Traditional field survey methods for detection of water leaks in irrigation canal systems are costly and time‐ consuming. In this study, a rapid, cost‐effective method was developed for identifying irrigation canal locations likely to have leaks and/or seepage. The method involves the use of a multispectral imager equipped with red, near infrared, and thermal sensors which is mounted on an aircraft and flown at low altitude to collect the images. A three‐step process, image acquisition, image processing, and field reconnaissance, was developed for processing the imagery and identification of locations likely to have leaks. The method was evaluated in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, USA. Images were collected of 24 selected canal segments within 11 irrigation districts in this region. Evaluation of the imagery indicated that 140 sites had possible canal leakage problems (point leak and/or seepage). A field site evaluation form was developed and used to document the type and severity of the leaks at 28 of the sites. Twenty‐six sites were confirmed to have leaks, representing a success rate of 93%. The methods used in this study should have widespread application for detecting leaks and seepage in irrigation canals. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract. The Borobudur temple (Indonesia) is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, now listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The present state of the temple is the result of restorations after being exposed to natural disasters several times. Today there is still a growing rate of deterioration of the building stones whose causes need further researches. Monitoring programs, supported at institutional level, have been effectively executed to observe the problem. The paper presents the latest efforts to digitally document the Borobudur Temple and its surrounding area in 3D with photogrammetric techniques. UAV and terrestrial images were acquired to completely digitize the temple, produce DEM, orthoimages and maps at 1:100 and 1:1000 scale. The results of the project are now employed by the local government organizations to manage the heritage area and plan new policies for the conservation and preservation of the UNESCO site. In order to help data management and policy makers, a web-based information system of the heritage area was also built to visualize and easily access all the data and achieved 3D results.


High-speed multimegawatt permanent-magnet (PM) machines have been proposed in the literature and offered for sale in a variety of petrochemical applications. Presently, the discussion of synchronous machines in both the IEEE Std 115 and American Petroleum Institute 546 excludes the consideration of PM synchronous machines. These machines pose special problems when attempting to apply the test procedures given for the wound-field synchronous machines in that many of the tests rely on the ability to adjust the field strength. In addition, a PM-rotor topology has different performance and robustness concerns than a wound-field machine, and those should be addressed. This paper attempts to outline a coherent method for evaluating high-speed PM machines by extending the test procedures outlined in IEEE Std 115 and presenting additional procedures specific to PM machines. Extended application guidelines will be discussed for high-speed multimegawatt machines. The differences between the risk profiles for the PM and wound-field machines will be highlighted with a particular emphasis on the risk mitigation via tests for the PM machine.


A herding cue is a lean information signal that an individual receives about the aggregate number of others who have engaged in a behavior that may result in herd behavior. Given the ease with which they can be leveraged as implementation interventions or design features on online sites, herding cues hold the promise to provide a means to influence adoption behaviors. Yet, little attention has been devoted in the IS adoption literature to understanding the effects of herding cues. Given that herding cues are just one of several forms of social influence on adoption behaviors and are relatively lean in nature, understanding their viability as an implementation intervention necessitates understanding their effects in the presence of (1) other forms of social influence, which also serve to reduce uncertainty and signal the appropriateness of technology adoption, and (2) an individual's own beliefs about adopting. In this vein, we conducted a randomized field experiment to examine the use of a herding cue as an implementation intervention to hasten adoption behaviors. The research model was evaluated using survival analysis by combining the data from the field experiment with two waves of surveys, and archival logs of adoption. Our results show that a herding cue (1) directly impacts the time it takes an individual to adopt a technology, (2) amplifies the effects of peer behaviors (another type of informative social influence), but has no impact on the effect of subjective norm (a form of normative social influence), and (3) dampens the effects of an individual's private beliefs about the usefulness of a technology. Our paper disentangles herding information signals to define a herding cue as distinct from other herd behavior triggers, explores how it may interact with other forms of social influences and private beliefs to influence adoption behaviors, and, on a practical level, provides evidence of how a herding cue can be a tangible intervention to accelerate technology adoption.


The ability to detect infiltration in bone marrow biopsy specimens from patients with disseminated neuroblastoma was assessed by immunohistological and routine histological methods. Frozen cores from 33 staging procedures were tested with UJ13A and UJ127.11. Immunopositive tumour cells were found in 10 of 17 staging procedures in which tumour was detectable by routine histological methods. Positive cells or stromal material were also found in eight of 12 staging procedures in which distorted architecture and fibrosis, but no obvious tumour, had been noted. Paraffin wax embedded cores from 29 of the same staging procedures were tested with antibodies against neurone specific enolase and neurofilament. Only a single core reacted with anti-neurofilament antibody. Neurone specific enolase positive cells or stromal material were found in nine of 15 staging procedures in which obvious tumour was detectable. Although these immunohistochemical techniques proved inferior to routine histology in their ability to detect obvious tumour, the demonstration of immunopositive stromal tissue which was not frankly malignant supports the view that distorted, fibrotic marrow may reflect persistence of neuroectodermal tissue and justifies its distinction from normal marrow when reporting the response to treatment.


Two HSS grades (A and B) belonging to the complex system Fe-Cr-C-Si-X, where X is a strong carbide-forming element such as V, Mb or W, were studied. Samples in the as-received conditions came from an industrial spin casting process, with a varying cooling rate during processing. Chemical compositions of both alloys were closed to each other and were chosen to enhance their hardenability and to avoid less resistant phases such as pearlite and ferrite. Differential Thermal Analysis was performed on both alloys, in order to increase their crystallization behaviour. Light microscopy and SEM associated with EDS analyses were done to characterize the microstructure of both alloys in the as-received conditions and after DTA trials. The matrix of both HSS grades was composed of eutectic carbides, martensite and retained austenite, these phases exhibiting similar chemical compositions in both alloys. Unexpected pearlite was found in the as-cast HSS alloy B without W, this grade containing more Mo, more V and less Cr than the HSS grade A. It appeared from DTA tests that pearlite found in the alloy B arose more from the destabilisation of the Cr-rich retained austenite associated with the plate-like M2C carbide, than from the matrix itself. In fact, pearlite zones located in the vicinity of M2C are due to related isothermal solid phase transformations form the previous austenitic eutectic phase that is enriched with Cr and Mo.


Functionally Graded Material (FGM), as a new concept in material fields, has been a research hotspot in recent years, the application of which can improve the stress state of structures. This paper tried to introduce FGM into the concrete material by investigating the factors which have influence on the concrete FGM. In this study, mix proportion parameters of haydite concrete are analyzed by using the Taguchi's experiment design methodology. Mixtures are designed in a L16 (45) orthogonal array with three factors, namely, "volume fraction of haydite in total aggregate (H/A)", "water/cementitious material (W/C) ratio", and "air entraining agent (AE) content". The mixtures are extensively tested. The experimental results are analyzed by using the variance analysis (ANOVA). The influence degree of three selected factors to performance indexes is obtained.


Nowadays, with the rapid development of the traffic infrastructure construction and the growing of the traffic flowing and speed, the vehicle-bridge coupling vibration research has become the focus of the bridge engineering study. The dynamic response of the bridge under the traffic flowing is one of vital parameters for the vehicle-bridge coupling vibration analysis. In this paper, a methodology, employing the radar speed gun, the video recorder, and the dynamic strain tester in combination with manually recording is used to continuously and detailed investigate the traffic loads on the expressway bridge within 24 hours a day. With this approach introduced by this paper, all the critical parameters, such as the vehicle type, speed, traffic lane, the arriving time of the traffic and the bridge-vehicle dynamic interaction are all recorded. In this investigation, firstly the dynamic responses of 8 pieces of beams of the bridge under 5650 individual vehicles driving through the bridge are recorded, secondly statistics analysis are made for the record of each beam, and finally the space-time distribution laws of the dynamic response of the bridge under the traffic flowing are studied extensively. The result of this study could provide helpful theoretic guidance and supporting data for the vehicle-bridge coupling vibration research.


In this paper, both non-mixing and mixing local minima of the entropy are analyzed from the viewpoint of blind source separation (BSS); they correspond respectively to acceptable and spurious solutions of the BSS problem. The contribution of this work is twofold. First, a Taylor development is used to show that the exact output entropy cost function has a non-mixing minimum when this output is proportional to any of the non-Gaussian sources, and not only when the output is proportional to the lowest entropic source. Second, in order to prove that mixing entropy minima exist when the source densities are strongly multimodal, an entropy approximator is proposed. The latter has the major advantage that an error bound can be provided. Even if this approximator (and the associated bound) is used here in the BSS context, it can be applied for estimating the entropy of any random variable with multimodal density


1Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China; 2Laboratory of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China Purpose: Glomerular sclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis are the most important pathologies in the development of kidney damage under diabetic conditions. Smad3 plays antagonistic roles in high glucose-induced renal tubular fibrosis, which is an important treatment target for diabetic nephropathy (DN). Formononetin (FMN) has multiple effects on diabetic vascular complications including DN. However, whether it plays an anti-fibrosis role by regulating smad3 is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the renoprotective effect of FMN by suppressing smad3 expression in db/db mice. Methods: FMN was orally administered to db/db mice with a dose of 25 or 50 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. At the end of the study, serum, urine, and kidney samples were collected for biochemical and pathological examinations. The expressions of proteins and mRNA associated with renal fibrosis were determined by biochemical, histological, immunofluorescence, and real-time PCR analysis. Results: The results showed that FMN substantially improved the glucolipid metabolism, reduced the oxidative stress, and protected renal function in db/db mice. Meanwhile, protein and mRNA expression of smad3 and related regulatory factor of extracellular matrix deposition were significantly suppressed. Conclusion: The present study suggested that FMN has a good renoprotective effect in DN, which plays an anti-fibrosis role in db/db mice by suppressing the expression of smad3.


