A ten-item questionnaire containing various descriptions of school-related characteristic which have been found to adversely affect pupils academic performance was administered on 809 teachers and 1012 students of secondary schools from ten randomly selected states in Nigeria. The respondents ranked the characteristics in terms of their degree of effect on pupil academic performance. The result showed that lack of resource materials for teaching, instructional strategies, teacher shortages and teachers' attitude to work were rated more highly than other characteristics. The result further showed that while the teachers considered lack of resource materials for teaching as having the greatest degree of effect on pupils academic performance, the students on the other hand considered poor instructional strategies as having the greatest degree of effect on pupil academic performance. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND LITERATURE On attaining Independence status as a nation in 1960 what seemed a major concern to most Nigerian leaders then was how education would be accessible to all citizens of the newly created nation. Education was seen as the necessary instrument immediately and essentially for the consolidation of the independence, for securing the new nation against neocolonianism and for making workable the newly established self government in a multi-ethnic society. Mass education, at least to the level of literacy, was also seen by the Nigerian leaders to be necessary to create a proper foundation for a democratic government (cf.Best, 1984) . The desire to use education for nation building was (and is still) very compelling and so much was the faith in education that the schools of the nation were not only meant for political socialization but also for other social functions and for economic growth. To achieve these goals Universal Primary Education (UPE) was introduced nationwide in 1976, although hitherto this has been practiced in some parts of the country. Toward the end of the second decade of achieving nationhood status, therefore, Nigeria witnessed a phenomenal expansion at all levels of her education. * Gratitude is due to the University of Ilorin Senate Research Grant Committee for making available the funds for this research project. Despite the laudable motives which seemed to justify the very "high cost of the expanded education programme of the late 1970s, (the expansion which is still proving very difficult to cope with) the schools in Nigeria are not really effective engines for the diverse functions for which they are set up. The performance of the schools as attested to by the academic performances of the students especially at the secondary school level have been rather very disappointing. The situation actually tends towards threatening the future of the nation. The reports of the many studies and surveys (for example, the 1980-1984 Statistics of Education by the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos ; the report published in the Times Publication (Nigeria) of September 15, 1985 and the one in the Nigerian Guardian of February 2, 1990) and the many editorials in many Nigerian dairy newspapers all point to the academic performances of Nigerian secondary school students which have been on the decline for some times now. This declining trend has been causing a lot of concern and fears in various governmental quarters since the reports conclude that the nation is heading for the breeding of generations of illiterate Nigerians. The failure of Nigerian schools is thus indicating that the health and the well-being of the nation's society may be in jeopardy. The literature on poor academic performance by school pupils reveals as causes factors related to personal characteristics of pupils (Thompson & Standford, 1975; Reinhart, 1976 and Belkin, 1981) and factors related to the pupils' environment the school and the home (Liitle & Thompson, 1983). In support of the pupil environment as a factor in academic achievement Maclean (1966) and Little and Thompson, (1983) note that the difficulties resulting in failure by the pupils may not necessarily lie with the child but with the educational system and in particular the school. Lockheed and Komenan (1989) report that if we control for the student background, school characteristics have significant effects on academic achievement and that in many cases the effects of the school characteristics are greater than the effects of family background. According to Wehlace and Rutter (1984) although a number of study findings reveal that academic failures are caused by factors related to the social, family and personal characteristics of the pupils, however, these results have been negligible in the obvious implications they carry for shaping school policy and practice. They were therefore of the opinion that research efforts should be better focused on understanding the characteristics of the school and how these affect the student performance rather than trying to identify factors which are least amenable to change. They further argue that search efforts continue to focus on the relatively fixed characteristics or attributes of the studentsthe effect of such research efforts may tend to absolve schools from blames for their lack of success with the pupil academic performance. The issues therefore are: What are these school-related characteristics or factors which adversely affect pupil academic performance? How do these characteristics rate in order of the degree of their effects on pupil academic performance? How would the teachers and the students rate these characteristics in order of the degree of their effects on pupils academic performances? In an attempt to explore these issues the study reported below was carried out.


Raw silk generally has to pass production process inspection and type inspection before being exported.The inspections consume huge man power and resouces.In this paper is introduced the "t" inspection based on mathematical statistics principle by use of 205 batchs of raw silk products produced in Guangxi Huajia silk company to study the difference and relationship of their production process inspection and type inspection to provide a theoretical basis for the export inspection and quarantine supervision of raw silk products.Conclusion: the difference of the two inspection methods is not significant,but the production process inspection is more comprehensive,more accurate and can reflect the real quality of raw silk.


Describes activities in integrating the desktop computer with the telephone system (computer-telephony integration, or CTI). CTI is but one step in the evolution to a seamless and interoperable integrated telecommunications and computer infrastructure, and this may arrive surprisingly soon, enabled by some recent technological developments.


Top macro theme(s):  The calm before the storm (p.2): CPI inflation eased somewhat in February (8.5% y/y vs 9.4% y/y in January), but it may be the lowest reading of CPI inflation this year. Despite the prolonged anti-inflationary shield, CPI inflation may enter a double-digit territory and exceed 9% on average in 2022. Policy wise, the MPC will continue rate hikes cycle until clear signs of economic slowdown appeared (we think they will stop the cycle after May).


A subgroup H of a group G is called malnormal in G if it satisfies the condition that if g ∈ G and h ∈ H , h ≠ 1
such that g h g − 1 ∈ H , then g ∈ H . In this paper, we show
that if G is a group acting on a tree X with inversions such
that each edge stabilizer is malnormal in G , then the
centralizer C ( g ) of each nontrivial element g of G is in a
vertex stabilizer if g is in that vertex stabilizer. If g is
not in any vertex stabilizer, then C ( g ) is an infinite cyclic
if g does not transfer an edge of X to its inverse. Otherwise,
 C ( g ) is a finite cyclic of order 2.


Oseibo and ochugen are gift-giving traditions in Japan during winter and summer, respectively. The Japanese distribute gifts to friends, relatives, and others who have helped them during the year. Such practices play an important role in lubricating relationships, including those between patients and physicians. During these seasons, physicians' offices often fill with colorfully wrapped boxes containing a variety of gifts. At other times, patients or family members may leave another type of gift, the orei—10,000 yen ($100) or more of cash in an unmarked envelope. This token of appreciation is often provided in advance of major surgical procedures.1 What are the effects of such practices, and how should physicians respond?

Having been born and raised in Japan before moving to the United States for college and medical school, I consider myself bicultural and bilingual. Because I am a clinician in San Francisco, which has a large Japanese community, a proportion of my practice is composed of families from Japan. Many such families continue the gift-giving practice, leaving boxes of chocolates or rice crackers that I routinely distribute to staff in my office. Although no one has ever left envelopes of cash, I have become increasingly uncomfortable about receiving personal and expensive gifts—for example, clothing for my child and a fine bottle of sake (Japanese wine).

How do such gifts affect my relationships with patients? I don't keep track of which families have brought what gifts and which haven't. My patient care manners usually reflect how overbooked I am. Yet, I am beginning to wonder, do I treat some families differently? Do I spend more time with them? And what do staff, other patients, and my trainees perceive? Just as important, what are the motivations for families to bring gifts? Is a gift a simple sign of appreciation, or is something expected in return? Could it be to ask for fair treatment in a society dominated by a majority culture and the English language?

