Objective: This study seeks to establish a score that may be used to identify patients at risk of poor functional
 outcome after tibial plateau fracture, in order to direct additional resources to that population.
Methods: Demographics, injury information, surgical management, and functional outcomes on the SMFA
 were prospectively collected from 423 tibial plateau fracture patients. Stepwise forward logistic regression was
 performed to generate a model predictive of patients' likelihood of progressing to poor long-term clinical outcome.
Results: Of the 423 patients, 275 had operative intervention and complete data with minimum 12 months followup.
 Significant predictors of poor outcome were residual depression, general anesthesia, worker's compensation,
 tobacco smoking, CCI, racial minority status, and alcohol abstinence. Applied to the validation cohort, it predicted
 outcomes with 75.9% sensitivity and 69.6% specificity. When functional status at 3 months was taken into account,
 significant predictors were 3-month SMFA, worker's compensation, general anesthesia, CCI, and male gender.
 Applied to the validation cohort, it predicted outcomes with a 90.0% sensitivity and 68.4% specificity. Both
 models were significant, explaining 24.9% and 24.6% of variance in outcome with an AUC of 0.752 and 0.769,
 respectively.
Conclusion: The PIVOT model is a good predictor of poor functional outcome following operative repair of tibial
 plateau fracture.
Design: Prospective, observational study
Setting: Level 1 Trauma Center
Level of Evidence: Level III.


The look-ahead control problem in the conveyor-serviced production station (CSPS) system is an important topic of research in an intelligent production line. Some studies has applied various kinds of intelligent algorithms to reduce the average discount cost of the system. There are three goals in this paper. We proposed the algorithm based on Deep Q-network (DQN), applied to the CSPS system to achieve an effective reduction of the average cost. The oscillations in the learning process is reduced through the profit sharing (PS) algorithm. Moreover, we not only proposed the algorithm for CSPS system with DQN, but also further optimized the intelligent look-ahead control of CSPS system by combining it with PS, thereby enabling the processing rate of each production station in the CSPS system to achieve optimal. The learning efficiency, convergence result and stability during the learning process were used as the main evaluation criteria to analyze the experimental results. The results show that the combination of DQN and PS can effectively optimize the performance of look-ahead control when the parameters are selected reasonably.


The opportunity to know the law is one of the bedrocks of legality. It is also a powerful and attractive reason for giving statutory language the meaning it has in everyday discourse. To do otherwise would be to hide the law from those it governs. Or so the argument goes. Despite its intuitive force, the fair notice argument for textualism is vulnerable to two challenges. The first challenge is to the notion that fair notice requires congruence between ordinary and legal meaning. There is no normative gauge for determining the time and expense a person ought to spend learning her legal obligations or the amount of skill she is expected to possess. And fair notice is not necessarily impaired by recourse to extratextual sources so long as the rules of interpretation tell officials and citizens which materials to consult and which approach to adopt when reading law. The second challenge arises from the relationship between law, morality, and notice. Social expectations and ethical norms may provide the requisite notice. Alternatively, they may render notice less essential. Fair notice is either superfluous or satisfied where the community regards the proscribed behavior as wrongful and the punishment, fitting. Conversely, the demands of fair notice are heightened when the behavior reached by the statute is innocent or when the sanctions for violation are disproportionate. The vigor of these two challenges is empirically tested through a survey experiment fielded on a probability sample of the United States adult population by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The results indicate that lay judgments of fair notice are influenced by the severity of the legal consequences. They also suggest that conditional on outcome, judicial reliance on legislative purpose and history offends popular notions of fair notice only when the law tells courts to privilege the ordinary meaning of statutes. The findings call into question conventional wisdom about textualism, fair notice, and the rule of law.


We previously reported a > 80% presystemic loss of 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddl) in rats after an oral dose. The present study investigated the extent of drug loss due to incomplete absorption and presystemic elimination by intestinal wall, liver and intestinal microflora. In vitro metabolism by tissue homogenates showed that the extraction by liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum was 19.0, 0.5, 1.8 and 1.4%, respectively. Hence, metabolism by the intestinal wall contributed less to the first-pass metabolism than the liver. The in vivo first-pass elimination was determined by infusing ddl into the liver and different parts of the intestinal tract. The in vivo extractions of 12 and 200 mg kg-1 of ddl doses by the liver were 23 and 5%, indicating a concentration-dependent liver metabolism. The in vivo liver extraction at the low dose was similar to the in vitro extraction. The in vivo extraction was 10% in the duodenum and 73% in the ileum. The significantly higher in vivo intestinal extractions compared to the in vitro extractions indicate a loss due to factors in addition to intestinal wall enzyme metabolism. Incomplete absorption was ruled out, based on the undetectable excretion of ddl in feces after duodenal or ileal infusion. A 14% w/v solution of intestinal contents degraded ddl by 18 and 38% over 2 and 24 hr, respectively, at 37 degrees C. By linear extrapolation, a 100% w/v enzyme solution would degrade the entire dose within 1.5 hr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Introduction:  The triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) is a ligamentous and cartilaginous structure that suspends the distal radius and the ulnar carpus from the distal ulna. It consists of a triangular fibrocartilage disc, radioulnar ligaments (RUL) and ulnocarpal ligaments (UCL) and is considered the main stabilizer of the distal radioulnar joint. The etiology of TFCC injuries consists of falls onto pronated hyperextended wrist, forced rotational movements or they are in association with distal forearm fractures. Patients report trauma followed by ulnar-side wrist pain, swelling, sound of clicking during supination or pronation and later on - loss of grip strength. Two specific classifications are used. The Palmer classification gives accurate anatomical location of the lesion while the five-graded Atzei-EWAS classification is used to determine the severity of the rupture. Stabilization of the distal radioulnar joint with reconstruction of distal radioulnar ligaments as outlined by Adams is indicated if a refixation of the triangular fibrocartilage complex is no longer possible and there are no present arthrotic changes. Materials and Methods: Ten patients with distal radioulnar joint instability caused by 4 th  grade TFCC tears were diagnosed and admitted to the Clinic of Orthopedics and Traumatology in St. Anna University Hospital, Varna for the interval 2013-2017. The procedure of Adams was the surgical method of choice for all of them. Results: MAYO wrist score was used for evaluation of the patients` pre- and postoperative conditions. The results showed restored stability, relieved symptoms and attained near-physiological levels of pronation and supination after the surgical procedure. Conclusion: TFCC injuries are not to be treated lightly as they trouble the mechanics of the DRUJ. Surgical treatment is considered superior to the conservative, and the Adams procedure is an effective method of approach towards the 4 th  grade tears.


The period 2020/2021 was an unprecedented and historic time for industrial, economic, and societal activities all over the world with great challenges to human health, the ecosystems, and other aspects of human endeavors owing to the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 (CV-19) pandemic which is now a topical aspect of research interest. Despite the negative impacts of the CV-19 pandemic, there are also positive reports during the CV-19 pandemic such as the reduction of gas flare, reduction in the burning of fossil fuels from automobile exhaust and a reduction in the other ensuing factors of greenhouse gases emissions (which is one of the major drives for global warming and climate change as well as other environmental effluences). Hence, this brief perspective review study is centered on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. The study employs a methodical approach to analyze some already available research studies from existing publications and databases on GHG emission using the perception during the CV-19 pandemic. The specific findings from this review show that, from the meteorological perspective, the global response to the catastrophe ensuing from the CV-19 pandemic has a great influence on the reduction of GHGs, the reduction in the burning of fossil fuels from automobiles and industrial devices, and the reduction in the other ensuing factors of GHG emission. Hence, it will not be far from the truth to conclude that there is a possible positive connection between the CV-19 pandemic and GHG emissions. The study has a direct impact on the environment owing to the negative and positive environmental consequences of the CV-19 pandemic. Suggestions and recommendations in the form of future prospects of GHG emission vis-à-vis global warming and climate change are also discussed. Furthermore, suggestions on how to improve food security and agriculture during a pandemic such as the CV-19 outbreak period are highlighted.


Axenic Ulva mutabilis gametes develop parthenogenetically into callus‐like colonies consisting of undifferentiated cells without normal cell walls. From the accompanying microbial flora of established laboratory strains of U. mutabilis with normal morphology, a Roseobacter, a Sulfitobacter, and a Halomonas species were isolated. Each of these microbe species alone induced the development of the Ulva gametes into thalli composed of differentiated cells with characteristic deficiencies. Typical traits of these thalli were: an enhanced rate of cell division not followed by cell expansion, the presence of unusual cell wall protrusions, and the absence of differentiated rhizoid cells. The addition of a Cytophaga species, also derived from the same microbial flora, to either one of the three other strains resulted in the development of normal fast growing thalli with the typical morphology of the algal strain used. These effects are mediated by specific regulatory factors that are excreted into the environment by the bacteria and could be also isolated from the bacterial cell extracts. In contrast with the Cytophaga‐factor, the regulatory factor of the three other bacterial species was also found intracellularly in other bacterial strains not associated with Ulva, but in this case it was not excreted. Functionally, the Roseobacter‐, Sulfitobacter‐, and Halomonas‐factors resemble a cytokinin, while the Cytophaga‐factor acts similar to auxin. Neither factor could be replaced by known phytohormones. The Roseobacter species exhibits a specific chemotactic affinity to the rhizoid cells of U. mutabilis and seems to cooperate with the Cytophaga strain and the alga by chemical communication forming a symbiotic tripartite community.


