolonged period. These facts suggest that the lungs are only slightly permeable to antibody. Additional evidence indicated that the presence of sterile pulmonary inflammation exerted little effect on this permeability. On these grounds it was found impossible to agree with Besredka that the intratracheal route is a good way to induce general passive immunity.


In urban canyons, non-line-of-sight (NLOS) multipath interferences affect position estimation based on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). In this paper, the effects of NLOS multipath interferences are modeled as mean value jumps appearing on the GNSS pseudo-range measurements. The Marginalized Likelihood Ratio Test (MLRT) is proposed to detect, identify and estimate the NLOS multipath biases. However, the MLRT test statistics is generally difficult to compute. In this work, we consider a Monte Carlo integration technique based on bias magnitude sampling. The Jensen inequality allows this Monte Carlo integration to be simplified. The interacting multiple model algorithm is also used to update the prior information for each bias magnitude sample. Finally, some strategies are designed for estimating and correcting the NLOS multipath biases. Simulation results show that the proposed approach can effectively improve the positioning accuracy in the presence of NLOS multipath interferences.


The authors present a preliminary study of some optical properties of atmospheric aerosols over the area of Valencia, Spain, a coastal Mediterranean city. Measurements of spectral direct irradiance in the 300-1100 nm range were taken simultaneously at three sites: rural-continental, rural-coastal, and urban-coastal, all located within a 50 km radius of the city of Valencia. The irradiance measurements were obtained using three Li-cor 1800 spectroradiometers provided with radiance limiting tubes with field of views (FOVs) of 4.7/spl deg/. The measurements were made under clear sky conditions during a field campaign carried out in the summer of 1998. In order to avoid the uncertainties associated with the determination of the water vapor content and the other atmospheric constituents, the analysis of the spectral aerosol optical thickness (AOT) values was limited to the 400-670 mm spectral band. From the values of the spectral AOT, both the Angstrom coefficients and the aerosol size distributions were obtained. The results show the great dependence of the optical aerosol characteristic on the direction of the prevailing winds (maritime or continental) in this area.


Although it is clearly risky to make predictions about what may occur several years in the future, sometimes such projections are necessary. If we have no idea where we are heading and why, the journey may be fraught with even more pitfalls than the constantly changing environment we live in today. And, although change is a constant, some things will stay the same as they have over the last decade or so because they are based on sound reasoning and market dynamics. The author explores the forces driving design validation testing and production testing as we move into the new century.


We consider a holographic model constructed through using the D4/D8-D8 brane configuration with a NS-NS BMN background field. We study some properties of the effective field theory in this intersecting brane construction, and calculate the effects of this NS-NS background field on some underlying dynamics. We also discuss some other general brane configurations.


The atmospheric dynamics during the occurrence of the extreme negative value of the Arctic Oscillation Index in February 2010 are investigated using meteorological fields from ERA‐Interim and ERA‐40 reanalysis data. The study focuses on the possible causes of this anomalous value, finding that it was forced by a geopotential anomaly that propagated downward from the stratosphere to the troposphere in association with a major sudden stratospheric warming event which occurred at the end of January. An analysis of the dynamics of this warming is also developed, together with a comparison with past similar events. Synoptic and spectral properties of the geopotential fields are analyzed, and the time series of the 'Baroclinic Activity Index' are computed, finding an abrupt increase of the middle latitude baroclinic activity immediately after the central date of the warming event. A possible interpretation of this feature is proposed. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society


Traditional models of consumer decision-making are largely cognitive and sequential in nature. While there is some recognition of an emotional component in the decision-making process, traditional models assume emotions are sequential in nature with the most important emotion being the final one, negative emotions are bad and should be overcome, cognitive and affective processes and multiple emotions cannot exist simultaneously, and a dichotomy exists between satisfaction and emotion in consumer decision-making. This paper examines contemporary research that challenges traditional assumptions about the role of emotions in consumer decision-making and introduces the role of consumer emotional intelligence into the process. The discussion concludes with a look at the strategic and ethical implications for marketers.


Due to contemporary lifestyle, nutritional status of students is poorer and therefore it negatively affects the aerobic capacity. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in aerobic capacity among female students of Faculty of Teacher Education with regard to their level of nutritional status. The study included 281 female students of the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb. The sample of variables consisted of anthropometric measures: body height, body weight, sub-scapular and triceps skinfolds. Aerobic capacity was measured by 20 meter shuttle run test and nutritional status was determined by the body mass index (BMI). The subjects were divided into four groups according to their nutritional status: underweight, normal body weight, overweight and obese. Mean values of the BMI place the students into normal weight group, however, mean values of aerobic capacity show that students achieved poor results. Kruskal Wallis test and its post-hoc test (multiple comparisons for all groups with Bonferroni adjustment) for determining the difference between subsamples according to the level of nutritional status among students show that the subsamples differ in four of the five variables that describe the morphological characteristics (body weight, BMI, sub-scapular skinfold, triceps skinfold) as well as in aerobic capacity. The results obtained in this study show that the increased body mass have extremely high impact on the aerobic capacity results. It can be concluded that the tested students' aerobic capacity is poor and students with normal body weight have better aerobic capacity than overweight or obese students.


Introduction. The selectivity with which antibodies react with the particular proteins used in their production affords a biological method of differentiating proteins which is far more delicate than that of direct chemical analysis.
 Applications of this method, in one form or another, have been made by various workers in an attempt to determine whether the blood protein, fibrinogen, is an identical protein in all animal species or is in each particular instance a protein peculiar to that species.
 The conclusions reached by the several investigators are contradictory and the purpose of this paper is to present experiments which offer more extensive proof that fibrinogens are species specific, as are other blood proteins.
 In 1912 Bauer and Engel (1) reported that beef and swine fibrinogens exhibited individual and species specificity when tested by the method of complement fixation. They also used the precipitin reaction but found that specificity was not so definitely demonstrable by this method.


Three Mirror Anastigmat (TMA) systems including both on-axis and off-axis configurations have been widely used in space applications. In some designs, to correct for high order aberrations and realize large FOV, freeform surfaces are used to provide more design freedoms. This trend brings challenges to optical manufacturing and testing community. Since testing is critical to make high accurate aspheres and freeform surfaces, the paper addressed Computer Generated Hologram (CGH) design and implement to measure large freeform mirrors. In particular, CGH assisted alignment procedure for TMA telescopes were discussed in detail.


Phthalates are substances used as plasticizing agents and solvents that can increase the risk of infertility and that appear to induce oxidative stress. The aim of the study was to show the possible relationship between urinary concentrations of phthalates metabolites, namely MEP, MBzP, MnBP, MEHP, MEHHP, and MnOP and biomarkers of nucleic acids oxidation, methylation, or protein nitroxidation. The oxidative stress biomarkers measured in human urine were 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine, 3-nitrotyrosine, and 5-methylcytidine. Two hundred and seventy-four couples were enrolled, undergoing an assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatment, urine samples were analyzed in HPLC/MS-MS, and then two sub-groups with urinary concentration > 90th or <10th percentile were identified, reducing the sample size to 112 subjects. The levels of oxidative stress biomarkers were measured in both groups, reduced to 52 men and 60 women. A statistically significantly difference for 8-oxoGuo and 3-NO2Tyr between men and women, with higher levels in men, was found. The levels of oxidative stress biomarkers were directly correlated with some phthalate concentrations in both sexes.


