Abstract With increased pressures coming from global competition and requirements for greater innovation in product development, designers are hard pressed to deliver designs of higher quality and variety using a repertoire of technological options from different disciplines. This interdisciplinary product development approach has not only removed many of the traditional constraints to design but has now given designers a much wider freedom of choice as to the best solution to a design problem. The focus of this paper is a knowledge-based design environment called Schemebuilder, which is a comprehensive and integrated suite of software tools aimed at supporting the designer in the rapid development of product design models in the conceptual, through embodiment stages of design. Illustrated is the use of the software tools in the qualitative generation of alternative schemes, by application of stored working and decomposition principles in the development of a function-means tree-like information structure. With mechatronic product development as the main theme, this paper describes a closely integrated methodology that incorporates a bond graph approach to continuous-time energetic systems and high-level Petri nets for the rigorous description of discrete-time information systems. Additionally, a technique is suggested for the decomposition of free format statements of need into the rigorously defined design context and required functions, which form the starting point of the function-means development process.


In the study of medical history, it is important to establish the chronology and geography of diseases in the past, but it is equally important to see how disease affected individuals, how it shaped their concept of illness and of healing. In order to understand popular medical attitudes in Tudor England, it useful to examine a source of information such as The Lisle Letters, edited by Muriel St. Clare Byrne. A collection of letters dated from 1533 to 1540, it contains information on economic, social, and political aspects of Tudor Society, as well as medical aspects. The Lisle Letters provides a window into popular attitudes toward disease and doctors among the upper classes in the sixteenth century. These attitudes resulted in part from a simple fear of becoming ill. The writers of the letters believed that illness could be sent by God because of His anger over man's sinful ways. Illness was also thought to be caused by an imbalance of humors, as Galen believed, or by an unfavorable alignment of the planets. Since it was believed that illness could be caused by a number of things, the Lisles and their correspondents employed a many-tiered system to try to cure disease. At times, they belived, prayer, confession, and penance might be all that could help. The upper classes also looked to university trained physicians for help, but the doctors' unpleasant purges, blood-lettings, and high prices were disliked. Tudor men and women also used remedies which could be concocted at home or bought at the apothecary's. But one of the common ways of coping with illness and pain seems to have been to discuss it with friends and family. Describing physical problems in detail, as the writers of these letters did, was apparently neither impolite nor indiscrete, and it indicates that illness was accepted as a part of everyday life. From The Lisle Letters it can be seen that sixteenth-century people reacted to illness with the same distress and dismay that anyone might feel. They worried about the health of their family and friends, yet they carried on. Most importantly, perhaps, they could discuss their difficulties with others: they had the comfort of knowing that they were not alone in their suffering.


Research on antioxidant properties as a natural antioxidant, particularly in polypores, have been widely done since the past decade. It is known that antioxidant
capacity is essential in protecting organisms and cells from damage brought on by oxidative which is believed to be the cause for ageing and degenerative diseases. In this
study, biodiversity and antioxidant activity of Malaysian Trametes spp. which is from the group of polypores were investigated. Polypores were collected in Peninsular
Malaysia forests from the year 2006 until 2007. The species were identified by taxonomic keys based on macromorphology and micromorphology analysis. Trametes hirsuta, T. pocas, T. lactinea, T. menziezii and T. feei were identified throughout the collection.Methanolic and dichloromethane extracts of mycelia of Trametes spp. were analysed for antioxidant activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhdrazyl (DPPH) radicals and reducing ability of CUPRAC assay. Furthermore, the total of phenolic content of methanol extracts of Trametes spp. was analysed and the relationship of the phenol contents with the antioxidant activity was observed. IC50 values of scavenging effect on DPPH radicals of methanolic extracts of Trametes spp. ranging from 7.296 to 27.324 mg/ml and dichloromethane extracts ranging from 36.2 to 66 mg/ml, respectively. The reducing ability of Trametes spp. ranging from 0.3457 to 0.5367 at 0.5 mg/ml. Total phenolic content of methanolic extracts of Trametes spp. ranging from 10.54 to 23.28 mg/g extract.A good correlation was found between total phenolic content of Trametes spp.methanolic extracts on CUPRAC assay (r2 = 0.9546) with antioxidant properties. However, a weak correlation was found between the scavenging effects on DPPH radicals of the methanolic extracts with the total phenolic content in Trametes spp. methanolic extracts (r2 = 0.1332). These results show that both phenolic and nonii phenolic components were responsible for the total antioxidative activity of the Trametes spp. extracts. Therefore, Trametes spp. can be a natural source of antioxidants.


ss and letters Earlyy intervention and the course of recent onset schizophreni a Linszenn DH, Dingemans PMAJ, Lenior ME, De Haan L, Scholte WF Europeann Psychiatry, 1998, SI2 Reacti ee op "Comorbiditei t van psychiatrische stoornisse n in de Nederlands e bevolking... "" betreffende de gevoelighei d van de CIDI voor psychotische stoornisse n n Dingemanss PMAJ, De Haan L, Linszen DH Tijdschriftt voor Psychiatrie, 1999, 41:58-61 Regional ee aanpak van initiële niet-affectieve psychose n (Reacti e op Vlaminck) Linszenn DH, De Haan L, Scholte WF Maandbladd Geestelijke Volksgezondheid , 1999; 10:1061 -1066 Howw is optimal dosage to be determined? Subjective experience and striatal dopaminee D2 receptor occupanc y in patient s with schizophreni a stabilized on olanzapinee or risperidone Dee Haan L, Lavalaye J, Linszen DH, Dingemans PMAJ, Booij J Schizophreni aa Research , 2000,41: 26 (oral presentatio n at the Biennal Winterworkshopp on schizophreni a in Davos) Attitudess of patient s concerning the first psychoti c episode and the start of treatment t Dee Haan L, Peter s B, Dingemans PMAJ, Wouters L, Linszen DH Schizophreni aa Research , 2000, 41: 227 (abstract ) Obsessive-Compulsiv ee Symptoms during treatment with olanzapine and risperidone,risperidone, indication of differences in the long-term. Preliminary results from aa prospective study Dee Haan L, Beuk N, Linszen DH, Dingemans PMAJ Schizophreni aa Research , 2000,41: 191 (abstract ) Massivee increase in serum creatine kinase (CPK) during olanzapine and quetiapinee treatment , not during treatment with clozapine Boott E, De Haan L Psychopharmacology ,, 2000, 150: 347-348 (letter) Dr.. De Haan and colleagues reply to Bressan et al: Dopamine D2 receptor blockadee in schizophreni a Dee Haan L, Lavalaye J, Linszen DH, Dingemans PMAJ, Booij J Americann Journal of Psychiatry, 2001, 158: 972 (letter)


We use the mean-field approximation to numerically study the dynamics of a split condensate in Mach-Zehnder-type atom interferometers that employ Bragg diffraction. The Husimi representation is used as a direct tool for diagnosing the dynamics in phase space, thus providing information on the interference fringe contrast. We analyze how optimization of the contrast of interference signals can result by means of compensating for the nonlinear interaction and the trapping potential for three alternative experimental schemes. The phase-space overlap in Husimi distribution as well as dynamics in phase space is shown to be important in determining the interference fringe contrast.


Online learning is the new way of education. It is flexible, affordable, comfortable, and even self-paced. The hybrid model of learning will persist for a long time. Thus, much research is being undertaken to make the process smooth. Cloud computing- the new IT paradigm possesses the power to change the way of resource consumption in learning today. It is expected to impact the nature of education in a few years. However, cloud computing has not been universally adopted for online learning due to its challenges despite its benefits. This study aims at reporting these challenges and ranking them based on their impact using TISM (Total Interpretive Structural Modelling). MICMAC analysis categorizes these challenges as per their driving power and dependence power. The outcomes of the study brief about these challenges and can help guide future research in this area.


This investigation was conducted to determine the radial extent at which aircraft mounted flow vanes or roll rate gyros can sense the circulatory flow field that exists around the lift induced vortex system generated by an aircraft in flight. The probe aircraft was equipped with wingtip sensors for measuring angle of attack and angle of sideslip, and with a fuselage mounted gyroscope for measuring roll rate. Analysis of flight test data indicated that the vortex was detectable at a lateral distance of about 105 feet (best results) using unsophisticated equipment. Measurements were made from the centerline of the probe aircraft to the center of the nearest vortex with the probe aircraft flying between one half and one and one half miles behind the vortex generating aircraft.


We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the reviewers of the journal Environment and Social Psychology for their invaluable contribution to our research in the field of environmental and psychological health. The insightful comments and constructive criticisms provided by the reviewers have greatly improved the quality of our manuscripts.Their meticulous attention to detail and their willingness to provide feedback and suggestions have been instrumental in shaping our research into a more comprehensive and robust study. We appreciate their time and effort in reviewing our work, and we are grateful for their dedication to advancing knowledge in this important area.Their expertise and professionalism have been an inspiration to us, and we feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with such exceptional reviewers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration between this journal and its esteemed reviewers, and we hope that our work will contribute to further advancements in the field of environmental and psychological health.


