A review on the progress of application of coordination complex modified electrodes in analytical chemistry during the years from 1976 to 2009 was presented.Topics on preparations of the modified electrodes were included,and special attention was paid to the application to determination of non-metal ions and organic residues in environmental samples,to biological analysis,and to the analysis of DNA and some other biological macro molecules when used as biosensors(29 ref.cited).


In this study, to examine the effect of childcare teachers' job stress on depression. For thispurpose, a survey was conducted on 253 childcare teachers working at daycare centers locatedin Seoul. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 23.0. The main results of this studyare as follows. First, the job stress of childcare teachers was slightly lower level than normal,self-differentiation was at a level above average, and depression was at a lower level thannormal. Second, there were negative correlations between job stress and self-differentiation,self-differentiation and depression, and positive correlations between job stress and depressionof childcare teachers. Third, the general background, job stress, and self-differentiation ofchildcare teachers had a significant effect on depression. Especially, self-differentiation had asignificant effect on depression when the overall background and job stress of childcare teacherswere controlled. These results suggests that in order to reduce the depression of childcareteachers, it is necessary to take measures to reduce job stress along with counseling andeducational support that can increase the level of self-differentiation of childcare teachers.


with the progression of computer networks, a wireless sensor network emerges as new technology that promises a wide range of applications. A wireless sensor network consists of large number of small sensors with low cost, low power and limited energy deployed in a region of interest. It consists of numerous sensors that send sensed data to base station and sensors are embedded with microprocessors, radio transceivers. To prolong stability and network lifetime, HEERHybrid Energy Efficient Reactive Protocol was proposed, in this cluster head selection is based on residual energy of node and average energy of network. HEER performs best for time critical applications and reduces the number of transmission by using threshold. In HEER, load balancing is done with the help of high energy and low energy nodes and also better intra-clustering is performed. The simulation results focuses on better performance of traditional HEER and provide more uniform energy consumption when compared with LEACH protocol. Keywords— wireless sensor network, cluster-head, Networks, Data Aggregation


Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease. Renal inflammation is known to contribute to the onset and progression of DN. Glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) are the major cell type involved in the pathogenesis of DN. Store operated calcium entry (SOCE) regulates many MC functions. Neogenin is the multifunctional transmembrane receptor that plays an important role in some organ development and homeostasis. Studies also demonstrated that neogenin was associated with inflammatory responses. However, whether neogenin is involved in DN and how it is regulated in MCs is currently not known. The aim of the present study was to determine if and how neogenin protein abundance in MCs was altered by diabetes/high glucose.


Growing interest in the potential role of specific nutrients (e.g. amino acids) as limiting factors in growth (Morton 1973, Ricklefs 1976), reproduction (Jones and Ward 1976, 1979; Raveling 1979, Fogden and Fogden 1979), and feather synthesis (Hanson 1962, Newton 1968, Ward 1969, Gavrilov and Dolnik 1974) heralds the onset of a trend that might be called "nutritional ecology." In attempting to understand the demands of these processes in wild species, a knowledge of nutrient requirements is imperative. Unfortunately, the requirements of free-living species of birds are essentially unknown (Fisher 1972) and potentially differ significantly from those of domestic species that have been inbred for improvement of meat and egg production. Identification of the nutritional needs of wild birds, and the subsequent clarification of the apparent enigmas of nutrient requirements and supply, is hindered by the overwhelming chore of detailed compositional analysis of naturally occurring foods. Determination of the dietary requirements of an organism requires an exact knowledge, and control, of the availability of a nutrient, in the face of the constancy and adequacy of other essential and indispensable dietary components. Furthermore, for comparative studies it is desirable to replicate dietary composition accurately. Several difficulties are encountered when attempting to meet these criteria with diets compounded of raw foodstuffs. Poultry nutritionists, among others, have circumvented these problems by the use of defined, semi-synthetic diets. Application of this practice to the study of the nutrient requirements of wild birds can provide not only basic reference standards, but also avert some laborious and expensive analyses currently required to characterize natural diets. This report describes the successful use of a semi-synthetic diet in extensive tests with four granivorous species and in a brief trial with a frugivore. We used a modified version (Tables 1 and 2) of the Illinois crystalline amino acid diet (Baker et al. 1979). In all tests the birds were housed in individual cages (22 x 40 x 27 cm) in a constant-condition room (21øC, LD 16:8) and provided with water ad libitum. In the first test we transferred 12 House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) that were in the midst of postnuptial molt from a ration of granular chick-starter mash to the semi-synthetic ration. For the next 28 days we measured body weight and noted the state of molt at 4-day intervals. In all cases, body weight varied no more than 1 g from weights recorded while the birds were eating chick-starter mash, and likewise did not differ significantly from the weights in a control group fed chick-starter mash through the same period of time. Furthermore, both the pattern and rate of feather growth (as judged from measurements of primary and secondary remiges) were unaffected by the transition to the semi-synthetic diet. A second test involved 36 White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) that had been subjected for other purposes to experimental photoregimes that eventually induced the analogs of either postnuptial molt or of prenuptial molt followed by premigratory fattening. Initially, all birds were fed the granular chick-starter mash. After this, 8 nonmolting birds were provided one hopper of the powdered semi-synthetic diet and one of chick-starter mash for I week, followed by feeding of the semisynthetic diet alone. The remaining 28 birds had access to one food hopper containing chick-starter mash, one containing the semi-synthetic diet in powdered form, and one containing "seeds" (diameter, 2 mm) made from the semi-synthetic diet. We made the "seeds" by mixing equal quantities of the semi-synthetic diet (after compensatory changes in the celufil content) with a 3% agar solution. This makes a dough-like mixture that can be squeezed from a syringe or a pastry press into strips that can be cut and rolled into seed-like shapes. To minimize dessication, these must be refrigerated in air-tight containers. By the end of a week of access to the three choices just described, the birds showed a uniform and clear-cut preference: "seeds" > powder > chick-starter mash. This order of preference persisted for the remaining 3 weeks of the test. The "seed" hopper was always emptied first. This is readily understandable in a species that is adapted to consuming discrete packets of food, but the clear-cut secondary preference for the powdery semi-synthetic ration over the more granular chick-starter mash was unexpected. This may implicate aspects of palatability or appetite for specific nutrients that merit further investigation. The eight White-crowned Sparrows that had been eating the powdery semi-synthetic ration alone were retained for further observation. As a result of their


The stability of rotor system is an important problem in mechanics, for example, bifurcation and chaos, which is directly related to safety and reliability of turbine sets. In this paper, based on the dynamic model of Muszynska s flexible rotor with oil film, using coupled vibration technique, the vibration of single disk is regarded as main vibration of the system. Dynamic behaviors of rotor - bearing system with oil film and stability of nonlinear vibration are investigated. Hopf bifurcation and amplitude of vibration vs. frequency are presented graphically.


Extending a result of Khavinson and Swiatek (2003) we show that the rational harmonic function r(z) - z, where r(z) is a rational function of degree n > 1, has no more than 5n - 5 complex zeros. Applications to gravitational lensing are discussed. In particular, this result settles a conjecture by Rhie concerning the maximum number of lensed images due to an n-point gravitational lens.


A memory breach is an action, statement, or sociopolitical crisis that calls into dispute the mnemonic order, which is defined as an underlying orientation toward the past that serves to justify the political order and social order within a society. Following a memory breach, the society enters a "state of conception." Related to the "state of exception" commonly associated with political crisis, the state of conception is a liminal space that follows a memory breach in which a society reexamines the mnemonic order. This article examines three recent memory breaches in Argentina, Germany, and the United States. By comparing three different breaches, each with different outcomes, it offers a framework for understanding memory breaches and the states of conception that they produce.


In 'Zande Logic and Western Logic' Richard Jennings argues that contrary to the view of Evans-Pritchard and Tim Triplett the system of logic employed by the Azande is sui generis and distinct from that of Westerners. I argue that this thesis is erroneous because Jennings, following Evans-Pritchard, is at fault in his analysis of the logic of the Azande. Zande thinking on the topic of witchcraft-substance heritability is not contradictory as believed. But even if one assumes that the Azande do reason contradictorily on matters of institutional importance, Jennings' thesis on the possibility of incompatible logics still fails because similar instances of contradictory thinking could be found in the West. Although in practical matters all peoples appeal to orthodox logic, in matters of institutional importance the epistemological relativist could be on fertile ground where orthodox logic is in conflict with beliefs that are institutionally grounded.


Teratogens are responsible for a large number of congenital abnormalities. The repercussions of ignorance to the agents a pregnant person could possibly be exposed to can result in irreversible malformation in a fetus. This paper uses studies done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to explore three major teratogenic agents--alcohol, smoking, and drugs--and the effects they can have on a fetus on the molecular level, with a focus on the specific components that cause the defects and the possible abnormalities that the fetus is at risk of.


Abstract This paper describes an open loop control approach with analog impedance feedback damping for quasistatic MEMS microscanners based on electrostatic comb transducers. The control task is determined by high dynamic input trajectory following in the presence of an extremely lightly damped mechanical mass-spring system with nonlinear electromechanical characteristics. The approach presented in this paper makes use of a model-based design approach resulting in a nonlinear adaptive prefilter for optimally preshaping of customized trajectory inputs. The open loop control is augmented by an easy to implement resistive analog impedance feedback scheme that introduces electromechanical damping and increases robustness against physical parameter uncertainties of the MEMS microscanner assembly. The paper outlines the underlying MEMS microscanner technology, it describes the mathematical model based on ANSYS computation, and it discusses in detail the proposed control concepts. Simulations and experimental results prove the applicability of the control approach.