Variations in time to failure data for electromigration processes have shown the importance to conductor design of factors that include composition, grain size, and passivation thickness. Traditionally, these variables have been studied separately. An understanding of the combined effects of these variables is necessary to design reliable conductors. Temperature‐ramp resistance analysis to characterize electromigration (TRACE) has been applied to sample groups in which composition, passivation thickness, and grain size were varied. The results of these experiments provide the kinetic parameters for electromigration, and from these values, a calculation is proposed that allows an estimate of the conductors' resistance to electromigration. The results suggest that the predominant factor controlling electromigration rates is the passivation thickness.


Instead of plastic, some growers are now using containers manufactured with alternative materials that can be planted directly into the soil and will degrade over time, thus eliminating the need to dispose of pots in landfills. While previous studies have addressed aspects of the consumers' willingness to pay for biodegradable containers, this study specifically addresses consumers' perceived value for the containers themselves; that is, without the influence of the plant in the container. Analysis of the confidence intervals for wheat starch pots, rice hull pots, straw pots, coir pots and peat pots reveal that they overlap, which indicates the price premiums participants are willing to pay for these five types of biodegradable containers do not significantly differ from each other. Consumers express a positive willingness to pay for several types of biodegradable containers relative to the standard plastic pot. There are two distinct levels that emerged with the first tier including coconut coir and peat pots, which received ratings in the same range as rice hull, straw and wheat pots. A second, lower tier of similarly rated containers included the poultry feather, cow manure and recycled plastic pots.


The hemi-benzylamine complex of lithium benzylamide exists in the crystal as an infinite, twisted-ladder structure of fused (NLi)(2) rings; curiously, one edge of the ladder is solvated by benzylamine molecules, while the other is solvent-free.


Community forest user groups are considered as prominent institutions in Nepal for the sustainable forest management through the active involvement of local people. Community forestry has mandatory provision of at least half number of women representation in executive committee however there is no restriction for all women representation in such committee. This study was conducted in two community forest user groups namely Mahila Srijana Community Forest User Group ( only women leadership) and Betkholshi Community Forest User Group ( mixed Leadership by both men and women) in Hetauda Sub-metropolitan city of Makwanpur district to identify whether the women leadership has significant contribution on sustainability of community forests. Different 4 criteria, 26 indicators and 60 verifiers were used to measure the sustainability through household survey (n=58), focus group discussion (n=4) and meeting minutes analysis. Present study reveals that overall sustainability index (OSI) of all women leaded community forest user group (OSI=0.502) was insignificantly lesser than the CFUG with the leadership of both men and women (OSI=0.512) however forest management practices was found better in women lead community forest.


Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric illness that is relatively common among patients presenting for treatment in primary care clinics. Physicians in primary care often face difficult decisions about how and when to intervene when a patient is experiencing depressive, manic, or hypomanic episodes consistent with bipolar disorder. This article reviews the literature on how to assess and diagnose bipolar disorder in primary care, and how to choose from the array of treatment options that exist. The psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy evidence base provides guidance on how to help patients effectively manage this ailment. Collaboration among health and mental health practitioners is key in helping manage the "peaks and valleys" of bipolar disorder. Special considerations need to be made to routinely assess for impulsivity, suicidality, and patient progress throughout the course of treatment.


C2H2-zinc finger genes are involved in various biological processes in plants including stress response; however, they lack characterization in Brassica napus. We identified 267 C2H2-ZF genes in B. napus and deciphered their physiological properties, subcellular localization, structure, synteny and phylogeny, and investigated expression of 20 genes in response to different stresses and phytohormone treatments. The 267 genes were distributed on 19 chromosomes; phylogenetic analysis placed them into five clades. They varied from 0.41 to 9.2 kb in length, had stress responsive cis-acting elements in promoter regions, and their protein length varied from 9 to 1,366 amino acids. About 42% of the genes had one exon, and 88% genes had orthologues in Arabidopsis thaliana. About 97% of the genes were located in nucleus and 3% in cytoplasmic organelles. qRT-PCR analysis showed different expression pattern of these genes in response to biotic stresses (Plasmodiophora brassicae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and abiotic stresses (cold, drought and salinity) and hormonal treatments. Differential expression of the same gene was observed under multiple stress conditions, and a few genes showed similar expression in response to more than one phytohormones. Our results suggest that the C2H2-ZF genes can be targeted for the improvement of stress tolerance in canola.


Long-duration ventricular fibrillation (LDVF) often occurring out-of-hospital has been presented several minutes before electrical shocks. It is important to understand the mechanism by which LDVF is maintained and defibrillated. Purkinje fibers (PFs) have been demonstrated to play a key role in the onset of certain types of ventricular fibrillation. In this review, we discuss the electrophysiological difference between PFs and working myocardium, and the role of the PFs in the maintenance and termination of LDVF.


The salt anticlines of eastern Utah and western Colorado formed in the deepest part of Paradox basin--a basin developed during Pennsylvanian time and filled by great thicknesses of upper Paleozoic sediments, including a thick sequence of evaporites belonging to the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation. The salt anticlines originated either as tectonic folds or as folds over basement faults soon after the evaporites were deposited, probably in middle Pennsylvanian time. These structures were parallel to, and probably formed concomitantly with, the rise of the ancestral Uncompahgre highland, the front of which paralleled closely that of the southwest front of the present day Uncompahgre Plateau. Rapidly accumulating arkosic sediments of the Permian Cutler Formation, deri ed from this highland, probably buried parts of the salt anticlines; elsewhere along the anticlines the salt rose isostatically as rapidly as the sediments were deposited. In places the Cutler was later intruded by the cores of the buried salt anticlines. Parts of the cores were exposed at the surface at least until the Morrison Formation was deposited in Late Jurassic, so that the formations pinch out along the flanks of the salt cores. Variations in thickness--chiefly thinning--of the Morrison and later Mesozoic formations over the crests of the salt cores indicate that salt flowage was still active after the salt cores were buried. The salt anticlines attained their present forms--except for modifications imposed by later collapse of the crestal parts of the anticlines--during the early Tertiary when the rocks of the region were folded, and the salt anticlines were accentuated.


