SUMMARY Isotropic etching of silicon in HF based solutions is expected to be controlled by the diffusion of fluorine to the silicon surface. In order to gain quantitative understanding of the process we studied etching of Si in HF/HNO 3 /H 2 O via circular mask openings and compared the results with the theoretical expectations. The cavity edges due to etching under the mask were analyzed with a high precision by processing the optical microscope images. Dependence on the etching time and opening size was investigated. The time dependence was verified with 1% precision. Dependence on the opening size predicted theoretically is not fully supported by the experiment. There is a small (4%) but clearly observable deviation from the theory. A small anisotropy was observed in perfect agreement with the crystal orientation symmetry. The anisotropy becomes larger with the decrease of the opening size for (100) and (110) wafers.


ABSTRACT This paper examines what it takes for a state of knowledge-how to be extended (i.e. partly constituted by entities external to the organism) within an anti-intellectualist approach to knowledge-how. I begin by examining an account of extended knowledge-how developed by Carter, J. Adam, and Boleslaw Czarnecki. 2016 ["Extended Knowledge-How." Erkenntnis 81 (2): 259–273], and argue that it fails to properly distinguish between cognitive outsourcing and extended knowing-how. I then introduce a solution to this problem which rests on the distribution of tasks between agent and non-biological entity. On closer inspection, I show that this solution is ultimately unsatisfactory, though its failure is instructive as it illuminates the important role played by an agent's skilled interaction with an external entity. Drawing on key anti-intellectualist ideas, as well as on insight from cognitive psychology, I propose an account according to which what ultimately matters for extending knowledge-how is whether a hybrid ability is self-regulated. In closing, I illuminate the practical value of extended knowledge-how vis-à-vis cognitive outsourcing.


Conservation and protection of the environment have been an inseparable part of Indian heritage and culture. Realizing its importance, the Indian State has also enshrined it in the Constitution which requires both the state and its subjects to "protect and improve the environment". The liberalization and globalization of the economy makes it imperative to increase our vigil to ensure that industrial growth is not at the cost of the environment. But the process of indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources over centuries has resulted in degradation, depletion or even destruction of our natural environment. Over exploitation beyond the resource capability or its imbalanced use without long term perspective leads to unabated degradation of resource base, loss of bio diversity, decline in total productivity and environmental deterioration. Article 48 A of the Constitution obligates the State to endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the Country. There is at present a growing consciousness and awareness that suitable measures be adopted to protect the environment, forests and wild life. Article 39 (e) 47, and 48 A by themselves and collectively cast a duty on the state to secure the health of the people, improve public health, protect and improve the environment. Though more than 200 legislations were made before and after the independence, the administration did not show much concern about environmental pollution. We face significant environmental challenges and violation of existing environmental laws in India. Reducing the occurrence of such threats, effective monitoring, controlling and subsequent recovery measures through law and order can provides an opportunity to shape the future economy and set us on a sustainable growth path. This paper highlights the hard core issues related to violation of environmental laws in India and many questions pertaining to environment with special emphasizes on Constitutional provisions.


Unreacted fuel in ring crevice volumes is a significant source of hydrocarbon emissions from spark ignition engines. If the ring crevice is designed with a wider clearance into which the flame will propagate, the unreacted fuel can be reduced. In this paper, the conditions of flame propagation into the ring crevice are investigated by using ionization probes imbedded in the moving piston of a four-stroke spark ignition engine. It is found that the flame propagates into the ring crevice if the quenching distance when the flame reaches the crevice is narrower than the piston top land clearance.


Surface layer turbulent fluxes and normalized wind spectra at Ranchi, India during the landfall of severe cyclonic storm 'AILA' are compared with the fair weather spectra. Spectral peaks are shifted to lower frequencies as AILA crosses the coast. Dominant eddy sizes after the landfall are observed to be much higher than those before the landfall especially for u component. Spectral energy during the passage of synoptic disturbance in the vicinity is lesser than that of Kaimal's spectrum owing to mismatch of empirical constant over tropics. Mean vertical velocity is positive (negative) before (after) the landfall, indicating dominance of updrafts (downdrafts).


Cyclobutanones are essentially unknown as reactants in isonitrile-based multicomponent reactions. Ugi reactions of cyclobutanone and Passerini reactions of tetramethylcyclobutane-1,3-dione have been performed in this work. These reactions are significantly enhanced by being conducted in water, a subject of recent interest whose basis is still in question but whose effects are beyond doubt. The Ugi reaction of cyclobutanone has been used in a brief synthesis of an aspartame analogue.


Employee performance is a work result that can be obtained by workers in terms of quality, quantity, working time and cooperation to achieve goals and as an important element for the organization to determine organizational success. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of compensation on employee performance through work motivation. This research was conducted at CV. Duta Niaga Bali. The number of samples is 40 employees, with a saturated sampling method. Collecting data through observation, interviews, literature study and questionnaires. The analysis technique used is path analysis. Based on the results of the analysis found that compensation has a positive and significant effect on employee performance at CV. Duta Niaga Bali by mediating work motivation, so that work motivation is a mediating variable for the influence of compensation on employee performance at CV. Duta Niaga Bali. Based on the results of the Sobel test, it shows that the tabulation results Z = 3.444> 1.96, which means that the compensation variable has a positive and significant effect on employee performance at CV. Duta Niaga Bali with work motivation mediation.


In this paper, we tackle the failure detection problem in OpenFlow networks. We have examined several commercial OpenFlow switches and found that the long failure detection time makes an OpenFlow network unable to realize fast failure recovery. To resolve this problem, we propose a software based failure detection and fault location identification scheme. Our design can be applied to both in-band controlled and out-of-band controlled OpenFlow networks. In the network, the OpenFlow controller periodically uses monitoring packets to probe network status. Through provisioning monitoring cycles to cover all links in a given network, the OpenFlow controller can detect and pinpoint a failed link within a short time. An algorithm based on the solution of min-max k-Chinese postman problem is proposed to determine the routing of the monitoring cycles. For an in-band controlled network, besides the monitoring cycles, a survivable in-band control tree (ICT) is provisioned to protect in-band control channels. We have conducted experiments to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. The results indicate that our approach generates very limited overhead on the OpenFlow controller. It enables an OpenFlow network to achieve fast failure recovery even when the network is in a heavy load state.


Clinical Pathways is a measurement tool for hospitals to deliver health services in maintaining quality and monitoring costs. Dengue fever is a tropical infectious disease with typical symptoms that should have standardized treatment patterns. However, in RSIA Kenari Graha Medika, the treatment of dengue fever cases is considered not efficient and effective enough. This study aims to determine the compliance rate in the implementation of Clinical Pathway for pediatric patients with a diagnosis of Dengue Fever at RSIA Kenari Graha Medika. The method used was qualitative with descriptive observational using Clinical Pathway compliance form data from medical records and hospital information systems from September 2022 to February 2023. Inclusion criteria were pediatric patients who were treated with a single diagnosis of Dengue Fever in accordance with WHO clinical criteria, namely Fever, Malaise, Peripheral bleeding disorders and had laboratory examination results with Platelet values below 100,000 / mm3. The things that are assessed in Clinical Pathways compliance are length of stay, administration of therapy and supporting examinations. Based on the results of the study LOS has no influence on clinical pathway. Meanwhile, pharmacy and lab showed that pharmacy and lab had a positive and significant effect on clinical pathway. It is hoped that there will be further research related to this study, namely looking for the relationship of the lack of compliance rates with the costs incurred during treatment.


In this article, I take for granted agreement on the merits of an unconditional basic income, and I consider the form its distribution might take. I explore the equity, efficiency, and incentive effects of several basic income models in order to provide a plausible example of what a basic income in the US might look like. I present four basic income models, discuss their advantages and disadvantages, and consider whether any one of these models is conclusively superior to the others in terms of the trade-offs involved. I conclude with a tentative proposal for a level and distribution for introducing an unconditional basic income in the US.


This research aims to : (1) find out the potensial of Sisingamangaraja XII grave sites as a source of teaching history. (2) find out utilization Sisingamangaraja XII grave sites by history teachers and students specially in the material resistence against foreign domination nation in senior high school of Balige as a source of teaching history. (3) Determine student perception to utilizatin Sisingamangaraja XII grave sites as a source of teaching history. This research used descriptive qualitative research method, with informant guard tomb of Sisingamangaraja XII, history teachers in senior high school os Balige (SMA N 1 Balige, SMA N 2 Balige, and SMA Bintang Timur Balige), and students grade XI IPS. Data collected by observation, interview and documentation. These result indicate that the potential Sisingamangaraja XII grave sites as a source of teaching hiistory contained in the ornaments namely ornaments building (tombs, wells, house of Batak), reliefs (gorga of Batak, Lions, Simbol of Sisingamangaraja XII, written (batak script, Batak Toba, Indonesian), Batak color (red, white, and black). Utilization of historical sites Sisingamangaraja XII tomb has not been fully exploited by teachers and students as well as a source of learning. Couse not optimal utilization of historical sites Sisingamangaraja XII tomb as a source of teaching history, namely : learning materials that discuss the peoples resistance Batak only for reviews at a glance, teacher do not get used to in utilizing historical sites as a source of teaching history, so students do not understand the historical sites in Toba Samosir regenly and lack information about the use of historical sites as a meanss to increase knowledge. Based on the results of studies conducted, researchers were able to conclude that the historical heritage sites particularly grave sites Sisingamangaraja XII not fully utilized as a source of teaching history, then there needs to be a stimulant to the community in the education environment, so that sites of historical relics can be put to good use in order to support national education.


