We present IMPERIA, a centrally managed architecture for large-scale wireless sensor networks (WSN). Within the WSN, sensor nodes communicate using a clustered multihop TDMA protocol, which globally synchronizes the network and collects data at ultra-low power consumption. The novel contributions to the state-of-the-art include a) an efficient algorithm for network topology discovery and link quality estimation, b) a clustering and routing algorithm for partitioning the complete WSN into multiple clusters with apriori defined basestations, and c) a scheduling algorithm for multi-cluster and multi-channel data collection incorporating message aggregation. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of using a centralized management over distributed approaches and present the design of a centrally managed energy-efficient WSN. The resultant architecture was deployed in four different applications and has been implemented for two embedded operating systems: TinyOS and IBM's Mote Runner. We report on its performance and discuss opportunities for further research into the centralized approach.


In this scientific work the basic aspects of assessment of synergies from the merger were covered by the example of transaction between American corporation Microsoft and Finnish company Nokia.


The present invention is a recombinant HPV 16 type E6 or E7 fusion relates to an immunoglobulin, more specifically, HPV 16 type having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 E6 protein, or SEQ ID NO: 4 amino acid sequence of the HPV 16 type E7 protein as a human having a immunoglobulin recombinant HPV 16 type E6 or E7 fusion consisting of the Fc region (Fc region) of (human IgG) the present invention relates to immunoglobulin. According to the invention, the recombinant HPV 16 type E7 or E7 fusion immunoglobulin of the present invention effectively induce the maturation of dendritic cells (dendritic cell), if the the fusion process the immunoglobulin in mice specific antigens of T helper 1 cells cause of the activity. This cervical cancer that end, for human infection of HPV 16 type presents the possibility for the use of a new antigen-specific dendritic cell therapy (antigen-specific dendritic cell therapy), and the fusion of the present invention containing the immunoglobulin as an effective component a vaccine composition for the treatment can already be instead of selecting one of the effective treatment of cervical cancer patients who received the diagnosis for cervical cancer prevention HPV vaccine for use by the disabled.


The present invention provides a kind of motion target tracking method and system based on optical flow method, and the method includes providing video image and carry out pretreatment to described image to generate pretreatment image;Edge detection is carried out to pretreatment image and target information is extracted to pretreatment image using optical flow method, and complete moving target is generated according to the information of edge detection and the target information extracted fusion;The error matching points that estimation analysis is carried out to the moving target using optical flow method and rejecting is generated due to illumination using the algorithm of Backward error forward based on feature point trajectory;Drawing template establishment image and carry out template image matching moving target is tracked.The motion target tracking method based on optical flow method and system of the embodiment of the present invention have moving target recognition accurately complete, and the advantages of can be realized prolonged tenacious tracking.


Abstract Retrospective-analysis (or reanalysis) systems merge observations and models to provide global four-dimensional earth system data encompassing many physical and dynamical processes. Precipitation is one critical diagnostic that is not only sensitive to the observing system and model physics, but also reflects the general circulation. Climate records of observed precipitation through a merged satellite and gauge dataset provide a reference for comparison, though not without their own uncertainty. In this study, five reanalyses precipitation fields are compared with two observed data products to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the reanalyses. Taylor diagrams show the skill of the reanalyses relative to the reference dataset. While there is a general sense that the reanalyses precipitation data are improving in recent systems, it is not always the case. In some ocean regions, NCEP–NCAR reanalysis spatial patterns are closer to observed precipitation than NCEP–Department of Energy. The 40-yr E...


Suspect abnormal bleeding or endometritis if lochia returns to bright red colour lochia has foul odour or the patient has lower abdominal pain or fever.


This brochure deals with policies and policy instruments needed to promote sustainable development in mountain areas. The first part presents an overview of key issues in mountain development, and principles and strategies that should be adopted. Each principle contains a checklist for policy-makers. The second part presents national and regional case studies of successful approaches and initiatives relating to mountain policy from all over the world. The brochure concludes with a call for multi-level initiatives and partnerships. This full-colour publication is part of the Mountains of the World series. It was prepared for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg by an international panel of experts coordinated by CDE. It was commissioned and funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).


Recently, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have rapidly emerged as a new technology in the fields of plant protection and pest controlling. In order to optimize the comprehensive performance of plant protection drones in large-area operation, a new regional module route planning method based on improved cattle farming reciprocating was proposed. Firstly, according to the characteristics of work area, the concept and method of regional module division were given. Secondly, the route planning problem was transformed into the operation module division problem, and the sub-area module and route planning with the least operation time and energy consumption were obtained. The simulation results showed our proposed method for regional modularized route planning reduced the number of operations of plant protection drones in large-area operation areas effectively, and shortened the total flight distance of plant protection drones. Compared with the traditional cattle-farming reciprocating route planning, the work time of route planning and operating electricity consumption were shortened about 16.7% and 10.8% respectively, demonstrating our proposed method was feasible. Additionally, this study can provide a reference for multi-plant protection drone route planning.


Monolithic integration of power transistor and specific functional integrated circuits (power ICs) offers unique advantages for wide bandgap power devices. However, few publications have reported the power ICs based on SiC because of several challenging problems such as fabrication process and cost. This paper explores the monolithic integration possibility of 4H-SiC lateral small-signal bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and vertical power BJT without extra mask or processing step other than Vanadium isolation implantation. A new monolithic power integration architecture is proposed and optimized using TCAD simulations first, and then both the vertical and lateral SiC BJT types are fabricated on the same wafer using the standard power BJT process to experimentally verify the feasibility of the monolithic integration method. The SiC power BJT demonstrates a breakdown voltage of 1320 V and a peak common-emitter current gain of 13.1 while the lateral SiC BJT demonstrated a breakdown voltage of 25 V and a peak common-emitter current gain of 3.8 at room temperature. While the device performance can be further improved, the fact that they can be successfully fabricated on the same wafer without much process modification shows a great promise of realizing monolithic SiC power ICs, which will greatly benefit the next-generation power electronics systems.


Electrochemical coiled carbon nanotube yarn muscles are expected to be utilized in biosensors, drug delivery, or microsurgery. However, their low tensile actuation due to the limited applying voltage in an aqueous environment restricts further investigations in applications. Here, by embedding an iron-containing protein, called ferritin into a coiled carbon nanotube yarn muscle, the muscle stroke can be increased 10.8 times. The increased tensile contraction originates from the large electrochemical applied potential without cancellation of the stroke resulting from the potential of zero charge shift which is driven by attaching charged ferritins onto CNTs. Performance enhancement by applying biocompatible molecules encourages the potential of the coiled CNT muscle's use in the bio-environment.


Larvae of the decapod Crangon uritai were reared in the laboratory in a factorial experiment employing three temperatures (9, 12 and 15 °C) and three salinities (29‰, 32‰ and 35‰) from hatching to the post-larval stage. The effects of temperature and salinity on survival, intermolt period (IP) and molt increment (MI) were investigated. Larvae from one brood were subdivided into groups of 20 and reared in glass bowls containing filtered sea-water at a number of temperature–salinity combinations. The reared larvae were transferred daily to the clean bowls prepared with newly hatched Artemianauplii, and number of molts and mortality within each bowl were recorded. The zoeal size (carapace length) was determined from exuvia and dead larvae, and the IP was also recorded. Larvae of C. uritai completed larval development only at 15 °C temperature. The first zoeal stage completed their development at all temperature–salinity combinations and exhibited the highest survival rate. IP at each stage increased with increasing size and greatly decreased with increasing temperature, and intermolt duration (range of days) increased with larval development especially at the lower temperature. Although the MI decreased with increasing size, it was little affected by temperature. This led to a better growth rate with increasing temperature.


Asian culture is often characterized as collectivist, as opposed to the individualism of Western culture. To extend the implications of collectivism, the current study applies the Theory of Image Restoration to analyze Taiwan's news reports of Taiwan-born Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Wang Chien-ming. Due to his outstanding performance in MLB, Wang has been styled by Taiwanese media as Taiwan Zhi-guang, "the pride and glory of Taiwan". Each of Wang's wins in the MLB becomes the top story of major newspapers in Taiwan. However, it is also routine that Taiwan's major media engage in collective efforts to repair Wang's image when the national hero loses a game. The most common methods of image repair of Wang in the press are evading responsibilities and reducing offensiveness through 15 tactics of repairing rhetoric. In this case study, the Chinese concept of guang (meaning pride, glory, honor, and face) is elaborated upon, and the implications of third party apologies are discussed.


For seismic risk assessment of bridges, probabilistic based approaches become more popular day by day. In seismic risk assessment, fragility analyses are extensively used as an effective tool. There are various research studies for highway bridges and different type of structures; however, there is not enough background to determine earthquake performance of railway bridges which is different from highway bridges. Earthquake behavior of these bridges is unlike each other. With considering geometric differences of the railway bridges' structural systems, it is a necessity to define the earthquake performance of the railway bridges in detail. To demonstrate the seismic risk assessment of railway bridges in Turkey, a representative bridge is selected that is a common steel bridge type in Turkey. The total length of the selected simply supported bridge is 22.4m and height of main beams is 1.83m. Stringers and transverse beams were constructed with IPN450, IPN300, and UPN240 steel profile. Steel material of bridge is ST37. This bridge is a riveted bridge. 3D Finite Element Model of the bridge was built for the nonlinear analyses. 30 real ground motion data were chosen with different characteristics. And they are scaled for 0.1g PGA to 1.0g PGA to separately. Totally 300-time history analyses for 10 different PGA values are done. Nonlinear time history analyses were used to determine the earthquake response of the bridge. Using the result of analyses, fragility curves of the bridge were constructed and discussed in detail.


