In a paper published by the FASEB Journal in 1999, Danielle Georges and Christian Schwabe described gene sequences from the tunicate Ciona intestinalis that were indistinguishable from porcine relaxin (1). Newer data contradict that finding: recently published analyses of the C. intestinalis genome do not confirm the presence of relaxin sequences (2). What might seem like a narrow issue of scientific fact has broader implications. To the delight of creationists and fans of intelligent design, the presence of similar relaxin sequences in pigs and sea squirts–species separated by 500 million years–has been used to cast genomic doubt on Darwinian evolution. Indeed, Schwabe has repeatedly cited the tunicate relaxin data, and the nearly identical relaxin sequences he has identified in whales, (3) not only to support his own "Genomic Potential Hypothesis" but also to refute modern evolutionary biology (4). Schwabe's hypothesis would replace Darwin's theory of common descent with the view of the independent origin of all species, thereby making the origin of life and the origin of species one and the same problem. Moreover, the "Genomic Potential Hypothesis" rejects natural selection of random variations as the mechanism that underlies speciation and adaptation. Thus, albeit Schwabe sees chemistry as the sole force generating genomes and species the independent origin of all species asserted by his "Genomic Potential Hypothesis" coincides with the creationist view of the origin of species. Since Schwabe therefore is regularly cited by creationists as an "atheistic scientist" who rejects neoDarwinism, it seems worthwhile to critique his experimental work in the context of his "Genomic Potential Hypothesis." It's an hypothesis that wants to have it both ways. On the one hand, Schwabe argues that the high degree of diversity found in the relaxin sequences of different species would date speciation events much earlier than phylogenies based on other data. On the other hand, he argues that the identity of tunicate, cetacean, and porcine relaxin sequences cannot be explained by Darwinian selection of random mutants. This concomitant use of sequence diversity and sequence identity to deny the theory of evolution appears to us at least curious or at worst tautologous. The 1999 The FASEB Journal paper immediately evoked critical responses summarized by an editor's comment (5) that the conclusions rested entirely on PCR and microsequencing data, two methods quite prone to contamination. The authors rejected those concerns and replied that the experiments were carried out in two separate labs and that Georges had never worked with porcine material before (6). Not so: Georges had indeed used polyA -RNA from pregnant sow ovaries (the organ in which relaxin is produced) in work published well before The FASEB Journal paper (7). At any rate, since the genomic sequence was reported to lack introns, the cDNA could have served as a good probe for Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA, a far more robust technique (a description of Southern blot analysis appears in the Methods section of The FASEB Journal paper but such data are not presented in the Results section). Indeed, this approach would have enabled the authors to decide whether the sequence variation they observed in one tenth of the PCR products was introduced during amplification, whether it resulted from a polymorphism of the gene or if two different relaxin genes reside within the Ciona genome as the authors speculated. In point of fact, polymorphisms would contradict the "Genomic Potential Hypothesis," because, as rigidly interpreted, the Schwabe hypothesis would predict the independent origins of individuals carrying different alleles (see below). Still, the authors adduce the fact that Ciona relaxin is more similar to an infrequent allele of porcine relaxin. They suggest an "occasional exchange" in the respective position of the porcine gene: but that of course implies a mutation. Curiously, Schwabe willingly accepts that "chance mutations" may cause inherited human diseases (8) but denies that mutations can drive evolution. In addition it should be


As busing fault is a serious problem, the traditional method to detect it requires bushing tap grounding lines, but generally there are few in the worksite. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a bushing partial discharge detection and pattern recognition method based on ultra-high frequency technology. According to the typical defects in actual bushings, four PD defect models were designed on an 110kV transformer bushing. And then the PD signals of different defects were detected by pulse current method and UHF detection method through a set of experiments. The results show that: (1) the partial discharge defects of bushings UHF phase patterns and the results of pulse current method are basically identical; (2) the PD defect types and possible discharge position would be identified based on morphological characteristics of PRPD and NV maps. UHF method can be used to detection and identify partial discharges in transformer bushings. The research has a guiding significance on on-line bushing PD detection.


This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to examine clinical signs and symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis infection of prisoners, and related factors. Altogether 1,440 prisoners were Investigated in one prison in the Northeast during 28-30 Jan 2009. For investigating pulmonary tuberculosis infection all of the 1,440 prisoners were examined for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the Acid Fast Bacilli testing (AFB) and 1,420 were interviewed by the WHO-2009 tuberculosis screening questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyses and describe clinical signs and symptoms. A multiple logistic regression was applied for the analyses of identifying factors related to pulmonary tuberculosis infection. Clinical sign and symptoms were found among prisoners included sputum (23.31%), weight loss (15.7%), chest pain (12.32%) and a chronic cough (12.25%) for more than two weeks. The multiple logistic regression analyses revealed a significant increase in the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis infection of prisoners who were having chest pain (OR adj = 14.82, 95% CI = 4.40-49.97), and a BMI ≤ 20 (OR adj = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.01-10.48). In conclusion, the clinical signs and symptoms that significantly affected tuberculosis in prison were chest pain and lower BMI. Pulmonary tuberculosis screening is extremely important for prisoners with these two symptoms. They should be exposed to a clinical diagnosis for tuberculosis and being treated as soon as possible to limit the spread of the disease among other inmates. Keyword: tuberculosis in prisons, clinical manifestation of tuberculosis,  related factors


Abstract Axial diffraction of a dipole source on an elongated perfectly conducting spheroid is considered in high-frequency asymptotic approximation in a uniform manner with respect to the rate of elongation. Approximation is tested vs. numerical results. Effects of elongation on the induced currents distribution are illustrated.


Structural dynamic model updating and validation of an aero-engine casing is critical to the design and development of an aircraft engine. It helps to identify the dynamic characteristics and reduce the response of the aero-engine. The modelling and parameter identification of joint are extremely difficult and important in structural dynamic analysis of the assembled aero-engine casing. In this paper, dynamic model validation technique was applied to update and validate the finite element model of an assembled aero-engine casing. First, modal test of individual casings and the assembled casing was performed by using the traditional acceleration sensors and a hammer. The modal frequencies and mode shapes were obtained by modal analysis tools. Second, the Inverse Eigen-sensitivity Method was used to correct frequency errors and MAC values of correlated mode pairs in the individual components to obtain validated models. Last, the bolt joints of two aero-engine casings were modelled by thin layer of shell elements. The material parameters or element properties of the thin-layer contact elements were updated to obtain reliable connection parameters. The results show that the errors of natural frequencies between the validated FE model of an assembled aero-engine casing and test data are within 7%, and the MAC values of main modes are above 70%, which can verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach.


This paper analyses the library's function and ways on students humane quality social practice、information quality and education innovation,focusing on expounding its function in quality education.


Purpose: To report a case of recurrent bilateral preretinal hemorrhages in a healthy male with no previous history of systemic or ocular diseases and to review the relevant literature. Methods: History taking, measurement of visual acuity and intraocular pressure, slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, and fluorescein angiography were performed in a 15-year-old male who had experienced a sudden decrease in visual acuity in both eyes after a couple of strenuous exercises in school. Results: Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.9 in the right eye and 0.2 in the left, and bilateral premacular hemorrhages were observed. Most of the preretinal hemorrhages were completely resolved by the sixth week and visual acuity in the left eye improved to 0.6. Nine months after the initial event, preretinal hemorrhages recurred bilaterally, worse in the left eye, and BCVA decreased to 0.3 in the right eye and 0.02 in the left eye. We performed Nd:YAG laser disruption of the internal limiting membrane in the left eye. Four weeks after the procedure, most of the preretinal hemorrhages were resolved and visual acuity in the left eye improved to 0.2. Conclusions: Clinical improvement was achieved after Nd:YAG laser disruption of the internal limiting membrane in a case of recurrent bilateral preretinal hemorrhages.


The use of weekly high-dose paclitaxel has resulted in the highest reported response rate for a singleagent taxane regimen in patients with advanced breast cancer. Taxanes are anticancer compounds derived from the bark, needles, and twigs of yew trees. In a Phase II trial with 34 pa tients, the weekly regimen achieved response rates of 79% in patients with locally advanced breast cancer and 77% in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The findings were reported by William M Sikov MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Brown University School of Medicine and chairman of the Brown University Oncology Group Breast Cancer Committee, in a poster presentation December 6, 1997, at the 20th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Paclitaxel is approved for treat ment of breast and ovarian cancers. It is also used to treat a number of other malignancies, including bladder, lung, gastrointestinal, and head and neck cancers. The most effective dose and schedule for paclitaxel in advanced breast can cer is not known, despite several years of the drug's use. The Brown University research was supported in part by a grant from Bristol-My ers Squibb Oncology, Princeton, NJ. To increase the dose intensity of paclitaxel, Sikov and colleagues administered the drug at a rate of 175 mg/m weekly for 6 weeks, followed by a 2-week break, to patients with untreated locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. The paclitaxel dose was reduced for low blood counts or other adverse effects. Even with those reductions, patients in the study received twice the dose in tensity of the drug compared with standard treatment with paclitaxel of 175 mg/m every 3 weeks. Patients with locally advanced breast cancer who responded to treatment underwent surgery, fol lowed by additional chemotherapy and radiation. Response to pacli taxel often made surgery possible for previously unresectable tumors. Patients with metastatic disease have continued treatment until dis ease progression or the develop ment of significant adverse effects. Toxicities associated with the weekly high-dose paclitaxel regi men were significant but manage able. One major adverse effect was low blood counts. Despite a high incidence of low leukocyte counts, only two patients required hospi talization for treatment of fever. The second major adverse effect was neurologic toxicity. The most common neurologic toxicity was numbness in the fingers and toes. Overall, 11 patients in the study de veloped moderately severe neuro logic adverse effects, and 4 devel oped severe neurologic adverse ef fects. With interruption of treatment, followed by resumption of weekly paclitaxel at a lower dose, no pa tient experienced progression of neurologic toxicity. Other adverse effects included nausea, diarrhea, rash, and muscle and joint aches.