Summary Enhanced adhesion of sickle erythrocytes to the vascular endothelium and subendothelial matrix is fundamental to the development of vascular occlusion in sickle cell disease. Erythrocyte membrane sulfatide is implicated in the pathogenesis of vasoocclusive crises in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Because previous evidence linking sulfatide to cell adhesion has largely been circumstantial due to a lack of reagents that specifically target sulfatide, we used two sulfatide-specific strategies to address the role of erythrocyte membrane sulfatide in sickle cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium: a single-chain fragment variable chain (scFv) antibody against sulfatide as well as cerebroside sulfotransferase-deficient mice incapable of synthesising sulfatide. The sickle erythrocytes from mice and humans adhered at a greater extent and at higher shear stresses to activated endothelium than normal erythrocytes, and approximately 60% of the adhesion was prevented by the anti-sulfatide scFv. Similarly, the extent of adhesion of sulfatide-deficient erythrocytes was lower than normal erythrocytes. These findings suggest an important role for membrane sulfatide in sickle cell disease pathophysiology.


Unfortunately, even in these years of high innovations in society, many countries still have gaps in basic needs such as energy supply. Many people live off-the-grid (OTG) referring to not being connected to the main or national electrical grid since they live scattered or in remote location or simple because it is unaffordable. On the other hand, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the use of fossil energy increased in the 8 firsts years of the 2000 decade, and half of the energy use in the last decade was accounted to coal. This type of energy source is proven to be harmful for the environment contributing to global warming. New methods of energy storage have been created mainly in developed countries. For example, the photovoltaic (PV) lamps as the main product of a German company that fulfill needs in sustainable and renewable energy resources. However, developing countries may also need to look for practical solutions and the private sector can help. The financing of renewable alternatives is imperative to increase progress and, in these sense, private sector can help. For instance, increasing systems using solar energy for rural communities and promotion of affordable and efficient PV products such as portable eco-friendly solar lamps that replace the kerosene lamps, fan plus lamps, water filters and icemakers among others are helpful in OTG communities and need to be supply. Entrepreneurs that focus in fulfill this gap in society creates value and make a change in the countries. The importance of increase electronic appliances (energy-efficient) and "smart" applications (home area networks and energy storage devices) is undeniable for progress in developing countries and better energy use all over the world Solar energy provides products that not only help people but also maintains a balance between nature and habitants.


low-grade salivary gland tumor that is indolent and rare. We report a case of clear cell carcinoma arising from the base of the tongue. The patient was a 64-year-old man with a tumor at the base of the tongue incidentally detected during an upper gastroendoscopy. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 17-mm tumor arising from the base of the tongue. A biopsy indicated either a clear cell carcinoma arising from a minor salivary gland or metastasis from renal carcinoma; the latter was ruled out by abdominal examination. The tumor was successfully removed by intraoral median glossotomy. After the surgery, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that the tumor cells were positive for EWSR1-ATF1 rearrangement, establishing the definitive diagnosis of clear cell carcinoma. No local recurrence or distant metastasis was observed 9 months post-surgery. Esthetics were maintained by the minimally invasive procedure, and the patient's recovery progressed without any functional impairment such as dysphagia or dysarthria.


The site, threatened by sand extraction, was excavated in 1952 under the direction of Professor A.E. van Giffen. Not only graves were uncovered, but also the remains of a settlement of the Middle and Late Roman Period. The earliest graves date from the same period, but most are early medieval. Initially cremation was the only rite. Inhumation was introduced towards the end of the Roman Period. The cemetery is composed of grave clusters, which probably correspond to the 'houses' or family households in the settlement. Unfortunately the cemetery could not be excavated in its entirety, as sand extraction had already destroyed part of it before the investigation started.F Fromthe Roman Period we have only a few simple cremation graves, scattered across the site in small clusters and mostly without grave goods. Between AD 400 and 475, Zweeloo was the home of a household that maintained contacts with the Rhineland as well as the coastal areas of the northern Netherlands and Germany. This family left a cluster of inhumation graves, one of which is the rich grave of the 'Princess of Zweeloo'. A series of six horse burials may have been mortuary offerings to accompany her dead husband, whose grave probably was destroyed prior to the excavation. After 475, a period of about two centuries followed from which we have no finds. It is unlikely that occupation at Zweeloo ceased during this time. Elsewhere in Drenthe, for example at nearby Odoorn, habitation continued, be it apparently on a smaller scale. Presumably a mortuary rite was practised that left no archaeologically detectable traces, such as the deposition of cremated remains upon or just below the surface. When the site was later used as arable land, this surface was incorporated into the topsoil. Between about 675 and about 850, new graves were dug. There are exclusively inhumations, initially oriented south-north, and later west-east. Deposition of grave goods was practised up till the very end, but shows a peak in the 8th century. In the present article the grave goods are subjected to an elaborate chronological and functional analysis. In this period the cemetery was shared by three groups; the settlement probably comprised the households. The abandonment of the cemetery, which had served the local community for many hundreds, if not thousands of years, is due to the Christianisation of the region. The exact time of its dereliction is hard to establish, nor is it clear where its successor lay. It is generally assumed that burials henceforth took place in a churchyard; likely candidates for Zweeloo might be those of Sleen or Emmen – a comparison is drawn with Vries. However, the regional ecclesiastical organisation in the 9th century is insufficiently understood to allow any certainty.


Previous research indicates that persons who self-report a high level of preoccupation with celebrities tend to have lower levels of well-being. We administered the "Romantic Partner Conflict Scale", the "Love Attitudes Scale", the soulmate subscale from the "Relationship Theories Questionnaire", and the anxiety subscale from the "Experiences in Close Relationships Scale" to 330 students from four universities to see how well scores on these measures would predict scores on each of the three subscales from the "Celebrity Attitude Scale" (CAS). We predicted that persons whose scores on these measures of intimate relationships indicated a troubled, anxious, or poor quality relationship would have higher scores on the CAS, especially on its two problematic subscales. In three multiple regressions, specific measures of behavior during conflict with a romantic partner and certain love styles significantly predicted scores on all three of the CAS subscales. We discuss the implications of being a celebrity worshiper on one's relationship with an intimate partner.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this video article is to show sonographic anatomy at the shoulder joint relevant to impingement and to describe the diagnostic techniques that can be used to diagnose this condition. The article contains several video clips depicting both the normal and pathologic appearances of the bursa during dynamic assessment. The technique for guided injection at this location with sonographic guidance will be covered as well as pitfalls for reporting impingement.

CONCLUSION
Dynamic ultrasound assessment of the shoulder is a useful adjunct to clinical assessment in the evaluation and diagnosis of impingement.


Previous empirical financial studies have paid little attention to the role of diversification strategy on financial choices. This study analyses the financing strategies of multibusiness firms, suggesting the relevance of sorting the diversification phenomena into its related and unrelated components. The implications of our findings are important because they explain earlier contradictory results on capital-structure determinants and offer an explanation of how the degree of product specialization/diversification and the direction of diversification (related or unrelated) translate into different corporate financial behaviours.


The paper provides fresh empirical evidence on the relative role of changes in final and intermediate demand as affecting the changes in the sectoral structure of advanced economies. These latter have led, over the last three decades, to the massive growth of service sectors. The paper draws upon the recently released OECD Input-Output (I-O) tables. The empirical analysis is based on an I-O Structural Decomposition Analysis carried out on 13 manufacturing and service sectors, from the end of 1960s to the end of 1990s. Although heterogeneous sectoral patterns emerge, we find that the structural changes leading to the growth of services, particularly KIBS (Knowl-edge Intensive Business Services), are mainly (domestic) demand-led, whereas the role of foreign trade remains marginal even in the last decade. We infer that, even in the case of the most technologically advanced service sectors, (domestic) demand constraints affect the degree of exploitation of technological opportunities and the patterns of growth.


In dogs anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (30 mg/kg iv), infusions of phenylephrine (PE; 1-3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv for 30 min and longer) caused sustained elevations in blood pressure and suppressed depressor responses to acetylcholine (ACh; 1 microgram/kg iv) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The dose-response curve for ACh (0.01-100 micrograms/kg iv)-induced depressor responses was shifted to the right by approximately 80-fold after an intravenous infusion of PE (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1) for 120 min. Similar suppression was observed when infusions of methoxamine (5 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv), norepinephrine (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv under blockade of beta-adrenoceptors), or angiotensin II (0.3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv) were carried out. However, in dogs treated with prazosin (1 mg/kg iv) or hydralazine (1 mg/kg iv) to prevent elevations in blood pressure over the baseline level, PE (3 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 iv) failed to attenuate depressor responses to ACh. The suppression observed after PE infusion was specific to ACh-induced depressor responses; i.e., no suppression was observed on the depressor responses to other drugs, such as histamine, sodium nitroprusside, carbachol, and methacholine. Furthermore, neostigmine (bolus injection of 30 microgram/kg iv followed by an infusion of 15 micrograms.kg-1.h-1 iv) greatly diminished the suppressive effect of PE. Except for a slight increase in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in renal arterial segments, activities of both AChE and butyryl-cholinesterase in plasma, erythrocytes, and pulmonary and renal arterial segments were unchanged after PE infusion. These results suggest that prolonged elevation in blood pressure and/or vasoconstriction selectively attenuates depressor responses to ACh through accelerated degradation of this material.


