Abstract The North China Plain (NCP) has recently faced serious air quality problems as a result of enhanced gas pollutant emissions due to the process of urbanization and rapid economic growth. To explore regional air pollution in the NCP, measurements of surface ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) were carried out from May to November 2013 at a rural site (Xianghe) between the twin megacities of Beijing and Tianjin. The highest hourly ozone average was close to 240 ppbv in May, followed by around 160 ppbv in June and July. High ozone episodes were more notable than in 2005 and were mainly associated with air parcels from the city cluster in the hinterland of the polluted NCP to the southwest of the site. For NOx, an important ozone precursor, the concentrations ranged from several ppbv to nearly 180 ppbv in the summer and over 400 ppbv in the fall. The occurrence of high NOx concentrations under calm conditions indicated that local emissions were dominant in Xianghe. The double-peak diurnal pattern found in NOx concentrations and NO/NOx ratios was probably shaped by local emissions, photochemical removal, and dilution resulting from diurnal variations of surface wind speed and the boundary layer height. A pronounced SO2 daytime peak was noted and attributed to downward mixing from an SO2-rich layer above, while the SO2-polluted air mass transported from possible emission sources, which differed between the non-heating (September and October) and heating (November) periods, was thought to be responsible for night-time high concentrations.


Social and economic rights (SER) adjudication is an ever more common feature of rights-protecting democracies. Yet democratic concerns continue to be expressed: the threat of a judicialized politics, a politicized judiciary, co-opted claimants, distorted markets, and other (real and imagined) challenges. These concerns are raised within jurisdictions that have not yet entrenched SER and those in which SER are explicitly justiciable. Scholars seeking to address, or at least quiet, such concerns often explore the real-world examples of SER justiciability in South Africa, India, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and other jurisdictions discussed in this book. Another approach is to examine new ways of theorizing the models of democratic representation and separation-of-powers implicit in these criticisms and to test these new models against comparative experience. This chapter examines the promise of the approach of "democratic experimentalism". We begin by cataloguing the typical critiques of SER adjudication and then describe how democratic experimentalism, read sympathetically, responds to each. Next we apply these responses to the Mazibuko right-to-water case in South Africa and imagine an alternative approach to that case. Our thought experiment is meant to bring the pros and cons of democratic experimentalist thinking into sharp relief. We suggest that, while the theoretical and practical program of democratic experimentalism retains the potential for securing more democratic participation in SER adjudication, it might nevertheless entail significant costs for under-resourced, unorganized and politically-weak claimants. This conclusion raises the question whether any new procedural or remedial formats for SER adjudication can help to realize such rights without a fundamental rethinking of the material preconditions of democracy itself.


Concordance indices are used to assess the degree of agreement between different methods that measure the same characteristic. In this regard, the total deviation index (TDI) is a widely used measure of agreement whose main advantage is that it results in the same measurement scale as that of the variable of interest, allowing a straightforward interpretation. First of all, the present work introduces the three already established methods for estimation and inference about the TDI. These methodologies assume that data are normally distributed and also linearity between the response and the effects. Then, as an alternative for assessing agreement in those situations in which these assumptions are not fulfilled, we propose here a new non-parametric approach that can deal with any kind of data. It must be pointed out that such approach has not been considered in any previous work. In the present study, the main goals are evaluating the performance of the established methodologies in contexts of normal and non-normal data and also comparing them with our non-parametric proposal. We apply the four methods to three data sets that represent contexts of very different natures: normal data, continuous extreme data and count data. The results obtained when assessing agreement in these data sets are discussed. Moreover, a simulation study is carried out in scenarios that emulate the aforesaid contexts. We conclude that when the assumptions of the parametric techniques hold, the non-parametric approach lacks efficiency compared to the established methods. However, when evaluating agreement in non-normal data, our non-parametric proposal is shown to have better properties and to give more reliable estimates than the already established methodologies.


Transient ischemic attack (TIA) is common in the elderly and total numbers are likely to increase with the aging of the population. The risk of stroke early after TIA has recently been shown to be approximately 5 percent at 7 days and 10 to 15 percent at 3 months, while overall cardiovascular risk is increased in the longer term. The ABCD system (Age, Blood pressure, Clinical features, Duration of symptoms) is a clinical score that can be rapidly worked out at the time of presentation and reliably predicts early risk of stroke. It can be used in patient triage to secondary care, informing public education and in the effective targeting of secondary prevention. The vascular territory and etiology of the TIA and results of cerebral imaging can also be used to predict early risk of stroke but the degree of the interaction between all these factors is uncertain.


ABSTRACT This interpretative, cross-sectional study analysed the perceptions of students in their last year of their bachelor's in primary school education with regard to educational inquiry. It explored their understanding of what this concept means and its benefits, as well as the procedures, stakeholders and competences involved in research. The data were collected using the TePi (Teacher Professional Identity) questionnaire and a focus group. The results indicate that overall the students did not view research as an integral part of their professional identity and established anecdotal relations between the usefulness of research in classrooms, its association with educational improvement processes and their own responsibilities. Furthermore, they had difficulties systematically defining the procedures associated with research and did not consider themselves fully competent to conduct research themselves. Based on the results, we can discern a need to revise training programmes to adopt a more research-based approach if we want future teachers to gain competence in and take responsibility for innovation processes at schools.


Computing an effective strategy in games with incomplete information is much more difficult than in games where the status of every relevant factor is known. A weighted heuristic approach selects the move in a given position that maximizes a weighted sum of known factors, where the weights have been optimized over a large random sample of games. Probabilistic search is an alternative approach that generates a random set of scenarios, simulates how plausible moves perform under each scenario, and selects the move with the "best" overall performance. This paper compares the effectiveness of these approaches for the game of Scrabble.


We examined the formation of the early classical complement (C) pathway enzymes on sheep (Es), guinea pig (Egp), and human (Eh) erythrocytes (E). Each species' E were sensitized with sufficient IgM or IgG anti-E Ab to establish equal numbers of C1-fixing sites on all E. After sensitization with 100 C1-fixing sites of Ab and excess C1, uptake of C4 was equivalent on all three cell types, judged by anti-C4 binding (for guinea pig C4) or by direct uptake of radiolabeled protein (for human C4). With equal numbers of cell-bound C1 and C4, however, there were marked differences in C2 convertase activity on Es, Egp, and Eh. Sheep EAC14 utilized C2 at least 20 times faster than Egp and Eh bearing the same number of C1 and C4 molecules. C3 cleavage was even further depressed on Egp and Eh, and was not changed by the substitution of oxyC2 for normal human C2. In whole guinea pig serum (GPS), 300 times more C1-fixing sites were required on Egp than on Es to achieve similar amounts of lysis; however, equivalent C3 uptake on Egp and Es was associated with equal extents of lysis, demonstrating that GPS lysis of these cells was regulated by early steps in classical pathway (CP) activation. Incubation of E bearing radiolabeled C4b with Factor I demonstrated that C4b on Egp was highly resistant to cleavage compared to the same protein bound to Es or Eh. Studies with partially purified C3 convertase decay-accelerating factors from Eh stroma demonstrated that these membrane proteins could not account for the observed surface regulation of CP activity because these proteins do not affect the rate of C2 cleavage by EAC14. We conclude that E surface molecules have an important role in modulation of CP activation. This surface-associated CP regulation occurs at the level of cell-bound C4b.


Purpose: To evaluate the functional and morphologic outcomes of patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy undergoing intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) treatment using every 2-month injections compared with a pro re nata (PRN) regimen after 3 initial monthly doses. Methods: The authors prospectively studied all the treatment-naive patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy who were scheduled to undergo IVA using every 2-month injections or PRN after induction treatment between March 2013 and October 2013. All patients who had a follow-up period of 1 year or longer were included in the study. The best-corrected visual acuity in the 2 groups was compared before treatment and at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after the initial treatment. The regression of the polyps was also assessed using indocyanine-green angiography at baseline and 12 months. Results: Forty-two eyes were assessed at the 12-month follow-up examination. Twenty-five eyes were treated with IVA injections every 2-month after 3 initial monthly doses, and 17 eyes were treated using PRN after loading doses. The mean number of administered IVA was 7.0 in the every 2-month group and 5.0 ± 2.9 in the PRN group, with significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.01). Both groups showed significant improvement of the mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution values for best-corrected visual acuity at 12 months, as compared with baseline values (P < 0.01 in every 8-week group and P = 0.03 in PRN group, respectively). No significant difference in the improvement of best-corrected visual acuity between the 2 groups was observed at baseline or at 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months after treatment (P > 0.05, respectively) although there was a trend toward better results in the every 8-week group. The rate of polyp regression was 48.0% (12/25) in the every 8-week group and 52.9% (9/17) in the PRN group, with no significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.50). Conclusion: Among the 2 treatment modalities, IVA was well tolerated and improved the visual outcomes in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy as evaluated at 1-year follow-up examinations. However, there was a trend toward better vision improvement with fixed treatment every 2 months.


