cDNA clones comprising the entire coding region for the mating pheromone Er-1 of Euplotes raikovi have been isolated by oligonucleotide screening of two cDNA libraries in the vectors lambda gt10 and pUC12. The cDNA sequence contains an open reading frame of 75 amino acids that constitute pre-pro-Er-1. The amino acid sequence of secreted Er-1 starts at aspartic acid-36 of pre-pro-Er-1 and completely matches that known by direct Er-1 protein sequencing. The coding region of Er-1 cDNA ends with codon TAA, which specifies glutamine in other ciliates. The 5'- and 3'-noncoding regions contain, respectively, two and one inverted repeats. The 3'-noncoding-region inverted repeat, which includes the unusual polyadenylylation signal AACAAA, has been related to RNA 3'-terminus formation.


Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling tools have become an integral part of the modern drug discovery-development process. However, accurate PK prediction of enabling formulations of poorly soluble compounds by applying PBPK modeling has been very limited. This is because current PBPK models rely only on thermodynamic drug solubility inputs (e.g., pH-solubility profile) and give little consideration to the dynamic changes in apparent drug solubility (e.g., supersaturation) that occur during gastrointestinal (GI) transit of an enabling formulation of a water insoluble drug. Moreover, biorepresentative and predictive in vitro tools to measure formulation dependent solubility changes during GI transit remain underdeveloped. In this work, we have developed an in vitro dual pH-dilution method based on rat physiology to estimate the apparent drug concentration in solution along the GI tract during release from solubility enabling formulations. This simple dual pH-dilution method was evaluated using various solubility enabling formulations (i.e., cosolvent solution, amorphous solid dispersions) made using a model early development drug candidate with poor aqueous solubility. The in vitro drug concentration-time profiles from the enabling formulations were used as solubility inputs for PBPK modeling using GastroPlus software. This resulted in excellent predictions of the in vivo oral plasma concentration-time profiles, as compared to using the traditional inputs of thermodynamic pH-solubility profiles. In summary, this work describes a novel in vitro method for facile estimation of formulation dependent GI drug concentration-time profiles and demonstrates the utility of PBPK modeling for oral PK prediction of enabling formulations of poorly soluble drugs.


SUMMARY The electrocardiographic patterns recorded from seven patients with isorhythmic A-V dissociation fall into two distinct groups. In pattern I, the P wave fluctuates cyclically back and forth across the QRS complex. The mechanism responsible for this type of A-V synchronization represents a typical biologic feedback control system. The P-R interval is a determinant of stroke volume, which in turn influences the arterial blood pressure. The blood pressure has an inverse effect on the discharge frequency of the S-A node through the baroreceptor reflex. The S-A nodal frequency then affects the P-R interval, to close the feedback loop. In pattem II, the P wave is in a fairly constant position relative to the QRS complex. It is usually coincident with the QRS complex or appears on the ST segment or first half of the T wave. The mechanism producing synchronization in pattern II type of isorhythmic dissociation has not been established conclusively.


PAGE Carbon nanosheets are a novel two-dimensional nanostructure made up of 2-20 graphene atomic planes oriented with their in-plane axis perpendicular to the growth substrate. Previous efforts in developing nanosheet technology have focused on the characterization of the system and their development as an electron source due to the high atomic enhancement factor (beta) and low turn on field. Further investigation of nanosheets as high surface area electrodes revealed poor wetting by polymeric material and extreme hydrophobic behavior. Because nanosheet technology has promise as a high surface area electrode material, this thesis research has focused on three areas of interest: the enhancement of nanosheets through chemical modification, the incorporation of the nanosheets into a polymeric composite and the delivery of a proof of concept measurement. We have successfully introduced defects into the graphene lattice of the nanosheet system via an acid treatment. Inspection of these defects by x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) shows the introduction of two features in the spectra assigned to C=O pi* and C-0 sigma* transitions. Thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS) was used to identify the oxygen containing groups created during the functionalization as carboxylic and hydroxyl functional groups. These groups were identified through the combination of carboxylic, hydroxyl, anhydride and lactone peaks in the C02, CO and H20 TDS spectra. Deconvolution of the TDS spectra using 1st and 2"d order Polanyi-Wigner equations enables the calculation of desorption energy values for individual features and for the estimation of the number of atoms desorbing from the surface during a particular event. Identification of the exact nature of the functional groups was attempted through high resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the C(1s) and 0(1s) peaks. Though the pairing of sub-peaks with specific functionalities of the system was not possible due to the complexities of the spectra, the trends observed in the data support the data gathered via the XANES and TDS experiments. Also, a procedure for the classification of defect density and exact functionality was outlined. Deconvolution of the TDS spectra using 1 and 2"d order Polanyi-Wigner equations enabled the calculation of desorption energy values for individual features and for the estimation of the number of atoms desorbing from the surface during a particular event. This information along with the changing sub-peak areas from dedicated and calibrated XPS system would allow for not only a more accurate estimation of defect density I but also for the identification of sub-peaks in the C( 1 s) and 0( 1 s) spectra. Finally I photoluminescence measurements of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and MEH-PPV/nanosheet systems showed a quenching of three orders of magnitude for the MEH-PPV/nanosheet system suggesting that nanosheets are a viable option for excition separation in organic photovoltaics.


Energy-harvesting technologies are currently under development to provide power for wireless networks and devices. This paper investigates the usage of radio frequency (RF) signals emitted from wireless nodes as sources in energy-harvesting systems. The system we consider consists of multiple RF source nodes, multiple destination nodes, and an energy-harvesting node with a limited-capacity rechargeable battery. We observe that the total received power at the antenna of the harvesting node changes with the number of RF source nodes and the channel conditions. At the same time, the variation of instantaneous received power and the selected modulation type affect the required time for recharging battery. We study statistical models for the battery recharging time in the presence of multiple RF source nodes and focus on the generalized-K channels that include both large-scale and small-scale fading models. Then, we propose a distribution for the battery recharging time that provides a close and analytically tractable expression. We derive the associated fundamental statistical expressions for the battery recharging time in closed form. The simulations and numerical studies are used to verify the theoretical results. The Gamma distribution provides tight approximation to simulation results in fading wireless channel conditions. Additionally, we present battery recharging test results for two sources as a real-life application of energy harvesting with multiple RF sources. Our test results show close fit with the derived distribution equations, supporting theoretical analyses.


In this paper, we evaluate the success of publicly supported business start-ups by comparing the outcomes of various support measures. Our question is: do business starter get what they need? Since we do not know the needs of the founders we analyse (1) who received which kind of support (financial support, individual coaching, general information) and (2) which kind of support is successful for whom with regard to his/her job history (employed, unemployed or being not part of the job market). While start-up measures possibly could aim at different kinds of eff ects, our focus is on the effect on subsequent firm growth. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in 2005. The sample was drawn from a highly heterogeneous population of business start-ups. By using propensity score exact matching for success measurement we try to capture those differences.


Polycarboxylic acid compounds such as butane tetra carboxylic acid (BTCA), cyclopentane tetracarboxylic acid, (CPTA), and citric acid offer an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and safe alternative to the use of toxic formaldehyde condensate resin as a crosslinking agent for silk. However, the sodium salts of phosphorus-containing mineral acids used as esterification catalysts with such polycarboxylic acids are not environmentally friendly in view of their reported adverse effects on the aquatic environment and soil. Also, finishes based on such non-polymeric polycarboxylic acids cannot retain or improve the strength and moisture-regain characteristics of silk. Moreover, most polycarboxylic acids are too expensive for practical exploitation. In view of the above, the present work was aimed at establishing the optimum condition for the application of maleic acid on silk fabric in the presence of ammonium persulphate as the free radical polymerization catalyst and trisodium citrate as the esterification catalyst. Water-soluble chitosan with varied concentrations of 0.5-2 g/L was also incorporated in the finishing bath to impart antibacterial activity to the fabric along with the easy-care characteristics. Evaluation of attainable changes or improvements in the silk fabric properties in respect of tensile strength, wrinkle recovery, flexibility, antimicrobial and moisture regain on such treatments have been done. Also, changes in the chemical nature of silk fabric on such modifications have been studied by infrared spectroscopy and reported in the article. The study recommends the thermal curing system is conducive to the production of chitosan and maleic acid-treated eri silk fabrics with antibacterial and easy-care properties, without a significant loss in strength properties.


We study finite temperature effects in two distinct holographic models that exhibit Lifshitz scaling, looking to identify model independent features in the dual strong coupling physics. We consider the thermodynamics of black branes and find different low-temperature behavior of the specific heat. Deformation away from criticality leads to non-trivial temperature dependence of correlation functions and we study how the characteristic length scale in the two point function of scalar operators varies as a function of temperature and deformation parameters.


Organic-inorganic hybrids based on cellulose fibers from Eucalyptus globulus kraft pulp were prepared at room temperature by a sol-gel method using TEOS as the silica precursor and H 3 PW 12 O 40 as the catalyst. These cellulose/silica hybrids (CSHs) were chemically and structurally characterized. The absence of unconverted TEOS and the formation of a silica network composed essentially by Q 3 and Q 4 structures were confirmed by FTIR, solid-state 13 C and 29 Si NMR. Image analysis (SEM and AFM) revealed that the silica had deposited on the fibers essentially in the form of a thin film or mesoparticles, which bridged the fibers. The silica network improved hydrophobicity, dimensional and thermal stability and bending strength of the starting fibrous material. The potential applications of these CSHs are discussed.


