.. Objectives: D-Test as a tool to detect the frequency of clindamycin resistance in community acquired and hospital acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Microbiology department of BMSI, JPMC, Karachi. Period: January 2015 till December 2015. Material & Methods: Pus samples from deep wounds, skin lesions, abscesses, postoperative wounds from surgical, medical wards and OPDs were collected. MRSA testing and susceptibility testing for antibiotics was done according to CLSI2014. The frequency of inducible clindamycin resistance was detected by D-Test of the CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA. Result: In a total of 402 S. aurous isolates, 253 (62.93%) were methicillin-sensitive and 149 (37.06%) were methicillin-resistant. Out of 149 MRSA, 106 (71.14%) were HA-MRSA and 43(28.85%) were CA-MRSA. Among the HA-MRSA, 63(59.8%) were resistant to clindamycin while with D-Test, it increased to 78(73.58%). Out of 43 CA-MRSA, 9 (21.6%) were clindamycin resistant, while with D-Test, the resistance to clindamycin increased to 13 (30.23%). Conclusion: Inducible clindamycin-resistant strains may lead to clindamycin treatment failure in patients with S. aureus infection. Therefore, D-test should be done in priority to detect inducible clindamycin resistance in S. aurous.


ABSTRACT To describe the prevalence of social jetlag among preschoolers and explore its association with emotional and behavioral problems, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of healthy development among preschool children in 11 cities in October and November 2017. The study included 27 200 children aged 3–6 years and the questionnaires were completed exclusively by their parents or main caregivers. Social jetlag was calculated by difference of sleep midpoint between weekdays and weekends. Emotional and behavioral problems (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer interaction, and prosocial behavior) among preschoolers were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The binary logistic regression model was used to examine the association between social jetlag and emotional/behavioral problems in preschool children. The social jetlag was 0.60 hours in boys and 0.64 hours in girls. After adjusting for confounding factors as children' s gender, age, only child, living area, family economic status, mother's age and education, father's education, screen time and full-day sleep time, we found that longer social jetlag (≥1 h/d) was positively associated with overall emotional and behavioral problems (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.10–1.32; P < .001), emotional symptoms (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.11–1.15, P < .001), hyperactivity (OR = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.11–1.30, P < .001) and conduct problems (OR = 1.18, 95%CI: 1.07–1.31, P < .01). We found that social jetlag is prevalent among Chinese preschool children and is positively associated with emotional and behavioral problems.


A 72-year-old female without prior cardiovascular history presented with intermittent crushing chest pain associated with diaphoresis and weakness for 2 days prior to admission. An electrocardiogram (EKG) revealed ST segment elevation across the anterior precordial leads (Fig. 1). On initial examination, the patient was hypotensive (88/40 mmHg) and tachycardic (110 bpm) with a grade III/VI harsh systolic murmur along the left sternal border. An initial troponin level of 0.36 ng/dL (reference range of 0.0–0.1 ng/dL) was noted. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed a dilated and akinetic left ventricular (LV) apex. Compensatory hyperkinesis of basal LV segments with associated systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve was noted (Fig. 2 and Video Clip). A dynamic LV outflow tract (LVOT) gradient by continuous wave Doppler (CW) was 90 mmHg. The patient was taken emergently to the cardiac catheterization laboratory where coronary arteriography revealed minimal luminal irregularities. Left ventriculography was not performed. Based on TTE findings along with the absence of significant epicardial coronary disease, a diagnosis of apical ballooning "takotsubo" syndrome (ABS) was made. The patient was treated with fluids and beta blockers; and within 24 hours the murmur re-


Dental anesthesia is one of the most used procedures in dental practice for various treatments. Given that there is evidence of changes in circulatory dynamics when applying a combined anesthetic with vasoconstrictor, it has been considered as object of study to quantify these differences through basic monitoring of the hemodynamic variables: blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SO2). Objective: To identify the hemodynamic response in healthy and controlled hypertensive patients after administering articaine with epinephrine 1: 1000,000. Methodology: A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was carried out, in which 41 patients participated in the UNL dental clinic, determining that: 29 did not present any pathology, and 12 were hypertensive patients, who required the application of anesthetic for the treatment dental. During the intervention, 3 basic monitoring of the hemodynamic variables TA, FC and SO2 were performed. The first monitoring was performed in the waiting room and the dental chair, the second one elapsed 2 to 3 minutes after the anesthetic was placed and the third one after 10 minutes after the intervention. To evaluate the variations of the hemodynamic values of the SPSS program.
Results: It can be seen that hemodynamic values in both healthy and controlled hypertensive patients had a minimum variation observed in the second monitoring, returning to the initial values in the third monitoring. In conclusion, no hemodynamic changes were observed, induced by the local injection of articaine with 1,100,000 epinephrine, in healthy and hypertensive controlled patients.

Key words: Hemodynamics, anesthetic, vasoconstrictor, cardiovascular disease.


Context: In the borders of the dead zones of protoplanetary disks, the inflow of gas produces a local density maximum that triggers the Rossby wave instability. The vortices that form are efficient ...


Three of the most infamous prison riots in the United States took place in Attica, New York; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Lucasville, Ohio in 1971, 1980, and 1993, respectively. Although an examination of the three riots reveals differences in the uprisings, there are important similarities in the underlying conditions behind them. Analysis of the three riots shows the significant role played by representatives of the media both in negotiating with inmates and taking back the three institutions. In this article, the authors discuss the influence and effect of media coverage on prison riots based on what was learned from the participation of the media in the Attica, Santa Fe, and Lucasville uprisings.


A eutectic electrolyte strategy is proposed for zinc-iodine battery. Both the reasonable solvated structure and suppressed generation of I3− as an intermediate product achieve the high reversible I−/I0 conversion.


Nowadays, output voltage boosting gain property along with curtailment in the circuit voltage stress, and component count are considered as the essential topological features for the new multilevel inverter (MLI) circuits. Recognizing the above, a hybrid nine-level inverter topology (HNIT) for DC-AC conversion is proposed in this brief. Each phase of the HNIT is designed with only eight semiconductor switches, one diode, and two electrolytic capacitors. Herein, series-parallel and conventional-series techniques are utilized effectively to balance the capacitor voltages. Further, cost and quantitative comparisons are carried among the state-of-art circuits to highlight the supremacy of proposed circuit. Subsequently, the performance of HNIT is verified experimentally with the fundamental switching PWM technique at different load conditions.


From direct N-body simulations we find that the dynamical evolution of star clusters is strongly influenced by the Roche volume filling factor. We present a parameter study of the dissolution of open star clusters with different Roche volume filling factors and different particle numbers. We study both Roche volume underfilling and overfilling models and compare with the Roche volume filling case. We find that in the Roche volume overfilling limit of our simulations two-body relaxation is no longer the dominant dissolution mechanism but the changing cluster potential. We call this mechanism "mass-loss driven dissolution" in contrast to "two-body relaxation driven dissolution" which occurs in the Roche volume underfilling regime. We have measured scaling exponents of the dissolution time with the two-body relaxation time. In this experimental study we find a decreasing scaling exponent with increasing Roche volume filling factor. The evolution of the escaper number in the Roche volume overfilling limit can be described by a log-logistic differential equation. We report the finding of a resonance condition which may play a role for the evolution of star clusters and may be calibrated by the main periodic orbit in the large island of retrograde quasiperiodic orbits in the Poincare surfaces of section. We also report on the existence of a stability curve which may be of relevance with respect to the structure of star clusters. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


We study several canonical decision problems arising from some well-known theorems from combinatorial geometry. Among others, we show that computing the minimum size of a Caratheodory set and a Helly set and certain decision versions of the hs cut problem are W[1]-hard (and NP-hard) if the dimension is part of the input. This is done by fpt-reductions (which are actually ptime-reductions) from the d-Sum problem. Our reductions also imply that the problems we consider cannot be solved in time n^{o(d)} (where n is the size of the input), unless the Exponential-Time Hypothesis (ETH) is false.

The technique of embedding d-Sum into a geometric setting is conceptually much simpler than direct fpt-reductions from purely combinatorial W[1]-hard problems (like the clique problem) and has great potential to show (parameterized) hardness and (conditional) lower bounds for many other problems.


Hammerstein model can finely express nonlinear characteristics of a practical process. But there is no general analytical method for the identification of Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MIMO) Hammerstein model, especially under cases with heavy tail noise. Meanwhile BA algorithm, as a novel heuristic optimization method, has a strong computing power to solve nonlinear complex problems. In this paper, firstly we propose an Opposite-based learning mean and Cauchy mutation BA algorithm (OCBA) to strengthen global and local exploration ability of standard BA algorithm. Then we transform the identification problem into an optimization problem and apply the proposed OCBA. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the superiority of the OCBA for MIMO Hammerstein model identification.


With this case study, we propose the use of the scalp as the donor site for vaginoplasty with split skin grafts. Patients with a congenital absence of a vagina should also benefit from the obvious advantages, which made the scalp the preferred donor site in burn patients.


The aim of this paper is to show that the concepts of soft power in contemporary political science are very similar to those expressed by the Roman politician and orator Cicero in the late 1st century BCE. I will then show how these concepts can be used to analyse ancient international relations and contemporary politics. This paper will be divided into two sections: the first will show the modern definition of soft power; the second will explain Cicero's concepts and analyse a case study in ancient Greece in the 2nd century BCE concerning Roman foreign relations. It is my essential contention in this paper that no history of Roman imperialism — a momentous period in Mediterranean history spanning over a millennium, which changed fundamentally the course of European, North African and Near-Eastern history — can be complete without discussion of 'soft power', an important concept too often (wrongly) ignored in the study of Roman history in general.


