Introduction: Radio information transmission systems with noise-like phase-shift keyed signals based on pseudo-random sequences have potential noise immunity provided by accurately tracking the delay of the received signal in the correlation receiver. When working with moving objects, the delay of the received signal varies continuously, and the reception quality for noise-like phase-shifted signals highly depends on the synchronization system operation and on the accuracy of estimating the received signal delay by the tracking system. To ensure the required signal reception quality, it is necessary to provide an informed choice of tracking system parameters, taking into account their effects, which are the random and systematic components of the delay tracking error, on the selected noise immunity indicator.
Purpose: Analyzing how the errors in tracking the delay of a received phase-shift keyed signal based on a pseudorandom sequence by the synchronization system of a radio information transmission system can affect the probability of erroneous reception of an information symbol.
Results: The calculation method was used to obtain families of dependencies of the probability of erroneous reception of an information symbol on the signal-noise ratio (SNR), and the values of the random and systematic components of the delay tracking error which are normalized to the capture band of the correlation receiver. It has been shown that at a fixed SNR, the values of the random and systematic components of the delay tracking error are critical for the erroneous reception probability. In all the cases discussed, all the dependencies are characterized by a slow change of the erroneous reception probability while the synchronization errors within the area of small SNR have fixed values. As the SNR value grows, the erroneous reception probability rapidly drops. To ensure the specified signal reception quality and the reliability of the selection of information symbols and messages in a radio information transmission system with noise-like phase-manipulated signals, its synchronization system requires a joint selection of the tracking system parameters, taking into account the limitations imposed by the operating conditions and technical implementation features.
Practical relevance: The obtained results can be used in noise immunity analysis of radio information transmission systems with noise-like phase-shift keyed signals in a wide range of communication conditions, and in providing technical solutions for synchronization systems ensuring the required quality of signal reception.


Abstract The central Utah thrust belt is located between the Uinta-Cottonwood arch to the north and the Tushar and Monroe Mountain calderas to the south. Structural analysis distinguishes three structural-tectonic zones along the thrust belt, including, from north to south, the Charleston-Nebo salient, the Gunnison sector, and the Salina sector. The Charleston-Nebo salient is underlain by the Charleston-Nebo thrust sheet and includes, from east to west: (1) a frontal imbricate fan in the footwall of the Charleston-Nebo thrust and restricted to the Mesozoic section of the adjacent Uinta Basin, (2) a frontal structural uplift involving the Pennsylvanian-Permian section in the hanging wall of the leading edge to the Charleston-Nebo thrust, (3) a central structural depression where the Triassic and Jurassic sections of the thrust sheet have been preserved, and (4) the Cascade Peak culmination along which a locally overturned hanging wall anticline to the Charleston-Nebo thrust is exposed. The Cascade Peak culmination is believed to be underlain by several Paleozoic-Mesozoic thrust sheets that define an antiformal stack. The Gunnison sector of the thrust belt is characterized by a frontal triangle zone that has developed above a detachment surface within the Jurassic Arapien Shale, a central zone of horizontally stacked thrust sheets that involve Paleozoic through Middle Jurassic units, and an internal zone of vertically stacked thrust sheets that define a duplex within Precambrian and Paleozoic strata. The Salina sector is characterized by a frontal triangle zone within and above the Arapien Shale that is underlain by a Paleozoic-cored fault-bend fold, the Salina anticline, located in the hanging wall of the Salina thrust. The recently discovered Covenant oil field is located along the Salina anticline where a back thrust has resulted in a perched thrust sheet on the crest of the larger-scale fault-bend fold. To the west of the Salina anticline, the Salina sector of the thrust belt includes a series of vertically stacked thrust sheets composed of Paleozoic through Jurassic strata. These stacked thrust sheets appear to have developed as an emergent imbricate fan rather than as a duplex. The deformation fronts of the Gunnison and Salina sectors are located in the vicinity of the Jurassic Ephraim fault system, across which the mudstone-, shale-, and evaporite-rich Arapien Shale thickens to the west. The Arapien Shale defined a significant detachment horizon during both Cretaceous shortening and Tertiary extension. The Ephraim fault system is therefore believed to have played a significant role, both directly and indirectly, in the structural evolution of the central Utah thrust belt.


A recent addition to the ARCH family of econometric models was introduced by Ding and co-workers wherein the power term by which the data is transformed was estimated within the model rather than being imposed by the researcher. This paper considers the ability of the Power GARCH class of models to capture the stylized features of volatility in a range of commodity futures prices traded on the London Metals Exchange (LME). The results of this procedure suggest that asymmetric effects are not generally present in the LME futures data. Further, unlike stock market data which is well described by the model, futures data is not as well described by the APGARCH model. Nested within the APGARCH model are several other models from the ARCH family. This paper uses the standard log likelihood procedure to conduct pairwise comparisons of the relative merits of each and the results suggest that it is the Taylor GARCH model which performs best.


The paper discusses the implementation of a two-stage procedure to determine the simulation run length for selecting the best of k designs. We propose an Enhanced Two-Stage Selection (ETSS) procedure. The number of additional replications at the second stage for each design is determined by both the variances of the sample means and the differences of the sample means of alternative designs. We show that the ETSS procedure gives valid selections with significantly reduced simulation replications compared to Y. Rinott's (1978) procedure. An experimental performance evaluation demonstrates the validity of the ETSS procedure.


Excimer laser angioplasty is one of the newest procedures being used in interventional cardiology. Because of persistently high rates of restenosis with conventional balloon angioplasty (which may be attributed to the acceleration of atherosclerosis by remodeling and dilatation of diseased arteries) alternatives to remove and debulk atheromatous plaque are being explored. Among these, excimer laser angioplasty (ELA) has been developed as a modality that offers an alternative to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The laser energy is delivered via fiberoptics to the target lesion and the plaque material is rendered into a gaseous state (vaporized) by breaking the molecular bonds. With proper training and patient selection, ELA has complication rates that are no higher than conventional balloon angioplasty. Preliminary data indicate that the laser is most successful in treating lesions that are not well treated with conventional balloon angioplasty. These include saphenous vein graft lesions, aorto-ostial lesions, long lesions (> 10 mm in length), moderately calcified stenoses, total occlusions, and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty dilitation failures. The purpose of this article is to review the history and physics of ELA and to provide the nursing professional with an understanding of how the procedure is performed. Nursing considerations when caring for the patient undergoing this procedure are provided.


Recent work has revealed that the frequency spectrum of the Casimir force is a function with discontinuities and large oscillations. This spectrum is derived from the Lifshitz theory, using a form of the theory that does not assume analyticity of the dielectric function. In the case of a perfect conductor, these oscillations almost exactly cancel. This leads to the possibility that one could upset this cancellation, and have the force between two slabs of material larger in magnitude than the Casimir force and possibly repulsive. In an approximation in which evanescent modes are ignored, it is shown that the force between two slabs may be expressed directly in terms of the reflection coefficients for light to be reflected from a single slab


A two-year clinical study comparing sealants done with intentional salivary contamination shows that sealant retention is possible on wet enamel if a bonding agent is used between enamel and sealant. Dental material research implications and clinical possibilities are discussed.


ABSTRACT: In vivo and in vitro bile pigment metabolism was studied in embryos, chicks, and mature White Leghorn hens. Biliverdin and bilirubin pigments were present in bile of embryos from the earliest stage examined (14 d). Bilirubin accounted for 2.5–11.5% of total bile pigments, with the higher percentages in the early embryo. Biliverdin was exclusively in unesterified form. In contrast, bilirubin was almost entirely (>98%) in esterified form. Glucosides consistently predominated over glucuronides and xylosides (6:3:1). In serum, bilirubin and biliverdin were undetectable at all embryonic stages and after hatching. Bilirubin UDP-glycosyltransferase activities with UDP-glucuronic acid, UDP-glucose, and UDP-xylose were detectable in chick embryo liver and averaged 67, 72, and 102%, respectively, of the corresponding adult mean values, without significant change throughout development. We conclude that multiple bilirubin esterification systems mature early in the avian embryo. This is in marked contrast to the development of bilirubin metabolism in the mammalian fetus in which detoxication of this potentially toxic pigment is achieved by placental clearance, and bilirubin esterification matures only after delivery. These contrasting developmental patterns are consistent with an adaptive response to the different requirements in the avian embryo and mammalian fetus for self-protective detoxification of unconjugated bilirubin.


The high and rising household savings rate in China is not easily reconciled with the traditional explanations that emphasize life cycle factors, the precautionary saving motive, financial development, or habit formation. This paper proposes a new competitive saving motive: as the sex ratio rises, Chinese parents with a son raise their savings in a competitive manner in order to improve their son's relative attractiveness for marriage. The pressure on savings spills over to other households. Both cross-regional and household-level evidence supports this hypothesis. This factor can potentially account for about half the actual increase in the household savings rate during 1990–2007.


Abstract In this paper we present a detailed study of the natural history of Gluvia dorsalis (Latreille 1817), a representative of the family Daesiidae, the only solifuge species known to occur in southwestern Europe. We studied its distribution, habitat preference, circadian activity, seasonal occurrence, burrowing, predatory and post-mating behavior, prey, fecundity, ontogenesis, and sexual dimorphism. Gluvia dorsalis occurs in lowlands across the entire Iberian Peninsula, preferring grassland or similar open-ground habitats with little summer rain. According to pitfall trap data, the species was active on the surface from May until the beginning of November. It is a nocturnal epigean predator, feeding principally on ants and spiders. However, under laboratory conditions, specimens captured and consumed a variety of arthropods. G. dorsalis seems to hide in underground burrows only when molting, overwintering, or laying eggs. Reproduction occurred in early summer, and females usually produced a single egg clutch containing, on average, 84 eggs, and died soon after. Our results indicate that the G. dorsalis is a biennial species. There was sexual dimorphism in several morphological structures that might be used for sex matching in juvenile instars.


