Previous investigations have shown that lingual application of the sodium transport blocker, amiloride, partially suppresses the whole-nerve response to NaCl.',* It has been suggested that the chorda tympani response to NaCl is jointly composed of amiloride-sensitive and amiloride-insensitive sodium components.' However, a behavioral investigation from our laboratory suggests that the residual taste response to NaCl following amiloride treatment may be related to the chloride ion, rather than an amiloride-insensitive sodium component.' To further study the residual response of NaCl after amiloride, we recorded multifiber chorda tympani responses to a concentration series (0.05 M, 0.1 M, 0.25 M & 0.5 M) of NaCI, NaBr, sodium acetate (NaAc), NaHCO,, choline chloride (ChCl), NH,CI and ammonium acetate (NH,Ac). Recordings were made before and after the lingual application of 500 p M amiloride hydrochloride. A response was defined as an increase in neural activity above baseline 20 seconds after stimulus onset. Since amiloride did not affect the whole-nerve response to NH,CI, all responses were expressed relative to 0.5 M NH,CI. In addition, 0.25 M ChCl and 0.25 M NaCl were used in a cross-adaptation procedure; both solutions were mixed in amiloride. Responses to NaCl and NaBr were suppressed 65-90% by amiloride (FIG. 1). In contrast, responses to NaAc and NaHCO, were suppressed 95-100% (FIG. 2). Thus, responses to sodium salts containing a halogen anion were not completely suppressed by amiloride, while responses to sodium salts lacking a halogen anion were completely suppressed. Moreover, the responses of ChCl were equivalent to the residual responses of NaCl and NaBr following amiloride (FIG. 1) and ChCl cross-adapted with the residual NaCl response. Responses to NH,CI and NH,Ac were unaffected by amiloride. These results suggest that the residual response of NaCl following amiloride may be related to a halogen-sensitive transduction mechanism rather than an amilorideinsensitive sodium channel. The complete suppression of NaAc and NaHCO, by amiloride cannot be predicted by a model that postulates an amiloride-insensitive


C % ] กิโลปาสคาล แม็กเวลโมเดลถูกน ามาใช้เพื่ออธิบายการขึ้นกับเวลาของความเครียดดึงที่ตรวจวัดได้จากการทดสอบ ความยืดหยุ่น และความหนืดของตัวอย่างหินได้ถูกสอบเทียบจากค่าที่ได้จึงส่งผลให้สามารถร่างแผนภูมิของความเครียดดึงเชิงเวลาภายใต้ความ เค้นดึงที่ผันแปร ABSTRACT This study aims at determining the time-dependent tensile strengths of rock salt under varying carnallite contents. Four-point bending tests are performed on prismatic beams (50×50×200 mm) of potash specimens with carnallite contents ranging from 0 to 95%. The applied loading rates are equivalent to the induced tensile stress rates at the crack initiation point ranging from 10 6 to 10 -3 MPa/s. The tensile strains are monitored at the point where the incipient tensile crack is induced. The results indicate that tensile strengths (  t ) decrease when the carnallite contents (C % ) increase and the stress rates (  R ) decrease, which can be best represented by an empirical equation:  t = 8.21  exp [-0.02 C % ] (  R )  0.17 MPa. The strain energy at failure (W) has been calculated and derived as a function of C % , which can be described by: W = 2.17  exp [-0.03 C % ] kPa. The Maxwell model is used to describe the time-dependent tensile strain of the specimens. Its tensile elasticity and viscosity are calibrated by regression analysis of the test


BACKGROUND: In recent times, the incidence of multiple pregnancies has significantly increased dueto medication for induced ovulation and other reproductive technologies. The present study is designedto see the maternal complication of multiple gestations in pregnancy.OBJECTIVE: To determine the maternal complications associated with multiple gestation in secondand third trimester of pregnancy.METHODOLOGY: This descriptive study was carried out in the department of obstetrics andGynaecology unit at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. Duration of the study was 06 months from 1stJanuary 2012 to 1st July 2012. All patients with twin gestations, triplets and high order multiples visitingobstetrics and Gynaecology unit at Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar and who were admitted in wardwere included in the study and after taking informed consent their characteristics were recorded byfilling proforma.RESULTS: Sixty patients with multiple gestations were included in the study. Fifty four (90%) of themhad twin pregnancy and 06 (10%) had triplet pregnancy. The antenatal complications detected in thesepatients were preterm labour 23(32.3%), anaemia 18(30%), pregnancy induced hypertension, preeclamptic toxaemia, eclampsia 13(21.7%), Malpresentation 13(21.7%), Antepartum Haemorrhage 5(8.3%), 5 patients (8.3%) had PROM, 4 (6.7%) had polyhydramnios, 3(5%) had miscarriages, 5 (8.3%)had postpartum haemorrhage, 44(73.3%) patients had spontaneous vaginal delivery and 15(25%)underwent caesarean section. In 28(46.7%) patients cephalic/cephalic was the most commonpresentation.CONCLUSION: Multiple gestation is a high risk pregnancy and is associated with both maternal andfetal complications. Patient needs to be educated about the importance and advantages of early antenatalbooking and regular antenatal follow-up to reduce the risks to the mother and the babies.KEY WORDS: Twin pregnancy, Triplets, High-order multiplets; Complications-Second Trimester,Third trimester.


This note analyzes interest rates of loans from the two largest P2P platforms, Lending Club and Prosper, to observe their potential benefits to borrowers.


Plum, apple and walnut are three species of fruit trees, namely trees, covering a significantplace in the horticulture of Romania. Improving the quality and quantity of fruit must become apriority of modern horticulture, so that any new method that contributes to this goal is welcome. Thedevices A.D. are recognized through numerous experiments conducted. Thus, we choose to expiriencethe effect of these on three species mentioned above, comparing the amount of dry matter assimilatedduring a day, of each species to the other. The method comprises two harvesting of biological material(leaves), one in the morning and the second in the afternoon. Harvested material is dried and weighed,for finding the values which must be compared. Value analysis restored, with an less significant error,the influence of the three devices used, on dry matter accumulation and on photosynthesis process.


This paper describes the current status of construction and commissioning of the 50 t/d (dry coal) liquefaction pilot plant which is funded by the New Energy Development Organization (NEDO) of the Japanese Government, and is being undertaken in Australia by Brown Coal Liquefaction (Victoria) Pty Ltd (BCLV). The history of the project, and the nature of the technology which has been developed by Nippon Brown Coal Liquefaction Co. Ltd. (NBCL) are also outlined.


Today, in Uzbekistan, the number of retail store chains is increasing. In their work, the latest technological achievements are used in order to satisfy the demands and needs of our people. Especially in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been highlighted that retail enterprises operating on the basis of network marketing, based on the needs and demands of the population, are operating in the form of large supermarkets and small stores. In this article, based on the latest information, we analyzed the brands "Korzinka", "Makro", "Havas", "Carrefour" operating in Uzbekistan.


The true story of de-industrialization in America has never been told. The boat of American industry has collided with the iceberg of falling interest-rate structure. The damage to capital is great and the boat is sinking. Auto manufacturing could go the way of TV and VCR manufacturing that went down in the 1980's without the captains knowing what has hit them. Commentators blamed the demise on Asian sweatshops, on American consumer preference for services, and on the alleged rigidity of foreign exchange rates. These explanations reflect warped official thinking as well as the false teachings of mainstream economics. The true explanation can be found in the phenomenon of 'linkage' that translates falling interest rates into falling prices. There is a vicious process of destroying industrial capital under a falling interest-rate structure. This observation also shows the way out. Remedy is to be found not in more flexibility of foreign exchange rates but a return to the system of fixed exchange rates. The only known way to stabilize interest rates is an immediate return to the gold standard. During this presidential election year we have, for the first time in half-a-century, the possibility to debate the merits of the gold standard, thanks to Dr. Ron Paul's candidacy for the Republican nomination. The challenge is enormous. Conventional wisdom maintains that falling interest rates are good for capital. They are not. They are lethal. Fiat currency is the destroyer of industrial capital. Financial capital: vampire of productive capital Fiat currency is a thoroughly toxic agent as it insidiously destroys capital through the destabilization of the interest rate structure. More precisely, the capital of industry is surreptitiously siphoned off to enrich bond speculators. Financial capital has become the vampire sucking the blood of productive capital. Here is what happens. The rate of interest measures the marginal productivity of capital. As I shall point out, capricious changes in marginal productivity, whether up or down, destroy productive capital to no better end than to prop up and perpetuate a reactionary and unconstitutional monetary regime that has the effect of exploiting savers, producers, and consumers alike for the benefit of simonious politicians, corrupt bankers, and parasitic bond speculators.


©2016 Bennett VA. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Volume 2 : Issue 1 Article Ref. #: 1000NPOJ2114 Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy for Acute Kidney Injury Using Phosphate Containing Fluid is Associated With Greater Biochemical Derangement than Conventional Fluid


By focusing on letter‐writing the article provides an example of how a technology of the word could be used as a panoptic technology of observation and reformation. The article discusses the practice of using letters in monitoring children's development in early twentieth‐century reform school education. It is based on the author's study of Finnish reform school education and draws on a collection of children's letters and educational writings in the archives of the Vuorela State Reform School, which was established for delinquent girls in 1893. The article focuses on one of the most effective devices for using letters in educational purposes that was introduced in reform school education: the notebook on correspondence between girls and their families. The notes were compiled by the personnel, who carefully examined all in‐coming and outgoing mail and who also supervised inmates' letter‐writing. How was letter‐writing connected to wider pedagogical aims and what kind of encounters between reformatory pupils and their teachers can be found in the surviving material? The article argues that the systematic examination of inmates' letters was not only about control, but more importantly about education and observation. Notes on inmates' letters include short commentaries concerning girls' behaviour and their character. As is shown in the article, the letters were archived and annotated in order to gain a deeper comprehension of the author's personality and her progress in the institution. The practice of monitoring letter‐writing at Vuorela will be contextualised in the wider history of reform school education. In the case of Vuorela state reform school letter‐writing appears as a social practice defined by the institutional context. The pedagogical aims of reforming the pupils produced a specific reformatory culture of routines, rituals and restrictions. Letters had a specific role in the reformatory culture due to the all‐embracing aim of surveillance and cure. Letters and education in letter‐writing were taken on as a technique of not only observing but also reforming. 1 The author has been awarded the ISCHE prize 2007 for this article.