We evaluated the effects of dietary lipid levels on body index,lipid deposition,blood biochemistry indices and lipid metabolic enzyme activities of Sebastes schlegeli.Juvenile fish[average initial body weight:(7.13 ±0.03) g]were randomly divided into 5 groups and fed diets containing different lipid levels(3.7%,6.8%,9.6%,13.1% and 15.6%) using fish oil as the lipid source for 60 d.The results showed that the hepatosomatic index(HSI) and viscerosomatic index(VSI) of S.schlegeli increased with increasing dietary lipid levels(P 0.05),while the condition factor(CF) had no significant differences among groups(P 0.05).The crude lipid content of whole body,muscle and liver of S.schlegeli increased with increasing dietary lipid levels(P 0.05).The crude lipid contents of whole body,muscle and liver in the group fed15.6% lipid were significantly higher than those of the groups fed 3.7% and 6.8% lipid(P 0.05).Dietary lipid had a significant effect on lipid metabolic enzymes(P 0.05).The activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase(G6PDH) and malic dehydrogenase(MDA) decreased with increasing lipid level,but the activities of lipoprotein lipase(HPL) and hepaticlipase(HL) increased(P 0.05).The activities of G6 PDH and MDA were significantly lower in the groups fed 15.6% and 13.1% lipid than those of the groups fed 3.7% and 6.8% lipid(P 0.05),but the activities of HPL and HL were significantly higher(P 0.05).The contents of blood triglyceride(TG) and cholesterol(CHO) decreased with increasing dietary lipid levels,but the contents of blood high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase(AST) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase(ALT) increased(P 0.05).The contents of blood TG and CHO in the group fed 15.6% lipid were significantly lower than those of the groups fed3.7% and 6.8% lipid(P 0.05),but the contents of blood HDL-C,AST and ALT were highest.The contents of blood low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) initially increased with increasing lipid levels,but then decreased(P 0.05).Results of the above show that dietary lipid level had significant effects on body index,lipid deposition,blood biochemistry indices and lipid metabolic enzyme activities of S.schlegeli,but when dietary lipid level exceeds 9.6%,the lipid deposition in liver would increase,which is bad for health and growth of S.schlegeli.


Some of the first issues that a cisgender voice teacher of transgender and gender nonconforming singers faces is finding role models and repertoire for the student. After all, with most students we have well established ideas of what their musical niche might be. But transgender or gender nonconforming singers might seem to bring an entirely blank slate, as if nobody had ever developed a following or composed songs as a transgender singer. Thankfully, that is not the case. There are talented transgender singers in almost every genre, and many people have cut paths for our students to explore.Few people have more expertise on music of transgender performers than JD Doyle, archivist of music of LGBTQ performers spanning the last hundred years. His websites, Queer Music Heritage and JD Doyle Archives, are both sources of understanding, appreciation, and exposure for LGBTQ singers. JD has an uncomplicated way of shining light on appropriate repertoire: "[W]hat is queer music, and what makes it different, and the same, from what straight artists write and sing about? It's the same because of course LGBT people write about relationships, falling in love, wanting to be in love, and losing love..."Doyle offers a number of recommendations of artists to consider that I have supplemented. It is exciting to hear the authentic and meaningful music of these artists, some who sing from their hearts with insightful, serious lyrics about their transitions, some who perform songs that say nothing specific about their transitions, and others who use comedy and bring up the edgier side of their lives.Namoli Brennet is a folk-rock singer/songwriter based out of Iowa. Her poetic lyrics have been described as insightful, moody, and inspiring. I find her ballads to be heartbreaking and her up-tempo music to be nothing but fun. Her music has been featured on the radio and in films. Namoli tours for part of every year and uses a combination of acoustic instruments and digital gadgets to create a rich tapestry of music (www.namolibrennet.com).Joe Stevens of the folk duo, Coyote Grace, is another immensely talented singer/songwriter who pours his experiences and emotions into brilliantly crafted songs. Many of Coyote Grace's songs lean toward Americana with beautifully flowing melodies and poetic lyrics. One exception is "Daughterson," a comedic but unflinching solo song, which is a direct product of Joe's transitioning journey, with lyrics such as:"Well, you say I'm going to hellWell, I've been down that wellAnd God is a big boy, he can speak for himself'(www.coyotegrace.com).Jennifer Leitham is a career jazz musician, bassist, composer, and vocalist. Jennifer transitioned from being known as John Leitham in 2001, well into her career as an instrumentalist; but her first recording utilizing her singing voice is The Real Me (2006). She is the subject of an award-winning documentary, I Stand Corrected, which won the best film award at the American Documentary Film Festival in April, 2012 (jenniferleitham.com www.istandcorrectedmovie.com).Lucas Silveira is best known for being the front man of Toronto band, The Cliks, and has also released a solo cover album. The music of The Cliks is pure, exciting rock infused with an infectious beat, guitar driven instrumentation, and vocals that cry out with emotion. The Cliks has opened for Cyndi Lauper, as well as Ian Astbury (www.thecliks.com).Simon de Voil is a Scottish singer-songwriter whose specialty is sacred music, now living in the Pacific Northwest. His lyrics are rich with meaning oriented toward spirituality and healing for all people. The simple guitar chords and flowing melodies pull the listener into a quiet, meditative, and beautiful place. He has released several albums, but perhaps the most intriguing to the voice teacher or FtM transitioning singer is the soundtrack of the documentary Funny Kinda Guy. Simon's transition from female to male is the subject of the movie, and the soundtrack contains songs recorded at different points in the transition, voice cracks and all, as his voice lowers. …


In this paper, we introduce the notion of regular action of any abelian subgroup G of $Diff^{1}(C^n) on C^n (i.e. the closure of every orbit of G in some open set is a topological sub-manifold of C^n). We prove that if G fixes 0 and dim(vect(L_{G}) =n, then the action of G, can not be p-chaotic for every 0<= p <=n-1. (i.e. If G has a dense orbit then the set of all regular orbit with order p can not be dense in C^{n}), where vect(L_{G}) is the vector space generated by all Df_{0}, f in G. Moreover, weprove that the action of any abelian lie subgroup of Diff^{1}(C^{n}), is regular.


climatic resource is a primary condition of determining agricultural development of area. This paper regards land use pattern as the unit of calculating, utilize the meteorological materials day by day of 1991-2000 year, and estimates the impact of recent climate fluctuation on potential productivity for crops in Northeast China. The result shows: because the climate has become warm in Northeast crop growing period in the past 10 years (The temperature has increased 2.19 degrees C and the annual precipitation decreased 305.76mm), the crop potential productivity generally reduced by 6.45%. Moreover, the change of the precipitation is the main reason causing the different trends of crop potential productivity in different area.


Selection cutting is defined as a tool for uneven-aged silviculture. Dependence on diameter distribution by forestry practitioners for identifying stand conditions has led to misuse of selection-li...


CHILDMINDER NUMBERS are going down, but the number of places the remaining childminders are off ering is going up. Th is apparent contradiction was arrived at by Ofsted recently, using a brand new way of calculating such things. So, what did we find out? On the ground, out in the field, are there fewer people doing more, and if so, what can be done to reverse this trend?


Introduction Storage of large quantities of bulk sugar involves a grea t many problems both with respect to the handling of sugar in th e plant and until it finally reaches th e consumer. This paper has been prepared to show the methods and some of the results ob tained by Union Sugar utili/ing a Swedish design Weibull silo. Being located near the coast and subject to frequent fogs and winds, the climate at Betteravia is ex tremely variable. T he rela tive humidity will vary from 40 to 100% within a 24-hour period and frequently will change this much in six hours. Storage and handling of sugar under such varying conditions has dictated a search for means of storing sugar in a more favorable atmosphere. The "\Veibull silo was chosen as a means of storing suQ:ar under constant temperature and humidity conditions without influence of ambient air changes.


Piezo1 mechanosensitive ion channels play an important role in mechanotransduction in all vertebrates and have been identified in a variety of tissues and cell types including neurons. Previously, we have identified Piezo1 mechanosensitive ion channels in zebrafish and mammalian retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The principle aim of this study is to test whether activation of Piezo1 channels can produce neurodegeneration of zebrafish and mammalian RGCs.


Background Available data on aerosol emisions in children and adolescents during spontaneous breathing are limited. Our aim was to gain insight into the role of children in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and whether aerosol measurements in children can be used to help detect so-called superspreaders - infected individuals with extremely high numbers of exhaled aerosol particles. Methods In this prospective study, the aerosol concentration of SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive and SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative children and adolescents (2-17 years) was investigated. All subjects were asked about their current health status and medical history. The exhaled aerosol particle counts of PCR-negative and PCR-positive subjects were measured using the Resp-Aer-Meter (Palas GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany) and compared using linear regresion. The study was registered in the German Register of Clinical Studies (DRKS), DRKS00028539. Results A total of 250 children and adolescents were included in the study, 105 of whom were SARS-CoV-2 positive and 145 of whom were SARS-CoV-2 negative. The median age acros both groups was nine years (IQR 7-11). A total of 124 (49.6%) participants were female, and 126 (50.4%) participants were male. A total of 81.9% of the SARS-CoV-2-positive group had symptoms of viral infection. The median particle count of all individuals was 79.55 p/l (IQR 44.55-141.15). There was a tendency for older children to exhale more particles (1-5 years: 79.54 p/l;6-11 years: 77.96 p/l;12-17 years: 98.63 p/l). SARS-CoV-2 PCR status was not a bivariate predictor (t=.82, p=.415) for the exhaled aerosol particle count;however, the SARS-CoV-2 status was shown to be a significant predictor in a multiple regresion model together with age, body mas index (BMI), covid vaccination, and past SARS-CoV-2 infection (t=.2.81 p=.005). Covid vaccination status was a highly significant predictor of exhaled aerosol particles (p <.001).Conclusion During SARS-CoV-2 infection, children and adolescents do not have elevated aerosol levels. In addition, no superspreaders were found. Children and adolescents are not the main driver of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. .


The aim of this study is to discuss the importance of co-operation and separation between academia and industry. The academiaindustry partnership is a feasible factor that affects innovations with students' transition to the job market. The empirical material was collected and analysed on the basis of data gathered by Slovene Human Resources Development and Scholarship Fund. The data applies to several academic-industry network projects founded by the aforementioned organisation. The case study of the survey outlines four project cases conducted by Faculty of Business, Management and Informatics. The results reveal exercises to exchange expertise and experience, helping the industry to become more competitive whilst offering students better employability and career prospects.