Hyper-redundant manipulators have a large number of redundant degrees of freedom. They have been recognized as a means to improve manipulator performance in complex and unstructured environments. However, the high degree of redundancy also causes difficulty in the calculation of workspaces and inverse kinematics. This paper develops a diffusion-based algorithm for workspace generation of hyper-redundant manipulators. This algorithm makes the workspace generation problem as simple as solving a diffusion equation which has an explicit solution. This diffusion equation is a partial differential equation defined on the motion group SE(N), and describes the evolution of the workspace density function, depending on manipulator length and kinematic properties. This paper also solves the inverse kinematics problem in an elegant way by dividing the manipulator into virtual segments and cascading the corresponding workspace densities generated by the diffusion equation.


We study the dynamic cavity method for dilute kinetic Ising models with synchronous update rules. For the parallel update rule we find for fully asymmetric models that the dynamic cavity equations reduce to a Markovian dynamics of the (time-dependent) marginal probabilities. For the random sequential update rule, also an instantiation of a synchronous update rule, we find on the other hand that the dynamic cavity equations do not reduce to a Markovian dynamics, unless an additional assumption of time factorization is introduced. For symmetric models we show that a fixed point of ordinary Belief propagation is also a fixed point of the dynamic cavity equations in the time factorized approximation. For clarity, the conclusions of the paper are formulated as three lemmas.


Viruses such as Rotavirus, Adenovirus and Norovirus are important etiological agents of gastroenteritis worldwide. With the high sensitivity and specificity of PCR, it is now possible to develop PCR-based methods to detect and quantify pathogenic viruses in environmental water samples. To develop reliable methods however, an effective procedure to concentrate viruses from large volumes of water is required. Because of the scale of concentration required, the procedure often requires two steps. The first to reduce tens of liters of water to less than half a liter and then a second to concentrate the sample to a final volume of less than 10 mL for RNA/DNA extraction. The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy of hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HFUF) using F200B to that of an adsorption/elution method (AEM) using positively charged filters for concentrating viruses for the first step and to compare polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation to centrifugal ultrafiltration for the second step. A third objective was to determine the viral detection limit using real-time RT-PCR. Using beach water spiked with a singlestranded RNA bacteriophage (MS2) as a model, our results show a virus recovery rate of 84±6% and 18±8% for the HFUF method and AEM, respectively. For the second concentration step, we obtained a recovery rate of 49±5 % and 87±7% using PEG precipitation and centrifugal ultrafiltration, respectively. A potential limiting factor to more widespread using of HFUF is the higher cost and we found that cost can be reduced by using reusable filters. We were able to sanitize and reuse the same filter at least six times without affecting the virus recovery rate or the processing time. A Comparison of Methods to Concentrate Viruses from Environmental Waters Using MS2 as a Model Xunyan Ye, R. D. Ellender, Shiao Y. Wang, The University of Southern Mississippi N-007 firstname.lastname@example.com email@example.com


A new ligand, 1,1'-(pyridin-2,6-diyl)bis-3-p-tolylpropane-1,3-dione(H2L), was prepared and its crystal structure displays its enol isomer. The binary complex, Ln2L3·4H2O [Ln = Eu(III) and Tb(III)], were synthesized by the reaction of synthesized ligand (H2L) and Ln(III). With 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) as the synergistic ligand, the ternary complex, Ln2L3(Phen)2 [Ln = Eu(III) and Tb(III)], were synthesized. The compounds were characterized by 1H-NMR spectroscopy, MS, IR, UV, DTA-TG and fluorescence spectrum. The luminescent properties of the ligand and its complexes were investigated and the results showed that the prepared ligand was a good luminescent compound, all complexes emitted characteristic luminescence of corresponding lanthanide ions and 1,10-phenanthroline as the synergistic ligand can obviously enhance the luminescence of Eu(III) in the ternary complex.


The policy for cooperation with developing countries is new to Bulgaria as in the course of the transition over the past two decades assistance to these countries could not be a foreign policy priority for obvious reasons. On the other hand, relations between Bulgaria and many of these countries in the decades before left a lasting mark in many of them, contributing to their economic development. The implementation of Bulgaria's transition from the status of a recipient of international aid into a donor makes it necessary a special attention to be paid to the many issues in this regard because of the specific commitments arising from the country's new status especially regarding its participation in the EU development policy. The report presents briefly the main features of international development cooperation and then discusses the development policy of the EU. The main focus is on Bulgaria's participation in it as liabilities, results achieved and opportunities.


The collapse of the construction and facilities management company, Carillion in January 2018 generated two significant impacts in Ireland. First, it exposed the precarious structure of the construction industry, where companies like Carillion rely upon smaller firms to take on work as sub-contractors. When the collapse came, the subcontractors were left being owed substantial sums of money; this is what sparked the protests outside the Dail and the pickets outside the schools in Bray, Co. Wicklow last summer. Second, the collapse has once again brought the discussion about the nature and role of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to the fore. PPPs enable private companies like Carillion to profit from public money through building, financing and maintaining public infrastructure assets, such as schools, hospital and roads. Carillion's collapse delayed the delivery of five new schools and a college in Ireland and two hospitals in England. This article concentrates on the second impact and explores the nature and role of PPPs within Britain and Ireland.


ABSTRACT The attitudes of faculty towards interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork impact the education of health professions education (HPE) students. This paper reports on a study evaluating attitudes from health professions educators towards IPE and teamwork at one academic health science center (HSC) where modest IPE initiatives have commenced. Drawing from the results of a previous investigation, this study was conducted to examine current attitudes of the faculty responsible for the training of future healthcare professionals. Survey data were collected to evaluate attitudes from HSC faculty, dentistry, nursing, medicine, pharmacy and public health. In general, positive HSC faculty attitudes towards interprofessional learning, education, and teamwork were significantly predicted by those affiliated with the component of nursing. Faculty development aimed at changing attitudes and increasing understanding of IPE and teamwork are critical. Results of this study serve as an underpinning to leverage strengths and evaluate weakness in initiating IPE.


The structures of eight heterophase interfaces between cubic ZrO2 and NiO simulated by molecular dynamics (MD) are compared with those of the corresponding isolated surfaces to better understand the factors influencing interface formation and coherency in ceramic oxides. The near coincident site lattice (NCSL) theory used to construct initial configurations with small lattice mismatch between low index crystal planes is extended to describe interface planes with rectangular symmetry. Interface energies, works of adhesion, expansion volumes, lattice strains and planar structure factors are reported for several bicrystals. Most interfaces are found to consist of disordered, open structures with correspondingly high energies as a consequence of the strong repulsive forces between like-charged ions brought into close proximity. The exception is the (111) NiO//(100) c-ZrO2 interface, which exhibits good coherency across the interphase boundary and consists of a shared oxygen plane. The relatively high crystallinity of the interface explains its low energies and small excess volume. The results are discussed in the context of developing a simulation-based method for identifying interface configurations with high lattice coherency and strong cohesiveness for optimizing the properties of composites of technologically important materials.


Until recent years, planning broiler feeding appeared an easy task to implement. However, there are about ten feeding programs around today. 'In-ovo feeding', 'hatchery or early feeding', 'pre-starter diet', 'three fixed NRC phases' 'multi-phased feeding', 'feeding time period', 'sequential feeding', 'choice feeding', 'restriction feeding', 'nutrient (mineral and vitamins) withdrawal', 'replacer finisher feed' (withdrawal supplement feed) and/or pre slaughter feed (removal) and 'enrichment feed' are the main feeding programs that attract many involved in the poultry industry. With so many different feeding programs, an effective feeding plan might seem a complicated issue and difficult to conduct. The effectiveness and shortcomings of such programs are discussed so that a broiler feeding plan can be chosen more effectively.


Eistla Regio is a series of broad swells, each up to a few thousand kilometers in diameter, in the equatorial highlands of Venus. It is characterized by strong positive free-air gravity anomalies, shield volcanoes, and rift systems. We present a two-part study of the western and central portions of this Venusian hot spot. First, Magellan radar images were mapped in order to understand the general geologic history of the region. Radial fracture systems both on the rises and volcanoes indicate uplift and associated faulting accompanied volcanic construction. Prominent fracture zones strike WNW to NW, parallel to the long axis of the highlands. The largest of these, Guor Linea, displays a progressive deformation history that may include minor clockwise rotation in addition to bulk NNE-SSW extension. Other regional structural patterns also suggest this sense of rotation. The parts of Eistla studied here appear to be structurally distinct from surrounding regions, although volcanic radar-bright plains and ridge-and-groove deformation to the west indicate an earlier, more diffuse thermal uplift. In the second part of our analysis, Pioneer Venus line-of-sight accelerations were inverted for vertical gravity which, when combined with topography, were used to solve for mass anomalies on the crust-mantle boundary and in the upper levels of the mantle convective system. Both western and central Eistla appear to be sites of vigorous mantle upwelling. A linear upwelling appears beneath Guor Linea, indicating that rifting is actively driven by mantle flow. Minor crustal thinning may be present beneath western Eistla and the northern plains, whereas some thickening occurs beneath central Eistla and the southern plains. Heng-O corona, in particular, may be the site of a small shallow mass anomaly of either compositional (thickened crust) or thermal origin. Mantle return flow is asymmetrically distributed about Eistla, being much stronger to the south than the north, and little flow is inferred at all to the NE in Bereghinya Planitia. These differences introduce a clockwise rotation to finite strain, in agreement with observations.


The world is increasingly shaped by powerful global forces, many of which have consequences for human health and the social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health are increasingly determined at a supranational level. As a result, local or national level efforts to influence health determinants can have only a limited impact and it is all too easy for the individual public health practitioner to feel powerless. Yet while public health practitioners, on their own, may indeed be comparatively powerless, together they can achieve a great deal. Part I of this glossary explores a range of issues that arise as they seek to make a difference.