ABSTRACT To investigate the possible relation between the fabric (microstructural arrangement of particles) of a fine-grained sedimentary deposit and the depositional and environmental processes of that deposit, the fabric of sediment samples from the sea floor of two different depositional settings, Shelikof Strait and the Alsek prodelta, Alaska, were studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Sediment of both areas is texturally similar, consisting of a muddy sand that grades to a mud with increasing water depth. Mineralogically, both areas are characterized by a clay-size fraction dominated by illite, chlorite, and rock flour. The dominant fabric of undisturbed sediment from both study areas consists of a sand- and coarse-silt-size agranular fraction surrounded by an open matrix o clay- and fine-silt-size platelets arranged in a combination of randomly oriented flocs and many single grain contacts. The similarity of the fabric of sediment from the two study areas suggests that the fabric is not controlled by the different depositional settings but rather by the dominant clay mineralogy and sediment texture. The most noticeable alteration of the original fabric of Shelikof Strait and Alsek prodelta sediment occurs as a result of high levels of consolidation and the shearing process.


A BSTRACT : Does a dominant firm abuse its market power in violation of EU competition law and, more specifically, art. 102 TFEU if it accords more favourable treatment to its own products or services than to those of its rivals? In answering this question in the affirmative and holding that self-prefer-encing constitutes a novel type of abuse of dominance, the European Commission's Google Shopping decision (case AT.39740) expanded the scope of art. 102 TFEU into unchartered territory. The Commission found that Google had abused its dominant position by guaranteeing its own comparison shopping website a more prominent placement on the result page of its general internet search engine than rival comparison shopping services. In November 2021, this decision was upheld on appeal by the General Court of the European Union (case T-612/17 Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google Shopping) ECLI:EU:T:2021:763). This Insight critically reflects on this watershed ruling. The General Court's Google Shopping judgment poses once more the unsettled question of the exact boundaries of the concept of abuse of dominance under art. 102 TFEU. This Insight analyses different attempts by the General Court to redraw the scope of art. 102 TFEU by pinning down the constitutive elements of abusive self-preferencing. Although the Court considered various pathways to determine the legality of self-preferencing, it failed to articulate a clear legal test that establishes limiting principles as to when self-preferencing by a dominant firm violates EU competition law. In light of this finding, this Insight sketches an alternative pathway that would have enabled the General Court to ground the novel theory of harm of self-preferencing within a legally and economically sound framework.


BACKGROUND
Orofacial granulomatosis (OFG) is a chronic granulomatous condition of the mouth, face and lips. Recent work demonstrates a high rate of atopy and silver birch sensitisation from skin prick testing (SPT). Oral allergy syndrome (OAS) is an acute oro-pharyngeal IgE mediated reaction, triggered by foods that cross react with pollens, most commonly silver birch. The aim of this study was to determine if patients with OFG and positive SPT to common OAS associated pollens responded to avoidance of cross reactive foods.

METHODS
Patients with OFG and positive SPT to silver birch, grass, mugwort, ragweed and latex were required to avoid cross reacting foods, for 6 weeks and, in those who responded, for a total of 12 weeks. All had standardized oral examinations and were given severity scores (SS) at each appointment.

RESULTS
Twenty two of 47 (47%) patients had one or more positive SPT and 13/22 completed 6 weeks on the diet. No difference was seen in SS between weeks 0 (14.62 ± 11.16) and 6 (13.31 ± 10.33; P = 0.656). Six of 14 (43%) had significantly improved SS (week 0; 19.17 ± 12.95, week 6; 10.83 ± 4.99, P = 0.027). Five completed 12 weeks and no further improvement was seen (week 6; 11 ± 5.57, week 12; 10.4 ± 9.94; P = 0.068). Two patients required no further treatments.

CONCLUSIONS
On an intention to treat basis, only 2/14 patients improved and required no further intervention. Whilst this diet cannot be recommended routinely, the improvement seen in some patients raises questions about the role of OAS in patients with OFG.


A polyethylene film sample, inhibited with a hindered phenol antioxidant, is proposed as a Standard Reference Material for oxidative induction time (OIT) testing. The mean OIT values, derived from nine interlaboratory studies and for a number of experimental conditions, are presented. The material is found to be statistically homogeneous, a necessary condition for a reference material. Further, the effects of temperature, oxygen pressure, and storage time on the proposed reference material are explored. As a kinetic parameter, the OIT value appears to be decreasing with time but in a well behaved and predictable manner. The use of a table and graph permit the user of the material to estimate its OIT value in the future. Because the material has been thoroughly tested in a wide variety of OIT conditions, it appears to be the best currently available candidate and is offered for consideration as an OIT Reference Material.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the scientific evidence on the most frequent risk factors for cardiovascular disease in persons deprived of their liberty.

METHODS
An integrative literature review carried out in the CINAHL, Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, LILACS, CUIDEN, Web of Science and Virtual Health Library portal databases using the following keywords: cardiovascular diseases, risk factors, prisons, prisoners.

RESULTS
The final sample consisted of 17 primary articles published in English and Spanish. Overweight and obesity were the most cited cardiovascular risk factors besides diabetes, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, consumption of alcohol and other drugs, physical inactivity, metabolic syndrome, anxiety, depression and unhealthy heart diet.

CONCLUSIONS
The most frequent risk factors for cardiovascular disease in persons deprived of their liberty were those classified as modifiable. In the prison setting, these factors are enhanced due to an environment with little modification of these opportunities.


We develop a model with heterogeneous buyers and sellers in which the sellers have private information about their goods' qualities. We show that efficient trading cannot occur without middlemen. Middlemen can provide two services: one is inspection, and the other is the sorting of buyers and sellers through the rationing of sellers and the provision of two different price schedules. The latter service permits the possibility of achieving the first best. When the first best is not attainable, there is a second best characterized by two intervals, one consisting of low-quality noninspected goods, and the other of high-quality inspected goods. We determine whether first and second best outcomes can be implemented in a market equilibrium with both zero and infinite buyer-seller search costs. First and second best outcomes are attainable under a larger set of parameter values when search costs are infinite; also, typically too much inspection occurs in a market equilibrium. Welfare may be either raised or lowered by the introduction of middlemen. Copyright (c) 1999 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


postulates that classical hormone feedback mechanisms might act to suppress endogenous opioid synthesis when the receptors are occupied by an exogenous opiate and that the induced endorphin deficiency might playa part in the abstinence syndrome. There is evidence that endorphins may mediate placebo analgesia in clinical situations, although not so much in experimental situations." The difference may be due to more prolonged pain and added stress in clinical situations, since a strong positive correlation between plasma levels of adrenocorticotrophin (a stress indicator) and endorphins has been reported." It might be hypothesized that high levels of endorphins produced as a result of pain and stress protect patients with chronic or recurrent pain from some of the addictive results of prolonged use of narcotic analgesics.


According to Valence Bond Theory, carbon should form two covalent bonds, resulting in a CH2, because it has two unpaired electrons in its electronic configuration.However, experiments have shown that \(CH_2\) is highly reactive and cannot exist outside of a reaction. Therefore, this does not explain how CH4 can exist. To form four bonds the configuration of carbon must have four unpaired electrons.


Nine of 69 dogs with occult heartworm disease (13%) had allergic pneumonitis characterized by consistent clinical and radiographic signs. Although the clinical signs were severe, the degree of radiographic pulmonary arterial abnormalities was mild. Corticosteroid therapy resulted in rapid resolution of clinical and radiographic signs; thiacetarsamide therapy was then given without complications. This syndrome may not be recognized as heartworm-associated and may be confused with other disorders, some being associated with a poor prognosis and requiring different therapy.


The purpose of this study was to determine if the improvement in insulin sensitivity with exercise training is associated with enhanced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity. Nine sedentary men were studied before and after 7 days of exercise training (1 h/day, approximately 75% maximal oxygen consumption). Insulin sensitivity was determined with a euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp in the sedentary state and 15-17 h after the final exercise bout. PI 3-kinase activity was determined from samples (vastus lateralis) obtained in the fasted condition and after 60 min of submaximal insulin stimulation during the clamp. After exercise, glucose infusion rate increased (P < 0. 05) significantly (means +/- SE, 7.8 +/- 0.5 vs. 9.8 +/- 0.8 mg. kg(-1). min(-1)), indicating improved insulin sensitivity. Insulin-stimulated (insulin stimulated/fasting) phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitable PI 3-kinase activity also increased significantly (P < 0.05) with exercise (3.1 +/- 0.8-fold) compared with the sedentary condition (1.3 +/- 0.1-fold). There was no change in fasting PI 3-kinase activity. These data suggest that an enhancement of insulin signal transduction in skeletal muscle may contribute to the improvement in insulin action with exercise.


Aerodynamic effects play an important part in any sport where the ball experiences significant periods of free flight. This article investigates the aerodynamic forces generated when a football is spinning quickly to generate swerve and more slowly to generate more erratic flight. The work reports on the application of an experimental method that measures the aerodynamic loads on a non-spinning, slowly spinning and fast spinning football, using a phase-locked technique so that orientation-dependent and steady 'Magnus' forces can both be determined. The results demonstrate that the orientation-dependent aerodynamic loads, widely seen in non-spinning data in the literature, surprisingly persist up to the highest spin rates reported. When predicting ball flight, it is generally assumed that at low spin rates a quasi-static assumption is acceptable, whereby forces measured on a non-spinning ball, as a function of ball orientation, apply for the spinning case. Above an arbitrary spin rate, the quasi-static assumption is replaced with the assumption of a steady 'Magnus' force that is a function of spin rate and ball speed. Using a flight model, the quasi-static assumption is shown to be only applicable for the lowest spin rates tested and the assumption of a steady 'Magnus' force is only applicable at the highest spin rates. In the intermediate spin rates (20–40 r/min), the persistence of the orientation effects is shown to have sufficient effect on the flight to be an important additional consideration.