Abstract : The development of holography is presented, along with a summary of the process, the difficulties, and likely applications. Three-dimensional holography is emphasized. A detailed description of experimental procedures includes an analysis of reasons for failure. A research hologram is analyzed and some measurements are given. A simplified mathematical model and extensive references are included. (Author)


Swarna Sindura (SS) is an ayurvedic preparation used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of neurasthenia. In this study, effect of SS on thyroid hormone profile was evaluated after chronic administration..


This paper reports a development of an optoelectric device with Pluronic (P) F-127 for reversibly immobilizing Caenorhabditis (C.) elegans. The gelation time was less than 5 s, and C. elegans also recovered from the immobilization within 10 s. The proposed device achieved addressable immobilization for long-term observation and imaging with less stress acting on worms. Assessments regarding growth, progeny, lifespan and stress were conducted. Worms imposed with simultaneous laser irradiation and an electric field in the PF-127 solution within 3 h incurred no adverse reactions. The technique is expected to benefit the research work on drug screening in the future.


Convection is efficient when advection matters much more than thermal diffusion. Despite this conceptually simple definition, there are several different measures of convective efficiency which are not quite equivalent. Here we recall the definitions of these measures and examine how they are related in different limits.


A mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) is a wireless network in which nodes, in the absence of fixed access points, communicate via single or multi-hop paths. Each node in a MANET should thus be able to perform necessary routing functions, and a MANET routing protocol should be able to adapt fast and effectively to sudden changes in network layout. Providing trustworthy quality of service guarantees in a MANET is very challenging due to the dynamic and uncertain nature of these networks. We extend the AODV routing protocol for MANETs to a multi-path protocol which uses end-to- end delay, instead of hop count, as metric for route selection. Multiple paths, together with the end-to-end delay provided by each path, are stored in routing tables. Upon route failure, the route table is first searched for an alternative route to the destination before a new route discovery process is initiated. This reduces both routing overhead and end-to-end packet delay. The proposed protocol is implemented and tested in OPNET Modeler and shows significant improvements in delay, delay variation, packet delivery fraction and routing overhead compared to AODV, DSR, OLSR and DYMO.


Combustible dusts and flammable gases, mists or vapors can all contribute to potentially explosive atmospheres in the workplace. For this reason, equipment and systems that are used within or in conjunction with these environments must conform to specific safety requirements. These requirements apply to all explosion protected equipment and systems, including safety, control, regulation devices and protective components.Although electrical equipment operating within its design parameters in some cases contains effective sources of ignition, this is not necessarily true for mechanical equipment.This paper addresses some of the requirements of the ISO 80079 series for mechanical equipment intended to operate in classified areas, and brings as a case study, an air compressor designed to operate in an oil terminal classified as Zone 2, IIA, T3, with frequency converter, evaluated according to the new requirements.


Numerical lattice simulations with a carefully taken continuum limit strongly indicate the absence of a bilinear condensate in three-dimensional massless QED for any even number of two-component fermions, ${N}_{f}\ensuremath{\ge}2$, solving a long-standing open question.


According to causes of the misfire in the blasting electric circuit,fault tree analysis(FTA)of misfire was constructed.On that basis,each elementary event was ranked orderly,and then,the minimum cut sets were obtained through analyzing the structure importance of the FTA.Consequently,the main reasons attributed to misfire were found out.Finally,preventive measures of misfire were sorted and analyzed systematically from the perspective of safety systems engineering,and a series of fundamental countermeasure were put forward to prevent the emerging of misfire,which could have some guiding significance for taking precautions against misfire in the blasting electric circuit.


Wireless applications, particularly with multiple resonances, put new demands on antennas pertaining to size, gain, efficiency, bandwidth, and more. One promising approach in this regard is to use fractal geometries to find the best distribution of currents within a volume to meet a particular design goal. In the miniaturization of wire antennas it has been found that the electromagnetic coupling between wire angles limits the reduction of the resonant frequency with increasing wire length. Recent efforts by several researchers around the world to combine fractal geometry with electromagnetic theory have led to an emergence of new and innovative antenna designs. Unique properties of fractals have been exploited to develop a new class of antenna-element designs that are multi-band and compact in size and have been shown to possess several highly desirable properties, including multi-band performance, low sidelobe levels, and its ability to develop rapid beamforming algorithms based on the recursive nature of fractals. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of the fractals and to provide a study and implementation of rapidly growing field of fractal antenna engineering including recent developments. The simulated results for Koch fractal antenna using AWAS and NEC are also provided.


Introduction Myosin is the major structural and functional protein in skeletal muscle fibers. Myosin contains an actin-activated ATPase activity that is the driving force for the relative shortening of the myofibril and is responsible for force generation in skeletal muscle (10). Within the myofibril, myosin is found within a structure known as a thick filament. Native thick filaments isolated from skeletal muscle are 1.6 fxm in length and 15 nm in diameter (5). Although purified thick filaments isolated from skeletal muscle contain varying amounts of myosin binding proteins such as C protein (21), the M-line protein myomesin (8), H protein (31), and X protein (31), purified myosin will form filaments virtually identical to native thick filaments in the absence of any other associated proteins (ll). Thus, basic information necessary for the assembly of thick filaments is encoded within the myosin molecule. The myosin molecule contains two distinct domains, the SI or myosin head, that encodes the actin-binding and ATPase activities of the molecule, and the rod or myosin tail that encodes the information responsible for thick filament formation (14, 35). Great gains in understanding the mechanics of force generation have been made following the successful crystallization of the myosin SI and its subsequent analysis by X-ray crystallography (22, 23). While the basic structure of the myosin rod, an a-helical-coiled coil, has been known for quite some time (30), the elements within the rod responsible for the unique solubility properties of myosin and its self-assembly into bipolar thick filaments have not been fully characterized. The focus of this report is to describe results of recent studies ongoing in our laboratories that provide insight into the unique physicochemical properties of the myosin rod that play a role in the formation of the a-helical coiled-coil structure and its subsequent aggregation under physiological conditions into synthetic bipolar filaments.


This was a retrospective, single-center, single-operator study examining the safety, feasibility, and short-term efficacy of treating patients with predominantly persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) with or without cavo-tricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablation by a first-year electrophysiologist (EP) with and without fluoroscopy. The study included 72 consecutive patients undergoing PVI for symptomatic drug refractory paroxysmal (30%) and persistent (70%) AF from August 1, 2015 to August 1, 2016. Fifty-two patients who underwent traditional PVI (30 with radiofrequency (RF) and 22 with cryoablation) with fluoroscopy were compared to 20 patients who underwent RF PVI without fluoroscopy. RF PVI utilized the CARTO 3-D mapping system (Biosense Webster Inc, Diamond Bar, CA) with a contact force-sensing catheter. All transseptal access was achieved with intracardiac ultrasound (ICE). More patients in the NO fluoroscopy group had coronary artery disease (CAD), but there were no significant differences for other clinical variables. Overall, procedure time was less in the NO fluoroscopy group despite similar ablation times. There was no significant difference in complication rates including vascular complications, tamponade, stroke, and death. Maintenance of sinus rhythm was the same in both groups (70% in the Fluoro group and 68% in the NO Fluoro group). AF ablation with PVI in predominantly persistent patients using RF with NO fluoroscopy in a new operator is feasible and safe with similar short-term efficacy with 3-D electroanatomic mapping in conjunction with contact force-sensing catheters.


Restudy of a hardground fauna from the Middle Jurassic of south-western Utah revealed the presence of thecideoid brachiopods. The absence of separated dorsal valves and the effects of abrasion and diagenesis hampered the description of the specimens. However, serial sectioning of complete shells revealed a thecidellinid which in its morphology and shell microstructure resembled Rioultina Pajaud from the Middle Jurassic of Europe. Important morphological differences clearly separate the new specimens from Rioultina and they are assigned to Stentorina sagittata gen. et sp. nov. However, the close approximation of certain shell microstructural features does suggest a phylogenetic link between the two genera. S. sagittata is also compared with the only other known American Jurassic species, Ancorellina ageri Mancenido and Damborenea from the Lower Jurassic of Argentina. Differences in morphological characters currently of family rank preclude the possibility of Stentorina being descended from Ancorellina stock. It is considered, therefore, that dispersal from Tethyan thecideoid populations to America occurred several times. E ARLIER studies of the Carmel Formation hardground community (Wilson and Palmer 1994) did not reveal the presence of thecideide brachiopods. The fauna initially seemed indicative of a low diversity molluscan community lacking the serpulids, brachiopods, foraminiferans and skeletal bryozoans typical of Jurassic hardgrounds elsewhere. However, the recent discovery of additional hard substrate groups, including the thecidellinid brachiopod described here, now shows the diversity of the Carmel Formation hardground fauna to be similar to that associated with other described Middle Jurassic hardgrounds in Europe, India and Greenland (see Wilson 1998).


Abstract Cheyenne narrative is among the most collected and published bodies of Native American narrative. This comparative analysis of material from 1890 onwards attempts to evaluate documentation methods by considering collaborator identification and interlocutors' own agendas. It also attempts to identify key critical approaches to Cheyenne narrative. Dividing the history of Cheyenne narrative documentation into three periods (early ethnographers, autobiography collectors, and contemporary collaborators), the analysis shows both continuances and changes in major Cheyenne narratives. Original field notes and interviews are examined to re-evaluate published material, and future documentation and analysis paths are suggested.