Using self-contained units to characterize the key elements of some domains such as education and science has given autonomy and ease of managing resources to end users. In order to apply this concept to the physical exercise environment, this paper shows how to represent teaching for the proper use of the available machines in a public outdoor gym; such units minted under the title of physical activity digital objects. This representation allows building a repository for storing and retrieving these units, to form complete elements such as exercise routines.


The aim of this research paper is to offer an understanding of how anion sensing devices are constructed and operated. It will mainly focus on the practical aspects of anion sensing rather than the chemistry involved in designing molecules or receptors for the specific detection of anions. There are two main types of anion sensing, which are optical and electrical. This research paper will begin with a discussion on the construction and use of ion-sensitive electrodes and will progress to more complex devices such as CHEMFETs and ISFETs. Subsequently, this review will also examine optical sensors, including their basic principles, construction, and operation. Additionally, we will compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of optical sensors in comparison to electronic sensors. The objective of this research paper is to discuss the current use of anion sensors in the field and provide insights into potential future technologies and applications.


Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of human illness, and has developed the remarkable ability to resist the bactericidal capabilities of many of the world's leading antibiotics (i.e. MRSA). In an effort to enable rapid detection and treatment of MRSA infections, we have developed a DNA detection technology termed the NanoLantern(TM). The NanoLantern(TM) biosensor technology is based on the simple immobilization of a fluorophore-terminated DNA hairpin onto a gold chip. This produces a label-free sensor that allows for a positive response to be obtained without extensive processing of the sample, saving cost and increasing accuracy. We will also discuss a newly developed method of partial gene analysis, used to develop a DNA hairpin probe that is capable of detecting the presence of the mecR gene, a gene necessary for methicillin resistance to be present in S. aureus, with 100% sequence specificity. The successful incorporation of this probe into the NanoLantern(TM) platform, along with the concomitant development of the paired PCR assay has allowed for the successful detection of methicillin-resistance directly from a culture of S. aureus. These results represent an important step forward in terms of developing the ability to rapidly and effectively detect the presence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections.


An X-ray study with CuKα is carried out on fine-powder samples of GaP, GaAs and their quasi-binary compounds. Integrated intensities of 14 lines from the (111) to the (533) are measured on a relative scale. The temperature factors of individual atoms are determined by the condition of minimizing the R-factor. The assumption that the atomic scattering factor of the group V atom in the quasi-binary compounds is represented by a linear combination of constituent group V atoms is shown to be valid from the experimental analysis. The variation of the effective charge in the GaAs-GaP quasi-binary system is estimated in three ways. The fact that negative charge is transferred from the group III atom to the group V atom is concluded in GaP, GaAs and their quasi-binary compounds.


Inverse reinforcement learning (inverse RL), an inverse process of reinforcement learning (RL), is mainly used to solve problems in extracting a reward function from observed (nearly) optimal behavior of an expert acting in an environment. The extract of a reward function is one of the biggest obstacles of the deployment of reinforcement learning agents in the real world. In many real-world tasks, designing a suitable reward function takes considerable manual tuning. In this paper, we analyze the principles of three high cited inverse RL algorithm, Maximum Margin Planning (MMP), MMPBoost, and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), and implement them in the object world. Experiments show that MMP is not sensitive with environment changes and the effect of boosting is remarkable when comparing the results of MMP and MMPBoost. MaxEnt as an energy-based method is of enormous potential.


Human nutrition plays key role in maintenance of his health. One of the first plaices in human nutrition dedicated to functional nutrition, so called products of healthy nutrition. Such food have additional component that stipulates special physiological effect, which differs such products from another. Blended oils with balanced fatty acid composition on the base of domestic refined and deodorized oils are example of functional nutrition. Mayonnaises where fatty components presented by blended oils can be considered as functional nutrition too. Main factor of biological value of blended oils as well as fatty components of mayonnaises is quantity and ration between polyunsaturated (PUSFA) linoleic (w-6) and linolenic (w-3) fatty acids. According to the balanced daily diet formula needs of an adult person in oil is approximately 20 - 30 g that should contain 12 – 30 % of PUSFA. Found that among the possible methods of producing oils with a balanced composition as PUSFA ω -6 and ω - 3 the most economical, compared with selection, genetic engineering, chemical or enzymatic interesterification can being oil blends .However, increase of biological value of oils and mayonnaises by increase of PUSFA quantity may be accompanied with raising in their oxidation ratio. The results of researches of development of mayonnaise that is stable against oxidation on the base of balanced blended oil presented in the article.


Correspondence based controlling system in the train is a computerized framework which assures the automated process for handling the information. Two remote trains correspondence is utilized here to swap the information in the middle of trains and wayside supplies. Remote neighborhood (WLAN) built CBTC has sway with respect to prepare control execution while taking handoff choices. In this paper, we can plan the Handoff choice approach by in light of the RSSI esteem. The quality of the sign got by every AP (Access Point) is utilized as the metric to choose when to Hand off the signal.


Worst-case error analysis, which was previously obtained for the aggregation method of model reduction, is given for the balanced-matrix method. A worst-case error is constructed for balanced reduced-order models approximating a given linear time-invariant, completely controllable, completely observable balanced system. Also, it is shown that the worst-case error bounds can apply to reduced-order models obtained using other reduction methods. When the model and the full-scale system are balanced, the computations to obtain the error bounds are simplified. Several numerical examples are given.


This paper presents a comparison study of two statistical tests for detecting initializa tion bias in discrete-event simulation output. These two tests are the so-called optimal test and rank test developed and presented by Schruben et al. [1] in 1983 and Vassilacopoulos [2] in 1989 respectively. In the comparison experiments, artificially generated stochastic sequences are used as input to the tests. Such a sequence is obtained by embedding specified initializa tion bias into an unbiased stationary stochastic sequence. The results of the experiments have shown that both tests do perform satisfactorily in a similar way. It is noted that the optimal test is more sensitive to initialization bias, and therefore has consistently outperformed the rank tests when significant initialization bias is present in the tested sequences. However, since the rank test is simpler to implement and easier to use than its counterpart, it is expected that it will also find wider accep tance and application in the future.


The aetiology and pathomorphology of respiratory diseases in calves. The aim was to study the possible relation of pathomorphological changes in the respiratory tract and lungs of calves to isolated germs. The study is based on 30 calves aged less than a month from 1997 to 1999. In addition, there was studied the autopsy reports of 408 calves aged less than one month that had been dissected from 1978 to 1988. Histological methods were used to find out the pathomorphological changes in lungs. Virological and bacteriological studies were carried out on 22 calves dissected. Acute catarrhal pneumonia was diagnosed in 23 calves. Two calves had purulent pneumonia. Research findings show that pneumonia in stillborn and less than 30-day-old calves was mostly caused by various bacteria: E. coli K99, E. coli O78, E. coli O101, Salmonella dublin, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida; and viruses: bovine adenovirus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus, and bovine herpesvirus-1.


Based on the Black-body radiation theory, a multi-wavelength photoelectric detection system for the on-line measurement of temperature and components of the detonation field is designed. In this system, the detonation spectrum is split by bifurcated optical fiber and filters, then, received by the photoelectric-detectors and convert to electrical signal. Finally, the temperature evolution process is derived through regression algorithm. Besides, concentrations of certain components can also be revealed through real-time detection of corresponding spectral lines. The spectral response coefficients and the whole system are calibrated with a standard tungsten lamp and a standard radiation source respectively. With this system, experiments are carried out, and, the variations of denotation temperature and concentrations of some key components are recorded.


Performance appraisal is one of the important managerial content in new-style rural CMS.In this paper,we analysis the special elections of the scope,period and methods in performance appraisal of new-style rural CMS according to achievement effects in the earlier stage.And then,we suggest the fundamental idea on the source and the getting approach,the design of materials of qualitative analysis and index system of quantitative analysis in performance appraisal of new-style rural CMS.


This paper presents the methodology and results of experimental studies of the dependence of the flight distance of seeds in the sub-coulter space on the speed of airflow, provides a comparative analysis of theoretical and experimental studies. The experiment results in determination of mathematical expectation of seed flight distance, mean square deviation, coefficient of variation, absolute and relative errors. The resulting function is linear in nature and shows a directly proportional relationship of factors. For the quantitative evaluation of compliance of theoretical and experimental studies, the authors chose the following criteria: correlation coefficient r, Fisher criterion F and Student coefficient t. Calculations results in the following values: r=0.535; tp=1.031; Fp=3.493. Comparative analysis of theoretical and experimental studies shows that dependencies have an average force relationship (r=0.535), the difference between them is not significant (tT ≻ tP ), and the proposed model is adequate (FT ≻ FP ).


Inequities in health and health care are common. Worldwide, metrics track infant mortality, life expectancy, patient safety, and quality of care. Countries with better health outcomes are acknowledged for success, whereas those with lower-ranked health outcomes seek to close the gap on their deficits. In the US and elsewhere, inequity gaps in health have been widely recognized.1,2 The research enterprise has yet to accumulate much knowledge about inequitable diagnosis. For instance, the percentage of life-years that could be saved from more equitable diagnostic excellence has not been estimated. The contribution of suboptimal diagnostic approaches to the morbidity and mortality experienced by those with inequitable outcomes has not been analyzed. These data gaps limit current understanding of the determinants and consequences of diagnostic inequities. Achieving equity in diagnostic excellence needs to consider multiple perspectives. Systems thinking can set the stage for areas of potential improvement, for actionable knowledge about diagnostic inequities that originate within or outside the medical system, and for actionable knowledge about coordination across system boundaries.