Wikipedia, as a social phenomenon of collaborative knowledge creation, has been studied extensively from various points of view. The category system of Wikipedia, introduced in 2004, has attracted relatively little attention. In this study, we focus on the documentation of knowledge, and the transformation of this documentation with time. We take Wikipedia as a sample of knowledge in general and its category system as an aspect of the structure of this knowledge. We investigate the evolution of the category structure of the English Wikipedia from its birth in 2004 to 2008. We treat the category system as if it is a hierarchical Knowledge Organization System, capturing the changes in the distributions of the top categories. We investigate how the clustering of articles, defined by the category system, matches the direct link network between the articles and show how it changes over time. We find the Wikipedia category network mostly stable, but with occasional reorganization. We show that the clustering matches the link structure quite well, except short periods preceding the reorganizations.


Novel single-phase Ca2-xBO3Cl:xDy3+ phosphors were synthesized at 900 oC in an activated carbon reducing atmosphere, and their luminescent properties were investigated by photoluminescence (PL) and photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra. The optimal doping concentration of Dy3+ ions is found to be x=0.03 mol, and the nature of resonance energy transfer for Dy3+ ions is also discussed. Generation of white-light excited by 390 near-ultraviolet (n-UV) light shows that all the investigated phosphors lie within white region and the colour coordinate of Ca1.95BO3Cl:0.05Dy3+ (0.272, 0.326) is closer to the equal-energy white light point, which is potentially a good candidate as an n-UV-converted phosphor for white light-emitting diodes (LEDs).


Abstract Consumers are willing to pay a higher price for products certified as sustainable. By implication, such certification is in the interest of producers, too. A general claim that sustainability characteristics automatically imply a price margin may not, however, be justified. Rather, several price premia might be necessary. This analysis based on 882 product prices of the German online retail, is concerned with the price premia attached to various labels and products. It estimates individual price premia for products, like coffee, tea, sweets, spices, etc., showing that sustainable food labeling is not always an indicator for a price markup. In fact, for some products (e.g. spices, chocolate) and labels (e.g. UTZ) a negative price effect is even estimated. Such markdowns may be due to a differing emphasis on sustainability issues along the supply chain for some products or the label's certification policies.


9 Inclusive Green growth (IGG) offers an effective alternative to pursue sustainable development. The core of the IGG system lies in 10 the coordination of inclusive, green, and growth subsystems. However, there is little quantitative assessment on IGG based on 11 subsystem collaboration. This paper explores the dynamic coupling IGG nexus in western Yangtze River Delta of China from 2009 12 to 2018, by using the entropy weight approach (EWA), coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) and obstacle factor diagnostic 13 model (OFDM). The results show that: (1) The integrated approach can allow assessment of the spatiotemporal dynamic coupling 14 nexus of IGG subsystems; (2) At the provincial level, a relatively high IGG performance and a low coupling coordination degree 15 (CCD) of the IGG nexus are seen. The impact of indicators on the coordinated development of IGG can be divided into two stages; 16 (3) At the prefectural level, the cities in which CCD is rising outnumber those it is falling. However, the CCD is also low, and the 17 gap among the regions is getting wider. The obstacles that affect the CCD of cities see a dynamic evolution trend from "inclusive 18 obstacle type" to "inclusive and growth obstacle type" then to "green obstacle type" over the decade.


A modeling procedure to predict the residual fatigue life of rail at squats seeds is developed in this article. Two models are involved: a 3D explicit Finite Element (FE) model to compute the stress and strain at squats in rail, and the J-S fatigue damage model to determine the residual fatigue life on the basis of the computed stress and strain. In the FE model dynamic effects of wheel-rail system under rolling contact is taken into account. Bilinear isotropic elastic-plastic material properties are adopted to represent the hardening of wheel and rail. Squats are subject to multiple loading cycles. The geometry of the squat is varied in the simulation corresponding to a growing squat at different ages. It is found that small squats lead to fatigue failure while severe ones lead to ratcheting failure.


Changes in the size and distribution of soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools affect the biogeochemical properties of terrestrial ecosystems; particularly in semiarid drylands where environmental constraints limit crop production. Agriculture in the northern Great Plains (NGP) of North America has undergone a tillage reduction revolution over the past 20 years; it is therefore imperative to elucidate how organic matter (OM) and fertilizer-N cycle under no-till (NT) management given its potential for providing more sustainable cropping systems and mitigating environmental losses. The objective of this dissertation was to characterize the cycling of labile, reactive pools of soil organic C and N among NT wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-based cropping systems subjected to differing cropping intensity and fertilizer-N management. We conducted both laboratory and field experiments following the fate of 15N-labelled fertilizer as affected by N management principles. In surface soil, microbial uptake of NH4+ was greater than for NO3forms. Lower immobilization of NO3might therefore increase fertilizer-N availability to winter wheat relative to NH4+ or urea-based sources. In plant tissue, fertilizer-N recovery (FNR) by winter wheat was affected by application timing of urea to the soil surface; FNR was greater for spring than late-fall and winter applications. The addition of urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide improved FNR of all urea timings, but the response was greater for late-fall and winter compared with spring applications. We also examined the cycling of labile, reactive OM as affected by differing land management. Specifically, we characterized dissolved organic matter (DOM) and permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC) concentration and composition from soil samples collected from three long-term (>10 yr) cropping field sites. Annual NT cropping increased the concentration and compositional diversity of DOM and POXC pools; higher inputs of biomass-C promoted the accumulation of fresh, plant derived DOM relative to conventional fallow-wheat management. Such enrichment translated into higher OM accretion rates within the uppermost 0-50 cm layer, likely benefiting FNR by winter wheat. Our experimental approach provided a comprehensive tool for agroecosystem evaluation at the farm level, identifying NT scenarios that can be used for sustainable management frameworks within the NGP.


Abstract:  Mark–recapture studies are often used to quantify rates of recruitment and survival, growth rates and patterns, and individual movement, among other things. Marking techniques must satisfy several criteria—marks should: (1) not affect the behavior or survival of individuals; (2) not cause undue pain or stress; (3) last as long as the study; and (4) be easily identifiable. Visible implant elastomer (VIE) tags can be used to mark vertebrates, including amphibians, but can move under the skin, potentially affecting readability and resulting estimates of dispersal and survival. We examined the effectiveness of VIE as a marking technique for Common Mistfrogs (Litoria rheocola) in the field over 1 yr. We determined the readability of marks over time, and evaluated effects of marking on measurements of frog movement. If marking affected mobility of the marked rear limb, we expected that subjects marked in both legs would be more strongly affected (thus, individuals should move less often), or should move shorter distances, than subjects marked in only one leg. We marked 1392 animals under the skin of the thighs in either the right, left, or both legs and recaptured 255 subjects at least once. We found that 84% of marks remained readable after 1 yr. Movement parameters were very similar between frogs marked in one or two legs. We conclude that VIE is a safe and effective marking technique for long-term amphibian studies, especially for stream-associated hylid frogs.


This research studies the effect of stratifying soil samples to try and find a suitable depth to establish a geospatial relationship for a practical soil sampling grid in New Zealand hill country. Cores were collected from 200 predetermined sites in grids at two trial sites at "Patitapu" hill country farm in the Wairarapa, New Zealand. Trial 1 was a 200 m × 100 m grid located in a gently undulating paddock. Trial 2 was a 220 m × 80 m grid located on a moderately sloped paddock. Each grid had cores taken at intervals of 5 m, 10 m, or 20 m. Core sites were mapped out prior to going into the field; these points were found using a Leica Geo Systems GS15 (real time kinematic GPS) and marked with pigtail pegs and spray-paint on the ground. Cores were taken using a 50 mm-diameter soil core sampler. Cores were cut into three sections according to depth: A—0–30 mm, B—30–75 mm, and C—75–150 mm. Olsen P lab results were obtained for half of the total 1400 samples due to financial constraints. The results indicate that there was a significant decrease in variability from Section A to Section B for both trials. Section B and C for Trial 1 had similar variability, whereas there was another significant drop in variability from Section B to C in Trial 2. Measuring samples below the top 3 cm appeared to effectively reduce noise when sampled from 3 to 15 cm. However, measuring from 7.5 cm to 15 cm on the slope in Trial 2 reduced variability so much that all results were almost identical, which may mean that there is no measurable representation of plant available P. The reduction in noise by removing the top 3 cm of soil samples is significant for improving current soil nutrient testing methods by allowing better geospatial predictions for whole paddock soil nutrient variability mapping.


For certain applications, the offset voltage of the amplifiers represents a problem that must be addressed, since it may affect the transfer characteristics of the system. Offset memorization techniques allow to partially cancel the offset voltage either at the input or at the output of an amplifier, but their effectiveness is highly dependent on the amplifier gain. For this reason, these techniques do not result in a complete offset cancellation when used with low-gain amplifiers. In this work, a fully-differential offset-cancelling circuit based on offset memorization techniques is introduced along with its analysis and simulation results. Among the features of the proposed circuit are a configurable output common-mode voltage and a complete offset cancellation even when used with low-gain amplifiers.