Landsat TM and ASTER data were used in the neotectonics study of Western Mongolia. The latter has been one of the most seismically active intracontinental regions of the world in this century. The occurrences of earthquakes are mostly controlled by active faults. The relief in the area is remarkable due to its sharp contrasts and the multitude and variability of the morphological elements: high rugged mountains, basins, and wide hilly areas composed of loose sands, gravels and boulders. In an area such as this, where the morphology of the terrain responds to a cold, dry climate and where erosion is slow, fault ruptures cutting pediment surfaces are well preserved. Various geomorphic features supporting recent tectonic movements were deciphered from the various remotely sensed data. These include: strike-slip faults, fault line scarps, triangular facets, uphill facing scarps, pressure-ridges, abrupt change in topographic slope angles along fault traces, offset drainage, truncated fan and beheaded drainage. Most of these features were examined in the field and revealed movements that have occurred during the Holocene (past 10,000 years).


In this paper, finite element preprocessing software HyperMesh is used to preprocess the aircraft stretcher and establish the finite element model. According to the design standard of stretcher structure strength, the static strength characteristics, impact strength characteristics and fatigue strength characteristics of the stretcher are analyzed and studied by using the finite element analysis software ANSYS to realize the simulation design of aircraft stretcher structure strength. This method has certain reference value for the research design and simulation analysis of aircraft stretcher.


A concept for a nanowire-based photovoltaic (PV) device is presented along with the requirements for achieving high photoconversion efficiency including nanowire morphology, crystalline structure, nanowire dimensions (diameter, period (spacing) and length), avoidance of misfit dislocations, low resistance contacts, controlled doping for p-n junctions, surface passivation, and current-matching. The state of the nanowire PV device field is presented.


Soil fumigation trials using either methyl bromide, 1, 3-dichloropropene, or carbon disulfide were evaluated for control of the nematode vector ( Xiphinema index )-fanleaf virus complex in California vineyards. Methyl bromide and 1,3-dichloropropene failed to eradicate either nematodes or fanleaf virus from the soil but both reduced numbers of nematodes and incidence of disease to levels that were judged acceptable. Carbon disulfide neither reduced nematodes nor disease incidence to levels that were judged acceptable. Vine yields at one site treated with 1,3-dichloropropene remained productive for a period of 10 years at a rate high enough to justify treatment even though nematodes and fanleaf virus were slowly spreadng within the replanted vineyard. Wet soils and soils with high clay content prevented successful control of nematode and virus by any material. (Mention of a trademark or proprietary product does not guarantee a warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply approval of it to the exclusion of other products that also may be suitable.)


The article presents characteristics of the heat island in Warsaw and its effect on the inhabitants of the city. The heat island occurring in towns causes increased thermal energy resources stemming from energy transformation in the system of the active surface (very strongly transformed) and the atmosphere, as well as from surplus of waste heat in industrial and communal processes. The indicator of quantity of increased resources of thermal energy is the higher air temperature in relation to the surrounding area. This causes numerous consequences — meteorological and practical alike — important for the city inhabitants. The knowledge of specificity of the urban environment and its effect on human beings permits an elaboration of the ways of optimization of bioclimatic conditions, including improvement in the quality of the air and alleviation of burdensome perceptible conditions, particularly in the warm season when the contact of the inhabitants of the town with external atmospheric conditions is particularly close.


This article utilizes the findings of a recently completed, eight-country research project to visit some key issues in the theory and practice of gender mainstreaming. The research results indicate that gender mainstreaming is a diverse entity when looked at from a cross-national perspective but rather hollow when considered within the national setting. To the extent that there is a "common core" to gender mainstreaming in action across countries, it lies in the tendency to apply the approach in a technocratic way and to be nonsystemic in compass. The argument is advanced that this is at least in part attributable to particularities in the development of mainstreaming. The article suggests that gender mainstreaming is underdeveloped as a concept and identifies a need to elaborate further on some fundaments. In particular, the conceptualization of mainstreaming needs to be rethought with special attention devoted to the understanding of the problematic of gender inequality that underlies it and the articulation of the relationship between gender mainstreaming and societal change.


Abstract Due to the continuous scarcity of sand and gravel under environmental protection policies, a new geo-backfill material with the good liquefaction resistance is urgently needed. Steel slag is a kind of industrial solid waste. The aged eight-month steel slag usually could be used as backfill material. It is important to investigate the liquefaction resistance behaviours of steel slag. According to the soil classification method, the waste steel slag is also divided into gravel steel slag, coarse steel slag and fine steel slag. Dynamic triaxial tests were carried out to investigate the liquefaction resistance of gravel steel slag in the paper by considering the effects of consolidation stress ratio, loading frequency, confining pressure and gravel-size particle contents. The variations of pore water pressure and cyclic shear resistance were analysed. The calculation model of pore water pressure of saturated sand proposed by Seed and Finn could be applied to analyse the dynamic pore water pressure development of gravel steel slag. Compared with conventional soils, the cyclic liquefaction resistance of gravel steel slag is better than that of fine sand, gravel soil, sand-gravel soils and sand pebbles. Gravel steel slag can be used to replace some conventional cohesionless soils as a geo-backfill material.


The demand for biofuels has created a market for feedstocks to meet future energy requirements. Temperate × tropical maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids, which combine high biomass and fermentable stalk sugars, have yet to be considered as a biomass feedstock. Our objective was to evaluate biological potential, genetic variability and impact of nitrogen (N) on biomass, stalk sugar, and biofuel potential of temperate × tropical maize (TTM) hybrids. Twelve TTM hybrids, two grain and silage hybrids were grown in 2008, followed in 2009 by seven earshoot‐bagged TTM hybrids. In both years, they were grown with and without supplemental N (202 kg ha−1) in Champaign, IL. Plants were sampled for total and partitioned biomass, and analyzed for concentration and content of sugar. The TTM hybrids were 40% taller, exhibited later reproductive maturity, greater flowering asynchrony, and remained green longer. All hybrids responded to supplemental N by producing more biomass and grain, a lower percent of biomass partitioned to stalk and leaf, whereas TTM also had a decreased concentration of sugar. Total average biomass yields were 24 Mg ha−1 for both the TTM and grain hybrids. However, TTM partitioned 50% more biomass to the stalk and produced 50% more sugar, and had less than half the grain of the commercial hybrids, indicating grain production and sugar accumulation are inversely related. When grain formation was prevented by earshoot bagging, TTM hybrids produced, without supplemental N fertilizer, an average of 4024 kg ha−1 of sugar, which was three‐ to four‐fold greater than the non earshoot‐bagged TTM and ear removed hybrid. Calculated estimates for ethanol production, considering the potential from sugar, stover and grain, indicate TTM can yield nearly the amount of ethanol per hectare as modern grain hybrids, but with a decreased requirement for supplemental fertilizer N.


Research on iterated belief change has focussed mostly on belief revision, only few papers have addressed iterated belief contraction. Most prominently, Darwiche and Pearl published seminal work on iterated belief revision the leading paradigm of which is the so-called principle of conditional preservation. In this paper, we use this principle in a thoroughly axiomatized form to develop iterated belief contraction operators for Spohn's ranking functions. We show that it allows for setting up constructive approaches to tackling the problem of how to contract a ranking function by a proposition or a conditional, respectively, and that semantic principles can also be derived from it for the purely qualitative case.


Study guide for Practical Nursing! For over 40 years Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Practical Nursing for NCLEX-PN 13th Edition has prepared students for the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN). It provides essential content from all core clinical nursing areas in a clear and concise outline format with review questions and practice tests that mimic the NCLEX-PN test plan. Thoroughly revised and updated it reflects the April 1999 National Council of State Boards of Nursing's revisions for the NCLEX-PN test plan. Includes more than 3000 review and exam questions, plus a FREE CD-ROM with an additional 1000 questions for a realistic test-taking experience.


Purpose: This study aims to determine the effect of mergers on BSI's financial performance. Research methodology: The method used in this research is descriptive comparative, namely research that describes a certain situation within a predetermined period of time. The data used in this study comes from the financial statements of the three Islamic banks before the merger (2019) and BSI after the merger (2021). Results: The results of this study show that of the nine ratios studied, six ratios have increased, namely the quick ratio, debt to equity ratio, times interest earned, return on assets, return on equity, and net profit margin, while the other four have decreased, namely the current ratio, cash ratio , and debt ratios. Limitations: The observation period is limited to a year before and a year after the merger. Contribution: As for suggestions for BSI, it is necessary to pay attention to important and dominant aspects that can improve the quality of company assets and financing. Novelty: The difference between this study and previous studies is that the ratios used in this study are Current Ratio (CR), Quick Ratio (QR), Cash Ratio, Debt Ratio (DR), Debt to equity ratio (DER), Times interest earned (TIE), Return on Assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE), Net Profit Margin (NPM) as a comparison to see the financial performance before and after the merger from BSI.


