: In order to elucidate the blood serum calcium, inorganic phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) content in the course of the development of chronic renal failure (CRF), 80 patients with chronile glomerulonephritis were examined. Of these, in 24 glomerular filtration (GF) was normal, whereas 56 had CRF of varying degree. Thirty-three out of the 80 patients had the nephrotic syndrome (NS). The parameters enumerated were also determined in 45 patients with CRF treated by hemodialysis. In patients without the NS, hypocalcemia was discovered only at the final predialysis stage of CRF, while in the presence of the NS, it was detectable in normal GF and was aggravated as CRF progressed. The PTH level ascended if GF was lower than 40 ml/min, not correlating with calcium concentration in the serum. A direct correlation was disclosed between the PTH level and that of inorganic phosphorus. The role of the latter in stimulation of PTH and CT secretion in CRF is discussed. In patients treated by hemodialysis, the PTH level significantly rose with treatment time increase. There was also a tendency toward elevation of CT concentration. The activity of the osseous fraction of blood serum alkaline phosphatase in patients treated by hemodialysis was increased in 61-84% of cases depending on the treatment period.


We performed Hyper-Rayleigh Scattering (HRS) experiments to measure the second-order nonlinear optical response of the collagen triple helix and determine the physical origin of second harmonic signals observed in collagenous tissues. HRS experiments yielded a second-order hyperpolarizability of 1.25 x 10(-27) esu for rat-tail type I collagen, a surprisingly large value considering that collagen presents no strong harmonophore in its amino acid sequence. Polarization-resolved experiments showed intramolecular coherent contributions to the HRS signal along with incoherent contributions that are the only contributions for molecules with dimensions much smaller than the excitation wavelength. We therefore modeled the effective second-order hyperpolarizability of the 290 nm long collagen triple helix by summing coherently the nonlinear response of well-aligned moieties along the triple helix axis. This model was confirmed by HRS measurements after denaturation of the collagen triple helix and for a collagen-like short model peptide [(Pro-Pro-Gly)(10)](3). We concluded that the large collagen nonlinear response originates in the tight alignment of a large number of small and weakly efficient harmonophores, presumably the peptide bonds, resulting in a coherent amplification of the nonlinear signal.


All printed sermons are in a sense only so many foot-prints in the sand; traces left by men, messages and moments that cannot be re-captured. But in Come Holy Spirit, sermons by Karl Barth and Eduard Thurneysen (Mowbrays, £).75, pp. 287), not only is the pulpit now empty, the service over and the worshippers gone, yet another World War has been fought and we are left only with the echoes of its aftermath. Meanwhile, too, the preacher's original 'marginal note' as he called it has burgeoned into a corrective theology ('Theologie des Korrektivs') extending into many learned volumes. Yet even in cold print well over fifty years later these sermons still strike the armchair-reader 'vertically from above' ('Setikrecht voti Obetz'), as Barth would have it, and still glow with signals-oftranscendence. This in itself is some measure of the


Using dosed lateral fluid percussion, moderate and severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) was modeled in one- and two-year-old rats. Brain sections were stained using the Nissl cresyl violet method and an immunohistochemical reaction was performed for the demonstration of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of astrocytes. The results obtained indicate the formation in the cerebral cortex, ipsilateral to the impact, the zones of direct and remote of injury. The zone of direct injury corresponded to the area of immediate contact of the liquid column with the dura mater, whereas the remote area of damage was located laterally and caudally to the former. Morphological signs of the injury depended on the force of impact and were manifested in both age groups by astrocytic gliosis and the thinning of layer I of the cortex resulting from neuronal death. The emergence of ischemia-modified neurons, probably, was due to a local disruption of the blood supply. Disorders in the brain in one-year-old rats had a local character and those in two-year-old rats were diffuse, while gliosis was inhomogeneous. The reproducibility and adequacy of the model allow its use for research of molecular-genetic mechanisms of TBI outcomes in humans, as well as for the identification of common mechanisms of TBI consequences and the pathogenesis of the major diseases, comorbid with TBI, primarily depression and epilepsy.


Physiologic and hygienic observational data on working conditions of operators of mechanical milking at milking sites of modern milk complexes demonstrated the impact of physical load on workers' capacity for work and health status. Sanitation measures aimed at improvement of working conditions and disease prevention of operators of mechanical milking were developed.


High cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but their role in dementia and cognitive decline is less clear. This review highlights current knowledge on the role of cholesterol in late-life cognitive function, cognitive decline, and dementia. When measured in midlife, high cholesterol levels associate with an increased risk of late-life dementia and cognitive decline. However, when measured in late-life, high cholesterol levels show no association with cognitive function, or even show an inverse relation. Although statin treatment has been shown to associate with a lower risk of dementia and cognitive decline in observational studies, randomized controlled trials show no beneficial effect of statin treatment on late-life cognitive function. Lowering cholesterol levels may impair brain function, since cholesterol is essential for synapse formation and maturation and plays an important role in the regulation of signal transduction through its function as a component of the cell membrane. However, membrane cholesterol also plays a role in the formation and aggregation of amyloid-β. Factors that influence cholesterol metabolism, such as dietary intake, are shown to play a role in late-life cognitive function and the risk of dementia. In conclusion, cholesterol associates with late-life cognitive function, but the association is strongly age-dependent. There is no evidence that treatment with statins in late-life has a beneficial effect on cognitive function.


Members of the CYCLOIDEA2 (CYC2) clade of the TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA, and PCF transcription factor genes are widely involved in controlling floral zygomorphy, a key innovation in angiosperm evolution, depending on their persistently asymmetric expression in the corresponding floral domains. However, it is unclear how this asymmetric expression is maintained throughout floral development. Selecting Primulina heterotricha as a model, we examined the expression and function of two CYC2 genes, CYC1C and CYC1D. We analyzed the role of their promoters in protein–DNA interactions and transcription activation using electrophoresis mobility shift assays, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and transient gene expression assays. We find that CYC1C and CYC1D positively autoregulate themselves and cross-regulate each other. Our results reveal a double positive autoregulatory feedback loop, evolved for a pair of CYC2 genes to maintain their expression in developing flowers. Further comparative genome analyses, together with the available expression and function data of CYC2 genes in the core eudicots, suggest that this mechanism might have led to the independent origins of floral zygomorphy, which are associated with plant–insect coevolution and the adaptive radiation of angiosperms.


Call Centre is a place of information that centralized is used to
receiving incoming calls and provides related information to the
customer. Call Centre typically run by companies that have
information services that support the improvement of products and
receive information from customers. Call Centre operated as a scope
of work undertaken by a number of agent or costumer
representative. Now many companies abroad to develop Call Centre
associated with computers and LAN networks. This technology is
called VoIP network (Voice over Internet Protocol).
In this final project created a system that can distributes
incoming call from a customer to call center. This system will
accommodate all the incoming phone call into an IP PBX server. In
the IP PBX IVR servers have features that will answer the call
automatically and features advance call distributions that will
distribute calls to active agents.
From the result of this final project, IVR system has worked
well, where average execution time in accessing a menu option is 4-
5 seconds. To access the information services provided takes 7-8
seconds. In the implementation of ACD system with four methods
obtained the average execution time - the average for each method is
Round Robin method at 7:45 seconds, Fewest Calls method
amounting to 2.2 seconds, Round Robin Memor method for 6.8
seconds and the last method Least Recent for 2 seconds. Of the four
methods of ACD, Least Recent method has the fastest execution
time than the other methods. Test results obtained by 60% of
respondents gave a good assessment for the system that has been
built and as many as 30% of respondents choose Least Recent
method as the best method it can be applied in Call Center.
Keywords: Asterisk, IVR, ACD, Roundrobin, Fewest Calls, Round
Robin Memory, Least Recent


Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to play important roles in cancers. However, little is known about lncRNAs in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a cholangiocyte malignancy with poor prognosis. We investigated the role of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) lncRNA in promoting CCA. qRT-PCR analysis of patient samples showed that NEAT1 expression was higher in CCA tumors than in matched adjacent nontumor tissue. NEAT1 levels were also higher in CCA cell lines than in a normal biliary epithelium cell line (HIBEpic). NEAT1 knockdown in CCA cell lines using shNEAT1 reduced cell proliferation and colony formation in CCK-8 and colony formation assays, respectively. CCA cells transfected with shNEAT1 also exhibited reduced metastasis and invasiveness in Transwell assays. NEAT1 knockdown cells produced smaller tumors, demonstrating that NEAT1 promotes tumor growth in vivo. Silencing of NEAT1 increased E-cadherin expression in vitro, and E-cadherin expression was inversely correlated with NEAT1 expression in CCA tissue samples. RIP and ChIP assays suggest that NEAT1 is recruited to the E-cadherin promoter by EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2), where it represses E-cadherin expression. These findings indicate that NEAT1 exerts oncogenic effects in CCA. We postulate that NEAT1 is a potentially useful diagnostic and therapeutic target for CCA.