In this paper we propose the use of affine projection adaptive (APA) filtering algorithm for multiuser adaptive minimum mean square error (MMSE) receivers for asynchronous wideband code division multiple access systems (W-CDMA) in multipath fading channels. Performance of APA algorithm is compared with least mean square (LMS), normalized least mean square (NLMS), and recursive least square (RLS) algorithms. It is found that APA algorithm outperforms LMS and NLMS. Though RLS, algorithm offers better convergence characteristics but at much higher computational complexity. Three adaptive multiuser receiver architectures are considered, all employ chip-matched filter (CMF) at their front end. In the first two architectures perfect estimation of time delay of individual user is assumed and one CMF is employed per user. The difference between two architectures is that, in the first the samples collected from CMFs are cross-coupled and in the second architecture samples collected for individual users are not combined. In the third architecture, there is no need to estimate the time delay, but fractional sampling is used. It is shown that first architecture outperforms the other two architectures.


Indwelling central venous catheters are a common and important source of nosocomial Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus infections, causing increased morbidity and mortality during hospitalization. A model was developed to reflect the clinical situation of catheter colonization by transient hematogeneously spread staphylococci, in order to investigate potential vaccine candidates. Rats were cannulated in the right jugular vein, followed by challenge through the tail vein with either S. epidermidis RP62a, or S. aureus Becker. At 24 hr post challenge, colonizing bacteria were found to be present on the catheter in an early biofilm, as evidenced by the presence of polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). For vaccination studies, rats were first immunized, surgically cannulated, and then challenged via the tail vein. At 24 hr post challenge, the catheters were harvested and cultured on mannitol salt agar plates. The catheters were scored as positive if there was outgrowth of bacterial colonies, and negative if no colonies were observed. A S. epidermidis antigen (SERP0630, MenD), and a S. aureus antigen (SACOL1138, iron regulated surface determinant B, IsdB) were found to have significant protective activity in this model, compared to mock immunized controls. Using SERP0630 as the test immunogen, it was also determined that a single vaccination of rats after cannulation was sufficient for significant catheter protection. This model may be used to evaluate antigens for protective activity against transient hematogenous spread of staphylococci resulting in catheter colonization and early biofilm formation.


Two new species of Neischnocolus Petrunkevitch, 1925 are described from the eastern and western slopes of the Andean Cordillera of Ecuador. N. tsere sp. nov. differs from all congeners by having the prolateral inferior keel well developed and longer than prolateral superior keel, prolateral inferior and prolateral superior keels slightly serrated at distal section, prolateral inferior keel not continuous, and retrolateral keel absent. N. cisnerosi sp. nov. differs from all congeners by having a prolateral accessory keel, retrolateral keel, prolateral superior and prolateral inferior keels non-serrated, and the presence of median dorsal granular area rounded-shaped over ventral surface. Comments on biogeography of Neischnocolus are made.


©The Korean Association of Child Studies This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Corresponding Author: Yeon Ha Kim, Associate Professor, Department of Child & Family Studies, Kyung Hee University, 26, Kyunghee-daero, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea E-mail: email@example.com 어머니의 첫 출산 후 6년간 우울 궤적과 만 6세 첫 자녀의 문제행동


for the Planning Commission, which was published after some revision in this journal (EPW, May 4, 1991) had placed the level of unrecovered costs (or subsidy) at 14.38 per cent of GDP in 1987-88. Now, despite a reduction in aggregate public expenditures of the centre and states together from 33.4 per cent of GDP in that year to 28.4 per cent in 1994-95, total unrecovered costs still constitute the same 14.4 per cent of GDP as per the latest study, thus implying a significant deterioration in the recovery rates for the user costs of public services. The recovery rate was 34.91 per cent for the centre and 13.91 per cent for the states, or an average of 25.09 per cent, in 1987-88 but they have drastically fallen to 10.7 per cent, 7.0 per cent and 8.2 per cent, respectively. The increase in the reported incidence of subsidy and the drastic fall in the rate of recovery of user costs is neither due to the proliferation of subsidies nor due to an expansion and growth of governmental activities, as it is made out in the government paper. The share of public expenditure as percentage of GDP, as indicated above, has in fact been on a downward trend. Likewise, the 1990s have seen, under the impulse of stabilisation and structural adjustment programmes, a constant endeavour on the part of the governmental authorities to contract subsidies. Thus, the size of explicit subsidies in the central budget as proportion of GDP has come down from (RE). Also, an independent study by the RBI


LASWELL'S COMMUNICATION MODEL IS THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE JOURNALISTS' COMMUNITY AS A GOOD FORMULA OF COMMUNICATIVE RELATION SHIP WITH THE TV SPECTATOR. THE MODEL SETS FORTH THE NEED FOR THE JOURNALISTIC MESSAGE TO SOLVE A SERIES OF QUESTIONS IMPLIED IN THE FIVE "WS": WHAT, HOW, WHEN, WHERE AND WHY, WHICH IN CLUDE THE COMMUNICATIONAL ELEMENTS THAT MUST BEMADE EVIDENT IN A PROCESS WHICH EMITS AND RECEIVES. THE SAME METHOD IS ALSO ACCEPTED IN THE AUDIO VISUAL COMMUNICATION MEDIA AND FOR THAT REASON SEEMS ADEQUATE TO IMPLEMENT DOCUMENTARY DATA BASES. THEREFORE, IF THE AUDIO VISUAL INFORMATION PIECE IS CONSTRUCTED BY ANSWERING TO THE QUESTIONS MADE BY LASWELL'S METHOD, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO DISMEMBER AGAIN SUCH INFORMATION AND PRESERVE IT AND STORE IT IN THE DATA BASES BY MEANS OF SPECIFIC FIELDS.


To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Berk et al.1 Authors have shown that intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement technique can significantly affect the pressure results. This is clinically important information, because precise measurement of IOP in glaucoma patients is critical for diagnosis and efficiency of glaucoma treatment. This experiment is very interesting and necessary; however in our opinion, some aspects of this study need to be discussed. First, the order of measurements should be analyzed. Authors conducted a prospective comparative analysis of 4 IOP measurement techniques in a cohort of 40 healthy patients in the following order: (1) Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) without fluorescein, (2) GAT with fluorescein paper strip, (3) GAT with fluorescein droplet, and (4) TonoPen Avia (TPA). This sequence of measurements in our opinion might be wrong. Although all 4 methods of IOP measurement need the topical anesthesia and the tips of the instruments touch the corneal surface, there is an obvious difference between GAT and TPA. The GAT is based on measuring the IOP with 3.06mm prism, whereas TPA fits the cornea with the small area of its silicon tip. Therefore, the IOP measurements with TPA after GAT may produce false results. We suggest that TPA measurement should be performed first, before GAT measurements. Another suggestion is making the IOP measurements in different (mixed), but randomized order with a suitable time interval.2 The IOP in each follow GAT measurements was higher and higher. Probably this is because of irritation of the eye after medicines used. During prolonging measurement the eyes are even more irritating, the production of tears increases, the rings observed by an ophthalmologist are even slightly thicker.3 Second, the effect of repeated applanation tonometry on the accuracy of IOP measurements should be taken into account. In the study by Gaton et al4 3 GAT measurements with fluorescein strips were repeated with a few seconds pause, which allowed for a 1-time fluorescein application. Berk and colleagues demonstrated statistically significant IOP increase during the subsequent GAT measurements in healthy eyes. However, they used fluorescein several times, which may be the reason for higher IOP results by irritation, stinging, and burning effect after fluorescein application.3 Another possibility of IOP increase is a simple chemical reaction between proparcain hydrochloride and fluorescein natrium. Mixture of them, gave sodium chloride, and with the excess of fluorescein, the anesthetic compounds are less water-soluble, so less active. It could develop the inadequate local anesthesia and finally higher measurement results.


The time-resolved Langmuir probe method using a laser-heated emissive probe to compensate space potential fluctuation is modified to improve the limit of amplitude for compensation and reliability of current detection in order to experimentally study RF plasma under various conditions. Time-resolved electron temperatures and electron densities are measured at various input powers and pressures of Ar and He in 13.56 MHz RF asymmetric discharge. Not only the electron temperature but also the electron density change was synchronized with excitation RF. The period of variation is not the same as second harmonics, but is a fundamental period of 13.56 MHz. The electron temperature and the self-bias depend on the excitation RF power. Such evidence may indicate that plasma parameters are closely related with the electron acceleration in the electrode sheath and the plasma caused by the self-bias field.


This paper presents a novel system to estimate body pose configuration from a single depth map. It combines both pose detection and pose refinement. The input depth map is matched with a set of pre-captured motion exemplars to generate a body configuration estimation, as well as semantic labeling of the input point cloud. The initial estimation is then refined by directly fitting the body configuration with the observation (e.g., the input depth). In addition to the new system architecture, our other contributions include modifying a point cloud smoothing technique to deal with very noisy input depth maps, a point cloud alignment and pose search algorithm that is view-independent and efficient. Experiments on a public dataset show that our approach achieves significantly higher accuracy than previous state-of-art methods.


Ring oscillators are commonly used as a locking mechanism that binds a hardware design to a specific area of silicon within an integrated circuit (IC). This locking mechanism can be used to detect malicious modifications to the hardware design, also known as a hardware Trojan, in situations where such modifications result in a change to the physical placement of the design on the IC. However, careful consideration is needed when designing ring oscillators for such a scenario to guarantee the integrity of the locking mechanism. This paper presents a case study in which flaws discovered in a ring oscillator-based Trojan detection scheme allowed for the circumvention of the security mechanism and the implementation of a large and diverse set of hardware Trojans, limited only by hardware resources.