The potential impact of projected climate warming on the terrestrial hydrologic cycle is uncertain. This problem has evaded experimentalists due to the overwhelming challenge of measuring the entire water budget and introducing experimental warming treatments in open environmental systems. We present new data from a mesocosm experiment that examined the combined responses of evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture, and potential groundwater recharge (R; lysimeter drainage) to a 3.5°C temperature increase in a grassland ecosystem experiencing a Mediterranean climate. The temperature increase was applied both symmetrically throughout the day, and asymmetrically such that daily minimum temperature was 5°C greater than ambient and daily maximum temperature was 2°C greater than ambient. Our results span 3 water years and show that symmetric and asymmetric warming‐enhanced ET during the spring. However, this increase in ET reduced soil moisture more rapidly, resulting in less ET during the summer than occurred under ambient temperature, and no difference in total ET during the combined spring and summer (March to October). Groundwater recharge was reduced during late‐spring storms relative to the ambient temperature treatment, but these reductions were less than 4% of total annual R, and were offset by slightly greater R in the fall under both warming treatments. The results highlight the potential for local interactions between temperature, vegetation, and soils to moderate the hydrological response to climate warming, particularly in environments where precipitation is seasonal and out of phase with the vegetation growing season.


The development of science and technology has brought digitization in various fields, and the digitalization of education has been rapidly popularized. The main purpose of teaching art design is to enable students to master the theoretical knowledge and practical operation ability related to art design and promote Students have the enthusiasm, participation and initiative of lifelong learning. By applying VR technology to the actual teaching life, the actual effect of teaching can be enhanced. The existence of VR technology will give quite a lot of possibilities and unknowns in the future. The students of art design majors should be able to cultivate their ability to analyze stereoscopic space in the process of learning, and the existence of VR technology is exactly This ability can be effectively cultivated, and combined with the software to display on the classroom, students will further study the learning space analysis and explore the space modeling creative thinking.


The influence of modified clay mineral and red mud on biological yield and arsenic bioavailability to mustard were investigated. The total biomass of the mustard was increased by application of clay mineral and red mud products. At higher doses (5.00 g/kg), Fe-bentonite treated soil recorded the highest total plant biomass (11.2 g/pot). DMSO-bentonite (1.23 mg/kg) and Fe-bentonite (1.28 mg/kg) were proved to be most effective in reducing the extractable arsenic concentration in soil at the rate of 5.00 g/kg doses. These products also help in lowering the hazard quotient (0.20–0.08) values for human consumption of arsenic through mustard leaf. This means that modified types of bentonites and red mud boost mustard productivity by reducing arsenic concentration.


COPYRIGHT © 2023 Zhang, Bai, Zhang, Zhang, Deng and Ding. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: Therapeutic relevance and mechanisms of neuro-immune communication in brain injury


To identify those experiencing significant self‐reported cognitive decline over 2 time points during chemotherapy, examine the risk factors for cognitive decline, and examine differences between those with and without significant decline in functional limitations.


379 Background: Penile cancer may cause significant morbidities to those who are treated with aggressive surgery. Conversely, there has been no improvement in penile cancer survival rates since 1990. While the causes for this stagnation may be multifactorial, one potential cause is undertreatment of high-risk disease. This study aimed to examine both the trend in the stage-dependent surgical treatment for penile cancer from 2000 to 2010 and the patterns of possible over and/or undertreatment during this period. Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) Datalinks Portal was queried. Diagnosis by year, first course surgery by stage, in all hospitals from 2000-2010 was first obtained. Data was grouped into no surgery, penile sparing, and radical surgery. Data was also obtained for first course surgery by stage in community hospitals (C), comprehensive centers (CC), and teaching research hospitals (TR), individually. Groups were similar as above, with the exclusion of the no surgery group. Results: There w...


The acco mpanying otoscopic view of a left ear shows a completely normal tympanic memb rane (figure) . The malleus is vertica l, and the short process is seen at its upper edge as a cream-colored protrusion. The pars tensa is intact , and there is a good light reflex at the center of the photograph. The promontory is bare ly visible through the cente r of the pars tensa. The incus appears at the upperright edge of the tympanic memb rane, and the prominent feature is a spher ical, cream-co lored mass seen through the transluce nt pars tensa anterior to the malleus. Th is represents a cholesteatoma in the middle ear. Once these lesions were thought to be congenital rests of epithelium, but it has now been shown that cholesteatomas are acquired. A healed , grossly invisible fistula accounts for the entrance of squamous epithelium into the tympanum. The true congenit al cholesteatoma normally involves the cerebellopontine angle or temporal bone, and clearly extends from the temporal bone into the middle ear. The cho lesteatoma is treated by comp lete surgica l excision. If attachment to the pars tensa is identified, the fistulous tract must be excised and the area grafted.


The structural and the magnetic properties of nanocrystalline Fe50Cr40Si10 alloys were prepared via mechanical alloying by using Fe, Cr, and Si elements with 1- to 24 hrs milling times. Structural analysis based on X-ray diffraction and Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Concerning the magnetic behavior, the data obtained from a vibrating sample magnetometer at 300 K shows that both the magnetic saturation and the coercivity are dependent strongly on the milling time and the crystallite size. By adjusting the milling time, both appropriate structural transformation and magnetization values are obtained.


THIS supplement progresses towards its completion which, at the time of writing Part 8, is put down as requiring another six months. The two parts now received deal with thrombase, the fibrin ferment of the blood, and begin the fourth main section entitled "Desmolases". The theories of the oxidation-reduction chain of reactions and the well-known catalysts, including cellular fermentation, are described.Die Fermente und ihre Wirkungen Von Prof. Dr. Carl Oppenheimer. Supplement, Lief. 7 (Band 2, Specieller Teil, Haupt-Teil 16, 17). Pp. 943–1102. 10 fl. Supplement, Lief. 8 (Band 2, Specieller Teil, Haupt-Teil 17). Pp. 1103–1262. 10 fl. (Den Haag: Dr. W. Junk, 1937.)


Preoperative blood transfusions are used to improve graft survival in renal transplantation. If such an immunomodulating effect occured in cancer surgery perioperative blood transfusion may be detrimental to patient outcome. A retrospective study of68patients undergoing potentially curative surgery for adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon, over a 10year period was performed. Thirty three patients (49%) had a perioperative blood transfusion of which two-thirds received either one or two units. Transfused patients had a poorer prognosis compared to non-transfused patients (0.28 and 0.53fiveyear product limit recurrencefreefractions respectively; P<0.01 on generalised Savege lest of entire recurrence free curves). Perioperative transfusion was the most sensitive prognostic indicator of recurrence on Cox proportional hazards regression analysis (relative risk 2.6; P<0.01, after adjustmentfor histological stage). Although a causal relationship is not proven, prospective work is urgently needed.


Spontaneous Reporting Systems (SRSs) refer to systems used to collect voluntary reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs), which usually contain sensitive personal privacy information. Although many scholars have proposed various privacy protection models, they overlooked characteristics of SRS data. We previously have proposed a feasible privacy model and anonymization method dedicate to SRS data. However, this method is only applicable to complete data, not considering the fact that SRS data contain a lot of missing data. In this paper, we propose a new privacy model Closed MS(k, θ*)-bounding and a new anonymization method, Closed-MSpartition, to process SRS data with missing values. We used US FDA's FAERS data to evaluate our proposed method from the aspects of information loss, privacy risk, and data utility. The results show that our proposed new method can effectively prevent attackers from learning personal privacy without sacrificing data quality and utility.


A vertex [Formula: see text] of a simple graph [Formula: see text] ve-dominates every edge incident to [Formula: see text] as well as every edge adjacent to these incident edges. A set [Formula: see text] is a total vertex-edge dominating set if every edge of [Formula: see text] is ve-dominated by a vertex of [Formula: see text] and the subgraph induced by [Formula: see text] has no isolated vertex. The total vertex-edge domination problem is to find a total vertex-edge dominating set of minimum cardinality. In this paper, we first show that the total vertex-edge domination problem is NP-complete for chordal graphs. Then we provide a linear-time algorithm for this problem in trees. Moreover, we show that the minimum total vertex-edge domination problem cannot be approximated within [Formula: see text] for any [Formula: see text] unless [Formula: see text]). Finally, we prove that the minimum total vertex-edge domination problem is APX-complete for bounded-degree graphs.


This work presents a proposal for the automatic generation of architectural design. This scheme is based on the training of simple shape grammars through reinforcement learning technics. Finally, the results of the implemented system by this technic for the generation of dwelling design with certain restrictions are presented and analyzed.


Linear induction accelerators(LIAs) require the electron sources that can deliver high current strength and have good brightness for the beam quality. The paper mainly introduces the application of the thermionic cathodes including "M" type and scandate cathodes in LIAs that have been used VEDs and the key points of the fabrication of the cathode assemblies.


There are many researches that introduce various techniques of browsing and discovering music using "visual forms" to the listeners."Visual forms" include album cover, colour and mood picture are used to represent music mood in a way that can be easily understood by listeners.It has been proven that visual texture can represent mood too.However there is no research that uses visual texture to represent music mood.In this research, we are proposing a framework for visualising music mood using visual texture.The framework will assist digital music service developers to design visual textures that can represent music mood in a digital music collection application or website. In order to establish the framework, we went
through three different stages of the design process.In this paper, we present the three different stages and justify why they are required.