Blind people frequently encounter inaccessible dynamic touchscreens in their everyday lives that are difficult, frustrating, and often impossible to use independently. Touchscreens are often the only way to control everything from coffee machines and payment terminals, to subway ticket machines and in-flight entertainment systems. Interacting with dynamic touchscreens is difficult non-visually because the visual user interfaces change, interactions often occur over multiple different screens, and it is easy to accidentally trigger interface actions while exploring the screen. To solve these problems, we introduce StateLens - a three-part reverse engineering solution that makes existing dynamic touchscreens accessible. First, StateLens reverse engineers the underlying state diagrams of existing interfaces using point-of-view videos found online or taken by users using a hybrid crowd-computer vision pipeline. Second, using the state diagrams, StateLens automatically generates conversational agents to guide blind users through specifying the tasks that the interface can perform, allowing the StateLens iOS application to provide interactive guidance and feedback so that blind users can access the interface. Finally, a set of 3D-printed accessories enable blind people to explore capacitive touchscreens without the risk of triggering accidental touches on the interface. Our technical evaluation shows that StateLens can accurately reconstruct interfaces from stationary, hand-held, and web videos; and, a user study of the complete system demonstrates that StateLens successfully enables blind users to access otherwise inaccessible dynamic touchscreens.


For a given family of smooth closed curves $\gamma^1,...,\gamma^\alpha\subset\mathbb{R}^3$ we consider the problem of finding an elastic \emph{connected} compact surface $M$ with boundary $\gamma=\gamma^1\cup...\cup\gamma^\alpha$. This is realized by minimizing the Willmore energy $\mathcal{W}$ on a suitable class of competitors. While the direct minimization of the Area functional may lead to limits that are disconnected, we prove that, if the infimum of the problem is $<4\pi$, there exists a connected compact minimizer of $\mathcal{W}$ in the class of integer rectifiable curvature varifolds with the assigned boundary conditions. This is done by proving that varifold convergence of bounded varifolds with boundary with uniformly bounded Willmore energy implies the convergence of their supports in Hausdorff distance. Hence, in the cases in which a small perturbation of the boundary conditions causes the non-existence of Area-minimizing connected surfaces, our minimization process models the existence of optimal elastic connected compact generalized surfaces with such boundary data. We also study the asymptotic regime in which the diameter of the optimal connected surfaces is arbitrarily large. Under suitable boundedness assumptions, we show that rescalings of such surfaces converge to round spheres. The study of both the perturbative and the asymptotic regime is motivated by the remarkable case of elastic surfaces connecting two parallel circles located at any possible distance one from the other. The main tool we use is the monotonicity formula for curvature varifolds, that we extend to varifolds with boundary, together with its consequences on the structure of varifolds with bounded Willmore energy.


OBJECTIVE
D-dimer is a specific marker of active coagulation and fibrinolysis. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of surgery on D-dimer concentration as well as to examine the relation between the magnitude of change and invasiveness of the surgical procedures.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective clinical study.

ANIMALS
Forty-five client-owned dogs undergoing elective neutering (n = 15), elective orthopedic (n = 15), or posttraumatic orthopedic (n = 15) surgical procedures.

METHODS
Dogs undergoing elective neutering, elective orthopedic, and posttraumatic orthopedic surgical procedures were enrolled. D-dimer concentration, measured immediately prior to, immediately after, and 24 hours after surgery (T0, T1, and T24, respectively), was compared within and among study groups.

RESULTS
D-dimer concentration was >250 ng/mL in 8 (18%) dogs at T0, in 9 (20%) at T1, and in 5 (11%) at T24. At T1 and T24, only 2 dogs had a D-dimer concentration >500 ng/mL, and it was <750 ng/mL in all dogs. There was no difference in the proportion of increased D-dimer concentration (>250 ng/mL) among the time points (P = 0.29). Median D-dimer concentration did not vary between time points within the groups, except in the neutering group (P = 0.029), in which T1 concentration tended to increase compared with T0 values (161 ng/dL, range 71-727 vs 122 ng/mL, range, 43-353, respectively; P = .065).

CONCLUSION
The surgical procedures tested in this study are unlikely to cause a direct increase in D-dimer concentration.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Any increase in D-dimer concentration after elective neutering, elective orthopedic, and posttraumatic orthopedic surgical procedures should be regarded as clinically important and trigger investigations to detect a hemostatic derangement.


Uterus transplantation is developed as a possible treatment for patients with absolute uterine factor infertility. There has been one attempt to transplant a human uterus, which however failed and more basic research is needed before another attempt is performed. The aim of the thesis was to describe the rejection process after uterus transplantation in rodent models and to study the effects of the most widely used immunosuppressant, cyclosporine A (CsA) on this process. The effect of CsA on fertility was also studied in exposed mice and their offspring. In a fully allogenic mouse model microscopic signs of rejection were found from day five. Blood flow was lower as compared to the native uterus. The gross morphological signs of rejections were initial swelling of the transplant and later the transplant became firmer in texture with a clear color change. There was an early infiltration of macrophages into the myometrium of the graft from day 2 and in the endometrium at day 5. Density of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells increased in the graft from day 5 but there was only a transient increase in CD4+ T-helper cells. In a semi-allogenic mouse model different doses of CsA were tested. In the non-treated transplanted animals pronounced inflammation was seen. In the CsA treated groups inflammation was less pronounced. The tissue density of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells was higher in treated group. Similar microscopic findings of rejection were also present in an allogenic model in the rat where CsA was used. It was found that mRNA levels of interleukin-1? were decreased and the levels of galectin-1 mRNA were increased in the CsA group. The study on CsA:s effect on reproduction, in two generations showed that high doses of CsA reduced implantation rates/fetal survival and did also reduce adolescent growth in offspring but not fertility. Reduced fetal weight was seen in offspring of female exposed to CsA in utero. The collective result from these studies form a base for future studies of rejection of uterus transplants and of studies aiming to optimise immunosuppression to inhibit rejection and minimise the negative effects of immunosuppression on fertility, pregnancy and future health of offspring. Key words: cyclosporine A, fertility, mouse, pregnancy, rat, rejection, transplantation, uterus Goteborg, 2009 ISBN 978-91-628-96


We discuss the superconductor to normal phase transition in an infinite-layered type-II superconductor in the limit where the Josephson coupling between layers is negligible. We model each layer as a neutral gas of thermally excited pancake vortices. We assume the dominant interaction between vortices in the same and in different layers is the electromagnetic interaction between the screening currents induced by these vortices. Our main result, obtained by exactly solving the leading order renormalization group flow, is that the phase transition in this model is a Kosterlitz--Thouless transition despite being a three--dimensional system. While the transition itself is driven by the unbinding of two-dimensional pancake vortices, an RG analysis of the low temperature phase and a mean-field theory of the high temperature phase reveal that both phases possess three-dimensional correlations. An experimental consequence of this is that the jump in the measured in-plane superfluid stiffness, which is a universal quantity in 2d Kosterlitz-Thouless theory, will receive a small non--universal correction (of order 1% in Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+x}$). This overall picture places some claims expressed in the literature on a more secure analytical footing and also resolves some conflicting views.


ABSTRACT The Aramachay Formation (Lower Jurassic) of the Peruvian Central Cordillera is made up of 300 m of organic-rich mudstones (Ichpachi Member) which grade up into 100 m of phosphatic siltstones, chart, and arenites, (Alata Member). The organic-rich mudstones are slightly enriched in P2O5 (0.5% P2O5) but do not contain visible authigenic phosphate; the organic maturity of the rocks as evidenced from kerogen elemental analysis may serve to explain this. Radiolaria in this facies are generally calcitized. In contrast, radiolaria in the phosphatic siltstones are phosphatized, occurring within apparently authigenic blabs and stringers of collophane (2% P2O5 whole rock). In addition, this facies (although with a lower organic ca bon content) contains the remains of sponges, benthic blue-green algae, and a few epibenthic bivalves (monospecific); it also contains more silt and some glauconite. It is inferred that the site of phosphate authigenesis lay wholly within this phosphatic siltstone facies, which records low or fluctuating oxygenation rather than fully anoxic conditions. This hypothesis is supported by studies of other similar sequences and by published carbon and sulfur isotope data. It is proposed that the facies sequence represents the fossilized upper margin of an oceanic O2-minimum zone, comparable with that observed on the modern Peruvian shelf. Such an environment has been suggested for phosphate authigenesis before but has not previously been identified in the stratigraphic record. The f ne-grained sequence is sharply overlain by phosphatic lithoclastic arenites (8% P2O5 whole rock) in which the rounded phosphate grains contain radiolaria and are therefore inferred to have been eroded from the underlying siltstone. These are, in turn, overlain by shallow-marine carbonates completing a sequence interpreted to represent a substantial marine regression.


Performance anxiety is c o m m o n amongst both amateur and professional performers. It can lead to a loss of enjoyment in performance, a deterioration in the quality of that performance, or at its worst, the complete cessation of performance. In attempting to treat musical performance anxiety psychologists have concentrated on standard cognitive and behavioural treatments including progressive muscle relaxation, selfinstructional training, rational emotive therapy, behaviour rehearsal and systematic desensitization. These methods have generally been shown to be effective in reducing performance anxiety. The first preliminary study of this thesis compared the individual and combined effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation and selfinstructional training. It was concluded that the combination treatment was more effective than either of the individual treatments. The major focus of this thesis was on modifying the standard cognitive and behavioural treatments used in previous research to make them more applicable to the musical context. In the second preliminary study, in-depth interviews with successful professional performers were conducted to determine the strategies that these performers used to manage performance anxiety. The results revealed that they adopted a diverse range of preparation strategies before performing, which successfully prevented the build-up of anxiety and allowed them to feel in control. These strategies included a variety of cognitive, behavioural, lifestyle and musical strategies. A modified cognitive and behavioural treatment was developed based on the results of the second preliminary study. The final study compared this modified cognitive and behavioural treatment with the standard cognitive and behavioural treatment used in the first preliminary study. The results showed that both treatments were more effective than a no-treatment control. Neither was more effective than the other. It is suggested that, in the treatment of musical performance anxiety, some of the components of the modified treatment may make useful additions to standard cognitive and behavioural treatments. In terms of future developments it is also suggested that a holistic approach to treatment which fully addresses the lifestyle context of musical performance holds the greatest promise for future empirical investigation into the treatment of musical performance anxiety.