Diagnosis: Intestinal spirochetosis. Results of histopathologic studies were pathognomonic for intestinal spirochetosis, a disorder that was first described in 1967 [1]. There are no distinct symptoms associated with intestinal spirochetosis other than diarrhea. The rate of colonization in humans is variable, but men who have sex with men and HIV-infected individuals appear to be at higher risk of being colonized [2, 3]. Endoscopic and gross examinations of the intestine reveal no distinctive findings. Histopathologic studies are characterized by a fuzzy, bluecolored, band-like fringe along the colonic brush border visible by hematoxylin-eosin staining [2, 4, 5]. Spirochetes are well stained using silver stains, such as Warthin-Starry [3] or Steiner stains, and are seen attached along the surface of the colonic epithelium (figures 1 and 2). The most commonly identified species are Brachyspira aalborgi and Serpulina pilosicoli [2, 3, 5]. PCR assays have been described for some species of intestinal spirochetes but are not clinically available and have not been validated for diagnostic purposes [6]. Although controversy exists regarding the clinical significance of this colonization [7], numerous case reports have described spirochetes in the intestines of patients with diarrhea and the elimination of spirochetes, with clinical improvement, after receipt of treatment with various antimicrobial agents, such as metronidazole [2–5]. The patient in this report was treated with oral metronidazole (500 mg t.i.d. for 10 days) and had clinical improvement, as manifested by decreased frequency of diarrhea and loose stools, although there was not complete resolution. Two weeks after completion of antibiotic therapy, colonoscopy was repeated, and no gross abnormalities were noted. The previously noted rectosigmoid mucosal erythema had resolved. Examination of colonic mucosa biopsy specimens revealed almost complete disappearance of spirochetes that had previously lined the mucosal border, with only a few organisms visualized by Steiner staining. The patient continues to be observed, and, to date, the improvement in symptoms has been maintained for 3 months.


Preschool children are frequently affected by traumatic dental injuries, most of them during the first three years of life. Due to the resiliency of the alveolar bone surrounding the primary teeth, most of these injuries fit into tooth luxations category. In this paper two different cases of early loss of primary incisors resulting from luxations are described. Removable esthetic space maintainers were placed using the natural crown of the traumatized teeth and the children were evaluated over a 12 month period. The treatment given could be considered an excellent rehabilitation option since it restores the esthetics and masticatory function, allows speech development, benefits oral hygiene and prevents the establishment of tongue habits and malocclusions.


In order to investigate a possible regional specificity of activation asymmetries of different parts of the cortex and the stability of these asymmetries across time and conditions, EEG was recorded during rest and stimulation conditions in a large sample of right-handed university students (n = 60). Recordings were made in two sessions (interval between sessions 2-4 weeks). In the first session two rest periods were conducted (interval 30 min) and one under stimulation. In the second session EEG was again recorded at rest. Reliability analyses show that the long-term stability of orbitofrontal asymmetries is markedly lower than that of dorsolateral, temporal, and parietal scores. Intercorrelations of EEG asymmetries at different electrode positions suggest that anterior and posterior EEG asymmetries are largely independent measures of cortical laterality. Both this partial independence of activation asymmetries and the differences in temporal stability underscore the significance of the anterior-posterior dimension in laterality research and may be one reason for several contradictory observations in studies on brain laterality.


This study is a longitudinal analysis of the early career decisions made by graduates of an urban-focused secondary teacher preparation program. By matching graduates' self-reported commitment to teaching in urban schools at the end of the training program to the demographic data of the schools where they subsequently teach, the authors explore the relationship between preservice teacher attitudes about urban schools and their actual career decisions by tracking the urbanicity and student characteristics of graduates' schools. The authors find that most graduates attain teaching jobs in urban schools, and higher percentages of graduates who exit the program more committed to teaching in urban schools take jobs in urban schools with higher percentages of students of color and low-income students. The vast majority of graduates remain in urban schools, but those graduates who transfer to work in less urban and/or schools with fewer students of color or teachers who leave the field altogether are those who reported lower urban commitment. Understanding how professed commitments to teaching in urban schools at the end of a teacher education program are associated with the subsequent career decisions of graduates represents an important step in understanding why some individuals elect to teach and remain in urban schools.


There are considered possibilities of improving the dynamic properties of diesel generators in the supplementary energy system of road train and identified influencing factors and control features. There is suggested the system of automatic regulation of diesel generator which had passed road tests and allows to solve the task.


The design and implementation of a natural language query processing system is described. The system is based on the CANDIDE object-oriented data model, which consists of a collection of instances and classes. Classes are arranged in a generalization hierarchy. Each instance belongs to one or more classes. CANDIDE includes a terminological reasoning capability, known as the Classifier, which is used to process queries. Natural language queries are converted into CANDIDE objects and then processed by the Classifier. Issues in natural language processing are discussed, including the lexical acquisition problem. The approach is unique in terms of aiding natural language processing with a semantic data model.<<ETX>>


For n-person bargaining problems the family of proportional solutions (introduced and characterized by Kalai) is generalized to bargaining problems with non-convex payoff sets. The so-called "efficient proportional solutions�?are characterized axiomatically using natural extensions of the original axioms provided by Kalai.


To explore the deformation mechanisms of a new composite extrusion including extrusion and successive shear subsequently which is shorten "ES", Three dimensional finite element modeling of grain refinements for magnesium alloys by ES process has been researched. The ES die have been designed and manufactured and installed to the horizontal extruder. Finite element software DEFORM-3D to investigate the plastic deformation behaviors of magnesium alloy during extrusionshear has been employed. The extrusion loads and temperatures distribution of billets and maximum extrusion forces have been obtained from simulation results. From the simulation results it is clear that evolutions of extrusion loads curve and effective stresses and temperatures can be divided into three stages. ES process has been applied to fabricate AZ31 magnesium alloy rod at preheat temperature of 420°C with extrusion speed of 20 mm/s. The results proved that the ES process is a formality method for magnesium suitable for large scale industrial application. The microstructures of AZ31 magnesium alloy along the longitudinal section of rods have been sampled and examined and observed. Fine grained microstructures can be observed throughout longitudinal section of extruded rod. The researches results show that ES process would cause severe plastic deformation and improve the dynamic recrystallization of AZ31 magnesium alloy. The simulation results and calculated Zener-Hollomon parameters showed that the grains of magnesium would be refined gradually during ES process.


Background Management of chronic nonmalignant pain (CNMP) is a clinical challenge for residents and practicing physicians. Surveys of both groups have revealed attitudinal barriers and knowledge deficits to pain management. These include negative views about patients with CNMP, inadequate knowledge of pseudoaddiction and addiction, and fear of regulatory scrutiny. The purpose of this study is to determine medical student preclinical attitudes toward patients with CNMP. Methods A survey was administered to third-year students prior to their first clinical rotation in July 2006. Students were asked to define chronic pain and describe characteristics of patients with chronic pain. They were also asked to complete the following sentence: Working with patients with chronic pain will be… Finally, students responded to eight attitudinal statements about CNMP and three questions about clinical exposure to and personal or family experience with CNMP. Results The response rate was 48% (N = 93/193). Mean student age was 26 years, 56% were female, and 38.4% planned a primary care residency. Most students had no clinical exposure to or personal or family experiences with CNMP (61%). CNMP was defined by four themes: (1) long duration, (2) decreased quality of life, (3) patient discomfort, and (4) treatment challenges. Eleven percent included an emotional or psychological term in their definition. Students characterized CNMP patients as (1) depressed, (2) frustrated, (3) tired, and (4) irritable, and 25% described a decrease or loss in patient function. Students anticipate that working with CNMP patients will be "rewarding," "educational," "interesting," and "worthwhile." A majority disagreed with the statements Narcotics should be reserved for terminally ill patients (79%) and Any patient given narcotics is at significant risk of addiction (67%). Most students plan to treat patients with CNMP after residency (71%), and nearly all believe that medical school and residency will train them to manage patients with CNMP (80%). Conclusions Overall, students accurately defined CNMP and their written responses showed empathy and optimism. Students have a willingness to use narcotics for patients without terminal illness and an understanding that not all patients are at risk of addiction. A majority of students plan to treat patients with CNMP and believe that they will be trained effectively. These results open the door for curriculum interventions that preserve positive attitudes toward the treatment of patients with CNMP as well as thwart misconceptions. A targeted competency-based curriculum intervention in medical education is warranted.