A method was developed to compensate for the energy response of gamma-ray dosimeters with CdZnTe(CZT) semiconductor detectors by analyzing the energy response of different detector sizes,various shielding materials,and various electronic thresholds with MCNP4C.The simulations show that a 15 mm thick Pb shield with 12.5% holes placed before the CZT(5 mm×5 mm×5 mm) detector or a 2 mm thick Pb shield with 3% holes before the detector and counting in two energy channels provide effective energy response compensation.The results provide a theoretical guide for the further design of CZT dosimeter.


The following article analyzes from a geopolitical and decolonial approach the environmental variable in the speeches and actions of the National Liberation party government of the former ex-president Jose Maria Figueres Olsen in Costa Rica (1994-1998). His government gave a central role to the sustainable development, turning it into a unifying force of the discourses and actions concerning both, his domestic and international public policies. The article demonstrates that this concept is used mostly according to some geopolitical conditions, regarding the international discussions about the relationship between society and nature within the boundaries of an economic model or theory about nature.


Higher education has been required by social and economic development to provide the market with innovative talents.Vibration mechanics is an important branch of the basic mechanics.It is an important issue of modern physics and many areas of science and technology.Vibration mechanics experimental teaching can help students understand the theories and train students to solve practical engineering problems.Students can also be improved on the quality of innovation through independent experiments.This paper investigates the vibration mechanics experimental teaching about the content,the experimental platform and experiment teaching management.Some useful exploration and practice were obtained.This paper also summed up the experience of the courses and proposed improvements.


The farm-scale simulation of grassland production and use allows the farm system to be evaluated for feed self-sufficiency under different management strategies and in different climatic years. We investigated the impact of the frequency of years unfavourable to grassland production, such as the year 2003 that was characterized by a severe spring drought and by heat stress. We used the whole-farm simulation model SEBIEN, which reproduces the steady-state functioning of grasslandbased beef suckler systems. The model is based on the interface of animal, vegetation and management sub-models, and was calibrated for suckler farms in the upland areas of the Auvergne region in France. We ran the model with a recent climatic series (1994-2005) and with artificial climatic series consisting of increasing frequencies of unfavourable years (e.g. 2003) or 'normal' years (e.g. 2000) for grassland production. Simulation results indicated that without changing the management rules, in 2003 the total amount of herbage harvested was reduced by 54% compared to 2000. The grass quality was also markedly reduced in 2003, leading to a dramatic decrease in farm feed selfsufficiency. The frequency of unfavourable climatic years did not affect the average results for 2003 and 2000. Adaptations of the forage system, aimed to cope with frequent climatic incidents as drought and heat stress were tested with the simulation model. Increasing farm area with productive grassland or increasing the productivity of the grassland for the same farm area were found to be efficient to improve feed self-sufficiency. Changing the harvesting system from field-dried hay to earlier cut forage conserved as barn-dried hay or big bale silage, was found to be the most efficient and minimised the loss of harvested herbage to 34% while maintaining grass quality. However, these adaptations have an economic cost and environmental impacts that need to be taken into account. This study highlights the importance of adapting the management rules of the forage system, either tactically or strategically, to cope with extreme climatic events.


This study examined the remineralization effect of CPP -ACFP according to the etching time and the frequency of application. A CPP-ACFP paste was formed from a combination of CPP-ACP paste and fluorine. The remineralization effect of CPP-ACFP was measured according to the etching time and the frequency of applications of CPP-ACFP. The microhardness of 64 teeth was measured as the sound sample and observed by scanning electron microscopy. As a result, the effect on remineralization of the enamel increased with increasing etching time and frequency of application. Therefore, a CPP-ACP paste combination to fluorine in the tooth mineral CPP-ACFP paste fluoride application can be supplied with the material-advisable enamel remineralization.


This article problematizes the 2016 coup, the attacks on public education and the fabrication of subjects by the social machine. It addresses the emergence of (in)docile bodies and the engendering of new pedagogical practices in the contingencies of the Covid-19 pandemic and life avatarized through screens in a cybercultural context. It highlights that these bodies produced in other registers, prosthetic and ubiquitous, carved in social movements and expanded with the intensification of sociabilities mediated by technologies of encounter, inflame the terrorists of normality and create other possible aesthetics for public education - with all audiences - despite unequal access. It argues that what happened in physical isolation and in the imminence of death, with regard to the relationship between education and digital technologies, may have traced paths of connection with the other, pointing to the writing of broader lives. Finally, it defends the creation of existences that move in the virtuality of networks and that announce a becoming-people in the anti-people 'spacetimes' of educational institutions. © 2022 Curriculo sem Fronteiras. All rights reserved.


In the non-conductive adhesives (NCAs) for adhesion of micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), there are some problems such as delamination and cracking resulting from the large differences of coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between NCAs and substrates. So, the addition of inorganic particles such as silica and nano clay to the CTEs composit have been applied to reduce the CTEs of the adhesives. Additions of the flexibilizers such as siloxanes have also been performed to improve the flexibility of epoxy composite. Amino modified siloxane (AMSs) were used to improve compatibility between epoxy and siloxane. In this study, glass transition temperatures (Tg) and moduli of those composites were measured to confirm the effects of AMS with two different equivalents on thermal/mechanical properties of AMS/epoxy composites. Tg of KF-8010/epoxy composites decreased from 148 to 122 and those of X-22-161A/epoxy composites decreased from 148 to 121 . Moduli of KF-8010/epoxy composites decreased from 2648 to 2143 MPa by adding KF-8010 and moduli of X-22-161A/epoxy composites decreased from 2648 to 2014 MPa. In short, using long Si-O chain AMS leads to a greater decrease in moduli. However, haven't showed significant differences in Tg's.


Drawing on the social investment and corresponsive principles, this paper investigated how sustained successful investment in the work role contributes to personality change in the Big Five traits....


The present invention is useful nickel as an electrode material for an electrochemical supercapacitor (electrochrmical supercapacitor) - manganese (Ni-Mn) two-component complexes (binary complex) and that thereof relates to a process for the preparation, in particular a chemical co-precipitation (coprecipitetion) and freeze-dried nickel having a spinel structure prepared by (freeze-drying) - manganese coprecipitated hydroxide (hydroxides), nickel has a calcite structure-nickel having a manganese coprecipitated hydroxide carbonate (hydroxocarbonates) and Ilmenite structure-manganese coprecipitated oxide (oxides) any one of the electrochemical supercapacitor useful as an electrode material for nickel in the-present invention relates to manganese (Ni-Mn) two-component complexes and methods for their preparation. Nickel in accordance with the present invention-manganese binary complex is the specific surface area, specific resistance, without causing degradation and deterioration of the electrical characteristics, such as response speed capacity in the unit area reserved only the amount of solid, continuous cycling compared to conventional lithium-based secondary battery, it decreases the reduction rate can be expected for a relatively long service life can be effectively used as an electrode material for an electrochemical supercapacitor. Super capacitors, co-precipitated hydroxide, freeze-dried, nanocrystal, a hybrid cell, spinel (spinel) structure, calcite (calcite) structure, Ilmenite (ilmenite) structure


The properties of conventional FCC naphtha and MIP(maximizing isomers process)naphtha,esp.the distributions of sulfur and olefins,were compared.OCT-M process was developed by FRIPP for naphtha selective hydrodesulfurization.It was applied to these two kinds of naphtha for reducing sulfur content to less than 50 μg/g.The properties of treated FCC naphtha and treated MIP naphtha were compared,and the results indicated that the octane loss of MIP naphtha was less than that of FCC naphtha.Commercial trial data showed that in two different operation modes,the sulfur contents of MIP naphtha could be reduced from 417 μg/g to 24 μg/g(with a RON loss of 1.8 units)and from 442 μg/g to 53 μg/g(with a RON loss of 0.7 units),respectively.OCT-M process is a flexible and economic route to produce clean gasoline with sulfur content less than 50 μg/g.


Peer review techniques can be useful tools for supplementing programmer education, improving cooperation and communication within programming teams, and providing programmer self-evaluation. This paper will explore the benefits of peer review for practicing professional programmers and describe a framework for administration of an annual or semi-annual peer review process.


Objective. Determine the level of satisfaction of nurses related to nursing supervision as services. Materials and methods. A descriptive study consisted of 55 nurses from the Hospital of Chancay was carried out -. Lima, during 2013 a questionnaire was used to obtain information about the "level of satisfaction regarding supervision Nurses Nursing as services. Results. Intrinsic factors associated with the level of satisfaction are the following, Relationship with authority on the level of satisfaction with 45.5%, moderately dissatisfied Interpersonal Relations with 60%, and fulfillment moderately dissatisfied with 38.2%. The factors associated with extrinsic satisfaction in moderately unsatisfied Nurses regarding supervision of Nursing are Leadership, planning, satisfaction with services as supervision is as follows for staff and objectivity of the supervisory administrative function: moderately dissatisfied in services: Surgery and ICU by 80%, Gynecology and Medicine with 66.7%, with 53.8% Neonatology Pediatrics in 44.4%, and Surgical Emergency Center with 42.9%. Conclusions. The level of satisfaction of nurses regarding the supervision of Nursing at the Hospital of Chancay is mildly dissatisfied.


This work deals with the leaf anatomy of the Stromanthe thalia (Vell.) J.M.A. Braga (Marantaceae) from two different environments of the Atlantic Rain Forest, Rio de Janeiro. The common characteristics observed on the specimens from lowland forest and montane forest were single epidermal layer in both surfaces and sinuous anticlinal cell walls; paracytic stomata; dorsiventral leaf; pulvinus with water storage tissue; sheaths fibrous close to collateral vascular bundles; aerenchyma throughout the sheath, petiole and lamina. The structural variations observed were fibrous tissue increased at the margin and midrib region as well as the larger number and the size of the adaxial hypodermis layers near the midrib of lamina on the specimen from lowland forest.


Why can't embryos be bought and sold like any other commodity? Making this surprising proposal is less surprising than where it was made - in the America's leading medical journal, the New England Journal of Medicine.


