Abstract A new two‐step approach is proposed to quantify the uncertainties of the seismicity rate ν ( M ) estimated by Gutenberg–Richter (GR) relations of seismic area source zones in logic tree‐driven probabilistic seismic‐hazard analysis. The first step makes use of the possibility that the uncertainties of the GR parameters α and β (or a and b ), expressed by their covariance matrix C ( α , β ) (or C ( a , b )), can be completely propagated to ν ( M ). In the second step, the resulting 1D probability distribution of ν ( M ) for any fixed magnitude M is approximated by a finite set of values and weights in a statistically optimal manner (Miller and Rice, 1983). The procedure yields a set of alternative recurrence models that exhaustively approximates the epistemic uncertainties of the seismicity rate.


A theory is presented giving far-field radiation patterns and surface-wave behavior for vertically polarized antennas located at zero height over flat ground, with a surface impedance which can be discontinuous along a radius from the antenna. The theory is based on the radiation from the surface electric and magnetic currents as determined by the Sommerfeld attenuation function. Both sky-wave and surface-wave solutions are obtained simultaneously, with applications to ground screens, recovery phenomena, Fresnel zones, and similar engineering problems discussed with examples. In general, the results agree with those obtained using the compensation theorem.


The demand for environmentally friendly foods with high nutritional value and low carbon emissions is increasing with the aging of the global population and the crisis of food resources. Edible insects are becoming increasingly well-known as such foods. This study evaluated the effects and mechanisms of Gryllus bimaculatus (Cricket) (Gb) and Oxya chinensis sinuosa (Grasshopper) (Ocs) extracts on epilepsy. A pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure mouse model was used for the study, and Gb and Ocs extracts were administered for 29 days on alternate days at concentrations of 8 g/kg and 16 g/kg. The integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and brain edema was measured using the perfusion of Evans blue dye and brain water content. Gb and Ocs extracts prevented BBB permeabilization and cerebral edema through increasing the expression of tight junction-associated proteins in the endothelial cells and reducing water content in PTZ-treated mice. Additionally, Gb and Ocs extracts protected neurons from oxidative stress and apoptosis in different brain areas. These protective effects were demonstrated through the restoration of the expression of neuronal nuclear protein and postsynaptic density protein-95, thus increasing the levels of glutathione and superoxide dismutase, decreasing lipid peroxidation, and recovering apoptosis-associated proteins, such as Bax, cleaved PARP, and cleaved caspase-3, in epileptic mice. In addition, Gb and Ocs extracts rescued PTZ-induced hyperexcitable neurons to control mice level, as supported by the restored expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter 1, the metabotropic glutamate receptors–GRM2/3, and BDNF. This study suggested that Gb and Ocs extracts are novel medicinal candidates that can help ameliorate epilepsy by improving BBB health and preventing oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis.


Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease (COPD) is an irreversible inflammatory disease of the lung, characterised by abnormal inflammation of the lungs in response to inhalation of noxious particles or toxic gases, especially cigarette smoke. COPD exacerbations, defined as acute sustained worsening of symptoms from usual stable state, accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. Improved diagnostics which give advanced warning of an exacerbation could help prevent further declines in lung function. The quest to identify a marker or a combination of markers associated with COPD exacerbations has been pursued for some time. Many groups have studied biomarkers in plasma, serum, sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and uncovered useful markers for prediction of exacerbations, disease severity and mortality. However, there is limited research on urine biomarkers. Profiling inflammatory mediators in urine samples presents a simple, convenient, non-invasive measure of inflammation in COPD patients and can be done repeatedly within their own home or in the clinic, allowing easier monitoring of time-dependent changes in biomarker levels. The research described in this thesis is the first investigation where a large panel of biomarkers has been evaluated in urine samples from subjects in various stages of COPD. This has provided new insights into the relevance and origin of the biomarkers. Prototype point-of-care tests were developed that could be used routinely by patients in their own homes to monitor their inflammation status and predict pulmonary exacerbations. This was evaluated in a prospective observational study, results of which were used to develop a simple algorithm that showed the potential for differentiating between stable state and exacerbation events.
The research described here is part of a major research initiative carried out within the Mologic R&D group and constitutes investigations designed and directed by the author, and conclusions derived from the author's analysis of the data collected by the biomarker immunoassays. The findings constitute a key scientific foundation for a new approach to personalised medicine for COPD sufferers.


This article takes issue with the concept of the 'writing surface'. It responds to Margreta de Grazia and Peter Stallybrass's insistence that 'the crucial quality of paper – its absorbency – eludes the dichotomy' of surface and depth central to the idea of the book (1993: 280), but also draws attention to the manifold uses of paper that have nothing to do with writing: the modes of knowing made visible when we attend to the transformations and possibilities of the surface in, for example, papier mâche, paper medicines, and paper models. This article explores these questions in response to specific early modern instantiations of paper and its tropes, arguing that paper formed both a practical and an intellectual resource. Early moderns looked into, as well as at and through, their paper, seeing it as a remarkable material and an instance of the changeability of matter. This article opens by arguing for the close connection between paper and thought. It goes on to offer a brief account of paper manufacture and circulation in early modern England, arguing that paper was considerably more commonplace than has been acknowledged. And it concludes by outlining the natural philosophical, medical, and domestic uses of paper: an everyday wonder, an object of study and a subject of thought.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

The success of molecular targeted therapy against cancer depends on discovering the essential pathways that contribute to carcinogenesis and cancer progression and the molecular targets that control the pathway activity. By using genetically engineered mouse models, we show that overexpression of Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) stimulated HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) production and accelerated the HCC progression. HGF transgenic mouse model produced spontaneous HCC with genomic profiles similar to that HBV-positive HCC patients with poor prognosis. Mechanistically, MET receptor expression is required for repair of virus-induced liver damage and HCC development. Importantly, HGF overexpression induces an autocrine activation which determines the sensitivity to small-molecule Met inhibitors. MET inhibitors are entering clinical trials against cancer, and our data provide a molecular basis for targeting the Met pathway in hepatitis B-induced HCC. Our results demonstrate that HGF is a driver of HBV-induced HCC progression and may serve as an effective biomarker for Met-targeted therapy, and that hgf-transgenic mouse model serves as a good tool for studying human HCC biology and preclinical evaluating therapeutics.

Citation Format: Qian Xie. Overexpression of HGF is an effective indicator for Met-targeting therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2776. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2776


This article is a historical study of a 'motor road' linking the north of the Gold Coast (present day Ghana) to the South. Historians concerned with routes and trade in nineteenth century Gold Coast usually end their accounts at the onset of colonial rule. While studies that concentrate on transport development in modern periods make little reference to the motor road linking Kumasi to Tamale and beyond. Difficulty in communication between the north and the south of Gold Coast, led to the construction of the Great North Road. Northern labourers, the majority of them Dargarti, Frafra, Vagla, Kanjarga (Builsa) among others played a critical role in the road construction. Women also played an important part in the construction as they ensured that food was prepared for the labourers without which it would have been impossible for work to go on. In 1920, the road was completed and the first motor vehicle driven by the then Governor Guggisberg arrived in Tamale in April of that year. The Great North road aside facilitating the work of administrators, also played a significant role in moving a variety of trade goods such as cattle, goats, fowls, Shea butter, corn, groundnuts and migrants to the south. The north also received southern goods especially salt and beer and other European products such as soap, sugar, cloths, bicycles among others. The opportunities offered by the road in terms of ease of travel and trade encouraged the development of settlements on the road and the urban expansion of Salaga and Tamale.


Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic neurological disorder. The main clinical characteristics of this syndrome are delayed neuropsychological development, intellectual disability, speech impairment, movement or balance disorder, and a behavioural uniqueness. The syndrome has oral manifestations such as diastemas, tongue thrusting, sucking/swallowing disorder, mandibular prognathism, a wide mouth, frequent drooling, and excessive chewing behaviour. The dental literature on the syndrome is scarce. The purpose of paper is to describe the interesting aspects of the dental treatment of a child with AS.


Objectives Self-reporting can be used to determine the incidence and prevalence of hypertension (HTN). The present study was conducted to determine the validity of self-reported HTN and to identify factors affecting discordance between self-reported and objectively measured HTN in participants in the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort. Methods The RaNCD cohort included permanent residents of Ravansar, Iran aged 35-65 years. Self-reported data were collected before clinical examinations were conducted by well-trained staff members. The gold standard for HTN was anti-hypertensive medication use and blood pressure measurements. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and overall accuracy of self-reporting were calculated. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the discordance between self-reported HTN and the gold standard. Results Of the 10 065 participants in the RaNCD, 4755 (47.4%) were male. The prevalence of HTN was 16.8% based on self-reporting and 15.7% based on medical history and HTN measurements. Of the participants with HTN, 297 (18.8%) had no knowledge of their disease, and 313 (19.9%) had not properly controlled their HTN despite receiving treatment. The sensitivity, specificity, and kappa for self-reported HTN were 75.5%, 96.4%, and 73.4%, respectively. False positives became more likely with age, body mass index (BMI), low socioeconomic status, and female sex, whereas false negatives became more likely with age, BMI, high socioeconomic status, smoking, and urban residency. Conclusions The sensitivity and specificity of self-reported HTN were acceptable, suggesting that this method can be used for public health initiatives in the absence of countrywide HTN control and detection programs.