Common test items play an important role in equating multiple test forms under the common-item nonequivalent groups design. Inconsistent item parameter estimates among common items can lead to large bias in equated scores for IRT true score equating. Current methods extensively focus on detection and elimination of outlying common items, which usually leads to enlarged random equating error and inadequate content representation of common items. New robust scale transformation methods based on robust regression, the robust Deming regression method, the robust Haebara method, and the least absolute values (LAV) method, were proposed. In simulation studies, performances of the proposed methods were compared to the Stocking-Lord method which yields the least equating errors among the traditional method and to outlier removal methods. The results indicate: 1) the robust Haebara method and the LAV method usually outperform the robust Deming regression method, 2) the robust Haebara method and the LAV method perform as well as the Stocking Lord method under the condition of No outlier, 3) the robust Haebara method and the LAV method perform better than the Stocking-Lord method when a single outlying common item is simulated, 4) the LAV method and the robust Haebara method are better than, or at least comparable to, the existing outlier removal methods in the presence of a single outlying common item, and 5) the LAV method and the robust Haebara method have smaller equated scores than the Stocking-Lord method using the CBASE data of English and Mathematics.


A number of methods have been proposed for causal effect estimation, yet few have demonstrated efficacy in handling data with complex structures, such as images. To fill this gap, we propose Causal Multi-task Deep Ensemble (CMDE), a novel framework that learns both shared and group-specific information from the study population. We provide proofs demonstrating equivalency of CDME to a multi-task Gaussian process (GP) with a coregionalization kernel a priori. Compared to multi-task GP, CMDE efficiently handles high-dimensional and multi-modal covariates and provides pointwise uncertainty estimates of causal effects. We evaluate our method across various types of datasets and tasks and find that CMDE outperforms state-of-the-art methods on a majority of these tasks.


In this work, three benzimidazole derivatives incorporating 4-N,N′-dimethylaminobenzene (1), pyrene (2) and anthracene (3) moieties, respectively, have been synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectroscopic techniques. All three receptors were probed as potential anion sensors. Receptor 2 detects F− ions selectively in the presence of various anions like Cl−, Br−, CN−, ClO4−, HSO4−, NO3−, PF6−, AcO− and H2PO4− as their tetrabutylammonium salts (TBA) where the drastic color change can be observed by the naked eye while the other two molecules were found to be unresponsive towards anions. The recognition aspects have been investigated by absorption, emission and 1H NMR titration study. The sensing mechanism involves hydrogen bonding interaction between F− and an imidazole N–H proton at low concentration followed by deprotonation with the addition of excess F− ions, as confirmed by the HF2− signal in 1H NMR spectra. The strong interaction between receptor 2 and F− ion has been revealed by a high binding constant value. The limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 1.63 × 10−5 M. Based on the reversibility of the recognition event, we developed a potential "Write–Read–Erase–Read", i.e. recyclable memory function possessing multi-write ability.


OBJECTIVE
Shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) is the first-line treatment for the active removal of small and medium-sized kidney stones. Flexible ureterorenoscopy (fURS) is recommended after failed SWL treatment. The aim of this retrospective analysis is to evaluate whether prior unsuccessful SWL treatments affect the outcomes of fURS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Data from 206 patients who underwent fURS for the treatment of renal stones between September 2009 and January 2011 were collected, and the patients were divided into two groups according to their previous SWL treatment. The patient demographics, stone characteristics, operation and fluoroscopy times, stone-free rates and complications were compared.

RESULTS
Of the patients, 114 (55.3%) did not undergo SWL prior to fURS (Group 1), whereas 92 (44.6%) completed a minimum of 3 sessions of SWL and waited at least 2 weeks before the fURS operation (Group 2). Although the mean stone number was higher in Group 2, this difference was not significant (p=0.06). The mean operation (p=0.12) and fluoroscopy times (p=0.69) were similar between the groups. The mean operation time per mm(2) stone and fluoroscopy time per mm(2) stone were not significantly different (p=0.64 and p=0.76, respectively). The length of the hospitalization and the overall complication rates were similar. After the third postoperative month, the stone-free rates were not different between the groups (82.5% and 86.9%, respectively, p=0.38).

CONCLUSION
The stone-free and complication rates of fURS were not affected by previous SWL therapy.


In this work we present some experiments based on a measurement set up to evaluate the power consumption of VAIO SZ series while running various programs. The power consumption of the laptop is measured while running MP3 and some other programs such as Matlab and graphical games. Also, the effect of display brightness on the power consumption of the computer has been studied. The maximum power consumption is related to graphical games which are measured to be 375W. Running the MP3 with half brightness application consumed the least power of 150W. The battery life time is inversely proportional to the power consumption.


A model for the extraction of the charge density dependent mobility and variable contact resistance in thin film transistors is proposed by performing a full derivation of the current-voltage characteristics both in the linear and saturation regime of operation. The calculated values are validated against the ones obtained from direct experimental methods. This approach allows unambiguous determination of gate voltage dependent contact and channel resistance from the analysis of a single device. It solves the inconsistencies in the commonly accepted mobility extraction methods and provides additional possibilities for the analysis of the injection and transport processes in semiconducting materials.


Background The world is rapidly becoming urban with the global population living in cities projected to double by 2050. This increase in urbanization poses new challenges for the spread and control of communicable diseases such as malaria. In particular, urban environments create highly heterogeneous socio-economic and environmental conditions that can affect the transmission of vector-borne diseases dependent on human water storage and waste water management. Interestingly India, as opposed to Africa, harbors a mosquito vector, Anopheles stephensi, which thrives in the man-made environments of cities and acts as the vector for both Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum, making the malaria problem a truly urban phenomenon. Here we address the role and determinants of within-city spatial heterogeneity in the incidence patterns of vivax malaria, and then draw comparisons with results for falciparum malaria. Methodology/principal findings Statistical analyses and a phenomenological transmission model are applied to an extensive spatio-temporal dataset on cases of Plasmodium vivax in the city of Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) that spans 12 years monthly at the level of wards. A spatial pattern in malaria incidence is described that is largely stationary in time for this parasite. Malaria risk is then shown to be associated with socioeconomic indicators and environmental parameters, temperature and humidity. In a more dynamical perspective, an Inhomogeneous Markov Chain Model is used to predict vivax malaria risk. Models that account for climate factors, socioeconomic level and population size show the highest predictive skill. A comparison to the transmission dynamics of falciparum malaria reinforces the conclusion that the spatio-temporal patterns of risk are strongly driven by extrinsic factors. Conclusion/significance Climate forcing and socio-economic heterogeneity act synergistically at local scales on the population dynamics of urban malaria in this city. The stationarity of malaria risk patterns provides a basis for more targeted intervention, such as vector control, based on transmission 'hotspots'. This is especially relevant for P. vivax, a more resilient parasite than P. falciparum, due to its ability to relapse and the operational shortcomings of delivering a "radical cure".


This study investigates the ways in which Syriac native speakers from Iraq conceptualise their understandings of various abstract domains, feelings, emotions, actions, customs, traditions and practices through their experiences of the concrete fields of food and drink metaphors. The conceptual metaphor theory (1980) by Lackoff and Johnson has been adopted for the data analysis. A focus group discussion (FGD) was employed as a tool for data collection and 43 idiomatic food and drink expressions were collected from this. Five native Syriac speakers from various regions and of different genders, ages, tribes and nationalities participated in the discussion. The study shows that Syriac speakers use many food and drink metaphors in their everyday language. The study concludes that food and drink metaphors are used by Syriac speakers mostly to conceive abstract concepts related to feelings, attitudes and emotions. The study shows that foods and drinks are strongly rooted in the Assyrian and Chaldean culture and many traditional dishes are used in its vernacular language as metaphors.


To study the structural composition of 61 renal and 9 vesical large lamellated non-infection urinary tract stones, samples from successive layers were quantitatively analyzed with standard chemical techniques, but with a new classification based on percentage composition of ions rather than compounds. The commonest pattern of composition (n = 41) was that of the lamellar stones of one stone type (uric acid, oxalate, or phosphate) and group (according to % of indicating ion), followed by bilamellar stones of different stone types (17) or of one stone type but different groups (8). The other stones were trilamellar (3) or quadrilamellar (1) of different stone types. In the 29 stones with lamellae of different type and/or group, the chemical composition of successive layers seemed to confirm the correlation between uric acid and oxalate, rather than phosphate, ions and between oxalate and both uric acid and phosphate ions. An influence on these correlations either positive or negative, may be the responsible factor for specifying the type and group of a forming stone or layer of a stone. The observed ionic correlations within the stones seem to support the choice of the oxalate ion, in the uric acid or phosphate stones, and both of the uric acid and phosphate ions, in the oxalate stones, as indicating ions for grouping in our proposed classification of urinary stones.