In this paper, the design methodology of digital fuzzy controller(DFC) for the systems with time-delay is presented and the qualitative effects of the quantizers in the digital implementation of a fuzzy controllers are investigated. We propose the fuzzy feed- back controller whose output is delayed with unit sampling period and predicted. The analysis and the design problem considering time-delay become very easy because the proposed controller is syncronized with the sampling time. The stabilization problem of the digital fuzzy system with time-delay is solved by linear matrix inequality(LMI) theory. Furthermore, we analyze the stability of the quantized fuzzy system. Our results prove that when quantization is taken into account, one only has convergence to some small neighborhood about origin. We develop a fuzzy control system for backing up a computer-simulated truck-trailer with the consideration of time-delay and quantization effect. By using the proposed method, we analyze the quantization effect to the system and design a DFC which guarantees the stability of the control system in the presence of time-delay. Digital fuzzy control systems are hybrid dynamical systems which usually consist of an interconnection of a continuous- time plant and discrete time fuzzy controller. The analysis and design of such fuzzy systems have been of continuing interest for several decades. Since Takagi-Sugeno(TS) fuzzy model was presented(1), various kinds of TS fuzzy model based contro l- lers have been suggested(2)-(4) and systematic design of the fuzzy controller can be possible. The stability of the overall fuzzy systems could be determined by the Lyapunov stability analysis and recently linear matrix inequality(LMI) based ap- proaches have been used to determine the existence of a com- mon positive definite matrix(5)(6). However, most of these results do not take into account time- delay and quantization effects in digital implementation of the fuzzy control systems. A linear controller like PID controllers has a short time-delay in calculating the output since its algo- rithm is so simple. On the other hand, in the case of a complex algorithm like fuzzy logic, a considerable time-delay can occur because so many calculations are needed to get the output. And quantization error can occur in the discrete fuzzy contro ller and the interconnection elements such as A/D and D/A converters. Extensive research has already been done in the conventional control to find the solutions.(7)-(10) However, for fuzzy control systems, there are few studies on the stabilization problem for especially systems with time-delay and quantizers.(11)(12) In the present paper, we propose the design method of a fuzzy feedback controller which guarantees the stability of the system in the presence of time-delay and investigate the quali- tative stability analysis of the digital fuzzy control systems with quantizers in both the controller and the interconnection ele- ments. We first study the design method of digital fuzzy contro l- ler(DFC) considering time-delay. If the system has a consider- able time-delay, the analysis and the design of the controller are very difficult since the time-delay makes the output of the con- troller not synchronized with the sampling time. We pr opose the fuzzy feedback controller whose output is delayed with unit sampling period and predicted using current states and the con- trol input to the plant at previous sampling time. The analysis and the design of the contro ller become very easy because the output of the proposed controller is synchronized with the sam- pling time. Therefore, the proposed control system can be de- signed using the conventional methods such as parallel distrib- uted compensation(PDC)(13) and LMI based analysis. Next, we study the qualitative effects of quantization of the proposed digital fuzzy contro l system. It is shown that if the trivial solution of the fuzzy control system without quantization is asymptotically stable, then the solutions of the digital fuzzy control system with quantizers are uniformly ultimately bounded. To verify the validity and the effectiveness of the scheme, the proposed fuzzy feedback controller is applied to backing up control of a computer-simulated truck-trailer with time-delay and quatizers.


A new species of freshwater crab of the genus Odontothelphusa is described. The specimens were collected from one tributary of the Malpaso Dam in northwestern Chiapas state, extending the geographical distribution of the genus to southwestern Mexico. The new species differs from its congeners by the presence of a basal rounded tubercle and a small acute spine near the pointed end of the strong proximomesial spine. The new species represents the seventh species in the genus.


University of Minnesota M.S. thesis.May 2020. Major: Natural Resources Science and Management. Advisors: Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Molly Van Appledorn. 1 computer file (PDF); viii, 89 pages.


ABSTRACT In the latest decades, emotions have become an important research topic in all behavioral sciences, and not the least in advertising. Yet, advertising literature on how to measure emotions is not straightforward. The major aim of this article is to give an update on the different methods used for measuring emotions in advertising and to discuss their validity and applicability. We further draw conclusions on the relation between emotions and traditional measures of advertising effectiveness. We finally formulate recommendations on the use of the different methods and make suggestions for future research.


The use of injection warpage of the molded article to reduce, propylene homopolymer, non-spherical reinforcing material, the composition comprising a phyllosilicate, and compatibilizer. .BACKGROUND


(1) Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland, (2) Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematical and Computational Modelling, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, (3) Royal Netherlands Meteorlogical Institute, De Bilt, the Netherlands, (4) Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland, (5) University Centre for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland


The article presents the forms and methods of prevention of administrative offenses, as well as violations of local regulations committed by international students. Both a particular role of the Dean's office of the Faculty for International Students and interaction with law machinery has been described. The statistics of offenses for the last three years has been given; responsibility for malfeasance has been specified.


A 14-percent-thick, slotted, natural-laminar-flow airfoil, the S204, for light business-jet applications has been designed and analyzed theoretically. The two primary objectives of high maximum lift, relatively insensitive to roughness, and low profile drag have been achieved. The drag-divergence Mach number is predicted to be greater than 0.70.


The most wondrous age of discovery known to humanity initiated after the colonization of America by the Spanish crown at the end of XVth century; with this, a new way of seeing the world impacted all areas of society, both at a political and economic level as well as social and cultural levels. In this context, the emblematic literature emerges as one of the main manifestations of European humanistic culture, which benefited from the knowledge offered by the New World in all its aspects. The present work constitutes an approximation to the iconographic and iconological study of Hispanic emblems that refer to the newly discovered continent, with the aim of demonstrating the importance of the most significant finding of the Modern Age.


This paper presents a prototyping verification methodology of SoC, and implements the prototyping verification of LEON3 SoC. First, it builds the FPGA prototyping hardware platform, completes transplanting an ASIC into a FPGA platform, finishes simulation of FPGA version, then does a prototyping verification through two verification methods of a single IP and the whole system and ultimately implants a Linux operating system and mini GUI, makes the LEON3 SoC realize hardware and software co-verification in the prototyping verification platform.


Immigration for work opportunities is a relatively new phenomenon in India. The impact of immigration-related stress and losses on the scholastic and emotional adjustment in children has been highlighted using the present case study of a Japanese boy studying in one of the international schools that has 18% immigrant children. Behavioural problems can either get medicalised as conduct disorders or stigmatise the child as a difficult child. However, therapeutic grief work using the theme of loss helps in normalisation. The need for policies and programmes for immigrant children at these international schools in India is emphasised in the light of the research findings.


Mental state talk involves words that describe the mental world of individuals. These could be words that are about thoughts, feelings, desires, intentions, and emotions. There has been dearth of research in Pakistan assessing the parents and teachers' use of mental state talk in conversation with young children, commonly because of lack of assessment tool that are employed to measure the mental state talk in Pakistan. The present study aimed at validation and development of indigenous tool for the assessment of mental state talk of parents/teachers to use with children.


Temperature induced intermetallic charge transfer and negative thermal expansion in compounds hold promise for many applications. Here, we report, by the first-principles calculations, the mechanism behind these effects and the associated electrical and magnetic properties of an A-site-ordered perovskite LaCu3Fe4O12. We find that the sensitive expansion of Cu-O bonds to temperature can trigger a transformation from Cu3+ to Cu2+, which imposes a covalent state transition of B-site Fe from +3 to +3.75. The resultant shrinkage of the Fe-O bonds is demonstrated to play a pivotal role in the volume contraction of the oxide at high temperatures.


Prompted by Western science in late 19th century, Chinese linguistics gradually moved to a new direction after two thousand years of philological tradition centered on rhetoric and textual exegesis. Through the intense efforts of a few scholars in the early twenti-eth century, linguistic study in China became a science and a discipline. Yuen Ren Chao (1892–1982) and Wang Li (1900–1986) were first-generation linguists who led the movement to apply the methodology of modern linguistics to the systematic study of Chinese. This paper investigates the trend setting achievements of these founders of the discipline, and it introduces their biographical and scholarly backgrounds. It also provides a brief history of philology through the lens of Wang Li who was the first historian of Chinese linguistics. Contemporary linguists need both a critical mind to understand the philological legacy of Chinese and an open mind to welcome new interdisciplinary approaches that could produce innovative theories and facilitate the growth of the discipline. Moreover, this paper expands the history of linguistics by introducing linguistic features not found in Indo-European languages, thereby making the history of linguistics more inclusive than it has previously been. Consequently, this paper contributes to a rethinking of the definition of language.


The study in this paper describes how we used a combination of interaction tracking data and stimulated-recall interviews to evaluate student engagement with two online chemistry modules. An engagement index (IE) was developed and tested for accuracy and validity. The students that appeared to engage well were more likely to be mature-age and/or studying in external study mode, extroverts, and verbal learners. Students with prior experience of the graphical depictions of the molecular level were more likely to learn from the animations and interactive exercises.


The purpose of this study is to understand turbulence in the field of payments in Europe and which future challenges this bring. The objective is to enable actors – industrial as well as policy-mak ...


An increasing number of patients with arterial hypertension are observed. The symptoms of arterial hypertension harm physical and mental health, causing discomfort that impairs quality of life and disrupts normal and stable life. Studies show that the emotional health of patients is deteriorating as a result of the disease, anxiety and depression are on the rise. The study aimed to analyze the scientific literature on the quality of life and emotional state of patients with arterial hypertension.
Research Methods – a Systematic Review of the Literature Articles published in the PubMed, ClinicalKey, Google Scholar, and EBSCO databases on Quality of Life and Emotional State in Patients with Arterial Hypertension. The results show that patients with arterial hypertension are at risk of depression or anxiety disorders, which worsen their emotional state and quality of life.