The key aspects and specificity of "green" marketing in comparison with the traditional marketing concept along with the areas of environmental activity of agricultural organizations and farms are discussed in the article. The results of the study conducted with the participation of marketing departments' representatives of agricultural organizations of the Southern Federal District are presented in the paper. The research made it possible to identify the main challenges for organic agriculture development and use of "green" marketing tools in the activities of agricultural enterprises. Based on the discussion of the study results as well as on the analysis of scientific literature on the development of "green" marketing and organic agriculture, the directions of Russian agricultural organizations' activity are suggested, which can contribute to the use of "green" marketing tools and improvement of business environmental friendliness, taking into account current global trends of sustainable development and corporate social responsibility.


Simple Summary The literature in this review paper provided a recent perspective on the gut microbiome of newborn puppies. It was generally accepted that microbial colonization of newborns begins at birth, but some studies have reported evidence that suggests a healthy uterus is not always sterile and that the fetus at term already harbors bacteria. The microbiota development can occur during fetal life and can later be shaped by the type of parturition, colostrum, milk and lactation, environment, and food interactions. The studies suggested that the type of delivery, the maternal microbiota and their metabolites, and the diet of the mother influence the microbial community of a litters' gut microbiota, which could be an important factor for the survival of newborns. The importance of the microbial composition of the mother for the development and growth of puppies deserves further study. Abstract The review described the most important factors affecting the development of the intestinal microbiota in puppies from birth to weaning. The health and well-being of the microbiome in puppies is influenced by the type of parturition, the maternal microbiota, and the diet of the mother, directly or indirectly. The isolation of bacteria in dogs from the placenta, fetal fluids, and fetuses suggests that colonization could occur before birth, although this is still a matter of debate. Accordingly, newborn puppies could harbor bacteria that could be of maternal origin and that could influence microbial colonization later in life. However, the long-term impacts on health and the clinical significance of this transfer is not yet clear and needs to be investigated. The same maternal bacteria were found in puppies that were born vaginally and in those delivered via cesarean section. Potentially, the relationship between the type of parturition and the colonization of the microbiome will influence the occurrence of diseases, since it can modulate the gut microbiome during early life. In addition, puppies' gut microbiota becomes progressively more similar to adult dogs at weaning, as a consequence of the transition from milk to solid food that works together with behavioral factors. A number of researches have investigated the effects of diet on the gut microbiota of dogs, revealing that dietary interference may affect the microbial composition and activity through the production of short-chain fatty acids and vitamins. These compounds play a fundamental role during the development of the fetus and the initial growth of the puppy. The composition of the diet fed during pregnancy to the bitches is also an important factor to consider for the health of newborns. As far as it is known, the effects of the type of parturition, the maternal microbiota, and the diet on the microbial colonization and the long-term health of the dogs deserve further studies. Definitely, longitudinal studies with a larger number of dogs will be required to assess a causal link between microbiome composition in puppies and diseases in adult dogs.


ABSTRACT When New Zealand military forces occupied Sāmoa in 1914, there were 12 recorded leprosy sufferers isolated in a leprosy station established by the Imperial German government in the village of Falefa. By 1918, the leprosy sufferers had been relocated to the island of Nu'utele, off the east coast of Upolu. Four years later in 1922, the patients were transferred to the Fiji leprosy colony on the island of Makogai. Drawing largely on archival, song and oral records, this paper focuses on the years from 1918 to 1922 and examines the network of authorities involved in the care of leprosy sufferers and the policies of the New Zealand administration to keep Sāmoa 'clean' of the disease. This care and these policies led to the 'Makogai solution', which, as fragments of songs and oral histories indicate, was for decades to haunt those left behind in Sāmoa.


Ethics codes of POLRI are norms or rules which part of ethics in basic unity and philosophy on
behaviour or utterances. These norms are obligated and forbidden to do by the member of
POLRI. This research is taken to collect data about the functions of police ethics codes
preventing misapplication authority in implementing their duty as law enforcement institution.
This research uses normative law approach which focusing on positive law norm. This norm
consists of regulation of the Functions of Police Ethics Code in Preventing Authority
Misapplication for the Implementation of Law Enforcement. Abstraction through deductive
process will be the part of this research. It then be continued to descriptive, systematic, analytic,
interpretative, and positive law. The result of this research is aiming for the improvement of
knowledge generally and Law ethics codes of Indonesian police department particularly. In
advance, this research hopefully is not only beneficial to the Police Department in Indonesia but
also to the society. Some advices are also given to Police Department and government in order to
maintain even improve their roles. It is highly expected that these ethics codes appliances could
function as good as possible. There are some demands to make all of this occur. Firstly, the
quality of human resources. Human resources take crucial part in recruitment. They could
minimise ethics code infringements by choosing and functioning human being who are morally
responsible. Secondly, government intervention. Government is expected to improve the living
quality and prosperity of the police members in order to prevent the will of self-rich effort. Most
importantly, police members are also expected to focus on their major duty to maintain national
security, public service, and law enforcement. In conclusion, members of POLRI who live
prosperous and have tough personality would become the centre of law enforcement to rely on in
Indonesia.


1. Introduction.- 2. Overview.- 3. Electronic Structure.- 4. Electronic Response to Time-Dependent Perturbations.- 5. Applications to Carbon Structures and Metal Clusters.- 6. Phonons: Harmonic Approximation.- 7. The Car-Parrinello Method.- 8. Coupling of Electrons to Phonons and to Plasmons.- 9. Pairing in Atomic Aggregates.- 10. Discussion.- References.


Since the first report of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019, Taiwan has gone through three local outbreaks. Unlike the first two outbreaks, the spatial and temporal origin of the third outbreak (April 20 to November 5, 2021) is still unclear. We assembled and analyzed a data set of more than 6,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes, including 300 from Taiwan and 5812 related sequences downloaded from GISAID as of 2021/12/08. We found that the third outbreak in Taiwan was caused by a single virus lineage belonging to Alpha (B.1.1.7) strain. This lineage, T-III (the third outbreak in Taiwan), carries a distinct genetic fingerprint, consisting of spike M1237I (S-M1237I) and three silent mutations, C5812T, C15895T, and T27869C. The T-III is closest to the sequences derived from Turkey on February 8, 2021. The estimated age of the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of T-III is March 23, 2021 (95% highest posterior density [HPD] February 24 - April 13, 2021), almost one month before the first three confirmed cases on April 20, 2021. The effective population size of the T-III showed approximately 20-fold increase after the onset of the outbreak and reached a plateau in early June 2021. Our results reconcile several unresolved observations, including the occurrence of two infection clusters at the same time without traceable connection and several airline pilots who were PCR negative but serum IgM-/IgG+ for SARS-CoV-2 in late April. Therefore, in contrast to the general notion that the third SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Taiwan was sparked by two imported cases from USA on April 20, 2021, which, in turn, was caused by the partial relaxation of entry quarantine measures in early April 2021, our comprehensive analyses demonstrated that the outbreak was most likely originated from Europe in February 2021.


Velocity dispersion curves of surface acoustic waves for layered systems (water/layer/substrate) when the phase velocity in the layer is faster than that in the substrate are investigated, in this work. Thus, several thin films (SiC, AlN, Si3N4 and Al2O3) deposited on silicon substrates were considered. It was found that (i) the behavior of the dispersion curves has an anomalous character characterized by a decrease for small thickness, h/ TC < 0.1 followed by a normal dependence and (ii) this anomaly is dependent on elastic properties (densities, and velocities, VR) of both the layer ( l and VRl) and the substrate ( s and VRs). Hence, to quantify this behavior, we introduce a new parameter defined as: = ( F/ s)/(VRF/VRs). For > 1, the anomalous decrease is observed which becomes more enhanced as becomes higher; this behavior is thus, unexpectedly, due to the loading effect which seems to dominate in this region. Introduction Nowadays, acoustic microscopy has been greatly used in nondestructive investigations of materials via the study of surface acoustic wave, SAW, propagation in thinand thick films solids [1 4].The film/substrate combinations, which play important roles in many technological, industrial and scientific fields, have received a great deal of interest by many research groups. Such structures are characterized by what is known dispersion effect, i.e. the dependence of the SAW velocity on the film thickness. Most reported investigations were carried out in the case of slow on fast combination (or mass loading effect) [5, 6], but little on fast on slow structures (or stiffness effect) [7, 8]. The terms slow and fast refer to SAW velocity values in film/substrate structures. In this context, we investigate dispersion curves when the phase velocity in the layer is faster than that in the substrate for several thin films (SiC, AlN, Si3N4 and Al2O3) deposited on silicon substrates. Thus, we concentrated on the variation of leaky Rayleigh velocity for the structure water/thin film/silicon for different film thickness. Anomaly Observation Theoretical simulations were carried out in the case of a scanning acoustic microscope at an operating frequency of 142 MHz, a half opening angle of 50° and water whose density, = 1000 kg/m 3 and longitudinal velocity VL = 1500 m/s. The Si substrate is characterized by a density, S = 2300 kg/m 3 and a Rayleigh velocity VRS = 4712 m/s, whereas each deposited film is characterized by its typical density F and Rayleigh velocity, VRF. These characteristics are summarized in table 1 in terms of relative velocities and densities between films and Si substrate. Table 1 : Relative elastic properties of structures used in this investigation where Mx1 and Mx2 are fictitious materials and = ( F/ S) / (VRF/VRS). Structure Al2O3 Si Si3N4 Si AlN Si SiC Si Mx1 Si Mx2 Si VRF/VRS 1.19 1.21 1.36 1.45 1.21 1.45 F/ S 1.73 1.38 1.42 1.40 1.73 3.13 1.45 1.14 1.04 0.96 1.43 2.16 In the present calculation we considered the slowest mode that corresponds to that of Rayleigh. Thus, the obtained velocity values for many materials deposited on Si substrates are displayed in figure 1 against normalized film thickness, h/ F. It should be noted that, in general, for positive dispersion curves (VRF > VRS), the phase velocity increases initially from that of the substrate VRS then saturates when it approaches a value that corresponds to the Rayleigh velocity of the film, VRF. However, we can clearly see in fig.1 that for the structures SiC/Si, AlN/Si, Si3N4/Si and Al2O3/Si the curves can be divided into three regions. Region I: (0.0 < h/ F < 0.2) is characterized by an anomalous behavior consisting of peaks and/or valleys as a result of decreases and/or increases of the initial curves. Region II: (0.2 h/ F 1.0) the velocity increases to approach VRF. WCU 2003, Paris, september 7-10, 2003


