With the explosion in the use of cameras in mobile phones or video surveillance systems, it is impossible to transmit a large amount of videos captured from a wide area into a cloud for big data analysis and retrieval. Instead, a feasible solution is to extract and compress features from videos and then transmit the compact features to the cloud. Meanwhile, many recent studies also indicate that the features extracted from the deep convolutional neural networks will lead to high performance for various analysis and recognition tasks. However, how to compress video deep features meanwhile maintaining the analysis or retrieval performance still remains open. To address this problem, we propose a high-efficiency deep feature coding (DFC) framework in this paper. In the DFC framework, we define three types of features in a group-of-features (GOFs) according to their coding modes (i.e., I-feature, P-feature, and S-feature). We then design two prediction structures for these features in a GOF, including a sequential prediction structure and an adaptive prediction structure. Similar to video coding, it is important for P-feature residual coding optimization to make a tradeoff between feature bitrate and analysis/retrieval performance when encoding residuals. To do so, we propose a rate-performance-loss optimization model. To evaluate various feature coding methods for large-scale video retrieval, we construct a video feature coding data set, called VFC-1M, which consists of uncompressed videos from different scenarios captured from real-world surveillance cameras, with totally 1M visual objects. Extensive experiments show that the proposed DFC can significantly reduce the bitrate of deep features in the videos while maintaining the retrieval accuracy.


During thymic development, immature thymocytes expressing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I‐restricted T cell receptors (TcR) differentiate into CD8+ T cells with cytolytic functions. To evaluate the role of CD8 in positive and negative selection during thymic ontogeny, mice rendered CD8‐null by gene targeting were bred with three lines of transgenic mice expressing unique MHC class I‐restricted TcR. In all three instances CD8 was required for positive selection of MHC class I‐restricted transgenic T cells. The efficiency of positive selection decreased in accordance with a reduced level of CD8 expression on thymocytes. Surprisingly, there was a differential requirement for CD8 expression in negative selection of MHC class I‐restricted thymocytes, depending on the antigen specificity of TcR. These observations show that CD8 is essential for positive selection but is differentially required for negative selection of MHC class I‐restricted T cells. Thus thymic selection, at least for negative selection, can occur in the absence of the CD8 accessory molecule.


Development of boundary aligned grid generation is presented together with comparative performance of cell-vertex versus cell-centred CVD-MPFA finite-volume formulations using equivalent degrees of freedom. When generating structured or unstructured grids for reservoir simulation, classical key constraints involve boundary aligned grid generation with control-volume boundaries aligned with solid walls and geological features such as layers, shale barriers, fractures, faults, pinchouts and multilateral wells. The schemes used are control-volume distributed (CVD) with flow variables and rock properties sharing the same control-volume location and are comprised of a multipoint flux family formulation (CVD-MPFA). Consequently a natural choice is for primal grid cells to act as control-volumes, then grid generation can be performed with primal grid cell boundaries being aligned with key interior constraint boundaries. This naturally leads to cell-centred approximation, where flow variables and rock properties are associated with grid cell centres. The alternative is to employ cell-vertex approximation which uses far fewer approximation points on a given unstructured grid. In this case control-volumes are constructed around primal grid vertices. The grid generation process is less straight forward since control-volumes must be constrained to satisfy interior boundary alignment. A novel grid generation procedure is proposed that automates control-volume boundary alignment and yields a Voronoi mesh. The actual grid is then generated such that dual boundaries are aligned with key internal constraint boundaries and cell-vertex approximation becomes the natural choice. In this case flow variables and rock properties are associated with grid cell vertices and their dual control-volumes. The relative benefits of both types of approximation is made clear in terms of flow resolution and degrees of freedom required.


Repolarization alternans (RPA) indicates alternate-beat fluctuations in the temporal or spatial characteristics of the electrocardiogram (ECG) STU segment which may represent dispersion in repolarization. Spectral decomposition has revealed microvolt-level RPA which has been found to correlate with ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation, and is increasingly being used for clinical risk stratification. However, while interruptions in periodicity are known to affect spectral decomposition, their quantitative impact on RPA and its clinical utility have been poorly described. The authors therefore studied the effect of variable alignment, extrasystoles, dissimilar beats and beat exclusion on RPA magnitude in simulations and on the sensitivity and specificity of RPA for VT in a pilot clinical study, RPA magnitude was exquisitely sensitive to QRS alignment such that /spl plusmn/1 ms random beat misalignment reduced it by 68% in simulations. Correspondingly, suboptimal QRS alignment in clinical ECG's caused the sensitivity of RPA for inducible VT to fall from 93% to as low as 63%; while JT alignment was also less effective for RPA recovery. As an experiment in minimizing morphometric irregularities in clinical ECG's, the authors found that RPA magnitude actually fell when replacing either measurably dissimilar or ectopic beats with more representative beats. In addition, inserting or deleting beats also reduced RPA magnitude in clinical sequences and simulations. These statistical analyses suggest that the precision of beat alignment and interruptions to ECG periodicity, which may occur physiologically, may greatly reduce the clinical utility of RPA for VT. Dynamic alterations in RPA in response to sequence irregularities require further study before RPA may be optimally applied to screen for ventricular arrhythmias.


Physical education provides additional uniqueness to the school curriculum as it is the only program that provides students with opportunities to learn motor skills, develop fitness, and gain socialization through a variety of activities that will enable students to develop selftrust and confidence to become successful in life. The study aimed to find out the impact of physical education in building self-confidence and self-esteem of the students. The researcher employed the normative survey method using the questionnaire as the main tool and purposive universal sampling method was used considering that only Grade VII class was utilized as respondents, yet it was universal for the entire class participated in the study. The results showed that the student respondents themselves perceived that they had developed SelfConfidence but still needs to have more and need to nurture their SelfConfidence. This suggests that the Grade VII students are skillful enough to do things on their own; hence, they are confident and are satisfied in life. It also shows that the Grade VII students of VDT-ALC have already developed their Self-Esteem. Peer Reviewed Journal This implies that the Grade VII students believe that because they have the skills and capability to do things and have confidence in their selves, therefore, they have high expectations to achieve whatever they aspire or desire.


Short interval open tube Zn diffusion in GaAs at low temperatures is studied for application to heterostructure lasers. The electrochemical capacitance voltage (ECV) profiling technique is used to obtain the carrier concentration versus depth profiles for Zn diffused samples. Diffusion rate is found to be somewhat different from the values obtained for longer durations employing similar techniques. Results are applied to improve the ohmic contact quality for Al-free semiconductor lasers grown in our laboratory. No deterioration is observed in the light versus current (L-I) characteristics of these devices fabricated after Zn diffusion.


Mixed culture anaerobic fermentation generates a wide range of products from simple sugars, and is potentially an effective process for producing renewable commodity chemicals. However it is difficult to predict product spectrum, and to control the process. One of the key control handles is pH, but the response is commonly dependent on culture history. In this work, we assess the impact of pH regulation mode on the product spectrum. Two regulation modes were applied: in the first, pH was adjusted from 4.5 to 8.5 in progressive steps of 0.5 and in the second, covered the same pH range, but the pH was reset to 5.5 before each change. Acetate, butyrate, and ethanol were produced throughout all pH ranges, but there was a shift from butyrate at pH < 6.5 to ethanol at pH > 6.5, as well as a strong and consistent shift from hydrogen to formate as pH increased. Microbial analysis indicated that progressive pH resulted in dominance by Klebsiella, while reset pH resulted in a bias towards Clostridium spp., particularly at low pH, with higher variance in community between different pH levels. Reset pH was more responsive to changes in pH, and analysis of Gibbs free energy indicated that the reset pH experiments operated closer to thermodynamic equilibrium, particularly with respect to the formate/hydrogen balance. This may indicate that periodically resetting pH conforms better to thermodynamic expectations.


Globalisation or market integration in Sub-Saharan Africa is closely linked to the structural adjustment programmes. In this paper we focus on their dependence on politics and institutional characteristics of the countries concerned. In particular, we argue that one important explanation for the dismal performance of many African countries, in spite of all the measures taken towards market liberalisation, is a lack of willingness or ability on the part of the politicians to respect the restrictions imposed on their behaviour and policy choices by the liberalised markets. The point we make in this paper is that market integration magnifies the effects of policies. We look specifically at the increased exposure to international prices and returns on assets make the economic equilibrium relations, the law of one price (LOP) and uncovered interest parity (UIP), relevant guidelines for economic policy. We illustrate the arguments by presenting the case of Zimbabwe. It is a good example where the lack of respect for the restrictions imposed by international markets has led to an economic crisis with negative growth rates and a process away from globalisation.


Fossilized tube feet are described on Codiacrinus schultzei Follmann from the Lower Devonian Hunsruck Slate of Germany. This is the first definitive proof of tube feet on any fossil crinoid. Three lightly pyritized, flattened tube feet are preserved in a single interray of this cladid crinoid. The tube feet were at least 7 mm long. Their preservation is very similar to the tube feet reported previously from a Hunsruck ophiuroid, except that the Codiacrinus tube feet have small papillae, similar to living crinoids.


Reform of the price system is a keystone of transition to a market economy. In all Visegrad countries, competition was introduced quite successfully through price liberalisation, removal of customs barriers and reduction of subsidies. Technically price liberalisation is easy to implement: the government simply announces that all agents can set their own prices from a certain date. The problem is political: necessary price liberalisation leads to income redistribution, and political and social frictions. In order to prevent a sharp rise in inflation, any resetting of prices has to be complemented by certain steps. Namely, a competitive environment should exist before actual price liberalisation. This assumes extensive privatisation and restructuralization programs in the former centrally planned economies.


