This study aims at contrasting get and dapatkan covering the structure, syntactic valence, and semantic parameters. Get is analysed along with its synonym make, find, become, and understand as well as dapatkan, represented by mendapatkan, and its synonyms mencapai, menerima, menemukan, and mengambil. Dapatkan needs to transform into mendapatkan to express formality and is more frequently used than dapatkan. By using distributional and identity methods and applying the theory of verbs and their satellites and semantic parameter, this study reveals that the structures only influence the differences of the verbs' syntactic valence whereas the meanings contribute to the similarities and differences of the verbs semantic parameters. In terms of valence get can be monovalent (S+v+AD), make is trivalent (S+v+AD+PO), find is bivalent (S+v+O), become is bivalent (S+v+ND), and understand is monovalent (S+v). Indonesian verbs, mendapatkan, mencapai, menerima, menemukan, and mengambil are all bivalent with the basic construction S+v+O. The semantic aspects are analysed by applying transitivity parameters and this is affected by the meaning and status of the verb, either state or action. Get and its synonyms show lower transitivity than dapatkan, which is represented by mendapatkan, with its synonym. The verbs presenting low degree of transitivity are get, make, find, become, understand, menerima, and menemukan, whereas the high transitivity is shown by the verbs mendapatkan, mencapai, and mengambil.


Like many researchers, physical oceanographers deal with randomness and uncertainties when analyzing data or formulating models. Probability theory, statistical inference, and stochastic processes are applied. Space-time averages are interpreted as ensemble averages, variances and spectra are estimated, and stochastic terms are added to dynamic equations. Analytical challenges more unique to the field arise when the huge amount of real or model ocean data and the complexities of ocean physics are considered. Algorithms for efficient data representation and analysis are sought and idealized dynamics that incorporate statistical and chaotic tendencies are explored.


There has been a rapid increase in knowledge regarding the importance of the external environment to our health. Eight characteristics of the outdoor environment (serene, wild, lush, spacious, the common, the pleasure garden, festive/ centre, and culture) have been identified as fulfilling recreational needs through a number of environmental psychology studies carried out at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden, between 1995 and 2005. The external environment has become an increasingly decisive factor in people's choices regarding where to live and work; the landscape has become a competitive factor in attempts made by companies and local authorities to attract well-educated, mobile manpower and housing. Knowledge-based companies predominate in the Oresund Region of Sweden and Denmark, which at present has substantial recreational values making it an attractive area in which to live and work. The region's annual population growth is approximately 20,000 to 25,000 inhabitants. The prime ministers of Sweden and Denmark have expressed a common objective that the Oresund Region be one of Europe's cleanest metropolitan regions. The objective of this article is to present methods for implementing the eight characteristics as indicators for impact assessment in planning projects. The article presents case studies of the application of environmental impact assessments in the municipalities of Malmo and Svedala, which are situated in the immediate vicinity of the Oresund Bridge. Development plans are being evaluated through impact assessment. Mitigation and compensation measures are being created to achieve the environmental quality goals defined by the eight characteristics. The case studies referred to in this article are in very early planning phases, either the feasibility or pre-feasibility phase. This article does not present complete investigations of balancing, but discusses some principal ways of defining values and suggests measures for mitigating and compensating for negative impacts on existing values.


This book is yet another addition to a number of books on basic biostatistics available for beginners. The contents of the book seem to be tailored for beginners/students in medical and dental colleges and might be of use to those preparing for postgraduate entrance examination. The multiple choice questions at the end of the book will be of particular use. The logarithmic and statistical tables should be of good use, although in an era of computers and statistical software all these are readily available.


this writing is aimed at discussing the issues about the important role of needs analysis in relation to
the development of ESP training program materials. The ESP materials will be prepared for those people who
are working at the international Hotels and Restaurants. Before deciding the ESP learning needs for target
situation, the important question may be asked is that "What the knowledge and abilities will the learners require
in order to be able to perform in the target situation" (Hutchinson, 1987). To answer this question appropriately
it is essential to know why the language is needed and how the learners will use the language. The main theory
underlies this writing is English for Special Purposes (ESP). The reason for choosing this theory is that the
hotel's employees need specific English to study rather than general one. The approach, method, and techniques
used depend entirely on what the learners need to use the language for. In this case, the communicative approach
in language teaching is really needed by the learners in order to develop their communicative competence.
The role of needs analysis is very important to be taken into consideration before designing ESP training
program syllabus, but other factors called frame factors analysis are also very important. These factors will
determine the success of the training program. The importance use of jargon in ESP must also be taken into
consideration. The results from needs analysis will tell us why the learners need to learn English. Besides, the
ESP teachers need to find out the threshold level of the target learners by gathering the information in order to
know from where the lesson must be started and how it will be taught. And more importantly we need to know
who they are going to use the language with in real life situation.


,, , , + + , total soluble solids (T.S.S.), discharge (Q) and total hardness(TH) were analyzed for their periodicities using monthly measurements for the period 1993-1997, to quantify and qualify surface water and investigate the periodicity behavior of these parameters. Results showed significant autocorrelation for all the studied series and therefore they were subjected to the Spectral (Fourier) analysis to investigate the main periodicities that contribute to the total variance of the observed data. Most of the selected parameters have strong (less frequent) semi-annual and biannual cycle, as well as seasonal cycle for, Cl, Mg, Ca, SO4, HCO3 ,TSS , and EC. These results reveal the variation of the factors affecting the river water quality including hydrological and meteorological conditions as well as the impact of human activities through the river catchments river.


BACKGROUND: Papillary carcinoma of thyroid (PTC) is usually indolent with good prognosis and excellent long-term survival. However, PTC sometimes presents itself in unusual situations, posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Owing to paucity of data, there is lack of consensus as to what treatment should be prescribed in patients with loco-regional spread other than the usual sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients of PTC presenting with involvement of the aero-digestive tract, retropharyngeal, and para-pharyngeal lymph nodes and great vessels of the neck are included in this case series. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Though rare, unusual loco-regional presentation of PTC poses challenges in diagnosis and treatment. A keen clinical sense is paramount in effectively diagnosing these cases. Aggressive surgical resection and reconstruction results in good functional and aesthetic outcomes. Further studies are required for establishing specific guidelines on the approach to the treatment of these cases.


This paper tests for the presence of a medium run asymmetric Okun's Law relationship between regional output and regional unemployment rate in U.K. regions. The test is performed with a panel data version of the hidden cointegration technique suggested by Granger and Yoon. A novelty of the paper is to combine the method of hidden cointegration with a panel data method of removing cross-sectional dependence. The medium run Okun relationship for regions in the U.K. appears to confirm results found elsewhere in the literature on countries as a whole, although the coefficients tend to be smaller. Corresponding author:


Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) including chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, heparan sulfate, heparin, and keratan sulfate types I (corneal) and II (cartilage) added to buffer, plasma and urine were enzymatically depolymerized. Enzymes, including chondroitin ABC lyase (chondroitinase ABC), heparin lyase (heparinase), heparan sulfate lyase (heparitinase), endo-beta-galactosidase and keratanase were used to depolymerize each GAG. Depolymerized GAGs and GAG mixtures were fractionated using gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Staining with alcian blue dye resulted in a distinctive and well resolved banding pattern for each GAG. When these same gels were silver stained, an increase in detection sensitivity of 1000-fold was obtained. Picogram quantities of an oligosaccharide standard in buffer could be detected with silver staining while nanogram quantities could be detected in urine or plasma. The banding pattern observed for each depolymerized GAG was well resolved from contaminants found in these biological fluids and from intact GAGs. Endogenous GAGs present in samples of human urine and plasma were first concentrated and then enzymatically depolymerized. Chondroitin or dermatan sulfates, heparan sulfate and keratan sulfate were each detected in both concentrated plasma and urine samples.


Received: Revised: Accepted: Published online: November 14, 2015 June 07, 2016 June 12, 2016 July 02, 2016 The first avian influenza A subtype H10N8 virus able to infect humans and induce mortality was identified in China at the end of 2013. No such case was observed in other parts of the world. Similar to H7N9, H10N8 viruses are less pathogenic in poultry but could induce severe illness or even death in humans. H10N8 infection poses a potential threat to public health. There is currently no effective means to prevent or treat H10N8 infections. Moreover, it remains unclear how H10N8 viruses are transmitted to humans, and substantial public concerns have been raised about whether H10N8 infections will lead to an outbreak in humans. This article briefly describes the current research on H10N8 subtype viruses. ©2016 PVJ. All rights reserved


Procedures for the enzyme multiplied immunoassay of phenytoin and carbamazepine using the Centrifichem centrifugal analyser are described. Within-batch, between-batch, and between-day precision are reported. Accuracy is assessed by recovery experiments. The technique is compared with gas-liquid chromatography in the analysis of a number of human serum samples containing a range of concentrations of the drugs.


The aim of this study was to compare the honey yields and levels of Varroa destructor between colonies of Africanizedhoney  bees  (AHB)  (Apis  mellifera)  showing  high  and  low  hygienic  behavior  (HB)  in  Mexico's  semi-arid  high  plateau.The degree  of  HB  of  57  colonies  was measured  using  the  liquid nitrogen (N2)  brood-freezing  technique. The  colonieswere  categorized  into  two  groups:  high  HB  (>  95  %)  and  low  HB  ( 0.05).  These  results  suggest  that  apparently  HB  doesnot  have  a  major  role  in  restraining  the  growth  of Varroa  populations  in  AHB.  They  also  suggest  that  high  levels  ofHB  could  contribute  to  increase  honey  production  in  AHB  colonies  during  times  of  the  year  with  limited  nectar  flow.