Carsharing is a car rental system in which members have access to a fleet of cars on a relatively short time basis. Several different types of car-sharing services have been developed such as round-trip and free-floating: the first one is characterized by a more rigid structure because of its station-based nature, the second tends to be more flexible since a customer can pick up and drop off the car in any public parking inside a wide area. Being a member is the first step users have to take to use this sharing service. This study focuses on the analysis of supply attributes directly linked to territorial characteristics such as parking availability, parking price, distance from the city center, users' trip chain in relation with location of activities and their impact on the membership choice. By using a binary logit model, and a synthetic population of the city of Berlin representing members of both the round-trip and the free-floating service, and through a sensitivity analysis, the study shows how membership is sensible to some of these attributes identifying which supply characteristics impact the user membership choice. Results suggest there are two typical membership profiles and the attributes that lead the choice are different. While a round-trip carsharing member is more willing to drive towards more than one destination and does not always have his/her own car available, the free-floating carsharing member is more apt to use a point-to-point trip scheme driving for more than 15 minutes using the service as substitute of the owned car.


Inequalities of the Hadamard and Jensen types for coordinated log-convex functions defined in a rectangle from the plane and other related results are given.


MARKED hearing loss associated with Cogan's syndrome is in itself a rare enough entity to warrant reporting. The marked improvement, however, in the cochlear function in a case following the oral use of hyperosmotic glycerin suggested the present writing in the hope that the trial of this agent by others may lead to proper evaluation of its efficacy. In 1945 Cogan 1 reported four cases of "non-syphilitic interstitial keratitis associated with vestibulo-auditory symptoms." Although the more than 40 cases reported in the literature have been predominantly in young adults, cases have been reported of patients from age 2½ to 60 years. Clinically, the syndrome is that of a nonspecific keratitis, either unilateral or bilateral, accompanied or followed by profound disturbances in vestibular and auditory functions. It tends to take a chronic course with multiple unpredictable recurrences. Its etiology remains a puzzle. Serrins et al 2 relate cases associated with smallpox


hen President Ferdinand Marcos initiated a "new era" in the Philippines in 1972, his action presumably had implications for foreign as well as domestic policy. This article is a study of foreign policy during the "old era," from 1946 to 1972. It attempts to examine what Filipinos defined as being the objectives of an independent foreign policy, and how they made and implemented policy. Throughout the era Filipinos described their relations with neighboring states in Asia as the major example of their ability to conduct an independent foreign policy. Since the Philippine claim to Sabah dominated relations with the neighboring states for almost a decade, the claim provides a convenient focus for the study.


This research is a study on the rain coat(雨衣) by searching records of its kinds and how it has been developed. There were two kinds of rain coats: straw coat(蓑衣) and oiled cloth coat(油衣). First, straw coat was originally used in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period(春秋戰國?代), people wore straw rain coat made of natural grasses. But as the production has been prospered, various kinds of rain coat were appeared in Tang(唐) Dynasty. At the same time, especially straw raincoat was very elaborate and became army's rain coat in Song(宋)ㆍYuan(元) Dynasty and wearing straw coat became a symbol of hermit in Ming(明)ㆍQing(淸) age. Straw coat was the beginning of how clothes was made, also it was poor people's clothes. The material for straw coat was grass which grows up in moisture place. Straw coat was used to be worn by people in cities and especially for countryside for a long time. however, as foreign cultures were introduced, it was disappeared in cities and even the countryside. Second, there was an oiled cloth coat. It was made of water proofed silk in the Qin(秦)ㆍHan(漢) Dynasty. Oiled cloth coat was worn by Emperor or Aristocrat only. Common people wore straw coat until the time western rain coat was introduced and accepted in Qing Dynasty.


Impressive data show that cities all over the world are devouring 75% of Earth's resources. At the current rate, the urban population is predicted to be double by 2050, meaning the 70% of the total global population, thus raising serious questions about how cities could feed themselves in the future. This thesis was moved by the urgency of addressing this topic and the reasoning about how food could foster the revitalization of the disused or abandoned areas. Two main themes were discussed to tackle these issues. The first one is strictly related to food. Since ancient city-states, food and animal routes have historically shaped the urban morphology. The reasoning about food led to the choice of the city of Milan as a case study for this work, since it is one of the leaders in the contemporary urban food policy scenario. Taking advantage of the moment of great visibility given by EXPO 2015, the city of Milan, in fact, launched an international protocol aimed at tackling food-related issues at the urban level and developing new resilient urban systems, to be adopted by as many world cities as possible. The Milan Urban Food Policy Pact and the EXPO experience were interesting drivers for the project. The second theme regards the choice of Porta Genova as the specific area for the project. Its revitalization is part of the larger reordering vision of seven railway yards, with the aim of fostering innovative urban spaces and reconnecting several areas of the Milan inner periphery. The place, formerly occupied by the railway, is an interesting urban slice which divides the district of Tortona-Solari and the area of the Navigli. The presence of two important ways of transportation, the railway, and the Naviglio, makes it the perfect place for the reasoning about food and city. The site is a place of barriers, well-shaped by its boundaries, the Naviglio, the walls and the railway, still very accessible from different parts of the city, but also a place of empty places. The project set the goal to reach three main objectives: study how food can influence the urban morphology and the architecture; find a solution to manage a vast empty space in the city of Milan, as part of a wider system; design an original system of food production in urban environments, which could be used as a device to foster renovation of degraded or abandoned areas. The project was approached through three topics: administration, retail and production of food in the city. These macro-topics were declined in three architectural projects within the framework of the circular economy. The first topic transforms the former railway station in an innovative place of catering, with specific attention to the new food habits and the delivery methods. The second one renovates and expands the former railway warehouse, placing a food market. The third one proposes a novel prototype of a vertical farm, a future food hub, which serves the other two spaces. The quite small scale, the compactness and the low construction budget of the farm (compared to similar concepts) supports the attempt of making it a replicable prototype. The three projects are connected by a general redefinition of the entire area of Porta Genova with a new linear park, agricultural fields, bridges, a fish basin, and a new Darsena. All the buildings were also designed with the specific purpose of being circular, with completely dismountable wooden and metal structure.


Objective: To investigate the clinical value of 99mTc-ECD in the early diagnosis of patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Method: Conducting SPECT and CT studies in the same patients less than 72 hours after the attack. Results: The positive rate of SPECT was 91.1%(4145). There was also a low regional cerebral blood flow in the affected area. The lesion was coincide with clinical symptoms. The positive rate of CT was 15.5%(745), the lesion appeared low density. After 6~24 hours and 24~72 hours from hypoxie-ischemic attack, 0, 7, 18 cases showed lesions on CT respectively. No case showed abnormality due to transient ischemic attack. The number of lesions showed on SPECT was more than that on CT. The difference was significant(χ2=13.5, P0.01). Conclusions: 99mTc-ECD SPECT can easily demonstrate a metabolic and functional lesions without structural abnormalities. It can detect cerebral blood flow change of intracerebral foci not detectable by traditional morphological imaging, 99mTc-ECD SPECT may give some reference in the early diagnosis and therapy of patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular disease.


Atherosclerosis is the main cause of mortality of cardiovascular diseases. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is an effective treatment, but the restenosis rate after PTCA is still high. Now many studies have demonstrated that implanting drug-eluting stent can significantly prevent the risk of restenosis and drug-eluting stents have been applied extensively in clinic .The development of drug-eluting stents is reviewed in this paper.


Gasser and Graham' postulated that integration of nervous activity may be related to the magnitude of d-c potentials and their inherent influence on excitability. Our work on polypeptides is predicated upon this concept, but also on the hypothesis that polypeptides are biochemical modulators of the d-c potentials. The theory relating polypeptides to integration of nervous activity might best be tested by evaluating the relationship between these "substances" and known psychochemical agents such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and chlorpromazine (CPZ). That is to say, since LSD and CPZ modify integration of information received:centrally, if our fundamental theory were valid, then one might reasonably anticipate in vitro and in vivo relations between appropriate polypeptides and psychochemical agents. This communication is primarily a report of investigations in our own laboratories and is divided into three parts, each of which bears on various aspects of the physiological role of polypeptides and the pharmacologic relationships which exist between these substances and psychochemicals. Part I concerns in Gtro investigations indicating a relation between substance P(SP) and LSD, as well as between CPZ and bradykinin. Part I1 deals with in oivo observations relating psychochemical agents and polypeptides. Part I11 introduces a new bioassay for polypeptides which modify behavior.


Abstract Recognizing yourself in literature can not only help you to get a clearer grasp of what you already think and feel. It can also deeply unsettle your vision of yourself. This article examines a hitherto neglected mechanism to this effect: learning by way of seeing yourself in others' blindness. I show that In Search of Lost Time epitomizes this phenomenon. Confronting characters oblivious to their old age makes the protagonist realize that he, too, has aged without noticing it, and invites readers to analogous insights. The paper contributes to the discussion on how you can learn from literature and adds a twist to Marcel Proust's claim that the purpose of literature is that readers recognize themselves in it.