A core issue in collaborative robotics is that of impact mitigation, especially when collisions happen with operators. Passively compliant structures can be used as the frame of the cobot, although, usually, they are implemented by means of a single-degree-of-freedom (DoF). However, n-DoF preloaded structures offer a number of advantages in terms of flexibility in designing their behavior. In this work, we propose a comprehensive framework for classifying n-DoF preloaded structures, including one-, two-, and three-dimensional arrays. Furthermore, we investigate the implications of the peculiar behavior of these structures—which present sharp stiff-to-compliant transitions at design-determined load thresholds—on impact mitigation. To this regard, an analytical n-DoF dynamic model was developed and numerically implemented. A prototype of a 10DoF structure was tested under static and impact loads, showing a very good agreement with the model. Future developments will see the application of n-DoF preloaded structures to impact-mitigation on cobots and in the field of mobile robots, as well as to the field of novel architected materials.


This study demonstrates that the ownership of private equity (PE) funds influences investment performance. The analysis focuses on the universe of PE investments made by Italian closed-end funds from 1999 to 2005. We find that bank-owned funds generally engage in weaker monitoring of the firms in which they invest, because their representatives hold a plurality of offices on boards of directors of such firms, whether PE-backed or not. This leads to lower revenue growth for portfolio firms, and consequently to lower IRR. On the contrary, corporate-owned funds are able to enforce closer supervision of their investments, leading to better performance.


Soon approaching its 50th anniversary, Journal of Analytical Toxicology (JAT) is an international scholarly publication specializing in analytical and forensic aspects of toxicology. Science Citation Index (SCI) and Journal Citation Reports (JCR), both of which are part of the Web-of-Science (WOS) database, were used to make a bibliometric evaluation of JAT articles. Between 1977 (volume 1) and 2023 (volume 47), a total of = n = 4,785 items were published in JAT; the top-ten most highly cited articles and the most prolific authors were identified. Changes in the journal impact factor (JIF) were studied between 1997 and 2022 and this metric varied from a low of 1.24 (2006) to a high of 3.36 (2020).The most recent JIF (2022) dropped to 2.5 and the corresponding 5-year JIF was 2.6. JAT's most highly article (590 cites) was a working group (SWTOX) report dealing with methods recommended for the validation analytical methods used in forensic toxicology laboratories. JAT published 62 articles each of which were cited over 100 times and the H-index for JAT was 89. The most prolific author of JAT articles was credited with 119 items, the first in 1980 (volume 4) and the latest in 2023 (volume 47). JAT articles were cited 4,537 times in 2022 by all journals in the JCR database, although 520 of these were self-citations (11.5%). Bibliometric methods are increasingly used to evaluate the published work of individual scientists, university departments, entire universities, and whole countries. Highly cited articles are considered more influential and authoritative compared with papers that are seldom or never cited.


Abstract The traditional approach to studying intergenerational influences has been limited to a single-stranded framework, with a focus on the transmission of socioeconomic status across two generations. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model of dual-pathway intergenerational influence over multiple generations and test the model by utilizing recent high-quality three-generation panel data from China. The model consists of two intertwined pathways: a socioeconomic pathway measured with educational attainment and a psychological pathway measured with mindset. We show that mindset is a fundamental psychological factor strongly associated with multiple outcomes, including cognitive skills, personalities, and attitudes. Intergenerational influences operate via the transmissions of both mindset and socioeconomic status as well as the cross-domain pathways between the two. Our results offer new insights for a better understanding of intergenerational mobility and immobility.


The paper details a successful of a remote laboratory and internet based teaching of PWM techniques for three-phase voltage source converters. The first stage of exercises is based on developed java applets for interactive simulation of carrier based PWM (CB-PWM) and space vector based modulation (SVM) techniques. The physical experiment is based on a three-phase IGBT bridge converter with DSP control and modulation. Signal measurements and processing are implemented in LabView environment. The master control and experiment web pages are governed by Moodle Course Management system, which provides access restrictions by means of a booking system. The presented PWM module is a part of Power Electronics and Drives course developed within the project EDIPE supported by European Commission - Leonardo da Vinci II Programme.


ABSTRACT Several important studies advancing treatment of eating disorders were published in Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention in 2020. This review summarizes the recent contributions to the literature on the treatment of eating disorders, including dialectical behavior therapy, yoga for positive embodiment, and treatment innovations in children and adolescents with eating disorders. Dialectical behavior therapy can be effectively used in complex eating disorder presentations, such as with comorbid substance use disorder and with suicidal behavior, and can be adapted for culturally-responsive treatments for binge eating and for guided self-help. Yoga may promote positive embodiment, which is supported by conceptual frameworks, studies evaluating yoga treatment interventions, and systematic reviews. Advances in eating disorder treatment for children and youth include the development of the Emotional Eating Scale adapted for children and adolescents, a review of primary care interventions for eating disorder treatment, and siblings' perspectives on eating disorder treatment. Research on novel methods including telementoring and innovative treatment modalities invoking feminism are promising areas of future research.


The occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) are closely related to intestinal microecological disorders. Butyrate, the representative of short chain fatty acids, possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and its antitumor effect has been gradually paid attention to. In this study, azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate induced mouse CRC model was used to explore the role and mechanism of butyrate in regulating colon cancer and its intestinal microecological balance. Outcomes exhibited that butyrate alleviated weight loss, disease activity index, and survival in CRC mice and inhibited tumor number and progression. Further research revealed that butyrate restrained the aggregation of harmful while promoting the colonization of beneficial flora, such as Actinobacteriota, Bifidobacteriales and Muribaculacea through 16S rDNA sequence analysis. This study confirmed that butyrate can ameliorate CRC by repairing intestinal microecology, providing ideas and evidence for chemical prophylactic agents, such as butyrate to remedy tumors and regulate tumor microbiota.


Although India's economy is growing at a blistering pace, most Indians still live in rural areas, many of them in poor households. Based on data from a household survey conducted for an Indian NGO between March and August 2004, this study seeks to model household poverty in a sample village in the Western state of Gujarat. The study endeavours to answer questions such as, i) what are the economic and demographic characteristics of farming households, and ii) what characteristics are associated with increased household income. More specifically, the econometric model presented here aims to determine the impact of variability in economic and demographic characteristics on the household's level of per capita income. Two models are estimated; the first treats fertility as exogenous to household income, the second uses an instrumental variable in a two stage least squares regression, treating fertility as endogenous. Greater planted areas of cash crops and greater productivity of cash crops are found to significantly increase income in at least one of the models. Both models find that the farmed area planted with sesame and the productivity of the sesame crop are associated with income. The demographic variables associated with income are the age of the household head, the number of non-productive extended household members, and the number of productive extended household members. The model that treats fertility as endogenous finds that an increase in the household's total number of children decreases household per capita income.


A descriptive , cross- sectional and retrospective study was carried out in 65 patients with acute gastropathy as a result of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs intake, the risk factors and the endoscope findings were taken into account. The study was carried out at clinical –surgical hospital in Banes and at "Cesar Fornet Fruto" polyclinic in 2008.The sample comprised 65 patients. The results were shown in a formulary that was made for this purpose. The prevalence rate of acute gastropathy as a result of non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs consumption was 18.51 per 100 inhabitants. The cigarette smoking and the use of different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the most relevant risk factors.Piroxicam was the most used drug.


China has always considered herself to be the center of the world. Those regions and populations which were not included in the Chinese territory under direct supervision of the imperial court were, depending on their distance from the court, perceived as being in a tighter or looser tributary relation to China. Tibet and its territorial relation to China is one such example and the historical sovereignty or suzerainty of China over Tibet is an omnipresent issue even in the current Sino-Tibetan context.
China expresses territorial claims over Tibet originating from the Yuan or even the Tang dynasty, while the Tibetan side argues that Tibet was an independent state until the middle of the twentieth century. There is evidence to support both claims. However, it is difficult to judge historical territorial claims from our contemporary viewpoint and current understanding of the functions and integrity of the state and its borders.
Undoubtedly, China and Tibet, as neighboring entities, experienced intense cultural, political, and religious interaction, and depending on the given political situation they would seek alliances or, more frequently, clash as enemies. An inquiry into the geographical records of the Qing dynasty collection of valuable sources, the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries (Siku quanshu), and particularly into the Qing historiographical record, the Da Qing yitong zhi, and its revised version the Jiaqing chongxiu yitong zhi, indicates that relations between China and Tibet were much more complex than presented by the two political parties nowadays, as they dependednot only on the military strength of the two parties, but also on prevailing economic needs or dominant religious trends.