This paper presents an algorithm, called PCG, for planning the foothold positions of spider-like robots in planar tunnels bounded by piece-wise linear walls. The paper focuses on 3-limb robots, but the algorithm generalizes to robots with a higher number of limbs. The input to the PCG algorithm is a description of a tunnel having an arbitrary piece-wise linear geometry, a lower bound on the amount of friction at the contacts, as well as start and target foothold positions. Using efficient convex programming techniques, the algorithm approximates the possible foothold positions as a collection of cubes in contact c-space. A graph structure induced by the cubes has the property that its edges represent feasible motion between neighboring sets of 3-limb postures. This motion is realized by lifting one limb while the other two limbs brace the robot against the tunnel walls. A shortest-path search along the graph yields a 3-2-3 gait pattern that moves the robot from start to target using a minimum number of foothold exchanges. Simulation results demonstrate the PCG algorithm in a tunnel environment.


Abstract. We examine rockfall susceptibility of folded strata in the Sevier fold-thrust belt exposed in American Fork Canyon in north-central Utah. Large-scale geologic mapping, talus production data, rock-mass-quality measurements, and historical rockfall data indicate that rockfall susceptibility is correlated with limb dip and curvature of the folded, cliff-forming Mississippian limestones. On fold limbs, rockfall susceptibility increases as dip increases. This relation is controlled by several factors, including an increase in adverse dip conditions and apertures of discontinuities, and shearing by flexural slip during folding that has reduced the friction angles of discontinuities by smoothing surface asperities. Susceptibility is greater in fold hinge zones than on adjacent limbs primarily because there are greater numbers of discontinuities in hinge zones. We speculate that susceptibility increases in hinge zones as fold curvature becomes tighter.


Despite advancements in concussion treatment and management, health and sports professionals largely depend on athletes' self-reporting of symptoms to begin the process of diagnosis. With this in mind, recent scholarly attention has focused on understanding the barriers and processes of athletes' self-disclosure of symptoms. The current study applied the disclosure decision-making model to understand high school football players' disclosure decisions after experiencing symptoms of a concussion. Data obtained from 184 high school football players from across the United States demonstrated 2 significant paths by which players' disclosures of concussion symptoms during a game can be understood. First, the perceived severity of these symptoms predicted athletes' self-efficacy to disclose concussions, which subsequently predicted their intentions to disclose concussion symptoms during a game. Second, the felt stigma around disclosing concussion symptoms predicted athletes' anticipated responses from coaches to such disclosures, which subsequently predicted their intentions to disclose concussion symptoms during a game. Furthermore, the effect of perceived stigma on the anticipated responses from coaches was moderated by the quality of athletes' relationships with their coaches. These results highlight the importance of convincing athletes to take concussion symptoms seriously and the role of athlete–coach relationships in combatting stigma around concussion disclosures. These findings suggest that scholars and practitioners should acknowledge the social contexts surrounding disclosure of concussion symptom and shift educational efforts to focus on the dangers of concussions and the process by which athletes should report potential symptoms.


The Diffeif library is a library which provides functionality for computing the difference of two code or text chunks and visualize it in a GUI. The library is implemented in and for Eiffel. Finding the difference of two code or text pieces is a common problem. There exists a bunch of algorithms for computing such a difference. The most widely used algorithms are line-based, which can easily be adapted to wordor character-based. Another class of algorithms can be applied to trees created from the corresponding input, so called tree-based algorithms. This documentation gives an overview of some existing line-based and treebased algorithms, explains the implemented algorithms in detail accompanying with a performance analysis and provides a short overview of the implementation and the usage of the library.


Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked disorder characterized by trombocytopenia, eczema, and progressive decline of the immune function. In addition, lymphocytes and platelets from WAS patients have morphologic abnormalities. Since chemokines may induce morphologic changes and migration of leukocytes, we investigated the monocyte response to chemoattractants in cells from WAS patients with an identified mutation in the WAS protein gene. Here, we report that monocytes derived from four patients with molecularly defined typical WAS have a severely impaired migration in response to FMLP and to the chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha compared with normal donors. Conversely, neither MCP-1 binding to monocytes nor induction of the respiratory burst by MCP-1 and FMLP is significantly different between WAS patients and normal donors. Within a few minutes of stimulation, monocytes respond to chemokines with increased expression of adhesion molecules and with morphologic changes such as cell polarization. Although up-regulation of CD11b/CD18 expression following stimulation with FMLP or MCP-1 is preserved in WAS patients, cell polarization is dramatically decreased. Staining of F-actin by FITC-phalloidin in monocytes stimulated with chemoattractants shows F-actin to have a rounded shape in WAS patients, as opposed to the polymorphic distribution of F-actin in the polarized monocytes from healthy donors. These results suggest that WAS protein is involved in the monocyte response to the chemokines MCP-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha.


Early developmental events, such as the arrangement of the head-tail axis, are fundamentally driven by cell signalling cascades. Such incidents are regulated in a highly complex manner by promoters and inhibitors at many levels of the cascade. This complexity makes it difficult to understand where and when certain signalling occurs, and what effects additional factors have on the signalling system. Nodal signalling, executed by intracellular Smad2/3 signal propagation, is thought to induce the anterior-posterior and head-tail patterning of the early mouse embryo. Target gene outputs of this signalling are fine-tuned by a vast array of modulators; TGBβ co-receptors, extracellular ligand and receptor inhibitors, DNA binding cofactors, and intracellular enhancers and inhibitors. The endogenous target genes of this system cannot be used as a measure of signalling as they themselves feedback on the original system and others, creating diverse signals. In this body of work, we have distilled the Nodal signalling cascade to a single variable by creating a fluorescent genetic reporter to semi-quantitatively measure Smad signalling during early embryonic development. Reporter constructs contain Smad binding elements, a minimal promoter and fluorescent protein elements. Various sensitivity Smad binding elements were created to respond to different thresholds of signalling. Fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry were used to verify responsiveness of reporter constructs, tested first in a mouse embryonic fibroblast line and subsequently in transgenic embryos. This study will provide an understanding of how extracellular cues dictate gene expression during early embryonic formation. The knowledge acquired from this work may have implications in dairy cattle and human fertility.


In a recent study on food-evoked emotions, we observed that people often misunderstood the currently available affective self-report tools. We, therefore, developed a new intuitive and language-independent self-report instrument called the EmojiGrid: a rectangular response grid labeled with facial icons (emoji) that express different degrees of valence and arousal. We found that participants intuitively and reliably reported their affective appraisal of food by clicking on the EmojiGrid, even without verbal instructions. In this study, we investigated whether the EmojiGrid can also serve as a tool to assess one's own (experienced) emotions and perceived emotions of others. In the first experiment, participants (N = 90) used the EmojiGrid to report their own emotions, evoked by affective images from a database with corresponding normative ratings (obtained with a 9-point self-assessment mannikin scale). In the second experiment, participants (N = 61) used the EmojiGrid to report the perceived emotional state of persons shown in different affective situations, in pictures from a database with corresponding normative ratings (obtained with a 7-point Likert scale). For both experiments, the affective (valence and arousal) ratings obtained with the EmojiGrid show excellent agreement with the data provided in the literature (intraclass correlations of at least 0.90). Also, the relation between valence and arousal shows the classic U-shape at the group level. Thus, the EmojiGrid appears to be a useful graphical self-report instrument for the assessment of evoked and perceived emotions.


Amino acids are essential components of media utilized to culture fertilized human eggs to the blastocyst stage in vitro. Use of such media has led to a significant increase in the proportion of embryos that implant upon transfer to the uterus and to a decrease in the number that need to be transferred to achieve pregnancy. Little is known about the mechanisms by which amino acids foster development of healthy human blastocysts. Indications are, however, that many of these mechanisms are the same in human and mouse embryos. Both essential and nonessential amino acid transport benefit preimplantation mouse embryo development, albeit at different stages. Nonessential amino acid transport improves development primarily during cleavage, whereas essential amino acid transport supports development of more viable embryos, especially subsequent to the eight-cell stage. This review discusses likely mechanisms for these beneficial effects.


Background: Diabetic foot ulcers are one of the most common complications of diabetes that affect more than 15 percent of diabetic people. In the other hand, due to problems in the immune system of diabetic patients, these ulcers are often slow to take hold and this dramatically increase the risk of gangrene, amputation and even death. Conventional methods to identify vulnerable areas to ulcers that are based on the examination and palpation of the skin, this usually can't reveal changes of integrity of the skin at the right time to prevent the ulcers. Therefore in recent years, thermal imaging from the body as a new method to early diagnosis has been considered to be as a ulcers area. This method is based on comparing the left and right feet's temperature to identify areas of inflammation occurs. Methods: In this study from 25 participants feet's thermal images were taken in the Image Processing Laboratory, University of Hakim Sabzevari at standard conditions and Then The algorithm is fully automatic order to compare the thermal image accurately and extraction of passionate area from the temperature matrix for correspondent comparison of left and right feet's temperature Is designed to identify areas of hidden inflammation. Results: The proposed system is designed based on image processing and computer vision techniques, Able to find two cases of inflammation were among the participants in the study. The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of the algorithm, respectively equal of ٩٠% , ١٠٠% and % ٨٨ achieved. Conclusion: Unlike past researches that is more for the quality of their action on the thermal images, we managed to design quite a smart system that quantitatively comparing peer to peer parts of the left and right people' planetary, in order to identify the inflam mation area. While the researchers said that when a patient does not feel the monofilament testing and couldn't noticed the temperature of his/her soles of his/her feet, In fact, the only method to prediction and prevention of creating ulcers in a foot without sense, is detecting the temperature difference, that designed algorithm in this research well and accurately, makes meet The authenticity and acceptability of this demands.