This thesis examines how time is perceived in the urban realm and what role the visual field plays in this perception. My research aims to gain insight into how a unified sense of time is reconciled with the fractured nature of urban temporality. I will investigate the perception of urban temporality in terms of the notion of duration, as theorised by Henri Bergson and Gilles Deleuze.

Fusing artistic photographic practice and sociological theory to interrogate the virtual realm of the city, this thesis attempts to present a nuanced reading of the everyday urban sphere, de-familiarising the everyday in the tradition of Surrealism and transforming the mundane into the sublime. My aim is to make apparent unnoticed or unconscious everyday activities in order to examine the relationship between the individual and the whole of the city, using the moving image as the basis for this investigation. By breaking down moving images into stills and examining the relationship between the still and moving image, I will interrogate the ways that moving images can help us to understand the relationship between the parts and the whole. I will present three photographic projects, each exploring a different yet interrelated element of perception (difference and repetition, the panorama, and light) from a nuanced perspective in order to disrupt existing notions of these elements.

In researching the virtual urban realm, I consider whether it is possible to go beyond representation and beyond the human realm (as Deleuze proposed) in order to reach a domain of pure difference and pure presence. By interacting with the urban sphere in a dynamic capacity, a new understanding of the virtual life of the city begins to emerge, which I will argue has potentially important ramifications upon visual sociological research.


Previous studies on public engagement with science have identified various difficulties in the encounters between experts and lay people. However, there is a scarcity of research investigating expert-youth interaction. In this paper we focus on the interactive framings of an informal PES event. Based on a case study involving a climate change panel discussion and a simultaneous online chat, both aimed at young people, we discuss the multiplicity of framing. Further, we look for "misbehaviours" which challenge the rationality and norms of the event. Our findings indicate that the frame of deliberative participation is very fragile.


The electrical degradation phenomena of epoxy composites to be used as a molding material for transformers were studied. The electrets were first manufactured by applying high voltages to five kinds of specimens given a mixing rate, and then TSC(Thermally Stimulated Current) values at the temperature range of -160∼200[?C] were measured from a series of experiments. The behaviour of carrier and its origin in epoxy composites were examined, respectively. And various effects of electrical degradation on epoxy composites were also discussed in this study.


p-Nitrophenol is a hazardous phenolic compound and its separation and determination is very necessary to protect public health and environmental quality. In this article, macromolecule polyethyleneimine (PEI) grafted on the surface of silica particles was crosslinked using p-nitrophenol as a template and diepoxyalkyl (669) as a crosslinking agent, and molecularly imprinted polymer on the surfaces of silica gel MIP-PEI/SiO2 was prepared. The binding and recognition ability of MIP-PEI/SiO2 for p-nitrophenol were researched using batch and dynamic methods. The experimental results showed that MIP-PEI/SiO2 had high affinity, specific recognition ability, and excellent selectivity for p-nitrophenol. The saturated binding amount could reach to 155.5 mg g−1. The selectivity coefficients relative to m-nitrophenol and chlorophenol were 45.80 and 117.5, respectively. The empirical Freundlich isotherm was found to describe well the equilibrium binding data. pH of sample solution was found to have a strong influence on the binding amount. MIP-PEI/SiO2 was regenerated easily using diluted hydrochloric acid solution as eluent and MIP-PEI/SiO2 possesses better reusability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012


: Although suprapubic catheterization is a useful technique in managing the postoperative patient who requires prolonged urinary drainage, the potential exists for iatrogenic damage to the abdominal contents. Two cases of perforation of the distal ileum occurring during catheter placement after vaginal procedures are presented. Such complications may be kept at a minimum by adequate bladder distention, careful bladder palpation, placement of the patient in the Trendelenburg position before filling the bladder, and catheter insertion before closure of the surgical incision.


We try to find a fast and simple potential induced degradation effect (PID) test procedure for crystalline silicon solar cells. With sodium chloride (NaCl) solution as Na+ source, PVB as lamination material, we can carry out the test in 1 h. Solar cells with newly developed PID resistance process were also tested. The increase of reverse current of solar cell can be considered a key standard to determine if the solar cell was prone to PID. Moreover, it showed that the increase of reverse current for the PID resistance solar cell was less than 2. In addition, the test results of the solar cells fitted very well with that of the modules by standard procedure.


OBJECTIVE
Capital is an essential enabler of contemporary public hospital services funding hospital buildings, medical equipment, information technology and communications. Capital investment is best understood within the context of the services it is designed and funded to facilitate. The aim of the present study was to explore the information on capital investment in Australian public hospitals and the relationship between investment and acute care service delivery in the context of efficient pricing for hospital services.

METHODS
This paper examines the investment in Australian public hospitals relative to the growth in recurrent hospital costs since 2000-01 drawing from the available data, the grey literature and the reports of six major reviews of hospital services in Australia since 2004.

RESULTS
Although the average annual capital investment over the decade from 2000-01 represents 7.1% of recurrent expenditure on hospitals, the most recent estimate of the cost of capital consumed delivering services is 9% per annum. Five of six major inquiries into health care delivery required increased capital funding to bring clinical service delivery to an acceptable standard. The sixth inquiry lamented the quality of information on capital for public hospitals. In 2012-13, capital investment was equivalent to 6.2% of recurrent expenditure, 31% lower than the cost of capital consumed in that year.

CONCLUSIONS
Capital is a vital enabler of hospital service delivery and innovation, but there is a poor alignment between the available information on the capital investment in public hospitals and contemporary clinical requirements. The policy to have capital included in activity-based payments for hospital services necessitates an accurate value for capital at the diagnosis-related group (DRG) level relevant to contemporary clinical care, rather than the replacement value of the asset stock. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: Deeble's comprehensive hospital-based review of capital investment and costs, published in 2002, found that investment averages of between 7.1% and 7.9% of recurrent costs primarily replaced existing assets. In 2009, the Productivity Commission and the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission (NHHRC) recommended capital, for the replacement of buildings and medical equipment, be included in activity-based funding. However, there have been persistent concerns about the reliability and quality of the information on the value of hospital capital assets. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: This is the first paper for over a decade to look at hospital capital costs and investment in terms of the services they support. Although health services seek to reap dividends from technology in health care, this study demonstrates that investment relative to services costs has been below sustainable levels for most of the past 10 years. The study questions the helpfulness of the highly aggregated information on capital for public hospital managers striving to improve on the efficient price for services. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS?: Using specific and accurate information on capital allocations at the DRG level assists health services managers advance their production functions for the efficient delivery of services.


To investigate the interactions of extensibility and parallelism in database query processing, we have developed a new dataflow query execution system called Volcano. The Volcano effort provides a rich environment for research and education in database systems design, heuristics for query optimization, parallel query execution, and resource allocation. Volcano uses a standard interface between algebra operators, allowing easy addition of new operators and operator implementations. Operations on individual items, e.g., predicates, are imported into the query processing operators using support functions. The semantics of support functions is not prescribed; any data type including complex objects and any operation can be realized. Thus, Volcano is extensible with new operators, algorithms, data types, and type-specific methods. Volcano includes two novel meta-operators. The choose-plan meta-operator supports dynamic query evaluation plans that allow delaying selected optimization decisions until run-time, e.g., for embedded queries with free variables. The exchange meta-operator supports intra-operator parallelism on partitioned datasets and both vertical and horizontal inter-operator parallelism, translating between demand-driven dataflow within processes and data-driven dataflow between processes. All operators, with the exception of the exchange operator, have been designed and implemented in a single-process environment, and parallelized using the exchange operator. Even operators not yet designed can be parallelized using this new operator if they use and provide the interator interface. Thus, the issues of data manipulation and parallelism have become orthogonal, making Volcano the first implemented query execution engine that effectively combines extensibility and parallelism. >


CCD UBVRi photometry of the final helium flash object V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's object) carried out during 1997–1999 is presented, and the light curve from its prediscovery rise to the dust obscuration phase is constructed. The optical light curve can be divided into four sections, the rise to maximum, the maximum, the dust onset, and the massive dust shell phase. The color indices show a general increase with time, first because of the photospheric expansion and cooling and later because of the dust-forming events. The energy distributions for the years 1996–1999 show that an increasing part of the energy is radiated at infrared wavelengths. In 1996 the infrared excess is likely caused by free-free radiation in the stellar wind. Starting from 1997 or 1998 at the latest, carbon dust grains are responsible for the more and more dramatic decrease of optical radiation and the growing infrared excess. Its photometric behavior in 1998–1999 mimics the "red declines" of R CrB variables; the amplitude, however, is more extreme than any fading ever observed in an R CrB star. Evidence is given that a complete dust shell has formed around V4334 Sgr. It therefore shows similarities with dust-forming classical novae, although it is evolving ∼20 times more slowly. Its luminosity increased by a factor 4 between 1996 and 1998. A comparison of timescales of the final helium flash objects FG Sge, V605 Aql, and V4334 Sgr shows that the observed photometric and spectroscopic features are similar, while V4334 Sgr is the most rapidly evolving object to date.


Space is precisely that place for me where I am not. If I am everywhere in the universe, then there will be no such place left for me any more, and thus I will be spaceless. When there will be space for me, there will also be time. Because in that case it will be possible for me to move from the place where I am to the place where I am not and thus there will be two events, one before, and one after; this will constitute time for me. But in case I am everywhere in the universe, no such occasion can ever arise, and so there will be no time for me. But if the universe as a whole is in some super-space or hyperspace, then again there will be space and time for it, but in that case it will no longer be The Whole. Thus The Whole, by definition, will always be spaceless and timeless. It is this, and this only, that can be so purely naturally. The light, not being The Whole, but still possessing its two said properties, gives us certainty that The Whole exists. The reason as to why God is spaceless and timeless is that there cannot be anything outside God.