Conclusions. The study disclosed a few predictive factors for benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV) recurrences, which are clinically relevant and essential for patient awareness of the often long-term course of the condition. Objectives. To determine the long-term recurrence rate of posterior canal BPPV after successful liberatory maneuvers. Methods. A retrospective self-evaluation questionnaire with a structured interview was conducted 6–17 years after assessment of the diagnosis in 125 patients. Results. The recurrence rate in patients with a mean follow-up of 10 years was 50%. Most recurrences (80%) were within the first year after treatment, irrespective of the liberatory maneuver applied. None of the patients observed a recurrence after a symptom-free period of 8 years. Recurrences were seen significantly more often in women (58% versus 39%). The recurrence rate of patients in the seventh decade was half that of those in the sixth decade (p=0.0009). A history of three or more BPPV attacks prior to treatment indicated a higher risk of impending multiple recurrences in about two-thirds of the patients.


The purpose of this research is determining the effect of volcanic ash and get a dose of the best on the growth and production of soybean. Research has been conducted in the experimental field of the Agriculture Faculty, University of Riau from April to July 2015. The research used randomized design group, consisted of 5 treatments and 4 replications, so that there are 20 experimental units. The treatment is dose of volcanic ash 0 tons/ha, 7.5 tons/ha, 15 tons/ha, 22.5 tons/ha and 30 tons/ha. Parameters that observed were height plant, number of branches, flowering age, harvesting age, number of total pods per plant, number of full pods per plant , weight seeds per m2 and weight of 100 seeds. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, then continued with further test with Duncan's new multiple range test at 5%. The results of research showed that giving of volcanic ash significantly take effect to height plant, number of branches, flowering age, harvesting age, number of total pods per plant, number of full pods per plant and weight seeds per m2 but the effect is not significant to the weight of 100 seeds of soybean plants. Provision of volcanic ash of 22.5 ton/ha is the best treatment against the parameters of a number of branches (9,35 branches), flowering age (31 days), harvesting age (88,5 days), number of total pods per plant (201,9 pods), number of full pods per plant (174,68 pods) and weight seeds per m2(476,61 g or 4,289 ton/ha).


The traditional trial paradigm is often criticized as being slow, inefficient, and costly. Statistical approaches that leverage external trial data have emerged to make trials more efficient by augmenting the sample size. However, these approaches assume that external data are from previously conducted trials, leaving a rich source of untapped real-world data (RWD) that cannot yet be effectively leveraged. We propose a semi-supervised mixture (SS-MIX) multisource exchangeability model (MEM); a flexible, two-step Bayesian approach for incorporating RWD into randomized controlled trial analyses. The first step is a SS-MIX model on a modified propensity score and the second step is a MEM. The first step targets a representative subgroup of individuals from the trial population and the second step avoids borrowing when there are substantial differences in outcomes among the trial sample and the representative observational sample. When comparing the proposed approach to competing borrowing approaches in a simulation study, we find that our approach borrows efficiently when the trial and RWD are consistent, while mitigating bias when the trial and external data differ on either measured or unmeasured covariates. We illustrate the proposed approach with an application to a randomized controlled trial investigating intravenous hyperimmune immunoglobulin in hospitalized patients with influenza, while leveraging data from an external observational study to supplement a subgroup analysis by influenza subtype.


Continuum solvation representations based on the Poisson-Boltzmann equation have become widely accepted in biomolecular applications after years of basic research and development. Since analytical solution of the differential equation can be achieved only in a few specific cases with simple solute geometry, only numerical solution is possible for biomolecular applications. However, it is conceptually difficult to assign solvation forces in the numerical methods, limiting their applications into direct simulations of energy minimization and molecular dynamics. In this study a dielectric pressure formulation was derived from the general Maxwell stress tensor for continuum solvation of biomolecules modeled with the widely used abrupt-transitioned dielectrics. A charge-central strategy was then proposed to improve the numerical behavior of the computed pressure. An interesting observation is the highly similar charge-central formulations between the smooth-transition dielectric and the abrupt-transition dielectric models utilized in the biomolecular solvation treatments. The connections of the new formulation with both the Davis-McCammon and Gilson et al. approaches were further presented after applying the normal field approximation. The consistency was verified with the numerical tests on a realistic biomolecule. The numerical experiments on the tested biomolecule further indicate that the charge-central strategy combined with the normal field approximation not only improves the accuracy of the dielectric boundary force but also reduces its grid dependence for biomolecular applications.


A case study for the application of a novel geostatistical technique for resource estimation of a narrow steeply dipping, gold-silver mineralized quartz vein deposit is presented. The technique is novel in two respects. First, mineral grades are kriged directly rather via the accumulation method more often applied to vein deposits and, second, a modified 2D ordinary kriging algorithm is used that allows the calculation of a single grade and variance for irregular shaped blocks of varying sizes. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the suitability of this novel geostatistical technique for resource estimation of the Poura mine deposit and, if appropriate, to lay a firm foundation for future geostatistical work at the mine. The reserve estimation concentrated on the remnant ore blocks and pillars in both underground and surface workings. The data, which was collected in 2D coordinates with grade and vein thickness values, was first analyzed statistically and used to compute experimental semi-variograms. Appropriate semivariogram models were fitted and various aspects of the estimation technique were evaluated using cross-validation error analysis, with acceptable results. A block kriging computer program called Krige2D was developed to implement the modified 2D kriging algorithm and calculations. Production data were not available to evaluate the computed block resources, but they were compared with a previous resource data determined using an arithmetic approach. The geostatistical technique estimated slightly higher grades but lower overall tonnages as compared to the earlier arithmetic estimates.


The gene encoding Aspergillus nidulans acetamidase (amdS) was placed under control of Candida albicans ACT1 promoter and terminator sequences and then cloned into a plasmid containing C. glabrata ARS10,CEN8 or ARS10+CEN8 sequences. All plasmids transformed C. glabrata wild-type cells to acetamide+, with the ARS-only containing plasmid transforming cells at the highest frequencies (>1.0 × 10(4) transformants μg(-1)). Plasmids were rapidly lost under non-selective conditions with the frequency dependent on chromosomal element, thus recycling the acetamide- phenotype. The amdS plasmid was used to transform a set of clinical isolates resistant to a variety of antifungal drugs. All strains were successfully transformed to the acetamide+ phenotype at high frequency, confirming that this plasmid construct could be used as a simple dominant marker on virtually any strain. Gap repair experiments demonstrated that just as in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, gap repair functions efficiently inC. glabrata, suggesting that C. glabrata has numerous similarities toS. cerevisiae with regard to ease of molecular manipulation. The amdS system is inexpensive and efficient, and combined with existing C. glabrata plasmid elements, confers a high transformation frequency for C. glabrata with a phenotype that can be easily recycled.