Author Institution: Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, University of Colorado, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado


Large geographical variations in dental health and tooth loss among US adolescents and young adults have been reported since the mid-1800s. Studies in the 1920s and 1930s noted that vitamin D and ultraviolet-B (UVB) irradiance reduced caries formation, the proposed mechanism being improved calcium absorption and metabolism. This paper reviews the history of studies of dental caries with respect to vitamin D, geographical location and available solar UVB doses. In addition, data on mean dental health rank by state for US servicemen from three periods, 1918, 1934 and 1943, were used in regression analyses with respect to summertime solar UVB doses and an index for mottled enamel, a proxy for natural fluoridation of drinking water, for 1935. There was a significant inverse correlation for dental health rank with respect to solar UVB from doses of 4.0 to 6.5 kJ/m(2) with little change thereafter. Adding data for mottled enamel rates for the states with UvB doses <6.6 kJ/m(2) improved the adjusted R(2) from 0.45 to 0.52. The mechanism whereby UVB reduces risk of dental caries is likely through production of vitamin D, followed by induction of cathelicidin and defensins, which have antimicrobial properties. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations at or above 30-40 ng/ml should significantly reduce the formation of dental caries. It is unfortunate that the UVB and vitamin D findings were not given more consideration in the 1950s as a way to reduce the risk of dental caries when water fluoridation was being proposed.


stereophonic systems the recording by two microphone channels which mimic the aural investigation of the acoustic environment by our two ears. Head-related stereophony aims at a subjectively optimal reproduction of a sound field, in particular with headphones, whereas the multi-channel synthesis of a sound field provides a listening condition which is more independent of the individual listeners acoustic properties (cid:1) e.g., head size, near-field refraction pattern (cid:2) . Binaural measurement devices are comparatively less complex and costly and therefore in use for about 30 years for sound field investigations, as in concert hall acoustics or in the assessment of environmental and technical sounds. A review is given on the development of head-related stereophony for investigating (cid:1) mainly (cid:2) room acoustics. Concepts of future devices for the assessment of technical sound are presented. The classical head-shaped recording system (cid:1) dummy head (cid:2) beam-forming microphone This paper will present and demonstrate some recent work on the measurement of acoustic properties from binaural recordings of live performances. It is found that models of the process of stream formation can be used to measure intelligibility, and, when combined with band-limited running cross-correlation, can be used to measure spaciousness and envelopment. Analysis of the running cross correlation during sound onsets can be used to measure the accuracy of azimuth perception. It is additionally found that the ease of detecting fundamental pitch from the upper partials of speech and music can be used as a measure of sound quality, particularly for solo instruments and singers. Binaural measurements have been made in a number of acoustic environments, and the results from different binaural heads and stereo microphones are compared. The object of the study was not only to establish what practical differences occurred between the various head formats, but also to see if a stereo microphone or pseudohead could be used for making auditorium binaural measure- ments. Five measurement platforms were employed. These included two binaural dummy heads, binaural in-ear probe microphones, an SAAS pseudohead stereo microphone and a M-S (cid:1) midside (cid:2) stereo microphone. In the latter case, three different midside ratios were employed and compared. The measurements were made in a reverberant recital hall (cid:1) 2.5-s RT (cid:2) and small acoustically treated listening room (cid:1) RT 0.2 s (cid:2) . Whereas relatively minor differences were found to occur between the heads, significant differences were found to occur with the stereo microphones. It is concluded that while useful information can be obtained from a stereo microphone, it is far from being the same as binaural. In this study, three-dimensional sound fields can be visualized by measured data in an addition to transient numerical solutions. Concretely, the results of measurements by the four-point microphone method are used in the visualization of three-dimensional sound fields. By the results, distribution of virtual sources and hedgehog pattern are visualized as the receiving point is located on the center point in three-dimensional sound fields. The analyses of the transient sound fields are performed by the discretization of the wave equation. As the technique of numerical calculation, the finite difference method (cid:1) FDM (cid:2) is used. Transient sound fields are visualized by numerical solutions of sound pressure, instantaneous sound intensity, sound energy and particle displacement in three-dimensional space in addition to two-dimensional space. It has been verified that the numerical solutions have high accuracy by comparison with the corresponding analytical solutions. VRML97 is used as the viewer of three-dimensional sound fields. In this study, several trials of three-dimensional animation are going to be shown by VRML97 in order to visualize the transient sound fields. A 32-element spherical array of microphones has been used to perform directional analysis of sound at a point. Optimized filter-and-sum beamforming is used to generate a highly directional beam over a broad frequency range. The beam can be steered in any three-dimensional direction, enabling angular discrimination of sound at a listening point. The directional responses can also be analyzed temporally, giving the directionality of the sound field at any time instant, or over any desired time range. By establishing a sound field with a test signal such as MLS or a sine sweep, the omnidirectional impulse response at each array microphone can be determined. Subsequent beamforming results in a set of directional impulse responses, which enables isolation of individual arrivals, or analysis in terms of early/late sound, for example. Various measurements made with the spherical array system will be presented and discussed. some concert halls one can perceive a front-to-rear movement of late reverberation as noted by T. J. Schultz (cid:3) J. Sound Vib. 43 , 555–561 (cid:1) 1975 (cid:2)(cid:4) . Listening tests show that the effect is not likely to be due to timbral change but rather to result from the spatial properties of the reverberant field. The effect can be noted as a change in late center time as a function of lateral angle of incidence of reverberant sound. The effect is likely to be a result of the scattering characteristics of hall surfaces. Measurements using a simplified scale model support this hypothesis. Measurements in Boston's Symphony Hall yield similar results. (cid:3) Work supported by RPI. (cid:4) The three-dimensional, time-variant output of a computational model of the human auditory system was investigated with the aim of extracting perceptually patterns as relevant to spatial impression. To this end, the same stimuli with which the model was excited were also presented to human listeners which evaluated (cid:1) i (cid:2) the auditory source width (cid:1) ASW (cid:2) , i.e., the horizontal extent of the auditory event, and (cid:1) ii (cid:2) the listener envelopment (cid:1) LEV (cid:2) , i.e., the amount of envelopment by the auditory event. The listeners had to be trained beforehand as the discrimination of source- and room-related parameters of auditory events is not a common task to them. To allow for natural localization and to enable interactive listening, the stimuli were presented through head-tracked headphones. Trained listeners appeared to produce consistent results when depicting auditory objects on a compass-rose-shaped plane, where they had to mark the position and broadening of the auditory event (cid:1) s (cid:2) The simulation and the binaural recording of sounds produced by large crowds and rain impact sounds has produced an unex-pected result. The listeners have reported that the auditory events were mainly concentrated to the left and to right, although the sound sources were equally distributed around the listeners. A similar result was reported with binaural recordings of applause. The results of a binaural signal analysis suggest that the key aspect regarding the lateral position dominance of the auditory events is connected to the sections where the cross-correlation coefficient assumes negative values. A comparison between normalized and non-normalized cross-correlation function predictions indicates that the latter is a better predictor for the cases studied. An adaptation period of several seconds was reported by several listeners. It is suggested that this adaptation period is related to the variations of the cross-correlation, which only average out after, approximately 2 s. The binaural impulse responses of a concert hall at two different listener positions have been analyzed in the light of the previous findings. In particular the diffuse sound field buildup will be analyzed in detail. Implications for the auditory source width and listener envelopment will be discussed. three of Auditory spatial impression is studied for its contribution to auditorium acoustical quality. By contrast, visual spatial impression in auditoria in formal studies. paper reports results from a series of experiments investigating the auditory and visual spatial impression of concert auditoria. For auditory stimuli, a fragment of an anechoic recording of orchestral music was convolved with calibrated binaural impulse responses, which had been made with the dummy head microphone at a wide range of positions in three auditoria and the sound source on the stage. For visual stimuli, greyscale photographs were used, taken at the same positions in the three auditoria, with a visual target on the stage. Subjective experiments were conducted with auditory stimuli alone, visual stimuli alone, and visual and auditory stimuli combined. In these experiments, subjects rated apparent source width, listener envelopment, intimacy and source distance (cid:1) auditory stimuli (cid:2) , and spaciousness, envelopment, stage dominance, intimacy and target distance (cid:1) visual stimuli (cid:2) . Results show target distance to be of primary importance in auditory and visual spatial impression—thereby providing a basis for covariance between some attributes of auditory and visual spatial impression. Nevertheless, some attributes of spatial impression diverge between the senses. A model of human perception of auditory source width has been developed, based on the interaural cross-correlation coefficient (cid:1) IACC (cid:2) . The following factors differentiate it from more commonly used IACC-based models: the use of a running analysis to quantify variations in width over time; half-wave rectification and low pass filtering of the input signal to mimic the breakdown of phase locking in the ear; compensation for the frequency and loudness dependency of perceived width; combination of a model of perceived location with a model of perceived width; and conversion of the results to an intuitive scale. Objecti


Associative methods for content-based image ranking by semantics are attractive due to the similarity of generated models to human models of understanding. Although they tend to return results that are better understood by image analysts, the induction of these models is difficult to build due to factors that affect training complexity, such as coexistence of visual patterns in same images, over-fitting or under-fitting and semantic representation differences among image analysts. This article proposes a methodology to reduce the complexity of ranking satellite images for associative methods. Our approach employs genetic operations to provide faster and more accurate models for ranking by semantic using low level features. The added accuracy is provided by a reduction in the likelihood to reach local minima or to overfit. The experiments show that, using genetic optimization, associative methods perform better or at similar levels as state-of-the-art ensemble methods for ranking. The mean average precision (MAP) of ranking by semantic was improved by 14% over similar associative methods that use other optimization techniques while maintaining smaller size for each semantic model.


Piezoelectric Pb(Sb1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbZrO3-PbTiO3 (PSN-PMN-PZT) quaternary ceramics with the various contents of Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3 from 4 to 10mol% were prepared. The phase structure of the system was delineated by X-ray diffraction analysis. The surface morphology was examined by SEM. The piezoelectric and dielectric properties were also measured. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the PSN-PMN-PZT piezoelectric ceramics was composed of tetragonal phase with perovskite-type structure. Study on the influence of Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3 additives on dielectric and piezoelectric properties indicated that the PSN-PMN-PZT quaternary system exhibited a high mechanical quality factor and well-situated piezoelectric properties. The optimized results of d33 =332pC/N, d31= -105pC/N, Kp=0.58, K31=0.34 and Qm=1658 can be obtained at 6 mol% Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3. The obtained electrical properties make this composition a good candidate for underwater acoustic devices.