For a health care provider, the space between a giver's gratitude and a receiver's obligation can be narrow and murky. Yet, refusing a gift born out of cultural tradition can be interpreted as impolite. In fact, gift sharing may reinforce a sense of community. A sensible compromise may be to adopt the purposefully vague recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and attempt to appreciate appropriate gifts and graciously refuse those that are not: "Under most circumstances, gifts have a far more symbolic than material value. For most pediatricians, accepting modest gifts does not involve a serious conflict. In fact, a refusal of a gift may constitute a social or cultural affront."2


Information obtained by merging data extracted from problem reporting systems - such as Bugzilla - and versioning systems - such as Concurrent Version System (CVS) - is widely used in quality assessment approaches.
 This paper attempts to shed some light on threats and difficulties faced when trying to integrate information extracted from Mozilla CVS and bug repositories. Indeed, the heterogeneity of Mozilla bug reports, often dealing with non-defect issues, and lacking of traceable information may undermine validity of quality assessment approaches relying on repositories integration.
 In the reported Mozilla case study, we observed that available integration heuristics are unable to recover thousands of traceability links. Furthermore, Bugzilla classification mechanisms do not enforce a distinction between different kinds of maintenance activities.
 Obtained evidence suggests that a large amount of information is lost; we conjecture that to benefit from CVS and problem reporting systems, more systematic issue classification and more reliable traceability mechanisms are needed.


We investigate the magnetic excitations in view of the recent reports suggesting that the spin-wave energy may exhibit a significant dependence on the in-plane strain of a thin film of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$. The nature of dependence, as we find, can be explained naturally within a two-orbital model based on the ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ and ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ orbitals. In particular, as the orbital-splitting energy between the ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ and ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ orbitals increases with compressive strain, the zone-boundary spin-wave energy hardens. However, the hardening persists only until the orbital splitting reaches $\ensuremath{\sim}2$ eV, beyond which there is no significant change. The behavior of zone-boundary spin-wave energy is explained in terms of the extent of hybridization between one of the exchange-split ${d}_{{x}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{y}^{2}}$ bands which is nearly half-filled and the ${d}_{3{z}^{2}\ensuremath{-}{r}^{2}}$ band. The role of second order antiferromagnetic superexchange process involving the interorbital hopping is also discussed.


The cadaver was that of a white male 57 years of age who died of fractures and internal injuries sustained in an accident. On the anterolateral surface of the right kidney, opposite the center of the hilum, an artery 1.5 mm in diameter pierced the renal capsule (fig. 1). The vessel arose from an interlobar artery as the latter began to pass between the pyramids of the kidney (fig. 2). At the inferior border of the kidney it turned sharply medialward. When it reached the psoas major, it coursed caudally over the anterior surface of this muscle, between the fused layers of renal fascia, and anastornosed with the right internal spermatic artery where the latter crossed the anterior surface of the right ureter 6 ern above the abdominal inguinal ring. Inferior to the kidney the anomalous artery gave off several branches which anastomosed with perirenal vessels. It gave rise to minute branches which supplied both the retroperitoneal tissue along its course and the portion of the ureter adjacent to the internal spermatic artery.


In 2002, Lincolnshire County Council carried out works to halt long-term differential settlement to an unusual 700-year-old bridge, situated in the centre of the small market town of Crowland. The chosen solution, following site investigation, allowed the works to be carried out economically and quickly, with no damage to the historic fabric of the bridge or any surrounding archaeological deposits, and minimal disruption to pedestrian and vehicle access adjacent to the bridge. The scheme was recognised for its innovative method of protecting the ancient monument following an award at the Historic Bridge and Infrastructure Awards 2003.


How does a resource become "lived"? If we may play on the etymology for a moment, becoming "lived" means enlivened, to get full of life, to become, to be born. The four chapters of this part tell us how a resource enters the world "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms" (Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7). The bard gets it right, again. The carer of the resource is responsible for nurturing and shaping its potential, helping it to grow, ignoring the unseemly squeaking, and clearing up the spilt milk. On the one hand, Adler shows us how the nurse invests herself into the new life: how does teacher knowledge emerge during events in the classroom? Gueudet and Trouche want us to focus on the nurse's actions in caring for the baby: how do resources become transformed in a particular teacher's hands? Sensevy, on the other hand, wants us to look at the nurse's aims: how are the teacher's actions driven by developing intentions? Mariotti and Maracci ask us to watch the baby itself as it interacts with the nurse and others in the world: how can resources change the way people think and act? The common stance is one of mediation, the transformation of resources by teachers as they are reborn from a prior, relatively fixed state to a new dynamic existence in action in the classroom. I am tempted to play with etymology yet again. Mediation does not derive from media, but in this section we are being asked to pay attention to media. Famously, "the medium is the message" (McLuhan, 1964), or, more appropriately for this context, The Medium is the Massage (McLuhan and Fiore, 1967). Not only the resource but also the form of the resource alter the way it can be used and transformed by a teacher. We are presented with four different ways to conceive of resource mediation. The authors draw heavily on established theory, modifying it for their purpose, and we are left with a strongly grounded feeling. What do the four perspectives offer us? Adler draws on social practice theory to present us with an integrated view. Teacher's knowledge, their access to texts, the classroom environment, the language


Methods, based both on the density functional and on the correlation factor, are analyzed by applying them to the correlation energy calculation of two‐ and four‐electron closed shell atoms; so that only the short range electron correlation is considered. The method based on the correlation factor seems to be more promising than those of the density functional. However, in the present state of development, there are some serious deficiencies that limit their application to atomic and molecular calculations.


Previous woodland-grazing studies reported poor performance of young, growing goats and recommended for supplemental feed. However, not much is known about strategies to supplement lactating animals stocked in woodlands. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and resiliency against gastrointestinal (GI) parasites of lactating does and their kids stocked in woodlands with supplemental grazing or feedstuffs. The study was conducted in six woodland plots and adjacent silvopasture plots were used for supplemental grazing. Seventeen lactating Kiko does with their kids (33) were divided into two groups. Each group was assigned to separate sets of woodland plots and rotated among those plots throughout the study period. One group (Group 1) was allowed to supplemental grazing in adjacent silvopasture plots for 3-4 hours daily and another group (Group 2) was supplemented with ad libitum hay and corn (0.5% of metabolic weight). Animal performance data (live weight, FAMACHA score, and body condition score (BCS)) were collected at the beginning after a 5-day-adjustment period, fortnightly during the study, and at the end. Vegetation samples from woodland and silvopasture plots were collected and analyzed for biomass and quality (CP, ADF, NDF, TDN). Fecal samples were collected and analyzed for GI parasites from animals having FAMACHA score 3 and higher. Animal performance and forage quality data were analyzed using GLM procedure, forage biomass data using Mixed model, and fecal egg-count data using the non-parametric (NPAR1WAY) procedure in SAS 9.4. Silvopasture produced greater biomass (60%) with higher quality (p< 0.0001) vs. woodland. Group-1 does showed better FAMACHA score and less prevalence of GI-parasite infestation vs. Group-2 does (p< 0.05). Group-1 kids had lower coccidia count vs. Group-2 kids (p< 0.05). In conclusion, supplemental grazing was better for resiliency against GI parasites in lactating does and young kids than supplemental feeding.