This report presents findings from the fourth wave of the American Dream Demonstration (ADD) experimental study of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). The ADD was a set of 14 privately funded local IDA programs initiated in the late 1990s. It was the first large-scale test of IDAs in the United States and used a variety of research methods in order to learn about IDAs. One of these programs, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was implemented as a random assignment experiment. This report is based on a 10-year follow study of impacts at the Tulsa site.In total, 1,103 low-income participants were surveyed at baseline and randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group. Treatment group members received access to an IDA as well as financial education and case management. The IDA provided matched withdrawals at a 2:1 rate for home purchase and a 1:1 rate for home repair, small business investment, post-secondary education, or retirement savings. Participants who made the maximum matchable deposits throughout the 3 years of the program could accumulate $6,750 (plus interest) for a home purchase or $4,500 (plus interest) for the other qualified uses.In examining the five allowable uses, the study finds some impacts of IDAs on education, especially for males, and on home maintenance and repair 10-years after the program. However, we find no impact on homeownership, businesses, and retirement savings in the follow-up study. The positive findings for education and home maintenance and repair may suggest that IDAs are best suited to support asset purchases that can be accomplished incrementally over a period of time. Targeting IDAs for education and home maintenance and repair may be more effective than applying them to "all-or-nothing" purchases like a house.


This paper examines the role of South Africa's borderline control in shaping relationships between who those who live and those who work on the borderline between Lesotho and South Africa. It explores how South African labour market policy affects the participation of Basotho in various South African labour markets, particularly those on farms along the borderline. It discusses the presence of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on the borderline and highlights the complex and troubled history of the two neighbouring countries. Finally, this paper distils and sums up various observations and conclusions for the readers to make up their minds on the subject matter.


ABSTRACT Laser land leveling has been increasingly adopted in the irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system in the state of Haryana (India), located in the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Still, many farmers have applied it to only a fraction of their land. In this study, we used data collected from 621 farm households in Haryana and applied a double-hurdle model for assessing the factors that determine the adoption and intensity of laser-leveling technology. The results show that large land holders are more likely to laser level their farm land; however, we found a negative association between land holdings and the proportion of laser-leveled land. Information about technology through farmer-to-farmer communication and through private traders, participation in agricultural training and membership in local agricultural institutions increased both the likelihood and the intensity of adoption. Our findings call for a closer collaboration among the various stakeholders, specifically to promote farmer-to-farmer communication through increased participation in local institutions and increase the rate of adoption of laser leveling technology.


A total of 290 early-weaned pigs (initially 7.6 lb and 10.5 d of age) was used to evaluate various levels of spray-dried porcine plasma. Pigs were assigned to one of five experimental diets with either 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15% spray-dried porcine plasma replacing dried skim milk. Pigs were fed this diet for the first 14 days postweaning. Common diets were fed from d 14 to 42 postweaning in order to monitor subsequent performance. During the first phase (d 0 to 14 postweaning), linear improvements in average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) occurred as the level of spray-dried porcine plasma increased from 5% to 15%. This resulted in a linear improvement in weight at d 14 postweaning. For the first phase and subsequent phases, no differences occurred in feed efficiency (F/G). From d 14 to 21 postweaning, a linear decrease occurred in ADG and ADFI as well as a linear deterioration of F/G as the level of spraydried porcine plasma increased from 5% to 15%. This reversal of performance resulted in no difference of pig weights at d 21 and 25 postweaning. From d 25 to 42 postweaning, no difference was seen in ADG. In summary, spray-dried porcine plasma can be used as an effective replacement for dried skim milk as a protein source in diets for pigs weaned at 10 d of age.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 18,1993


This article explores the potential of community-led housing (CLH) in combatting loneliness, and represents a mixed-methods research project carried out from just before the beginning of the pandemic, through 2020. Methods comprised a nationwide quantitative online survey of members of CLH groups (N = 221 respondents from England and Wales), followed by five case studies of communities representing a range of different CLH models. This qualitative element comprised participant observation, and semi-structured interviews at each group. The article also considers data from a smaller research project carried out by the same team in July 2020, that aimed to capture the experience of the pandemic for CLH groups, and comprising an online questionnaire followed by 18 semi-structured interviews. We conclude that members of CLH projects are measurably less lonely than those with comparable levels of social connection in wider society, and that such benefits are achieved through combinations of multiple different elements that include physical design, social design and through social processes. Notably, not all aspects of communities that contribute positively are a result of explicit intentionality, albeit the concept is considered key to at least one of the models.


In software industries, various open source projects utilize the services of Bug Tracking Systems that let users submit software issues or bugs and allow developers to respond to and fix them. The users label the reports as bugs or any other relevant class. This classification helps to decide which team or personnel would be responsible for dealing with an issue. A major problem here is that users tend to wrongly classify the issues, because of which a middleman called a bug triager is required to resolve any misclassifications. This ensures no time is wasted at the developer end. This approach is very time consuming and therefore it has been of great interest to automate the classification process, not only to speed things up, but to lower the amount of errors as well. In the literature, several approaches including machine learning techniques have been proposed to automate text classification. However, there has not been an extensive comparison on the performance of different natural language classifiers in this field. In this paper we compare general natural language data classifying techniques using five different machine learning algorithms: Naive Bayes, kNN, Pegasos, Rocchio and Perceptron. The performance comparison of these algorithms was done on the basis of their apparent error rates. The data-set involved four different projects, Httpclient, Jackrabbit, Lucene and Tomcat5, that used two different Bug Tracking Systems - Bugzilla and Jira. An experimental comparison of pre-processing techniques was also performed.


Abstract Historical sources provide evidence of the condition and damage to forests over time. Lesprojekt (The Forest Management Institute, which is a governmental institution under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic) evaluated data from records deposited in the national archives in three cycles of historical research (1966–67, 1976, 1982–83) conducted in the state forests (forest enterprise of the state forests). The processed data was critically evaluated and formed the foundation of a long term series (1875–2012) of windfalls and snow damage. The aim of this paper was to summarise the data pertaining to such enormous abiotic damage in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids (Outer Western Carpathians, Czech Republic), its temporality, frequency and intensity. A spatial analysis of snow calamities was conducted during the last disturbance episodes in the winters of 2005/2006 and in October 2009. The historical records showed that the most extensive disturbances occurred in 1916, when 600,000 m3 of wood was damaged in the monitored area. Some findings were discussed in relation to silvicultural interventions in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids. In the conclusion, some problems and limitations concerning the reliability of data obtained this way are indicated.


Transthyretin Val122Ile is one of greater than 80 mutations in transthyretin (TTR) that are associated with hereditary amyloidosis. Retrospective studies have shown a prevalence of this mutation as high as 3.9% in African-Americans. The present study was undertaken to determine in a prospective fashion the prevalence of the TTR Val122Ile allele in African-Americans in a Midwestern American city. DNA was isolated from cord bloods collected at the time of birth in the County hospital of Indianapolis, Indiana. Samples were identified only as to ethnic origin of the mother. Analysis was performed by PCR amplification of TTR exon 4 followed by SSCP and RFLP. Cord bloods from 1,973 children born at the County hospital were analyzed. Thirty of 1,000 DNA samples from African-American newborns were positive for TTR Val122Ile (3%). Two of 453 DNA samples from Caucasian newborns were positive (0.44%). Zero of 490 DNA samples from newborns of Hispanic mothers and 0 of 30 from newborns with mothers classified as other (including Asian) were positive. This prospective study demonstrates that 3% of newborns of African-American women in an urban population have the TTR Val122Ile mutation which is associated with late-onset cardiomyopathy. The degree of penetrance of this mutation at the clinical level has not yet been determined.


In recent years reducing power has become a critical design goal for high-performance microprocessors. This work attempts to bring the power issue to the earliest phase of high-performance microprocessor development. We propose a methodology for poweroptimization at the micro-architectural level. First, major targets for power reduction are identified within superscalar microarchitecture, then an optimization of a superscalar micro-architecture is performed that generates a set of energy-efficient configurations forming a convex hull in the power-performance space. The energy-efficient families are then compared to find configurations that dissipate the lowest power given a performance target, or, conversely, deliver the highest performance given a power budget. Application of the developed methodology to a superscalar microarchitecture shows that at the architectural level there is a potential for reducing power up to , given a performance requirement, and for up to performance improvement, given a power budget.