The copper/paraffin nanocomposites were synthesized by high energy ball milling. Observation of the microstructure, comparison and ascertainment of the particle size of the composite were analyzed by transmission electron microscope. Then the composite was put into a home-made copper tube (5 mm in diameter, 20 mm in length, closed at one end) by thermoforming process, and its thermal sensitivity was measured using thermo-controlled optical micro measuring equipment. The effects of milling time on the microstructures and the thermal sensitivity of copper/paraffin nanocomposites were investigated. The results showed that different milling time caused the changes in particle size and shape of the composite, and had a significant effect on its thermal sensitivity. With increasing milling time, the thermal sensitivity of composite gradually increased.


Background From mid-2007 Australia funded a universal free vaccination program for all females between 12 and 26 years, but not for men or for women who were older than 26 years in 2007. Vaccine coverage rates of >80% were achieved for school-girls, though coverage was probably lower for young women in the community. To determine the population effect of the vaccine program we established a national surveillance network to measure trends in clinical presentations for genital warts. Methods Eight sexual health services dispersed around Australia provided data on all new patients between 2004 and 2010, including new diagnoses of genital warts, demographics, sexual behaviour, and HPV vaccination status. Results Among more than 130 000 new patients we identified over 10 000 new cases of genital warts. Before the vaccination program there was no change in the proportion of women or heterosexual men diagnosed with genital warts. In the first 30 months of the vaccination program we detected a 59% decline in the proportion of young resident women diagnosed with genital warts (p-trend <0.0001) and preliminary analysis indicates that this trend was ongoing in 2010. In contrast, we could not detect any significant decline in genital warts among non-resident young women, older women, or men who have sex with men. Interestingly, the proportion of younger men (<26 years in mid-2007) diagnosed with genital warts declined by 39% (p-trend <0.0001) while there was no significant decline among older heterosexual men. By 2009, 65% of resident women of free vaccine-eligible age, 15% of non-resident women of the same age, and 11% of older women reported having had a quadrivalent or an unknown HPV vaccine. Conclusion The vaccination program has had a large population-level impact on the incidence of genital warts in young Australian women, with some flow-on benefit for young heterosexual men as a result of herd immunity.


Claims have been made that families with children living with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been migrating to Alberta because of higher funding available for ASD supports compared to other provinces. The legitimacy of these claims, along with many others about the adequacy or inadequacy of funding for supporting persons living with ASD, has not been evaluated because we simply don't know how many people in Alberta are living with ASD. Typically in Canada, ASD prevalence is reported in national figures, based on international estimates. Canadian prevalence estimates for ASD are needed. With no national surveillance system in place, national estimates are difficult to determine. In addition, such broad measurements are problematic as they may not adequately inform the service delivery needs for specific jurisdictions. A new study shows that 1,711, or 1 in 94, school age children in the Calgary region have an ASD diagnosis. As this number matches what is often reported for the national prevalence of ASD, it suggests that Alberta's relatively higher ASD funding is not inducing in-migration of families seeking better support. The data also show that the prevalence is higher in elementary-grade children, with a diagnosis in one of every 86 children. In the senior grades, there are significantly fewer students with ASD diagnoses, specifically within the Calgary Board of Education. There is no evident reason for diagnoses to seemingly dematerialize in the older grades. These students could be dropping out or choosing home-schooling in greater numbers. Possibly there has been an increase in prevalence. These prevalence estimates help to inform the demand for special-needs services within the local school system. In addition, there is growing concern that upon graduation there is a "support cliff" resulting from a less systematized, less generous support system available for adults with neurodevelopmental disability. Families that need support for ASD face enough challenges; it is critical for policy-makers to be aware of the extent of the situation in their own jurisdiction so as to develop the right kinds of supports for these families.


Background: Recently, a skeletal maturity system using knee radiographs, named the modified Roche-Wainer-Thissen (RWT) system, has been developed using 7 discrete radiographic parameters. While the system has been shown to significantly outperform the Greulich and Pyle atlas, the effect of rotational variation of the knee radiograph on skeletal maturity determinations has not been studied. Methods: Normal knee computed tomography scans of 12 male children ages 10 to 16 years and 8 female children ages 8 to 14 years were obtained retrospectively, converted into 3-dimensional reconstructions, and then used to simulate knee radiographs in 5 different rotational positions. Images were graded using the modified RWT system, and 1-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare skeletal age in the patella centered view versus the other positions. We next retrospectively found 85 pediatric patients with both bilateral standing anteroposterior hip to ankles and separate knee radiograph within 6 months of each other. The skeletal maturity values from the 2 different radiographs were compared in 39 males between the ages of 10 and 16 years and 46 females between 8 and 14 years of age using paired t test and Wilcoxon-signed rank test. Results: On the computed tomography scan-based images, there was no statistically significant effect of rotational position on the modified RWT score using repeat measures analysis of variance (P=0.210). Only the width ratio of the tibial epiphysis and metaphysis and the width ratio of the fibular epiphysis and metaphysis were statistically different between rotational positions (P<0.05). Comparing clinical full length versus knee radiographs, we found a small difference of 0.069 years which trended towards a statistically significant difference (P=0.009). Conclusions: This retrospective study supports the resilience of the RWT model to rotational variation, reassuring clinicians that bone age estimation can be performed in a slightly rotated knee x-ray within a reasonable margin of error. These results can minimize the number of radiographs needed to assess skeletal maturity limiting radiation exposure and expedite clinical flow. Level of Evidence: Level-III—diagnostic study.


Questions of simulation of ultrasonic pressure fields and microstreams in liquid environments of clearing baths with a various radiators arrangement are considered. The uniform field of ultrasonic pressure is created at an arrangement of radiators in the form of triangular structure. In the presence of the cartridge with details uniformity of distribution of ultrasonic pressure in baths worsens in 3-4 times. Speed and the sizes of whirlwind microstreams depend on power of radiators and their arrangement in a bath. Ill. 5, bibl. 5 (in English; summaries in English, Russian and Lithuanian).


Nimesulide (NIM) is a sulfonanilide nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used in the treatment of various inflammatory diseases and chemically unrelated to other acidic NSAIDs, such as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and indomethacin (INDO). We investigated the effects of NIM and of its in vivo metabolite, 4-hydroxy-NIM (OH-NIM), on the release of performed (histamine) and de novo synthesized mediators (sulfidopeptide leukotriene C4 [LTC4] and prostaglandin D2 [PGD2]) from human basophils and mast cells isolated from lung parenchyma (HLMC) and skin (HSMC). Histamine release from basophils challenged with rabbit anti-human IgE antibody (anti-IgE) was enhanced by preincubation with ASA or INDO (92.2 +/- 7.1% at 10(-3) M and 61.1 +/- 6.7% at 3 x 10(-6) M, respectively; P < .001). In contrast, NIM and its metabolite, OH-NIM (10(-6) to 10(-3) M), caused concentration-dependent inhibition (2.9 to approximately 60% and 3.7 to approximately 90%, respectively) of IgE-mediated histamine release from basophils. NIM and OH-NIM also inhibited histamine release from basophils induced by the Ca++ ionophore A23187 and different protein kinase C activators, such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, bryostatin 1 and bryostatin 5. NIM and OH-NIM also inhibited the IgE-mediated histamine release from HLMC (52.3 +/- 9.6% and 66.1 +/- 12.1% at 10(-3) M, respectively; P < .0001) and HSMC (67.3 +/- 3.7% and 77.7 +/- 12.0% at 10(-3) M, respectively; P < .0001) but had little or no effect on HLMC and HSMC activated by A23187. NIM (10(-6) to 10(-3) M) markedly inhibited the de novo synthesis of LTC4 from basophils, LTC4 and PGD2 from HLMC and PGD2 from HSMC. NIM and OH-NIM potentiated, whereas ASA and INDO reversed, the inhibitory effect of adenylate cyclase agonists, such as prostaglandin E1 and forskolin. In addition, NIM and OH-NIM reversed the enhancing effects of ASA and INDO on IgE-mediated histamine release from basophils.


Abstract:In the last thirty years, the "aristocratic" current of the republican tradition of thought has seen a revival largely based on a reinterpretation of Niccolò Machiavelli's contribution. Quite recently, this reinterpretation was challenged by emphasizing the fundamentaly "anti-aristocratic" and radically "democratic" nature of Machiavelli's thinking. After John McCormick's Machiavellian Democracy (2011), Lawrence Hamilton's Freedom Is Power (2014) is the latest attempt to engage critically with both interpretive currents and to offer institutional solutions for the ongoing crisis of representation in liberal democracies, most notably by proposing to update the ancient institution of the tribunes of the plebs. In this article I discuss McCormick and Hamilton's interpretation of Machiavelli's tribunician function, and bring into the debate an examination of Florentine institutions and of Machiavelli's constitutional draft of 1522 (not yet published in English).


The fishery and population dynamics of Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus Ham.) from Nawabunder, Rajpara and Jaffrabad were studied for the period from 2003 to 2006. The average annual landings of Harpadon nehereus was 25,079 t, which contributed 31.12 % to the total dol net catches. The seasonal peak in catch was recorded during September – January and in May. The length–weight relationship showed that growth was isometric and there was no significant variation between the sexes. The overall sex ratio was 1:0.99 with gravid and ripe females encountered in most months with a peak during September – December. The length at first maturity of female was 20.2 cm. The growth parameters were estimated as L = 35.39 cm and K = 0.86 and the length attained at the end of 1, 2 and 3 years were 20.66 cm, 29.16 cm and 32.75 cm respectively. The length at first capture was 3.42 cm with recruitment occurring in most months of the year with a peak during February – June. The natural mortality, fishing mortality and total mortality were 1.52, 1.73 and 3.25 respectively and the exploitation ratio was 0.53. The maximum sustainable yield was 23,557 t, which was lower than the average annual catch indicating overexploitation of the species. The yield per recruit and biomass per recruit was 6.565 g and 3.79 g and increase in relative yield by 111.45 % would be obtained by decreasing the present level of fishing by 40 %.


