O comportamento do U e do Th foi analisado durante a evolucao pedogeoquimica e morfogenetica de paisagens tropicais umidas, sobre rocha granitica com teores normais desses elementos, visando estabelecer relacoes entre rocha-mae e anomalias de U e de Th, tipos de solos residuais e geoformas resultantes dessa evolucao. Em uma vertente caracterizada pelo sistema de transformacao Latossolo-Solo Podzolico, anomalias de U e de Th de grande expressao geografica e intensidade ocorrem na paisagem eluvial, parte superior da vertente onde se verificam declividades entre 0 e 8%. Tais radioanomalias sao de natureza relativa/residual predominante e com baixa proporcao de U adsorvido, e situam-se no topo do horizonte B dos Latossolos. As anomalias radioativas mais intensas, porem de menor expressao geografica, localizam-se na paisagem transeluvial, parte mediana das vertentes com declividades entre 8 e 45%. Sao em parte residuais e em parte absolutas, resultantes da podzolizacao dos Latossolos, e associam-se ao topo do horizonte B textural dos Solos Podzolicos. Radioanomalias de menor intensidade, e essencialmente uraniferas, situam-se na paisagem supraqual, parte inferior e com baixas declividades da vertente. Sao de carater absoluto, com o U fixado principalmente por adsorcao as fases argilo-orgânica e oxido dos horizontes A0 e A1 dos Solos Hidromorficos. Nessa paisagem, em areas de influencia da atual rede de drenagem, pode existir desequilibrio radioativo entre os radionuclideos da serie do 238 U, com reflexos negativos nas intensidades das radiacoes gama emitidas. Isto se deve a pouca idade de deposicao do U nesses locais durante a podzolizacao, entre 100.000 e 500.000 anos. Entao, no contexto enfocado, a transformacao de rochas com teores normais em U e em Th pode resultar em materiais secundarios, com concentracoes nesses radionuclideos mais elevadas que as existentes nas rochas inalteradas. A atuacao dos processos geoquimicos responsaveis pela redistribuicao do U e do Th ocorreu concorrentemente com a dos processos pedogeneticos, morfogeneticos e hidrogeologicos, durante a evolucao das paisagens. Os principais tipos de anomalias de U e de Th, paisagens geoquimicas elementares, tipos e horizontes de solos residuais e geoformas estao cronologica e espacialmente relacionados. GEOCHEMICAL ANOMALIES OF U AND TH, RESIDUAL SOILS AND GEOFORMS IN HUMID TROPICAL LANDSCAPES OVER GRANITE Extended Abstract The geochemical behavior of U and Th during the evolution of humid tropical landscapes was analysed, with the objective to establishing relationships between parent rock, and the resulting U and Th anomalies, types of residual soils and geoforms. In one slope over granite with normal contents of U and Th, and characterized by the soil association Latosol-Podzolic, the pedologic horizons providers and receivers of these radionuclides during the processes of latolization and podzolization were evaluated. Studies were carried out on the main characteristics of the radioanomalies that took place in each landscape, mainly the concentration levels and the secondary hosting phases of U and Th, and their impact on the ratio Th/U and Us/Ut (soluble uranium/total uranium), and on their relative gammaradiometric intensities. Multi and interdisciplinary studies were done, making use of the various data and concepts from worldwide scientific literature, specifically in the fields of geochemistry and pedology. In the first case, emphasis was placed on the characteristics of the primary concentrations of U and Th (table 1), and on the geochemical concepts of element abundance, gradients, migration, flows and geochemical barriers, and of elementary landscape geochemistry (figure 1). In the field of pedology, the concept of transformational pedologic system and the cronology of the main pedogenetic phases were addressed. Moreover, concepts and elements of the areas of geomorphology, hydrogeology of the phreatic aquifer system and the nuclear physics of the series of 238 U and 232 Th were used and approached from a tridimensional and systemic perspective. The analyses were carried out in short space-temporal limits, according to the dimensions of the slopes and, regarding time specifics, the pedologic scale was found to be the most relevant. In the context studied, the Latosols occur in the eluvial landscape, associated to older, more stable and higher surfaces of the slope, where declivities between 0 and 8% can be observed. In this landscape, the geochemical environment is oxidizing and the pH is acid. The main concentrations of U and Th are due to resistant minerals containing U and Th, insoluble compounds of Th, and U and Th fixed to Fe and Al oxyhydroxides and clays by adsorption. These anomalies are characterized by low Us/Ut and high Th/U ratios, and intense gamma countings (table 2 and 3). They are relative and residual in nature, and are located on the top of latosolic B horizon (figure 2). The Podzolic Soils are of lesser geographic occurrence than the Latosols. Found in the transeluvial landscape, they are related to younger surfaces in intermediate altitudes of the slope, where the declivities are between 8 and 45 %. In this landscape, a strong control of the local parameters of the environment over the configuration and spacial distribution of the soil profiles and their physical properties has been observed. The geochemical environment is oxidizing and the pH is acid on the superficial horizons, changing to reducing toward the B textural horizon (Bt), where the pH levels are higher. The main concentrations of U and Th, being the result of the reworking of those associated with the Latosols, by podzolization, and located on the top of horizon Bt (figure 2 and table 4), present higher levels and higher proportions of soluble U in relation to the total contents. These anomalies show higher Us/Ut and lower Th/U ratios compared to the same ratios in the Latosols and more intense gamma manifestations (table 2). They are partially relative and partially absolute, depending on the migration of radionuclides, inclusively in colloidal solution, due to the eluviation-illuviation processes which take place during podzolization. The Hydromorphic Soils predominate in superaqual landscape, where the aeration zone of the aquifer is either thinner or inexistent, and the water-table outcrops or is present at a shallow depth. The geochemical environment works as a reducing agent due to the frequent saturation of the soils and the presence of organic matter (OM), and the pH , in general, ranges from neutral to alkaline. Besides OM, clay phases and Fe compounds with a high cationic exchange capacity are frequently encountered, making up favorable factors for the fixation by adsorption of U originated from eluvial and transeluvial landscapes during latolization and podzolization. The main concentrations are uraniferous and absolute, associated to horizons A0 and A1 of the soils (figure 2), resulting in high ratios Us/Ut, and decreases in Th/U. The gamma radiation emissions are moderate in intensity (table 2). In this landscape, radioactive disequilibrium in the decay series of 238 U, with a negative impact for the gamma radiation intensity, may occur in places near the drainage system. This happens due to the young age of 238 U deposition in these areas, mainly during the podzolization of the Latosols, between 100,000 and 500,000 years, insufficient time for the re-establishment of the secular radioactive equilibrium in the referred series. Hence, the transformation by the action of supergenic processes, mainly the pedogeochemical ones, of rocks with normal contents of U and Th, may result in materials with different distributions and concentrations of these radionuclides, considerably higher than the ones in unaffected rocks (table 3). Even the intensively leached soils, such as the ones of the association Latosol-Podzolic, present a relative increase in the U and Th values, due to the concentration of resistant minerals and their association with oxide, clay and carbon phases of the soils. U and Th distribution and levels of concentration reveal the nature of fixation of these radionuclides in their original hosting phases and their real mobilities in the different geochemical landscapes along the slope. In conclusion, in the present study, the landscapes which show the highest probability of containing high anomalies of U and Th are the transeluvial landscape, on the top of the textural B horizon of the Podzolic Soils, and the eluvial, on the top of the latosolic B horizon of the Latosols. In the superaqual landscape, the anomalies are uraniferous and associated with horizons A0 and A1 of the Hydromorphic Soils (figure 2 and table 2). Consequently, in the referred climatic environment, the action of the geochemical processes which lead to the re-distribution of U and Th, took place concomitantly with the pedogenetic, morphogenetic and hydrogeological ones, throughout the evolution of the landscapes. The main types of U and Th anomalies, types and horizons of the residual soils, elementary geochemical landscapes and geoforms are cronologically and spatially related.


The Kuan Tien (KTN) Field is known for its gas accumulation in the subsurface. Set of 2D seismic data including the post-stack and pre-stack seismic data of the field were supplied along with the well data of the available wells namely KTN-1. KTN-2, KTN-3, KTN-4A and KTN 4B. To find out the extension of the gas reservoir in the subsurface, post-stack and pre-stack seismic inversion were carried out. The result of the seismic inversions successfully located and delineated the gas reservoir in the subsurface indicated by the presence of low impedance layer observed on the inversion outcome. Rock elastic properties such as VpVs, Poisson ratio, Lambda-rho & Mu-rho value and elastic impedance then were extracted from the seismic inversion to characterized the reservoir by generating various cross plotting using the rock properties extracted from the seismic inversion such as Lambda-rho vs Mu-rho cross plot, VpVs vs P-impedance cross plot, Poisson ratio vs P-impedance cross plot. It was found that there is sand layer that exhibits same properties as the gas reservoir sand which could be the potentially overlooked reservoir. Density log and neutron porosity log cross plot was also generated to test out the porosity of the potential overlooked reservoir and the result showed that this zone has a good porosity rate which further confirmed that it is might be a potentially good reservoir that may contains hydrocarbon fluid though further study and investigation should be carried out. Application of spectral decomposition was carried as well for the post-seismic data to test out the gas indications of the gas reservoir of the KTN Field. Based on the yielded result of the spectral decomposition, the gas reservoir is strongly illuminated at iso-frequency of 35Hz, 40Hz and 45Hz. It can be observed below the gas reservoir that might be the seismic attenuation event due to the presence of the gas accumulation which also can be a good indicator of gas filled reservoir sand.


In this letter, we propose a tuned elliptical Lambertian beam (ELB) model to achieve a higher transmission bandwidth than the conventional circular Lambertian beam (CLB) model for indoor optical wireless communication systems. ELB is generated by employing aM°×N° light shaping diffuser, and its power distribution is investigated. We first derive new expressions of the power distribution and the multipath impulse response for ELB. From the precise frequency responses of CLB and ELB sources, we show that the tuned ELB model offers a higher transmission bandwidth than CLB.