This paper proposes a novel method for the analysis and simulation of integrated circuits (ICs) with the potential to greatly shorten the IC design cycle. The circuits are assumed to be subjected to input signals that have widely separated rates of variation, e.g., in communication systems, an RF carrier modulated by a low-frequency information signal. The proposed technique involves two stages. Initially, a particular order result for the circuit response is obtained using a multiresolution collocation scheme involving cubic spline wavelet decomposition. A more accurate solution is then obtained by adding another layer to the wavelet series approximation. However, the novel technique presented here enables the reuse of results acquired in the first stage to obtain the second-stage result. Therefore, vast gains in efficiency are obtained. Furthermore, a nonlinear model-order reduction technique can readily be used in both stages making the calculations even more efficient. Results will highlight the efficacy of the proposed approach


Mediastinal bronchogenic cyst (MBC) is congenital, and a result of an abnormal budding of the primitive foregut. MBC is the most common mediastinal cyst, usually located along the tracheobronchial tree, most often found behind the carina (1). MBC can occur among all age group, from infants to adults. Bronchogenic cysts can occur intrapulmonary or extrapulmonary. If an abnormal budding occurs during early gestation, the bronchogenic cyst will usually be located in the mediastinum. MBCs rarely communicate with the tracheobronchial tree when compared to intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts. MBCs are lined with respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium and filled with a whitish-gray mucinous material, which can change into pus with infection. Symptoms and signs of a compression due to MBCs were more frequent in infants and children than in adults. In infant and children, tracheobronchial compression can occur more often than in adults due to a relatively soft airway (2). MBCs can rarely cause acute respiratory distress and thus require urgent operation in infants and children due to the compression of the respiratory tract. Ribet and colleagues reported that cysts are more frequently symptomatic (70.8%) in children, because 75% are situated above the hilum and at the level of the hilum, whereas cysts are less likely to be symptomatic in adults (60%), because 53% are situated above the hilum or at the level of the hilum (3). In adults, many MBCs are found incidentally on the routine chest radiography. The incidence of symptoms varies from 9% to 67% (4,5). But more than half of the asymptomatic MBCs become symptomatic during the follow-up period due to compression of the airway, compression of the esophagus or infection. St-Georges et al. reported that 66.6% of the patients with MBCs were symptomatic and that 15(57.6%) developed symptoms subsequently among 26 patients who were observed (6). The most common symptoms were chest pain, cough, dyspnea and dysphagia, with substernal pain being the most common. The development of malignancy in the bronchogenic cyst has been reported, but is very rare. A variety of malignancies, such as adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, sarcoma, have been reported (7-9). Many MBC can be detected on the standard chest radiography. However, it is difficult to differentiate an MBC from an enteric cyst, benign esophageal tumor, and solid mediastinal tumor. The combination of a computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can produce a more accurate diagnosis. MRI is especially helpful in differentiating cystic MBCs from tumors with solid components, since the watery component of a cyst shows a very bright intensity on a T2-weighted MRI image. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) can also help distinguish an MBC from a solid mass (10). An MBC should be differentiated from a neurogenic tumor, esophageal duplication cyst, pericardial cyst or lymphoma. The definite treatment of MBC is surgical excision. When an abnormal mediastinal mass is found on a radiologic examination, surgical excision is generally indicated even for asymptomatic masses for the purpose of an accurate diagnosis and prevention of future complications. In cases of MBC, at least half of the patients present symptoms at the time they are first diagnosed, and The video-assisted thoracic surgery is the procedure of choice for the surgery of mediastinal bronchogenic cysts


Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate nursing professionalism, emotional labor (surface acting, deep acting), empathic concern, and customer orientation, and identify factors contributing to customer orientation among clinical nurses. Methods: The participants in this study were 151 clinical nurses at the three general hospitals. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. Results: The significant predictors of customer orientation among clinical nurses were empathic concern (β=.43, p<.001), nursing professionalism (β=.29, p<.001), nursing career (β=.16, p=.007), and deep acting (β=.14, p=.021). Theses variables explained 47.6% of the variance of customer orientation. Empathic concern was the most influential variable. Conclusion: The results suggest that it is crucial to improve deep acting, empathic concern and nursing professionalism for increasing clinical nurses' customer orientation. Management-level leaders in the hospitals should develop strategies of promoting nursing professionalism, deep acting and empathic concern to improve customer orientation.


Dewetting of liquid films on solid surfaces in the presence of evaporation is a common phenomenon and has been studied by many researchers. The previous numerical approach has revealed that evaporation accelerates the dewetting speed of the triple contact line and established correlations between the dewetting speed and the surface wettability and superheating. However, such a numerical calculation is time- and resource-consuming. We examine dewetting physics and propose a time-averaged approach based on the multiscale theory. The new approach averages the dewetting process over time and consists of only several algebraic equations, making the problem easier to solve. It can produce time-averaged values of essential quantities, such as the dewetting speed and contact angle as a function of superheating, which agrees with the previous numerical results. This simple approach is valuable for many applications, such as modeling pulsating heat pipes and describing the microlayer dynamics under growing vapor bubbles in nucleate boiling.


The learning outcomes of high school students on the circulatory system concept have not reached the expected target. The achievement of basic competencies or learning objectives are not achieved because the learning resources that have been used by teachers and students are not able to strengthen The achievement of basic competencies or learning objectives is not achieved because the learning resources that have been used by teachers and students are not able to strengthen concept abstraction for the topic of the circulatory system.. Augmented Reality (AR) technology is a technology that infuses information from the virtual world and displays it in real (3D) with the help of a computer or mobile phone. This study aims to produce Augmented Reality (AR) assisted learning modules to improve learning outcomes in circulatory system concept. The type of research used is Research and Development (R&D) research with a research design developed by Hanafin and Peck that consists of three phases, that is the needs analysis phase, design phase, and  development - implementation phase. Data collection techniques in this study used interviews and questionnaires. The results of this study indicate that Augmented Reality (AR) assisted learning module on  circulatory system topic was declared very good (86.6%) by experts with review from media experts (85.3%), material experts (90.2%) and experts language (84.3%). This module has characteristics of a printed learning module which includes 3D images equipped with Augmented Reality (AR) technology.. However, it is not yet known how effective this module in improving learning outcomes because it has not passed the product effectiveness assessment. Therefore, the researcher suggests further research, to test the effectiveness of this learning module on student learning outcomes.


The present invention provides a battery, which anode structure produced by reducing cracking and accompanied by charge and discharge reaction of the anode and the electrolyte to improve the cycle characteristics. The anode active material layer includes at least one selected from simple substance of silicon and a silicon alloy capable of forming an alloy with Li in. In forming the anode and cathode, the Si molar ratio of Li / anode during charging is 4.0 or less, or by scaling such as a cathode active material and the anode active material, the anode vs. Li potential is 0.04V or greater. Further, when forming the cathode and the anode, the anode molar ratio Li / Si in the discharge of 0.4 or more, or with respect to the anode potential of 1.4V Li or less.


Geodesic convexity in networks is an intrinsic property of graphs. It aids in distinguishing between real-world networks and random graphs. One possible application is recommending new connections in a collaborative network by searching for them in the so-called convex hull, which is a minimal subgraph containing all the shortest paths between its nodes. However, the existing algorithms for constructing convex hulls from subsets of nodes involve extensive search over subgraphs and have poor scalability. Thus, they become inapplicable to large graphs such as social networks. In this paper, we propose a new approach for fast convex hull construction for a subset of nodes on a network using graph embeddings. We apply the well-known convexity concept in embedding space to a similar problem for geometric learning on a graph, optimizing the process of finding all the shortest paths in the induced subgraph. To preserve the metric characteristics of a network, we train a graph neural network with an L1-distance loss. As a result, the trained model enables us to approximately verify the convexity of subgraphs in linear time, contrary to the previous approaches, which have cubic complexity.


By using various techniques (pH-potentiometry, UV-Visible spectrophotometry, 1H and 17O-NMR, EPR, ESI-MS), first time in the literature, solution equilibrium study has been performed on complexes of dipeptide and tripeptide hydroxamic acids—AlaAlaNHOH, AlaAlaN(Me)OH, AlaGlyGlyNHOH, and AlaGlyGlyN(Me)OH—with 4d metals: the essential Mo(VI) and two half-sandwich type cations, [(η6-p-cym)Ru(H2O)3]2+ as well as [(η5-Cp*)Rh(H2O)3]2+, the latter two having potential importance in cancer therapy. The tripeptide derivatives have also been studied with some biologically important 3d metals, such as Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II), in order to compare these new results with the corresponding previously obtained ones on dipeptide hydroxamic acids. Based on the outcomes, the effects of the type of metal ions, the coordination number, the number and types of donor atoms, and their relative positions to each other on the complexation have been evaluated in the present work. We hope that these collected results might be used when a new peptide-based hydroxamic acid molecule is planned with some purpose, e.g., to develop a potential metalloenzyme inhibitor.


OBJECTIVE
Over the past 20 years, female representation in neurosurgical residency programs has steadily increased. Still, the number of Black women and Black neurosurgical residents overall has remained stagnant. The authors aimed to understand the factors that led to this stagnation and how online public domain representation informs current and upcoming resident recruitment and decision-making.

METHODS
The authors performed a retrospective study using the following public domain sources: Doximity, neurosurgical residency program websites, and LinkedIn. The authors collected data from all neurosurgery residents who matriculated into a US neurosurgical residency program from 2015 to 2022. Variables, including name, race, gender, year of matriculation, medical school, and undergraduate institution, were recorded.