Aiming at the difficulty of extracting rolling bearing fault features under strong background noise conditions, a method based on the Fourier decomposition method (FDM), robust independent component analysis (RobustICA), and multipoint optimal minimum entropy deconvolution adjusted (MOMEDA) is proposed. Firstly, the FDM method is introduced to decompose the single-channel bearing fault signal into several Fourier intrinsic band functions (FIBF). Secondly, by setting the cross-correlation coefficient and kurtosis as a new selection criterion, it can effectively construct the virtual noise channel and the observation signal channel, which makes RobustICA complete the separation of the useful signal and noise well. Finally, MOMEDA is introduced to enhance the periodic impact components in the denoised signal, and then the filtered signal is analyzed by the Hilbert envelope spectrum to extract the fault characteristic frequency. +rough the experimental analysis of the simulated signals and the actual bearing fault signals, the results show that the proposed method not only has the ability to suppress noise and accurately extract fault feature information but also has better performance than the traditional method of local mean decomposition (LMD) and intrinsic time-scale decomposition (ITD), highlighting its practicality in the fault diagnosis of rotating machinery.


In Global Production Networks: Theorizing Economic Development in an Interconnected World the authors develop a nuanced and interesting account of the centrality of value capture to regional economic development strategies, writes Christopher May, who finds this literature to be a useful step towards a more fully political economic analysis of global production networks.


By presenting a patient's own tumor antigens to their immune system, autologous cancer cell vaccines can drive a robust polyclonal adaptive response. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the safety and efficacy of these vaccines administered to patients with hematologic malignancies. Our primary outcomes of interest were safety and clinical response, with secondary outcomes including overall, disease-free and progression-free survival, relapse rate, correlative immune assays and health-quality related metrics. We identified 14 studies with 332 patients enrolled, of which 200 were ultimately treated with at least one dose of the vaccine. While we identified both patient-related and technical issues that might limit the feasibility of these trials, very few serious adverse events (AEs) were reported overall, with only 31.5% of patients suffering any AEs. Grade II or lower AE was observed in 10 (71.4%) of the 14 studies. Of the 3 (21.4%) reporting grade IV AEs, two observed the AE in one patient only, and one reported a 20% incidence of grade II-IV AEs. Of 58 evaluable patients, the complete response rate was 21% [95% CI, 10%-38%)] and overall response rate was 36% [95% CI, 24%-49%]. Analysis of individual patient level data (n=50) revealed a 5-year overall survival of 68.7% (SE 7.1%) and disease-free survival of 67.4% (SE 8.1%). Despite the clear safety and a signal towards efficacy, our review has identified several factors limiting administration of these vaccines, which should be considered when developing future clinical trials.
 PROSPERO registration number CRD42019140187

 Diallo: Virica Biotech: Other: Owner and Executive. Auer:Imugene: Other: Scientific Advisory Board. Kekre:Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria.


The field emission characteristics of CNT-Cu composite emitters formed by composite electroplating method were investigated. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) synthesized by chemical vapor deposition were used. The results showed that the turn-on field is about 2.34 V//spl mu/m with the current density of 0.1 /spl mu/m/cm/sup 2/. We observed that more emission sites located near edge than center and the emission current was stable. It is expected that CNT-Cu composite emitters can be applied to the FEDs and large area vacuum lighting sources.


17beta-estradiol (E2) fatty acyl esters naturally incorporate into high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The objective was to elucidate mechanisms involved in HDL-associated E2 cellular uptake and to determine the intracellular distribution of E2 and its fatty acyl esters (E2-FAE) after uptake. [3H]E2 or [3H] cholesterol was incubated with human serum for 24 h to allow for fatty acyl esterification. Total-HDL containing [3H]E2-FAE or [3H]cholesterol esters was isolated by sequential density ultracentrifugation and then incubated with Fu5AH rat hepatoma cells for various time points. Cellular uptake was determined by intracellular radioactivity as a percentage of total radioactivity. Chemical inhibition of scavenger receptor class B, type I and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor competition assays were performed to determine cellular uptake mechanisms. Compared to HDL-[3H]cholesterol, cellular uptake of HDL-[3H]E2 occurred at an initially rapid rate. SR-BI inhibition resulted in a decrease in HDL-E2 uptake and LDL impaired this uptake in a concentration-dependent manner. Accordingly, pretreatment of cells with BLT-1 combined with LDL addition significantly attenuated HDL-E2 uptake. HDL-E2-FAE was hydrolyzed into free E2 with the maximum at 24 h. Fu5AH cells facilitate HDL-E2 uptake by at least SR-BI and LDL receptor pathways and intracellular hydrolysis of E2-FAE into free E2 ensues.


ABSTRACT We provide a framework for integrating sociological and political-historical approaches to the worldwide expansion of higher education in the twentieth century. Doing so enables scholars and policymakers to better identify variation across place and time in how the provision of higher education has been rendered culturally meaningful and politically feasible. We identify three conceptions of state commitment to higher education: as a national asset, a citizen right, and a commodity. The conceptions are not mutually exclusive and can simultaneously animate national cultures and politics. We also suggest a novel periodization of global higher education history from 1945 to the present. Our work serves as an introduction to the seven other articles in this special issue, which consider the twentieth-century evolution of higher education politics and policies in Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and USSR/Russia.


Jacques de Vitry's Historia Occidentalis is one of the more remarkable and informative studies of contemporary western Christendom to come out of the thirteenth century. As numerous commentators have pointed out, it is unmistakably the product of the spiritual-intellectual school of Master Peter the Chanter of Paris, who inspired a generation of scholars and churchmen to marry popular preaching with the theology of the schools. Written early in the third decade of the thirteenth century, the Historia Occidentalis analyzes the moral state of the western church and juxtaposes in full relief the modes of both degeneracy and religious renewal within that society. Its thesis is that despite all the evils of the day, God is still working in and through the various elements of Christian society to sanctify his people; and these Christian people, for all of their failings, continue to share in the spiritual regeneration of Providence. The Historia Occidentalis has been characterized by one modern historian as "pulpit history."


Background: To establish the occurrence of peptic ulcer disease amid the Subjects with abdominal pain at tertiary care institute of Gujarat. Subjects and Methods : present research was performed at the Department of Surgery, tertiary care institute of Gujarat, for the period of one year in 200 patients with abdominal pain and diagnosed with peptic ulcer disease. Information was composed utilizing pre-designed questionnaire. Results: The majorities of participants was females, most were aged between 18 to 25 years. Around 97% had pain in the epigastric region. Gastric ulcers preponderate for 65% patients in current research, except refused during the later existence of the epoch, as the occurrence of duodenal ulcers stayed stable, however amplified rather the later phase. Conclusion: An extensive diversity of subjects with abdominal pain was documented amid the subjects. On the other hand, the socio-economic situation and educational levels of the Subjects with the illness were below par.


Ocular abnormalities and psychomotor difficulties were prominent in two unrelated children; in addition, the older child had respiratory irregularity during sleep. The pathologic findings included lesions of the optic nerve in the case with available material and established the diagnosis of Leigh's subacute necrotizing encephalopathy. This disorder is thought to result from inhibition of a thiamine-dependent enzymatic process and may be modified by greatly increased thiamine intake. Suspicion of the diagnosis in a child with ophthalmoplegia or other ocular abnormalities may lead to earlier recognition and more successful treatment of the disease.


2296 Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) is a 14 kD redox protein that is often over expressed in cancer cells. Trx-1, as part of the thioredoxin redox system, has been shown to reduce oxidized transcription factors resulting in restoration of transcription factor activity and increased gene expression. Recently, Trx-1 has been implemented in the redox regulation and activation of the transcription factor Specificity protein 1 (Sp-1). Sp-1 binds GC rich sequences in promoters and regulates a number of genes involved in cancer progression, including growth factor such as the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1-R) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Both receptors have been shown to play an important role in cancer cell development and growth. Expression of these genes is correlated to increased cellular size and resistance to apoptosis. Here we demonstrate that treatment of HT29 colon cancer cells with either PX-12, a pharmacological inhibitor of Trx-1, or siRNA against TRX-1 deceases Sp-1:DNA binding as measured by EMSA. Real time RT PCR analysis indicates that inhibition of Trx-1, with 50 μM PX12 for 72 hours, results in a 2.3 fold decrease in IGF1-R expression and a 3.6 fold decrease in EGFR expression. Western blot analysis indicates that inhibition of TRX-1, with 50 μM PX12 for 48 hours, results in 2.1 fold decrease in IGF1R protein levels and a 1.5 fold decrease in EGFR protein levels. These studies show the importance of Trx-1 redox activation of transcription factors and offer a novel mechanism for PX12's ability to inhibit cancer cell growth.