Introduction: The aim of our study is to evaluate thrombocytosis at the time of the diagnosis in the patients with pneumonia, bronchiolitis and asthma, and its importance in terms of the diagnosis.
Materials and Methods: We evaluated 583 patients diagnosed as asthma (n=36), bronchiolitis (n=387) and pneumonia (n=160) in pediatry clinic of GATA Haydarpasa Training Hospital and Zeynep Kamil Research Hospital between January 1, 2007 and January 1, 2010; and the ratio of patients with thrombocytosis at the time of diagnosis retrospectively.
Results: We found that the mean thrombocyte counts in patients who had been diagnosed as pneumonia and as bronchiolitis were found significantly higher than control group (p<0.05). But, there wasn't a significant difference between the patients with asthma and control group (p=0.77). Otherwise, the number of patiens who have thrombocytosis with pneumonia and bronchiolitis were significantly higher than control group (p<0.005). But there wasn't a significant difference in chronic asthma group (p=0.81).
Conclusion: Our study supports that, the thrombocyte counts are also another parameters that can help while making the diagnosis of the infectious pulmonary pathologies.


Introduction Detection of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) is on the rise but an accurate means of obtaining a tissue diagnosis without high risk of complications is lacking. 1 Virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN) guides the bronchoscope under direct vision and, in combination with radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) or ultrathin bronchoscopy, may enhance the diagnostic yield of PPLs with a minimal complication rate. 2 Aims To pilot the use of VBN in the diagnosis of PPLs. To identify patient and lesion characteristics that predict successful VBN. Methods Images from chest CT (slice width 1–1.25 mm) were acquired from patients, and lesion features, including location and presence of a bronchus sign (bronchus contained within PPL), were recorded. CT images were transferred to a portable workstation and Lungpoint Broncus © was used to create a virtual pathway to the PPL. Bronchoscopy was performed with VBN followed by R-EBUS guidance, under conscious sedation, and biopsies obtained. Pre-procedure characteristics, biopsy adequacy, biopsy outcome, 30-day follow up and complications were recorded. Results The median age of our cohort (n = 7) was 79 and all patients had one or more comorbidities. PPL median size was 28 mm and all were located in sub-segmental bronchi. VBN guided the operator to the correct site in six cases. Adequate biopsies were taken from five patients; four had a positive bronchus sign. Three adequate biopsies received a diagnosis of primary lung cancer; those remaining were negative. One patient with inadequate biopsies underwent transthoracic needle biopsy (TTNB) and was diagnosed with primary lung cancer. No complications occurred in spite of the significant co-morbidity of this patient cohort. Discussion Our preliminary data suggest that in a selected patient cohort with a bronchus sign, VBN may be a useful and safe adjunct to R-EBUS to obtain a tissue diagnosis from PPLs. In contrast, TTNB has a high diagnostic sensitivity but is tarnished by a high complication rate and is not suitable in patients with significant co-morbidity. Therefore, VBN and R-EBUS are particularly useful where TTNB carries a high risk. References 1 Kikuchi E, Yamazaki K, Sukoh N, et al . Endobronchial ultrasonography with guide-sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions. Eur Respir J 2004; 24 :533–7 2 Ishida T, Asano F, Yamazaki K, et al . Virtual bronchoscopic navigation combined with endobronchial ultrasound to diagnose small peripheral pulmonary lesions: a randomised trial. Thorax 2011; 66 :1072–7


abstract The Los Angeles River provides residents with much-needed access to nature and recreation opportunities in a city plagued by a lack of parks. Park access and use in Los Angeles varies greatly along racial and class lines, artifacts of the city's history. Inequalities exist in how and where people can access urban nature and parks. Fishing on the L.A. River is a response to these inequities. Anglers create their own park spaces and nature experiences through fishing. In this study, videos of fishing activity on the L.A. River were probed and queried to get a sense of the angler experiences. Anglers fish for a variety of reasons, including social interaction, sport, and sustenance fishing to augment insecure food supplies. Angler experiences and constructions of the river are stratified, consistent with patterns of park use in Los Angeles. Anglers frame the river as both a classed and raced social space, mediating the inequities of the raced and classed city it flows through. Keywords: urban parks, fishing, socially constructed nature, YouTube videos


The Symposium of Commission III of ISPRS was held in Graz, Austria from 10th to 13th September 2002. Commission III, which is concerned with Theory and Algorithms, is particularly focused on the innovations in computer and robot vision research that may precipitate developments in photogrammetry and remote sensing. The links between these two fields have developed over the past few years and have become an increasingly fruitful avenue for research. For this reason, the symposium aimed to investigate the development of these links, an objective mirrored in the title of the meeting. The symposium took place in the Graz Congress Centre, in the hub of the baroque centre of the city. The majesty of the host city and the venue, a palatial edifice overlooked by the castle hill and imposing clock, was echoed in the high quality of presentations throughout the conference. There were some excellent keynote speeches and presentations, which prompted some interesting discussion from the floor. The symposium was carefully structured to reflect the research of the working groups. Over the two days of the conference, presentations covering a wide variety of topics were offered. This variety was augmented by the opportunities offered to participants to visit other conferences occurring at the same time in the Congress Centre. The main symposium directly followed a series of one-day workshops held on 9th September. As these sessions were run in parallel, participants were restricted to attending only one of the full day sessions. With particular reference to the Airborne Laser Altimetry session run by George Vosselman (Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands) and Hans-Gerd Maas (Dresden University of Technology, Germany) it can be reported that the workshop was well structured, and covered a huge amount of material, which satisfied both novices and accustomed users. In particular, for researchers embarking on laser scanning research it was invaluable. The main symposium was opened with a keynote speech from Luc Van Gool (ETH Zurich, Switzerland and University of Leuven, Belgium) who presented his work on obtaining structure from motion images. This technique is particularly attractive as it requires no prior knowledge of the camera position or settings, and the importance of this area of research was a continuing theme throughout the conference. The following technical presentation session covered many topics, most of which considered either sensor issues, feature extraction algorithms, or industrial vision. As my research interests are the reconstruction of surface models from laser scanning data, I attended the sessions focused on these topics. Indeed, there was a significant emphasis on laser scanner data in the conference; it will be interesting to see whether the dominance of this sensor will be repeated in conferences over the coming years. In the field of reconstruction from images (both surface reconstruction and 3D structure extraction) there was a huge amount of material squeezed into five sessions.


Abstract Renal tubular epithelial cell injury is a major pathological event that contributes to the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2), a mitochondrial membrane protein, has been reported to participate in the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which contributes to tubular cell apoptosis induced by hyperglycemia. In this study, we found that genipin, a UCP2 inhibitor, dramatically boosted oxidative stress, attenuated antioxidative capacity, and exacerbated cell apoptosis accompanied with caspase-3 activation in rat renal proximal tubular cells (NRK-52E) incubated with high glucose. The present study results suggest that manipulation of UCP2 could be important in the prevention of oxidative stress damage in renal tubular epithelial cells induced by hyperglycemia in vitro.


The objective of this study was to investigate the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of the methanol leaf extract of Maerua crassifolia, an important medicinal plant used in Nigeria. The antibacterial properties of the methanol extract were studied against clinically important bacteria viz; Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., Salmonella typhi, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli by disc diffusion method. The free radical scavenging potential of the extract was assessed by measuring its capability for scavenging 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The methanol leaf extract of Maerua crassifolia at the concentration of 12.5-150 µg/ml, showed significant activity against all the tested organisms. The observed antioxidant activity of the leaf extract suggests that the extract is a potential source of natural antioxidant and could be useful in the treatment of diseases.


Global oil demand has led to the development of new smarter drilling, completion, reservoir management technique and technology to optimize reservoirs production. The production of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has reached 3 MMBOPD and KOC's 2030 vision is to boost the production to 4 MMBOPD. In order to achieve this vision, KOC has started several technical projects and development plans. One of these projects is the North Kuwait Integrated Digital Oil Field (NK-KwIDF) a full-fledged Field project implemented in KOC.
 This Paper will discuss the scale, complexity, technology used, and advantage of using the NK-KwIDF. The North Kuwait (NK) asset has five fields, around twelve hundred active wells, and seven Gathering Centers (GCs). A complex network of pipeline, trunk line, and manifold are used to connect these twelve hundred wells to GCs. In order to optimize the production from NK every barrel of production opportunity has to be considered by optimizing suitable wells and minimizing downtime from each field, resulting the development of an extensive surface network model. The extensive surface network model takes into consideration of each and every details of field e.g. pipelines, manifolds, details of GCs and wells. For each and every well in NK assets a well model is prepared considering all PVT parameters, completions, and surface co-ordinate and finally connected to surface network model with all piping information.
 Once the extensive surface model was prepared, several integrated workflows were developed in order to efficiently run the surface model and analyze the output from the run. Some of these workflows are ESP Optimization and ESP Analysis workflows, which have capability to identify the Oil Gain Opportunities and diagnose ESP performance. The identify opportunities are logged into ticketing system, which monitors the life cycle of the opportunity right from the identification till implementation into the field for Oil Gains.
 The full-fledged development of NK-KwIDF took almost 3 years from the day it was started, as a pilot project with 133 wells. When an excellent result in terms of production optimization and downtime minimization was recorded from the pilot project, the pilot project was expanded to full-fledged field project. The NK-KwIDF project gave an outstanding result of Oil gain from well level as well as Network level optimization. It established an excellent reputation in the oil industry where it was a source of attraction for many NOC's and IOC's to visit and follow the flag ship for their development and implementation of digital field technology.