To know the perception and expectation of the companion in the face of labor, in a
Maternity of the South of Santa Catarina. Methodology: An exploratory study, with a
qualitative approach, used as an interview data collection instrument, in which twenty
attendants of the parturients answered the three questions formulated. The data analyzed were
categorized into three steps: data ordering, data classification and final analysis. Results: In the
three categories of study: "perceptions", "expectations" and "satisfaction", it was focused on
the importance of the presence of a companion. The fear of suffering during childbirth and
receiving information about the birth process was also identified. Final considerations: There
is need for family members and / or other persons chosen by women to be inserted in the context
of gestation, from the first prenatal consultation to delivery, so that they may feel better
prepared to receive and support the parturients in their real needs.


To the Editor:

In a recent article, Sham et al. (2000) investigated the power of variance-components linkage analysis by deriving an analytic expression for the noncentrality parameter (NCP) of the linkage test. The authors demonstrated that the NCP—and, hence, the power of the test to detect linkage—was determined primarily by the square of the additive and dominance genetic components of variance due to the quantitative-trait locus (QTL) and by the residual correlation between siblings. However, Sham et al. presented calculations for the univariate case only. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the power of QTL linkage analysis may be increased by use of multivariate techniques that analyze the pleiotropic action of the QTL on several variables (Boomsma 1996; Martin et al. 1997). In particular, the power of multivariate linkage analysis is strongly influenced by the correlation between the variables, being greatest when the QTL induces covariation between the variables in the direction opposite to the residual correlation (Allison et al. 1998; Amos et al. 2001). Here, I follow the methodology of Sham et al., to demonstrate analytically, for the first time, how the power of a bivariate variance-components linkage analysis depends not only on the magnitude and direction of the correlation between variables but also on the source of this correlation.

The relationship between two observable variables is parameterized in terms of the path model displayed in figure 1. Observed variables for each sib pair (square boxes) are due to the combined action of several latent variables (circles), including a pleiotropic QTL (Q), polygenic and environmental effects common to each member of the sib pair (S1 and S2), and unique environmental influences specific to each sibling (E1 and E2). Causal paths between variables are represented by unidirectional arrows, whereas correlations between variables are represented by bidirectional arrows. The strength of association between each variable is measured by a path coefficient (equivalent to a partial regression coefficient), in the case of a causal path, or a correlation coefficient, in the case of a bidirectional path. The correlation between siblings for the common QTL is , the estimated proportion of genes shared identical by descent at the trait locus, whereas the correlation between siblings for shared polygenic and environmental sources (i.e., S1 and S2) is 1. Correlations between phenotypes arise because of the pleiotropic action of the QTL (represented by the product of the path coefficients q1 and q2), from polygenic and environmental effects shared between siblings (represented by the product of α, s1, and s2) and from nonshared residual effects (represented by the product of β, e1, and e2). It is assumed that each variable is standardized to unit variance. The test for linkage is computed as twice the difference in log-likelihood between a model where q1 and q2 are estimated and a model where q1 and q2 are constrained to 0. Since q1 (or, alternatively, q2) is constrained to be positive, whereas q2 has no such constraint (to allow for the possibility of a negative correlation between the observed variables), the test statistic is distributed asymptotically as a 50:50 mixture of χ21 and χ22 (Self and Liang 1987).

Figure 1

Path diagram showing the relationship between two observed variables (V1 and V2) for a pair of siblings. Covariation between the phenotypes is due to the QTL (Q), genetic and environmental sources that are shared among siblings (S1 and S2), and nonshared ...

Under the null hypothesis of no linkage (N), the asymptotic parameter estimates for the covariance matrix, implied by figure 1, of the ith sib pair are

(only lower elements of the matrix are shown). Under the alternative hypothesis of linkage (L), the asymptotic parameter estimates are given by:

According to Sham et al. (2000), the NCP for linkage (λL) is equal to twice the difference in expected log-likelihoods between the alternative and null hypotheses:

To evaluate this expression, note that the determinant of a matrix of order n is a sum of n! signed products, each involving n elements of the matrix. The computation is made easier, in the present case, because the variables are standardized and, therefore, the diagonal terms of the matrix are equal to 1:

where rij is the element corresponding to the ith row and jth column of Σ. If we denote the right half of this equation as "1+x" and note that the first-order Taylor-series expansion of ln(1+x)≈x, then the NCP may be approximated as

where xS, x2, x1, and x0 are the first-order Taylor-series approximations for the null hypothesis and the alternative hypotheses of sharing two, one, or zero alleles identical by descent at the trait locus.

Evaluation of this expression in terms of the parameters in figure 1 yields

Note particularly that the second part of the equation (i.e., the last four lines) contains terms involving the correlation between shared polygenic and environmental effects (α) and the correlation between unique environmental effects (β). The sign of these correlations contributes to the magnitude of the NCP. Consider first the terms containing the correlation between shared polygenic and environmental effects (i.e. the terms containing α). It is apparent that the parts of the expression inside parentheses must be negative. Therefore, if the QTL and shared polygenic and environmental influences produce correlations in the same direction, the terms will be negative, and therefore the NCP and the power to detect linkage will decrease. In contrast, when the QTL and shared influences induce correlations in opposite directions, the terms will become positive increasing the NCP and power. The power to detect linkage increases as the correlation between shared sources decreases (i.e., becomes more negative). A similar argument also applies to terms containing the QTL and unique sources of variation (i.e., the terms that include α), although the increase in power is more dramatic because the terms inside the parentheses are greater in magnitude and because there is an additional term containing β that is always positive (i.e., 1/2β2q21q22e21e22). The last term in the equation (i.e., αβq21q22s1s2e1e2) suggests that the increase in power will be greatest when both shared and nonshared influences induce covariance in the direction opposite to the QTL.

Figure 2 displays the effect that varying the correlation between shared and unique sources of variation has on the NCP for a plausible biological model. In this model, the QTL accounts for 20% of the variance of each trait (i.e., q21=q22=0.2), and induces a positive correlation between the variables (i.e., q1 and q2 are both positive). Both shared and unique effects account for forty percent of the variance for both traits (i.e., s21=s22=0.4; e21=e22=0.4). The correlation between unique sources of variation is varied, while the shared correlation is fixed at 0 (lines with diamonds), and the correlation between shared factors is varied, whereas the unique environmental correlation is fixed at 0 (lines with triangles). Note that the graph is based on exact values for the NCP and not on the Taylor-series approximation.

Figure 2

NCP as a function of either the correlation between unique sources of variation (lines with diamonds) or the correlation between shared sources of variation (lines with triangles).

In both cases, the NCP increases as the correlation between the latent sources of variation decreases. However, although the increase in NCP is small and linear for the shared case, the increase is dramatic and exponential as the correlation between the unique sources of variation decreases. Thus, the power of bivariate QTL linkage analysis depends not only on the phenotypic correlation between variables but also on the source of this correlation.

In conclusion, these results imply that, in a bivariate linkage analysis, one is most likely to detect a QTL that produces a correlation between variables opposite in direction to the background correlation. In particular, power is dramatically affected by the correlation between the unique environmental sources of variation. This combination of latent sources would tend to produce variables that have low or moderate phenotypic correlations, a fact that should be kept in mind when deciding which variables to include in a bivariate linkage analysis.