The article examines the exemplary case of vaccination for reflecting on the legal principles that must guide the power of public health authorities. The case is particularly interesting because the legal discipline has evolved from a 'hard law model', based on the obligation of vaccination, to a 'soft law model' basically inspired by the freedom of choice. Recently the Government, with the d.l. 7 june 2017, n. 73, has again made 10 vaccinations mandatory for minors up to 16 years. The paper shows the implications of different model of regulation and highlights the constitutional and European principles that the public health authorities must respect when it comes to protecting the health, both individual and collective, with decisions that involve risks and there is a conflict between individual rights and the interest of the community. This will allow us to consider how the effectiveness of regulation (especially in the case of recourse to soft law instruments) depends, for the most part, on a correct administrative implementation and, more in particular, on the organization of appropriate public services.


It is important to use historical data to test physically based runoff and soil erosion prediction models as well as the method to estimate model parameters. WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project) was validated for bare fallow and annual wheat treatments at Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia. Wheat stubble was either burned or mulched. Climate, soil, management, and runoff and soil loss data were collected for the period 1980-87 for 3 bare fallow plots, and 1950-74 for 10 annual wheat plots. Three slope lengths from 21 to 62 m were established for the treatment with stubble burned. Slope steepness varied from 8% to 9% at the site. Effective saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil erodibility parameters were estimated from measured soil properties. No further calibration of these parameters was attempted in order to assess the true potential of the model for runoff and soil loss predictions. WEPP worked well for the bare fallow plots with prediction efficiency of 0.97 for event runoff and soil losses. WEPP generally over-predicted the runoff, and consequently, the soil loss for annual wheat treatments for the site. WEPP was able to predict the effect of slope length on sediment concentration and soil loss for the site. CLIGEN, which provides the continuous climate input to WEPP, was found to produce adequately the mean daily rainfall, but produced higher than expected peak rainfall intensity, resulting in higher runoff and soil loss for all treatments.


We analyse how sharing rules affect Nash equilibria in Bertrand games, where the sharing of profits at ties is a decisive assumption. Necessary conditions for either positive or zero equilibrium profits are derived. Zero profit equilibria are shown to exist under weak conditions if the sharing rule is 'sign-preserving'. For Bertrand markets we define the class of 'expectation sharing rules', where profits at ties are derived from some distribution of quantities. In this class the winner-takes-all sharing rule is the only one that is always sign-preserving, while for each pair of demand and cost functions there may be many others.


Multi-axis controlled machining has been increasing with the demand for high quality in mold manufacturing. The cutter axis inclination should be properly determined in the milling operations. The paper discusses the cutting process of ball end mill with the cutter axis inclination. Two mechanistic models are presented to show the effect of the cutter axis inclination on the tool wear and the surface finish. The actual cutting time during a rotation of the cutter reduces with increasing the cutter axis inclination. Then, the tool is cooled in the non-cutting time. The tool wear is suppressed with reducing the cutting temperature. The surface finish is also improved by increasing cutting velocities with the cutter axis inclination. When the cutter is inclined in the feed direction, the effect of the edge roughness on the surface finish is eliminated. The discussion based on the simulation is verified in the cutting tests for brittle materials.


n a student unit-of-study-experience questionnaire some years ago, in response to my introductory course in performance studies, a student remarked that the course's focus upon the origins of the discipline itself was, in her words, 'singular' in her experience. Leaving aside the scope of her experience (which I am unable to assess), this student's take on the syllabus gave me pause. The material to which he or she was responding included a review of Richard Schechner's work with Victor Turner, framing a broader inquiry into the chiasmatic twining of anthropology and theatre studies, that being the fundamental interdisciplinary underpinning of Performance Studies as we teach it at my particular university.


: Long-living spectral products observed earlier in purple membranes (PM) are discovered in the cells of Halobacterium halobium (Hh) under the action of yellow light. Blue spectral region of the light has been found to be optimal for PM arising in the cells cultivated under light. On the basis of the changes discovered in the optical spectra of Hh we may suppose that PM arising in the cells, is the dark processes, occur due to a hypothetic enzyme, which appears under light. The rate of PM arising is maximal during the periods of thermogenesis maximum.


ABSTRACT Here we report the structure and expression patterns of orthologs for PHERES1 (PHE1) gene in the apomict Boechera holboellii. The PHE1 cDNAs were obtained by RT-PCR from Boechera anthers and carpels before and after fertilization. PHE1 encodes a type 1 MADS box protein and promotes seed growth. Also, PHE1 shows monoallelic expression and is the only plant gene known to be paternally express and maternally silenced imprinted gene. In Arabidopsis, PHE1 is repressed by the FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT SEED (FIS) complex, also known as the Polycomb group complex 2. The FIS complex represses endosperm development in Arabidopsis thaliana prior to fertilization and plays an important role in regulating the development of endosperm following fertilisation. However, it is not known how apomicts have adjusted endosperm development to deal with parental genome imbalance due to non-reduction of maternal gametes. Therefore, the triploid apomictic Boechera species, as a close relative of A. thaliana, provide an attractive opportunity to investigate PHE1 function in pseudogamous apomicts. The 310 bp cDNA fragment of Boechera PHE1 transcript showed homology with AtPHE1. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Boechera PHE1 is closely related to A. thaliana. The expression patterns of PHE1 in natural apomict Boechera during seed development were also revealed that the maternal BhPHE1 allele is also expressed before fertilization in carpels.


Large-scale distributed systems often rely on replicated databases that allow a programmer to request different data consistency guarantees for different operations, and thereby control their performance. Using such databases is far from trivial: requesting stronger consistency in too many places may hurt performance, and requesting it in too few places may violate correctness. To help programmers in this task, we propose the first proof rule for establishing that a particular choice of consistency guarantees for various operations on a replicated database is enough to ensure the preservation of a given data integrity invariant. Our rule is modular: it allows reasoning about the behaviour of every operation separately under some assumption on the behaviour of other operations. This leads to simple reasoning, which we have automated in an SMT-based tool. We present a nontrivial proof of soundness of our rule and illustrate its use on several examples.


ASIM (Atmosphere Space Interaction Monitor) is an instrument designed to monitor X-ray and gamma-ray bursts of terrestrial origin. ASIM is divided into two parts; Modular X-ray and Gamma-ray Sensor detect photons in the 15 keV to 20 MeV range, and Modular Multi-spectral Imaging Array takes images in the visible range. It will be mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) where it will be observing the earth's atmosphere. The instrument is composed of two detector layers, each consisting of four identical units. The outermost layer is a low energy detector detecting photons ranging from 15 keV to 400 keV. This layer is made out of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) crystals and structured as a pixlated array. Each unit consists of 4096 pixels, giving the MXGS a total of 16384 pixels. The innermost layer is a high energy detector detecting photons ranging from 200 keV to 20 MeV. This layer is made out of Bismuth Germanate Oxide (BGO) crystals, and each unit consists of 3 BGO crystals and 3 photomultiplying tubes. University of Bergen (UoB) is responsible for the development of both detector layers. The project is entering the final stage where the detector units are tested. Some test equipment and computer software is required to carry out these tests. This thesis describes the development of tools needed to test the detectors. A primary objective of this work was to develop the equipment with scalability and reusability in mind. Several parts of the equipment can be adapted for later projects, thus reducing the time required to develop future testing equipment. The test equipment is divided into two parts, and a computer program commands, monitors and gathers data from the detectors. All 4096 pixels of a CZT detector can be controlled individually by using a graphical user interface or through a script. The second part of the equipment is a physical interface, allowing a computer to communicate with the detectors. This is realized with a commercial FPGA based interface and with an embedded microcontroller supplying USB protocol. The primary objective is to convert from USB signals to the xlink protocol utilized by the detectors, but it also includes a buffer for temporary data storage. The system has been subject of thorough testing, including both validation and verification tests and performance tests. It controls, monitors and acquires data from up to four detectors simultaneously. A working proof of concept existed a few weeks after project start, and the system has been used for several months.


A groundwater quality assessment has been carried out in northeast part of Anbar governorate in western Iraq. We analyzed hydrochemical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids presence of ions to describe groundwater quality. The study area has the only confined aquifer within the geological formation extended in area. Values of groundwater hydrochemical parameters were ranged from (7) to (7.9) for ph, (1599) to (6800) µmhos/cm for electrical conductivity (EC) and (1048) to (4446) mg/l for total dissolved solids (TDS). The origins and types of groundwater in the area were of marine origin and MgCl2 water type while only (6) samples were of continental origin and Na2SO4 water type. Groundwater utilization indicated that it can't be used for drinking purposes, while few groundwater wells can be used for agricultural and (33) groundwater samples can be used for animal purposes. However, the nature of the soil in the area and the depth of the groundwater qualified water for agricultural uses in significant and wide ranges.


Purpose: To efficiently and accurately perform routine monthly quality assurance (QA) tests on a Helical Tomotherapy unit using an in‐house developed phantom and softwareMethod and Materials: Helical Tomotherapy is an image guided intensity modulated radiation therapydelivery system. The system uses a dynamic delivery in which the gantry, treatment couch and multileaf collimator leaves are all in motion during treatment. The dynamic nature of helical tomotherapy requires QA that is different from a conventional linear accelerator. According to the AAPM Task Group report 148 (QA for Helical Tomotherapy) and previous guidelines, one needs to check longitudinal and transverse profiles along with field widths as part of the monthly QA. To perform this task we had to set up the tomotherapy water tank and use the tomotherapy electrometer measurement system (TEMS) for data collection and analysis. To simplify and expedite this process a film phantom was designed and MATLAB developed software was used for analyzing the irradiated film. One could simultaneously obtain several parameters like the longitudinal and transverse profiles, field widths, couch linearity and relative output factors for all the field widths from the film. A Kodak EDR2 film is placed in the phantom and exposed on the tomotherapy system to obtain all the field widths along with a step wedge for calibration on the same film. The irradiated film is then analyzed using the in‐house developed software and a report is printed out. Results and Conclusion: Using the phantom we could check the longitudinal and transverse profiles, field widths, couch linearity and relative output factors for all the field widths on the system. When compared to the couple of hours it would take for beam scanning, the film phantom and software have enabled us to cut down and quicken part of our monthly QA process to <30 min.