RESULTS
The authors analyzed resident data from 110/113 (97.3%) US neurological surgery residency programs. Of these programs, 106 (96.4%) matriculated and retained ≥ 1 female resident over the study period. There were 408 (22.6%) female neurosurgical residents, with 37 (33.6%) programs accounting for 57.8% of all female neurosurgical residents. For those states with a female resident, the lowest percentage of female residents by state was in Iowa (6.25%) and the highest was in New Hampshire (50%). Of all programs, 60 (54.5%) matriculated and retained ≥ 1 Black resident over the study period. There were 88 (4.9%) Black neurosurgical residents, with 19 (17.3%) programs accounting for 55.7% of all Black neurosurgical residents. For those states with a Black resident, the lowest percentage of Black residents by state was in Maryland (2.0%) and the highest was in Arkansas (23.1%).

CONCLUSIONS
Recruiting and retaining female and Black residents has increasingly become a focus of neurosurgical programs across the country. The authors' data show that female and Black residents overwhelmingly choose to apply to and matriculate into programs that demonstrate a commitment to diversity via their online presence. Programs wishing to recruit more diverse residents should make efforts to relay their dedication to diversity, inclusion, and performance through their online presence.


Summary. A 19‐year‐old patient with a long history of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura developed a potent antibody against a high‐incidence antigen in the Kell blood group system. The direct antiglobulin test on his red cells was negative. His cells exhibited profound depression of Kell blood group antigens, but antigens of other blood groups were normal. Transfusion of incompatible blood was well tolerated and differential agglutination tests, using selected Rh antisera, showed in vivo survival of the transfused red cells for more than 8 weeks. However, the transfused red cells also showed acquired loss of Kell antigens. Five months after the initial findings, Kell‐related antibody disappeared and Kell antigens reappeared on his red cells. The patient's serum stored from the initial investigation now reacted with his freshly collected red cells. These data suggest that an environmental agent in the patient's plasma was responsible for the temporary loss of Kell antigens from red cells in his circulation.


Individuals are at risk of exposure to acute ionizing radiation (IR) from a nuclear accident or terrorism, but we lack effective therapies to mitigate the lethal IR effects. In the current study, we exploited an optimized, cell-based, high throughput screening assay to interrogate a small molecule library comprising 3437 known pharmacologically active compounds for mitigation against IR-induced apoptosis. Thirty-three library compounds significantly reduced apoptosis when administered 1 h after 4 Gy IR. Two- or three-dimensional computational structural analyses of the compounds indicated only one or two chemical clusters with most of the compounds being unique structures. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) inhibitor, rapamycin, was the most potent compound, and it mitigated apoptosis by 50% at 200 ± 50 pM. Other mTOR inhibitors, namely everolimus, AZD8055, and torin 1, also suppressed apoptosis, providing additional pharmacological evidence for mTOR pathway involvement in regulating cell death after IR. Everolimus and torin 1 treatment after IR decreased the S phase population and enforced both G1 and G2 phase arrest. This prorogation of cell cycle progression was accompanied by decreased IR-induced DNA damage measured by γH2AX phosphorylation at Ser139. RNA interference-mediated knockdown of the respective mTORC1 and mTORC2 subunits, Raptor or Rictor, also mitigated IR-induced apoptosis. Collectively, this study suggests a central role for the mTOR signaling in the cytotoxic response to IR and offers a useful platform to probe for additional agents.


The effect of pro-oxidant (ions of iron) and antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, propylgallate) on hydroxylation of polycyclic hydrocarbon benz(a)-pyrene and the effect of hydroxylation process on lipid peroxidation have been studied. The role of allyl radicals formed in the fatty acid chains is discussed. The binding of oxygen radicals (formation of peroxy radicals) is regarded only as on of the possible reactions of the radical utilization. It is assumed that other reactions involving lipid (allyl) radicals, in particular, hydroxylation of benz(alpha)pyrene may occur in microsomal membranes.


This guide is designed to assist students enrolled in "HIST 601: The Catholic Question in 19th Century America" in carrying out research related to tensions and accommodations between American Catholicism and the larger American society.


The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between rejections and gene expression of Ca(2+)-handling proteins in heart transplant recipients. Thirty-seven heart transplant recipients underwent routine endomyocardial biopsy. Levels of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2) and ryanodine receptor-2 mRNAs in endomyocardial tissue were quantified by a real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. Rejections were diagnosed according to the conventional International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation criteria. Patients were classified as follows; group AR(+) (n = 9) with rejection grade of 2 or higher versus group AR(-) (n = 28) with rejection grade of 0, 1a or 1b at the time of biopsy, and group Rec-AR(+) (n = 6) with a history of more than 4 episodes of treatment required rejection versus group Rec-AR(-) (n = 31) without history of recurrent rejection. The mRNA levels of the SERCA2/GAPDH ratio and ryanodine receptor-2/GAPDH ratio were not different between group AR(+) and group AR(-); however, they were reduced in group Rec-AR(+) more than in group Rec-AR(-) (0.83 +/- 0.07 versus 0.90 +/- 0.07, P = 0.034, 0.74 +/- 0.06 versus 0.84 +/- 0.10, P = 0.027, respectively). A single episode of on-going rejection would not affect myocardial Ca(2+)-handling proteins; however, cumulative rejection episodes might alter the gene expression of myocardial Ca(2+)-handling proteins in heart transplant recipients.


Bauhinia rufescens Lam (Leguminosea-Caesalpinoideae) stem bark was extracted using methanol and fractionated using ethylacetate, butanol and water. The extract and fractions were subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening using standard procedures followed by antimicrobial screening using disc diffusion and broth dilution techniques. The extract and fractions showed the presence of carbohydrate, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, terpenes and steroids. The antimicrobial screening of the extract and fractions against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans , using disc diffusion method at disc potency of 100μg/disc showed inhibitory activity on the test isolates with zone of inhibition ranging from 16-37mm. The methanolic and ethylacetate extracts showed the least MIC of 1.25mg/mL. The result of the study confirms the traditional use of the stem bark of B. rufescens in the treatment of infections caused by susceptible microorganisms. Keywords: Bauhinia rufescens , Stem bark, Phytochemical screening, Antimicrobial activity


Trends in anthropogenically driven episodic acidification associated with extended winter snow melt/rain episodes between 1983 and 1998 were investigated for two streams in Nova Scotia, Canada. The anthropogenic contribution to Acid Neutralization Capacity (ANC) was analysed using the Boreal Dilution Model (Bishop et al. , 2000) modified by applying a sea-salt correction to all input hydrochemistry. The anthropogenic contribution to episodic ANC decline was statistically significant and strongly correlated with the decline in acid deposition, which decreased by approximately 50% during the period of record. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the BDM can be applied to surface waters with sea-salt contributions although the correction increases model uncertainty. Results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of reduced emissions in North America in the last decades in decreasing the severity of episodic acidification in the Atlantic region of Canada. Keywords: episodic acidification, acidification recovery, Nova Scotia, snowmelt, winter


OBJECTIVE
To prospectively evaluate the strategy of surgery and choice of the fusion segments in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) treatment.

METHODS
Selective posterior fusion was used on 72 AIS patients, 13 male and 59 female, aged 14.3 (12 - 18), 50 being of Lenke-type IA, 8 Lenke-type IB, and 14 Lenke-type IC. In principle the upper neutral vertebrae were selected as upper instrumented vertebrae. The lower neutral vertebrae, the vertebrae 1 level proximal to the neutral vertebrae, or stable vertebrae were chosen as the lower instrumented vertebrae based on the analysis of the correlation among the lower end vertebrae, neutral vertebrae and stable vertebrae's locations. Standing anteroposterior and lateral and side-bending radiographs were taken preoperatively, postoperatively and during the follow-up. The coronal and sagittal Cobb angle, translation and rotation of apical vertebrae, and trunk translation were evaluated to observe the curve correction and trunk balance. The patients underwent spinal fusion of 7.3 segments (4 - 10 segments) on average. Follow-up was conducted for 15.9 months (12 - 39 months).

RESULTS
The thoracic curves' coronal Cobb angle before the operation was 56.7 degrees +/- 14.5 degrees (40 degrees - 98 degrees), and was 18.5 degrees +/- 8.3 degrees (3 degrees - 40 degrees) after the operation. The lumbar curves' coronal Cobb angle before operation was 33.9 degrees +/- 10.4 degrees (25 degrees - 69 degrees), and was 11.1 degrees +/- 6.4 degrees (0 degrees - 30 degrees ) after operation. The spontaneous correction rate was 66.9% +/- 16% (44% - 100%). The trunk translation before operation was 16.1 +/- 10.2 mm (4 - 43 mm), and was 8.2 +/- 6.1 mm (0 - 25 mm) after operation. Two patients were found with slight trunk decompensation postoperatively, but with no progression during a 2-year follow-up.

CONCLUSION
Determination of the fusion levels based on the analysis of the correlation among the end vertebrae, neutral vertebrae and stale vertebrae's location helps obtain the satisfying curative effect in the management of single thoracic curve AIS.


A plate of fused quartz mounted in the jaws of a magnetic clamp serves as a current-controlled phase retardation plate. The current to the clamp controls the stress on the quartz plate, and hence the amount of stress-induced birefringence. The device described here can be used in a dc mode as a fixed phase retardation plate or in an ac mode as a polarization modulator at frequencies up to several hundred hertz. This device offers several advantages over other polarization modulators available.