Grief is a universal experience; however not everyone experiences grief and loss in the same way. People who are incarcerated are often informed of losses via phone, are unable to attend funeral services or participate in supportive rituals, and can have difficulty expressing feelings in a place where showing emotion can be dangerous. Being unable to obtain support and process grief and loss may contribute to impaired functioning. In this study of bereavement support for women in prison, incarcerated women with recent or unresolved losses (n=32) were randomly assigned to grief support groups with therapy dogs (animal-assisted, AA) or without therapy dogs (non-AA). Pre- and post-test measures of bereavement symptoms and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) were obtained. This study shows that AA groups had more significant decreases in symptoms, lower rates of post-group diagnostic criteria for PGD and higher rates of perceived support/benefit from the groups.


In this article, a novel single-phase single-stage ac–dc converter based on semi dual-active-bridge dc–dc converter is proposed for unidirectional power flow applications. Dual-phase-shift (DPS) and single-phase-shift (SPS) modes are adopted individually according to their operation. Only two control variables, which are primary side phase shift and the phase shift between the two bridges, are used. The optimal voltage and current waveforms in different operation modes are analyzed. The detailed transition process between the DPS mode and SPS mode is given, and the mode transition is seamless. The proposed converter can achieve high power factor correction without an inner current tracking loop. In addition, the switches can achieve zero-voltage switching on within a wide operating range and the rectifier diode can obtain zero-current switching off. The power transfer capability, mode transition mechanism, soft-switching range, mode operation range, and parameter design are analyzed. Besides, a 1 kW experimental prototype is built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.


methodological approaches diff~er, and that similar findings stemming from differently oriented studies can give added support to hypotheses. In either instance, they suggest that in rapidly changing societies, adequate knowledge of modern patterns of life together with a strong sense of one's own cultural identity provide in people a psychic and cultural integration which promotes mental health. In contrast, individuals whose strong modern identification is not matched by sufficient knowledge of modern social life show a significantly higher risk of psychic stress and corresponding symptom rate, i.e., the removal of the center of one's own personal value system is a highly significant hazard to people undergoing rapid social and cultural change.


The reason why IT revolution takes place in USA from later forties to early nineties of 20~(th) century is related to social background of specific historical period,SST's theory has offered a kind of overall and deep going theory frame for analyzing the social historical reasons of the IT revolution.This theory thinks,between IT revolution and the society,there is a kind of healthily interactive relationship,but comparatively,the integrated system of Government-Industry-Academy-Research brought froth by political demand?economic demand and the combined action of both of the society guarantees and determines that the IT revolution must take place in USA,it is the fruit of "history joint forces".


The aim of this research is to know the role of women farmer in peanut farming activity. This research was carried out for two months from May until June 2017. Samples were taken as many as 20 respondents (Survey Sampling), each village was taken 5 respondents: on Kanonang 1 Village, Kanonang 2 Village, Kanonang 4 Village, and Kanonang 5 Village at Kawangkoan Barat District. The data collected in this study through interviews and presented descriptively in tabular form. The role of female laborers is seen from the peak time of women work in peanut farming is highest in weeding activity, second harvest, third post harvest, fourth marketing, fifth planting, six tillage, seventh seed selection. Women are not play role on fertilization and pest control of diseases.


Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) have become the preferred medicine for many in replacement of conventional medicines due to cultural or financial reasons. Herbal CAMS, in particular, have become a popular choice of medicine for their purported health benefits. Green tea extract (GTE) contains the major catechins epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin and epicatechin, all of which vary across different GTE products and have become the focus on research into its purported health benefits. However, there have been cases of GTE-induced hepatotoxicity, for which the biochemical pathways have not been characterised. This study elucidates compounds similarities and changes in catechin levels within several different GTE products, and biochemical pathways related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) production affected by acute GTE supplementation in an in vitro setting using metabolomic techniques. It was found that GTE hepatotoxicity significantly decreased amino acids, oxoacids and carboxylic acids at 1 mg/mL exposure but produced a different metabolite profile upon 0.1 mg/mL exposure. The results demonstrate that GTE hepatotoxicity is a dose-dependent process that induces ROS production, ATP depletion and apoptosis, which corroborates prior knowledge on this topic. These results utilise a novel field of research, metabolomics, to add insight into the biochemical mechanisms of GTE hepatotoxicity and to observe the mass spectral pattern and levels of four catechins in different GTE products: (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. This will allow consumers to become more aware of herb-induced liver injury and provide data to aid the regulation of herbal CAMs.


The quantum well solar cell (QWSC) has been proposed as a route to higher efficiency than that attainable by homojunction devices. Previous studies have established that carriers escape the quantum wells with high efficiency in forward bias and contribute to the photocurrent. Progress in resolving the efficiency limits of these cells has been dogged by the lack of a theoretical model reproducing both the enhanced carrier generation and enhanced recombination due to the quantum wells. Here we present a model which calculates the incremental generation and recombination due to the QWs and is verified by modelling the experimental light and dark current-voltage characteristics of a range of III-V quantum well structures. We find that predicted dark currents are significantly greater than experiment if we use lifetimes derived from homostructure devices. Successful simulation of light and dark currents can be obtained only by introducing a parameter which represents a reduction in the quasi-Fermi level separation.


An aluminum alloy sliding door is disclosed by the utility model, which consists of doorcase components and door components. The doorcase components include a left doorcase, a right doorcase, an upper doorcase and a lower doorcase. The window components include a left door pillar, a right door pillar, an upper beam and a lower beam. At the two right angle joints of the left doorcase, the right doorcase and the upper doorcase, movable aluminum alloy angle brackets and fixed galvanized sheet iron angle brackets are permanently connected at an angle of 45 degrees. The entire doorcase of the aluminum alloy sliding door is excellent in cubic effect, increases visibility, fits aesthetic perception of modern and is positioned more precisely. The entire window is high in strength and eliminates sag resulting from long use of the window. When the door is glazed, the entire door looks like a picture frame, accordingly, appearance quality of the sliding door is improved.


The mass spectral peak observed at 19 amu in residual gas analyzers at very high (< 10' 6 Torr) and ultrahigh vacuum (< 10"9 Torr) has often been attributed to fluorine. Using Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry, the hydronium ion, H3 CU, has been fully resolved from F+ and its correlation to water vapor concentration was determined to be linear as expected for a gas phase process. The comparison of the mass 19 signals for a conventional quadrupole mass spectrometer and a Fourier transform mass spectrometer on the same vacuum chamber indicated hydronium was the source of mass 19. The partial pressures of H 2 O in the very high vacuum range and higher suggest there is sufficient H2 O density for the hydronium ions to form through ionmolecule interactions because hydronium formation was found to directly correlate with the H2 O partial pressure. However, in a QMS at UHV, formation of H 3 CU appears to occur principally by electron stimulated desorption (ESD). Introducing hydrogen into the system from 1 Langmuir exposure to saturation (1 x 10"6 Torr for 8 hours) increased the H 3 0 + ESD yield detected by the QMS by as much as a factor of 10. The initial hydronium ESD cross section from a hydrogen saturated grid was estimated to be a ~ 1 x 1 0 ' 19 cm2. TOF-SIMS sputter yields from the stainless steel grid of a quadrupole mass spectrometer also showed small signals of H 3 0 +, as well as its constituents (H+, 0 + and OH+) and a small amount of fluorine as F \ but no F+ or F+ complexes (HF+, etc.). Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a small amount (0.4%) of fluorine was found in the surface of stainless steel. Electron bombardment reduces the fluorine bound in surface complexes, but not metal halides found below the surface. However, heating the sample eliminated the F I s signal entirely, indicating that fluorine is not likely to be the source of mass 19 in residual gas analysis. Also, changes in the spectral shoulders on the O Is and Cr 2 p 3 /2 peaks show that hydrogen dosing stainless steel and chromium increases the amount of hydroxides at the surface, while heating and electron bombardment reduce them.


The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 2017 states that women are deemed important part of a trade. They take part in a wide range of activities in the industry - produce products, commerce of goods across borders, run and own trading firms, and make up a large part of the workforce in export-oriented businesses. Nevertheless, women's potential and skills in trade is still too often held back by the many constraints. Hence, the research endeavours to describe the current demographics, roles, and experiences of women involved in MSMEs, provide information on the current policies programs and services and how these are comparable and contrasting, not to mention recommend measures to address the impeding factors in the Philippines to be compared with Singapore and Myanmar using available secondary information. Through surveys and purposive sampling, the research results show that women's participation in economic activity, in particular in MSMEs, is primarily affected by conditions that catalyze engagements.


Magnetotransport phenomena in the high-density two-dimensional electron gas of $\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}$ heterostrutures are investigated. Peculiarities of low- and high-field magnetotransport measurements in the temperature range from $0.3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}10\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$ are discussed. The weak localization and antilocalization effects are observed and analyzed. The Rashba constant describing the spin-orbit interaction is extracted from the results of low-field magnetotransport for the structure with 33% aluminum content in the barrier and an electron sheet density of $1.1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{13}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ and appears to be of $1.01\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}10}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\mathrm{cm}$.


To assess the effect of optimal neoadjuvant chemotherapy of at least three cycles of cisplatin‐based regimen on oncological outcomes of clinical stage T3 or higher bladder cancer treated with laparoscopic radical cystectomy.


Casereport An SO-yearold womanpresented with a three day history of sudden onset, constant, low abdominalpain with colicky episodes, radiating to both iliac fossae. There was associated nausea,abdominaldistentionand absolute constipation,but no vomiting or weight loss. One year previously, a similar episode of pain andconstipationof three daysduration, without X-ray evidence of obstruction, was treated conservatively. Hysterectomyhad been performed37 years previously. Examination revealed an afebrilepatient, with a tachycardiaand small bowel loops seen prominentlythroughthe thin abdominalwall.