Ignition delay time data for higher n-alkanes are required for the development and refinement of jet fuel surrogate mechanisms; similar data for oxygen-carrying species are also required for the development of oxygenate fuel mechanisms. To fill this need, ignition delay times were measured using pressure and OH * emission diagnostics behind reflected shock waves for a series of higher n-alkanes and for several simple oxygenates. Reflected shock conditions covered temperatures of 1150―1550 K and pressures of 1―4 atm (0.1―0.4 MPa). Fuel mixtures tested include the four n-alkanes: n-pentane, n-hexane, n-octane, and n-nonane; and the four oxygenates: acetone, n-butanal, methyl butanoate, and 3-pentanone. All fuels were tested in oxygen/argon mixtures with equivalence ratios of 0.5 to 2.0. The ignition data were compared with current models and a new n-butanal reaction mechanism, based on previous studies, was used to model the n-butanal and methyl butanoate data.


DNA can be encapsulated into lipid vesicles formed by sonication. The presence of a basic protein, lysozyme, enhances the incorporation 100-fold above the level expected by random trapping. This is demonstrated by the ability of the lipid vesicles to protect DNA from digestion with DNase. Such an enhancement of nucleic acid incorporation into vesicles by basic polypeptides and the sharply increased concentration of these macromolecules in the internal volume may have been advantageous in prebiotic evolution. critical Recent speculations about the of life suggest that the first enzymes were RNA and that the first polypeptides played only a structural role (1). This led us to conjecture that one early role of protein might have been to help package nucleic acids within lipid membranes. The encapsulation of DNA by large lipid vesicles has been reported (2, 3), but the amount of DNA encapsulated was in simple proportion to the internal volume: the DNA must have been encapsulated by random trapping. The interaction of nucleic acid with phospholipid is an unfavored event because of the polyanionic nature of DNA or RNA, the hydropho-bicity of lipid, and the negative charges associated with the phospholipid head groups. We propose that basic polypeptides might have mediated vesicle formation around nucleic acids by neutralizing charge, by condensing the linear strands, and by acting as


ABSTRACT The trucking industry in Canada, as well as other Western countries, is currently experiencing a significant labour shortage. This crisis has been explored through the lens of mobilities and in relation to how global logistics has impacted the supply chain. Building from these works, this article examines the Canadian provincial trucking industry through a rhythmanalysis framework, based on participant observation and interviews with truck drivers, employer representatives, and key informants. This analysis connects the large-scale rhythms of contemporary global capitalism to familial rhythms at the local level, examining how these rhythm patterns interrelate and the high potential for disruptions. The feminist intersectional focus of the analysis highlights gendered rhythms within the trucking industry and familial life, as well as power dynamics, particularly in relation to logistical power. The intersections of these, often incompatible, rhythms are sources of current pressures within the transportation industry and particularly the lives of truck drivers. These tensions within the lives of truck drivers are linked to recruitment issues and labour shortfalls the industry faces, not only within Canada but globally.


An evolutionary game model is constructed to analyze the dynamic development mechanism of enterprise competitiveness,and the evolutionary path is analyzed from the perspective of evolutionary economics.The paper points out that the three dynamic stages of the evolutionary paths of enterprise competitiveness can be represented by "convention breakthrough—advantage searching—reselection",which means that China should further break its path dependence on traditional development model,follow the evolution of the scientific paths of enterprise competitiveness,and based on exploration and innovation,the dynamic competitive advantages of enterprises should be cultivated and maintained.


Electron impact mass spectral data for each of the four isomeric 16,17-, 15,17- and 14,17-diols of 3-methoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene and the 15,17-diols of 3-methoxy-14β-1,3,5(10)-estratriene are reported. The mass spectra of the diols show very similar fragmentation patterns except for differences in the relative abundances of particular ions. The different [M − H2O]+˙/[M] +˙ and [M − 2H2O] +˙ [M] +˙ ratios can be used for distinguishing between the four isomeric 3-methoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-14,17-diols as well as between the four isomeric 3-methoxy-14β-1,3,5(10)-estratriene-15,17-diols. No significant differences could be detected in the spectra of the epimeric 16,17-and 15,17-diols of 3-methoxy-1,3,5(10)-estratriene.


The article discusses the problem of modeling communication in typical situations of verbal communication in the conditions of distance learning in Russian as a foreign language at the A2 level. The purpose of the article is to show the implementation of the communicative principle of teaching when creating a massive open online course «Let's start speaking Russian» on the electronic educational platform Coursera (authors OV Kalashnikova, EN Tuan, VV Akupova). The article describes the target audience, the structure and content of the online course, the features of the situational-thematic organization of the training module educational material. Each module uses the presentation-practice-application model characteristic of communication learning. The theoretical and practical parts of each training module contain numerous options for dialogues samples that help to deal with a particular communication task in a certain speech situation. This course allows students to form communication and speech skills and abilities in typical situations of everyday communication. A feature of the course is the availability of socio-cultural information, which is closely related to the speech situations in question. The presence of a socio-cultural component provides the ability to carry out verbal communication in accordance with the national-cultural characteristics of the social and speech behavior of native speakers.


ABSTRACT Recently, studies in the United States, Canada, and Europe have shown that child abuse and animal abuse can coexist in the same household. The implications of these studies are that attention to animal abuse might lead to early detection of, and intervention in, child abuse. Although a promising area of study, in Japan there are no published empirical studies which have examined the relationship between children in abusive families and their companion animals. This study examined the differences between maltreated and non-maltreated children in Japan on their experiences with animals. The Boat Inventory on Animal Related Experience (BIARE), a questionnaire on positive and negative experiences with animals, was used to survey a group of institutionalized, maltreated children (who could not live in their homes for various reasons including abuse) (group M, n = 26) and a group of children at an elementary school (non-maltreated children, group C, n = 113). Overall, compared with group C, children in group M engaged in more activities with animals and used animals as a source of support. At the same time, children in group M were more likely to report witnessing animal abuse and committing more serious animal abuse, compared with the children in group C. Implications of the results for Japanese child protection agencies are discussed. Currently, Japanese child protection agencies are aware of the benefits of animals for vulnerable children, but they should also be aware of the negative aspects of the relationship and take necessary measures for risk control.


Biodegradable materials such as polylactide (PLA) or polylglycolide (PG) are clinically used as temporary implants in certain bone surgery. However, their low mechanical strength limits the applications of these biopolymers to non-weight-bearing bones. Strengthening of such biopolymers could be achieved by fiber reinforcement using degradable silica get fibers, which were successfully prepared by a soL-gel route. Their mechanical strength, dissolution rate and cytotoxicological effects were investigated and show the potential of these fibers for medical devices. To optimize the processing of silica get fibers, the influence of processing parameters during the synthesis of the spinnable precursor, the spinning procedure and the subsequent drying process on the fiber quality were examined. Based on these data, we established an advanced processing route to produce biodegradable silica get fibers.


Non-point source pollution has remarkable spatial variability,and the pollutants coming from several landscape units usually account for the majority of the pollutant loads in a catchment.These landscape units are the critical non-point source pollution areas(CSAs).How to identify the critical source areas of pollutant losses from agricultural lands is very important for the control of agricultural non-point source pollution.The approaches such as export coefficient,pollution index,and non-point source pollution model are adopted to identify the CSAs at field and catchment scales.This paper mainly described the applicability and the problems of the approaches with systematic analysis,and,aiming at the present research characteristics and existing problems,offered the concrete proposals and expectations for the future study,such as field observation,combination of existing identification methods,methods for multi-angle identification,and application and integration of new technologies.


Background. Aging was a risk factor for malnutrition. One of many malnutrition
measurement tools was Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Mini Nutritional
Assessment had proven effective, economical and non invasive. Nutrition had an
important role in elderly. Aging process cause immune system dysregulation particularly
cellular immune system. CD4+ was a subset of T lymphocyte that had important role on
immunoregulation by recognizing MCH class II related antigen.
Aims : to investigate a correlation between MNA score and CD4+ count in elderly
women.
Methods. Design of this study was cross sectional with study subjects were healthy
elderly women from Aisyiah elderly club in Kotagede Yogyakarta. Elderly who eligible
with study criteria was measured height, weight, mid arm circumference, nutritional
status measurement with MNA questionnaire and laboratory measurement of CD4+
count. Correlation test was performed to know correlation between MNA score and
CD4+ count. Level of significance was p < 0,05.
Results. Total subjects were 32 elderly women with average age 64,63 ± 3,16 years old,
MNA score 22,218 ± 3,159, CD4+ count 774,09 ± 251,01. Proportion of malnutrition
was 9,4% with BMI measurement and 12,5% with MNA measurement. There was no
correlation between MNA score and CD4+ count (r = 0,0284, p = 0,115)
Conclusion. There was no correlation between MNA score and CD4+ count.


Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) is a new paradigm that aims at decreasing the response time of running mobile applications by offloading the component of the applications on the servers located at the edge of the network instead of on the cloud servers. In this paper, we address a very important problem in the management of MEC systems, that is, the problem of finding an efficient application placement on the edge servers such that the cost of execution is minimized. We develop a multi-stage stochastic programming model for the application placement problem in edge computing systems and design a novel parallel greedy algorithm based on the Sample Average Approximation method to solve it. We evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm by conducting extensive experimental analysis using data extracted from a real-world dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can solve the problem efficiently.


An efficient parallelization algorithm for the Fast Multipole Method which aims to alleviate the parallelization bottleneck arising from lower job-count closer to root levels is presented. An electrostatic problem of 12 million non-uniformly distributed mesh elements is solved with 80-85% parallel efficiency in matrix setup and matrix-vector product using 60GB and 16 threads on shared memory architecture.


In this study, platelet-rich plasma injections were no better than saline injections in improving pain or activity in patients with patellar tendinopathy. It did not matter whether the plasma was leukocyte rich or leukocyte poor.


Received: November 4, 2020 Revised: December 4, 2020 Accepted: December 7, 2020 More than 5 million tons of food waste (FW) has been annually produced in Korea. Approximately 40% of FW is recycled through composting process. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of using food waste compost (FWC) as a nutrient source and a soil amendment for Chinese cabbage cultivation. This study was carried out 1) to test effect of FWC application rates (0, 20, 40, and 60 Mg ha -1 ) on crop yield and soil property for two years and 2) to present a regression equation for predicting the yield from soil EC value under FWC application condition. The result showed that 40 Mg ha -1 or more decreased yield; however, pH, EC, total nitrogen, organic matter, available P2O5 and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) were increased with application rates of FWC. As a result of confirming the correlation between soil characteristics and yield, EC showed the highest correlation with other factors. Therefore, the regression equation between yield and EC was determined as the equation (y = log (x) × 5.2 + 122.3), and the soil EC value could be used as an indicator to predict the yield of Chinese cabbage under FWC application.


Trimethylamine N-oxyde (TMAO) known to be breakdown into formaldehyde (H 2 CO) in the fish-based product such as squid egg crackers or keritcu under high temperature condition of frying. The oral reference dose (RfD) suggested by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 0.2 mg formaldehyde per kg body weight per day. Blood lead level should below 5 µg/dL  to prevent of reducing cognitive function, decreasing of IQ, and academic achievement. We examine the content of total formaldehyde, leads and proxymate analysis of squid egg crackers. in two different products of halal certificated keritcu in Pangkalpinang. Two different products of halal certificated keritcu were selected after 77 students of junior high school (average body weight was 34 kg), and 95 students of senior high school (avereage body weight was 51,65 kg) in Pangkalpinang city were participated in organoleptic test. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was conducted to the two products of keritcu in Pangkalpinang city to examine its total formaldehyde. Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) methods was conducted to examine the leads (Pb) content of two different products of keritcu. SNI 01-2891-1992 methods was conducted for proxymate analysis. In two different products of halal certificated keritcu, no formaldehyde content was detected (limit of detection 1,31 mg/kg), as well as no leads content was detected (limit of detection 0,24 mg/kg). Water content 2,38-2,96%, ash 2,71-3,28%, protein 5,7-6,11%, total lipid 24,39-27,29%, and carbohydrate 61,34-63,84%.  Our data show that these two products of keritcu are safe to be consumed by students of junior high school (average body weight was 34 kg) for not more than 5,22 kg keritcu per day, and not more than 7,89 kg keritcu per day for students of senior high school (avereage body weight was 51,65 kg). Leads content of these two products of keritcu (i.e less than 0,24 mg/kg) showed that these products are safe to be consumed.


Along with the more extensive and in-depth promotion of TRIZ in our country,in view of the present-domestic scatter knowledge on TRIZ,in order to let people better understand the complete picture of TRIZ,it expounds on the development of TRIZ deeply. From the two angles of the logical relations between the various tools of TRIZ and TRIZ's main terms,all kinds of the domestic TRIZ theoretical systems are classified and analyzed additionally. And base on this,development situation of TRIZ system research are analyzed. Finally,it comes to the conclusion to show the development trend and some proposals on the TRIZ theoretical system,such as,the further refinement to various fields of TRIZ and the integration with other methods et al.


Data on the distribution dynamics of the Atlantic subspecies of the walrus and the status of its habitats on islands within the Nenetsky Strict Nature Reserve were compiled and analyzed. According to the results of monitoring, walrus abundance on coastal haul-outs on the reserved islands demonstrated an upward trend in the period from 1991 to 2015. It is possible that this trend ensued not from population growth, but from the increasing role of coasts because of a reduction in ice extent and ice cover duration in the region caused by climate change, as well as because anthropogenic activities are causing more and more nuisance in marine habitats. For more reliable estimates of trends in abundance of the walrus it is necessary to develop and improve approaches to the study of the age and sex structure of the species population. Analysis of samples of near-surface seawater and bottom sediments for the content of petroleum and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mineral forms of nutrients and heavy metals in the coastal zone of the protected islands in 2014 and 2015 did not reveal concentrations in excess of allowable levels for most pollutants. At the same time, there is evidence of high concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in a single sample of adipose tissue of walrus from the region. It is recommended to study samples of benthic organisms, on which this species preys, for the concentration of pollutants. Walruses use haul-outs on the coast of the protected islands from July to October, with the highest concentrations observed in September and October. In this regard, in order to avoid negative impact on marine animals, it is recommended to conduct geophysical surveys at the protected islands in the first half of the navigation season, i. e. from July to mid-August.


In order to develop plasma diagnostic for reduced-size hot Hohlraums under laser irradiation, we have studied the L-shell emission from highly charged gold ions in the SuperEBIT electron beam ion trap. The resolving power necessary to identify emission features from individual charge states in a picket-fence pattern has been estimated, and the observed radiation features have been compared with atomic structure calculations. We find that the strong 3d(5/2)-->2p(3/2) emission features are particularly useful in determining the charge state distribution and average ion charge Z, which are strongly sensitive to the electron temperature.


AbstractUsing municipal wastewater effluent as a feedstock in algae cultivation is a promising approach for increasing the commercial viability of algal biofuel production. However, differences in ...


This research was performed to check the influence of chemical preservatives such as (potassium metabisulphite, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate) alone and in grouping to obtain for the overall quality of apricot nectar, the nectar was filled in ( 250ml plastic bottles) and kept at room temperature for three months. The treatments used in this research were T 0 = Apricot nectar with no preservatives T 1 = Apricot nectar+Potassium metabisulphite (0.1%), T2 = Apricot nectar + Sodium benzoate(0.1%),T 3 =Apricot nectar + Potassium sorbate( 0 .1 % ), T 4 =Apricot nectar + Potassium Metabisulphite (0.05 %) + Sodium benzoate (0.5% ), T 5 = Apricot nectar + Potassium Metabisulphite (0.05 %) + potassium sorbate (0.05%), T 6 = Apricot nectar + sodium benzoate (0.05%) + potassium sorbate(0.05 %), T 7 = Apricot nectar + sodium benzoate (0.033 %)+potassium sorbate(0. 033%) + Potassium Metabisulphite (0.033%).The samples were examined physico-hemically for factors such as, as vitamin C, pH, TSS, percent acidity, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar and organolyptically for color, flavor and overall acceptability. Ascorbic acid decreased from 9.94 to 7.82mg per 100g, pH decreased from 03.89 to 3.23, TSS increased from12.05 to 15 brix, acidity grew from 0.29 to 0.42%, reducing sugar rised from 8.12 to8.59 %, non -reducing declined from 4.91 to 4.35 %, while the organoleptic values decreased in favor of color declined from 8.06 to 4.97, flavor decreased from 7.96 to5.03 and the values of overall acceptability declined from 8.0 6 to 4.97. During the study T 6 = Apricot nectar + sodium benzoate (0.05%) + potassium sorbate (0.05%) was found most acceptable product followed by T 3 =Apricot nectar + Potassium sorbate 0.1%.


The Dashishan intrusive in Beishan area of Gansu Province mainly consists of biotite potassium- feldspar granites.The granites of Dashishan are metaluminous(Al_2O_3=12.18%~13.37%)and are character- ized by high SiO_2(74.22%~78.38%),Na_2O+K_2O(7.60%~8.50%),FeO~T/MgO ratio,REE(102.3×10~(-6) ~120.02×10~(-6)),Y,Nb and F,and low CaO(0.01%~0.99%),MgO(0.05%~1.15%),Sr and Ba.These characteristics are very different from characteristics of I-type and S-type granites in Beishan area,but quite simi- lar to A_2 type granites.The Dashishan intrusive has a Rb-Sr isochron age of 273 Ma.It is therefore suggested that crustal rifting might have started in late Hercynian in that area.


Permittivity is a useful tool to characterize the composition and quality of many geomaterials. In general, the non-resonant permittivity measurement methods exhibit a higher degree of uncertainty than their resonant counterparts. In resonant measurements, the reduction in uncertainty comes typically with a loss in broadband. This article describes the theory, design, and application of multipoint coaxial reentrant resonant cavities applied to low-loss geomaterials at different temperatures. Specifically, a full-wave method based on circuit analysis is developed and applied for a circular corrugated waveguide. Moreover, the mode-matching method is applied to calculate the generalized admittance matrix (GAM). Two multipoint cavities and software were built and validated. The first cavity has five resonant frequencies, between 170 MHz and 2.3 GHz, and the second has four resonant frequencies, between 1.3 and 8.6 GHz. Thus, this method allows for "broadband-resonant" measurements. The permittivity values of liquid hydrocarbons, powdered kerogen, and pyrite are shown.