BACKGROUND
The treatment of patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane in age-related macular degeneration is unsatisfactory because only a limited number of patients are eligible. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate a new perifoveal treatment technique in patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane.

METHODS
Between April 1992 and January 1994, 385 patients underwent clinical examination and fluorescein angiography. Eligibility criteria were met by 21 (5.5%) patients (22 eyes): well or poorly defined subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane (< or = 3.5 disc diameters), without fibrosis, with visual acuity < or = 0.25. Visual acuity, morphological findings and complications were studied. The follow-up period was 12-32 months.

RESULTS
The visual acuity before laser treatment ranged from counting fingers up to 0.25 (median 0.06). At the end of the follow-up (median 18 months) 28% (6/21) of patients showed a better visual acuity, whereas 44% (9/21) were unchanged and 28% (6/21) had deteriorated compared to visual acuity before treatment. In 71% (15/21) of eyes, resolution of the choroidal neovascular membrane was achieved with development of an atrophic laser scar.

CONCLUSION
The visual outcome and the morphological findings after perifoveal laser treatment of subfoveal choroidal neovascular membrane in age-related macular degeneration show it to be an alternative method of treatment with favourable results. Due to inclusion criteria it is suitable only for a limited number of patients.


We construct and classify all possible Magic Squares (MS's) related to Euclidean or Lorentzian rank-3 simple Jordan algebras, both on normed division algebras and split composition algebras. Besides the known Freudenthal-Rozenfeld-Tits MS, the single-split G\"unaydin-Sierra-Townsend MS, and the double-split Barton-Sudbery MS, we obtain other 7 Euclidean and 10 Lorentzian novel MS's. We elucidate the role and the meaning of the various non-compact real forms of Lie algebras, entering the MS's as symmetries of theories of Einstein-Maxwell gravity coupled to non-linear sigma models of scalar fields, possibly endowed with local supersymmetry, in D = 3, 4 and 5 space-time dimensions. In particular, such symmetries can be recognized as the U-dualities or the stabilizers of scalar manifolds within space-time with standard Lorentzian signature or with other, more exotic signatures, also relevant to suitable compactifications of the so-called M*- and M'- theories. Symmetries pertaining to some attractor U-orbits of magic supergravities in Lorentzian space-time also arise in this framework.


We present polarimetric observations of the afterglow of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 021004, obtained with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) and the Very Large Telescope (VLT) between 8 and 17 hours after the burst. Comparison among the observations shows a 45 degree change in the position angle from 9 hours after the burst to 16 hours after the burst, and comparison with published data from later epochs even shows a 90 degree change between 9 and 89 hours after the burst. The degree of linear polarization shows a marginal change, but is also consistent with being constant in time. In the context of currently available models for changes in the polarization of GRBs, a homogeneous jet with an early break time of tb 1d ay provides a good explanation of our data. The break time is a factor 2 to 6 earlier than has been found from the analysis of the optical light curve. The change in the position angle of the polarization rules out a structured jet model for the GRB.


Solution methods for the nonlinear partial differential equation of the Rudin-Osher-Fatemi (ROF) and minimum-surface models are fundamental for many modern applications. Many efficient algorithms have been proposed. First order methods are common. They are popular due to their simplicity and easy implementation. Some second order Newton-type iterative methods have been proposed like Chan-Golub-Mulet method. In this paper, we propose a new Newton-Krylov solver for primal-dual finite element discretization of the ROF model. The method is so simple that we just need to use some diagonal preconditioners during the iterations. Theoretically, the proposed preconditioners are further proved to be robust and optimal with respect to the mesh size, the penalization parameter, the regularization parameter, and the iterative step, essentially it is a parameter independent preconditioner. We first discretize the primal-dual system by using mixed finite element methods, and then linearize the discrete system by Newton\textquoteright s method. Exploiting the well-posedness of the linearized problem on appropriate Sobolev spaces equipped with proper norms, we propose block diagonal preconditioners for the corresponding system solved with the minimum residual method. Numerical results are presented to support the theoretical results.


Teaching English does not automatically mean teaching from a course book, though employing a course book is possibly the most accepted way of teaching a foreign language today. It is good to specify what the role of course books is or should be in the learning and teaching process. However, it is important to grasp that a course book is just sustenance, not a holy material. Course books must be at the service of teachers and students; they must not rule the teachers and the students. That's to say, ELT course books have a big importance in language classrooms, though there are contradictory disputes about the actual role of these course books. This study evaluated ''Yes You Can'', the ninth grade English course book for public schools, which was implemented in 2014 by the Ministry of Education, Turkey. The point of the study derives from the fact that it can affirm the strengths and weaknesses of the course book, and conclude whether it is applicable, or needs supplementation or modification for optimal learning. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the views of EFL teachers pertaining to the English course book for the 9th grade. A questionnaire for teachers was administered in high schools selected randomly from the Seyhan district of Adana. The data obtained were analyzed through SPSS, a Statistical Programme for Social Sciences. The analysis of the data shed significant light on the evaluation of the present course book through teachers' views. In the first place, the responses by a total of seven out of thirty-eight criteria concerning the course book were disapproved while the rest of the items by a number of thirty-one were approved by teachers. That's to say, teachers have designated an approval regarding the overall appreciation for ''Yes You Can'', the ninth grade English course book.


This article helps to clarify and articulate the ideological, legal, and ethical attitudes regarding software as intellectual property rights (IPRs). Computer software can be viewed as IPRs from both ethical and legal perspectives. In China, IPRs protection legislation has carried on at a speed never before known, but in judicial practice, there are still a lot of issues worth exploring in software infringement claim, such as, evidence collection. So the authors point out that some ethical factors should be considered, and the relationship between the ethical and legal perspectives must be balanced well in order to prevent the abuse of moral judge.


After a short survey of the historical development of the Medico-Policlinical Institute of the Karl Marx University Leipzig tasks and developmental tendencies of university medical policlinics are described, evaluating hereby the results of the Vth conference of higher education. They are understood as a university representation of ambulatorily working internists and to a large extent of the specialists for general medicine. Their main tasks consist in education and continued professional training of this group of physicians under integrative description of the whole subject internal medicine, a research oriented to practice as well as a guiding and coordination function for the ambulatory internistic care, taking into particular consideration the early recognition of a disease, in primary and secondary prevention as well as in a scientifically based ambulatory therapy of epidemiologically important diseases.


Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science
to the DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2008.


Stable oxygen isotope techniques may be a useful tool to investigate the pathways of water movement within leaves. However, implementation of such methods is limited due to uncertainty in the effective path length (L) for the Péclet effect in leaf water enrichment models. Previous studies have found relationships between L and physiological parameters such as transpiration rate (E) and leaf hydraulic conductance (k(leaf)) both within and between species. However, these studies relied on assumptions in their calculation of L, which were not directly tested. Eucalyptus paniculata Smith was used to evaluate the relationships between L, k(leaf) and E under differing water availability and a range of leaf temperatures. Coupled gas exchange and transpiration isotope measurements allowed previous assumptions to be directly tested. L was significantly and negatively related to both k(leaf) and E when the isotopic signature of water vapour was assumed to be in equilibrium with source water, was equivalent to the room vapour or equal to source water. However, the relationship between L and k(leaf) was non-significant when measured δ( 18)O of transpired vapour was used and disappeared entirely when non-steady-state leaves were excluded, and when evaporation site water was calculated from coupled gas exchange and transpiration isotope values. These results suggest that great care must be taken when calculating L, particularly regarding assumptions of isotopic steady state and δ( 18)O of vapour. Previous suggestions of changes in pathways for water movement as transpiration rate varied need to be reassessed in light of these observations.