Methylammonium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals offer attractive optoelectronic properties but suffer from fast degradation in the presence of water. In contradiction to this observation, we demonstrate the possibility of a direct aqueous synthesis of CH3 NH3 PbX3 (X=Br or Cl/Br) nanocrystals through the reaction between the lead halide complex and methylamine when the pH is maintained in the range of 0-5. Under these synthetic conditions, the positively charged surface of the perovskite nanocrystals and the proper ionic balance help to prevent their decomposition in water. Additional surface capping with organic amine ligands further improves the photoluminescence quantum yield of the perovskite nanocrystals to values close to 40 %, ensures their stability under ambient conditions for several months, and their photoluminescence performance under continuous 0.1 W mm-2 405 nm light irradiation for over 250 hours.


Developing robust antibacterial materials is of importance for a wide range of applications such as in biomedical engineering, environment, and water treatment. Herein we report the development of a novel superhydrophobic surface featured with hierarchical architecture and bimetallic composition that exhibits enhanced antibacterial activity. The surface is created using a facile galvanic replacement reaction followed by a simple thermal oxidation process. Interestingly, we show that the surface's superhydrophobic property naturally allows for a minimal bacterial adhesion in the dry environment, and also can be deactivated in the wet solution to enable the release of biocidal agents. In particular, we demonstrate that the higher solubility nature of the thermal oxides created in the thermal oxidation process, together with the synergistic cooperation of bimetallic composition and hierarchical architecture, allows for the release of metal ions in a sustained and accelerated manner, leading to enhanced antibacterial performance in the wet condition as well. We envision that the ease of fabrication, the versatile functionalities, and the robustness of our surface will make it appealing for broad applications.


Let $M_d$ be the maximum of a standard Bessel bridge of dimension $d$. A series formula for $P(M_d \le a)$ due to Gikhman and Kiefer for $d = 1,2, \ldots$ is shown to be valid for all real $d >0$. Various other characterizations of the distribution of $M_d$ are given, including formulae for its Mellin transform, which is an entire function. The asymptotic distribution of $M_d$ is described both as $d$ tends to infinity and as $d$ tends to zero.


The article is deal with the demographic changes differences between European Union countries. We are research their population size changes during last 20 years. The spatial typology is given weigh of the three indicators: crude natural increase rate, crude net migration rate and crude total population increase rate. The analyses on this spatial level are working with the creation of cartogram method for processing of the demographical data. We can use ArcGIS 9.3 and his version ArcMap 9.3 as a complete system for authoring, serving, and using geographic informations for better processing the spatial data by the help of cartogram method. Our principal main is to group the all 27 EU countries on the basis population growing, population stagnant or population decreasing. Therefore we are using the basic measurement methods of the population numbers change (crude natural increase rate, crude net migration rate, crude total population increase rate). The world's current (overall as well as natural) growth rate is about 1.14%. The maximum of the total population growth on the EU territory was achieved during the period 2002 to 2008 (around value 4.4. ‰). The mean of the crude total population increase rate in the whole period 1990 to 2009 was 3 ‰ in the European Union. Sixteen countries from northern, western a southern Europe grew together more than the whole EU. Only eleven countries from central and south-eastern Europe had none population growth or visible loosed population size.


John McGahern (1934-2006) had a turbulent relationship with the Catholic faith into which he was born. His second novel, The Dark, was banned in 1965 and the author's subsequent sacking as a primary school teacher owed much to the personal intervention of the then Archbishop of Dublin, John Charles McQuaid. The Ireland of the 1960s was clearly not ready for the raw exposure of some of its less savoury aspects detailed in McGahern's early novels. By the time of his death in 2006, however, people had come to appreciate the authenticity of the writer's painstaking portrayal of rural life in Ireland with the result that, instead of revulsion, he came to inspire almost universal acceptance and admiration. This book explores the paradoxical relationship that McGahern had with the Catholic Church. Influenced by his beloved mother's deep faith, he was grateful for the mystery and wonder inspired by the church ceremonies of his youth. On the other hand, the repressive aspect of an institution that did not tolerate any challenge to its authority appealed far less to McGahern as a writer. Eamon Maher 's study investigates the rich and complex interaction McGahern had with Catholicism and the impact this had on the author's life and work.


Existing research about patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) suggests that physical activity plays an important role in the progress and maintenance of the disease. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the influence of objective physical activity on CFS patients. To gain better insights into the factors influencing physical activity patients have been examined according to the accuracy of their estimates about their physical activity and their fatigue level. During the experiment 23 participants were provided with an ambulant feedback system. This feedback was either based on the average behavior of healthy people or on one's own average physical activity. The patient's objective activity level was measured by a tri-axial piezoelectric accelerometer. Their subjective activity and fatigue level were measured by self-reported scores. In the course of the experiment an increased positive correlation between objective- and subjective activity level was found. During the first week, the baseline level (without feedback) was measured, which revealed significantly a moderate negative correlation between objective activity level and fatigue. No significant differences have been found between the two feedback comparison groups. Consequently, CFS patients do accurately estimate their physical activity. The two feedback groups had no different influence on the patients regarding subjective and objective activity and fatigue. Overall, participants felt more tired as their physical activity level increased


The paper describes decision support system for modeling, control, and simulation of continuous, as well as discrete event systems. Models, control methods, and tools are in database specified by their attributes. Each attribute's weight is initially estimated according to importance and classification power of a given feature. Automatic learning of attributes weights uses the answers of the users after simulation provided by the system to increase the quality of case-based reasoning. The proposed learning algorithm guarantees convergence of the attributes weights to relatively steady values yielding to CBR of best quality. If simulation of a new case was successful from the point of view of the user, the new case is added to case base.


BACKGROUND
Spirituality has demonstrated a significant impact on quality of life in nursing-home patients. Likewise, as essential aspects of spirituality, hope, self-transcendence, and meaning are found to be vital resources to nursing-home patients' global well-being. Further, nurse-patient interaction has demonstrated a powerful influence on patient's hope, self-transcendence, and meaning-in-life, as well as on anxiety and depression.

AIM
The present study investigated the associations of hope, self-transcendence, meaning, and perceived nurse-patient interaction with quality of life.

DESIGN AND METHOD
In a cross-sectional design, a sample of 202 cognitively intact nursing-home patients in Mid-Norway responded to the Herth Hope Index, the Self-Transcendence scale, the Purpose-in-Life test, the Nurse-Patient Interaction scale, and a one-item overall measure on quality of life. Using SPSS ordinal regression, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted with quality of life as dependent variable.

RESULTS
Controlling for gender, age, and residential time, all the scales were significantly related to quality of life in the bivariate analyses. Intrapersonal self-transcendence showed an exceptional position presenting a very high odds ratio in the bivariate analysis, and also the strongest association with quality of life in multivariate analyses. Meaning and nurse-patient interaction also showed independent and significant associations with quality of life.

CONCLUSION
The associations found encourage the idea that intrapersonal self-transcendence, meaning-in-life, and nurse-patient interaction are powerful health-promoting factors that significantly influence on nursing-home patients' quality of life. Therefore, pedagogical approaches for advancing caregivers' presence and confidence in health-promoting interaction should be upgraded and matured. Proper educational programs for developing interacting skills including assessing and supporting patients' intrapersonal self-transcendence and meaning-in-life should be utilised and their effectiveness evaluated.


Aimed at some shortages in the existing time series clustering methods based on hidden Markov model(HMM), such as longer sequence and equal length, a hidden Markov model-based k-means time series clustering algorithm is proposed, whose objective function is the joint likelihood function. At first, an initial partition is obtained by unsupervised clustering of the time series using dynamic time warping (DTW), then HMMs are built from it, and the initial clusters serve as input to a process that trains one HMM on each cluster and iteratively moves time series between clusters based on their likelihoods given the various HMMs.


This study empirically tests post-MA horizontal integration (between steel makers) and vertical integration (between steel makers and iron ore suppliers/steel consuming firms). Merged firms show significant improvement in competitiveness relative to other individual firms in the steel industry.


The removal of hydrophobic pollutants in biofilters is often limited by gas liquid mass transfer to the biotic aqueous phase where biodegradation occurs. It has been proposed that the use of fungi may improve their removal efficiency. To confirm this, the uptake of hexane vapors was investigated in 2.6-L perlite-packed biofilters, inoculated with a mixed culture containing bacteria and fungi, which were operated under neutral or acid conditions. For a hexane inlet load of around 140 g.m-3.h-1, elimination capacities (EC) of 60 and 100 g.m-3.h-1 were respectively reached with the neutral and acid systems. Increasing the inlet hexane load showed that the maximum EC obtained in the acid biofilter (150 g.m-3.h-1) was twice greater than in the neutral filter. The addition of bacterial inhibitors had no significant effect on EC in the acid system. The biomass in the acid biofilter was 187 mg.g-1 (dry perlite) without an important pressure drop (26.5 mm of water.m-1reactor). The greater efficiency obtained with the acid biofilter can be related to the hydrophobic aerial hyphae which are in direct contact with the gas and can absorb the hydrophobic compounds faster than the flat bacterial biofilms. Two fungi were isolated from the acid biofilter and were identified as Cladosporium and Fusarium spp. Hexane EC of 40 g.m-3.h-1 for Cladosporium sp. and 50 g.m-3.h-1 for Fusarium sp. were obtained in short time experiments in small biofilters (0.230 L). A biomass content around 30 mg.g-1 (dry perlite) showed the potential for hexane biofiltration of the strains.


