Rejection sensitivity is a psychological condition which is characterized by over sensitivity to rejection. It can be roughly defined as a cognitive-affective processing dynamic whereby individuals are led to anxiously expect and perceive rejection from others. The present study is doing as an exploration of rejection sensitivity among adolescents and to find out the level and direction of aggression. The sample consisted of 200 (133 girlsa67 boys) school going adolescents within age range of 13 to 19 collected using convenient sampling for the first half of the study and 10 percent with high and low rejection sensitive sub sample were selected from the main sample for the second part of the study. The main tools used are Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire and Rosenzeigw's Picture Frustration Study. Major findings of the study was the low rejection sensitive boys and girls use ego defensive type of aggression. Low rejection sensitive girls direct their aggression to the environment and low rejection sensitive boys direct their aggression by denying it. The high rejection sensitive girls use obstacle dominant type of aggression and boys use ego defensive type of aggression. The high rejection sensitive adolescents direct their aggression towards the environment.


Zirconia nanoparticles were synthesized by the non-hydrolytic thermal decomposition of zirconyl chloride octahydrate in the presence of oleylamine and oleic acid. The nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, HR-TEM and EDAX techniques. TEM observation confirmed that the nanoparticles have an approximately spherical shape with an average size of 3–4 nm and a non-monoclinic structure. Unlike previous approaches, our synthesis of the catalytically relevant (tetragonal and/or cubic) phase of this material did not require (i) an annealing step to stabilize the tetragonal phase, or (ii) the inclusion of dopants. Furthermore, these high surface area tetragonal zirconia nanoparticles showed a good catalytic activity towards the Knoevenagel condensation.


The word "Microsphere" denotes that micrometer in size but the main motto is to deliver the drug and it depends on the routes of administration. Topical delivery of microsphere is one of the most important to deliver the drug into the body. This method has a signi icant effect on its ef icacy. Microsphere can work as a transporter for the drugs in a sustained control release manner. Whereas the topical gel can be used in any part of our body like eyes, vagina, rectum, etc. Microspheres are using as a coating material where the polymeric compounds are incorporate and after that, it is using as a gel for topical administration. Here we can tell the microsphere as a vehicle where it transports the polymers, drugs as well as especially it is transferring the surfactant, co-surfactants, etc as a result it can easy to penetrate our skin and give the proper therapeutic activity. As a result, the slow result in the proper therapeutic ef icacy of various diseases can give the suggested a blooming need for a multidisciplinary proposal for the delivery to the target place. As a result, it clears the potential of the effectiveness of active pharmaceutical ingredients through the barrier of skin by the help of penetration property and vehicle technology of microsphere. In this review, some basic and primitive features of microspheres in the form of topical delivery has been discussed.


This study aims to examine the process of development and marketing of CIS (copper-indium-selenium) technology as a major innovation in solar technology through the case of Wurth Solar, which is the first company worldwide to have started mass production of CIS-solar modules. This article reports the development history of the technology and analyzes its innovative content. It also describes cooperation with innovation partners as a key to success. The participating organizations and actors involved are shown and their roles in the innovation process are illustrated. Challenges and oppositions are explained and the way the company managed to overcome these difficulties is presented.


A new transmissible strain of leukosis of chickens is described that causes (a) lymphomatosis with or without tumor formation, and with or without leukemia, (b) myelocytomatosis with or without leukemia, and (c) endothelioma. All these diseases are transmissible by material free from viable cells, and the available evidence indicates that they are caused by a single filterable agent.


A diagnosis using qualitative reasoning is applicable to the diagnosis of building air conditioning systems such that their configuration is various. In this technique, a target system is modeled qualitatively, and possible patterns of behaviour of the target model are generated by the qualitative reasoning. By comparing the results of reasoning with the real measured values, a faulty part is identified. We propose a stochastic qualitative reasoning method. In this method, the existence probability is introduced to prevent the increasing possible behaviours of the model. Through the qualitative reasoning process, the states having negligible probability are eliminated. We have applied this method to fault diagnosis of a building air conditioning system and confirmed its effectiveness.<<ETX>>


The rapid adoption of Team-Maker and the Comprehensive Assessment of Team Member Effectiveness (CATME), tools for team formation and peer evaluation, make it possible to extend their success to have a significant impact on the development of team skills in higher education. The web-based systems are used by over 700 faculty at over 200 institutions internationally. This paper and its accompanying poster will describe strategies for broadening the scope of those tools into a complete system for the management of teamwork in undergraduate education. The System for the Management, Assessment, Research, Training, Education, and Remediation of Teamwork (SMARTER Teamwork) has three specific goals: 1) to equip students to work in teams by providing them with training and feedback, 2) to equip faculty to manage student teams by providing them with information and tools to facilitate best practices, and 3) to equip researchers to understand teams by broadening the system's capabilities to collect additional types of data so that a wider range of research questions can be studied through a secure researcher interface. The three goals of the project support each other in hierarchical fashion: research informs faculty practice, faculty determine the students' experience, which, if well managed based on research findings, equips students to work in teams. Our strategies for achieving these goals are based on a well-accepted training model that has five elements: information, demonstration, practice, feedback, and remediation. Different outcomes are expected for each group of people. For the students, both individual outcomes, such as student learning, and team outcomes, such as the development of shared mental models, are expected. For the faculty, individual outcomes such as faculty learning and faculty satisfaction are expected. The outcomes for researchers will be community outcomes, that is, benefits for stakeholders outside the research team, such as generating new knowledge for teaming theory and disseminating best practices. Measuring these outcomes is the basis for the project's evaluation plan. Research Overview. The broad and deep scope of the proposed SMARTER Teamwork research is summarized in Figure 1. The figure addresses the project's three broad research goals, people impacted, strategies for achieving the goals, and measureable outcomes. Goals. The proposed work has three goals: 1), equip students to work in teams; 2), equip faculty to manage teams; and 3), equip this research team to understand student teams. These goals support each other in hierarchical fashion: research informs faculty practice, faculty determine the students' experience, which, if well managed based on research findings, should equip students to work in teams. People. People are the groups that will use the proposed system: students, faculty, and researchers. The hierarchy of people reflects the hierarchy of goals: the work of the research team supports the work of faculty, which in turn supports the work of students and their teams. Figure 1. System for the Management, Assessment, Research, Training, Education, and Remediation for Teamwork informs determines the environment for INFORMATION 1. Why teams are important 2. What makes a good team member 3. Overview of SMARTER Teamwork toolkit


Aim. The presented study aims to identify the most significant changes in the global and national development agenda associated with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.Tasks. The authors analyze the performance of the financial sector; summarize the assessments of leading consulting companies and the results of public opinion polls regarding the actual and projected state of the global and Russian economy and changes in consumption patterns; determine challenges that national authorities are currently facing.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition: observation, generalization, comparison, deduction and induction, methods of institutional and structural analysis.Results. Major trends of socio-economic development during the post-crisis period are examined and analyzed; factors affecting changes in the social structure and potential directions of managerial influence are determined.Conclusions. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has been a huge stress for the established management systems at all levels, generating additional public demands that need to be reflected in the social contract. Changes in the main trends of socio-economic development caused by quarantine measures determine the parameters of a different environment for national and social development. Production and industry are affected by regionalization, while consumption is becoming increasingly globalized. Human capital is undergoing transformation in response to the digitalization of the economy, which creates the prerequisites for increasing inequality.


: In Mexico, a 40 year period of political stability and economic advancement, hailed for its high rates of growth in income per capita, rapid urbanization, and impressive gains in indicators of health and education, seemed to come to a halt in the early 1980s. Since the early 1970s, fertility has declined sharply in chronological association with a new population policy and the implementation of a national family planning program. If in 1940 there was no apparent reason for the Mexican state to have much interest in limiting fertility, such was no longer the case by 1970. The General Law of Population that had been passed in 1947 was laced with the expansionist ideology that dominated demographic issues for more that a century; its pro-natalism had been reinforced by health regulations prohibiting the sale and use of contraceptives and by a penal code that made abortion a crime. Between 1970 and 1981 the total fertility rate fell by about 39%. Since 1975, change in contraceptive practice accounts for the bulk of the measured fertility decline. Between 1976 and 1982 there was a 66% increase in contraceptive prevalence. The government's involvement in family planning activities helped to: 1) develop an effective contraceptive distribution system; 2) circulate extensive information, education, and communication publicizing fertility and images of the small family; and 3) mobilize health practitioners in public institutions to counsel and persuade their clients to accept and practice contraception. The emerging debate over population policy in Brazil may well prefigure debates in other Latin American countries; the recent democratization in Brazil is the vocalization of a demand from women's groups and the left for government provided family planning services. Overall, Mexico's willingness to take the long view tackle the birth rate issue head on is likely to remain an exception in Latin America.