Abstract"Bainong 3217 × Mardler" BC5F4 wheat line at the initial stage of inoculation with powdery mildew pathogen (Erysiphe graminis DC) was used to construct a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA library. Totally 760 ESTs were obtained through sequencing. Similarity analysis of ESTs based on BLASTn and BLASTx with the sequences in GenBank, in combination with macroarray differential screening, revealed that 199 ESTs of 65 kinds were known to be functionally disease resistance related. Based on the gene expression profiling in the present study, it is postulated that salicylic acid (SA) and MAP-related signal transduction pathways were involved in powdery mildew resistance in wheat. System acquired resistance genes were predominant in terms of kinds and quantity. With the initiation of cell defense reaction, the genes conferring anti-oxidation substances were largely expressed and thus cell protection mechanism was activated. Much evidence revealed that phenylpropanes metabolic pathway was involved in phytoalexin synthesis in wheat powdery mildew resistance. Genes conferring some enzymes of structural modification of cell walls and proteinase inhibitors inhibiting pathogen growth were also detected. The genes controlling a few proteinases (mainly cysteine proteinase) had a considerable redundancy of expression.


This paper shows that the effect of job instability on the socioecon omic structure of British unemployment is less than usually thought: groups with a high frequency of unemployment often have high prob abilities of entering unemployment should turnover occur, and not hig h turnover; high unemployment groups are as likely to experience long durations as more frequent spells. The structure of cross-section un employment is remarkably unchanged between 1973 and 1983 despite the fourfold rise in aggregate unemployment. Most significant is (1) the relative increase in unemployment among the semi-skilled and skilled manual workers and (2) the relative increase among ethnic minorities. Copyright 1987 by Royal Economic Society.


A Cuban in the Mexican revolution, is a product of academic research, narrates the rugged life of a character born in the province of Matanzas, who from an early age was forced to leave his homeland in the middle of a terrible war.


The Chinese government implemented the payment system for plastic shopping bags in 2008 and 2020. This study aims to analyze consumers' perceptions and purchase willingness of plastic shopping bags. Using information technology, a random survey was carried out in Chinese first-tier cities. After collecting the rich first-hand data, the ordered Logit model is applied to conduct the empirical investigation. The results show that the average willingness to pay is roughly equal to what supermarkets charge. For socio-demographic characteristics, male, younger, and higher-income consumers are likely to pay more money. Consumers with more positive perceptions of policy support, environmental threat, personal ability, and charging benefits tend to pay higher fees. Moreover, the marginal influence of different variables on purchase willingness is heterogeneous. This study finally puts forward targeted suggestions for reducing plastic shopping bag consumption based on findings.


The purpose of this paper is to prove the existence of solutions for certain types of nonlinear parabolic partial dierential equations posed in the whole space, when the data are assumed to be merely locally integrable functions, without any control of their behaviour at innity. A simple representative example of such an equation is ut u +juj s 1 u = f;


The emission, propagation, and reflection of light as mechanical phenomena are based on the behavior of balls, at the limit when their mass is zero, emitted by a balls source and reflected by a rigid wall in an elastic collision. Light as a wave or particle is a massless entity. Therefore,
 applying the kinematics behavior of the massless balls to light is natural. Consequently, the kinematics of light depends on its kinetics of electromagnetic nature and its kinematics of mechanical nature in interactions with the matter as emission and reflection. By applying the emission,
 propagation, and reflection of light as mechanical phenomena in a vacuum of the frame at absolute rest, this study derives the velocities of a wavefront of light reflected by a fixed and moving mirror when the light comes from a fixed and moving source. The derived velocities apply to the
 modified Michelson interferometer, employed independently by Tomaschek and Miller in their experiments.


Fog radio access networks (F-RANs) have recently been postulated as an innovative solution to improve the fronthaul capacities of cloud base stations (CBSs). This architecture extends the CBS service by involving enhanced remote radio heads (eRRHs), which can pre-store and transmit popular files at the network edge (i.e., close to the end users). This is referred to as caching, and it allows the offloading of CBS resources, e.g., time and frequency. Recent works have been proposed to use rate-aware network coding in order to exploit the previously downloaded popular files at the users' devices. As such, the CBS offloading is maximized. However, the users' achieved Quality of Service (QoS), and the standard F-RANs physical-layer resource optimization have not received any attention to date. This paper proposes use of an innovative cross-layer network coding (CLNC) to address the above-mentioned issues. The proposed CLNC scheme is not only aware of different users' rates but also controls the rates by jointly optimizing coding combinations, users-eRRHs/power zones (PZs) assignments, and transmission power in the PZs. Using a graph theoretical representation, we formulate the joint cross-layer CBS offloading and QoS guarantee problem and show its NP-hardness. Joint and iterative heuristic approaches are then developed to solve this problem using greedy vertex search and coloring techniques. The proposed approaches are finally validated and tested against the existing algorithms in the literature.


Utility companies worldwide are facing a multitude of new challenges, which can not be met with the historically grown, monolithic IT systems currently in use. Service oriented architectures are heavily used to integrate heterogeneous systems. One key aspect of this integration is the use of a common language, such as the Common Information Model (CIM). Important use cases are exchange of topologies and storage of topology histories. This paper describes the development and implementation of CIM Topology Store (CTS). CTS introduces new difference models for CIM/XML-serialized topologies. 1 Interoperability in the energy utilities domain Various reasons result in a growing need for energy distribution companies to exchange data between them. One reason is the close coupling and the physical interdependencies between networks operated by different companies. Other reasons are challenges posed by new developments like the legal unbundling laws passed in 1998 by the EU. These laws will force energy utility companies to dissemble their monopolistic functions like transport und distribution of electricity and reorganize them competitively. EMS systems often use proprietary data exchange formats and must be connected to other systems. Building specialized adaptors for interconnection between the systems is the most common and time-consuming task for IT-departments at utilities. The Common Information Model (CIM) [IEC03] establishes a common language and domain model for energy management systems and related data structures. Our solution adopted the CIM as a common language.


An analysis is presented that illustrates how the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) fine-phasing process can be carried out using the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) data collected at the science focal plane. The analysis considers a multi-plane diffraction model which properly accounts for the microshutter diffractive element placed at the first relay position of the spectrograph. Wavefront sensing results are presented based on data collected from the NASA Goddard Microshutter Optical Testbed.


Zn/CeCl3.7H2O mediated facile and an efficient synthesis of oxindoles motifs via linear regioselective reductive coupling between isatin/isatinimine derivatives and vinyl sulfones at room temperature has been described. This synthetic protocol is base free and allow for the synthesis of wide variety of oxindole motifs in moderate to high yields. This is the first example of Mannich-type coupling between isatinimines and vinyl sulfones.


An inverse technique, based on the boundary element method (BEM) and elastostatic experiments for identification of elastic constants of orthotropic and general anisotropic 2D bodies is presented. Displacement measurements at several points on the boundary of the body, obtained by a few known load cases are used in the inverse analysis to find the unknown elastic constants of the body. Using data from more than one elastostatic experiment results in a more accurate and stable solution for the identification problem. In the inverse analysis, sensitivities of displacements of only boundary points with respect to the elastic constants are needed. Therefore, the BEM is a very useful and effective method for this purpose. An iterative Tikhonov regularization method is used for the inverse analysis. A method for simple computation of initial guesses for unknown elastic constants and a procedure for appropriate selection of the regularization parameter appearing in the inverse analysis is also proposed. Convergence and accuracy of the presented method with respect to measurement errors and number of load cases are investigated by presenting several examples.


Correspondence: *Antonio M. Garrido-Hermosilla, Córdoba, 2 C.P. 41300, San José de la Rinconada, Seville, Spain E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Available online: 01-09-2020 Rev Mex Oftalmol (Eng). 2020;94(5):220-220 www.rmo.com.mx Date of reception: 24-04-2020 Date of acceptance: 22-05-2020 DOI: 10.24875/RMOE.M20000128 2604-1731/© 2020 Sociedad Mexicana de Oftalmología. Published by Permanyer. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). We present the case of a 72-year-old female with invasive ductal mammary carcinoma undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel, who was referred to our service for decreased visual acuity in her only functional eye. Retinography revealed a hyperreflective macula, with sheathing and diffuse decrease in arteriolar caliber, as well as bilateral optic disc pallor (Fig. 1 A). Swept-source optical coherence tomography showed retinoschisis and cystoid macular edema in both eyes (Fig. 1 B), with no leakage on fluorescein angiography (Fig. 1 C). Paclitaxel was discontinued after discussion with her oncologist and topical treatment with dorzolamide was initiated, achieving complete resolution of the pharmacological toxicity 8 months later, although with the persistence of chorioretinal folds (Fig. 1 D)1.


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Summary: Fathers' experience of childbirth has been described as both distressing and wonderful. This research highlights professionals understanding to meet the supportive care needs of fathers when their partner suffers from a life-threatening diagnosis like Peripartum cardiomyopathy.


Polypropylene (PP) fibre-matrix composites previously prepared and studied experimentally were modelled using finite element analysis (FEA) in this work. FEA confirmed that fibre content and composition controlled stress distri- bution in all-PP composites. The stress concentration at the fibre-matrix interface became greater with less fibre content. Variations in fibre composition were more significant in higher stress regions of the composites. When fibre modulus increased, the stress concentration at the fibres decreased and the shear stress at the fibre-matrix interface became more intense. The ratio between matrix modulus and fibre modulus was important, as was the interfacial stress in reducing pre- mature interfacial failure and increasing mechanical properties. The model demonstrated that with low fibre concentration, there were insufficient fibres to distribute the applied stress. Under these conditions the matrix yielded when the applied stress reached the matrix yield stress, resulting in increased fibre axial stress. When the fibre content was high, there was matrix depletion and stress transfer was inefficient. The predictions of the FEA model were consistent with experimental and published data.