Wayne Van Leer Jones died in Houston, Texas, on June 29, 1996, shortly after he celebrated his 94th birthday. Wayne was born on June 18, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois, and attended the public schools there. In 1923 he graduated cum laude from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, with an A.B. degree in physics. While at Northwestern, he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity; was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic fraternity; and was an associate member of Sigma Xi, honorary scientific fraternity. After graduation from Northwestern, Wayne was employed by Mission Oil Company. He resigned from his position as chief auditor in December 1928 to go into business with his father under the firm name of F. E. Jones and Son, which did not survive the depression. He later worked for Tidewater Oil Company, serving as chief geologist for the Mid-Continent Division. In 1953 he became exploration vice president for Union Sulphur and Oil Corporation (later Union Texas Natural Gas Corporation and Union Texas Petroleum) and advanced to senior vice president in 1959, a position he held until his retirement in 1963. Wayne belonged to numerous professional organizations, including the Houston Geological Society and AAPG. Between 1945 and when he retired in 1963, he served on several committees and commissions besides writing numerous articles published in the AAPG Bulletin and by the Bureau of Economic Geology, Austin, Texas. His son, Wayne V. Jones II, who preceded him in death, was also a member of the Houston Geological Society and AAPG. While attending Northwestern University, Wayne met Elizabeth Rieke and they were married in Chicago on January 14, 1926. Their son, Wayne V. Jones II, was born in 1932. They moved to Houston in 1934. In January 1996 they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Wayne and Elizabeth were patrons of the arts in Houston over the years and supported, among other things, the Houston Opera, Symphony, Art Museum, Natural History Museum, Alley Theatre, and Jones Hall. In 1965, Wayne was named Northwestern9s alumni Regent for Texas, and in 1975, his status was changed to that of Life Regent. His service to Northwestern was further recognized in 1968 when he received an Alumni Service Award, one of the highest honors the University awards to alumni for university service. He and his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Wayne II, were also members of the John Evans Club, the University9s highest philanthropic organization, and the Library Council of Northwestern University. On April 17, 1996, he became the first recipient of the SAE Illinois Psi Omega Wall of Fame Award. Wayne was a widely known expert and writer in the field of genealogy. He was also a member of the genealogical societies of Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, and the Society of Genealogist (London, England). In addition, he was a member of the national and Texas societies of the Sons of the American Revolution. Wayne had just finished writing the third of eight genealogy books he had planned to write about his ancestors.


A flood is one of the grievous disasters, yet they can be extremely difficult to predict. The increasing level of flood prediction model is meant for the reduction of risk, coverage concept, the reduction of both living and nonliving things loss, and the reduction of property damage. Machine learning methodologies had given more benefit to make the prediction accurately and cost-effective by providing mathematical solutions to the given problem. Because of ML's numerous advantages and capabilities, its acceptance among hydrologists has advanced considerably. The key goal of this paper is to propose how machine learning methods are used in flood prediction for finding the accurate measures. This paper mainly gives the literature in which ML fashions were criterion via robustness, effectiveness, qualitative and velocity is specifically providing an extensive analysis of the various ML methods and functions used. The performance comparison of the machine learning model gives a good understanding of the various tactics within the context discussion. As a result, the study provides the real flood prediction systems for both the long and short period of happening.


This paper presents a power system consisting of current-mode, shared-bus converters configured as Series-Input, Parallel-Output (SIPO). These current-mode commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) dc-dc converters transform a 1kV system input voltage into a 5V output with up to 500 Watts of power. The SIPO power system provides for system expansion and preserves the standalone converter's efficiency of over 80%. Uniform input voltage distribution control improves power system reliability by distributing thermal stresses equally among the series-connected converters. Furthermore, robust system stability and uniform input voltage distribution among series-connected converters is realized without control conflict. A computer simulation and an experimental 1 kV 500 W prototype were successfully implemented to validate the uniform voltage distribution power converter architecture.


AIMS
This study aimed to identify a simple, inexpensive preservation technique that will allow a quick and reliable recovery of Campylobacter jejuni following long-term periods of preservation.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Preservation techniques include (i) Cryobank microbial preservation system using hypertonic 'cryopreservative solution' and glass beads, (ii) Cryobank microbial preservation system using defibrinated lysed horse blood and glass beads, (iii) FBP medium, (iv) 15% glycerol/85% nutrient broth no. 2 culture, and (v) 50% glycerol/50% nutrient broth no. 2 culture. Each preservation technique was evaluated over a 1-year period at conventional freezing temperatures of -20 degrees C and -85 degrees C. Replacement of 'cryopreservative fluid' in commercially prepared vials of glass beads with lysed horse blood increased the duration of preservation of Camp. jejuni by up to 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS
FBP medium proved the most successful preservation technique with 100 and 80% recovery after 1 year at -85 degrees C and -20 degrees C, respectively.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY
This study demonstrated a simple inexpensive preservation method for long-term storage of Camp. jejuni.


Curcumin has been utilized in the treatment and prevention of disease, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, but the molecular mechanism behind such numerous effects remains unclear. To explore the molecular mechanism and action sites of curcumin at the cellular level, human hepatic L-02 cells were used to assess these effects. Microarray technology was employed to detect the gene expression of L-02 cells treated with curcumin. According to the microarray results and the data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the present study classified and concluded that these curcumin-sensitive genes were associated with diseases and their signaling pathway. The study supports the evidence for treating cancer and cardiovascular disease, and found certain potential marker genes for conducting systematic research into the effects of curcumin. A total of 80 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed between samples treated with and without curcumin. Curcumin is capable of developing physiological reactions and functions by regulating the gene expression and affecting its signal transduction pathway. Tumor protein p63, MYC-associated factor X and certain other genes associated with tumors act on a potential therapeutic target, while apolipoprotein B receptor and oxysterol-binding protein-like 7, and their signaling pathways may be involved in the cardioprotective effects of curcumin.


OBJECTIVE
To detect the consistency of the c-MET gene amplification in peripheral blood and tumor tissue of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and discuss the clinical application value of c-MET gene amplification in peripheral blood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to test the tissues in 257 patients of NSCLCs and the peripheral blood samples in 318 patients of NSCLC, of which 185 cases of peripheral blood specimens could match the tissue samples, and detected the c-MET gene amplification in them by comparison of amplifications consistency in blood and tissue samples, and analyzed the correlation between c-MET gene amplification and clinical characteristics of patients.

RESULTS
The c-MET gene amplification rate was 9.75% in peripheral blood of 31 patients with NSCLC, and was 8.95% in 23 cancer tissues, the amplification consistency, was 81.25% in peripheral blood-tumor tissue matched samples. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
The consistency of the c-MET gene amplification in peripheral blood and tissue is high. c-MET gene amplification of peripheral blood could be used for clinical diagnosis and treatment in cases when tissue specimen is hard to get.


The aim of the study was to investigate on a possible association between maternal mean platelet volume (MPV) and oxygen-metabolic changes in pregnancies affected by altered maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry. We considered the altered maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry group (n = 57) pregnant women admitted to our Institution for a pregnancy complication associated to the event Pre-eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), with altered Doppler velocimetry in the umbilical artery ( UA) (high pulsatility index, absence or reverse end diastolic flow (ARED), blood flow cephalisation) and/or bilateral increased resistance in uterine arteries. Out of these cases, 25 pregnancies were complicated by PE and 32 pregnancies were complicated by IUGR. We included 145 normotensive third trimester pregnant women as a normal maternal-fetal Doppler velocimetry control group. From all women, 20 ml of whole venous blood was obtained from the antecubital vein soon after Doppler velocimetry evaluation. MPV was significantly higher in women with abnormal Doppler velocimetry compared to those with normal Doppler velocimetry (8.0 fl [7.0–8.7] vs. 9.1 fl [8.0–10.6], <0.001. Values are median [interquartiles]). We performed a ROC curve in order to find an MPV cut-off able to predict an uneventful event in Doppler velocimetry compromised fetuses (neonatal O2 support > 48 hrs or intubation and/or pH < 7.2 at umbilical blood gas analysis (UBGA)). An MPV ≥ 10 fl was significantly related to the former diagnostic endpoints compared to that of non-compromised fetuses (sensitivity: 45%, specificity: 89.7%, 95 CI: 18.8–66, p < 0.01). Our study suggests that pregnancies affected by Doppler velocimetry alterations, an MPV value ≥ 10 fl may be associated with severe oxygen support and/or low UA ph at birth.


Every development in technology brings the opportunity to build a safer future, in process safety and beyond. In the age of smartphones, this opportunity comes in the form of safety applications, education, and communication through social media. Because the majority of those in the workforce own smartphones, these devices may act as valuable tools for engineers, and are a possible medium for sending alerts and notifications. Because we live in the age of information, applications have been developed specifically to cater to the unmet needs of engineers. Technology has allowed us to have the information we need in the palm of our hand at a moment's notice, and access to this information will lead us to a safer tomorrow. Note that in some facilities, cell phones may be monitored or even prohibited. Always abide by the facility's rules to ensure everyone's safety, particularly in relation to cell phone use. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 36: 4–9, 2017


The rapid movement and changes in technology have brought great transformations in many aspects. It does not only affect how people live but also their ways of thinking and perceptions. Almost all aspects are transformed into digital, and one of them is literature. The digitalization of literature has used various media, features, and forms. It is also widely known that digital literature has gained popularity nowadays. Teens today spend more time using their gadgets to access online platforms that are visually more appealing than the traditional version. For young people, who mostly use social media in their daily life, digital literature gives them easier access and better visuals. On the other hand, most digital literature works are also free and easy to access. Since digital literature is closely related to young people's lives, many young writers use social media platforms to express their feelings. Thus, this paper aims to interrogate the issue of the search for identity that is faced by Asian-American teenagers, the impact of the predicament on them, and how they select their identity and define themselves. In investigating those problems, the researchers borrow five social media literature works, "Asian is not My Brand", "Snippets of Time", "Clay", "Not American Enough", and "Mocking an Asian Accent is Never Funny", that are taken from the @dearasianyouthliterature Instagram platform. This issue is important to be discussed because the works were written by Asian-American teenagers who experience stereotyping, predicament, and ambivalence. In unveiling the issue of identity, the researchers used descriptive qualitative study and documentation as the data collection method. In addition, Bhabha's theory on ambivalence, in-betweenness, third space, and hybridity was also used to illuminate the researchers in deconstructing the problem. From these two social media short stories, the researchers find that Asian-American teenagers have to face predicaments and dilemmas because they are seen as not Asian enough to be Asian, as well as not American enough to be American. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that Asian-American teenagers decide to voice the voiceless and embrace and celebrate their Asian-American identity. Lastly, these social media short stories have not been discussed widely by Indonesian researchers; thus, it is a good opportunity to have a scholarly discussion using social media literature works.