By use of mainly numerical methods, we investigate the ground-state phase diagram of an S = 2 quantum spin chain with the XXZ and on-site anisotropies described by ℋ = Σj(SjxSj+1x + SyjSyj+1 + ΔSzjSzj+1 + D Σj(Szj)2, where Δ denotes the XXZ anisotropy parameter of the nearest-neighbor interactions and D the on-site anisotropy parameter. In the phase diagram with Δ > 0 and D > 0 there appear the XY phase, the Haldane/large-D (LD) phase, the intermediate-D (ID) phase, and the Néel phase. Among them the ID phase was proposed by Oshikawa in 1992 and has been considered to be absent since the DMRG studies in the latter half of 1990's. And also, the Haldane state and the LD state belong to the same phase, which should be named Haldane/LD phase.


Chip level optical links based on VLSI photonic integrated circuits have been proposed to replace metal electrical data paths in cases where high frequencies make electrical traces impractical. This is especially relevant to high-speed clock signals as silicon CMOS circuit technology is scaled higher in speed to the GHz range and beyond. In this paper, the realization of optical couplers and power taps based on 4x4 multimode interference structures using CMOS technology is presented. The proposed devices can be useful for all-optical interconnects, clock distribution and many other all-optical processing applications. The transfer matrix method and the 3D Beam Propagation Method (3D BPM) are used to optimize the proposed devices.


The appearance of an epithelial cell outgrowth in vitro from biopsies of oral leukoplakia is compared with the histologic appearance of the lesion. Tissue samples from oral leukoplakia of 20 patients were cultured to allow the outgrowth of populations of epithelial cells. Adjacent tissue within the lesions was fixed for routine histology. Epithelial cell outgrowth was successful from biopsies possessing the histologic characteristics hyperkeratosis (14 of 20 cases), altered epithelial thickness (14 of 19 cases) and increased mitotic activity (1 of 4 cases). No epithelial cell outgrowth was observed from leukoplakia tissue possessing signs of epithelial dysplasia (0 of 2 cases).


[EMBARGOED UNTIL 8/1/2023] The new millennium has brought with it new forms of Christian premillennialist thought. The rise of the Internet and self-publishing has allowed for new strands of theology to develop and flourish without having to answer to a wider Christian body. Developing biotechnology has also raised concerns about the way technology can impact the individual. In particular, a certain milieu has been arguing that these evolving technologies are a spiritual threat to believers, potentially stripping them of their role as a child of God. This thesis will look at a handful of modern Christian authors who combine the Bible with apocrypha, books on the occult, and other sources rejected by fundamentalist Christians to argue that mankind is endangered by demonic forces who puppeteer society. They also warn about transhumanism, which they read as a dangerous ideology that threatens human's genetic purity. This thesis will look at their interpretation of the End Times, their theology of spiritual warfare, and their anti-transhumanism, as well as how they differ from the wider culture of premillennialist Christianity, placing them within a broader context of improvisational millennialism. It will argue that these ideas are a continuation of long-running trends in premillennialism, while highlighting the aforementioned differences. It primarily looks at the works of five authors, but also branches out to other members of this milieu.


Abstract Research was conducted from 2011 to 2015 to determine the effect of herbicide strategy on efficacy and evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds in a continuous glyphosate- and dicamba-resistant (GDr) soybean system. The nine herbicide strategies included sequential applications of glyphosate only, glyphosate plus dicamba with or without acetochlor, PRE application of residual herbicides with POST glyphosate or non-glyphosate herbicides, and their biennial rotation with one another. Giant foxtail and horseweed were the least problematic during all growing seasons. An increase in horseweed was observed by the end of the experiment especially in the plots where POST glyphosate was not used with PRE application of residual herbicides. Giant ragweed evolved resistance to glyphosate over a 4-yr period of selection with strategies that predominantly included PRE and POST glyphosate. Herbicide use strategies that included glyphosate-only and PRE application of residual herbicides fb POST glyphosate annually or in a biennial rotation were ineffective in controlling giant ragweed and glyphosate-resistant (GR) common waterhemp. Over the years, application of PRE herbicide mixtures before POST glyphosate application improved weed control and soybean yields compared with the glyphosate-only strategy. During all growing seasons, the greatest yield and reduction in total weed density before harvest was provided by herbicide use strategies that included glyphosate plus dicamba annually or in a biennial rotation regardless of the inclusion of acetochlor POST. Dicamba proved to be a valuable addition to improve the control of GR weeds. GDr soybean will provide growers with a new option for managing resistant weeds, but it needs to be used with caution, as multiple resistance in weeds, including waterhemp and giant ragweed, is already widespread. Nomenclature: Acetochlor; dicamba; glyphosate; common waterhemp, Amaranthus rudis Sauer; giant foxtail, Setaria faberi Herrm.; giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L.; horseweed, Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.


Gibbs & Hill (G&H) has been a proponent, developer, and user of Design Automation (DA) techniques for over fifteen years. Progression has been steady and significant, beginning with the use of relatively simple batch computer programs for the solution of specific engineering problems to the current broad application of state-of-the-art hardware and software including interactive graphics and data base management systems. This progress has been matched by acceptance, and at G&H DA is considered a normal and viable mode of operation rather than an alternate method subject to doubts by management, clients, and personnel. The Design Automation objective is an on-line, integrated data base approach to all aspects and phases of our work, ranging from conceptual design to construction management. The cornerstone of the Design Automation system is CADAEsm (Computer Aided Design and Engineering) which is an Interactive graphics system that is used to produce design drawings, including both dimensional and nondimensional. The G&H Design Automation system is developed, refined, and maintained by a dedicated staff of DA professionals.


Using the 2006–2016 wave of Health and Retirement Study and Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, this study explores the gender disparities in the health of older adults in the United States and South Korea. A logit model is adopted to explore the differences in the likelihood of aging healthily by gender in two countries. Results indicate that older females in the United States have a significantly higher probability of healthy aging than their male counterparts. However, the opposite finding is demonstrated among the older population in South Korea. These results are verified using various robustness check methods. The heterogeneities in the gender disparities in healthy aging across age groups and income levels are further explored. The gender effect in each healthy aging domain is investigated to understand the underlying causes of gender disparities. These findings can provide cross-national insights for policymakers to establish targeted aging policies with a gender perspective.


The 2016 St.Gallen International Competition Law Forum ICF will serve as the backdrop for discussions on a variety of current competition law, economics and policy topics. One of the panels is going to focus on the future of competition law in Switzerland.As Dr. Marino Baldi points out: "the Swiss Cartel Act of 1995 entered into force almost exactly 20 years ago. In 2003, a review of the law was conducted which mainly related to the introduction of direct sanctions. In 2011 the Swiss Government made some further proposals to amend the law. These proposals were turned down by the Swiss Parliament in 2014. Many think this is no great pity. Nevertheless, one or another of the Government's proposals might be worth being considered again, perhaps not exactly in the same way as before. I am thinking in particular of improvements in the law concerning private enforcement. In addition, there have recently been intense discussions of certain features in the law which might also sooner or later end in legislative proposals."The following interview between Former Ambassador Dr. Marino Baldi (Senior Counsel, Prager Dreifuss) and Nicolas Birkhauser (Partner and Attorney-at-Law, Niederer Kraft & Frey), Prof. Dr. Andreas Heinemann (Professor of Commercial, Economic and European Law, University of Zurich UZH; Vice-President, Swiss Competition Commission) and Dr. Reto Jacobs (Partner and Attorney-at-Law, Walder Wyss) offers you some food for thought and a starting point for our panel discussion.Join us in St.Gallen on May 19th and 20th for the "Swiss Competition Law - Quo vadis?" panel. More information about the conference and a list of the remaining panels and speakers is available on the conference website (accessible via the linked reference above).


Risk has emerged as a dominant cultural aspect of modern society as well as a central theme in contemporary discourses. This study focuses on "health risk" through the interview of HPV vaccination's meaning among young Chinese women for two purposes. First, explores the social construction and transmission of HPV risk through the discussion of discursive strategies. There are three main ways to learn about the vaccine: first, introduction by people they know, second, media publicity, and third, school education.A second purpose is to place the risk perception and women's vaccination decisions in the context of the social milieu in which they occur. According to the results of narrative analysis, interviewees can be divided into two main groups according to the extent to which their actions are influenced by external information: formalists and self-awareness. The latter group shows a higher level of reflexivity than the former group in making the HPV vaccination decision. The group with self-awareness also demonstrates a strong sense of self-body management. Despite individual's reflexivity level varies, it is clear that risk calculation conscious is prevalent when pursuing HPV vaccine. On the one hand, risk calculation reflects human self-reflexivity and reason, as defined by neoliberalism; on the other hand, it also reflects that future hazards are influencing current activities, the future, is central to risk awareness. At this moment, people are taking proactive action to prevent, mitigate or prevent the challenges and disasters of tomorrow and the day after.


While pretrained encoders have achieved success in various natural language understanding (NLU) tasks, there is a gap between these pretrained encoders and natural language generation (NLG). NLG tasks are often based on the encoder-decoder framework, where the pretrained encoders can only benefit part of it. To reduce this gap, we introduce DeltaLM, a pretrained multilingual encoder-decoder model that regards the decoder as the task layer of off-the-shelf pretrained encoders. Specifically, we augment the pretrained multilingual encoder with a decoder and pre-train it in a self-supervised way. To take advantage of both the large-scale monolingual data and bilingual data, we adopt the span corruption and translation span corruption as the pre-training tasks. Experiments show that DeltaLM outperforms various strong baselines on both natural language generation and translation tasks, including machine translation, abstractive text summarization, data-to-text, and question generation. The code and pretrained models are available at \url{https://aka.ms/deltalm}.