Esthetics is the science of beauty, re-establishing dental esthetics is one of the most gratifying services that a dental professional can provide. When the complaint is associated with both hard and soft tissues, it becomes even more challenging to harmonize these structures. A multi-disciplinary approach is the preferred protocol for such cases. This article discusses a case report of successful rehabilitation of anterior esthetics involving both white and pink esthetics.


Electrolyte gated transistors (EGTs) are a sub-class of thin film transistors that are extremely promising for biological sensing applications. These devices employ a solid electrolyte as the gate insulator; the very large capacitance of the electrolyte results in low voltage operation and high transconductance or gain. This talk will describe the fabrication of floating gate EGTs and their use as ricin sensors. The critical performance metrics for EGTs compared with other types of TFTs will also be reviewed.


A framework for selecting partness of virtual enterprises is proposed by combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with the data envelopment analysis (DEA). Many factors which need to be considered in the case of selecting partners of virtual enterprises are analyzed firstly. Then a framework for selecting partners is proposed where evaluating relative improtance of qualitative factors are performed by means of AHP,and selecting effective combination of partners with qualitative and quantitative inputs and outputs is processed by DEA. Finally the framework is used to select a partner of a virtual enterprise demonstratively.


Trade via the Internet and high competitive pressure on companies means that recommendation marketing by (neutral) third parties is used to persuade consumers to make a purchase decision. In particular, marketing with quality labels and influencers enjoys great popularity, but also opens up great potential for misuse through deception. In order to create a uniform standard for protection against misleading marketing, the UCP Directive and other European legal acts provide a Europe-wide protective framework. However, there are far-reaching differences in national law. Using European, German, Dutch, French and Spanish law as examples, this study examines the regulatory differences in misleading marketing law between the legal systems and whether and to what extent further harmonization under European law might be necessary.


In view of the current traffic network of deficiencies in the path selection research, i.e. only consider static traffic network path selection problem. This paper proposed shortest path algorithm under congestion traffic network which is based on ant colony algorithm and builds the traffic network model based on Petri nets, and use ant colony optimization to find the shortest path for the static traffic network. Then add the weather, road capacity to the model, made it become dynamic traffic network. Using AHP combined with Petri network traffic on the topology map to find the shortest path and make a comparative analysis. The results show that when the road is congestion, path algorithm for dynamic traffic network can be more convenient for travelers to find the route.


Since the DMSO seriously oxidizes the GeI2 which is one of the ingredients for the Sn/Ge perovskite, it was difficult to make high-quality films by using the conventional DMSO/DMF solvent. We now first report the MASn0.5Ge0.5I3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) prepared by a simple spin-coating technology. We found that triethanolamine (TEA)/n-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) does not oxidize the GeI2 and improves the stability of the precursor. The precursor solution with TEA/NMP/DMF gave high-quality perovskite films. The cell gave a power conversion efficiency of 2.18%. This is the first report proving that Sn/Ge PSCs are fabricated by a conventional solution process.


Product development teams often face the challenge of designing radically new products that cater at the same time to the revealed tastes and expectations of existing customers. In new product development projects, this tension guides critical choices about continuity or change concerning product attributes and team composition. Research suggests these choices interact, but it is not clear whether they are complements or substitutes and if the level of change in one should match or not the level of change in the other. In this article, we examine the interaction between product attribute change, team change, and a new team‐level factor, that we term stream concentration, as it captures differences among team members in terms of familiarity with the knowledge domain of the new product being developed. We measure stream concentration as team members' prior NPD experience within a given set of products and assess its impacts on the management of change in new product development projects using longitudinal data from the music industry. We analyze 2621 new product development projects between 1962 and 2008 involving 34,265 distinct team members. Results show that stream concentration is a critical factor in new product development projects that, together with product attributes and team composition, affects new product performance. We discuss implications for research and practice.


Rationale: Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including those targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), are tempting in immunosuppressive cancers such as multiple myeloma (MM). PD-1 inhibition alone has not been effective (Lesokhin, JCO, 2016). Evidence suggests that tumor response is determined by tumor PD-L1 expression and presence of infiltrating cytotoxic T-cell lymphocytes (CTLs). Intravenous Pelareorep (Reolysin), the infusible form of reovirus (RV), has been shown to upregulate IFN-regulated gene expression, CTL infiltration, and the PD1/PD-L1 axis in myeloma cell lines (Kelly KR et al, Leukemia, 2018) and in patients with brain tumors (Samson A et al, Sci Trans Med, 2018).
 Introduction:Viral oncolytic therapy with Pelareorep is supported by preclinical data indicating that its antitumor activity results from direct cytolysis and immune responses against infected MM cells. Our phase 1 single agent Reolysin trial in patients with relapsed MM confirmed the tolerability of Pelareorep and demonstrated preferential infection into myeloma cells but not microenvironmental cells in the marrow by intracellular staining for RV genome. In PART ONE of our follow-up trial, Carfilzomib (Kyprolis)-sensitive patients were accrued. Correlative studies included bone marrow aspirate pretreatment on cycle 1 day 1 and day 9 to assess RV infection of myeloma cells, replication within myeloma cells, and PD-L1 expression on myeloma cell surface. Pelareorep, Carfilzomib, and 20 mg IV Dexamethasone were all infused per the standard Carfilzomib schedule on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 of a 28-day cycle.
 Part ONE: Carfilzomib-sensitive patients were infused at dose level one with Pelareorep 3 x 1010TCID50/day and Carfilzomib 20 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2 of cycle 1 and 27 mg/m2 thereafter, on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 of a 28-day cycle. The MTD will be determined as the highest dose combination with fewer than 33% DLTs observed in cycle 1. There were 2 VGPRs, 2 PRs, 1 MR, and one patient with stable disease after cycle 1. All evaluable patients showed RV infection and replication in the post-treatment BM aspirates. In the 4 bortezomib-refractory patients in the first cohort, all have shown viral replication, and this correlated directly with activated caspase-3 in the MM cells and clinical response.
 Part TWO: Carfilzomib-refractory patients were treated with Carfilzomib 20 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2 of cycle 1, and 56 mg/m2 thereafter. Seven patients have been enrolled to date. In 3 patients processed to date with both pre- and post-treatment biopsies available, RV infection was detected in myeloma cells (2 patients) and endothelial cells (one patient). Replication was not seen. In these patients there was no strong evidence of increased activated caspase-3 expression in myeloma cells, nor was there a statistically significant increased CD8 cell infiltration or checkpoint protein expression after treatment.
 Conclusion: An increase in viral infection, viral replication, and PD-L1 expression on the surface of myeloma cells has been demonstrated in patients that had a clinical response to protocol therapy. A future study to assess the safety and tolerability of PD-1 inhibition in relapsed myeloma patients is now open to accrual (NCT03605719). Dose escalation is ongoing and the effects of the addition of Reolysin to Carfilzomib/Dexamethasone will be determined in this trial.

 Hofmeister: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Adaptive biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Oncopeptides: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Nuovo:Oncolytics Biotech Inc: Research Funding. Lonial:Amgen: Research Funding. Kaufman:Roche: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Other: data monitoring committee; Janssen: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy. Nooka:GSK: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adaptive technologies: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Heffner:Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Kite Pharma: Research Funding.


20 Lluis JM, Colell A, Garcia-Ruiz C et al. (2003) Acetaldehyde impairs mitochondrial glutathione transport in HepG2 cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress. Gastroenterology 124, 708–724 21 Mari M, Colell A, Morales A et al. (2004) Acidic sphingomyelinase downregulates the liver-specific methionine adenosyltransferase 1A, contributing to tumor necrosis factor-induced lethal hepatitis. J Clin Invest 113, 895–904. 22 Soccio RE, Breslow JL (2004) Intracellular cholesterol transport. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 24, 1150–1160. 23 Hall EA, Ren S, Hylemon PB et al. (2005) Detection of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, StAR, in human liver cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 1733, 111–119. 24 Kaufman RJ (1999) Stress signaling from the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum: coordination of gene transcriptional and translational controls. Genes Dev 13, 1211–1233. 25 Ji C, Kaplowitz N (2003) Betaine decreases hyperhomocysteinemia, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and liver injury in alcohol-fed mice. Gastroenterology 124, 1488–1499. 26 Han D, Canali R, Rettori D et al. (2003) Effect of glutathione depletion on sites and topology of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production in mitochondria. Mol Pharmacol 64, 1136–1144. 27 Vendemiale G, Grattagliano I, Altomare E et al. (1996) Effect of acetaminophen administration on hepatic glutathione compartmentation and mitochondrial energy metabolism in the rat. Biochem Pharmacol 52, 1147–1154. 28 Zhao P, Slattery JT (2002) Effects of ethanol dose and ethanol withdrawal on rat liver mitochondrial glutathione: implication of potentiated acetaminophen toxicity in alcoholics. Drug Metab Dispos 30, 1413–1417.


1. This is a definite improvement compared to the previous version. However in my opinion more time needs to be spent ensuring the writing is suitable for the predominantly clinical audience of the journal. 2. I realise the Samson et al paper [40] is very recent but it probably deserves more attention in the introduction and discussion. In particular the very different approaches to assessing the reliability of the dynamic roll over measurements need to be addressed and justified. Minor Revisions Abstract 1. " Foot scanning techniques are moving towards dynamic reconstructions " is very vague. See also " The results obtained in the accuracy and repeatability experiments suggest positive outcomes " .