The purpose of this study is to examine some crucial issues of Sustainable Development in the Gyeonggi province. And it also advances policy recommendations by providing practical strategies for the governments. The 1st study aims to suggest strategies in which co-development between Seoul Metropolitan Area(SMA) and the rest of the Korea can be efficiently used to manage conflict relationships among them, in particular with respect to 'growing together'. The acceleration of urbanisation and industrialization in Korea has strengthened the regional disparity between SMA and the rest. Not only are regional disparities substantial, but they also tend to be persistent. There are various forms of collaboration among local or regional governments, ranging from the formation of specialised agencies or inter-municipal bodies, through contracts among different authorities to work together, to informal co-operation agreements. The 2nd study is an exploratory study. The objective is to explore a feasibility of "ecological development" in the special area of the Yang Pyeong and Ga Pyeong Counties in the Northeaster area of the Kyeonggi Province. In the 3rd study, an investigation of the residences was carried out by means of interviews with household heads and field surveys between July and September 2007. In order to get more useful data and information and to make comparisons, the questionnaire survey included some experts (professors, government officials, NGOs) as well. The case study area, Yeosu district, was designated by the government, as a site for National Rental Housing estate in greenbelt zone. Systematic random sampling was used to choose the households to be interviewed and the number of interviews in the study area was 245 households. The 4th study aims at reviewing the current situation of excessive developments which are underway in the southern Gyeonggi region and the effectiveness of the regulation system, and suggesting policy alternatives to settle such problems. This study analyzes the status of land developments such as 'Permission of Development Action', 'Permission of Farmland Transference', 'Permission of Forestry Land Transference' and also the current situation of infrastructures in Hwaseong in order to identify the existing condition of excessive developments of the city. Based on the analysis, this study selects some areas which are being developed most actively and reaches the conclusion that excessive developments are underway in Paltan, and Taeahn with insufficient infrastructures of the selected areas The purpose of the 5th study is to analyse the characteristics of Agriculture in Gyunggi-Province, to forecast the shocks of comprehensive FTA's with most of trade partners, and to suggest political strategies to cope with them. As main strategies to cope with this challenge, support for agricultural development tailored to the regional economic condition, synergy-inducement among related various economic subjects, and efficient political resources based on a wider regional perspecitve are recommended.


The authors investigate the reliability of the use of zeros of differential cross sections in the complex cos theta plane as a method of locating resonances and identifying their spin. The inherent uncertainty in locating such zeros tends to invalidate such methods.


Technical basis to detect small diamagnetic anisotropy ΔχDIA is established in a method using microgravity μG. Sensitivity of Δχ can be improved by increasing length of measurable period of rotational oscillation of magnetically stable axis with respect to field direction. In order to achieve the above condition, position of the diamagnetic sample should be stabilized in static field area, which was realized by introducing a magnetic circuit with high field homogeneity. Function of a mobile sample stage was effective in minimizing translational motion of sample. Accordingly, magnitude of measurable anisotropy may be decreased to a level of 10-10 emu/g. ΔχDIA of materials with high crystal symmetry, namely hexagonal ice, ZnO, SiC and BaTiO3, can be obtained by the above improvement. Magnetically active property due to magnetic anisotropy may be recognized for almost all the solid materials when sensitivity reaches the above level.


The aim of this study was to examine the influence of frugivory and social factors on behaviour during intergroup encounters in the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Frugivory was associated with an increase in the frequency of intergroup encounters, but had no impact on the length of the encounter, or on the type of behaviour exhibited, suggesting that while neighbouring groups may be attracted to limited fruit patches, there was no indication of between group feeding competition. Encounters with solitary males were more likely to elicit more avoidance, less tolerance, more herding behaviour, and a trend towards more aggression than encounters with groups. The number of potential migrant females and the number of silverbacks had no impact on the type of behaviour exhibited. However, an older dominant male was less likely to be aggressive towards the opposing group when a subordinate male was present, suggesting a collective action problem rather than cooperation in multi-male groups. Combined these results suggest that between group competition is linked more to mate defence and acquisition than resource defence. This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship among intergroup encounters, feeding ecology, reproductive strategies and social structure in gorillas.


We present a rare congenital condition in a Persian newborn characterized by the unilateral everted upper eyelid. This report aimed to create awareness among neonatologists and ophthalmologists who are first‐time viewers of this condition and lead them to choose the appropriate management.


Meningococcal meningitis is a sporadic transmissible disease in Taiwan. According to statistics, outbreaks happened between 1919-1926 and 1933-1946, with around 300 cases reported annually. After 1946, around 20-30 cases were reported annually. Following the death of a soldier with meningococcal meningitis in Cheng-Kung Hill in June 2001, there was a rapid increase in both the reported and confirmed cases in 2001-2002 and then gradually slowed down after 2003. Recently, the reported cases have been kept below 40 cases per year. No outbreak has occurred except a suspected familial cluster event involving 2 cases (brother and sister) in Jian-Shr, Sing-Jr County in 2002. Most confirmed cases were of those younger than 1 year old or between the age of 20-29. Soldiers also have a higher incident rate. Seasonal distribution of Meningococcal meningitis is similar to other sporadic countries. Counties with higher percentages of aborigine also have higher incidence. Further studies are required to show the correlation between population and incidence. Most confirmed cases were mainly students and soldiers, which might be related to their life styles and high-population density areas. Presenting symptoms were mostly fever, headache, and vomiting. Neck stiffness and hemorrhagic rashes might be signs of severe infection. Most cases were of serotype B. serotype Y was also common among soldiers. Infants younger than 1 year old have the highest mortality rate. Resistance to penicillin and rifampicin treatment has been found.


The curing shrinkage effect in the radial direction of ultraviolet UV-curable coating on fiber-loss characteristics is investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that curing shrinkage causes lateral forces to the fiber and leads to microbending loss increases at low temperatures. A model for pressure caused by curing shrinkage in the radial direction is discussed. According to this model, the radial pressure to the optical fiber in the coating can be estimated by measuring the fiber pulling force from the coated optical fiber. Based on the agreement of theoretical and experimental results, the allowable range of curing shrinkage percentages of primary and secondary coatings to prevent fiber-loss increase is obtained. Design strategies to prevent fiber loss increases at low temperatures are described. >


The cognitive function of the highly evolved dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is greatly influenced by arousal state, and is gravely afflicted in disorders such as schizophrenia, where there are genetic insults in α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7-nAChRs). A recent behavioral study indicates that ACh depletion from dlPFC markedly impairs working memory [Croxson PL, Kyriazis DA, Baxter MG (2011) Nat Neurosci 14(12):1510–1512]; however, little is known about how α7-nAChRs influence dlPFC cognitive circuits. Goldman-Rakic [Goldman-Rakic (1995) Neuron 14(3):477–485] discovered the circuit basis for working memory, whereby dlPFC pyramidal cells excite each other through glutamatergic NMDA receptor synapses to generate persistent network firing in the absence of sensory stimulation. Here we explore α7-nAChR localization and actions in primate dlPFC and find that they are enriched in glutamate network synapses, where they are essential for dlPFC persistent firing, with permissive effects on NMDA receptor actions. Blockade of α7-nAChRs markedly reduced, whereas low-dose stimulation selectively enhanced, neuronal representations of visual space. These findings in dlPFC contrast with the primary visual cortex, where nAChR blockade had no effect on neuronal firing [Herrero JL, et al. (2008) Nature 454(7208):1110–1114]. We additionally show that α7-nAChR stimulation is needed for NMDA actions, suggesting that it is key for the engagement of dlPFC circuits. As ACh is released in cortex during waking but not during deep sleep, these findings may explain how ACh shapes differing mental states during wakefulness vs. sleep. The results also explain why genetic insults to α7-nAChR would profoundly disrupt cognitive experience in patients with schizophrenia.


In this paper, a receiver front-end module operating at 5 GHz and suitable for low-voltage operation is presented. The design consists of a single amplifying transistor low-noise amplifier topology that utilizes multiple magnetic feedback in order to simultaneously achieve high gain and high reverse isolation. In addition, a mixer topology for optimum performance regarding gain, noise, and linearity under low-voltage operation is presented. The design has been fabricated in IBM's 0.13-mum CMOS technology, and the measured performance indicates a receiver conversion gain of 22.3 dB, a noise figure of 2.64 dB, and a third-order input intercept point of .


Two pigeons that were previously exposed to a multiple schedule of reinforcement in the presence of a stuffed and a live pigeon, and two of three naive pigeons, responded on a mirror during exposure to multiple fixed-ratio, fixed-ratio schedules of reinforcement for key pecking. Both the topography and temporal pattern of mirror responding were comparable to schedule-induced "attack" on live and stuffed targets. Rate of target responding was reduced when either the mirror was covered with paper or when the multiple schedule was removed. A reversal in the relationship between reinforcement schedules and discriminative stimuli demonstrated that mirror responding was controlled by the stimulus correlated with the higher fixed-ratio schedule. With one component of the multiple schedule held constant at fixed ratio 25 and the ratio requirement of the other component varying from 25 to 150, there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between rate of mirror responding and fixed-ratio schedule in the varied component. As in Flory's study (1969b) there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between target responding and inter-food intervals. The combined results of these studies suggest that the relationship between rate of target responding and reinforcement schedules is controlled primarily by the inter-food intervals resulting from the schedules.


This paper presents a hybrid PV system operated in accordance with an electric energy management strategy for public lighting equipments in apartment buildings. We attempt to alternate PV with grid-connected power systems to avoid the occurrences of islanding, safe protection and the low reliability of power supply in standalone PV system through implementing the electric energy management strategy presented herein. The power conversion devices included in the proposed system contain buck-boost, push-pull, full-bridge inverter, switches and high-efficient digital signal controller as means of achieving MPPT, power charging and power system switching. A 100W experimental prototype of hybrid PV system was built in the lab. Experimental results are shown to verify the effectiveness of proposed energy management strategy.