Lots of researchers have been studying on how to construct radial basis function neural networks. To determine the number and location of hidden neurons, a recursive procedure is adopted with a new evaluation criterion based on localized generalization error model (L-GEM). We derive a new sensitivity expression for Gaussian radial basis function neural network based on L-GEM, and get a new localized generalization error bound. The RBF that yields the minimal localized generalization error bound is selected. We compare our approach with minimization of cross validation, and minimization of training mean square error (MSE) methods. The experimental results show that our approach performs much better than the other two methods with reasonable number of centers.


Presentation for the 2011 University Scholars Day at the University of North Texas discussing a mathematical game using the tiling of a plane.


One of the outstanding characteristics of Charlotte Bronte's works is that characters are put in certain condition to model. The novel Jane Eyre shows the development and enchantment of Jane Eyre's personality by several different plots of poverty . Just in the condition of poverty, Jane Eyre learns living, wins respect, recognizes herself, gets independence, experiences love and perfects personality. Therefore, the character's model of Jane Eyre owns lofty meaning of appreciation.


Abstract Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) containing sulfonic acid and amino groups (SDADPS) were successfully synthesized using direct-step polymerization as a novel thin-film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane material for high chlorine resistance. TFC membranes were prepared using an interfacial polymerization (IP) reaction with trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and amine solution, containing m-phenylenediamine (MPDA) and SDADPS, on a polysulfone (PS) ultrafiltration (UF) support membrane. The synthesized SDADPS and fabricated TFC RO membranes were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope. Moreover, RO performances, salt rejection and water flux, were measured using a cross-flow cell instrument. Chlorine resistance was evaluated using sodium hypochlorite solution. The membrane fabricated with SDADPS was compared with a typical polyamide (PA) TFC membrane which was prepared by IP reaction with TMC and MPDA on a PS support membrane. The SDADPS RO m...


Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is suspected in subjects with short stature (SS) and decreased growth velocity in whom other causes of low growth have been excluded. The growth hormone itself has a direct stimulatory action on the production of vitamin D3. Both vitamin D and growth hormone metabolism influences each other. Zinc level also plays an essential regulator of bone growth and potential growth pathway. A total of 50 children aging 4-12 years old with growth hormone deficiency have participated in this study. They were compared with 38 healthy children as a control group. This study was conducted during the period from September 2019 to June 2020. The patients were attending the National Diabetic Center/ AL-Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq. Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, thyroid function test, cortisol level, vitamin D3, zinc level, fasting blood sugar, and lipid profile were measured in children with growth hormone deficiency. A nonsignificant difference was found in basal growth hormone between patients of growth hormone deficiency and control. There was a highly significant decrease in growth hormone level after 1 hour (provocation with clonidine) (p 0.001) and a significant decreased in growth hormone level after 1:30 hours (provocation with clonidine) (p 0.01) in patients of growth hormone deficiency compared to the control group. Also, it was observed a highly significant decrease (p 0.001) of insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in growth hormone deficiency patients when compared to control. It was also observed that there was a significant decrease (p 0.001) in the levels of Zn and vitamin D in patients with growth hormone deficiency compared to the control in addition to the distribution of the levels of vitamin D and Zinc have increased more in women than in men. It can be concluded that there was a highly significant decrease in vitamin D and Zn levels in patients with growth hormone deficiency compared to the control group. The deficiency of vitamin D and zinc levels may play an essential role in the pathogenesis of growing children with a growth hormone disorder.


We define a quasilocal energy of a compact manifold-with-boundary, relative to a background manifold. The construction uses spinors on one manifold and the pullback of dual spinors from the other manifold. We prove positivity results for the quasilocal energy, in both the Riemannian and Lorentzian settings.


In the article it was theoretically analyzed the system of training of the future software engineers in HEI educational environment and presented the model of formation of research competence of the future software engineers in the conditions of HEI educational environment. The grounding of effective conditions of formation of the research competence of the future software engineers in the conditions of HEI educational environment provides the elaboration of theoretical model of this process. The structural-functional model of formation of the research competence of future software engineers is oriented on the development of motivation-value, cognitive and activity components of research competence of future software engineers at realization of correspondent pedagogical conditions, use of information technologies, organization of step-by-step involvement of students to the research activity, systematic monitoring of mastering the research competence by students. In formation of research competence the important role is given to the specially organized means of training students for research activity. Among the means of formation of research competence besides the traditional ones (verbal means, textbooks, schoolbooks; visual means; models) the most effective are ICT means. The constructed model of formation of research competence of future software engineers has a system character that is provided by interconnection and mutual conditionality of its components. Theoretically grounded structural-functional model of formation of research competence of the future software engineers gives a possibility to understand the character of mutual dependence between the structural components of the process of formation of research components in students, synthesize and reveal the typical features of this process, to make correction of the separate elements if it is necessary for the optimal attainment of the set aim


White dwarf stars composed of carbon, oxygen or heavier elements are expected to crystallize as they cool down below certain temperatures. Yet, simple arguments suggest that the helium white dwarf cores may not solidify, mostly because of zero-point oscillations of the helium ions that would dissolve the crystalline structure. We argue that the interior of the helium dwarfs may instead form a macroscopic quantum state in which the charged helium4 nuclei are in a Bose-Einstein condensate, while the relativistic electrons form a neutralizing degenerate Fermi liquid. We discuss the electric charge screening, and the spectrum of this substance, showing that the bosonic longwavelength fluctuations exhibit a mass gap. Hence, there is a suppression at low temperatures of the boson contribution to the specific heat – the latter being dominated by the specific heat of the electrons near the Fermi surface. This state of matter may have observational signatures. Consider a system of a large number of neutral atoms, each having Z electrons, and for simplicity we focus on Z ≤ 10. Suppose we increase the number-density of the atoms – denoted by J0/Z, where J0 is the electron number-density – so that the average separation between the atomic nuclei


To test Blackstone's assertion that it is better that 10 guilty escape than 1 innocent person suffer, students in California (USA) and Estonia (part of the USSR at the time of the study) were questioned as to the number of guilty offenders whom they would allow to escape unpunished in order to keep one innocent person from going to jail. In both nations, the number of guilty to be released varied positively with sentence length for the innocent person. The rank order for seriousness of crimes appears to be different in the United States than in the Soviet Union. American law students showed more desire than American liberal arts students to protect the innocent.


Collective deprivation, connectedness to mainstream society (friendship and psychological closeness to majority individuals) and in-group identity factors (i.e. strength of in-group identity, and perceived in-group superiority) were investigated among Muslim Dutch youth of Turkish and Moroccan descent, in relation to their attitudes toward violence in defense of religion or ethnicity, and the willingness to use such violence. Data come from a sample of students (N = 398, age 14–18 years). Results show that perceptions of in-group superiority were predicted by higher connectedness to the in-group and lower connectedness to Dutch society in both ethnic groups and by collective relative deprivation among Moroccan-Dutch participants only. In both groups, attitudes toward violent in-group defense and violence willingness were predicted by perceptions of in-group superiority. Collective relative deprivation directly predicted more positive attitudes to violent in-group defense among Turkish-Dutch youth, as well as indirectly (via in-group superiority) among MoroccanDutch. Connectedness to the in-group directly predicted the willingness to use a violent in-group defense among the Turkish-Dutch participants and again indirectly (via in-group superiority) among Moroccan-Dutch participants. The results underline the relevance of collective identification processes to the attitudes of violent in-group defense among young Muslims of the second generation in a rather tensed socio-political climate. The study outcomes emphasize the importance of examining the dynamics between different Muslim groups, as their unique acculturation patterns yield particular pathways to the attitudes toward violent in-group defense and the willingness hereof. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +31 50 3634193. E-mail addresses: email@example.com (D.D. van Bergen), firstname.lastname@example.com (A.F. Feddes), firstname.lastname@example.com (B. Doosje), firstname.lastname@example.com (T.V.M. Pels). 1 Tel.: +31 20 5256890. 2 Tel.: +31 20 5988877. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.026 147-1767/© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 90 D.D. van Bergen et al. / International Journal of Intercultural Relations 47 (2015) 89–100


MicroRNA (miRNA), small non-coding RNA sequences that regulate gene expression, have the potential to function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. To determine the contribution of miRNA to ovarian oncogenesis this project sought to identify dysregulated miRNA and their targets in ovarian cancer cell lines. miRNA expression profiling was performed on 6 serous epithelial ovarian cancer (SEOC) cell lines and normal ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells. miRNAs differentially expressed between SEOC and OSEs were selected for further analyses and candidate target genes identified by prediction algorithms. miRNA expression was restored by transient transfection of miRNA mimics or stable transduction of lentiviral vectors expressing miRNA precursors. The effects on the expression of 2 predicted targets, SMARCA5 and FRAP1, were investigated using a luciferase reporter system, quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) and immunoblotting. The effect of miRs on cellular proliferation was also explored. Expression profiling identified miR-100 as having >5-fold lower expression in SEOC vs OSE cells. Seed sequences or binding sites for miR-100 were identified in the 3′UTRs of SMARCA5 and FRAP1. Using a luciferase expression system in OVCAR-3 cells, a miR-100 mimic repressed expression of SMARCA5 3′UTR by 40 % (p Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3150. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3150


Based on the theory of modern myth,this paper,from the point of view of mythological thought,intends to redo a textual research on the Chinese ancient myth:the Goddess Mending the Sky,and state that this myth reflects how the ancient forerunners thought of the natural disasters such as earthquake,flood etc.Meanwhile,it also makes a thorough investigation and recording about the myth circulating among the districts in Qin'an County and does a textual research to the birthplace of the Goddess in myth.


Purpose:To ascertain the best proportion of Small Particle Reagent of Ultramarine Blue and its application scope. Methods:Work over the best proportion,the application scope and period of validity of the Small Particle Reagent by experimentation. Results:The best proportion is dissolving 20%Ultramarine Blue and 0.1%1227 in water.Conclusions:Various substance of fingerprints on impenetrable object could be developed by the small particle reagent of the Ultramarine Blue.