To the Editor: I would like to comment upon the article by L. Christensen and Ray Irvine, Jr., "Pathogenesis of Primary Shallow Chamber Angle Closure Glaucoma" (Arch Ophthal 75 :490, 1966). The operation suggested by Drs. Christensen and Irvine has been described by Scott and Smith in the British Journal of Ophthalmology as "Retrolental Decompression" ( 45 :654, 1961). The drainage fluid derived from this surgical procedure is obtained from the capsulohyaloid sinus which lies anterior to the anterior hyaloid membrane. This might be considered basic biomicroscopy and can be readily demonstrated. Since the fluid contained in the posterior vitreous cavity (PVC) differs from that of aqueous in the posterior chamber, this fluid cannot be derived from the aqueous. The lens aqueous diaphragm moves forward because aqueous in the capsulohyaloid sinus pushes against the lens periphery (in a circumferential girdle of 3 mm), not because of "aqueous lakes" within the vitreous.


Software defined networking (SDN) reshapes the ossified network architectures, by decoupling the control plane and data plane. Due to such a decoupling, SDN assumes that rules issued by the control plane are always correctly enforced by the data plane. However, this assumption breaks as an adversary can prevent the data plane from enforcing the rules, by exploiting the vulnerabilities of switch OS and control channel. The serious consequence is that packets may deviate from their original paths, thereby violating critical security policies like access control. To this end, this paper introduces rule enforcement verification (REV), which enables the controller to check whether switches have correctly enforced the rules that it issues. Since using message authentication code (MAC) can incur heavy switch-to-controller traffic, we propose the compressive MAC, which lets switches compress MACs before reporting to the controller, thereby significantly reducing the bandwidth cost. Finally, we propose a heuristic flow selection algorithm, which allows the controller to verify much less flows for rule coverage. We implement REV based on Open vSwitch with DPDK, and use experiments to show: (1) by using compressive MAC, REV achieves a 97% reduction in switch-to-controller traffic, and an $8\times $ increase in verification throughput; (2) by using the heuristic flow selection algorithm, REV can reduce the number of flows to verify by 40%–60%.


In addition to difficulties that affect movement, many adults with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience changes that negatively impact on receptive aspects of their communication. For example, some PD patients have difficulties processing non-verbal expressions (facial expressions, voice tone) and many are less sensitive to 'non-literal' or pragmatic meanings of language, at least under certain conditions. This chapter outlines how PD can affect the comprehension of language and non-verbal expressions and considers how these changes are related to concurrent alterations in cognition (e.g., executive functions, working memory) and motor signs associated with the disease. Our summary underscores that the progressive course of PD can interrupt a number of functional systems that support cognition and receptive language, and in different ways, leading to both primary and secondary impairments of the systems that support linguistic and non-verbal communication.


This paper proposes an explicit approach to optimal sizing of the integrated renewables and energy storage system in islanded microgrids, where the economic impacts of uncertainty (concerning stochastic nature and forecasted error uncertainty of the system) management are completely investigated. To quantify the uncertainty degrees at different time scales, two types of indices (i.e. electricity supply excess state probability index and electricity supply deficit state probability index) are proposed from the perspectives of system planning and operation. Moreover, the concerned problem is formulated as a bilevel mixed-inter nonlinear programming model to counterbalance the uncertainty and its induced cost at both planning and operation stages. Numerical simulations exhibit the merits of the proposed model and algorithm by analyzing the impact of various factors on sizing results.


PREFACE INTRODUCTION PART ONE I. AT THE CROSSROADS OF TRADITIONS: PAUL CELANOS NATIVE CENTEXTUALITY The Region Where Books and People Lived An Alexandrian Constellation The Conscious Traditionalists Paul Celan: Poems of a Double Bind PART TWO II. RESONANCES OF THE NIGHT Configurations of Love, Bitterness, and Tulips Ballads of an Extinct World A Crown of Thorns III, PAUL CELANOS POETICS OF SEDUCTION The Roumanian Intermezzo A Dream about Dreams Sand and Memories Backlight PART THREE IV. INNOVATION AND REPETITION Count the Almonds Words as Weapons Roots in the Air Eastersmoke V, GRAVE-WELLS IN THE WIND: RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PAST IN CELANOS SCHNEEPART NOTES INDEX OF NAMES AND TOPICS INDEX OF PAUL CELANOS POEMS AND PROSE


This paper expands on a procedure to arbitrage mispriced assets against the benchmark provided by the Security Market Line, but using only separation portfolios to put up a feasible portfolio with the same beta as the mispriced asset and the least total risk among other alternative portfolios. Coming next, such arbitrage is dealt directly with one single separation portfolio, which grants that the total risk linked with the arbitrage portfolio equals the non-systematic risk conveyed by the mispriced asset.


The adapted sign-propagation algorithm presented recently by Kouwen for inference with a qualitative probabilistic network has been designed to handle a single observation at a time. Renooij has proposed an adapted algorithm for propagating multiple observations by entering them sequentially and combining the results of the successive propagations, but it still generates unnecessary weakness in multiply connected network. We demonstrate that both approaches are complementary, and propose a new integrated qualitative probabilistic inference algorithm that will provide for stronger results upon inference with multiple observations.


Abstract : Since the year 2000, the United States Navy has spent an average of half a billion dollars over the congressionally approved budget for shipbuilding. Additionally, most experts project that in order to meet the Chief of Naval Operation's goal of a 313 ship Navy, the annual ship building budget will have to increase by about two thirds. Exacerbating this problem is the rising cost of maintaining the current inventory of ships. The U.S. Navy has long used a requirements driven maintenance program to reduce the number of total system failures by conducting routine maintenance and inspections whether they are needed or not. In order to combat this problem the Navy will inevitably have to turn to a condition based maintenance system. The Non-Intrusive Load Monitor (NILM) is a system that can greatly enhance the ability to monitor the health of engineering systems while incurring a low acquisition cost and low technology risk. This research focuses on the development of a real time user interface for the current NILM architecture in order to provide useful system information to an operator. Additionally, this research has shown that the NILM can be used effectively and reliably, to monitor equipment health, recognize and indicate abnormal operating conditions and casualties and provide invaluable information for training operators, diagnosing problems and troubleshooting. The NILM is an inexpensive and promising platform for monitoring equipment and reducing maintenance costs.