This mini-review focuses on two different miniaturizing approaches: the first one describes the generation and use of droplets flowing within a millifluidic tool as individual batch microreactors. The second one reports the use of high pressure microflows in chemistry. Millifluidics is an inexpensive, versatile and easy to use approach which is upscaled from microfluidics. It enables one to produce hierarchically organized multiple emulsions or particles with a good control over sizes and shapes, as well as to provide a convenient data acquisition platform dedicated to slow or rather fast chemical reactions, i.e., from hours to a few minutes. High-pressure resistant devices were recently fabricated and used to generate stable droplets from pressurized fluids such as supercritical fluid-liquid systems. We believe that supercritical microfluidics is a promising tool to develop sustainable processes in chemistry.


The importance of color and taste in feeding and drinking by omnivorous birds is context·dependent and influenced by learning. Here, we report three experiments designed to assess the influence of such characteristics on starlings. In Experiment 1, eight starlings were given a choice between bathing in red or plain water and 0.15 M NaCI solution or plain water. The frequencies of bathing, drinking, and preening were recorded. Red water was avoided (p <: 0.05), but no preferences were observed between NaCI solution and plain water (p / 0.25). That 0.15 M NaCI was not avoided is surprising, because it is rejected by starlings when drinking. Perhaps starlings do not taste substances while bathing but continue to ingest substances that they would otherwise reject. In Experiment 2, we assessed these alternative explanations and also tested (a) whether starlings would bathe in colored water if plain water was unavailable, (b) whether starlings would show preferences among such colors, and (c) whether preferences courd be altered by learning. Twenty-four starlings were assigned to three conditions. Birds in the first condition were presented with red and blue baths and relative preferences for bathing in these colors were assessed. Birds in the second condition were presented with a blue bath and intubated with methiocarb or propylene glycol. Birds in the third condition were presented with a saccharin bath and intubated with methiocarb or propylene glycol. On the four days following treatment, birds in the second condition were given two-choice tests between red and blue baths. Those in the third condition were given two-choice tests between bathing in saccharin solution and plain water. Birds readily bathed in red and blue water when plain water was unavailable. After treatment, however, birds avoided blue water (p < 0.05), but aversions dissipated rapidly. Learned aversions for saccharin were also obtained (p < 0.05); these remained strong over all tests. Experiment 3 was designed to assess the differential importance of taste and color. Sixteen starlings were aSSigned to four groups. Two groups were food-deprived and then given dogfood in a red cup followed by a bath of 0.15 M NaCI or LiCI. The other two 99 100 groups were presented with a bath of 0.15 M NaCI or LiCI only, as a control. On the four days immediately following treatment, all groups were given two-choice feeding (red vs. blue food cups) and bathing (NaCI vs. plain water) tests. Aversions were expressed towards color in the feeding context (p <: 0.05) but not taste in the bathing context (p /' 0.25). We inferred that color cues in the feeding context overshadowed taste cues in the bathing context. The present results may have implications for control. Starlings will bathe even under harsh environmental conditions, and one control strategy might be to pair livestock feed with distinctive colors and provide lithium·adulterated bathing stations nearby. Starlings eating feed and bathing in the solution might form color aversions and subsequently avoid the food. Also, the use of such techniques might enhance already existing control, such as the use of starlicide baits. Depredating starlings would be directed toward such baits as birds feeding in the laboratory are directed towards food color combinations not explicitly paired with lithium-induced malaise.


Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze is an indigenous conifer tree restricted to the southern region of South America that plays a key role in the dynamics of regional ecosystems where forest expansion over grasslands has been observed. Here, we evaluate the changes in intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) and basal area increment (BAI) of this species in response to atmospheric CO2, temperature and precipitation over the last century. Our investigation is based on tree‐rings taken from trees located in forest and grassland sites in southern Brazil. Differences in carbon isotopic composition (δ13C), 13CO2 discrimination (Δ13C) and intracellular carbon concentration (Ci) are also reported. Our results indicate an age effect on Δ13C in forest trees during the first decades of growth. This age effect is not linked to an initial BAI suppression, suggesting the previous existence of nonforested vegetation in the forest sites. After maturity all trees show similar temporal trends in carbon isotope‐derived variables and increasing iWUE, however, absolute values are significantly different between forest and grassland sites. The iWUE is higher in forest trees, indicating greater water competition or nutritional availability, relative to grassland, or both. BAI is also higher in forest trees, but it is not linked with iWUE or atmospheric CO2. Nevertheless, in both forest and grassland sites A. angustifolia has had growth limitations corresponding to low precipitation and high temperatures observed in the 1940s.


Two experiments tested (a) whether jurors make assumptions about the potential punishment that would follow from a guilty verdict, (b) whether those assumptions influence jurors' implicit threshold for reasonable doubt, and (c) whether informing jurors of the potential punishment additionally influences their implicit threshold. Experiment 1 manipulated the alleged crime (grand theft vs. manslaughter) holding all other factors constant, and found that mock jurors (n = 102, recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk) had different expectations about the relative punishments but that these expectations did not affect their implicit threshold for reasonable doubt. Experiment 2 manipulated the alleged crime as well as a judicial description of the potential punishment (e.g., term of incarceration of 2–6 vs. 7–20 years). Again, mock jurors (n = 297) were sensitive to the relative punishments, yet their implicit threshold did not differ on this basis. These findings call into question whether jurors should be informed of the potential punishment if the defendant is convicted, an argument advanced by several legal scholars.


BROWN, W.P., Structure, Role, and Ideology in the Hebrew and Greek Texts of Genesis 1:1-2:3 (SBLDS, 132; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1993), pp. xvi + 268. Paper, n.p. ISBN 1-55540-759-5; pbk. 1-55540-760-9. This well-written study argues that the MT of Gen. 1.1-2.3 (P) is a revision (e.g. with reference to wayyehi-khen or ye'ofef [ 1.20]) aimed at diminishing the waters' role in creation. In the Vorlage (Vor LXX) man and woman are essentially equal and cosmogony (rationalizing rather than mythopoeic) is a team effort (parallels in the construction of the sanctuary in Exod. 35-40), a view that goes back to Cosmas Indicopleustes (see Jaki, reviewed below, pp. 99-100, 296). This view reflects the social harmony of the Babylonian diaspora, whereas MT's suppression of the waters reflects the eschatological preoccupations of a troubled society. Brown presents and examines LXX. MT, and Vor LXX in great detail, discusses MT's tendency for heptadic structure, and impressively surveys the role of the waters in Greek and ancient


Nearly 1.5 million pregnant women are infected with probable active syphilis each year, and approximately half of infected pregnant women who are untreated, will experience adverse outcomes due to syphilis, such as early fetal loss and stillbirth, neonatal death, low-birth-weight infants, and infants with clinical evidence of infection. Data for all patients with positive treponemal serology at booking visit from 2005 to 2011 was gathered. Between 2005 and 2011, 179/64349 women had positive syphilis serology representing 0.28% of the patient population. These women were between the age of 19 and 41 with a higher prevalence among women of East European origin. In the 7 year period, 1 case of congenital syphilis was recorded. This patient was a DCDA twin pregnancy who booked late at 22 weeks and delivered prematurely at 23 weeks. Hence, syphilis treatment was not commenced. This study highlights the continued prevalence of positive syphilis serology in our pregnant population. Our combined obstetric and infectious disease clinic optimises opportunities for appropriate treatment and follow-up. Contact tracing and screening for other sexually transmitted infections are also vital components of this service. In the current economic climate, with continued emphasis on provision of cost-effective healthcare it is important to justify the cost of screening 67921 women to identify 179 cases. Untreated syphilis has a range of antenatal and paediatricsequelae and thus we recommend that screening for syphilis continues, particularly considering frequent migration of women from Eastern Europe to this country.


This paper proposes that to understand various issues concerning tune-text alignment, three levels of timing relations need to be recognized, namely, underlying association, target synchronization, and surface alignment. While the link between underlying association and target synchronization may be stipulated by various phonological rules, the link between surface alignment and target synchronization can be better understood only through the recognition of various articulatory constraints. Most importantly for experimental research, surface alignment only indirectly reflects the alignment at the other two levels, and thus should not be taken as intended by the speaker as such.


A stochastic approach is used to gain a sophisticated understanding of a nonaxisymmetric floating oscillating water column's response to random waves. A linear, frequencydomain performance model that links the oscillating structure to air-pressure fluctuations with a Wells Turbine in 3-dimensions is used to study the device performance at a northern California deployment location. Both short-term, sea-state, and long-term, annual, predictions are made regarding the devices performance.


To evaluate the effects of alendronate (ALN) and risedronate (RIS), which are agents for preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis, on hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in ovariectomized rats. Materials and methods: Thirty-two female rats were randomly assigned to 4 separate groups. All of the groups, except the control group, were ovariectomized. Included in the 4 groups were a control group (C), an ovariectomized group (OVX), an ovariectomized group treated with alendronate (OVX-ALN), and an ovariectomized group treated with risedronate (OVX-RIS). Ten weeks after an ovariectomy, the OVX-ALN rats were administered 1.75 mg/kg of their body weight with alendronate sodium; and the OVX-RIS rats were administered 0.5 mg/kg of their body weight with risedronate sodium. Both doses were administered by gavage twice per week for 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment period, the liver enzyme activity levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Results: There were significantly elevated levels of MDA observed in the OVX and OVX-ALN groups, whereas the MDA concentration significantly decreased in the OVX-RIS group when compared to the control animals. The SOD activity was significantly higher in the OVX and OVX-ALN groups, but there was no statistically significant difference in the SOD activity in the OVX-RIS group when compared with that of the control group. Moreover, CAT activity declined significantly in the OVX group and was elevated in the OVX-ALN group, according to the control group. No significant change in CAT activity was observed in the OVX-RIS group. Conclusion: Alendronate increases the effect of ovariectomy on lipid peroxidation, and induces oxidative stress; however, risedronate prevents oxidative stress caused by an ovariectomy.