Considering income is a key point for most people's well- being, the article is focusing on the role of economic situation in the country and government policy transfers to meet American household's expenses under pandemic. While economic trends being quite positive for the well-being of most adults before pandemic, it has become a serious problem for them during COVID‑19 stress. The economic well-being of the American households depends mainly on wages; with dividends, percent, rent income and government transfers coming by. The government programs have been of great importance for personal incomes support, but the uncertainty of the economic recovery demands to continue providing needed relief to Americans. Meanwhile continuing extraordinary budget spending for providing relief to American families and communities have turned out in the highest – since the middle of the last century – federal budget deficit. After President Biden in March signed into law the American Rescue Plan, this financial year budget's deficit may even exceed the previous one. President Biden's proposals may also represent important steps toward increasing tax revenues by making wealthy people to pay more fair amount of taxes on their income; raising the top marginal income tax rate, requiring. But, it would depend on changing current laws regulating taxes. The article also highlights continuing financial concerns for many households facing uncertainty of economic recovery, and especially challenges for those who lack savings, government transfers. It is pointing out that at the beginning of the Biden's presidency the percentage of Americans who worry a great deal about hunger, homelessness as the consequences of poverty, unemployment has been rising. The financial security of the households will depend on the economic situation; the government policy to meet income declines and provide greater income stability through increased social insurance.


In order to explore new directions for sociological the ory, I would like to make an attempt to combine the sociological theories of Norbert Elias and Anthony Giddens. In the field of contemporary sociological the ory, it is said that Elias and Giddens are similar in that both have made endeavours to resolve the 'structureagency' problem. It is true that Elias and Giddens have both tried to reconsider the problem of the Human Subject in sociological theories. Whereas Elias has not only anticipated some of the most important criticisms but also suggested correctives to some of the alterna tives, Giddens has engaged a dominant paradigm that underlies both Marxist and structural-functional theo ries. Setting out from a critique and reformulation of Elias's figurational-process sociology and Giddens's structuration theory, I will develop a concept of habi tus and emotion that attempts to restore human sub jectivity to social actors in complex societies.


We propose a novel method of oxide crystal growth via atomic-additive mediated amorphization. By utilizing this method, solid-phase crystallization (SPC) of ZnO from amorphous phase has been successfully demonstrated via nitrogen atom mediation. The resultant SPC-ZnO films are highly orientated and the crystallinity is higher than that of the films prepared by conventional sputtering. By using the SPC-ZnO as a buffer layer, the resistivity of ZnO:Al (AZO) films is drastically decreased. 20-nm-thick AZO films with a resistivity of 5×10-4 Ω cm and an optical transmittance higher than 80% in a wide wavelength range of 400–2500 nm have been obtained.


This article analyses the English textbook content entitled "Practice Your English Competence for SMK/MAK Grade XI" based on the English syllabus of the 2013 curriculum. It evaluates the English textbook using an evaluation checklist to decide the textbook is ESP (English for Specific Purpose) or EGP (English for General Purpose) and appropriate for vocational school students. This study applied qualitative content analysis and applied the descriptive, evaluative design to evaluate the whole parts of the textbook based and measure the result against some evaluation checklist as standardization of the learning objectives. The findings show that the textbook "Practice Your English Competence" for Grade XI Vocational High School students is appropriate with the syllabus. The last is the textbook evaluation. It can be inferred that the textbook is categorized as "good," it cannot be excellent because of some reasons, first is the textbook preferred provided the language as a grammatical system, not as a communication system, the textbook gives no opportunity for the students to increase their speaking skill. However, all over the book can fulfil the learning materials based on the English syllabus. Therefore, the textbook also cannot be included as an ESP textbook.


1. The System of National Accounts (SNA) There are a huge number of economic quantities which are observed year by year (or quarter by quarter) in the national economy. They themselves are all economic facts and if they are available in time series, they are historical evidences of economic phenomena. It appears to be a formidable and almost impossible task to collect the observed quantities to minute detail and put all of them on record. In the empirical field of economics, however, this vast task has already been done, and it is the formation of the System of National Accounts (SNA). The SNA consists of six accounts: the Production Account, Income and Outlay Account, Capital Finance Account, External Transactions Account, Closing Balance-sheet Account, and Input-output Account. It is the system which records historically the observed values of all the economic quantities of the national economy in a systematic and exhaustive way. In this section, the aim is first to explain the principle and method of the SNA by taking the Production Account as an example. Then, brief summary of other accounts are discussed in turn. The principle of the SNA is that (1) all the economic quantities are assumed to be the results of the economic behavior of the economic agents, (2) the quantitative performances of the econom icbehavior of all the individual agents for a given period are recorded in a given format and (3) the economic activity of the whole economy for a given period is recorded by aggregating such individual records exhaustively. This principle is applied to all the six accounts. In addition, the agents are huge in number and widely varied in character. Thus all the indi vidualagents are classified into five categories: (1) nonfinancial incorporated enterprises (or


Unlike in the past, people are always under leadership of government and one of the most frequent areas of state intervention based on the responsibility of modern governments in the light of human right and dignity is the public health issue. In Iran, a large part of government supervision in the field of public health is exercised by the Commission on the subject of Article 20 of the Code relating to the medical, pharmaceutical, food and drink matters adopted in 1334 (with subsequent amendments). This commission based on the state's distinctive power through the prior supervision is the authority to establish and evaluate the general and technical competence of the founders and technical authorities of the medical institutions. In addition, the commission as a quasi-judicial administrative authority exceptionally has the authority to make a decision on certain violations of medical institutions and in cases which has competent to discriminate, monitor and decide can be considered as special judiciary bailiffs.


The analysis of tone phonemes, or tonemes, like that of segmental phonemes, necessarily involves considerations of phonetic similarity-necessarily, because there is no other basis upon which tones occurring in noncontrastive distribution can be phonemically identified with one another. But how is 'phonetic similarity' to be understood in the case of tones? Not, certainly, in the sense in which it is understood in the case of segmental phones, where it denotes some objective similarity in the articulatory or acoustic characteristics of the phones themselves. To be sure, even in this case phonetic similarity is a rather elastic criterion; but at least it can be shown, for example, that two vocalic phones have a common tongue position, or two consonantal phones certain common distinctive features. No such objective similarity is demonstrable in the case of tones-at least, of level tones; for, since it is relative rather than absolute pitch that is involved in tonemic systems, a given toneme may occur at virtually any pitch of which the voice is capable. Variants of a man's high tonemes may be acoustically similar to those of a woman's low tonemes; and in the speech of a single speaker a given level of pitch in two utterances or even within one utterance may represent variants of several different tonemes. The possibilities of phonemic overlapping of level tonemes are virtually unlimited. That there is no necessary objective similarity between the pitch levels of tonemic variants does not mean, however, that there is no objective basis for considering the variants phonetically similar. It means only that the basis must be something other than the intrinsic properties of the variants themselves. What other basis is there for considering tones in noncontrastive distribution phonetically similar, and hence variants of a single toneme? The answer that suggests itself is, a similar distinctive relation of the tones to their respective environments. In other words, however acoustically diverse the variants of a given toneme, and however much they overlap those of other tonemes, they may still have in common a relation to their respective phonemic contexts unique to the toneme of which they are members. Such a distinctive relation to the context-and such a relation alone-satisfies the criterion of phonetic similarity in the case of tones. To offer a hypothetical case. In language A, which has a level-tone system, two contrastive tones-one relatively high, the other relatively low-occur with each vowel. The higher tone that occurs with certain vowels is acoustically similar to the lower tone that occurs with certain others. This fact, however, is irrelevant to the phonemic identification of the tones. For, since the basis of this identification is the relation of the tones to their context, rather than the acoustic character of the tones themselves, the CONTRASTIVELY higher tones (whatever their actual pitch) are identified as variants of one toneme, the CONTRASTIVELY


Planning for collision avoidance is essential in any robot application, but for most single robot cells the ancillary equipment and tooling remain in fixed and known positions relative to the cell and thus collision avoidance strategies can be planned once only, at the start of program development. With multiple robot cells not only do the robots have to avoid the tools and furniture of the cell but also one another. The technology to allow robots to navigate around objects and select optimum paths is still not as cheap or reliable as would be required for use in standard manufacturing applications. Concludes that multiple robots in the same space can have many advantages and the technology exists to allow them to work together in an unsynchronized manner, checking for collisions before each movement, but that technology currently requires considerable effort on the part of robot users to develop and test their own software.


We analyze the delayed feedback approach to suppression of collective synchrony in a population of globally or randomly coupled neurons. In particular, we consider the main factors of imperfection of the control scheme and their influence on the suppression efficiency. Next, with the help of a realistic model of synaptically coupled population of inhibitory and excitatory neurons we demonstrate the potential of the suppression scheme for neurophysiological applications.


The spontaneous changes in cell shape and size, the membrane bending elastic modulus, and the structure and functions of intracellular hemoglobin of single human living erythrocyte incubated in different suspension pH were studied. The non-invasive, in situ, real time measurements on the parameters at the three levels of intracellular molecule, membrane and cell morphology were performedsimultaneously by using a fast micro-image analyzing technology and a multi-channel micro-spectrophotometer system. The result shows that the cell shape and size, the mechanical property of the cell membrane, and the structure and functionof intracellular hemoglobin are correlated and affected by each other with pH.