The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on older adults and racial and ethnic minority individuals in the United States. This article reviews a COVID-19 therapeutics trial conducted at the authors' institution to examine the low enrollment of groups particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. They reflect on the potential lack of impact that effective COVID-19 therapeutics may have on mortality if vulnerable groups are not enrolled in trials. Abstract Objectives The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately afflicted vulnerable populations. Older adults, particularly residents of nursing facilities, represent a small percentage of the population but account for 40% of mortality from COVID-19 in the United States. Racial and ethnic minority individuals, particularly Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous Americans have experienced higher rates of infection and death than the White population. Although there has been an unprecedented explosion of clinical trials to examine potential therapies, participation by members of these vulnerable communities is crucial to obtaining data generalizable to those communities. Methods We undertook an open-label, factorial randomized clinical trial examining hydroxychloroquine and/or azithromycin for hospitalized patients. Results Of 53 screened patients, 11 (21%) were enrolled. Ten percent (3/31) of Black patients were enrolled, 33% (7/21) of White patients, and 50% (6/12) of Hispanic patients. Forty-seven percent (25/53) of patients declined participation despite eligibility; 58%(18/31) of Black patients declined participation. Forty percent (21/53) of screened patients were from a nursing facility and 10% (2/21) were enrolled. Enrolled patients had fewer comorbidities than nonenrolled patients: median modified Charlson comorbidity score 2.0 (interquartile range 0–2.5), versus 4.0 (interquartile range 2–6) for nonenrolled patients (P = 0.006). The limitations of the study were the low participation rate and the multiple treatment trials concurrently recruiting at our institution. Conclusions The high rate of nonparticipation in our trial of nursing facility residents and Black people emphasizes the concern that clinical trials for therapeutics may not target key populations with high mortality rates.


1 Metapopulation models predict that unoccupied, but suitable, patches will exist for species subject to extinction and colonization dynamics. We compared the demographic responses of Hypericum cumulicola, a rare herbaceous species almost entirely restricted to Florida rosemary scrub, when transplanted to occupied or unoccupied patches.


DOI: 10.21276/sjams.2018.6.10.67 Abstract: Tuberculosis of penis is extremely rare, comprising <1% cases of genital tuberculosis in male patients. It can be primary or secondary. Tuberculosis of penis presents as superficial ulcer or small nodule on the glans or around the corona with or without inguinal lymphadenopathy. It is often difficult to diagnose the condition because it mimics numerous other diseases like penile carcinoma, syphilitic ulcer, HIV infection and granuloma inguinale. Histopathological examination plays important role in diagnosis of penile tuberculosis. We present a rare case of tuberculosis of penis in a 71 year old male patient who presented as a penile non-healing ulcer. Though penile tuberculosis is rare it should be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of non-healing ulcer over penis.


—During the COVID-19 pandemic, the facemask detection model has become the most important and necessary model. Manually checking whether individuals are wearing facemasks in public and busy places is time-consuming and inefficient, thereby increasing exposure to the virus. Using computer vision and deep learning, we want to create an automated model that recognizes whether people are wearing facemasks. In general, the majority of the publications concentrated on face detection utilizing some models and algorithms. The focus of our study is on determining whether or not people are wearing masks (detecting masks) to aid in the reduction of COVID-19 transmission and dissemination. We have found that there exist many methods to detect faces and masks with more than 90%. We aim to make a deep learning project aimed at achieving above 90% accuracy. We decided to utilize Tensorflow and OpenCV (python) to construct a face mask recognition system using Deep Learning after reading numerous research papers and comparing the accuracy and performance of the different models employed in them. We would use Convolutional Neural Network since it performs better than other models. In addition, we would construct a Keras (Python) model to compare performance with the Tensorflow model.


Objective:To compare PCR-SSP with serological method in the determination of HLA-B27.Methods :120 dubious spondylitis ankylopoietica patients were analyzed for the HLA-B27 by PCR-SSP and serological methods to compare the tow methods.Results:41 samples were positive by PCR-SSP in 43 serological positive samples,while 6 of 8 dubious serological samples were validated positive by PCR-SSP.67 samples were confirmed negative by PCR-SSP from 69 negative samples detected by serological method.Conclusion:PCR-SSP is specific,fast,simple,sensitive and accurate.So it is suitable for batch operation and confirmation of dubious serological samples.


Abstract : This report demonstrates a novel algorithm of radar array processing that was developed at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and named the Scan-MUltiple SIgnal Classification (SMUSIC) algorithm. The algorithm can improve angular resolution of real targets when a single rotatable antenna is used as the sensor. The algorithm is an adaptation and extension of the MUSIC algorithm which requires an array of many sensors. We achieved a resolution of approximately 1/3 of antenna beamwidth for all target orientations and range offsets from experimental data. Previous work that used closely space point targets showed that the results from the SMUSIC algorithm could be degraded because of strong interference between the point target returns. Those interferences occur because of the relative phases of their returned signals. Therefore, there were some limitations of the algorithms for simple targets that consisted of a single scatterer. This new work shows that the limitation does not occur for real targets, which are more complex, such as would be present in Army radar applications.


We have investigated a new class of high refractive index, non-yellowing, viscoelastic optical gels. Refractive indices for these materials can be adjusted from that needed to match fused silica to above nD equals 1.6 to match the higher index engineering glasses, plastics, and semiconductors. These materials are designed for permanent optically clear encapsulation in devices where severe mechanical shock or differential thermal expansion, such as occurs during PCB soldering operations, may render conventional high strength optical epoxies unusable. These low shear stress gels can also be customized to exhibit a wide range of rheological 'stiffness'. We have demonstrated quasi-fluid versions with apparent viscosities of 500,000 cP to hard-rubber-like consistencies registering on the high end of the Shore 00 durometer scale. In this paper, we present measurements of engineering properties on both elastometer-like curing optical gels, and thixotropic non- curing optical gels for: a) optical properties from near UV to near IR: refractive index over temperature, dispersion, and optical absorption; b) rheological properties: viscosity vs. shear rate, Shore hardness and cone penetration. Validation of ultra-low volatility and high temperature thermo oxidative stability required for long-lived photonic devices is discussed. Use of gel technology in fiber splices and photonic devices is described.


Feeding rates of adult Sitona cylindricollis Fahraeus collected at different seasons and maintained at different temperatures and light regimes were compared in the laboratory. Feeding rates were highest for Weevils collected in fall and lowest for those collected in midsummer. Weevils collected in spring and summer ate more when the temperature was 75°F, and fall-collected weevils ate more when the temperature was between 75° and 90°F. Weevils when exposed to complete darkness, but newly emerged weevils collected in July fed significantly more in the dark than in the light. These responses to light corresponded also with their daily period of activity in the field. Results of this study will be applied in the search for resistance in sweet lover.


Abstract— O'kiep, a small town located in the arid to semi-arid Namaqualand region of South Africa is dependent on the Lower Orange River for its water needs, i.e. for domestic and agricultural use. The protection of groundwater resources in this region is important due to water shortages with no peripheral rivers. The town is characterised by an environment with a high proportion of mine tailings and dumps containing sulfidic ores, which can facilitate groundwater contamination. As such, open-pit groundwater (OPGW) samples were collected downstream from a closed metalliferous mine and analysed for physicochemical properties, to evaluate the fitness of OPGW for any potential use. A charge balance error (%CBE) of ±5% was used to interpret the hydrochemical properties of the OPGW, with results indicating that the water is mildly acidic, with a high concentration of SO42-, which suggested sulphide oxidation and weathering of the exposed rocks. Overall, the OPGW was under saturated in terms of metallic species such as Sb, AS, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Ni, Se, V and Zn. Furthermore, when the hydrochemical determinants were compared to national drinking water guidelines, it was determined that the OPGW is not suitable for drinking nor irrigation thus requires treatment prior to utilisation.