In Britain, public confidence in policing has become a short-hand for trust, legitimacy and consent. As such, the phrase tends to wrap up a set of inter-connected yet empirically and conceptually distinct notions. Yet it is important to unpack these distinct, albeit connected, ideas. At the very least we should differentiate between trust and confidence on the one hand, and legitimacy, compliance, cooperation and consent on the other hand. In this article we: (a) introduce the concept of trust and confidence in the police; (b) document historical trends in trust and confidence; and (c) outline the factors thought to influence public confidence. We aim throughout to highlight key ideas, studies and debates.


Summary Utilizing filters to suppress spurious signals is inevitable in communication systems. In some applications, where the level of spurious signals is high or the frequency of LO is near to IF (in up-conversion), increasing the slope of the filter to eliminate spurious signals is unavoidable. In this paper we are going to present an idea about usage of evanescent mode of Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) as a High Pass Filter (HPF), to excellently reject spurious signals and a novel method for matching between the filter and a microstrip line for this filter is presented. The mathematical calculations based on the presented method and the structure, and also the similarities between the calculations and the simulations done by HFSS confirm the efficiency of this new method. The validation of method is shown by measurement results.


The aim of this study is to develop a nano graphene–polyglycerol–curcumin hybrid capable of simultaneous co-delivery of chemotherapeutic drug and cytotoxic heat to cancer cells by near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. Based on a fluorescence quenching study, the nano graphene sheet was functionalized by a polyglycerol polymer via π–π interaction between the π conjugated system of graphene and the aromatic focal point of polyglycerol through static mechanism. The binding constant and standard Gibbs free energy change of the binding process, obtained from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), were 1.8 × 106 M−1 and −35.7 kJ mol−1, respectively. This hybrid showed excellent heat generation efficiency (ΔT ≈ 60 °C in 5 min, 1 W cm−1 NIR laser) and high loading capacity of curcumin (61%). The resulting drug delivery system displayed a good stability with low drug release in PBS. However, NIR laser irradiation could trigger release of curcumin from the surface of the functionalized graphene sheet in PBS (up to 5-fold greater release) due to the local generated heat. Also the laser induced intracellular release of curcumin was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis. So the combination of chemo/photothermal therapy using this advanced drug delivery system demonstrated a synergistic effect for killing of MCF-7 breast cancer cells by MTT and apoptosis assays.


Research has shown that individuals affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) do not always consume foods or supplements known to be beneficial for ocular health. This study tested the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to promote healthy eating and nutritional supplementation in this group. A total of 100 individuals with AMD completed baseline measures of several variables: confidence that diet affects AMD, motivation to engage in health-protective behaviours, knowledge about which nutrients are beneficial, and intake of kale, spinach, and eggs. Participants were allocated to either intervention or control conditions. Intervention participants received a leaflet and prompt card that contained advice regarding dietary modification and supplementation. Control participants received a leaflet created by the Royal College of Optometrists. A follow-up questionnaire, measuring the same variables assessed at baseline, was administered 2 weeks later. At follow-up, significant condition × time interactions were found for confidence that diet affects AMD (F(1, 92) = 4.54, p < .05), motivation to talk to an eye professional about supplementation (F(1, 92) = 4.53, p = .036), motivation to eat eggs (F(1, 92) = 12.67, p = .001), and egg intake (F(1, 92) = 11.97, p = .001). In each case, intervention participants scored higher than control participants. Receiving an educational intervention increased participants' confidence that diet affects AMD, motivation to engage in health-protective behaviours, and egg intake. This intervention could be easily incorporated into current clinical practice delivered by either optometrists or ophthalmologists.


Numerous evolutionary linguists have indicated that human pointing behaviour might be associated with the evolution of language. At an ontogenetic level, and in normal individuals, pointing develops spontaneously and the onset of human pointing precedes as well as facilitates phases in speech and language development. Phylogenetically, pointing behaviour might have preceded and facilitated the evolutionary origin of both gestural and vocal language. Contrary to wild non-human primates, captive and human-reared nonhuman primates also demonstrate pointing behaviour. In this article, we analyse the debates on pointing and its role it might have played in language evolution from a meta-level. From within an Applied Evolutionary Epistemological approach, we examine how exactly we can determine whether pointing has been a unit, a level or a mechanism in language evolution.


The kinetics of accumulation of light harvesting chlorophyll (Chl) a/b-binding polypeptides (LHCPs) in thylakoid membranes were analyzed during greening of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii y-1 at 38 degrees C. Initial accumulation of LHCPs in thylakoid membranes was linear; LHCP precursors or polypeptides in transit within the chloroplast stroma were not detected. The rate of accumulation in the light was at least five-fold greater than that in the dark. The relatively small amount of LHCPs that accumulated in the dark was integrated properly in the membrane, as judged by the pattern of cleavage in vitro by exogenous proteases, and did not turn over at a significant rate in vivo. The kinetic data suggested that in y-1 cells either translation of LHCP mRNA was inhibited in the dark or newly synthesized polypeptides were degraded concurrently with transport into the chloroplast unless rescued by Chl. LHCPs accumulated in cells of the Chl b-deficient strain pg-113 at the same rate in the dark or the light at 38 degrees C, an indication that light did not affect translation of LHCP mRNA. Membrane-associated LHCPs in pg-113 cells were completely degraded, in contrast to those in y-1 cells, by exogenous proteases, which suggested that pg-113 cells are deficient in a proteolytic activity. A peptidase was recovered from y-1 cells in a membrane fraction with a buoyant density slightly less than that of thylakoid membranes. Although a role for this activity in degradation of LHCPs has not been established, the specific activity of this peptidase in pg-113 cells was only 10 to 15% of the level in y-1 cells.


Calculating intravenous (IV) infusion rates for critical care drugs can be a time-consuming and error-prone task. A microcomputer program was developed to: generate IV infusion rate charts that are both patient and drug-specific; provide the user with on-line drug information necessary to correctly prepare and administer the drug; and allow the user to rapidly perform individual dose-to-rate and rate-to-dose calculations. The program was written in BASIC programming language and runs in compiled form. It is completely menu-driven, requiring only single-keystroke commands. This program demonstrates that specific pharmacy software programs can be developed "in-house" easily and inexpensively.


Viral marketing can become an effective marketing technique in social networks. Initiating from a set of influential seed users, it can activate a "chain-reaction" driven by word-of-mouth. The effectiveness of viral marketing lies in the fact that it conveys an implied endorsement from social ties. However, not all viral marketing campaign become successful some stop even before the number of activated users of the network reaches critical mass. In this paper we propose a new approach to viral marketing that will allow marketers to increase the performance of the stopped campaign by initiating new "waves" of the campaign. But in order to not overwhelm users that were already exposed to the initial campaign, the activation of seeds is performed in a non-intrusive way by suggesting users to follow recommendations of their friends. The proposed method for seed selection for the next "wave" is based on percolation centrality that takes into account already activated nodes and uses their social connections to boost the word-of-mouth propagation that already happens in the network.


Five novel nickel(II) coordination polymers, namely, [Ni(cpna)(4,4′-bipy)(H2O)2] (1), [Ni(cpna)(1,4-bbi)(H2O)]·H2O (2), [Ni4(cpna)4(H2O)8] (3), [Ni2(cpna)2(4,4′-bbpy)(H2O)] (4), and [Ni (cpna)(1,4-bibz)0.5(H2O)]·H2O (5) (H2cpna = 5-(4′-carboxylphenyl)nicotinic acid; 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine; 1,4-bbi = 1,4-bisbenzimidazole; 4,4′-bbpy = 4,4′-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)biphenyl; 1,4-bibz = 1,4-bis(1-imidazoly)benzene), have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions based on H2cpna and four different linear N-donor co-ligands. Structural analyses show that all Ni(II) ions lie in slightly distorted six coordinated octahedral geometries. Complexes 1–5 exhibit a variety of architectures: 1 features a 1D chain structure, complex 2 possesses a 2D network, and compounds 3–5 display a 3D framework with dimer Ni2 units, which might be affected by the coordination modes and lengths of the co-ligands. The magnetic and photocatalytic properties were investigated. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibilities indicate that weak ferromagnetic interactions exist between two adjacent Ni(II) ions of 2, while the other compounds show antiferromagnetic exchange interactions. All of them could accelerate the degradation rate of MO under visible light irradiation, especially compound 2.


A binder-free, MgCo2O4 nanosheet-like architecture was prepared on Ni-foam using a hydrothermal method. MgCo2O4/Ni-foam was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The FESEM image revealed a nanosheet array-like architecture. The MgCo2O4 nanosheets grown on Ni-foam exhibited the maximum specific capacity of 947 C g-1 at a specific current of 2 A g-1. Approximately 96% of the specific capacity was retained from the maximum specific capacity after 5000 continuous charge-discharge cycles. This hybrid device exhibited a maximum specific capacity of 52 C g-1 at a specific current of 0.5 A g-1, and also exhibited a maximum specific energy of 12.99 W h kg-1 at a specific power of 448.7 W kg-1. These results confirmed that the binder-free MgCo2O4 nanosheets grown on Ni-foam are a suitable positive electrode material for hybrid supercapacitors.