Recognition of repeat CpG motifs, which are common in bacterial, but not in mammalian, DNA, through Toll‐like receptor (TLR)9 is an integral part of the innate immune system. As the role of TLR9 in the human gut is unknown, we determined the spectrum of TLR9 expression in normal and inflamed colon and examined how epithelial cells respond to specific TLR9 ligand stimulation. TLR9 expresssion was measured in human colonic mucosal biopsies, freshly isolated human colonic epithelial cells and HT‐29 cells by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction or Western blotting. Colonic epithelial cell cultures were stimulated with a synthetic CpG‐oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), exhibiting strong immunostimulatory effects in B cells. Interleukin (IL)‐8 secretion was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐kB) activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay and IkB phosphorylation by Western blotting. TLR9 mRNA was equally expressed in colonic mucosa from controls (n = 6) and patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease disease (n = 13). HT‐29 cells expressed TLR9 mRNA and protein and responded to CpG‐ODN (P < 0·01), but not to non‐CpG‐ODN stimulation, by secreting IL‐8, apparently in the absence of NF‐kB activation. Primary epithelial cells isolated from normal human colon expressed TLR9 mRNA, but were completely unresponsive to CpG‐ODN stimulation in vitro. In conclusion, differentiated human colonic epithelial cells are unresponsive to TLR9 ligand stimulation in vitro despite spontaneous TLR9 gene expression. This suggests that the human epithelium is able to avoid inappropriate immune responses to luminal bacterial products through modulation of the TLR9 pathway.


This dissertation explores "scale" in literature in general, and in the New Testament epistles in particular. All creative activity has its locus at an appropriate point within a wide scale spectrum: literature is no exception. This became apparent in 1965 when scale relationships were observed by the author in cumulative sum graphs of the Pauline epistles. Such scale differences are familiar to architects who use scale as a creative tool, but a wide search through standard reference books, surveys of work on statistical stylometry, linguistics and Biblical studies failed to provide any evidence that scholars were aware of scale in literature. Further investigation revealed that scale differences were to be found in many fields of creativity, in architecture, art, photography, music and engineering. Also explored was an interesting parallel found in the multi-layered scaling associated with the mathematics of chaos. To provide a broader perspective through which to view the Pauline epistles, 80 works by six modern authors and the writings of three ancient Greek authors were selected as test material. Graphs were prepared showing the sentence sequences and distributions of these works comprising over 400,000 words, and scale differences were found, not only between works, but also between sections of individual works. These were related to differences in genre, and this raised serious questions concerning the statistical homogeneity of samples containing scale differences. Care was taken to relate patterns directly to the content of the text and to the findings of Biblical scholarship. Links with theology revealed that the sense of the numinous presence, and the sense of the sublime in art, were on occasion directly reflected in sentence length. Human moods and feelings were found to have unpredictable but measurable manifestations in terms of scale in literature. The Pauline epistles revealed a common scaling structure of varying degrees of complexity, and a mathematical model was devised to demonstrate that major parts of all thirteen epistles share similar unusual scaling features. Significant patterns of a different kind were also found covering the texts of Hebrews and substantial portions of 1 and 2 Peter. It is submitted that these patterns provide new hard evidence which must be considered together with the evidence from other sources in arriving at conclusions concerning the authorship of the New Testament epistles.


We have measured the vertical distribution of a radioactively labeled protein in an aqueous solution by using the interference effect of electron-capture X-rays from radioisotopes. This interference is between the direct monochromatic emission from radioactive atoms and the emission totally reflected by the substrate surface. Structural information about radioactive atoms can be obtained by analyzing the measured interference fringes, since the period of these fringes depends on the position of the radioactive atoms relative to the substrate surface. In this work we used bovine serum albumin radioiodinated with carrier free ^123I by using Chloramine T. The protein molecules were electrostatically adsorbed in a monolayer form by the positively charged Langmuir layer at the air-water interface.


This paper presents the simulation and measured results of two-element antenna array on layered ground plane that emulates an Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC). The antenna operates at 60 GHz for wireless interchip data transfers in multi-core computers. Use of multiple switchable antennas for directional beams between cores in the azimuthal plane is proposed and discussed. The importance of implementing both the directional gain and polarization in the Friis transmission equation is illustrated. This work presents a Friis model that is verified by full wave simulations and measurements.


Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the association of insulin resistance with sensory neuropathy in prediabetes. Materials and Methods: Fasting serum insulin levels were measured and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated in all patients. These were compared in prediabetic patients having sensory neuropathy to those who did not have sensory neuropathy as determined by vibration perception thresholds (VPTs) measured using Digital Biothesiometer. Furthermore, direct correlation between insulin resistance and VPTs was checked. Results: A total of 60 prediabetic cases were included in this study. Among the study population, the age distribution ranged from 35 years to 60 years with the mean age of 48.68 years. Male and female formed 65% and 35% of the study population, respectively. The maximum fasting serum insulin levels were 21.8 mIU/L, and the minimum fasting serum insulin levels were 3.5 mIU/L, with the mean value being 10.61 ± 4.99 mIU/L. The maximum HOMA-IR was 6.4, and the minimum was 0.986, with the mean value being 2.81 ± 1.37. Among all the prediabetic patients, 43.3% of patients had neuropathy according to VPTs measured using Biothesiometer. T-test analysis suggests that mean fasting serum insulin levels (P = 0.026) and HOMA-IR (P = 0.032) were significantly higher in patients with neuropathy than patients without neuropathy. VPTs were found to have statistically significant positive correlation with fasting serum insulin levels (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.317 [R], 0.296 [L];P = 0.013 [R], 0.022 [L]) and HOMA-IR (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.299 [R], 0.281 [L];P = 0.02 [R], 0.03 [L]). Conclusion: Insulin resistance, quantified with the help of the index, HOMA-IR, has an important role in the development of this sensory neuropathy.


lemma, the well-ordering theorem, and the comparability of cardinal numbers in Godel's set theory without the axiom of choice. The proof that the comparability condition implies the well-ordering theorem needs minor adjustment, e.g., the last line is meaningless since A is not in the domain of definition of /. Misprints: p. 43, line 14 from the bottom, insert one after least; p. 43, line 2 from the bottom, insert definition by before trans finite induction; p . 44, line 1 from the bottom replace the first A by 2. STEVEN OREY


Abstract
 Anthurium angustifolium Theófilo & Sakur., a new species of Anthurium (Araceae) sect. Urospadix subsect. Obscureviridia from Espírito Santo (Eastern Brazil) is described and illustrated. Anthurium angustifolium is closely related to A. viridispathum and A. gladiifolium. It differs from A. viridispathum by its deflexed leaves, purplish peduncle and spadix, and reddish berries, and from A. gladiifolium by its narrowly elliptic blades, with obscure secondary veins, and by a smaller number of flowers on the principal and alternate spirals. A key for Eastern Brazilian species of subsect. Obscureviridia is given and a comparison of the characters that separate A. angustifolium from related taxa is provided.


Grief may be a primary presenting concern of clients or may form a background to another presenting concern. In either case, use of best practices in assessing and treating grief is essential. In this article I review what best practices are in general and in assessment and treatment. I also evaluate ways to measure grief and describe domains of the grief experience. The article also discusses controversies within the literature on grief counseling, including the potential for deterioration after treatment. It concludes with a view of counseling grief that promotes finding benefit from trauma.


The association between alterations of thyroid function early after birth and neurodevelopmental disorders has been recognized for more than a century. There has been, however, less consensus regarding the stage of fetal life during which thyroid hormone is thought to be necessary for normal brain development (for an extensive review see"). This was mainly a consequence of opposing views regarding the importance of maternal thyroid hormones for the fetus. On the one hand, those who had personal field experience concerning iodine deficiency disorders were convinced of its importance on the basis of the severity of the damage to the central nervous system of the progeny which they associated with the degree of maternal thyroxine (T4) deficiency, and assumed could only be prevented when the latter was corrected before mid-gestation. On the other hand, Western-trained physicians generally adhered to the idea that maternal thyroid hormones did not play a role in early neurodevelopment, an idea apparently supported by the good results obtained with prompt treatment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH). This success was interpreted as proof that the fetal brain did not need thyroid hormone until after birth. The idea that the maternal thyroid hormones were of little relevance for the early fetal brain was reinforced by increasing evidence pointing towards the existence of an efficient utero-placental 'barrier' that prevented the transfer of physiologically relevant amounts of maternal thyroid hormones into the fetal compartment. The importance of an adequate provision of thyroid hormones for brain development during later phases of pregnancy became obvious after the transfer of


Whether the price limits enhance investor overreaction is an important issue for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the price limit system in China stock market. Some empirical studies had showed that China stock market overreacts when the stock prices close at price limits. However, we find that price limits can significantly reduce, rather enhance, investor overreaction, although they cannot eliminate investor overreaction fully. Furthermore, we find that price limits themselves cannot induce investor overreaction. So we conclude that price limits do not enhance investor overreaction when price close at price limits.