In this manuscript, acoustic emission (AE) analysis is used to identify the fracture mechanisms that take place during a three-point bending test of steel specimens. However, an important source of AE was detected and related to the deformation of the supports and the surface of the steel specimen in contact. This source creates AE signals that are very high in number and amplitude, and prevent determining accurately the onset stress for fracture mechanisms in specimens. A signal filtering is proposed based on the properties of the initial part of the recorded AE waveform, combined with a linear localization. The filtering successfully allows the AE signals to be classified according to their source as background noise, damage due to contact of the specimen surface to the supports and fracture mechanisms occurring in the specimen microstructure as a result of the bending test. The aforementioned filter has been successfully applied in case of a cold work tool steel DIN 1.2379 to determine accurately the stress level at which the first damaging mechanisms start to occur in the microstructure in situ during the three-point bending test. Filtered AE signal results indicating damage in the microstructure have been corroborated by inspection of the specimen's surface in a Confocal Microscope. In default of using the proposed filter, unfiltered signals have been estimated to lead to an overestimation of critical stresses of about 20%, what is undesirable for most applications. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2013089]


The main advantage of oral protein delivery is that it improves patient compliance and comfort over other routes of administration (i.e. injection), thus leading to a more effective treatment regimen. Although oral protein delivery could benefit many individuals, maintaining the functionality of the protein and low bioavailability of the delivered drug have prevented it from becoming a successful therapy. We have developed a class of environmentally responsive complexation hydrogels composed of methacrylic acid and grafted ethylene glycol chains (P(MAA-g-EG)) functionalized with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) to overcome these challenges. The drug carriers were designed to (1) minimize the effects of the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract and (2) target delivery of the protein drug to the upper small intestine by exploiting the pH shift between the stomach and the small intestine. In addition, functionalization of PEG chains with WGA will allow for specific binding to carbohydrate moieties present in the intestinal mucosa to improve residence time of the carrier at the delivery site. Hydrogel microparticles were prepared by UV-initiated free radical solution polymerization. PEG chains were then functionalized with WGA through a biotin-avidin interaction. Insulin, a model protein, was used to determine if the functionalization process affected the loading and release behavior of the microparticles. Insulin entrapment in the polymer network was unaffected by the WGA functionalization and loading efficiency was determined to be 75% in both functionalized and unfunctionalized microparticles. A release study was done to mimic the conditions of the pH shift between the stomach and the small intestine. The hydrogel carriers prevented release at a low pH (3.2) and rapidly released insulin when the pH was increased to 7.0. In vitro mucoadhesive characteristics of the functionalized polymer were evaluated using a mucin coated 96-well plate. As expected, WGA functionalized microparticles displayed a higher adhesion to the mucin than non-functionalized microparticles. In addition, a competitive carbohydrate assay was used to demonstrate that there was a specific interaction between the WGA and the carbohydrate groups present within the mucus layer. Insulin transport studies were carried out in both the presence and absence of microparticles by using a mucus secreting co-culture of Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cells seeded on a permeable Transwell® plate. The cellular model was designed to more accurately mimic the small intestinal epithelia by inclusion of a mucus secreting cell. Apparent permeability (Papp) increased for wells with P(MAA-g-EG) (15.01 ± 0.65 x 10-9 cm/s) and P(MAA-g-EG) WGA (15.20 ± 1.43 x 10-9 cm/s) as compared to an insulin only solution (2.98 ± 0.27 x 10-9 cm/s) (p<0.01), which correlates to approximately a 5-fold increase in Papp. Functionalizing complexation hydrogels with WGA improved the mucoadhesive properties of this polymer. In addition, the presence of the microparticles increased the amount of insulin transported across a cellular monolayer. Future work is focused on elucidating the exact mechanism by which insulin transport is increased across the cellular monolayer. Introduction Hydrogels are three dimensional polymer networks that are insoluble due to the presence of physical and/or chemical crosslinks . In addition, hydrogels are often used in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and ability to imbibe large amounts of water. Complexation hydrogels are a specific class of hydrogels that form physical crosslinks through non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding . Our lab has successfully developed a class of environmentally sensitive complexation hydrogels containing MAA and PEG tethers (designated as P(MAA-g-EG)) . More specifically, P(MAA-g-EG) is a pH responsive hydrogel that is capable of swelling and deswelling due to the formation of temporary physical crosslinks, or interpolymer complexes, between the PMAA pendant groups and the tethered PEG chains.


Molecular gels present an ideal opportunity for the preparation of materials in which a fibre-like morphology is required because of their inherent characteristic of containing relatively well ordered supramolecular polymer chains. Molecular gels have been prepared from virtually all of the important classes of molecules that are used in optical and electronic applications, and they show that the gel route is advantageous over other states, such as crystals, because of the ease of processing and deposition on surfaces. In this respect, gels are also preferable to casting from homogeneous fluid solutions, because the role of the surface is less important. On the other hand, gels provide a unique opportunity for the preparation of hybrids and composites, and the few examples in this area suggest that new materials with unique properties could be achieved through this approach. Equally, the self-sorting or orthogonal self-assembly of molecular gels for materials preparation is likely to find application in the optics and electronics areas. Liquid-crystalline gels are shown to be interesting in their own right for display applications and the challenge of making molecule-derived aerogels for conducting and sensing applications is highlighted.


Theoretical and experimental studies of the B K-shell absorption near the -excitation in hexagonal boron nitride were carried out. The absorption spectrum over the interval 191.5-193.5 eV was analysed in the framework of the quasi-atomic model with respect to its molecular simulation and for the features of its recombination. Our analysis points to the appearance of local deformations in the crystal lattice around a core-excited atom which are mainly created by the breaking of the ground-state symmetry due to out-of-plane displacements of core-excited boron atoms in a basal plane (0.16 Å). The comparison with the experimental B K-shell absorption spectra for the metastable incoherent phase BN and defect-containing BN crystals supports this polaron mechanism. Methods for the description of the x-ray absorption in solids taking into account the related atomic rearrangement are discussed.


The anomalous Hall effect in disordered band ferromagnets is considered in the framework of quantum transport theory. A microscopic model of electrons in a random potential of identical impurities including spin‐orbit coupling is used. The Hall conductivity is calculated from the Kubo formula for both, the skew scattering and the side‐jump mechanisms. The recently discussed Berry phase induced Hall current is also evaluated within the model. The effect of strong impurity scattering is analyzed and it is found to affect the ratio of the non‐diagonal (Hall) and diagonal components of the conductivity as well as the relative importance of different mechanisms.


This case provides the opportunity for a comprehensive analysis in a service operations strategy course. It touches on subjects including the customer value proposition, profitability, employee management, customer management, robust people versus robust process, queue management, and staffing models.This case can be used as a basis for discussing the "Four Truths" from Francis Frei and Anne Morriss, Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business, 6th ed. (Boston: Harvard Business Press, 2012). The Four Truths are (1) you can't be good at everything, (2) someone has to pay for it, (3) you must manage your employees, and (4) you must manage your customers. Students are asked to decide the necessary service strategy and operational changes as Schindler Elevator Corporation decides how to use current trends in the internet of things.
Excerpt
UVA-OM-1593
Rev. Jul. 30, 2018
Schindler Elevator Corporation
What Floor, Please?
In 2017, the US elevator industry was struggling with the transformative potential (and new competitive challenges) of big data and the internet of things (IoT). Across industries, new ways of using data were emerging that had not been widely anticipated before the combination of big data analytics and wired (or wireless) sensor network technology. Industries were presented with new ways to monitor and exploit the predictive and integrative value of measuring different things. How could the experience of riding a motorcycle be enhanced by networking together sensors on the motorcycle and sensors in the clothing of the rider? How could "smart homes" get even smarter by networking together information from an occupant's wearable device (e.g., heart rate, or body temperature) with the occupant's home HVAC thermostat or a sensor measuring mold content? And what happened when those networks were smart—meaning that they could make decisions and take useful action?
Some of the largest barriers to a truly smart sensor network were amassing enough data to be meaningful, and figuring out how to distinguish noise from actionable data. Once collected and determined to be useful, the data still had to be acted upon. That required businesses to make decisions about how to use the data that created value from the customer's perspective. Broadly speaking, to a customer, what often created the most value was some form of prediction—in other words, a sensor network knowing (and adjusting to) the customer's needs before a problem occurred.
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Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is potentially life-threatening adverse reaction associated with blood transfusion and can induce perioperative pulmonary secretion. TRALI that develops during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may be difficult to detect; however, the pathophysiology might manifest as derangements in CPB operations. A 79-year-old man was scheduled to undergo partial replacement of the aortic arch with CPB. Two units of red blood cells were loaded into the priming solution. Although the vital signs, including oxygenation, remained stable in the prebypass period, perfusionists noticed a decreasing trend in the venous reservoir level early in the CPB operations. The trend continued even during circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion, resulting in the termination of the modified hemofiltration. Surgical procedures were accomplished uneventfully; however, a large amount of fluid was required to maintain the minimal reservoir level and CPB flow. The total fluid balance during CPB was +8,233 mL, which was quite unusual in our practice. When 800 mL of massive pulmonary secretion was detected before CPB withdrawal, the etiology could not be determined simultaneously; nonetheless, systemic vascular hyperpermeability was speculated to be the underlying pathophysiology. Our therapeutic approach following the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome contributed to halting the deterioration of lung injury. Although the pneumothorax developed on the first postoperative day, the patient was treated with the insertion of a chest drainage tube. Subsequently, the patient had a good course and was discharged without respiratory complications. In conclusion, massive pulmonary secretion, probably due to TRALI type II, was associated with derangements in CPB operations. Prompt identification of the underlying pathophysiology and appropriate intervention is crucial.