With the advent of technology, speech recognition is no longer just the capability of the humans. Voice based interfaces can turn most favorable for human computer interaction if computers respond according to its users emotional state. Emotion recognition from speech is a challenging problem as the system has to interact with diverse user utterances. This paper presents an age driven speech emotion recognition system. The performed emotion recognition experiment reveals that, the classifier model trained according to its user's age group show improved accuracy over the model based on simply acoustic features. The age and emotion detection method adopted employs extraction of basic prosodic and spectral feature from the emotional speech corpuses and uses Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm for classification.


To truly realize the teaching goal of general education curriculum teaching,literature to the traditional educational model must be reformed,must hold classroom teaching this center link,explored adapt to the students need pattern of classroom teaching.Will "earnestly-communication-practice" three steps of general education in literature throughout every project,course to play the main part of college students and teachers guide,cultivate the students' learning ability,communication ability,practice ability and innovation ability,to realize the good will of general education.


We present a theoretical framework for studying the integration of information over time in experimental paradigms involving the successive presentation of printed strings of letters with varying orthographic overlap (orthographic priming). This framework is expressed as a set of six processing principles, five of which are derived directly from the interactive activation model of orthographic processing (McClelland & Rumelhart, 1981), and an additional sixth principle relative to a hypothesized inhibitory reset mechanism. The validity of these principles are evaluated with respect to data obtained from different variants of the orthographic priming paradigm, and related paradigms.


The ordinary individual may, as regards the common pyogenic organisms, be regarded as having a medium degree of immunity which can be increased actively or passively. In an acute case one cannot tell whether the infecting organism is one which is very sensitive to these drugs so that, if the patient is to have the best chance, every endeavour should be made at the same time that the drug is administered to increase the immunity by vaccines or serums or by non-specific measures. Serums are only obtainable for certain infections, but vaccines can be obtained, or can readily be prepared, for practically every acute bacterial infection.


Yeast play a key role in the fermentation of many foods andbeverages. The best known examples are bread, beer and wine, where understanding of the ecology, biochemistry, physiology and genomics of the yeast contribution is well advanced. Yeast also have prominent roles in the production of other well-known commodities, such as cheeses, salami-style meat sausages, and soy sauce, where their activities in the fermentation and maturation processes are attracting increasing research. Still, there are many other products where yeast have a significant role in fermentation, but aspects of their contributions and how these impact on product quality remain a mystery. Such products include many indigenous fermented foods of Asia, Africa and Central and South America, and two economically important cash crops, cocoa beans and coffee. Consider life without chocolate or good quality coffee! We have been studying cocoa bean fermentations in Indonesia and now in North Queensland, Australia. In this article, we review the role of yeast in the production of cocoa beans and chocolate.


Abstract A relationship between the peak flow stress and the positron trapping rate has been found during the hardening stage in polycrystalline copper cyclically deformed at 500 K. This relationship coincides with that predicting the vacancy fraction created by jog dragging. It is concluded that clusters of these vacancies should be the main positron traps.


The exterior square of a multiset is a natural combinatorial construction which is related to the exterior square of a vector space. We consider multisets of elements of an abelian group. Two properties are defined which a multiset may satisfy: recognisability and involution-recognisability. A polynomial-time algorithm is described which takes an input multiset and returns either (a) a multiset which is either recognisable or involution-recognisable and whose exterior square equals the input multiset, or (b) the message that no such multiset exists. The proportion of multisets which are neither recognisable nor involution-recognisable is shown to be small when the abelian group is finite but large. Some further comments are made about the motivating case of multisets of eigenvalues of matrices.


Multiview three-dimensional (3D) display is able to provide horizontal parallax to viewers with high-resolution and fullcolor images being presented to each view. Most multiview 3D display systems are designed and implemented using multiple projectors, each generating images for one view. Although this multi-projector design strategy is conceptually straightforward, implementation of such multi-projector design often leads to a very expensive system and complicated calibration procedures. Even for a multiview system with a moderate number of projectors (e.g., 32 or 64 projectors), the cost of a multi-projector 3D display system may become prohibitive due to the cost and complexity of integrating multiple projectors. In this article, we describe an optical design technique for a class of multiview 3D display systems that use only a single projector. In this single projector multiview (SPM) system design, multiple views for the 3D display are generated in a time-multiplex fashion by the single high speed projector with specially designed optical components, a scanning mirror, and a reflective mirror array. Images of all views are generated sequentially and projected via the specially design optical system from different viewing directions towards a 3D display screen. Therefore, the single projector is able to generate equivalent number of multiview images from multiple viewing directions, thus fulfilling the tasks of multiple projectors. An obvious advantage of the proposed SPM technique is the significant reduction of cost, size, and complexity, especially when the number of views is high. The SPM strategy also alleviates the time-consuming procedures for multi-projector calibration. The design method is flexible and scalable and can accommodate systems with different number of views.


Impedance calculations have previously been made on a gyrotron operating with a magnetron circuit in the 2π-mode and cutoff constants were determined and impedance calculations were made for values of the ratio of vane radius to the outer waveguide radius from 0.15 to 1.00. The normalized interaction impedance and the stream voltage was then calculated for each of these magnetron circuit configurations. In this paper, calculations have been made of interaction impedance and stream voltage to achieve operation in the π-mode. The π-mode has the advantage of having higher impedance values than the 2π-mode. This advantage is offset by the necessity of strapping the vanes of the magnetron. These results for the π-mode are compared with the 2π-mode and also with a smooth waveguide operating in a TEn1mode. The advantages and disadvantages of all three configurations are discussed.


Ubiquitous solutions providing access from anywhere at any time are a next step for government and commercial services, and are expected to result in lower costs, increased flexibility, and an enhanced user experience. These solutions, based on modern cloud technologies, may facilitate re-use across borders, avoid duplication and achieve scale economics as well as cross-border interoperability for e-government services.


The detection of steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) is important in some clinical audiometry and ophthalmology applications. The SSVEPs are usually concealed in the ongoing background electroencephalogram (EEG) generated in the brain. The EEG is highly colored with unknown covariance matrix. In this paper we model the background noise using an autoregressive (AR) model whose parameters are estimated on line, on a block by block basis. The problem of estimating the AR parameters in the presence of the signal and its effect on the bias of the parameter estimates is addressed. We show that in the case of a low level sinusoidal signal, the parameters of the AR model are only slightly perturbed and an accurate estimate of the parameters can be found using the Yule-Walker equations.


The purpose of this paper is the study of hypergroups associated with hypergraphs. In this regard, we construct a hypergroupoid by defining a hyperoperation on the set of degrees of vertices of a hypergraph. We will see that the constructed hypergroupoid is always an Hv-group. We will investigate some conditions to have a hypergroup.


Lethally irradiated mice reconstituted with allogeneic bone marrow cells usually survive the irradiation damage, but their immune-status is not completely restored. Thus, such mice show depressed humoral antibody responses to thymus dependent antigens, prolonged allogeneic skin graft survival, and their spleen cells display reduced graft-versus-host (GVH) activity when inoculated into newborn F1 hybrid mice. The present study was carried out in order to explore the reason(s) for the depressed immunological activity of allogeneic irradiation chimaeric mice. It was found that these mice had an elevated level of θ positive cells compared to mice transplanted with syngeneic bone marrow cells, but their spleen cells did not show any detectable specific or third-party GVH response. Spleen cells from allogeneic irradiation chimaeras were not able to participate in a collaborative GVH response with lymph node cells either. Possible reasons for the immunological inertness of θ positive cells in allogeneic irradiation chimaeras are discussed.


A method includes receiving an authentication certificate of a voice mail account holder and/or an authentication certificate of a caller wanting to leave a voice mail message the holders' voice mail account. A voice mail apparatus that provides voice mail service for the voice mail account holder performs such receiving. The account holder and/or the caller are authenticated after receiving the authentication certificate of the party being authenticated. Authenticating the account holder and/or the caller is performed using authentication information contained within the respective certificate. After such authentication is successfully performed, a voice mail message record can be created in the account of the account holder. Such creating includes allowing the caller to store the message in the account of the account holder in addition to associating authenticated identification information of the caller with the message and/or providing authenticated identification of the account holder to the caller.


Numerous isolations of a new, serologically unique, filterable agent, Cascade virus, were made from adult Dermacentor occidentalis ticks in southwestern Oregon during 1979 and 1980. The virus was not found in Ixodes pacificus collected the same general areas and at the same times. Dermacentor andersoni ticks collected in eastern Oregon were occasionally infected with Colorado tick fever virus, but not with the new agent. Cascade virus could readily be isolated in Xenopus laevis (XTC-2) or Dermacentor variabilis (RML-15) cells incubated temperatures of 34 or 27 °C, respectively, but could not be isolated when tick material was inoculated into laboratory animals or homeothermic cell lines. The virion contains RNA and essential lipids and is sensitive to exposure to heat and acid; its diameter is between 100 and 220 nm. Virus growth in XTC-2 cells is accompanied by the production of cytopathic effects and plaques, but growth in other cell lines (RML-15, Vero, PS, BHK-21) is demonstrable only upon secondary assay. The virus caused cytopathic effects and plaques in XTC-2 cells incubated at 27 or 34 °C, but failed to grow in or visibly affect these cells when incubated at 37 °C. Vero, PS and BHK-21 cell lines permitted the virus to grow at an incubation temperature of 34 °C, but growth was inhibited at 37 °C in at least 2 of these lines (Vero, PS). Cascade virus failed to replicate in mouse fibroblasts (L cells) or Aedes albopictus (ATC-15) mosquito cells. Intracerebral (ic) inoculation of virus in suckling Microtus pennsylvanicus caused illness and death only sporadically. Suckling white mice, hamsters and wet chicks showed no signs of infection after ic or peripheral inoculation, and the virus failed to grow in the yolk sac of embryonated chicken eggs. Although no evidence of human infection with Cascade virus was obtained from a small sample of sera selected from Californians who became sick after tick exposure, recent evidence in Oregon and California of tick-associated disorders of undetermined cause (erythema chronicum migrans, Lyme disease) suggests further study.