Original Research Article Introduction: Gallbladder disease is a worldwide common surgical problem. Before the advent of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, open cholecystectomy was the standard modality of treatment for cholelithiasis and symptomatic gallbladder diseases. Objective: To see the accuracy of clinical diagnosis after ultrasonographic evaluation of gallstone and symptomatic gallbladder disease. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective study the Patients admitted in surgery wards from emergency & outpatient department with the diagnosis of gallstone and symptomatic gallbladder disease. Total 100 patients were selected, who were admitted with the diagnosis of gallstone and symptomatic gallbladder diseases undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Dhaka Medical College Hospital & BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients were selected irrespective of their age, sex, fit for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Results: This study represents the experiences with 100 patients who are admitted with the clinical and ultrasonographic diagnosis of gallstone and symptomatic gallbladder disease for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Operation time was from 30-90 minutes with a mean time of 47.4 minutes. Typical clinical presentation was found in most of the cases. 15 (15%) patients presented with epigastric pain of which 12 (12%) patients were misdiagnosed and were treated for duodenal ulcer for years. 1 (1%) patient was diagnosed incidentally during ultrasonography for gynaecological complaints. All the patients in this study undergone ultrasonography of hepatobiliary system and pancreas. Out of 100 cases 93 (93%) cases were found to have stone in gallbladder sonologically, whereas 96 (96%) cases were found to have stone in the gallbladder peroperatively. Ultrasonography detected normal appearance gallbladder with stone in 73 (73%) cases but peroperatively found them in 76 (76%) cases. In 15 (15%) cases sonography revealed fibrosed and contracted gallbladder with stone, whereas 13 (13%) cases were found to have the findings per-operatively. Sonography commented 7 (7%) patients of thick gallbladder wall where per-operatively it was found in 11 (11%) patients. Distended gallbladder with stones was detected sonologically in 6 (6%) cases but peroperatively found them in 7 (7%) cases. In 1(1%) case sonography detected fibrosed and contracted gallbladder without stones but per-operatively such was found in 2 (2%) cases. Gallbladder polyp was found in 1 (1%) case both sonologically and peroperatively. No adhesions and stone in common bile duct were detected by sonologically. Conclusion: Considering and comparing data in this series it can be concluded that, sound clinical examination with ultrasonographic evaluation of gallstone and symptomatic gallbladder disease is almost accurate in real time laparoscopic cholecystectomy.


The parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation were estimated, mainly from size-frequency data, for three commercially exploited Peruvian bivalves, Gari solida, Aulacomya ater and Semele solida, collected by divers from "Bahia de Independencia", Pisco, Peru from November 1986 to September 1987 and from January to September 1990. Some related information on the three bivalves in question are also presented.


The paper proposes an improved pulse width modulation algorithm to solve the voltage imbalance on DC capacitors for single-phase T-type inverter. By changing the modulation index, the residual states can be applied to the discharge/charge state on the DC capacitors to balance the voltage. The proposed algorithm is validated for application in single-phase T-type inverters in independent mode. The simulation and experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the improved pulse width modulation method for single-phase T-type inverter. The paper proposes an improved pulse width modulation algorithm to solve the voltage imbalance on DC capacitors for single-phase T-type inverter. By changing the modulation index, the residual states can be applied to the discharge/charge state on the DC capacitors to balance the voltage. The proposed algorithm is validated for application in single-phase T-type inverters in independent mode. The simulation and experimental results have confirmed the effectiveness of the improved pulse width modulation method for single-phase T-type inverter.


This study aimed to investigate the dietary changes that occur upon migration and their relationship to Type II diabetes and obesity in Ghanaian migrants residing in Sydney, Australia. Eighty subjects (45 male, 35 female) were recruited from a local association. Anthropometric and duplicate fasting blood glucose measurements were obtained from each subject and dietary information collected by food frequency questionnaires. According to the WHO criteria, 20% of men and 11% of women were diabetic, with 22% and 20% sustaining impaired fasting glucose. Self‐reported mean BMI prior to migration to Australia was significantly lower than their current measured BMI. Fruits were consumed 14.2 and 12.6 servings less and fish 3.8 and 5.3 servings less per week in men and women, respectively, compared to when resident in Ghana. Upon migration, tropical root crops were almost exclusively replaced by potato starch. These dietary changes are consistent with an increased risk of Type II diabetes and overweight in this migrant population.


In this paper, we report the fabrication, design, and testing of an uncooled 8/spl times/8 infrared imager based on an active pixel heat balancing technique. The imager is fabricated using a commercial CMOS process plus a simple electrochemical etch stop releasing step. The basic active pixel detector structure consists of a simple cascode CMOS amplifier in which the PMOS devices are built inside a thermally isolated floating n-well. The intrinsic coupling of the cascode currents with the self-heating of the well forms an electrothermal feedback loop that tends to maintain the well temperature constant, By employing the heat balance between incoming infrared radiation and the PMOS device power dissipation, the responsivity of the detector is controlled by the cascode biasing current. Measurements show responsivities between 0.3-1.2/spl times/10/sup 6/ V/W when the infrared source is chopped at 20 Hz and a detectivity D*=3/spl times/10/sup 7/ cm/spl radic/(Hz)W/sup -1/ at 30 Hz. Noise measurements suggest that a D* of 10/sup 8/ cm/spl radic/(Hz)W/sup -1/ is achievable in this design.


This article analyses to what extent the Republic of Croatia has so far been able to use its favourable geographical position and other geographical features of its territory to improve its own geopolitical position. The article uses the method of neoclassical geopolitics. The conducted analysis shows that the geopolitical agents are aware of the potential of the Croatian territory and that some geopolitical goals are defined in the National Security Strategy. Consequently, Croatian transport infrastructure is constantly being built, modernized, and partly connects to the network of pan-European corridors. Croatia has been able to use its favourable geographical position in defining and implementing its foreign policy goals.


The technical standard of health Drug Dispensing System Single-Dose (DDSSD) is to promote access and the safe and rational use of medicines and surgical medical equipment in hospitals, through the proper implementation and DDSSD strengthening of the Departments and Pharmacy Services health sector establishments. This is a descriptive study of relevant information that reflects the economic benefit represented the implementation of the provision of medical supplies through the services DDSSD Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Dermatology (4A) and General Surgery (4B) Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins (HNERM) during the first year of implementation. Objective: To determine the economic benefit that represented the implementation of the provision of medical supplies by the DDSSD HNERM two services during the period 15 August 2008 - August 31, 2009 for the period August 1, 2007 - 14 August 2008. Results: a) the recovery of daily returns of medical supplies during the period August 1, 2007 - 14 August 08 and August 15, 1908 - August 31, 2009, giving a result of S /. 15759.40 for the second period in favor of Pharmacy, Medical Equipment, the period before the start of the implementation of DDSSD of medical equipment did not generate any return for the institution, b) The measurement of medical supplies requested the Medical Supplies Depot HNERM by 4A and 4B services amounted to S /. 111,681.12 for the period August 1, 2007 - August 14, 08 and requested medical equipment Pharmacy Medical Equipment for the same services S /. 96754.15 for the period August 15, 2008 - August 31 09. The saving of medical equipment distributed through DDSSD compared to the traditional distribution prior to S /. 14926.97 for the new system implemented. Conclusion: The percentage difference between the traditional system of distributing medical supplies in the HNERM and the new distribution by DDSSD was 13.37% in favor of the institution in its first year.


In the next generation of management thinking, we must go beyond TQM and on to Deming's theory of profound knowledge, much of which is embodied in the field of organizational learning and in particular, in Senge's 'Fifth Discipline' or systems thinking. In this framework there is no explicit mention of quality but the goal is still a process of ongoing improvement, that is, quality is implicitly treated.

Hospitals are thought to be pretty complex organizations to implement Senge's theory because they are hierarchical, skills intensive and most health care workers deal with their emotions, patient's emotions, doctor's emotions and fellow employee's emotions in highly intense situations. However, Senge's five 'component technologies' provide an excellent framework to begin with. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The general method [1,2] for construction of uniform asymptotics for surface waves in an anisotropic elastic media is employed in the special cases where the velocities (we mean here the phase velocities) of two quasi-shear waves turn out to be coincident at certain points on the boundary surface S.


The international consequences of this economic preeminence are well known. For example, the United States dollar is the standard for international exchange rates and constitutes the currency of international dealings. And the influence of the American economy is not limited merely to financial matters. Thus, United States standards concerning aircraft parts and petroleum equipment, which represent economic areas pioneered by American business, enjoy universal acceptance. In a similar vein, the English language, which we share with our British forebearers and their other former colonies, is the language of international commerce, constituting, for example, the required language used in aviation even in the case of domestic flights in non English-speaking countries. Americans have thus become accustomed to the thought that if international uniformity is to be achieved, it will be achieved by the very agreeable (for us) process of acceptance of our customs and standards by the rest of the world. However, a very important study is now underway by the U.S. Department of Commerce pursuant to Congressional mandate1 to determine whether in one major area, i.e., weights and measures, international uniformity will be achieved through the abandonment by the United States of its English or customary system of weights and measures in favor of the metric system. (The metric system is being adopted


Unlike the stable gas mixtures often analyzed in lab settings, the gas mixtures in practice may change fast due to the turbulent conditions of the environment, making the detection of gas components challenging. There will be a great safety risk if no fast and accurate detection method. In this article, an attention-based gated recurrent unit (AGRU) is proposed to solve this problem. It was introduced in detail that the method based on the gated recurrent unit (GRU) and attention mechanism. The component and concentration of the gas mixture were analyzed simultaneously by the dual loss function. The individual gas concentration in the gas mixture was obtained by multilabel coding. It was used to evaluate the performance of the model by accuracy, root mean square error (RMSE), number of model parameters, and floating point of operations (FLOPs). The experiment result showed that the AGRU's accuracy curve is fluctuating around 97%, and varying the length of response time between 3 and 30 s hardly affected the recognition accuracy of gas species. AGRU also has the smallest RMSE of each gas among models. At 3 s, AGRU's FLOPs are smaller than Improved LeNet5, which lays the foundation for the deployment in the embedded. Therefore, our proposed algorithm has a higher detection performance, lower complexity, and excellent robustness to be applicable in various practical applications for fast detection.