A detailed electron distribution study of the covalent bond in silicon is discussed. The study is based on the strategy employed earlier to define the covalent bond in diamond, and estimates of the bonded-atom scattering power, including results for 222, that have been obtained in three different X -ray experiments at room temperature are considered. Two of these involve the conventional approach via intensity measurement, that of Gottlicher & Wolfel (G. W. ) on powders and that of DeMarco & Weiss (D. M. W. ) on perfect single crystals, while the third by Hattori, Kuriyama, Katagaw a & Kato (H. K. K. K. ) involves the measurement of spacing in X -ray Pendellösung fringes observed in wedge-shaped perfect crystal specimens and their interpretation by the dynamical theory of Kato. It is shown that only the results obtained by H. K. K. K. are capable of detailed analysis in term s of the criteria now available from the earlier study of diamond, from which we conclude that the fringe-spacing method has yielded data for the low-angle reflexions which are superior to the data obtained m re conventionally by G. W. and D. M. W. The covalent bond in silicon is described comprehensively by two non-spherical components as in diamond. The major (antisymmetric) component involves the radial function F3(r) = 1⋅11r2 exp (─ 0⋅88r2), and the minor (cubo-centrosymmetric) the function G4(r) = ─ 0⋅321r2 exp (─0⋅88r2). The origin of these components lies in an electron redistribution of the spherical unbonded atom involving 0⋅127 electron per bond, and this leads to a peak of + 0⋅25 e/Å3 at the mid-point of the covalent bond. The consequences of this study are considered in relation to future attempts to examine aspects of electron distribution in atoms of different weight. The suitability of diamond and silicon as standards for scaling intensity data to the strict absolute basis so essential to such studies is also noted.


This paper demonstrates design and construction of microcontroller-based telephone exchange system and the aims of this paper is to study telecommunication, connection with PIC16F877A and DTMF MT8870D. In microcontroller system, PIC16F877 microcontroller is used to control the call processing. Dial tone, busy tone and ring tone are provided during call progress. Instead of using ready made tone generator IC, oscillator based tone generator is used. The results of this telephone exchange system are perfect for homes and small businesses needing the extensions. It requires the phone operation control system, the analog interface circuit and the switching circuit. This exchange design wills contain eight channels. It is the best low cost, good quality telephone exchange for today's telecommunication needs. It offers the features available in much more expensive PBX units without using high-priced phones. It is for long distance telephone services.


This paper provides comparisons between experimental data and numerical results for impulsively started flows in a three-dimensional rectangular lid-driven cavity of aspect ratio 1:1:2 at Reynolds number 1000. The initial evolution of this flow is studied up to the dimensionless time t = 12 and is found both experimentally and numerically to exhibit high sensitivity to geometrical perturbations. Three different flow developments generated by very small changes in the boundary geometry are found in the experiments and are reproduced by the numerics. This indicates that even at moderate Reynolds numbers the predictability of three-dimensional incompressible viscous flows in bounded regions requires controlling the shape of the boundary and the values of the boundary conditions more carefully than needed in two dimensions.


Abstract Nine synthetic isoxazoles were evaluated as antiplatelet agents and studied the possible mechanism of more active compound. The initial screening was evaluating all compounds against platelet aggregation assays. The most active compound was isoxazole 8 showing an inhibition of platelet aggregation around 70%. In subsequent experiments, ADP and collagen were used as agonists to explore the possible inhibitory mechanisms of isoxazole 8 in platelet aggregation and secretion. We reported the effect of isoxazole 8 for reducing the expression of inflammatory markers, such as soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin), on activated platelets. Of this form, an inhibition of sCD40L and sP-selectin can prevent the onset of an atherosclerotic lesion.


Background: Adipose tissue-preserved skin grafts (ATPSGs) are full-thickness skin grafts with inclusion of a thin layer of adipose tissue. ATPSGs are recommended for reconstruction of anatomic areas that are cosmetically sensitive and for areas that functionally benefit from additional soft tissue thickness compared to traditional skin grafts. Careful intraoperative technique and postoperative care are mandatory for ATPSG success, given the expected higher metabolic demands compared to traditional grafts. A strict postoperative protocol is especially important after reconstruction of lower extremity defects. Methods: Detailed descriptions of intraoperative and postoperative care for ATPSG reconstructions are provided. A case is presented displaying lower extremity reconstruction with an ATPSG. The intraoperative technique includes meticulous hemostasis of the recipient site, atraumatic handling of recipient skin edges, anatomical epidermal-to-epidermal reapproximation, avoidance of tissue strangulation during inset, and careful bolster placement. The postoperative protocol after lower extremity reconstruction includes strict elevation, non-weight-bearing status, and eventual dangle protocol. Results: An 85-year-old woman was treated with an ATSG for a middle-third leg resection of squamous cell carcinoma resulting in a 9 × 5 cm defect. The strict postoperative protocol was initiated, but the patient was noncompliant with elevation and weight-bearing restrictions. She had postoperative congestion and epidermolysis that was treated with local wound care without need for additional surgery. Conclusions: There are many benefits to ATPSG reconstruction when chosen for the appropriate candidate. The meticulous technique and strict adherence to the postoperative protocol are crucial when these reconstructions are performed. Detailed descriptions of intraoperative and postoperative recommendations to optimize outcomes after ATPSG are presented.


As the American workplace becomes more automated and less humanized, a new breed of employee is reacting adversely to the lack of a high-touch, people-approach to management. Critics of the situation contend that the emphasis on production technology and scientific methodology is reinforced by the "rational model" of management that is being taught in today's business schools. The American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business and the European Foundation of Management Development have recently called on business schools to incorporate affective, cognitive skills into the curriculum to help managers deal with the high-touch need. Behavioral labs are being encouraged as a learning tool which can be used by educators to meet this challenge. This study finds that U.S. business schools have shown very little progress in incorporating behavioral lab experiences into their curricula.


A cylindrical standing wave ultrasonic motor using cantilever and sandwich type transducers was proposed in this paper. There are four pairs of cantilevers outside the cylindrical stator, and four PZT ceramics are set between each pair of cantilevers. The PZT ceramics together with a pair of cantilevers compose a longitudinal transducer. The bending mode of cylindrical stator is excited by the longitudinal vibration of PZT ceramics. Thus, linear simple harmonic motions are achieved at the particle on the teeth. And the frictional force between rotor and stator is the driving force to realize the rotational motion of rotor. The PZT ceramics work with d33 mode, which have high electromechanical coupling efficiency and could improve the output characteristics. The working principle of proposed motor was analyzed. The cylinder and longitudinal transducer were designed with FEM. The sensitive parameters of resonant frequency of transducers and cylinder were gained with modal analysis. The longitudinal resonant frequency of transducers and bending resonant frequency of cylinder were degenerated, and the motion trajectories of nodes on the teeth were analyzed. The results of this study could be useful in the development of this new type of ultrasonic motor.


A 530 nm light emitting diode was coupled to a microfluidic sensor to facilitate photolysis of nitrosothiols (i.e., S-nitrosoglutathione, S-nitrosocysteine, and S-nitrosoalbumin) and amperometric detection of the resulting nitric oxide (NO). This configuration allowed for maximum sensitivity and versatility, while limiting potential interference from nitrate decomposition caused by ultraviolet light. Compared to similar measurements of total S-nitrosothiol content in bulk solution, use of the microfluidic platform permitted significantly enhanced analytical performance in both phosphate-buffered saline and plasma (6-20× improvement in sensitivity depending on nitrosothiol type). Additionally, the ability to reduce sample volumes from milliliters to microliters provides increased clinical utility. To demonstrate its potential for biological analysis, this device was used to measure basal nitrosothiol levels from the vasculature of a healthy porcine model.


In this paper a mathematical model for nanoparticle deposition in the alveolar ducts of the human lung airways is proposed. There were huge inconsistencies in deposition between ducts of a particular generation and inside every alveolated duct, signifying that limited particle concentrations can be much bigger than the mean acinar concentration. A large number of particles are unsuccessful to way out the structure during expiration. Finite difference method has been used to solve the unsteady nonlinear Navier–Stokes equations in cylindrical coordinate system governing flow assuming axial symmetry under laminar flow condition so that the problem efficiently turns into two-dimensional. An extensive quantitative study is performed through numerical computations of the preferred quantities having physiological importance through their graphical demonstration so as to authenticate the applicability of the current model.


In this paper, we propose a first version of a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm that incorporates some coevolutionary concepts. The primary design goal of the proposed approach is to reduce the total number of objective function evaluations required to produce a reasonable good approximation of the true Pareto front of a problem. The main idea of the proposed approach is to concentrate the search effort on promising regions that arise during the evolutionary process as a byproduct of a mechanism that subdivides decision variable space based on an estimate of the relative importance of each decision variable. The proposed approach is validated using several test functions taken from the specialized literature and it is compared with respect to three approaches that are representative of the state-of-the-art in evolutionary multiobjective optimization.