MPS (Moving particle semi-implicit) method is one of the popular particle methods. It is well known that calculation instability occurs especially for a slow uid ow analysis, and the instability appears as unnatural pressure and velocity oscillation. This is because the MPS method adopts predictor-corrector method, and tentative position of particles are not corrected enough at the corrector phase. Therefore an improved multiple relaxation method is proposed in this study to improve the calculation stability. Pressure and velocity correction is conducted multiply in the correction phase, and also adjusting coef cient is adopted in the source term in the Poisson equation for the pressure. As a result, the proposed method improved the pressure and velocity distribution instability. The method was applied to complex shaped casting with a shoulder. The conventional method showed unnatural high pressure and the uid hopped, whereas smooth and natural pressure eld could be obtained using the proposed method. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.F-M2016841]


Background The population of older homeless substance-using adults is growing considerably, and we sought to understand how such individuals gain control of problematic substance use amidst other life problems. Methods Data were collected in an NIMH-funded study in which four in-depth interviews were conducted over 18 months with formerly homeless adults living in permanent supportive housing. The study subsample was comprised of 15 predominantly African American individuals over age 45 who were in recovery for at least six months. Cross-case analyses used a template approach followed by inductive sub-theme analyses. Results Three themes drawn from the literature yielded seven sub-themes as follows. Theme #1: Acute life stressors: (a) "substance use as primary"; (b) "acute life events and substance use"; (c) "incarceration as turning point." Theme #2: Attributions of recovery: (a) "quitting as personal decision"; (b) "I just got to stay on top of it"; Theme #3: Social relationships: (a) "I have associates, not friends"; (b) "taking a cautious approach." Conclusion Participants viewed substance use as the primary problem in their lives despite other adversity. Recovery was viewed as a personal decision, but maintaining recovery involved positive social relationships. Policies and practices related to recovery should address the complexities of lives-as-lived.


Calpains are calcium-dependent intracellular nonlysosomal proteases that are believed to hydrolyze specific substrates important in calcium-regulated signaling pathways. Recently, an atypical member of the calpain family, calpain 10, was described, and genetic variation in this gene was associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes mellitus in humans. In the present report, a polyclonal antibody directed against rat calpain 10 was developed. This antibody was used to monitor the expression of calpain 10 protein in tissues from rats, mice, and humans. Calpain 10 protein was found to be present in all tissues examined by Western blotting including the lens, retina, brain, heart, and skeletal muscle. Although some calpain 10 was detectable in the water-soluble protein fraction of these tissues, it was preferentially found in the water-insoluble fraction. In the lens, immunohistochemistry revealed that calpain 10 was predominately located in the cytoplasm of epithelial and newly differentiating lens fibers at the transition zone. However, calpain 10 was found to be associated with the plasma membrane of differentiated lens fiber cells and the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle. In the lens epithelium-derived cell line, αTN4–1, the calpain 10 protein was found in a punctate distribution in the cell nucleus as well as the cytoplasm. After the elevation of intracellular calcium levels with ionomycin, calpain 10 protein levels in the nucleus of αTN4–1 cells increased markedly, whereas those in the cytoplasm decreased. In the lens, the elevation of intracellular calcium levels after selenite administration resulted in increased levels of calpain 10 RNA within 1 day and a loss of calpain 10 protein from the lens nucleus coincident with the onset of selenite cataract. In conclusion, calpain 10 seems to be a ubiquitous calpain, the expression level and subcellular distribution of which are dynamically influenced by calcium.


We have used data on patents and publications, and from an Internet-based survey, to
analyse corporate technological activities in Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and
Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies. Two distinct clusters of firms exist:
large firms mainly in telecommunications, desktop computing, and consumer electronics;
and small firms specialising in speech technologies. The small specialised firms depend
heavily on nearby universities and public research institutes, and to some extent on nearby
large firms; their relations with the large firms are complementary as well as competitive.
Similar patterns can be observed in other, recently emerging, "new-science" – based
technologies.
Integration between ASR and NLP has so far been weak with the two research
communities functioning more or less independently, with the former progressing more
rapidly than the latter. Having built technological capabilities in ASR and NLP with a
small proportion of their corporate technological resources, the large firms have two
options depending on the rate of progress in these technologies (especially NLP) in the
future. If it is high, substantial investments (including those in complementary
technologies) could open up massive market opportunities. If it is low, modest
investments will allow the exploitation of niche markets.


This investigation was carried out by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory for the purpose of determining the loads which occur on the vertical tail surfaces in flight. The method consisted in measuring the pressures simultaneously at 28 points on the rudder and fin by means of a recording multiple manometer. The results show that the maximum load encountered in stunting was 7 pounds per square foot on the rudder and fin, and it is probable that this might rise to 10 pounds per square foot in a violent barrel roll; but in steady flight the average loads do not exceed 0.6 pound per square foot. The maximum load on the rudder and fin may occur at the same instant as the maximum load on the horizontal tail surfaces and the maximum normal acceleration. The torsional moment about the axis of the fuselage due to the rudder and fin may rise as high as 250 foot-pound. The results obtained from this investigation have a direct application to the design of the rudder, fin, and fuselage.


Background Chronic non-specific neck pain is highly prevalent, resulting in significant disability. Despite exercise being a mainstay treatment, guidance on optimal exercise and dosage variables is lacking. Combining submaximal effort deep cervical muscles exercise (motor control) and superficial cervical muscles exercise (segmental) reduces chronic non-specific neck pain, but evaluation of optimal exercise and dosage variables is prevented by clinical heterogeneity. Objective To gain consensus on important motor control and segmental exercise and dosage variables for chronic non-specific neck pain. Methods An international 3-round e-Delphi study, was conducted with experts in neck pain management (academic and clinical). In round 1, exercise and dosage variables were obtained from expert opinion and clinical trial data, then analysed thematically (two independent researchers) to develop themes and statements. In rounds 2 and 3, participants rated their agreement with statements (1–5 Likert scale). Statement consensus was evaluated using progressively increased a priori criteria using descriptive statistics. Results Thirty-seven experts participated (10 countries). Twenty-nine responded to round 1 (79%), 26 round 2 (70%) and 24 round 3 (65%). Round 1 generated 79 statements outlining the interacting components of exercise prescription. Following rounds 2 and 3, consensus was achieved for 46 important components of exercise and dosage prescription across 5 themes (clinical reasoning, dosage variables, exercise variables, evaluation criteria and progression) and 2 subthemes (progression criteria and progression variables). Excellent agreement and qualitative data supports exercise prescription complexity and the need for individualised, acceptable, and feasible exercise. Only 37% of important exercise components were generated from clinical trial data. Agreement was highest (88%-96%) for 3 dosage variables: intensity of effort, frequency, and repetitions. Conclusion Multiple exercise and dosage variables are important, resulting in complex and individualised exercise prescription not found in clinical trials. Future research should use these important variables to prescribe an evidence-informed approach to exercise.


This guide is focused on assignments for LIBS 110G but can be a good starting point for any research related to information literacy.


With the rapid growth of complex hardware features, timing analysis has become an increasingly difficult problem. The key to solving this problem lies in the precise and scalable modeling of performance-enhancing processor features (e.g., cache). Moreover, real-time systems are often multitasking and use preemptive scheduling, with fixed or dynamic priority assignment. For such systems, cache related preemption delay (CRPD) may increase the execution time of a task. Therefore, CRPD may affect the overall schedulability analysis. Existing works propose to bound the value of CRPD in a single-level cache. In this article, we propose a CRPD analysis framework that can be used for a two-level, noninclusive cache hierarchy. In addition, our proposed framework is also applicable in the presence of shared caches. We first show that CRPD analysis faces several new challenges in the presence of a multilevel, noninclusive cache hierarchy. Our proposed framework overcomes all such challenges and we can formally prove the correctness of our framework. We have performed experiments with several subject programs, including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) controller and an in-situ space debris monitoring instrument. Our experimental results suggest that we can provide sound and precise CRPD estimates using our framework.


Objectives: The Sami are the indigenous of Northern Scandinavia. Traditional indigenous life styles are increasingly being acknowledged for their health promotive aspects such as being community based and salutogenetic in perspective. A gender difference in health among reindeer herding Sami has been observed such as lower relative risk for cancer and cardiovascular diseases among reindeer herding men compared to the women. This has partly been interpreted in terms of access to a traditional health protective life style. The objective of this study is to analyze these gender differences in health among different groups of reindeer herding Sami in the light of health promotive aspects of indigenous life styles described in the recent scientific health litterature. Study Design: Prospective cohort study and a litterature review Methods: The study cohort constitutes of a total of 7 482 reindeer herders from which subgroups with different levels of influence of a traditional Sami life style were genealogically and geographically defined. Follow-up was from 1961 to 2003 and standard incidence ratios (SIR) for major life style related diseases such as CVD and cancer were calculated using a demographically matched control population as the standard of comparison. Results: Overall lower risk for cancer and CVD was observed for reindeer herding men living in the mountain region compared to the control population while the relative risk for CVD was significantly higher among reindeer herding women living in lowland regions. Conclusions: Different access to the health promotive factors in an active, more traditional Sami life style is suggested to partly explain the gender difference in health status observed in different subgroups of the reindeer herding commun


Corresponding Authors: Md. Sarfaraz Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract: Gastroretentive dosage forms have potential for use as controlled release drug delivery systems. A Controlled release system designed to increase its residence time in stomach without contact with mucosa was achieved through the preparation of repaglinide floating tablets by direct compression method. In the present study, repaglinide an anti-diabetic agent was formulated into floating tablets by direct compression method using polymers such as different grades of Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) polymers such as HPMC K4M, K15M and K100M, sodium alginate and Carbopol 934P. Sodiumbicarbonate was used as gas generating agent. The floating tablets were evaluated for their physico-chemical properties, in-vitro release and stability studies. The order of Swelling index was found to be Carbopol 934P > sodium alginate > HPMC K100M > HPMC K15M > HPMC K4M. Sodium bicarbonate at the concentration of 14 %w/w was found to be ideal in achieving the buoyancy. The buoyancy lag time was found to be less than 1 minute. In all the five formulations prepared, formulation F4 (sodium alginate) was selected as best formulation as it released 94.39% of drug in a period of 24 hrs. Tablets followed diffusion controlled first order kinetics.