Paracetamol (PCT) and Mefenamic acid (MFA), in combination, is recommended widely for the treatment of antipyretic and anti-inflammatory conditions. The present works carry a new simple, rapid, precise, accurate, and sensitized method of high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection for simultaneous quantification of PCT and MFA. The samples are eluted in isocratic mode using a Phenomenex ODS 3V C18 (4.6mm × 250 mm i.d, with a particle size of 5μm) with the mobile composition of methanol: phosphate buffer pH 7.1 (70:30) delivered at a flow rate of 1ml/min with the detection wavelength of 254 nm. It shows good linearity response in the concentration range of 15-35 μg/mL and 6-14 μg/ml for PCT and MFA with the retention times of 3.0 min and 4.8 min, respectively. The quantities of PCT and MFA in pharmaceutical suspension were found to be 99.01% and 101.02%, respectively. The method was quantitatively evaluated according to ICH guidelines taking into consideration the required parameters, and the results obtained are within acceptable limits. So, the proposed method can be employed in the routine analysis and evaluation of MFA and PCT in both bulk and suspension dosage form.


For a considerable time, long-only index funds have been suspected of being responsible for price increases on agricultural futures markets, particularly those for grain. Utilizing partial equilibrium concepts, we analyze the market impacts of long-only index funds. Our analysis reveals that long-only index funds stabilize the market. The market entry of long-only index funds lowers risk premiums, so farmers can hedge at lower costs. This gives incentives for storage and dampens seasonal price fluctuations on spot markets, which is also in favor of consumers. However, the entry of long-only index funds reduces the profitability of speculation. Thus, there is no need for political action in this particular field.


The restructuring f the regional working unit (OPD) as a form of institutional restructuring carried out in the framework of bureaucratic reform needs to pay attention to the structuring model that is by the needs and conditions of the Regional Government, so that the composition and formation of regional apparatus organizations can be following the needs of the Regional Government. In the Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2016 concerning Regional Working Unit, there was a change in the provisions on the implementation of organizational working unit restructuring with the previous Government Regulation namely Government Regulation (PP) No. 41 of 2007 concerning the Regional Working Unit, wherein the Government Regulation regulates the arrangement of regional apparatus organizations based on the area, number of inhabitants and local original income or regional financial capacity whereas Government Regulation (PP) No. 18 of 2016 concerning the Regional Working Unit regulates the organizational arrangement of regional working unit based on compulsory governmental affairs and selected governmental affairs which are the authority of regional governments with the principle of Rigthzising. So that with the change in the organizational structuring model of the regional working unit, it is expected to be able to realize the form and composition of an effective and efficient regional working unit in accordance with the regional government institutional requirements.


The importance of mentoring in the development of individual careers is noted in the business and higher education literature. However, prior research has given little attention to the development of mentoring relationships between junior and senior sport management faculty members. In addition to providing context-specific information, mentorship studies of sport management faculty provide insight on an emerging and gender-imbalanced discipline in the academy. This study reviews the literature on mentorship, and presents a hybrid framework on the mentor–protégé relationships established in the academic field of sport management. Specifically, the study identifies aspects of the relationships likely to yield positive perceptual outcomes, such as relationship effectiveness, trust, and job satisfaction. Data were collected from 161 sport management faculty members in the United States and Canada. The results provide support for the new hybrid framework and highlight mentoring as a valuable mechanism to support sport management faculty.


Introduction: Oral hygiene can be maintained by mechanical and chemical methods. Maintenance of oral hygiene is challenging in visually impaired children due to physical limitations. Aim: To compare plaque removal efficacy using different toothbrushes among visually impaired children. Materials and Methods: This randomised clinical trial conducted on 45 visually impaired children aged between 7-12 years from a blind school in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, after obtaining informed consent. Study was conducted in the month of September 2020 and October 2020 for a period of two months. All potential participants were randomly divided into three groups depending on the type of toothbrush used. A plaque disclosing agent (Alpha Plac) was applied and Turesky Modified Quigley Hein Plaque Index (TQHPI) was recorded for all subjects on 15th, 30th, 45th and 60th day from the baseline. Plaque samples were collected from all the subjects and microbial assessment was done for detection of Colony Forming Units (CFUs), on 30th and 60th day from the baseline. Data was analysed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test followed by Tukey's posthoc analysis at baseline and post interventional time periods. Friedman's test followed by Wilcoxon's Signed Rank post-hoc analysis was used to compare mean CFUs between different time intervals, in each study group. Results: At baseline, no statistically significant difference was noted between the three groups with respect to TQHPI and CFUs. At two months follow-up, nano-b toothbrush group showed significant decrease in mean Plaque Index (PI) score compared to electric toothbrush group (p-value=0.01) and manual toothbrush group (p-value <0.001). Similarly, at two months, mean reduction in CFUs was greater in nano-b toothbrush group followed by electric toothbrush group and manual toothbrush group which was statistically significant (p-value=0.003). Conclusion: Plaque removal efficacy in visually impaired children was superior in nano-b toothbrush group, followed by electric toothbrush group and manual toothbrush group in succession, respectively.


BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the parameters influencing the effectiveness of first 131I thyroid remnant ablation and then 131I treatment of metastatic lesions in children and adolescents with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 88 children and adolescents with DTC were divided into 2 groups: 56 in the complete-ablation group and 32 in the incomplete-ablation group for the first 131I ablation; 32 in the incomplete-ablation group were further divided: 19 in the complete-remission group and 13 in the incomplete-remission group for subsequent 131I treatment of metastatic lesions. Influential parameters were analyzed using t test, t' test, rank-sum test, χ2-test, and Fisher exact test, and logistic regression analysis was performed. Radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU), lymph node metastases, and pulmonary metastases were selected as influential parameters. RESULTS After logistic regression analysis, RAIU, only lymph node metastases, and pulmonary metastasis were significantly associated with the complete-ablation rate. High levels of RAIU and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) were not conducive to disease remission after subsequent 131I treatment of metastatic lesions. The remission rate of patients with pulmonary metastasis was lower than the rate of patients with lymph node metastases or no metastases. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrated that a high remission rate is associated with low postoperative RAIU and Tg. Lymph node metastasis and pulmonary metastasis reduce the complete-remission rate of first 131I ablation therapy. Pulmonary metastasis reduces the remission rate of subsequent 131I treatment. Also, 131I treatment for pediatric DTC with pulmonary metastasis achieved progression-free survival.