ABSTRACT Previous research suggests that lower socioeconomic status (SES) adolescents bully more than their higher-SES peers. This paper tests whether aggression-related mindsets, defined as mindsets that theoretically influence aggressive behavior, explain the relationship between SES and bullying engagement among adolescents. Using a large and diverse dataset of survey responses from secondary students in the U.S. (N = 146,044 students, 30% White, 70% students of color from 5th-12th grade), this study applies structural regression modeling with complex survey data analysis. Results suggest that differences in aggression-related mindsets, including feelings of academic efficacy, feelings of purpose, global self-esteem, academic-status insecurity, school-related anger, and school-related happiness account for almost half of the relationship between SES and bullying. Students' school-related anger is the strongest direct predictor of bullying (0.88 standard deviation), which suggests that strategies to reduce adolescent bullying are more effective if they teach anger-reducing skills or eliminate the root causes of students' school-related anger.


In the rabbit myocardium, ischemia (produced by ligation of the left circumflex coronary artery) is associated with a reduction in antioxidant capacity. This is reflected by an increased glutathione depletion and production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances following in vitro oxidative challenge with t-butylhydroperoxide. This effect is greatly intensified by reperfusion following periods of ischemia longer than 20 mins, thereby paralleling the onset of irreversible injury. Chronic allopurinol pretreatment (1 mg/mL in drinking water or approximately 75 mg/kg/day for seven days prior to ligation) provides significant protection of the ischemic/reperfused myocardium to t-butylhydroperoxide induced glutathione depletion and production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. This protection was not associated with any significant alterations in levels of tissue ATP or in the activities of the myocardial antioxidant enzymes catalase, copper,zinc-superoxide dismutase or glutathione peroxidase, suggesting that allopurinol may exert its effects by direct radical scavenging or by some other mechanism unrelated to xanthine oxidase inhibition.


Analysis of liver from rats exposed to chemical hepatocarcinogens has led to a model that postulates sequential premalignant changes, culminating in hepatoma formation from neoplastic nodules. Several experimental protocols devised during the last quarter century have focused upon this lineage model. But proof that neoplastic nodules are the definitive premalignant lesions has not been achieved. Recent work, using α‐fetoprotein as a marker for liver cell alterations induced by different carcinogen‐feeding regimens, suggests that chemically induced hepatomas may also arise from nonnodular cell populations. Therefore, the extensive biochemical and biological studies of presumed "premalignant" cells may have utilized the wrong cells. Unequivocal identification of the cell population at risk for malignancy is needed to delineate mechanisms by which chemicals cause hepatocellular carcinoma.


The central concept of the work described is that a database can be created which contains all the information about a complex engineering system, specifically a building management system (BMS). This database will be updated and modified throughout the system lifecycle. Due to the large amount of information required to be entered into these databases, all data entry is done through graphical interfaces according to the maxim 'a picture is worth ten thousand words'. The user draws a picture of what is required, and this is then compiled into the desired database form. BMSs are used to control intelligent buildings. A BMS usually consists of a number of universal network controllers (outstations) which are connected together in a local area network (LAN), or wide area network (WAN). A number of PCs (terminals) can be connected to allow user access to the system for supervisory purposes. An outstation is connected to the hardware components which it controls and from where it gets its operating information. These components are called points; examples being sensors such as temperature, humidity, wind and solar effect, and actuators such as pumps, fans, valves, heating and cooling coils and humidifiers.


Abstract The effects of felodipine on renal hemodynamics and excretion were evaluated in the anesthetized dog. Unilateral renal arterial infusion of felodipine produced ipsilateral increases in the absolute and fractional excretion of sodium and water which were greater than those of potassium; these effects occurred in the absence of changes in mean arterial pressure, renal blood flow, or glomerular filtration rate. There were no significant effects on renal hemodynamic or excretory function in the contralateral kidney. The unilateral renal arterial infusion of isotonic saline or vehicle produced no significant effects on renal hemodynamic or excretory function in either ipsilateral or contralateral kidney. Felodipine, a calcium antagonist with vasodilator antihypertensive properties, in doses which do not affect systemic or renal hemodynamics in the dog, increased urinary flow rate and sodium excretion by decreasing renal tubular water and sodium reabsorption. As a vasodilator antihypertensive agent, felodipine possesses potentially advantageous diuretic and natriuretic properties.


The growing diversification of the workforce demands that organizational leaders create workplaces in which individuals have a sense of belonging and are valued for their unique contributions. However, beyond the contributions of certain types of leadership, there is insufficient understanding of the factors that impact experiences of workplace inclusion. Using survey data collected from a Canadian police organization (N = 488) in the spring of 2018, this study examined whether organizational justice (i.e., fair treatment) was positively associated with workplace inclusion, and whether psychological safety mediated the justice–inclusion relationship. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) revealed that organizational justice was significantly related to inclusion. Organizational justice was also found to indirectly influence perceptions of inclusion, through psychological safety. In other words, when people were treated fairly, they were more likely to indicate their workplace was psychologically safe, which in turn contributed to feelings of inclusion. Finally, the study findings indicated that personal characteristics, including gender, race and occupational role influenced individual experiences of inclusion.


Poststreptococcal reactive arthritis is most likely a form of acute rheumatic fever. However, it frequently differs by early development of arthritis after pharyngitis, more prolonged arthritis or arthralgia and a less dramatic response to aspirin. The use of prophylactic penicillin is discussed and advocated. Childhood polyarteritis may be divided into a cutaneous form and a more generalized form that usually involves the kidney but frequently also the gastrointestinal tract, heart, or nervous system. Nine children with polyarteritis nodosa are described and their disease related to a prior streptococcal infection.


When a layer of a semicrystalline polymer is subject to a tensile force in its plane and a voltage through its thickness, the deformation of the layer is initially homogeneous, but it then localizes. The electromechanical instability sets in when the force and the voltage reach critical conditions. The critical conditions are determined in this paper and are related to the following two special cases: the Considère condition for the necking instability and the Stark–Garton condition for the pull-in instability. The general critical conditions show that a tensile force can markedly reduce the critical voltage. © 2009 American Institute of Physics . (cid:3) DOI: 10.1063/1.3186078


Microalgae represent one of the most promising groups of candidate organisms for replacing fossil fuels with contemporary primary production as a renewable source of energy. Algae can produce many times more biomass per unit area than terrestrial crop plants, easing the competing demands for land with food crops and native ecosystems. However, several aspects of algal biology present unique challenges to the industrial-scale aquaculture of photosynthetic microorganisms. These include high susceptibility to invading aquatic consumers and weeds, as well as prodigious requirements for nutrients that may compete with the fertiliser demands of other crops. Most research on algal biofuel technologies approaches these problems from a cellular or genetic perspective, attempting either to engineer or select algal strains with particular traits. However, inherent functional trade-offs may limit the capacity of genetic selection or synthetic biology to simultaneously optimise multiple functional traits for biofuel productivity and resilience. We argue that a community engineering approach that manages microalgal diversity, species composition and environmental conditions may lead to more robust and productive biofuel ecosystems. We review evidence for trade-offs, challenges and opportunities in algal biofuel cultivation with a goal of guiding research towards intensifying bioenergy production using established principles of community and ecosystem ecology.


It was necessary to carry out methodologies evaluations of real-time fluorescent reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) targeting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Considering biosafety issues and lack of positive specimens in some special locations in China, the routine specimens from healthy individuals were used to perform methodologies evaluations, in which the indexes were the differences of quantification cycle values ({Delta}Cq) between human derived internal reference control (IRC) genes of a specimen and quality control (QC). Serial experiments were carried out to evaluate various factors that might affect aforementioned methodologies, such as types of virus transport mediums, methods of specimen pretreatment and template preparation, specimen vortex strength, specimen storage temperature and duration. The results showed that using {Delta}Cq values as indexes, among various factors that might affect analytical performance, it was better to store specimens in the normal saline transport mediums, inactivate pathogens using water or metal bath, release more virus particles from swabs by vortex mixing, extract nucleic acids with centrifuge methods, and perform amplification assays timely. Aforementioned opinions and optimum conditions were further confirmed by SRAS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and clinical positive specimens. Altogether, the results of this study indicated that the routine specimens from healthy individuals could be used to evaluate the analytical performance of real-time fluorescent RT-PCR targeting SRAS-CoV-2, of which the indexes were the {Delta}Cq values between IRC genes of a specimen and QC. This acceptable method was extremely valuable in both theoretical and practical significance under current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).


BACKGROUND Calorie restriction (CR) increases healthy lifespan and is accompanied by slowing or reversal of aging-associated DNA methylation (DNAm) changes in animal models. In the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE™) human trial we evaluated associations of CR and changes in whole-blood DNAm. METHODS CALERIE™ randomized 220 healthy, non-obese adults in a 2:1 allocation to two years of CR or ad libitum (AL) diet. The average CR in the treatment group through 24-months of follow-up was 12%. Whole blood (baseline, 12 and 24 month) DNAm profiles were measured. Epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) analysis tested CR-induced changes from baseline to 12- and 24-months in the n=197 participants with available DNAm data. RESULTS No CpG-site-specific changes with CR reached epigenome-wide significance (FDR<0.05). Secondary analyses of CpG sites identified in published EWAS suggest, we found that CR induced DNAm changes opposite those associated with body mass index (BMI) and smoking (p<0.003 at 12- and 24-month follow-ups). In contrast, CR altered DNAm at chronological-age associated CpG sites in the direction of older age (p<0.003 at 12- and 24-month follow-ups). CONCLUSION Although individual CpG site DNAm changes in response to CR were not identified, analyses of sets CpGs identified in prior EWAS revealed CR-induced changes to blood DNAm. Altered CpG sets were enriched for insulin-production, glucose-tolerance, inflammation, and DNA-binding and -regulation pathways, several of which are known to be modified by CR. DNAm changes may contribute to CR effects on aging.