Impact shear tests of the Kolsky thin-wafer type were used to determine the effects of temperature and strain rate on the critical resolved shear stress for basal slip in zinc single crystals. At high strain rates the flow stress was found to increase linearly with the plastic strain rate and was independent of temperature. The observed behaviour could be rationalized in terms of Mason's dislocation damping model where the friction force acting on a dislocation results from phonon viscosity.


Objective: To investigate the effect of hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)decoy oligodeoxynucleotide(ODN)mediated by nano micro carrier on vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)in HepG2 cells of mice.Methods:ELISA was used to detect the contents of VEGF and RT-PCR to detect the mRNA of VEGF.Results:The HIF-1 decoy ODN could effectively inhibit the activity of VEGF in vitro.After treatment with decoy ODN,the expression of VEGF significantly decreased.Conclusion:The HIF-1 decoy ODN mediated by nano micro carrier can decrease the VEGF in HepG2 cells of mice.


This invention relates to uncooled optical sensors, particularly those suitable for infra rouge.Elle is to use a micro mirror array (104) of the MEMs type for chopping the light beam incident on the sensor array ( 105) of the imager, so as to minimize the influence of thermal noise. This micro mirror array allows preferentially switches the beam reaching the sensor array between the image to be analyzed and the image of a black body (107) well definie.Elle temperature reference eliminates the need of cryogenic devices.


Palladium-catalyzed coupling of propargyl glycosides with o-iodobenzoic acid leads to the selective syntheses of hitherto unknown, novel isocoumarin glycosides in 43-55% yields. We have observed that reduction of the keto acids to the corresponding alcohols was highly stereospecific due to the neighboring glycosyl substitution and leads to the formation of (S)-3-(glycosyloxymethyl)-3,4-dihydroisocoumarins in 21-37% overall yield.


The production potential of France remains competitive due to the high level of productivity and diversification. The price level and weak ability to conquer markets, to adapt to the demand in terms of marketing and communication of French producers create an additional threat to the position of French wine in the global market.


Abstract : The influence of sub-transus solution treatment on room temperature fracture toughness of Ti-6Al-4V (6-4) and Ti-4.5Al-5Mo-1.5Cr (CORONA-5) has been studied as a function of elemental partitioning and volume fraction of alpha and beta phases. Scanning/transmission electron microscopy was used to analyze quantitatively the microstructural components of the two alloys. It was found that, for as-solution treated condition, fracture toughness of 6-4 increased as volume fraction of primary alpha, aluminum content of primary alpha, aluminum content of beta phase, or vanadium content of beta phase decreased. Similarly, for as-solution treated CORONA-5, increases in volume fraction of primary alpha, aluminum and molybdenum contents of primary alpha, or chromium content of beta phase led to a decrease in toughness. In the case of solution-treated and aged 6-4, the analysis indicated that toughness was improved by increasing the vanadium content of the beta phase, increasing the size of secondary alpha plates, reducing the aluminum content of primary alpha, or by reducing the volume fraction of retained beta. Aging CORONA-5 after solution treatment resulted in a very fine secondary alpha structure within transformed beta regions.


IN 1878 Adam Politzer, then Professor of Otology in the University of Vienna, who once said 'England could be proud to be the corner-stone of modern scientific otology', published his classical textbook on diseases of the ear. In this and subsequent editions he dealt thoroughly with the subject of tympanic effusions, describing the fluid in the middle ear as consisting of a_serous or mucous exudate caused above all by inflammatory processes in the mucosa but favoured by the simultaneous rarefaction of the air in the middle ear due to tubal obstruction. Politzer lived until 1920 and he and his contemporaries were well acquainted with the vagaries of the condition. Little was written about the subject in the inter-war years but attention began to be focused on the related problem of barotrauma in flying personnel in the early 'forties and soon a marked general increase in the frequency of secretory catarrh or secretory otitis in adults was being reported. Whether the increase in frequency was due to a realLincrease in occurrence or to the increased interest taken in it as a cause of deafness was uncertain. But certainly twenty years ago secretory otitis came to be regarded as a 'challenge to otolaryngology' (Hoople, 1950) and the term 'glue ear' wasjfirst introduced (Jordan, 1949) to describe the accumulation of a thick, sticky fluid in the middle ear resulting in persistent conductive deafness in children. Since then world interest has become centred on effusions occurring in children, an interest stimulated no doubt by a belated concern with the


Many machine learning problems are solved by algorithms that involve eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) or singular value decomposition (SVD) in each iteration. Therefore, these algorithms suffer from the high computation cost of multiple EVD/SVDs. To relieve this issue, we introduce the block Lanczos method to replace the original exact EVD/SVD in each iteration by solving it approximately, yet still at a high precision. We also propose to utilize the subspace obtained in the previous iteration to start the block Lanczos procedure. Examples of three popular problems are presented to show how our block Lanczos with warm start (BLWS) technique can be adopted to accelerate its host algorithms. Experimental results show that our BLWS technique usually accelerates its host algorithms by at least two times.


Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are biopolymers formed by amino acid sequences derived from tropoelastin. These biomolecules can be soluble below critical temperatures, forming aggregates at higher temperatures, which makes them an interesting source for the design of different nanobiomaterials. These nanobiomaterials can be obtained from heterologous expression in several organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and plants. Thanks to the many advantages of ELPs, they have been used in the biomedical field to develop nanoparticles, nanofibers, and nanocomposites. These nanostructures can be used in multiple applications such as drug delivery systems, treatments of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, tissue repair, and cancer therapy. Thus, this review aims to shed some light on the main advances in elastin-like-based nanomaterials, their possible expression forms, and importance to the medical field.


At the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, a research and development division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), we are developing a prototype multimedia database system to provide World Wide Web access to biomedical databases. WebMIRS (Web-based Medical Information Retrieval System) will allow access to databases containing text and images and will allow database query by standard SQL, by image content, or by a combination of the two. The system is being developed in the form of Java applets, which will communicate with the Informix DBMS on an NLM Sun workstation running the Solaris operating system. The system architecture will allow access from any hardware platform, which supports a Java-enabled Web browser, such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. Initial databases will include data from two national health surveys conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), and will include x-ray images from those surveys. In addition to describing in- house research in database access systems, this paper describes ongoing work toward querying by image content. Image content search capability will include capability to search for x-ray images similar to an input image with respect to vertebral morphometry used to characterize features such as fractures and disc space narrowing.


Section I Achievement Motivation: Trends in Theory and Research.- 1 Introduction.- Section II Achievement Motivation Theory.- 2 Motivational Effects in So-Called Tests of Ability and Educational Achievement.- 3 The Origins of Competence and Achievement Motivation in Personal Causation.- 4 Motivation, Evaluation, and Educational Testing Policy.- 5 Effects of Failure: Alternative Explanations and Possible Implications.- 6 Motivation and Educational Productivity: Theories, Results, and Implications.- 7 A Model of Direct and Relational Achieving Styles.- Section III Achievement Motivation and Life Span Human Development.- 8 The Graying of America: Implications for Achievement Motivation Theory and Research.- 9 Motivational Determinants of Adult Personality Functioning and Aging.- 10 A Developmental Perspective on Theories of Achievement Motivation.- Section IV Attributions and Achievement Motivation.- 11 Attributional Style, Task Selection and Achievement.- 12 A Re-examination of Boys' and Girls' Causal Attributions for Success and Failure Based on New Zealand Data.- 13 Measuring Causal Attributions for Success and Failure.- 14 Alleviating Learned Helplessness in a Wilderness Setting: An Application of Attribution Theory to Outward Bound.- Section V Sex Differences in Achievement Motivation.- 15 Achievement Motivation and Values: An Alternative Perspective.- 16 Achievement and Vocational Behavior of Women in Iran: A Social and Psychological Study.- 17 Women's Achievement and Career Motivation: Their Risk Taking Patterns, Home-Career Conflict, Sex Role Orientation, Fear of Success, and Self-concept.- Section VI Teacher Expectations and Achievement Motivation.- 18 Teacher Expectation and Student Learning.- Section VII Achievement Motivation: A Look Toward the Future.- 19 From Single-Variable to Persons-in-Relation.- Author Index.


The digital characteristics of random variables describes the whole feature of random variables,therefore studying calculation method of digital characteristics of random variables is very necessary.In this paper,the discrete random variable as the research object,the generating function as a research tool,the calculation method of mathematical expectation and variance of discrete random variable are discussed,it gives three kinds of calculating methods,including formula method,random variable decomposition method and generating function method.


This paper proposes a sensorless field-oriented control (FOC) of an open-end stator winding five-phase induction motor (OESW-FPIM). The FOC technique used is associated with dual Space Vector Modulation (SVM) to provide a constant switching frequency and lower harmonics distortion. Furthermore, a simple hybrid observer is proposed which combines a model reference adaptive system (MRAS) and a sliding mode (SM) observer. The examined observer is designed for the estimation of the rotor flux and rotational speed as well as for the estimation of the load torque disturbances. Lyapunov theorem is used in this paper to prove the observer's stability. The work presented in this paper aims to enhance the researched motor's sensorless control and its robustness against external load disturbances and parameters variation. In the proposed MRAS-SM observer, the reference model is replaced by a SM model which uses a sigmoid function as a switching function to overcome the chattering problem. This combination is intended to make use of the advantages of both strategies. At the same time, to preserve the high-level performance of the sensorless FOC technique and to reduce system uncertainties, an estimation algorithm is developed to identify the rotor resistance and the stator resistance simultaneously during motor operation. The parameter estimation algorithm is combined with the proposed control to improve the speed estimation and control accuracy, particularly at low-speed operation. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control is validated in real-time by utilizing a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platform.