The purpose of this study was to  see the relationship between age, knowledge and healthy lifestyle of AKPER Yatna Yuana Lebak students. The type of research is quantitative research with cross-sectional approach. The number of samples used is 147 respondents that are AKPER Yatna Yuana Lebak students that are still active and the type of sample used is simple random sampling. This research was conducted at AKPER Yatna Yuana Lebak, in December 2017. The independent variable in this research is age and knowledge while the dependent variable is a healthy lifestyle. The data collection technique was obtained by using a questionnaire. Data Analysis has been done using univariate analysis and bivariate analysis with Chi-Square statistics test. The age distribution of respondents was < 19 years old (76,7%), while the respondents were 19 years old (71,3%). While the  distribution of knowledge of respondents that are not good is 63 (42,9%), while respondent's knowledge of good respondents is 84 (57,1%). It results in statistic test for the variable obtained p-value=0,466, Hence there is no difference between proportion of occurrence of student having a healthy lifestyle between students < 19 years and ≥ 19 years old. And on the knowledge variable obtained p-value=0,190 it can be concluded there is no difference in the proportion of events between students that have a healthy lifestyle between students with good knowledge and students with less good knowledge. Keywords : Age, Healthy Lifestyle, Knowledge, Youth.


This article introduces applications of 3S, Geographical Information System (GIS), Global Position System (GPS) and Remote Sensing (RS), in river's flood control. Take revising the Lower Yellow River's 1:50 000 riverway topographic maps as an example, the author elaborates how to use 3S to update the existing maps. It has shown that update of maps based on 3S is short in work period, cheap in cost and simple in process. Moreover, the revised topographic maps are with high precision and they can meet the urgent data requirements of Yellow River's flood control. It can also provide a strong data support for the construction of Digital Yellow River.


As of the year 2000, there were over 15,000 golf course facilities in the U.S.A. alone. The upkeep of these facilities requires continual maintenance and occasional remodeling. The superintendents and architects responsible for the maintenance and remodeling efforts need non-destructive tools for obtaining information on shallow subsurface features within parts of the golf course, particularly tees and greens. The subsurface features of importance include, but are not limited to, constructed soil layer characteristics and drainage system infrastructure. Near-surface geophysical methods can potentially provide a non-destructive means for golf course superintendents and architects to obtain the shallow subsurface information required to address their maintenance and remodeling concerns. This case study assessment of near-surface geophysical methods in regard to golf course applications focused on electromagnetic induction (EMI) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques. The investigation employed two different EMI ground conductivity meters. Two GPR systems were also tested including the evaluation of antenna center frequencies ranging from 250 to 1,000 MHz. The study incorporated three separate sites. Measurements with both EMI and GPR were collected on a tee and a green at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, U.S.A. and on a practice green at the Golf Club of Dublin in Dublin, Ohio, U.S.A. GPR was also tested on a golf course green at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute & Environmental Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Results indicate that use of the appropriate EMI equipment can provide information on spatial changes of shallow apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) within golf course green constructed soil layers. This ECa data could potentially be employed to gauge constructed soil layer conditions, including wetness, salinity, etc., within different areas of a green. GPR proved quite capable of obtaining useful information on the golf course tee and greens that were studied, at least in regard to constructed soil layer thicknesses/depths or their areal extent and in locating the subsurface drainage pipe systems present. For the GPR center antenna frequencies evaluated, ranging from 250 to 1,000 MHz, all seemed to work relatively well for mapping tee and green constructed soil layer areal extent and drainage pipe locations. The higher frequency 900 and 1,000 MHz antennas appeared to work best for resolving thicknesses/depths of constructed soil layers within the tee and greens investigated. In addition, computer modeling of synthetic GPR profiles provide valuable insight and help considerably with data interpretation. While more research is certainly warranted, near-surface geophysical methods, especially EMI and GPR, appear to show promise with respect to acquiring the data needed in golf course maintenance and remodeling applications.


The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is one of the most promising models used to study genome maintenance systems, including the effective repair of damage to DNA. The naked mole-rat is the longest lived rodent species, which is extraordinarily resistant to cancer and has a number of other unique phenotypic traits. For at least 80% of its lifespan, this animal shows no signs of aging or any increased likelihood of death and retains the ability to reproduce. The naked mole-rat draws the heightened attention of researchers who study the molecular basis of lengthy lifespan and cancer resistance. Despite the fact that the naked mole-rat lives under genotoxic stress conditions (oxidative, etc.), the main characteristics of its genome and proteome are a high stability and effective functioning. Replicative senescence in the somatic cells of naked mole-rats is missing, while an additional p53/pRb-dependent mechanism of early contact inhibition has been revealed in its fibroblasts, which controls cell proliferation and its mechanism of arf-dependent aging. The unique traits of phenotypic and molecular adaptations found in the naked mole-rat speak to a high stability and effective functioning of the molecular machinery that counteract damage accumulation in its genome. This review analyzes existing results in the study of the molecular basis of longevity and high cancer resistance in naked mole-rats.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between self-reported knee pain and radiographic features of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.

METHODS
A sample of participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (452 Caucasian males and 223 Caucasian females) completed questionnaires and underwent a standing radiograph of both knees at the same biennial visit between 1984 and 1989. Radiographs were interpreted using both the Kellgren-Lawrence and individual features scales. Odds ratios were calculated for the association of radiographic features with knee pain after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index.

RESULTS
Overall, 156 (23%) persons reported ever having knee pain, and 104 (15%) reported current knee pain (within the previous year). Both ever knee pain and current knee pain were significantly associated with the presence of definite knee OA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade > or = 2) and with the presence of all individual features. There was a direct relationship between all measures of severity of radiographic OA and knee pain.

CONCLUSION
These data demonstrate that radiographic features of knee OA are significantly associated with knee pain. The data also support the continued use of the Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale for defining knee OA in population studies.


Recent studies have been conducted to examine the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture in many neurological disorders. Although the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture has been linked to changes in signaling pathways, accumulating evidence suggest the participation of endogenous biological mediators, such as the neurotrophin (NT) family of proteins, specifically, the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Accordingly, acupuncture can inhibit neurodegeneration via expression and activation of BDNF. Moreover, recent studies have reported that acupuncture can increase ATP levels at local stimulated points. We have also demonstrated that acupuncture could activate monocytes and increase the expression of BDNF via the stimulation of ATP. The purpose of this article is to review the recent findings and ongoing studies on the neuroprotective roles of acupuncture and therapeutic implications of acupuncture-induced activation of BDNF and its signaling pathway.


In this book, Guro Nore Flogstad shows how the Preterit category has expanded in Porteno Spanish, and sheds new light on the outcome of the competition between Perfects and Preterits in Romance, and beyond.


ABS1RACr Within seconds after exposure of rat peritoneal mast cells to polymyxin B, bulges appear on the surface of the cells. Freeze-fracture electron microscopy reveals that each bulge overlies a mast cell granule. In contrast to the even distribution of intramembranous particles in the plasma membrane of unstimulated cells, the intramembranous particles in the stimulated cells are unevenly distributed in the membrane of the bulges with large patches of membrane lacking intramembranous particles. The membranes over the most prominent bulges are entirely free of intramembranous particles, and in some instances there is an increased concentration of intramembranous particles at the margins of the bulges. Perigranule membranes exhibit the same changes in distribution of intramembranous particles. Electron microscopy of thin sections of rapidly fixed, stimulated mast cells shows a peculiar structure of the membrane overlying some bulges; instead of the pentalaminar membranes previously demonstrated, the membrane at these sites of presumptive fusion of perigranule and plasma membrane assumes the form of a single dense lamina with a fine fuzzy coating on either side. It seems possible that membrane fusion and subsequent pore formation proceed in the stimulated mast cell through a stage of flight of intramembranous particles and molecular rearrangement of the other membrane components.


A new approach for the incorporation of safety criteria into the selection, location, and sizing of a biorefinery is introduced. In addition to the techno-economic factors, risk metrics are used in the decision-making process by considering the cumulative risk associated with key stages of the life cycle of a biorefinery that includes biomass storage and transportation, process conversion into biofuels or bioproducts, and product storage. The fixed cost of the process along with the operating costs for transportation and processing as well as the value of the product are included. An optimization formulation is developed based on a superstructure that embeds potential supply chains of interest. The optimization program establishes the tradeoffs between cost and safety issues in the form of Pareto curves. A case study on bio-hydrogen production is solved to illustrate the merits of the proposed approach. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 2427–2434, 2013


We established important relationships between entanglement measures and the order parameter (spin polarization) in nuclear spin systems controlled by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique. Since spin polarization can be easily manipulated by the NMR technique, experimentalists are presented with an opportunity to study the dynamic properties of entanglement, i.e., the creation and evolution of entangled states. Our approach may constitute the basis for researching the relations between the entanglement measures and measurable parameters of order in other quantum systems.