In this work we present a brief summary of the "geometry of mass". We show how the notion of mass of elementary particles is related to the geometrical concept of curvature. In particular, the bosonic mass matrices are related to the extrinsic curvature of specific sub-manifolds of the Higgs bundle and the underlying gauge bundle. In contrast, the mass matrix of the fermions is related to the intrinsic curvature of bundles that geometrically represent "free fermions" within the context of spontaneously broken Yang–Mills gauge theories.


The growing population of Davao City entails more people would need the services of the police. It is therefore necessary to determine the job performance of Police Desk Officers, particularly in the views of those who have personally brought concerns to police stations. This quantitative study using descriptive survey design involved disseminating questionnaires among 30 Holy Cross of Davao College community members. Results showed that formal reports and complaints that reach police stations in Davao City are more common among females than males. The community commonly fall victims to property crimes than person crimes, alarms and disturbances. Among the police stations in Davao City, Sta. Ana Police Station receives most of the complaints from HCDC community members. The HCDC community perceived the performance of police desk officers in selected police precincts of Davao City as good. No significant difference was found in the perception of the HCDC community on police desk officers' job performance when they are grouped according to sex, reason for contacting the police, capacity in contacting the police and police station. Therefore, these factors do not influence the job performance of the Davao City Police Desk officers. Results implicate that regardless of complainants' background and the police station reporting to, police desk officers provide almost the same service. Generally, police desk officers are attentive, reliable, responsive, competent, well-mannered and fair. Keywords: Job performance, police desk officers, police officer, quantitative, descriptive, Holy Cross of Davao College, Davao City, Philippines


Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at increased risk of fractures owing to osteoporosis and falling. Objective: To evaluate the risk of fracture in incident MS patients drawn from a dedicated MS registry compared with population-based controls. Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study (1996–2007) utilising the Danish National Health Registers that were linked to the Danish MS Registry and the Danish MS Treatment Registry. Incident MS patients (2963 cases) were 1:6 matched by year of birth, gender, calendar time and region to persons without MS (controls). Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression were used to estimate the risk of fracture in MS. Time-dependent adjustments were made for age, history of diseases and drug use. Results: Compared with controls, patients with MS had no overall increased risk of fracture (adjusted hazard ratio (adj. HR): 1.0, 95% CI: 0.9–1.2). However, the risk of femur/hip fracture (adj. HR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1–3.4) was significantly increased compared to controls. As compared with unexposed patients, MS patients who had been exposed to a short course of methylprednisolone in the prior year had no significantly increased risk of osteoporotic fracture (adj. HR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.5–2.9). Disabled MS patients with Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] scores between 6 and 10, had a 2.6-fold increased risk of osteoporotic fracture (adjusted odds ratio (adj. OR): 2.6, 95% CI: 1.0–6.6) compared to patients with an EDSS score between 0 and 3. Conclusion: Patients with MS had a higher risk of femur/hip fracture than controls. Disability status is probably more important than glucocorticoid use in the aetiology of MS and osteoporotic fracture.


Shaking table tests on a saturated sand specimen in a laminar shear box were performed to measure the coupled shear strain-pore pressure response of sands subjected to horizontal shaking. Three methods of shear strain evaluation techniques, which use soil motions recorded by embedded sensors within the soil specimen and external sensors on frame, were utilized to evaluate the shear strain-time histories in one-dimensional shaking cases. Coupled shear strain-pore pressure responses throughout the liquefaction process are presented based on evaluated shear strains and measured pore pressures at corresponding depths. More insights of the interactions between the induced shear strain and generated excess pore pressure are also given, including the temporal variations of induced shear strain prior and after the initial liquefaction, development of liquefied zone, and duration of liquefaction state. These spatial and temporal variations of coupled responses reveal that the induced shear strain amplitude is not only an important property in triggering soil liquefaction but also a better index in defining the time of initial liquefaction. Identifications of these coupled features will be beneficial for verifying and interpreting testing data in physical modelling for liquefaction studies.


Top management requires a plan to maximise revenues in order to succeed in a competitive business. The study's goal is to assess and evaluate the impact of the break-even point and the Margin of Safety on revenue and profit forecasts for hotel sub-sector IDX companies for the period of 2017 to 2021. Using the IDX and the company's own website, the researchers documented financial data gathered by researchers and given by firms operating in the hotel market. We performed multiple linear regression analyses with SPSS. Only two of the investigated hospitality-related businesses are found to be profitable (or at least break even), with the biggest safety margins. Profitability is heavily influenced by the break-even point as well as the margin of safety. The Break-even Point and the Margin of Safety have a very favourable effect for hotels listed on the IDX between 2017 and 2021.


The Cherenkov light lateral distribution function (LDF) was simulated with the CORSIKA code, in the energy range (10^13-10^16) eV. This simulation was performed for conditions and configurations of the Tunka EAS Cherenkov array for two primary particles (p and Fe). Basing on the simulated results, many approximated functions are structured for two primary particles and different zenith angles. This allowed us to reconstruct the EAS events, which is, to determine the type and energy of the primary particles that produced showers from signal amplitudes of Cherenkov radiation which measured with Tunka Cherenkov array experiment. Comparison of the calculated LDF of Cherenkov radiation with that measured at the Tunka EAS array shows the ability for identifying of the primary particle that initiated the EAS cascades determining of its primary energy around the knee region of the cosmic ray spectrum.


ABSTRACT In Saudi Arabia, halophytes occupy tidal and intertidal forest ecosystems. They and their associated microflora have immense potential to yield novel and important useful natural products. Three halophytes (Avicennia marina, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Zygophyllum qatarense) were targeted for the isolation and identification of populations of endophytic and rhizospheric bacteria having antimicrobial potential. A total 554 bacterial isolates were initially screened against oomycetes fungal pathogens, Phytophthora capsici and Pythium ultimum. Of these, only 57 rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria exhibited inhibition against the targeted bioassay oomycetes. Tentative identification of the bacteria was on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences which revealed 92–100% sequence identity to type strains of related species and placed these organisms in six major classes: Actinobacteria, γ-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, α-Proteobacteria, Flavobacteriia and β-Proteobacteria. When checked for lytic enzyme production, mostly the isolates of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were potential enzyme producers. Detection of secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes – type I polyketide synthases, type II polyketide synthases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases – confirmed that 21 (35.5%) isolates were positive for at least one type of the biosynthetic gene. In order to identify metabolites, three isolates, Alteromonas australica (EA73), Aidingimonas halophila (EA105) and Halomonas zincidurans (EA127), were selected and subjected to chemical analyses using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Both analyses showed the presence of different bioactive compounds in the culture extracts of isolates some of which are already reported for their diverse biological activities such as 2, 4-Diacetylphloroglucinol. Our results demonstrated that halophytes represent an important source of potentially active bacteria producing antifungal metabolites of medical significance.


Humid lands, such as riparian zones, peatlands, and unsubmerged wetlands, are considered among the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, providing a bountiful habitat for a large number of plant and animal species. In such ecosystems, the water table dynamics play a key role in major ecohydrological processes. The aim of the present study is to test with field data a recent analytical model for the estimation of the long‐term probability distribution of the belowground water table position in groundwater‐dependent environments. This model accounts for stochastic rainfall and processes such as infiltration, root water uptake, water flow from/to an external water body, and capillary fluxes. The water table model is tested using field data of groundwater levels recorded in three different sites within the Everglades (Florida, USA). A sensitivity analysis of the model to the soil and vegetation parameters is also carried out. After performing a procedure to determinate appropriate model parameters for the three sites, the steady state probability distribution functions of water table levels predicted by the model are compared to the empirical ones at both the annual and the seasonal time scale. The model is shown capable to reproduce many features of the observed distributions although there exist model predictions which still show some discrepancies with respect to the empirical observations. The potential causes for these discrepancies are also investigated and discussed.


PURPOSE
To determine if the previous findings that transferring embryos with a higher number of blastomeres results in higher pregnancy rates following fresh but not frozen embryo transfer (ET) was related to the use of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in the former but not in the latter.

METHODS
Retrospective review of pregnancy and implantation rates following fresh embryo transfer of donor egg recipient cycles (where no COH is used) vs frozen ETs during the same time period according to whether there was at least one embryo with eight blastomeres transferred or not.

RESULTS
Significantly higher pregnancy rates with an 8-cell ET in donor oocyte recipient cycles but not frozen ETs.

CONCLUSIONS
A less favorable uterine environment caused by the use of high dose gonadotropin is not responsible for the once again observed difference in higher pregnancy rates with higher blastomere number in fresh vs frozen ET. However, an effect of the gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue was not ruled out by this study.


Amagarbhsrava is one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted concepts of Ayurveda. There is very little reference material found in Ayurvedic texts about Amagarbhsrava. It is mentioned in sutra rupa a pratyakheya type of abortion with the association of Ama. So the concept of Amagarbhsrava needs clarification in the light of today's modern concept of abortion. Some consider it first-trimester abortion when there is not well-formed body part of fetus and fetus is in the form of liquid. But by considering the viewpoint of Tikakara this notion proves to be wrong. So misunderstanding regarding Amagarbhsrava requires clarity. The present paper is an attempt to clarify the concept of Amagarbhsrava in the present era. Keywords : Abortion, ama garbhsrava, antioxidants, autoimmune factors, dhatvagni mandya, free radicals Cite this Article Soni Kapil, Manoj Kumar Dube. Scientific Understanding of Ama Garbhsrava. Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy . 2019; 8(1): 22–28p.