A Hamiltonian model is solved, which satisfies all requirements for a realistic ideal quantum measurement. The system S is a spin-½, whose z-component is measured through coupling with an apparatus A = M + B, consisting of a magnet M formed by a set of N >> 1 spins with quartic infinite-range Ising interactions, and a phonon bath B at temperature T. Initially A is in a metastable paramagnetic phase. The process involves several time-scales. Without being much affected, A first acts on S, whose state collapses in a very brief time. The mechanism differs from the usual decoherence. Soon after its irreversibility is achieved. Finally, the field induced by S on M, which may take two opposite values with probabilities given by Born's rule, drives A into its up or down ferromagnetic phase. The overall final state involves the expected correlations between the result registered in M and the state of S. The measurement is thus accounted for by standard quantum-statistical mechanics and its specific features arise from the macroscopic size of the apparatus.


We present a robust strategy to covalently link proteins and DNA using HUH-endonuclease domains as fusion partners (HUH-tags). We show that HUH-tags react robustly with specific sequences of unmodified single-stranded DNA, and we have identified five tags that react orthogonally with distinct DNA sequences. We demonstrate the versatility of HUH-tags as fusion partners in Cas9-mediated gene editing and the construction of doubly DNA-tethered proteins for single-molecule studies. Finally we demonstrate application to cellular imaging in live and fixed cells.


CuInS2 nanocrystals with the wurtzite structure show promise for applications requiring efficient energy transport due to their anisotropic crystal structure. We investigate the source of photoluminescence in the near-infrared spectral region recently observed from these nanocrystals. Spectroscopic studies of both wurtzite CuInS2 itself and samples alloyed with Cd or Zn allow the assignment of this emission to a radiative point defect within the nanocrystal structure. Further, by varying the organic passivation layer on the material, we are able to determine that the atomic species responsible for nonradiative decay paths on the nanocrystal surface are Cu- or S-based. Density functional theory calculations of defect states within the material allow identification of the likely radiative species. Understanding both the electronic structure and optical properties of wurtzite CuInS2 nanocrystals is necessary for their efficient integration into potential biological, photovoltaic, and photocatalytic applications.


Experience in early postoperative treatment of 249 patients who had been subjected to aortoiliacal vascular surgery is reported. The therapeutic principles are outlined and the complications are reviewed. For the prevention of infectious complications the patients are given antibiotic protection, are fed parenterally till passage starts and, to avoid threatening postoperative hypoxaemia in the case of more severe respiratory disorders, prophylactic respiratory therapy is applied, and small doses of heparin are administered to prevent thrombosis. Taking into consideration the high incidence of complications and the advanced age of the patients, it is important to keep these in the intensive ward during the early postoperative period.


The fungal counts per gram of air-dried dates, of eight local date-palm varieties, varied markedly on different synthetic media. Seri and Shakra varieties had highest fungal counts whereas Medina had the lowest. Aspergilus flavus , A. niger , Penicillium rubrum , P. oxalicum , Rhizopus stolonifer , Stemphylium verruculosum and Fusarium sp. were generally associated with various date varieties. Apparent colonization of the fungi was obtained by increasing the relative humidity to 90% at 30 and 40°C. Best growth of the isolated fungi in artificial media was obtained at 60% glucose concentration.


Minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) are both alternatives for PCNL to treat renal calculi. This study is aimed at comparing the stone-free rate (SFR) and other surgery parameters of two approaches for treating upper urinary calculi. We performed this meta-analysis in September 2016 by searching studies about mini-PCNL and RIRS for treating upper urinary calculi in various databases, and RevMan v.5.3 was applied. Three randomized controlled trials and ten nonrandomized trials were included, involving a total of 1317 patients. Meta-analysis showed that mini-PCNL group led to a higher SFR [odds ratio: 1.96; 95% confidence interval: 1.46–2.64; P < 0.00001] but brought a larger postoperative decrease in hemoglobin levels compared with RIRS. RIRS provided a shorter hospital time. There was no significant difference in operation time. Higher postoperative complications were detected in the mini-PCNL, but the difference was not significant. Grade I and III complications did not vary between two procedures, but grade II complications were of lower incidence in RIRS group. In the light of these results, compared with RIRS, mini-PCNL provided significantly higher SFR and efficiency quotient for managing calculi; however, it resulted in higher incidence of postoperative complications, larger hemoglobin drops, and longer hospital stay.


Although considerable efforts have been directed toward the development and utilization of marketing strategies for dental practices, little if any information exists in the specific area of the role quality assurance may play in marketing dental services. This article describes and analyzes the current relationship between quality assurance and marketing, given the complex array of factors on the horizon that may affect how dentistry is organized and delivered. It must become the role of the profession to see that the alliance between marketing and quality assurance continues and is utilized to assure the quality of care provided and accountability to the public.


Indonesia as a state of law based on Pancasila and the constitution of the Republic of Indonesia year 1945, Indonesia is a country with a majority Muslim population, which makes Islam dominant in governing its people in every line of life It includes the teachings of truth, honesty, and justice that a person of law enforcement in Indonesia must possess. Advocate is one of the professions of law enforcement in Indonesia that have dedicated itself to the interests of the community and have contributed to the establishment of justice and truth. so the advocate profession has been called the "Officium Nobile" profession. In Islam, everything has been arranged in such a way that the welfare of Muslims is realized. This includes the matter of deputy representation in an affair (al-wakalah). n carrying out their duties as advocates, clients often represent themselves to advocates in litigating in court (legal Representation, due to matters that cannot be abandoned by the client or lack sufficient legal knowledge in litigation in court or because of the statutory requirements due to the threat of more than five years of confinement. So a power of attorney is issued that makes the basis for an advocate to have a case representing his client in court. In article 1792 KuhPer it is explained that a power of attorney is an agreement by which a person gives to another person who receives it on his behalf conducting an affair. The method used is normative juridical writing type, Research library data collection techniques (libraries) that emphasize sources of information from legal books, journals, papers, and opinions that have a relevant relationship to the problem under study. The result of this paper is a description of the harmony of the concept of power of attorney in Islam with a review of the verses of the Qur'an and Hadith. Keywords : Verses of the Qur'an, Hadith, Power of attorney, and al-Wakalah.
Keywords: Verses of the Qur'an, Hadith, Power of attorney, and al-Wakalah.


In this paper, we study some geographic aspects of the Internet. We base our analysis on a large set of geolocated IP hop-level session data (including about 300, 000 backbone routers, 130 million end hosts, and one billion sessions) that we synthesized from a variety of different input sources such as US census data, computer usage statistics, Internet market share data, IP geolocation data sets, CAIDA's Skitter data set for backbone connectivity, and BGP routing tables. We use this model to perform a nationwide and statewide geographic analysis of the Internet. Our main observations are: (1) There is a dominant coast-to-coast pattern in the US Internet traffic. In fact, in many instances even if the end-devices are not near either coast, still the traffic between them takes a long detour through the coasts. (2) More than half of the Internet paths are inflated by 100% or more compared to their corresponding geometric straight-line distance. This circuitousness makes the average ratio between the routing distance and geometric distance big (around 10). (3) The weighted mean hop count is around 5, but the hop counts are very loosely correlated with the distances. The weighted mean AS count (number of ASes traversed) is around 3.


Detailed analyses of samples recovered from the high-resolution Quaternary section cored at Ocean Drilling Program Site 658 reveal that very high abundances (6.4-8.3 x I0 valves/g dry sediment) of marine diatoms occur in interglacial oxygen isotope stages 7.5 and 9.3. Smaller abundance peaks (29-300 x I0 valves/g dry sediment) are present near oxygen isotope stage boundaries 1/2, 5/6, 9/10, 11/12, and 13/14. Therefore, high abundances of diatoms, interpreted as high productivity, are related to terminations. The Quaternary freshwater diatoms have their highest abundances mainly in sediments deposited during interglacial periods, but they are also recorded during glacial intervals (oxygen isotope stages 2 and 8), and near terminations (stage boundaries 7/8 and 15/16). The Pliocene freshwater diatom record indicates a frequency decrease at 2.8 Ma. It is suggested that the freshwater diatom frequency decrease indicates either a change to a more humid climate (assuming eolian transport) or a change to a more arid climate (assuming fluvial transport).


Production of 4-androstene-7 alpha,17 beta-diol-3-one (7 alpha-hydroxytestosterone) from testosterone was measured in seminiferous tubule and interstitial fractions of rat testis. In adults, specific activity of the 7 alpha-hydroxylase was about 10 times higher in interstitial cells than in seminiferous tubules, but tubule production was a significant portion of the total. Seminiferous tubule 7 alpha-hydroxylase was not detectable in weanlings. Also, we confirmed that 7 alpha-hydroxytestosterone inhibits the activity of the 5 alpha-reductase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase active on testosterone and suggest a role in maturational changes.


Pervasive transcription of eukaryotic genomes requires intricate mechanisms to delineate boundaries for each transcriptional unit. How transcription is efficiently terminated before invading neighboring genes remains an open question. Here, after dissecting the cleavage and polyadenylation landscape using a hybrid approach, we observed thousands of bidirectional termination zones in the genome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These zones are ∼120 bp wide and terminate transcription from both sense and antisense strands in yeast. They are ubiquitously used as termination sites for both coding and non-coding genes. We suggest that the known transcription termination efficiency element, UAUAUA motifs, serves as the central elements in these zones. Notably, bidirectional termination zones are specifically nucleosome depleted, suggesting chromatin structure plays a key role in the formation of bidirectional termination zones in yeast. Finally, we provide evidence for transcriptional interference in these bidirectional termination zones, and expression level of each cleavage site is influenced by sequence contexts both upstream and downstream. We provide the first global fine-scale picture of transcription termination in a eukaryotic genome.