Three new carbazole-containing polymers were synthesized through Suzuki cross-coupling between N-octylcarbazole-3,6-bis(ethyleneboronate) (NOctCz(BO2Et)2) and several arylene dibromides. 2,5-Dibromothiophene (DBT), 2,2'-dibromo-5,5'-bithiophene (DBBT), and 4,7-dibromo-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (DBBTD) gave the three polymers PCzTh, PCzBi, and PCzBTD, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry showed two separate redox processes for each polymer, PCzTh (E1/2 = 0.33 V and E1/2 = 0.65 V vs Fc/Fc+), PCzBi (E1/2 = 0.32 V and E1/2 = 0.60 V vs Fc/Fc+), and PCzBTD (E1/2 = 0.56 V and E1/2 = 0.84 V vs Fc/Fc+). The two redox couples signify the presence of stable radical cation and dication oxidation states. In addition, the three materials were observed to display electrochromic properties. UV/vis/NIR absorbance spectroscopy revealed that each of the polymers displayed a unique absorbance maximum (345 nm for PCzTh, 375 nm for PCzBi, and 460 nm for PCzBTD) in their neutral states. Spectroelectrochemical analyses demonstrated tha...


Diagnosis of UGIB due to S. stercolaris infection is difficult and easily missed given its rarity. In this case, the diagnosis was made after two weeks of hematemesis and three gastroscopy attempts. The identification of a larva of S. stercolaris is a crucial diagnostic clue and can be isolated from the gastric contents microscopically. Detection of its eggs in stool examination is also helpful. There are no pathognomonic gastroscopic findings. A report from Malaysia showed edematous mucosa at the prepyloric area. A bleeding gastric ulcer with eggs and larvae identified in the mucosal layer was also reported. In our patient the gastroscopic findings were non-specific but showed ulcers throughout the upper gastrointestinal area from stomach to the duodenum. Suppurative ulcers may occur due to Figure 2: Gastroscopy showing diffuse suppurative ulcers in the duodenum


Introduction: Time to time evaluation of medical curriculum by experts is the routine practice in medical education. However the students perception and opinion about the teaching - learning methodology is equally important because it is meant for them. So, evaluation of teaching -learning methodology by the students in a medical college may further help in modification and construction of the medical curriculum. Considering these facts the present study is undertaken.Objectives: To understand the preferences and perception of medical students about the current methods of teaching and learning aids used for teaching and also the qualities of the teacher influencing them.Methods: The questionnaire number 16 covering the different aspects of lectures was given to 200 medical students of final year students in the year 2014 of Sapthagiri institute of medical Sciences & Research centre Informed consent was taken by the participants and confidentiality was maintained. The questionnaire was assimilated and analyzed statistically.Results: Multimedia is most satisfied teaching aid because students can follow the teaching and understand the concept effectively. Student perception forms an essential component for process evaluation of the medical curriculum which has a profound effect on the stakeholders i.e. the teachers in terms of scope for improvisation in medical education and students for becoming effective physicians.


High frequency (HF) applications are nothing new. Nor are the multitudes of materials and processes in electronics dedicated to such applications. But with the rising applications and production volumes associated with 5G, IoT (Internet of Things), autonomous driving, and the like, a whole new emphasis is needed to characterize expected base material performance in terms of its processability. Laser-based manufacturing, and in particular laser via drilling, plays a large role in the interconnect and packaging concepts needed for the typically miniaturized design rules, but given the diversity of materials and laser types that can potentially be employed, some clear results-driven guidelines would be beneficial to manufacturers looking to optimize a cost/quality/throughput balance.
 In this paper we explore laser-based via drilling applications with base materials intended for use in high frequency end applications. There are several HF base material sets employed in HDI (High Density Interconnect)/ICP (Integrated Circuit Packaging) manufacturing, each with their own range of bandwidth and applicable dielectric constant. However, agnostic of the particular material application specifications, the aim of this analysis is to explore potential manufacturing benefits and/or trade-offs for diverse laser/material interactions, while focusing on via-drilling for the HDI and ICP industries in particular. Benefits and trade-offs are characterized by practical and quantifiable elements, precisely: throughput (vias per second), quality (roundness, burr, dimensional integrity, etc).
 In combination with various laser types, in particular UV (nanosecond), CO2 (microsecond) and green (femtosecond) wavelengths, we analyze the fundamental interaction with materials common to high frequency applications, namely LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer), PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), HF FR4, and PI (Polyimide) in an effort to attain practical guidelines for quality and manufacturability. Thus, evidence is provided to potentially increase manufacturing yield with a typically cost-inhibitive material set. Given the, as yet, novel usage of such materials for broadband HDI/ICP applications, this work aims to explore new or re-affirmed baselines suitable to the existing production landscape. Given the broad scope of potential DoE parameters, this work focuses on target via size (75um) applicable to multiple industrial applications, including but not exclusive to, handheld communications, automotive and IoT. Furthermore, the materials is clad with a 12um Cu foil to offer insight into ablation capabilities of each laser type. As a test vehicle default, the vias are drilled in a standard BGA (Ball Grid Array) grid with a pitch of 0.6mm.
 The results of this work offer-a scored matrix breakdown of our predetermined criteria (throughput, quality) to the laser-material subset analyzed. Given the non-exhaustive nature of this study, the conclusions do not aim to resolve laser-material dilemmas for all forms and factors of high frequency applications and material configurations, but rather offer conclusive evidence that a) high-frequency materials typically require special attention when processing with laser, b) not every laser type works at the same rate of efficiency and efficacy for each of the chosen HF materials and c) a cost/quality balance can be sought by cross referencing results from various laser sources for the intended application.


The Advanced Space Technology Program (ASTP) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has recently initiated a series of technology development efforts as part of its drive to enhance the cost effectiveness and responsiveness of defense space systems. These efforts focus on reducing spacecraft size, cost, weight, and power consumption, while simultaneously improving performance. The technology initiatives which are underway span a broad spectrum of efforts at the satellite system and subsystem levels, as well as some which focus on individual com ponents and materials. The technology initiatives which DARPA is pursuing will enhance large, major satellites via technology insertions of cost effective, leading edge technologies in a timely fashion, and will facilitate a new class of small highly capable satellites. This paper will highlight some of the new efforts which have been initiated by ASTP in the past year.


The phase constant of the electromagnetic wave along a conducting wire in a plasma magnetized in parallel or perpendicularly to the wire has been measured. Fairly good agreement is found between the measured results and the theoretical prediction when the effect of the surrounding ion sheath is taken into account.


Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be acquired sexually, transmission rates are so low that quantifying them precisely has been difficult. Researchers evaluated partners of 500 monogamous heterosexual HCV-positive patients to determine frequency and correlates of transmission.

Most index patients were men (61%) and white (73%), and …


Two general approaches for the analysis of eccentrically loaded connections are described in the current AISC Specifications. The first method is the conservative elastic analysis. The second method is the instantaneous center of rotation method which gives more realistic values but is extremely tedious to apply. The 1989 AISC-ASD manual contains design tables intended for vertical loading only. The 2010 AISC manual considers eccentric loading with six specific inclination angles (θ) varying from 0 and to 75 degrees. However, actual loading condition may very likely differ from what has been assumed in the AISC design manual. This study proposes a more generalized solution (75° θ 360°) to overcome the design limitations as inherently made in the design manual. For uncovered cases, AISC Specifications do not offer a guideline on how to handle them. In such situation, engineers have the tendency to use the unjustified elastic method.


In this paper,the definition form of topological comp le mentary space is extended,and some new formed topological complementary spaces are attained.Therefore, the original toplogical complementary space is further c ompleted.


The reported observations of an unidentified X-ray line feature at ∼ 3.5 keV from galaxy clusters have driven a lively discussion about its possible dark matter origin. Motivated by this, we have investigated the X-ray spectra of highly ionized bare sulfur ions following charge exchange with residual gas in the electron beam ion trap, as a source or a contributor to this X-ray line. The X-ray feature at about 3.5 keV shows up in the experiment, which could explain the the astrophysical observations and confirm the predictions of Gu et al.


PURPOSE: A method of forming ohmic contact using a self doping layer for a thin film transistor is provided to simplify formation of an ohmic contact for a thin film transistor. CONSTITUTION: A metal-contained layer including integrally formed dopants is formed. The metal-contained layer is patterned to form elements for the semiconductor device. A semiconductor layer is deposited to contact with the metal-contained layer. The semiconductor device is annealed and dopants are outwardly diffused from the metal-contained layer within the semiconductor layer . Therefore, an ohmic contact is formed.


This report is in microfiche form. Full-scale seakeeping trials have been carried out on the container vessel MV Hollandia during voyages between Northern Europe and the Caribbean to investigate the feasibility of a computer-based shipboard monitoring and prediction system to ensure safe and economic ship operation. As part of this project the Delft Ship Hydrodynamics Laboratory provided a speed-rpm-power-sea state database for the ship, and measured the sea and wind conditions during the trials. The instrumentation used for this latter purpose and the results obtained are described in this report.


Islamic Finance has evolved over the past few decades, and stands at over a trillion dollar today. At the foundations of Islamic finance lay the concept of risk sharing, and the purest form of it in the modern day finance is equity investments. Jurists mostly have a consensus on accepting the current form of joint stock companies as acceptable under the framework of Musharakah. However, the evidence of Islamic investors pursing equity investments in reality is thin. Multitude of reasons are attributed to this low participation, mainly revolving around the lack of empirical proof of Islamic investments being a reliable and steady return alternative. A common perception amongst the investors is that the Islamic equity investment is inherently more risky than the conventional counterpart, and volatile with payoff not matching the risk profile. This study is an attempt to study the volatilities and correlations with the conventional global equity indices utilizing the recent Multivariate GARCH Dynamic Conditional Correlations (MGARCH DCC) method. The study provides positive evidence suggesting a dynamic correlation of Islamic indices with their conventional counterparts. The findings provide an interesting angle to our study, where there is a significant downward trend in the correlations during the crisis era. This provides substance to the argument that Islamic investors would experience lesser downside in economic crisis. This study further dwells into the linkage of Islamic indices with global financial indices to study if the financial sector exclusion from Islamic indices benefits the investors. The findings are positive, with lower correlations in the recent global crisis. The evidence of this paper provides substance to the argument that Islamic indices may be a safer haven during crisis, pointing to a hugely untapped investment avenue for exploration. Islamic finance's core philosophy is equity based investments and this study is an humble attempt to empirically substantiate its benefits.