Moderation, or social moderation involves teachers meeting together to discuss and negotiate judgments made on student work. It is discussed in a holistic sense of encompassing all stages of the teaching/learning process. In systems that employ standards-referenced curriculum and assessment, social moderation and/or online moderation are processes adopted to ensure consistency and reliability of assessment grades. Moderation is a social practice in which teachers present and critique judgment decisions based on critical evidence in the sample or portfolio of work. Teachers willingly open their practice to scrutiny from colleagues and respond to feedback on judgment decisions. Moderation is discussed and analyzed in terms of the various ways it may be organized and the key processes involved. Challenges to moderation include the subjectivity of judgment making; the lack of engagement with the standard; the interplay of identity and differential power relations in judgment making and critique of judgments; and the difficulty of achieving consistency across an entire education system. Moderation represents a form of professional learning when teachers critically reflect on their understanding of the standard and develop goals to improve their future instruction and assessment practices.


This paper reviews several user experiences that researchers at the University of Arizona have had in building Internet-based tools to support collaborative writing. First, the technological framework for an advanced collaborative writing tool called Collaboratus is presented. Next, we review the tools that make up Collaboratus, and then provide an overview of the various user experiences we have had. Finally, many suggestions are provided for developing the next generation of collaborative writing tools.


Studies on the three major adenovirus structural antigens, designated hexons, pentons (a base plus a fibre) and fibres (Ginsberg et al. 1966), have been reviewed extensively (Norrby, 1968; Schlesinger, 1969). The availability of purified preparations of hexon, fibre and whole penton has made the physicochemical and immunological characterization of these virus components possible. However, the properties of the penton base, a component also known to be synthesized independently in infected cells, have received relatively little attention, mainly because of the lack of a method for its purification. Present information on the properties of the penton base is derived from analytical data on partially purified materials or from the study of whole penton (Pettersson & Hoglund, 1969; Wadell & Norrby, 1969). In the present report we describe a simple method for the preparation of physicochemically and immunologically pure adenovirus type 5 (ad. 5) penton base.


Upconversion emissions of Yb3+/Er3+-codoped germanate-tellurite glasses have been investigated upon the excitation of 980 nm laser diode (LD). It is found that upconversion luminescence intensities significantly increase with the increasing size of alkali metal ions. Raman spectra show that the maximum phonon energies (MPE) of glass hosts are unchanged with the replacement of alkali metal oxides, indicating that MPE is not the reason for the increase of upconversion fluorescence intensities. The analysis of the non-radiative transition of Er3+ demonstrates that the decrease of the maximum energy phonon density is the main reason for the enhanced fluorescence intensities.


In this paper, I take issue with a question that was posed to me when preparing to conduct ethnographic research into school bullying in Vietnamese schools – how can you ethically be a participant observer when conducting research into school bullying? In doing so, I problematize commonly held understandings of school bullying and particularly the category 'bystanders', which has tended to constitute one of the corners of the bullying triangle put forward in many studies of school bullying. As I argue, bystanding is important not only for ensuring that the perspectives of those involved in bullying ('victims', 'bullies', and 'bystanders') are taken seriously, but also for gaining a more inclusive picture of the factors involved in bullying.Drawing on long-term ethnographic research conducted in two lower secondary schools in Vietnam's third largest city, Haiphong, I consider both consequentialist and deontological approaches to this question of ethics. The consequentialist approach involves questioning whether the potential benefits of the research outweighed the potential negative consequences for those involved. The consequentialist approach thus deals with issues of non-maleficence and beneficence. The deontological approach, on the other hand, focuses on the inherent rights of the research participants and raises questions about power relations and justice. While the question I was posed about the ethics of conducting participant observations of school bullying largely concerns the consequentialist issues of non-maleficence and beneficence, deontological issues of power and justice appear to be less central.The majority of school bullying research has been conducted through the use of quantitative questionnaire surveys, and there has been little discussion of the ethics of such research. This paper argues that observation-based studies of school bullying are ethically necessary for better understanding the perspectives of those involved, and for considering the possibility that those who bully are not necessarily doing so because they are 'proactively aggressive'. This has implications, not only deontologically but also consequentially, as anti-bullying programmes tend to be based on understandings of school bullying that have largely been pre-defined by researchers and have not taken adequate consideration of the perspectives of all those involved.


In our recent work we proposed a generalization of the beta integral method for derivation of the hypergeometric identities which can by analogy be termed "the G function integral method". In this paper we apply this technique to the cubic and the degenerate Miller-Paris transformations to get several new transformation and summation formulas for the generalized hypergeometric functions at a fixed argument. We further present an alternative approach for reducing the right hand sides resulting from our method to a single hypergeometric function which does not require the use of summation formulas.


Since the 19 th century, Malaria has become a terrifying life-threating disease in most of the countries. Its been identified that five countries namely Nigeria with 25%, Congo with a ratio of 11%, Mozambique with ratio of 5%, India with ratio of 4% and Uganda with ratio of 4%. World Health Organization stated that above 90% of malaria death cases were recorded every year. Most of the Indian states like Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, northern countries, Chhattisgarh got affected by Malaria. India spotted death cases of malaria from millions to thousands that have reduced in recent years. Directorate of National vector Bore disease control program has started malaria control strategies using early case detection and treatments, vector control, protective measures against mosquito bites and management of Environment. The major challenge was to identify the disease at early stage. The key contributions avoid malaria disease is to provide antimalaria drugs, using indoor spray with residual insecticides, mosquito nets. For the treatment, medical technologies, deep learning architectures related to Convolutional Neural Networks to train and test performing different combinations for image classification using ResNet34 which helps patient go through prior examination for microscopic diagnosis. For patients examination, this paper considers Malaria Cell Images dataset with Parasitized and uninfected images. Thus, this clearly shows that one can easily identify person's condition whether he is infected or uninfected by enabling open-source Artificial Intelligence. It shows the start-of-the-art accuracy by checking individual details.


A study has been carried out to assess the effect of flow nonuniformities in AEDC Tunnel B on surface pressures of slender bodies. The approach taken was to use flow profiles measured in a recent calibration program as inflow boundary conditions for a CFD solution to compare with the idealized case where a uniform free stream is assumed. The results of this study indicate that flow nonuniformities are at least partially responsible for discrepancies observed at low Reynolds number (Re/L = 1.0 x 10/ft) on slender axisymmetric bodies at zero angle of attack. There is no corresponding effect at high tunnel Reynolds number (Re/L = 3.5 x 10/ft). At high Reynolds number, for angles of attack that displace the nose of the vehicle more that 6-7 in. from the tunnel centerline, there is a small increase in surface pressure caused by a radial variation in Mach number.


Redox regulation based on disulfide-dithiol conversion catalyzed by thioredoxins is an important component of chloroplast function. The reducing power is provided by ferredoxin reduced by the photosynthetic electron transport chain. In addition, chloroplasts are equipped with a peculiar NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase, termed NTRC, with a joint thioredoxin domain at the carboxyl terminus. Because NADPH can be produced by the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway during the night, NTRC is important to maintain the chloroplast redox homeostasis under light limitation. NTRC is exclusive for photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and some, but not all, cyanobacteria. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that chloroplast NTRC originated from an ancestral cyanobacterial enzyme. While the biochemical properties of plant NTRC are well documented, little is known about the cyanobacterial enzyme. With the aim of comparing cyanobacterial and plant NTRCs, we have expressed the full-length enzyme from the cyanobacterium Anabaena species PCC 7120 as well as site-directed mutant variants and truncated polypeptides containing the NTR or the thioredoxin domains of the protein. Immunological and kinetic analysis showed a high similarity between NTRCs from plants and cyanobacteria. Both enzymes efficiently reduced 2-Cys peroxiredoxins from plants and from Anabaena but not from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis. Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) NTRC knockout plants were transformed with the Anabaena NTRC gene. Despite a lower content of NTRC than in wild-type plants, the transgenic plants showed significant recovery of growth and pigmentation. Therefore, the Anabaena enzyme fulfills functions of the plant enzyme in vivo, further emphasizing the similarity between cyanobacterial and plant NTRCs.


Two-dimensional (2D) relativistic magnetosonic solitons in the negative-ion-rich plasma consisting of positive ions Ar+, negative ions SF6- and electrons are investigated in the presence of an applied magnetic field B0 and can be described by a Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation in the weakly relativistic limit. The ratio of positive ion density to negative ion density has a marked influence on the amplitudeΦm and width W of the steady-state KP soliton. The interaction law of the nontrivial solitons with rich web structure is studied by the Wronskian determinant method.


A two‐stage approach was used to analyze Problem 2 simulated data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 11. In the first stage, we tested for linkage with the Haseman‐Elston test in SIBPAL. Markers that were significant in the first stage were followed up with two types of association tests. These association tests differ in the type of family information used: 1) parental transmissions to affected children or 2) differences in marker allele frequencies between affected and unaffected siblings. We also explored how the conclusions changed when different sampling strategies were used. Of particular interest was whether the entire data set should be used to test for both linkage and association or whether the data set should be halved to allow for replication of the initial association results.