The subtitle of this volume is exact, for Leo Szilard's work ranged from physics to biology; he crossed over with ease from the world of neutrons to that of neurons, from the nuclei of atoms to the nuclei of cells.At a deeper level, all of these research activities converge, unified as they are by Szilard's interest in the fundamental ideas of order and organization that underlie them all. It is no accident, as Jacques Monod notes in this foreword, that this interest should appear explicitly as the subject of one of his very first papers, and of his last. In the former, concerning the operations of an intelligent being on a thermodynamic system, Szilard anticipated by many years the entropic formulation of information theory, while the latter, "On Memory and Recall," is concerned with the organization of the central nervous system.Szilard's spontaneous, unrepressed flow of ideas was followed by a critical process of selection and refinement, which may account for the relatively small number of published papers--under thirty--found in this collection. The papers are arranged chronologically, and their ordering comprises a resume of Szilard's scientific life.The first group of papers, 1925-1939, all deal with various aspects of physics--thermodynamics, x-ray crystallography, and nuclear physics. The work in this last area includes studies of neutron bombardment and of the possibilities of nuclear fission and chain reactions, which Szilard was among the first to envision.The second group, 1940-1945, comprises the first publication of documents relating to the Manhattan Project, and reflect Szilard's part in it. Most of these documents were previously classified.There are no scientific papers from the years 1946-1948. These were years when Szilard was intensely active in the political and social arena, attempting to bring the atomic bomb under international control. Documents relating to this struggle, and to his earlier leadership in efforts both to undertake the atomic project and to prevent the bomb's use without warning against Japan, will be collected in another volume. It was also during these critical years that Szilard's interest decisively turned from physics to biology.The third group covers the years 1949-1964, when Szilard's interest centered around biological problems. Among these are the regulation of cellular metabolism, antibody formation, the aging process, and the functioning of the central nervous system.A final section of the book reproduces patents and patent applications of historic importance dating from 1923 to 1959, and ranging from the invention of a refrigerator, jointly with Albert Einstein; an application anticipating the cyclotron in 1928; and the general concepts of a nuclear chain reaction in 1934 to the first patent on the nuclear reactor granted jointly to Fermi and Szilard.


Over a period of two years we used radiology to investigate breeding traits in females of two western populations of the threatened Hermann's tortoise Testudo hermanni hermanni. The main purpose of the study was to see if reproductive traits - clutch size, clutch frequency, annual egg production and egg width - varied between populations in Corsica (France) and the Ebro Delta (Spain), and if these traits were affected by female body size and amounts of spring rainfall. All the breeding traits analysed were greater in the Corsican population than in the Ebro Delta population. These differences were also significant when we used female body size as a covariable. In both populations the amount of spring rainfall affected breeding traits but not clutch size. Nevertheless, only in the Corsican population did clutch frequency, annual egg production and egg width increase significantly in the year with a wet spring. Contrary to the predictions of Optimal Propagule Size theory, we found that egg size and clutch size increased with female size, and that both variables were independent. On the other hand, clutch frequency was not related to female body size. Thus, in the Hermann's tortoise, as clutch size did not change between years and clutch frequency was independent of female size, all females are able to increase their reproductive output in years with favourable conditions by increasing their clutch frequency. Nevertheless, other factors besides female size and rainfall may influence in a highly complex way variability in breeding traits among populations.


Agriculture sector holds great value for Pakistan. Climate change is a major determinant of agricultural productivity all over the world. This sector is the most vulnerable sector to weather change. The productivity of this sector is being affected by several factors of climate change like temperature and rainfall patterns. The core objective of the study is to determine the impact of climate change on agricultural production (wheat, rice, and sugarcane) in Pakistan. Time series data from 1985–2018 is taken from the Pakistan Economic Survey, Metrology department of Pakistan, and the World Bank for the current analysis. Autoregressive Distributed Lag model is used to analyze the impact of climate change on agricultural production in Pakistan. The results show that climate change has an influential impact on agricultural production in Pakistan. The increase in mean temperature reduces agricultural production while the rain positively affects agricultural production. It is suggested that the government should give subsidies on agrarian tools, seeds, and fertilizers.


A new technique has been developed to study interfacial debonding and subsequent coalescence into transverse cracks using a loading stage in an environmental scanning electron microscope. This technique has been used to study the effect of moisture on the interfacial strength and transverse cracking behavior of unaged composite specimens ( 1.1% of matrix weight is moisture) compared to composite specimens saturated by soaking in seawater ( 2.2% of matrix weight is moisture). Specimens experienced both initiation controlled failure and propagation controlled failure. The type of failure did not appear to depend upon the moisture content; rather it depended upon the microstructure of the composite. Analysis has also been performed, aiding in the interpretation of the experimental results. The mathematical models show that the interfacial residual stresses in the radial direction due to thermal cooldown are compressive in a homogeneous microstructure; while in an inhomogeneous microstructure, the stresses are tensile at the boundary of the inhomogeneity. In both cases the presence of moisture relaxes the stresses.


This article examines the extent to which the European Small Claims Procedure (ESCP) has served the main purpose of the EU legislature to establish a legal framework to improve access to justice for creditors of cross-border small claims through a simplified, expedited and inexpensive redress mechanism. This article first analyses the implementation of the ESCP in Italy and Belgium. These two countries were chosen because of the authors' research on the Small Claims Analysis Net (SCAN) Project (The SCAN Project was initiated in 2018 as a two-year project with the fundamental aim of evaluating the efficiency of the European Small Claims Procedure within several EU Member States (France, Belgium, Italy, Slovenia, and Lithuania), besides raising awareness of this procedure among consumers and other judicial stakeholders. For the conducted activities as part of the SCAN project, see http://www.scanproject.eu accessed on 24 February 2021). The second part of this article deals with the impact of this regulatory instrument on access to justice for citizens, in view of the principle of judicial efficiency. Finally, this article focuses on the possibility of using this instrument for collective redress, on the one hand, and linking this procedure to online dispute resolution, on the other.


The RET receptor tyrosine kinase is expressed in neural crest-derived cell types, where it is activated by soluble ligands of the Glial Cell-derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) family and signals through multiple downstream pathways, contributing to cell growth, survival, and migration during embryonic development. In addition to its normal developmental roles, oncogenic mutations or aberrant expression of RET are also linked to tumour spread and metastasis in multiple human tumour types. Thus, a consistent feature of RET involvement in these disease processes is its contribution to directional cell motility. We have previously shown that RET-mediated cell-adhesion and migration requires multiple members of the integrin family of cell adhesion molecules, including integrin β1 (ITGB1) and β3 (ITGB3) subunits, however the regulation of cell migration and invasion by RET and integrins has not been explored. In this study, we showed that GDNF-mediated RET activation induced rapid ITGB1 and ITGB3 activation with transiently increased cell adhesion, followed by enhanced cell protrusion formation and reduced adhesion typical of more migratory cells. In addition, we showed that directional cell migration in response to GDNF requires the presence of both extracellular matrix and a GDNF concentration gradient. Our data also suggest that ITGB1 and ITGB3 play complementary but non-compensatory roles in the initiation of RET-mediated cell migration and invasion, and that the inhibition of either ITGB1 or ITGB3 resulted in impaired migration and invasion in both 2D and 3D culture conditions. We have also shown that multiple signaling pathways downstream of RET are involved in these processes and that these pathways contribute differently to migration in 2D vs 3D microenvironments. These data highlight the ability of tumour cells to leverage different signaling pathways to mediate cell migration and invasion downstream of RET, and reveal ways in which cooperation between RET and integrins might affect aspects of tumour progression. Our data, together with other studies which have shown combination therapy targeting integrins and RTKs to be more effective than monotherapy, suggest that adjuvant treatment with agents targeting integrin function may further enhance therapeutic options for tumours where RET is expressed. Citation Format: Eric Lian, Mathieu J.F. Crupi, Jessica G. Cockburn, Simona M. Wagner, Anirudh Goel, Lois M. Mulligan. RET and integrins cooperate in cell-microenvironment response. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4991. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4991


ISSUE ADDRESSED
The study sought to assess the potential efficacy of a comprehensive smoking cessation intervention for surgical patients.

METHODS
The study employed a modified historical controlled trial design. Participants were recruited from a preoperative clinic of an Australian hospital in 2003. Patients allocated to the experimental group received a comprehensive smoking cessation intervention incorporating preoperative computerised smoking cessation counselling, tailored self-help material, brief advice from preoperative clinical staff, NRT, telephone counselling, and proactive post-discharge telephone support from a Quitline.

RESULTS
At the six month follow-up 12% of 66 usual care control group participants and 25% of 52 experimental group participants reported being abstinent (p=0.07).

CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensive smoking cessation interventions initiated preoperatively and incorporating postdischarge support from a Quitline may be efficacious in increasing smoking abstinence.