Author's reply: Dr Karunakaran rightly points out some problems with the interpretation of the Essock et al (1996) naturalistic study of clozapine. However, despite its imperfections, that study deserves some attention, both because it was a large study and because its naturalistic design attempted to replicate the conditions in which clozapine would be given in real clinical practice. The randomisation was not imperfect but unbalanced. The study was indeed not blinded, but this usually favours the experimental treatment, in this case clozapine. Application of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM–IV confirmed that 95% of cases had a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. It is indeed difficult to decide what outcome data to use, as I mention in my paper. However, despite the number of crossovers, an intention-to-treat analysis in such a large sample would be expected to show some difference if the effect of clozapine is substantial. In the Kane et al (2001) study I did use intention-to-treat data, but also repeated the analysis with non-intention-totreat data, because of the curiously high drop-out rate in the comparison group. My analysis was meant to draw attention to the fact that results of different studies are quite discrepant. The largest study to date, and one that appears to be methodologically robust, found only slight differences between clozapine and haloperidol, which are of doubtful clinical relevance (Rosenheck et al, 1997). In this situation simply quoting the results of a meta-analysis may be misleading. Dr Kho is right to point out that longterm studies find smaller effects. This cannot be attributed to drop-out rates in the Rosenheck et al (1997) study, at least, where the higher drop-out rate in the haloperidol group would tend to produce an inflated difference between clozapine and the comparator drug. We also cannot assume that short-term studies simply measure pharmacological effects and long-term studies are confounded by non-compliance. Drugs may have different shortand longterm pharmacological effects. Short-term studies might be more likely to be confounded by non-specific factors such as differential expectations of treatments.


The Internet is emerging as a powerful connecting force, allowing firms to serve customers, collaborate with partners and suppliers, and empower employees more effectively than ever before. In the network economy, relationships with key stakeholders are becoming valuable assets of the firm, but few firms manage relationships effectively. The authors propose that firms need to take a more holistic approach to understanding where their relational equity resides and how it should be managed and measured. They also propose that relational equity is not limited to relationships with customers but also includes relationships with partners, suppliers, and employees. Effective management of relational equity requires firms to think in an integrative manner along several dimensions: strategy, process, technology, organization design, and metrics. The authors develop conceptual frameworks for each of these dimensions. Taken together, these frameworks offer a conceptual foundation for research and managerial practice on managing relational equity.


A completely purified L-amino acid diet was used to determine the indispensability of leucine, lysine, valine, phenylalanine and arginine in the immature dog. An additional study showed that asparagine, alanine, aspartic acid, cystine, glutamic acid, proline, tyrosine, serine and glycine can be classified as dispensable amino acids for the immature dog. Deletion of these indispensable amino acids resulted in a marked negative nitrogen balance. Increased plasma and urinary urea were also observed when a dietary indispensable amino acid imbalance occurred. Estimates are made for the dietary requirements for leucine, lysine, valine and phenylalanine in the immature dog.


Pedestrians are the most vulnerable road users and crash statistics implies that continuous efforts are needed to reduce the causalities and mitigate their effects; both in passive and active safety. Current thesis is an attempt to provide a FE model which can be utilized for the analysis of the pedestrian kinematics. The author has focused on the bonnet modeling in LS-DYNA; furthermore, the modeling task was developed to provide the model of other influencing components in vehicle's front end namely: fenders, engine cover, battery cover and frame.
Through the use of GeoMagic studio, CATIA, HyperMesh, LS-Prepost and LS-DYNA, the FE models of all previously cited parts are prepared respectively. To investigate the response of the model to head and torso impacts, Euro-NCAP Head-form impacts tests were simulated and the responses evaluated. Also a FE model of a rigid torso impactor is modeled in LS-DYNA based on a mechanical torso impactor designed at Autoliv and the simulation results were compared and evaluated with the impact tests performed at Autoliv.
A first investigation deals with the response of the bonnet when exposed to different loads at different positions on the bonnet. It was found that the kinematics was influenced mainly by the stiffness of the collision point and particularly if the rigid parts were engaged in the impact and the size of the gap between the hood and the rigid components. A second study involves the comparison between the results of available experiments and those obtained in reconstruction of these experiments. Despite showing comparable peak acceleration and impact duration, the results indicated a significant discrepancy in terms of the shape and slope at the beginning of the impact. Finally, through the use of a parametric study, the effects of thickness, material, positioning tolerance, velocity tolerance, impactor angle and control shell part were investigated.


The dwelling is a central setting in people's everyday life. People use their dwelling and residential environment for a large variety of activities and purposes. This study systematically relates activities, settings and meanings to improve the insight into people-environment relations. This is called a meaning structure approach. Over 600 people, living in either a city centre, suburban or rural type of residential environment were asked about their everyday activities and the meanings thereof. The results show that meanings are important for the way in which people use their dwelling and residential environment. The meaning structure approach allows for a high level of aggregation identifying general meanings of the dwelling, such as a place to be together with family and friends. It also allows for a low level of aggregation, for example, using internet at home has for many people become part of everyday life, providing them with easy access to a wide range of information. This illustrates the usefulness of meaning structures as a tool for investigating people-environment relations.


It was investigated whether the Japanese tree frog, Hyla japonica, uses PVC pipes as refuges and whether the installment of PVC pipes in the banks of rice fields increases the abundance of H. japonica. Hyla japonica used the pipe as a refuge regardless of the internal diameter of the pipes tested and the distance from the water's edge, and most frogs were concentrated near the pipe refuges. Few frogs were found on banks in which pipes were not installed. From these results, it is suggested that the loss of natural refuges by bank compacting would diminish the populations of this species in rice fields. This is the first report on the effects of bank compacting on frogs.


Figure 1: (a) Color fundus photograph of left eye showing an area of yellowish brown depigmentation inferonasal to fovea (white circle); (b) multicolor composite showing loss of perifoveal greenish hue over the area of acute macular neuroretinopathy lesion along with pinkish discoloration (white circle); (c) line scan SDOCT image through the lesion showing thickening of outer plexiform layer (OPL) on the nasal side of fovea compared with the temporal side (white arrow). The difference in the OPL thickness can be clearly made out in blown up image in the lower panel (yellow rectangle) comparing with the temporal OPL (yellow triangle). Note the subtle zone of discontinuity of external limiting membrane beneath the thickened OPL (red triangle) and thinning of outer nuclear layer; (d) infrared reflectance image showing hyperreflectance corresponding to the AMN lesion (white circle) d c b a


In the late 1980s, a few volcanologists created an ill-founded analogy. Drawing upon the then-fashionable 'nuclear winter' theory, they claimed that certain explosive eruptions in historic times might have led to 'volcanic winters.' The nuclear winter debate of the 1980s was about the possibly disastrous effects of a nuclear war on the Earth's atmosphere and climate, thus on agriculture, and human beings; the term implied that the dust and soot released into the atmosphere by nuclear bombs and the resulting fires would drop world-wide temperatures enough to turn summer into winter. Major effects, it was inferred then, would last for weeks or at most a few months. The exact consequences of nuclear war remained subject to a lively debate lasting throughout the 1980s. Modeling was still in its infancy, and uncertainty was high. This was also true of research into the topic of volcanism and climate. The global influence of explosive volcanic eruptions on the Earth's climate was still contested by volcanologists, who in the early 1980s had grudgingly conceded to atmospheric scientists' argument that it was not volcanic dust, but sulphate aerosols in the stratosphere that affected global atmospheric temperatures (and this, as increasingly became clear, for periods of more than three years). Given the uncertainties in both models and the significant differences concerning the causes (dust and soot, versus sulphates) and length (three months to several years), the analogy between 'nuclear winter' and ' volcanic winter' was unsubstantiated, having only a vague commonality in a shortterm diminution of global temperatures. In fact, as I will show, the analogy never underwent scrutiny, debate or substantiation, as some volcanologists succeeded in turning a passing speculation into a matter of fact. Over the following years, the analogy took on a life of its own and spawned further analogies: large-scale volcanic eruptions turned into 'supereruptions,' and 'supervolcanoes' became natural equivalents for the human-made 'superbomb,' the hydrogen bomb. Some volcanologists played up this hype and tendency to self-aggrandizement, not only in their scientific articles, but also in popular TV features. For example, BBC and Discovery Channel programs on supervolcanoes played out the horrific scenario of a possible repetition of the


A method of determining shock Hugoniots of opaque media by means of microwave interferometry is described. This method has been used to determine shock Hugoniots for solid propellents, propellants with dummy oxidizer, and inert binders. It was found that the shock response of solids-filled elastomeric polymers is the same as that of the continuous phase alone, at loadings as high as 75 wt. % solids, It was also found that ammonium perchlorate decomposes exothermally under shock, even in nondetonable propellants; and because of this decomposition, truly non-reactive shock HugoniotB cannot be obtained on live-oxidizer formulations, at least not at shock strengths above 10 kbar.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of blindness and low vision, their changes and the main causes of blindness in persons aged 50 years and above in Nan'an District in Chongqing.

METHODS
This survey was conducted from April to July, 2005. By cluster random sampling, 29 clusters were selected and 5079 persons received the eye examination. The response rate was 89.4%. A quality assurance evaluation had performed in two examination teams before the survey.

RESULTS
In this population, the prevalence of blindness was 1.8% based on the pinhole visual acuity. The prevalence of blindness was higher in older persons, especially in persons aged eighty or above. Cataract was the leading cause of blindness, but the proportion of cataract-caused blindness decreased from 40.0% to 31.6%. Retinal diseases was the second important cause of blindness, followed by refraction error, cornea disease and glaucoma.

CONCLUSIONS
Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in Nan'an District of Chongqing, followed by retinal diseases. The decrease of cataract-caused blindness indicates that the prevention of blindness, mainly through the performance of cataract surgery, has gained successful. It is important on the prevention of the age-related eye diseases, retinal diseases and glaucoma.