Abstract Background: In adults, hepatitis B virus (HBV) with a G to A point mutation at nucleotide 83 in the precore region (mutant HBV 83), is commonly found in HB e antibody positive HBV carriers. It has been reported that this mutant is not able to produce HB e antigen. The exact prevalence of mutant HBV 83 in patients with chronic HBV infection is not fully understood, especially in children.


Marketing communication is a process between a seller to a buyer by a mutually beneficial reciprocal exchange between both two parties in which the company gets a selling value such as profit or income and consumers get the desired goods needs. Practically, marketing communication requires a suggestive communication strategy. Someone or communicator who can convey, inform, and provide the information needed to consumers, namely sales marketing. This research focused on sales marketing who works in a housing products company in the BSB City area. In this study, sales marketing at the Kedaton Homes, BSB City housing became the subject of research as informants totalling four (4) people with two sales marketing who had worked for one year and 2 sales marketing who had worked for less than six months. One of the suggestive marketing strategies implemented by sales marketing in Kedaton Homes is hypnotic selling. Hypnotic selling is one of the suggestive communication strategies with the art of speaking and conveying something enchantingly to the consumers. This research on hypnotic selling aims to determine the application of hypnotic selling communication strategies to marketing in Kedaton Homes. The research method used is a qualitative research method with data analysis based on interviews, observations and documentation to obtain the validity and clarity of the data. This study used the theory of Willy Wong (2010) in his book entitled 'hypnosis for selling'. The results in this study indicated that the application of the hypnotic selling communication strategy applied by sales marketing at Kedaton Homes had similar results in accordance with the theory presented by Willy Wong with several points sorted such as the application of initial suggestive selling, advance suggestive selling and final suggestive in the form of closing which affect the target marketing every months.


We study a bivariate response regression model with arbitrary marginal distributions and joint distributions using Frank and Clayton's families of copulas. The proposed model is used for fitting dependent bivariate data with explanatory variables using the log-odd log-logistic Weibull distribution. We consider likelihood inferential procedures based on constrained parameters. For different parameter settings and sample sizes, various simulation studies are performed and compared to the performance of the bivariate odd-log-logistic-Weibull regression model. Sensitivity analysis methods (such as local and total influence) are investigated under three perturbation schemes. The methodology is illustrated in a study to assess changes on schoolchildren's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a follow-up exam after three years and to evaluate the impact of caries incidence on the OHRQoL of adolescents.


When the 7.2-MW Berrien Springs hydro project began to experience failures after 90 years of heavy use, the project owners needed a cost-effective approach to restoring the plant`s capability. Their redevelopment plan blends new technology and design innovations to give the facility a productive new life. With state-of-the-art equipment and some innovative engineering, the owners and operators of the Berrien Springs facility are redeveloping their facility. The first half of the redevelopment scheme was completed in late 1995, and the second half is scheduled to be completed by the end of 1996. The new plant includes 12 turbine-generators and the latest in remote control technology.


Despite advances in instrumentation, suture material, and operative techniques, thrombus formation at the anastomotic site remains a major factor in compromising surgical results in cerebral revascularization. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methyl prednisone, thiopental, and pentobarbital are drugs that have been shown both clinically and experimentally to have protective effects in focal cerebral ischemia, and also to possess antiplatelet properties. We undertook a study on the carotid arteries of 72 Sprague- Dawley rats to assess the effect of the above drugs on microvascular thrombus formation. The control group consisted of 24 arteries, 12 that had an aneurysm clip applied for 1 hour, and 12 that had an arteriotomy and suture repair; no pharmacological agent was administered to this group. The experimental group was sub-divided into 2 major subgroups: Group A consisted of a total of 24 arteries subjected to aneurysm clip application for 1 hour; Group B consisted of a total of 24 arteries subjected to arteriotomy and suture. In both experimental groups, 6 animals were treated with one of the following pharmacological agents that was infused IV over a period of 1 hour: DMSO 2 mg/Kg; methyl prednisone 40 mg/Kg, thiopental 90 mg/Kg, pentobarbital 90 mg/Kg. The tissue was recovered 15 minutes after arterial segment reperfusion and prepared for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The specimens treated with DMSO, despite showing fracture of the endothelial layer with exposure of the sub-endothelium, had minimal thrombus formation. Specimens treated with the barbiturates showed less thrombus formation than the control group, but not comparable to the effect obtained with DMSO. The methyl prednisone group showed no difference compared to the control group.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the estimated muscle fiber type and tendon properties in human knee extensors and plantar flexors (n = 50). Measurements included time‐to‐peak twitch torque (TPT) and tendon properties. TPT did not correlate significantly with the maximal elongation and stiffness of tendon. In conclusion, we found that the muscle fiber type was not related to the properties of tendons. Muscle Nerve, 2010


This study was conducted to evaluate the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of smooth Brucella abortus lipopolysaccharide (SLPS) as a subunit vaccine. Subcutaneous injection of SLPS with Al(OH)3 and montanide as adjuvant into BALB/c mice elicited both humoral and cellular immune responses. Animals injected with SLPS develop antibodies without statistical differences compared to animals vaccinated with B. Abortus vaccine SRB51, which exhibited a dominance of immunoglobulin G2b (IgG2b) over IgG3, IgG2a and IgG1. In addition, the SLPS subunit vaccine induce T-cell-proliferative response characterized by the production IL-2 and also induced the production of gamma interferon, suggesting the induction of a typical T-helper-1-dominated immune response in mice. The SLPS subunit vaccine induced a strong, significant level of protection in BALB/c mice against challenge with B. Abortus virulent; the protection unit was lower than the one induced by B. Abortus vaccine SRB51. Altogether, these data suggest that the SLPS subunit vaccine is a good candidate for use in future studies of vaccination against brucellosis.
Key words: Brucella abortus, SLPS, subunit vaccine, immunoglobulin, protection unit.


Background. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a common finding of renal involvement which is related to high incidence of mortality and morbidity. IL-6 is produced by leukocytes and intrinsic kidney cells that affects inflammation, increases mesangial cell proliferation, and also contributes to autoimmunity. Objective. To detect the serum level as well as expression in PBMCs in the blood of IL-6 in SLE patients. Furthermore we compare serum level, as well as expression in PBMCs in the blood of IL-6 of lupus nephritis group versus non-nephritis lupus group and to study its correlation with other variables in SLE patients. Methods. The study was carried on 100 SLE patients, and 50 healthy control subjects. Fifty patients had lupus nephritis and 50 without evidence of lupus nephritis. Serum interleukin 6 (IL6) was measured using the ELISA technique as well as the expression of IL6 mRNA in PBMCs. Serum creatinine, C3, C4 and 24 hours urinary proteins were measured. Lupus activity was assessed using BILAG scoring system. Renal activity was measured using renal activity scoring system. Results. Serum IL6 level and its mRNA expression was significantly high in SLE patients and was higher in lupus nephritis patients than lupus patients without nephritis. IL6 was significantly correlated with renal activity score, 24 hours urinary proteins lowered C3 and C4 level and BILAG score. Conclusion. Serum IL-6 level and its mRNA expression is elevated in SLE patients as well as lupus nephritis patients. This was found to be linked with SLE disease activity in general and renal involvement in particular.


As voice over IP (VoIP) increasingly gains popularity, traffic anomalies such as the SIP flooding attacks are also emerging and becoming into a major threat to the technology. Thus, detecting and preventing such anomalies is critical to ensure an effective VoIP system. The existing flooding detection schemes are inefficient in detecting low-rate flooding from dynamic background traffic, or may even totally fail when flooding is launched in a multi-attribute manner by simultaneously manipulating different types of SIP messages. In this paper, we develop an online scheme to detect and subsequently prevent the flooding attacks, by integrating a novel three-dimensional sketch design with the Hellinger distance (HD) detection technique. The sketch data structure summarizes the incoming SIP messages into a compact and constant-size data set based on which a separate probability distribution can be established for each SIP attribute. The HD monitors the evolution of the probability distributions and detects flooding attacks when abnormal variations are observed. The three-dimensional design equips our scheme with the advantages of high detection accuracy even for low-rate flooding, robust performance under multi-attribute flooding, and the capability of selectively discarding the offending SIP messages to prevent the attacks. Moreover, we develop an estimation freeze mechanism to protect the detection threshold from being polluted by attacks. Not only do we theoretically analyze the performance of the proposed detection and prevention techniques, but also resort to extensive simulations to thoroughly examine the performance.


Granular cell indices (GCI: Dunihue and Robertson, 1957) in kidneys of fetal rats one day after maternal nephrectomy or fetal unilateral nephrectomy on day 21 of gestation were determined by examining sections stained with Bowie's technique. Maternal nephrectomy induced an extreme increase of GCI in fetal kidneys with increased granularity of cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Fetal unilateral nephrectomy did not cause any significant change.


We analyse a duopoly setting with complementary products, in which a firm has a bias about its absolute advantage. We show that the bias can internalize parts of the negative externality that the complementarity of goods creates implying a higher producer's surplus. Moreover, we analyse additional conditions, which lead to an increase in the consumer's surplus. Counterintuitively, we show that the presence of a bias can lead to a positive welfare effect.


Sociologists study the effect stress has on well-being. They examine the aspects of the social environment and life circumstances that can be detrimental to the health of individuals. Collectively, these aspects of one's life are called stressors. There are several different types of stressors: life events, chronic strains, daily hassles, traumas, and non-events, which each effect mental and physical health to different degrees and in varying ways. Sociologists often use the stress process model, a theoretical framework, for analyzing the social origins of health. The contribution of contemporary and future research on stressors and health will document and analyze stressful events that occur across the life course.

Keywords:

health;
medical sociology;
mental health;
sociology;
stress