The goal of this contribution is to determine whether object licensing requires movement or not. In a series of recent papers, Susi Wurmbrand 2001, 2003, 2004a, 2004b (see also Bobaljik & Wurmbrand 2003, 2004) has argued, mainly on the basis of German data, that we ought to reject the view that internal arguments universally move (either overtly or covertly) to SpecAgrOP (cf. Chomsky 1993, Adger 1994). Her proposal is that Agree (Chomsky 1998, 2000) is the optimal way of analysing accusative case licensing. A large part of her argumentation consists in showing that German direct objects do not move for case reasons, not even at LF. Hence, it is necessary to have an operation like Agree, which does not require movement in and of itself. This paper reaches a slightly different conclusion: I argue that Wurmbrand is right in suggesting that Agree is the way in which objects are licensed in West Germanic languages. However, I also argue that other languages require object movement to a VP external position. We compare two languages – namely, Basque and Dutch-, showing that a number of asymmetries between them fall out if object licensing involves movement in Basque, but not in Dutch. The choice between licensing objects via Agree or via movement is taken to be a point of parametric variation. This paper is organised as follows: section 2 we introduce three object-related asymmetries between Dutch and Basque, with brief references to other languages. In section 3, we explore how these differences receive a uniform account under the hypothesis that Basque has obligatory object movement, but Dutch hasn't. Finally, in section 4, we explore some consequences of this hypothesis for the larger theory of word order and phrase structure.


Phytosterol ester was synthesized by phytosterol and methylesters in the presence of catalyst sodium methylate.By single factor test and orthogonal test the optimum processing parameters were obtained as follows: molar ratio of phytosterols to methylesters was 1:4,the amount of catalyst sodium methylate was 1.2%,the esterification temperature was 125 ℃,the reaction time was 4 h and vacuum was 0.095 MPa,the purity of phytosterol ester was 92.28%.The condition of bleaching was vacuum 0.095 MPa,temperature 95 ℃,for 25 min,active carbon 3% and activated beaching earth 3%.The condition of vacuum distillation was vacuum 150 Pa,temperature 160~190 ℃.The purity of product was up to 93.7% after refine.


The Coronavirus Fight is a well-made children's picture book about epidemic publicity. This article attempts to analyze
the text message from the perspective of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG). For ideational function, this book uses the material,
relational and behavior process the most. The heavy use of the transitivity process vividly depicts the epidemic situation. For
interpersonal function, most sentences use declarative mood, which indicates that this book aims to express much more information
to the readers. Furthermore, a large amount of the first person also bridges the void between the writer and reader. The analysis of
the text reveals well the meaning which the story conveys: although the coronavirus does harm to human health, our country is
taking effective measures to prevent it, and we should believe we will fight against it one day.


Rough sets are mainly defined by means of neighborhood systems. In this paper, a type of novel definition of the approximation operators is proposed via a predefined boundary region based on a binary relation. Then, the comparison between the new definitions and the original ones is made. The necessary and sufficient conditions of their equipollence are obtained. This paper also gives the definitions of boundaries based on covering. By employing the boundaries, a type of novel definition of the approximation operators based on covering is proposed. It is shown that the novel operators are equivalent to a type of covering approximation operators. Finally, with the aid of the boundary region, the relation between the general binary relations and the covering-based approximation operators is examined.


Frequency-domain finite-difference (FDFD) modelling is widely used for multi-source experiments modelling and full waveform tomography. In this paper, a frequency-domain finite-difference package written in MATLAB is presented which solves 2D visco-acoustic wave equation. The mixed-grid stencil is used as a state-of-the-art finite-differencing approach and SuitSparseQR solver is utilised for solving the large linear system of equations. Because of the independence of frequency components and the use of TBB-enabled SuitsparseQR solver, the package benefits from parallel computation in multi-core machines. Using MATLAB, codes became more readable and using different visualisation facilities inside MATLAB made this package very useful for research purposes. This package uses a PML absorbing boundary and supports anti-time aliasing and reduction velocity technique. Different attenuation mechanisms can easily be implemented. The performance of codes are examined on simple and complicated models which proved satisfactory in terms of accuracy and required CPU time, both in single and multi-source cases.


Aim: to investigate causes of individual differences in frequency of truancy. In a broad context, frequency of truancy belongs to the nonaggressive subtype of antisocial behavior (ASB) (Achenbach, 1991). We expect influences of genes and shared environment because truancy, like other types of non-aggressive ASB, is often performed with peers and twins are likely to share the same peer group (Loehlin, 1997; Harris, 1995).


As one of the most well-known music elements, music key, which reveals an important feature in music transcription, structure analysis and mood comprehension, is always an essential theoretical construct of music. As a result, key finding is becoming a popular topic of Music Information Retrieval (MIR). In this paper, we propose a novel approach with good robustness to detect keys in polyphonic music from a view of pitch class distribution theory. A signal transformation with musical representation-Constant Q transform (CQT) is firstly applied to music audio for spectrum analysis. Then onset detection and pitch tuning are introduced in order to ensure robustness. Finally, a weighted harmonic structure pattern-pitch class distribution matrix (PCDM) is extracted as feature for key classification. PCDM contains both pitch class information and chord structure, and it is based on pitch class distribution view. Considering the classifier, a neural network is applied to model the pitch class distribution and complete the task of key recognition. Also, a key smoothing method makes proposed method capable of processing modulation and reducing key fluctuation. Experiments showed that the proposed strategy can reach a good performance in polyphonic music at a relatively lower computational cost, and proved our strategy to be quite promising.


Members of the Staphylococcus genus are known pathogens causing mastitis in dairy cows, which results in major economic losses. Here, we present Staphylococcus epidermidis UFMG-H7, Staphylococcus hominis UFMG-H7B, and Staphylococcus sciuri UFMG-H6, isolated from the urine of healthy purebred Gyr heifers. ABSTRACT Members of the Staphylococcus genus are known pathogens causing mastitis in dairy cows, which results in major economic losses. Here, we present Staphylococcus epidermidis UFMG-H7, Staphylococcus hominis UFMG-H7B, and Staphylococcus sciuri UFMG-H6, isolated from the urine of healthy purebred Gyr heifers.


It firstly describes traditional value-added service platform architecture and its defects, then describes integrated service network architecture, service implementation, system configuration, operating supporting system. Finally if briefly presents the status of integrated service network in China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom.


An effective way to scale ISAR image is to estimate the target rotating velocity (RV) by modeling the received signals as quadratic phase signals and estimate the chirp rate of scattering centers. The precision of the RV estimate is analyzed, where the weighted least square error (WLSE) rule is used to fit the chirp rate of scattering centers with its corresponding range. Results disclose the factors influencing the variance of RV estimate, such as the number of scattering centers and their distribution, the range estimation error and the chirp rate estimation error. Especially, the influence of range estimation error and chirp rate estimation error on the variance of RV estimate is quantitatively analyzed. Simulation results verify the deduced formulas.


Background: Ovarian cancer represents one of the most frequently seen malignancies in women and it is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in women. The aim of the study to determine the risk factors leading to ovarian cancer in western part of Odisha, India and show the tumour markers in this population. Methods: This is a prospective observational study included 240 ovarian masses diagnosed at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, V. S. S. Medical College, Burla, Sambalpur over 3 years based on preoperative clinical, biochemical (tumour markers) and imaging study and confirm through post-operative histopathology reports. Results: Surface epithelial tumours (68.33%) followed by germ cell tumours (30.83%) are the most common ovarian tumour. Incidence of ovarian cancer is 73.58% in ≤50 years of age group and more number of cases (16.65%) also found in younger age (≤30 year). Overall number of ovarian cancer cases rising. Bilateral tubal ligation is not a protective factor for ovarian cancer (p value >0.05) and consumption of alcohol and tobacco is not increase risk for ovarian cancer. Most of ovarian tumour commonly present with vague abdominal pain (75.83%) followed by mass per abdomen (55%). Ascites mainly a presentation of malignant tumour seen in 46(63.88%) cases. CA125 is the frequently detected tumour markers and all of the tumour markers were significantly within normal limit. Conclusions: Ovarian neoplasia is one of the most common and lethal malignancy in female reproductive tract. Though it is a disease of older age but now a day more no of cases also seen in younger age group. Since most of the ovarian cancer remain asymptomatic for long period so measure should be taken for early diagnosis for best outcome. So, assessment of each regions statistical information reflecting its own profile may be important for estimation of risk for development of ovarian cancer and so useful for early preventive measure before progress to advance stage where prognosis is worst. So, relationship between the profiles of patients and types of ovarian neoplasms may give an idea about the risk factors of the disease in its region. Additionally, distribution of tumour markers might be considered for the dis-criminating of the benign or malign characters of the ovarian neoplasia.


Management practitioners and researchers alike have shown increasing interest in mindfulness, a mode of regulating attention that can improve job performance. In this symposium, leading mindfulness...


Sir, We thank Burch and Avasarala1 for their interest in our study.2 Regarding the selection of trial participants, routine gynaecological check-ups in symptom-free women are common in many countries, including Norway. If an ultrasound examination raises suspicion of endometrial pathology, women are usually referred for an outpatient consultation at our hospital. At this consultation, saline intrauterine sonography is performed to visualise polyps or fibroids in the uterine cavity. Women with asymptomatic endometrial polyps are usually treated by hysteroscopic resection. None of the women in our trial had previously undergone hysteroscopy, but 29/68 (43%) of the premenopausal women and 8/23 (35%) of the postmenopausal women had at some point during their lives undergone a dilatation and curettage. We do not think that this will have influenced the effect of misoprostol on cervical ripening. The trial was not a random population sample as these women were referred for a particular reason. However, all preand postmenopausal women referred to our hospital were eligible for trial participation. Whether all women with symptomfree polyps should be offered hysteroscopy is controversial, and there are currently continuing trials at our hospital to determine the spontaneous regression rate and the risk of malignancy in symptom-free endometrial polyps. Regarding the outcome measures, the use of preoperative cervical dilatation as a primary outcome for assessing cervical ripening is open for discussion. However, it is a very widely used method in randomised trials.3,4 Using outcomes such as 'difficulty in dilating the cervix' or 'pain experienced by the women' might be open to even greater subjectivity and much wider variation in results. A secondary outcome measure of cervical dilatation of 5 mm was also intended to re-enforce the impression of the cervical ripening effect caused by misoprostol. In the premenopausal misoprostol group, 88% of women experienced cervical dilatation of 5 mm, compared with 65% in the placebo group. Miniature hysteroscopes do not necessarily require cervical dilatation, but a 10-mm resectoscope almost always does. A 1 mm difference in the cervical dilatation might be a questionable outcome if one were only comparing a few women against each other. Used in a trial with a sufficient number of trial participants, this can be a statistically significant difference.