According to the drug hybridization principle, a series of novel 1,5-diaryl substituted pyrazole secnidazole ester derivatives (6aa-6gc) have been synthesized by the combinations of various 1,5-diarylpyrazole-3-carboxylic acids with secnidazole. The in vitro antitumor/cytotoxicities activities against tumor and normal cell lines, including NCI-H460 (lung tumor cell), MCG-803 (gastric tumor cell), Skov-3 (ovarian tumor cell), BEL-7404 (liver tumor cell) and HL-7702 (normal liver cell), have been evaluated using MTT assay. All compounds showed promising inhibitory activities against four tumor cell lines. The IC50 of 6bc against the BEL-7404 cell was 2.03 μM, and those of 6fc against the NCI-H460, MCG-803 and Skov-3 were 1.34, 0.14 and 0.87 μM, respectively. All these values were much lower than those of the cisplatin. Furthermore, 6fc and 6bc were also verified to be considerable safe for normal human liver cell, since the lower IC50 values than cisplatin. Based on these results, the cell cycle analysis, apoptosis ratio detection, and mitochondrial membrane potential assay of 6fc and 6bc were further performed aiming to investigate their inhibition mechanism of BEL-7404 cells. It is revealed that they have effectively inhibited the cell growth by arresting the BEL-7404 cells at S phase and induced apoptosis through the mitochondria-mediated pathway.


In the skin epidermis, melanin is produced and stored within melanosomes in melanocytes and then transferred to keratinocytes. Different models have been proposed to explain the melanin transfer mechanism, which differ essentially in how melanin is transferred – either in a membrane-bound melanosome or as a melanosome core, i.e. melanocore. Here we investigated the endocytic route followed by melanocores and melanosomes during internalization by keratinocytes, by comparing the uptake of melanocores isolated from the supernatant of melanocyte cultures with melanosomes isolated from melanocytes. We show that inhibition of actin dynamics impairs the uptake of both melanocores and melanosomes. Moreover, depletion of critical proteins involved in actin-dependent uptake mechanisms, namely Rac1 and CtBP1/BARS, together with inhibition of Rac1-dependent signaling pathways or macropinocytosis suggest that melanocores are internalized by phagocytosis, whereas melanosomes are internalized by macropinocytosis. Furthermore, we confirmed that melanocore, but not melanosome uptake is dependent on the Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) and found that PAR-2 can be specifically activated by melanocores. As skin pigmentation was shown to be regulated by PAR-2 activation, our results further support the melanocore mechanism of melanin transfer and further refine this model, which can now be described as coupled melanocore exo/phagocytosis.


The languages of northern Sarawak are noteworthy for their unusual phonological histories. Even among these, Kiput is exceptional. All North Sarawak languages reflect a split of the Proto-Austronesian voiced obstruents into a series of plain voiced obstruents and a parallel series of phonemic voiced aspirates, and most of the same languages have fronted low vowels after a voiced obstruent, or have developed systems of verbal ablaut from the infixes *-um- and *-in-. On top of these widely shared innovations Kiput shows diachronic evidence for such atypical changes as intervocalic devoicing, lowering of diphthongal nuclei unless a voiced obstruent occurs earlier in the word, *f> s, and possibly postnasal devoicing, as well as synchronic evidence for the spontaneous nasalization of nonlow vowels before final p, t, k (but not glottal stop), constraints on morale structure conditioned by syllable onset, and the alternation of b with s. Although some languages may have undergone more sound changes, or may have m ore radically transformed the shapes of protoforms through heavy phonological erosion, with the possible exception of the Berawan dialects of northern Sarawak the concentration of bizarre sound changes seen in Kiput probably is unrivalled among the more than 1,000 members of the Austronesian language family. ********** 1. BACKGROUND. Kiput is a member of the Berawan-Lower Baram branch of the North Sarawak subgroup of Austronesian (AN) languages, spoken by perhaps 450 people. The entire language community reportedly resides in a single long-house known variously as Long Kiput, Long Tutoh, or Kuala Tutoh, located on the main branch of the Baram River about one kilometer from its junction with the Tutoh in Sarawak's Fourth Division. The nearest major settlements are the Kenyah longhouse of Long Ikang further up the Baram, and the more recent Than settlement of Belahui, some distance up the Tutoh, which probably was established sometime early in the twentieth century. The closest linguistic relatives of Kiput appear to be Belait, spoken in Brunei; Narum; Dali'; and Miri, spoken in the basin of the Baram River and adjacent littoral of Sarawak; and the languages described by Ray (r913) as Lemeting and Lelak, which may now be extinct. Somewhat more distantly related are the Berawan dialects of Long Terawan (perhaps a distinct lang uage), Long Tern, Barn Belah, and Long Jegan; more distant still are the Kelabitic languages, which apparently share a common node with Berawan-Lower Baram below the node that dominates North Sarawak as a whole. (I) Like other members of the North Sarawak group, Kiput has a complex and in many ways surprising historical phonology. Some aspects of the historical phonology of Kiput have been discussed in passing elsewhere (Blust 1969, 1974a, 1997a, 2000), but no comprehensive account of the changes in this language has yet appeared in print. Moreover, although some theoretically unexpected details of Kiput historical phonology are shared with other North Sarawak languages, others are unique, and so justify treating this language as an exemplar of a group of languages that exhibit an unusually large number of bizarre sound changes. 2. A SKETCH OF THE SYNCHRONIC PHONOLOGY. To date very little has been published on this language. Ray (1913) contains a vocabulary of somewhat over 200 items in a phonemically inadequate transcription, and scattered data appear in various of the writer's earlier publications. Before examining the historical phonology of Kiput, it will be useful to provide an outline of the synchronic phonology of the language. A much fuller account of the phonology and morphology, together with a vocabulary of over 930 words and more than 400 sentences, is found in Blust (to appear). Table 1 lists the consonant phonemes of Kiput. The phoneme c is a voiceless palatal affricate. The glottal stop is written as "? …


The protective effect of carvedilol on abnormality of L-type calcium current induced by oxygen free radical in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes was studied. Whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to study the effect of H2 O2 (0.5 mmol/L) on L-type calcium current in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes and the action of pretreatment with carvedilol (0.5 μmol/L). 0.5μmol/L carvedilol had no significant effect on ICa,L and its channel dynamics. In the presence of 0.5 mmol/L H2O2, peak current of ICa,L was reduced significantly (P<0.001), the I-V curve of Ica,L was shifted upward, steady-state activation curve and steady-state deactivation curve of ICa,L were shifted left and recovery time of ICa,L was delayed significantly (P<0. 001). 0. 5 μmol/L carvedilol significantly alleviated the inhibitory effect of H2O2 on ICa,L as compared with that in H2O2 group (P<0.01). In addition, carvedilol reversed the changes of dynamics of ICa,L induced by H2O2. It was concluded that carvedilol could alleviate the abnormality of L-type calcium current induced by oxygen free radical in cardiomyocytes. It shows partly the possible mechanism of the special availability of carvedilol in chronic heart failure.


PURPOSE
Demonstrating the effectiveness of nutrition counselling is imperative, not only to promote successful patient outcomes but also to secure funding. This study therefore assessed the value and effectiveness of nutrition counselling.

METHODS
To measure clients' perceptions of the value of inpatient counselling, the Clients' Perceptions about Nutrition Counselling (CPNC) instrument was administered to 164 clients one week after hospital discharge. To determine if inpatient nutrition counselling is effective in promoting changes in eating behaviours, the same clients were asked to complete the Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) before counselling and then at three and six months following discharge.

RESULTS
The majority of respondents who completed the CPNC indicated that the information provided by the dietitian was useful, that the dietitian was knowledgeable, and that they knew what to eat after speaking with the dietitian and had changed their diet according to the recommendations. From the HHHQ, respondents counselled for heart health diet modifications (n = 45) significantly lowered their intake of energy (p<0.002), fat, saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol (all p<0.001) over time.

CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that inpatient nutrition counselling is perceived as valuable and results in positive dietary behaviours, the majority of which are sustained at six months.


An efficient, metal-free approach to 3-substituted 3-hydroxyoxindole by DBU-mediated highly diastereoselective addition of aryl acetonitrile to N-protected isatin under mild conditions has been developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly to produce respective cyanomethylated adducts in good yield and excellent diastereoselectivity. Further transformation of the cyanide group allowed the synthesis of an advance intermediate of corresponding (±) CPC analogue. The mechanistic insight toward the aldol-type cyanomethylation of N-tritylisatin with benzyl cyanide was obtained by DFT calculations.


Biodiversity hotspots of the world are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic pressures and resulting ecosystem breakdowns. However, biotic surveys for ecological status assessment are rarely conducted in poorly characterised, yet highly diverse ecosystems in the tropics and subtropics. Here, we addressed the challenge of developing a monitoring system for the highland streams of the Indo-Burmese biodiversity hotspot in Bangladesh, using a meta-barcoding approach to investigate the impacts of growing anthropogenic pressures on poorly studied invertebrate communities. Species richness and beta diversity in the region were correlated with anthropogenic stressors that varied greatly between sampling sites. A partial-network approach allowed us to identify potential indicator species for either a good or poor ecological status. Overall, our results document high species richness and pronounced responses to disturbance in these unexplored, but threatened habitats. In combination with classical taxonomy approaches, metabarcoding can therefore serve as a valuable tool to rapidly generate lacking baseline information facilitating the conservation of vulnerable ecosystems. ‡ § | ¶ © Vogler A et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Presenting author Alfried Vogler Presented at 1st DNAQUA International Conference (March 9-11, 2021) 2 Vogler A et al


The issue of global warming has become one of the hottest topics in our world today and the reason is because of the increasing fear of its adverse effects. There is a growing consensus today that the increased emission of green house gases especially carbon dioxides (CO2) which is believed to have increased by about 30% since the Industrial Revolution, are responsible for the overall warming of our planet. The emission of CO2 is attributed to the high rate of energy consumption from burning of fossil fuel such as coal, oil and gas by the major industrialized nations. By global indices of classification, Nigeria is not an industrialized country. However, owing to its large population and the proliferation of alternative means of energy from fuel combustion machines, Nigeria is feared to be a major contributor to global warming. However, there are no reliable data to ascertain the amount of CO2 that is emitted in the country. The purpose of our study is to accumulate a database of CO2 emission in Nigeria especially as there is already a report by scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the U.S that the effects of global warming are for the first time, visible on a regional scale. In this preliminary report, we demonstrated the theoretical and the experiment approaches of estimating the amount of CO2 that is emitted in a place (or town) and the prospect of using this methodology to obtain a database CO2 emission in Nigeria.