Drought is more concerned to be a huge problem for agriculture as it affects plant growth and yield. Endophytic bacteria act as plant growth promoting bacteria that have roles for improving plant growth under stress conditions. The properties of four strains of endophytic bacteria were determined under water deficit medium with 20% polyethylene glycol. Bacillus aquimaris strain 3.13 showed high 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase production; Micrococcus luteus strain 4.43 produced indole acetic acid (IAA). Exopolysaccharide production was high in Bacillus methylotrophicus strain 5.18 while Bacillus sp. strain 5.2 did not show major properties for drought response. Inoculation of endophytic bacteria into plants, strain 3.13 and 4.43 increased height, shoot and root weight, root length, root diameter, root volume, root area and root surface of Jerusalem artichoke grown under water limitation, clearly shown in water supply at 1/3 of available water. These increases were caused by bacteria ACC deaminase and IAA production; moreover, strain 4.43 boosted leaf area and chlorophyll levels, leading to increased photosynthesis under drought at 60 days of planting. The harvest index was high in the treatment with strain 4.43 and 3.13 under 1/3 of available water, promoting tuber numbers and tuber weight. Inulin content was unchanged in the control between well-watered and drought conditions. In comparison, inulin levels were higher in the endophytic bacteria treatment under both conditions, although yields dipped under drought. Thus, the endophytic bacteria promoted in plant growth and yield under drought; they had outstanding function in the enhancement of inulin content under well-watered condition.


Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is defined as the descent of one or more of the anterior vaginal wall, posterior vaginal wall, uterus (cervix), or the apex of the vagina (vaginal vault or cuff scar after hysterectomy).1 This descent may result in protrusion of the vagina, uterus or both. POP may be classified according to the vaginal compartment affected, e.g. anterior wall, posterior wall or apex. It is also common to describe the prolapse in terms of the organ which the vaginal bulge is presumed to contain, e.g. cystocoele for an anterior vaginal wall bulge thought to contain the bladder (see Table 1). Whilst the exact prevalence is unknown, POP is a common condition thought to be present in up to 50% of parous women.2 The lifetime risk of undergoing a surgical procedure for POP was estimated at 4.4% for a cohort of women in the United Kingdom (UK).3 The condition has traditionally been managed by urogynaecologists in the UK. However, with the establishment of the British Association of Urological Surgeons Section of Female Neurological and Urodynamic Urology (SFNUU), there is now an increasing expectation that POP should also be assessed and treated by urologists with an interest or specialist practice in female urology as part of the strategy for increasing the standards of care.4 It is unclear at present to what extent these aims have been put into practice. It should also be noted that in the United States (US) (and to a lesser extent in other European countries) it is much more common for urologists with an interest in female urology to manage POP. Whilst generic female urology training is available in all current UK urology training programmes, there is still only one formal fellowship (Leicester) that offers formalised training specifically in all aspects of prolapse surgery. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current management of POP and highlight some of the controversies regarding surgical intervention. Aetiology


Discussion Contact allergy to topical corticosteroids has become increasingly recognized recently (1-3). Patients with varicose eczema are likely to be at particular risk of sensitization. Tixocortol pivalate has been reported to be one possible marker for corticosteroid allergy (2, 4), although intradermal testing to corticosteroid may be required (5)~ For this reason, we have included it in our standard series since 1991. A positive reaction in this patient led us to more detailed testing of the Glaxo range of corticosteroids. This failed to confirm hydrocortisone allergy, but showed a + + allergic reaction to Dermovate ointment, as is. Rather to our surprise, when the components of Dermovate ointment were tested, the actual allergen proved to be the emulsifier sorbitan sesquioleate, with a negative response to the steroid component. Sorbitan sesquioleate is contained in fragrance mix: though our patient was not tested to the individual constituents of the mix, this may well have been the one that caused her + + + reaction. The + reaction to Dermovate cream at 3 days, with negative testing to its constituents, is best labelled a false-positive reaction. Emulsifiers are common constituents of cosmetics and medicaments. Contact allergy to emulsifiers is probably under-reported. In 1976, Hanimksela et al. (6) patch tested 1200 eczema patients to 8 emulsifiers including sorbitan sesquioleate. 2.1% had allergic reactions, 8 to sorbitan sesquioleate, with cross-reactions occurring between sorbitan sesquioleate and sorbitan monostearate and monoleate. The majority of patients with allergy to emulsifier were allergic to other agents in the standa:t:d series. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS


Since NASA first started recording its technology transfer successes in 1976 with publication of the annual Spinoff journal, over 1,650 documented NASA technologies have benefited U.S. industry, improved quality of life, and created jobs. These benefits have been seen in the fields of engineering, medicine, communications, transportation, environmental remediation, public safety, and even consumer goods. The space shuttle program alone has generated more than 120 of these recorded technology spinoffs. Given the imminent retirement of this program, this paper seeks to examine ways in which the development and servicing of this fleet of space vehicles, designed to ferry astronauts and cargo between Earth and space, has brought about numerous tangential benefits throughout its decades of service. This examination highlights the role of spinoffs as secondary but very real benefits of the original aerospace research and development by juxtaposing the original intent of the program—the numerous successful science missions, deployment and repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, and construction of the International Space Station—with the ancillary outcomes. Examples of these spinoffs include an implantable heart pump—based on shuttle fuel pump technology—that has been credited with saving hundreds of lives; home insulation using the same lightweight flexible aerogel NASA developed to insulate the shuttle launch systems; a high-performance, biodegradable lubricant developed for the enormous crawlers that transport the shuttles to and from their launch pads, now used for cars and sporting goods; and video stabilization software, originally created to clarify space shuttle launch video, now helping clean up crime scene video for law enforcement.


[Introduction] In an intensively discussed paper, Andreoni and Sprenger (2012), henceforth AS Epper and Fehr-Duda, 2014 and Cheung, 2014) which discuss interesting aspects of the analysis of A&S but have not identified the theoretical implications of equalizing consumption and income.


The subject of this investigation is the use of the boundary element method (BEM) to predict the steady‐state and transient response of a plugged acoustic cavity to external excitation. The plug is an elastodynamic material subject to external excitation. The excitation of the plug is transmitted to the acoustic cavity. No internal sources of excitation are considered. A three‐dimensional BEM model is developed for the analysis, both for the fluid in the cavity and the elastodynamic material in contact with it. Transient response is determined by recovering the time domain response from the Laplace transform domain solution using an FFT‐based inversion scheme. Steady‐state response is obtained from the Laplace transform domain solution by setting s = − iw. The numerical code is designed to run on the IBM family of personal computers and workstations.


ABSTRACT The paper demonstrates a dual-cell smart window based on dichroic-dyed-doped liquid crystal that is switchable among transparent, dark and scattering states. The dual-cell forms the crossed-polariser structure so very low transmittance is achieved. To characterise the concentration of ions in cells, voltage holding ratios with and without doping the dyes are measured. Polarisation optical microscopy (POM) of single cell that shows the transition from Freedericksz regime to turbulent state is also shown. In addition, the polarised and non-polarised voltage-transmittance and haze characteristics of the cells are measured. The increase in transmittance of dual cell after Freedericksz regime is explained and verified by simulations. By identifying the voltage when transmittance first increases as the threshold voltage of triggering electrohydrodynamic instabilities (EHDIs), its dependence on temperature, waveform, amplitude and frequency of driving voltage is investigated. Graphical abstract


This paper deals with the first phase of building an integrated
lexicographic platform for the Russian language which can be
used for various linguistic purposes. The aim of this paper is
to present the main ideas of the lexicographic platform and
linked projects (digitization of explanatory dictionaries of
Russian, design and implementation of a database of citations)
and to describe the current state of the data sources and
lexicographic tools for Russian. This project is realized in
cooperation between the Philological Faculty, St. Petersburg
State University, Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian
Academy of Sciences, and the Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk
University, Brno, Czech Republic. The ultimate aim is to
provide new lexicographic software tools for developing
explanatory dictionaries of the Russian language.


Additional settlement of subway tunnels adjacent to excavation was produced by dewatering,and it is great significance for the correct assessment of its size and influence on the safety of subway operation.The bracing structure and peripheral complex environmental conditions for the excavation is introduced.Considering of some actual situations of dewatering by manual hole digging and retaining piles,based on some assumptions,the calculation and analysis on additional settlement of subway tunnels adjacent to excavation affected by dewatering in five construction conditions are conducted by a simplified large well analysis method.The results were shown that the largest settlement of subway tunnels affected by dewatering is 5.7 mm when the largest influence of dewatering on subway is considered,which does not meet the requirements of subway operation line track deformation;additional settlement of subway tunnel by dewatering will be controlled within the subway operation circuit track deformation range by cross-three piles construction and dewatering.Some suggestions and measures on reducing the influence for dewatering in excavation on subway tunnel are proposed.


Source codec parameters determined by modern source encoders are usually very sensitive to noise on the transmission link. Natural residual redundancy of these parameters can be utilized by Soft Decision Source Decoding(SDSD) to increase the error resistance. Serially concatenating Forward Error Correction (FEC) and SDSD leads to a Iterative Source-Channel Decoding (ISCD) scheme which offers further improvements in robustness. ISCD exploits natural residual source redundancy by SDSD and artificial channel coding redundancy due to FEC in an iterative Turbo-like process. The convergence behavior of ISCD schemes can be analyzed by EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts. However, if an advanced ISCD system design is applied, offering incremental quality improvements for many iterations, the EXIT curves for SDSD do not specify a tight bound for the decoding trajectory anymore. In the initial iterations, the decoding trajectory ``overshoots'' the EXIT curves of SDSD. In this paper, we give reasons for this overshooting effect. In addition, we propose a novel solution for determining the EXIT curve of SDSD which allows a more precise convergence analysis.