Fortified extruded rice presents promising commercial opportunities for delivering nutrients and other functional ingredients to the global rice consuming population. Its formulation may be changed to suit the nutritional requirements of different target markets. The objective of this study was to develop a product line of prototypes that resemble the texture and appearance of natural rice grains, and have good retention of added nutrients. Extruded fortified rice was manufactured in a controlled mechanical shear extrusion process by first combining a mixture of fortified rice flour and water in a pre-conditioner, then advancing the mixture along the length of an extruder barrel with a terminal extrusion die inserts in the shape of rice kernels. Extruded rice grains were evaluated for the degree of gelatinization, texture profile, and starch depolymerization. Retention of added vitamins and minerals was also measured. The cooked extruded grains had comparable texture to cooked commercial rice with good sensory characteristics. Based on the results, the key strategy in producing good quality extruded fortified starch is to achieve as high a degree of starch gelatinization in the extruded rice kernel as possible without inducing excessive starch breakdown.


A hypothesis by Bernhauer on the biosynthesis of the benzimidazole bases of corrinoids implicates the possible existence of a corrinoid containing 6′,7′-dimethylnaphtho- (2′,3′) -imidazole-4,5 (DMNIA). In order to facilitate the detection of this corrinoid in natural sources by means of a reference compound, DMNIA was synthesized and added to cultures of Propionibacterium shermanii. Thus the new vitamin B12-analog DMNIA-cobamide was formed. The DMNIA-cobamide was degraded and its base isolated. This base had the same UV-spectrum and electrophoretic behaviour as the product prepared by chemical synthesis. On degradation of DMNIA-cobamide with cerous hydroxide DMNIA-α-D-ribofuranoside is formed. Perchloric acid treatment of DMNIA-cobamide yields DMNIA-α-D-ribofuranoside 3′-phosphate. The microbiological activity of DMNIA-cobamide cyanide tested with the vitamin B,12-requiring Lactobacillus leichmannii ATCC 7830 was equal to the activity of vitamin B12, with the Escherichia coli-mutant 113-3 it exhibited about 50% of the growth-activity of vitamin B12. DMNIA-cobamide coenzyme shows approximately 10% of the coenzymatic activity of coenzyme B12 in the propanediol dehydrase reaction.


A study was made in the net house of Plant Physiology, Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh to study the comparative effect of wastewater and groundwater along with three different rates of nitrogen (N) of 0, 30, and 60 kg ha−1 on growth, physiology and yield of two varieties of chilli cv. 'G4' and 'Pusa Jawala'. Wastewater irrigation resulted significant increase in shoot and root length, fresh weight, dry weight, leaf number and area, net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance (gs), water use efficiency (WUE), chlorophyll content, and yield. The physio-chemical parameters of wastewater met the irrigational characteristics, being well within the permissible limit as outlined by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Among the nitrogen doses 30 kg ha−1 N along with wastewater proved best for the growth and yield. Thus it may be concluded that wastewater reduced the demand of fertilizers and it may be used for the cultivation of chilli.


Boundaries in the ocean are man-made constructs of importance to everything from oil and gas production, to fisheries and environmental protection. How do states delineate such ownership and rights? These are the core questions examined in this article, which studies Australia's maritime boundary agreements, starting with Indonesia in 1971 and ending with Timor-Leste in 2019. In addition to depicting and documenting the main drivers and impediments to these agreements whenever Australia has had to negotiate with a third country, it examines Australia's approach to boundary-making at sea more generally. Drawing on international law and political science, this article shows why we need understand the interplay between security politics, legal considerations and domestic interests in order to understand what motivates states to settle their maritime disputes.


Garver's thesis in this bold and persuasive volume is that a reconsideration of Aristotle's Rhetoric bears directly and usefully on current disputes in the nature of practical reason and the public sphere. The overall argument has three related prongs, expressed in one characteristic passage this way: "that reason is the body of persuasion and conviction, that ethos is the most powerful source of such conviction, and that the ethos that is and ought to be the most authoritative come from reasoning itself" (153). The book is not primarily an exegesis of Aristotle, however; rather, Garver devotes his attention to putting Aristotelian (sometimes quasi-Aristotelian) ideas directly into practice on such cases as Brown v. Board of Education and the reports of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission. His provocative conclusion is that, contrary to liberal orthodoxy regarding practical reason, the aim of civic debate ought not to be agreement (and, hence, modus vivendi solutions to the problem of justice) but, instead, truth (and, hence, a virtue model of civic friendship as the telos of shared citizenship). In so arguing, Garver seeks to avoid both the instrumental reason "bargainingbetween-strangers" models of current minimalist liberals (here represented, loosely, by Hobbes) and cynical or sophistical "deception and might" positions concerning public debate (represented, more or less, by Machiavelli). Instead, he takes "deliberation between friends" as his paradigm of practical reason. Garver's previous books, on Aristotle's Rhetoric and on Machiavellian prudence, indicate the relevant background of this position. Appeals to Aristotelian substance are more and more common in contemporary political theory, but Garver's approach is novel in at least two important ways. First, his focus is on the Rhetoric and the linked acts of persuading/being persuaded (though he notes that Aristotle himself, in common with most writers in the tradition of classical rhetoric, concentrates on the former, sometimes to the detriment of the latter) rather than the possibly more familiar arguments about character and citizenship in Politics and Nicomachean Ethics, particularly the characterization of the phronimos as a citizen. Second, he refuses the more usual appropriation of Aristotle in contemporary theory, which has been to mold his ethical insights into a broadly liberal conception of justice, with associated citizen-based "gag rules" and dialogic norms—a sort of substantive-procedural hybrid—defending instead a substantive republicanism that envisages practical reason as, among other things, the achievement of "ampliative reasoning" in real debates, such that our commitments extend past the limits of reason considered either as instrumental or as logical. "Practical reasoning," Garver notes, "generates an ethical surplus that allows


B. melitensis is a more infectious zoonotic agents infect human and animals, 120 suspected brucellosis milk samples from goats with history of abortion were collected from Al-Samawa city tested with Milk ring test and Polymerase chain reation technique, results showed 11(9.16%) samples were positive for MRT, while 5(4.16%) samples were positive for PCR technique.


The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) announced today that Philip Walker " Bo " Hammer, Ph.D., has joined the National Office as Associate Executive Officer. In this role, Dr. Hammer will work closely with Warren Hein, Executive Officer, to support AAPT's educational programs. " Bo Hammer brings a unique skill set and knowledge about physics education to AAPT. He is familiar with our programs and the AAPT community and will be a significant addition to AAPT's National Office. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with such a gifted physics educator, " said Dr. Warren Hein, AAPT's Executive Officer. " Excellence in science education is key to our nation's competitive and intellectual future, " said Hammer, " and I am excited to join AAPT as it leads the science community's efforts to improve physics teaching and advance the understanding of physics. " Hammer is well-known in the physics education community for his significant contributions and relationships across the spectrum of science education and science policy. " We are delighted that Dr. Hammer has agreed to come to AAPT. His efforts will allow us to better serve our members and help us reach our goal of becoming a stronger voice for physics education, " said Alex Dickison, AAPT President. About AAPT: AAPT (www.aapt.org) is the leading organization for physics educators—with more than 10,000 members worldwide. Our mission is to advance the greater good through physics teaching. We provide our members with many opportunities for professional development, communication, and student enrichment. We serve the larger community through a variety of programs and publications. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.


The study had provided shows the characteristics of the some surfaces obtained with the electrochemical mechanical processing and describes the common effect of processing modes and its conditions on the surface microrelief. This shaping method is taking an efficiency on finishing operations, which are required both in traditional ways of processing by subtracting the workpiece material, and in an additive technologies. One of the main advantages of an electrochemical machining is the ability at achieving high surface quality and the absence of impacts on the lower layers of the workpiece's surface. The results of surface studies are considered with an example of aluminum, bronze-graphite, iron-graphite, and recommendations are given for improving the surface quality of ductile metal based parts including the materials of the tool blade and its characteristics. The study has focused on the turning, milling and abrasive machining. The greatest relevance of the application of this processing method is associated with the impossibility of obtaining accurate geometric parameters of parts by the most widely used shaping methods at the present, especially for processing parts made of ductile metals and its alloys.


With a disproportionate number of children living in poverty in the United States, counseling preparation programs have the responsibility to enhance social justice and multicultural competencies for counseling trainees. The authors delineate a teaching model for an advanced school counseling course to enhance counseling trainees' commitment to social justice and leadership skills when working at low-income schools. Course assignments, videos, experiential activities, as well as students' reported perceptions of their participation will be explored.