I report here for the first time measured flight speeds of Ross's and Sabine's gulls, obtained by optical range finder on the northeast Taymyr peninsula, Siberia. For two flocks of Ross's gulls, airspeeds were 12.2 m/s and 14.6 m/s. Mean airspeed for the Sabine's gulls was 13.9 m/s (SD=3.4 m/s. N=6). A comparison of these measured airspeeds with characteristic speeds predicted from aerodynamic theory showed that the Sabine's gulls were flying significantly faster than predicted minimum power speed, but their speed was not significantly different from maximum range speed. Sabine's gulls adjusted the airspeed in relation to head- and tailwinds, which is in agreement with aerodynamic theory. Key words: flight speed, optical range finder, wind response, Rhodostethia rosea , Larus sabini


In recent years, because of more strict credit policies, the traditional financing channels of real estate have been limited. Both the real estate investment trusts (REITs) and the real estate private equity funds (REPE) have been new financial channels. The concepts about REITs and REPE are discriminated in detail in this article, and the application feasibility of REITs and REPE in China is discussed, and relative advices are proposed aiming at the application obstacles in China.


There is a major problem of civilian-perpetrated gender-based violence (GBV) in conflict zones and, in response to this, men are increasingly becoming involved in GBV prevention programmes. There is limited evidence on the implementation of these programmes in settings affected by armed conflict. The aim of this study was to explore the approachesused and the challenges faced when implementing GBV sensitisation programmes with civilian men in conflict-affected settings. Grounded theory qualitative research methodology was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 purposively selected expert key informants with knowledge and experience of implementing male GBV sensitisationprogrammes with conflict-affected populations in a number of different countries. The respondents highlighted the importance of understanding the cultural and socio-political context, engaging with local religious and community leaders, using male community members as programme staff and peer leaders, and appealing to more constructive ideals of masculinity. Challenges included the risk of potentially reinforcing gender stereotypes, marginalising women's empowerment programmes, and a number of political, cultural and economic barriers. A weak evidence base and limited technical capacity also impeded programme implementation. The study highlights the need for a stronger evidence base and more detailed guidance to help to improve the effectiveness of male sensitisation programmes in settings affected by armed conflict.


ABSTRACT In this letter, a novel topology of a non-isolated high voltage gain dc-dc converter is proposed. The topology is based on the diode-capacitor voltage multiplier stages, integrated with inductor-based boost stages at the input. Due to reduced voltage imbalance between the voltage multiplier stage capacitors the design features low spikes in the switch current. Consequently the switch current stress, as well as conduction and switching losses are reduced accordingly. The proposed converter can draw continuous current either as a multiport converter from two input sources or from a single source as an interleaved converter and achieves a voltage gain of 15 with two voltage multiplier stages. A 400 W prototype of the converter with Vin = 20 V and Vout = 300 V has been implemented to validate the enhancement.


Aims: The effects of exogenously applied salicylic acid (SA) on gas exchange characteristics, photosynthetic pigments and chloroplast ultrastructure were investigated in gerbera at their reproductive stage under salt-stressed conditions. Methodology: A pot experiment was conducted under glasshouse conditions at the Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, (30° N/120° E) between February 2008 and March 2009.Plants, Original Research Article Kumara et al.; AJRAF, 7(2): 1-13, 2021; Article no.AJRAF.68651 2 pretreated with foliar applications of 0, 0.5, and 1.0 mmoldm-3 SA at the onset of flower initiation were irrigated with 100 mmoldmNaCl(aq) for two weeks, starting after three days from the SA pretreatment. Control did not receive either NaCl or SA.Photosynthetic rate, gas exchange, photosynthetic pigments content and chloroplast ultrastructure were investigated against treatments. All data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Generalized Linear Model (GLM) using SAS statistical software. Pearson's correlation test was carried out to study the relationships among the parameters. The means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test (DMRT). For all the tests, P< .05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Salt stress adversely affected the gas exchange characteristics, photosynthetic pigment contents and chloroplast ultrastructure. SA application significantly increased the net photosynthesis, stomatal conductivity, intra-cellular CO2 content and transpiration rate but decreased the stomatal limitation, compared to those of untreated salt-stressed plants. Further, the enhanced photosynthetic pigment contents and notably undamaged chloroplast ultrastructure were evident of the ameliorative effects of SA on photosynthetic system under salt stress. Of the two concentrations tested, 0.5 mmoldm-3 SA concentration seemed to have greater effect throughout the experiment showing no significant variation from control in some attributes (chlorophyll contents and chloroplast ultrastructure). Conclusion: Responses of plants pretreated with SA spraying and significant correlation among them plausibly suggest SA-induced enhancement of photosynthetic system as another target for conferring salt tolerance in crop plants.


The improvement of cancer services is a high priority with the profession and the government. There now seems to be an opportunity to bring survival rates up to the best of those outside Britain and to provide the type of patient sensitive service for which lobby groups are clamouring. How will this affect the treatment of lung cancer?

Throughout Britain purchasers are working with clinicians to define cancer units and centres and outlining the types of services needed. If five year survival is the key outcome measure recognition of potentially operable cases is a top priority in lung cancer. But for the majority of people with an inoperable disease proper emphasis is needed on quality of life, the involvement of those with sensitive communication skills, the cautious use of specific treatments, and the palliative approach. Improvements are needed in the present services and these improvements will cost more.

Since the report from the Expert Advisory Group on Cancer was not accompanied by any promise of new or earmarked funding, the …


Background: BAY 1093884 is a fully human monoclonal antibody against tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) developed as a bypass agent for patients with hemophilia with or without inhibitors. It restores insufficient thrombin burst, leading to stable clot formation in hemophilic conditions in vitro, and effectively stops bleeding in vivo. Aims: Antibody targeting of TFPI provides the advantages of monoclonal antibodies, such as longer circulation half-life, and the possibility of subcutaneous administration. However, antibody therapeutics can present the challenge of delivering unwanted effects or activities, such as antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) that target healthy tissues in the patient. Additionally, antibody sequence engineering that optimizes binding to the target protein may introduce immunogenic epitopes that can induce antidrug antibodies and compromise efficacy. Methods: In vitro assays used primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells and EA-hy926 cell lines as target cells. Total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and purified natural killer (NK) cells isolated from healthy donors were used as effector cells for ADCC. Pooled human serum complement (Quidel®) was used for CDC assays. A proprietary immunogenicity scoring program for T-cell epitopes (Bayer HealthCare) was used to determine immunogenic potential of BAY 1093884 relative to antibodies in the market. Results: In vitro ADCC assessment of BAY 1093884 using PBMCs and NK cells isolated from healthy donors showed no lytic activity against TFPI-expressing primary and immortalized cell lines. Furthermore, no CDC activity using pooled serum complement was detected with BAY 1093884. In silico scoring for T-cell epitopes using a human leukocyte antigen DR-weighted algorithm compared favorably to therapeutic antibodies that have been reported to have low immunogenicity in the clinic. Conclusion: In vitro and in silico immunoprofiling has aided in the design of the bypass anti-TFPI immunoglobulin G2 antibody BAY 1093884 with low toxicity potential and immunogenicity in humans. Disclosures Paz:Bayer HealthCare: Employment. Xie:Bayer HealthCare: Employment. Aswad:Bayer HealthCare: Employment.


Harmonic millimeter wave (mm-wave) generation and frequency up-conversion are experimentally demonstrated using optical injection locking and Brillouin selective sideband amplification (BSSA) induced by stimulated Brillouin scattering in a 10-km single-mode fiber. By using this method, we successfully generate third-harmonic mm-wave at 27 GHz (f(LO) - 9 GHz) with single sideband (SSB) modulation and up-convert the 2GHz intermediate frequency signal into the mm-wave band with single mode modulation of the SSB modes. In addition, the mm-wave carrier obtains more than 23 dB power gain due to the BSSA. The transmission experiments show that the generated mm-wave and up-converted signals indicate strong immunity against the chromatic dispersion of the fibers.


This article examines the role of lay seigneurs in religious change in the French countryside in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, during the Catholic Reformation and a period of socioeconomic change in land ownership and exploitation. The focus here is on middling and lesser lords—the rough equivalent of the English gentry, who held land in a single province or even pays and had a frequent presence in their parishes—rather than the great nobles who operated at a national level. Brittany is used as a case study, for it was a province rich in rural lords and because relatively good source material survives. It is argued that seigneurs were important patrons of religious innovation in the countryside, particularly in the parish church. They were rarely innovators themselves, but they lent support and resources to the introduction and maintenance of new devotional practices. Lords worked closely with clergy, sharing their aspirations and ideas. Four areas were particularly prominent in eliciting their support: appointment of clergy, support of missionaries, new devotional practices, and funding of building projects and liturgies in parish churches. These combined family strategies of enhancing social status and individual means to salvation which were indivisible in the world of the lay rural nobility. It was from a traditional understanding of lordship that patronage of religious reform stemmed.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility and effect of treatment of thyroid adenoma and cystic degeneration of thyroid adenoma by injection of colloid (32)P with ultrasonic guidance.

METHODS
Diluted solutions of (32)P, 37 approximately 74 mBq/1.0 approximately 1.5 ml and 18.5 approximately 37 mBq/ml, were injected, with ultrasonic guidance, into the thyroid adenoma in 30 cases and degenerated cyst of thyroid adenoma in 30 cases, all confirmed by ultrasonography, thyroid scanning and pathologic paracentesis. The serum FT3, FT4, TT3, TT4, and TSH, and blood cells were examined before and after the treatment. Part of the patients was followed up for 6 approximately 36 months.

RESULTS
The cure rate was 71.05% (27/38) for thyroid adenoma and 86.67% (26/30) for cystic degeneration of thyroid adenoma. The treatment effect was better for cystic degeneration of thyroid adenoma than for thyroid adenoma. The changes of blood cells and serum thyroid hormones were not significant before and after treatment. No obvious side effect was found in all patients.

CONCLUSION
Injection of (32)P with ultrasonic guidance is effective in treatment of thyroid adenoma and cystic degeneration of thyroid adenoma. This method is easy, safe and highly practical clinically.