Background: Ill health constitutes a potential major limiting factor in the educational progress of any child. Some studies have noted a high prevalence of diseases and disability among apparently well school children. Appraisal of the health of school pupils/staff is necessary to optimise learning. Objectives: This study assessed school health appraisal implementation in primary schools within Abakaliki Metropolis. Materials and Methods: This was a cross sectional descriptive study of the forms of health appraisal in all 31 primary schools in Abakaliki metropolis. Relevant information was obtained from the head teacher in each school and scored using a validated evaluation scale. Data was analysed using the SPSS 13 with the level of significance set at p <0.05. Results: Out of the 31 primary schools, 16 were public while 15 were privately owned. All the schools did routine inspection of the pupils. Few (12.9%) requested pre-entry medical examination and those were exclusively private schools, none organised periodic medical examinations for their staff and/or pupils, seven (22.6%) schools practiced referral of pupils to health centers or hospitals, while only two schools supervised the health of the handicapped. The private schools performed relatively better than the public schools especially in pre-entry screening (p=0.027) and referral of cases (p=0.001) Conclusion: Generally, appraisal of the health of school children within the study area is poor and this needs intervention if children are to benefit from the Universal Basic Education. Keyword: School health services; Appraisal; Primary schools; Abakaliki, Nigeria


An approach of fast motion estimation (ME), aiming at the stabilization problem of video surveillance system on driving vehicle, is proposed in the paper. The information of color space based on multidimension projection and brightness based on grayscale projection (GP) are jointly considered. Compared with the traditional approaches of GP, the presented approach can be applied to achieve higher precision and remain real-time performance. Furthermore, it is more robust than GP, especially when brightness distribution of video image is nearly even. Meanwhile, scaling factor estimation is also applied, which is helpful to estimate motion vector(MV) from scaling motion mode.


This paper investigates the effects of working memory (WM) on Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' thematic inference generation during L2 narratives comprehension. Eighty-five sophomore English majors in a university in mainland China participated in the study. The experiment was implemented by using E-Prime and L2 narrative passages to measure the response time and response accuracy on the topic sentence. The experimental design is a 2 (WM: low and high) × 2 (discourse relation: same-theme and different-theme condition) factorial design. The results demonstrate that (a) WM span contributes considerably to Chinese EFL learners' thematic inferential processing during L2 narrative comprehension. Compared with low-span participants, high-span learners responded significantly faster to topic sentences and had higher response accuracy during thematic inference processing; (b) On the response time, the main effect of working memory span and the main effect of discourse relation are both significant. The interactive effect of the two factors is not significant. Regarding response accuracy, the main effects of each factor and the interactive effect of the two factors are not significant; (c) Discourse relation also influences learners' thematic inference construction, but does not reflect on response accuracy.


For many years, the purine salvage pathway of parasitic protozoa has been regarded as an attractive chemotherapeutic target. Parasitic protozoa lack de novo synthesis and rely entirely on the purine salvage pathway to meet their purine demands. Because of the great phylogenetic difference between parasite and host, there are often sufficient distinctions that can be exploited to design specific inhibitors for the parasitic enzymes. As a result, this pathway has been thoroughly investigated over the last twenty years. It is only quite recently that the genome studies of Trypanosoma, Leishmania and Plasmodium have been published. Based on these genomic data however, the existence of by-pass mechanisms by other enzymes and transporter systems could be suggested. Taking into account such proposition, the question might arise as to whether inhibition of a single salvage enzyme will be able or not to cause parasite death or growth arrest. In this paper, the key enzymes in the purine salvage pathways of relevant pathogenic species from the genera Trypanosoma, Leishmania and Plasmodium are reviewed. Their potential as drug targets is critically evaluated and where possible, correlated to literature data on antiparasitic activity of their inhibitors. While many studies over the past ten years have yielded contradictory results, this review attempts to clarify these findings by discussing the latest elements of progress in the field. Additionally, as part of a broader discussion on substrate analogue types of inhibitors, special attention is paid to iminoribitol derivatives, serving as transition state analogues of nucleoside-processing enzymes and comprising the most potent inhibitors reported for purine salvage enzymes. More specifically, the development of three generations of immucillins and a newer series of N-(arylmethyl-) substituted iminoribitol derivatives will be discussed. Finally, this review also covers subversive substrates of salvage enzymes: compounds that are transformed by enzymatic activity into cytotoxic agents. Although not by directly intervening in the process of purine recovery, the subversive substrate approach might deliver antiprotozoal compounds that rely on salvage enzymes for their activity.


IL@MOF (IL: ionic liquid; MOF: metal-organic framework) materials have been proposed as a candidate for solid-state electrolytes, combining the inherent non-flammability and high thermal and chemical stability of the ionic liquid with the host-guest interactions of the MOF. In this work, we compare the structure and ionic conductivity of a sodium ion containing IL@MOF composite formed from a microcrystalline powder of the zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF), ZIF-8 with a hierarchically porous sample of ZIF-8 containing both micro- and mesopores from a sol-gel synthesis. Although the crystallographic structures were shown to be the same by X-ray diffraction, significant differences in particle size, packing and morphology were identified by electron microscopy techniques which highlight the origins of the hierarchical porosity. After incorporation of Na0.1EMIM0.9TFSI (abbreviated to NaIL; EMIM = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium; TFSI = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), the hierarchically porous composite exhibited a 40% greater filling capacity than the purely microporous sample which was confirmed by elemental analysis and digestive proton NMR. Finally, the ionic conductivity properties of the composite materials were probed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results showed that despite the 40% increased loading of NaIL in the NaIL@ZIF-8micro sample, the ionic conductivities at 25 °C were 8.4 × 10-6 and 1.6 × 10-5 S cm-1 for NaIL@ZIF-8meso and NaIL@ZIF-8micro respectively. These results exemplify the importance of the long range, continuous ion pathways contributed by the microcrystalline pores, as well as the limited contribution from the discontinuous mesopores to the overall ionic conductivity.


Cell signaling pathways that control proliferation and determine cell fates are tightly regulated to prevent developmental anomalies and cancer. Transcription factors and coregulators are important effectors of signaling pathway output, as they regulate downstream gene programs. In Caenorhabditis elegans, several subunits of the Mediator transcriptional coregulator complex promote or inhibit vulva development, but pertinent mechanisms are poorly defined. Here, we show that Mediator's dissociable cyclin dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) module (CKM), consisting of cdk-8, cic-1/Cyclin C, mdt-12/dpy-22, and mdt-13/let-19, is required to inhibit ectopic vulval cell fates downstream of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-Ras-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. cdk-8 inhibits ectopic vulva formation by acting downstream of mpk-1/ERK, cell autonomously in vulval cells, and in a kinase-dependent manner. We also provide evidence that the CKM acts as a corepressor for the Ets-family transcription factor LIN-1, as cdk-8 promotes transcriptional repression by LIN-1. In addition, we find that CKM mutation alters Mediator subunit requirements in vulva development: the mdt-23/sur-2 subunit, which is required for vulva development in wild-type worms, is dispensable for ectopic vulva formation in CKM mutants, which instead display hallmarks of unrestrained Mediator tail module activity. We propose a model whereby the CKM controls EGFR-Ras-ERK transcriptional output by corepressing LIN-1 and by fine tuning Mediator specificity, thus balancing transcriptional repression vs. activation in a critical developmental signaling pathway. Collectively, these data offer an explanation for CKM repression of EGFR signaling output and ectopic vulva formation and provide the first evidence of Mediator CKM-tail module subunit crosstalk in animals.


As one of the most prominent architects of the twentieth century, Louis I.Kahn aspired to use natural light to shape his architecture. The lighting designer Richard Kelly, one of his close collaborators, had significant influence on modern architectural lighting design in the twentieth century. Kahn and Kelly designed the luminous environments in three art-gallery and museum buildings, the Yale University Art Gallery, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Yale Center for British Art. Collaboration between the architect and the lighting designer resulted in well-resolved lighting solutions. This research investigated the collaboration between Louis I.Kahn and Richard Kelly from both theoretical and pragmatic perspectives. In terms of the theoretical perspective, a detailed overview of their collaborative work is provided through literature review. In terms of the pragmatic perspective, the background of their cooperation and the technical details are presented. In addition, daylighting performance analysis of these three buildings through digital modelling was undertaken. This study found that the lighting design solutions produced together by Louis I.Kahn and Richard Kelly, especially the way of using daylight, have had significant impact on architectural space and the luminous environment. More importantly, this kind of collaborative working method could provide a useful reference and guidance for contemporary architecture and lighting design.


Objective This longitudinal study was performed to determine changes in echocardiography parameters in association with various biomarker levels in pregnancy/postpartum. Methods Fifty-one healthy pregnant women underwent echocardiography with simultaneous determination of blood levels of five biomarkers at each of the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy, immediately postpartum within 1 week after childbirth and approximately 1 month postpartum. Data on 255 echocardiography scans (five times per woman) and biomarkers were analysed. Results Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, left atrial (LA) volume index and left ventricular (LV) mass index increased with advancing gestation and reached the maximum immediately postpartum concomitant with the highest brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity troponin I (hs-TnI) and creatine kinase MB levels. The inferior vena cava diameter was significantly reduced in the third trimester compared with that in the first trimester and the peak occurred immediately after childbirth. In 255 paired measurements, hs-TnI level was significantly positively correlated with LA volume index and LV mass index; BNP and NT-proBNP were significantly positively correlated with LA volume index and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly positively correlated with the average of early diastolic septal and lateral mitral annular velocity (e′). Conclusions Maximal cardiac changes in morphology occurred postpartum within 1 week after childbirth, not during pregnancy. BNP/NT-proBNP, hs-TnI and eGFR reflected cardiac changes in pregnancy.