This article is devoted to the little-known but important details of a large-scale project of publishing a summarizing work on the life and activities of the post-1917 Russian emigration, named "The Golden Book of the Russian Emigration". This project was conceived in the midst of the Society for the Protection of Russian Cultural Values Abroad in Paris ("OORKTs") that was founded by D. P. Riabouchinsky, a prominent Russian émigré scientist in the field of aero and hydrodynamics, member of the French Academy of Science. In 1961, Riabouchinsky became the Chair of the Special European Executive Committee (Paris) for the Publication of the "Golden Book". The American initiative group for the preparation and publication of the "Golden Book" was set up in September 1961. It was headed by Alexandra Lvovna Tolstaya, the daughter of Leo Tolstoy and president of the Tolstoy Foundation (US).
This article introduces for scientific use the previously correspondence between A. L. Tolstaya and Sergei Mikhailovich Tolstoy, Leo Tolstoy's grandson, a doctor of medicine and deontologist, the author of works in tropical medicine and blood transfusion, who chaired the Special European Executive Committee for the Publication of the "Golden Book" since 1967. This correspondence that covers the period of 1966–1967 is concerned with establishing organizational relations between two centers of Russian dispersion, Paris and New York, and sheds light on the complicated workings of interpersonal relationships of project participants and on some causes of the project's failure. The documents from two "Russian" archives in the USA, the Archive of the Russian Academic Group in the USA and the Archive of the Tolstoy Foundation, were used during the preparation of this article.


Using magnetron sputtering techniques, several thin films of superconducting BiPbSrCaCuO were fabricated by varying the distance between the substrate (single crystal of MgO with polished (100) pla...


Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite was synthesized by a combustion reaction in TiO2-Al-C system. The effect of the compositions in raw materials on the products was investigated. Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite was obtained at the molar ratio of TiO2:Al:C=3.0:5.0 similar to 5.1:1.8 similar to 2.0. The reaction path for the 3TiO(2)-5Al-2C system was proposed. Al3Ti, Ti2O3, TiO, and delta-Al2O3 are found to be transitional phases. Finally, Ti3AlC2/TiC-Al2O3 composite forms at similar to 900 degrees C of furnace temperature. The measured Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, and flexural strength of the nearly dense sample from 3TiO(2)-5Al-2C are 13.3 +/- 1.1 GPa, 5.8 +/- 0.3 MPa(.)m(1/2), and 466 +/- 39 MPa, respectively.


Biological control of pest insects can be improved by providing natural enemies with additional food resources such as floral nectar within the production field. However, herbivores may also benefit from this practice. The aim of this 3‐year field study was to investigate if dill and buckwheat, aimed as food resources for natural enemies, could increase the densities of the cabbage root fly, Delia radicum L. (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), a severe pest on crucifers. Differences in egg density, numbers of pupae and sex ratio were compared between cabbage plots with or without flowers. Habitat manipulation by intercropping flowering plants with cabbage did not increase the overall D. radicum egg density in our 3‐year study, and there were no significant differences in egg numbers between treatments in any year. No effect on the fecundity of D. radicum was observed, most likely because of the high mobility and feeding behaviour of the female flies, combined with high abundance and diversity of other food sources around the fields during this period. Despite equal egg numbers, fewer pupae were found in plots with flowers than without in one of three studied years. This finding suggests that natural enemies attacking larvae and pupae of D. radicum were either more abundant or efficient in cabbage plots with flowers.


Summary The data indicate that upon feeding of carboxyl-labeled sodium acetate, the activity is rapidly incorporated into all portions of the egg. The acetate is utilized immediately and a comparatively small percentage of radioactivity is diverted to the metabolic pool. Steady feeding of labeled material is required in order to maintain a high specific activity in all portions of the egg.


SCALP is a digital computer program to analyze linear timeinvariant networks in the frequency domain. Among the options available are symbolic analysis, the calculation of frequency response, poles, and zeros, and the generation of sensitivity information. The versatility of SCALP is a unique feature not available in many currentanalysis programs.


Study Design. Cross-sectional analysis of long-term follow-up (LTFU) data from 4 randomized controlled trials of operative versus nonoperative treatment for chronic low back pain. Objective. To examine the influence of spinal fusion on adjacent segment disc space height as an indicator of disc degeneration at LTFU. Summary of Background Data. There is ongoing debate as to whether adjacent segment disc degeneration results from the increased mechanical stress of fusion. Methods. Plain standing lateral radiographs were obtained at LTFU (mean, 13 ± 4 yr postrandomization) in 229 of 464 (49%) patients randomized to surgery and 140 of 303 (46%), to nonoperative care. Disc space height and posteroanterior displacement were measured for each lumbar segment using a validated computer-assisted distortion compensated roentgen analysis technique. Values were reported in units of standard deviations above or below age and sex-adjusted normal values. Patient-rated outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index and pain scales. Results. Radiographs were usable in 355 of 369 (96%) patients (259 fusion and 96 nonoperative treatment). Both treatment groups showed significantly lower values for disc space height of the adjacent segment than norm values. There was a significant difference between treatment groups for the disc space height of the cranial adjacent segment (in both as-treated and intention-to-treat analyses). The mean treatment effect of fusion on adjacent segment disc space height was −0.44 SDs (95% CI, −0.77 to −0.11; P = 0.01; as-treated analysis); there was no group difference for posteroanterior displacement (0.18 SDs, 95% confidence interval, −0.28 to 0.64, P = 0.45). Adjacent level disc space height and posteroanterior displacement were not correlated with Oswestry Disability Index or pain scores at LTFU (r = 0.010–0.05; P > 0.33). Conclusion. Fusion was associated with lower disc space height at the adjacent segment after an average of 13 years of FU. The reduced disc space height had no influence on patient self-rated outcomes (pain or disability). Level of Evidence: 2


This paper attempts to clarify the problems which occur in implementation of a large-scale neural network. First, a neural A-D converter with CMOS circuits is designed. Asymmetrical synaptic weights were used to avoid the local minima problem for a neural A-D converter. Furthermore, a chip is fabricated using 4 μm CMOS technology. Its successful action as an A-D converter is verified and some possible causes of misoperation of the present circuit are presented.


The theory of "Wen-qi" nearly rurs through the whole Chinese classical literature . How about its literature vaule? The article will have a research from the origin ,body, style and aesthetic standard of literature.


Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) are extremety sensitive detectors for the measurement of magnetic flux. In particular the high critical temperature SQUIDs, which can be operated at liquid nitrogen temperature with easy cryogenic requirement, are well suited for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of cracks and corrosion which result from the machining process or aging of electrically conductive structures. The main characteristics of SQUIDs as eddy-current NDE sensors are: high sensitivity even in unshielded environments, a large frequency range of operation which allows the detection of surface and subsurface flaws and high spatial resolution. We performed magnetic field measurements on the eddy-current double-D inducing coil. used in many NDE experimental systems. and on 200 x 100 x 4 mm 3 Al plates with a 6mm surface-breaking hole using high critical temperature SQUIDs in unshielded environments. The sensitivity to the anomalous magnetic field related to the defect along the three spatial directions is discussed in terms of unperturbed magnetic field distributions due to the eddy-current source.