This paper proposes a new technique for improving the efficiency of software testing, which is based on a conventional attempt to reduce test cases that have to be tested for any given software. The approach utilizes the advantage of Regression Testing where fewer test cases would lessen time consumption of the testing as a whole. The technique also offers a means to perform test case generation automatically. Compared to one of the techniques in the literature where the tester has no option but to perform the test case generation manually, the proposed technique provides a better option. As for the test cases reduction, the technique uses simple algebraic conditions to assign fixed values to variables (Maximum, minimum and constant variables). By doing this, the variables values would be limited within a definite range, resulting in fewer numbers of possible test cases to process. The technique can also be used in program loops and arrays. Keywords—Software Testing, Test Case Generation, Test Case Reduction


Recent discoveries of polar topological structures (e.g., skyrmions and merons) in ferroelectric/paraelectric heterostructures have opened a new field of polar topotronics. However, how complex interplay of photoexcitation, electric field and mechanical strain controls these topological structures remains elusive. To address this challenge, we have developed a computational approach at the nexus of machine learning and first-principles simulations. Our multiscale neural-network quantum molecular dynamics molecular mechanics approach achieves orders-of-magnitude faster computation, while maintaining quantum-mechanical accuracy for atoms within the region of interest. This approach has enabled us to investigate the dynamics of vortex states formed in PbTiO3 nanowires embedded in SrTiO3. We find topological switching of these vortex states to topologically trivial, uniformly polarized states using electric field and trivial domain-wall states using shear strain. These results, along with our earlier results on optical control of polar topology, suggest an exciting new avenue toward opto-electro-mechanical control of ultrafast, ultralow-power polar topotronic devices.


Target 1.1 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals commits the international community to eradicating "extreme poverty" by 2030. This article asserts that raising the standards of living of one billion extremely poor people will require navigating two perilous seas. The first is racial discrimination. With emerging evidence that ethnic minorities dominate the extremely poor, international action must involve "calling out" racial discrimination where it is inhibiting efforts to reduce extreme poverty. The second is international economic law. States with extremely poor ethnic minorities are obliged, under international human rights law, to introduce temporary "special measures" (affirmative action) to raise those minorities to a position of equality. However, special measures which are directly targeted at reducing racially-delineated extreme poverty may not comply with international economic law disciplines. The article investigates the compliance problems which such measures might encounter and concludes by suggesting steps for a smoother passage towards achieving Target 1.1.


This article examines the events that occurred on September 26, 1973 during which indigenous leader Lazaro Condo lost his life in the Ecuadorian province of Chimborazo. Events are interpreted in the light of the concept of "social drama" proposed by Victor Turner in his book Dramas, Fields and Metaphors. This reference to Turner helps us understand from an anthropological perspective –more than from history or sociology— events in the indigenous community of Toctezinin. It also introduces the notion of "representation affinity" and discusses the way that Lazaro Condo was made into a symbol by a complex process of "dramatic" and "ritual" interactions. PALABRAS CLAVE | KEYWORDS drama social | conflictos por la tierra | memoria | rito | metafora | social drama | conflicts because of earth | memory | ritual | metaphor


The limitations on nanorobot design and activity imposed by Brownian motion events, communication problems, and the nature of the intercellular space are discussed. It is shown that severe problems exist for a nanorobot designed to enter tissues for therapeutic purposes when it is smaller than about 1 microm in any one of its dimensions.


Fuzzy logic controllers can handle complex systems by incorporating expert's knowledge in the absence of formal mathematical models. Further, fuzzy logic controllers can effectively capture and accommodate uncertainties that are inherent in real-world controlled systems. On the other hand, Robot Operating System (ROS) has been widely used for many robotic applications due to its modular structure and efficient message-passing mechanisms for the integration of system's components. For this reason, Robot Operating System is an ideal tool for developing software stacks for robotic applications. This paper develops a generic and configurable Robot Operating System package for the implementation of fuzzy logic controllers, particularly type-1 and interval type-2, which are based on either Mamdani or Takagi-Sugeno-Kang fuzzy inference mechanisms. This is achieved by employing a systematic object-oriented approach using the Unified Model Language (UML) to implement the fuzzy inference system as a single class that is composed of fuzzifier, inference, and defuzzifier classes. The deployment of the developed Robot Operating System package is demonstrated by implementing an interval type-2 fuzzy logic control of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).


During the past ten to 15 years, maternal-fetal medicine has seen the publication of several books aimed at providing the subspecialist with a comprehensive text/reference work. These attempts, however, have more often than not missed the mark because of incomplete content, inadequate depth beyond that found in textbooks of obstetrics, excessively specialized chapters by multiple contributors focused on their own research, or a nonobstetric perinatal perspective. Contrary to their predecessors, Creasy and Resnik have masterfully encompassed the boundaries of the subspecialty in their textbook, Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice . This work is logically separated into four parts: early fetal development and the environment, diagnostic modalities in maternal-fetal medicine, maternal and fetal pathophysiology, and the neonate. Each part is subdivided into chapters written by leaders in the field, many of whom are both scientists and practicing academic obstetric perinatologists. The flavor is, therefore, distinctly practical with as firm a basis in


Liposomes are attractive carriers for targeted and controlled drug delivery receiving increasing attention in cancer photothermal therapy. However, the field of creating near-infrared nanomaterial-liposome hybrid nanocarriers (NIRN-Lips) is relatively little understood. The hybrid nanocarriers combine the dual superiority of nanomaterials and liposomes, with more stable particles, enhanced photoluminescence, higher tumor permeability, better tumor-targeted drug delivery, stimulus-responsive drug release, and thus exhibiting better anti-tumor efficacy. Herein, this review covers the liposomes supported various types of near-infrared nanomaterials, including gold-based nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, and semiconductor quantum dots. Specifically, the NIRN-Lips are described in terms of their feature, synthesis, and drug-release mechanism. The design considerations of NIRN-Lips are highlighted. Further, we briefly introduced the photothermal conversion mechanism of NIRNs and the cell death mechanism induced by photothermal therapy. Subsequently, we provided a brief conclusion of NIRNs-Lips applied in cancer photothermal therapy. Finally, we discussed a synopsis of associated challenges and future perspectives for the applications of NIRN-Lips in cancer photothermal therapy.


In 1944, Inman made some conclusions regarding shoulder function that have become the foundation of a classic model. Clinical observations of the athletic shoulder and its associated common injuries have demonstrated selective weakness of specific rotator cuff muscles rather than generalized muscle impairment. Shoulder mechanics during athletic activities have been evaluated dynamically with electromyography (EMG), which has helped to formulate a base for optimal rehabilitation. Dynamic EMG and high-speed film analysis have been used to evaluate the shoulder during throwing, swimming, tennis, and golf. Evaluation of shoulder function in these various sports revealed that although rotator cuff function is important in all, the emphasis and role of individual muscles varied. The importance of serratus anterior muscle activity to stabilization and protraction of the scapula has been consistently reported. The muscles about the shoulder act according to their mechanical qualities and are function- or sport-specific. A thorough understanding of the mechanics of the normal and pathologic shoulder constitutes the foundation for training and rehabilitation strategies.


Considering the potential of shaded coffee plantations mixed with natural vegetation for promoting biodiversity conservation, this project assessed the utility of multi-date Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery for the characterization of natural vegetation versus coffee plantations in western El Salvador. For assembling a multi-temporal Landsat TM data set, we applied a regression analysis model to remove cloud cover and cloud shadows. Then, through a hybrid classification approach, a nine-class land use/land cover (LULC) map was generated. We identified two types of coffee plantations ('open-canopy' and 'close-canopy') along with natural forest/shrubland, mangrove, water bodies, sandy coastal soils, bare soil, urban areas and agriculture. Notwithstanding the small sample size of the accuracy data, our assessment revealed an overall accuracy of 76.7% (Kappa coefficient = 0.68), considering only the four classes with independent field data. The overall classification accuracy for distinguishing coffee plantations from non-mangrove natural forest was 81.6% and the classification accuracy for distinguishing 'open-canopy' from 'close-canopy' coffee plantations was 85.7%. We are encouraged by the results of this prototype study. They indicate that remote-sensing techniques can be used to distinguish different classes of coffee production systems and to differentiate coffee from natural forest.


This research was carried out to elucidate the eff ect of consumption bio-yoghurt produced byLactobacillus rhamnosus SKG34 on plasma lipid profi les in human. The study was performed usingpre and post analysis. Eleven healthy volunteers aged between 30-48 yeras old were participatedin this study. Each volunteers consumed 100g of bio-yoghurt containing L.rhamnosus SKG34 for 21 days. Blood samples were taken before the start of experiment and after 21 days of comsumption. Total cholesterol was measured using CHOP-POD method, while triglyceride determinedusing glycerol method, LDL and HD determined using homogenous method. Results of thestudy revealed that consumption of the bio-yoghurt lower values of plasma lipid concentrationsin hypercholesterolemia subjects. Total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL was reduced within4.91%, 13.84%, and 8.24%, respectively, when compare to its concentrations before treatment.However, the plasma lipid concentrations in normal subjects were almost stable during thetreatment periods. Consumption of bio-yoghurt for 21 days had no eff ect on HDL-cholesterollevel. These results indicate that consumption of bio-yoghurt containing L.rhamnosus SKG34specifi cally lowered the concentrations of serum total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride onhypercholesterolemia subjects.