Background and objective Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Early diagnosis of MI remains the mainstay of prompt treatment. Thus, the shorter the door-to-needle time, the more efficient is the emergency department (ED) to cope with a heart attack emergency. To improve the diagnosis of MI, this study aimed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of (qualitative) troponin I kit against the quantitative lab test for troponin I. Materials and methods Patients of both genders admitted at the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) were administered a standardized questionnaire. Quantitative analysis of troponin I was carried out by the hospital laboratory. The sample was simultaneously used for qualitative analysis of troponin I using the troponin I test kit. Results We recruited 200 patients comprising 134 (67%) males and 66 (33%) females. In total, 130 (65%) were hypertensive, 64 (32%) had dyslipidemia, 56 (28%) presented with a family history of MI, 60 (30%) had diabetes mellitus, 56 (28%) were smokers, and 24 (12%) presented with a previous history of MI. The kit showed 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity as compared to the quantitative test with a cutoff of 0.30 ng/dl, i.e., the quantitative test showed 128 positive and 72 negative cases, whereas the qualitative test showed 125 positive and 75 negative cases. The differences in test results were on values of 0.39, 0.40, and 0.42 ng/dl, as the qualitative test showed negative results. Conclusion This study showed that the qualitative kit is highly sensitive and specific at higher values of troponin I, i.e., ≥ 0.5 ng/dl. The qualitative test could be very beneficial in cost and time savings for the non-conclusive patients, like NSTEMI and ACS in the ED, and patients coming to the outreach chest pain centres where laboratory services are not adequate and whose Trop I values are not very close to the minimum cutoff values.


A spirited defense of the landmark civil rights case and its place in our history. The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling was a watershed event in the fight against racial segregation in the United States. The recent fiftieth anniversary of Brown prompted a surge of tributes: books, television and radio specials, conferences, and speeches. At the same time, says James C. Cobb, it revealed a growing trend of dismissiveness and negativity toward Brown and other accomplishments of the civil rights movement. Writing as both a lauded historian and a white southerner from the last generation to grow up under southern apartheid, Cobb responds to what he sees as distortions of Brown's legacy and their implied disservice to those whom it inspired and empowered. Cobb begins by looking at how our historical understanding of segregation has evolved since the Brown decision. In particular, he targets the tenacious misconception that racial discrimination was at odds with economic modernization - and so would have faded out, on its own, under market pressures. He then looks at the argument that Brown energized white resistance more than it fomented civil rights progress. This position overstates the pace and extent of racial change in the South prior to Brown, Cobb says, while it understates Brown's role in catalyzing and legitimizing subsequent black protest. Finally, Cobb suggests that the Brown decree and the civil rights movement accomplished not only more than certain critics have acknowledged but also more than the hard statistics of black progress can reveal. The destruction of Jim Crow, with its ""denial of belonging,"" allowed African Americans to embrace their identity as southerners in ways that freed them to explore links between their southernness and their blackness. This is an important and timely reminder of ""what the Brown court and the activists who took the spirit of its ruling into the streets were up against, both historically and contemporaneously.


The association between hemodialysis vascular access type, costs, and outcome of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) among patients with ESRD remains incompletely characterized. This study was undertaken to compare resource utilization, costs, and clinical outcomes among SAB-infected patients with ESRD by hemodialysis access type. Adjusted comparisons of costs and outcomes were based on multivariable linear regression and multivariable logistic regression models, respectively. A total of 143 hospitalized hemodialysis-dependent patients had SAB at Duke University Medical Center between July 1996 and August 2001. A total of 111 (77.6%) patients were hospitalized as a result of suspected bacteremia; 32 (22.4%) were hospitalized for other reasons. Of the 111 patients, 59.5% (n = 66) had catheters as their primary access type, 36% (n = 40) had arteriovenous (AV) grafts, and 4.5% (n = 5) had AV fistulas. Patients with fistulas were excluded from analyses because of small numbers. Patients with catheters were more likely to be white, had shorter dialysis vintage, and had higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores compared with patients with grafts. Unadjusted 12-wk mortality did not significantly differ between patients with catheters compared with patients with grafts (22.7 versus 10.0%; P = 0.098); neither did 12-wk costs differ by access type ($22,944 +/- 18,278 versus $23,969 +/- 13,731, catheter versus graft; P > 0.05). In adjusted analyses, there was no difference in 12-wk mortality (odds ratio 1.63; 95% confidence interval 0.29 to 9.02; catheter versus graft) or 12-wk costs (means ratio 0.84; 95% confidence interval 0.60 to 1.17; catheter versus graft) among SAB-infected patients with ESRD on the basis of hemodialysis access type. Twelve-week mortality and costs that are associated with an episode of SAB are high in hemodialysis patients, regardless of vascular access type. Efforts should focus on the prevention of SAB in this high-risk group.


A p-polarized femtosecond laser beam was used to irradiate a UV grade fused silica to create microchannels, which are useful for producing optical gratings or micro fluidics devices. The laser irradiated surface was characterized using optical microscope, stylus profiler, SEM, XRD and TEM. A special technique was used to protect the laser irradiated surfaces in preparing cross-sectional TEM samples. The XRD spectra and TEM observation reveal that structure of the fused silica remain amorphous after the femtosecond laser irradiation.


Bisphosphonates-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (BRONJ) has been reported with increasing frequency in literature over last years, but its therapy is still a dilemma. One hundred ninety patients affected by BRONJ were observed between January 2004 and November 2011 and 166 treated sites were subdivided in five groups on the basis of the therapeutical approach (medical or surgical, traditional or laser-assisted approach, with or without Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)). Clinical success has been defined for each treatment performed as clinical improvement or complete mucosal healing. Combination of antibiotic therapy, conservative surgery performed with Er:YAG laser and LLLT applications showed best results for cancer and noncancer patients. Nonsurgical approach performed on 69 sites induced an improvement in 35 sites (50.7%) and the complete healing in 19 sites (27.5%), while surgical approach on 97 sites induced an improvement in 84 sites (86.6%) and the complete healing in 78 sites (80.41%). Improvement and healing were recorded in 31 (81.5%) and 27 (71.5%) out of the 38 BRONJ sites treated in noncancer patients and in 88 (68.75%) and in 69 (53.9%) out of the 128 in cancer patients.


We perform molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the shock response of idealized hexagonal columnar nanocrystalline Cu, including plasticity, local shear, and spall damage during dynamic compression, release, and tension. Shock loading (one-dimensional strain) is applied along three principal directions of the columnar Cu sample, one longitudinal (along the column axis) and two transverse directions, exhibiting a strong anisotropy in the response to shock loading and release. Grain boundaries (GBs) serve as the nucleation sites for crystal plasticity and voids, due to the GB weakening effect as well as stress and shear concentrations. Stress gradients induce GB sliding which is pronounced for the transverse loading. The flow stress and GB sliding are the lowest but the spall strength is the highest, for longitudinal loading. For the grain size and loading conditions explored, void nucleation occurs at the peak shear deformation sites (GBs, and particularly triple junctions); spall damage is entirely intergranular for the transverse loading, while it may extend into grain interiors for the longitudinal loading. Crystal plasticity assists the void growth at the early stage but the growth is mainly achieved via GB separation at later stages for the transverse loading. Our simulations reveal such deformation mechanisms as GB sliding, stress, and shear concentration, GB-initiated crystal plasticity, and GB separation in nanocrystalline solids under shock wave loading.


Malignant fibrous histiocytomas are common sarcomas of later life. They arise most commonly in the lower extremities and, only rarely, in the head and neck. Fibrous histiocytomas, mostly benign, have been reported in the orbit and conjunctiva, but only three benign lesions have been described in the eyelids. I present a case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the eyelid which recurred locally, but has shown no evidence of metastases.


The present invention relates to a composition for preventing hair loss or improving hair growth, comprising, as an active ingredient, the compound 1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-oleoyl-3-O-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)-glycerol isolated from an extract of Padina arborescens. The composition according to the present invention has effects in the inhibition of 5α-reductase activity, the proliferation of NIH3T3 fibroblasts, and the growth and proliferation of dermal papilla cells playing an important role in the hair growth. Therefore, the composition of the present invention can be useful as a raw material for functional cosmetics, medicines, and foods for preventing hair loss or improving hair growth. Further, since the composition of the present invention is a natural material, it is safe in spite of the long-term use thereof.


"Tantalizingly rich ...this is a splendid book." (Greece and Rome). "Burken relegates his learned documentation to the notes and writes in a lively and fluent style. The book is recommended as a major contribution to the interpretation of ancient Greek myth and ritual. The breadth alone of Burkert's learning renders his book indispensable." (Classical Outlook). "Impressive...founded on a striking knowledge of the complex evidence (literary, epigraphical, archaeological, comparative) for this extensive subject. Burkert offers a rare combination of exact scholarship with imagination and even humor. A brilliant book, in which ...the reader can see at every point what is going on in the author's mind - and that is never uninteresting, and rarely unimportant." (Times Literary Supplement). "Burkert's work is of such magnitude and depth that it may even contribute to that most difficult of tasks, defining myth, ritual, and religion. [He] locates his work in the context of culture and the history of ideas, and he is not hesitant to draw on sociology and biology. Consequently his work is of significance for philosophers, historians, and even theologians, as well as for classicists and historians of Greek culture. His hypotheses are courageous and his conclusions are bold; both establish standards for methodology as well as results. " (Religious Studies Review).