The work presented in this paper is a contribution to the theoretical study of the impact of space between the protective glass and the glass through the performance of a solar plan double glazing. Under the climatic  conditions in the region of Ouargla Algeria. The study was carried out using a mathematical model obtained by  writing the laws of conservation of energy in the system. Type of day June 15, 2008 at Ouargla. To simplify the  system of equations of energy, we use the finite difference method with an implicit scheme. The algebraic  system obtained and solved by the iterative Gauss Seidel, the program is inscribe FORTRAN. We also took  into account the variation of the angle of incidence and refraction of solar radiation in terms of time and its  influence on the coefficients of transmission, reflection and absorption. Keywords : collector solar, doubles glazing, space, performance


A website has been launched by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to obtain information on flu directly from the public and thereby monitor the progress of the disease this autumn.


The atomic-emission spectrum of neutral arsenic has been remeasured from 1644 A to 1.2 μm and extended to 3.6 μm. The light source was a microwave-excited electrodeless discharge tube. Instrumentation used included two Fourier spectrometers and a number of concave grating spectrographs. The number of emission lines was increased from the published 333 lines to 1478, 1295 of which are classified as transitions between 95 odd-parity levels and 96 even-parity levels. Of these 191 levels, 104 were the result of this experimental endeavor. Of the previously known 87, 13 were newly classified and 15 reclassified as a result of our analysis. At present, 175 of the 191 levels are classified. The classifications of these levels were accomplished with the help of ab initio calculations and least-squares fitting methods. Designations are given in both LS and JK representation when possible along with calculated compositions in both representations of the levels consisting of less than 75% of a dominant eigenvector component.


Pan evaporation (EP), an index of atmospheric evaporative demand, has been widely reported to have weakenedin the past decades.However,its interpretation remains controversial because EP observations are not globally available and observations of one of its key controls, surface incident solar radiation Rs, are even less available. Using global-distributed Rs from both direct measurements (available through the Global Energy Balance Archive) and derived from sunshine duration, the authors calculated the potential evaporation from 1982 to 2008 from approximately 1300 stations. The findings herein show that the contribution of water vapor pressure deficit (VPD) to monthly variability of EP is much larger than that of other controlling factors, of Rs, wind speed (WS), and air temperature Ta. The trend of the aerodynamic component of EP, which includes contributions of VPD, WS, and Ta, accounted for 86% of the long-term trend of EP. The aerodynamic component was then calculated from 4250 globally distributed stations and showed a negligible averaged trend from 1973 to 2008 because the reduction in WS canceled out the impact of the elevated VPD. The long-term trend of WS dominates the long-term trend of the aerodynamic component of EP at the 4250 stations. Atmospheric evaporative demand increasedin most arid and semiaridareas, indicatinga decrease in water availability in those areas.


We have developed a methodology which combines technology CAD (TCAD) simulation with statistical analysis of empirical data to predict and control the manufacturability of IC fabrication processes. As a result, manufacturing tolerance or sigma-based models (also known as worst-case models) can be determined before a significant sample size of fabricated devices can be characterized. Early on in the development cycle, empirical data is collected, and models built from simulated data are refined. These revised models are used to determine process control limits, and optimize in-line and electrical test measurement (E-test) for maximum observability of variation. As the process is stabilized, further refined models are used to perform yield diagnosis and tolerance analysis of circuits. This methodology has been applied to a number of BJT and submicrometer CMOS processes to create predictive sigma-based models, modify the fabrication recipe to meet objective specifications as development proceeds, and finally use them to control the manufacturing line.


General election in Indonesia is a facility to emerge the power of Indonesian in order to result in Indonesian government that more democratic based on Pancasila and UUD 1945. Organizing a free, secret, honest, and fair direct general election can be implemented if all of the committees of general election have high integrity, professionalism, and accountability. However, some local conflicts affect on the democratic process getting worse. It is assumed that the conflict is caused by the lack of dependence of local KPUD (Committee for the Local Election). Thus, it needs a kind of action to minimize the local conflicts and to make the dependence of local KPUD as the main consideration to make the implementation of direct general election work well. It is also important to complete moral religious in practicing politics and direct general. Kata Kunci: Pemilu, Pilkada, Pemerintahan, Demokratis, Konflik, Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU)


Under the Bayesian Ying–Yang (BYY) harmony learning theory, a harmony function has been developed on a BI-directional architecture of the BYY system for Gaussian mixture with an important feature that, via its maximization through a general gradient rule, a model selection can be made automatically during parameter learning on a set of sample data from a Gaussian mixture. This paper further proposes the conjugate and natural gradient rules to efficiently implement the maximization of the harmony function, i.e. the BYY harmony learning, on Gaussian mixture. It is demonstrated by simulation experiments that these two new gradient rules not only work well, but also converge more quickly than the general gradient ones.


Reasoning is central to the idea of the Semantic Web and ontologies, however, the fundamental principles of reasoning - soundness and completeness - do not match the reality of the (Semantic) Web that is ruled by contradicting and incomplete data and claims. Furthermore, logical reasoning is strong for rather small numbers of axioms and facts, while the Web is growing at an impressive speed and hence offering tremendous amounts of data. 'Reasearch' is a novel idea of combining reasoning with information retrieval methods (search) in order to respond to the requirements and constraints implied by reasoning on the Semantic Web. The Large Knowledge Collider is a modular reasoning platform that allows for reasearching with Web-scale data, and instrumenting and monitoring the platform is essential for verifying and assuring high performance, adaptability and well-functioning. These aspects are vital for experiments running on the platform.


Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an important but underappreciated disease in medical practice, and the severity can vary from moderate to severe. Right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE) is more common in intravenous drug users (IVDUs), and the vast majority of these involve the tricuspid valve (TV). It is worth mentioning that right-sided valves are challenging to scan compared to left-sided valves. The incidence of severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) immediately post-repair is not tangible, but it is considered to be rare. We present a case of a 47-year-old patient who had previous TV septal leaflet reconstruction using a bovine pericardial patch using 6/0 prolene, and an annuloplasty was performed by placing an annuloplasty ring in 2017 for infective endocarditis. The patient developed moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation within a few weeks following the surgery. She was readmitted to the hospital four years later with a reduced consciousness level, and a subsequent repeat echocardiogram showed possible tricuspid valve vegetation. In addition, transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) demonstrated biventricular dysfunction and severe tricuspid regurgitation, along with moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (MR) that was variable depending on the rate of atrial fibrillation. The patient was not suitable for surgical intervention and was medically managed accordingly.


A new concept for low voltage NOR Virtual Ground (NVGTM) Flash memory with a fast access time is introduced. New array concepts and process technologies are introduced to achieve programming by 5 V V,, and reading at 3 V f10% Kc. The array performance is enhanced by segmentation and using extra access transistor for each segment. The control of the erased cell threshold voltage distribution is one of the key issues for the 3 V read operation in low voltage flash. The erase threshold distribution is minimized by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling and hot electron injection self-recovering techniques.


Relationships among an information-processing based test battery, job performance, and age were examined using a sample of petroleum transport drivers. The results suggest that when age differences in job performance occur, they can be better explained by performance on valid predictors rather than age per se. The findings are discussed in the context of moderated models of job experience, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the erroneous use of age as a surrogate measure in personnel decision making.


Summary Introduction: Tribulus terrestris L. is traditionally used for treatment of urinary tract infections. Escherichia coli, as the most prominent agent of urinary tract infections, can be sensitive to T. terrestris extract. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity of T. terrestris methanol extract against clinical isolates of E. coli from urinary tract infections. Saponins were determined as main constituents of T. terrestris methanol extract. Methods: The antibacterial activities of T. terrestris methanol extract were evaluated by micro-broth dilution assay. The synergistic effects of T. terrestris methanol extract were screened with gentamicin by micro titer plate and disc diffusion assays. The isobologram curve was figured and the Fractional Inhibitory Concentration Index (FICI) was determined. Results: The saponin content of T. terrestris methanol extract was 54% (w/w). The means of MIC and MBC values for E. coli clinical isolates (n=51) were 3.5±0.27 and 7.4±0.5 mg/ml while these amounts were 3.9±1.3 and 6.4±1.8 μg/ml for gentamicin. T. terrestris methanol extract and gentamicin had synergistic effect with FICI equal to 0.1375. Conclusion: Therefore, T. terrestris can be applicable as alternative treatment in management of urinary tract infections.


Public attention to our tax laws has been attracted, as never before, by the lengthy debate over the Revenue Act of 1964.1 In plain view was demonstrated the difficulty of achieving broad tax reform-even at the price of substantial ($11.5 billion) rate reduction. It is in the best interests of our society that non-specialists be kept informed on tax matters. If "war is too important to be left to generals," so are taxes too important to be left to experts. Knowledge of a subject that affects the entire social and economic fabric of the country should be at the disposal of all interested parties. Current day writers have shown how much of the mystery surrounding tax legislation can be removed. It is from such a perspective that I have prepared this appraisal of our most significant recent tax legislation.


This article presents the results from research into the development of social and intercultural competence in student teachers through peer assessment. The purpose of the study is to identify and describe the degree to which peer assessment can influence the development of competencies. Also, to formulate recommendations for the integration of peer assessment in the education of students towards the development of social and intercultural competence. The theoretical analysis is based on a review of the scientific literature on social and intercultural competence and peer assessment, and it is followed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis. Twenty-five students, training to be teachers at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of pedagogy, participated in the study. Each of them wrote an essay on intercultural competence and each of the students reviewed three of their colleagues' essays. The research confirms that providing feedback helps the development of social and intercultural competence in two directions: students form skills for providing constructive feedback and criticism; and they develop their abilities for accepting feedback, reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses, which leads to striving for self-improvement. Another conclusion, based on the analysis is, that by providing detailed instructions prior to peer assessment, by organizing a subsequent discussion and reflection, students would improve their skills in providing feedback, constructive criticism, considering the ideas of others with respect, understanding different perspectives. Hence, the study confirms that peer assessment provides educational opportunities for the development of social and intercultural competence.