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Probiotics are considered as live microbial formulations exhibiting health benefits related to their ability to alter the gut microbiota and thereby preventing diseases. The present study was conducted to produce probiotic guava juice in a pilot plant (batch type, 50L capacity) through the application of Lactobacillus acidophilus (MTCC no. 10307). The probiotic cells of Lactobacillus acidophilus were added aseptically into the guava juice at 15% (v/v) to reach a concentration of 10 8 –10 9 CFU/ml and bottling was done using pneumatic bottling unit. The physiochemical (pH, TSS, total sugars [reducing and non-reducing], titratable acidity, antioxidant activity, content of lactic acid and ascorbic acid), microbiological and sensory parameters were analyzed. Among the physiochemical parameters a significant decrease was observed in pH 5.62 to 3.99, TSS from 15.11°brix to 13.45°brix, total sugars from 6.78% to 3.23%, reducing sugar content from 3.46% to 1.62%, non-reducing sugars from 3.32% to 1.60%, content of ascorbic acid from 167.25 mg/100ml to 160.01 mg/100 ml and antioxidant activity from 43.82% to 33.95% except for titratable acidity and lactic acid content which increased significantly during 8 weeks storage under refrigeration. Lactobacillus viability was found to remain well above 8 log CFU/ml for four weeks. Total plate count remained within acceptable limits during the first 5 weeks and yeast and mould count was within satisfactory limits throughout the storage period of 8 weeks. Presence of coliforms was not detected during the storage of 8 weeks. Overall acceptability of probiotic guava juice was 8.56.


The demand for high power and high-frequency radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers makes AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) an attractive option due to their large critical field, high saturation velocity, and reduced device footprint as compared to Si-based counterparts. However, due to the high operating power densities, intense device self-heating occurs, which degrades the electrical performance and compromises the device's reliability. The self-heating behavior of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs is known to be not solely a function of the dissipated power but is highly bias-dependent. As the operation of RF power amplifiers involves alteration of the device operation from fully-open to pinched-off channel conditions, it is critical to experimentally map the full channel temperature profile as a function of bias conditions. However, such measurement is difficult using optical thermography techniques due to the lack of optical access underneath the gate electrode, where the peak temperature is expected to occur.
 To address this challenge, an AlGaN/GaN HEMT employing a transparent gate made of indium tin oxide (ITO) was fabricated, which enables full channel temperature mapping using Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the maximum channel temperature rise under a partially pinched-off condition is more than ∼93% higher than that for an open channel condition, although both conditions would lead to an identical power dissipation level. The channel peak temperature probed in an ITO-gated device (underneath the gate) is ∼33% higher than the highest channel temperature that can be measured for a standard metal-gated AlGaN/GaN HEMT (i.e., next to the metal gate structure) operating under an identical bias condition. This indicates that one may significantly underestimate the device's thermal resistance when solely relying on performing thermal characterization on the optically accessible region of a standard AlGaN/GaN HEMT. The outcomes of this study are important in terms of conducting a more accurate lifetime prediction of the device lifetime and designing thermal management solutions.


Despite the success of multiscale modeling in science and engineering, embedding molecular-level information into nonlinear reactor design and control optimization problems remains challenging. In this work, we propose a computationally tractable scale-bridging approach that incorporates information from multi-product microkinetic (MK) models with thousands of rates and chemical species into nonlinear reactor design optimization problems. We demonstrate reduced-order kinetic (ROK) modeling approaches for catalytic oligomerization in shale gas processing. We assemble a library of six candidate ROK models based on literature and MK model structure. We find that three metrics—quality of fit (e.g., mean squared logarithmic error), thermodynamic consistency (e.g., low conversion of exothermic reactions at high temperatures), and model identifiability—are all necessary to train and select ROK models. The ROK models that closely mimic the structure of the MK model offer the best compromise to emulate the product distribution. Using the four best ROK models, we optimize the temperature profiles in staged reactors to maximize conversions to heavier oligomerization products. The optimal temperature starts at 630–900K and monotonically decreases to approximately 560 K in the final stage, depending on the choice of ROK model. For all models, staging increases heavier olefin production by 2.5% and there is minimal benefit to more than four stages. The choice of ROK model, i.e., model-form uncertainty, results in a 22% difference in the objective function, which is twice the impact of parametric uncertainty; we demonstrate sequential eigendecomposition of the Fisher information matrix to identify and fix sloppy model parameters, which allows for more reliable estimation of the covariance of the identifiable calibrated model parameters. First-order uncertainty propagation determines this parametric uncertainty induces less than a 10% variability in the reactor optimization objective function. This result highlights the importance of quantifying model-form uncertainty, in addition to parametric uncertainty, in multi-scale reactor and process design and optimization. Moreover, the fast dynamic optimization solution times suggest the ROK strategy is suitable for incorporating molecular information in sequential modular or equation-oriented process simulation and optimization frameworks.


This article explores the reception of eugenics in Argentina in the 1930s. It analyses the interrelationship of three factors contributing to the legitimization of "race science": first, the rise of authoritarian nationalism as a result of global depression and the crisis of parliamentary regimes; second, the fear of depopulation caused by the closing of overseas immigration and the fall in the birthrate among whites of European descent; and, finally, the prominent role played by Italo-Argentine cultural and scientific networks in the debates on race improvement. In the 1930s, Argentine biotypologists, relying on the old, respected tradition of Lombrosian criminal anthropology, turned to the Italian endocrinologist and fascist sympathizer Nicola Pende in their search for novel ways of coping with Argentina's demographic emergency.


The functional significance of microglia found in neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a source of controversy. In the present study, we explored the anatomic relationships between microglia and neuritic plaques in order to determine the potential role of microglia in plaque formation. We chose to study the molecular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, a brain region where plaques have a strong tendency to line up parallel to the adjacent granule cell layer. We found that ferritin-labeled microglia were indeed most numerous in the same distinct band as plaques, but that microglia were relatively more common in the outer molecular layer. The distribution of microglia was more variable than that of plaques. Overall, microglial cell distribution was a relatively poor predictor of plaque distribution, particularly when cases were considered individually. Thus, there must be multiple triggers for microglial cell activation and accumulation in the AD brain, triggers which do not all necessarily lead to neuritic plaque formation


Purpose: This study applies the concept of social norm dynamics to explain how corporate governance soft law is enforced.
Design/methodology/approach: Using data of German listed stock companies and of economic media coverage between 2001 and 2010, we observe the complex relationship between sanctions and behavior in the social context of corporate governance soft law.
Findings: We find that the public discussion of normative demands related to corporate governance issues increases if firms do not comply with the German Corporate Governance Code. We show that groups of actors, such as DAX companies, represent the addressees of normative demands, i.e., targets of expectations about what is appropriate and what is not. We also find that normative demands tend to be personalized, as public discussion is greater when initiated by a specific individual or firm. Finally, we demonstrate that social control in terms of public sanctioning positively influences a firm's compliance with the soft law, whereby negative statements (disapproval) outweigh the effects of positive statements (approval).
Originality/ value: We corroborate the social character of normative demands in the context of corporate governance soft law, and contribute to a better understanding of why soft law can work despite its having no legally binding force. The results of our study suggest that sanction mechanisms in the context of social norms underpin the strength of soft law as an alternative to, or extension of, hard law.


One of the problems with the use of terminal servers is the large number of small packets they can generate. Frequently, most of these packets are destined for only one or two hosts. TMux is a protocol which allows multiple short transport segments, independent of application type, to be combined between a server and host pair.


As the cost of car ownership has skyrocketed, urban biking has experienced the largest share increase of any transportation mode, rising by 40% between the years 2000 and 2014. Growing attention is being paid to the potential local economic development impacts of urban neighbourhoods becoming more bike-friendly. It is now a green economic development strategy in cities as diverse as Chicago, New York City, Portland, and San Francisco to increase bicycling as a transportation mode. This paper reports the results of a survey of 2032 responses from faculty, staff, and students of a car-dependent, downtown university. We use a mixed methods approach, including data from the American Community Survey, to support our arguments and to inform potential savings and economic benefit calculations that can be achieved from bicycle infrastructure investments and anticipated redistributed spending patterns. We argue that urban biking results in a green dividend that promotes local community development and more importantly results in zero carbon emissions.


We discuss the results of experimental studies of the processes of gelation in aqueous solutions of silver nitrate with l-cysteine and its derivatives. We focus on understanding what determines if these small molecules will self-assemble in water at their extremely low concentration to form a gel. A mechanism of gel formation in a cysteine-silver solution (CSS) is proposed. The analysis of the results indicates that filamentary aggregates of a gel network are formed via interaction of NH3+ and C(O)O- groups that belong to neighboring silver mercaptide (SM) aggregates. In turn, formation of sulphur-silver bonds between silver mercaptide molecules is responsible for self-assembling these molecules into SM aggregates which can be considered as supramonomers. Free polar groups located on the surfaces of the aggregates can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, which explains the unique ability of CSS hydrogels to trap water at low concentrations of low-molecular-weight hydrogelators.


Electrochemical realkalisation is a technique used for the repair of reinforced concrete structures suffering carbonation-induced corrosion. It aims at restoring high levels of pH through the application of a temporary cathodic current. Although this technique was introduced in the 1980s and has been used since then, there are still some aspects connected with its application that need investigation. In particular, it is not clear whether the usual techniques for measuring the corrosion activity of steel after the treatment can be considered reliable. This paper presents an experimental study on the anodic potentiodynamic and potentiostatic behaviour of steel in solutions simulating realkalised concrete and, for comparison, in solutions simulating alkaline and carbonated concrete. Results showed that in the alkaline solution used in the treatment steel bars are characterised by passivity, in spite of the high values of corrosion rate measured with linear polarisation technique.