Centralized organization of current enterprise networks doesnpsilat represent an ideal solution in terms of information security and reliability. Denial of service, packet filtering and low resistance to failure are frequent shortcomings of centralized systems. To avoid the above problems we introduce a distributed P2P data organization system to the enterprise environment. We propose to apply Kademlia-based distributed Hash tables to organize data storage and retrieval systems of enterprise networks. Due to a tree-like structure of the identifier space and a prefix matching lookup algorithm, Kademlia is easy adaptable to the context of enterprise hierarchy, e.g. it facilitates the assignment of different privileges regarding data access, to various system entities. We present a solution that provides geographically separated users of enterprise networks with possibility to share, modify and publish data in parallel way.


his paper explores the experience of four pre-service special education teachers from Universitas Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) Malaysia who undertook two months teaching practice in a Special School in Yogyakarta. Using qualitative data from an open-ended questionnaire, the pre-service special education teachers' experienced is investigated. The findings show that the experience is positive.


The spaces provided by biotechnologies of sex selection are rich with epistemological, ontological, and ethical considerations that speak to broadly held social values and epistemic frameworks. In much of the discourse about sex selection that is not medically indicated, the figure of the "naturally" conceived (future) child is treated as a problem for parents who want to select the sex of their child. As unknown, that child is ambiguous in terms of sex—"it" is both and neither, and might be the "wrong" sex. Drawing on Beauvoirean thinking about ambiguity and desire, I cast part of the desire to select the sex of a child as bound to an ethic and epistemology of disambiguation, and urge that the space of being-unknown is one to which each person is entitled.


The relationship between eternity and time has been a perennial issue in Johannine studies. Consider that the pre-existent Word of God enters in time and within concrete human history, thus bridging eternity and time. The evangelist describes both Jesus' divinity as the Logos, existing in an  eternal, timeless "beginning" (1:1), and Jesus' true humanity as the historical person who was made "flesh" (1:14), taking on the human condition in all its fragility, in its temporality, suffering and death. His earthly mission was fulfilled "in time" – in a concrete "hour". Reading the Fourth Gospel in this light may help us appreciate the Johannine understanding of eternity and time. This survey presents the various interpretations of the expression "in the beginning" and also of the time-related noun "hour", used by the evangelist on certain occasions with detailed precision: "it was about the tenth hour" (1:39); "it was about the sixth hour" (4:6; 19:14); and "at the seventh hour" (4:52), referring always to a particular chronological point in time. However, this article does not place undue emphasis on the  numbers recounting the particular hour, but rather tries to identify the links of each hour with the accompanying words and deeds of Jesus.


Abstract This article discusses how English used as a lingua franca (ELF) can be defined as an object of study. It offers a critical appraisal of a high-profile definition of ELF (the VOICE/Seidlhofer definition), and argues that definitions of this kind, whether purposely or not, in effect invite conceptualizations of ELF as a reified entity. This kind of reification is shown to entail a number of problems, the main one being that reified conceptualizations of ELF as an object of study are at odds with the available empirical evidence. On the basis of this critique, the article suggests an alternative approach to the conceptualization of ELF where ELF is defined in straightforward functional terms as the use of English in a lingua franca language scenario. This definition underscores the complexity and breadth of ELF as an object of study, and highlights that researchers in the field of ELF studies need to acknowledge this complexity and adopt structured methods in dealing with it. Using well-known examples from the literature, the article shows that Dell Hymes's SPEAKING heuristic may be employed as one such tool.


cAMP is a secondary messenger that is involved in a variety of signalling pathways through its effectors including EPAC, PKA and ion channels. cAMP signalling regulates processes such as memory, muscle contraction and inflammatory responses. PDE enzymes offer a mechanism to negatively regulate elevated cAMP levels elicited by activators of adenylyl cyclase. Studies have shown that cAMP signalling is compartmentalised through binding of PDEs to A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) that scaffold PKA regulatory subunits.

In this study post-translational-modification of PDE4 isoforms is investigated. SUMOylation is a relatively newly identified post-translational modification that is known to regulate the structure and function of its substrates. PDE4 isoforms of the PDE4A and 4D subfamilies are SUMOylated by an E3 ligase, PIASy. SUMOylation alters the rolipram sensitivity and potentiates the PKA mediated activation of the isoforms whilst it confers protection from ERK-mediated inhibition of PDE4 activity. SUMOylation alters the association of PDE4 isoforms with binding partners like β-Arrestin, AKAP18 δ and UBC9.

Rolipram is an archetypal PDE4 specific inhibitor. In this study it is shown that in cells expressing a GFP tagged form of PDE4A4 undergoes redistribution into accretion foci upon chronic treatment with rolipram. Data suggests that foci formation requires protein turnover and is regulated by signalling pathways such as PI3 kinase pathway, p38 MAP kinase pathway and PKC pathways. Further, the Immunomodulatory drug Thalidomide® also inhibits foci formation.

PDE4 isoforms have isoforms specific N-terminal regions, which play a crucial role in sub-cellular localisation and protein-protein interactions. It is shown here that PDE4D5 interacts with a novel RhoGAP called ARHGAP21 which has been previously reported to bind β-arrestins. This interaction is independent of GAP activity of ARHGAP as well as PDE4 activity. Previous reports have indicated a role of β-Arrestin, PDE4 and ARHGAP21 in regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics. Hence complex β-Arrestin-PDE4-ARHGAP21 may play a crucial role in regulating actin dynamics.


Katherine Kelley received the Hisashi Kuno Award at the 2011 AGU Fall Meeting, held 5–9 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes "accomplishments of junior scientists who make outstanding contributions to the fields of volcanology, geochemistry, and petrology."


The mining industry is getting more attracted to developing water treatment technologies. The ease with which technology is brought from lab to industrial scale, along with minimizing the time consumption and costs, is influenced by several factors. Some of these depends on the reactor, removal mechanisms, volumes and operating conditions. While others are affected by external factors such as maximum size of the equipment, treatment costs of established or alternative technologies. Scale-up is mainly employed to see if the technology meets the market requirements and expectations. This study focuses on transferring an electrocoagulation process from lab scale to pilot plant.


Purpose. The purpose of the paper is to summarise and present differences in spending patterns between the two age groups (19–26 and 40–68) during the period of economic downturn and recovery. The method of longitudinal study allows finding how the expectations towards financial situation and spending behaviour change over three years (2009, 2010, 2011). This paper summarizes findings from the three years and expands the initial findings of the authors that have been published before (Urbonavicius, Pikturnienė, 2010). Methodology. The survey is based on a comparison of data from the three sets of respondents surveyed in spring of the 2009, 2010 and 2011, using the same questionnaire. Students, unaware of survey objectives, were asked to fill in questionnaires themselves and to distribute another part of the questionnaire to a member of their household, who is one generation elder (typically parents). In total, 455 households were interviewed, each producing two sets of answers to the survey questions. Results of the survey showed that younger respondents perceived the impact of the economic downturn in relation with expectations in a more casual way. They had higher expectations towards the income increase. Spending of both age groups, as well as their expectations towards prices were very similar throughout all the studied years. However, the older generation was more likely to save in order to survive, whereas the younger generation did not change its spending habits or decided to reduce spending for saving reasons. Practical implications. Since younger generation perceived the economic downturn situation more casually and reported a higher expected income, marketing strategies based on brand value, exclusivity, price premiums can be continued to target it even during the economic downturn. The older generation demonstrated a higher caution and frugality, as well as lower expectations towards income; therefore, value for price or lower price strategies could be more suitable for this age group. Value / originality. Longitudinal data on two age groups provide for a better understanding of the consumer behaviour during the economic downturn in general and in Lithuania in particular.


Results of seismic damage evaluation of a tall reinforced concrete building are presented. Plastic hinge formation patterns obtained by using DRAIN-2D and IDARC computer programs for dynamic analysis are compared. Damage indices given by IDARC are interpreted and their implications compared with those of drift ratios. Results of static push-over analysis are compared with those of inelastic dynamic time history analysis. Moreover, the result of collapse mechanism approach is compared with that of static push-over analysis. It is shown that simple collapse mechanism approach can predict the failure mode given by static push-over analysis for this building. It is concluded that drift limits in codes do not necessarily predict the degree of damage that this type of construction can sustain in severe earthquakes.


Nitroglycerin (GTN) is used to treat cardiovascular diseases, as it is believed to act through NO release. Although GTN is considered safe, its continuous administration results in a complete loss of hemodynamic effects (nitrate tolerance), probably due to increased oxidative stress or impaired metabolism, leading to lower NO bioavailability in vasculature. ALDH2 seems to be the key enzyme of GTN bioactivation, although the reaction mechanism is still elusive. This work shows (i) direct NO formation during ALDH2-catalyzed reaction, suggesting 3-electron GTN reduction yielding NO beside 2-electron reduction yielding nitrite; (ii) ALDH2 inactivation during GTN metabolism and its partial restoration by thiols; (iii) co-generation of superoxide, which limits NO bioavailability and might explain nitrate tolerance; (iv) association between ascorbate deficiency-caused nitrate tolerance in guinea pigs and reduced ALDH2 activity; (v) GTN reduction to NO also by cytosolic ALDH1; (vi) non-enzymatic GTN bioactivation by ascorbate; (vii) lack of involvement of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in GTN bioactivation.