Understanding of the morphological development of the human brain has largely come from neuropathological studies obtained postmortem. Magnetic resonance (MR) techniques have recently allowed the provision of detailed structural, metabolic, and functional information in vivo on the human brain. These techniques have been utilized in studies from premature infants to adults and have provided invaluable data on the sequence of normal human brain development. This article will focus on MR techniques including conventional structural MR imaging techniques, quantitative morphometric MR techniques, diffusion weighted MR techniques, and MR spectroscopy. In order to understand the potential applications and limitations of MR techniques, relevant physical and biological principles for each of the MR techniques are first reviewed. This is followed by a review of the understanding of the sequence of normal brain development utilizing these techniques. MRDD Research Reviews 6:59-67, 2000.


Efforts to manage hypertension in pregnancy, on evidence based medicine using pharmacological therapy lower blood pressure, so it can reduce morbidity and mortality in the maternal and prinatal. Therefore, prior to administration of anti-hypertensive drugs, the need to consider pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetics that occur in the mother and fetus. Labetalol and nifedipine are category C (FDA) antihypertensive drugs that can be used as an option in the treatment of hypertension during pregnancy, because they do not have teratogenic risks for both pregnant women and the fetus. The making of this article is intended to determine the safety of the use of antihypertensive drugs, labetalol and nifedipine during pregnancy.


The principle and accuracy of 3-D coordinates acquisition using one single camera and the Aided Measuring Probe(AMP) are discussed in this paper. Using one single camera and one AMP which has several embedded targets and one tip with known coordinates, the single camera′s orientation and location can be calculated. After orientation, the global coordinate system is obtained. During measurement, the camera is fixed firstly, then the AMP is held and the feature point is touched.The camera is triggered lastly. The position and orientation of the AMP are therefore calculated from the size and position of its image on the sensor. Since the tip point of AMP has known relation with the embedded targets, the feature point can be measured. Tests show that the accuracy of length measurement is 0.2 mm and accuracy for flatness measurement in XSY-plane is 0.1 mm.


Now in these days the traffic on road is increases much frequently. In addition of that to manage the road traffic various efforts are also prepared. In this context the vehicle number plate recognition is a valuable step to identify the vehicle and their identity. In this paper the review of such kind of vehicle recognition system is prepared. In addition of that for improving the accuracy of number plate recognition a new model based on existing technique is prepared. That model claims to provide the efficient and accurate recognition. In addition of that the future extension of the proposed work is also included.


A reliable majority voter circuit using a nanometre spin transfer torque magnetic tunnel junction (STT-MTJ) is presented. The circuit tolerates single transient faults and manages process variations due to technology downscaling. The use of this magnetic device brings non-volatility memory to logic circuits and promises to overcome the rising standby power issue. By using the STMicroelectronics fully depleted silicon on insulator 28 nm design kit and a precise STT-MTJ compact model, electrical simulations have been carried out to show its low-power and high reliability performances.


Introduction: Liquid biopsy based on sub-micron or nanosized particles in human body fluid have been received vast attention due to their non-invasive characteristics and enabling multiple check-up. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), as well as exosome are the most promising markers in liquid biopsy, however, dual isolation and profiling have been hampered due to their size difference and limited quantity for analysis. We proposed the novel and simple methods for both isolation and study their similarity between them. Using the label-free CTC filtration device and anti-CD63 antibody-conjugated degradable hydrogel, the CTCs and the CTCs-derived exosome are specifically isolated, and each samples were followed by molecular study after recovery. This versatile platform facilitates the comprehensive study of two biomarkers with reflecting their inherent characteristics, thus paving the way for revealing their roles in cancer progression and metastasis. Methods: In order to make stimuli-responsive degradable hydrogel, poly (vinyl alcohol) and alginate were mixed under constant stirring at 85 °C. The mixture was poured into the mold and dried for 24 hours. Then, the dried sheet was immersed into 100 mM calcium chloride solution to achieve gelation through ionic interaction. Subsequently, the anti-CD63 antibody was immobilized onto the prepared hydrogels via cross-linking. For the dual-profiling, the hydrogel and the filters containing the captured breast cancer cells by microfiltration were incubated with the exosome-depleted cell culture media for 6 hours. The captured cells were released from the device and the hydrogels were degraded by adding EDTA. The cell and exosome lysate were prepared using RIPA buffer at 4 °C. The supernatant was collected by centrifugation followed by western-blot assay. Four different markers, including exosome-specific marker (CD63), cancer-associated markers (EpCAM, vimentin), and a housekeeping marker (β-actin), were used. Results: All exosome and cell samples highly expressed the housekeeping marker. Especially, two exosome samples dissociated from the hydrogel showed CD63 predominantly, which support the secretion of exosome from the cancer cells. The samples from the released cancer cells from the device did not express CD63 remarkably. To verify the phenotypical similarity between cell and exosome, expressions of the epithelial marker (EpCAM) and mesenchymal marker (vimentin) were examined. The exosome and cell from MCF-7, epithelial cancer cell, showed higher expression of EpCAM then vimentin. On the contrary to this, the samples from MDA-MB-231, mesenchymal cell, showed higher vimentin expression then EpCAM. Discussion and conclusion: We showed that exosome follow the phenotypical characteristics of mother-cells. This dual profiling would be helpful for in-depth study of cancer with consideration of its heterogeneity and complexity. Citation Format: Yoon-Tae Kang, Young Jun Kim, Tae Hee Lee, Jae-Eul Shim, Young-Ho Cho. Dual-profiling of CTC and exosome from the cultured circulating tumor cells using stimuli-responsive degaradable hydrogels [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1719. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-1719


Aims: We developed a system for measuring glucose area under the curve (AUC) using minimally invasive interstitial fluid extraction technology (MIET). Sweat contamination during interstitial fluid glucose (IG) extraction affects the accuracy of glucose AUC measurement, because this technology uses extracted sodium ion levels as an internal standard. Therefore, we developed a sweat monitoring patch to reduce this effect and investigated its efficacy in volunteers undergoing oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs). Materials and Methods: Fifty diabetes mellitus inpatients and 10 healthy subjects undergoing the 75 g OGTT were included. Two sites on the forearm were pretreated with microneedle arrays, then hydrogels for interstitial fluid extraction were placed on the treated sites. Simultaneously, hydrogels for sweat monitoring were placed on untreated sites near the treated sites. Plasma glucose (PG) levels were measured every 30 min for 2 h to calculate reference AUC values. Using MIET, IG AUC was calculated from extracted glucose and sodium ion levels after attachment of the hydrogel for 2 h. Results: Good correlation between IG AUC measurements using MIET and reference AUCs measured using PG levels was confirmed over a wide AUC range (202–610 mg/h/dl) after correction for the sweat-induced error detected by the hydrogel patches on the nonpretreated skin. Strong correlation between IG AUC and peak glucose levels indicates that glucose spikes can be easily detected by this system. Conclusion: We confirmed the effectiveness of a sweat monitoring patch for precise AUC measurement using MIET. This novel, easy-to-use system has potential for glucose excursion evaluation in daily clinical practice.


Background: Football injuries account for more than half of all sports injuries, of which 10% require inpatient hospital management. Athletes in general and football players in specific are more prone to injuries since football is considered to be a contact sport. Thus, first aid management helps to treat common football injuries like bruises, sprains, and strains, none of which are particularly serious. However, although severe injuries are rare, knowing how to recognize them is essential so that appropriate action can be taken. The aim of this study is to assess and compare first aid knowledge among Saudi football players before and after the administration of two methods of education (lecture versus lecture and hands-on training). Methods: A representative clustered stratified sample of football players from football clubs in 10 regions across Saudi Arabia between August 2017 and July 2018 were recruited. First, a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was filled by all participants; then players were randomly assigned either to lectures and hands-on training (experimental group) or lectures only (control group). A well-structured questionnaire consisting of 44 questions in addition to the demographic profile. Both groups were evaluated and compared in terms of first aid knowledge just after completion of the two educational methods. Results: A total of 321 football players (mean age: 26.52 ± 10.31 years) were included. Furthermore, the total mean knowledge score of the study group (81.45 ± 12.05) was significantly higher (p<0.001) in comparison with that of the control group (65.92 ± 21.24). Conclusion: The first aid training program was overall effective in enhancing the knowledge of football players. The combined intervention including lectures and hands-on training had a better impact as compared to lectures only.