The thermodynamic functions of a Fermi gas with spin population imbalance are studied in the temperature-asymmetry plane. The low temperature domain is characterized by anomalous enhancement of the entropy and the specific heat above their values in the unpaired state, decrease of the gap and eventual unpairing phase transition as the temperature is lowered. The unpairing phase transition induces a second jump in the specific heat, which can be measured in calorimetric experiments. While the superfluid is unstable against a supercurrent carrying state, it may sustain a metastable state if cooled adiabatically down from the stable high-temperature domain. In the latter domain the temperature dependence of the gap and related functions is analogous to the predictions of the BCS theory.


How hummingbirds hum is not fully understood, but its biophysical origin is encoded in the acoustic nearfield. Hence, we studied six freely hovering Anna's hummingbirds, performing acoustic nearfield holography using a 2176 microphone array in vivo, while also directly measuring the 3D aerodynamic forces using a new aerodynamic force platform. We corroborate the acoustic measurements by developing an idealized acoustic model that integrates the aerodynamic forces with wing kinematics, which shows how the timbre of the hummingbird's hum arises from the oscillating lift and drag forces on each wing. Comparing birds and insects, we find that the characteristic humming timbre and radiated power of their flapping wings originates from the higher harmonics in the aerodynamic forces that support their bodyweight. Our model analysis across insects and birds shows that allometric deviation makes larger birds quieter and elongated flies louder, while also clarifying complex bioacoustic behavior.


Recently, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have drawn great interest due to their outstanding monitoring and management potential in medical, environmental and industrial applications. Most of the applications that employ WSNs demand all of the sensor nodes to run on a common time scale, a requirement that highlights the importance of clock synchronization. The clock synchronization problem in WSNs is inherently related to parameter estimation. The accuracy of clock synchronization algorithms depends essentially on the statistical properties of the parameter estimation algorithms. Recently, studies dedicated to the estimation of synchronization parameters, such as clock offset and skew, have begun to emerge in the literature. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art clock synchronization algorithms for WSNs from a statistical signal processing point of view. This article focuses on describing the key features of the class of clock synchronization algorithms that exploit the traditional two-way message (signal) exchange mechanism. Upon introducing the two-way message exchange mechanism, the main clock offset estimation algorithms for pairwise synchronization of sensor nodes are first reviewed, and their performance is compared. The class of fully-distributed clock offset estimation algorithms for network-wide synchronization is then surveyed. The paper concludes with a list of open research problems pertaining to clock synchronization of WSNs.


Applied macroeconomists often compute confidence intervals for impulse responses using local projections, that is, direct linear regressions of future outcomes on current covariates. This paper proves that local projection inference robustly handles two issues that commonly arise in applications: highly persistent data and the estimation of impulse responses at long horizons. We consider local projections that control for lags of the variables in the regression. We show that lag‐augmented local projections with normal critical values are asymptotically valid uniformly over (i) both stationary and non‐stationary data, and also over (ii) a wide range of response horizons. Moreover, lag augmentation obviates the need to correct standard errors for serial correlation in the regression residuals. Hence, local projection inference is arguably both simpler than previously thought and more robust than standard autoregressive inference, whose validity is known to depend sensitively on the persistence of the data and on the length of the horizon.


Research studies show that the family is an integral dimension of newcomers' immigration and settlement experiences. Findings from a recent project on the integration trajectories of immigrant families shed light on the ways families support each other and the social factors of immigration. Still, immigration policy, federal data collection and measures, as well as settlement services rely on an individualistic conceptualization of newcomers with insufficient regard for their social realities. Preliminary consultations with partner settlement agencies in the Greater Toronto Area reveal there is a need to incorporate the family/social dimension in their services. Using the Knowledge Translation method, academic knowledge was transferred into a practical position paper for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada settlement policy-makers. Through ongoing collaboration with the partners, the pillars of a Family Approach for the settlement sector were developed. Five key practical recommendations for its implementation are presented to policy-makers in the paper.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to determine the incidence and pattern of red marrow reconversion on MRI of adults receiving granulocyte-stimulating factors as part of their chemotherapy regimen for primary musculoskeletal neoplasms and correlate the changes with WBC counts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-five adults with soft-tissue sarcomas (n = 15) or primary bone tumors (n = 10) who underwent chemotherapy that included granulocyte-stimulating factors formed the study group. Two radiologists retrospectively evaluated the MRI studies by consensus before and after therapy to determine the presence of changes consistent with red marrow reconversion. Changes were categorized by appearance on T1- and T2-weighted images for location, pattern, and extent of marrow involvement. WBC counts at the time of MRI were recorded. Records were examined for evidence of marrow-infiltrating tumors or metastases.

RESULTS
Ten (40%) of the 25 patients underwent bone marrow changes consistent with red marrow reconversion. In seven (70%) of 10 patients, the changes were diffuse in visualized bones and simulated diffuse marrow-infiltrative tumor. In three (30%) of 10 patients, the changes were focal, simulating metastases. T2 signal prolongation was identified in the marrow reconversion in nine patients (90%), although all had shortened T1 signal. Four patients (40%) had elevated WBC counts at the time of the MRI after therapy, but all had shortened T1 signal. Four patients (40%) had elevated WBC counts at the time of the MRI after therapy, five (50%) had normal counts, and one (10%) had a below-normal count. No osseous metastases or marrow-infiltrating tumors were found during follow-up.

CONCLUSION
Forty percent of patients showed marrow changes mimicking tumor on MRI that were attributable to red marrow reconversion, which correlated moderately with WBC response.


Land take as a result of urbanization is one of the major soil threats in Europe. One of the key measures to prevent further urban sprawl and additional land take, is redevelopment of urban brownfields: underused urban areas with, in many cases, soil and groundwater pollution. The latter issue can be a bottleneck for redevelopment of brownfields instead of green fields. A difficulty for brownfield redevelopments is that in urban projects the responsibilities, tools and knowledge of subsurface engineering and urban planning and design are not integrated; they depend heavily on each other but work in sectors. The urban designer usually deals with opportunities for socio-economic benefits while the subsoil engineer deals with the technical challenges of the site. Balance 4P suggests a holistic approach to brownfield redevelopment that (i) recognizes all phases of the urban redevelopment process which are influenced by the planning conditions set by laws, regulations, policy and institutions; (ii) acknowledges multiple subsurface qualities in the brownfield redevelopment project; (iii) promotes knowledge exchange between the surface and the subsurface sectors, across disciplines within each sector, and over time, about the subsurface qualities of the specific project; (iv) focus on the urban redevelopment project by identifying strategies for redevelopment that can fulfil a good quality of the built environment; (v) assesses the three P's (People, Planet, Profit/Prosperity) in each urban redevelopment phase; and (vi) puts the Process in focus rather than specific instruments by focusing on identification of WHO should be involved in the knowledge exchange process and HOW it can be mediated. The developed decision support framework is aimed to guide project teams willing to implement a more holistic approach in practice. The framework includes four steps carried out in iterative manner: (1) stakeholder analysis, (2) generation of redevelopment alternatives, (3) sustainability assessment of the alternatives, and (4) synthesis of the assessment results, including uncertainty analysis. The guidance describing the steps in the decision support framework and activities within each step can help to structure the decision process and provide support to project teams. The anticipated advantages of the holistic approach are redevelopment plans that allow for smart, cost-effective and sustainable solutions in the implementation process by making explicit use of subsurface information and knowledge in the planning process, and possibilities for more long-term sustainable planning with regard to the subsurface by increased awareness of the subsurface as a resource and the associated risks and possibilities.


Aiming at reducing the high cost of test data collection of deflection basins in the structural design of asphalt pavement and shortening the long test time of new structures, this paper innovatively designs a structure coding network based on traditional neural networks to map the pavement structure to an abstract space. Therefore, the generalization ability of the neural network structure is improved, and a new multi-level neural network model is formed to predict the evolution data of the deflection basin of the untested structure. By testing the experimental data of RIOHTRACK, the network structure predicts the deflection basin data of untested pavement structure, of which the average prediction error is less than 5%.


Availability of remotely sensed phytoplankton biomass fields has greatly advanced pri- mary production modeling efforts. However, conversion of near-surface chlorophyll concentrations to carbon fixation rates has been hindered by uncertainties in modeling light-saturated photosynthesis (P b max). Here, we introduce a physiologically-based model for P b max that focuses on the effects of photoacclimation and nutrient limitation on relative changes in cellular chlorophyll and CO2 fixation capacities. This 'PhotoAcc' model describes P b max as a function of light level at the bottom of the mixed layer or at the depth of interest below the mixed layer. Nutrient status is assessed from the relationship between mixed layer and nutricline depths. Temperature is assumed to have no direct influence on P b max above 5°C. The PhotoAcc model was parameterized using photosynthesis- irradiance observations made from extended transects across the Atlantic Ocean. Model perfor- mance was validated independently using time-series observations from the Sargasso Sea. The PhotoAcc model accounted for 70 to 80% of the variance in light-saturated photosynthesis. Previously described temperature-dependent models did not account for a significant fraction of the variance in P b max for our test data sets.