The objective : to study the influence of certain social factors on treatment results of suppurative diseases of the lungs and pleura in HIV positive patients. Subjects and methods : 232 HIV positive patients with suppurative diseases of the lungs and pleura (the mean age made 36.9 ± 7.2 years) who were admitted to the clinic to have treatment. Various surgical interventions were performed in 171 (74%) patients, 10 (5.8%) had postoperative complications. Based on the outcome of suppurative disease, 232 patients were divided as follows: 42 (18.1%) - clinical cure with no X-ray signs in the lungs, 100 (43.1%) - clinical cure with residual changes in the lungs, 55 (23.7%) - improvement, 9 (3.9% ) - no changes. 26 (11.2%) patients died, of them 24 (10.3%) died due to systemic complications, 2 (0.9%) - due to pulmonary/intrapleural hemorrhage. In the patients, relationships between the manifestations and outcomes of the suppurative disease (pulmonary suppuration, pleural empyema, development of complications, fatal outcome) were studied considering each of 9 factors and using Spearman's rank correlation: age, education, employment status, marital status, tobacco smoking, drug abuse, alcohol addiction, the way of infecting with HIV, and in-take of ART. Only the inverse weak correlation was revealed between the level of education and fatal outcome (patients with higher education died less often), as well as employment and development of pleural empyema (in those employed, pleural empyema was less common).


We aimed to establish a phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts and performed GC-MS of the essential oils (EOs) of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae) and Asteraceae species Baccharis dracunculifolia DC, Matricaria chamomilla L. and Vernonia polyanthes Less, as well as determining their antimicrobial activity. Establishment of the minimal inhibitory concentrations of the crude extracts and EOs against 16 Staphylococcus aureus and 16 Escherichia coli strains from human specimens was carried out using the dilution method in Mueller–Hinton agar. Some phenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties were established, and all EOs had a higher antimicrobial activity than the extracts. Matricaria chamomilla extract and E. uniflora EO were efficient against S. aureus strains, while E. uniflora and V. polyanthes extracts and V. polyanthes EO showed the best antimicrobial activity against E. coli strains. Staphylococcus aureus strains were more susceptible to the tested plant products than E. coli, but all natural products promoted antimicrobial growth inhibition.


In a globalized world, where there is global interdependence and consciousness, highlighting the virtues of particularism, are bound to produce new cultural conflicts. In such conflicts, religious traditions play a special role, since they can be mobilized to provide an ultimate justification for one's view of the globe. Closely linked to the process of globalization is therefore the problem of interaction between cultural or religious actors and communities holding different views of world order. Therefore, while the very idea of a clash of civilizations is wrong, a civilization of clashes is today's reality. That is what makes intercultural dialogue among cultures and peoples an urgent matter of national and international affairs. Therefore it is pertinent to understand whether in today's world cultures should, could and would engage in an intercultural dialogue with each other therefore this article will explore the importance of nonviolent communication in the arena of intercultural dialogue and the various strategies for utilizing nonviolent communication for effecting intercultural dialogue utilizing Mahatma Gandhi's Theory of Nonviolent Communication. This paper aims to establish how by imbibing nonviolent communication as a habit to reach out to people even opponents, people can take the lead globally to contribute towards a culture of peace and nonviolence with intercultural dialogue.


ABSTRACT:Since its founding, the United Israel Appeal (UIA)—the longtime chief conduit of American Jewish giving to Israel—has passed billions in charitable dollars to support Israeli societal development but withheld support for charitable projects in the areas occupied by Israel during the 1967 War. While the UIA asserted that its reasons for this policy were U.S. law and government pressure, evidence suggests that it was not so simple. The article details the history of the UIA's Green Line policy and examines its likely motivations and implicit and explicit reasoning. Specifically, it focuses on the activity of one pro-settlement activist group that challenged the policy, claiming the UIA's justifications were exaggerated, if not fabricated. The UIA refuted this critique and stood by its policy and stated reasoning. The article explores the motives behind the UIA Green Line policy and questions why its justifications which were often less than forthcoming. It concludes with some reflections on the long-term legacies of UIA policy, and communication strategies on philanthropy, American Jewish identity, and Israel-diaspora relations.


This review article is mainly concerned with the incidence and pathogenesis of alcohol-induced liver diseases. Clinically the most relevant symptom is a hepatomegaly. During the course of the disease there is to state progression to alcoholic hepatitis with increasing jaundice. The laboratory values show different patterns; severe courses develop progression to a fulminant hepatitis. The diagnostic approach includes exact patient's medical history, clinical and laboratory investigations, followed by a step-wise diagnostic procedure including histology. Therapeutically the main approach is a diet, in case of malnutrition substitution of vitamins and only rarely the need of corticosteroids and/or anabolic steroids. Prognosis and long-term course of alcoholic-induced liver disease depend mainly on the severity of the disease and the consequent alcohol-free diet.


Objectives: To evaluate the clinical features, outcome and poor prognostic factors of COVID-19 in rheumatic disease patients.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and duration of Study: Department of Rheumatology, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Mar to Sep 2020.
Methodology: The study included rheumatic disease patients with COVID-19. Patients' age, gender, smoking status; details of rheumatic disorder; method of COVID-19 diagnosis, treatment and outcomes were recorded.
Results: The study included 46 patients. Overall mortality rate was 23.8%. The most common symptoms were fever (35, 83.3%), cough (26, 61.9%) and myalgia (23, 54.8%). Dyspnea was associated with mortality (p=0.013), ICU admission (p<0.001), ventilation (p=0.02) and hospitalization (p<0.001). NSAIDs increased the risk of ventilatory support (p= 0.02). Long term steroids predicted mortality (p=0.02), hospitalization (p=0.014) and intensive care admission (p=0.004). Steroid and Hydroxy-chloroquine treatment for COVID-19 was associated with intensive care admission (p= 0.001 and 0.006, respectively) and ventilation (p=0 .007 and 0.03, respectively). Mycophenolate Mofetil was related to intensive care admission, ventilation and hospitalization (p=0.03, 0.03 and 0.02, respectively), whereas Cyclophosphamide was related to hospitalization (p= 0.03). Systemic lupus erythematosus was associated with all poor outcomes except ventilation (p<0.05)
Conclusion: Systemic lupus erythematosus, long-term steroids, Mycophenolate Mofetil, Cyclophosphamide and Dyspnea are associated with severe COVID-19.


In this study, we investigate stretching and pre-stress conditions during stabilization of electrospun nanofibers on mechanical properties of yarns. The nanofibers are produced from 10% polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution using an environmentally controlled electrospinning set-up. As-spun nanofibers are mechanically stretched at different stretch ratio (λ = 1-3) and subsequently stabilized at 260°C in air for 180 min. During stabilization the nanofibers were subjected to pre-stress in the range between 0-5 MPa. Fiber diameter distributions are investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) while tensile properties are measured by dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). It has been found that mechanical stretching significantly improved the tensile strength of both as-spun and stabilized nanofiber while decreasing average fiber diameter. Application of pre-stress during stabilization has significant effect on improving the mechanical properties of the nanofibrous yarns.


Policy Points:
For accountable care organizations (ACOs) to be successful they need to change the behavior of their physicians. To stimulate this change, a broad range of motivators are being used, including ways to see a greater impact on patients (social purpose) and opportunities to be a more effective physician (mastery), in addition to personal financial incentives.
From our analysis of case studies, it does not appear that the full range of motivators is being deployed by ACOs, which suggests an opportunity to develop more sophisticated and wider-ranging portfolios of motivators for greater impact.

Context
There are approximately 800 accountable care organizations (ACOs) in the United States. In order to achieve the ACO goals of reduced cost, improved outcomes of care, and better population health, it is critical to change how physicians within ACOs deliver care. While knowledge of ACO development and evolution is growing, relatively little is known about the motivational drivers that are being used to effect change among participating physicians.

Methods
We synthesized 9 well-established and empirically tested theories of motivation into an overarching framework of 6 motivator domains. This framework was then used to explore the types of motivators that leaders use to stimulate change within 4 case study ACOs. We explored the organizational characteristics, strategies, and motivators for changing physicians' behaviors through in-depth interviews and document review.

Findings
The case study ACOs more strongly emphasized nonfinancial motivators for changing physician behavior than financial incentives. These motivators included mastery and social purpose, which were used frequently across all case study sites. Overall, the ACO case studies illustrated variability across all motivational domains. While there was evidence of changing motivators as a result of the ACO, the case study ACOs found it difficult to comprehensively change the use of motivators, in part due to dispersed managerial attention and the complexity and diversity of programs and contracts that fragmented efforts to improve.

Conclusions
Motivating behavior change within ACOs goes beyond financial incentives. ACOs are using a broad range of motivators, including creating ways to make a greater impact on patients and opportunities to be a more effective physician. Overall, it does not appear that ACOs are deploying the full range of available motivators. This suggests an opportunity to develop more sophisticated and wider-ranging portfolios of motivators to drive behavior change.


In this contribution, the optimization of power proportion allocated for each user in the downlink (DL) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems have been developed. Successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique recovers users' signal with high difference between channel gains, in order to find the lowest optimum power proportion {required to guarantee} an equal data rate for all active users. Following the same approach, the optimum power proportion for each user and also the minimum total power to achieve the same rate for all users (maximum fairness) were obtained as a design goal. Moreover, the same design methodology was developed seeking to maximize the NOMA system energy efficiency (EE). It was possible to find the {maximum EE point} and the respective power distribution among the users for a certain circuitry power consumption. For all NOMA users in which the optimal operation point for EE maximization was parameterized, it was possible to find the total power, power ratio and the equal rate values. As a result, one can find the tradeoff point between EE and sum rate for each system scenario, as well as the best resource efficiency operation point. By considering the same rate for all users, the system attains maximum fairness among the users.