This thesis investigates the impacts of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region and examines to what extent the local communities' indigenous knowledge (IK) is used to deal with floods and droughts. The thesis begins by exploring the Tonle Sap Lake communities' perceptions of climate change, especially floods and droughts and their impacts on local livelihoods. It then examines how the communities have used their IK to develop livelihood adaptation methods to cope with floods and droughts. To conduct this study, a qualitative methodology was adopted using semi-structured interviews, and non-participant and unstructured observation as the main methods. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with local people and local authorities from two communities, and NGO staff.   The study found that the intensity of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region has increased in the last few years. Floods and droughts have threatened local livelihoods and food security. To mitigate the effects of floods and droughts, the local communities in this region have developed various livelihood adaptation strategies to adapt to the hazards. The communities appeared to use both IK and technologies for their adaptation strategies. IK is seen as an invaluable local community asset in developing livelihood adaptation methods.   Although a mixture of IK and new knowledge has been used to develop various adaptation strategies, the sufficiency of the adaptation is still limited. The current severity of climate change is seen to limit the local communities' response capacities. To strengthen the communities' adaptation capacity, contribution and involvement from non-governmental organisations and the government in developing climate change adaptation policy at a local level are essential.


Assay of fluoride concentration in ground water samples around Surajpur district in Sarguja revealed that fluoride content in beyond the permissible limit in a some residential areas. The extent of Fluoride present in different samples was obtained by spectrophotometer. the extent of fluoride was found in village Baraul found to be from minimum 2.4 to 3.0 mg/l. village Ramtirath found to be from minimum 2.1 to 3.0 mg/l. but in village Fatehpur and Barwahi found to be from minimum 2.1 to 3.50 mg/l. it is further added that extent of fluoride content in water depends on the climatic conditions and increase in summer.


OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that digoxin, an inhibitor of Na+ -K+ -ATPase activity, accelerates the progression of diabetic retinopathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We compared the incidence and risk of retinopathy in 120 digoxin-taking vs. 867 non-digoxin-taking diabetic participants in the Wisconsin Epidemiologie Study of Diabetic Retinopathy (WESDR) and in 117 digoxin-taking vs. 1,883 non-digoxin-taking diabetic subjects in the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS). In both studies, retinopathy was detected by grading stereoscopic color photographs using the modified Airlie House classification scheme, and a two-step difference in baseline retinopathy grade was considered significant. RESULTS After controlling for other risk factors, we found no statistically significant association with either 4-year incidence of retinopathy (WESDR) or progression of retinopathy (WESDR and ETDRS) in patients taking digoxin at baseline compared with those not taking digoxin. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that digoxin therapy does not adversely affect the course of diabetic retinopathy.


The African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, maintains an integral link between cell cycle regulation and differentiation during its intricate life cycle. Whilst extensive changes in phosphorylation have been documented between the mammalian bloodstream form and the insect procyclic form, relatively little is known about the parasite's protein kinases (PKs) involved in the control of cellular proliferation and differentiation. To address this, a T. brucei kinome-wide RNAi cell line library was generated, allowing independent inducible knockdown of each of the parasite's 190 predicted protein kinases. Screening of this library using a cell viability assay identified ≥42 PKs that are required for normal bloodstream form proliferation in culture. A secondary screen identified 24 PKs whose RNAi-mediated depletion resulted in a variety of cell cycle defects including in G1/S, kinetoplast replication/segregation, mitosis and cytokinesis, 15 of which are novel cell cycle regulators. A further screen identified for the first time two PKs, named repressor of differentiation kinase (RDK1 and RDK2), depletion of which promoted bloodstream to procyclic form differentiation. RDK1 is a membrane-associated STE11-like PK, whilst RDK2 is a NEK PK that is essential for parasite proliferation. RDK1 acts in conjunction with the PTP1/PIP39 phosphatase cascade to block uncontrolled bloodstream to procyclic form differentiation, whilst RDK2 is a PK whose depletion efficiently induces differentiation in the absence of known triggers. Thus, the RNAi kinome library provides a valuable asset for functional analysis of cell signalling pathways in African trypanosomes as well as drug target identification and validation.


Conducted a longitudinal 3-year post-validation study of the MMPI Escape (Ec) and Prison Adjustment (Ap) scale score of 301 male felon inmates convicted of major type crimes and serving sentences of 5 years or more within the North Carolina Correctional System. Examination of the escape and infraction records of these inmates in relationship to their Ec and Ap scale scores demonstrated that the two scales were still effective classification instruments in predicting escape from within prison units that provided inner and perimeter security and in predicting the committing of major rule infractions irrespective of the degree of custodial control. Caution was expressed concerning the use of the Ec and Ap scale scores without supportive date from their classification procedures.


This book examines how those who lived through the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution struggled to come to terms with it. It shows that, contrary to claims that are made often in the literature, there were complicated, painful, and often honest debates about how to deal with the effects of mass violence on self and society after the Terror. Revolutionary leaders, relatives of victims, and ordinary citizens argued about how to hold those responsible for the violence accountable, how to offer some sort of relief to the victims, and how to commemorate this controversial episode in the politically charged climate of post-revolutionary France. Their solutions were not perfect, but their debates were innovative. The dilemmas that they struggled with, dilemmas around retribution, redress, and remembrance, derived from the democratizing impulses of the Revolution. Drawing on the concept of transitional justice and on the literature about the major traumas of the twentieth century, this book argues that the modern question of what to do with difficult pasts was born out of the social and political upheavals of the 18th century's Age of Revolutions.


India is witnessing an unprecedented consumption boom. The economy is growing at the rate between 7 and 8 percent. The implication of this is improvement in income dynamics along with demographics and growth in consumption pattern Retailing in India is currently estimated to be US$ 200 billion, of which organized Retailing (i.e. modern trade) makes up 3 percent or US$ 6.4 billion. Organized Retail is expected to grow at the rate of 25-30 percent p.a., and is projected to attain US$ 23billion by 2010.1 At these levels, organized retail would constitute up to 9 percent of overall retail sales.


Aims: The aim of this work was to study the dynamics of the sludge particles during wine fermentation in liquid phase.Methods and results: Ninety L of Sauvignon blanc enriched with 1.8% (v/v) of sludges, inoculated with a commercial strain of S. cerevisiae, were fermented in a transparent 100 L-fermentation tank. Results showed that the physical behavior of the sludge particles is dependent on the yeast CO2 production activity. Sludge dynamics can be divided in three phases clearly linked to the yeast fermentative activity. Although a complete dispersion of the sludges occurred during the fermentation, it could be observed that either at the surface or at the bottom of the tank, the medium turbidity never ranges the initial turbidity level, due to the disruption of the medium/gross particles into fine particles during the growth phase. Fine particles rapidly re-aggregated into medium/gross particles during the stationary phase.Conclusions: From these results, it appears that the evolution of must turbidity during fermentation is much more complex than previously expected. Sludges are only dispersed in the fermenting must during a very short phase after the initiation of cell growth.Significance and impact of the study: This study raises the questioning of the relationship between initial must turbidity and nutrient availability in trouble musts, since sludges are completely deposited at the onset of both cell growth and fermentation. Further research works are therefore needed to study the factors which can impact sludge particle size modification and consequently sludge nutrient accessibility for yeast growth.


GROUNDWATER THRESHOLDS FOR ROOT DECOMPOSITION, AND THE RELATION TO BARRIER ISLAND ECOLOGICAL STATE CHANGES Matthew L. Smith Old Dominion University, 2015 Director: Dr. Frank P. Day Barrier islands off the eastern shore of Virginia exhibit distinct habitats that abruptly transition between periodically brackish/freshwater marshes, wooded swales, and sparsely vegetated dunes. There is strong evidence that the plant communities and ecosystem processes occurring in each habitat are primarily influenced by nutrient availability and the distance between two of the three free surfaces: land and freshwater. At the Virginia Coast Reserve-Long Term Ecological Research Site in Virginia, USA, thresholds to belowground decomposition rates were identified by measuring decay of native roots and rhizomes at 32 elevations in relation to mean annual groundwater levels (-0.356 – 1.937 m). Negative exponential decay rates (k = 0.310 –0.915 yr-1) varied according to average distance to the freshwater free surface, with lowest decay occurring in low elevation/anoxic conditions (marsh, and bottom soils of a wooded swale), and the highest decay occurring at mid to high elevations (upper soils in wooded swales and all dune sites). The majority of variance in decay rates can be explained by mean annual depth to the freshwater free surface (r2 = 0.78). Locations with mean annual groundwater depths greater than 1 m appear substantially less affected by fluctuations in groundwater levels (r2 = 0.09) than locations nearer to groundwater (r2 = 0.83). Belowground decay was more rapid from 0-20 cm compared to 20-40 cm (p < 0.05) and was divided into 3 groups (low, moderate, and high decay) that correspond to the three interior barrier island ecological states. Results from this study indicate a strong relationship between decay rate dependence on groundwater levels and state changes on a barrier island.