Cancer is one of the leading cause of death in the world. As our environment is being flooded with different carcinogenic agents, today everyone is in high risk of generating cancer in some part of our lifetime. Conventional therapies cause widespread systemic toxicity serious side effects. Tumour resistance and recurrence can also be commonly observed. Hence there is an urgent need to develop smart anticancer therapies that are highly precise in killing cancer cells with minimal side effects on normal cells. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol molecule derived from the Curcuma longa plant which exhibits anticancer, chemo-preventive, chemoand radio-sensitization properties. Curcumin"s widespread availability, safety, low cost and multiple cancer fighting functions justify its development as a drug for cancer treatment. But curcumin has limited efficacy due to its low water solubility, poor bioavailability, rapid metabolism in body etc. Various nanomedicine(s) prepared using first line anticancer drugs have been approved or are under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve human health. Nanotechnology strategies may help to remove the drawbacks to use Curcumin as an anti-cancer agent. Review of research papers shows that different types of nanocarriers of curcumin is able to leverage therapeutic benefits by improving bioavailability and pharmacokinetics which in turn improves binding, internalization and targeting of tumour(s). Such new approaches to use Curcumin as an mainstream anti-cancer agent are expected to lead to clinical trials and to improve cancer therapeutics.


Article Info Background: Haematotoxicity occurs following acute and chronic low dose exposures to lead. This study aimed to assess the association between occupational lead exposure and haematological parameters among roadside and organized panel beaters in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria, 2018-19. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional and analytical study of 428 roadside and organized panel beaters. A multistage sampling technique was used to select participants. Blood lead and haematological parameters were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer at 238.3nm wavelength and Mindray Auto Haematology Analyzer, respectively. Comparative analyses were performed using Chi-square, Man Whitney U-test, T-test, correlation, and statistical significance. Results: All the haematological parameters on both sectors of panel beaters had mean values within the normal reference values. 7 (3.3%) on both sectors had abnormal haemoglobin and 4 (1.9%) and 3 (1.4%), respectively, had abnormal WBC. There was weak linear correlation among roadside and organized panel beaters of blood lead: Hb (r= -0.061, P= 0.371) and (r= 0.026, P= 0.709), RBC (r= -0.036, P= 0.596) and (r= -0.004, P= 0.956), and TWBC (r= -0.044, P= 0.524) and (r= 0.092, P= 0.180), respectively. Conclusion: Haematological parameters on both sectors were found to be within the normal reference range. There was a non-significant weak linear correlation between blood lead and the parameters. Haematological investigations should be included as part of routine biomonitoring in occupational health practice as an indicator of lead exposure.


A circularly-polarized vertical patch antenna is proposed and investigated. The design is achieved by simply adding two small stubs to the vertical patch. The antenna maintains the advantages of the original linearly polarized vertical patch antenna, such as simple structure, small size and wide bandwidth. It exhibits a gain of 8 dBi over a 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth of 4%.


Welfare is a person's primary interest in working. Ownership of vehicles is one indicator of the achievement of one's welfare. Organizations that are able to assist their employees to achieve these welfare indicators have the potential to have a positive impact on both employees and management teams as well as for the organization. Car ownership program (COP) is an effort to strengthen the slice of goals and interests between organizations in this case BLU with all the management and employees. Employees and management are expected to be more prosperous. Together, the organization will also benefit from better employees and management performance. The results of the data analysis found the ratio of benefits to the cost of 1.20 and NPV of Rp 1 779 550 563. While the survey showed that 93.3% of respondents interested in following the COP, 80% of respondents strongly agree that the COP is very profitable employees, and 80% respondents strongly agree that the COP shows the BLU's attention to its employees. Analysis of the data indicates that the use of COP programs is feasible and effective enough and is viewed positively by employees of official car users.


As an irreversible viscosity reduction way, catalytic aquathermolysis of heavy oil is given close attention by scholars at home and abroad, and a high content of asphaltene in heavy oil is the major cause for the high viscosity of heavy oil. Through the use of IR spectrum and TG-DTA, this paper analyzes the asphaltene structure and thermal analysis before and after the catalytic aquathermolysis reaction, and the result shows some changes in the heavy component structure in the asphaltene after the reaction, a reduction in some unsaturated structures, an increase in saturated structures, a reduction in long-chain structures, an increase in short-chain structures, and an increase in light components. Thermal analysis shows that part of the asphaltenes can be converted into alkane soluble substance. The catalyst acts on the heteroatoms in asphaltenes, which partly changes the asphaltene structure and makes it cracked to some extent, so as to lead to the lower viscosity of heavy oil.


Sector wide approaches (SWAPs) are a new development in the organisation of aid to developing countries where donors and lenders collectively contribute to funding the entire health sector.1 They are being widely promoted as a "good way to do business." Donors are embracing sector wide approaches enthusiastically, and they have been introduced in the health sector in several countries, including Zambia, Ghana, and Bangladesh, but the realities have been little tested.2

In the past, donors provided support through project aid, resulting in many self contained projects which tended to fragment the health system, or through programme aid, where particular donors may provide funds through national budgets. In sector wide approaches donors agree to contribute to a single basket of funds, which in turn contributes to the country's national plan. The partner government and development agencies negotiate and agree policies and plans for development in the sector, including resource allocation, and aid is provided within this context.3 The potential benefit is that money is spent on priorities set by the country, not external agencies, and aid is more efficiently managed through the country's existing structures, with only one set …


Although it is generally assumed that cranial kinesis is a plesiomorphic characteristic in squamates, experimental data tend to contradict this hypothesis. In particular, coupled kinesis (i.e. streptostyly and mesokinesis) presumably arose independently in only a limited number of highly specialised groups. In this study, we investigated cranial kinesis in one of the most specialised of these groups: geckoes. On the basis of cineradiographic and electromyographic data, the fast opening and the slow closing/power stroke phases were modelled to elucidate possible functions of the observed kinesis. The results of these analyses show that the retraction of the muzzle unit during crushing is a self-reinforcing system that increases bite force and reduces the joint forces; the active protraction of the kinetic system during jaw opening, in contrast, enhances opening speed through the coupling of the intracranial units. It can be argued that cranial kinesis in geckoes is probably not an adaptive trait as such but, instead, a consequence of the 'Bauplan' of the cranial system in these animals. Presumably as a result of constructional constraints on the size of the jaw musculature and eyes, the supratemporal and postorbital bars were lost, which resulted in enormous mobility in the skull. To counteract the potential negative factors associated with this (decrease in bite force, skull damage), the kinetic system may have become coupled, and thus functional.


Purpose: To define the toxicities, pharmacodynamics, and clinical activity of the proteasome inhibitor, PS-341 (bortezomib), in patients with advanced malignancies. Patients and Methods: Twenty-eight patients (14 male and 14 female) received PS-341 twice weekly for 4 of 6 weeks (schedule I). Because toxicity necessitated dose omissions on this schedule, 16 additional patients (12 male and 4 female) received PS-341 twice weekly for 2 of every 3 weeks (schedule II). A total of 73 courses of treatment was given (median, 2; range, 1-4). Inhibition of 20S proteasome activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and accumulation of proteasome-targeted polypeptides in tumor tissue were evaluated as pharmacodynamic markers of PS-341 activity. Results: The most common toxicity was thrombocytopenia, which was dose limiting at 1.7 mg/m2 (schedule I) and 1.6 mg/m2 (schedule II), respectively. Sensory neuropathy was dose-limiting in a patient in schedule I. Grade ≥3 toxicities for schedule I were constipation, fatigue, myalgia, and sensory neuropathy. Grade ≥3 toxicities for schedule II were dehydration resulting from diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, hypoglycemia, and hypotension. The maximum tolerated dose was 1.5 mg/m2 for both schedules. Reversible dose-dependent decreases in 20S proteasome activity in PBMCs were observed, with 36% inhibition at 0.5 mg/m2, 52% at 0.9 mg/m2, and 75% at 1.25 mg/m2. Accumulation of proteasome-targeted polypeptides was detected in tumor samples after treatment with PS-341. A patient with multiple myeloma had a partial response. Conclusion: PS-341 given 1.5 mg/m2 twice weekly for 2 of every 3 weeks is well tolerated and should be further studied.


Speech quality and intelligibility might significantly deteriorate in the presence of background noise, especially when the speech signal is subject to subsequent processing. In particular, speech coders and automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems that were designed or trained to act on clean speech signals might be rendered useless in the presence of background noise. Speech enhancement algorithms have therefore attracted a great deal of interest. In this paper, we present a class of Kalman filter-based algorithms with some extensions, modifications, and improvements of previous work. The first algorithm employs the estimate-maximize (EM) method to iteratively estimate the spectral parameters of the speech and noise parameters. The enhanced speech signal is obtained as a byproduct of the parameter estimation algorithm. The second algorithm is a sequential, computationally efficient, gradient descent algorithm. We discuss various topics concerning the practical implementation of these algorithms. Extensive experimental study using real speech and noise signals is provided to compare these algorithms with alternative speech enhancement algorithms, and to compare the performance of the iterative and sequential algorithms.