The lives of religious people are often in the spotlight because of complex problems. Religion which is supposed to be the source of peace, causes chaos. Hence, the moderation values must be taught in religious life to create peace. This study aims to explain the efforts and contribution of Muslimat NU Durek Hamlet, Batu City in internalizing the religious moderation values to prevent religious extremism. This is a qualitative research with a case study approach. The data are collected using observation, interviews, and documentation. The analysis technique includes data condensation, data display, conclusion drawing and verifying. The data are then verified using triangulation techniques. The results reveal that there are three efforts done by the Muslimat NU Durek Hamlet to internalize the religious moderation, namely oral method, exemplary, and monitoring. The values taught are balance, tolerance, deliberations, good prejudice and fair. Meanwhile, the contribution of religious moderation in preventing religious extremism is tolerance for differences, being friendly, polite, and doing deliberation. Kehidupan umat beragama sering menjadi sorotan karena masalah yang rumit. Agama yang seharusnya menjadi sumber kedamaian, malah menyebabkan kekacauan. Karena itu, nilai-nilai moderasi harus diajarkan dalam kehidupan beragama untuk menciptakan kedamaian. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan tentang upaya dan kontribusi Muslimat NU DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/ua.v22i2.14092


The maglev train suspension system and its model of linearization around the equilibrium are introduced.For the nonlinearization of the model,feedback linearization techniques are applied.Input-state linearization model of the system under current control is established.Simulation model of the two linearization models are established with MATLAB.Simulation results and analysis show that the feedback linearization techniques are effective method to solve the control problem of maglev train's nonlinear model.


Detailed patterns of near surface tectonics and heat flow were investigated at two locations at the toe of the Barbados Ridge accretionary prism. At the two locations, in the thickly sedimented southern portion of the prism near 12°20′N and in the northern area drilled during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) leg 110 near 15°32′N, relative highs of heat flow were associated with zones of thrusting. We attribute them to upward advection of water rising from the decollement along faults through the sediments. In the ODP area, a significant heating plate effect from warm fluids flowing along the decollement and thrusts is required to account for the high regional heat flow. This effect implies high rates of fluid flow at the decollement, which can only be non-steady state or would require massive lateral transport of fluids along strike.


Optimal utilization of novel therapies for advanced prostate cancer is challenging without a validated surrogate efficacy endpoint. Ongoing trials are using durable undetectable prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels as a marker of efficacy. The clinical relevance of prolonged undetectable PSA after a short course of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is uncertain.


We propose an energy-based image segmentation algorithm that uses the correlation information among pixels in the same image as well as the temporal correlation across the images in the sequence. We focus on MRI sequences that are extremely difficult to segment on the basis of single images. Our method detects motion-free objects whose intensities change across the image sequence. We introduce an energy functional that exploits the difference in the dynamics of the temporal signals associated with distinct pixels. We develop a level set approach and a region-growing algorithm to minimize the energy functional. Our tests in a transplantation study show that we successfully extract automatically the kidneys and their structures in magnetic resonance (MR) image sequences.


The invention discloses a kind of preparation method of the fluorobenzoyl chloride of 2,4 dichloro 5, belong to organic synthesis field.The present invention uses 2; 4 dichlor fluorbenzenes are raw material; intermediate 2 is generated after Friedel-Crafts reaction, hydrolysis; the fluorobenzoyl chloride of 4 dichloro 5; and it is that dimer (III) is converted into final product compound (II) by hydrolysis, oxidation and acylation by the accessory substance for reacting generation, total recovery reaches more than 88%.The invention enables feed stock conversion more than 80%, current raw material sources difficulty is changed, the low shortcoming of utilization rate economizes on resources, reduces production cost, and simple to operate, it is easy to amplification production.


A device and a method for preparing a nanometer ceramic particle-reinforced aluminum-based composite relate to a device and a method for preparing a metal matrix composite and aim at solving the problems of long preparing technical path, excessive required equipment and high cost in the existing powder metallurgic method for preparing the nanometer ceramic particle-reinforced aluminum-based composite, as well as the problems of non-uniform distribution, layering and conglobation of nanometer ceramic particles in the existing stirring method. The device comprises a motor, a gearbox, a first gear shaft, a feeding hopper, a baffle, a heating base plate, a first heating device, a slurry collecting groove, a second heating device, a crucible, a cover plate, a hydraulic driving device, an argon protection device, two temperature measuring elements, two screw type stirring impellers and two ultrasonic devices, wherein stirring ends of the screw type stirring impellers extend into the crucible arranged below the gearbox, and probes of the ultrasonic devices penetrate through the cover plate and extend into the crucible. The device and the method, provided by the invention, are used for preparing the nanometer ceramic particle-reinforced aluminum-based composite.


Rolling members for a rolling bearing, consisting of martensitic, durchhartendem steel, the residual compressive stresses lie in a radial depth of 4% of the rolling body diameter between minus 400 MPa and minus 1200 MPa, and the hardness and the hardness gradient of the finished rolling element comprising: DOLLAR A a) a surface hardness of> = 613 HV (56 HRC), DOLLAR a b) a core hardness of> = 285 HV (28 HRC), DOLLAR a c), a difference (DELTA) between surface hardness and core hardness of> = 150 HV (9 HRC ) to achieve DOLLAR a d) achieving the core hardness in a radial depth of between 8% and 30% of the roller diameter, DOLLAR a to a particularly good durability to the mixed friction and pollution in the rolling bearing.


INVESTIGATORS attempting to measure the forces responsible for the variations in the price of an individual commodity have almost always recognized that the supply and price of other commodities which might be used for the same purpose might influence both the price at which a given quantity of the commodity would be sold and the quantity of the commodity which would be purchased at a given price. Thus the production of corn has been considered as a factor in studying the price of oats;' the price of beef steers has been considered in studying the price of hogs ;2 hog prices have been considered in studying beef prices;3 supplies of other fresh fruits have been examined in studying cantaloupe prices;4 prices of hogs, steers, and veal, have been included in studying lamb prices;5 supplies of sweet potatoes and corn meal have been considered in analyzing movements in rice prices;6 and similar efforts have been made to recognize the influence of competing products in other studies of prices. In a recent brilliant paper, Bean and Thorne showed that changes in prices which previously had been ascribed to secular trends in demand were really related to changes in consumer purchasing power as indicated by the index of payrolls.7 This analysis included the price of beef as a factor in explaining changes in


Objective
To investigate the relationship between antisperm antibody (AsAb) and infertility caused by prostatitis (PI).

Methods
PubMed, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang Data were electronically searched to March 11th, 2017 for all the observational studies about AsAb and PI. Meta-analysis was performed using Rev Man 5.3 software.

Results
4 controlled studies were included; which included 349 cases (205 cases of PI and 144 cases of the control group). The results of the meta-analysis showed that the positive rate or expression of AsAb in serum were significantly higher in the PI group than in the control group(P< 0.01).

Conclusion
AsAb in serum correlates with PI, so it can be used as a predictor of PI.

Key words:
Antisperm antibody; Prostatitis; Infertility; Meta-analysis


The Talmudic prophecy known as " the tradition of Elijah's house" concedes to the world and to history a maximum duration of something less than six thousand years, distributed in three periods of similar length according to the 'Void', the 'Law' and the 'Messiah'. This article focuses on the diffusion of this prophecy in Protestant Europe in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, mainly in Germany, in connection with contemporary eschatological expectation. It also considers the connections with astronomy (great conjunctions, celestial novelties –mainly the nova of 1572 in Cassiopeia– and the decrease of solar eccentricity), chronology and history. In the final analysis, our focus turns to the topic in the work of Helisaeus Roslin and the appropriation of Roslin's Tabella des Welt Spiegels by Johann Heinrich Alsted in his table Speculum mundi of 1624.


The free-electron laser ("FEL") has proven to be an invaluable source of radiation in the UV to far infrared spectral ranges. It is based on the amplification of an optical wave by a high energy electron beam oscillating transversely to its prop a- gation. In the last decade, several FELs have been designed and built as user dedicated facilities. Presently, seven infrared FEL s, such as CLIO at Orsay (France), are running more than 1000 hours/year for users performing experiments in various scientific fields. In the UV spectral range, the Super-ACO (Orsay, France) FEL is promoting applications in various fields. The main appli- cations are described and prospects are given.


Introduction: Riccoldo's Predicament or, How to Explain Away the Successes of a Flourishing Rival CivilizationPart 1: Foundations (Seventh--Eighth Centuries) 1: God and History in the Christian West c. 6002: Islamic Dominion and the Religious Other3: Early Eastern Christian Reactions to IslamPart 2: Forging Polemical Images (Eighth-Twelfth Centuries) 4: Western Christian Responses to Islam (Eighth-Ninth Centuries)5: Saracens as Pagans6: Muhammad, Heresiarch (Twelfth Century)Part 3: Thirteenth-Century Dreams of Conquest and Conversion 7: The Muslim in the Ideologies of Thirteenth-Century Christian Spain8: Apocalyptic Fears and Hopes Inspired by the Thirteenth-Century Crusades9: Franciscan Missionaries Seeking the Martyr's Palm10: The Dominican Missionary Strategy11: From Verdant Grove to Dark Prison: Realms of Mission in Ramon Llull


THE PERIOD from 1890 to 1918 was one of turbulence and transition.1 During those years there were tremendous changes in ways of life, in economic and social patterns, in business and industrial procedures and methods. These rapid changes created many new needs in various areas of life, but notably in education and in the range of school responsibilities. The guidance-personnel movement came into formalized being as a partial answer to some of the most pressing needs both in education and in society as a whole.


The statistical evaluation of the spatial similarity of human caused fire patterns is an important issue for wildland fire analysis. This paper proposes a method based on observed data and on a statistical tool (homogeneity test) that is based on non-explicit spatial distribution hypothesis for the human caused fire events. If a tessellation coming from a space filling curve is superimposed on the spatial point patterns, and a linearization mechanism applied, the statistical problem of testing the similarity between the spatial point patterns is equivalent to the one of testing the homogeneity between the two multinomial distributions obtained by modeling the proportions of cases on each cell of the tessellation. This way of comparing spatial point patterns is free of any hypothesis on any spatial point process. Because data are spatially over-dispersed, the existence of many cells of the grid without any count is a problem for classical statistical homogeneity tests. Our work overcomes this problem by applying specific test statistics based on the square Hellinger distance. Simulations and actual data are used in order to tune the process and to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposal. Results indicate that a new and robust method for comparing spatial point patterns of human caused fires is available.