An increasing number of people suffer from IgE‐mediated food allergies. The immunological mechanisms that cause IgE‐mediated food allergy have been extensively studied. B cells play a key role in the development of IgE‐mediated food allergies through the production of allergen‐specific antibodies. While this particular function of B cells has been known for many years, we still do not fully understand the mechanisms that regulate the induction and maintenance of allergen‐specific IgE production. It is still not fully understood where in the body IgE class switch recombination of food allergen‐specific B cells occurs, and what processes are involved in the immunological memory of allergen‐specific IgE responses. B cells can also contribute to the regulation of allergen‐specific immune responses through other mechanisms such as antigen presentation and cytokine production. Recent technological advances have enabled highly detailed analysis of small subsets of B cells down to the single‐cell level. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the biology of B cells in relation to IgE‐mediated food allergies.


Models of random graphs are considered where the presence or absence of an edge depends on the random types (colours) of its vertices, so that whether or not edges are present can be dependent. The principal objective is to study large deviations in the number of edges. These graphs provide a natural example with two different non-degenerate large deviation regimes, one arising from large deviations in the colourings followed by typical edge placement and the other from large deviation in edge placement. A secondary objective is to illustrate the use of a general result on large deviations for mixtures.


The development of next-generation materials is coupled with the ability to predictably and precisely synthesize polymers with well-defined structures and architectures. In this regard, the discovery of synthetic strategies that allow on demand control over monomer connectivity during polymerization would provide access to complex structures in a modular fashion and remains a grand challenge in polymer chemistry. In this Article, we report a method where monomer selectivity is controlled during the polymerization by the application of two orthogonal stimuli. Specifically, we developed a cationic polymerization where polymer chain growth is controlled by a chemical stimulus and paired it with a compatible photocontrolled radical polymerization. By alternating the application of the chemical and photochemical stimuli the incorporation of vinyl ethers and acrylates could be dictated by switching between cationic and radical polymerization mechanisms, respectively. This enables the synthesis of multiblock copolymers where each block length is governed by the amount of time a stimulus is applied, and the quantity of blocks is determined by the number of times the two stimuli are toggled. This new method allows on demand control over polymer structure with external influences and highlights the potential for using stimuli-controlled polymerizations to access novel materials.


Abstract We found evidence of a symbiotic relationship between Fusarium solani (Martius) and Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari). Females of H. hampei colonizing coffee beans infested with F. solani produced significantly more progeny than those colonizing sterile beans. Beans infested by F. solani had significant amounts of ergosterol, which was not present in sterile beans. Fecundity and survival of H. hampei was positively correlated with the content of ergosterol in their diet. Other evidence of symbiosis includes the presence of F. solani spores caught in cuticular protuberances, known as asperites, on the pronotal area of female H. hampei. The asperites are flat and arranged in a radial pattern presenting a pronounced inclination directed to the center of this radial pattern which originates at a protuberance on the pronotal area. The asperites appear to increase the chances of fungal deposition on the pronotum when female beetles bore into infested coffee beans. The existence of a mutualistic association between H. hampei and F. solani and the role of the pronotal structures as primitive mycangia are discussed.


The formulations of the problems of this research are: how does the educational pattern of thinking of A. Malik Fadjar? What are the indicators of educational thinking of A. Malik Fadjar? What do the factors contribute to the educational thinking of A. Malik Fadjar? And how is the relevance of educational thinking of A. Malik Fadjar with educational praxis? The aims of this research are to reveal and to find the educational thinking/ideas of A. Malik Fadjar. This research employed a qualitative design by investigating data from the writing of A. Malik Fadjar and others' original writing about A. Malik Fadjar. The data collected is then described holistically, comprehensively, and systematically, which is then analyzed by social history approach of Islamic educational thinking, i.e. an approach observing background of the emergence of the thinking with factors affecting it and the relevance of the thinking for the present and future time to locate conceptual and substantive ideas and thinking. The research concludes that A. Malik Fadjar has a modern-religious pattern of thinking. Modern, because his thinking is oriented to the present and future time, always accepts the changes, open-minded, innovative and progressive. Religious, because of his family background, education, and also his organization culture are based on Islamic values. His pattern of thinking is shown by his vision, mission, and aims of education, curriculum, human resources, institution, and educational management. This thinking is emerged affected by both internal and external factors. From internal, the factors affected his thinking are educational background, personality and family. While from external, the factors are environment, job position, and socio-political situation in his era. Lastly, educational thinking of A. Malik Fadjar is still relevant to apply to the present and future time. Keywords : A. Malik Fajar, education concept, Islamic education


Distinguishing two populations amongst T lymphocytes, namely Th1 and Th2, has enabled a better understanding of the pathophysiology of inflammatory diseases most notably immunoallergic disorders. These two populations, initially described in mice, are defined by the profile of cytokines which they produce. Th1 lymphocytes secrete amongst others IL-2 and IFN-gamma and the action exercised by these cytokines are involved in cellular reactions. Th2 lymphocytes are involved in humoral responses and immediate hypersensitivity secreting IL-4 and IL-5. In man the distinction between the two populations is more subtle than in the mouse, in particular for the same cell there is a possibility to pass from one type of cytokine to another. Thus the importance of factors which influence the orientation towards Th1 or Th2 type amongst the T lymphocytes. What are these factors? Can one use these to change the response to achieve a therapeutic goal? These are the questions that we propose to touch on in this analysis broaching the induction of the Th2 response. Certain responses are linked to the individual and concern their heredity. Others are the cells themselves which are involved in antigen presentation, the presenting cell and the HLA molecules, peptide antigen and T cell receptor. Again there are others which influence the presentation without being directly involved: these are the cytokines already present in the biological milieu and engaged co-receptors. All these factors act in concert, perhaps with others which are not yet known and account for the complexity of the response. Desensitisation is a treatment whose efficacy is recognised in certain precise indications. During the course of treatment, there is a diminution of IgE to the benefit of IgG and a diminution of the eosinophil count induced by specific provocation. These effects may be related to a decrease in the production of IL-4 and IL-5 respectively, which has been found in several recent studies. Desensitisation also shows that in spite of its complexity, one can reorientate towards a Th1 response based on spontaneous Th2 response. In this respect desensitisation constitutes a human model for the study of orientation of the Th2 immune response. In the future better understanding of the mechanisms of the allergic reaction will enable new treatments to be developed based on the use of antigenic peptides or using cytokines and inhibitors of cytokines.


The National health act took a long period of 2004 -2014 before coming to existence, it serves as a legal backing for the regulation, development, and management of our health system. It also sets a standard for delivering health care to all citizens. The NHAct is a way of saying good bye to the era of poor access to health care, stock-out syndrome of essential drugs and  vaccines, skewed health manpower distribution, mushroom health facilities, hospitals turned to "mere consulting clinics", unregulated and unethical health researches, assault on health  workers, total paralyzing strikes that leave the nation no option than unnecessary death of the citizens. The 2014 NHAct, therefore sets out a legal framework for the provision of health services which is a strong potential to  transforming health care provision in Nigeria through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) by extending primary health care to all Nigerians. As such, the NHAct can be used as a tool to strengthen the health system which is synonymous to the country as the roadmap to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It is therefore  recommended that all health workforce, health Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the three tiers of government work together  harmoniously, so that our health system can be strengthened.Keywords: National Health Act, Basic Health care fund, Legal framework, Health System Strengthening.


This paper presents a method for computing the inverse of a complex n-block tridiagonal quasi-Hermitian matrix using an adequate number of partitions of the complete matrix. This type of matrix is very usual in quantum mechanics and, more specifically, in solid state physics (e.g. interfaces and super-lattices), when the tight-binding approximation is used. The efficiency of the method is analysed by comparing the required CPU time and work-area with other techniques.


This article goes over the problem solving methodology of production line works tying up by bilateral admittance on their combination and works implementing continuity. Task solution worked example and works implementation proper diagram, which visually demonstrated the introduced algorithm effectiveness application, have given.


A new methodological approach for understanding self-injury, aggression, and property destruction exhibited by individuals with severe developmental disabilities was evaluated in this descriptive study. Measures of heart-rate changes before, during, and after episodes of problem behavior were obtained in real time. Unique patterns of heart rate and problem behavior were documented for each participant. Heart rate, identified as an indicator of negative arousal, was reliably associated with higher scores of perceived distress. These results indicate that further research is needed to examine the link between problem behavior and physiology. The study also suggests that physiological measurement can be included in the functional assessment process to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying problem behavior.


The role of surface tension in the formation of drops is described. Surface tension can be measured by using a suitable needle and dripping a liquid from it. Measurements made with simple apparatus are found to agree well with literature data.


In an attempt to clarify the question if the level walkway and the treadmill present comparable conditions for analytic examinations of the human gait we investigated in either situation with a computer-controlled motion analysis system some kinematic and electromyographic aspects of the gait pattern of 20 healthy subjects. The results show that on the treadmill certain kinematic events in the time pattern of the gait cycle are shifted towards the beginning of the full stride. Moreover, in the treadmill walk the amplitude of the angular motion of the thigh is diminished in the forward and enhanced in the backward direction, while the angular amplitude of the shank is diminished in either direction. As to the electromyographic results, we found in the treadmill walk a prolonged activity of the gluteus maximus, and adductor magnus, the semitendinosus, and the gastrocnemius muscle. These results show that there may exist significant kinematic and electromyographic differences between the treadmill and the normal level walk. This fact has to be considered whenever a treadmill is considered for gait analytical investigations.