This research aimed to test the relative value of developing and using job-specific facets of effort and testing them using J. Siegrist's (1996) effort-reward imbalance (ERI) theory to extend understanding of how one might determine job strain in urban bus driving. In addition, the interactive effects of the ERI model are further investigated to address the lack of research into the relationships of the model's constructs. Using focus groups and published papers, a measure of bus driver effort was created, which was subsequently completed by 186 male U.K. bus drivers as part of a questionnaire study. The results were factor analyzed to create 4 facets of effort, which demonstrated additional variance in predicting strain, above and beyond J. Siegrist's original effort construct. One facet, workload and fatigue, was observed to be a particularly important contributor to strain. The analyses further indicated that the ERI model's assumptions that ERI creates job strain could not be completely upheld, although poorer levels of reward and higher levels of overcommitment were strong main predictors of job strain. Research and applied implications are considered.


This Article adds a critical yet previously unaddressed dimension to the growing debate about the merits of sex segregation in sports by approaching sex segregation in sports as a public health issue. Participation in sports has consequences for women's health, ranging from physical fitness to disease prevention to self-esteem to mental wellness to eating disorders. Critically, sex segregation in sports both reduces women's participation in sports and changes the nature of the sports in which women participate, both of which have implications for the myriad health issues we discuss. The Article argues that analysis under the Equal Protection clause of governmentally-imposed sex-segregation must incorporate these consequences. Even where the government has plausible reasons for segregating sports by sex, those reasons may not be sufficient to survive intermediate scrutiny when the health issues are taken into account. The Article does not argue that sports should never be segregated by sex. Rather, it argues that the correct analysis must take into account all the relevant considerations, including those affecting health.
The Article proceeds as follows. Part I surveys the arguments regarding sex segregation in sports and summarize the current state of the law. Part II considers sex segregation as a public health issue, noting the relationship between sports participation and a variety of physical, mental, and emotional health issues for women. To the extent that sex segregation depresses or alters women's participation in sports, that issue is one implicating important public health considerations. Finally, Part III discusses the implications of treating sex segregation in sports as a public health issue, both for the law and for sports more broadly.


The state-transition matrix of the Kth order Taylor approximation to the dynamic phasor and its first derivatives leads to a plurality of state-space representations to approach the bandpass signal model of a power oscillation. With these truncated signal models, the Kalman filter algorithm can be applied to their state vectors in order to find observers able to estimate the dynamic phasor and its first derivatives. The estimates obtained through this technique, from oscillatory signals, are not only instantaneous (no delay) but also synchronous, an important attribute for control applications. They also provide frequency estimates. The new filters reduce the total vector error achieved with the traditional Kalman filter; are much more stable, with settling times five times lower; and improve the phasor estimates of oscillations with frequency offset.


Oral Candidiasis an important opportunistic fungal infection in HIV patients. This is the first sign of HIV infection. It can spread from the mouth through the pharynx to the oesophagus. Oral Candidiasis is most regularly complicated with oesophagal Candidiasis, which may restrain nourishment and result in weight reduction, alarming the overall health of the HIV tainted persons. In present study, we have a tendency to determine in Candida species by blend of Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) examination of PCR from HIV tainted people and furthermore we demonstrated that phenotypic and genotypic identification method was vital to work out the species. We recognized seventy two Candida confines acquired from a hundred and fifty patients contaminated with HIV by utilizing PCR-RFLP assay. All inclusive primers for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) area (ITS1– ITS4) of the fungal DNA qualities were utilized for this measure. We distinguished the diverse Candida spp. By utilizing the limitation enzyme MspI. Here most of the isolates were obtained from male patients 40(51%). Candida albicans was the recurrent species segregated (46.8%) pursued by C. tropicalis (30.3%), C. glabrata (7.59%), C. parapsilosis (6.3%) C.dubulinesis (6.3%) along with C. krusei (2.5%) detected successfully. PCR- RFLP is a high definite, sensitive, quick, reliable technique and also applicable method for fungal detection in clinical laboratory for identification of medically important Candida spp. It is used for detection of mycological examinations in HIV-positive along with other immunocompromised patients for epidemiological studies.


Objective: The study aims to determine the anti-inflammatory activity of cream containing semi-purified flavonoids of Limnophila sessiliflora (ambulia) leaves in Rattus norvegicus (Sprague Dawley Rats) using three concentrations namely: 1%, 2%, and 4%. Methodology: Limnophila sessiliflora leaves were macerated for three days and were further extracted to obtain the semi-purified flavonoids. After semi-purification, the extract was subjected to various tests to confirm the presence of flavonoids. Then, it was subjected to cream formulation and anti-inflammatory determination. Physical tests of the cream, followed by Dermal Irritation Test on rats, were also conducted prior to formulation and anti-inflammatory testing. Results: The semi-purified extract of Limnophila sessiliflora (Ambulia) resulted positive to flavonoids. Also, results showed that the cream containing semi-purified flavonoids met the Physical Tests requirements; did not exhibit dermal irritation; and exerted only a minimal anti-inflammatory effect that is not comparable to the reference standard, Indomethacin. Conclusion: The cream containing the semi-purified flavonoids of Limnophila sessiliflora did not exhibit an antiinflammatory activity up to 4% of concetration.


Local control of land-use regulation creates a not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) problem that can suppress housing construction, contributing to rising prices and potentially slowing economic growth. I study how increased local control affects housing production by exploiting a common electoral reform—changing from "at-large" to "ward" elections for town council. These reforms, which are not typically motivated by housing markets, shrink each representative's constituency from the entire town to one ward. Results from a variety of difference-in-differences estimators show that this decentralization decreases housing units permitted by 20%, with similar effects on multi- and single-family permits. Effects are larger in whiter and higher-income towns.


Earlier works showed that NiTi shape memory alloy production by electron beam melting (EBM) is a viable process in which its main characteristic is the low contamination by impurities such as carbon and oxygen. Some difficulties arise when compared to conventional vacuum induction melting (VIM) process such as composition control and complex machine operation. This work focus on the production of ever made large scale 150mm in diameter NiTi ingot produced by EBM showing its viability. The carbon contamination was only 0.016wt% compared to usual 0.05wt% of VIM process. The ingot radial composition homogeneity was proved by small variation presented by direct and reverse peak martensitic transformations temperatures which was around 2°C.


This paper presents a detailed study of planning virtual infrastructures (VIs) over a physical infrastructure comprising integrated optical network and data center resources with the aim of enabling sharing of physical resources among several virtual operators and services. Through the planning process, the VI topology and virtual resources are identified and mapped to the physical resources. Our study assumes a practical VI demand model without any in advance global knowledge of the VI requests that are handled sequentially. Through detailed integer linear program modeling, two objective functions - one that minimizes the overall power consumption of the infrastructure and one that minimizes the wavelength utilization - are compared. Both are evaluated for the virtual wavelength path and wavelength path optical network architectures. The first objective results in power consumption savings and the two optical network architectures provide similar performances. However, the trend changes for higher load values, due to the inefficient wavelength utilization that the first objective leads to. Finally, we compare the virtual infrastructures created by the two objectives through online traffic provisioning simulations. The objective minimizing wavelength utilization results in VIs suffering higher request blocking compared to the VIs created by the objective minimizing the overall power consumption.


The analogue modulation characteristics, including second order harmonic and third order intermodulation distortion, relative intensity noise (RIN) and spurious free dynamic range (SFDR), of single mode, GaAs-based 1.28 μm vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSELs) with highly strained InGaAs quantum wells have been investigated. The VCSELs utilise an oxide aperture for current and optical confinement and an inverted surface relief (SR) for suppression of higher order transverse modes. The inverted SR structure also has the advantage of suppressing oxide modes that, otherwise, appear in VCSELs with a large detuning of the cavity resonance with respect to the gain peak, which is needed to extend the emission wavelength. RIN levels comparable with those of single mode VCSELs emitting at 850 nm are demonstrated, with values from 140 to 150 dB/Hz in the 2 5 GHz range. SFDR values of 100 and 95 dBHz2/3 are obtained at 2 and 5 GHz, respectively. These values are in the range of those required in radio-over-fibre links.


Multiexciton absorption cross sections are important for analysis of a number of experiments, including multiple exciton generation and stimulated emisson. We present a rigorous method to determine these cross sections using transient absorption (TA) measurements. We apply the method to CdSe quantum dots (QDs) and core-shell (CdSe)ZnS QDs. The method involves measuring TA dynamics for various excitation intensities over a broad time range and analyzing the experiments in terms of a kinetic multiexciton model taking into account all contributions to the signal. In this way, we were able to quantify exciton and multiexciton absorption cross sections at different spectral positions. The absorption cross sections decrease with increasing number of excitations, qualitatively in agreement with the state-filling effective mass model but showing a slower decrease. The cross sections for single-exciton to biexciton absorption range between 57 and 99% of the ground to single-exciton cross section.