Complex formation between mercury(I) ions and a series of unsubstituted and substituted monocarboxylates (including some potentially bidentate ligands) has been studied by precise potentiometric titration at 25.00 °C in 3 mol dm–3 sodium perchlorate medium. A linear-free-energy plot indicates that unidentate complexes are formed in all the systems studied.


Lewis Mumford in Interpretations and Forecasts and Gerard Pie1 in The Acceleration of History have sent us back to the uncanny predictions of Henry Adams, the American historian who outraged his classical contemporaries at the beginning of this century by producing "The Rule of Phase Applied to History." With informed insights into scientific developments including recognition of the portentous meaning of Bequerel's discovery of radioactivity, he plotted the phases of history and the spurts produced by man's material achievements and related them to the Curve of Thought by which man has consciously handled such achievements. His History of Thought was in passage through three phases, each with a duration of years that was the inverse square of the duration of the preceding phase. He compared the path of history to the path of a comet which would pass its perihelion in 2025 A.D. and curve back on itself. His prognostication was pretty grim. He said:


In this paper, a fabrication of Gaussian apodized volume gratings for a holographic demultiplexer is presented. The DuPont HRF-150-38 photopolymer is used because of its stability and ease of use. Based on the Gaussian apodized grating, a 42-channel demultiplexer is optically demonstrated. The interchannel spacing, the interchannel cross-talk level and the channel uniformity of 0.4 nm, -30 dB and 1.5 dB, respectively, are obtained.


ABSTRACT This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of Reverse Logistics (RL) with the aim of unveiling its intellectual structure. It suggests a theoretical framework of related fields often ambiguously studied such as Supply Chain Management (SCM), Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), Closed-Loop Supply Chain Management (CLSCM), and Sustainable Supply Chain Management (SSCM). This research first defines RL with respect to other closely related theoretical fields. The building blocks of RL since 1992 are then derived through both a unidimensional and a multidimensional analysis to determine whether RL is indeed a field of research. The analysis reveals that RL is an emerging field with a strong identity. It is based on a distinctive body of authors and common references structured around four clusters: (1) Green Supply Chain Management, (2) RL network design, (3) Remanufacturing and (4) RL concepts and practices. Finally, trends and future directions of research are identified.


U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2008–3070 August 2008 Tropical storms, including hurricanes, often inflict major damage to property and disrupt the lives of people living in coastal areas of the Eastern United States. These storms also are capable of generating catastrophic landslides within the steep slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. Heavy rainfall from hurricanes, cloudbursts, and thunderstorms can generate rapidly moving debris flows that are among the most dangerous and damaging type of landslides. This fact sheet explores the nature and occurrence of debris flows in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains, which extend from central Pennsylva nia to northern Alabama.


The structure of the title compound, [Sn(CH3)(3)(C14H23O2)](n), consists of a one-dimensional polymeric chain, containing tin centers in a trigonal-bipyramidal environment and bridging carboxylate anions. The two O atoms of the 2,2-dicyclohexylacetate anion occupy the axial positions, while the three C atoms of the methyl groups are in equatorial sites.


Many papers have been written in recent years on p-adic harmonic analysis (see, for example, [1] and the bibliography there). However, thep-adic Fourier transform considered in [1] has the following two properties, which are absent in the classical case: as a map from a certain p-adic analogue of the space of summable functions to the space of continuous functions with p-adic values, it is not injective; and after factoring out the kernel it becomes a surjective isometric map. In this note we present another version of the p-adic Fourier transform for which the main results of classical analysis remain valid. In the definition of the Fourier transform, instead of the Haar measure we use a measure μ ε, which plays an important role in the construction of an integral representation of the zeta function of Kubota—Leopoldt. It is well known that the ring Z p of p-adic integers contains the multiplicative group of (p l)-th roots of unity. We fix one such root ε Φ 1 .We define a finitely additive measure μ ε on the elementary sets by the formula


A sheet conveying device includes a conveyor, a first cover and a second cover movable in conjunction with the first cover. The second cover includes a restricted portion configured to be moved together with the second cover. The first cover includes a restricting portion configured to contact the restricted portion to prevent the second cover from being moved from a first position toward a second position when the first cover is located at a closed position. The restricting portion and the restricted portion are contacted to each other at a contact position at which a force, which is applied from the restricted portion toward the restricting portion when the second cover receives an external force, does not include a component force acting in a direction of moving the first cover from the closed position toward an opened position.


Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is on the rise among patients taking long-term antiresorptive drugs. The primary goal of treatment in osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) should be to improve the patient's quality of life by managing pain and infections, preventing the development of new lesions and slowing the progression of the disease. In recent years, the use of the laser for MRONJ treatment has spread, thanks to the practical administration and the widely reported beneficial effects on tissue healing. This literature overview sought to clarify whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has positive effects on the treatment of osteonecrosis of the jaw. Our results show that treatment modalities, including LLLT, were associated with superior outcomes in terms of cure or improvement of antiresorptive drugs-related osteonecrosis of jaw lesions compared to conventional surgical and / or conservative drug therapy alone. It can be concluded that combined treatment with antibiotics, minimally invasive surgery (including laser surgery) and LLLT in the early stages of the disease should be the gold standard for management to MRONJ.


This paper presents, in viewgraph form, a description of abstract interpretation. The topics include: 1) Abstract Interpretation; 2) Methodology; 3) Concrete semantics; 4) Static analysis in real life; 5) Partitioning; and 6) Approximation.


The invention provides a manufacturing apparatus for a light source of an optical particle detection device with few detection errors, and a manufacturing method for the light source of the particle detection device. The manufacturing apparatus comprises: an element holding unit (61) for holding a light source element (1), a base holding unit (62) for holding a base (2) of the light source element (1), an identification device (63) for identifying the direction of wiring patterns on the surface of the light source element (1), and a rotating mechanism for rotating the light source element (1) relative to the base (2) so as to enable the wiring patterns of the light source element (1) to be in a specified direction relative to the base (2).


One of the most vexing challenges in the management of R&D concerns decisions whether to continue or halt development of a project. Such decisions must often be made in the face of significant uncertainty regarding the technical or commercial feasibility of projects and aggregate resource constraints. To reduce such uncertainty, firms should exploit the information that becomes available in the development cycle. In this paper, we argue that in different R&D contexts there are significant differences in the timing with which information becomes available during the development cycle. In some contexts, information becomes available relatively quickly due to advanced prototyping and test technologies and the availability of powerful predictive models. In others, information becomes available relatively late in the R&D process. We use the term "information regime" to describe these different inter-temporal patterns of information availability over the course of the development cycle. Our thesis is that R&D performance is influenced by the match between risk management heuristics and the information regime in which the firm operates. We test this argument using a simulation model of the R&D process. 1 Financial support from the Harvard Business School Division of Faculty Research and Development is gratefully acknowledged.


Research purposes: In recent years several large-span prestressed concrete continuous girder bridges appear large deflection in the main span after opened a period of time at home and abroad,which not only influences the comfort and security of the passing vehicle,but also threatens the safety of the bridge and shortens the service life of the bridge.This study aims to analyze how the prestress loss affect long-term deflection of large-span continuous girder bridge,the research conclusions may be the theory basis for taking effective measures to control the continuous down-warping in the design,construction and reinforcement for large-span prestressed concrete continuous girder bridge across.Research conclusions: The deflection of large-span prestressed concrete continuous girder bridges is long-term growth,and its growth rate is uncertain. The mid-span deflection increases with the span length,the growth rate has a close relationship with the span length and prestress loss degree,and the prestress loss effect is more obvious when bridge span length is greater. The prestress loss of top deck has more effect on mid-span deflection than that of bottom slab. The creep and shrinkage of concrete and the prestress loss caused by these are the main reason of mid-span deflection large-span prestressed concrete continuous girder bridges. This research results can be applied to optimization design and construction for large-span prestressed concrete continuous girder bridges.


The author presents the results of a study of a grave (presumed cenotaph) from the early 11th c., discovered in the early medieval cemetery in Bodzia in the eastern Kujawy region of Poland. The grave, which is unique not only from the perspective of the cemetery in question, contained among others an incomplete, disassembled folding balance for weighing precious metals. The elements of this balance were deposited in two separate clusters inside a box coffin. A comparative analysis of the object has placed it within the sphere of funerary practices of a secular elite inhabiting the Baltic zone in the 10th–11th c., particularly the Scandinavians, Rus' and Finno-Ugric peoples and Prussians. Folding balance from burial contexts, found in a similarly incomplet e and disassembled state as in Bodzia, are known from Finland, from cemeteries dated to the 11th c.


The use of crude protein antigen to diagnose of distomatosis is actually not specific, because this type of antigen consists of various proteins that could be recognized by antibody against other worms. Therefore, it is necessary to isolate and characterize a specific protein in order to produce a pure protein which has high sensitivity and specifisity for diagnostic purpose. In this research protein originated from excretory-secretory (ES) of Fasciola spp was characterized based on the binding protein and anti-Fasciola antibodies. Identification of ES protein originated from of Fasciola spp were performed by the reaction of pure protein and polyclonal antibodies. In the first step, the adult flukes (Fasciola spp) were incubated in RPMI medium for producing ES protein. This protein was identified by SDS-PAGE with silver stain. The second step, this protein transferred to nitrocellulose membrane that was used trans blotter and reacted with polyclonal antibodies anti-Fasciola spp then visualized by goat-anti mouse conjugate and Western blue staining. The results of the research showed 1). There were found many types of protein fractions ES Fasciola spp, ie. in the MR 130, 108, 91, 74, 58, 52, 45, 40, 35, 32, 28, 27, 25, 18, 15, 8 kDa; and 2). There were identified specific protein which showed 12 protein bounds with different molecular weight, proteins with molecular weight (MW) 130, 108, 58, 45, 40, 35, 26, 27, 25, 18, 15 and 8 kDa.


Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of Artesunate(ART) on ajuvant athritis(AA) via influencing the serum levels of TNF-α and L-1β in rats with AA.Methods Male Wistar rats weighting 150~180 g were selected for experiment.AA model was constructed by intradermal injection of Freund's complete adjuvant(FCA) into right rear paws.On the 19th day,rats presenting secondary response were randomly assigned into model group,ART group and tripterygium wilfordii polyglucoside(TWP) group(n=8).Meanwhile,8 normal Wistar rats were randomly selected as control group.Rats in each therapeutic group were given correspondent drugs with intragastric administration for 14 successive days.Paw volume was measured on 15th day after treatment.Meanwhile,orbital blood was collected for qualification of TNF-α and IL-1β by radioimmunoassay.Results(1) The paw swelling rates in FCA-injected paws were 177.00±37.5,68.81±28.19,66.00±30.78 and(27.25±4.20)% in model group,ART group,TWP group and control group,respectively.The inhibitory rates in FCA-injected paws were 61.1 and 63% in ART group and TWP group,respectively,and no significant difference was revealed between them(P0.05).There was significant difference in inhibitory rate in FCA-injected paws between either of ART and TWP groups and either of control and model groups(P0.05).The paw swelling rates in non-FCA-injected paws were 83.25±21.47,34.50±10.23,35.97±10.82,(28.00±7.76)% in model group,ART group,TWP group and control group,respectively.The inhibitory rates were 58.6 and 56.8 %,respectively,and no significant difference was revealed between them(P0.05).There was significant difference in inhibitory rates in non-FCA-injected paws between either of ART and TWP groups and either of control and model groups(P0.05).(2) The serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β(±s,ng/mL) were 8.76±2.34 and 0.10±0.03,5.40±1.15 and 0.05±0.01,5.79±1.56 and 0.06±0.01,6.16±0.94 and 0.06±0.02 in model group,control group,ART group and TWP group,respectively.There were significant differences in TNF-α and IL-1β between either of ART and TWP groups and model group(P0.05).No significant difference was revealed among ART group,TWP group and control group in TNF-α and IL-1β(P0.05).Conclusion(1) ART has good therapeutic effect on AA in rats.(2) ART can obviously reduce the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in rats with AA.


We study ruin probabilities for generalized life insurance programs. These programs include among others whole life and long term care contracts. Clearly, in such programs the claims in successive years are dependent, hence the structure of our problem is different from that of ruin probabilities in general insurance where claims over time are independent. First, we develop algorithms calculating the ruin probabilities for life and LTC insurance programs. Further, upper and lower bounds for these probabilities are derived. These new bounds take into account the joint distribution of claims over time.


When an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) enters the environments with weak or interrupted GPS signal, the accuracy of GPS/INS integrated navigation would be decreased seriously. In this paper, a novel navigation method is proposed which can compensate the unavailable data supposed from the GPS via combining Kalman filter and Back Propagation neural network (BPNN). In order to estimate the state (i.e. velocity and position) of the UAV, Kalman filter algorithm is used to fuse GPS and INS data, which are fed into a BPNN for online training simultaneously; in the case of GPS-denied navigation, the well-trained BPNN can be employed as the replacement of GPS to ensure the precision of the navigation so that the UAV can be navigated consistently. The experimental results demonstrate that the mean bias of the UAV END position can be respectively reduced to 0.611 m, 1.397 m and 7.096 m during 450 seconds flight, which effectively solves the problem of low accuracy in GPS-denied environment.


OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: Lead (Pb) exposure can seriously affect nervous system and kidney. Young children are vulnerable to Pb exposure. However, the role of low-level Pb exposure in asthma in children and the age and racial disparity is not well studied. The objectives are to examine the relation between Pb level and asthma status and to determine the age and racial/ethnic differences in this relation. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We analyzed data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2016 for 22,885 children 1-15 years old. Asthma information was collected by questionnaire. Blood lead level was measured using mass spectrometry. The association between blood Pb level and asthma status was assessed by logistic regression after adjusting for children' age, gender, race/ethnicity, insurance status, and source of care; household poverty, mother's age and smoking status. Data were analyzed using Stata 14 considering design and sample weight and p<0.05 is statistically significant. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Pb level was associated with asthma status (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=1.4, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.2-1.7, p < 0.001). Stratified analysis by age showed that blood Pb level is related to asthma only in children 1-5 years old (AOR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1-1.5, p = 0.004). There was no racial/ethnic difference in this association. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Pb level is associated with asthma status in children especially young children. Health risk of low Pb is a concern. Preventive measures by reducing potential sources of Pb should be introduced early.


As recently reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has been rising over the last century representing the main cause of death and disability for the general population regardless of age, region, or gender [...].


Nitrogen is the major nutrient in potato production along with P and K. A normal potato crop yielding 300 q/ha removes about 100 kg nitrogen/ha within 40-70 days (3) which is higher than any other field crop when compared on a per day basis. Therefore, it is important to apply sufficient amount of N to ensure proper growth and yield. Many improved potato cultivars having better yield potential and processing quality have been released by the Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla (4) for different regions of the country. Since there are cultivar differences in response to applied nutrients particularly nitrogen, it is important to evaluate their efficiency and response to nutrients.


This article – which is based on the ongoing project with the first monolingual Faroese dictionary ever, expected to be published later this year (1997) – deals with some advantages and disadvantages in working in the fields of lexicography in a small society. Idealistically there are the same needs for dictionaries in a small society as in a big, but there seem to be more limitations in reaching these goals in a small society. On the one hand the smallness of the society makes it relatively easy to get a general view of e.g. the vocabulary, as the number of texts produced is fairly limited. On the other hand limits in both economic and human resources to some extent prevent dictionary makers from forming the ideal empirical basis of preparing comprehensive dictionaries. In recent years there has been a tendency toward establishing a kind of dictionary environment in the Faroes. It is however of vital importance strictly to make plans for the needs for different kinds of dictionaries, especially because of the limits in both economic and human resources to fulfil these tasks and to avoid the same tasks from being solved twice at the same time as other remain unsolved. Therefore it's of vital importance to gather all strength concerning lexicography to co-operate.


The early antibiotic trials, using historic controls, showed impressive mortality benefits for patients with bacteremic pneumococcal infection (1,2). The idea that antibiotic therapy may be useful to patients, because it kills infecting organisms, has been an attractive incentive and argument for physicians to expand their use for other infections, sometimes even in the absence of evidence that benefits exceed the risks. The last 50 or 60 years has witnessed an epidemic of antibiotic use, extending to indications such as otitis media, acute bacterial sinusitis and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. In the absence of strong evidence of a health benefit from placebo-controlled clinical trials, there is no anchor for interpreting active-comparison trials. Like all drugs, antibiotics are associated with risks, and the recent placebo-controlled trials in acute bacterial sinusitis (3) serve an important reminder that insofar as self-limited infections resolve on their own, antibiotic treatment will be associated with risks but little or no benefit. The evaluation of drug safety and efficacy are inextricably linked. High-quality evaluations of both are essential to characterize the risk-benefit profile of medications. Inadequate evaluations of either safety or efficacy compromise the knowledge base for physicians and patients. This paper will focus on both aspects. In a meta-analysis of antibiotic trials comparing fluoroquinolones with other antibiotics in community-acquired evaluable


The competition between C-H activation and Heck reactions has been studied on 2-alkenyl-substituted o-iodobenzylpyrroles. The reaction can be switched from the alkene to the pyrrole nucleus by choosing the adequate catalytic system, regardless of the nature of the substituent on the alkene, obtaining excellent yields of pyrrolo[1,2-b]isoquinolines or pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindoles.


The subject of the present invention relates to a novel method by integral porous carbon-based material is prepared with sulfur-modified thio acid impregnated material can be used depending on the material obtained by this method, as well as those having improved properties Supercapacitance production energy storage system with the use of the electrode. The sulfur-modified by the electrode of the present invention is generally composed of a porous carbon-based material, and contains a lithium battery and a super capacitor electrodes also form part of the invention.


Abstract : This study is a part of the on-going effort aimed at improved determinations of the earth's gravity field through the adjustment of satellite altimeter data in the short-arc mode. Until recently the key role in such adjustments has been played by GEOS-3 altimeter data. However, SEASAT altimetry is envisioned as providing a more accurate means for addressing this task. In view of the improved quality of altimeter data and of the corresponding more stringent requirements for the data reduction, several improvements in the existing altimetry model have been designed and are described herein. For example, the criteria have been established specifying the maximum and the mimimum allowable lengths of SEASAT arcs. An important improvement in the economy has been achieved through a reduction in the number of spherical-harmonic potential coefficients entering the orbital integrator, without a noticeable compromise in the excellent quality of the SEASAT observational system.


Data-set of monthly global solar irradiance covering periods of at least 20 years over selected stations in Nigeria have been utilised to investigate the sky optical conditions over the five major vegetation zones of the country. The monthly variation of the clearness index for the selected stations has been investigated. Results show that the clearness index has its minimum in August which indicates reduced insolation during the monsoon month of August and maximum around November, December and February which shows high insolation. Statistical analysis of the monthly clearness index which gives the percentage depletion by the sky of the incoming insolation and the subsequent characterisation of the sky conditions based on this were also done. The results show that cloudy sky conditions prevail in the rainforest and mangrove swamp zones (e.g. Lagos, KT=0.40) while clear sky conditions prevail in the Sudan and Sahel vegetation (e.g. Nguru KT=0.66) and Kano (KT=0.65).