Precise locations of commercial poultry operations are important to planning and response for animal health outbreaks and events. These data are not available nationally or uniformly in the United States. This project uses machine learning capabilities to identify and map commercial poultry operations from aerial imagery in seven south-eastern states in the United States. The output protocol uses an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach, which identifies objects based on spectral signatures combined with spatial, contextual, and textural information. The protocol is a semi-automated and user-assisted process, meaning that the object identification routines require minimal user inputs or expertise. Using the protocol, we produced locations of likely commercial poultry operations in up to two counties in one workday, about two times faster than manual digitisation. The resulting datasets provide an estimate of the number and geographic distribution of commercial poultry operations to assist outbreak response by augmenting available knowledge in affected areas.


Uppsala University has collaborated with Swedish National Railway Administration in research about train traffic control and how to improve traffic controllers' work environment, so that they can better meet future demands. This has resulted in a new operational train traffic control system called STEG. The traffic controllers are today forced to develop and use very complex mental models which take a long time to learn. We have also found that their cognitive capacity is more used to indentify, understand and analyze the traffic situation and less to solve problems and find optimal solutions to disturbances. The objective for developing STEG was to change this situation and reduce unnecessary cognitive load. Interviews with traffic controllers show that STEG has reduced the complexity of their mental models and contributed to less unnecessary cognitive load in operation. Our conclusion is that by reducing the complexity of their mental model, they can be skilled much faster and they are now able to use their cognitive capacity and skills on the important parts of their work.


The Children's Post-Pesticide Application Exposure Study (CPPAES) was conducted to look at the distribution of chlorpyrifos within a home environment for 2 weeks after a routine professional crack-and-crevice application and to determine the amount of the chlorpyrifos that is absorbed by a child living within the home. Ten residential homes with a 2- to 5-year-old child in each were selected for study, and the homes were treated with chlorpyrifos. Pesticide measurements were made from the indoor air, indoor surfaces, and plush toys. In addition, periodic morning urine samples were collected from each of the children throughout the 2-week period. We analyzed the urine samples for 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol, the primary urinary metabolite of chlorpyrifos, and used the results to estimate the children's absorbed dose. Average chlorpyrifos levels in the indoor air and surfaces were 26 (pretreatment)/120 (posttreatment) ng/m3 and 0.48 (pretreatment)/2.8 (posttreatment) ng/cm2, respectively, reaching peak levels between days 0 and 2; subsequently, concentrations decreased throughout the 2-week period. Chlorpyrifos in/on the plush toys ranged from 7.3 to 1,949 ng/toy postapplication, with concentrations increasing throughout the 2-week period, demonstrating a cumulative adsorption/absorption process indoors. The daily amount of chlorpyrifos estimated to be absorbed by the CPPAES children postapplication ranged from 0.04 to 4.8 μg/kg/day. During the 2 weeks after the crack-and-crevice application, there was no significant increase in the amount of chlorpyrifos absorbed by the CPPAES children.


PurposeIn response to the cancellation of a host of events during the summer of 2020, the purpose of this paper is to examine the rapid innovation that created an online County Show. County Shows are traditionally associated with agriculture and the wider rural economy of a region and provide a range of visitor experiences alongside business networking and trading opportunities. The case of the online Lincolnshire Show sought to replicate many aspects of a physical show, and this paper evaluates its effectiveness by applying a newly developed e-eventscape model.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods approach generated data from businesses, visitors and the show organiser. Surveys and social media feedback from attendees captured overall satisfaction levels and suggestions for improvements. Participation in the online Business Breakfast event along with an interview with the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Show provided deeper understanding of the innovation occurring.FindingsThe nature of innovation was strongly rooted in place, despite creating a virtual product. Local networks and supporters were critical to staging the online Show. The proposed e-eventscape model allowed an effective appraisal of the online Show, identifying many strengths in terms of the user interface and aesthetics as well as opportunities for improvement, especially linked to greater interactive engagement.Originality/valueThe impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have accelerated digital innovation in a range of events and festivals. This provides an opportunity to examine the evolving role of Shows in the rural economy and the innovation processes that have emerged. As well as presenting original insights into rural innovation, the paper develops and tests a new e-eventscape model applicable to the growing field of online events and festivals. Findings indicate that there is considerable scope for organisers to embed online content into the future of many live Shows and festivals, far beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.


More and more, exams require medical images as a tool to diagnose pathologies. Thus, the transfer and storage of the exam data becomes a critical issue. To address this issue, an image compression algorithm called Waaves has been developed and certified for medical imaging. Our work in this paper deals with a scenario of EEG exams where video of the patient is also recorded in order to correctly diagnose myoclonus pathologies. To achieve this goal, the video needs to be of high quality and at frame rate of at least 100 frames per second. This high data rate cannot be compressed on the fly by Waaves codec. In this paper, we present a novel codec based on the Waaves compression algorithm that fits the requirements of tele-video-EEG. We have used the characteristics of the input sequence and the analysis of the original codec, to improve the compression speed. The proposed video codec has shown a speed-up of around 3.4 times compared to the original algorithm. In addition, we have been able to improve the compression ratio while retaining necessary quality to identify myoclonus.


Software support for making effective pen-based applications is currently rudimentary. To facilitate the creation of such applications, we have developed SATIN, a Java-based toolkit designed to support the creation of applications that leverage the informal nature of pens. This support includes a scenegraph for manipulating and rendering objects; support for zooming and rotating objects, switching between multiple views of an object, integration of pen input with interpreters, libraries for manipulating ink strokes, widgets optimized for pens, and compatibility with Java's Swing toolkit. SATIN includes a generalized architecture for handling pen input, consisting of recognizers, interpreters, and multi-interpreters. In this paper, we describe the functionality and architecture of SATIN, using two applications built with SATIN as examples.


The carrying capacity and energy absorption characteristic of foamed aluminum (or aluminum foam), fabricated by melt foaming technique, are limited due to the lower strength of aluminum. The typical anti-vibration energy absorbing structures are designed as foamed aluminum-filled or sandwich structures. The deformation and absorption characteristics of foamed aluminum-filled structures subjected to impact loadings are analyzed using experimental and numerical methods in this work. The analysis shows that the steel shell of the combinative structure subjected to dynamic loadings dominates during energy absorption. The energy absorption capacity and initial instability loading increase as impact velocity increase and as increasing shell thickness duo to the interaction between steel shell and aluminum foam. The impact mass within the range of 100kg influences weakly on peak instability loading. Since the steel shell is the dominating part of load capacity and energy absorption, the reasonable design, taking into account of foam density and shell thickness and taking full advantage of interaction between steel shell and aluminum foam, should be adopted to increase the energy absorption characteristic of foam-filled structures.


Background and aims: Each professional group has its basic standards which are called the professional values and are considered the guides and motivation for individual professional behavior. Commitment to values is very important issue in health care that changing rapidly. The aim of this study was to examine the professional values from perspective of nurses and nursing students. Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical research. By stratified random sampling method participated 250 nurses from hospitals affiliated to University of Medical Sciences and 100 baccalaureate nursing students of a school in Kerman, Iran in 2016. Data were collected by Persian version of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) Weis and Schank. This instrument consisted 26-item in the five dimensions (Caring, Activism, Trust, Professionalism and Justice) at five- point Likert-Scale format (from not important to very important). Data analyzed by SPSS version 19. Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean scores of professional values of nurses (102/57±11/94) and students (101/79±12/42). The most important values of nurses and students, included "maintain confidentiality of patient" (from caring dimension), "safeguard patient's right to privacy" (from caring dimension), and the least important values in both groups were related to activism and professionalism dimensions for example participating in nursing research and/or implement research findings appropriate to practice and participating in peer review. Conclusions: The high total score of professional values of nurses and nursing students in this study represent most orientation nurses. Recommended to educators to pay more attention to these values in theoretical and clinical training of nursing students in particular values associated with social and political issues that there are related to activism and professionalism dimensions until through the teaching these values helped to promotion the nursing profession and also emphasized to the role continuing education in learning and instill professional values to nurses, according to emerging ethical challenges.


Introduction: Capsular contracture is one of the most common causes of surgical revision in the mammary augmentation procedure. This phenomenon can happen with any kind of implant, or layer of the pocket. The literature shows that there is an increased prevalence in the implant in the retro mammary position, and for this reason the majority of patients whom operate for treating contracture are in this situation. In these patients we observe a significant thinning of the gland and the subcutaneous tissue, then, we create a rectropectoralis pocket to insert the new implant making use of a capsular flap, to involve it completely. This allows larger implants house with great security, nice cosmetic results and high satisfaction.