Developments in theory and research on postsecondary institutions as organizations are proceeding in many different directions, threatening to fragment this critical area of research. This article examines the major developments and identifies dilemmas in theory development, research methods, organizational behavior context, relating theory to practice, and identifying professional colleagues. These areas need to be understood and addressed to assure the continued, integrated development of postsecondary organization theory and research.


The occurrence of the Dirofilaria immitis in Brazil has been registered in several States, with indexes of varied prevalence. The recent information on the vectors incriminated Aedes scapularis and A. taeniorhynchus as primary and confirmed the participation of Culex quinquefasciatus as secondary in the transmission of the D. immitis. The capture of A. aegypti in peridomiciliar environment during observations entomology took to question on us the vectorial competence of that insect in transmitting the agent of dirofilariosis. The evaluation revealed that groups different from that species possess high vectorial competence for D. immitis.


cAMP-induced ion transport in a human sweat gland cell line, NCL-SG3, was investigated by X-ray microanalysis and patch-clamp technique. Stimulation with cAMP caused a decrease in the cellular Cl and K. cAMP had no significant effect on the intracellular Na and Ca. Chloride channel blockers (9-AC, DPC and NPPB) inhibited the cAMP-induced chloride efflux. In patch-clamp experiments the inward current increased over a period of 5-15 min on addition of membrane-permeable cAMP in 66% of the attempts when the cell was held at 0 mV and pulsed to negative membrane potentials. The inward current was completely blocked by chloride channel blockers. Washout reversed the effect of cAMP. The inward current was not diminished by substitution of impermeable cations for Na in the bath and was insensitive to TEA (tetraethylammoniumchloride). It is concluded that the inward current is mainly a chloride current. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) could not be demonstrated in the NCL-SG3 cells. It is therefore possible that the chloride efflux is mediated by other types of chloride channels.


Background

As the COVID-19 outbreak influenced teaching in China, Chinese medical colleges and universities carried out massive online education with the participants of more than one million students on the for-profit or non-profit big–data teaching platforms, based on existing online teaching resources and other ways such as MOOC, Micro-course, Live-course and interactive discussion.
Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted via two rounds of 56-in-total questions on overall situations, platforms, teaching methods, training, teachers and students' experiences, and encountered problems for 1747 teachers and 7223 students, which involved 741 courses. Comparative analysis was done on the survey results.
Results

A majority of teachers and students were satisfied with teaching platforms and effects; large commercial teaching platforms could provide better services; 67.21% of teachers and 64.67% of students preferred live teaching; only 76.84% of teachers and 58.69% of students were systematically trained; weak network, lack of training, overcrowded access to teaching platforms, lack of interaction, lack of efficient real-time evaluation and fatigue were current difficulties.
Conclusions

Good results of massive distance online education and teachers and students' satisfaction with teaching platform performance show that online education can be used as a main means to replace traditional classroom education in emergency situations.


In this review of estimation problems in restricted parameter spaces, we focus through a series of illustrations on a number of methods that have proven to be successful. These methods relate to the decision-theoretic aspects of admissibility and minimaxity, as well as to the determination of dominating estimators of inadmissible procedures obtained for instance from the criteria of unbiasedness, maximum likelihood, or minimum risk equivariance. Finally, we accompany the presentation of these methods with various related historical developments.


Due to recent advances in computing technologies, numerical modelling of thermal-hydraulic two-phase flows is becoming increasingly important in the computational sciences and engineering fields, to the point where these flows frequently approximated by a variety of computer algorithms. These approximations are due to certain advantages that are associated with numerical modelling. Numerical two-phase flow modelling is often much less expensive than mathematical models since they require no detailed physical stabilization and can be easily adapted to accommodate flow properties of interest. Further, all the required tools for simulations is the computer machine and software or numerical methods and many researchers know how to interpret the results. Although many numerical thermal-hydraulic two-phase flow models exist, there is always a level of difficulty associated with non-equilibrium behavior between phases leading mathematical and physical restrictions within the results. This work present some numerical results of an ongoing project that cover a wide range of fundamental investigations related to thermal-hydraulic two-phase flows of nuclear power plants. Fluid flows of such plants are commonly investigated by separated two-phase flow equations. However, these flows can also be studied by means two-phase mixture flows. A mathematical model for gas and liquid flows is presented in which mixture formulations are incorporated. This model enables the non-equilibrium phenomena between the two-phase flows and allow consideration of phase transients. Further, it provides the capability to explicitly investigate the relative motion between different phases by a balance equation rather than a source term appearing in the momentum equations of the individual phases. The governing equations, therefore, include a mixture mass, mixture momentum and mixture energy, and another set of equations represents the volume fraction and mass fraction for the gas phase and the relative velocity between the gas and liquid phases. In these equations, the conservative nature feature the resulting mathematical model among currently used two-phase fluid flow models. The equations also are fully hyperbolic without any physical stabilization and enables the use of any numerical method of interest. The model is numerically solved on the basis of the Riemann problem using Godunov methods of centred type. This solution becomes appropriate since it leads to making the relative velocity visible which is an advanced computational feature for thermal-hydraulic two-phase flows. The model provides successful results at high phase velocities with low and high void fractions. It is found that the inclusion of the relative velocity balance equation into the two-phase flow mixture equation produce physically realistic solutions for strong relative motion between the liquid and gas phases. Results are compared with other available numerical methods producing accurate, efficient and free from numerical dissipation and dispersion computations. Simulation and test results show that the model equations can effectively simulate non-equilibrium thermal-hydraulic two-phase flows, which may broaden the possible application areas of mixture formulations of two-phase flows such as Pressurized water reactor (PWR) and Light water reactor (LWR).


Augmented Reality (AR) is a relatively new technology and is increasingly being posited as an educational game-changer, particularly - but not exclusively - in language learning. On a scale where the virtual and real world sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, AR sits in-between, combining real world elements with virtual overlays. Research suggests that an obstacle to English language learning in countries where English is not the first language (EFL) is a lack of authentic situations outside of the classroom for practising English communication skills. AR technology, by combining elements of real-life and virtual content could potentially overcome some of these limitations. However, as with all technologies, the use of AR in the classroom is not only confined to the learner, but also largely dependent on the willingness and skills of teachers to utilise it effectively. This study hopes to shed some light on the possible uses, benefits, and challenges that AR may present to the field of EFL learning in an Egyptian International Baccalaureate (IB) school.


This paper describes the production and calibration of a miniature psychrometer treated with a specially developed porous coating. The investigation was conducted to determine localized patterns of rapidly changing temperature and relative humidity in dynamic flowing gas environments (e.g., with particular attention to future applications to the human respiratory system). The technique involved the use of dry miniature thermocouples and wetted miniature thermocouples coated with boron nitride to act as a wicking material. A precision humidity generator was developed for calibrating the psychrometer. It was found that, in most cases, the measured and expected (i.e., theoretically predicted) relative humidity agreed to within 0.5 to 1.0 percent relative humidity. Procedures that would decrease this discrepancy even further were pinpointed, and advantages of using the miniature psychrometer were assessed.


Innovative systems and infrastructures require generally accepted common compatibility standards to enable components of such systems to interoperate. In some cases, various standards are developed by competing standards organizations, often resulting in standards battles. This paper focuses on factors that affect the outcome of these standards battles, and, specifically, on the effect of the structure of the industry‐wide standards networks on standard dominance. The empirical context is the consumer electronics, telecommunications, and ICT arenas. We conduct a study of 103 standards organizations from 2000 to 2011. We find support for the hypothesis that standards that are supported by standards organizations that have a central position in the industry‐wide standards network have a high chance of achieving dominance.


Objective: To evaluate the pre-, intra- and postoperative data of ruptured thoracoabdominal aneurysms operated at Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Methods: A retrospective study of five patients submitted to repair of ruptured thoracoabdominal aneurysm at Hospital de Clinicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas from September 2000 to April 2004. All patients presented a ruptured type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm, and four of them were hemodynamically stable. Three patients were operated by the simple supraceliac aortic clamping and saline solution infusion at 4 oC in the renal arteries; one patient died during the surgery before the aneurysm was opened; and one patient was operated by perfusion of oxygenated blood in the visceral arteries. Results: Of the five patients operated, two died (40%). One of them presented hemodynamic instability and died during the surgery; the other patient died on the 26 th postoperative day due to multiple organ failure. All three surviving patients progressed well, with no sequelae. Among patients who were taken to the operating room hemodynamically stable, the mortality rate was 25%. Conclusions: Patients with ruptured type IV thoracoabdominal aneurysm, hemodynamically stable, achieved satisfactory surgical results, similar to infrarenal ruptured aneurysms.


Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is an appearance-based feature extraction technique that is widely used in facial recognition system which suffers from illumination conditions, thus the challenge of knowing which illumination control methods to be used in facial recognition system based on PCA algorithm is very important. This paper compared the performance of Principal Component Analysis based face recognition using illumination normalization techniques: Histogram Equalization (HE), Adaptive Histogram Equalization (AHE) and Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE). The evaluation of the performance of the developed system was done comparatively in terms of false acceptance rate, false rejection rate and recognition rate. The best recognition rate of 83.67% was achieved in AHE for ORL, the effective false acceptance rate (FAR) of 20% was recorded in CLAHE with FERET database and also effective false recognition rate (FRR) of 10% was obtained in CLAHE for FERET database.Keywords: Histogram Equalization, Adaptive Histogram Equalization, Contrast Adaptive Limited Histogram Equalization, Principal Component Analysis


Incest basically is the most irritating sexual violence behavior, yet the most difficult to be found as frequently the victims are in weak position and their consider it as sin that have to be covered. Consequently, incest does not only cause chaos in genetical and family-tree hierarchy, but also deep traumatic experience for the victims.


Hyporheic and groundwater fluxes typically occur together in permeable sediments beneath flowing stream water. However, streambed water fluxes quantified using the thermal method are usually interpreted as representing either groundwater or hyporheic fluxes. Our purpose was to improve understanding of co‐occurring groundwater and hyporheic fluxes using streambed temperature measurements and analysis of one‐dimensional heat transport in shallow streambeds. First, we examined how changes in hyporheic and groundwater fluxes affect their relative magnitudes by reevaluating previously published simulations. These indicated that flux magnitudes are largely independent until a threshold is crossed, past which hyporheic fluxes are diminished by much larger (1000‐fold) groundwater fluxes. We tested accurate quantification of co‐occurring fluxes using one‐dimensional approaches that are appropriate for analyzing streambed temperature data collected at field sites. The thermal analytical method, which uses an analytical solution to the one‐dimensional heat transport equation, was used to analyze results from a numerical heat transport model, in which hyporheic flow was represented as increased thermal dispersion at shallow depths. We found that co‐occurring groundwater and hyporheic fluxes can be quantified in streambeds, although not always accurately. For example, using a temperature time series collected in a sandy streambed, we found that hyporheic and groundwater flow could both be detected when thermal dispersion due to hyporheic flow was significant compared to thermal conduction. We provide guidance for when thermal data can be used to quantify both hyporheic and groundwater fluxes, and we show that neglecting thermal dispersion may affect accuracy and interpretation of estimated streambed water fluxes.


Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus) is a male-sterile, triploid flower crop, and source of the spice and colorant saffron. For over three millennia, it was cultivated across the Mediterranean, including ancient Greece, Persia, and other cultures, later spreading all over the world. Despite saffron crocus' early omnipresence, its origin has been the matter of a century-old debate, in terms of area and time as well as parental species contribution. While remnants of the ancient arts, crafts, and texts still provide hints on its origin, modern genetics has the potential to efficiently follow these leads, thus shedding light on new possible lines of descent. In this review, we follow ancient arts and recent genetics to trace the evolutionary origin of saffron crocus. We focus on the place and time of saffron domestication and cultivation, and address its presumed autopolyploid origin involving cytotypes of wild Crocus cartwrightianus. Both ancient arts from Greece, Iran, and Mesopotamia as well as recent cytogenetic and comparative next-generation sequencing approaches point to saffron's emergence and domestication in ancient Greece, showing how both disciplines converge in tracing its origin.


This paper proposes a Direct Matrix Converter operating as a Unified Power Flow Controller (DMC-UPFC) with an advanced control method for UPFC, based on the Lyapunov direct method, presenting good results in power quality assessment. This control method is used for real-time calculation of the appropriate matrix switching state, determining which switching state should be applied in the following sampling period. The control strategy takes into account active and reactive power flow references to choose the vector converter closest to the optimum. Theoretical principles for this new real-time vector modulation and control applied to the DMC-UPFC with input filter are established. The method needs DMC-UPFC dynamic equations to be solved just once in each control cycle, to find the required optimum vector, in contrast to similar control methods that need 27 vector estimations per control cycle. The designed controller's performance was evaluated using Matlab/Simulink software. Controllers were also implemented using a digital signal processing (DSP) system and matrix hardware. Simulation and experimental results show decoupled transmission line active (P) and reactive (Q) power control with zero theoretical error tracking and fast response. Output currents and voltages show small ripple and low harmonic content.


Based on the dynamic analysis of insect community structure characteristics, an investigation was conducted on the composition, abundance, and stability of wheat aphids and their major natural enemies in the wheat field adjacent to rape field in Handan City, Hebei Province in 2008-2009. The wheat and rape fields had the similar composition of insect communities. The main pests were aphids, their predatory natural enemies included ladybirds, green lacewings, spiders, and hover flies, and their parasitic natural enemies were wasps. In 2008-2009, the composition of insect communities in the wheat and rape fields had definite changes, but the common features were the lowest abundance of aphids and the highest abundance of predatory and parasitic natural enemies in wheat field adjacent to rape field. The insect community, aphid sub-community, and predatory natural enemy' s sub-community had a high stability in the wheat field adjacent to rape field and a low stability far from the rape field, suggesting that planting wheat adjacent to rape could effectively protect and make use of the natural enemies and promote their control ability on wheat aphids in wheat field.


The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), investments in lignocellulosic biorefineries by both the Department of Energy (DOE) and commercial entities, as well as many other market, security, and policy drivers, have increased public interest in harvesting nongrain biomass (i.e., crop residues) from our lands. This interest is positive because it is creating investment and entrepreneurial opportunities in many rural communities. However, it has also raised concern among many conservationists because some proponents of lignocellulosic energy may not realize how many important ecosystem services crop residues provide to the land. Crop residues on the soil surface are the first line of defense against the erosive forces of wind and rain. Residues also provide the building blocks for soil organic matter (SOM). As SOM is increased, crop nutrients are cycled more efficiently, soil micro- and macroaggregates are created, soil structure is stabilized, and soil water retention is increased. All these soil functions contribute to increasing crop productivity, water quality and quantity, and air quality. Furthermore, because SOM is >50% carbon (C), building SOM partially mitigates rising levels of an important greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) by C sequestration. Fortunately, the scientific information base needed to answer the difficult questions of "if,…


We have used the chromatin immunoprecipitation technique to analyze the formation of the androgen receptor (AR) transcription complex onto prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and kallikrein 2 promoters in LNCaP cells. Our results show that loading of holo-AR and recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the promoters occur transiently. The cyclic nature of AR transcription complex assembly is also illustrated by transient association of coactivators GRIP1 and CREB-binding protein and acetylated histone H3 with the PSA promoter. Treatment of cells with the pure antiandrogen bicalutamide also elicits occupancy of the promoter by AR. In contrast to the agonist-liganded AR, bicalutamide-bound receptor is not capable of recruiting polymerase II, GRIP1, or CREB-binding protein, indicating that the conformation of AR bound to anti-androgen is not competent to assemble transcription complexes. Proteasome is involved in the regulation of AR-dependent transcription, as a proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, prevents the release of the receptor from the PSA promoter, and it also blocks the androgen-induced PSA mRNA accumulation. Furthermore, occupancy of the PSA promoter by the 19 S proteasome subcomplex parallels that by AR. Collectively, formation of the AR transcription complex, encompassing AR, polymerase II, and coactivators, on a regulated promoter is a cyclic process involving proteasome function.


On the autumn of 1944, when the Soviet troops entered Hungary and quickly pushed toward Budapest, the government was taken over by Hungarian Nazis - backed by the SS and the Wehrmacht. The new government attempted to evacuate all public administration including ministries, various offices, institutions of higher education, the gold reserve, the Crown etc. and equipment to Germany. A governmental decree located as a centre of Hungarian medical education Halle an der Saale. The students of the recently organized "shortened courses" were forced to leave their homeland and finish their studies in the Reich. Author - being a witness and victim of these events - gives a detailed and vivid report of the troubles, circumstances and losses of the Hungarian community in Germany. Later on he discusses also the offences, and unfounded accusations students had to suffer, when retiring home. The article has been the first one describing these events from viewpoint of the medical students, for almost sixty years.


The aim of this study was to determine correlation of plasma lipids profile with testicular histology parameters in Ross-308 broiler breeder roosters. This study was performed on 12 male ross 308 broiler breeder. Blood samples were collected from a wing vein to measure plasma lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL lipoproteins, cholesterol, and glucose). The concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, HDL were measured by spectrophotometric method using commercial kits of pars azmoon co. though, glucose concentration was measured by electrochemical method using glucose monitoring system. For testicular histology study (endocrine parameters of the testis); the 5 μ m paraffin cross sections of testis tissue was used. The data were analyzed by the Pearson correlation test. Our results showed that the plasma HDL values were positively correlated with the number of leydig cells (r=0.73; p<0.01), the number of spermatogonia cells (r=0.92; p<0.001), seminiferous epithelium thickness (r=0.86; p<0.001) and diameter of seminiferous tubules (r=0.62; p<0.001). Also, plasma cholesterol and glucose values were negatively correlated with the number of the leydig cells (r=-0.78; p<0.01 ؛ r=-0.69; p<0.001), spermatogonia cells number (r=-0.68; p<0.001 ؛ r=-0.72; p<0.01), seminiferous epithelium thickness (r=-0.80; p<0.01 ؛ r=-0.82; p<0.001), and diameter of seminiferous tubules (r=-0.80; p<0.01 ؛ r=-0.82; p<0.001). Plasma LDL value also had a negative correlation with the number of spermatogonia cells (r= -0.39; p<0.001), and also, diameter of seminiferous tubules (r= -0.69; p<0.01). Plasma triglyceride values was negatively correlated with the number of spermatogonia cells (r= -0.79; p<0.001), and seminiferous epithelium thickness (r= -0.76; p<0.01). In conclusion, HDL lipoprotein had a positive correlation with testicular histology indexes, on the other hand, triglyceride, cholesterol, lipoprotein LDL, and glucose showed a negative correlation with that.