The influence of thermal treatment on moisture exchange between wood and natural environment with variable air parameters as well as on dimensional stability of wood samples was investigated. The experiments were carried out with oak wood samples indoors and outside. The thickness of samples was 30 mm, width was 30 mm and length was 20 mm; conventional density varied from 500 kg/m3 to 580 kg/m3. Initially, the wood was air-dried down to 7 % – 9 % of moisture content. In order to decrease possibility of the both moisture absorption and evaporation during wood application thermal treatment must be applied. Due to that the samples were heated at temperature of 60, 80, 100 and 120 oC for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The moisture content of wood and its variations after thermal treatment depends on the both heating temperature and duration. The higher temperature and the longer heating duration, the lower wood hygroscopicity can be achieved. The effect of thermal treatment on the moisture content and its changes were observed for wood samples stored indoor and outside. In dependence of thermal treatment conditions moisture content in wood samples independently on storing conditions (indoor or outside) can decrease down to 30 % compare to the untreated ones. The change of moisture content during various seasons after 24 hours of storing indoor decreases down to 60 %, while outside that is only 39 %. Dimensional stability of wood samples also depends on the both thermal treatment temperature and duration. The higher treatment temperature and the longer duration, the higher dimensional stability can be obtained. The heat treatment of oak wood samples at selected regimes allows to decrease values of shrinkage and swelling coefficients down to 40 %.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.19.1.3825


Background Remimazolam is an ultra-short acting benzodiazepine under development for procedural sedation and general anesthesia. It is hydrolyzed by CES1 to an inactive metabolite (CNS7054). Purpose In this study, the effect of continuous remimazolam exposure on its metabolism and on CES1 expression was investigated in a dynamic 3-D bioreactor culture model inoculated with primary human hepatocytes. Methods Remimazolam was continuously infused into bioreactors for 5 days at a final concentration of 3,000 ng/ml (6.8 µM). In parallel, 2-D cultures were run with cells from the same donors, but with discontinuous exposure to remimazolam. Results Daily measurement of clinical chemistry parameters (glucose, lactate, urea, ammonia, and liver enzymes) in culture supernatants indicated no noxious effect of remimazolam on hepatocyte integrity as compared to untreated controls. Concentrations of remimazolam reached steady-state values of around 250 ng/ml within 8 hours in 3-D bioreactors whereas in 2-D cultures remimazolam concentrations declined to almost zero within the same time frame. Levels of CNS7054 showed an inverse time-course reaching average values of 1,350 ng/ml in perfused 3-D bioreactors resp. 2,800 ng/ml in static 2-D cultures. Analysis of mRNA expression levels of CES1 indicated no changes in gene expression over the culture period. Conclusion The results indicated a stable metabolism of remimazolam during 5 days of continuous exposure to clinically relevant concentrations of the drug. Moreover, there was no evidence for a harmful effect of remimazolam exposure on the integrity and metabolic activity of in vitro cultivated primary human hepatocytes.


: Many orthopaedic procedures require the use of cancellous bone grafts, either fresh autograft, frozen allograft, or freeze-dried allograft. On many occasions bulk graft requires conversion to cancellous morselized graft to fill defects. Several commercial bone mills are available, but they can be expensive and cumbersome. This paper describes a simple method of obtaining cancellous graft from femoral heads, either allograft or autograft, with "cheese grater" type acetabular reamers.


The wormhole attack is considered to be a serious security attack in multihop ad hoc and sensor networks. We propose ``DeWorm'', a simple protocol to effectively detect wormhole attacks without the need for special hardware and/or strict location or synchronization requirements. DeWorm makes use of discrepancies in routing information between neighbors to detect wormholes. A simulation based analysis of DeWorm for a variety of scenarios shows that the proposed protocol can detect wormhole attacks with a high detection rate, a low false positive rate and low overhead. Further, in comparison to other wormhole detection protocols, the proposed protocol is simple, localized, and capable of detecting a variety of types of wormhole attacks including physical layer wormholes.


The Kepler problem in Lagrangian formulation is discussed from the topological viewpoint. Essential points are analysed. Along the same line of thoughts, it is possible to study the Kepler problem in Hamiltonian formulation as well as in quantum mechanics from the topological viewpoint for showing quantum–classical correspondence.


Overheating is an unwanted consequence of modern building designs and internal gains that will be aggravated by the effects of climate change on local climates within urban and suburban areas. To minimise the energy cost of limiting overheating several different approaches exist for passive cooling dissipation techniques. Free cooling by ventilation, or Ventilative Cooling, (VC), is a generally accepted effective, energy efficient, mitigation strategy to building overheating. There are many factors that influence the design and selection of suitable VC strategies. Obtaining quantitative data about the spectrum of solutions employed across the range of suitable VC applications can be difficult and high in collaborative effort. A recent International Energy Agency project gathered information about well documented case studies of buildings with VC and investigated the existence of synergies in design, selection and simulation of solutions as well as any heterogeneous patterns in the adoption of VC principles and VC system component characteristics. This paper presents the aggregated data for 14 international case studies, provides a review of the VC systems adopted and design methods applied to ensure successful performance for different building types and climates. Various methods for VC system sizing at each stage of the design process are discussed along with the design criteria adopted in each case. Values for the percentage opening area to floor area ratio, a key metric for benchmarking the sizing of ventilation openings are presented and discussed. Further, a recommended range for this fundamental design parameter is suggested. Demonstrated implementation of control strategies for different types of VC solutions is also reviewed and discussed. Similarities in lessons learned were found to exist across multiple case studies. Finally, a synopsis of the key lessons learned during the design and operation phases of the case studies is also presented and reviewed.


ABC transporters are membrane proteins mediating the efflux of endo- and xenobiotics. Transporter expression is not static but instead is subject to a dynamic modulation aiming at responding to changes in the internal environment and thus at maintaining homeostatic conditions. Nuclear receptors are ligand modulated transcription factors that get activated upon changes in the intracellular concentrations of the respective agonists and bind to response elements within the promoter of ABC transporters, thus modulating their expression and, consequently, their activity. This review compiles information about transporter regulation by nuclear receptors classified according to the perpetrator compounds and the biological effects resulting from the regulation. Modulation by hormone receptors is involved in maintaining endocrine homeostasis and may also lead to an altered efflux of other substrates in cases of altered hormonal levels. Xenobiotic receptors play a key role in limiting the accumulation of potentially harmful compounds. In addition, their frequent activation by therapeutic agents makes them common molecular elements mediating drug-drug interactions and cancer multidrug resistance. Finally, lipid and retinoid receptors are usually activated by endogenous molecules, thus sensing metabolic changes and inducing ABC transporters to counteract potential alterations. Furthermore, the axis nuclear receptor-ABC transporter constitutes a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of several disease states like cancer, atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia. In the current work, we summarize the information available on the pharmacological potential of nuclear receptor modulators and discuss their applicability in the clinical practice.


In this paper a series-parallel compensated UPS is suggested, which has high input power factor and sinusoidal output voltage regulation capability. Compared to conventional cascaded UPS, the size can be reduced significantly with high quality input and output waveforms. In this paper, analysis and experimental results for a prototype are presented.


Background: The study aimed to identify the level of satisfaction and confidence of dental intern students in emergency care emergency room (ER) during COVID-19 Pandemic in order to determine factors that influence their satisfaction such as patient's age, gender, and ethnicity. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted at Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah-Taibah University Dental-College and Hospital. The overall sample included in analysis was 105 dental interns with an average age of 24.7 years who were treating patients between July 2019 and August 2020 in emergency dental clinics at TUCDH. Results: The survey response rate was 100% and 51.4% of the participants felt comfortable and 80% felt confident on emergency days. However, male interns were significantly more comfortable and confident than females (P = 0.001 and 0.022 respectively). Endo-emergency constituted 77% of dental emergencies followed by surgery. 81.9% believe that age is the most challenging factor affecting their ER work, and most of them do not believe that patient's gender and ethnicity affect their performance. Stock shortages were the biggest challenge for their supervisor-led management. Conclusion: Majority of interns feel satisfied with their management of emergency cases during COVID-19 Pandemic with superior male significant meaning. More emergency training programs should be established in the educational dental curriculum to improve their satisfaction and confidence rate, especially for females during pandemics.


The processes leading to the depletion of oceanic mesoscale kinetic energy (KE) and the energization of near‐inertial internal waves are investigated using a suite of realistically forced regional ocean simulations. By carefully modifying the forcing fields we show that solutions where internal waves are forced have ∼ 25% less mesoscale KE compared with solutions where they are not. We apply a coarse‐graining method to quantify the KE fluxes across time scales and demonstrate that the decrease in mesoscale KE is associated with an internal wave‐induced reduction of the inverse energy cascade and an enhancement of the forward energy cascade from sub‐to super‐inertial frequencies. The integrated KE forward transfer rate in the upper ocean is equivalent to half and a quarter of the regionally averaged near‐inertial wind work in winter and summer, respectively, with the strongest fluxes localized at surface submesoscale fronts and filaments.


It is well-established that, as a consumer decision aid, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) provides opportunities to both consumers and companies. By relying on eWOM, consumers believe that they are better able to make informed purchase decisions. By incorporating eWOM in their business strategies, companies believe that they can capitalize on its effects. However, both parties must overcome challenges in order to benefit from these opportunities. Consumers are confronted with the challenge of selecting the most useful and credible information amid the overwhelming amount of electronic word of mouth that is circulating on the internet. Companies are faced with the challenge of managing eWOM, especially when they are negatively portrayed in such communications. Although these challenges constitute a topic of both societal and managerial concern, they lack a strong scientific foundation. The objective of this dissertation is therefore to investigate these challenges.