In this paper, by defining an appropriate free energy function and integrate that with a Lattice Boltzmann algorithm; a two-phase system of vapor and liquid is modeled where the flow is governed by the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations. Using the developed model, initially a planar interface is modeled and outputs are compared with theoretical results. Then a droplet which is suspended in bulk vapor is investigated and equilibrium conditions of the droplet are compared with theoretical results.


The concept for a new high spatial resolution, high-temperature, Dynamic Infrared Scene Projector (DISP) for generating high-speed (microsecond range) broadband (3-16 microns) IR scenery through visible pumping of DISP semiconductor scene (visible-to-infrared conversion) was developed, fabricated and tested. The principle of this new device operation and the results of our initial experimental study are reported for the first time. Key potential operating parameters of the new device prototype (based on a Germanium screen) are compared to that of modern conventional DISP engine (SBIR Emitter Array Projector).


This is a commentary on a Cochrane review, published in the issue of EBCH, first published as: Choo KJL, Simons FER, Sheikh A. Glucocorticoids for the treatment of anaphylaxis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD007596. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007596.pub3.


The global COVID-19 pandemic has driven rapid innovation in everything from therapeutics to diagnostics
 surrounding SARS-CoV-2 infections, while highlighting the need for cost efficient and accessible developments in
 these fields. Novel innovation that increases access to diagnostic testing in resource limited areas is still critical in
 supporting the response to COVID-19. In this manuscript we discuss the applications of a direct-to-PCR approach for
 SARS-CoV-2 detection which may serve as a viable option for addressing the need of rapid and accurate diagnostics
 in resource limited communities.


Background: High-grade gliomas with a widespread infiltration beyond the lesion detectable on diagnostic images are increasingly treated with Gamma Knife™ Radiosurgery (GKRS). The aim of this study was to assess the cell infiltration impact on the GKRS outcome for invasive gliomas. Materials and Methods: Tumor cell distribution was predicted using a novel algorithm whose computations are iterated until they reach an agreement with histopathology results. Treatment plans with different combinations of dose prescription (20 Gy at 50%-20% isodose) and targets [Gross Tumour Volume (GTV), zone 1 with 100%-60% of the GTV cell density and zone 2 with 60%-0% of the GTV cell density] were evaluated using standard conformity indexes (CI) and radiobiological parameters. Results: Considerable differences in terms of tumor control probability were found between plans having similar CI but different targets. Conclusion: To account for tumor cell infiltration outside the target is of key importance in GKRS and a radiobiological evaluation should accompany well-established CI.


Mitochondria play a critical role in aging, however, the underlying mechanism is not well understood. We found that a mutation disrupting the C. elegans homolog of Miro GTPase (miro-1) extends life span. This phenotype requires simultaneous loss of miro-1 from multiple tissues including muscles and neurons, and is dependent on daf-16/FOXO. Notably, the amount of mitochondria in the miro-1 mutant is reduced to approximately 50% of the wild-type. Despite this reduction, oxygen consumption is only weakly reduced, suggesting that mitochondria of miro-1 mutants are more active than wild-type mitochondria. The ROS damage is slightly reduced and the mitochondrial unfolded protein response pathway is weakly activated in miro-1 mutants. Unlike previously described long-lived mitochondrial electron transport chain mutants, miro-1 mutants have normal growth rate. These results suggest that the reduction in the amount of mitochondria can affect the life span of an organism through activation of stress pathways.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Nurse practitioner (NP) faculties are challenged to offer programs that balance didactic knowledge with the clinical experiences required to prepare graduates for the complexities of health care. Students have the stress of extrapolating the information they obtain during these programs and applying it to postgraduation certification examinations. Innovative educational tools are necessary to ease the uncertainty that NP students experience to graduate and pass certification examinations. Tools include academic-clinical partnerships (ACPs) to enhance clinical opportunities and resources to integrate diagnostic readiness tests (DRTs) into curricula.

METHODS
This was a quasi-experimental one group, pretest/posttest design using a convenience sample of NP students randomly assigned to clinical in ACP or non-ACP clinical placements. They completed the DRTs twice during their final program semesters.

CONCLUSIONS
The overall DRT group scores for the NP students significantly improved over time. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test showed that the posttest scores were significantly higher than the pretest scores. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed no differences between the ACP and non-ACP students. Students performed the best on assessment, diagnosis, management, and pharmacology domains. This demonstrates support for the integration of DRTs into NP programs.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Integrating DRTs into NP programs can facilitate transition to the NP role.


We provide worst case error bounds for several approximation methods heuristics, product aggregation, and partitioning of the planning horizon for the uncapacitated dynamic lot size problem. We propose two managerially oriented heuristics and show that they have a relative wont case error bound equal to two, and develop similar analyses for methods known as the least cost per unit heuristic, the part period balancing heuristic, and an economic order quantity heuristic expressed in terms of a time supply of demand. We also show how errors introduced by partitioning of the planning horizon in multi-product multi-facility problems are bounded by product set-up costs, and how errors introduced by product aggregation are bounded by set-up costs, holding costs, and demands. The latter results suggest methods for product aggregation that minimize the worst case error bounds.


Injections of synthetic esters of testosterone are among the most common forms of testosterone application. In doping control, the detection of an intact ester of testosterone in blood gives unequivocal proof of the administration of exogenous testosterone. The aim of the current project was to investigate the detection window for injected testosterone esters as a mixed substance preparation and as a single substance preparation in serum and plasma. Furthermore, the suitability of different types of blood collection devices was evaluated. Collection tubes with stabilizing additives, as well as non-stabilized serum separation tubes, were tested. A clinical study with six participants was carried out, comprising a single intramuscular injection of either 1000 mg testosterone undecanoate (Nebido(®)) or a mixture of 30 mg testosterone propionate, 60 mg testosterone phenylpropionate, 60 mg testosterone isocaproate, and 100 mg testosterone decanoate (Sustanon(®)). Blood was collected throughout a testing period of 60 days. The applied analytical method for blood analysis included liquid-liquid extraction and preparation of oxime derivatives, prior to TLX-sample clean-up and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. All investigated testosterone esters could be detected in post-administration blood samples. The detection time depended on the type of ester administered. Furthermore, results from the study show that measured blood concentrations of especially short-chained testosterone esters are influenced by the type of blood collection device applied. The testosterone ester detection window, however, was comparable.


Carboxymethyl- β -cyclodextrin (CMCD)-capped ZnO/ZnS/MgO nanocomposites, which combined water-soluble host molecules with multi-shelled nanocrystals, have been prepared. The nanocomposites have good fluorescence performance and host-guest complexation. Thus, a novel fluorescent sensor for the determination of p -nitroaniline based on the molecular recognition of water-soluble CMCD-capped ZnO/ZnS/MgO nanocomposites has been proposed. Factors affecting the p -nitroaniline detection were investigated, and the optimum conditions were determined. Under the optimum conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity of CMCD-capped ZnO/ZnS/MgO nanocomposites was linearly proportional to the concentration of p -nitroaniline over the range from 8.33 × 10^−7 to 5.83 × 10^−5 mol L^−1 with a correlation coefficient of 0.9967 and a detection limit of 6.38 × 10^−7 mol L^−1. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of p -nitroaniline in water samples. The related mechanisms were also discussed.


The kinetics of chemisorption of hydrogen and carbon monoxide on evaporated iron films have been investigated at liquid-air temperatures. With hydrogen, the rate varies as the square root of the hydrogen pressure, and this dependence is attributed to the fact that an activated migration of adatoms which results in the production of additional surface sites is the rate-determining process. The rate process is kinetically monotonic, indicating a single-surface process in contradistinction to Beeck's concept of an instantaneous surface adsorption followed by a slower absorption into the interior. The rate falls exponentially with the amount adsorbed, and the activation energy (3 to 6 kcal/mole) of the process increases with coverage. The mechanism of activated migration over a non-uniform surface having a constant distribution function is consistent with these, and other, experimental results. The results with carbon monoxide are similar to those obtained with hydrogen except that the rate increases linearly with the gas pressure, indicating that the activated migration of adsorbed carbon monoxide molecules is probably the rate-controlling process.


On August 12,1851, Albert Smith, a middle-aged journalist and entertainer, reached the summit of Mont Blanc with three Oxford students and sixteen guides. Smith and his companions were not the first people to climb Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. In 1786, two Chamonix natives climbed the peak, but over the next sixty-seven years the ascent of Mont Blanc was repeated only forty-five times. Yet after Albert Smith's dramatic account of this ascent made mountain climbing popular among the middle classes of Victorian England, Mont Blanc was climbed eighty-eight times in a five-year span. In 1852, John Murray's Handbook for Travellers in Switzerland, the bible for English tourists abroad, noted that the ascent "of Albert Smith, in 1851, has effectually popularized the enterprise." While this could be construed as praise of Smith, it sounded very faint indeed when Murray asserted, "it is a somewhat remarkable fact that a large proportion of those who have made this ascent have been persons of unsound mind." By 1858, however, Murray mentioned that twenty or thirty people now made the ascent each year, thanked Albert Smith for his help with the text, and purged all references to the mental health of mountaineers. Over the next decade, Murray's Handbook recorded numerous first ascents in the Alps during what later became known as the "Golden Age" of mountaineering. This article attempts to explain why mountaineering became popular during these years and to suggest the broader significance of mountaineering to the construction of new middle class and imperial cultures.