In recent years, the concern about the reliability of railway vehicles is increasing, Many studies on reliability is in progress. But, the existing railway cars have been running without any specific criteria for vibration. So, we looked into the effect of the vibration and braking devices.


Full-duplex (FD) transmission in a point-to-point (P2P) link, wherein bidirectional traffic flows simultaneously share the same spectrum, has the capability of doubling the link throughput by completely removing self-interferences. However, the throughput gain of FD transmission in an interference-limited network is not as clear as a P2P link due to the interferences induced by complex FD and half-duplex (HD) transmission behaviors in the network. To thoroughly investigate the link throughputs of users and base stations (BSs) in a heterogeneous network (HetNet) with decoupled user association, a general approach is proposed to model a HetNet in which all BSs and users can perform HD or FD transmission depending on their traffic patterns. We first characterize the decoupled rate-optimal user association scheme and use it to define the downlink and uplink throughputs in the HetNet. The tight lower bounds on the link throughputs of the FD users and BSs are found in a neat form that characterizes general channel fading, user and BS intensities and imperfect self-interference cancellation. These bounds outline the throughput regions of the FD users that inspire proposing the opportunistic FD scheduling algorithms that maximize the sum throughput of each bidirectional traffic and stabilize each of the queues in the HetNet.


Treating 8-aminoquinoline with di-2-pyridyl ketone, pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde, or 6-methylpyridine-2-carboxaldehyde leads to the formation of the corresponding aminal instead of the expected Schiff base. The ir, 1H nmr, and mass spectra of these compounds are described and discussed.Infrared and 1H nmr analyses indicate that these aminals enjoy intramolecular hydrogen bonding. This effect is considered to contribute significantly to their unusual stability.


The utility model relates to a device for preparing dimethyl adipate through distillation/reaction coupling. The device is composed of a reactor and a condenser. The utility model is characterized in that: the top of the reactor is provided with a raw material inlet; two sides of the upper part are respectively provided with a methanol inlet and a reaction distillate outlet; the reaction distillate outlet is communicated with a condenser inlet; A water outlet of condenser is connected with a water tank. A methanol outlet of the condenser is communicated with a methanol inlet on a reactor. A water inlet of the condenser is communicated with a water source. The device uses a distillation technique for continuously removing the water generated in the reaction thereby increasing the final conversion rate, and the conversion rate reaches up to 98.2%.


provided to determine if an interaction existed between the presence of ischaemic episodes and specific plaque characteristics, and in particular the presence of fatty plaques as confirmed by surgery. Results: A history of symptomatic ischaemic episodes was present in 59 patients. We found a positive correlation between the presence of fatty plaques and symptoms (P , 0.01). Moreover, we observed a statistically significant correlation between irregular morphology and symptoms (P , 0.01) and the presence of ulceration and symptoms. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the presence of fatty plaque is a significant risk factor for ischaemic episodes. This type of plaque identifies as an 'unstable' plaque. P 048 Magnetic resonance imaging of stroke L. Saba*, R. Sanfilippo*, R. Montisci*, L. Pascalisy, G. Mallarini* *Policlinico Universitario di Monserrato;yOspedale San Giovanni di Dio, Cagliari, Italy Background and objective: Strokes are a major cause of death and permanent disability. Stroke accounted for about one of every 15 deaths in the Western world in 2003. This condition occur when blood flow to a region of the brain is obstructed and may result in death of brain tissue. Stroke may result from localized cerebral ischaemia, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage of venous sinus thrombosis. The objectives of this work were: (1) to review and describe the magnetic resonance brain imaging characteristics of patients with Stroke; (2) to become familiar with the changing role of MRI in acute stroke triage; (3) to evaluate and discuss the new MR techniques for the study of stroke as dynamic perfusion, diffusion-weighted (DW) and MR angiography; and (4) to understand the various functional imaging modalities that can be applied in acute ischaemic stroke to identify functionally impaired, but morphologically preserved tissue (i.e. the penumbrae) and to distinguish it from irreversibly damaged tissue. Methods and materials: Images we presented were acquired by using a with a 1.5-T superconducting magnet (Philips Intera). Patients head movements were restricted We used SE and TSE sequences, T1, T2 weighted with FLAIR sequences. Each exam was completed with of Gadolinium. Conclusion: Magnetic Resonance demonstrates good sensitivity, specificity in identification of the extension of lesions in patients with Stroke. Diffusion-weighted images show optimal sensitivity and should be used as the modality of choice in stroke imaging; moreover this MR technique shows the infracted core in nearly every ischaemic stroke patients.


Basic principles and characteristics of ultrasound excited thermography testing were introduced.The excited ultrasound could produce mechanical vibration at the defect.Because of the thermo-elastic effect and hysteresis effect,the defect location would release heat.At last,the heat releasing process was monitored by the infrared thermography and the infrared image was analyzed with a special software.Because of the modulating function of excited signal frequency and special image process,ultrasound excited thermography had some unique advantages.Testing on the aero material such as carbon fiber reinforced composite showed that this method could detect the defects such as crack,delamination and break effectively,and had a widely application prospect.


This article presents a prior data-driven strategy to solve the motion planning problem of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for the target search mission. Compared with the widely studied cases over wide marine area, however, this article focuses on searching static target that exists in nonwide area. First, under the assumption that the nonwide area could be regarded as a combination of lines or curves, we utilize the Parzen windows theory with one-dimensional Gaussian kernels to generate the prior probability map of target based on the previous qualitative data. Then, we use the "global warming" method to extract some valuable subregions quantitatively, which will be visited by AUV in the optimal sequence. Finally, we verify the good performance of our method by an example of underwater pipeline inspection.


Courseware authoring system(CAS)is a software tool for teacher to make instruction courseware.It is analysed and designed by objected oriented method and programmed by programming language C++ under windows environment.The main character of object oriented method is achieving the exchange directly using special software tool from description of object to software structure.It solves the problem that the description tool of objective world differs from software structure in structured developing method.The programme of CAS is a message driven system and its units are windows objects.


-Traditional cultivators usually examine a number of environmental variables before choosing a site for agricultural production. In contrast to most studies of site selection, which focus on procedures followed by shifting cultivators, this article discusses the criteria employed by a population of permanent field cultivators of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Lun Dayeh, irrigated rice farmers of the Kerayan Subdistrict, differ from shifting cultivators in many of the criteria they employ in selecting a site, in their pattern of long-term observation of selected factors, and in their willingness to substantially alter the site. Important in their choice of a potential agricultural site is an assessment of the amount of labor that is required to render that site acceptable for permanent cultivation.


Particle-laden gravity-driven flows occur in a large variety of natural and industrial situations. Typical examples include turbidity currents, volcanic eruptions, and sand storms (see Simpson, 1997, for a review). On mountain slopes, debris flows and snow avalanches provide particular instances of vigorous dense flows, which have special features that make them different from usual gravity currents:


Objective: To understand the effect of popular beliefs and practices on early weaning of puerperal women attending the Estrategia Saude da Familia program.Methodology: This is a descriptive qualitative study, conducted from April to May 2016 with 22 puerperal women enrolled in the Atendimento Multiprofissional Especializado (AME) Saude da Familia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and they were analyzed using content analysis.Results: Women who participated in this study understood the importance of exclusive breastfeeding. Nevertheless, factors such as return to work/school, beliefs and taboos (for instance, some mothers believe that breast milk is insufficient), latching problems, and fear for breast changes lead to weaning or to include other foods during first six months of the child's life. Most puerperal women did not receive expert guidance on breastfeeding during antenatal care. Those who do received guidance regarded the figure of the nurse as a facilitating agent.Conclusion: It is necessary to demystify exclusive breastfeeding and to promote this practice to be possible for a certain period of time.


Abstract Calf uterine tissue was homogenized in six volumes (w/v) of 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer of pH 7.4, containing 1 mM monothioglycerol and 10% glycerol (TG) and centrifuged at 800 ± g for ten minutes. The supernatant was centrifuged at 105,000 ± g for 60 minutes to obtain the cytosol fraction. Sand-blasted uniferm glass beads (6 mm diameter) were regcted with 10% gamma-aminopropyl triethoxysilane in toulene at 60°C for seven hours to generate aminopropyl derivatives. The derivatized beads were activated with 2.5% glutaraldehyde and incubated overnight with the calf uterine cytosol receptor at 4°C. After incubation, the beads were washed with Tris-HCl buffer and stored at -20°C. The cytosol receptor coupled heads were incubated for 18 hours with and without 100 fold excss of diethylstilbesterol. The beads were suspended in scintillation fluid and counted for ten minutes. The binding sites and dissociation constant (KD) of the calf uterine cytosol receptor coupled to beads were 7.2 fmol/bead or 144 fm/mg pr...


The concept of probabilistic splicing system was introduced as a model for stochastic processes using DNA computing techniques. In this paper we introduce splicing systems endowed with different continuous and discrete probabilistic distributions and call them as probabilistic splicing systems. We show that any continuous distribution does not increase the generative capacity of the probabilistic splicing systems with finite components, meanwhile, some discrete distributions increase their generative capacity up to context-sensitive languages. Finally, we associate certain thresholds with probabilistic splicing systems and this increases the computational power of splicing systems with finite components.


The matter of justice is regarded as the most important issue in modern society. We need economic, social justice and the justice in the sense of law. Furthermore, under the condition of socialist market-oriented economy, economic justice becomes even more important, which brings about social legal justice .The article expounds the economic justice,justtce efficiency,and the relationship between economic justice social justice and discusses the characteristics of economic justice under the market-oriented economy and how to get the true justice.