The construction and electrochemical response characteristics of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane sensors for determination of terazosin hydrochloride dihydrate (THD) in presence of its degradation product are described. The sensors are based on the ion association complexes of THD cation with sodium tetraphenyl borate (THD-TPB) [sensor 1] or ammonium reineckate (THD-RNC) [sensor 2] counter anions as ion exchange sites in PVC matrix. The performance characteristics, sensitivity and selectivity of these electrodes in presence of THD alkaline degradation product were evaluated according to IUPAC recommendations. It reveals a fast, stable and linear response for THD over the concentration range 10-510-2 M with cationic slopes of -30.90and -31.16 mV per concentration decade with sensors 1 and 2, respectively. These sensors exhibit fast response time (15-30sec), low quantitation limit (5.6x10-6 and 5.2x10-6M, respectively), and good stability (30-45 days). The direct potentiometric determination of THD using the proposed sensors gave average recoveries of 100.03±1.052 and 99.97±0.927 for sensor 1 and sensor 2, respectively. The sensors are used for determination of THD, in pure form, in presence of its degradation product and in tablets. Validation of the method shows suitability of the proposed sensors for use in the quality control assessment of THD and for routine analysis as stability indicating method. The developed method was found to be simple, accurate and precise when compared with a reference HPLC method. International Journal of Comprehensive Pharmacy 2011, October Abstract


Most of the research in academic institutions is data-intensive and based on statistical models, which is often difficult and time-consuming to read for governments and businesses. Here comes the role of think tanks to serve as knowledge connectors - translating academic research into user-friendly information for informed policymaking. The rise of science-skeptical movements since a few years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic and their strengthening during the pandemic has put increasing pressure on global think tanks. Populist regimes in many regions of the world cut financial resources for think tanks, thus shrinking the space for an independent analysis. The COVID–19 pandemic has triggered a multitude of crises, including large-scale social, economic, health and livelihood challenges. An unprecedented economic meltdown, interruption of economic activities in all business sectors, and immense burden on the health sector left governments reeling and scrambling to find appropriate policy responses to minimize the pandemic's impacts. The pandemic has further accentuated the challenges think tanks are confronting. One of the first responses by the think tanks from the outset was adopting new technologies and a quick shift to online work modality. Think tanks in the region organized dozens of webinars on the pandemic's critical challenges to facilitate the governments and influence and shape public opinion in their respective countries. These webinars covered a broad range of topics, including the research and analyses on the impacts of the COVID–19.


The pandemic has posed serious challenges to all spheres of public, economic and political life. This necessitated the development and implementation of a number of measures related to the new organization of work of companies and institutions. Communications – with external and internal audiences – have begun to play a key role not only in the immediate survival of organizations, but also in their successful recovery from the crisis. Crisis communications are especially important in this process. One of the sectors facing the biggest challenges during the Covid pandemic was education. Those working in the field had to prepare completely new communication programs aimed at process management. They also had to adapt their current communication strategies to meet the requirements of the environment. The material will consider the main characteristics in the communication of the restrictive measures of educational institutions in Bulgaria in the period 2020 – 2021. Some techniques and methods of rhetoric applied during this period will be presented.


Background Short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) overuse has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations in asthma; however, less is known about SABA use in COPD. Our aim was to describe SABA use and investigate potential associations between high SABA use and the risk of future exacerbations and mortality in COPD. Methods This observational study identified COPD patients in primary care medical records in Sweden. Data were linked to the National Patient Registry, the Prescribed Drug Registry and the Cause of Death Registry. The index date was 12 months after the date of COPD diagnosis. During a 12-month prior to index baseline period, information on SABA use was collected. Patients were followed with respect to exacerbations and mortality for 12 months post index. Results Of the 19 794 COPD patients included (mean age 69.1 years, 53.3% females), 15.5% and 7.0% had collected ≥3 or ≥6 SABA canisters during the baseline period, respectively. A higher level of SABA use (≥6 canisters) was independently associated with a higher risk of both moderate and severe exacerbations (hazard ratio (HR) 1.28 (95% CI 1.17‒1.40) and 1.76 (95% CI 1.50‒2.06), respectively) during follow-up. In total, 673 (3.4%) patients died during the 12-month follow-up period. An independent association was found between high SABA use and overall mortality (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.07‒2.39). This association, however, was not found in patients using inhaled corticosteroids as maintenance treatment. Conclusion In COPD patients in Sweden, high SABA use is relatively common and associated with a higher risk of exacerbations and all-cause mortality. Tweetable abstract High SABA use is relatively common among Swedish patients with COPD and is associated with a higher risk of exacerbations and all-cause mortality. This association, however, is not found in patients using inhaled corticosteroids as maintenance treatment. https://bit.ly/45W2p50


Planar impact experiments were employed to induce dynamic tensile failure in Bedford limestone. Rock discs were impacted with aluminum and polymethyl methacralate (PMMA) flyer plates at velocities of 10 to 25 m/s. Tensile stress magnitudes and duration were chosen so as to induce a range of microcrack growth insufficient to cause complete spalling of the samples. Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities of recovered targets were compared to the velocities prior to impact. Velocity reduction, and by inference microcrack production, occurred in samples subjected to stresses above 35 MPa in the 1.3 μs PMMA experiments and 60 MPa in the 0.5 μs aluminum experiments. Using a simple model for the time-dependent stress-intensity factor at the tips of existing flaws, apparent fracture toughnesses of 2.4 and 2.5 MPa m^(½) are computed for the 1.3 and 0.5 μs experiments. These are a factor of ∼ 2 to 3 greater than quasi-static values. The greater dynamic fracture toughness observed may result from microcrack interaction during tensile failure. Data for water-saturated and dry targets are indistinguishable.


Background: Nowadays cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of morbid-mortality. Atherosclerosis is one of the most important in this class of diseases. Goal: Identifying subclinical atherosclerosis in a population of non-dialytic patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: From November 2012 to December 2013, we selected 40 patients with stage 3 or 4 of CKD (cronic kidney disease) who did not need hemodialysis. CACS (coronary artery calcium score) and MTCA (miointimal thickness of carotid artery) were calculated and their mean and standard deviation, median and quartiles. To verify the association between the variables we used the Fisher exact test and the Spearman correlation p<0.05. Results: The distribution of the CACS was not as expected and the median increased with age groups. The CACS was null in: 50% of the sample in all patients below 45 years of age, 50% of those between 45-49 years of age and 50-54 years of age, 53.8% in those 55-59 years of age and 25% of those 60-65 years of age, however p=0.102. The median MTCA was 0.9 mm with interquartile range of 0.7-1.2 mm. In percentile 75 for age and sex were: 80% of 45 year olds, 25% of 45-49 year olds, 66.7% of 50-54 year olds, 69.2% of 55-59 year olds and 50% of 60-65 year olds, though p value was 0.602. We found a moderate positive correlation between age and CACS (r=0.458 p=0.03) and between age and MTCA weak (r=0.346 p=0.029) when performed correlation of age with the values of CACS and MTCA. The correlation between MTCA and CACS was strong(r=0.807) p<0.001. Conclusion: Non-invasive tests in CKD non-dialytic patients can identify subclinical atherosclerosis through the CACS and MTCA. This may change the clinical management, evolution and prognosis.


Somatostatin (somatotropin release inhibiting factor) is an abundant neuropeptide, which acts on five subtypes of somatostatin receptor (SST1-SST5; nomenclature as agreed by the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Somatostatin Receptors [98]). Activation of these receptors produces a wide range of physiological effects throughout the body including the inhibition of secretion of many hormones. Endogenous ligands for these receptors are somatostatin-14 (SRIF-14) and somatostatin-28 (SRIF-28). cortistatin-14 has also been suggested to be an endogenous ligand for somatostatin receptors [61].


In Václav Havel's first published essay, 'The Poet in the Contemporary Era', he proposed a theory of interpretive understanding that emphasized a poetic response to the world, a combination of imagination with hermeneutic engagement. In this Heideggerian perspective, the things and events in the world, and the people, too, have aesthetic qualities—whether valuable or banal—that a poetic attitude toward perception can discover, and perhaps even communicate. Moreover, poets are supposed, in the same essay, to be unable to separate the quality of their literary efforts from the quality of their lives, i.e. 'someone who writes kitsch poems on love has presumably had a kitsch love in life, too'.


A 3.2-mm-diameter, two-stage, fuseless, plasma-arc-driven electromagnetic railgun has been designed, constructed, and successfully operated to achieve a record velocity of 2.67 km/s for a 3.2-mmD*4-mmL solid hydrogen pellet. The first stage of this hydrogen pellet injector is a combination of a hydrogen-pellet generator and a gas gun. The second state is a 2-m-long railgun which serves as a booster accelerator. The gas gun accelerates a frozen hydrogen pellet to a medium velocity and injects it into the railgun through a perforated coupling piece, which also serves as a pressure-relieving mechanism. An electrical breakdown of the propellant gas, which follows the pellet from the gas gun into the railgun, forms a conducting plasma-arc armature immediately behind the pellet, allowing for fuseless operation of the railgun. Studying the pressure profile and the behavior of the plasma-arc armature inside the railgun bore led to eliminating spurious arcing, which prevents operation of the railgun at high voltages (and, therefore, at high currents). A timing circuit that can automatically measure the pellet input velocity and allows for accurate control of arc initiation behind the pellet helps prevent pellet disintegration and mistriggering of the arc initiation circuit. Results from the recent cryogenic operation of the two-stage pellet acceleration system are reported.<<ETX>>


Whole wheat breads are becoming a dominant presence in the market; however, the sensory qualities that drive consumer liking have not been well described. The purpose of this study was to identify sensory attributes and consumer acceptance of commercial whole wheat breads. Six whole wheat breads were evaluated for 26 attributes by a trained panel (N = 8). Two distinct groups of attributes were noted for the breads: those that were sweet, moist, and sticky versus those with characteristics associated with whole wheat such as wheaty, earthy, and bitter. In the consumer panel (N = 75), three clusters were formed. Cluster 1 (n = 28) had higher mean hedonic scores for all attributes compared with the other clusters (P < 0.01), although these consumers did not distinguish well among samples. Significant differences were found in all attributes in clusters 2 (n = 33) and 3 (n = 14). Cluster 2 preferred samples with sweet flavors and moist, cohesive textures, whereas cluster 3 preferred samples with earthy, roast...