Abstract Loess landscapes sometimes contain isolated depressed areas, which often appear as lakes. The outline shape (and distribution) of these depressions could be controlled by random processes, particularly if the depressions are caused by loess hydroconsolidation and ground subsidence. By applying the Zingg system of shape classification it is possible to propose a mean random shape for the closed depressions. A Zingg rectangle with a side ratio of about 2:1 is produced by a very simple Monte Carlo method, which had been used previously to calculate the mean random shape of a loess particle. The Zingg rectangle indicates the basic shape of the mean closed depression. A simple four stage process for the formation of the depressions is proposed. They might be called 'Hardcastle Hollows' in honour of John Hardcastle who first reported them, in New Zealand. Studies on Ukrainian deposits suggest that there might be some stratigraphic value in the observation of closed depressions; they are often not superimposed in successive depositions of loess. Hydroconsolidation is important in landscape processes. The hollows provide interesting habitats and enlarge the ecological interest of loess deposits; the geoheritage scene is enhanced.


It is likely that brain tissue acidosis during ischemia is associated with neuronal injury. The authors measured brain extracellular H+, PCO2 and HCO3- concentrations during an ischemic event produced by temporary occlusion of the middle or anterior cerebral arterial distributions, with a 10-minute recovery period. Patients who were to undergo craniotomy for cerebrovascular surgery were recruited for the study. A probe that measures PCO2, pH, and temperature was inserted into tissue at risk for ischemia during temporary arterial occlusion. As a control for this treatment, PaCO2 was increased 10 mm Hg in five patients over a 10-minute period. Under baseline conditions, there was no difference in arterial blood pressure, blood gas levels, or brain temperature between patients who underwent temporary arterial occlusion or those in whom hypercapnia was induced. In patients in whom hypercapnia was induced, H+, PCO2, and HCO3- concentrations increased and all values returned to baseline levels within 10 minutes. In 10 patients who underwent a median 9-minute arterial occlusion, transient ischemia was seen with an increase in tissue H+ and PCO2 levels of 100% and 60%, respectively, and a 20% decrease in HCO3- levels. After a 10-minute postischemic recovery, only PCO2 had returned to baseline levels. These results are consistent with a rapid equilibration of lactic acidosis across the cell membrane during ischemia which decreases HCO3- concentration. After ischemia, extracellular acidosis may be prolonged because of the extrusion of H+ from the cell by membrane ion exchange.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Active surveillance is the preferred option for men with low risk prostate cancer but the US lags behind other nations in its adoption. We examined the influence of urologist practice organization and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) ownership on the use and rate of adoption of observation for men with incident prostate cancer. METHODS: Using national Medicare claims, we identified men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer from 2010 through 2014 and followed through 2015. We identified men not treated within 1 year of diagnosis as having undergone observation. We assigned each patient's urologist to a group practice and identified that group's organization (e.g. multispecialty group, single specialty group, solo practice) using data from the Medicare Data on Provider Practice and Specialty file. We also determined each practice's IMRT ownership using a claims algorithm. We fit mixed effects logistic regression models to identify predictors of observation and the rate of observation use over time, adjusting for patient factors. RESULTS: Of 22,178 men with incident prostate cancer treated by 350 practices, 4,418 (19.9%) underwent observation. Multispecialty groups had the highest use of observation (22.7%, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 21.0-24.3%), while single specialty (large 19.6% [95%CI 18.3-20.9%] P=0.003, small 20.3% [95%CI 19.0-21.6%] P=0.02) and specialist-only groups (11.7% [95%CI 8.6-14.9%] P<0.001) were less likely to observe patients. Small single specialty and specialist groups increased their use of observation more than multispecialty groups (Figure). Across group types, 7,832 (35.3%) men were managed in practices that had an ownership interest in IMRT. Groups owning IMRT were less likely to use observation than non-owners (17.4% [95%CI 16.1-18.6%] v 21.4% [95%CI 20.5-22.4%], P<0.001). However, there was no difference in the rate of adoption between IMRT owning and non-owning groups. CONCLUSIONS: While observation is increasingly used for men with incident prostate cancer, the rate of increase varies by urologist group practice type, but independently of IMRT ownership. As physician groups consolidate, the resulting group practice landscape is important for understanding the continued adoption of active surveillance for prostate cancer. Figure. No caption available. Source of Funding: This work was supported by NCI F32CA232332 (PKM) and AHRQ R01HS257007 (BKH, VBS)


Glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase (gMDH) is an enzyme of the glyoxylate cycle that participates in degradation of storage oil. We have cloned a cDNA for gMDH from etiolated pumpkin cotyledons that encodes a polypeptide consisting of 356 amino acid residues. The nucleotide and N-terminal amino acid sequences revealed that gMDH is synthesized as a precursor with an N-terminal extrapeptide. The N-terminal presequence of 36 amino acid residues contains two regions homologous to those of other microbody proteins, which are also synthesized as large precursors. To investigate the functions of the N-terminal presequence of gMDH, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis that expressed a chimeric protein consisting of beta-glucuronidase and the N-terminal region of gMDH. Immunological and immunocytochemical studies revealed that the chimeric protein was imported into microbodies such as glyoxysomes and leaf peroxisomes and was then subsequently processed. Site-directed mutagenesis studies showed that the conserved amino acids in the N-terminal presequence, Arg-10 and His-17, function as recognition sites for the targeting to plant microbodies, and Cys-36 in the presequence is responsible for its processing. These results correspond to those from the analyses of glyoxysomal citrate synthase (gCS), which was also synthesized as a large precursor, suggesting that common mechanisms that can recognize the targeting or the processing of gMDH and gCS function in higher plant cells.


Several pharmacological treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) have recently been introduced. This study performed during 1999 shows that in Sweden mostly men in their 60's, often with circulatory disease and/or diabetes, where the ones who were treated for ED. The most frequently used drug (80%) is sildenafil (Viagra). The mean consumption is 4.8 tablets per month, the same consumption as for intracavernous prostaglandin injections. The pattern of prescription doesn't differ between general practitioners and urological surgeons. No evidence for "overconsumption" became evident in the study. Presently, the majority of men who seek help for ED are middle-aged, have circulatory disease and are prescribed sildenafil (Viagra).


Over the last 50 years, the development of computer numerical controlled machines has seen a plethora of part programming languages being developed. The large majority of these languages are based on the ISO 6983 standard which is commonly known as G&M codes, but other languages from machine tool suppliers are also used for programming machine tools. These programming languages have provided major barriers for the interoperability of such information between computer numerical controlled machines and also from computer numerical controlled machines to computer-aided systems. Thus, the process knowledge in existing part programs cannot be recycled and reused easily, due to an inability to interpret these forms of data. In this article, a new meta-model of computer numerical controlled part programming languages has been proposed. The meta-model aims to abstract the characteristics of computer numerical controlled machine activities and interpret/represent process information within computer numerical controlled part programs written in different languages or dialects. Realising the translation between the meta-model and different part programming languages, it is possible to capture the shopfloor knowledge from computer numerical controlled machines without the need to develop individual interpreting interfaces for each programming language. The valuable process knowledge can thus be captured from the part programs and represented in a neutral presentation to facilitate the knowledge accumulation and management, which is vital for manufacturing companies to gain competitive advantages in the globalised market.


A game is a decision-making situation with many players, each having objectives that conflict with each other. The players involved in the game usually make their decisions under conditions of risk or uncertainty. In this paper, a fuzzy approach is proposed to solve the strategic game problem in which the pure strategy set for each player is already defined. Based on the concepts of fuzzy set theory, this approach will use a multicriteria decision-making method to obtain the optimal strategy in the game, a method which shows more advantages than the classical game methods. Moreover, with this approach, some useful conclusions are reached concerning the famous ªprisoner's dilemmaº problem in game theory.


This paper considers the challenges faced by those seeking to design effective blended learning. Using a 2-year case study involving cohorts of approximately 200 students, it demonstrates how Anthony Giddens' structuration theory can provide a metaframework for assisting educational designers in creating coherent blended learning experiences that reinforce intended learning outcomes. It calls for educational designers to be sensitive to both their audience and the unintended and unanticipated consequences of their actions and shows how a holistic annual review framework can reinforce or suppress emergent behaviour through unit development.


The technique of longitudinal phase space analysis has been used to investigate the possible single and double dissociation in the reaction pp → pp π+π-π0 at 19 GeV/c. The hypothesis of factorization has been tested and found to be in agreement with the data for the single dissociation process.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) for detecting the lymph node (LN) metastasis of gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: 119 patients (M : F=89 : 30; mean age: 64) with gastric cancer were referred for preoperative FDG-PET/CT scanning and spiral enhanced abdominal pelvic CT from June 2006 to July 2008, and these were the subjects of our study. All the patients underwent curative radical gastrectomy and lymph node dissection. A final diagnosis was made for all the patients by the histology of the surgical specimens. Results: Both PET/CT and enhanced CT showed similar sensitivity for detecting regional lymph node metastasis (32.6% vs 39.5%, respectively). PET/CT was more accurate than enhanced CT for detecting regional lymph node metastasis (67.2% vs 63.0%, respectively), and PET/CT showed better specificity (86.8% vs 76.3, respectively) and a better positive predictive value (PPV) (58.3% vs 48.6%, respectively). PET/CT showed better specificity (98.0% vs 88.2%, respectively) and accuracy (79.4% vs 73.9%, respectively) than enhanced CT for detecting early gastric cancer. PET/CT showed better specificity (64.0% vs 52.0%, respectively), a better PPV (60.9% vs 57.1%), a better negative predictive value (NPV) (48.5% vs 46.4%, respectively) and better accuracy (53.6% vs 51.8%, respectively) than enhanced CT for detecting advanced gastric cancer. Conclusion: FDG-PET/CT is more usefulness than enhanced CT for making the preoperative diagnosis of regional LN metastases from gastric cancers.