Six-dimensional pose estimation for non-Lambertian objects, such as metal parts, is essential in intelligent manufacturing. Current methods pay much less attention to the influence of the surface reflection problem in 6D pose estimation. In this paper, we propose a cross-attention-based reflection-aware 6D pose estimation network (CAR6D) for solving the surface reflection problem in 6D pose estimation. We use a pseudo-Siamese network structure to extract features from both an RGB image and a 3D model. The cross-attention layers are designed as a bi-directional filter for each of the inputs (the RGB image and 3D model) to focus on calculating the correspondences of the objects. The network is trained to segment the reflection area from the object area. Training images with ground-truth labels of the reflection area are generated with a physical-based rendering method. The experimental results on a 6D dataset of metal parts demonstrate the superiority of CAR6D in comparison with other state-of-the-art models.


In this paper, high purity, weak agglomerated, well crystallized and dispersed YAG nanoparticles were prepared by Allegro vacuum freeze drying which included solution preparation, allegro freezing, freeze drying and calcination. The results showed that the precursor directly converted into pure YAG at 900°C and no intermediate phase was found. Considering the crystallinity and dispersion, the best calcination temperature was 1100°C.


There are many factors in the fire scene which threat the safety of fire investigators who are searching and examining the scene.This paper introduces dangerous factors in fire scene such as the collapse,the smoke,the explosion,the electric shock,and so on,putting forward the appropriate safety protections based on analyzing dangerous factors' characteristics and their forming mechanism.


In this work, a photoinduced iron(III)-based atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) without any reducing agents and additional initiators was suggested. In addition, detailed kinetic studies, including the effects of ligand and catalyst concentrations on polymerization kinetics, and the polymerization behaviors using various solvents and monomer types were evaluated for this new polymerization technique. Results showed that photoinduced iron(III)-mediated ATRP using 5000 ppm catalyst loading with 1 equiv of ligand in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) produced poly(methyl methacrylate) with low molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 1.45) and that the evolution of molecular weight (Mn) was linearly related to monomer conversion. 1H NMR analysis confirmed that the resulting polymer prepared through photoinduced ATRP in the present work was initiated by methyl 2,3-dichloroisobutyrate. Facile temporal control and the successful chain extension highlighted the good chain-end functionality of the resulting polym...


Traditional principles of mechanics are primarily conceived for constant mass systems, which are only valid if mass is gained or lost at null velocity with respect to an inertial reference frame for variable mass systems, thus the numerical algorithms for time‐varying structures based on these principles are only suitable for this special case. In this paper, Hamilton's law of variable mass system is derived based on Meshchersky's fundamental equation, and two classes of novel time finite element formulations for linear systems with arbitrary continuous time‐varying parameters are developed based on the previous law. The formulations are verified extensively through numerical examples in which the convergence and effectiveness of algorithms are evaluated. Numerical examples demonstrate that compared with the algorithms for time‐varying structures that developed based on traditional principles of mechanics, the proposed algorithms provide extended capabilities in both time‐varying mass problems that mass is gained or lost at any velocity (such as rocket problem) and moving‐mass problems (such as vehicle‐bridge interaction problem) besides the time‐varying stiffness and damping problems, the proposed algorithms have a wider range of application. In particular, Hamilton's law of variable mass system provides a solid theoretical foundation for further research on the algorithm design for time‐varying structures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


One of Exxon`s goals is to pursue the highest quality exploration opportunities worldwide. To accomplish this goal, we use an approach that allows us to systematically compare the different exploration areas worldwide in order to identify and focus on the highest quality basins and plays, prioritize investment opportunities that are identified in these areas, and allocate our resources appropriately. The process begins with the development of a list of basins that are ranked according to their assessed undiscovered potential and the geotechnical characteristics of their hydrocarbon systems. This basin scale seriatim or rank list is then used to identify the highest quality {open_quotes}focus{close_quotes} plays within the higher potential basins and hydrocarbon systems. The ranked list of basins and plays becomes the foundation for development of an {open_quotes}Opportunity Seriatim.{close_quotes} There are three principal components incorporated into Exxon`s Opportunity Seriatim: (1) Geotechnical appraisal - How good is the resource?, (2) Accessibility - Can we or will we be able to access the resource?, and (3) Economics - will we make an acceptable profit if we access the resource? After these components are considered, additional adjustments are made to the Opportunity Seriatim. The Opportunity Seriatim is then used to develop strategies which aremore » globally consistent to build and maintain a broad portfolio of the highest quality opportunities, and finally, to select the best quality prospects in our highest quality plays for funding. Prospects are selected based on risk vs. reward ratio, drilling commitments, and appropriate economic yardsticks. Using this process, Exxon has steadily improved its exploration performance. Over the last ten years, the volume of reserves Exxon discovers has increased, our drilling success rate has improved substantially, and our finding costs have continued to fall.« less


Psoriasis is an inflammatory hyperproliferative skin disease with a strong genetic susceptibility and influenced by genetic,immunological and environmental factors.Because the topical treatment is characterized of low cost,proper efficiency and high safety,it is commonly selected for most patients with mild to moderate psoriasis.However,the pharmacogenetics studies on the topical treatment are sparse.This review summarizes the correlations between genetic factors and topical agents to provide the theoretical guidance for the personalized medication in psoriasis.


Using the 4 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South (CDF-S) survey, we have identified a sample of 6845 X-ray-undetected galaxies that dominates the unresolved ≈20%–25% of the 6–8 keV cosmic X-ray background (XRB). This sample was constructed by applying mass and color cuts to sources from a parent catalog based on GOODS-South Hubble Space Telescope z-band imaging of the central 6′radius area of the 4 Ms CDF-S. The stacked 6–8 keV detection is significant at the 3.9σ level, but the stacked emission was not detected in the 4–6 keV band, which indicates the existence of an underlying population of highly obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Further examinations of these 6845 galaxies indicate that the galaxies on the top of the blue cloud and with redshifts of 1 ≲ z ≲ 3, magnitudes of 25 ≲ z 850 ≲ 28, and stellar masses of 2 × 108 ≲ M ⋆/M ☉ ≲ 2 × 109 make the majority contributions to the unresolved 6–8 keV XRB. Such a population is seemingly surprising given that the majority of the X-ray-detected AGNs reside in massive (≳ 1010  M ☉) galaxies. We discuss constraints upon this underlying AGN population, supporting evidence for relatively low mass galaxies hosting highly obscured AGNs, and prospects for further boosting the stacked signal.


h Abstract - We have studied the structure and soft magnetic properties of Fe-ceramic(SiN4, A120~) thin films fabricated by an rf magnetron sputtering apparatus using a composite target. The concentration of solute in the film increases linearly with the area fraction of ceramic pieces in the target. In the case of S4N4, the concentration of 0 increases largely with the Ar pressure, especially at high Ar pressures of more than 20 mTorr. In 4203, the composition of A1 and 0 exhibits a maximum at the Ar pressure of 20 mTorr. As the area fraction of. the ceramic mcreases, the structure of the fiim changes from a crystalline phase to an amorphous phase. The electrical resistivity increases significantly , with increasing area fraction of the ceramics. The saturation magnetization decreases inversely with the logarithm of the electrical resistivity. The gradient of the decrease in saturation magnetization against electrical resistivity is lower in the Alz(h system than that in the SiN4 system. The Ar pressure dependences of the electrical resistivity and the saturation magnetization are similar to that of the thin fdm composition. Fe-SiN, films exhibited a saturation magnetization of about 8 kG, a hard-axis coercivity of 0.2 Oe, an electrical resistivity of about 800 p 51-cm and a permeability(100 MHz) of higher than 400.


ABSTRACT The diagnosis of infectious disease syndromes such as fever, diarrhea, and pneumonia is complicated by the potential for shedding or carriage of putatively etiologic pathogens among individuals experiencing symptoms due to other causes. Symptomatic individuals among whom a pathogen is detected, but whose symptoms are caused by other factors, may be misclassified by diagnostic criteria based on pathogen detection. Case-control studies are commonly undertaken to estimate vaccine effectiveness, and present an opportunity to compare pathogen detection among individuals with and without clinically-relevant symptoms. Considering this study context, we derive simple estimators for the direct effects of vaccination on various aspects of host susceptibility. These include protection against acquisition of the pathogen of interest, and protection against progression of this pathogen to disease following acquisition. We assess the impact of test sensitivity on these estimators, and extend our framework to identify a "vaccine probe" estimator for pathogen-specific etiologic fractions. We also derive biases affecting vaccine effectiveness estimates under the test-negative design, an alternative approach using similar data. Our results provide strategies for estimation of pathogen-specific vaccine effectiveness in the absence a diagnostic gold standard. These approaches can inform the design and analysis of studies addressing numerous pathogens and vaccines.


Anti-Americanism is an important phenomenon in international relation.Anti-Americanism of South Korea has become a major element affecting its politics and democracy.Essentially,it is a anti-American emotion but not a rooted ideological hostility.It rouses from factors of economic development,democratization promotion,nationalism expansion and stimulation from the unequal relation between the U.S.and South Korea.Through interest-expression mechanism and media report,the social influence and political effect are increasingly clear.For its influence on the Korean peninsula issue and,anti-Americanism of South Korea is a inevitable topic in the study of South Korea's foreign policy.