This particular journey focuses on wishes and curses. It consists of an introduction and four chapters. In the introduction, concepts and definitions are analyzed and typical examples of wishes and curses are given. The first chapter begins with the birth of wishes and curses in the ancient world. Emphasis is given on how concepts take shape through tragedies and the Homeric epics. The second chapter, which focuses on Byzantium, is divided into two parts. The first part defines "wish" as a prayer through the "Euchologio", an ecclesiastical book aiming to unite man with God. In the second part, wishes are presented as they were told by the Byzantines themselves in both the private and the public life in the Byzantine Empire. Unique wishes among special events of life as well as among the lives of simple, anonymous people. The third chapter deals with curses. The curse in Byzantine society and its punitive significance. It is examined as an element of supernatural power and at the same time an element of justice. The fourth chapter refers to the post-Byzantine period. The "Eclogai" by N. Politis and the novels by A. Papadiamantis continue the "journey" of this study. A journey through time that guides and rules the soul of man.


A taxonomic account of the genus Datura in Australia is presented. Wild populations of D. stramonium, D. ferox, D, leichhardtii, D, inoxia and D. wrightii occur and D. metel is cultivated and occasionally persistent. A comprehensive revision of the genus has not been attempted, but full descriptions based on a study of herbarium specimens, plants in the field and cultivated material are provided for each of the six species, of which five are naturalized aliens. D. leichhardtii has generally been considered an Australian endemic but the closely related species D. pruinosa (which may be conspecific) occurs in central America. This raises the biogeographical problems of trans-Pacific distribution. Although the application of names is in accordance with current usage, some nomenclatural problems are outlined. A key for the identification of species is presented. The genus Brugmansia, often treated as a section of Datura, is represented in Australia only by species in cultivation.


In democratic South Africa, there has been a shift from the punishment of offenders to the rehabilitation approach and a change from prisons to correctional centres. Once someone becomes an offender, the person goes through rehabilitation and not punishment. This paper discusses the influence of the immediate environment on the rehabilitation of paroles in Brits area of North-West Province in South Africa, a poverty-stricken area with limited resources. A qualitative approach and an exploratory descriptive design were utilised to describe the parolees' experiences of parole in a low-resourced community. One-on-one in-depth interviews were used to collect data which were then analysed thematically and backed by existing literature. The findings of the study showed that environmental factors play a role in offending and rehabilitation of offenders in low-resourced areas. The paper makes critical recommendations for consideration by parole officials and researchers to facilitate the effective rehabilitation of offenders in low-resourced areas.


Information technology innovation is the sum of all types of information related to the technology innovation activities.The collaborators of scientific innovative information resource cooperative co-construction and sharing include provincial university library public library,provincial research institutes and information centers and commercial databases.It also includes some business information centers.The pathways of scientific innovative information resource sharing service is union catalog search.Besides some new ways based on mobile services,cell phone service and virtual community services can be used into scientific innovative information resource sharing service.Based on the above analysis,scientific innovative information resource cooperative co-construction and sharing mode of Jilin province can be built up.


Pain accompanies a human being from his birth until his death. It is associated with an unpleasant experience. There is a group of patients who can feel severe pain. In the 21st century no man should feel the pain connected with a disease process. Administration of opioids is the most effective method of relieving pain. The World Health Organization introduced rules for the treatment of pain based on the analgesic ladder, starting from non-opioid analgesics up to strong opioids. The division of opioids is based on their affinity for opioid receptors, which are located in different parts of the body. Morphine is the commonest analgesic drug used in emergency medicine. Acute pain caused by trauma, acute cardiac incidents and chronic pain are main recommendations on the morphine application. Adverse side effects of morphine include respiratory depression, which can lead to acute respiratory failure. drug potentiates analgesic effect. as Buprenorphine


We should acknowledge that discrimination still exists and that women's work lives have been considerably improved by their ability to legally challenge discriminatory practices.


Remote sensing and field studies of Ambasamudram – Tenkasi transect a part of Achankovil-Tambraparni Shear Zone of south India reveal five different pattern of lineaments i.e. (i) ENE –WSW to E – W (ii) NNW – SSE to NW – SE (iii) NNE – SSW to NE –SW (iv) NW – SE to WNW – ESE and (v) N – S. Based on shear sense and field association nine prominent shear-lineaments related to D1, D2, D3 and D4 deformation have been delineated. Mean frequency, mean density and nearest neighbor analysis of shearlineaments form a tool to distinguish the intensity of deformation and to predict the order of decreasing intensity of deformation i.e. D3, D2, D4 and D1. The random and regular patterns of individual shear-lineaments were observed and their restriction to a specific lithology and geomorphic expression are pointing towards a genetic link between them.


In his 1999 Harvard Business Review paper, consultant Danny Ertel argued that negotiation should be seen as a potential corporate capability and invites to move away from a situational to a more strategic and integrated approach to organizational negotiations. Although more than 15 years have passed, this exhortation is yet to be met by researchers in both fields of negotiation and strategy. In aiming to revive Ertel's call, this article presents a literature review trying to systematize knowledge from both the fields of negotiation and strategy. We contribute to the conversation by proposing an agenda for future research resulted from our analysis.


A broad repertoire of potential solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) is a prerequisite for the development and optimization of high-energy-density all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Isovalent substituti...


Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), an indispensable liquid biopsy classifier, can provide extra information for the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


Rates of product formation by the attack of CH3CO+ on neutral alkylbenzenes follow the order o-xylene > m-xylene > p-xylene > n-butylbenzene > ethylbenzene > toluene > benzene. Absolute rates determined by a comparative method using ion cyclotron resonance are lower than the theoretical upper limit, but do not conform to physical theory in its present form. The rate is a strong function of the source of CH3CO+, that formed from butane-2,3-dione reacting at least 4 times more rapidly than that formed from acetone. Comparison with results for the attack of other gas-phase electrophiles upon alkylbenzenes shows reproducibility in trends.


Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a common autoimmune disease mediated by autoimmune attack against pancreatic β‐cells. It has been reported that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including T1D. The aim of the present study was to identify pathogenic miRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of T1D patients.


This online appendix provides additional proofs, extensions and all experiment, instructions and questionnaire. The paper "Time Lotteries" to which these Appendices apply is available at the following URL: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2640178


In this paper, the softening behavior of higher Nb content X80 pipeline steel was investigated by means of the stress relaxation curve. Deformed above 1050°C, the softening of the steel is fast and controlled by static recrystallization. Although the softening at 1000°C is slower obviously, it was also controlled by static recrystallization, no more than the grain growth rate was declined because of the drag effect of solute Nb. Moreover, the pinning effect of precipitation is more effective to retarding the softening at relatively lower temperature and that can be revealed by the softening curve too.


Adolescence is a time of growth, enhanced understanding of self, and testing out how one may present in a group. Erikson described this stage as an opportunity to branch out from family influence and begin to understand one's role among peers. This method involved an open studio approach using altered books to support adolescent identity formation. The participants were all from a private middle school in the Boston area. Participation was voluntary for each student and all materials were provided by the facilitator. Participant engagement in the group increased each week. The open studio group appeared to appeal to certain students due to their ability to choose when they wanted to join and the level of their engagement. During the open studio, themes emerged as talking points, and included participant engagement, peer relationships, selfesteem, and group roles during adolescence.


FIELD: process engineering. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to processing of industrial and domestic wastes. Proposed device comprises pyrolysis reactor 5, solid product discharge system, pyrolysis gas discharge means, shell-and-tube heat exchanger 13, pyrolysis solid product intake, pyrolysis gas condenser 26 and flue gas discharge means 16. Shell-and-tube heat exchanger 13 is equipped with burner 10 connected to tubes 12. Heat exchanger tube space is filled with dispersed material 17 with particle size of 3-10 mm. Inlet of pyrolysis gas discharge means 20 is connected to pyrolysis reactor 5 while its outlet is connected to tube space of heat exchanger 13. Inlet of condenser 26 is connected to pyrolysis reactor jacket 14 connected to heat exchanger tubes 12. Solids intake is composed by grinder 31, magnetic separator 42, micro grinder 44 connected to solids discharge system 40, air blast apparatus 49 connected with cyclone reactor 33 equipped with vortex burner 52 with atomiser 48 arranged at its axis. Cyclone 59, air blast apparatus 60 and electrostatic separator 62 are connected to cyclone reactor 33. Gas outlet of bag filter 66 is connected to heat exchanger burner 10. EFFECT: higher quality of soot, lower power consumption and reduced harmful emissions. 1 cl, 1 dwg


Fanconi Anemia is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by various inborn abnormalities and severe genetic instability, which may lead to bone marrow failure and increased incidence of cancer. One possible explanation for this genomic instability may be the cellular hypersensitivity to oxidative stress, leading to chromosomal breaks. The goal of our study was to explore the possible oxidative damage caused by H2O2 to telomeres of Fanconi Anemia (FA) lymphocyte cell line, HSC536/N and its possible relation to carcinogenesis. We surmised that combination of oxygenative damage to telomere function with Overexpression of telomerase may provide a model for malignant transformation in those cells. The cells were grown in the presence of hTR anti-sense (GRN163) and exposed for one month to hydrogen peroxide combined with a variety of antioxidants. One month of exposure caused marked shortening of telomere (TRF) length (measured by Southern blot), and damage to the single stranded overhang of the telomere [using the newly developed telomeres oligonucleotide ligation assay (T-OLA)]. The telomere and single stranded overhang shortening was associated with significant telomere dysfunction (assessed by karyotype analysis). Control cells did not exhibit this sensitivity to H2O2. Telomere dysfunction did not evoke damage response in FA cells, in contrast to normal p53 up regulation in control cells. Reconstitution of telomerase activity protected FA telomeres from further oxygenative damage. Several antioxidants prevented the H2O2 exerted damage. Based on our data we suggest a model of malignant transformation in FA in which oxidative stress led to a significant shortening of the overall length of the telomere and the single stranded overhang, thus causing telomere dysfunction. P53 mediated damage control was absent in these cells, preventing apoptosis or cycle arrest. Reconstitution of telomerase activity further stabilizes the damaged telomeres preventing crisis and forming the basis for future carcinogenesis. The differential effects of the antioxidants and the significance of our findings to malignancies will be discussed.