Since a few breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of the effects of swift heavy ions (SHIs) decelerating in the electronic stopping regime in the matter have been achieved in the last decade, it motivated us to review the state-of-the-art approaches in the modeling of SHI effects. The SHI track kinetics occurs via several well-separated stages and spans many orders of magnitude in time: from attoseconds in ion-impact ionization depositing an extreme amount of energy in a target to femtoseconds of electron transport and hole cascades, to picoseconds of lattice excitation and response, to nanoseconds of atomic relaxation, and even longer times of the final macroscopic reaction. Each stage requires its own approaches for quantitative description. We discuss that understanding the links between the stages makes it possible to describe the entire track kinetics within a hybrid multiscale model without fitting procedures. The review focuses on the underlying physical mechanisms of each process, the dominant effects they produce, and the limitations of the existing approaches, as well as various numerical techniques implementing these models. It provides an overview of the ab initio-based modeling of the evolution of the electronic properties, Monte Carlo simulations of nonequilibrium electronic transport, molecular dynamics modeling of atomic reaction including phase transformations and damage on the surface and in the bulk, kinetic Mote Carlo of atomic defect kinetics, and finite-difference methods of track interaction with chemical solvents describing etching kinetics. We outline the modern methods that couple these approaches into multiscale and combined multidisciplinary models and point to their bottlenecks, strengths, and weaknesses. The analysis is accompanied by examples of important results, improving the understanding of track formation in various materials. Summarizing the most recent advances in the field of the track formation process, the review delivers a comprehensive picture and detailed understanding of the phenomenon. Important future directions of research and model development are also outlined.


A modular approach to a new class of structurally diverse bidentate P/N, P/P, P/S, and P/Se chelate ligands has been developed. Starting from hydroquinone, various ligands were synthesized in a divergent manner via orthogonally bis-protected bromohydroquinones as the central building block. The first donor functionality (L1) is introduced to the aromatic (hydroquinone) ligand backbone either by Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling (Suzuki coupling) with hetero-aryl bromides, by Pd-catalyzed amination, or by lithiation and subsequent treatment with electrophiles (e.g., chlorophosphanes, disulfides, diselenides, or carbamoyl chlorides). After selective deprotection, the second ligand tooth (L2) is attached by reaction of the phenolic OH functionality with a chlorophosphane, a chlorophosphite, or a related reagent. Some of the resulting chelate ligands were converted into the respective PdX2 complexes (X = Cl, I), two of which were characterized by X-ray crystallography. The methodology developed opens an access to a broad variety of new chiral and achiral transition metal complexes and is generally suited for the solid-phase synthesis of combinatorial libraries, as will be reported separately.


Diurnal roosts of the bat Rhynchonycteris naso (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) in Laguna de Términos, Campeche, Mexico. Introduction: The selection of day-roost is a crucial process for bats because it influences the ecology, social organization, and survivorship aspects of their populations. Proboscis bat (Rhynchonycteris naso) is a protected species by Mexican law, whose foraging and roosting areas are strongly associated with bodies of water, primarily rivers. Therefore, alterations in the water quality pose a risk to their populations. However, knowledge of the current state of their populations and roosting ecology is very poor in Mexico. Objectives: To locate and to describe R. naso's diurnal roosts, and to evaluate the relationship of the group size per roost with the characteristics of the diurnal roost, the salinity and pH of the water where they inhabit. Methods: From March to October 2015, we searched diurnal roost through boat tours along rivers, streams, and lagoons, in eleven sites in the Laguna de Términos Flora and Fauna Protection Area, Campeche, Mexico. For each localized roost, we recorded the group size, and their spatial distribution, the type of roost and vegetation, the distance between roosts, the diameter of trunk, the salinity, and pH. In order to investigate the effect of the variables recorded in diurnal roost on size group, generalized linear models were adjusted. Results: We found 48 diurnal roost in dead tree-trunks, tree bark and bridges, associated with freshwater, and oligohaline bodies, mainly in mangrove vegetation. The average size of the groups was 5.3 ± 0.48 and 22.6 ± 9.54 in natural and artificial roosts, respectively. We found a significant relationship with the type of roost, type of vegetation and diameter of trunk. Roosts with larger groups of bats presented an aggregated distribution. We located 40 diurnal roosts on freshwater bodies and eight in oligohaline with a high grouping level. Conclusions: Greater incidence of roost in fresh and lightly acid water is explained under optimal foraging theory. Because the study area is found in the limit of their distribution, mangrove is a very important vegetation type to guarantee the establishment of R. naso populations. Also, due no roosts were found in some portions of the study zone, quality of water, and contaminant level studies are crucial. This study provides relevant information on their populations with direct implications for the conservation in coastal areas.


Background In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissue (ST), (pathological) angiogenesis can be observed already in the earliest phase of disease, which may be critical in the switch from acute to chronic inflammation. The chemokine CXCL12, which is induced via non-canonical nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling, plays an important role in angiogenesis, lymphocyte transendothelial migration, and homing of endothelial progenitor cells. Therefore, the non-canonical NF-κB pathway, with its key mediator NF-κB inducing kinase (NIK), may play an important role in pathological angiogenesis and the perpetuation of synovial inflammation in RA. Objectives To study the role of non-canonical NF-κB signaling in pathological angiogenesis in RA. Methods ST was obtained via mini-arthroscopy from inflamed joints of RA patients. Expression of NIK and CXCL12 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy. NIK expression was also studied in renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer tissues and normal skin. The effects of non-canonical NF-κB signaling in endothelial cells (EC) were studied in vitro using angiogenesis/tube formation assays and siRNA mediated gene silencing. Ex vivo, the effect of non-canonical NF-κB activity on angiogenesis/microvessel outgrowth was studied by comparing WT and NIK-/- mice in the aortic ring assay. Results NIK was highly expressed in vascular structures in RA ST. NIK positive cells were negative for the lymphatic vessel markers LYVE-1 and podoplanin, but NIK co-localized with the EC marker vWF in small vessels. IF microscopy demonstrated that NIK, p52 and CXCL12 were expressed both in high endothelial venules and in EC of small (newly formed) blood vessels. NIK was also expressed in EC in renal cell carcinoma and breast cancer tissues, whereas normal skin EC did not exhibit increased NIK expression. In vitro, EC treated with stimuli that induce non-canonical NF-κB signaling significantly enhanced tube formation 2,5-fold (p<0.05), which could be completely blocked by siRNA targeting NIK or IKKα, but not completely by IKKβ. Aortic rings from WT and NIK-/- mice showed normal VEGF-induced microvessel outgrowth. However, whereas non-canonical stimuli such as lymphotoxin (LT) induced microvessel sprouts in WT mice, no microvessel outgrowth was observed in aortic rings from NIK-/- mice. Conclusions NIK is preferentially expressed in small EC in RA ST and in tumor tissues. In vitro, induction of non-canonical NF-κB signaling resulted in EC activation and enhanced angiogenesis, whereas selective blockade of this pathway using siRNA abrogated these effects. Ex vivo, LT-induced microvessel outgrowth was severely impaired in aortic rings of NIK-/- mice. These findings point towards an important role of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway in pathological angiogenesis. This could be exploited for the development of future new therapies, which would not only be applicable for RA but also for other diseases such as cancer. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This article has been written based on the from research on the political knowledge, attitude, skill and
partisipatory of beginner voters in Surabaya. The special target is to achieve the procurement of sense about
student beginner voters who studied in university. This research used the qualitative approach supported with
quantitative data. This research analyzed the descriptive data that spoke out through the deep interview with
informants. It found that partisan-pragmatism has color the respondents' attitude towrad choice of attitude. Its
strengthened with the attitude of apatisme who appeared against the ideal of political values, then the
pragmatism has becomes the reference to make the choices. Political novice voters about the president election
and the legislative elections shows that the electoral process is an important thing in the life of a country, but in
practice of landscape, pragmatism and transactional mechanism is considered the dominant still do. Students
knowledge and information is based on media opinion. It shows a disappointment trought political realities. At
their opinion, in one side, political idealism is the most importan thing to conduct but in the action, the
pragmatism has becomes their choice. Are very important for giving the right political education for those
students. Because, university play a crucial role in world politics.They socialize political elites, serve as sites
ofpolitical dissent, and form and disseminate dominant ideology.
Keywords : University, politics


Deficit irrigation is an essential optimization method for water consumption in irrigated lands. In order to investigate the effects of deficit irrigation on growth, yield and quality traits of two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) cultivars a factorial layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted in Agricultural Research Station of Miandoab during growing season 2010-2011. Experimental treatments included two tomato cultivars such as Early urbana l11 and Rio-grand and four deficit irrigation such as 60, 80, 100, 120 mm evaporation from Pan. Results of analysis of variance revealed that the effect of different irrigation levels were significant (p≤0.05) on plant growth indices such as plant height, number of marketable fruits, fruit weight and length, total yield, soluble solid, chlorophyll, lycopene, Beta carotene and EC of fruits of tomato. The highest value for traits such as plant height (93.7 cm), fruit length (7.65 cm), number of marketable fruit (16.29) fruit weight (174 g) and total yield (8.3 kg) were obtained 60 mm evaporation from pan, while the highest value for postharvest properties such as brix (5.86%) and lycopene (17.10 %) were produced in 120 mm evaporation from pan enhanced post harvest quality of tomato fruits. In general, results of this investigation indicated deficit irrigation led to reduction in vegetative growth parameters and improvement in post harvest quality of assessed tomato cultivars.


– In July 2018, Japan and the European Union adopted the bilateral Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). The SPA is aimed at further institutionalizing EU-Japan cooperation in regional and international politics and security. Based on the political rhetoric accompanying the agreement's adoption, one could be tempted to conclude that the SPA will be the long-awaited breakthrough of EU-Japan political and security cooperation in the years ahead. But it is not, at least not yet. In the agreement, the EU and Japan envision cooperation in more than 40 areas. You name it, it is all in the agreement: cooperation countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, post-conflict reconstruction, collaboration to prevent the proliferation of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons, joint counter-terrorism policies, joint efforts to reform the UN, development policies, disaster management, climate change and many, many other areas and issues made it onto that very long list of unresolved issues of international politics and security. The good news is that the SPA covers fewer issues and areas than the previous EU-Japan Action (2001-2011), which covered more than 100 areas the EU and Japan were at the time planning to cooperate on, and – with a few notable exceptions – did not. The not so good news is that the new SPA still covers more than 40 areas and there is unfortunately no information publicly available outlining which areas and/or issues have priority over others. Reality (most probably) is that when one does not prioritize anything, then not much will get done unless and until there is agreement between the EU and Japan on what needs to be done first, second and third.