The right to nationality, enshrined in art 15 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, is absent in the 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, known as the Banjul Charter. On-going efforts by African institutions to address this gap, with a view to eradicating statelessness in the continent have, however, focused on the right to nationality as an individual right. This has undermined the spirit of the Banjul Charter, which consecrates peoples' rights as an African specificity. This article highlights the Banjul-led African human rights system and its specificities of human rights, particularly with regard to collective community and peoples' rights. Based on the recognition and communitarian theories, it examines different concepts related to collective rights and highlights the manifestation of peoples' rights in African case law. It then analyses the nexus between peoples' rights to nationality and statelessness in the continent. It concludes that the eradication of statelessness by 2024 in Africa cannot be effective unless the focus is on peoples' collective rights to nationality.


We find that half of the pertussis toxin-sensitive guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) in the squid (Loligo pealei) giant axon is cytoplasmic and that this species of G protein is intermediate in size between the two forms present in axolemma. This G protein is transported toward synaptic terminals at 44 mm/day. Moreover, these data are consistent with there being two additional steps leading to the maturation of G proteins: (i) association with and transport on intracellular organelles and (ii) modification at the time of transfer to the plasmalemma resulting in a molecular weight shift. Since the other two components of G protein-mediated signal transduction pathways, receptors and effector enzymes, are known to be delivered to the synaptic terminals by fast axonal transport, our findings introduce the possibility that these three macromolecules are assembled as a complex in the cell body and delivered together to the plasma membrane of the axon and synaptic terminals.


This study has examined the use of an Object-Oriented GIS framework to generate and analyze spatial data in recreation demand analysis. Several forms of GIS analysis are introduced and explained as how they can be utilized in recreational demand analysis. An application of GIS to calculate journey distance and duration has been illustrated with a case study of camping activities in Cherokee National Forest, North Carolina. The recreation demand models using these travel distance and duration are then compared with the models using respondent's stated values and models using distance data obtained from ZIPFIP software. Based on the criteria such as 2 statistic, individual coefficient significance, it is found out that travel cost functions based on GIS calculated distance and time performed better than the other two functions. The coefficients of travel cost and travel time in the GIS-distance based models are highly significant. Thus, a measurement approach that combines the accuracy of GIS approach with route itinerary information elicited from respondents would provide a significantly superior basis for travel cost studies.


Tidal power has been identified as one of the most promising commercial-scale renewable energy sources. Puget Sound, Washington, is a potential site to deploy tidal power generating devices. The risk of injury for killer whales needs to be managed before the deployment of these types of devices will be approved by regulating authorities. A passive acoustic system consisting of two star arrays, each with four hydrophones, was designed and implemented for the detection and localization of Southern Resident killer whales. Performance evaluation of the passive acoustic system was conducted at Sequim Bay, Washington. A total of nine sound source locations were chosen, within a radius of 250 m around the star arrays, to evaluate the accuracy of our localization approach. A localization algorithm, a least square solver, was applied to obtain a bearing location to a sound source from each star array. The sound source location was estimated by the intersection of the bearings from the two star arrays. Bearing and distance errors were computed to compare calculated and true (from Global Positioning System) sound source locations. Observed bearing errors were within 1.04° for eight of the nine test locations; location 3 had bearing errors slightly larger than expected due to a high level of background noise. The distance errors for six of the test locations were between 1.91 and 32.36 m. The other two test locations, 8 and 9, were near the line passing through the centers of the two star arrays, where large errors were expected based on theoretical sensitivity analysis results.


This paper presents a transformerless hybrid active filter integrated into a medium-voltage motor drive for energy savings. This hybrid filter is intended for line harmonic-current mitigation of the three-phase diode rectifier used as the front end of the motor drive. It is based on direct connection of a passive filter tuned to the seventh-harmonic frequency in series with an active filter using a three-level pulsewidth modulated (PWM) converter. This paper provides a theoretical discussion on voltage-balancing control of two split dc capacitors of the active filter. The 400-V 15-kW motor drive system is designed, constructed, and tested, which can be considered as a downscaled model from a medium-voltage motor drive without regenerative braking. Experimental results verify that the hybrid filter has the capability of satisfactory harmonic filtering and stable voltage balancing in all the load conditions.


When using brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to control a game, the BCI may have to compete with gaming tasks for the same perceptual and cognitive resources. We investigated: 1) if and to what extent event-related potentials (ERPs) and ERP-BCI performance are affected in a dual-task situation; and 2) if these effects are an area function of the level of difficulty of a concurrent task. Ten participants performed an ERP-BCI task that involved attending to a target location in sequences of tactile stimuli. The ERP-BCI task was performed either in isolation or secondary to a visual n-back task with two levels of difficulty. We observed: 1) a decreased P300 and BCI bit rate, and an increased level of subjective mental effort for both dual-task conditions compared to the BCI-only condition; the decreased classification accuracies were still well above chance, but arguably too low for effective BCI control; and 2) we did not find an effect of task difficulty on the P300, bit rates, and subjective mental effort. We discuss reallocation of attention caused by a concurrent task, but unaffected by task difficulty, and the role of task priority. Concluding, control of a tactile ERP-BCI in a dual-task situation is feasible, but performance is degraded.


A number of beta-carbolines are inverse agonists of the GABA-A receptor complex, acting on the benzodiazepine site. They show convulsive properties when administered at high doses, anxiogenic properties at moderate doses, and learning-enhancing effects at low doses. These data suggest a possible physiological relationship, through the GABA-A receptor channel, between memory processes, anxiety, and ultimately, in pathological states, epileptic seizures. This relationship seems to be confirmed partially by experiments on mouse strains selected for their resistance (BR) and sensitivity (BS) to a single convulsive dose of a beta-carboline. These two strains also show differences in anxiety and learning abilities. However, some opposite results found while observing the behavior of the two strains suggest that in addition to pharmacologically induced anxiety, there is spontaneous anxiety, no doubt involving other brain mechanisms.


The challenges for the management of cities and city-regions in addressing the economic and societal dynamics facing Europe and Europe's cities today is evident in the complexity and interconnectedness of the global and pan-European drivers of change and their associated socio-economic, environmental and territorial impacts for urban environments. Integrated urban management processes emphasising horizontal integration across the sectoral agencies at the local level, and vertical integration between government agencies from city to EU level is identified as critical to the management of the city-region in relation to the key political objectives defined at both local and EU levels.

The clear need for enhanced intelligence to support inter-agency collaboration and decision-making on territorial development as a central feature of integrated management is identified as a prime opportunity for URBIS solutions. Accordingly this paper presents an overview of the EU funded URBIS project (ICT PSP 2014–17) www.ict-urbis.eu. The project coordinated by GISAT, Prague investigates vacant land potentials in urban areas, and the opportunities for previously developed land or brownfield to support urban regeneration safeguarding greenfield sites. URBIS delivers assessment methodologies and tools to provide accurate up-to-date intelligence on urban vacant land opportunities that is comparable across European cities to support the definition and implementation of sustainable planning and governance strategies in cities and city-regions throughout Europe.

The background to this innovative research and city pilot development are growing pan-European concerns with land taken for urban use, which annually converts almost 1000 km2 of agricultural or natural land into artificial areas, as part of a wider European land degradation process. This land take process is driven by urban sprawl and infrastructure development, for example when new urban industrial or commercial areas are built on highly fertile agricultural land, rather than recycling abandoned or underused artificial sites. Land use efficiency is today a prime political objective at both European as well as city level, and the EU Land Communication aims to establish "zero net land take" across the EU by 2050. Central to the delivery of this policy is accurate intelligence on the availability and supply of previously developed "brownfield" land, as a key component of land-use decision making, maximising the net socio-economic benefits from land-use without degrading natural capital.

The core objectives of URBIS presented in this paper aims to deliver this intelligence via urban planning decision support tools methodologies and assessments to realise the development potential of vacant and underused land in urban areas.


Pneumonia is the respiratory infection disease, which is influenced by climatic variables and air quality. However, little is known how rainfall and air humidity influence on the disease situated in a high traffic density such as in Bogor, Indonesia. The research aims to analyze the influences of rainfall, air humidity, and air pollution on the incidence rate of pneumonia under 5-year old children in Bogor. We used statistical approaches namely correlation and principal component analysis and combined with chart analysis to identify the influences. Our results revealed that high rainfall (high relative humidity) improved air quality by lowering the concentration of particulate matter. But, the indoor microorganism growth would increase, therefore it affects the incidence rate of pneumonia under 5-year old children, especially in transition season from wet to dry. In dry season, high concentration of particulate matter in the air would increase the incidence rate of pneumonia. Other findings showed that climate (through humidity) and particulate matters have regulated the pneumonia incidence rate in Bogor. The rate was higher under high humidity. On other hand, in transition from dry to wet season, concentration of particulate matters was more dominant to influence the incident rate.