Development of autonomic innervation of the tibia was investigated in rat fetuses on gestational days (GD) 17–21 and in juvenile animals on postnatal days (PD) 1–28. Double immunofluorescence combined with confocal microscopy was applied to study colocalization of neuronal growth- associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and panneuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP) with markers of the autonomic nervous system: neuropeptide Y (NPY) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DβH) for adrenergic, as well as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) for cholinergic fibers. The first GAP-43-immunoreactive (GAP-IR) nerve fibers were seen on GD17 in the perichondrium of the proximal epiphysis. Further GAP- and PGP-IR innervation appeared in the perichondrium/periosteum of the diaphysis and in the distal epiphysis (GD19), then in the bone marrow and in the intercondylar eminence (GD21). On PD1, NPY-IR and DβH-IR fibers appeared within the diaphyseal periosteum and on PD4 within the bone marrow. From PD14, GAP-43 immunoreactivity of NPY-positive fibers decreased. From PD7 on, NPY-IR fibers were observed in cartilage canals of both epiphyses and in the intercondylar eminence. In secondary ossification centers, NPY-IR fibers were seen from PD10, and in the bone marrow of the epiphyses from PD14. First VIP-IR and VAChT-IR fibers were observed on PD4 within the periosteum, bone marrow and patellar ligament. From PD10 on, VIP-positive fibers were seen in the intercondylar eminence, and from PD14 in secondary ossification centers. GAP-43 proved to be superior to PGP 9.5 as marker of growing nerve fibers, mostly due to its earlier appearance. The presence of specific nerve fibers may suggest possible involvement of autonomic innervation in regulation of bone development.


This paper deals with the filter properties of directional couplers. Formulas are derived for the bandwidth in wavelength units of couplers consisting of two waveguides that exchange their power either in the direction of the incident wave (forward couplers) or in the opposite direction (backward couplers). Backward couplers require the presence of a diffraction grating on one or both waveguides but they can achieve very much smaller bandwidth than forward couplers and hence are useful for constructing narrow-band optical wavelength filters.


Basrah is the most beautiful part of Iraq. In terms of size, it is the second largest city after Baghdad. For more than 25 years, Basrah has almost constantly been at war or been in an Aggressive situation. Three major conflicts have dominated, from 1980 to 2003. The wars have brought great suffering to the Basrah population and city. The bombing caused great material damage. Today with reconstruction process the city require to take a stabile process of reconstruction by using environmental cods in urban planning and design which offer an exciting opportunity to achieve environmental, social and economic benefits. The concept of biophilia deserves a deeper explanation. The hypothesis is that this affiliation leads to positive responses in terms of human performance and health even emotional states. The new movement aims to create environmentally friendly, energy-efficient buildings and developments by effectively managing natural resources. This path will discover a far deeper integration of nature with the built environment and the potential synergies in exchanging energy and nutrients across the human-nature interface. The research will take in reading different experiences from 1980 until now, in which we will try to put all practical consideration necessary to be able to select competent urban and architectural elements adequate to Basrah condition.


The subject of this thesis is the economy of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the first through to the end of the third century AD. The approach taken is partly quantitative and draws on detailed quantitative research undertaken by scholars across a wide area. I concentrate the analysis on those few numbers which are likely to have the richest explanatory power and I consider the relationships between those numbers. The numbers analysed include the average amount of grain produced on a hectare of land, the size of the urban population, the average life expectancy and the silver content of the coinage. The approach also considers the institutions of imperial Rome, to the extent that they are relevant to economic achievement. I consider the structure of the economy of the Roman Empire in terms of the separation of town and country, the agglomeration of individuals in the towns and the connections between those towns. I map out the development of the economy over time with a discussion of the creation and destruction of its currency. I compare the performance of the economy of the Roman Empire with that of other economies by considering rural and urban productivity, trading activity, the infrastructure that supported trade and the knowledge base used in the production of goods and services. The question that this thesis addresses is the following: How well did the economy of imperial Rome perform in terms of the quantity and quality of goods and services produced relative to the technology available and in comparison, with medieval and later economies and which institutions contributed to or hindered economic achievement? I believe that the achievements of the Roman Empire in this period provide important lessons as to what is possible in economies generally and where some of the risks to economic success lie.


Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) plays a crucial role in both angiogenesis and tumor invasion. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to up-regulate the expression of MMP-9 in vascular smooth muscle cells. We recently reported that hemoglobin (Hb) enhances the expression of tissue factor (TF) and VEGF on TF-positive human malignant cells. Therefore, to explore the relationship between tumor cell angiogenic protein VEGF and MMP-9, we studied the effect of Hb on MMP-9 production in human A375 malignant melanoma and J82 bladder carcinoma (TF+) cells and in KG1 myeloid leukemia (TF−) cells. Malignant cells were incubated with varying concentrations (0–1.0 mg/ml) of Hb and analyzed for released MMP-9 by gelatin zymography, dot immunoblotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting. Hb (0.50 mg/ml) induced an almost two-fold increase of MMP-9 in both A375 malignant melanoma (398 ± 62 versus 233 ± 61.0 ng/ml, P = 0.027) and J82 bladder carcinoma cells (1.55 ± 0.12 versus 0.80 ± 0.004 ng/ml, P = 0.004), compared with cells incubated without Hb. This release of MMP-9 was significantly inhibited by cycloheximide (95%) and by the specific inhibitors of protein tyrosine kinase, genistein (70 ± 3.0%, P = 0.00027 and 67 ± 1.0%, P = 0.00005) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP)-kinase, PD98059 (56 ± 2.0%, P = 0.0001 and 62 ± 1.0%, P = 0.00003) in A375 and J82 cells, respectively. In contrast, Hb (2.0 mg/ml) did not increase MMP-9 in KG1 cells. We conclude that Hb-induced synthesis of active MMP-9 in TF-bearing malignant cells is due to de novo synthesis of newly formed protein and is mediated by protein tyrosine kinase and by mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.


Within the research of electromagnetically excited torsion oscillations in the mechanical part of traction drive systems of modern railway vehicles, which has been realized at the Faculty of mechanical engineering at the CTU in Prague, there are two separate simulation models in use. The basic calculation model, which is utilized to gain basic characteristics of the torsion system as natural frequencies and natural modes of oscillations. And the complex simulation model, which simulates a drive of the vehicle. This contribution is focused on the basic calculation model, which has been built in MATLAB. This model in its first version did not apply the contact between wheels and rails. It was necessary to find out, if this simplification is relevant with respect to subsequent simulations within the complex simulation model and its results. Therefore, the contact interaction as a traction force in longitudinal direction in the wheel-rail contact was realized via the Kalker's linear theory. This article deals with the comparison between models with and without the implementation of the wheel-rail contact and its influence on the damping within the torsion system and retuning of the torsion system.


To prevent or suppress parasitic reactions (polycrystalline GaN deposition on the surface of susceptors) in the bulk GaN growth process, catalytic tungsten carbide (WC) layers are proposed as anti-parasitic-reaction (APR) coatings. An industrially feasible technique for producing APR coatings on a graphite substrate via a wet powder process is developed and the WC layers are confirmed to effectively prevent or suppress polycrystalline GaN deposition on APR-coated practical reactor components during the bulk growth processes of hydride vapor-phase epitaxy and halogen-free vapor-phase epitaxy. The mechanism of the APR function is investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that a surface nitride layer forms on the topmost surface of the WC catalytic layer after annealing in an NH3 atmosphere. It is supposed that this nitride layer inhibits the adsorption of active nitrogen adsorbates and Ga species on the catalytic WC layers. The deposition of APR coatings on graphite substrates allows the growth of large bulk GaN crystals, which is necessary for low-cost GaN wafers for vertical GaN power devices.


Abstract Quantitative structure–property relationship modelling can be a valuable alternative method to replace or reduce experimental testing. In particular, some endpoints such as octanol–water (KOW) and organic carbon–water (KOC) partition coefficients of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are easier to predict and various models have been already developed. In this paper, two different methods, which are multiple linear regression based on the descriptors generated using Dragon software and hologram quantitative structure–activity relationships, were employed to predict suspended particulate matter (SPM) derived log KOC and generator column, shake flask and slow stirring method derived log KOW values of 209 PCBs. The predictive ability of the derived models was validated using a test set. The performances of all these models were compared with EPI Suite™ software. The results indicated that the proposed models were robust and satisfactory, and could provide feasible and promising tools for the rapid assessment of the SPM derived log KOC and generator column, shake flask and slow stirring method derived log KOW values of PCBs.


The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of generic advertising on purchase of 100% orange juice using an econometric model that controls for different socio-demographic variables. Recent research in marketing emphasizes the importance of the Millennial Parent in media consumption and buying habits. Thus, the study also aims to assess consumption patterns the success of generic advertising on this generational sub-group. Specifically the key objectives of this study are: 1) to determine if purchase frequency of 100% orange juice is positively influenced by generic advertising efforts; 2) to investigate the association of different socio-economic indicators on purchase frequency of 100% orange juice; and 3) to assess if the impact of ad awareness on purchase frequency of 100% orange juice among Millennial Parents.


Abstract. India is one of the world's largest producers of rice, accounting for 20% of all world rice production. Rice crop occupies nearly 27.6% of the India's arable land with average consumption per capita/year was ~68.2 kg milled rice. Being a staple food it is crucially important for policy makers, planners and researchers to have an accurate estimate before the harvest of crop. Timely and accurate statistics helps planners, and decision makers in formulating policies in regard to import/export in the event of shortfall and/or surplus. In the present study it is tried to evaluate the applicability of the remote sensing for yield estimation of major rice growing states of India. Recent advances on the resolutions (i.e., spectral, spatial, radiometric, and temporal) and availability of remote sensing imagery allowed us timely collection of information. This study developed an intermediate method called semi-physical method using remote sensing and the physiological concepts such as the Photo-synthetically Active Radiation and the fraction of PAR absorbed by the crop. Net Primary Product was computed using the Monteith model. Rice yield was computed using the actual NPP, Radiation use efficiency and Harvest index. The study was carried in kharif season 2018–19. Although model gives slight difference of yield with respect to actual and the estimated yield and DES yields within the range of ± 10%, which confirms the utility of model and can be used for the operational estimates of rice crop.