Background & objectives: Infertility is a global problem affecting millions of men and women in developed and developing countries. In this regard, in -vitro fertilization (IVF) plays an important role in improving the quality of life in infertile patients. However, studies have shown that the implantation failure in IVF is the main challenge of this proc edure. Melatonin can increase the survival rate of embryos and IVF success rate through eliminating free radicals and removing reactive oxygen species. So, this study is conducted to investigate the effects of different concentrations of melatonin on the rate of newborns of mice following transfer oftwo-cell embryos. Methods: In this study, female mice with average age of six to eight weeks were superovulated by administering pregnant mares serum gonadotropin (PMSG) intraperitoneally (7.5 IU. ip), and followed after 48h by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (7.5 IU. ip). Two-cell mouse embryos were obtained from female mice oviduct after 48 h. The embryos transferred bilaterally into pseudopregnant mice of the same strain through surgical procedure and 8-14 embryos were transferred to each tube. The study included 4 treatment groups and one control group (6 mice in each group). The treatment groups were exposed to subcutaneous injection of concentrations of 100 µm, 10 µm, 1 µm and 100 nm of melatonin. After the cesarean on 18 th day of pregnancy, the percentage of live births was assessed. The outcomes of the live birth rate were assessed using the chi-square test and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS version 16.0. Percentage of live birth was calculated and compared with the control group. Results: A total of 701 two-cell mouse embryos were transferred into one control group and four experimental groups. The number and percentage of live births at concentrations of 100 µm and10 µm of melatonin and the control groups were 21 (15.55%), 13 (9.15%) and 9 (6.47%), respectively. No infant was born at the concentrations of 1 µM and 100 nM of melatonin. The highest rate of live births was obtained at the concentration of 100 µM and showed a significant difference with the control group (p € 0.01). There was no significant difference in live births at the concentration of 10 µm and control group. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that subcutaneous injection of melatonin improves


Introduction There is concern about excessive bleeding when low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are used for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in renal dysfunction. Our objective was to evaluate whether LMWH VTE prophylaxis was safe and effective in critically ill patients with renal dysfunction by conducting a subgroup analysis of PROTECT, a randomized blinded trial. Methods We studied intensive care unit (ICU) patients with pre-ICU dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease (ESRD; pre-specified subgroup; n = 118), or severe renal dysfunction at ICU admission (defined as ESRD or non-dialysis dependent with creatinine clearance [CrCl] <30 ml/min; post hoc subgroup; n = 590). We compared dalteparin, 5000 IU daily, with unfractionated heparin (UFH), 5000 IU twice daily, and considered outcomes of proximal leg deep vein thrombosis (DVT); pulmonary embolism (PE); any VTE; and major bleeding. Adjusted hazard ratios [HR] were calculated using Cox regression. Results In patients with ESRD, there was no significant difference in DVT (8.3% vs. 5.2%, p = 0.76), any VTE (10.0% vs. 6.9%; p = 0.39) or major bleeding (5.0% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.32) between UFH and dalteparin. In patients with severe renal dysfunction, there was no significant difference in any VTE (10.0% vs. 6.4%; p = 0.07) or major bleeding (8.9% vs. 11.0%; p = 0.66) but an increase in DVT with dalteparin (7.6% vs. 3.7%; p = 0.04). Interaction p-values for comparisons of HRs (ESRD versus not) were non-significant. Conclusions In critically ill patients with ESRD, or severe renal dysfunction, there was no significant difference in any VTE or major bleeding between UFH and dalteparin. Patients with severe renal dysfunction who received dalteparin had more proximal DVTs than those on UFH; this finding did not hold in patients with ESRD alone.


Many inexpensive biofuel feedstocks, including those containing free fatty acids (FFAs) in high concentrations, are typically disposed of as waste due to our inability to efficiently convert them into usable biofuels. Here we demonstrate that carbon derived from waste tires could be functionalized with sulfonic acid (-SO3H) to effectively catalyze the esterification of oleic acid or a mixture of fatty acids to usable biofuels. Waste tires were converted to hard carbon, then functionalized with catalytically active -SO3H groups on the surface through an environmentally benign process that involved the sequential treatment with L-cysteine, dithiothreitol, and H2O2. When benchmarked against the same waste-tire derived carbon material treated with concentrated sulfuric acid at 150 °C, similar catalytic activity was observed. Both catalysts could also effectively convert oleic acid or a mixture of fatty acids and soybean oil to usable biofuels at 65 °C and 1 atm without leaching of the catalytic sites.


Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is an established cognitive risk factor for anxiety disorders. In children and adolescents, AS is usually measured with the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (CASI). Factor analytic studies suggest that the CASI is comprised of 3 lower-order factors pertaining to Physical, Psychological and Social Concerns. There has been little research on the validity of these lower-order factors. We examined the concurrent and incremental validity of the CASI and its lower-order factors in a non-clinical sample of 349 children and adolescents. CASI scores predicted symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety disorder subtypes as measured by the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS) after accounting for variance due to State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores. CASI Physical Concerns scores incrementally predicted scores on each of the SCAS scales, whereas scores on the Social and Psychological Concerns subscales incrementally predicted scores on conceptually related symptom scales (e.g. CASI Social Concerns scores predicted Social Phobia symptoms). Overall, this study demonstrates that there is added value in measuring AS factors in children and adolescents.


BACKGROUND: Existing literature suggests that surgical intervention for odontoid fractures is beneficial but often does not control for known confounding factors. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of surgical fixation on myelopathy, fracture nonunion, and mortality after traumatic odontoid fractures. METHODS: We analyzed all traumatic odontoid fractures managed at our institution between 2010 and 2020. Ordinal multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with myelopathy severity at follow-up. Propensity score analysis was used to test the treatment effect of surgery on nonunion and mortality. RESULTS: Three hundred and three patients with traumatic odontoid fracture were identified, of whom 21.6% underwent surgical stabilization. After propensity score matching, populations were well balanced across all analyses (Rubin's B < 25.0, 0.5 < Rubin's R < 2.0). Controlling for age and fracture angulation, type, comminution, and displacement, the overall rate of nonunion was lower in the surgical group (39.7% vs 57.3%, average treatment effect [ATE] = −0.153 [−0.279, −0.028], P = .017). Controlling for age, sex, Nurick score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Injury Severity Score, and selection for intensive care unit admission, the mortality rate was lower for the surgical group at 30 days (1.7% vs 13.8%, ATE = −0.101 [−0.172, −0.030], P = .005) and at 1 year was 7.0% vs 23.7%, ATE = −0.099 [−0.181, −0.017], P = .018. Cox proportional hazards analysis also demonstrated a mortality benefit for surgery (hazard ratio = 0.587 [0.426, 0.799], P = .0009). Patients who underwent surgery were less likely to have worse myelopathy scores at follow-up (odds ratio = 0.48 [0.25, 0.93], P = .029). CONCLUSION: Surgical stabilization is associated with better myelopathy scores at follow-up and causes lower rates of fracture nonunion, 30-day mortality, and 1-year mortality.


Separation of precious metal ions from acidic solutions is of great importance due to their cumulative supply risk and environmental concern. However, their separation is still challenging as they are often present in extremely low pH solutions. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted extensive curiosity for adsorption owing to their fascinating physicochemical features including tunable pore sizes, active functional sites, and porosity. Here, two Zr-based MOFs of UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2 with an 8-ligand-connected Zr6 node were fabricated and tested for adsorption of Pd(II), Pt(IV) and Au(III) anions (PdCl42−, PtCl62− and AuCl4−) in strongly acidic solutions. Both MOFs were tested for uptake time and adsorption capacities and showed rapid and high precious metal adsorption performances. Inner-sphere complexation between the precious metal anions and the incompletely coordinated Zr atoms in the MOFs was the key mechanism involved in the precious metal adsorption. In the case of UiO-66-NH2, additional electrostatic attraction was found between the protonated amine group (–NH3+) and the precious metal anions, as well as partial reduction of the bound precious metal ions. Moreover, the pathway of adsorption–reduction–crystallization–precipitation for the interaction of UiO-66-NH2 and AuCl4− resulted in extremely high recovery efficiency for gold.


Our first mental endowment was instinct. Then came thought, and later language. Thanks to language, thought then proceeded to flourish. Such was our phylogeny. Ontogeny, then, true to form, recapitulates the sequence in the development of each child. By instinct a child a few days old will show anxiety when an object moving steadily to a screen and behind it fails to emerge on schedule at the far edge. Also new-borns are said to respond emotionally to emotional facial expressions and even to imitate them.


Overexpression of histone deacetylases (HDACs), with consequent hypoacetylation of histones, is reportedly associated with transcriptional repression of tumour suppressor genes. Thus, inhibition of HDACs has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer therapy. In order to monitor the effects of potential HDAC inhibitors, a multi-level approach consisting of preliminary screening (measurement of HDAC activity and semi-quantitative evaluation of histone H4 modification profile by MALDI-TOF MS) and detailed analysis of histone modification forms (using 2-D AUT/AU PAGE and LC-ESI-IT MS) has been used in this study. The data obtained provide a global insight into the effects of HDAC inhibitors on the histone acetylation status that participates in gene transcription control. Using two example inhibitors, valproic acid sodium salt and entinostat, we show that similar levels of HDAC inhibition induced by different agents can lead to distinct rates of histone hyperacetylation, suggesting that except for the direct inhibition of HDACs, additional molecular mechanisms amplifying the response are likely to be involved in the inhibitory process. The approach used in our study makes it possible not only to follow the dynamics of individual histone modification forms, but also of their combined occurrence in the N-terminal fragment.


While the kinematics of galaxies up to z ∼ 3 have been characterized in detail, only a handful of galaxies at high redshift (z > 4) have been examined in such a way. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Large Program to INvestigate [C ii] at Early times (ALPINE) survey observed a statistically significant sample of 118 star-forming main-sequence galaxies at z = 4.4–5.9 in [C ii]158 $\mu$m emission, increasing the number of such observations by nearly 10×. A preliminary qualitative classification of these sources revealed a diversity of kinematic types (i.e. rotators, mergers, and dispersion-dominated systems). In this work, we supplement the initial classification by applying quantitative analyses to the ALPINE data: a tilted ring model (TRM) fitting code (3Dbarolo), a morphological classification (Gini-M20), and a set of disc identification criteria. Of the 75 [C ii]-detected ALPINE galaxies, 29 are detected at sufficient significance and spatial resolution to allow for TRM fitting and the derivation of morphological and kinematic parameters. These 29 sources constitute a high-mass subset of the ALPINE sample ($M_*\gt 10^{9.5}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$). We robustly classify 14 of these sources (six rotators, five mergers, and three dispersion-dominated systems); the remaining sources showing complex behaviour. By exploring the G-M20 of z > 4 rest-frame far-infrared and [C ii] data for the first time, we find that our 1 arcsec ∼ 6 kpc resolution data alone are insufficient to separate galaxy types. We compare the rotation curves and dynamical mass profiles of the six ALPINE rotators to the two previously detected z ∼ 4–6 unlensed main-sequence rotators, finding high rotational velocities (∼50–250 km s−1) and a diversity of rotation curve shapes.