Current literature supports the importance of ethnic places in maintaining cultural identity of immigrants. One of the important components of ethnicity is expressed in the manner in which ethnic groups prepare and serve their food. The background behind this selection was inspired by a broad interest in international cuisines among Americans. The purpose of this thesis project was to develop a design concept for a contemporary Persian restaurant. The reason of choosing Iranian ethnic group is they are a little known immigrant group in the U.S. for several reasons. First, they are a relatively small group in proportion to other immigrant groups. Second, because they are a smaller ethnic group and tend congregate to larger cities in this country, they are less noticeable. For this graduate project historic features were identified through observations and visual recordings of historic Persian coffeehouses. Interviews were held with first and second generation Iranian immigrants. Focus group discussions have done with graduate and undergraduate Iranian students enrolled at UNCG and A&T to obtain information on their perceptions of a Persian restaurant. After all the information gathered a case study was followed to illustrate how to use the framework for the design of a prototype for a Persian restaurant in the U.S. with a consistent image, adaptable to various sites and spaces. Presentations for the design included plans, sketches, and perspective views, and Facade designs were proposed.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Endovascular treatment with stent placement or stent-assisted coiling was recently introduced as an alternative to parent artery occlusion in intracranial vertebral artery dissections. We describe the efficacy and limitations of this method.

METHODS
Fourteen patients with intracranial vertebral artery dissection were treated with stent placement (10 patients) or stent-assisted coiling (4 patients). Double overlapping stents were deployed in 4 of 10 patients with stent placement alone. Angiographic follow-up at 6 to 12 months was available in 13 patients.

RESULTS
In 13 patients with dissecting aneurysm, immediate angiographic outcomes were complete occlusion (1 patient), nearly complete (2 patients), and incomplete (10 patients). Follow-up angiograms of 12 of these patients showed complete occlusion (6 patients) and incomplete (6 patients; 1 unstable and 5 stable). Complete occlusion rates in follow-up angiograms were superior in double stent placement (75%) or stent-assisted Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) embolization to stent placement alone (0%). There were no instances of postprocedural ischemic attacks, new neurologic deficits, and no new minor or major strokes before patient discharge. On the modified Rankin scale applied in follow-up, all patients were assessed as functionally improved or of stable clinical status.

CONCLUSIONS
Intracranial vertebral artery dissections were acceptably treated with stent placement or stent-assisted coiling, and the patency could be preserved at follow-up. However, the efficiency of stent placement alone for intracranial vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm was limited. Stent-assisted coil embolization or double stent placements are a viable alternative for complete occlusion of dissecting aneurysms.


ObjectiveThis report documents that the gastric bypass operation provides long-term control for obesity and diabetes. Summary Background DataObesity and diabetes, both notoriously resistant to medical therapy, continue to be two of our most common and serious diseases. MethodsOver the last 14 years, 608 morbidly obese patients underwent gastric bypass, an operation that restricts caloric intake by (1) reducing the functional stomach to approximately 30 mL, (2) delaying gastric emptying with a c. 0.8 to 1.0 cm gastric outlet, and (3) excluding foregut with a 40 to 60 cm Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy. Even though many of the patients were seriously ill, the operation was performed with a perioperative mortality and complication rate of 1.5% and 8.5%, respectively. Seventeen of the 608 patients (<3%) were lost to follow-up. ResultsGastric bypass provides durable weight control. Weights fell from a preoperative mean of 304.4 lb (range, 198 to 615 lb) to 192.2 lb (range, 104 to 466) by 1 year and were maintained at 205.4 lb (range, 107 to 512 lb) at 5 years, 206.5 lb (130 to 388 lb) at 10 years, and 204.7 lb (158 to 270 lb) at 14 years.The operation provides long-term control of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). In those patients with adequate follow-up, 121 of 146 patients (82.9%) with NIDDM and 150 of 152 patients (98.7%) with glucose impairment maintained normal levels of plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and insulin. These antidiabetic effects appear to be due primarily to a reduction in caloric intake, suggesting that insulin resistance is a secondary protective effect rather than the initial lesion. In addition to the control of weight and NIDDM, gastric bypass also corrected or alleviated a number of other comorbidities of obesity, including hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiopulmonary failure, arthritis, and infertility.


Transformation of kaolinite to dickite is a common diagenetic reaction. The present report is part of a wider study to investigate the pathways of this polytype change. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to attempt quantification of the relative proportions of kaolinite and dickite, validated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, in order to link mineral and structural features during the mineralogical changes. A group of kaolinite and dickite samples was investigated: 13 samples from the Frøy and Rind oil fields (North Sea), three kaolinite specimens with different crystal order and particle size (KGa-2, kaolinite API 17, Keokuk kaolinite), and two dickite-rich samples (Natural History Museum collection). Six FTIR spectral features were analyzed: (1) intensity ratio of the minima at 3675 and 3635 cm−1; (2) position of the band at ~1115 cm−1; (3) difference between the frequency of the bands at ~1030 and ~1000 cm−1; (4) intensity ratio of the bands generating shoulders at ~922 and ~900 cm−1; (5) position of the band at ~370 cm−1; and (6) intensity of the band at ~268 cm−1. Correlation of the features above with polytype relative proportions derived from XRD showed non-linear behavior, with maximum curvature at the dickite end, which precludes kaolinite-dickite quantification. Increasing kaolin particle size is known to cause decreased intensity of the FTIR spectra. A model was developed to test whether this effect is consistent with the non-linear progression of the IR features. The relative intensity of kaolinite and dickite IR features were calculated in a series of kaolinite-to-dickite transformations, where the size of particles increases with dickite proportion, and where dickite-dominated particles reach a larger size than kaolinite-dominated particles. The results indicated that the differential particle size increase is possibly the cause of the lack of linearity between IR- and XRD-measured dickite proportions.


Random regression analyses of weight data from birth to 396 days were done using 22 141 weight records of 1 951 Horro lambs. Six different models formed from three different orthogonal polynomial regressions (legendre scale)orders (quadratic, cubic, quartic) of fit for both additive genetic and animals' permanent environmental effects, with assumption of either homogeneous or heterogeneous residual variance, were compared. Fixed effects of year and type of birth, sex and age of dam were fitted along with a fourth order polynomial. Both likelihood ratio test (LRT) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used for model comparison. Model fit improved with increased order of polynomial and assumption of heterogeneity of residual variance. Components for additive genetic and permanent environmental (co)variance increased from 0.03 and 0.09 at birth to 23.8 and 37.6 at 396 days of age, respectively. The first three eigenvalues of the coefficient matrix of the additive genetic covariance accounted for about 98 % of the sum of all the eigenvalues. Heritability estimates have shown a declining and increasing trend at different parts of the trajectory, the lowest estimate being 0.14 for weight at birth while the highest being 0.36 for weight at about 390 days of age. Higher heritability estimates in previous uni- and bi-variate models and in the current study and also strong correlation with weight at early age makes weight at one year of age the most important trait to consider in improving productivity in Horro sheep.


Predator escape behaviour is a critical component of dragonfly life history. Flight initiation distance is the distance at which escape commences, and is well studied in vertebrates, barely studied in invertebrates, and entirely unstudied in dragonflies. Here we test four principles regarding flight initiation distance as derived from studies of vertebrates to examine if they apply to dragonflies in Sri Lanka: (1) flight initiation distance is a species-specific trait; (2) flight initiation distance increases with starting distance (the distance at which the experimenter begins an approach); (3) larger individuals have longer flight initiation distances; and (4) flight initiation distance varies between the sexes in some species. We collected 105 flight initiation distances from 11 species (known sex and size). Flight initiation distances varied between species and positively with starting distance. In one of three data-rich species (n ≥ 10), flight initiation distance was positively associated with body length. Flight initiation distance did not vary with sex in our sample. Escape responses evoked by standardised human approaches represent a fruitful methodology to study dragonfly escape behaviour in the wild.


The thesis examines the contemporary conception of the socio-environmental issue of flooding in England and Wales. The focus is on the policy and expert spheres and the current understanding of the issue as it is represented in these discursive domains. This qualitative research involved three distinct methods semi-structured interviews, document analysis and observation. The interviews were carried out with key figures that worked in differing roles in organisations and institutions involved in tackling flooding. At one level the assertions in the thesis concern the connections being made between flooding and climate change and the implications of this for approaches to tackling floods. At another level they relate to the emergence of a pervasive risk discourse in relation to flooding. Theoretical ideas from time (Adam 1997 1998 2004) and risk theory (Beck 1992a 1994 1996 2000 Luhmann 1993) are utilised to provide a conceptual analysis of the nascent discourses of climate change and risk, through which flooding is understood as a contemporary problem. In this thesis the conceptual and empirical analyses are bought together in establishing questions relating to the emergence of a prevalent risk discourse and what this means for approaches to flooding in contemporary England and Wales. The analysis has produced a picture of a complex and paradoxical context in which efforts are made to address flooding. The thesis offers insights into the difficulties in finding ways of establishing practices appropriate to the knowledge(s) through which flooding is understood as a contemporary problem. The research creates deeper understanding of the issues associated with tackling flooding in contemporary England and Wales and opens up spaces for the kind of reflection that is important for pursuing and enabling change.


This study was designed to examine the relationships between scores of two measures of empathy. One was specifically developed for measuring empathy in patient care situations; the other was developed for the general population. It was hypothesized that the overlap between scores of the two measures would be greater for their constructs that are more relevant to patient care. Study participants were 93 first-year internal medicine residents at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. The Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE, specifically developed for administration to health professionals), and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI, developed for the general population) were administered. A statistically significant correlation of a moderate magnitude between the total scores of the JSPE and IRI (r = 0.45, p < 0.01) was found. The research hypothesis was confirmed by observing higher correlations between those scales of the IRI that were relevant to patient care (e.g. empathic concern, perspective taking) and related factors of the JSPE (compassionate care, perspective taking) than other scales of the IRI that seemed less relevant to patient care (e.g. personal distress and fantasy). These findings provide further support for the validity of the JSPE. It is concluded that physician empathy as measured by the JSPE and its underlying factors are distinct personal attributes that have a limited overlap with fantasy and no overlap with personal distress defined as dimensions of an empathy measure that was developed for the general population.