Differential evolution algorithm (DEA) is one featured kind of population based evolutionary algorithms. Although it is stated in previous studies that the algorithm is more sensitive to the crossover rate, it is tried out in this study whether DEA depends on mutation operation in which scaled differences of randomly chosen individuals existed in the population are used. Within this context, the presented study aims to carry out an empirical assessment regarding the comparison of DEA with the different mutation strategies for the calibration phase of a lumped water balance model. Both stable solution availabilities and convergence capabilities of DEA variants operated through five mutation approaches were performed on four parameterThorthwaite water balance model prepared for Gordes watershed. The findings derived from the model calibrations have indicated the usage of the fifth mutation strategy termed as current to best mutation strategy, which is more predominant in guaranteeing the achievement of stable solutions.


An analytical nonlinear model basing on winding function theory is presented, which takes into account of magnetic field harmonics together with non-sinusoidal winding distribution of the IPMSM. Especially, the harmonic expression of the current under natural coordinate system and d-q axis coordinate system using the theory of symmetrical components method in detail. Based on which, the profound relationships between related nonlinear factors and harmonic order was disclosed.


It is known that most of the problems applied in the real life present uncertainty. In the first part of the dissertation, basic concepts and properties of the Stochastic Programming have been introduced to the reader, also known as Optimization under Uncertainty. Moreover, since stochastic programs are complex to compute, we have presented some other models such as wait-and-wee, expected value and the expected result of using expected value. The expected value of perfect information and the value of stochastic solution measures quantify how worthy the Stochastic Programming is, with respect to the other models. In the second part, it has been designed and implemented with the modeller GAMS and the optimizer CPLEX an application that optimizes the distribution of non-perishable products, guaranteeing some nutritional requirements with minimum cost. It has been developed within Hazia project, managed by Sortarazi association and associated with Food Bank of Biscay and Basic Social Services of several districts of Biscay.


Abstract We present observations on optical emission lines acquired with the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer of the observatoire du Mont Mégantic, of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). A 765 order Fabry-Perot were used with a fast readout EM-CCD. From data obtained, kinematic maps and data points for the rotation curve of the innermost part of the galaxy are derived. Several dozen of regions have been scanned with the Fabry-Perot interferometer and narrow band interference filters. The central 10'x10' were scanned with five different filters. Observations have been made in order to get better Hα data for kinematics purposes.


Catalyzed chemical and electrochemical techniques to reduce perchlorate (C104-) to chloride are possible, although their direct use in drinking water treatment has been very limited. This limited use is partly due to the introduction of chemicals; chemical oxidation byproducts; and the slow reduction kinetics of perchlorate as a result of the high activation energy required, as discussed in Chapter 1. Common reductants such as zero-valent iron metals, dithionite, sulfite, and thiosulfate do not react with CIO4ions at any observable rate at ambient temperature and pressure. However, perchlorate has been reported to have been reduced by several transition metal ions such as titanium(III), vanadium(II)/(III), molybdenum(III), and ruthenium(I1) and iron(I1) at an elevated temperature in aqueous solution. Although electrochemical technologies are well established for other industries (e.g., electroplating of metals and electrolysis of brines), they have not yet found direct application in drinking water treatment, perhaps because of the relatively high capital and energy costs for degrading contaminants at low concentrations.


The interest in natural gas hydrates is due both to huge natural reserves and to the strengthened role of environmentally friendly energy sources conditioned by the deterioration of the global environmental situation. The combustion efficiency increase is associated with the development of understanding of both the processes of dissociation and combustion of gas hydrates. To date, the problems of dissociation and combustion have, as a rule, been considered separately, despite their close interrelation. Usually, during combustion, there is a predetermined methane flow from the powder surface. In the present paper, the combustion of methane hydrate is simulated taking into account the non-stationary dissociation process in the powder layer. Experimental studies on the methane hydrate dissociation at negative temperatures have been carried out. It is shown that due to the increase in the layer temperature and changes in the porosity of the layer over time, i.e., coalescence of particles, the thermal conductivity of the layer can change significantly, which affects the heat flux and the dissociation rate. The flame front velocity was measured at different external air velocities. The air velocity and the vapor concentration in the combustion zone are shown to strongly affect the combustion temperature, flame stability and the flame front velocity. The obtained results may be applied to increase the efficiency of burning of a layer of methane hydrate powder, as well as for technologies of degassing the combustible gases and their application in the energy sector.


The invention discloses a hot rolling laminar flow lateral spraying optimization calculation method. The method includes the following steps: A, collecting parameters of height and scattering angle of a laminar flow lateral spraying upper nozzle and a laminar flow lateral spraying lower nozzle; B, establishing a corresponding geometric relationship between spraying positions and angle as well as height of the upper and lower nozzles; C, according to the geometric relationship of the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle, calculating a corresponding angle and height curve of the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle when lateral spraying water covers strip steel width; D, according to actual nozzle height, taking angles of a set of the upper nozzle and the lower nozzle that calculated nozzle height is most close to the actual nozzle height as optimization results. In the method, the corresponding geometric relationship between the spraying positions and the angles of the upper and lower nozzles is established, the corresponding curve of corresponding angles and nozzle height of the upper and lower nozzles when the lateral spraying water covers the strip steel width is calculated, and optimal spraying angles of the upper and lower nozzles are selected by comparing the curve with actual positions of the upper and lower nozzles, so that the quality problem caused by the fact that strip steel brings water on the surface is reduced.


first "walk" with a randomized controlled trial comparing usual care with PEEP/FIO2 grid–based management. We agree that this PEEP/FIO2 table may not be the final best approach to PEEP management, but these more individualized methods should be compared with PEEP/FIO2 grid–based management to determine whether the additional complexity required by these more individualized approaches, which are not consistently used in clinical PARDS practice, translates into improved clinical outcomes. n


This case study provides an overview of a family outreach intervention that supports student retention in school through a school–home communication link. This intervention structure, which employs staff appropriately called par ent involvement facilitators (PIFs), is one that school districts have employed to facilitate family engagement in schools and to help parents build their sense of efficacy to support their children's success in school. The intention of the PIF is to provide direct services to families whose child or children are identified as at risk of not completing high school. What has not been studied is how this outreach program works in terms of family support, especially for those in an urban setting with language complexities, and how it helps provide social capital to the family and also to the PIF in this reciprocal process of working together to help the children complete high school.


Maldives is a small country located at the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean with a small population speaking and writing in their own language - Dhivehi. Although Dhivehi content has increased significantly over the years, it is still quite lacking in the digital literature tools domain. Therefore, most of these contents are often stored as physical copies, or digital scanned images. To ensure that these documents are not lost, it is important to digitize them. In order to eliminate the need of manual data entry as well as serve as a first step to building a storage repository for Dhivehi documents, a Dhivehi OCR engine using image processing techniques, a unique character level segmentation approach, and a character level CNN model is proposed.


Most of today's theory and empirical work cannot serve as a foundation for designing or applying evolutionary algorithms in novel areas of application. This article proposes qualitative models of interactions in evolutionary algorithms as a means to close that gap. It presents a knowledge representation in the form of a hypergraph and exemplifies the integration of empirical results into the model by an examination of contracting recombination operators with respect to the diversity. Both the use of a big unifying model and small focused models are discussed. In the long term, this model is aimed to support the design, application, and debugging of evolutionary algorithms.


Acoustic classifications of fish and estimations of their orientation distributions are possible using multi‐frequency or broad bandwidth measurements of their acoustic target strengths (TSs) with knowledge of their scattering directivity pattern and size distributions. To measure TS of in situ fish, single‐frequency interferometric methods provide information to detect resolvable single targets and estimate their location within the acoustic beam. This technique is compromised by multiple targets that are unresolvable because of their spacing, but this situation can be mitigated with the use of multi‐frequency interferometry. The ambiguity caused by coincident echoes can also be substantially reduced using single‐frequency, multiple‐aperture interferometry. This method uses phase differences from multiple sub‐arrays of a single‐frequency (200‐kHz) multibeam echosounder to estimate robustly when echoes originate from a resolvable single target and its position within the acoustic beams. Results provide ac...


In polar coordinates, if f∊C2(Rn/{0}), the expression ∂2f/∂r2+(n−1)r−1(∂f/∂r)+(1/r2)Δσf, where Δσ is the Laplace–Beltrami operator, is the Laplacian of f in the sense of the functions in Rn/{0}. It is the Laplacian of f in the sense of the functions in Rn if and only if its extension by continuity in Rn exists and f is twice differentiable in Rn. Otherwise, in particular, if f is a singular function in Rn, its Laplacian must be taken in the sense of the distributions. Now, this expression is generally considered as the Laplacian of f in Rn whatever f is. This is why, although the Laplace and Helmoltz equations are solved by substituting this expression of the Laplacian, and although half of the solutions are singular functions in R3, the latter is generally considered as solutions in R3, which leads to contradictions with the theory of distributions. They are solved by introducing the algebra of the real-valued regular singular functions u/rs, where u∊C∞(Rn), s is a non-negative real, and with the help of...


We performed monitoring observations of a gamma-ray-emitting radio galaxy, NGC 1275, in the X-ray and optical bands with the Suzaku/XIS, Kanata telescope, and the Okayama telescope. The X-ray flux of the nucleus was estimated by imaging spectroscopy in the hard X-ray band. In the optical band, a continuum flux, a broad H ˛ line flux, and the polarization degree were measured. We could not find any time variability of the X-ray (2006– 2011) and optical continuum (2010–2011) within 30%, regardless of the recent radio and gamma-ray variability by a factor of 3. The observed optical polarization was very small at (cid:4) 0.4% and showed little variability; it would be mostly of interstellar origin within our Galaxy. Furthermore, we confirmed with the XMM-Newton data that the X-ray spectrum of NGC 1275 in 2006 exhibited the Fe-K line, whose equivalent width was typical for other radio and Seyfert galaxies. These results indicate that the jet emission is not a major component in the optical and X-ray bands. Following these results, we discuss the jet emission of NGC 1275.