Dietary intervention is an important approach in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Over the last decade, some studies have suggested that a calcium-rich diet could help to control body weight, with anti-obesity effects. The potential mechanism underlying the impact of calcium on body fat has been investigated, but it is not fully understood. Recent evidence has also suggested that a calcium-rich diet could have beneficial effects on other cardiovascular risk factors, such as insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension and inflammatory states. In a series of studies, it was observed that a high intake of milk and/or dairy products (the main sources of dietary calcium) is associated with a reduction in the relative risk of cardiovascular disease. However, a few studies suggest that supplemental calcium (mainly calcium carbonate or citrate) may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. This review will discuss the available evidence regarding the relationship between calcium intake (dietary and supplemental) and different cardiovascular risk factors and/or events.


A decrease in the refractive index of water in its transparency region caused by irradiation by high-power 100-ps pulses from a 2.94-μm erbium laser is found and measured. The possible reasons for this phenomenon are discussed.


, Tae-il Seo*AbstractIt is very difficult to determine suitable cutting conditions in order to obtain accurate cutting profiles because machining errors caused by tool deflection depend upon cutting conditions. In this study the relationship between real cutting profiles (inclined shapes and machining errors) and cutting conditions was modeled in order to fabricate draft angle on micro molds. CCD (Central Composite Design) of DOE (Design Of Experiment) and RSM (Response Surface Method) were applied in order to model the relationship between cutting conditions and machining errors. In order to use CCD the range of radial depth of cut was chosen by 10-90㎛ and the range of feedrate was chosen by 200-300mm/min, and 9 points of cutting conditions were chosen inside determined ranges. Then, actual cutting processes were carried out as respect to 9 points of cutting conditions, draft angles and real cutting profiles were measured on cutting profiles, each response surface function was determined by conducting response surface analysis and the functions were represented by 3-dimensional graphs, contour lines and 101×101 matrices. Consequently it is possible to determine suitable cutting conditions in order to obtain arbitrary given draft angles and cutting profiles by using modeling. To validate proposed approach in this study suitable cutting conditions were determined by modeling in order to obtain arbitrary given draft angle and cutting profile, and actual cutting processes were carried out. About 95% of good agreement between predicted and measured values was obtained.


Purpose The effectiveness of barcode‐assisted medication preparation (BCMP) technology on detecting oral liquid dose preparation errors. Methods From June 1, 2013, through May 31, 2014, a total of 178,344 oral doses were processed at Children's Mercy, a 301‐bed pediatric hospital, through an automated workflow management system. Doses containing errors detected by the system's barcode scanning system or classified as rejected by the pharmacist were further reviewed. Errors intercepted by the barcode‐scanning system were classified as (1) expired product, (2) incorrect drug, (3) incorrect concentration, and (4) technological error. Pharmacist‐rejected doses were categorized into 6 categories based on the root cause of the preparation error: (1) expired product, (2) incorrect concentration, (3) incorrect drug, (4) incorrect volume, (5) preparation error, and (6) other. Results Of the 178,344 doses examined, 3,812 (2.1%) errors were detected by either the barcode‐assisted scanning system (1.8%, n = 3,291) or a pharmacist (0.3%, n = 521). The 3,291 errors prevented by the barcode‐assisted system were classified most commonly as technological error and incorrect drug, followed by incorrect concentration and expired product. Errors detected by pharmacists were also analyzed. These 521 errors were most often classified as incorrect volume, preparation error, expired product, other, incorrect drug, and incorrect concentration. Conclusion BCMP technology detected errors in 1.8% of pediatric oral liquid medication doses prepared in an automated workflow management system, with errors being most commonly attributed to technological problems or incorrect drugs. Pharmacists rejected an additional 0.3% of studied doses.


In general, dyes that are used in daily life using synthetic dyes. One material that can be used for natural pigment are from saga seeds (Adenanthera pavonina L). Saga (Adenanthera pavonina L) is a tree that has small red seeds which is one source of anthocyanin which can be used as natural dyes, antioxidants and anticarcinogens. In this research aims to find the type of solvent and the best extraction time used for the extraction of anthocyanin from saga seeds. Extraction of anthocyanin  from saga seeds used soxhletation method. The variables this research there are the type of solvent (5% citric acid 5% and citric acid 5% (w/v)) and the extraction time (30, 60, 120 minutes). The parameters used are qualitative and quantitative analysis (total yield, total anthocyanin concentration, antioxidant activity, intensity colour and lethal concentration of anthocyanin toxicity in extracts). The result observationaling show that the extraction from saga seeds that have best characteristics in aquadest-citric acid 5% solvent extract yield with extraction time 120 minutes 64.448% (w/w), total anthocyanin with extractions time 120 minutes 100.026 (mg/L), color intensity with extraction time 60 minutes 0.528, antioxidant activity (IC50) 11.622 ppm and toxicity activity with extraction time 60 minutes 63.326 ppm.


In support to policy formulation of fisheries in Agusan Marsh, a stock assessment was conducted for the period of May 2014 to December 2016 using the data collected from Lapaz and Talacogon, Agusan del Sur within the Agusan Marsh. Results showed that Lapaz contributed 54% of the catch over Talacogon. A total of eighteen species, belonging to 13 genera and 11 families with 7 native and 11 introduced species were found in the marsh. Majority of the total catch consisted of Channa striata, Oreochromis niloticus, and Cyprinus carpio (35%, 27%, and 26%, respectively). Osphronemus laticlavius, Glossogobius celebius and Mugil cephalus were listed as seasonal species. An invasive janitor fish (Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus) was observed as by-catch. A strong pattern of high catch rates occurred during the rainy months of January, February, June, and December. Ten types of commonly used fishing gears were found, majority of which include fish pots, set gillnets, electrofishing and set long lines. Multivariate analysis showed similarity in species composition both in Lapaz and Talacogon. Exploitation of dominant species showed unsustainable level for O. niloticus, C. batrachus, C. caprio, andC. gariepinus, mainly due to excessive capture of immaturesized fishes by major fishing gears. The estimated exploitation rate is beyond the optimum level for O. niloticus and C. carpio in both years and followed by C. striata and C. gariepinus in 2016. Only C. bartachus is estimated to be exploited below the optimum level. Generally, the key species in Agusan Marsh are at risk of overfishing, hence, immediate policy measures must be given high attention.

http://www.nfrdi.da.gov.ph/tpjf/vol27/Status of Fisheries in Agusan Marsh Lapaz and Talacogon.pdf


Key-words. - Temnopleuridae, Arbaciidae, Marsupiate echinoids, Pliocene,Vendee. Abstract. - New investigations in the Pliocene deposits of Challans (Vendee) have allowed to collect more than 3000 marsupiate echinoids, remarkably preserved. So, apical systems, especially the marsupium of the breeding temno- pleurids T. (V.) bigoti and C. bardini, have been described and figured for the first time with complete specimens. Two new marsupiate species have been described: Arbacina hugueti nov. sp., third marsupiate species of the genus Arbacina to be known in the Neogene of western France after A. emmae NERAUDEAU, 2003 from the Messinian of Brittany and A. pareyni ROMAN, 1983 from the Pliocene of Normandy; Tremaster romani, new species and genus of temnopleurid, cha- racterised by an uncommon supra-ambital tuberculation, with excressences of the test surrounding scrobiculated tuber- cles. A third new marsupiate echinoid, Coptechinus sp. A, has been found too, but it is very difficult to know if it is a new species or a new morphotype of C. bardini. Contrarily to previous interpretations, this study points out the high diversity of western European Neogene marsupiate echinoids, a diversity comparable to the one of Australian Neogene marsupiate echinoids. However, breeding species from Australia and western Europe are clearly different and similarities exist between these two marsupiate echinofaunas at the family level only. Indeed, both in Australia and western Europe, the breeding species of echinoids mainly belong to the temnopleurid family, with the austral genus Paradoxechinus, on the one side, the north European genera Temnotrema and Coptechinus, on the other side. Moreover, the arbaciids consist of three marsupiate species of the genus Arbacina in Europe when no breeding species of this family exist in Australia. On the contrary, sev- eral breeding irregular echinoids have been found in the Australian Tertiary deposits (Spatangoids and Clypeasteroids) when not any marsupiate irregular echinoid has been discovered at present in the western Europe Neogene deposits.


Conventional pulsed power sources using gas switches suffer from short lifetime, low PRF and expensive maintenance cost. Many all solid-state generator topologies have been developed to replace them. Marx modulator utilizing IGBTs as main switches has many advantages, such as variable pulse length and PRF, snubberless operation, inherent redundancy. However, the relatively slow turn-on speed of IGBT influences the pulse rise time of the Marx modulator. In this paper, a newly developed all solid-state pulsed power generator is proposed. This generator consists of a Marx modulator based on IGBT half bridge modules and a magnetic pulse sharpening circuit, which is employed to compress the rising edge of the Marx output pulse. The pulse sharpening circuit is composed of two magnetic compression switches and one peaking capacitor. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of pulse sharpening. The design of IGBT drive circuits and magnetic switches is introduced in detail in this paper.


Abstract. We consider a classical problem of a capillary neck between a parabolic body and a plane with a small amount of liquid in between. In the state of thermodynamic equilibrium, the contact area between the bodies and the liquid layer has a circular shape. However, if the bodies are forced to slowly move in the tangential direction, the shape will change due to the hysteresis of the contact angle. We discuss the form of the contact area under two limiting assumptions about the friction law in the boundary line.