Classical subtalar arthrodesis is not advisable in children less than 12 years of age. Extra-articular fusion was suggested by Grice (1952) who obtained successful fusion and correction of valgus deformity by inserting grafts from upper tibia into the sinus tarsi. Brown 1968), and Seymour and Evans (1968) reported a much simpler operation using fibular graft to transfix the talus and calcaneum. It was a modification of Grice's procedure as originally suggested by J. S. Batchelor of Guy's Hospital, London. Six years experience with Batchelor's technique, in 50 children suffering from post-polio paralytic valgus instability, is reviewed in this presentation.


This study examined the reliability of a tennis stroke classification and assessment platform consisting of a single low-cost MEMS sensor in a wrist-worn wearable device, smartphone, and computer. The data that was collected was transmitted via Bluetooth and analyzed by machine learning algorithms. Twelve right-handed male elite tennis athletes participated in the study, and each athlete performed 150 strokes. The results from three machine learning algorithms regarding their recognition and classification of the real-time data stream were compared. Stroke recognition and classification went through pre-processing, segmentation, feature extraction, and classification with Support Vector Machine (SVM), including SVM without normalization, SVM with Min–Max, SVM with Z-score normalization, K-nearest neighbor (K-NN), and Naive Bayes (NB) machine learning algorithms. During the data training process, 10-fold cross-validation was used to avoid overfitting and suitable parameters were found within the SVM classifiers. The best classifier was achieved when C = 1 using the RBF kernel function. Different machine learning algorithms' classification of unique stroke types yielded highly reliable clusters within each stroke type with the highest test accuracy of 99% achieved by SVM with Min–Max normalization and 98.4% achieved using SVM with a Z-score normalization classifier.


A clear account of the development and the scope of the sonnet form in Britain from its introduction by Sir Thomas Wyatt in the early 16th century to its later use by Milton in the17th century, with reference to its importance for the 19th and 20th century poets.


In this series of short clinical articles, a selection of cases treated with the Begg technique is described. It is hoped that the records shown will prove of particular interest as they illustrate the results of treatment many years after retention.


Summer months have been particularly quiet in Spain in terms of private and public antitrust enforcement. With extra time to reflect, the brand new unified Spanish Competition Authority (Comision…


The Autonomous Acquisition Simulator System (AAS) is a modular real time image processing system that is currently being developed by the Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation (FACC) for the U.S. Army Night Vision & Electro-Optics Laboratory (NV&EOL). As a cooperative effort between FACC and NV&EOL, the AAS Program has as its primary objectives, the development of a flexible real time image processing algo-rithm simulation device that may be used as a tool for the evaluation of artificial intelligence and image processing algorithms for application to tactical systems over the next few years. This paper summarizes the operational and system requirements for a testbed that would function as such a simulation device. The architecture of both the hardware and software designs for the AAS are then described in the context of resulting data structures and computational requirements for implementing these algorithms in real time. Also included is an approach for providing a compiler level language as a highly desirable feature to facilitate the development of software for implementing new algorithms.


High-mobility wireless communications have received a lot of attention in the past few years. In this paper, we consider angle-domain Doppler shifts compensation scheme to reduce the channel time variation for the high-mobility uplink from a high-speed terminal (HST) to a base station (BS). We propose to minimize Doppler spread by antenna weighting under the constraint of maintaining radiation efficiency. The sequential parametric convex approximation (SPCA) algorithm is exploited to solve the above non-convex problem. Moreover, in order to save the RF chains, we further exploit the idea of antenna selection for high-mobility wireless communications. Simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed studies.


High energy positron beams are an important tool for fixed-target experiments searching for new particles produced in the annihilation on atomic electrons of a target. The status of existing or planned infrastructures is reviewed.


We propose a method to accelerate the joint process of physically acquiring and learning neural Bi‐directional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) models. While BRDF learning alone can be accelerated by meta‐learning, acquisition remains slow as it relies on a mechanical process. We show that meta‐learning can be extended to optimize the physical sampling pattern, too. After our method has been meta‐trained for a set of fully‐sampled BRDFs, it is able to quickly train on new BRDFs with up to five orders of magnitude fewer physical acquisition samples at similar quality. Our approach also extends to other linear and non‐linear BRDF models, which we show in an extensive evaluation.


2 INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Genetics and conservation 3 1.1.1 Hybridisation 3 1.1.2 Population Genetics 5 184.108.40.206 Small Populations 5 22.214.171.124 Population structure and landscape genetics 8 1.2 The current study 10 1.2.1 The aims of the current study 15 CHAPTER TWO – Species distribution modelling 17 2.1 Abstract 17 2.2 Introduction 17 2.3 Aim 24 2.4 Method 24 2.4.1 Data 24 2.4.2 Interpolation methods 26 18.104.22.168 Model 1 – Inverse Distance Weight 26 220.127.116.11 Model 2 – Spline with barrier 27 188.8.131.52 Model 3 – Kriging 27 22.214.171.124.1 Model 3A 28 22.214.171.124.2 Model 3B 28 2.4.3 Habitat model 28 2.5 Results 29 2.5.1 Interpolation models 29 2.5.2 Habitat model 35 2.6 Discussion 36 2.7 Conclusion 40 CHAPTER THREE – DNA sampling, species distributions and 41 cohabitation observations 3.1 Abstract 41 3.2 Introduction 41 3.3 Aim 45 3.4 Method 45 3.4.1 Motel design 45 3.4.2 Site locations 46 184.108.40.206 Established motels 46 126.96.36.199 New motels 49 3.4.3 Checking motels 51 3.4.4 Active searching and additional methods 52 3.4.5 DNA Sampling 52 3.4.6 Distribution analysis 55 3.5 Results 55 3.6 Discussion 77 3.7 Conclusion 85 CHAPTER FOUR – Hybridisation 86 4.1 Abstract 86 4.2 Introduction 86 4.3 Aim 90 4.4 Method 90 4.4.1 Sampling 90 4.4.2 DNA extraction 94 4.4.3 Microsatellite markers 95 220.127.116.11 Microsatellite genotyping 95 184.108.40.206 Genotyping protocol 96 184.108.40.206 Microsatellite marker suitability 96 126.96.36.199 Microsatellite data analysis 97 220.127.116.11 Morphological and genetic data comparison 99 18.104.22.168 Replicates 99 4.4.4 Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 99 220.127.116.11 Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequencing 100 188.8.131.52 PCR product cleaning protocol 100 126.96.36.199 Sequencing PCR protocol 100 184.108.40.206 Sephadex protocol 101 184.108.40.206 Sequencing protocol 101 188.8.131.52 Mitochondrial sequencing data analysis 101 4.5 Results 102 4.5.1 Microsatellite data analysis 102 4.5.2 Mitochondrial DNA analysis 109 4.6 Discussion 111 4.6.2 Recommendations for conservation 117 4.7 Conclusion 118 CHAPTER FIVE – Mating behaviour and hatching success 119 5.1 Abstract 119 5.2 Introduction 119 5.3 Aim 123 5.4 Method 123 5.4.1 Sampling of individuals 123 5.4.2 Husbandry 125 5.4.3 Mating observations 126 188.8.131.52 Motion sensor cameras 126 18.104.22.168 Observations in person 127 126.96.36.199 Analysis 131 126.96.36.199 Returning individuals 132 5.4.5 Offspring fitness 133 188.8.131.52 Egg conditions 133 220.127.116.11 Analysis 133 188.8.131.52.1 Winter and watering method 135 126.96.36.199.2 Parentage 137 5.5 Results 137 5.5.1 Mating observations 137 22.214.171.124 Copulation 137 18.104.22.168 Female resistance 138 188.8.131.52 Male effort 139 126.96.36.199.1 Count data 139 22.214.171.124.2 Duration data 140 126.96.36.199 Interaction overviews 141 5.5.2 Egg hatching success 147 126.96.36.199 Winter and watering method 147 184.108.40.206 Parentage 149 5.6 Discussion 152 5.7 Conclusion 163 CHAPTER SIX – Population and landscape genetics of H. ricta 164 6.1 Abstract 164 6.2 Introduction 164 6.3 Aim 168 6.4 Method 168 6.4.1 Sampling and DNA extraction 168 6.4.2 Microsatellite genotyping 168 6.4.3 Microsatellite data analysis 169 6.4.4 Landscape genetics 172 188.8.131.52 Genetic distance 172 184.108.40.206 Geographic distance and habitat resistance 173 18.104.22.168 Isolation by distance or resistance analysis 175 126.96.36.199 Principal co-ordinate of neighbouring matrices (PCNM) 177 and variance partitioning 18.104.22.168 Mantel and partial mantel tests 178 6.5 Results 178 6.5.1 Cluster analysis 178 6.5.2 Population genetic diversity 183 6.5.3 Population genetic differentiation 189 6.5.4 Landscape genetics 190 188.8.131.52 Banks Peninsula 192 18.104.22.168.1 PCNM 192 188.8.131.52.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 193 126.96.36.199 North Western sites: Population sample one 194 22.214.171.124.1 PCNM 194 220.127.116.11.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 194 188.8.131.52 North Eastern sites: Population sample two 195 220.127.116.11.1 PCNM 195 188.8.131.52.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 196 126.96.36.199 Central Western sites: Population sample three 197 22.214.171.124.1 PCNM 197 126.96.36.199.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 197 220.127.116.11 Central Eastern sites: Population sample four 198 188.8.131.52.1 PCNM 198 126.96.36.199.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 199 126.96.36.199 Southern sites: Population sample five 199 220.127.116.11.1 PCNM 199 22.214.171.124.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 200 6.6 Discussion 200 6.6.1 Recommendations for conservation 211 6.7 Conclusion 211 CHAPTER SEVEN – Population and landscape genetics of 213 H. femorata 7.1 Abstract 213 7.2 Introduction 213 7.3 Aim 216 7.4 Method 216 7.4.1 Sampling and DNA extraction 216 7.4.2 Microsatellite genotyping 218 7.4.3 Microsatellite data analysis 218 7.4.4 Landscape genetics 219 188.8.131.52 Genetic distance 219 18.104.22.168 Isolation by distance and resistance analysis 219 126.96.36.199.1 Canterbury regional analysis 219 220.127.116.11.2 Banks Peninsula analysis 221 126.96.36.199 Principal co-ordinate of neighbour matrices (PCNM) 221 and variance partitioning 126.96.36.199 Mantel and partial mantel tests 221 7.4.5 Habitat fragmentation and genetic diversity 221 7.5 Results 222 7.5.1 Cluster analysis 222 7.5.2 Population genetic diversity 228 7.5.3 Population genetic differentiation 232 7.5.4 Landscape genetics 233 126.96.36.199 Isolation by distance and resistance 233 220.127.116.11.1 Canterbury regional analysis 233 184.108.40.206.1.1 PCNM 233 126.96.36.199.1.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 235 22.214.171.124.2 Banks Peninsula analysis 235 220.127.116.11.2.1 PCNM 235 22.214.171.124.2.2 Mantel and partial mantel tests 236 184.108.40.206 Habitat fragmentation and genetic diversity 237 7.6 Discussion 241 7.6.1 Recommendations for conservation 249 7.7 Conclusion 252 DISCUSSION 254 8.1 Hybridisation 254 8.2 Population genetics 262 8.3 Conclusion 267