Abstract Understanding neuronal activity in the human brain is an extremely difficult problem both in terms of measurement and statistical modeling. We address a particular research question in this area: the analysis of human intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) recordings of epileptic seizures from a collection of patients. In these data, each seizure of each patient is defined by the activities of many individual recording channels. The modeling of epileptic seizures is challenging due the large amount of heterogeneity in iEEG signal between channels within a particular seizure, between seizures within an individual, and across individuals. We develop a new nonparametric hierarchical Bayesian model that simultaneously addresses these multiple levels of heterogeneity in our epilepsy data. Our approach, which we call a multi-level clustering hierarchical Dirichlet process (MLC-HDP), clusters over channel activities within a seizure, over seizures of a patient and over patients. We demonstrate the advantages of our methodology over alternative approaches in human EEG seizure data and show that its seizure clustering is close to manual clustering by a physician expert. We also address important clinical questions like "to which seizures of other patients is this seizure similar?" Understanding neuronal activity in the human brain is an extremely difficult problem both in terms of measurement and statistical modeling. We address a particular research question in this area: the analysis of human intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) recordings of epileptic seizures from a collection of patients. In these data, each seizure of each patient is defined by the activities of many individual recording channels. The modeling of epileptic seizures is challenging due the large amount of heterogeneity in iEEG signal between channels within a particular seizure, between seizures within an individual, and across individuals. We develop a new nonparametric hierarchical Bayesian model that simultaneously addresses these multiple levels of heterogeneity in our epilepsy data. Our approach, which we call a multi-level clustering hierarchical Dirichlet process (MLC-HDP), clusters over channel activities within a seizure, over seizures of a patient and over patients. We demonstrate the advantages of our methodology over alternative approaches in human EEG seizure data and show that its seizure clustering is close to manual clustering by a physician expert. We also address important clinical questions like "to which seizures of other patients is this seizure similar?"


Tri-axial accelerometry has proved to be a useful technique to study animal behavior with little direct observation, and also an effective way to measure energy expenditure, allowing a refreshing revisit to optimal foraging theory. This theory predicts that individuals should gain the most energy for the lowest cost in terms of time and energy when foraging, in order to maximize their fitness. However, during a foraging trip, central-place foragers could face different trade-offs during the commuting and searching parts of the trip, influencing behavioral decisions. Using the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) as an example we study the time and energy costs of different behaviors during the commuting and searching parts of a foraging trip. Lesser kestrels are small insectivorous falcons that behave as central-place foragers during the breeding season. They can commute by adopting either time-saving flapping flights or energy-saving soaring-gliding flights, and capture prey by using either time-saving active hovering flights or energy-saving perch-hunting. We tracked 6 lesser kestrels using GPS and tri-axial accelerometers during the breeding season. Our results indicate that males devoted more time and energy to flight behaviors than females in agreement with being the sex responsible for food provisioning to the nest. During the commuting flights, kestrels replaced flapping with soaring-gliding flights as solar radiation increased and thermal updrafts got stronger. In the searching part, they replaced perch-hunting with hovering as wind speed increased and they experienced a stronger lift. But also, they increased the use of hovering as air temperature increased, which has a positive influence on the activity level of the preferred prey (large grasshoppers). Kestrels maintained a constant energy expenditure per foraging trip, although flight and hunting strategies changed dramatically with weather conditions, suggesting a fixed energy budget per trip to which they adjusted their commuting and searching strategies in response to weather conditions.


Abstract A new species of Epidendrum L. from northern Peru is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. This new species belongs to the Laxicaule Group and shares morphological characteristics with Epidendrumlaxicaule D.E. Benn & Christenson but differs in the shape and length of the dorsal sepal; the shape of the petals and the lip, ribs position of the lip, shape of the vesicle formed between the ovary and the column as well as the section of the stem.


Oat (Avena sativa L.) is one of the most important cultivated winter fodder crops for livestock in Nepal, Yet, its production potential is not fully explored in Nepal for different locations and in combination with legumes. One of the major problems in ruminant feeding in Nepal is the shortage of quality fodder during the winter season where oats-legume mixture would play an important role. Oats are better adapted to different soil types and can perform better on acid soils in comparison to other small cereal grains. Intercropping is a traditional farming technique, which is important in farming systems of developing countries but far less widespread in mechanized systems; however, there is an increased interest in intercropping systems for developing sustainable farming systems mostly for grass-legume polycultures. The review concluded that oats in combination with legumes could be a potential model of intercropping to attain an increased forage dry matter (DM) yield without jeopardizing the quality issue, especially during winter and further, it is required to define the optimum management of these grass-legume species such as oats and vetch and oats and pea in various environments such as choice of grasses and legume species, seed rate, sowing time and fertilizer efficiencies, irrigation requirements and increase in herbage quality is possible if the legumes are dominant in grass-legumes mixture. The advantage of oat-legume mix farming is that it may be produced in a wider range of soil classes, which determines the ecological benefits. However, it further requires a series of experiments to conclude in all aspects.


The clinical, radiographic, and molecular alterations in 7 individuals belonging to 2 families with clinical characteristics of cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD) were investigated. The patients underwent karyotype and genetic sequencing examinations. Cytogenetic analysis did not demonstrate any alterations. The next-generation sequencing technique employed for the molecular analysis revealed sequence variations in the RUNX2 gene: c.568C>T (p.Arg190Trp) in exon 4 in family A and c.1205del (p.Pro402Argfs*82) in exon 9 in family B. Incomplete closure of anterior fontanels, hypoplastic clavicles, and dental changes were observed in all 7 patients. Uncommon clinical findings, such as partial hearing loss and bilateral clavicular agenesis, were noted in some patients. According to the literature consulted, this is the first time that the total absence of the pubic bone in a study subject is being reported. The variable expression among individuals of the same family and between families A and B suggests the absence of a genotype-phenotype relationship. Early diagnosis allows the dentist to minimize the effects of changes associated with CCD by monitoring and providing appropriate treatment, and the identification of genetic sequence variations enables appropriate family genetic counseling.


A Galerkin/finite element and a pseudo‐spectral method, in conjunction with the primitive (velocity‐pressure) and streamfunction‐vorticity formulations, are tested for solving the two‐phase flow in a tube, which has a periodically varying, circular cross section. Two immiscible, incompressible, Newtonian fluids are arranged so that one of them is around the axis of the tube (core fluid) and the other one surrounds it (annular fluid). The physical and flow parameters are such that the interface between the two fluids remains continuous and single‐valued. This arrangement is usually referred to as Core‐Annular flow. A non‐orthogonal mapping is used to transform the uneven tube shape and the unknown, time dependent interface to fixed, cylindrical surfaces. With both methods and formulations, steady states are calculated first using the Newton–Raphson method. The most dangerous eigenvalues of the related linear stability problem are calculated using the Arnoldi method, and dynamic simulations are carried out using the implicit Euler method. It is shown that with a smooth tube shape the pseudo‐spectral method exhibits exponential convergence, whereas the finite element method exhibits algebraic convergence, albeit of higher order than expected from the relevant theory. Thus the former method, especially when coupled with the streamfunction‐vorticity formulation, is much more efficient. The finite element method becomes more advantageous when the tube shape contains a cusp, in which case the convergence rate of the pseudo‐spectral method deteriorates exhibiting algebraic convergence with the number of the axial spectral modes, whereas the convergence rate of the finite element method remains unaffected. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


A survey of wheat grain from 120 fields in Sulaimanyah province, Kurdistan region, Iraq was undertaken in 2017. We evaluated the concentrations of phosphorus (P), Zn and phytic acid (PA) and the estimated Zn bioavailability in wheat grain grown in the calcareous soils of the region. Concentrations of P in wheat grain were higher than the recommended value of 3570 mg kg− 1; PA was within the range of other countries but Zn concentration in 88% of wheat grain samples fell below the value recommended for human nutrition of 41.6 mg kg− 1. Bioavailable Zn intake (mg d− 1) was estimated assuming bread consumption of 300 g day− 1 in the region. Considering PA and Zn intake suggested only 21.5 ± 2.9% of whole grain flour Zn was bioavailable. Thus the effective Zn intakes from whole wheat was only 1.25–2.05 mg d− 1 for the local population. Typical dietary Zn was below recommended levels (11 mg d− 1), due to low soil Zn uptake by wheat and the large concentrations of PA in wheat grains, probably from over-use of phosphate fertilizer.


Cashew nuts are the second most popular tree nut in the US with sales growing at a rate of 7% per annum. The highest quality cashew nuts are traditionally whole, oil-roasted, and devoid of skins. The development of a technique to remove the caustic cashew nut shell liquid from cashews and leave the skins intact allows for the production of novel cashew products including skin-on or "wrapped" in addition to raw and dry roasted products. This study investigated the nutritional characteristics of these newer cashew products. These products were found to contain bioactive compounds including mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, arginine, magnesium, tocopherols, and phenolic compounds. All the types of cashews exhibited higher levels of phytosterols than the amounts reported for other tree nuts. The skin-on cashews had higher levels of phenolic compounds compared to the other cashew varieties tested, indicating additional health benefits of consuming cashew nuts with skins.