Atomic force microscopy observations of the free surface of gold thin films deposited on silicon substrates have evidenced the buckling of the films and the formation of blister patterns undergoing plastic folding. The classical elastic buckling and plastic deformation of the films are analyzed in the framework of the Föppl-Von Kármán theory of thin plates introducing the notion of low-angle tilt boundaries and dislocation distributions to describe this folding effect. It is demonstrated that, in agreement with elementary plasticity of bent crystals, the presence of such tilt-boundaries results in the formation of buckling patterns of lower energy than "classical" elastic blisters.


This chapter examines how an interviewee with borderline intellectual functioning reversed his denial and gave a false confession in investigative interviews conducted by a prosecutor in a murder case in Japan. While the interviewing prosecutor's varying approaches to questioning are likely to have contributed to the interviewee's changing statements, the analysis also suggests that the interviewer either ignored or was unaware of the subtle cues of problematic communication, especially the ways in which the interviewee used the phrases wakaranai (I don't know) and gomennasai (I am sorry), as well as his long silences. It is argued that such miscommunication often arose because of the interlocutors' mismatch of knowledge schemata. The analysis demonstrates that tension and lack of interactional alignment are likely to have triggered shifts in interactional frames, which gradually led the suspect with a high level of susceptibility to pressure from law enforcement officers to making a false confession. The study suggests that discourse-pragmatic approaches to investigative interviews of vulnerable interviewees can contribute to a better understanding of miscommunication and false confessions, and improvement in interviewing practice. It also brings an insight into the role of the power dynamics operating in the specific context of criminal investigation in Japan.


This article attempts to establish that socioeconomic status (SES) plays an important role in the lives of adolescents and is reflected in adolescent literature. The emphasis on SES in four adolescent novels: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, and The Pigman by Paul Zindel suggests that both the authors and their young readers are aware of its influence in today's society. Three areas which are greatly affected by SES are examined: adolescents' self-esteem, how it affects characterization and subsequently the degree to which adolescents identify with a literary character, and how it functions as a learning device, enabling authors to infuse their own moral values into the minds of their audiences.


Adult T-cell leukemia virus associated antigen (ATLA) was detected in peripheral mononuclear cells from 29 of 35 anti-ATLA-positive mothers, but was not detected in cells from any of the neonates. Cells from breast milk of all of 12 anti-ATLA-positive mothers and semen from one of three anti-ATLA positive men were ATLA-positive.


Abstract Two ebony cabinets, each over 3 m tall and decorated with elaborate pietre dure panels, commissioned by Louis XIV, designed by Charles Le Brun, made at the Manufacture des Gobelins by Domenico Cucci and delivered to the Palace of Versailles in 1683, are the only fully documented and surviving Sun King cabinets, and are among the richest ever made. This is the first conservation treatment since 1823. Both had lifting inlays. Conservation combined analysis of the original adhesive with traditional techniques, to address numerous problems, in particular the re-application of the pietre dure (hard-stone) decoration and the challenge of matching then modifying the original wax-based adhesive. This offered a good and reliable treatment without compromising the quality or reversibility of the conservation work or the stability of the object.


Prospects of ordered carbon nanotube arrays in sensorics are studied basing on molecular dynamics and finite element method simulations. Mechanical and acoustic properties of such arrays are calculated. Array elastic modules and density dependences on oxygen adsorption value are presented. Mechanical instability of square lattice of nanotubes with respect to the transition to triangular one was demonstrated. Using of carbon nanotube arrays as sensing elements of surface acoustic wave based sensors is shown to increase the sensitivity of such sensors up to dozen and more times with respect to usually obtained values for the acoustic wave frequency range 0,1 – 1,0 GHz. Vibration modes of carbon nanotube arrays are calculated in continual approximation on the basis of LS-DYNA package depending on nanotube lengths and diameters distribution in array. Vibration spectrum of arrays exhibits zone character inherent to sonic crystals. Such type of acoustic excitations makes it possible to generate both regular and chaotic motion of carbon nanotube arrays under the external forces.


This study tries to propose a point of view to understand the characteristics of Deconstruction in architecture by examining its basis of formation and analyzing the relevance between conceptual term and formal expression.The main characteristics of Deconstruction in architecture were organized into six heads: accomodation of Post-modern thinking, critical attitude on Functionalism and play of form, deconstruction of style, intertextuality(deconstruction of boundary), architecture as process, architecture of decentring.


LBNL-51130 On Leakage and Seepage from Geologic Carbon Sequestration Sites C.M. Oldenburg, A.J.A. Unger, R.P. Hepple, and P.D. Jordan June 2002 Earth Sciences Division Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720 BP–DOE CRADA Health, Safety, and Environmental Risk Assessment for Leakage of CO 2 from Deep Geologic Storage Sites Task 1. Report on modeled surface leakage rates for a range of scenarios for CO 2 sequestration in geologic formations This work was supported in part by a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between BP Corporation North America, as part of the CO 2 Capture Project (CCP) of the Joint Industry Program (JIP), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the National Energy Technologies Laboratory (NETL), and by the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, managed for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE- AC03-76SF00098.


This book evaluates a project where formal classroom learning of a second language was supplemented with informal, natural interactions with older native speakers of the target language, delivering a number of pedagogical and societal benefits. The authors introduce a model of intergenerational, intercultural encounters which aims to promote the use of community language resources; enrich the experiences of young learners; foster greater understanding between generations; break down cultural stereotypes; encourage appreciation of different cultures and enhance the quality of life and community engagement of older people with a bi/multilingual background. It draws on theories of language acquisition, discourse analysis and psychosocial perspectives to propose a model of language learning for students that can be used for any language or locality. It is therefore an essential resource for graduate students, researchers and language teachers as well as for education, aged and youth care policy makers, practitioners and community services workers who are interested in innovative language pedagogy.


To extract an effective feature in prediction of subjective impressions from single-trial neurophysiological recordings, the spatial filter that extracts brain activities related to impressions were constructed using the common spatial pattern (CSP). We focus on subjective preference induced by chords composed of 3 notes with different frequency ratio. Magnetic cortical activities while hearing chords and comparative judgment on pair of them were measured. The predictive model that predicts the scale value of preference was trained using the CSP-based feature for each participant. The result of the evaluation experiment shows that the CSP-based feature improved the mean prediction accuracy in all participants, compared with the other features without spatially filtering. Furthermore, the capability of construction of a spatial filter that extracts cortical activities varying with degree of preference using the comparative judgments was indicated.


Energy efficiency is one of the most important issues of wireless sensor network (WSN). Since the energy mainly dissipates on data transmission, the data transmission has become the most important issue of WSN recently. Otherwise, the data accuracy is another key factor of data transmission. To optimize these factors, a noble routing protocol is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm is originated from LEACH, and energy efficiency and latency is considered as the researching parameters. The overlap of detect regions is discussed and a nodes-adaptive schedule is designed to reduce the amount of data with LEACH protocol. Moreover, a data aggregation is also studied, which takes the data aggregate along the transmission process. The proposed protocol is evaluated in comparison with the traditional LEACH, and the performance of the proposed protocol is verified to be efficient and competent.


Isoproterenol, a catecholamine acting as a β adrenergic agonist, is commonly used to establish myocardial infarction (MI) in animal models for drug development. Although cheaper than isoproterenol, salbutamol is another type of catecholamine, may be potentially and equally used for the onset of MI in animal model. However the concentrations of salbutamol for inducing MI need to be optimized and standardized. In current work, following the treatment with different concentrations of salbutamol, the blood samples of rats were taken at different time intervals according to "Central Composite Design" (CCD) for measuring the level of cardiac markers, CK-MB, LDH and SGOT. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) indicated an optimal salbutamol dosage of 80 mg/kg for inducing MI, which resulted in elevated level of SGOT after 20 hr with CK-MB and LDH level changes in 23 hr following salbutamol (80 mg/kg) administration. The level changes of cardiac marker Trop I and ECG also confirmed the onset of myocardial infarction at the optimal concentration of salbutamol. Current work obtained the optimal dose and the feasibility of salbutamol as a substituent of isoproterenol for inducing MI.


Let R be a commutative ring with unity and a let A be a not necessarily commutative R-algebra which is free as an R-module. If I is an ideal in A, one can ask when A/I is also free as an R-module. We show that if A has an admissible system and I has a unital Gröbner basis then A/I is free as an R-module. We prove a version of Buchberger's theorem over R and, as a corollary, we obtain a Gröbner basis proof of the Poincare-Birkhoff-Witt Theorem over a commutative ground ring. MSC: 16Z05,13P10


Summary In 11 untreated patients with essential hypertension, the hemodynamic responses to antihypertensive therapy with prazosin were evaluated in terms of associated changes in blood viscosity (ηB). At high and low blood flow velocities, changes in ηB were correlated (r = 0.63–0.708, p < 0.05) with changes in systolic blood pressure. Changes in ηB and diastolic blood pressure were significantly correlated (r = 0.684–0.723, p < 0.05 or better) only at higher blood flow conditions. Plasma protein concentration and hematocrit changes were similar in magnitude, and both were correlated (r = 0.759, p < 0.01) with blood pressure changes. During prazosin therapy, reciprocal changes in fibrinogen and globulin concentrations (r = −0.605, p < 0.05) accounted for the constant plasma viscosity (ηB) and degree of red cell aggregation in untreated and treated patients. These studies suggest that the extent to which total peripheral resistance and, hence, diastolic blood pressure, fall during prazosin therapy is associated with preferential decrease in ηB in higher-flow resistance vessels, while in the low-flow capacitance system, changes in viscous flow resistance and diastolic blood pressure are not generally correlated. Furthermore, the inverse relationship between fibrinogen and globulin concentrations indicates that decreased ηp does not necessarily accompany hemodilution. Plasma renin activity, creatinine clearance, and daily urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, and aldosterone were similar before and during prazosin therapy. Significant correlations between changes in these variables and blood pressure were not generally observed. Thus, reductions in arterial pressure during prazosin therapy are accompanied by proportional decreases in ηB at high flow velocities. Consequently, microcirculatory blood flow and organ perfusion are well maintained.