In general, Boolean networks have been addressed in time-series datasets. However, in the recent field of next-generation sequencing-based cancer genomics, cross-sectional data sets having enormous numbers of patients have been accumulated. Here, we deal with representation of cross-sectional datasets using Boolean networks, and specifically, combinational logic network approach. We then applied the approach to a real cancer patient dataset, demonstrating the feasibility of using Boolean networks in graphical representation of cross-sectional datasets.


Significance One principle of human cerebral cortex is its lateralized functional architecture supporting processes such as language, precise motor control of the hands, and working memory. It has been shown that in elderly subjects such lateralized activations of dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex vanish in working memory tasks, which is due to the corecruitment of corresponding regions in the other cerebral hemisphere. We show that such corecruitment of cross-hemispheric counterparts in prefrontal cortex is associated with subjectively demanding working memory tasks but not with age. This result suggests that prefrontal areas support us to maintain performance in challenging circumstances by additionally recruiting their non-specialized counterpart in the contralateral hemisphere. Elderly adults may master challenging cognitive demands by additionally recruiting the cross-hemispheric counterparts of otherwise unilaterally engaged brain regions, a strategy that seems to be at odds with the notion of lateralized functions in cerebral cortex. We wondered whether bilateral activation might be a general coping strategy that is independent of age, task content and brain region. While using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we pushed young and old subjects to their working memory (WM) capacity limits in verbal, spatial, and object domains. Then, we compared the fMRI signal reflecting WM maintenance between hemispheric counterparts of various task-relevant cerebral regions that are known to exhibit lateralization. Whereas language-related areas kept their lateralized activation pattern independent of age in difficult tasks, we observed bilaterality in dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex across WM domains and age groups. In summary, the additional recruitment of cross-hemispheric counterparts seems to be an age-independent domain-general strategy to master cognitive challenges. This phenomenon is largely confined to prefrontal cortex, which is arguably less specialized and more flexible than other parts of the brain.


The purpose of this study was to examine the indirect effect of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) on employee performance by using the antecedents of Career Journey, Self Efficacy and Quality of Work Life. This study also examines the direct role of the variables Career Journey, Self Efficacy and Quality of Work Life on employee performance at the Directorate General of Taxes. This type of research is quantitative using a questionnaire research instrument to collect data. The sample for this research is all employees at the Directorate General of Taxes who are taken using probability sampling. The data analysis method used is Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The results showed that Career Journey, Self Efficacy, Quality of Work Life had a positive effect on Organizational Citizenship Behavior, then Career Journey, Quality of Work Life and OCB also had a positive effect on employee performance, but Self Efficacy had no significant effect on employee performance. In addition, Organizational Citizenship Behavior is also proven to be able to mediate the relationship between Career Journey, Self Efficacy and Quality of Work Life towards employee performance. The findings of this study contribute to the development of theories related to Organizational Citizenship Behavior and the importance of managing career paths, employee self-motivation and the quality of employee work life so that employees can provide maximum performance which will certainly support organizational performance.


Dear Editor: This letter is in reference to "Intravitreal Injection of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Small Interfering RNA Inhibits Growth and Leakage in the Nonhuman Primate, Laser-Induced Model of Choroidal Neovascularization" by MJ Tolentino, MD, AJ Brucker, MD, J Fosnot, MD, G-S Ying, MS, I-H Wu, MSC, G Malik, MD, S Wan, PhD, and SJ Reich, BA (Retina 2004;24(1):132–138). Soon after publication of the article, the lead author informed the biostatistician (G-S Ying) that the dataset provided to the biostatistician for statistical analysis had an error in linking the codes for each animal with the gradings for angiographic leakage. Therefore, the results reported for the effect of treatment on leakage were not correct. A dataset with correct linkage of the leakage gradings was not available for statistical analysis. The angiograms were regraded for leakage in a masked fashion by an independent and experienced angiographic reader. For regrading, the reader reviewed all frames of the angiogram to assess leakage. Eyes with early fluorescence and late leakage were classified as having significant leakage. This procedure differed from the original grading in which a selected frame from each of the early and late phases of the angiogram was reviewed and eyes with moderate or extensive leakage, but not mild leakage, were classified as having significant leakage. Using the results of the regrading, the percentage of laser spots with significant leakage was calculated for each dose level and time point, corresponding to Figure 3 of the initial publication. Comparison of the percentage of spots with significant leakage across the four dose levels showed no consistent dose-response relationship over time (15, 22, 29, and 36 days postinjection).There was no statistically significant effect of dose (p 0.58) when the same statistical analysis approach as used in the initial report was applied to the data from the regrading. In the initial report, there appeared to be a consistent dose-response relationship over time and a corresponding p-value of 0.0007. Accordingly, the undersigned retract the conclusions related to the leakage analysis in the original publication. All authors were given the opportunity to join in this retraction.


Baghpat. The experiment carried out following Complete randomized design (CRD) with three replications of eight treatment combinations including three levels GA3 and single dose of nitrogen, In which Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) cv. Double is used to effect on growth, flowering and bulb production response of GA3 (100, 150 and 200 ppm) and single dose of nitrogen 7g along with having control, these doses were applied with check. Growth regulators results also indicated that, GA3 150 ppm and nitrogen @7g/pot decreases the days to sprouting and increases maximum number of sprout per bulb as compared to other treatment of gibberellic acid, while GA3 200 ppm and nitrogen @ 7 g observed the better effect on , number of leaves per plant, length of leaf, days taken to first flowering spike initiation, number of florets per spike, length of spike, number of spikes per plant, weight of


Coverage Path Planning (CPP) requires planning collision-free paths for a robot that observes all reachable points of interest in an environment. Most popular CPP approaches are hierarchical and decomposition-based, involving three steps: (1) decomposing the environment into sub-regions (rectangles or polygons) that simplify the generation of space-filling paths, (2) determining a visitation order over these sub-regions via graph search or a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) solver, and (3) generation of space-filling paths in each sub-region. This approach requires significant processing of the environment and the availability of suitable TSP solvers. Furthermore, step (1) can sometimes fail in non-convex environments or lead to "over-decomposition" in cluttered environments. To the best of our knowledge, existing decomposition-free approaches are heuristic or random, and therefore typically inefficient and probabilistically complete. We present a resolution-complete decomposition-free coverage path planner that effectively folds steps (1) and (2) above into a single online search routine, making it significantly easier to integrate into existing robot architectures and applicable to a larger set of environments. Our approach leverages a precomputed library of space-filling coverage patterns and automatically determines where to apply them. We evaluate our approach on a variety of environments to demonstrate its benefits and provide an open-source implementation at https://github.com/ktushar14/cdf_cpp.


The UK electricity generation sector is likely to undergo a switch from a fossil fuel based fleet towards a higher proportion of intermittent renewables and notably wind energy. This work addresses the challenges posed by a higher penetration of wind energy in the UK for DNOs: an increased need for balancing services and a bigger amount of wind electricity curtailments ‐ i.e. wasted electricity that cannot be used. A time-based model has been developed, covering the period 2011-2030, to assess two potential schemes to cover these two issues: an industrially-sized electrolyser converting electricity into hydrogen (the so-called 'power-to-gas' concept) and an industrial fleet of battery electric vehicles with flexible charging. The methodology followed was to predict temporal distributions of wind curtailments to then assess the two schemes' capability to provide balancing services while remaining economically attractive. It was found that the levels of wind curtailments grow significantly, but become more balanced as the time goes by. The battery electric vehicles scheme shows better performances in the medium-to-long term while the power-to-gas concept is more appropriate for the short term and proves to be more flexible. This work can be used as a decision-support tool by DNOs or other parties interested in covering the issues raised by a higher proportion of intermittent renewables.


Fly ash samples were collected from the flue lines of two different oil-fired power plants and analyzed by a variety of analytical procedures designed to determine the V cations extractable from the samples. Both VO/sub 2//sup +/ and VO/sup 2 +/ were shown to be present in the samples. The V(V) cation, VO/sub 2//sup +/, was the principal species extracted from these samples.


ABSTRACT: Forest land managers are concerned about the potential cumulative effects of multiple management activities, over time and space, within a watershed on downstream aquatic ecosystems. To determine a watershed9s hydrologic condition, a Watershed Cumulative Effects Analysis (KWCEA) model was developed. The model uses key watershed parameters affecting streamwater quality and quantity. Its index value implies relative, cumulative-effect, risk-rating levels for past, current, and future forest management practices as well as worst-case conditions. The model is particularly useful for evaluating the potential downstream impact of all forest practice options within a watershed. Output from the KWCEA model can also be used to coordinate the schedule of forest practices among several land ownerships within a watershed.


Introduction: The R chondrite meteorite LAP 04840 contains abundant amphibole and biotite – water-bearing minerals not previously reported in a chondrite. The amphibole and biotite are nearly pure hydroxyl species. Minerals in LAP have homogeneous mineral compositions, and mineral equilibria suggest equilibration at ~650°C, P(H2O) between 100 and 700 bars, and ƒ(O2) QFM. Hydrogen in the amphibole is so heavy, D~+3660‰, as to be inconsistent with most H reservoirs except that macromolecular carbon in chondrites. LAP's water could possibly derive from oxidation of such macromolecular carbon, mixed by impact into LAP's parent asteroid. The Meteorite: LAP 04840 is an R chondrite by oxidation state and oxygen isotopes [1], and contains chondrules in a fine-grained granulitic-textured matrix [2,3]. Minerals are of constant compositions: olivine (Fo62), opx (En60Wo01), plagioclase (Ab90Or03), magnetite (Mt63Chr28Sp05Usp04), hornblende amphibole (K0.04 Na0.33)(Ca1.52Na0.48)(Mg3.60Fe1.27Mn0.01Ti0.04Cr0.08)(Si6.95Al1.02 Fe0.03)O22(OH1.93F0.04Cl0.01O0.02), phlogopite mica, apatite, pyrrhotite & pentlandite [2,4,5]. Amphibole and biotite are widely distributed; in chondrules, they are most abundant among euhedral olivine and opx crystals (Fig. 1; i.e., what would have been mesostasis).