Heteromorphic sex chromosomes, particularly the ZZ/ZW sex chromosome system of birds and some reptiles, undergo evolutionary dynamics distinct from those of autosomes. The W sex chromosome is a unique karyological member of this heteromorphic pair, which has been extensively studied in snakes to explore the origin, evolution, and genetic diversity of amniote sex chromosomes. The snake W sex chromosome offers a fascinating model system to elucidate ancestral trajectories that have resulted in genetic divergence of amniote sex chromosomes. Although the principal mechanism driving evolution of the amniote sex chromosome remains obscure, an emerging hypothesis, supported by studies of W sex chromosomes of squamate reptiles and snakes, suggests that sex chromosomes share varied genomic blocks across several amniote lineages. This implies the possible split of an ancestral super-sex chromosome via chromosomal rearrangements. We review the major findings pertaining to sex chromosomal profiles in amniotes and discuss the evolution of an ancestral super-sex chromosome by collating recent evidence sourced mainly from the snake W sex chromosome analysis. We highlight the role of repeat-mediated sex chromosome conformation and present a genomic landscape of snake Z and W chromosomes, which reveals the relative abundance of major repeats, and identifies the expansion of certain transposable elements. The latest revolution in chromosomics, i.e., complete telomere-to-telomere assembly, offers mechanistic insights into the evolutionary origin of sex chromosomes.


Two fully dense composites containing AlN, SiC, and MoSi2 in different amounts were produced by hot pressing. Young modulus, hardness, electrical conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficient were measured at room temperature. Strength and toughness were evaluated up to 1300°C in air. According to statistical analysis, the temperature has little or no effect on high-temperature fracture behavior of the composites. These electroconductive materials are suitable for thermomechanical applications at high temperature, the strength being about 600 MPa at 1300°C.


Background: Biological profile assessment for establishing identity can be done by using cephalometric radiographs. As often the skull and mandible are the only remains available, they can be used to get estimate of stature which is one of the important parameters for personal identification. This study was aimed at deriving stature from Posterio-anterior (PA) cephalometric mandibular parameters in adult Chhattisgarh population. Method: About 50 males and 50 females in the age range of20–60 years were subjected to stature measurement and digital PA cephalograms. Sidex is next Generation 2.4 software was used to plot the landmarks and linear mandibular measurements were derived. Using statistical tools, the data were analyzed for correlation and linear regression for stature equations. Result: Bicondylar distance (BCD), Bigonial distance (BGD) and Mandibular dimension (MD) showed strong positive correlation with stature in both the genders, while in females apart from these parameters Codylon-Gonion distance, left Gonion-Gnathion distance were also found to be correlated with stature. Conclusion: It can be concluded that these PA cephalometric mandibular parameters can be use in estimating stature and thus are helpful in establishing personal identification. Keywords: Measured living stature (MLS), mandibular measurements, biological profile, personal identification. Cite this Article Salkar PS, Fating C, Deoghare A, et al. Stature Estimation for Human Identification by PA Cephalometric Mandibular Parameters. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Dentistry . 2019; 10(1): 31–35p.


Powder Metallurgy (PM) is a cost efficient method suitable for sustainable production of structural parts that have strict dimensional tolerances and complex geometries. It has been a common practice to utilize Ni and Cu as alloying elements in PM steels, but the high and fluctuating prices of Ni and the concerns around it associated with health hazards as well as the difficulty in recycling Cu lead the PM industry to search for effective alternatives such as Cr and Mn. However the use of Cr has been met with scepticism due to its affinity to oxygen which can lead to the formation of stable oxides on the powder surface. Such oxides can act as barriers for the development of sinter necks and as a consequence they are of major importance for the production of structural components through the press-and-sinter route. Thus particular attention is required in order to control the surface chemistry of the powder which is the key factor for the successful sintering and production of PM parts. The research work presented in this thesis was aimed at acquiring fundamental knowledge concerning the surface chemistry of metal powder and how it changes during the heating/sintering stage and finally how and why different process parameters can affect the reduction/oxidation mechanisms and thus the mechanical performance of the sintered part.
High-resolution analytical techniques (scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger nanoprobe analysis) were used to investigate the powder surface characteristics with regard to composition, morphology, size and distribution of surface oxides. It was revealed that the Cr-alloyed powder is predominantly covered by a homogeneous (~6 nm thick) Fe-oxide layer up to ~94% whereas the rest is covered by fine particulate features with size below 500 nm which were rich in strong oxide forming elements such as Cr, Mn and Si. Hence, most of the contacts between the metal particles comprising the compacted powder will be comprised of Fe-oxide rather than the more stable oxides.
Sintering trials on water atomized steel powder grades pre-alloyed with Cr using varying process parameters showed that the most critical stage is during the heating between 800-1000oC due to the risk of enclosure of surface oxide inside the developing inter-particle connections and further transformation of any residual Fe-based oxides into the more stable Cr-Mn-spinels which at elevated temperatures can coalesce into larger agglomerates. The balance between the developed "microclimate" and the mass transport phenomena is the decisive factor for the efficient reduction of the surface oxide and is greatly affected by the existing conditions such as the atmosphere composition and temperature as well as the different process parameters like the heating rate and green density. Provided that proper pre-cautions are taken in this respect, good mechanical performance of the produced component can be achieved.


This paper is related to application-specific device, a prototype of a conveyor belt for sorting the packets by the size in bins and tracking the number of bins. The paper deals with the creation of physical model, using Arduino based embedded system for local control.


This paper deals with the experimental characterization of modern semiconductor devices under realistic operational conditions. First, a method for monitoring their thermal evolution as a response to transient electrical stimuli is presented. The proposed solution belongs in the category of optical infrared methods and offers good time and space resolution. In line with the requirements of leading-edge research and development activities, it is also characterized by a high-degree of versatility, which makes it a powerful tool in many diverse lines of investigations. Then, examples of the critical operation of modern-generation low-voltage power transistors are discussed. The cases proposed are selected from an actual application scenario and well demonstrate, on the one side, the need for accurate characterization of the components and, on the other side, the validity of the chosen solution.


1 I n t r o d u c t i o n Structural topology or layout optimization consist of finding the optimal one out of all feasible structures with different forms of topology and layout. When the structural weight is taken as the objective function, the mathematical model of structural layout optimization is W = min[W (1) , W (2) , . . . , W (t)] t -+ oo , (1)


It is shown that a strong magnetic field applied to a bulk metal induces a Luttinger-liquid phase. This phase is characterized by the zero-bias anomaly in tunneling: the tunneling conductance scales as a power law of voltage or temperature. The tunneling exponent increases with the magnetic field as Bln B. The zero-bias anomaly is most pronounced for tunneling with the field applied perpendicular to the plane of the tunneling junction.


During the clinical study and treatment of a group of patients with thyroid carcinoma, we have studied the effects of thyroid hormone on several metabolic systems under conditions in which the thyroid status of the patients could be controlled at will. Early in the tracer studies of iodoalbumin metabolism in these patients it was apparent that it was necessary to employ a mathematical approach somewhat different from published methods of compartment analysis. Accordingly a suitable mathematical approach was developed by one of the present authors (1). In this report, the practical difficulties encountered in application of the approach to experimental data and the theoretical implications of the approach are discussed. The kinetic analysis of the data of a single tracer study comprises the body of the report. Additional data from other tracer studies are included only insofar as they contribute to the development of the model chosen for analysis.