Tissue homogenates were obtained from swine experimentally co-infected with two vaccine strains of Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV). Viral isolates were derived by serial plaque purification directly from tissue homogenates, without an intervening step of isolation and amplification on cell cultures. Use of limiting dilutions and recovery of virus isolates as individual plaques minimized the likelihood of in vitro recombination serving as a confounding source of recombinant ADV. The tyhmidine kinase and glycoprotein X gene sequences were classified as wildtype or deleted, using a battery of polymerase chain reaction assays. On the basis of pairwise combinations of the allelic forms of the thymidine kinase and glycoprotein X genes, the isolates were characterized as recombinant and parental genotypes. The results substantiate the observation that ADV vaccine strains can form genetic recombinants in vivo after experimentally induced co-infection. A full description of this study is available (Am. J. Vet. Res. 54 (4) 540-545, 1993).


Wireless sensor nodes consist of group of self organized sensor nodes with limited resources in terms of processing power and battery energy. Wireless sensors are used increasingly in many industrial and consumer applications. Sensors detect events and send via multi hop routing to the sink node for processing the event. The routing path is established through proactive or reactive routing protocols. Congestion happens due to flow of packets exceeding the capacity of link & exceeding the capacity of nodes in terms of Queue Size. Due of congestion packet loss occurs and it affects the quality of application services built on top of sensor network. In this work, we address the congestion from point of reducing the probability of congestion rather than make it to occur and solve it. We propose a NOCO routing protocol which is built on top of AODV and follows reservation based mechanism to avoid congestion and also alleviate the congestion if it happens.


Antoine Krieger, born in Alsace on June 5, 1804, set up shop in the Faubourg Sainte-Antoine (the furniture-making district of Paris) in 1826 and was married there in 1829. The marriage of his two daughters, one in 1849 to the cabinet-maker Claude-Julien Cosse, and the other in 1853 to the merchant Henry Racault, increased his prosperity. He then formed a partnership with his sons-in-law one of whom was to retire in 1858 and the other in 1870. At that date, the furniture and tapestry-making establishment, situated at 76 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, was extended to include no. 74 of the same street. A grandson by marriage became one of the partners in 1880. From 1870 to 1955, when it was struck off the register of commerce, the company remained a family affair, in the hands of the Damon family which descended from Antoine Krieger's wife. Antoine Krieger, who retired from the company in 1860, and his son-in-law Cosse, on their deaths, respectively in 1869 and 1883, left considerable property. Cosse had banked upon the transformation of Paris by Haussmann by constructing an apartment building situated on the boulevard Voltaire. The Maison Krieger won prizes at the Exposition des produits de l'Industrie in 1849 and in the Universal Exhibitions of 1851 and 1855. At the 1851 exhibition an oak sideboard made for a client from the Ottoman Empire was noted in the press. A set of five drawings deposited at the Conseil de Prud'hommes (Industrial tribunal) of the Seine department on July 9, 1850 corresponds in fact, for four of them, to a command made by Meguerditch Djezaerli, banker and tax-farmer of the Constantinople customs office. The latter fell into disgrace on October 23 1852 and his debts were subsequently not honoured. A crisis followed involving the manufacturers, the French workers on the building site of Djezaerli's palace, the architect Agop Melik, the French Embassy in Constantinople and the Ottoman government - in no hurry to honour the debts of this important man whose belongings had been sequestered. The Maison Krieger was one of the signatories of an urgent letter addressed, on February 5 1854, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, demanding the intervention of the French Ambassador with the Turkish government.


We are living in a moment of unprecedented complexity, when things are changing faster than our ability to comprehend them. This is a time of transition betwixt and between a period that seemed more stable and secure and a time when, many people hope, equilibrium will be restored. Awash in a sea of information that seems to have no meaning and bombarded by images and sounds transmitted by new media, many people have lost a sense of direction and purpose and long for security and stability. Stability, security, and equilibrium, however, can be deceptive, for they are but momentary eddies in an endlessly complex and turbulent flux. In the world that is emerging, the condition of complexity is as irreducible as it is inescapable. While the moment of complexity inevitably generates confusion and uncertainty, today's social, economic, political, and cultural transformations are also creating possibilities for apprehending ourselves in new ways. To understand our time, we must comprehend complexity, and to comprehend complexity, we must understand what makes this moment different from every other. 1


Moorish gecko Tarentola mauritanica and Turkish gecko Hemydactilus turcicus are among the most widely distributed lizards of the Mediterranean basin. However, records for these species at altitudes above 400 m a.s.l. are few. In this paper, we document the presence of these species in a hilly area in the northernmost part of the Province of Grosseto (Tuscany, Central Italy). In particular, Moorish geckoes were found up to 609 m a.s.l. since early 2000s. First individuals were possibly introduced with transport of building materials: the average increase in winter temperature of the past recent years might have helped the establishment of breeding populations.


Purpose: The article presents an economic and legal analysis of the terms of contracts for international delivery of goods involving Russian suppliers. Design/Methodology/Approach: The authors analysed the international norms of regulating relations for the goods' delivery involving the foreign element. Terms of the goods delivery are investigated according to the national legislation of the Russian Federation. Findings: As a result, it is necessary to use an economic and legal approach when developing contract terms for the goods' delivery to take into account norms of international law, the national legislation of the supplier country and in accordance with the calculations of the contract price and payment terms. Practical Implications: The proposed method is in accordance with the international legal framework and it can be adopted by the Russian Federation easily. Originality/Value: There is no such an approach eligible to modernize the existing system in the country.


Abstract Naturally weathered olivine from metamorphosed, tectonized metadunite is corroded by funnel-shaped etch pits. Large etch pits form by weathering, and are not inherited from pre-weathering alteration of these rocks. Comparison of etch pits on olivine in naturally weathered metadunite with naturally weathered olivine phenocrysts from volcanic rocks suggests that olivine etch pits are similar in all sample suites, despite differences in crystallization and weathering/exposure ages, and regolith history.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the decision to test for milk antimicrobial residues in milk from dairy cows treated with procaine penicillin G (PPG).

DESIGN
Economic-decision analysis after stochastic simulation.

SAMPLE POPULATION
1,000 computer-simulated cows/model.

PROCEDURE
Meta-analysis of the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank was used to generate PPG disappearance curves for cows given single PPG treatments, IM, of 6,600 U/kg (3,000 U/lb) of body weight or 26,400 U/kg (12,000 U/lb), and multiple treatments at 26,400 U/kg (12,000 U/lb), IM. These curves were entered into 1,000-replication stochastic pharmacokinetic models, generating population-level milk PPG profiles for each treatment group for each day after treatment, which were subjected to economic-decision analyses of feasibility of residue testing. The model was evaluated for changes in herd size, proportion of herd available for testing, milk production, test price, test sensitivity/specificity, and withdrawal periods.

RESULTS
For both single-treatment groups, a 2-day withdrawal period avoided violative residues. However, nearly two thirds of the cows risked false identification for violative residues. For the multiple-treated group, nearly 40% had violative residues after a 5-day withdrawal period, and an additional 10 to 15% risked false identification for violative residues. Economic analysis yielded a decision against testing; mean cost was $2 (ie, 5% more than the mean cost of not testing).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Complex dynamics of current milk residue tests discourage practitioners from recommending procedures to clients. In general, increases in herd size, milk production, proportion of a herd available for testing, or milk price will increase the value of testing. Increasing test sensitivity decreases its desirability to producers.


Dr D. Stephenson drew attention to work recently completed by an IGS team on late-Tertiary and Quaternary volcanoes in Burma, which strongly suggests the presence of an eastward-dipping subduction zone beneath continental crust throughout Central Burma. Three distinct N-S trending volcanic lines may be recognized, both spatially and in petrographic and chemical trends. The volcanics in general are markedly potassic with both K2O/SiO2 and (Na2O + K2O)/SiO2 increasing from W to E. There thus exists a 'classical' progression from 'calc-alkaline' characteristics in the western line (Narcondam and Barren Islands) to 'alkaline' in the eastern line (along the Sagaing-Hninzee fault system). This evidence gives strong support to the model, proposed by Beckinsale et al., of a subduction origin for the Tertiary 'western peralkaline granites' of Burma and Thailand. It seems reasonable to suggest that this subduction zone is a northern continuation of the one presently active beneath Sumatra, where the younger volcanics have petrographic and geochemical similarities with those in Burma of comparable age. Complications do arise in this model owing to the presence of the NE-SW trending Andaman Sea spreading ridge between Burma and Sumatra. Transform faults which cut this ridge probably continue northwards into Burma as active, dextral, transcurrent faults, some of which have acted as channels for magmatic activity. Dr H. G. Reading said that: Listening to several of the talks and the subsequent discussions, especially about the Andaman Sea, Sumatra, the Andes and the Hercynian fold belt, perhaps the solution to many problems may be reached if