Abstract. Damanik RIM, Hanum C, Sembiring LJ. 2023. Response of various growth regulators and shade intensity to the growth of arabica coffee seedlings of Sigarar Utang variety. Nusantara Bioscience 15: 85-89. The productivity of Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) of the Sigarar Utang variety in Indonesia is still relatively low, especially in Simalungun District, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia. Growth regulators and shade are some factors that must be considered in nurseries. This research aims to determine the best growth regulators type and shade intensity for Arabika coffee seedling growth. The experiment was conducted from March to June 2022 in Nagori Ujung Bawang, Simalungun District, and the Central Laboratory of Agriculture Faculty, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, North Sumatra. The study used a Split Plot design of 2 factors and 3 replications. The first factor (main plot) consists of 4 levels, namely 0, 50, 70, and 90% shade intensity. The second factor (sub-plot) consists of the three growth regulator treatments, i.e., auxin, cytokinin, and the combination of auxin and cytokinin. The results showed that the interaction between shade intensity and growth regulators had a significantly different effect on increasing root length. The shade treatment significantly affected plant height, leaf area, and total chlorophyll content of leaves. However, it did not affect the stem diameter. A shade intensity of 90% significantly increased plant height, leaf area, and total chlorophyll content of leaves.


TO THE EDITOR: In the United States, the use of unconventional medicine is widespread and increasing. Eisenberg and colleagues [1] estimated that in 1990, approximately $2 billion was spent on vitamin and commercial diet supplements. The authors suggested that physicians should elicit information on unconventional therapies and medicines when taking patients' medical history. Even when such a history is taken, however, physicians may not have information on the efficacy and safety of these alternative medications. Shark cartilage is one such medication that has been in the media spotlight and is available as a food supplement [2]. We evaluated a 57-year-old man who presented with a 3-week history of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and anorexia. He took no prescription medications but began taking shark cartilage dietary supplements 10 weeks before hospitalization. Because of a change in the odor of the supplements, he stopped taking the supplements a few days before his symptoms began. He smoked one pack of cigarettes per day but denied using alcohol or drugs. He had no history of blood transfusions. His physical examination showed a low-grade fever, jaundiced skin, scleral icterus, and mild tenderness of the right upper quadrant. The patient's liver had a smooth edge and was estimated to have a 12-cm diameter. Notable laboratory values were an aspartate aminotransferase level of 319 U/L (normal, 0 to 45 U/L), an alanine aminotransferase level of 404 U/L (normal, 3 to 36 U/L), an alkaline phosphatase level of 430 U/L (normal, 30 to 125 U/L), a total bilirubin level of 12.9 mg/dL, and a direct bilirubin level of 6.8 mg/dL. The patient's evaluation included ultrasonography of the right upper quadrant and computed tomography of the abdomen, both of which yielded unremarkable results. Results of hepatitis serologic tests, as well as tests for antinuclear antibody, ferritin, and acetaminophen levels were also unrevealing. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography showed no abnormalities. The patient was discharged with the presumed diagnosis of drug-induced hepatitis. A follow-up examination, done 6 weeks after discharge, showed normal liver function. To date, no reports have linked shark cartilage supplements with hepatitis. Although this case cannot indisputably prove the association, it does make a case for greater scrutiny of dietary supplements. Because such supplements are not tightly regulated, we encourage physicians to report any possible adverse reactions.


The outcome of spontaneous intracranial hypotension has been unpredictable. The results of initial MRI were correlated to outcome of treatment in 33 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A good outcome was obtained in 25 (97%) of 26 patients with an abnormal MRI vs only 1 (14%) of 7 patients with a normal MRI (p = 0.00004). These findings show that normal initial MRI is predictive of poor outcome in spontaneous intracranial hypotension.


Introduction: Carbapenems are a broad-spectrum class of beta-lactam antibiotics, which are used in treatment of multi-drug resistant infections. Unfortunately, global emerging and spreading of carbapenemase, especially New Delhi metallo β lactamase 1 ( bla NDM-1 ), is a concern in the treatment of multi drug-resistant agents. Here, we report the appearance of bla NDM-1 producing Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in Iran for the first time. CasePresentation: Inthisstudy,2 bla NDM-1 producing E.coli strainswereisolatedfrom2burnwoundsofpatientsintheMotaharihos-pital, Tehran. The isolates were resistant to carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem) and other common antibiotics except nitrofurantoin. Combined Disk Test showed that the isolates could not produce bla AmpC and bla KPC carbapenemase, whereas theycanproducemetallo- β -lactamases(MBL).However,geneticdetectionusingPolymeraseChainReactionamplificationwithspe-cific primers for bla KPC , blaI MP , bla VIM-1 , bla VIM-1 – bla VIM-37 , and bla NDM-1 genes showed that only the bla NDM-1 gene is amplified from the resistant isolates. Further sequencing of PCR products confirmed the presence of the bla NDM-1 gene in these isolates. Conclusions: The emerging of bla NDM-1 producing E. coli is a new threat for to the health system in Iran, due to the spreading of the bla NDM-1 gene among pathogenic bacteria, which resulted in the emergence of multi drug resistant photogenes. Therefore, early identification of these isolates is mandatory. mediums, and also oxidase test, confirmed the identity of isolates as E. coli strains. Antibiotic susceptibility test of the isolates by disk dif-fusion method for carbapenems including imipenem, IMP (10 µ g), meropenem, MEM (10 µ g), and ertapenem, ERP (10 µ g) showed that the isolates are resistant to the antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of imipenem and meropenem (Jaber Ebne Hayyan Phar-maceutical Company, Iran) were determined as 8 and 64 µ g/mL, respectively, by the microdilution method. Fur-thermore, the isolates were resistant to several


The software of ANSYS was used to analyze the earthquake resistance of a plant monolith of the some hydro project. With the software, the dynamic calculation model of a plant monolith of a power station in river channel was established. Both solution of the model and response spectrum analysis were simple. The result is intuitionistic, complete and accurate. With the software of ANSYS applied, complicated hydraulic structure was calculated and analyzed by finite element method, which was a beneficial trial.


Chemokine receptor CXCR6 mediates the chemotaxis and adhesion of leukocytes to soluble and membrane‐anchored forms of CXCL16, and is an HIV‐1 co‐receptor. Here, we describe the effects of mutation of acidic extracellular CXCR6 residues on receptor function. Although most CXCR6 mutants examined were expressed at levels similar to wild‐type (WT) CXCR6, an N‐terminal E3Q mutant was poorly expressed, which may explain previously reported protective effects of a similar single nucleotide polymorphism, with respect to late‐stage HIV‐1 infection. In contrast to several other chemokine receptors, mutation of the CXCR6 N terminus and inhibition of post‐translational modifications of this region were without effect on receptor function. Likewise, N‐terminal extension of CXCL16 resulted in a protein with decent potency and efficacy in chemotaxis and not, as anticipated, a CXCR6 antagonist. D176N and E274Q CXCR6 mutants were unable to interact with soluble CXCL16, suggesting a critical role for D176 and E274 in ligand binding. Intriguingly, although unable to interact with soluble CXCL16, the E274Q mutant could promote robust adhesion to membrane‐anchored CXCL16, suggesting that soluble and membrane‐bound forms of CXCL16 possess distinct conformations. Collectively, our data suggest a novel paradigm for the CXCR6:CXCL16 interaction, a finding which may impact the discovery of small‐molecule antagonists of CXCR6.


This paper presents a modified PWM half-bridge DC/DC converter that can achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS) and can operate under current or voltage mode control. The proposed topology operates with complementary-control (asymmetrical duty cycle) and utilizes unbalanced transformer secondary windings and a low output inductance value to achieve an improved bandwidth and load transient response compared to the active clamp forward converter. Self-driven synchronous rectifiers are used to increase efficiency. The operation of the converter is discussed, along with a comparison to the balanced secondary topology and the active clamp forward converter. A method is presented to eliminate synchronous rectifier gate drive voltage stress caused by asymmetrically unbalanced gate drive waveforms. In addition, an averaged switch large signal model is presented for the converter. Simulation results are presented for a converter operating at 400 kHz, with a 48 VDC nominal input and a 5 VDC/5 A output.