This research was due to discover the effect of collaborative writing technique through students' writing announcement at second grade in SMP N 3 BONJOL because some of students in SMP N 3 BONJOL still had problems in master english especially in writing text. Some of the students had a problems in making paragraph clearly, in organizing their ideas, to found their grammatical or vocabulary error and etc. The research used experimental research, the researcher used quasi experimental design by using pretest-posttest design. The data was through pre-test and post-test to experimental and control class. To analyze the data, the researcher used the normality by using lilifors test and the homogenity test by using F test and to test the hypothesis the researcher used t-test formula and consulted the result into t-table with level of significant α=0.05. From the result and accounting the pretest and posttest scores of experimental class, it was found using collaborative writing technique in writing had better result than using conventional technique.


This study analyzed the construction and maintenance cost efficiency of Runoff reduction at LID element techniques to analyze the applicability of LID. Using the improved SWMM 5.1 ver analyzed the runoff reduction efficiency of LID element technology. Construction and maintenance costs, the analysis was carried out using the values presented in Washington State University. Permeable pavement is analyzed the highest total runoff reduction efficiency and vegetation swale is analyzed the cheapest construction and maintenance costs. Bio-retention cell is analyzed the highest construction and maintenance cost efficiency of runoff reduction. As a result, Bio-retention cell to be applied in target area can be most effectively reduced runoff.


Charge separation in organic solar cells is a long-lasting and heavily debated issue. Here, we use the surface hopping method based on the Pariser-Parr-Pople (PPP) Hamiltonian and configuration interaction singles (CIS) approximation to simulate the charge separation process in an organic donor-acceptor system. The system is composed of one donor polymer chain and four acceptor polymer chains, and they are all stacked face-to-face. We let the system to relax from a photoexcited state, and then we observed that the electron is transferred from the donor chain to different acceptor chains and the hole is left on the donor chain, forming polaron pairs with different electron-hole distances. By performing statistical analysis on a number of trajectories, we found that the electron and the hole are fully separated before the system relaxes to its lowest excited state. The yield of free charges shows a significant dependence on the donor-acceptor band offset which provides the driving force for charge separation, while showing negligible dependence on the photoexcitation energy. The external electric field has a remarkable effect on the yield of free charges.


Recent developments in sustainable urban drainage have turned the area, formerly controlled by engineers, into a professional field encompassing engineers, landscape architects, and urban planners. Through interviews, fieldwork, and document analysis of three Danish cases of urban rainwater management, the article shows how these three different professions, in drawing upon the specific Danish concept of LAR (Local Diversion of Rainwater), compete with each other but also coordinate their work tasks. The article proposes the concept of hinge object, inspired by Star and Griesemer's boundary object and Abbott's work on hinges, to capture how LAR serves as a coordinating object among professions, but also among professions, the state, and universities.


A description is provided for
 Physarum plicatum
 . Some information on its associated organisms and substrata, habitats, dispersal and transmission, and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Africa (Equatorial Guinea), Asia (Japan, Nepal, Taiwan), Indian Ocean (Seychelles)). No evaluation has been made of any possible positive economic impact of this organism and no reports of negative economic impacts have been found.


Atmospheric transport models are a source of uncertainty in the diagnostics of the CO 2 sources and sinks. We propose here a protocol to compare two transport models: a 2-dimensional (2D) and a 3-dimensional (3D) model, based on 3 different experiments that reveal the ability of each model to account for the different components of the atmospheric carbon cycle. The 2D model we use is the one described by Tans et al. and the 3D model is the TM2 model, developed by Heimann et al. First, we conduct the same fossil fuel experiment in both models and show that the 2D model has a stronger interhemispheric mixing than the 3D model (∼ 25%), even though the 2D model presents a weaker intra-hemispheric mixing above source regions (experiment A). The influence of year-to-year variability of transport on the latitudinal profile in fossil-fuel CO 2 appears to be weak for the 1990s. We then use a set of "all but fossil fuel" fluxes, originally inferred from the 2D model, as an input to the 3D model (experiment B). Even if the main discrepancy on the resulting latitudinal CO 2 concentrations occurs between the 2D and 3D models in the tropics and at the mid-northern latitudes, the differences implied by three longitudinal distributions tested in the 3D model are important and can be explained by a few global transport mechanisms. Finally, we quantify the differences in latitudinal CO 2 concentrations observed in experiment B in terms of net carbon fluxes at the surface. To do so, an inverse calculation of the CO 2 fluxes in latitude and time is performed with the 3D model, using as an input a smoothed latitudinal profile of atmospheric measurements for the period 1990–1993 (experiment C = A + B ). We find with the 3D model that, averaged on the period 1990–1993, the equatorial release is reduced by 40 Tmol yr −1 (roughly 25% of the original source) compared with the initial 2D budget and is shifted southward by roughly 10°. The mid northern latitude sink is also reduced by 80 Tmol yr −1 (roughly 25% of the original sink). In summary, this study shows that the changes in the carbon budget required when moving from the 2D model to this 3D model are important, but they are not radical changes. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1996.t01-2-00011.x


Received on: 14.06.2018 Revised on: 22.10.2018 Accepted on: 24.10.2018 Placenta previa and accreta are a high-risk condition causing high morbidity and mortality in obstetrics and may end with hysterectomy and blood transfusion. The current study was aimed to observe the benefit of ligation of bilateral internal iliac arteries [hypogastric arteries] in diagnosed cases of placenta accrete and previa and decreased rate of hysterectomy and blood transfusion in this cases. The present observational cohort study includes 50 pregnant women with placenta previa or placenta accreta with the previous history of cesarean sections. The study was conducted at the Gynecology Department, Al-Diwaniyah maternity and child teaching hospital, Al-Diwaniyah province, Iraq. All available cases during the period of study were undergone to internal iliac artery ligation after delivery of the fetus and before removal of the placenta, then the placenta was removed by the piecemeal manner and then hemostatic sutures to the site of the placenta to control bleeding was done. The results revealed the ligation of bilateral internal iliac artery in patients with placenta accreta and increase the rate of hysterectomy decrease and the need for blood transfusion also decreased. When we do bilateral internal iliac artery ligation in placenta, accrete we find it is an effective technique to reduce complications and decrease the rate of hysterectomy. While in cases of placenta previa accreta, ligation of the internal iliac artery did not become effective, and the main cases with placenta previa accreta end with hysterectomy.


Guided-mode resonance refers to sharp resonance effects in planar dielectric-layer diffraction gratings (with dielectric surrounding media) where 100% switching of light energy between reflected and transmitted waves occurs over small parameter ranges. Physically, this is due to coupling of the externally propagating diffracted fields to the modes of the waveguide. This guided-mode resonance phenomenon represents a new fundamental effect suitable for device applications including, static and tunable spectral filters with narrow, controllable linewidth and efficient, low-power switching elements. Using a high spatial frequency dielectric grating may lead to 100% reflective narrow-band spectrally selective mirrors. So far, we have only treated plane-wave resonances ignoring effects of phase curvature which can be the limiting effect in real device applications. Thus, the goal of the present paper is to evaluate the effects of beam divergence and the associated phase curvature on the resonance efficiency of waveguide-grating resonance devices.<<ETX>>


Background Brain metastases (BMs) from digestive cancers are rare; therefore, no optimal treatment modality has been defined. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 68257 patients with digestive cancers. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance patient backgrounds between groups. Survival differences between different treatment modalities were compared. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were performed to identify prognostic factors on overall survival (OS). Results 270 patients with BM entered the study. In the entire group, the median survival time after diagnosis of brain metastases was 10.25 months (95% CI: 8.41–12.09 months); local treatment could significantly prolong OS (respectively, P < 0.01; even after PSM, P < 0.01); combination treatment was more effective than single treatment modality (respectively, P < 0.01; even after PSM, P < 0.01). However, each combination modality was identically effective (P > 0.05). When patients were divided into three groups based on 1, 2-3, or more than 3 metastatic lesion(s), same results were identified between local treatment and without local treatment (1 lesion, P < 0.01; 2-3 lesions, P < 0.01; more than 3 lesions, P < 0.01, respectively) and combination and single treatment (P < 0.01, P=0.02, P=0.03, respectively). However, there was no difference between different combined treatments (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that performance status (P < 0.01), presence of extracranial metastasis (P=0.04), number of BM (P < 0.01), and local treatment for BM (P < 0.01) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions Regardless of the number of brain lesions, local treatment achieved higher overall survival times than no local treatment, and combination therapy could offer survival benefit to patients as compared with single therapy.


Architectural recovery and evolution of legacy systems is a promising research field for the upcoming years. Most of current research works use a bottom-up approach by developing analysis and abstraction techniques of low level knowledge. Few recent works use a combined approach (top-down and bottom up) based on the modeling and the exploitation of domain models. This work proposes a combined approach based on the modeling and the exploitation of "real world" knowledge, thus avoiding the arduous and costly domain models building. The approach is supported by an information systems meta model that represents the major manipulated concepts. The meta model, the approach and its contributions are discussed.