The most prevalent health hazards in the world's population are chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The most serious public health issue is knee osteoarthritis, which is caused by aging. It is described as a degenerative joint disease that develops through wear and strain, leading to a continuous decline in articular cartilage, functional limitations, impairment, and eventually a reduction in a person's standard of lifestyle. Around ten percent of people older than 60 frequently are unhappy of this medical condition. While 37 percent of Americans aged 60 or older have osteoarthritis of the knee that has been identified. The rate of knee joint osteoarthritis is predicted to increase near forty percent by 2025 as a result of the growth of the worldwide population. Gender, age, trauma, excessive use, hereditary disorders, and other variables all contribute to the issue getting worsened. In terms of functional ability, discomfort, and functional constraint, the study found that participants with knee osteoarthritis had a poor standard of life. Additionally, a direct correlation between the low quality of life and the academic level was discovered. It has been shown that persons with low levels of schooling participate in more physical activities and have greater effects related to this. Disability results from the illness's worsening effects on life expectancy.

https://universepg.com/public/storage/journal-pdf/Knee osteoarthritis_assessment of quality of life in these patients.pdf


The hydrodynamic characteristics of the air water toluene three-phase system in a spray extraction column at 20 °C were examined. The average and local hold-up data of the dispersed phase were determined in dependence on the flow rates of the continuous, dispersed and gaseous phases. The average gas phase hold-up was also measured and analyzed. A comparison was made of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the two-phase (water - toluene) and three-phase (air - water - toluene) systems.


Through the application analysis of evaporation condensing technology,it compares the prons and cons of three kinds of evaporation condensing technologies,determines to select evaporation condensing chillers,and obtains the most rational air ventilation air-conditioning system setting program at the subway station through analysis by combining with station layout form.Thus,it solves the setting problem of ground chiller tower.


This article deals with the assessment of a policy aimed at creating social residences, in three years and on eight departments of the region of Ile-de -France. It brings into perspective the failure in creating the amount of places defined at the beginning. despite willingness and signifiant efforts, difficulties in creating and in setting in work these structures show how complicated and hard it is to carry out projects dealing with underprivileged people housing


FIELD: technological processes. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to monitoring of a medium in reservoirs for storage, in particular, to the method and the device for detection of phase separation in reservoirs for storage. At least one float has density calibrated so that difference in density could be detected between surrounding fluid media. The float is held on the surface relative to a more dense lower layer of the fluid medium, such as fuel with separated phases or clean water, and remains submerged in a relatively less dense upper layer of the fluid medium, such as the mixture of benzene/ethanol. The detection device sends a signal, when the float rises or lowers above or below the pre-determined permissible level. EFFECT: invention makes it possible to detect a fluid medium, created as a result of phase separation, and to determine its height. 44 cl, 3 dwg


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
MicroRNA (miR-221/222) is frequently overexpressed in many cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. However, the role of miR-221/222 in retinoblastoma (RB) remains unclear. This study aimed to detect the clinical significance of miR-221/222 in RB patients and explore its role in RB cells in vitro.

METHODS
Expression of miR-221/222 was assessed in fresh RB tissue collected from 64 eyes and normal retinal tissues from 18 unrelated donor cadaver eyes by quantitative real time RT-PCR analysis (qRT-PCR), and correlated with the histopathological findings. Human RB Y79 cells were transfected with miR-221/222 precursors or inhibitors to overexpress or downregulate miR-221/222 expression, respectively, using Lipofectamine 2000 reagent. The biological effects of miR-221/222 were then assessed by cell viability assays, colony formation assays, apoptosis detection assays, Matrigel® invasion assays, and wound-healing assays.

RESULTS
Higher miR-221/222 expression was detected in RB tissues compared to that of the normal retinal tissues (p< 0.001). Higher miR-221/222 expression was correlated with invasion in patients with RB. Targeting of miR-221/222 induced apoptosis and inhibited Y79 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. However, overexpression of miR-221/222 promoted Y79 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of miR-221/222 was associated with tumor invasiveness in patients with RB. The miR-221/222 cluster might be used as a potential therapeutic strategy in clinical practice.


This article deals with Pólya generalized urn models with constant balance in any dimension. It is based on the algebraic approach of [11] and classifies urns having "large" eigenvalues in five classes, depending on their almost sure asymptotics. These classes are described in terms of the spectrum of the urn's replacement matrix and examples of each case are treated. We study the cases of so-called cyclic urns in any dimension and m-ary search trees for m ≥ 27.


The black liquor was treated by the hydraulic circulating UASB and IC in the experiment which discussed the volume loading rate and removal rate.The experiment indicated that the anaerobic treatment was restrained when using sulphuric acid to adjust the pH.But the restraint could be eliminated by using hydrochloric acid.


The construction industry is one of the major causes of both the consumption of natural resources and environmental pollution. Buildings have a significant environmental impact during their lifecycle, consuming huge amounts of energy and natural assets and affecting the air and water quality in our cities. The life-cycle of a building consists of two phases: design and facility management (FM). Raw materials such as steel, concrete, iron, wood and brick are used in the first stage, while natural resources like water, natural gas and energy are utilized throughout the entire lifecycle. In addition, environmental effects include an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. Several negative effects on the environment are also the consequence of deconstruction activities due to the intensive use of natural assets and the generation of solid and liquid waste. As a consequence, all the stakeholders involved in the Architecture Engineering Construction (AEC) sector, such as architects, engineers, energy consultants, project managers, building users and local administrators, are working together to develop appropriate technologies. Indeed, the rising cost of energy, the overconsumption of natural resources, and all the environmental issues mentioned above have led to an increased demand for sustainable building structures with a low environmental impact, following ecofriendly principles. This means that the construction sector is in a period where there is a need for two important elements. The first is a boost in terms of eco-efficiency, which is considered to be an integration of several environmental and economic aspects aimed at reducing waste and the


The association between the clam Mulinia edulis and the isopod Edotea magellanica was studied during the SpringSummer period of 1987-1988 at the subtidal bottoms of sand bars located outside the outlets of Lingue and Queule estuaries (southern Chile), and at the subtidal muddy-sand sediments of the middle reaches of these estuaries. The percentage of bivalve occupation by isopods at those estuaries varied between 1.5-4.2 , while at the sand bars the ranges were 21.1-80.7 . Laboratory experiments suggested that the low frequency of isopod occupation in estuarine clams could be related to the low tolerance of Edotea magellanica to water salinities lower than 20 ojoo. The highest percentage of isopod occupation in the clams collected from the sand bars occured in bivalves with shell length ranging from 50 to 60 mm. Regression and covariance analyses for the relationship between shell length and dry-tissue weight of clams with and without i pods, showed that Edotea magellanica has no influence on the meat content of clams. Isopod females outnumbered males at both sand bars. Number of intramarsupial eggs and embryos was significantly correlated with sizes of ovigerous females, while no significant correlation was found between number of intramarsupial juveniles and sizes of ovigerous females. In general, no correlation was found between size of intramarsupial stages and sizes of ovigerous females. The mean size for eggs in the whole sample was 0.55 mm, 0.96 mm for embryos and 1.51 mm for intramarsupial juveniles. The life cycle of Edotea magellanica was schematically constructed using the available data. Clams would be first occupied by a female, then by a male. The new isopod generation develops in the marsupium of females and continues in the mantle cavity of clams until they reach an approximate body size of about 4 mm. The low number of juveniles found in the mantle cavity of clams suggests that these stages have a high mortality after released from the marsupium, or that they do not leave the clams at the same time. No isopods were ever seen outside the mantle cavity of clams.


This article introduced that in order to cultivate students' innovative abilities,taking electronic design contest as a turning point and building a scientific training system and carrying out students' extracurricular technological innovation activities as the study subject matter,Huazhong University of Science and Technology found out a set of training methods and management measures for the extracurricular technological innovation activities which results in a good effect.


To evaluate whole knee joint tractography, including articular cartilage, ligaments, meniscus, and growth plate using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) at microscopic resolution.


This paper represents a fully-automated adaptive analog predistortion power amplifier for repeater systems with digital signal processor (DSP) control of a spectrum monitor, which detects the output spectrum of the RF power amplifier and improves the linearity automatically by controlling the gate bias voltage of the main power amplifier and the vector modulator of the analog predistorter. We implement a 30 W class AB power amplifier that adopts a general 3/sup rd/-order predistorter with the spectrum monitor in the wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) band. In this system, all operations for the linearization are achieved fully automatically under various power levels and temperatures.


This toxicological profile on perfluoroalkyls discusses information on 14 perfluoroalkyl compounds that have been measured in the serum collected from a representative U.S. population 12 years of age and older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004 (Calafat et al. 2007b), as well as 2 compounds (PFBA and PFHxA) that have been identified in other monitoring studies. These compounds include:


Space partitioning is the process of dividing a Euclidean space into a non-overlapping regions. Kdimensional tree is such space-partitioning data structure for partitioning a Euclidean plane like the surface of earth. This paper describes a tool-based logically partitioning technique of earth surface using K-dimensional tree to segregate the edge servers over the earth surface into a nonoverlapping regions for the particular Content Delivery Network. Consequently selecting an edge server based on Least Response Time lo ad balancing algorithm is introduced to improve end-user response time and fault tolerance of the host server.


This article gives a comparative analysis of six European urban local areas located in five different European countries. Although the school systems studied here are different because of the nature of the measures taken to control the way the students split into the schools, we can see in the six areas, phenomena to establish hierarchy structures and students segregation based on social and academic criteria. To understand how different regulation measures can produce partly similar effects, we analyse the action logics used by the families and the schools and show how those two forces compete on this issue of splitting up students, mobilising strategies adapted to local contexts and regulation measures. Whatever regulation measures are used, the difference in resources typical of both schools and families, contribute in this way to create or reproduce students segregation and the hierarchy structure between schools.