One way to develop a system of academic information using applications Free Open Source (FOS) that are circulating. Academic information system developers need to determine the appropriate FOS used to develop academic information system based on the criteria required and reliability of FOS. One way to help decisionmaking can be used MADM models using AHP and TOPSIS. In this study, applying a comparative analysis of the two methods, the method of AHP and TOPSIS with analytical testing calculations used to compare the three-applications FOS Academic Information System, Campus Academic Information System (Siakad), Academic Information Systems Integrated (Sikadu), as well as SISFOKOL to develop academic information systems.


The goal of this study is to investigate consumer food shopping behavior in terms of food shopping frequencies at open-air markets, from hawkers, and in supermarkets. The study uses primary data collected in urban Ghana in 2011. The present paper contributes to the development of methods for analysis of consumer food shopping behavior by considering the correlation between different food retail formats in an emerging African economy. Results of multivariate ordered probit model indicate that open-air markets still dominate the food supply system in urban households of Ghana, and the food shopping frequency in open-air markets is not significantly related to other food retail stores. While the food shopping frequency in supermarkets and from hawkers are found to be significantly positive. The study also provides insights about the joint distribution and conditional distribution of food shopping frequency in these retail outlets, providing valuable practical knowledge to both public sectors and private organizations.


of or explicit) the ofL2 processes involved in (e,g,, semantic processing, noticing, and metalinguistic reflection) This reports the results of a study EF[[. (English as a Foreign and examines


Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) are specialized hardware accelerators for deep learning developed by Google. This paper explores the performance of TPU with a focus on AI and its implementation in edge computing. It first provides an overview of TPUs, specifically their design in relation to neural networks, their general architecture, compilation techniques and supporting frameworks. Furthermore, we provide a comparative analysis of Cloud and Edge TPU performance against other counterpart chip architectures. It is then discussed how TPUs can be used to speed up AI workloads. The results show that TPUs can provide significant performance improvements both in cloud and edge computing. Additionally, we address the need for further research for the deployment of more architectures in the Edge TPU, as well as the need for the development of more robust comparisons in edge computing.


A long-term research and simulation methodology based on simulated human neurons is presented. One medium-term goal of this methodology is described; a software games agent that integrates vision and language in a biologically plausible manner will be developed. An implementation of a prototype vision system and the proposed topology of this agent is described. Part of the methodology is to address difficult neuro-theoretical problems; this proposed system will address the symbol grounding problem. Symbols will be grounded by the agent's interactions with


Concrete, a strong, durable material composed of cement, aggregate and water, is the most used building material in the world. Concrete has an ultimate load bearing capacity under compression but the material is weak in tension. That is why steel bars are embedded in the concrete for the structures to carry tensile loads. The steel reinforced bars take the load when the concrete cracks in tension. On other hand the concrete protects the steel reinforced bars from the environment and prevents corrosion. However, the cracks in the concrete form a major problem which affects the durability of the structures. Here the ingress of water and chloride ions takes place and deterioration of the structure starts with the corrosion of the steel. To increase the strength and durability of the structure either the cracks that are formed should be repaired conventionally using epoxy injection or latex treatment or by providing extra reinforcement in the structure during the design phase to ensure that the crack width stays within a permissible limit. This extra reinforcement is only needed for durability reasons (to keep the crack width small) and not for structural capacity. Especially with current steel prices on rise providing extra steel is not economically viable. Main reason to prevent cracks or limit crack width is to enhance the durability of the structure. If in some way a reliable method could be developed that repairs cracks in concrete automatically (self healing), this would increase and ensure durability of the structure enormously. On the other hand it would also save a lot of money, time and energy. Investigations have shown that the bacteria Bacillus pasturii can be used for improving the resistance of concrete to alkali or sulphate attack, drying shrinkage etc., which will increase the strength and durability of concrete. However, not much investigation is reported in India for producing bacterial concrete using Bacillus subtilis. Keeping this in view, the present experimental investigations are taken up to study the strength characteristics in ordinary grade concrete and standard grade of concrete with and without addition of bacteria Bacillus subtilis JC3. The utilization of fly ash in concrete as partial replacement of cement is gaining immense importance, mainly on account of the improvements in the long term durability of concrete combined with ecological benefits. Technological improvements in thermal power plant operations and fly ash collection systems have resulted in improving the consistency of fly ash. To study the effect of partial replacement of cement by fly ash, studies have been conducted on concrete mixes by replacing cement content by 10%, 20% and 30% with fly ash. In this investigation the effect of fly ash on compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength are studied. INTRODUCTION Concrete is a construction material that is used worldwide because of its first rate properties. However, the drawback of this material is that it easily cracks due to its low tensile strength. Cracks can occur during any stage of a life of a concrete structure. They can be due to concrete material itself as in the case of volume instabilities or due to external factors such as external loading, harsh environmental exposure, poor construction procedures or design error. There cracks have many negative effects on mechanical performance and durability of concrete structures. The development of concretes which can automatically regain this loss of performance is very desirable. Along these lines, self healing of cracked concrete is often studied phenomenon. Experimental investigation and practical experiences have demonstrated that crack in cementitious materials have the ability to seal themselves rapid crack healing is necessary since it is easier for substances to ingress into concrete through cracks than through the concrete. It is known that it is costly to inspect, monitor and repair cracks, monitor and repair cracks. Moreover, some repair methods currently used are not so sustainable. The chemical and physical process of self healing of cracks in concrete has been previously investigated by other researchers. The effects of self healing by crack width, water pressure, pH of healing water, temperature, water chloride concentration and concrete composition have been discussed by many researchers. For autogeneous healing to occur, the following reasons have been cited. Further hydration of un reacted cement, expansion of concrete in the cracks flanks (swelling), crystallization (calcium carbonate), closing of cracks by solid matters in the water (impurities) and closing of cracks by spilling of loose concrete particles resulting from cracking. Among these reasons, most researchers has indicated that the crystallization of calcium carbonate within the cracks was the mechanism self healing of mature concrete. Therefore, it would be desirable if concrete cracks could be healed autonomously by releasing healing agents inside the matrix when cracks appear International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 13, Number 15 (2018) pp. 11857-11870 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com 11858 In 1885, an American engineer named William LeBaron Jenny became the creator of the modern skyscraper when he realized that an office building could be constructed using totally different materials. He chose structural steel and incorporated it into a revolutionary system that was to make possible the soaring office towers that mow symbolize the modern metropolis. Two technological developments, the elevator and modern metal frame construction, removed the prevailing limitations on the height of the buildings, and the race for tallness was on. In 1913, the Woolworth building was the first to reach 60stories, soaring up 732 ft (242 m) in lower Manhattan. This Gothic cathedral style building is still in vigorous use after 70 years of service and the installation of conditioning and automatic elevators. The demand for tall buildings increased because large corporations recognized the advertising and publicity advantages of connecting their names with imposing highrise office buildings even though their operations required a relatively small percentage of floor space. The collapse of the financial market during the depression put an end to speculative high rises, and only in the late 1940s in the wake of world war2 did a new era of high rise building set in addition to the stimulus of new resources provided by technology was the spur of necessity, with the population doubling in almost every generation and production growing at an even faster pace, developers could scarcely keep up with the demand for space. SELECTION OF REPAIRS PROCEDURES Based on the careful evaluation of the extent and cause of cracking procedures can be selected to accomplish one or more of the following objective:  Restore or increase strength  Restore or increase stiffness  Improve functional performance  Provide water tightness  Improve appearance of the concrete surface  Improve durability and  Prevent development of corrosive environment at reinforcement. Self healing bacterial concrete Self healing bacterial concrete refers to a new generation of concrete in which selective concentration by microbiologically induced CaCo3 precipitation has been introduced for remediation of micro cracks. Self healing concrete could solve the problem of concrete structure deteriorating well before the end of their service life. The bacterial remediation technique can be used for repairing structures of historical importance to preserve the aesthetic value, and conventional technique, such as epoxy injection cannot be used to remediate cracks in those structures. Its prospective application include remediation of surface cracks and fissures in various structural formations, in base and sub base stabilization and surface soil consolidation. Incorporating living matter into structural concrete material to enhance its strength and durability performance is a great innovation. This can be done in two ways. The first way will see bacteria in water with nutrients are used as mixing water for concrete preparation. The second way will see the bacteria and food nutrients dissolved into a liquid that is sprayed onto the surface of the concrete from where it can seep into the crack. Most of the works done on this subject have clearly indicated that bio mineralization of some specific bacteria with urease activity is mainly responsible for the enhancement of mechanical properties of modified cement sand mortar and depend on type of mineral precipitating bacteria, cell concentration of the bacteria, age and environmental conditions (moisture, temperature e.,). Bio mineralization Natural processes, such as weathering, faults, land subsidence, earthquakes and human activities create fractures and fissures in concrete structures and historical monuments. These fractures and fissures are detrimental since they can reduce the service life of the structure. In case of monuments and buildings of historic importance, these cracks tend to disfigure and destroy the structure. Use of synthetic agents such as epoxies for remediating these structures will reduce the aesthetic appearance of the structure. Therefore a novel technique for remediating damaged structural formation has been developed by employing a selective microbial plugging process, in which microbial metabolic activities promote calcium carbonate (calcite) precipitation is shown in figure 2.1. The technique is called microbiologically induced crack remediation (MECR). This technique comes under a broader category of science called bio mineralization. It is a process by which living organisms from inorganic solids, bacterial deposition of a layer of calcite on the surface of the specimens resulted in a decrease in capillary water intake and permeability towards it. Th