BackgroundReview of maternal deaths relies on comprehensive documentation of medical records that can reveal sequence of events that led to death. Maternal Death and Surveillance (MDSR) system recommends the use of narrative summaries during maternal death reviews to discuss the case and categorize medical causes of death, identify gaps in care and recommend action plans to prevent deaths. Suggested action plans are recommended to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound (SMART). To identify gaps in documenting information and planning recommendations, comprehensiveness of written narrative summaries and adequacy of action plans according the MDSR guideline were assessed. MethodsA total of 76 facility maternal deaths that occurred in two regions in Southern Tanzania in 2018 were included for analysis. We assessed the comprehensiveness of narrative summaries and action plans using a prepared checklist from MDSR guideline of 2015. Presence or absence of items in four domains each with several attributes was recorded on the checklist. The domains were socio-demographic characteristics, antenatal care, referral information and events that occurred after admission. Less than 75% completeness of attributes in all domains was considered poor while >94% was good/comprehensive. Action plans were assessed by application of SMART criteria and according to place of planned implementation (community, facility or higher level of health system). Results Two-thirds of summaries (66%) scored poor, and none were scored as good/comprehensive. Summaries missed key information such as demographic characteristics, information of events that occurred in community (16%), time between diagnosis of complication and commencing treatment (65%), investigation results (47%), summary of case evolution (51%) and referral information (47%). A total of 285 action plans were analysed. Most action plans 242(85%) were allocated to health facilities for implementation and they were mostly 42(42%) on service delivery. Only 42% (32/76) of the action plans were deemed to be SMART.ConclusionsAbstraction of information to prepare narrative summaries used in MDSR system is inadequately done. Action plans and recommendations in MDSR system are mostly for facility sub standards of care and are not specific on the issues to be addressed.


Abstract The article combines both philosophical and psychological approaches to argue that art and theatre performance especially can be grasped as a revelation of the universal and basic human concern, which is existential anxiety. The author presents an opinion, that via performative acts on stage, spectators and performers/actors are interconnected in hermeneutic situation (Hans-Georg Gadamer), in which they play their existential experience. Therefore, the universal death anxiety (Irvin D. Yalom) can be understood as a possible platform for interpersonal and intercultural dialogue (Martin Buber). The article concludes, that archetypes (Carl Gustav Jung) are such a place for mutual understanding, representing both mental and physical answers to the basic existential experience of humankind.


In the framework of Glauber theory, cross sections are calculated for the 1 GeV proton inelastic scattering on the deformed nucleus 154Sm. The semimicroscopic approach is used for the description of giant resonances. The possibility of separating the isoscalar E2 and E3 resonances is shown.


Opinions about a four-year family practice residency were elicited from a nationally representative sample of three groups of family physicians. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 308 residency graduates aged 30 to 35 years, all 383 residency directors, and a random sample of 319 third-year residents. Two mailings produced an 82 percent response rate. A four-year residency was favored by 32 percent of recent graduates, 20 percent of program directors, and 34 percent of third-year residents. Over 60 percent of residents and recent graduates would have entered a family practice program had the residency been of four years' duration. Perceived barriers to a four-year residency included lack of resources, loss of appeal, and the additional time commitment. Respondents were most willing to complete a fourth year of residency to receive additional training in orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics. Many respondents believed that the additional year would be helpful in obtaining hospital privileges in obstetrics and in coronary care and intensive care units. This study provides information useful in discussions regarding extending residency training.


Abstract Spouses (and partners) are the most important source of care in old age. Informal care for frail spouses is provided by both sexes and across all socio-economic backgrounds and welfare policy contexts. There are, however, interesting differences as to whether spouses care alone, receive informal support from other family members or formal support from professional helpers, or outsource the care of their spouse completely. The present article contributes to the literature by differentiating between solo spousal care-giving and shared or outsourced care-giving arrangements, as well as between formal and informal care support. Moreover, we show how care-giving arrangements vary with gender, socio-economic status and welfare policy. Adding to previous research, we compare 17 countries and their expenditures on two elder-care schemes: Cash-for-Care and Care-in-Kind. The empirical analyses draw on the most recent wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) data from 2015. Our results show that men have a higher propensity to share care-giving than women, albeit only with informal supporters. As expected, welfare policy plays a role insofar as higher expenditure on Cash-for-Care schemes encourage informally outsourced care-giving arrangements, whereas Care-in-Kind reduce the likelihood for informally shared or outsourced care-giving arrangements. Moreover, the influence of these welfare policy measures differs between individuals of different socio-economic status but not between men and women.


A new method of calculating the amount of heat introduced into the welded joint is presented. Instead of the previously used measure of heat input per unit length, heat input per unit volume was proposed. The proposed method and general formula are based on the basic technological parameters of the welding process (i.e. energy generated by the electric arc and welding speed) and the cross-sectional area of the fusion zone in the welded joint. A simplified method of calculating heat input per unit volume is presented by using simple formulas to calculate the surface area of the fusion zone in cross-section of the weld for the most common shapes in classic welding methods. The proposed general formula allows for a more accurate way of calculating the heat input per unit of volume depending on the the energy generated by the electric arc (e.g. for pulse current) and the surface area of the reinforcement and fusion zone using other direct measurement methods.


Ovarian corpus luteum of menstruation at the stage of its peak activity was studied in normal women and in patients with proliferative uterine myoma using ultrasonography (intravaginal color Doppler imaging), laboratory analyses (progesterone and estrogen concentrations in peripheral blood) and morphological (histological, histochemical and morphometric) methods. In patients with proliferative uterine myoma, the defective corpus luteum was detected, as indicated by the prevalence of small granulosa lutein cells, insignificant amount and uneven distribution of lipid inclusions in their cytoplasm, marked reduction of progesterone concentration in peripheral blood, unechogenicity, low degree of vascularization and increase in the value of resistance index of ovarian stromal arteries.


Carrot is dried for consumption in the form of slices and cubes. The objective of this work was to find alternative ways for the conservation of carrot slices by osmotic dehydration with additional drying in heat. Pre-osmotic dehydration (temperature, immersion time and type of osmotic solution) based on the results of humidity loss, solid gain, weight reduction and efficiency ratio of pre-dehydrated carrot slices were initially defined as the best conditions for this study. The osmotic solutions used were composed of NaCl (10%) and sucrose (50° Brix) named OD1 and sucrose (50° Brix) called OD2. The experiment of pre-osmotic dehydration of carrot slices in two temperature levels with complementary drying in heat with air circulation at 70°C was used. The best results were obtained with the solution OD1 at 60°C with immersion time of 60 min. The osmotic pre-treatment reduced the initial humidity of carrot slices, reducing the time for the product to reach the same humidity content. Keywords: Carrot, conservation, osmotic solution, pre-osmotic dehydration. African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(30) 3061-3067


Objectives: This study aimed to review the experimental research trends in asthma caused by particulate matter to conduct further researches, especially in clinical trials.Methods: We searched for the meaningful literature using medicinal herb for asthma through the Pubmed databases.Results: Finally, six studies were finally selected. These studies showed recent trends, from 2018 to 2021 and conducted mostly in South Korea. The type of fine dust and the method of inducing asthma are different for each paper, but the effective mechanism is relatively common. It was commonly confirmed that the ratio and number of eosinophils, th2 cells and related cytokines are decreased in BALF and lung tissue by administration of medicinal herb.Conclusions: Although the method of inducing asthma using fine dust has not yet been standardized, it is thought that more meaningful evaluation results can be derived if a standardized animal model is established in the future. Nevertheless, based on the results that herbal medicine is effective for particular matter induced asthma, it is expected that it will be the basis for expanding into future clinical studies.


The problem of controlling an hand-arm robotic system involved in a grasping task, which can interact through the object with the environment or a human, is considered in this paper. The control is in charge of ensuring that the hand firmly grasps the object and that the arm complies in the presence of external forces applied to the object. The control design of the hand-arm as separate subsystems is based on the reconstruction of the external forces through the direct measurements of the contact forces at the fingertips. Force sensing is used also to compute in real time the contact forces required to guarantee a firm grasp without slipping. Simulation tests in MATLAB/SimMechanics environment demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


Contrary to the received view of Richard Owen as a Platonic and conservative naturalist, we document that he held a radically physicalist worldview that extended to so tough a matter as the Mind/Body Problem. We argue that if viewed from the perspective of his overall comparative project, Owen's reflections on the nature of mind at the end of volume III of On the anatomy of vertebrates can be read as an anticipation of some of the main tenets of the Brain State Theory of mind developed since the mid 20th century.


Published as two individual books in its previous editions, this acclaimed reference now comes to you as one comprehensive two-volume resource, covering the entire range of esophageal and thoracic surgery for adults and children. Sixty nine brand-new chapters and 92 new authors deliver state-of-the-art, clear how-to-do-it guidance on the latest surgical techniques for the treatment of lung infections, lung cancer, benign conditions, trauma, reflux, and more - so you can effectively manage every common and uncommon condition you encounter. A new full-color design presents outstanding visual guidance that shows you exactly how to proceed, and a logical organization throughout makes reference easy. As an Expert Consult title, this thoroughly updated 3rd edition comes with access to the complete contents online, fully searchable - enabling you to consult it rapidly from any computer with an Internet connection.