In today's world man finds himself exposed to the temptations of (This entire sentence is not objective, scientific terminology) (These crimes are not limited to TODAY's world, the perpetrator is not always a man, and evil is not a scientific subject to be included in a scholarly paper, it is subjective to individual beliefs and laws). A movement should have been augmented to fight against these (do not use dramatic subjective terms) societal crimes, which forms a sort of mental purge for those so inclined to take advantage of their positions of trust. Child abuse has historically been a common offence against children without sufficient social and legal sanctions throughout the world. To deal with child sexual abuse cases while treating the victims, it's necessary to assess the patient's psychiatric health. The victims were examined after obtaining informed consent from the child or from their guardian. Results The patient's psychiatric health was determined by the Hamilton Scale for depression and anxiety. The total number of cases was 52. Of the 52 cases 33 patients (i.e. 63.5 % of the cases) consented to undergo medical examination. 19 victims (36.5%) did not give their consent for their medical examination. The mean Hamilton A score for anxiety was 19.39 and mean Hamilton D score for depression was 28.81. Conclusions When the accused is known to the victim most cases are associated with severe or very severe degree of depression; and moderate or severe anxiety. After completing a detail study of the violations of minor girls it is concluded that it would be beneficial for the global society to take initiatives to minimize the incidence of such acts.


The paper is aimed to assess the effect of anthropogenic fragmentation on the biodiversity of plants in northern meadow steppes located in the southeast of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The plants were chosen as a model group. A quantitative analysis of the dependence of the number of species on the area of habitats was carried out according to the data collected at 158 sites of meadow steppes and steppe meadows with a total area of 10752 ha. For each of the meadow steppe and steppe meadows surveyed, the total area, proportion, and area covered with meadow steppe communities proper were determined, and a floristic list was compiled, in which species characteristic of meadow steppes were identified. Totally flora lists 361 species of plants, including 110 steppe species. It is shown that ecological interactions between separate fragments of meadow steppe in the south-east of Nizhny Novgorod region are broken; the remained fragments of meadow steppe are isolated. To conserve biological diversity in the forest-steppe zone, the special measures aimed at the ecological restoration of interactions between meadow steppe fragments is necessary.


It is shown that the Winograd transform can be combined with a complex integer transform over the Galois field GF(q-squared) to yield a new algorithm for computing the discrete cyclic convolution of complex number points. By this means a fast method for accurately computing the cyclic convolution of a sequence of complex numbers for long convolution lengths can be obtained. This new hybrid algorithm requires fewer multiplications than previous algorithms.


FTC Seeks to Secure First Disgorgement in Nearly a Decade* The FTC announced yesterday that Cardinal Health, Inc. ("Cardinal") has agreed to pay $26.8 million to resolve its investigation into the…


The mechanism study of CO2 absorption from simulated flue gas into aqueous solution of MEA and MDEA has been conducted with a double-stirred-cell absorber. The results showed that the absorption effect of this mixed amines system was remarkable. The coincidence degree of the reaction enhancement factor E from dimembrane simplification theory and that from experiment determination were compared. A mechanism model accounts for interaction of chemical reactions with the CO2 absorption of the mixed organic amines, and the relative coefficient b was proposed. For the mixed amine liquor, at the total amine concentration 2.0mol/L and MEA original concentration 0.3~0.5mol/L, b could be expressed as the absorption loading L function: ?= (L) = 0.12+0.35e-L/0.026.


We consider a circle of ideas involving differential algebra, local Noetherian rings, and their generic formal fibers.
Connecting these ideas gives rise to what we term a "twisted" subring $R$ of a ring $S$. Each such subring $R$ arises as a pullback of a derivation taking values in an $S$-module $K$. The twisting relationship proves to be a kind of inversion of Nagata idealization: whereas idealization extends $S$ to the larger ring $S \star K$, twisting produces a subring of $S$ which behaves much like the ring $S \star K$.
The rings produced in this manner exhibit pathological features, such as failing to have finite normalization, but in spite of this they are quite tractable and conceptually (if not practically) easy to locate, and in this way provide a rich but manageable source of non-standard Noetherian rings.
The theory developed to support this construction involves extensive use of both Noetherian and non-Noetherian commutative ring theory, as well as differential algebra.


This study examines the relationship between outsourcing practices, firm strategy and growth in SMEs. The sample for this study was the Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) database co-developed by the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Ernst & Young. I found that while 83% of the firms engaged in some outsourcing practice, 71.5% of the firms outsourced three or fewer activities. Differing activities were significantly associated with growth depending on whether firm growth was measured in relative or absolute terms, suggesting that outsourcing preferences may be highly influenced by firm size. The results of this study suggest that while outsourcing is commonly practiced among high-performing SMEs, it is generally done to allow the firm to focus on its core activities rather than directly supporting their growth strategies.


The article reviews the two-person art exhibition by Benoit Maire and Mark Geffriaud at the 220 jours in Paris, France.


gradually increasing debility, with no evidence of other disease to account for it; frequent micturition at night; impaired vision; and other symptoms, which may not directly turn our attention to the kidneys. In fact, I consider that it is always advisable, whenever such symptoms evince themselves, to examine the urine; and then probably some abnormal conditions of it may be found, which will aid us in forming our diagnosis and in treating the patient. I have frequently found that the presence of albumen and of casts may be intermittent or entirely wanting. The urine may be examined time after time, and be found perfectly free for weeks ; then, for a week or two, both become apparent; then comes another intermission; and all this time the disease is steadily progressing; and at last, as has happened in a case which came under my eye lately, the patient dies suddenly from uroemic convulsions, or some of the other accompaniments of this disease. I believe that, whatever the cause of the disease may be ; whether in the gouty patient there be excess of lithic acid in the blood; whether the drunkard have his blood poisoned by alcohol; whether the plumber have lead in his; whether there be excess of phosphates in the blood from too much mental work, in the case of the over-anxious or worried merchant; whether there be excess of lithates or oxalates, oftentimes produced by faulty digestion; whether some other material be thrown upon the kidney for excretion by imperfect actions of skin or other organs-all act in a similar way. Owing to the increase(d amount of work the kidneys have to do, this disease is produced ; and not only are the kidneys acted upon by the fluid circulating through them, but other parts-such as the blood-vessels, heart, and even the nervous centres; but, as the kidneys have the principal work of excretion to perform, they become sooner affected, and are to the physician the local manifestations of a constitutional disease. Hence the necessity there is for us, when the most trivial symptoms tend to point out renal disease, to examine the urine ; and, from the result of such and other examinations, to form a proper idea of the cause of the disease and of the treatment to be adopted.


In this paper a common fatigue test method has been showed.Through this method we can meet the requirement of fatigue test for various of reinforcing bars by adjusting and improving the basic fatigue test equipment.


In a book review in CMAJ , Paul Links criticizes Fatal Freedom: the Ethics and Politics of Suicide as a cheap, artificial and ill-conceived attempt at public theatre.[1][1] He claims that it is simply a repackaging of Thomas Szasz' central thesis on the medicalization of mental health, suicide being


Abstract Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion was studied in a four-stroke gasoline engine with a direct injection system. The spark ignition and electronically controlled two-stage gasoline injection system are adopted to control the mixture formation, ignition timing, and combustion rate in the HCCI engine. The engine could be operated in HCCI combustion mode in a range of loads from 1 to 5 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) and operated in SI combustion mode up to loads of 8 bar IMEP. The HCCI combustion characteristics were investigated under different air—fuel ratios, engine speeds, starts of injection, as well as spark ignition enabled or not. By introducing the second fuel injection in the compression stroke, the stratified concentration is formed and the mixture is cooled, which means that HCCI ignition timing can be controlled and the load range can be extended by tuning the mixture concentration and temperature. At a critical ignition temperature, especially in SI—HCCI combustion mode transition, assisted SI improves the stability of HCCI combustion. In order to understand better the physicochemical process in the cylinder, an improved three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code has been utilized to simulate the intake, two-stage spray, compression, and combustion processes of the HCCI engine. The calculated results show that a homogeneous lean charge could be realized by single fuel injection in the intake stroke. With the help of the intake swirl and squish flow in the compression stroke, a rich mixture resulting from the second fuel injection can be formed near the spark. Hydroxyl ions (OH) reach to a maximum at the periphery of the fuel-rich zone; a great number of spots are ignited simultaneously. It works as an initiation to ignite the surrounding lean mixture zone.


Abstract The Korean shiner (Coreoleuciscus splendidus, Gobioninae), a small freshwater fish native to Korea Peninsula, widely inhabits in most of the major drainages in South Korea. Here we describe the development of 14 novel and polymorphic microsatellites for this species and its effective utilization in estimation of genetic diversity using 72 individuals from three sampling sites in different drainages. Loci were isolated from a microsatellite enrichment procedure using probe-labeled magnetic beads. A total of 242 alleles were detected across all loci with an average of 17.3 alleles per locus ranging 4–32. The loci varied levels of polymorphism as evident from its expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.111 to 0.957. The average pairwise F ST between two populations examined shows significant differentiation (F ST=0.215, p < 0.05). The 14 microsatellite loci developed here will also be useful to explain for the genetic structures among geographically isolated populations and gene flow dynamics within drainages in this species as well as the closely related species.


Recent studies in the areas of the photoactivated and CCD-addressed liquid crystal light valves, as well as improvements in the operation of the visible to IR dynamic image converter (VIDIC) will be discussed.


At first,the essay points out logistics is the bottle neck for the development of E commerce.Then it explains that the main mode for the solution for the logistics distribution of E commerce is the"Third party logistics",and analyzes the post department's nuclear advantages in the development of E commerce.At last,it puts forward that the post department should take the"Third party logistics"as the entering point and adopt some measures to develop post comprehensive logistics.