OBJECTIVES
To explore the predictive value of subjective social status (SSS-US and SSS-Community) on readiness to quit among 245 homeless smokers.

METHODS
Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted (stratified by sex).

RESULTS
Higher SSS-US (p = .02) and SSS-Community (p < .001) predicted greater readiness to quit in the total sample. These relationships upheld for men (p's <. 01), but only SSS-Community predicted readiness to quit for women (p = .02).

CONCLUSIONS
Higher SSS is associated with greater readiness to quit among homeless smokers. SSS-Community may be a more relevant index of SSS for women relative to SSS-US. Results suggest SSS may be a factor that contributes to smoking, disease, and health disparities.


The human-computer interaction community has a long tradition of conducting research in healthcare settings. We conducted a systematic review of how race is defined and discussed in healthcare-focused HCI research. Beginning with an initial set of 514 articles drawn from two major HCI venues, we applied exclusion criteria resulting in a data set of 29 articles. We found considerable variation in definitions of race across articles, with some focusing on physical appearances, others on sociocultural differences, and still others not providing any explicit definition of race. This variation was further reflected in the method used to identify participants race and the level of specificity used in categorizing participants' race and ethnicity. Additionally, many articles engagement with race and racial disparities in minor ways, with some articles proposing racial equity as an avenue for future work without attending to race in their current investigation. Finally, we found that most articles studied patients and end users, leaving unexamined the practices and perspectives of healthcare practitioners and institutions. We conclude with suggestions advocating greater clarity and consciousness around race, racism, and racial disparities in healthcare focused HCI research.


There is an equivalence between stiff and singularly perturbed systems of ordinary differential equations. This feature is exploited in this paper by numerically employing recent singular perturbation methods to attack troublesome boundary layer stage of the solution in which some variables have very short response times. The numerical method affords a means of essentially determining the thickness of this boundary layer. The algorithm is capable of high stability and accuracy for the commonly occurring stiff system, whether or not it is in singularly perturbed form. Application to a singularly perturbed reaction system and a highly stiff reactor system not in singularly perturbed form demonstrate the effectiveness and utility of this approach.


The aim of the review is to characterize Listeria monocytogenes as one of the most dangerous microbial contaminants in foods. A survey of methods for its detection is given. Molecular genetic methods and immunoassay techniques are recognized as promising methods for Listeria monocytogenes screening in food samples. A list of commercially available kits is presented.


An acousto-optical system which diffracts or modulates light passing through a crystal of Tl3AsSe3 by means of sound waves in the crystal is disclosed. Sound waves are generated in the crystal by means of a transducer connected to an RF generator. The acousto-optical system may be in the form of a display device, a laser modulator, or other devices. An acoustic delay line using a crystal of Tl3AsSe3 is also disclosed.


The paper puts forward some new ideas and managerial measures for establishing a scientific and reasonable bookshelf arranging method for the periodicals, forming a knowledge organizing system with the mutual connection in the contents and stronger logicality, providing the readers with a scientific database for the retrieval of the periodical information, and increasing the efficiency of the service for readers of university library.


Stacks ofcornstovermade withahighdensity McKee Stacker andwithanaverage drymatterweightof 1206 kgwere harvestedon the farmand individually coveredwithplasticsheets. Anhydrous NH3 from an ammoniatank-wagonwas then injected into the stacks at 2%, 3%, and 4% levels of ammoniation (on a dry matter basis). Significant improvements in both the crude protein content of the corn stover and invitro digestibility ofdry matter were obtained after 30 days of treatment at all three levels of ammoniation.


This research was supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation. J. C. Baird is a Alfred Sloan Research Fellow.


As an application of radio waves in the ocean, we investigated a position estimation system underwater. In this report, numerical calculation is performed in the kHz band for estimating the position of the diver. Since seawater is a highly conductive loss medium, it propagates along the path with the minimum propagation loss, suggesting that it becomes a lateral wave. We also showed that the position estimation is possible using the received power strength.