Introduction: Evaluating the patient with temporomandibular joint disorders can be difficult and challenging for the clinician. Gathering the appropriate data, diagnosing the problem and formulating an accurate differential diagnosis is essential. Temporomandibular joint disorders may be muscular in origin (myofascial pain dysfunction) or have their primary etiology within the joint itself (internal derangement). It is important for the clinician to systematically evaluate the patient in order to formulate an optimal treatment plan. The treatment must be multidisciplinary, however the first challenge for the clinician is to recognize the problem. Listening to the patient, taking a complete history, and performing a thorough clinical and radiographic examination are the first priorities.


Background/Aims Maternal obesity (BMI > 30) is associated with increased prenatal health care utilization and puts infants at risk for macrosomia and delivery complications. Our aim was to investigate whether obese women and their infants have higher rates of health care utilization in the first year postpartum. Methods We extracted EMR data of 1663 women who had singleton, live births in 2006–2009, height and weight measurements for BMI, known delivery and discharge dates, and continuous health insurance coverage for 12 months post-partum. We used multivariate regression analyses to evaluate associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI category and maternal and infant outpatient visits and hospitalizations. Results During the first year post-partum, women made an average of 7.0 + 7.3 ambulatory visits, including a wide variety of ancillary services as well as primary and specialty care. Thirty percent (492/1663) were hospitalized at least once, 19% (311/1663) had at least one emergency department visit and 25% (421/1663) visited urgent care. When adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, insurance status and delivery type, women with BMIs > 30 had significantly more ambulatory, urgent care and emergency visits. Women with BMIs > 40 had significantly more hospitalizations and outpatient visits of all types compared to women with normal BMIs. There were 1427 infants with adequate data for inclusion. During the first year of life, 21% (299 of 1427) were hospitalized, 32% (454/1427) had at least one emergency visit, and 47% (676/1427) visited urgent care. Essentially all infants (99.7%) had an ambulatory visit. Maternal BMI was not significantly associated with infant hospitalization, emergency or urgent care visits. However, infants whose mothers had BMIs >30 had significantly fewer ambulatory visits compared to infants of mothers with normal BMIs (p=.008). Discussion During the first year post-partum, obese women had more ambulatory care and emergency visits than normal weight women, the greatest differences occurring between extreme obesity and normal BMI categories. In contrast, infants of obese women have fewer ambulatory visits. This finding merits investigation to determine whether the obese mother's need for medical services after delivery competes with her ability to bring her infant for recommended care.


This paper presents the generalized optimal sub-pattern assignment (GOSPA) metric on the space of finite sets of targets. Compared to the well-established optimal sub-pattern assignment (OSPA) metric, GOSPA is not normalised by the cardinality of the largest set and it penalizes cardinality errors differently, which enables us to express it as an optimisation over assignments instead of permutations. An important consequence of this is that GOSPA allows us to penalize localization errors for detected targets and the errors due to missed and false targets, as indicated by traditional multiple target tracking (MTT) performance measures, in a sound manner. In addition, we extend the GOSPA metric to the space of random finite sets, which is important to evaluate MTT algorithms via simulations in a rigorous way.


Early administration of topical 1% propranolol in superficial hemangioma is often effective in blocking growth and leads to improvement in about 80% of cases (2). However, as for oral treatment the most important side effect of topical therapy is the rebound of hemangioma when topical propranolol is withdrawn. The rebound phenomenon was more common in the past when the hemangioma therapy with beta-blockers was continued for 4-5 months similarly to what was usually done in pre-beta-blocker therapy with corticosteroids. When beta-blocker treatment was prolonged up to the year of life or at least 7 months the rebound incidence decreased significantly. The current case confirms the need to continue topical therapy with beta-blockers throughout the growth period of hemangioma, which is very variable from case to case.


Background With the continuous discovery of microRNA's (miRNA) association with a wide range of biological and cellular processes, expression profile-based functional characterization of such post-transcriptional regulation is crucial for revealing its significance behind particular phenotypes. Profound advancement in bioinformatics has been made to enable in depth investigation of miRNA's role in regulating cellular and molecular events, resulting in a huge quantity of software packages covering different aspects of miRNA functional analysis. Therefore, an all-in-one software solution is in demand for a comprehensive yet highly efficient workflow. Here we present RBiomirGS, an R package for a miRNA gene set (GS) analysis. Methods The package utilizes multiple databases for target mRNA mapping, estimates miRNA effect on the target mRNAs through miRNA expression profile and conducts a logistic regression-based GS enrichment. Additionally, human ortholog Entrez ID conversion functionality is included for target mRNAs. Results By incorporating all the core steps into one package, RBiomirGS eliminates the need for switching between different software packages. The modular structure of RBiomirGS enables various access points to the analysis, with which users can choose the most relevant functionalities for their workflow. Conclusions With RBiomirGS, users are able to assess the functional significance of the miRNA expression profile under the corresponding experimental condition by minimal input and intervention. Accordingly, RBiomirGS encompasses an all-in-one solution for miRNA GS analysis. RBiomirGS is available on GitHub (http://github.com/jzhangc/RBiomirGS). More information including instruction and examples can be found on website (http://kenstoreylab.com/?page_id=2865).


It is widely accepted that rising of the Himalayas Mountains,uplift of the Tibetan plateau,and deep processes associated with formation and generation of ranges,rocks,basins,minerals and disasters,are the most important issues of geodynamics in East Asia as well as in the word.Actually,for the first time in China the seismic reflection exploration performed in the Qaidam basin since 1958 was the prelude to this research field,which is of great significance for probing fine structures and upper mantle as well as the interiors of the neighboring Tibetan plateau.During the last 50 years this initiative work in the Qaidam basin has been guiding the studies of dynamics for the Tibetan plateau and continental tectonics in our country.The seismic survey result shows that the thickness of the sediment in the Qaidam basin is up to 15~19 km,which generates return-Refracted waves and multiples of varied kinds and paths.The crust of this area is 50~52 km thick,with high-velocity intercalations and low-velocity layers.Beneath the basin the Moho interface consists of interbedded high-velocity and low-velocity layers.And the P wave ve-locity of the uppermost mantle is 8.1km/s.These data remain valuable for present research of the Qaidam basin as well as the Tibetan plateau.To commemorate this departure of probing fine structures of crust and upper mantle and continental dynamics in China,this paper attempts to address several scientific issues about the deep structures and dynamics of the Tibetan plateau,which are involved with resources and natural disasters in the continent as well as understanding the Earth itself.Meanwhile some suggestive views are presented for the planning and implementation of the relevant research in this region.


This study was purposed to analyze the changes of T-cell clonality after induction of peripheral T lymphocytes by autogenous DC and cytokines in the preparation of adoptive immunotherapy for leukemias. The bone marrow and peripheral blood from 21 leukemia patients at remission stage after treatment and subjected to adoptive immunotherapy were collected. Their DCs and T-cells were stimulated with cytokines and then were mixed to activate T-cells. T-cell receptor beta variable region (TCRBV) families were amplified by RT-PCR, and genescan method and sequencing of the PCR products were used to observe the clonality changes of T-cells before and after the induction and cultivation of T-cells. The flow cytometry was used to identify CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD3(+)CD56(+) and CD4(+)CD25str(+)FOXP3(+) cells to disclose the ratio change of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), helper T-cells, regulatory T-cells and NK T-cells before and after induction and cultivation of T-cells. The results showed that in the 21 patients, most of the 24 TCRBV families presented as oligoclonal distribution on genescan, several families were not expressed, and only a few families remained polyclonal. TCRBV24 was found to be oligoclonal in all of the 21 patients. DNA sequence analysis of TCRBV24 revealed a common motif of VAG in CDR3 in 3 cases and a common motif of GGG in CDR3 in 2 cases. In patient 5, both TCRBV 24 and TCRBV8 contained the same motif of GGG in CDR3. The identical motif in these patients may suggest that these T-cells recognize the same antigen. The peripheral lymphocytes demonstrated recovery of clonal profile on genescan from oligoclonal profile and absence of several families before the induction and cultivation to typical polyclonal profile in all TCRBV families after the induction by DC and cytokines for 13 days. After the induction and cultivation, the number of lymphocytes increased to 3.38 +/- 1.20 times. CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD3(+)CD56(+) and CD4(+)CD25str(+)FOX P3(+) cells were 71.1 +/- 11.8%, 26.7 +/- 11.4%, 35.7 +/- 12.9%, 3.1 +/- 1.6% and 0.12 +/- 0.1% respectively before the induction and cultivation, and changed to 95.4 +/- 3.2% (p < 0.01), 27.0 +/- 13.1% (p > 0.01), 55.5 +/- 13.8% (p < 0.01), 9.8 +/- 6.1% (p < 0.01) and 0.22 +/- 0.18% (p < 0.01) respectively after the induction and cultivation. It is concluded that the major action of this induction and cultivation method on T-lymphocytes in vitro is the promotion of CTL and NK T-cell proliferation. In leukemic patients at the remission stage, the TCRBV profile is characterized by the oligoclonal proliferation of T-lymphocytes. Several proliferated clones may have the same motif in CDR3, suggesting the recognition of the same antigen by these lymphocyte clones. Cytokine induction and co-culture with autogenous DCs can stimulate the T-lymphocytes to recover their immunocompetence as manifested by the polyclonal profile and the proliferation of CTL and NK-T cells.