BACKGROUND
Previous studies have suggested that the transjugular placement of an intrahepatic stent to establish a portosystemic shunt is an effective treatment of uncomplicated ascites accompanying variceal bleeding. We studied the stent shunt for use in patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites refractory to medical treatment.

METHODS
Fifty of 62 consecutive patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites (18 with Child-Pugh class B liver disease and 32 with class C) were treated with the stent shunt--an expandable stent of metallic mesh placed between a major branch of the portal vein and one of the hepatic veins. Patients were followed for a mean (+/- SD) of 426 +/- 333 days. Those with advanced cancer, severe heart failure, or severe liver failure were excluded.

RESULTS
The stent shunt was successfully placed in all patients and reduced the pressure gradient between the portal vein and the inferior vena cava by an average of 63 percent. Thirty-seven patients (74 percent) had complete responses (total remission of ascites within three months), and nine patients (18 percent) had partial responses (ascites detected by ultrasound but with no need for paracentesis). Four patients did not respond, including two who died within two weeks of shunt placement. After the procedure, 25 patients had hepatic encephalopathy, as compared with 20 patients before the procedure; although encephalopathy improved in 3 patients, new encephalopathy developed in 8 patients. In the 28 of the 33 patients followed for more than six months who were evaluated, the mean serum creatinine concentration was 1.5 +/- 0.09 mg per deciliter (133 +/- 8 mumol per liter) before placement of the stent shunt, 1.5 +/- 1.6 mg per deciliter (133 +/- 141 mumol per liter) one week after the procedure, and 0.9 +/- 0.3 mg per deciliter (80 +/- 27 mumol per liter) after six months (P = 0.008 for the comparison of concentrations before and six months after the procedure). Renal function did not improve in the six patients with organic kidney disease. Procedure-related complications developed in 16 patients, including intraabdominal bleeding requiring blood transfusions in 2 patients. Thrombotic occlusion of the stent shunt occurred within two weeks in 5 patients, and later insufficiency of the shunt occurred in 16 patients, including 12 with recurrence of ascites after complete remission. During followup, an additional 29 patients died--10 of progressive liver disease and 19 of other causes. Survival for at least one year was associated with a patient's being under 60 years of age, having a serum bilirubin level before placement of the stent shunt of less than 1.3 mg per deciliter (22 mumol per liter), and having a complete response.

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings in an uncontrolled prospective study suggest that the transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic stent-shunt procedure was an effective treatment for many patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites, but mortality from underlying diseases was substantial.


An X-band radar system was deployed in Santa Clara, CA from February through May 13 2016 to support the National Weather Service in the event of potential flooding during one 14 of the largest El Niños on record and to provide better understanding of rainfall processes 15 occurring in the Bay Area. The system was also used to provide high quality precipitation 16 estimation (quantitative precipitation estimation - QPE) for Santa Clara's urban hydrologic 17 modeling system. Although the Bay Area has coverage from the NEXRAD operational 18 radar network, the combination of topographic influences and proximity to a maritime environment provide unique QPE challenges in this urban region. The X-band radar 20 provided high quality rainfall estimates that performed better than NEXRAD, demonstrating the added value of the X-band system. High resolution rainfall monitoring systems in urban 22 regions also provide a host of benefits across different sectors of the economy, including 23 flood damage


We report on the onset of fluid entrainment when a contact line is forced to advance over a dry solid of arbitrary wettability. We show that entrainment occurs at a critical advancing speed beyond which the balance between capillary, viscous, and contact-line forces sustaining the shape of the interface is no longer satisfied. Wetting couples to the hydrodynamics by setting both the morphology of the interface at small scales and the viscous friction of the front. We find that the critical deformation that the interface can sustain is controlled by the friction at the contact line and the viscosity contrast between the displacing and displaced fluids, leading to a rich variety of wetting-entrainment regimes. We discuss the potential use of our theory to measure contact-line forces using atomic force microscopy and to study entrainment under microfluidic conditions exploiting colloid-polymer fluids of ultralow surface tension.


A hydrogel nanocomposite was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for use as an auto-focusing intra-ocular lens. The hydrogel scaffold was composed of a monomer-free, thiol that contained polyacrylamide (5%), which was allowed to gel in the presence of nanoparticles at pH 7.4, 25° C. The nanoparticles consisted of a proteo-mimetic polyacrylamide nanogel (∼42 nm), bovine serum albumin (BSA) (∼6 nm), and hydrophilized silica (∼3 nm). The extent of nanoparticle loading increased with decreasing particle size. The elastic modulus increased with increasing loading of the proteo-mimetic nanogels and BSA, and it decreased with hydrophilized silica. In this investigation, the hydrogel that contained silica was the most promising class of nanocomposite hydrogels with properties comparable to that of a young porcine lens. A nanocomposite that consisted of 10% hydrogel scaffold and 24% hydrophilized silica (elastic [E] modulus of ∼1.0 kPa and refractive index [RI] of 1.42) was injected into a pre-evacuated porcine lens capsular bag. The composite lens was evaluated in a custom-designed four-arm radial stretcher, and its force-time spectrum was characterized by time constants of 60 ± 8.9 and 800 ± 32 ms. These results were comparable to a young porcine lens (E Modulus of 1.2 kPa; Rl of 1.4105; time constants of 48.3 ± 0.58 and 668 ± 24.6 ms, respectively).


The gating of the KCNQ1 potassium channel is drastically regulated by auxiliary subunit KCNE proteins. KCNE1, for example, slows the activation kinetics of KCNQ1 by two orders of magnitude. Like other voltage‐gated ion channels, the opening of KCNQ1 is regulated by the voltage‐sensing domain (VSD; S1–S4 segments). Although it has been known that KCNE proteins interact with KCNQ1 via the pore domain, some recent reports suggest that the VSD movement may be altered by KCNE. The altered VSD movement of KCNQ1 by KCNE proteins has been examined by site‐directed mutagenesis, the scanning cysteine accessibility method (SCAM), voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF) and gating charge measurements. These accumulated data support the idea that KCNE proteins interact with the VSDs of KCNQ1 and modulate the gating of the KCNQ1 channel. In this review, we will summarize recent findings and current views of the KCNQ1 modulation by KCNE via the VSD. In this context, we discuss our recent findings that KCNE1 may alter physical interactions between the S4 segment (VSD) and the S5 segment (pore domain) of KCNQ1. Based on these findings from ourselves and others, we propose a hypothetical mechanism for how KCNE1 binding alters the VSD movement and the gating of the channel.


Background: Pregnant women who suffer Energy Chronic Defisiensi (KEK) have a greater risk of morbidity, especially in comparison to normal pregnant women. As a result, the risk for having a baby with low birth weight increased. KEK pregnant women in North Lombok region increased from year to year. Researchers are making efforts to prevent it. Researchers gave "Opak" Typical North Lombok has innovated by adding Moringa leaf powder and Ikan ekor kuning. The purpose of research creates opaque products enriched nutrients Opak Kelor Ikan (OKI), knowing acceptance of pregnant women against product, reviewing and analyzing the ease of getting the product to the target product sustainability of provision. Methods: Pre-experimental research methods for the design of the product, then the organoleptic tests, selected the best products, test and product proximate ready to be given to the respondent. OKI was given for 30 days. Results: Design making panelists preferred OIC is the use of fish and moringa ratio 1:2. The content of nutrients best OKI 2.64% protein, 4.07% fat, carbohydrates 83.9%, and 2.34% ash. Meeting the needs of nutrients from the OKI to snack pregnant women is about 3–4 pieces (65 grams). Samples were feeling good (61.7%), slightly bitter at 58.3%, 96.7% said crunchy. Ease of getting OKI, easy (91.7%). How to get, walking (86.7%). Access to get in the shop (83.3%). Sustainability of the OKI shows like only 32.53%, but the majority of respondents willing to continue with the 73%. depth interview in pregnant women happy diberikan OKI because these foods commonly consumed much less nutritious for babies. The midwife stated OKI very helpful in disseminating knowledge about nutritious food for pregnant women. Stakeholders from religious leaders expressed readiness to support and dissemination of information in any religious lectures delivered so that people become more familiar with the OKI. Conclusion: OKI can be given to pregnant women and can be KEK traditional nutritious snack. OKI to be sustainable. Recommendation: Storability test needs to be done to determine the expired date.


Based on the experiment, this paper used principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis to establish a fuzzy evaluation system between the paper performance and print qualities. Five kinds of ink-jet paper with different surface characteristics were chosen in this paper to test their properties including absorbability, gloss, roughness, whiteness etc. During the same printing condition, using the digital proofer of EPSON Stylus Pro7880c, the standard wedge of GATF, solid color lumps and standard lines were printed on these paper samples; dot gain and solid densities were tested by SpectroEye, then contrast-K was calculated, the qualities of lines were analyzed with QEA image Analysis. Finally, paper surface characteristics were analyzed with principal components analysis, and definition of printing was analyzed by QEA Image Analysis, correlation between paper basic performance and the characteristics of printing qualities, such as dot gain, solid density, definition and contrast-K, and an integral evaluation function and a model were established. When evaluating on paper, as long as its surface characteristics were tested, the printability of different paper can be evaluated in a fuzzy and integral way through the calculation of the model and evaluation function. This work offers a certain theoretical reference and practical guidance to the selection of ink-jet paper and the improvement of ink-jet qualities.