Background: The burden of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and kidney transplant rates vary significantly across the United States. This study aims to examine the mismatch between ESKD burden and kidney transplant rates from a perspective of spatial epidemiology. Methods: US Renal Data System data from 2015 to 2017 on incident ESKD and kidney transplants per 1000 incident ESKD cases was analyzed. Clustering of ESKD burden and kidney transplant rates at the county level was determined using local Moran's I and correlated to county health scores. Higher percentile county health scores indicated worse overall community health. Results: Significant clusters of high-ESKD burden tended to coincide with clusters of low kidney transplant rates, and vice versa. The most common cluster type had high incident ESKD with low transplant rates (377 counties). Counties in these clusters had the lowest overall mean transplant rate (61.1), highest overall mean ESKD incidence (61.3), and highest mean county health scores percentile (80.9%, P<0.001 vs all other cluster types). By comparison, counties in clusters with low ESKD incidence and high transplant rates (n=359) had the highest mean transplant rate (110.6), the lowest mean ESKD incidence (28.9), and the lowest county health scores (20.2%). All comparisons to high-ESKD/low-transplant clusters were significant at P value <0.001. Conclusion: There was a significant mismatch between kidney transplant rates and ESKD burden, where areas with the greatest need had the lowest transplant rates. This pattern exacerbates pre-existing disparities, as disadvantaged high-ESKD regions already suffer from worse access to care and overall community health, as evidenced by the highest county health scores in the study.


It is expected to establish an analytic method and performance equations more suitable for estimation the characteristics and design a reasonable LIM. An approximation for simplified computing the performance of single-sided linear induction motor is presented. The original equations was derived from the two-dimensional electromagnetic analysis and the equivalent circuit quantities, such as magnetizing reactance, secondary resistance and secondary reactance, was expressed in combination with hyperbolic function and trigonometric function of complex number.In this paper, these functions are approximated by the Maclaurin's expansion and the equivalent circuit quantities are expressed by polynomial approximation. Both computed thrust, primary current, power factor and efficiency-slip curves for the test SLIM for urban transit at Kyushu university calculated by the original equation and the new approximation show a close agreement. Even without the former complicated calculation, we can use the proposed convenient approximation. The magnetizing reactance plays an important role in the LIM performance and the larger, the better. The ratio of air gap length to pole pitch holds the key to goodness of LIM.


To the Editor:

I write briefly to compliment Ms Mukhopadhyay on her paper "A Biographical Sketch of Lewis Dexter," which appeared recently in the Texas Heart Institute Journal (28:133-6). Although she did not know the man, she accurately captured his essence in her historical review.

Few outside the circle of former Dexter fellows can imagine how fortunate we consider ourselves. I do not presume to speak for the group, but I do believe that Ms Mukhopadhyay—in undertaking her Arbeit at the suggestion of Dr. Taegtmeyer—did all of us and many others an inestimable service in bringing cardiologic attention to a great man whom we loved dearly for all the attributes of which she wrote. Hence the appreciation.

I served a fellowship with Dr. Dexter for 3 years, from 1953 to 1956. During the span of my professional experience (1948 to 1990), I was exposed directly and personally to many giants of American academic medicine, yet Dr. Dexter clearly stood out for his engaging qualities as a scientist, teacher, physician, father, husband, man, and role model.

I was privileged to head a cardiologic training program (1964–1982), over 50 graduates of which are scattered all over this country. Hard as I tried, I never came close to duplicating Dr. Dexter's high standards, but at least I always knew what it was that I was attempting to accomplish.

Incidentally, Sandy Dexter Coburn is the equal of Lew, and we all hold her in the same high esteem.


A symbol rate estimation algorithm based on the wavelet transform with optimal scale was proposed over the generalized band-limited digital communication system.Firstly,the basic idea and performance defect of the classic Haar wavelet method for symbol rate estimation was analyzed.Then a theoretical proof was given,which showed that the propagation channel has little influence on the choice of wavelet functions.The proposed algorithm exploited the normalized maximum energy criteria for acquiring optimal scale,and the symbol rate estimation was carried out by using some wavelet function with high-order vanishing moment for wavelet transformation.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the Haar method with fewer symbols and lower signal-to-noise rate,which indicates feasibility and extensive applicability in real environment.


That a widespread dissemination of Treponema pallidum may be produced in the rabbit by local inoculation has been shown by the recovery of the organisms in isolated instances from the blood, lymphnodes or other organs as well as by the occasional occurrence of generalized lesions in infected animals. However, there is no evidence to show either the time or frequency with which this dissemination occurs or whether the organisms thus distributed over the body are capable of sustaining the infection in these animals. With these questions in mind, a series of experiments was undertaken, the object of which was to determine the frequency of invasion of the regional lymphatics and the general circulation following inoculation in the scrotum or testicles and how soon a self-sustaining generalized infection might be established. Time and Frequency of Invasion of Regional Lymphatics.- An examination was made of the inguinal lymphnodes in a series of 29 rabbits which had been inoculated by the introduction of a bit of infected tissue beneath the skin of the scrotum. The nodes were excised under ether anesthesia at intervals of from 61 days down to 48 hours after inoculation and the presence or absence of Treponema pallidurn determined by dark field examination or by animal inoculation. The first group of nodes studied included those showing well marked enlargement and induration and these gave positive results in all cases. Nodes were then taken 5 days after inoculation and after the lapse of only 48 hours. Positive results were again obtained in all cases.


The use of violence against a child is considered to be the cause of the development of an antisocial personality. Three parental mistakes were distinguished: a) aggression, b) indifference, and c) submission to the child, as constituting the feature of violence against a child. The aim of the study was to determine whether there is a relationship between parental violence and girls developing a meta-personality trait typical of antisocial personality, i.e. Disinhibition (Alpha minus), characterized by: high neuroticism, low agreeableness and conscientiousness.The study was performed on a sample of 402 women aged 34 on average. The study was self-report, retrospective. The women were asked to provide answers about their parents' parenting mistakes and their own personality traits.The results revealed that aggression, indifference, and submission form a meaningful meta-trait, meaning that they are correlated and therefore often coexist in parenting behavior. The results confirmed theoretical assumptions. People who experienced more aggression, indifference, and submission from their parents as children show higher scores for antisocial personality traits.


Objective:To explore the necessity of splenectom y and D.P.D procedures with pyloroplasty for patients with L .C and portal hypertesion,and to observe the influence of the function of gastric emptying with vagus were kept. Methods:To observe the resume of gastric emptying of different groups of patients with L.C and portal hypertesion,one group were underwent splenectomy and D.P.D procedures with both vagotomy,and the other one's vagus were kept with or withoutpyloroplasty.Result:The average time of the resume of gastric em ptying for the group of both vagotomy is5 .2 days,and4 .2 days for the former with pyloroplasty,4 .1days for the patients of vagus kept.2 in3 6cases suffered from stom ach tarry in the former way are resum ed in a short time,and none occurs with stomach tarry in the later. Conclusion:D.P.D with pyloroplasty isn't necessary,but D.P.D with vagus kept do benefit.


Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came into effect, both UNESCO and other international organisations recommend empowering youth to implement the SDGs in universities. Getting started with the SDGs at university level is of special relevance in pre-service teacher training since future teachers are powerful agents of change in the lives of young people. Future teachers need to acquire competencies in sustainability to be able to promote meaningful changes in sustainable behaviour. To that end, holistic approaches to facilitate their acquisition need to be developed. The aim of this study is to explore which teaching methodologies are suitable for the development of competencies in sustainability and research in Higher Education (HE). The participants taking part in the study are students in pre-service teacher training. The experimental educational model used for the development of competencies in sustainability and research consists of a methodological sequence of Project-Oriented Learning (POL) and a Cross-disciplinary Workshop on Sustainable Food. This study provides evidence that POL is an excellent methodology for developing competencies in sustainability and facilitates the relationship between sustainability and research competencies.


Learning kanji characters for Japanese second language learners is a major component in their development of reading proficiency. The focus of this study is to evaluate five web-based kanji programs to determine what features may promote learning for autonomous learners. Discovering the features of an Internet program that will promote vocabulary learning will provide programmers with a basis for creating and improving existing programs. In order to discover what is necessary for Japanese second language kanji learning, we first examined the existing literature on autonomous kanji learning and the evaluation of the effectiveness of CALL for kanji learning. From this theoretical foundation, we created our criteria to evaluate existing Internet programs. The main objective is to provide suggestions for improving WWKanji, a web-based program. The results of our evaluation indicate that for future versions of WWKanji, features such as grouping by radicals, mnemonics and ideographs, drills and quizzes, additional compounds, and finally kanji learning in context should be added in order to provide the autonomous learner with more resources for learning. Furthermore, each feature that will be added must be rigorously tested to determine its effectiveness for autonomous learning of kanji characters.


Introduction Background In health care the attainment of evidence based practice is at the heart of policy developments. Consequently the current strategy for nursing and midwifery in Scotland challenges the profession to develop models for networking and sharing of evidence based best practice. (1) The Community of Practice" (CoP) framework offers an ideal basis for such networking. By definition a Community of Practice is a social group formed for the explicit purpose of fostering supportive collaborations to nurture and develop practice and individuals. (2)


A K‐matrix technique using a basis set of square‐integrable functions is applied to the calculation of differential photoionization cross sections in molecules. Continuum orbitals are variationally determined in the static‐exchange approximation of the ion field. Integrated photoionization cross sections and asymmetry parameters β of the three main valence ionization processes in H2O are calculated, in the independent channel approximation, for the photon energy in the range of 14–50 eV and compared with the available experimental data.