Abstract. This article is focused on a 2-D fluid dynamics description of punch shape geometry improvement for Equal Channel Angular Extrusion (ECAE) or Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) of viscous incompressible continuum through acute-angled Segal 2θ-dies with 2θ


ABSTRACT This article explores how doctoral graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey captured the employment and mobility situations of doctoral graduates from 2019 to early 2021 from six of the eight universities in NZ. The 406 survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, as well as drawing on Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory in an inductive analysis of freeform comments. Most respondents were aspiring to academic careers, but the pandemic led to the loss of job offers for 19.2% and altered career plans for 60.6%. Family circumstances impacted career decisions for 21.4% and these were complicated by mobility difficulties with border closures and visa issues. The impacts of the pandemic on careers were significantly greater for international graduates. The qualitative analysis revealed themes of uncertainty, complications, pragmatism and academia. Using CIP, it is apparent that the pandemic has created a more complex job environment and heightened stress and anxiety over career and mobility options. As shown in our conceptual model, NZ universities need to better prepare graduates for the landscape of career possibilities, making students aware of their attributes, supporting their wellbeing, and helping them navigate the complexity of the current job environment.


ABSTRACT To determine the affect of fish predation and food resource levels on lotic macroinvertebrates, a 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted. Treatments consisted of varied densities of fish and algal biomass levels placed in cage enclosures. Treatment interaction affected total taxa densities. Fish levels had an negative impact on some taxa densities and biomass, while algal levels had a positive effect. Although richness and evenness were not affected by the treatments, several functional feeding group parameters were altered.


At the wader ringing station, birds are usually caught in walk-in traps or in mist-nets. In addition, other catching techniques might be used as well. The work with traps and nets is completely different from one another. Mist-nets may be used in parallel to walk-in traps, particularly after dusk when waders usually do not walk into the traps. However, in a longer period, it needs two ringing teams at the ringing sites.


The usability of remote controls for home entertainment systems like TV sets, set-top boxes, satellite receivers and home entertainment centers has reached overstraining complexity: about eight to ten remote controls with about sixty to eighty push-buttons each are typical for a home entertainment system setting today. To be able to harness the ever growing remote control interaction complexity, we propose physical shortcuts to express the most frequently used control commands. Embodied into an orientation aware artifact which serves as a tangible user interface, physical shortcuts are articulated as hand gestures by the user, and converted into control commands compatible with the built in infrared receivers of standard consumer electronics.
 Starting with an analysis of the kinematics of the human hand, the types of grip and its correlation with the size and shape of an object which the hand grasps and holds, we study different tangible interface geometries with the potential to serve as a physical shortcut interface, and thus as a complementary remote control. Besides cubical and cylindrical artifact geometries of different sizes, also hybrid shapes are investigated with respect to their affordance, i.e. the action possibilities of an artifact readily perceivable by an actor. For the final cube like tangible interface design, ATMega168 microcontroller based electronics involving a three axis acceleration sensor and a gyroscope, together with low power IEEE 802.15.4 wireless communication components have been developed. A finite state machine based software architecture is deployed for artifact based hand gesture recognition, and table driven issuing of IR remote control commands. Finally, a fully functional cube remote control, the TA cube, is presented as a tangible remote control for an IPTV set-top box.


We extend the gauge invariant variational approach of I. Kogan and A. Kovner [Phys. Rev. D 51, 1948 (1995)] to theories with fermions. As the simplest example we consider the massless Schwinger model in 1+1 dimensions. We show that in this solvable model the simple variational calculation gives exact results. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.


The transformation range viscosity and thermal expansion behavior of lithium galliosilicate glasses were studied. The glass transformation and dilatometric softening temperatures exhibit maxima at gallium to lithium ratios of somewhat greater than one. Similar behavior was observed for the transformation range viscosity. The effect of phase separation on the dilatometric softening temperature is discussed in detail. These results are compared with those obtained for lithium alumino-silicate glasses in other studies. The results are discussed in terms of the structural role of aluminum and gallium in the glass network.


Mobile electronic commerce (m-commerce) is an emerging manifestation of internet electronic commerce that bridges the domains of Internet, mobile computing and wireless telecommunications in order to provide an array of sophisticated services (m-services) to mobile users. In such an open market place, the flexible exchange of m-services will necessarily be through some form of negotiation. To this end, this paper investigates the issues associated with such negotiation in facilitating agent mediated mobile commerce (many of which also apply to the wider electronic commerce domain). Specifically, we discuss the protocol and strategies for evaluating and generating sets of issues when negotiating for a service in a future generation mobile telecommunication environment.


CRT displays are generally used for softcopy display in the digital reading room, but LCDs are being used more frequently. LCDs have many useful properties, but can suffer from significant degradation when viewed off-axis. We compared observer performance and human visual system model performance for on and off-axis CRT and LCD viewing. 400 mammographic regions of interest with different lesion contrasts were shown on and off-axis to radiologists on a CRT and LCD. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) techniques were used to analyze observer performance and results were correlated with the predictions of the human vision model (JNDmetrix model). Both sets of performance metrics showed that LCD on-axis viewing was better than the CRT; and off-axis was significantly better with the CRT. Off-axis LCD viewing of radiographs can degrade observer performance compared to a CRT.


ABSTRACT Formulations are developed to compute the consolidation behaviour of a clay soil containing multiple thin sand layers. One-dimensional loading and two-dimensional flow are considered. The formulations are based on the transfer matrix approach, which is found to be very convenient and efficient for analysing the consolidation of a multi-layered soil system. Special attention is given to accommodating thin sand layers in a computationally efficient way. The formulations developed are verified by using available field observation records and a formulation that is based on a different approach. Coupling of the consolidation of clay soil and the discharge flow in sand layers is found to be primarily governed by the parameter λ, defined herein. Based on this finding, a design criterion is proposed for designing multiple thin sand layers to accelerate the consolidation of a constructed clay ground. An example is provided to use the above design criterion.


Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is generally characterized by inadequate blood flow and usually affects lower limbs. It results in considerable discomfort with symptoms such as aching, itchiness, tiredness and swelling in the legs. In chronic state, pharmacological treatments (surgery, sclerotherapy and mechanical compression) are generally advised because they are easy to administer and well tolerated compared to less compliant compressive treatments (eg. elastic stockings). However, in the early state, conventional treatments such as lifestyle changes and use of topically applied natural or herbal phlebotonics are preferred by patients for the symptomatic relief and Patch-It® (Nutriworks Ltd, Hong Kong) is one such treatment, wherein a herbo-mineral adhesive patch consisting of mandarin wood vinegar, green tea powder and black tourmaline is applied to soles of the feet. It has been already reported to be efficacious in alleviating recurring swelling and aching in lower limbs, although its mechanism of action remains unexplored. This pilot study was planned to investigate the possible mechanism of action of Patch-It® by assessment of transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) and regional perfusion index (RPI). Twenty-five subjects were screened to achieve a population size of 10 subjects with mild grade PAD, assumed to be appropriate for this preliminary assessment. Subjects with anklebrachial index (ABI) of ≥ 0.5 ˂ 1.0 at rest in at least one leg, distal to proximal peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio of ˂ 2 and < 50% stenosis were screened and only eligible subjects were recruited. Enrolled subjects were instructed to apply Patch-It® for 14 days on both soles of the feet at night for at least 7 hours. Changes in limb's blood circulation were assessed by TcPO2 and RPI. An increase was observed in TcPO2 (3%) as well as in RPI values (33%) in subjects characterized by left limb stenosis (71% of the subjects). However, the changes were not statistically significant. A significant increase of 5% (p = 0.044) and 12.01% (p < 0.001) was observed in the ABI values in subjects with lower limb stenosis at day 1 and day 14, respectively, which is an indicator of improved blood circulation as compared to baseline. The results obtained from the study suggest that Patch-It® enhances the limb blood circulation by improvement in microcirculation, through a direct or indirect effect on capillary permeability as evident from changes in TcPO2 and RPI. Due to the limited number of subjects, no definitive conclusion can be drawn and further large-scale investigation is required to substantiate the current findings.


The grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of durum wheat vary in response to genotypic and nitrogen fertilization were studied in field during two growth seasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects the N fertilizer rate on grain yield and quality under irrigated desert conditions in relation to N utilization. Six durum wheat cultivars (Duraking, Havasu, Kronos, Ocotillo, Orita, Topper) were grown in field trails under irrigated regimes at five N levels (0, 65, 110, 160, 240 lbs/acre) in 2010-2011 and six N levels (0, 65, 110, 160, 240, 360 kg ha -1 ) in 2011-2012 at Maricopa Ag Center. The results showed the varieties and N levels both significantly affected grain yield, grain protein concentration, and nitrogen use efficiency. A simple and rapid method to measure crop N status using SPAD meters was also developed. The results showed that using the differences in SPAD readings between the first and second fully expanded leaves is a useful way to improve effectiveness of SPAD meters in durum wheat N management.