Staphylococcus aureus sortase A is a transpeptidase that has been extensively exploited for site-specific modification of proteins and was originally used to attach a labeling reagent containing an LPXTG recognition sequence to a protein or peptide with an N-terminal glycine. Sortase mutants with other recognition sequences have also been reported, but in all cases, the reversibility of the transpeptidation reaction limits the efficiency of sortase-mediated labeling reactions. For the wildtype sortase, depsipeptide substrates, in which the scissile peptide bond is replaced with an ester, allow effectively irreversible sortase-mediated labeling as the alcohol byproduct is a poor competing nucleophile. In this paper, the use of depsipeptide substrates for evolved sortase variants is reported. Substrate specificities of three sortases have been investigated allowing identification of an orthogonal pair of enzymes accepting LPEToG and LPESoG depsipeptides, which have been applied to dual N-terminal labeling of a model protein mutant containing a second, latent N-terminal glycine residue. The method provides an efficient orthogonal site-specific labeling technique that further expands the biochemical protein labeling toolkit.


Sediment toxicity and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were measured as one component of a study cohceived to determine the distribution and effect of sediment contamination in tidal freshwater portions of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in the Washington, D.C., area. Samples were collected at 15 sites. Analyses included a partial life cycle (28 d) whole sediment test using the amphipod Hyalella azteca (Talitridae) and an assessment of benthic community structure. Survival and growth (as estimated by amphipod length) were experimental endopoints for the toxicity test. Significant mortality was observed in 5 of 10 sites in the lower Anacostia River basin and at the main channel Potomac River site. Sublethal toxicity, as measured by inhibition of amphipod growth, was not observed. Toxicity test results were in general agreement with synoptically measured sediment contaminant concentrations. Porewater total ammonia (NH3+NH4+) appears to be responsible for the toxicity of sediments from the Potomac River, while correlation analysis and simultaneously extracted metals: acid volatile sulfide (SEM∶AVS) results suggest that the toxicity associated with Anacostia River sediments was due to organic compounds. Twenty-eight macroinvertebrate taxa were identified among all sites, with richness varying from 5 to 17 taxa per site. Groups of benthic assemblages identified by group-average cluster analysis exhibited variable agreement with sediment chemical and sediment toxicity results. Integration of toxicological, chemical, and ecological components suggests that adverse environmental effects manifest in the lower Anacostia River benthos result from chemical contamination of sediment.


The unstable mutation Adh1-Fm335 contains a Dissociation (Ds1) transposable element at position +53 in the untranslated leader of the maize Alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (Adh1) gene. Excision of Ds1 is known to generate new alleles with small additions and rearrangements of Adh1 DNA. We characterized 16 revertant alleles with respect to ADH1 activity levels in scutellum (nutritive tissue of the seed), anaerobic root, and pollen. Whereas gene expression was not different from the wild type in the sporophytic tissues of the scutellum and anaerobic root, there were strong allelic differences in pollen. One allele underexpressed pollen ADH1 at 48% of the wild-type level, and another overexpressed pollen ADH1 at 163% of the wild-type level. Quantitative RNase protection assays demonstrated that the mutant phenotypes reflected changes in the levels of steady state mRNA in pollen. These data provide a definitive demonstration of an overexpression mutant in plants and further show that marked increases in mRNA levels can follow minor alterations in central untranslated leader sequences. The nucleotide sequence of 12 new revertant alleles and the molecular mechanisms responsible for pollen-specific gene expression are discussed.


Background Web-based diaries are a promising means for collecting detailed sexual behaviour and substance use data. Few studies have evaluated the feasibility and reliability of collecting these data among men who have sex with men (MSM). We compared quantitative diary data with retrospective survey data collected over 1-year in a cohort of young MSM in Seattle, WA. Methods Ninety-five MSM, age 16–30, completed web-based surveys every 3 months and were randomised to 1 of 4 diary submission schedules: every 2 weeks, once a week, twice a week, or never. The diaries asked questions about daily sexual behaviour and substance use. We assessed the agreement between diary and survey data using κ statistics for dichotomous variables and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) for continuous variables. We used generalised estimating equations to assess for differences in survey data over time between those assigned an active diary schedule to those assigned no diary. Results During the first 6 months, 78% of participants assigned to an active diary schedule completed at least 80% of their diary days, and the 2-week schedule had the highest and most consistent completion rate. Completion rates dropped to <60% during the second 6 months. Among participants with active diary schedules, most measures had strong agreement between the diary and survey data (ie, κ or CCC≥0.8). The exceptions to this were numbers of overall and unprotected anal sex acts during the first 3 months (CCC=0.53 and 0.57, respectively) and alcohol use during the first 6 months (κ=0.57–0.59). We observed some reactivity, or a difference in reported behaviour associated with diary completion. For example, participants assigned no diary reported an average increase of 5.2 more unprotected anal sex acts over consecutive 3-month periods than those assigned an active diary schedule (p<0.01). Conclusions This study suggests that sexual behaviour and substance use data collected from young MSM during 3-month retrospective surveys—an interval commonly used in sexual behaviour research—are largely adequate. Web-based diaries can be used for up to 6 months to gather detailed behavioural data, and may be more appropriate than retrospective surveys for counts of anal sex acts. Furthermore, our finding that diaries may be associated with lower levels of reported sexual behaviour suggests that web-based diaries may be useful as a behavioural intervention to prevent HIV/STI among young MSM.


Recent Presidents have claimed a power to disregard statutes that they deem unconstitutional, prompting critics to make an array of arguments against these assertions. As a matter of text, the Faithful Execution Clause supposedly bars such non-enforcement. As a matter of history, the English Parliament specifically prohibited a royal discretionary power to disregard statutes. Moreover, American Presidents did not exercise a power to disregard unconstitutional laws until almost a century after the Constitution's creation. Taken together, these arguments are said to refute the regal pretensions of modern Presidents.This Article serves as an antidote to such claims, while sharpening our understanding of the proper Executive Branch stance towards unconstitutional statutes. The critics are correct in supposing that the President lacks a discretionary power to disregard unconstitutional statutes; instead, the Constitution is best read as obliging the President to disregard statutes he regards as unconstitutional. First, the Constitution never empowers the President to enforce unconstitutional statutes. He no more has the power to enforce such statutes than he has power to enforce the statutes of Georgia or Germany. Second, the President's duty to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution requires the President to disregard unconstitutional statutes. When the President enforces a statute he regards as unconstitutional, he violates the Constitution no less than if he were to imprison citizens without hope of trial. Third, the Faithful Execution Clause requires the President to choose the Constitution over unconstitutional laws, in the same way that courts must choose the former over the latter. Consistent with these understandings, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson argued that executives could not enforce unconstitutional laws. Indeed, President Jefferson halted Sedition Act prosecutions on grounds that the Act was unconstitutional. According to Jefferson, his duty to defend the Constitution barred him from executing measures that violated it.


. The effect of defecation and decomposition of fecal pellets egested by the deposit feeding Holothuria tubulosa Gmelin on the microbial productivity of sediments was investigated in microcosm experiments. H. tubulosa specimens were collected from a 5m deep seagrass meadow in the nearshorc waters of the Mediterranean Sea off Lacco Ameno (Island of Ischia, Gulf of Naples, Italy). Experiments were performed under different temperature regimes. Bacterial production in the incubation media and within fecal pellets increased with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.8 to 1.65 μg C 1-1 h-1 at 14 oC and up to 16.5 μg C -1-1 h-1 (27 oC) in the incubation media. The corresponding values within fecal pellets ranged between 3.6 and 8.5 μg C g-l (fecal matter dry wt) h-1 (14oC) and 30.3μg C g-1 (fecal matter dry wt) h-1 (27oC). Incubation experiments on the effect of feces on natural sediments indicated that fecal pellet production by H. tubulosa enhanced sediment bacterial production by about 30 %.

Two independent methods were used to estimate leaching of dissolved carbohydrates from fecal pellets. One method was based on the increase in total dissolved carbohydrates (TDCHO) in the incubation medium of the HgCl2-treated jars, the other on the decrease in total particulate carbohydrates (TPCHO) of the fecal matter. For the experiment performed at 14 oC, we calculated a TDCHO-leaching rate of 26.4 % d-1 based on the increase in the HgCl2-treated jar, while 20 % d-1 were obtained from the decline in the TPCHO fraction of the fecal matter.


Describes an in‐depth study of the attitudes to food, food consumption patterns and health of young vegetarian women (aged 15‐30). Studies women as the ratio of female to male vegetarians is 2:1. Self‐completed questionnaires formed the basis of the study and provided information on length of time and degree of commitment to vegetarianism, affect on social relationships, and moral and health factors and food factors influencing the decision to become vegetarian. Food factors appeared to be less distinctive than moral and health factors. Concludes that more research is required, particularly into the strict vegan section of the population.


This paper examines the efsects of processing conditions and starting materials on the viscoelastic behavior of Nu-TrimX (a new fi-glucan-rich hydrocolloid product) suspensions (5 % by weight in deionized water). In general, Nu-TrimX suspensions exhibit clockwise thixotropic loops with shearthinning behavior over the experimental shear rate range (0-250 s-') at 25C. The rheological responses of the various Nu-TrimX suspensions were modeled using a power law constitutive equation. The suspensions behave as pseudoplastic materials with power law exponents ranging from 0.42 to 0.71.