We introduce a nonautonomous discrete neuron model based on the Rulkov map and investigate its dynamics. Using both the linear stability and bifurcation analyses of the system of piecewise difference equations, we determine dynamical bifurcations and parameter regions of steady-state and periodic solutions.


Monilethrix is a rare autosomal dominant inheritable hair shaft defect with variable penetrance. The diagnosis is confirmed by the characteristic beaded appearance of the hair under light microscopy which occurs due to defective keratinization. We hereby describe a case of monilethrix syndrome with keratotic follicular papules, moniliform hair, and koilonychias in an 8-year-old Indian female child. A rare association of trichorrhexis nodosa was also noted in our case.


A broad-spectrum fungicide, calophycin, has been isolated from Calothrix fusca EU-10-1, a terrestrial blue-green alga belonging to Nostocaceae, and identified to be a cyclic decapeptide, cyclic (L-Ala-D-Asp-L-Asn-L-Gln-Gly-L-Arg-L-N-MeAsn-L-Pro(2R,3R,4S)-Hamp-L-Val), where Hamp is a (2R,3R,4S)-3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-methylpalmitic acid unit and MeAsn is an N-methylasparagine residue


Objective To compare the thickness of the retina and its sublayers between young and elderly rats using a stereological method. Methods Six young(3 months old) and six elderly(2 year old) LongEvans rats were used in this study.The right eyeball was dissected from each rat and prepared as a set of serial sagittal sections and applied with HE staining.The sections and fields were sampled in the systematic random fashion and examined under a light microscope.The thickness of the whole retina and its 8 sublayers were identified and measured. Results Compared with that of the young rats,the thickness of the whole retina and most of the sublayers of the elderly rats were significantly decreased.The decrease was such so that the proportion of the thickness of each sublayer to that of the whole retina remained unchanged.Most interestingly,among the 8 sublayers of the retina,the thickness of the exterior plexus layer reduced nearly 46.2% during aging process.Conclusion Aging has a significant effect on the thickness of the rat retina.Such effect is better presented with the systematic random sampling method.


This two volume work is presented as a survey of prenatal and postnatal developmental physiology. Fetal physiology constitutes a minor portion of the material presented, but this is certainly consistent with the relative dirth of knowledge in this area as contrasted to the more complete knowledge of postnatal developmental physiology. The material of the 41 international contributors is presented within the following seven sections: (1) growth and physiologic changes at birth; (2) respiration, circulation, and blood; (3) metabolism; (4) body fluids and renal function; (5) neuromuscular system; (6) endocrine system; (7) hypoxia neonatorum. The vast majority of sections are very well illustrated, primarily with graphic presentation of data. The organization of material within major sections is consistently thorough and logical with frequent subtitles. From an obstetrician's viewpoint, the discussion of fetal distress manifested by alterations of fetal heart rate is somewhat inadequate. The current widespread clinical usage of fetal heart


A new species of the genus Sunius Stephens, 1829 is described from Konya province in Anatolia and illustrated: Sunius yamani sp. n. Additional records of six species of Sunius from Turkey are reported. A total of 39 species are now known from Turkey, 35 of them are endemic. Distribution maps are given for all Turkish members of the genus Sunius.


Fully autonomous vehicles need the ability to localize without external help, for instance by using visual sensors together with a pre-loaded map of landmarks. In this paper we connect self-localization using landmarks with coding theory. This connection enables to translate Hamming distance properties to probabilistic localization guarantees given a certain number of errors in landmark identification; it also enables to leverage existing polynomial time decoding algorithms for localization. We present promising numerical evaluation results by simulating vehicle traveling paths along a road network generated from real data of a region in Washington D.C.


ABSTRACT For almost 50 years the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) research program was pursued under the hypothesis of the universality of the physical laws in the cosmos. The authors call attention to some epistemological issues that make it necessary to seek other aesthetic, spiritual and ethical cognitive universals. They propose the participation of a broader community of scholars from natural, social, artistic and humanistic disciplines to explore all the possible universal cognitive maps that eventually might favor the detection of extraterrestrial intelligent life.


It is well recognized that the use of cultivars resistant to diseases caused by microbial plant pathogens is the most important disease management strategy. However, the difficulties associated with the conventional breeding methods, necessitated the development of alternative methods of obtaining disease resistant cultivars. Genetic engineering approach has been demonstrated to provide enormous options for the selection of the resistance genes from plants, microbes, insects, animals and pathogens themselves. The molecular markers have been successfully applied to locate, clone and characterize resistance genes. The expression of transgenes in transgenic plants can be verified by using appropriate molecular techniques. Among several approaches made, pathogen-derived resistance has been widely tested and found to be practicable as in the case of Papaya ring spot virus disease. In the case of bacterial and fungal diseases, the potential of transgenic plants expressing antifungal and antibacterial proteins has been indicated by many studies. However, the acceptance of products of genetically modified crops by the consumers remains an unanswered question. Management of crop diseases caused by microbial pathogens by incorporating genes conferring disease resistance from different sources has been discussed earlier (Volume 3, Chapter 3). Molecular biology of pathogenesis and disease resistance has been intensively researched facilitating a better understanding of the functions of virulence and avirulence genes of the microbial pathogens and activation of a series of host responses resulting in enhancement of resistance to pathogens. Genetic engineering techniques provide enormous options for the selection of the desired gene(s) from a wide range of sources not only in the plant kingdom but also in the animal kingdom and even from the pathogens themselves. The disease resistance genes present in various sources, especially wild relatives of crop species have been located at specific sites by the action of restriction endonucleases. The DNA fragment(s) carrying the desired gene(s) are identified and used as molecular markers. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique in conjunction with PCR assay has been employed to identify resistance genes rapidly. These genes are then cloned in test organisms to study the nature of gene products and gene action. The PCR assay has been demonstrated to be useful to amplify the specific sequences in the DNA. P. Narayanasamy, Molecular Biology in Plant Pathogenesis and Disease Management: 171 Disease Management, Vol. 3. C © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008 172 4 Transgenic Resistance to Crop Diseases Transgenic plants constitutively expressing defense-related genes from desired sources can be generated. The exogenous DNA, introduced artificially via genetic engineering techniques, has to pass through the germ line of the plant to be transformed, following incorporation of the foreign DNA into the plant's nuclear material. New crop varieties with resistance to diseases may be developed within a short period by employing the various biotechnological methods. On the other hand, classical breeding procedures require several years, in addition to the obstacles posed by interspecific sterility and linkage to undesirable traits. Furthermore, multiplex, diverse genes conferring resistance to diseases may be incorporated simultaneously by transgenic plant technology, which permits a wider genetic diversity to be exploited. Transformation of plants by transferring desirable genes from bacteria, fungi, viruses or various species of plants has been achieved mostly by employing the phytopathogenic bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens (At). The Ti-(tumor inducing) plasmid of At containing T-DNA has been used for gene transfer to plants. The T-DNA can be disarmed, rendering the plasmid nononcogenic, but still retaining its ability to integrate with plant host genome and to synthesize opines. It has been demonstrated that the T-DNA can be trimmed down to contain only absolutely essential functions for providing more room for cloning exogenous DNA fragment. Depending on the nature of pathogens and their pathogenic potential (virulence), different techniques have been applied to obtain crop cultivars with enhanced resistance to diseases. 4.1 Resistance to Virus Diseases Sources of resistance to crop virus diseases may be primarily of three classes viz., (i) genes derived from viral sequences providing pathogen-derived resistance (PDR); (ii) genes from various other sources that can interfere with target virus and (iii) natural resistance genes. The sources of natural resistance genes and the molecular biology of resistance provided by them have been discussed in (Volume 3, Chapter 3). 4.1.1 Pathogen-Derived Resistance The transgenic expression of pathogen sequences was postulated to provide protection against the respective pathogen itself by interfering with its development or multiplication (Sanford and Johnson 1985). Currently the term pathogen-derived resistance (PDR) has been generally accepted, although several other terms were earlier applied. This is the principal approach by which transgenic protection is offered against many viruses affecting a wide range of crop plants with varying degrees of success and acceptability. Powell-Abel et al. (1986) demonstrated that incorporation of coat protein (CP) gene of Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in tobacco protected them against TMV. The pathogen-derived gene interferes with the replication


The seed coat anatomy of Wollemia nobilis W. G. Jones, K. D. Hill et J. M. Allen was carried out. In theresult of analysis of transverse sections of seeds the sufficient parenchymatization of seed coats and their differentiationinto three morphogenetic zones – the exotesta, the mesotesta and the endotesta was revealed. Such characters of thespermoderm as differentiation of the mesotesta into several topographic zones, presence of resin cavities in mesotesta, aswell as the participation of both exotesta and mesotesta in making the wing are treated as the archaic ones. The seeds of W.nobilis are of transitional type between exomesotestal and the exotestal type (according to Corner's typology). In generalthe seed coat structure of W. nobilis fits into the divercity of seed coats structure in the family Araucariaceae and is treatedas a progressive type within the family.


To study the aging principle of sealing performance of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), a mathematical model is proposed based on the correlation between mechanical performance and microscopic flaws. We assume that oxidative cross-linking and molecular chain scission are two main microscopic flaws of NBR, which could result in performance degradation. In this paper, we use Kinetics model to relate the degradation process with both microscopic flaw mechanisms. Finally thermal-oxidative aging model of NBR is developed for lifetime evaluation. We evaluate our model using compression permanent distortion data which are obtained by accelerated thermal-oxidative aging tests at 60°, 70°, 80°, 90° and 100°. Comparing with current existing aging model, the experimental results show that our model could simulate the degradation trend of sealing performance accurately. Predictive residual of our model is smaller than 1% at various temperatures and even smaller than P-t model at 70° and 80°.