Continental rift basins have long been of interest to sedimentologists. Of all the terrestrial settings, rift basins typically provide the greatest accommodation space, and consequently have some of the longest records of continental sedimentation. These records are a product of a complex interplay between several factors that include geological structure and tectonic activity, volcanism, climate and its temporal variability, hydrology, biology and time. Sedimentation in Continental Rifts is a timely update on this exciting interdisciplinary field and presents new approaches and insights into tectonic and structural controls of sedimentation. Other topics included are lacustrine and fluviatile depositional environments and some lesser-known settings, such as springs, wetlands, and paleosols. Several papers consider the behavior of silica in rift lakes, particularly the roles of microorganisms in silica precipitation, whereas others examine the paleoenvironmental importance of freshwater carbonates. The contents of the volume show that sedimentological research in rift basins has progressed beyond basic facies description and general models, and is now focused on understanding the integrative effects of physical, chemical and biological processes in rifts.


The behavior of variable thickness laminated composite beams has not so far been fully understood. In the present thesis, a finite element formulation is established for uniform and variable thickness composite beams (externally and mid-plane tapered composite beams). First the conventional formulation is used to establish the stiffness, geometric stiffness (for constant axial load, uniformly distributed axial load, and non-uniformly distributed axial load), and mass matrices. Second a new formulation (advanced formulation) is established, which considers not only the geometric boundary conditions, but also the natural boundary conditions. This means that at each node there will be four degrees of freedom, that are deflection, slope, bending moment, and shear force, such that all physical parameters that can be encountered in any practical situation can be included in the element formulation. The new stiffness, geometric stiffness, and mass matrices corresponding to the new formulation are set up. These matrices are provided into the MATLAB ® environment to obtain the natural frequencies and the critical buckling load.


This paper presents a Bayesian approach using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and the generalized-t (GT) distribution to predict loss reserves for the insurance companies. Existing models and methods cannot cope with irregular and extreme claims and hence do not offer an accurate prediction of loss reserves. To develop a more robust model for irregular claims, this paper extends the conventional normal error distribution to the GT distribution which nests several heavy-tailed distributions including the Student-t and exponential power distributions. It is shown that the GT distribution can be expressed as a scale mixture of uniforms (SMU) distribution which facilitates model implementation and detection of outliers by using mixing parameters. Different models for the mean function, including the log-ANOVA, log-ANCOVA, state space and threshold models, are adopted to analyze real loss reserves data. Finally, the best model is selected according to the deviance information criterion (DIC).


uterine growth retardation, placental abruption, pre-eclampsia (often severe and early onset), and chorea gravidarum. We and others (Birdsall et al. 1992) have found an association between the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies and pre-eclampsia, abruption, and stillbirths as well as the more widely known recurrent miscarriage. Obstetricians should be astute and investigate women with unexpected pregnancy complications (e.g.. the multiparous women with pre-eclampsia) for antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Although the pathogenesis of these antibodies remains unclear and treatment methods controversial, identification is critical. The usual obstetric interventions of early detection of growth retardation and preterm delivery may be all that is required for women with this condition.


Bioremediation is the process of using agents to convert or degrade organic compounds such as crude oil and gasoline in to non-toxic substances such as carbon dioxide and water. Oil spill in the environment is a problem for which bio remediation by micro organisms is a natural, viable and economic solution. When an oil spill occurs often due to a ruptured oil tanker or leaking oilrig, people around the world are awed by the damage to the environment. However, there are also naturally occurring oil spills such as sea page from oil deposits beneath ocean floor. Regardless of their origins oil spills have an impact on the environment. Bacteria capable of degrading oil includes Gram negative rods such as Pseudomonas, Acetobacter, FlavoBacteria, Cornibacterium and Alcaligenes. The hydrocarbon (Diesel) degrading strains are separated from the nutrient broth medium and proteins are extracted and compared with the proteins extracted from the strains grown without adding hydrocarbon compound. The total protein concentration in the treated Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 55ig and 35ig respectively whereas the concentration in the normal Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found to be 30ig and 25ig.


Published: This paper mainly discusses the thermal behavior and performance of Lithium-ion batteries utilized in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) based on numerical simulations. In this work, the battery's thermal behavior is investigated at different C-rates and also contour plots of phase potential for both tabs and volume-monitored plot of maximum temperature inside the computational domain are illustrated. The numerical simulation is done via ANSYS Fluent traditional software package which utilizes the dual potential multi-scale multi-dimensional (MSMD) battery model to analyze the cell discharge behavior and investigate the thermal performance and potential variation(s). The results show that the maximum temperature of battery surface is proportional to the battery discharge rate, i.e., the higher the C-rate, the greater the cell surface temperature. Moreover, an increasing symmetric pattern is noticed for volume monitor of maximum temperature over the simulation period. Finally, it is worth noting that the battery tab potential varies more quickly if the C-rate becomes greater. In fact, the lowest and highest rate of changes are observed for 1C and 4C rate of discharging, respectively.


A member of the Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology editorial board has reviewed the following devices. The views of the author are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology or MedReviews, LLC.

Companies can submit a product for review by e-mailing firstname.lastname@example.com.

Design/Functionality Scale

1 = Poor design; many deficits

2 = Solid design; many deficits

3 = Good design; few flaws

4 = Excellent design; few flaws

5 = Excellent design; flaws not apparent

Value Scale

1 = Added cost with limited benefit

2 = Added cost with some benefit

3 = Added cost but significant benefit

4 = Marginal added cost but significant benefit

5 = Significant cost savings

Overall Scale

1 = Don't bother

2 = Niche product

3 = Worth a try

4 = Must try

5 = Must have


In seven adult patients receiving fat-free total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for 4 to 8 weeks, weekly determinations of plasma fatty acids and total plasma tocopherols were made. Four patients were deficient in essential fatty acids, as defined by triene: tetraene ratio greater than 0.4, at the end of the second week of TPN. Six patients were deficient by the end of the third week and all seven were deficient by the end of the fifth week of TPN treatment. One patient who was deficient in both essential fatty acids and zinc developed a scaling, eczemoid dermatitis that disappeared within 3 weeks after cessation of TPN and resumption of oral feedings containing both fat and zinc. After resumption of oral feedings by three patients, the triene: tetraene ratio returned to normal within 2 weeks. The mean of total plasma tocopherols fell over a period of 7 weeks and in three individuals, reached levels generally associated with deficiency. There were not any obvious clinical manifestations of vitamin E deficiency.


An indoor soil deposition method has been developed to simulate natural soil deposition on glass coupons or one-cell and multicell photovoltaic (PV) modules. This method uses variable ambient humidity, coupon/module temperature, and dust composition within a single custom-made chamber to create a natural and uniform soil deposition layer. Antisoiling (AS) coatings from two different manufacturers were applied on two one-cell monocrystalline silicon modules. Three layers of Arizona road dust have been deposited on the one-cell modules with AS coatings and an uncoated one-cell reference module at varied humidity levels. The soiled modules were exposed to an open-circuit subsonic wind tunnel at varying speeds and the effectiveness of AS coatings have been quantified using the transmittance gain. Transmittance loss resulting from the AS coating has been measured and compared with the transmittance of the uncoated reference module using a reflectance spectrophotometer. Reflectance measurements have also been taken to compare the transmittance loss of Arizona road dust and soil collected from PV modules' superstrates. The soiled one-cell modules were then exposed to rain from a rain simulator. The transmittance gain due to rain exposure is quantified using a rain gain and rain coefficient. These tests cumulatively may be used to help develop a test standard for evaluating the effectiveness of AS coatings.


Wide Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)a third generation wireless communication system that has high bandwidth and offers multimedia communication capabilities for global mobile communications but the performance of WCDMA is degraded with various factors such as interference, fading and scattering. Diversity is a technique which is used to mitigate the fading problem in wireless channel at a relatively low cost .This paper gives the review of different diversity techniques to mitigate the fading problem and for improving the overall performance of the communication system. In different diversity techniques, space diversity technique is an important technique and maximum ratio combining (MRC) is the most effective technique which is a part of space diversity technique.MRC produces an output signal to noise ratio (SNR) equal to the sum of the individual SNRs.


Nine species of the saxicolous lichen genus Umbilicaria from Ecuador are reported and a key is provided: U. africana, U. aprina, U. cinereorufescens, U. decussata, U. dendrophora, U. haplocarpa, U. leprosa, U. nylanderiana and U. vellea. The species diversity of this genus on the equatorial high mountains of South America is low compared to North America and Eurasia, but similar to that found on high African peaks close to the equator. The species mostly belong to a high-alpine element with worldwide distribution. Two species belong to an Andean endemic element, viz U. haplocarpa and U. leprosa. The low diversity and low percentage of endemism may reflect the fairly recent uplift of the Andes and the comparatively small geographic extent of the alpine Andean biota. The dense rainforests of Ecuador leave few suitable open rock habitats for the establishment of these light-craving lichens below the tree-line (4000–4200 m a.s.l.), and thus their equatorial habitat is almost exclusively restricted to the alpine zone between the tree-line and the snow-line (4700–4800 m a.s.l.). The equatorial species mainly reproduce asexually by thalloconidia, and the adaptive significance of this type of reproduction in high altitude habitats is discussed.