Resources such as orchards are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of successful invasions by alien animal or plant species. To outline an appropriate policy response, we first use renewal theory to construct a stochastic model of optimal orchard management in the presence of a deleterious alien species. Next, we derive the orchard manager's long run expected cost (LREC) of orchard management per unit time. Finally, we show that when confronted with a successful biological invasion, the optimal number of trees that need to be removed and replanted in order to keep the orchard under study sustainable in the long run minimizes the LREC function mentioned above.


GravPad is the next major step in the evolution of the EtherPad, a real-time collaborative editor that was first developed at AppJet, Inc. (http://appjet.com/) and recently open-sourced when AppJet was acquired by Google. EtherPad's developer community, headed up by Egil Möller and John McLear, has made a plugin engine and added standard wiki features to the editor (http://github.com/ether/pad). My GravPad demonstration will show a hacked EtherPad running in a "sidewiki" format -- the basis of a platform for live web annotation and content discovery.


Several freeware programs are available for calculation of chronologies. In this paper, we compared two of these programs; the well known ARSTAN and the newly introduced library for standardization dendrochronological data dplR, made for statistical program R. Both are free. ARSTAN is specific and produces chronologies from tree-ring width by standardization, while dplR is a package within the statistical programming environment R, which is able to analyze and present results of other analysis. For comparison of chronologies,made in these two programs, we used different tests. ARSTAN provides many options for calculating chronologies, whereas dplR demands written orders and offers no choices. Differences between built chronologies from these two programs are not statistically significant - programs produce same results comparing basic statistical analysis for average tree-ring width sand standard deviations, but for results of sensitivity and autocorrelation coefficient, there is a difference on a second decimal place. Correlation between standardized chronologies is 0.9773, while between residual chronologies it reaches 0.9776; graphically, the differences are also small and low numbered. As the true difference between the programs lies merely in the working environment, it is for users to decide, which program suit them best.


This paper examines factors that have contributed to economic growth in Australia. During the last decade the Australian economy has been among the best performed of
developed countries. In fact the Australian economy has performed well since the process of deregulation started in the early 1980s. Australia tried, unsuccessfully, to
become a member of ASEAN and then to deepen the embrace of APEC. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 reduced the attractiveness of ASEAN and the September 2001 attacks in the US appear to have significantly reduced the effectiveness of APEC. Australia has completed free trade agreements with New Zealand, Thailand and Singapore and talks with the US regarding a free trade agreement have led to an agreement that is likely to gain legislative approval. At present, the trade sector stands as the most important obstacle to Australian economic growth. The reactive nature of the Australian market is also a significant obstacle to sustained growth of export
performance and the rising level of consumer debt needs to be checked through a mix of effective monetary and fiscal policies.


The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of the addition of long-chain inulin as a fat replacer and prebiotic agent (20g/L) and (or) probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei on the sensory profile and acceptance of yogurts, and to assess the influence of descriptive attributes on the sensory acceptance of the products. The addition of inulin to low-fat yogurt improved its brightness and firmness, which was similar to the full-fat yogurt. However, the use of long-chain inulin increased the separation of serum and no influence on creaminess was observed. Regarding the product's acceptability, the low-fat yogurt with added inulin presented similar acceptance compared with the full-fat yogurt. The addition of Lb. paracasei ssp. paracasei did not affect the sensory profile and acceptance of the low-fat yogurt. Using external preference mapping, it was possible to verify that the sensory acceptance was driven positively by the sweetness and creaminess and negatively driven by firmness (appearance and texture) and homogeneity (appearance). It was possible to formulate low-fat yogurts with added probiotics that presented similar sensory characteristics to those of full-fat yogurts, and this was due to the addition of the long-chain inulin as a fat replacer.


We consider polynomial approximation over the interval $[-1,1]$ by regularized weighted discrete least squares methods with $\ell_2-$ or $\ell_1-$regularization, respectively. As the set of nodes we use Gauss quadrature points (which are zeros of orthogonal polynomials). The number of Gauss quadrature points is $N+1$. For $2L\leq2N+1$, with the aid of Gauss quadrature, we obtain approximation polynomials of degree $L$ in closed form without solving linear algebra or optimization problems. In fact, these approximation polynomials can be expressed in the form of the barycentric interpolation formula when an interpolation condition is satisfied. We then study the approximation quality of the $\ell_2-$regularized approximation polynomial in terms of Lebesgue constants, and the sparsity of the $\ell_1-$regularized approximation polynomial. Finally, we give numerical examples to illustrate these theoretical results and show that a well-chosen regularization parameter can lead to good performance, with or without contaminated data.


This captivating inside look at The Nutcracker ballet, which will delight readers with its retelling of the story and behind-the-scenes portrayal is lavishly illustrated with thrilling performance and backstage photographs from ballet companies across the country. It begins with the story of The Nutcracker. We join the charming Clara, her mischievous brother Fritz and their family at a Christmas Eve party and meet Clara's godfather, the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer. He presents her with a marvellous gift, a nutcracker doll. As Clara goes to sleep that night, we are transported into the growing fantasy of the Mouse King, the enchanted, snow-covered forest, the Nutcracker Prince, the Kingdom of the Sweets and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Then, we see the reality of what goes on backstage to create the magic of the performance. Each chapter is devoted to a single Nutcracker character or group of characters: Clara and her prince, Mother Ginger and her Polichnelles, Angels and Snowflakes and Flowers. The authors touch on auditions, guest artists, dancer training, the birth of Tchaikovsky's unforgettable musical score, costumes, makeup and who does what behind the curtain. Stories and comments from artistic directors, dancers, production personnel and choreographers highlight the text.


A single dose of peripherally infused CAR T cells cleared antigen-expressing tumor cells in patients with glioblastoma, a 10-person trial found. However, the cells also triggered an immunosuppressive microenvironment, and the target antigen, EGFR variant III, wasn't expressed uniformly in patients' tumors.


Risk assessment is an important domain of computer network security in critical and other infrastructures. There are many approaches to risk analysis and assessment that can be implemented in critical infrastructure. This work is devoted to the problem of risk assessment in computer networks that are inherent in critical infrastructures. The work shows the place of the risk assessment process in the global risk management process, as well as its goals, content, and objectives. The most important infrastructure nodes and their interrelations are considered. The system of security indicators proposed for risk assessment in computer networks of critical infrastructures. Aspects of risk management of exceeding critical state variables of the threshold values of the crisis range for the object's information technology infrastructure are considered. The main research methods included structural and system analysis. The authors identified the main security threats in automated control systems and also proposed methods for calculating their stability.


ABSTRACT Mycocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) and activator protein 1 (AP-1) transcription complexes have been individually implicated in myogenesis, but their genetic interaction has not previously been addressed. Using MEF2A, c-Jun and Fra-1 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data and predicted AP-1 consensus motifs, we identified putative common MEF2 and AP-1 target genes, several of which are implicated in regulating the actin cytoskeleton. Because muscle atrophy results in remodelling or degradation of the actin cytoskeleton, we characterized the expression of putative MEF2 and AP-1 target genes (Dstn, Flnc, Hspb7, Lmod3 and Plekhh2) under atrophic conditions using dexamethasone (Dex) treatment in skeletal myoblasts. Heat shock protein b7 (Hspb7) was induced by Dex treatment and further analyses revealed that loss of MEF2A using siRNA prevented Dex-regulated induction of Hspb7. Conversely, ectopic Fra-2 or c-Jun expression reduced Dex-mediated upregulation of Hspb7 whereas AP-1 depletion enhanced Hspb7 expression. In vivo, expression of Hspb7 and other autophagy-related genes was upregulated in response to atrophic conditions in mice. Manipulation of Hspb7 levels in mice also impacted gross muscle mass. Collectively, these data indicate that MEF2 and AP-1 confer antagonistic regulation of Hspb7 gene expression in skeletal muscle, with implications for autophagy and muscle atrophy. Summary: Analysis of ChIP-seq data revealed a cohort of dual MEF2 and AP-1 target genes involved in cytoskeletal organization. Regulation of Hspb7 by MEF2 and AP-1 was further characterized in models of muscle atrophy.


Large sets of thermal comfort field data have been analysed in detail to inform generalized thermal comfort standards, but there is specific information that might be relevant to particular projects that is not easily accessed by practitioners. We developed interactive tools that allow users to explore the data and look at the subsets that are most interesting to them because of location, culture, building type, etc. The first tool displays curves of dissatisfaction percentages for ranges of thermal sensation, PMV, and indoor temperature based on the comfort metrics of acceptability, comfort, and sensation. Using this tool, we show that a thermal sensation range of -1.3 to 1 provides 80% satisfaction based on acceptability and comfort in both naturally ventilated and air conditioned buildings. The second tool provides a new way of analysing and representing data in these datasets that calculates satisfaction percentage directly, and visualizes the results clearly. We demonstrate how the interactivity allows users to answer project-specific questions. While our visualization method is helpful for displaying the data, it does not provide a mathematically defined comfort zone. We discuss future avenues of development of these tools.


Peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain are debilitating, life-altering conditions that affect a significant proportion of the human population. Animal models, used to study basic disease mechanisms and treatment modalities, are diverse and provide many challenges for institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) review and postapproval monitoring. Items to consider include regulatory and ethical imperatives in animal models that may be designed to study pain, the basic mechanism of neurodegeneration, and different disease processes for which neuropathic pain is a side effect. Neuropathic pain can be difficult to detect or quantify in many models, and pain management is often unsuccessful in both humans and animals, inspiring the need for more research. Design of humane endpoints requires clear communication of potential adverse outcomes and solutions. Communication with the IACUC, researchers, and veterinary staff is also key for successful postapproval monitoring of these challenging models.


Queuing theory plays a huge role in solving and preventing operational bottlenecks and service failures in the organization. But, observations show that Queuing analysis may become extremely complex and cumbersome. Therefore, most entrepreneurs, having realized its usefulness in managing their much earned successes achieved in relation to customer's patronage and service delivery now desire its simplified applications in normal day to day running of operations. The methodology adopted in this paper, therefore is to describe queuing theory and its associated terminologies in relation to service delivery. In view of this, the paper presented a simplified exposition of queuing theory and management of waiting lines as it affects entrepreneurial drive for more business growth and opportunities with its attendant implications to customers' service delivery and satisfaction. The paper concluded that if appropriately delivered and applied, queuing theory goes a long way in achieving and maintaining customer satisfaction. It recommended that entrepreneurs should seek the opportunity of gaining better understanding and application of queuing theory to practically reduce or eliminate boredom, irritation, breakdown and frustration to customers without much ado. Keywords: queues, customer, waiting line, entrepreneurs, service


Europe is throwing its considerable financial and human resources into an emerging science that could radically change manufacturing, medicine, the environment and, possibly, life as we know it today. Nanotechnology--the art of manipulating matter at the atomic scale--has become a top priority of the European Union's recently approved Sixth Research and Development Framework Program and the focus of numerous regional R&D networks, such as Germany's NanoMat. "Nanotechnology offers golden opportunities for European scientists and entrepreneurs," said E.U. research commissioner Philippe Busquin, at the E.U.-organized conference "Nanotechnology: A New Industrial Revolution," in Grenoble, France, this past summer. "The complexity of scientific and technological challenges and the scale of investments needed to take innovations to market will require a determined international effort and strong public-private partnerships. This is why nanotechnology is one of the key priorities of the Sixth Framework Program. By integrating scientific excellence across disciplines and geographic borders and maximizing public and private investments, including risk capital, we will create the necessary critical mass to ensure European leadership in this exciting new area," Busquin said. While few experts dispute nanotechnology's vast potential, many caution not to over-hype it. "We are still many years away from making this technology an economic force," warns Bendix Todsen, a nanotech expert at Deutsche Venture Capital GmbH. Nanotechnology, for those not familiar with the term, is derived from the Greek word for midget, "nano," meaning one billionth of a meter, or around 80,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology is an all-embracing term for a whole range of scientific and industrial activities involving the study, manipulation and control of individual atoms and molecules. Someday, for instance, it could enable machines to be built on the scale of human cells. Unprecedented Focus The Sixth Framework Program, to run from 2002 to 2007, has an unprecedented focus on nanotechnology. Of the program's EUR 17.5 billion ($17.3 billion) budget (a 17 percent increase over the previous framework), EUR 1.3 billion is earmarked specifically for research in nanotechnology and nanoscience, knowledge-based multifunctional materials, and new production process and devices. In addition, nanotechnology is at the heart of two other priorities of the Sixth Framework Program: genomics and biotechnologies for health, and information society technologies. While the former has a budget of EUR 2.2 billion, the latter has one of EUR 3.6 billion. The report "It's Ours to Lose," published in October, 2002 by the newly formed European NanoBusiness Association, in Brussels, claimed that European research funding would exceed U.S. spending in 2002 by as much as a factor of two or greater if funding from individual European member states is included. Authors of the report, while cautioning that direct E.U.-U.S. comparison is difficult to make because funding mechanisms differ, say they have accounted for the differences. Indeed, millions more in public funds are expected to flow annually from member states to companies, research institutes, universities, and other groups actively pursuing nanotechnology research. A recent survey by the E.U. identified 86 domestic and cross-border research networks devoted to nanotechnology, involving over 2,000 organizations--many of them state-funded. 86 Research Networks Germany's NanoMat is one of these networks. The research network comprises three research centers of the Hermann von Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren, 11 universities, the Max Planck Institute for Metal Research, the Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, three Fraunhofer Institutes, four companies (Robert Bosch GmbH, Degussa AG, SusTech GmbH, and Merk KG) and the Institute of the Polish Academy of Science in neighboring Warsaw. …


Objective Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody titers level and duration of elevated levels are considered important indicators for confirming the efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the changes in antibody titers after the second and third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and to determine the antibody titers in cases of spontaneous infection with SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination. Materials and Methods From June 2021 to February 2023, IgG-type SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers were measured in 127 participants, including 74 outpatients and 53 staffs, at the Osaka Dental University Hospital (65 males and 62 females, mean age 52.3 years). Results Consistent with previous reports, the SARS-CoV-2 antibody titer decreased with time, not only after the second dose, but also after the third dose of the vaccine if there is no spontaneous COVID-19 infection. We also confirmed that the third booster vaccination was effective in increasing the antibody titer. Sixteen cases of natural infections were observed after administering two or more doses of the vaccine. Eleven of these patients had post-infection antibody titers exceeding 40,000 AU/mL, and some cases continued to maintain antibody titers in the tens of thousands of AU/mL even after more than 6 months had passed since infection. Conclusion The rise in and duration of antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 are considered important indicators for confirming the efficacy of novel COVID-19 vaccines. A longitudinal follow-up of antibody titers after vaccination in larger studies is warranted.


Objectives The objective of this study was to assess the rate of bacteremia, the most common bacteria, its antibiotic sensitivity pattern, and the role of immunity in its occurrence in diabetic patients. Background Bacteremia constitutes the most severe end of the spectrum of frequent community-acquired infections, and the prevalence, and thus disease burden, of bacteremia has increased during the past decades analogous with diabetes. Materials and methods A total of 160 individuals (93 male and 67 female with a mean age of 48.0 ± 9.7 years) were divided into the following groups: 60 diabetics with infections (group I), 70 nondiabetics with infections (group II), and 30 apparently healthy persons as controls; the studied groups were subjected to full medical history, clinical examination, and bacteriological examination of blood, antibiotic sensitivity pattern for the isolated microorganisms, measurement of serum IgM, IgG by radioimmunodiffusion, and T lymphocyte level by flow cytometry. Results The rate of bacteremia in group I was significantly higher than in group II (P = 0.007), the level of IgM and CD3 in group I was significantly higher than in group II (P = 0.003), and total leucocytic count in group I was significantly higher than in group II (P < 0.001). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated form blood of diabetic patients, and 90.9% of them were sensitive to amikacin, followed by imipenem, vancomycin, and ceftriaxone (81.8%). Conclusion Diabetes increases the risk of exposure to bacteremia and affects the immune response to bacteremia.


In speech communication systems, the microphone signals are degraded by reverberation and ambient noise. The reverberant speech can be separated into two components, namely, an early speech component that consists of the direct path and some early reflections and a late reverberant component that consists of all late reflections. In this paper, a novel algorithm to simultaneously suppress early reflections, late reverberation, and ambient noise is presented. The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used to estimate the signals and spatial parameters of the early speech component and the late reverberation components. As a result, a spatially filtered version of the early speech component is estimated in the E-step. The power spectral density (PSD) of the anechoic speech, the relative early transfer functions, and the PSD matrix of the late reverberation are estimated in the M-step of the EM algorithm. The algorithm is evaluated using real room impulse response recorded in our acoustic lab with a reverberation time set to 0.36 s and 0.61 s and several signal-to-noise ratio levels. It is shown that significant improvement is obtained and that the proposed algorithm outperforms baseline single-channel and multichannel dereverberation algorithms, as well as a state-of-the-art multichannel dereverberation algorithm.


A key challenge in university geoscience teaching is to give students the skills to cope with uncertainty. Professional geoscientists can rarely be certain of the 'right answer' to problems posed by most geological datasets, and reasoning through this uncertainty, being intelligently flexible in interpreting data which are limited in resolution and spatial distribution, is an important skill for students to learn. Understanding how interpretative and reasoning skills are, or might better be, developed alongside foundational geological concepts and techniques is crucial for the effective training of our future geoscientists. In the study presented here, a seismic interpretation exercise was undertaken by 36 geoscientists ranging in experience from novice to expert. During the exercise, observations were made of the approaches taken by the participants, what we term the interpretational process, and an evaluation was made of what they actually accomplished, what we term the final interpretational outcomes. From a comparison of the different experience cohorts, we show that even as a novice it is important to develop geological reasoning skills to enhance the interpretation of datasets where there is indeed no 'right answer'.


An arrangement and method in connection with an electric filter of a boiler plant, the electric filter (1) comprising an insulator chamber (2).The arrangement comprises a first scavenging duct (6) for conveying warm scavenging gas to the insulator chamber (2).Said first scavenging duct (6) is connected to a channel conveying process gas in the boiler plant (5), which means that it is possible to supply process gas to the insulator chamber (2).


This paper suggests a numerical method for valuation of American options under the Kou model (double exponential jump diffusion model). The method is based on approximation of underlying asset price using a finite-state, time-homogeneous Markov chain. We examine the effectiveness of the proposed method with simulation results, which are compared with those from the conventional numerical method, the finite difference method for PIDE (partial integro-differential equation).