Glomerulonephritis (GN) may be manifest clinically in several ways. It may be asymptomatic and associated with only minor urinary dipstick abnormalities, GN may present with one of the classic renal nephritic or nephrotic syndromes, or may be associated with progressive chronic kidney disease with hypertension and the gradual development of uraemia, or it may present with fulminating life threatening illness with severe acute kidney injury. The development of GN may indicate a primary renal limited disease, or may be secondary in association with systemic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myeloma, infections or diabetes. Although immunological abnormalities underlie the development of many forms of GN, precise pathogenic mechanisms remain unclear and diagnostic labels may simply reflect a description of the glomerular histological changes observed (Table 1).


Background and Purpose— Increased aortic stiffness (measured by carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity) and central augmentation index have been shown to independently predict cardiovascular events, including stroke. We studied whether pulse wave velocity and central augmentation index predict functional outcome after ischemic stroke. Methods— In a prospective study, we enrolled 99 patients with acute ischemic stroke (age 63.7±12.4 years, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 6.6±6.6, mean±SD). Carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity and central augmentation index (SphygmoCor) were measured 1 week after stroke onset. Functional outcome was evaluated 90 days after stroke using the modified Rankin Scale with modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1 considered an excellent outcome. Results— In univariate analysis, low carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (P=0.000001) and low central augmentation index (P=0.028) were significantly associated with excellent stroke outcome. Age, severity of stroke, presence of previous stroke, diabetes, heart rate, and peripheral pressures also predicted stroke functional outcome. In multivariate analysis, the predictive value of carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (<9.4 m/s) remained significant (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.06–0.79; P=0.02) after adjustment for age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission, and presence of previous stroke. By contrast, central augmentation index had no significant predictive value after adjustment. Conclusions— This study indicates that aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke.


ABSTRACT It is normal for a produced agricultural product or food to be transported to distances far from where it is produced. However, it is important to keep the product fresh in this transportation. There are many methods used to extend the life of the food during transport. The chemical method is the most used. However, the chemical method is harmful to human health. One of the methods used for storing, preserving and transporting agricultural products is ozonation and air conditioning. In this study, a system was designed to extend the life of the product in the storage and transport of food products. With the developed system, temperature, relative humidity and ozone were produced and their amounts were controlled according to the type of product being carried. In the design, polymer exchange membrane fuel cell was used for the required oxygen. The energy requirement of the system was provided by a photovoltaic panel to get rid of the generator dependency on supplied electrical power. The applicability of the system to refrigerated vehicles, especially those used in food transportation, was examined.


Shaw's article discusses universal existential despair and how we reorganize by a narcissistic motivational structure, which informs clinicians when working with less constructive or adaptable narcissistic motivational structures. Generally, within the self devaluing perceptions and behavior of despair are the seeds of an enlivening life force that the clinician can promote within a relational context. The relational psychotherapeutic experience transforms the rigid, maladaptive, self-defeating attempts motivated in dealing with various forms of despair into a more flexible, adaptable, organizing, and enlivening expression of the self.


A caption jumps out from the cover page, "THEY JUST COULDN'T WAIT TO START THEIR OWN MAG!" Approved by the Comics Code Authority and officially sealed with the Superman DC National Comics brand, the cover reveals four super powered teenagers in the midst of a struggle for their very lives. "NO, YOU"RE NOT SEEING THINGS! THAT'S ROBIN, WONDER GIRL, KID FLASH and AQUALAD-- ALL FIGHTING THE SAME VILLAIN... The BEAST-GOD of XOCHATAN!" Young readers across the nation could get their hands on this thrilling first issue and debut of a newly formed superhero team for only twelve cents, a decent price for nearly forty pages of entertainment. Young adults and children thought so too, back in 1966 when this comic book issue was first published. As exhilarating as it would be to see the Teen Titans battle a Beast-God named Xochatan, however. What is more important, historically that is, was what was being implicitly expressed through this series. During a time when a multitude of social movements were rapidly progressing towards social equality for most Americans, their own superheroes now seemed to be joining them.1


High-dose intermittent cyclophosphamide was used in the treatment of 19 patients with plasma cell myeloma who had demonstrated resistance to melphalan. Good objective improvement was found in six patients and partial responses in five. Patients have survived from three to more than 36 months (estimated median 21 months) after starting cyclophosphamide, and 11 are still alive. The important implications of the lack of cross-resistance between these two alkylating agents are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of cellular resistance to alkylating agents.


The contribution presents a wireless data transmission experiment combining photonic and electronic technologies. The photonic transmitter is based on the use of uni-traveling-carrier (UTC) photodiodes. The electronic receiver is based on multi-functional monolithic integrated circuits realized in high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technology for low-noise pre-amplification as well as integrated I/Q detection. The combination of both is interesting towards the achievement of larger distances and high data-rates for future THz links. In this paper we present an initial experiment where 80 Gbit/s were achieved, carried out in the context of a join French-German research initiative.


With recent developments in the field of spintronics, ferromagnetic insulator (FMI) thin films have emerged as an important component of spintronic devices. Ferrimagnetic yttrium iron garnet in particular is an excellent insulator with low Gilbert damping and a Curie temperature well above room temperature, and has been incorporated into heterostructures that exhibit a plethora of spintronic phenomena including spin pumping, spin Seebeck, and proximity effects. However, it has been a challenge to develop high quality sub‐10 nm thickness FMI garnet films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and PMA garnet/heavy metal heterostructures to facilitate advances in spin‐current and anomalous Hall phenomena. Here, robust PMA in ultrathin thulium iron garnet (TmIG) films of high structural quality down to a thickness of 5.6 nm are demonstrated, which retain a saturation magnetization close to bulk. It is shown that TmIG/Pt bilayers exhibit a large spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) and SMR‐driven anomalous Hall effect, which indicates efficient spin transmission across the TmIG/Pt interface. These measurements are used to quantify the interfacial spin mixing conductance in TmIG/Pt and the temperature‐dependent PMA of the TmIG thin film.


Sociocultural theory of learning and dialogical theory of language and communication have drawn language educators' attention for the last decade or so. In this paper I will articulate my position, as a second language educator and researcher in sociocultural theory and Bakhtin's dialogism, on language and communication for language education. The paper begins with Bakhtin's contention against "abstract objectivism" along with his semiotic theory of language and proceeds to the merger of Bakhtin's speech genre and the concept of community of practice (CoP) formulated in the theory of legitimate peripheral participation by Lave and Wenger (1991). Communication is then examined in terms of communicative activity that is facilitated through the mobilization of speech genre. Moreover, increasing communicability within one national-language society is explained in terms of interaction between/among CoP, overlap of certain communicative activities among CoP, and multiple membership in different CoP by individuals, etc. Finally, communicative activity is defined as a verbally mediated activity in which people initiate and engage in the creation and progression of historical events while employing verbal signs. I conclude the paper with a discussion on some implications for curriculum planning and actual teaching practice.


The article reviews the main theoretical and empirical contributions about digital news media and online political communication in Hungary. Our knowledge synthesis focuses on three specific subfields: citizens, media platforms, and political actors. Representatives of sociology, political communication studies, psychology, and linguistics have responded to the challenges of the internet over the past two decades, which has resulted in truly interdisciplinary accounts of the different aspects of digitalization in Hungary. In terms of methodology, both normative and descriptive approaches have been applied, mostly with single case-study methods. Based on an extensive review of the literature, we assess that since the early 2000s the internet has become the key subject of political communication studies, and that it has erased the boundaries between online and offline spaces. We conclude, however, that despite the richness of the literature on the internet and politics, only a limited number of studies have researched citizens' activity and provided longitudinal analyses.


Since rainwater harvesting system was assessed to be potential in residential, industrial, educational and other institutions so the study was focused on the rainwater quality of samples collected from rooftop surface runoff of different locations of Dhaka city which is the 2 most polluted city of the world. Locations were based upon residential, commercial, industrial zone within the area, motorized vehicles use, population, construction works etc. The rooftops were taken mainly of concrete made rooftops and within a single area 03 locations were chosen and a sample of rainwater was collected from a tin made rooftop within that area. The main purpose of this assessment was to compare the rainwater quality of different locations with the drinking water quality standards of Bangladesh and World Health Organization (WHO) in order to observe whether the water needs of further treatment or not for potable use. The samples were checked of physical (Turbidity) and chemical (pH, Electric Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Nitrate, Nitrite, Sulfate, Chloride & Fluoride) characteristics of water quality. In terms of pH, Nitrate and Fluoride values, there were significant imbalance with the standards and thus required treatment for potable use. And other parameters were within the standards.


We report the effects of surface properties of a titania (TiO2) interconnected network structure for photovoltaic applications of organic thin-film solar cell. The electron acceptor layer was obtained by annealing after spin coating of mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG), Poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) with titania sol-gel solution. The fabrication method was simple and efficient for the increase of titania surface area. The size and height of nanocrystal titania was controlled by spin-coating speed of mixed solution and components of mixed polymer. The bulk-heterojunction solar cells consist of a nanocrystalline titania. In addition, P3HT solar cell showed strong dependence upon surface morphology and the best performance of cell was produced an open circuit voltage of 0.55 V, a short circuit current density of 0.78 mA/cm2, a fill factor of 0.51 and corresponding to a power efficiency of 0.22 % (air mass 1.5).