Bio-efficacy and compatibility of formulations of Pochonia chlamydosporia (2×106 cfu/g) and Paecilomyces lilacinus (2×106 cfu/g) on root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, infecting nursery seedlings of acid lime were evaluated. Application of 5 or 10 g of each bio-agent formulation per kg of soil significantly reduced root-galling index and the number of nematodes in the roots. The combined use of P. lilacinus and P. chlamydosporia, each at 10 g/kg, significantly reduced rhizosphere colonization and the soil propagule density of P. chlamydosporia compared to the densities achieved when the fungus was applied alone. However, the root colonization and soil propagule density of P. lilacinus were not affected when it was used at both the dosages (5 and 10 g) of P. chlamydosporia. The seedling roots were colonised by both bio-agents. These data will be useful for the development of a combined formulation of the two bio-agents.


Abstract An updated and expanded data set that consists of 214 plagioclase-liquid equilibrium pairs from 40 experimental studies in the literature is used to recalibrate the thermodynamic model for the plagioclase- liquid hygrometer of Lange et al. (2009); the updated model is applicable to metaluminous and alkaline magmas. The model is based on the crystal-liquid exchange reaction between the anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) and albite (NaAlSi3O8) components, and all available volumetric and calorimetric data for the pure end-member components are used in the revised model. The activities of the crystalline plagioclase components are taken from Holland and Powell (1992). Of the 214 experiments, 107 are hydrous and 107 are anhydrous. Four criteria were applied for inclusion of experiments in the final data set: (1) crystallinities <30%; (2) pure-H2O fluid saturated; (3) compositional totals (including H2O component) of 97-101% for hydrous quenched glasses and 98.5-101 for anhydrous quenched glasses; and (4) melt viscosities ≤5.2 log10 Pa·s. The final data set spans a wide range in liquid composition (45-80 wt% SiO2; 1-10 wt% Na2O+K2O), plagioclase composition (An17-95), temperature (750-1244 °C), pressure (0-350 MPa), and H2O content (0-8.3 wt%). The water solubility model of Zhang et al. (2007) was applied to all hydrous experiments. The standard error estimate on the hygrometer model is 0.35 wt% H2O, and all liquid compositions are fitted equally well. Application of the model as a thermometer recovers temperatures to within ±12°, on average. Tests of the hygrometer on anhydrous piston-cylinder experiments in the literature, not included in the regression, show that the model is accurate at all pressures where plagioclase is stable. Applications of the hygrometer are made to natural rhyolites (Bishop Tuff, Katmai, and TobaTuff) with reported H2O analyses in quartz-hosted melt inclusions from the literature; the results show agreement. Applications of the hygrometer/thermometer are additionally made to natural rhyolites from Iceland and Glass Mountain, California. The updated model can be downloaded either as a program in Excel format or as a MatLab script from the Data Repository.


According to mechanical characteristics of welded turnout on continuous-slab-track and bridge, an integrated turnout/track slab/beam/pier finite element model was established to analyze the interaction between welded turnouts on continuous-slab-track and bridge. The study focused on No.18 turnout (60kg/m rail) with movable frog being laid on a (32+48+32) m continuous beam, expansion additional force and braking additional force of the turnout were calculated when the temperature dropped. The results show that the longitudinal interaction between welded turnouts on continuous-slab-track and bridge is small, which presents a reasonable structure type of welded turnout on bridge; in calculation of the expansion force, when the temperature drops, the shrinkage and creep of the base-slab and longitudinal stiffness reduction caused by the cracking are considered, so the results are more representative than those from the case of rising temperature. Therefore, the case of temperature dropping should be the main concern in design; under the action of the braking force, stress and deformation of each component within this turnout/bridge system are comparatively large.


The importance of grasslands is closely linked to biodiversity and soil health. Changes in plant diversity reflect the environmental conditions and practices of grasslands management. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of abandonment on the grassland community and soil seed bank under the conditions of a hilly relief. The experiment was carried out at the Vėžaičiai Branch of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry on the hilly topography of Žemaičiai Highland. The study analyses long-term monitoring data of a soil erosion experiment set up on the slopes of 9–11° steepness. The soil of the southern exposition slope was a slightly eroded Eutric Retisol. In 1993, to protect the hill from erosion, a mixture of five grasses consisting of 20% timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.), 20% red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), 20% meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.), 20% white clover (Trifolium repens L.), and 20% common bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) was sown in different parts of the hill: the summit, the midslope, and the footslope. The grassland had not been fertilised and used. After 27 years, 56 vascular plant species were identified. In the summit, midslope, and footslope parts of the hill, the relative abundance (P%) of the sown species was 17.2%, 23.9%, and 27.2%, respectively. A good growth of Festuca rubra did not depend on abandonment. In all parts of the hill, P% of other sown species significantly decreased. The lowvalue plants (Elytrigia repens L., Cirsium arvense L., and Equisetum arvense L.) spread in grasslands. The soil seed bank of abandoned grasslands was composed of the arable weeds: Chenopodium album L. was the dominant species in the soil seed bank of the summit of the hill (0–15 cm depth), while Stellaria media (L.) Vill in the soil seed bank of the midslope, 31.3% and 18.4%, respectively, of the total seed number.


Background: The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) has dramatically increased with wide variability in clinical presentations between different geographical areas. However, the contribution of ethnic disparities in pediatric celiac disease is still unclear, especially in patients of Bedouin origin. Objective: We aimed to compare the clinical presentation and histological severity of celiac disease between Bedouin and Jewish children in southern Israel. Methods: This is a retrospective study in which we collected the demographic and clinical data, laboratory results, and histological severity of CD in two ethnic groups: Bedouins and Jews. The study included patients who were diagnosed between 1997 and 2015 in a tertiary hospital in southern Israel. Results: Data from 844 children with CD (271 Jewish and 573 Bedouins), 505 females (59.8%), were analyzed. Gastrointestinal symptoms and diabetes were more prevalent among the Jewish population (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively), while family history, failure to thrive, iron deficiency anemia, and histological severity were significantly more prevalent among the Bedouin group. Upon multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the presence of iron deficiency anemia and Bedouin origin were associated with more advanced histological disease (OR of 2.03 (95% C.I 1.31; 4.308) (P < 0.009) and OR 1.78 (95% C.I 1.31; 4.308) (P < 0.003) respectively). Conclusion: The clinical presentation of celiac disease in Bedouin children is characterized by anemia with less gastrointestinal symptoms, but more severe histological damage. These differences might be explained either by a delay in the diagnosis of the disease in this population or by variable environmental, cultural, and nutritional factors unique to this ethnic group.


This study investigates how architectural and interior design practice for residential properties in China changed significantly as the result of the policy of increasing private ownership in the 1980s. Before the reform policies (which commenced in 1978), residential houses had been owned and managed by work units. They were designed and constructed with the principal aims of being economical and functional. In 1984, new regulations allowed housing to be exchanged as a commodity on the market. This new policy provided householders with greater freedom and opportunities to make decisions about their own family space. This in turn encouraged the rapid development of design and construction companies working on private houses. This paper explores people's decisions concerning the design of their family space that connects to both the traditional beliefs and contemporary values. The study is in the form of in-depth unstructured interviews of eight householders from different generations who designed their family space in the Southwest of China.
In history, the architectural design and practice for commissioning and construction of private houses in China has been significantly different from those in the West. In pre-modern China society, the designers and constructors of the houses were craftsmen, and it was their expertise to make sure that not only the building was safely constructed and fit for use, but also the forms and the spatial layout were set up to represent the owners' social status. But the craftsmen were not recognized as "designers" or "architects" as these professions are understood in the present day because they did not give 'meanings' to the houses. For the wealthy family in the past, their house was not complete until it had been properly decorated according to social norms, and most importantly, named by literati to embed meanings into the buildings. Throughout Chinese history, famous buildings and houses were remembered by their names and literary forms rather than the physical architectural features or their designers. The literary forms very often recorded the reflection of everyday life in these houses that were part of the social society but also the attempt to be separated from social reality.
During the state socialist era from the 1950s and the 1970s, the predominant form of residential dwellings was that of six to seven storey multi-apartment houses. These housing units were designed and built by professional engineers and construction teams to act as homes for the work units. The forms and layouts of the apartment houses were often uniform. The unit buildings were named according to the titles of the work units or the name of the area where the buildings were situated. Within the residential compound, each flat was named by the number of the rows and lines of the building block and the floor it situated. The simplified number system intended to represent the equalized relationships between workers within a work unit rather than to acknowledge the richness of an individual's everyday life. The main aims for the design of housing blocks were economy, function and safety for those living in them.
After the 1980s, China shifted to the reform era with a greater focus on commercial activities and private family life. In 1984 a set of new regulations specified that housing could be exchanged as a commodity in the property market. The shift immediately led to new forms of design and construction methods, and new form of property management companies. When the majority of houses or apartments were constructed for the property market, they did not have finishes or facilities when sold new. The owners of those properties needed not only to install facilities and furnishes, but also to define the internal space by adding or deleting partition walls. As there were few professional design and construction teams working for private clients in the 1990s, very often the property owners made their own decisions based on the design books sold in their local market.
With increasing demand from the private sector however, decoration companies developed rapidly. By 2010, the interior design and construction companies for private properties formed a well-developed marketing force with the involvement of professional designers and constructors. The concept of the term "design" as known in other parts of the world, was eventually recognized. The requirements for the family space today are aesthetics, comfort, health and functionality. Many of the design decisions undertaken by the householders demonstrated the influence of the new policies, market forces, and occupants' ideas, sensations, emotions and physical needs. This study therefore investigates how architectural practice became part of everyday life and how the roles of architects and designers inherited attributes from those in the pre-modern period in China, and how they have developed in a different direction from those in the West.
Existing research into the cultural, political and economic aspects of Chinese architectural tends to develop in two directions. For public buildings, the research on the political and economic influence focuses on social changes from the traditional to modern societies. From this perspective, architectural history has been divided into a linear trajectory linking a traditional era, a socialist era, and a modern era with significant influence of market forces after the 1980s. The role of building designers, from this perspective, was transferred from the craftsmen in pre-modern history, through the civil engineers in the socialist era and to modern architectural designers who have been significantly influenced by western design concepts.
Private houses in China, on the other hand, are primarily studied from the cultural perspective that focuses on regional or vernacular identities. However, the aim to explore locally appropriate terms in different regions tends to simplify the study of the regional identities as the exploration of traditional forms and spatial layout in traditional buildings. This method may inadvertently weaken the socio-political dimensions of the debate of modernization.