We present by this article the result of an investigation carried out with public schools teachers of the city of Caceres-MT. The text is part of a research under the heading The supervised training in teacher formation: pedagogical practice of the trainees from the vision of the teachers in the rural school. In our analyses we presented the conception of the supervised training related to the teachers' thought and the evaluation of such teachers about positive aspects they consider in this practice. The methodology used has as assumption of research the qualitative research, with the application of a questionnaire for 62 teachers from elementary and high public schools in the city of Caceres-MT. The perspectives pointed here lead us to the understanding of the challenges faced in the teacher formation through the relationship between the school and the university for the realization of the Supervised Training.


In deregulated power systems ancillary services including reactive power supply are unbundled for transparency and accurate cost identification. Sufficient reactive power supply is essential for secure operation of power systems. Reactive power is supplied by generation-based and static reactive power sources and is used for two purposes: direct consumption at loads and system-wide voltage management. The task of the system operator is to identify which part of reactive power is supplied by any source and who consumes this. Accordingly, revenue is collected from consumers and distributed among reactive power providers. Therefore an appropriate and transparent reactive power pricing scheme will encourage more generators to participate in reactive power market, increasing stability of the system because of increased reactive power availability. However, existing reactive power allocation methods do not always provide unquestionable results. The proposed circuit theory-based method identifies different reactive power sources and allocates the amount of reactive power provided to different sources by using an improved Y-bus technique along with proportional or equal sharing principle. Line charging reactance present in transmission line supplies reactive power to the system, which is identified as a separate reactive power source for the first time in this study and the proposed method, offers a part of revenue to system operator for supplying reactive power to the system by means of this line charging reactance. By doing so, the proposed method eliminates some important drawbacks of existing allocation methods. The method is tested on different IEEE systems and also a 400 KV practical system.


We describe a semiclassical approach to estimating the absorption of electromagnetic radiation by small conducting spheres, in which the motion of the charge carriers is ballistic. The results are strikingly different between the cases of rough and smooth walled particles. For a rough walled particle the absorption coefficient is proportional to omega 2 in the low-frequency limit. For a smooth walled sphere the absorption coefficient has a low-frequency cut-off at omega c, the angular frequency of a circumferential 'whispering gallery' classical orbit of a carrier at the Fermi surface. At frequencies above omega c the spectrum consists of a sequence of overlapping resonance bands which combine to give an absorption coefficient proportional to omega 2 only for omega >> omega c.


The steps necessary to derive the regression differential equations for a set of unknown parameters are presented. A simple straight-line algebraic regression problem is re viewed. A real problem, that of finding the aerodynamic stability derivatives for the lateral equations of motion of an airplane, is presented. Preliminary results, using real airplane transient time histories, are compared with simu lated transients obtained using wind-tunnel values for the stability derivatives.


Beyond the usual energy efficiency of buildings, industrial energy efficiency involves major politico-economical and environmental challenges, among which the emergence of eco-industrial parks and symbioses. Solving these challenges require reliable methodologies and tools. Having interviewed some major industrial energy stakeholders, it appeared that despite of their motivation, energy efficiency projects were not really successful because of the difficulty in identifying adequate simulation methodologies and/or tools. Moreover, in spite of multiple research projects in industrial energy efficiency, it seems that previous research works do not sufficiently support a systematic and integration view.In this paper, we propose a critical review and a categorization of energy efficiency research methodologies and tools. The analysis of these solutions results in the building of an inventory of more than 50 modeling and simulation software tools. Furthermore, a positing matrix is designed in order to map energy efficiency solutions according to identified granularity levels of industrial systems as well as their marketing maturity level.© 2014 ASME


OBJECTIVES
To provide clinicians with a quantitative human gait analysis tool suitable for routine use.

METHODS
We evaluated the reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity of gait analysis based on measurements of acceleration at a point near the center of gravity of the body. Two accelerometers held over the middle of the low back by a semi-elastic belt were used to record craniocaudal and side-to-side accelerations at a frequency of 50 Hz. Subjects were asked to walk at their normal speed to the end of a straight 40 meter-long hospital corridor and back. A 20-second period of stabilized walking was used to calculate cycle frequency, stride symmetry, and stride regularity. Symmetry and regularity were each derived from an auto-correlation coefficient; to convert their distribution from nonnormal to normal, Fisher's Z transformation was applied to the auto-coefficients for these two variables. Intraobserver reproducibility was evaluated by asking the same observer to test 16 controls on three separate occasions at two-day intervals and interobserver reproducibility by asking four different observers to each test four controls (Latin square). Specificity and sensitivity were determined by testing 139 controls and 63 patients. The 139 controls (70 women and 69 men) were divided into five age groups (third through seventh decades of life). The 63 patients had a noninflammatory musculoskeletal condition predominating on one side. ROC curves were used to determine the best cutoffs for separating normal from abnormal values.

RESULTS
Neither intra- nor interobserver variability was significant (P > 0.05). Cycle frequency was significantly higher in female than in male controls (1.05 +/- 0.06 versus 0.98 +/- 0.05 cycles/s; P < 0.001). Neither symmetry nor regularity were influenced by gender in the controls; both variables were also unaffected by age, although nonsignificant decreases were found in the 61 to 70-year age group, which included only nine subjects. In the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve was high for all three variables (frequency, 0.81 +/- 0.04; symmetry, 0.85 +/- 0.03; and regularity, 0.88 +/- 0.03), establishing that there was a good compromise between sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSION
Our gait analysis method offers satisfactory reproducibility and is sufficiently sensitive and specific to be used by clinicians in the quantitative evaluation of gait abnormalities.


The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides daily reference evapotranspiration (ETref) maps for the contiguous United States using climatic data from North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). This data provides large‐scale spatial representation of ETref, which is essential for regional scale water resources management. Data used in the development of NOAA daily ETref maps are derived from observations over surfaces that are different from short (grass — ETos) or tall (alfalfa — ETrs) reference crops, often in nonagricultural settings, which carries an unknown discrepancy between assumed and actual conditions. In this study, NOAA daily ETos and ETrs maps were evaluated for accuracy, using observed data from the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) network. Daily ETos, ETrs and the climatic data (air temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation) used for calculating ETref were extracted from the NOAA maps for TXHPET locations and compared against ground measurements on reference grass surfaces. NOAA ETref maps generally overestimated the TXHPET observations (1.4 and 2.2 mm/day ETos and ETrs, respectively), which may be attributed to errors in the NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed, to which reference ETref is most sensitive. Therefore, a bias correction to NLDAS modeled air temperature and wind speed data, or adjustment to the resulting NOAA ETref, may be needed to improve the accuracy of NOAA ETref maps.


Methylphenidate (MPH) is a central nervous system stimulant used as a pharmacotherapy to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and narcolepsy. Scientists are concerned that MPH use could lead to increase the risk of vulnerability to drug abuse later in life. Little work has been carried out on the addictive potential of MPH in non-human primates (NHP). In the present study we intend to evaluate whether the MPH is able to produce a conditioned response and if the exposure to cannabidiol (CBD) during the extinction trial of the conditioned preference place (CPP) paradigm can inhibit the reinstatement of the response in male marmoset monkeys. Animals received alternating intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of either MPH (5mg/kg) or saline (SAL) to a daily 15 min conditioning trial during 10 consecutive days in drug- and saline-paired compartments, respectively, of a CPP box. After a place preference test the animals were submitted to daily CBD injection in a 15min extinction trial, until the association between MPH and the MPH-paired compartment was extinguished. Then, 24h after the last extinction trial, animals received a priming dose of MPH (1mg/kg) and were submitted to a 15min retest trial. We found that MPH induced strong and long-lasting reinforcing properties during the conditioning period even after extinction training and reinstatement test. Therefore, MPH induced a CPP response in a NHP model and CBD administration could not inhibit the reinstatement of the MPH-induced CPP response.


Summary: This report describes a series of patients for whom dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVFs) of the cavernous sinus were successfully embolized using a percutaneous, transorbital technique to directly cannulate the cavernous sinus. A vascular access needle and catheter are percutaneously advanced along the inferolateral aspect of the orbit to access the cavernous sinus via the superior orbital fissure. Safe and effective embolization is achieved without the need for a surgical cut-down.


The literature review indicates that the market orientation (MO) literature still lacks a comprehensive applied MO model specifically in developing countries; therefore, the purpose of this research is to propose a model of MO and to test its applicability in Sudan, as a developing country. To date, no researches conducted in Sudan to develop an applied model of MO that provides guidelines on the conditions required to determine the level of MO. In addition, no researches undertaken to investigate whether implementing the marketing concept leads to better business success. This research investigates the extent to which the Sudanese manufacturing companies apply the marketing concept and how the degree of MO affects the performance of the business. To test the applicability of the proposed model the data obtained from high officials of marketing or non-marketing departments of the manufacturing companies in Sudan.


Background: Red blood cells may be destroyed by autotransfusion processing during intraoperative salvage. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the blood component recovery rate of techniques built on either continuous centrifugation and washing, or haemofiltration (HF). Methods: Two different methods used in blood salvage - red cell salvage with continuous processing with centrifugation and saline washing (Continuous Auto Transfusion System, CATS) and whole blood recirculation through a 30000-Da filter, i.e., HF - were compared in a randomized laboratory study using donor whole blood activated by cobra venom factor. The recovery of red blood cells, haemoglobin, free haemoglobin, leucocytes, platelets, albumin, total protein and potassium was measured. Results: The recovery of red cells was 86% with CATS and 76% with HF. HF had a significantly higher recovery of leucocytes (CATS 20%, HF 63%), platelets (CATS 4%, HF 37%), albumin (CATS 0.2%, HF 70%), total protein (CATS 1.3%, HF 71%) and potassium (CATS 2%, HF 17%). Less than 1% haemolysis was obtained in processed blood from both groups. Conclusion: Both methods caused little destruction of the red blood cells during processing. There was a larger reinfusion of leucocytes, platelets, albumin, total protein and extracellular potassium when HF was used compared with the 'CATS' method.