Cholesterol is an abundant lipid of lung surfactant, where its concentration changes relative to phospholipids in response to certain physiological conditions. We investigated the effect of the cellular cholesterol content on uptake and esterification of palmitic acid, and on cellular distribution of fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) in alveolar type II cells. Incubation of type II cells with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin-cholesterol complexes increased the cholesterol content of lamellar bodies. The palmitate uptake of type II cells increased in parallel with the cellular cholesterol content. The content of FAT/CD36 increased in membranes and decreased in cytosol in type II cells. The detergent-insoluble fraction (DIGs), isolated from type II cells, was enriched in FAT/CD36 and caveolin-1 after increasing the cellular cholesterol. The total incorporation of labeled palmitic acid into glycerolipids and cholesterol ester (CE) increased by a factor of about 10 when the amount of unbound (14)C-palmitic acid added to type II cells was increased by a factor of about 1000. Under these conditions, a small but significant increase of the palmitate incorporation into PL occurred. Independent from the amount of added palmitate, palmitate incorporation into triacylglycerol decreased and palmitate incorporation into cholesterol ester increased about 40-65-fold. The beta-oxidation of palmitate significantly decreased. We conclude that alveolar type II cells respond to an increase of the cholesterol level with (i) cellular redistribution of FAT/CD36 into DIGs causing enhanced palmitate uptake and increased cholesterol ester-formation, (ii) storage of cholesterol in lamellar bodies, and (iii) induction of the formation of caveolae-like microdomains in the surface membrane, a structure possibly involved in a lamellar body-independent efflux of free cholesterol via the high-density lipoprotein-specific pathway.


PURPOSE
To determine the frequency of DNMT3A mutations, their associations with clinical and molecular characteristics and outcome, and the associated gene- and microRNA-expression signatures in primary cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Four hundred fifteen previously untreated adults were analyzed for DNMT3A mutations and established prognostic gene mutations and expression markers. Gene- and microRNA-expression profiles were derived using microarrays.

RESULTS
Younger (< 60 years; n = 181) and older (≥ 60 years; n = 234) patients had similar frequencies of DNMT3A mutations (35.3% v 33.3%). Missense mutations affecting arginine codon 882 (R882-DNMT3A) were more common (n = 92; 62%) than those affecting other codons (non-R882-DNMT3A). DNMT3A-mutated patients did not differ regarding complete remission rate, but had shorter disease-free survival (DFS; P = .03) and, by trend, overall survival (OS; P = .07) than DNMT3A-wild-type patients. In multivariable analyses, DNMT3A mutations remained associated with shorter DFS (P = .01), but not with shorter OS. When analyzed separately, the two DNMT3A mutation types had different significance by age group. Younger patients with non-R882-DNMT3A mutations had shorter DFS (P = .002) and OS (P = .02), whereas older patients with R882-DNMT3A mutations had shorter DFS (P = .005) and OS (P = .002) after adjustment for other clinical and molecular prognosticators. Gene- and microRNA-expression signatures did not accurately predict DNMT3A mutational status.

CONCLUSION
DNMT3A mutations are frequent in CN-AML, and their clinical significance seems to be age dependent. DNMT3A-R882 mutations are associated with adverse prognosis in older patients, and non-R882-DNMT3A mutations are associated with adverse prognosis in younger patients. Low accuracy of gene- and microRNA-expression signatures in predicting DNMT3A mutation status suggested that the role of these mutations in AML remains to be elucidated.


High Blood Pressure is a disease which should be the age related disease
but now-a-days it was common in the adults too. HBP don't have neither
symptoms nor signs, According to this project survey was conducted in
the Srikakulam district people who were suffering from the second stage
high blood pressure. Among the total 200 people in the district studied
90 members were having high blood pressure with second stage. Research
was done between the People using the normal medicates, Beeta vulgaris
root solution, Allium sativum bulb solution and mixed of Beeta vulgaris and
Allium sativum bulb solution, Among all up taking of frequently natural
sources is showing the better and early result by keeping the blood pressure
constant than the medicates.


Optical emission spectroscopy (OES), as a simple in situ method without disturbing the plasma, has been performed for the plasma diagnosis of a 2.45 GHz permanent magnet electron cyclotron resonance (PMECR) ion source at Peking University (PKU). A spectrum measurement platform has been set up with the quartz-chamber electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source [Patent Number: ZL 201110026605.4] and experiments were carried out recently. The electron temperature and electron density inside the ECR plasma chamber have been measured with the method of line intensity ratio of noble gas. Hydrogen plasma processes inside the discharge chamber are discussed based on the diagnostic results. What is more, the superiority of the method of line intensity ratio of noble gas is indicated with a comparison to line intensity ratio of hydrogen. Details will be presented in this paper.


Ever since 1927, when Al Jolson spoke in the first "talkie" film The Jazz Singer, there had been little doubt that sound added a valuable perceptual dimension to visual media. However, despite the advances of over 80 years, and the complete integration of sound and vision that has occurred in entertainment applications, the use of sound to channel data occurring in everyday life has remained rather primitive, limited to such things as computer beeps and jingles for certain mouse and key actions, low battery alarms on a mobile devices, and other sounds that simply indicate when some trigger state has been reached – the information content of such sounds is not high. Non-binary, but still technically rather simple data applications include the familiar rattling sound of a Geiger counter, talking clocks and thermometers, or the sound output of a hospital EKG machine. What if deletion of larger and/or more recently accessed computer files resulted in a more complex sound than for deleting smaller or rarely accessed files, increasing the user's awareness of the loss of larger or more recent work efforts? All of these are examples of data sonification. While sonification seems to be pursued mostly by those wishing to generate tuneful results, many are undertaking the process to simply provide another method of presenting data. Many examples are available at https://soundcloud.com/tags/sonification including some very tuneful arrangements of the Higgs Boson. Indeed, with complex data series one can often hear patterns or persistent pitches that would be difficult to show visually. Musical pitches are periodic components of sound and repetition over time can be readily discerned by the listener. Sonification techniques have been applied to a variety of topics (Pauletto and Hunt, 2009; Scaletti and Craig 1991; Sturm, 2005; Dunn and Clark, 1999). To the authors' knowledge, Sonification has yet to be applied in any substantive way to economic data. Our goal is not to produce tuneful results. Rather, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potential application of Sonification techniques for informing and assessing the specification of econometric models for representing economic data outcomes. The purpose of this seminal and exploratory analysis is to investigate whether there appears to be significant promise in adding the data sonification approach to the empirical economists' toolkit for interpreting economic data and specifying econometric models. In particular, is there an advantage to using both the empirical analyst's eyes and ears when investigating empirical economic problems?


Isolation and characterization of metal-tolerant bacteria from dyeing industry effluent was the prime drive of the present investigation. Results yielded during screening and isolation, noted the dominance of bacteria verses fungi; in addition, metal tolerance ability of six out of twenty five bacterial isolates were observed. The six selected isolates were gram's negative, and were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia UOMGNS116, Pseudomonas sp. UOMGNS216, Pseudomonas stutzeri UOMGNS316, Pseudomonas stutzeri UOMGNS416, Citrobacter freundii UOMGNS516 and Achromobacter sp. UOMGNS616 by 16s rDNA analysis. This investigation also evidenced the varied resistance capabilities by Achromobacter sp. UOMGNS616 and Citrobacter freundii UOMGNS516 against chromium and lead by overproduction of external polysaccharides especially against lead.


An experimental approach has been used to investigate the influence of a thin layer of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the convective heat transfer performance under impinging flow conditions. A successful synthesis of CNT layers was achieved using a thermal catalytic vapor deposition process (TCVD) on silicon sample substrates. Three different structural arrangements, with fully covered, inline, and staggered patterned layers of CNTs, were used to evaluate their heat transfer potential. Systematic surface characterizations were made using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and confocal microscopy. The external surface area ratio of fully covered, staggered, and inline arrangement was obtained to be 4.57, 2.80, and 2.89, respectively. The surface roughness of the fully covered, staggered, and inline arrangement was measured to be (Sa = 0.365 μm, Sq = 0.48 μm), (Sa = 0.969 μm, Sq = 1.291 μm), and (Sa = 1.668 μm, Sq = 1.957 μm), respectively. On average, heat transfer enhancements of 1.4% and − 2.1% were obtained for staggered and inline arrangement of the CNTs layer. This is attributed to the negligible improvement on the effective thermal resistance due to the small area coverage of the CNT layer. In contrast, the fully covered samples enhanced the heat transfer up to 20%. The deposited CNT layer plays a significant role in reducing the effective thermal resistance of the sample, which contributes to the enhancement of heat transfer.


We present a novel catadioptric-stereo rig consisting of a coaxially-aligned perspective camera and two spherical mirrors with distinct radii in a "folded" configuration. We recover a nearly-spherical dense depth panorama (360°×153°) by fusing depth from optical flow and stereo. We observe that for motion in a horizontal plane, optical flow and stereo generate nearly complementary distributions of depth resolution. While optical flow provides strong depth cues in the periphery and near the poles of the view-sphere, stereo generates reliable depth in a narrow band about the equator. We exploit this principle by modeling the depth resolution of optical flow and stereo in order to fuse them probabilistically in a spherical panorama. To aid the designer in achieving a desired field-of-view and resolution, we derive a linearized model of the rig in terms of three parameters (radii of the two mirrors plus axial separation from their centers). We analyze the error due to the violation of the Single Viewpoint (SVP) constraint and formulate additional constraints on the design to minimize the error. Performance is evaluated through simulation and with a real prototype by computing dense spherical panoramas in cluttered indoor settings.