Summary
Domestic gardens typically consist of a mixture of native and non-native plants which support biodiversity and provide valuable ecosystem services, particularly in urban environments. Many gardeners wish to encourage biodiversity by choosing appropriate plant taxa. The value of native and non-native plants in supporting animal biodiversity is, however, largely unknown.
The relative value of native and non-native garden plants to invertebrates was investigated in a replicated field experiment. Plots (deliberately akin to garden borders) were planted with one of three treatments, representing assemblages of plants based on origin (native, near-native and exotic). Invertebrates and resource measurements were recorded over four years. This paper reports the abundance of flower-visiting aerial insects ('pollinators') associated with the three plant assemblages.
For all pollinator groups on all treatments, greater floral resource resulted in an increase in visits. There was, however, a greater abundance of total pollinators recorded on native and near-native treatments compared with the exotic plots. Short-tongued bumblebees followed the same pattern whilst more hoverflies were recorded on the native treatment than the other treatments, and more honeybees on the near-native treatment. There was no difference between treatments in abundance of long-tongued bumblebees or solitary bees. The lack of difference in solitary bee abundance between treatments was probably due to a third of individuals from this group being recorded on one exotic plant species.
The number of flower visitors corresponded to the peak flowering period of the treatments, that is there were fewer flower visitors to the exotic treatment compared with the other treatments in early summer but relatively more later in the season.
Synthesis and applications. This experiment has demonstrated that utilizing plants from only a single region of origin (i.e. nativeness) may not be an optimal strategy for resource provision for pollinating insects in gardens. Gardens can be enhanced as a habitat by planting a variety of flowering plants, biased towards native and near-native species but with a selection of exotics to extend the flowering season and potentially provide resources for specialist groups.


Improvements in the immunological, molecular, and genetic technologies such as next-generation sequencing have led to an exponential increase in the number of monogenic immune dysregulatory syndromes diagnosed, where type 1 diabetes (T1D) forms part of the autoimmune manifestations. Here, we reviewed the mutations in the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein family, namely gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in STAT1 and STAT3 as well as STAT5b deficiency, that show strong association to T1D susceptibility. The equilibrium of T-helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Tregs) is often found altered in patients affected by STAT GOF mutations. While the increased number of Th17 cells and the concomitant decrease in Treg cells may explain T1D in STAT3 GOF patients, the reduced number of Th17 cells found in those carrying STAT1 GOF mutations added a new level of complexity on the exact role of Th17 in the pathogenesis of T1D. Here, we describe the possible mechanisms through which STAT3 and STAT1 GOF mutations may perturb the fate and function of Th17 and Tregs and explore how this may lead to the development of T1D. We propose that the study of monogenic diseases, and in particular STAT mutations, may not only improve our understanding of the function of the human immune system but also shed light onto the pathogenic mechanisms of T1D and the genetic variants that confer predisposition to the disease.


Summary
We assessed the sodium content of Australian food items, trends over time and compared this content with sodium targets established by the UK Food Standards Agency and that of similar food items in the UK. The sodium content indicated on food labels were collected from 2005 to 2007. Fifty-three percent of food products had sodium levels above the targets. Food sub-categories containing <20% of products meeting the targets were white bread, wholemeal bread, cream cheese, low fibre breakfast cereal, savoury snack biscuits, hot dogs, sausages, canned soup, canned beans and spaghetti and canned vegetables. There was an indication that Australia had a lower number of food products that met the sodium targets compared to the UK (46% vs. 56%) and over half remain above the recommended target. A reduction in the sodium content of bread, low fibre breakfast cereals, and a number of processed snack, meat and canned goods is needed to reduce the average salt intake to 6 g day−1.


It has been shown that the pore pressure behavior in an elastoplastic porous material, under undrained conditions, can be predicted from the unsaturated, zero pore pressure material behavior. In the present analysis, no specific yield function is assumed. The selection of a specific yield function for a specific material is discussed by other authors. Among several assumptions in the present analysis, perhaps the most important one is the terzaghi effective stress for plastic deformation. Although this assumption is often accepted, a comprehensive experimental verification is currently unavailable. Further experimental work in this area would be valuable. (Author/TRRL)


We evaluate the potential impacts on Brazilian reptiles (721 species already described), if the proposed changes in the Brazilian Forest Code are approved. The possibility of environmental compensation (a legal obligation in case of disturbance of natural habitats) in basins or micro basins different from that in which the disturbance occurred would have harmful effects on reptile diversity. Some reptile genera include species that rarely co-occur in space. Thus, conservation action planning based on naturally smaller scales, such as micro basins, is most suitable to maintain species composition across large regions. The proposed changes also include the removal of mountaintops as Areas of Permanent Preservation (APP, areas which must be permanently protected, despite the fact that they are not part of a park), as well as a reduction in the width of gallery forests and protected riparian habitats (which are APPs). Many Brazilian reptiles are restricted to high elevation areas, whereas others dwell only or mostly in gallery forests and riparian areas. Thus, the habitat loss that would result from these two changes could make some reptiles vulnerable to extinction. The proposed changes also include allowing the restoration of the Legal Reserves (LR, the reserves of natural vegetation which landowners have to keep in private areas) using exotic plant species. There are evidences that many Brazilian reptiles are not able to persist in human-modified environments like forests composed of exotic trees. The proposed changes also allow the compensation of disturbances imposed on LR inside existing protected areas. However, existing protected areas are not sufficient for the maintenance of reptile diversity in Brazil (mainly because many species have restricted distributions). If approved, the proposed changes in the code will impose significant negative effects on the Brazilian reptile fauna, an important component of the country's natural heritage. Furthermore, unknown molecules with potential for pharmaceutical use could also be lost.


Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations of a viscous incompressible fluid flow through a helical pipe with a circular cross section were conducted for three Reynolds numbers, Re (= 80, 300, and 1000), and two nondimensional curvatures, δ (= 0.1 and 0.05), over a wide range of torsion parameters, β (= nondimensional torsion/\(\sqrt{2\delta } \)), from 0.02 to 2.8. Well-developed axially invariant regions were obtained where the friction factors were calculated, in good agreement with the experimental data obtained by Yamamoto et al. [Fluid Dyn. Res. 16, 237 (1995)]. It was found that the friction factor sharply increases as β increases from zero, then decreases after taking a maximum, and finally slowly approaches that of a straight pipe when β tends to infinity. It is interesting that a peak of the friction factor exists in the region 0.2 ≤ β ≤ 0.3 for all the Reynolds numbers and curvatures studied in the present paper, which manifests the importance of the torsion parameter in helical pipe flow.


Currently, it is a great challenge to find suitable electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with large capacity, long cycle life, and high rate capability. Herein, we report a new layered titanate, Na2Li2Ti5O12 (NLT), derived from K2Li2Ti5O12 (KLT) via an ion-exchange method as a SIB anode material. KLT is prepared by a low-temperature solid-state reaction and then transformed into NLT by replacing potassium with sodium in a NaCl solution at room temperature. NLT provides a sodium-ion intercalation voltage at ∼0.5 V versus Na/Na+ and a reversible capacity of 175 mA h g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1. It also shows a high sodium-ion diffusion coefficient of 3.0 × 10−10 cm2 s−1, ensuring a high rate capability. For NLT, extremely high discharging rate capability is achieved with a capacity of more than 80 mA h g−1 at a 60 second full discharge and even with 70 mA h g−1 at a 34 second charge. Kinetics analysis based on cyclic voltammogram reveals a typical sodium-ion intercalation behavior in NLT. Furthermore, the first-principle calculation shows a lower migration energy barrier for sodium ions in NLT than that in other layered titanates. These results suggest that NLT is a very promising anode material for high-performance SIBs, especially for fast-charging stable SIBs.


A compact quadruple inverted-F antenna (QIFA) with right-hand circular polarization for global positioning system (GPS) receiver is presented. The proposed QIFA consists of four spiral-shaped inverted-F antennas fed by a compact multilayered feed network. In order to improve the radiation efficiency of four-port feed antenna like QIFA, we analyze an optimum matching method considering both reflection coefficient at each port and the mutual coupling between ports simultaneously. Experimental results show that QIFA of size 10 x 10 x 12 mm3 has a 3-dB beamwidth of more than 130°, the peak gain of -1 dBic and the axial ratio under 2 dB.


Changes in the percentage of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinase present as the active catalytic subunit (PKAc) and in the levels of the second messengers cAMP, guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP), and D-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) were quantified in tissues of the freeze-tolerant wood frog Rana sylvatica over the course of freezing at -2.5 degrees C and thawing at 5 degrees C. Freezing exposure rapidly raised liver cAMP concentration and %PKAc (by 2- and 6-fold, respectively) within 2 min postnucleation; both peaked and stabilized between 5 and 60 min postnucleation but declined with longer freezing. Other organs also showed elevated PKAc during freezing, particularly skeletal muscle. By contrast, cGMP concentration was reduced in muscle and kidney after 24 h of freezing but rose after thawing in muscle. Liver also showed a twofold elevation of cGMP during thawing. The protein kinase C (PKC) second messenger, IP3, rose throughout freezing in liver, reaching levels 11-fold higher than control values after 24 h of freezing. IP3 was also elevated in brain after 4 and 8 h of freezing. The different patterns of cAMP, protein kinase A (PKA), and IP3 changes in liver suggest that, whereas cAMP and PKA clearly mediate the rapid activation of glucose output as a cryoprotectant, IP3 and PKC may be involved instead with metabolic responses that deal with the consequences of long-term freezing, such as ischemia resistance or cell volume control.


This research is a classroom action research, which aims to improve the Learning Achievement of Civics in Class XII Students of SMA Negeri 3 Ambon By Applying the Two Stay-Two Technique. The subjects in this study were students of Class XII  of SMA Negeri 3 Ambon with a total of 32 students The procedure of implementing CAR is presented in the form of a cycle (cycle) assessment process which is expressed in a PTK spiral. The PTK spiral actually describes cycle after cycle. One cycle consists of four main components of CAR, namely: action planning, action implementation, action observation, and reflection and revision of actions. an increase in the percentage of student activity during learning and an increase in the percentage of students who have finished learning, ie in cycle I the percentage of student activity is 57.50%, increasing in cycle II to 77.50%, and in cycle III increasing to 87.50%, while the percentage of the total number of students who completed study in the first cycle was 53.13%, increased in the second cycle to 71.88%, and in the third cycle increased to 87.50%.