Background:
 High intake of polyphenols has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Berries are high in polyphenols, including anthocyanins, along with other key nutrients. However, few studies have investigated the association between longitudinal changes in berry intake and long-term risk of CVD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether longitudinal changes in berry intake are associated with the risk of major CVD endpoints.

 Methods:
 Longitudinal changes in berry intake (sum of blueberries and strawberries) were assessed from two 131-item food-frequency questionnaires (FFQ) completed in 1992-1995 (FFQ1) and 2004 (FFQ2) among 29,598 middle-aged and older women free of CVD from the Women's Health Study. Women also provided self-reports of a wide range of lifestyle, clinical and dietary factors at both timepoints. For each FFQ, women were categorized into two categories of total berry, blueberry, and strawberry intake: never/rarely and ≥1 time/month. Women were then categorized as having consistent low intake (never/rarely), consistent any intake (≥1 time/month), any increase in intake, and any decrease in intake between FFQ assessments. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate age and multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals (CI)). We included age, randomization assignments, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, family history of myocardial infarction (MI), hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, fruit and vegetable intake, saturated fatty acid intake, and omega-3 intake as covariates at the FFQ2 assessment.

 Results:
 During a mean follow-up of 9.9 years, we identified 851 cases of incident major CVD (MI, stroke, and CVD death). The intakes of total berries at FFQ1 were 23% (never/rarely) and 77% (≥1 time/month). Corresponding intakes at FFQ2 were 15% and 85%, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted models, consistently having any berry intake (HR: 1.00 (0.78-1.28)), any increase (HR: 0.89 (0.66-1.19)), or any decrease (HR: 0.84 (0.60-1.18)) in total berry intake over 10 years were not significantly associated with the risk of major CVD compared to women with consistently having no intake. A similar lack of association was observed for changes in strawberry intake. Increasing blueberry intake was associated with a lower risk of major CVD (HR: 0.83 (0.69-0.99)), whereas consistently having any blueberry intake (HR: 1.09 (0.91-1.29)) and any decrease in blueberry intake (HR: 0.97 (0.75-1.27)) were not associated with CVD.

 Conclusions:
 The results from this prospective study of middle-aged and older women initially free of CVD suggest that increasing blueberry intake over time may lower the risk of subsequent CVD.


Introduction: Transfusion of packed red cells (PRBCs) remains the major treatment of severe complications in sickle cell anemia. Patients may require acute, intermittent transfusions for some problems while other, more severe complications are treated with chronic transfusion (≥ 6 months) regimens to replace and suppress production of sickle cells. One of the main complications of transfusion therapy is production of red cell alloantibodies which significantly increases the risk of subsequent transfusions and limits the timely provision of appropriate blood products. Since 1978, we have provided sickle cell patients with extended matching of PRBCs to reduce the rate of alloimmunization. The flexibility of the program is adapted to meet both acute and chronic needs of the patient population. Methods: Records of patients with sickle hemoglobinopathies enrolled in the Colorado Sickle Cell Treatment and Research Center between December 31, 1993 and January 1, 2006 were reviewed under a protocol approved by the COMIRB at UCDHSC. At enrollment, serologic testing was completed on patients for the following blood group antigens: ABO; Rhesus (C,c,D,E,e); Kell (K,k); Duffy (Fy a ,Fy b ); Kidd (Jk a ,Jk b ); Lewis (Le a ,Le b ); and MNS (M,N,S,s). Donors were typed for the same antigens. For all transfusions, a perfect match was sought. When exact matches at all loci could not be found, mismatches were allowed when necessary for Fy b and MNS because of lower risk of sensitization and for Le because of infrequent hemolytic transfusion reactions. Antibody screens were completed as part of crossmatch technique at the time of each transfusion by standard methods. When an antibody screen was positive, standard antiglobulin and enzyme techniques and cell panels were used to identify the antibody. For the purposes of this study, information about patients with sickle cell anemia, complications, numbers and types of transfusions were reviewed. Results: Over the past 13 years, a total of 6,978 transfusions were provided to 104 patients (mean 68, range 1–519). In this group, 90 patients (86.5%) had HbSS, 11 (10.6%) had HbSC, and 3 (2.9%) had HbS β-thalassemia. Indications for transfusions included vaso-occlusive crisis, aplastic crises, splenic sequestration, and preparation for surgery, acute chest syndrome, stroke and priapism. Fifty-two patients (50%) received simple transfusions only while 33 (32%) had only PRBC exchange and 19 (18%) required both modalities. Of the total group, 42 (40%) were on chronic transfusions and 11 (10%) had both intermittent and chronic transfusions. The protocol and system for delivering matched PRBCs was flexible enough that even when red cells were needed for intermittent transfusions in 62 (60%) patients, delivery of the products was easily accomplished. In only 8 patients receiving 13 units of PRBCs was the clinical situation so urgent that non-antigen matched units was required. Conclusion: PRBCs with extended antigen matching were provided to our population of patients with sickle cell anemia. The program provided blood components for both intermittent and chronic transfusion schemes with very few patients having such urgent conditions that they required products without extended matching.


International trade is considered a vehicle for technology diffusion, which in turn can induce productivity growth. Particularly, imports may give domestic firms access to a larger variety and/or better quality of intermediate or capital inputs in which new technologies are embodied. However, the lack of sufficiently skilled labor, an issue especially relevant for small developing countries, may prevent firms from taking advantage of these technologies. Using a panel of Uruguayan manufacturing firms for the period 1997-2008, we explore the impact of imported inputs on firms' productivity and evaluate whether the effect is mediated by the firm's absorptive capacity, proxied by the proportion of skilled labor. We use two alternative approaches. Firstly, we apply a two-stage approach by first estimating firms' productivity and then using impact evaluation techniques to analyze causality between imported inputs and productivity. Secondly, we use a direct approach, estimating TFP with imported inputs as a state variable. Our results show that imported intermediates have an enhancing effect on Uruguayan firms' productivity, and that absorptive capacity plays an important role on this effect.


The article deals with the two strategies of the participial passive in Tundra Nenets, one of which allows the expression of the agent, and another one does not. The first strategy is considered primarily on the basis of the construction with the perfective participle. The eventive vs. resultative nature of the passive as well as the agreement patterns of the construction are discussed. The limited admissibility of patientive subjects of the first and second persons is also noted. The second strategy, which is necessarily impersonal, is discussed on the basis of the construction with the imperfective participle. The participle in this construction is formed from the verb through the durative marker. This construction is used in habitual (generic) contexts and does not allow an expressed agent.


The characteristics of learning in the 21 century are focused on critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation. This discusses the process of learning activities, students not only receive material from the teacher or instructor but how to ask training participants to get a real learning experience. In this era, educational institutions get opportunities and challenges related to the results produced. The main demand for educators is how to gather students to be able to live anytime, anywhere in any situation. Provision given to beginners is not only limited to knowledge but also how these beginners can find new knowledge and use that is applied. This research was conducted to find out which students can learn by adjusting to learning in a disruptive era. The method of this research is using Project Base Learning. Business activities in economics are lecture material that is quite important for purposes. This is related to provisions to be discussed in the entrepreneurial sector. This activity is carried out by project assessment, in which the results of this study indicate that the combination of learning activities in the classroom with learning in the field for experts also uses technology that is needed.
Keywords: disruptive era, economics business, student competencies, project assessment


The author of this article tries to explain the essence of pedagogical communicating analysing works of many contemporary scientists. Conclusion is that pedagogical communication is communicative process between the teacher and the student, perception of one another and interaction. In the article the author says that communicative competence is an important condition of pedagogical communication. The model of communicative competence explains its links with communicative skills. Communicative skills are grouped, as many authors conclude, in verbal and nonverbal behaviour. The final part ends with the conclusions about the importance to improve communicative skills of the future teachers.


The advantages and limitations of the use of Geiger counter equipment for the measurement of scattering intensity from small single crystals are discussed, and the effect of the presence of varying amounts of white radiation in the incident and reflected beams is investigated. Crystals of urea and of oxalic acid dihydrate were studied before and after immersion in liquid air, using Cu K and Mo K radiations, with argon- and krypton-filled counter tubes. It was found that the thermal diffuse scattering is independent of crystal perfection. The ratio of thermal scattering intensity to Bragg scattering for a mosaic crystal increases rapidly with angle of scattering when measured for equivalent groups of thermal waves, and is also much greater for Cu than for Mo radiation.


Despite being an important physical environment capable of promoting social sustainability, sense of community and contributing to a better quality of life, residential streets and neighbourhoods have not attracted significant research interest until now. The integrated physical interconnected network of houses, front yards, walkways, alleyways and streets offers a high potential for community building through social interactions at a neighbourhood level. Understanding people's movements, activities and perceptions about their streets can inform design practices and local planning policy in creating better communities. This study presents an investigation of a residential neighbourhood in Subiaco, Western Australia through the use of a mixed-method methodology based on observation and a perception survey. A total of 61 households were observed and interviewed during the spring and summer of 2016–2017 to develop useful typological models centred on activities, movements and resident perceptions. The findings endorse the importance of the residential street as a focus place for behaviour setting but argues that in the case of the Subiaco neighbourhood, which is part of a larger car-dependent metropolitain area, movement patterns– including vehicular, cycling, pedestrian modes and jaywalking, have no significant impact on social interactions. According to the perception survey, 82% of the Subiaco neighbourhood residents see activities across the street as generating the highest level of sense of community. The study expands both, the existing theory and approaches to urban planning, by emphasising the need for making neighbourhood streets the centre of liveability through better physical design which encourages and facilitates pedestrian movement.