Multiversion two phase locking (MV2PL) provides online serializable queries without introducing the long blocking delays that can occur with conventional two phase locking (2PL). MV2PL requires indexing structures, however, that are capable of supporting multiple versions of data. We present several options for extending single version indexing schemes for use with MV2PL. These basic approaches are largely orthogonal to the underlying indexing structure (e.g., hashing or B+ trees). The options considered differ in where they place version selection information (i.e., references to individual versions); this information is placed either with the data or with the index entries of one or more of the indices. We also present the results from a performance study that show that placing the version selection information with the data is usually the best option, since it keeps the indices smaller and thus enables a larger fraction of the index pages to remain cached in the buffer pool.


Hesperis muglensis, and H. zaferi collected from Muğla and Çorum, Turkey, have been defined as new species for the scientific world. Hesperis muglensis grows with H. pisidica calcareous locations in the south of Turkey (Taurus Mountains), while H. zaferi grows glades in forest in Tosya, Kastamonu Province, and in Sütçüler, Isparta Province, and displays a similarity to H. tosyaensis and H. ozcelikii. The photographs, general ecological preferences and of the newly defined species have been given.


With the spread of mobile devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and fitness trackers, technology is increasingly permeating our daily lives. They have also become "affective technologies" that influence our everyday emotions and perceptions and our experiences of aging. This paper investigates the association between mobile device use and the subjective experience of aging (SEA), with the hypothesis that the more frequently older adults use smartphones, the more positively they experience aging. A multiple hierarchical linear regression model was calculated based on a secondary analysis of Swiss survey data for older (≥ 65 years, N = 1037) adults. According to the survey data, 32.1% of participants used a smartphone. Univariate and multivariate analyses, controlled for a number of relevant confounders and the use of different devices, confirmed the positive relationship between frequency of smartphone use and SEA. The results suggest that mobile devices should be included as an independent variable when investigating subjective experiences of aging.


The intellectual foundations of neoliberalism "(T)he ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed, the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slave of some defunct economist." John Maynard Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936), p.383.


Advances in computer technologies and adoption of related methods and techniques in education have developed parallel to each other. This study focuses on the need to utilize more than one teaching method and technique in education rather than focusing on a single teaching method. By using the pre-test post-test and control group semi-experimental research model, this study examined the effects of the web-assisted education method supported by six thinking hats technique on student achievement, on students' attitudes towards science and their attitudes towards the use of computers in science classes. The working group of the study was composed of 7th graders in a state secondary school in the 2013-2014 academic year. A working group consists of two randomly selected classes assigned as the experimental and control groups. The working group comprised of 50 students with 25 experimental and 25 control group students. Paired samples t-test, independent samples t-test and ANOVA techniques were used in analyzing the data collected via data collection tools to compare the experimental and control groups. The results showed that web-assisted education materials prepared with the use of the six thinking hats technique increased student attitudes towards science and computers. Students' attitudes towards computers were similar based on the variables of owning a computer and gender. Paternal education levels had no significant effects on student attitudes towards computers and their academic achievement.


ABSTRACT The authors examined the force-sharing patterns in a joint action performed by a group of two, three, or four people compared with a solo action. In the joint actions, 28 participants produced periodic isometric forces such that the sum of forces they produced cycled between 5% and 10% maximum voluntary contraction with the right hand at 1 Hz. In both the three- and four-person tasks, the correlation between forces produced by two of the three or four participants was negative, and the remaining one or two participants produced intermediate forces. The errors of force and interval and force variabilities were smaller in four- and three-people groups than individuals. Four- and three-people groups thus performed better than individuals.


About 40% of our food would not exist without synthetic ammonia (NH3) for fertilization. Yet, NH3 production is energy intensive. About 2% of the world's commercial energy is consumed as fossil fuels for NH3 synthesis based on the century-old Haber-Bosch (H.-B.) process. The state of the art and the opportunities for reducing the fossil energy footprint of industrial H.-B. NH3 synthesis are discussed. It is shown that even a hypothetical utterly revolutionary H.-B. catalyst could not significantly reduce the energy demand of H.-B. NH3 as this is governed by hydrogen production. Renewable energy-enabled, fossil-free NH3 synthesis is then evaluated based on the exceptional and continuing cost decline of renewable electricity. H.-B. syngas (H2, N2) is assumed to be produced by electrolysis and cryogenic air separation and then supplied to an existing H.-B. synthesis loop. Fossil-free NH3 could be produced for energy costs of about $232 per tonne NH3 without claiming any economic benefits for the avoidance of about 1.5 tonnes of CO2 released per tonne NH3 compared to the most efficient H.-B. implementations. Research into alternatives to the H.-B. process might be best targeted at emerging markets with currently little NH3 synthesis capacity but significant future population growth in markets such as Africa. Reduced capital intensity, good scale-down economics, tolerance for process upsets and contamination, and intermittent operability are some desirable characteristics of NH3 synthesis in less developed markets and for stranded resources. Processes that are fundamentally different from H.-B. may come to the fore under these specific boundary conditions.


The dual ion-exchange technique has been shown to improve the strength of feldspathic dental porcelains by first replacing constituent alkali ions with smaller ions above the strain point, and then exchanging the smaller ions for larger ions at temperatures below the strain point. The strength increase is directly related to the thickness of the surface-exchanged layer. This study evaluated the thickness of the exchanged layer after dual ion exchange of a leucite-reinforced dental porcelain. Optec HSP porcelain disks were fabricated, submitted to a dual ion-exchange treatment, and indented at various loads before determining the biaxial flexure strength. The mean flexural strength for the ion-exchanged groups was significantly higher than for control groups, except when the depth of the median crack exceeded 138 microns. Wavelength Dispersive Spectrometry analyses on cross sections showed that the mean potassium amount in the glassy matrix was significantly lower (P < .001) for the treated specimens than for the controls. The mean thickness of the exchanged layer after dual ion exchange was estimated at 140 microns.


Summary Background Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has become a successful treatment option for symptomatic heart failure in patients with poor left ventricular (LV) systolic function and broad QRS complex in the surface electrocardiogram (ECG). Case Report In this report we present a case of a 70-year-old woman with advanced heart failure due to ischaemic heart disease who underwent an upgrade from VVIR stimulator (pacemaker, PM) to cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator (CRT-D). The first attempt was unsuccessful due to problems with inefficient cannulation of the orifice of the coronary sinus (CS). After performing a 3D reconstruction with a 128-slice CT scanner, it was possible to carry out the up-grade to CRT-D resulting in enormous clinical improvement. Conclusions The case represents an example of the usefulness of 3D reconstruction with the 128-slice CT scanner used after failed CRT-D implantation due to difficulties with efficient cannulation of the coronary sinus orifice in a rare anatomical variant.


Peer-to-peer networks are mainly unstructured, where no specific topology is imposed on the network during its operations. These networks offer a high degree of resilience against network dynamics disrupting the network's operation. Unstructured networks, based on random connections are limited, however, in the performance and node reachability they can offer to applications. In contrast, structured networks impose predetermined connectivity relationships between nodes in order to offer a guarantee on the diameter between requesting nodes and the requested objects. We observe that neither structured nor unstructured networks can simultaneously offer both good performance and resilience in a single algorithm. To address this challenge, we propose Phenix, a peer-to-peer algorithm that can construct low-diameter resilient topologies. Phenix supports low diameter operations by creating a topology of nodes whose degree distribution follows a power-law, while the implementation of the underlying algorithm is fully distributed requiring no central server, thus, eliminating the possibility of a single point of failure in the system. We present the design and evaluation of the algorithm and show through analysis, simulation, and experimental results obtained from an implementation on the PlanetLab testbed that Phenix is robust to network dynamics such as joins/leaves, node failure and large-scale network attacks, while maintaining low overhead when implemented in an experimental network.


Considerable work has already been devoted to multiple electron capture by highly charged ions colliding on rare gas targets in the keV energy range. In such collisions, several electrons are captured by the projectile ionic core with a binding energy which, according to some simple models, is of the order of the successive ionization potentials of the target. This produces a unique situation in which several electrons are captured in highly excited shells. The large density of levels available at such a degree of excitation opens the possibility of interesting dynamical evolution which leads to the population of doubly excited states with one of the electrons in a high lying Rydberg state (e.g. n=10-30). In this paper we focus on the evolution of the Rydberg electron in the field of the two receding nuclei. In particular, the increase of angular momentum of the Rydberg electron is shown to be fast enough to quench the autoionization process resulting in a true capture of the two electrons.


The role of epistemology in philosophy of religion hastransformed the discipline by diverting questions away from traditionalmetaphysical issues and toward concerns about justificationand warrant. Leaders responsible for these changes, includingPlantinga, Alston and Draper, use methods and arguments fromScottish Enlightenment figures. In general theists use and cite techniquespioneered by Reid and non-theists use and cite techniquespioneered by Hume, a split reduplicated among cognitive scientistsof religion, with Justin Barrett and Scott Atran respectively framingtheir results in Reid's and in Hume's language and argument. Thisstate of affairs sets our agenda. First we identify Reid's use in theepistemology of religion and in the cognitive science of religion.Then we turn to Reid's texts in an effort to assess the interpretationsand extrapolations of Reid given by participants in these debates.The answers to our research questions shed light on whatReid would believe today, were he apprised of the latest research inepistemology of and cognitive science of religion.