To date the helmet is rarely used in AHRF, despite in hypoxic respiratory failure, it is employed as a "rotating" strategy when the facial mask is poorly tolerated. In a multicenter RCT, we compared the clinical efficacy of a new helmet designed to specifically improve the performance in COPD vs a full face mask during an episode of AHRF. 17 COPDs with AHRF were randomly assigned to receive NIV either with full face mask (GroupA,n=9pH=7,26±0.07PaCO 2 =73.7±10.8mmHg,PaO 2 /FiO 2 =97.3±53.7) or the helmet (GroupB,n=8pH=7.24±0.05PaCO 2 =83.3±14.2mmHg,PaO 2 /FiO 2 =100.6±41).In the former group the ventilator settings were decided according to the usual practice (i.e. the maximal inspiratory pressure tolerated and CPAP=4cmH20),while in latter group according to published data(Crit Care Med 2009; 37:1921). ABGs were evaluated at admission,1 and 6 hour and then everyday until discharge. Vital parameters, discomfort scale, dyspnea score and adverse events were recorded. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups. 2 and 1 patients for groupA and B respectively required intubation. NIV improved gas exchange vs baseline (p In conclusion in this pilot RCT we have shown that the helmet may be a valid alternative to the "classical" full face mask during an episode of AHRF, making the former interface possible alternative for "rotating" strategy.


We construct and evolve three one-parameter families and one two-parameter family of steady-state models of stellar disks embedded in live dark matter (DM) halos in order to study the dynamical and secular phases of bar evolution. These models are tested against those published in the literature in order to extend them and to include the gaseous component in the follow-up paper. Specifically, we are interested in the angular momentum, J, redistribution in the disk–halo system during these two evolutionary phases without distinguishing between the resonant and non-resonant effects. We confirm the previous results and quantify for the first time the dual role that the DM halos play in the bar evolution: more centrally concentrated halos dilute the dynamical processes of the initial bar growth, such as the spontaneous bar instability and the vertical buckling instability, and slow down the J transfer, while facilitating it in the secular phase. The rate of J transfer in the disk and the halo is followed up in order to identify sites and times of peak activity in J emission and absorption. Within the corotation radius, Rcr, the disk J remains nearly constant in time, as long as Rcr stays within the disk—a sign that the lost angular momentum to the outer disk and the halo is being compensated by an influx of fresh J due to the outward motion of Rcr. We demonstrate that this is feasible as long as the bar slowdown dominates the loss of J inside Rcr. Next, we find that in some models the bar pattern speed stalls for prolonged time periods, i.e., the bar exhibits a constant rate of tumbling when Rcr is located outside the disk. This phenomenon appears concurrent with the near absence of J transfer between the disk and the halo, and is associated with the halo emitting J at the corotation resonance and absorbing it at the inner Lindblad resonance. Furthermore, we confirm that stellar bars generally display the corotation-to-bar size ratios in the range of ∼1–1.4, but only between the times of the first buckling and Rcr leaving the disk. Hence, the corotation-to-disk size ratio emerges as an important dynamic discriminator between various stages of barred disk evolution. Finally, we analyze a number of correlations between the basic parameters of a barred disk and a halo, some already reported in the literature and some new.


Millions of crabs are sorted and discarded in freezing conditions each year in Alaskan fisheries for Tanner crab (Chionoecetes bairdi) and snow crab (C. opilio). However,
cold exposures vary widely over the fishing season and among different vessels, and mortalities are difficult to estimate. A shipboard experiment was conducted to determine whether simple behavioral observations can be used to evaluate crab condition after low-temperature exposures.
Crabs were systematically subjected to cold in seven different exposure treatments. They were then tested for righting behavior and six different ref lex actions and held to monitor mortality. Crabs lost limbs, showed ref lex impairment, and died in direct proportion to increases in
cold exposure. Righting behavior was a poor predictor of mortality, whereas reflex impairment (scored as the sum
of reflex actions that were lost) was an excellent predictor. This composite index could be measured quickly and easily in hand, and logistic regression revealed that the relationship between reflex impairment and mortality correctly predicted 80.0% of the mortality and survival for C. bairdi, and 79.4% for C. opilio. These relationships provide substantial improvements over earlier approaches to mortality estimation and were independent of crab size and exposure temperature.


This essay examines the American Civil War of 1861 – 1865, which is also known as the bloodiest war that the United States has ever experienced. The pretext for the war was the abolition of slavery in the South, and after many battles the Southern states lost: as a consequence, they experienced major changes in their economic and social life. This interesting piece from American history can be traced out throughout the characters' lives in the novel Gone with the Wind which has been thoroughly analyzed in order to draw nearer and to comprehend the changes in the Southern way of life before and after the war. The author, Margaret Mitchell, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up with the stories about the war. As a result, Gone with the Wind studies not only its causes, but also the years after its end – a period which is not generally a subject of history and receives little attention – and the effects that such reversals have on former planters and slaves. From the position of contemporaneity, the reader can see that such changes in a society do not end with the laying down of an act, or in this case the end of the war, but they continue during many years; thus, the modern world can draw conclusions and lessons for events that are happening at the moment.


Cemented carbides are the most common cutting tools for machining various grades of steels. In this study, wear behavior of two different cemented carbide grades with roughly the same fraction of binder phase and carbide phase but different grain size, in turning austenitic stainless steel is investigated. Wear tests were carried out against 316L stainless steel at 180 and 250 m/min cutting speeds.The worn surface of cutting tool is characterized using high resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and 3D optical profiler.The wear of cemented carbide in turning stainless steel is controlled by both chemical and mechanical wear. Plastic deformation, grain fracture and chemical wear is observed on flank and rake face of the cutting insert. In the case of fine-grained, the WC grains has higher surface contact with the adhered material which promotes higher chemical reaction and degradation of WC grains, so chemical wear resistance of the composites is larger when WC grains are larger. The hardness of cemented carbide increase linearly by decreasing grain size, therefore mechanical wear resistance of the composites is larger when WC grains are smaller.


The situation generated in the European Union by the mis-named "refugee crisis", reveals the degree to which the so-called Common European Asylum System has failed. Many factors have combined, over two decades, with the ultimate result that the right to asylum has been rendered meaningless. To declare the necessity of international protection as a right in the European context, it is interesting to analyse, as this paper proposes, the multiple factors that have come together to prevent the implementation of the Dublin System. The study applies a comparative perspective, using an analysis of the Canadian asylum system. The contrast between certain measures applied to refugees in the European Union and those employed by Canada permits the delineation of future guidelines. The clear objective is to restore a meaningful right to asylum in a humane, just, and efficient European system.


Abundant mammalian fossils were uncovered during the field exploration for Nihewan beds at the beginning of the 1980s along Xinyaozi Ravine at Nangaoya Township of Tianzhen County, Shanxi Province in North China and the studied taxa indicate an age of the early Early Pleistocene. Recent studies on the rhino material not yet described show that there are at least two species of rhinocerotids: Elasmotherium peii and Coelodonta nihowanensis . There might be a third taxon provisionally named as Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis due to incompleteness of the specimens. Since its morphometric characters are between S. kirchbergensis and C. nihowanensis , it might be a variety of one of the two species although it is more similar to the former than the latter. In the same way, The rhino specimens from Xiashagou named as Rhinoceros sinensis (?) by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau (1930) might be a variety of S. kirchbergensis or C. nihowanensis . The rhinocerotids uncovered so far from the Early Pleistocene deposits in the generalized Nihewan Basin including two certain species and two uncertain ones. The localities yielding E. peii include Xiashagou, Shanshenmiaozhui, Daheigou and Xinyaozi; those yielding C. nihowanensis include Xiashagou, Danangou, Donggutuo, Shanshenmiaozhui and Xinyaozi. R. sinensis (?) appeared only at Xiashagou and Stephanorhinus cf. S. kirchbergensis only at Xinyaozi


A simple, sensitive and economical spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of zidovudine in commercial dosage forms. The method was based on the the charge transfer reactions of zidovudine as n-electron donor with acceptor, 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-1,4- benzoquinone. The absorbance of the highly intensive coloured solution was measured at 460 nm against reagent blank treated similarly. Statistical analysis proves that the proposed methods are reproducible and selective for the estimation of zidovudine in bulk drug and in its tablet dosage form.


Abstract. The exchange fluxes of carbon dioxide between wet arctic polygonal tundra and the atmosphere were investigated by the micrometeorological eddy covariance method. The investigation site was situated in the centre of the Lena River Delta in Northern Siberia (72°22' N, 126°30' E). The study region is characterized by a polar and distinctly continental climate, very cold and ice-rich permafrost and its position at the interface between the Eurasian continent and the Arctic Ocean. The soils at the site are characterized by high organic matter content, low nutrient availability and pronounced water logging. The vegetation is dominated by sedges and mosses. The micrometeorological campaigns were performed during the periods July–October 2003 and May–July 2004 which included the period of snow and soil thaw as well as the beginning of soil refreeze. The main CO2 exchange processes, the gross photosynthesis and the ecosystem respiration, were found to be of a generally low intensity. The gross photosynthesis accumulated to −432 g m−2 over the photosynthetically active period (June–September). The contribution of mosses to the gross photosynthesis was estimated to be about 40%. The diurnal trend of the gross photosynthesis was mainly controlled by the incoming photosynthetically active radiation. During midday, the photosynthetic apparatus of the canopy was frequently near saturation and represented the limiting factor on gross photosynthesis. The synoptic weather conditions strongly affected the exchange fluxes of CO2 by changes in cloudiness, precipitation and pronounced changes of air temperature. The ecosystem respiration accumulated to +327 g m−2 over the photosynthetically active period, which corresponds to 76% of the CO2 uptake by photosynthesis. However, the ecosystem respiration continued at substantial rates during autumn when photosynthesis had ceased and the soils were still largely unfrozen. The temporal variability of the ecosystem respiration during summer was best explained by an exponential function with surface temperature, and not soil temperature, as the independent variable. This was explained by the major role of the plant respiration within the CO2 balance of the tundra ecosystem. The wet polygonal tundra of the Lena River Delta was observed to be a substantial CO2 sink with an accumulated net ecosystem CO2 exchange of −119 g m−2 over the summer and an estimated annual net ecosystem CO2 exchange of −71 g m−2.