The study purposes to review and analyse the subject. Its object is: (a) to examine Ibn Kathir's role in scholastic theology and his position among the theologians, (b) to provide the reader with the information extant in the 14th century about an essential branch of Muslim scholarship, (c) to stimulate further interest in scholastic theology and Qur'anic exegesis. The first chapter contains the history of the development of tafsir and scholastic theology. Chapter two includes the salient features of the biographical details of Ibn Kathir's life and a list of his works. Chapter three is concerned with the doctrine of God, the starting point in Muslim theology. God has two aspects: His essence and His attributes. God's essence is interpreted as light which signifies His close relation to man's spiritual and physical needs. God is Transcendental, Unique, Eternal, Omnipresent Omniscient and Omnipotent. He is everlastingly Unique in His essence and His attributes. God is Living, Powerful, Wilier, Speaker, Hearer, and Seer. But. all His attributes are different from man's. God's attributes of action embrace and encompass mercy. God's creation, Guidance, and provision of food are the manifestations of His mercy. Chapter four deals with the existence of angels who play the significant role of mediator between God and man, for the betterment of mankind. Chapter five examines belief in the Prophets. They are chose: men of God. They are endowed with extra-ordinary qualities. By virtue of their endowed qualities they receive revelation and perform miracles. They possess infallible character. Chapter six involves the study of the Scriptures. These were revealed to the Prophets. The last scripture is the Qur'an revealed to the last Prophet, Muhammad. In chapter seven we find that Predestination is of two kinds: (a) Mubram (settled or confirmed) (b) Mua llaq (suspended). The former is for all creatures whereas the latter is especially meant for man. It provides some freedom to man if he works according to God's laws. The limit of this freedom has not been explored. Chapter eight deals with the Hereafter. It is found that there is a resemblance in the present life, the barzakh, and life after resurrection with regard to pleasures and pains of body and soul. But the methods of reward and retribution are slightly different. Last of all comes life in Paradise and Hell which is described in metaphors. Paradise is assumed to be perfect life, having no signs of worldly sensual pleasure.


We have finished a constructive formalization in the theorem prover Coq of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, which states that differentiation and integration are inverse processes. This formalization is built upon the library of constructive algebra created in the FTA (Fundamental Theorem of Algebra) project, which is extended with results about the real numbers, namely about (power) series. Two important issues that arose in this formalization and which will be discussed in this paper are partial functions (different ways of dealing with this concept and the advantages of each different approach) and the high level tactics that were developed in parallel with the formalization (which automate several routine procedures involving results about real-valued functions).


Background. Anxiety disorders are associated with considerable disability in the domains of (1) work, (2) social, and (3) family and home interactions. Psychiatric comorbidity is also known to be associated with disability. Methods. Data from the Cross-National Collaborative Panic Study was used to identify rates of comorbid diagnoses, anxiety and depression symptom ratings, and Sheehan disability scale ratings from a clinical sample of 1165 adults with panic disorder. Results. Comorbid diagnoses of agoraphobia, major depression, and social phobia were associated with disability across the three domains of work, social, and family and home interactions. The symptom of agoraphobic avoidance makes the largest contribution to disability but there is no single symptom cluster that entirely predicts impairment and disability. Limitations. The findings about the relative contributions that comorbid diagnoses make to disability only apply to a population with panic disorder. Conclusions. Although panic disorder is not generally considered to be among the serious and persistent mental illnesses, when it is comorbid with other diagnoses, it is associated with considerable impairment. In particular, the presence of agoraphobic avoidance should alert the clinician to the likelihood of important functional impairment. When measuring the functional impact of comorbid anxiety disorders, both the categorical and the dimensional approaches to diagnosis make valuable contributions.


Nasal tip projection is an important defining feature of the nasal profile. Loss of projection is often the bane of the rhinoplastic surgeon. While augmentation techniques for maintaining or increasing tip projection are useful in selected patients, the majority of rhinoplasties rely on excision of cartilage, particularly cartilage of the cephalic border of the lower lateral crura, to produce the desired cosmetic result. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of lower lateral cartilage excision on nasal tip projection resulting from three common forms of nasal tip surgery. These techniques included cephalic border resection without vertical dome division, cephalic border resection with vertical dome division, and cephalic border resection with dome division and suture reapproximation of the mesial crura, the so-called "Goldman tip." Despite the fact that overall excellent results were obtained and loss of projection was rarely a noticeable feature, a measurable loss of projection can be seen in all but one case in this series. Although loss of tip projection is usually acceptable due to the masking effect, the concurrent reduction in dorsal nasal height, loss of projection must be anticipated in excisional techniques of the lower lateral cartilage.


We report a new strategy for fabricating a smart low molecular weight hydrogel based on dynamic covalent chemistry from a bola-type supra-gelator, which was facilely fabricated in situ from two non-assembling building blocks, (3-(2-(4-formylphenoxy) ethyl)-1-methyl imidazolium bromide, MA) and (3,3'-dithiobis (propionohydrazide), DSPDZ), through dynamic acylhydrazone bonding. The obtained low molecular weight hydrogels exhibited redox-responsive and controllable self-healing properties. The role of dynamic covalent bonding in the formation of smart hydrogels is revealed in this study, which provides a simple and bottom-up method for constructing smart low molecular weight hydrogels.


Open source solutions are widely used to run a digital library (for example DSpace, EPrints and Fedora Commons repository). Nevertheless there is not many open source tools available for a digital document production and there is not many tools for long term archiving of digital documents. In the frame of the Czech Digital Library project the open source ProArc system is developed which enables to create standardized metadata, export digital documents to a digital library and provide data for long term archiving. The solution follows international standards and it can be freely used by all interested institutions which want to run digitization projects.


The preliminary design for a three-bladed cross-flow rotor for a reference marine hydrokinetic turbine is presented. A rotor performance design code is described, along with modifications to the code to allow prediction of blade support strut drag as well as interference between two counter-rotating rotors. The rotor is designed to operate in a reference site corresponding to a riverine environment. Basic rotor performance and rigid-body loads calculations are performed to size the rotor elements and select the operating speed range. The preliminary design is verified with a simple finite element model that provides estimates of bending stresses during operation. A concept for joining the blades and support struts is developed and analyzed with a separate finite element analysis. Rotor mass, production costs, and annual energy capture are estimated in order to allow calculations of system cost-of-energy.


Quite a few research studies have been conducted to investigate whether the writing process approach has any effects on students' writing quality in higher education. However, few studies have been conducted at a talented high school in a remote area in Vietnam to see whether it works in the same manner where students' writing skills in paragraph levels were very low. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the process approach on enhancing EFL students' writing performance in terms of fluency and accuracy. The target subjects were from grade twelve, Huynh Man Dat (HMD) High School at Kien Giang City, Vietnam. Sixty students from the control and experimental groups enrolled in this course as a normal curriculum of the school. The research instruments are the writing tasks, used as the pre-test and post-test. Data collection was from pre-tests, post-tests, and word-count from all essays of students to measure their writing fluency. Pre-tests and post-tests were compared to see if there were any differences in writing performance between the two groups. The students' writing performance was evaluated using analytical scoring on the composite scores and the two aspects of writing which are fluency and accuracy. The results of the study set lights to teachers at HMD high school to consider to use this effective approach in their writing classrooms.


We theoretically investigate the entanglement properties in a hybrid system consisting of an optical cavity–array coupled to a mechanical resonator. We show that the steady state of the system presents bipartite continuous variable entanglement in an experimentally accessible parameter regime. The effects of the cavity–cavity coupling strength on the bipartite entanglements in the field–mirror subsystem and in the field–field subsystem are studied. We further find that the entanglement between the adjacent cavity and the movable mirror can be entirely transferred to the distant cavity and mirror by properly choosing the cavity detunings and the coupling strength in the two-cavity case. Surprisingly, such a remote macroscopic entanglement tends to be stable in the large coupling regime and persists for environment temperatures at above 25 K in the three-cavity case. Such optomechanical systems can be used for the realization of continuous variable quantum information interfaces and networks.


Abstract The discovery of these fossiliferous rocks, near the Umtafuna (on some maps spelt "Umtavooma") River, on the coast of South Africa, was made by Mr. H. F. Fynn, in 1824. About three miles to the southward of the river commence certain excavations in the cliffs, formed by the action of the sea, and called by the natives "Izinhluzabalungu." These caves extend for about 800 yards. In 1851 Capt. Garden visited the spot with Mr. Fynn, and, with the aid of his servant (the late Private Thomas Souton), and the natives, collected a suite of fossils from the walls of the caves and from the adjoining cliffs. The cliffs vary considerably in height, and their tops are covered with vegetation; the Strelitzia alba grows abundantly in the hollows. The lowest rock visible is a hard shelly rock with pebbles; above it is a brownish-red sandstone, traversed in every direction with white veins, which are the broken edges of colossal bivalve shells (Inoceramus). These shells are thin, and too easily broken to be extracted from the rock; the corrugated surface of a portion of one was exposed to the extent of 2 feet in length by 1 foot in breadth, and the author estimated others to be nearly 3 feet in length. This shell is common to all the strata in the cliff. Alternate layers of the above-mentioned two rocks occur to the height of about 18 feet ; above which are hard bluish-black, brown, and greenish argillaceous and sandy beds. Shells were found in all these clay-beds, and Ammonites at different heights and in certain of the strata. Many fossils are exposed on the cliffs, and washed out on to the shore by the action of the sea. Fossil trees are seen at low water on a reef of fiat rocks near these caverns ; and about three miles to the southward Capt. Garden found at the extreme point of the left bank of the Umpahlanyani* stream a piece of fossil wood, imbedded in a rock similar to that at the caves. About half a mile beyond the caves runs the Umzambanit River, across which the cretaceous rocks are continued, appearing on its right bank ; after which they are lost sight of, except at a few places: the author, however, believes this ibrmation to extend as far as the Umtata River, having been informed by the late Mr. W. H. D. Fynn that fossil Turtle remains were to be procured from the rocks at the mouth of that river.