The present study is aimed at exploiting the potential of liposomal nanomedicines in the design of an intranasal HBsAg vaccine and describes the preparation, optimization and characterization of the same. In order to enhance the nasal uptake of the liposomal carrier the mucosal M cell binding protein haemagglutinin (HA) from the influenza virus was complexed onto the liposomal surface. The liposomal formulations were prepared by the dehydration-rehydration-vesiculation method. They were optimized and characterized for various in vitro parameters and the optimized liposomal formulations were again selected for the conjugation of HA on to its surface by the carbodimide coupling method. Initially, the formulations were prepared and various process and parameters that could affect the preparation and properties of the system(s) were identified, characterized and studied.


The increasing reliability requirements for low-voltage electric contacts has led to a search for methods which could make gold plated surfaces impervious to the effects of atmospheric pollutants. The susceptibility of thin gold plate to corrosion is due both to its inherent porosity and its removal by wear. Because of these breaks in the plate, pollutants can attack the substrate metal or underplate to produce insulating corrosion products. The best methods were the application of a pore-blocking corrosion inhibitor and a lubricant coating having a liquid component. They 'inhibited corrosion and wear effectively, without significantly increasing contact resistance compared to untreated samples.


Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of Hypomagnesemia in patients with uncontrolled type II diabetes mellitus.Study Design: Cross-sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, PNS Shifa Naval Hospital Karachi, from Jul 2012 to Dec 2012 over a period of six months.Material and Methods: In this study, three hundred and twenty three patients of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus type-II on oral hypoglycemic agents for more than five years, presenting to medical OPD, were recruited. All patients fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. Blood samples of all patients for serum HbA1c and serum magnesium levels were analyzed at the time of enrollment. Statistical analysis was done on SPSS 20.Results: Out of 323 patients, 243 (75.23%) were males and 80 (24.76%) were females with the age ranging from 40 – 65 years (mean age and SD 54.76 ± 6.43). Hypomagnesemia was found in 117 patients, without any significant difference in men and women (38.45% and 35.39% respectively). The mean duration of diabetes was 12.5 years (ranging from 5 to 22 years). By frequency test in SPSS-20, the highest frequency of hypomagnesemia (49.42%) is seen in (8.6–9.0) HbA1c group while lowest frequency hypomagnesemia (15.38%) is seen in (>10.0) HbA1c level group mean standard deviation and p-value calculated by Pearson correlation statistic in SPSS-20 for quantitative variables (HbA1c, Magnesium level).Conclusion: Hypomagnesemia is frequent in poorly controlled type-II diabetes mellitus having increased level of HbA1c. So it may be prudent in clinical practice to periodically monitor plasma magnesium and HbA1c in type-II diabetes mellitus patients.


Glioblastoma is the most aggressive central nervous system primary tumor. Prognosis is poor, mainly due to the malignant characteristics of the tumor, such as high cell proliferation and invasiveness. CDH1 hypermethylation is linked to the invasive potential in various cancer types, but its importance is still unknown in glioblastoma. In this context, the methylation status of CDH1 was analyzed using MSP-PCR (Methylation-specific Polymerase Chain Reaction) in glioblastoma (n = 34) and normal glial tissue samples (n = 11). CDH1 hypermethylation was found in 39.4% (13/34) of the tumor samples and none of the normal glial tissue, suggesting a relation between CDH1 hypermethylation and glioblastoma (P = 0.0195). Finally, this study showed unprecedented information that could contribute to clarifying the molecular pathways involved in the invasiveness and aggressiveness of this type of cancer.


To enhance the water solubility and inhibition efficiency of 2-phenyl-imidazoline, a type of imidazolinylquaternary-ammonium-salt(IMA)was synthesized from 2 - phenyl-imidazoline and benzyl chloride.And then the compound inhibitor was manufactured with IMA, potassium iodide, triethanolamine, polyoxyethylene ether and peregal by weight loss through orthogonal experiment. The effect of the compound inhibitoron on corrosion of A20 carbon steel in hydrochloric acid have been investigated in relation to it's concentration by various corrosion monitoring techniques. Polarization studies showed depression of cathodic and anodic polarization curves in the presence of the compound inhibitor, indicating mixed type inhibition. EIS results show that the changes in the impedance parameters (Rp and Cd) with concentrations of the compound inhibitor are indicative of the adsorption of these molecules leading to the formation of a protective layer on steel surface.


We consider coordinated beamforming (BF) for the Multi-Input Single-Output (MISO) Interfering Broadcast Channel (IBC). The beamformers are optimized for the Ergodic Weighted Sum Rate (EWSR) or various approximations and bounds thereof, for the case of Partial Channel State Information at the Transmitters (CSIT). Gaussian (posterior) partial CSIT can optimally combine channel estimate and channel covariance information. With Gaussian partial CSIT, the beamformers only depend on the means (estimates) and (error) covariances of the channels. We extend a recently introduced large system analysis for optimized beamformers with partial CSIT, by a stochastic geometry inspired randomization of the channel covariance eigen spaces, leading to much simpler analytical results, which depend only on some essential channel characteristics. In the Massive MISO (MaMISO) limit, we obtain deterministic approximations of the signal and interference plus noise powers at the receivers for various BFs, which are tight as the number of BS antennas and the total user subspace dimension tend to infinity at fixed ratio. Simulation results exhibit the correctness of the large system results and the performance superiority of optimal BF designs based on both the MaMISO limit of the EWSR and using Linear Minimum Mean Squared Error (LMMSE) channel estimates.


Abstract Few quantitative data are available on the ways in which venomous snakes respond to humans. We took advantage of extraordinarily high numbers of endemic pit vipers on the small island of Shedao in northeastern China, to quantify snake responses. We approached free-ranging pit vipers in their ambush sites (either in trees or on the ground) and recorded their behavior. The snakes' responses to our approach depended upon (1) the intensity of the stimulus; (2) attributes of the snake (size class, body temperature, whether it had fed recently); and (3) the snake's location (in an arboreal or terrestrial site). Most snakes tolerated close approach. Juvenile pit vipers struck more often than adults, and warmer snakes were more likely to flee, display, or strike rather than rely on crypsis. Snakes on the ground were more likely to flee or strike than were those in trees. Many of the same patterns were seen in our laboratory trials. For example, striking was more frequent in juveniles than adults, in hotter snakes, and in snakes that displayed (tail-vibrated). Both strike speeds and tail-vibration rates increased with body temperature. Responses of Shedao pit vipers to human approach differ from those reported for other snake species.


of output value for given input; hence with each computer C (relative to K) there is defined a function /OR. The class of all such functions for given K are taken to be the functions computable relative to K. Physically possible histories making up the set K may in turn be designated in terms of what the author calls scientific theories. The author emphasizes that "only explications are attempted . . . no theorems of any interest are either proved or stated." The reviewer would maintain that the cogency of Turing's "explication" comes precisely from the fact that numerous interesting theorems can be proved using it as a basis. Also, he is quite skeptical of the existence of a notion of analogue computability. Real digital and analogue computers exist in the physical world and both rely for their operations on dependences between "physical magnitudes." Because of finiteness limitations inherent in their behavior as physical objects, they cannot properly be said to compute functions with infinite domains. A digital computer accepts (and yields) data a piece ("digit") at a time. Absolute accuracy is demanded of computations with the individual pieces (any inaccuracy is called a machine error) and the use of the machine depends on (hardware or software) encoding of desired operations in terms of operations on the individual pieces. I t is precisely because of this that one is led to abstract from reality to the extent of imagining computers which would accept an arbitrarily large number of pieces and so, to speak of a function of natural numbers which is computable by a digital computer. An analogue computer accepts (and yields) quantities all at once with an accuracy limited by the given equipment. Hence it is difficult to imagine an analogous abstraction which would enable one to speak meaningfully of a function with an infinite (let alone uncountable!) domain as being computable by an analogue computer.