Abstract 3079 Patients with acute myeloid leukaemia secondary to myelodysplastic syndromes (sAML) are often considered to have inferior outcomes to patients with de novo AML. This may be attributed in part to the fact that sAML is associated with an older age of onset and more frequent presence of adverse cytogenetics. While reduced intensity conditioning haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (RIC-HSCT) offers a potential cure for patients with sAML, long term outcomes in this subgroup of patients is limited. Here we present the single centre 5-year outcomes of patients with sAML receiving an alemtuzumab based RIC-HSCT. Patients were considered to have sAML defined as per WHO 2008 criteria. Patients were included based upon the presence of tri-lineage dysplasia at diagnosis (TLD-AML) or a documented history of preceeding MDS, prior cytopenias, or MDS related cytogenetic abnormalities (prior MDS to AML, MDS-AML). Patients with therapy-related AML were excluded. Cytogenetic risk groups were classified as per European Leukaemia Net criteria. 84 patients were identified, 38 female and 46 male. The median age of the cohort was 58 years (range: 21–71). Diagnoses included 23 patients with a history of antecedent MDS and 60 patients who presented as TLD-AML. Cytogenetic abnormalities were intermediate risk in 58 (69%) patients and poor risk in 23 (27%) patients, data was unavailable for 3 patients. All patients received a uniform RIC protocol consisting of fludarabine, busulphan and alemtuzumab from sibling (n= 18) or volunteer unrelated donors (VUD, n=66). 20 VUD had a 1-antigen mm donor. GVHD prophylaxis was with cyclosporine. Patients received PBSC (n=66) or BM (n=22) with a respective median CD34+ cell dose of 6.28 × 10 ^6/kg and 3.02 ×10 ^6/kg. All patients received prior induction chemotherapy with 59 patients in CR1, and 20 patients in CR2 at time of transplantation. Only 4 patients had persistent disease (>5% blasts) at time of transplant. Median follow-up for survivors was 63.5 months (range :1.6–128.2). Neutrophil engraftment occurred at a median of 13 days(range 8–31). Primary graft failure occurred in only 1 patient (1%). 5-yr OS, and DFS for the entire cohort was 47% and 37% respectively. TRM was 4% at Day 100 and 21% at 5yrs. Relapse rate at one year was 32% and at five years 56%. Acute graft versus host disease occurred in 32% of patients with grade III-IV GVHD occurring in 19%. Rates of de-novo chronic GVHD were low with extensive chronic de-novo GVHD occurring in only 9% of patients. DLI was administered to 30 (36%) patients, 22 patients for low or falling CD3 chimerism and 8 for disease relapse. On univariate analysis, patients with HCTCI /= 2; 61% vs 35% (p=0.03) and 50% vs 25% (p=0.02) respectively. MDS-AML was associated with significantly worse outcomes when compared with TLD-AML, (5-yr OS; 35% vs 53%, p=0.02 and 5-yr DFS; 19% vs 45%, p=0.01). Outcomes for younger patients are very good with 5yr OS of 58% for age 60yrs (n=34) (p = 0.03). Likewise 5-yr DFS by age group was 49% vs 22% respectively (p On multivariate analysis, advanced age (>60 yrs) was the only independent variable associated with an inferior TRM. Advanced age and presence of MDS-AML were the only factors independently associated with an inferior 5-yr OS (OS: Advanced Age: HR 1.82 95%CI :1.15–2.89, p=0.11, MDS-AML: HR :2.04 95%CI :1.08–3.87, p=0.03), and 5-yr DFS (OS: Advanced Age: HR 1.88 95% CI :1.24–2.87, p This analysis demonstrates excellent long-term outcomes for younger patients with sAML receiving RIC-HSCT with high engraftment and low rates of GVHD. Younger patients with TLD-AML have very good 5 yr OS and DFS of 60% and 53% respectively compared with older patients with MDS-AML who have a corresponding 5yr OS and DFS of 13% and 0% respectively. Novel strategies are required to improve outcomes in older age groups and for those patients with a prior history of MDS. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


We demonstrate that the use of silica nanospheres (SNs) with sizes close to the emission wavelength of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can enhance the light output power and manipulate the far-field emission pattern. Near-ultraviolet (NUV)-LEDs grown on a patterned sapphire substrate embedded with 300 nm SNs show a three times higher light output power than that without SNs, when measured through the top side. For far-field emission measurements, the LEDs embedded with 300 nm SNs show the significant increase of front emission due to the improved crystal quality of epitaxial films as well as the increase of Mie scattering effect of SNs. These experimental results indicate the important role of the size of embedded SNs in enhancing the light output power for NUV-LEDs.


In the David and Goliath struggle between taxpayers and SARS the appointment of Judge Bernard Ngoepe as South Africa's first tax ombud might be the pebble that overthrows operational glitches.


Microblogging(e.g. Twitter, http://twitter.com), as a new form of online communication in which users talk about their daily lives, publish opinions or share information by short posts, has become one of the most popular social networking services today, which makes it potentially a large information base attracting increasing attention of researchers in the field of knowledge discovery and data mining. In this paper, we conduct a survey about existing research on information extraction from microblogging services and their applications, and then address some promising future works. We specifically analyze three types of information: personal, social and travel information.


Two thousand, three hundred and nine stool specimens from about 5% of the residents of Akaki were examined by Kato thick smear technique for helminthic infections. The prevalence of various parasites was as follows: Schistosoma mansoni, 1.5%; Ascaris lumbricoides, 40.7%; Trichuris trichiura, 27.5%, Enterobius vermicularis, 2.2%; Taenia saginata, 3.2%; and Hymenolepis nana, 0.6%. Infected Biomphalaria pfeifferi snails were collected from the Fanta Stream, and 12% of the residents along the stream were infected with S. mansoni with an arithmetic mean of 437 eggs per gram of faeces (e.p.g.) as compared to 250 e.p.g. average town-wide, indicating that there was active transmission of S. mansoni. The prevalence of S. mansoni infection was low. It is suggested that it would be easier and more cost effective if control measures were applied at this stage.


In this paper, the analysis and design methodology of a high-frequency self-oscillating (SO) electronic ballast with lamp current control are presented. SO electronic ballasts have two important drawbacks: First, the lamp current varies according to the ac input voltage, causing undesired effects in the lamp brightness, and second, the design method lacks precision at very high frequency operation (greater than 200 kHz) mainly due to the parasitic capacitance. The ballast is modeled by using the descriptive function method and the extended Nyquist criterion; the model of the ballast includes a control circuit and takes into account the high-frequency effect of the MOSFET parasitic capacitance . Finally, experimental results of a 38-W SO electronic ballast prototype with lamp current control for high-intensity discharge lamps are presented to validate the analysis and the proposed methodology. The switching frequency is selected at 2 MHz in order to avoid the acoustic resonance problem.


The threatened grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) is reported for the first time from oceanic coral reefs in the Timor Sea. Generally known from temperate and subtropical coastal reef habitats, this species was encountered by Indonesian traditional fishers on oceanic coral reefs in an area of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone known as the 1974 MoU Box, some 200 km from the Australian mainland. The presence of C. taurus on these remote tropical reefs bears important management implications, including the species' protected status in Australian waters and the challenges of regulating catches in areas permitted for traditional Indonesian fishing.


Solid-particle erosion data have been reported for many materials. The mechanics of the impact process has also been examined. However, relatively little effort has been expended in studying the microstructural aspects ofmaterial response to erosion. Effects such as deformation hardening, plastic flow, and particle embedding are recognized as being important but have not been subjected to careful study. Understanding the erosion mechanism at large attack angles and accounting for differences in erosion behavior of different metals and alloys are areas where knowledge of materials response factors will be most important. In the present work surface and subsurface erosion damage in copper is investigated by transmission and scanning electron microscopy techniques.


Language is a tool for communication. English is one of the languages used all over the world. Crystal (2003:2) states that English is a global language because about a quarter of the world's population are already fluent and competent in using English. Moreover, it is also used in every field of studies in the world, including in education. Thus, English is one of the most important languages of the world (Baugh, 2002:3). In Indonesia, English is considered as a foreign language because it is used only in the classroom and not in daily lives. It is also taught as a local content subject for the students in elementary level and as a compulsory subject in junior until senior high school levels. The students have to learn the four language skills, they are listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The first thing that a child can do before they can speak, read and write, is listening. Therefore, listening is the first stage in learning a language. Because, by listening students will know the words that they hear and know how to pronounce the words. However, for the EFL students listening comprehension can be difficult to master. The learners usually find the difficulties in hearing the sounds, understanding intonation, stress, and predicting vocabulary (Ur, 1997:11-14). Based on the preliminary study done through observation and interview to the eighth grade of the English teacher of SMPN 3 Situbondo on October 2nd 2013, there was a problem in teaching learning English, especially on istening comprehension. The teacher stated that the students of the eighth grade especially class VIII H had problem in listening skill. It was supported by the data of listening comprehension test conducted by the English teacher, in which 47% of 30 students achieved the standard minimum score and 53% did not. The English teacher claimed that the students in that class were less motivated in joining the teaching learning process in listening activity because of lack of vocabulary. When doing the teaching


With ultraviolet sensitive photochemistry and photoelectric properties, TiO2 is attractive for applications like photocatalysis, photovoltaic devices, and sunscreen products, among others. By coating Ag on TiO2 surface, the sensitivity can be extended to visible light, endowing enhanced properties with potential new applications. In this work we inkjet print Ag-TiO2 films from particle suspensions, and investigate the structure, morphology, Ag distribution and the photoluminescence of the films. It is found that Ag nanoparticles form bridges among TiO2 particles during the post-annealing. These metallic bridges can transport the excited electrons and suppress the recombination of electrons and holes with the photoluminescence of the film reduced by more than half. The work provides an industrial applicable, low-cost, environment friendly route of preparing Ag-TiO2 films for attractive photochemistry and photoelectric device applications.