This thesis presents a neo-constructionist theory to account for a couple of puzzles centring around the Mandarin directional serial verb constructions (DSVC), such as song tang jin lai 'send soup enter come'.
Mandarin DSVCs are divided into seven types. I first look into the word order alternations observed with certain types of DSVCs. I find that the word order variants differ in telicity and their interaction with the aspectual morpheme le, the potential morphemes de/bu and the negation bu/mei. Then the DSVCs involving no word order alternations are also examined. I compare the distribution of le and the locative object in all types of DSVCs. The relation between the metaphoric interpretation and the syntactic position of directional verbs is also discussed.
To cover the data, I propose that syntax first generates an eventuality-encoding structure for the lexical items to be inserted. In this structure, VP is sandwiched between a series of functional projections including ResP, PathP, DeicP, RealiseP and IAsP. VP represents the process of the event; ResP expresses the result state; PathP describes a moving track; DeicP encodes deictic information; RealiseP accommodates the aspect marker le; IAspP calculates telicity value. Different options for the insertion of the directional verbs (under Res, Path or Deic) result in the word order alternations. And the observed syntactic and semantic characteristics of DSVCs can all be captured by the interaction among these projections. The proposal is sympathetic to many other constructionist theories in the belief of an impoverished lexicon, the idea that syntactic structure is basically event structure, and the decompositional approach that spans one item to different heads.
Overall, this work not only contributes to our understanding of how DSVCs are syntactically represented, but also shows the explanatory power of the constructionist approach in modelling the human language faculty.


A variety of benign and malignant neoplasms occur in the superior cervical neck, parapharyngeal space or the infratemporal fossa. The surgical resection of these lesions may result in postoperative iatrogenic injury to the vagus nerve with associated dysfunctional swallowing and airway protection. Anatomic and functional preservation of this critical cranial nerve will contribute to a favorable surgical outcome. Fourteen patients with tumors of the cervical neck or adjacent skull base underwent intraoperative vagal nerve monitoring in an attempt to preserve neural integrity following tumor removal. Of the 11 patients with anatomically preserved vagal nerves in this group, seven patients had normal vocal cord mobility following surgery and all 11 patients demonstrated normal vocal cord movement by six months. In an earlier series of 23 patients with tumors in the same region who underwent tumor resection without vagal nerve monitoring, 18 patients had anatomically preserved vagal nerves. Within this group, five patients had normal vocal cord movement at one month and 13 patients demonstrated normal vocal cord movement at six months. This paper will outline a technique for intraoperative vagal nerve monitoring utilizing transcricothyroid membrane placement of bipolar hook-wire electrodes in the vocalis muscle. Our results with the surgical treatment of cervical neck and lateral skull base tumors for patients with unmonitored and monitored vagal nerves will be outlined.


In this letter, we investigate the propagation of Brillouin precursors through dispersive foliage media, using leafy vegetation dielectric models proposed by Fung-Ulaby, El Rayes-Ulaby, Brown-Curry-Ding, Maetzler, and Pearce. A fast-Fourier-transform-based formulation is used to analyze the peak amplitude decay and pulse broadening effect (or effective oscillation frequency) related to the precursor formation for both single pulse and sequence of pulses traveling through the leafy vegetation. The influence of the Brillouin precursor on the receiver structure is also investigated. Simulations have been carried out in frequency bands between 100 MHz and 6 GHz allocated for remote sensing applications and digital satellite communications.


Purpose: Despite recent advances in image‐guided techniques, radiation treatment outcomes of lungcancer patients remains relatively poor. One of the main challenges is the change in tumor position due to breathing motion, which may lead to inaccurate tumor volume estimates. We are investigating the possibility of differences in measured tumor volumes at different breathing phases. Accurate quantification of these volume differences and identification of an "ideal" respiratory phase for volume measurement would likely improve prediction of tumor response. Methods and Materials: We evaluated the shrinking tumor volume at four specific respiratory phases for 7 NSCLC patients. The corresponding 3D‐CT image for a specific respiratory phase was reconstructed from 4D‐CT acquisition data. For each phase, the mid‐treatment and end of treatment scans were fused to the treatment planningCT using rigid registration. Pre‐treatment GTV and PTV contours were copied to the mid‐treatment and end of treatment scans, and further used for tumor segmentation using a registration‐assisted approach based on the level‐set deformable algorithm. After segmentation, the tumor volume was calculated for the two time‐points during the course of RT. The differences in measured tumor volumes for four respiratory phases (mid‐inhalation (MI), end‐of‐inhalation (EI), mid‐exhalation (ME), end‐of‐exhalation (EE)) at two time‐points in treatment were investigated. Results: Our preliminary analysis show that tumor volume measurements can differ at different respiratory phases, however, effects on tumor shrinkage analysis is small. Relatively, it is noted that volumes reconstructed at EI and ME phases tend to underestimate the shrinkage effect while MI and EE tend to overestimate the shrinkage effect. Conclusions: Our preliminary results show differences in volume measurements at different respiratory phases. A larger patient population would be required to select the ideal respiratory phase to provide accurate tumor volume changes. This will be a step further towards better understanding of radiation treatment efficacy.


The energy extraction from an array of point absorber wave energy converters (WEC) could be enhanced by deploying the WEC array in confined spaces such as the moonpool. Such a moonpool could be constructed from existing infrastructures such as breakwaters, coastal protection structures or floating platforms. As waves hit on the moonpool of different diameters, the fluid resonance of various frequencies is excited. The energy extraction could be further optimized by placing the multiple WECs at the anti-node of the sloshing modes inside the moonpool. The anti-node could be determined analytically whereas the performance of the WEC array could be computed numerically using the potential theory. A moonpool with an opening is further considered which allows the power enhancement of WECs due to the wave reflection from the wall of the moonpool. This paper shall compare the effectiveness of the sloshing mode on wave energy extraction. The suitable location in the moonpool for the deployment of multiple WECs when the array is deployed in a location of multiple sea states is also investigated. A large array of WECs is then considered in multiple moonpools located in a floating breakwater where the performance of the WECs and the effectiveness of the floating breakwater in attenuating the wave forces are studied.


This study is based on the empirical investigation of the climate change adaptation measures adopted by the farmers in the Chambal basin. The adaptation measures were analysed after investigating the nature and impact of climate change in the region. Four representative districts were selected using control sampling. A representative sample of farmers was selected through stratified snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and case study methods were used for results and analysis. Detailed irrigation profiles of the farmers were traced. The moisture index was calculated based on secondary data. A sampling survey method of investigation was used in the study. This paper also presents the context of maladaptation of monoculture in the region and severe groundwater depletion associated with this practice. The study directs policy to strengthen water-harvesting measures in the region to facilitate the adaptation measures for coping with the effects of climate change on agriculture.


One of the basic problems of realising an optimum contoured beam, together with sidelobe suppression, is the determination of the excitation coefficients for the individual horns of a reflector and horn-array geometry. The Fletcher-Powell and the Minimax methods of optimising an arbitrary coverage with sidelobe suppression have been studied. The paper presents the formulations applicable to the Fletcher-Powell and the Minimax methods. The Brasilsat antenna is used as the test case. Results obtained using the two methods, and also by manual optimisation, are presented and compared.