The concretes crack's expansion or has the crack appearance newly,will accelerate the concretes the carbonization and the corroded material involvement,the steel bar corrosion degree intensifies,this will further create the concretes the dehiscence,the reciprocation circulation,concrete structure bearing capacity drops,the durability will reduce greatly,the service life along with will also reduce.


This paper is a corpus-based study focusing on implicit evaluation expressed in newspaper discourse, namely, the semantic mapping of emotion and opinion. The corpus, compiled of online "front page" newspaper articles from both selected tabloids (The Sun, The Express, The Mirror) and broadsheets (The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent) was used to answer three research questions: 1) Is evaluation markedly expressed in newspaper discourse? 2) What linguistic means are typical for construing evaluation in newspaper discourse? 3) Is there a difference between the tabloids and the broadsheets regarding the way in which/how evaluation is conveyed/employed? To answer these questions, a pilot keyword study on only six articles was carried out (one article from each of the aforementioned newspapers). The findings confirmed the importance of adjectives in expressing evaluation. Following this, a large study was conducted to detect local grammar adjectival lexicogrammatical patterns, introduced by Hunston (2000) and further amended by Bednarek (2007, 2009). These patterns, which are known for carrying the evaluative load, were analyzed in terms of frequency and function. It was observed that there is a difference in expressing evaluation between the tabloids and the broadsheets. However, more significant differences were found between the broadsheet newspapers themselves.


On the basis of the relevance of discourse and partial conversation strategies, in opening and keeping conversation, the emphasis is, first, to understand the implicature of discourse and to establish the relevance of discourse through the whole conversation; meanwhile in combination; with the well-organised partial conversation strategies, the conclusion which is elicited attempts to create an enjoyable atmosphere conversation.


Poly(hexamethylene carbonate co sebacic anhydride)s(PHCSA) containing aliphatic polycarbonate and labile anhydride groups was synthesized by copolymerization of diacid derived from oligo(hexamethylene carbonate)diol(OHCMD) with sebacic acid(SA) in mass ratios of 25∶75, 50∶50 and 75∶25. The structure of PHCSA was confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR. The in vitro degradation of PHCSA was performed in 0 1 mol/L phosphate buffer saline(PBS, pH 7 4) at 37 ℃. It was found that the degradation rate of PHCSA increased with the content of SA. After one week degradation, the mass loss of PHCSA contained 80%, 58% and 32%(mole fraction) SA were 64 3%, 45 2% and 21 5% respectively. It was also found that the degradation of PHCSA could be catalyzed by lipase. After one week degradation in 1% lipase/PBS(0 1 mol/L, pH 7 4) at 37 ℃, the mass loss of PHCSA contained 58% and 32%(mole fraction) SA were 51 2% and 26 1% respectively. There was an obvious difference between the inner and the outer layer of samples in degradation. After two week degradation, the M w/ M w0 (ratio of final molecular weight to the initial molecular weight) of the inner layer and the outer layer of PHCSA contained 80%, 58% and 32%(mole fraction) SA were 89 9% and 27 9%, 98 1% and 39 1%, 97 8% and 47 2% respectively.


Until June 2006,the balance of foreign exchange reserves in China has reached to 9411.05 hundred million dollars.While just as other economic variables,the scale of the foreign exchange reserves must be appropriate too.In this paper,we introduce several methods for the measurement of the foreign exchange reserves and analyze the appropriate scale of foreign exchange reserves in China.At last we give some recommendations about how to manage the excessive foreign exchange reserves.


Epitaxial thin film growth by vapor deposition or molecular beam epitaxy under ultra‐high vacuum conditions generally occurs in two stages: (i) nucleation and growth of well‐separated islands on the substrate; (ii) subsequent formation of a thicker continuous film with possible kinetic roughening. For homoepitaxial growth, two‐dimensional (2D) monolayer islands are formed during submonolayer deposition. Typically, the presence of a step‐edge barrier inhibits downward transport and leads to the formation of mounds (multilayer stacks of 2D islands) during multilayer growth. For heteroepitaxial growth, islands formed in the initial stages of deposition sometimes have a 2D monolayer structure. However, they may instead exhibit bilayer or 3D multilayer structure due to, e.g., a high film surface energy, strain, or quantum size effects. Various growth modes are possible for thicker films. Atomistic modeling provides the most detailed picture of film growth. For coherent (defect‐free) epitaxial films, lattice‐ga...


Attracting more men to balance the predominantly female workforce is one of the key issues facing the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector. This research critically discusses the main debates regarding the issue of gendered ECEC sector, including the core concepts of childhood, masculinity and ECEC, followed by the debates about the influences of more male practitioners on both children and ECEC workforce. Although there exist some arguments against the hypothesis about men's benefits on children and ECEC workforce, the need to get men involved in the lives of young children is reflected by government policies across different countries, such as recruitment and retention initiatives for male preschool teachers. However, most of these strategies to remove the barriers male teachers encountered, and to incorporate men and fathers, received negative results. Therefore, by building upon the need to enhance the holistic quality of ECEC workforce, new perspectives, especially from children's perceptions, on how to change the gender imbalance in ECEC are recommended, including both the top-down policy and bottom-up strategy.


Present design of buildings and the way of building assessment focus primary on decreasing of energy consumption, efficient energy management and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions having significant impact on climate change. This emphasis stems from European Union 2020 targets. However, in the issue of comprehensive building assessment are missing headline targets or limits to achieve type-stable level of indoor environment quality. Under the scope of sustainable building assessment can be considered aspect of acoustics, natural and artificial lighting, air quality or thermal behaviour. By means of sustainable development are applied wider targets directly and indirectly influencing overall building performance. This contribution describes connection between application of specific aims of sustainability applied by BREEAM with final influence on energy efficiency and indoor environment in terms of evaluation of thermal comfort using predicted mean vote and predicted percentage dissatisfied indices. The subject of analysis is office building in Brno.


The devastating effects of food crises and famine in Africa and Asia in the 1980s have stimulated a spate of research into the strategies that households adopt in order to survive.' This work has not only served to strengthen the theoretical claims of an entitlements approach to famine,2 but also provided important insights into the changing objectives of households, their diverse responses to food crises and the variable significance of apparently similar responses in pastoral and farming communities. It has proved particularly useful to policy makers in designing early warning systems and famine relief programmes. However, the application of this approach has been limited not only geographically to famine-struck countries in the South but also situationally to cases of acute food crisis. It is the purpose of this article to demonstrate the theoretical and practical usefulness of extending the application of such micro-level research both to post-communist transitional economies, which fit comfortably neither into the so-called developing nor developed worlds, and to situations of severe economic crisis, which are not yet characterised by acute food shortages or famine. We focus on the case of Kyrgyzstan, a former Central Asian Republic of the Soviet Union, which gained formal political independence in 1990. We begin by first defining some of our key terms. Throughout the article the term 'household' is used to refer to a unit of co-residence where individual members, who may or may not be kin, 'eat from the same pot'. While most of the research on household coping strategies in famine situations has treated the household as an undifferentiated, harmonious aggregate which is the lowest level of decision making, this article takes note of more recent work on the complexity of intra-household relations, which questions the underlying assumption that individual members subordinate their particular interests for the general good of the household and underlines the importance of relationships of power and subordination along age and gender lines.3 Interviewees were thus asked to relate how they and other residents of the household had responded to the economic crisis. Their accounts are interpreted as reflective of their own particular understanding of the situation and not as somehow representative of how the 'household' as a unified, conscious agent acts. The second conceptual point relates to the notion of 'strategy'. In her seminal piece on household coping strategies Corbett argues for using the term 'strategy' rather than 'mechanism' as 'it most readily implies the careful forward planning that has been observed'.4 I would argue that the term strategy and its implied


Many developed countries have reported shortages of Primary Care (PC) physicians. The lack of a regular primary physician is associated with inferior health outcomes. One strategy to address this shortage is to increase the proportion of medical students selecting a Family Medicine (FM) or PC career. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify whether pre‐clerkship general practice placements increase students' interest in, and selection of FM or PC residencies.


Aim: This study was conducted to determine the role of Staphylococcus in the formation of subclinical mastitis in cows and to isolate the phage against isolated Staphylococcus aureus strains. Materials and Methods: In this study, 400 milk cows were screened by California Mastitis Test (CMT) for subclinical mastitis and 235 udders of 96 cows, which were determined to be positive, were evaluated for Staphylococcus. Milk samples were evaluated using conventional and molecular methods. In addition, phage isolation studies were performed against S. aureus strains causing mastitis. Results: At the result of cultural examination, of 235 milk samples that were found as positive for mastitis by CMT, a total of 117 (49.7%) Staphylococcus spp. were isolated as a distribution of 74 (63.24%) coagulase-positive staphylococci and 43 (36.75%) coagulase-negative staphylococci. Of these isolates, 76 (64.95%) were characterized as S. aureus both conventional and molecular techniques. Lytic bacteriophages against two S. aureus strains which were isolated from mastitic milk samples were obtained from wastewater samples. Conclusion: The results of this study show that a significant portion of subclinical mastitis was formed by staphylococci. In addition, phage isolation against S. aureus strains isolated can be considered as one of the steps to be applied in the prophylaxis and treatment of such infections.