1 Dept of Biochemistry, Gajra Raja Medical College and J.A. Group of Hospitals, Gwalior (M.P.), India 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Army College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India *Corresponding Author Reetika Shrivastava Email: email@example.com Abstract Objective: Knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disorder and a leading cause of pain and functional disability among elderly female population or in postmenopausal phase of females. Osteoarthritis is now considered as a low grade inflammatory condition. VCAM-1 is an inducible cell surface glycoprotein and mediates heterotypic cellular aggregation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the role of soluble VCAM-1in knee osteoarthritis among postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: The present study includes 100 postmenopausal women of age 50 years or above with clinical symptoms of knee osteoarthritis as cases and 100 normal healthy female age matched individuals as controls. CRP was assayed in serum by using latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay method. Soluble VCAM-1 and estrogen were estimated by ELISA method in all 200 subjects. Statistical analysis was made by student independent sample t-test. Correlation was determined by using spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Result: The serum level of soluble VCAM-1 was found statistically highly significantly increased (p<0.001) while estrogen was found highly significantly decreased (p<0.001) in postmenopausal women with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis as compared to control healthy subjects. CRP was also found significantly increased in postmenopausal women with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis as compared to control healthy subjects. A correlative study showed significant negative correlation between VCAM-1 and estrogen hormone while positive correlation between VCAM-1 and CRP in postmenopausal women with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Conclusion: The increased levels of soluble VCAM-1 showed an active inflammation or cartilage damage. Thus, it can be used as a biomarker for the assessment of onset of osteoarthritis.


Growers can plant soybean [Glycine max( L.) Merr.] with a grain drill or row crop planter, which can affect seed and weed control costs and yield. Farmers planted soybean with a grain drill in 0.19 m rows and a row crop planter in 0.38 and 0.76 m rows at recommended (420,000 seeds ha ) and reduced (321,000 seeds ha) seeding rates in two field-scale studies in New York to obtain agronomic information and conduct partial budget analyses to aid growers in future planter purchase decisions. Soybean intercepted more light in 0.19 (65-70%) compared with 0.76 m rows (50-55%) at flowering, despite lower early plant establishment (~70 and ~85%, respectively) at both locations. At the no-till location, soybean in 0.76 m rows compared with narrower rows had greater weed density at full pod stage (19.7 vs. 6.3 and 5.1 plants m) and biomass at harvest (13.7 vs. 6.6 and 7.3 g m), but similar yield (~3.30 Mg ha). At the chisel tillage location, soybean in 0.19 m rows at 420,000 seeds ha yielded more (4.27 Mg ha) than other row spacing by seeding rate combinations (4.15 to 4.01 Mg ha). Partial budget analyses indicated that soybean in 0.19 m rows at 420,000 seeds ha had ~$30 ha increased profit compared with 0.76 m rows at 321,000 seeds ha. Partial budget analyses indicated that for farms without a grain drill the 4% yield advantage offsets costs of purchasing and owning a grain drill and added seed costs at present market and seed price.


Significance Applying artificial intelligence tools to a highly complex question of immunology, we show that a deep neural network can learn to predict the patterns of chromatin opening across 81 stem and differentiated cells across the immune system, solely from the DNA sequence of regulatory regions. It does so by discovering ab initio the binding motifs for known master regulators, along with some unknown ones, and their combinatorial operation. These predictions validated biochemically, and a mouse-trained neural network predicts human enhancer/promoter activity much better than sequence comparisons would. Beyond serving as a trove of testable functional frameworks, this work is important in showing how massively complex integrated questions of immunology can be handled with such tools. Although we know many sequence-specific transcription factors (TFs), how the DNA sequence of cis-regulatory elements is decoded and orchestrated on the genome scale to determine immune cell differentiation is beyond our grasp. Leveraging a granular atlas of chromatin accessibility across 81 immune cell types, we asked if a convolutional neural network (CNN) could learn to infer cell type-specific chromatin accessibility solely from regulatory DNA sequences. With a tailored architecture and an ensemble approach to CNN parameter interpretation, we show that our trained network ("AI-TAC") does so by rediscovering ab initio the binding motifs for known regulators and some unknown ones. Motifs whose importance is learned virtually as functionally important overlap strikingly well with positions determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation for several TFs. AI-TAC establishes a hierarchy of TFs and their interactions that drives lineage specification and also identifies stage-specific interactions, like Pax5/Ebf1 vs. Pax5/Prdm1, or the role of different NF-κB dimers in different cell types. AI-TAC assigns Spi1/Cebp and Pax5/Ebf1 as the drivers necessary for myeloid and B lineage fates, respectively, but no factors seemed as dominantly required for T cell differentiation, which may represent a fall-back pathway. Mouse-trained AI-TAC can parse human DNA, revealing a strikingly similar ranking of influential TFs and providing additional support that AI-TAC is a generalizable regulatory sequence decoder. Thus, deep learning can reveal the regulatory syntax predictive of the full differentiative complexity of the immune system.


Abstract : Important mechanical properties of clear, straight-grained wood of 23 species are tabulated, along with coefficients of variation. These property estimates can be used to match up species with kind of material needed for a specific job, or to search for substitutes for a presently used species. Some of the species appear, with allowable properties, in two published plywood manuals. There are no similar hardwood lumber stress grades, but standard methods exist for generating them, should interest develop.


Temperature is one of the important factors influencing microbial fermentation.Different pit-entry temperature and different temperature change trend in pits have different effects on liquor quality and liquor yield.In this study,the temperature at different spatial location in pits was monitored by using digital pit thermometer through repeated times,then temperature change curve was described and the relative mathematical model was established.The results showed that pit-entry temperature and temperature change trend in pits were obviously influenced by environmental temperature,and temperature change curve in pits was basically in accord with the description by traditional experience(rise slowly in prior stage,keep stable in medium stage,and decline slowly in late stage) except for the first production turn,and eighth order Gaussian function curve model had satisfactory fitting effects on temperature data,which was very close to the initial data of each production turn or at each spatial location with the difference merely in specific parameters.


ABSTRACT This paper examines a shift in the value awarded to the disciplinary knowledge developed in universities. The instrumentalised function of this type of knowledge as it is 'priced' and sold in the global higher education marketplace is given a value greater than that given to its symbolic or 'priceless' function in contributing to society's social meanings. This shift in value is the result of the intensive commodification of knowledge in the higher education sector itself as a consequence of fundamental changes to the global economy. Knowledge now plays a central role as a valuable productive force in the global economy and higher education is the main site for its production and sale. The weakened insularity between disciplinary knowledge's symbolic and economic functions gives greater value to its 'price' rather than to its 'priceless' function as a creative force in creating the social meaning of the symbolic sphere of human life. We describe the way this shift in the value of disciplinary knowledge has affected its functions in the 'knowledge economy' era with reference to an empirical study of the internationalisation of Indonesian higher education.


Objective To compare the clinical observation early postoperative complications after bronchial sleeve resection and pneumonectomy of 12 cases of elderly lung cancer patients. Methods Retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 12 cases of lung cancer patients over the age of 70 who accepted bronchial sleeve resection and pneumonectomy and had been admitted to our hospital's surgery department from July,2010 to July,2012. Results Compared to the control group, the observation group patients' bronchoscope suction number was significantly more,the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion For elderly patients with lung cancer, bronchial sleeve resection and pneumonectomy both do not affect the incidence of early postoperative complications significantly,The risk factor of postoperative arrhythmia is preoperative poor lung function.


Dear Editor, We read with interest the paper by Conforti et al entitled "COVID-19 and psoriasis: is it time to limit treatment with immunosuppressants? A call for action." In their letter, the authors wonder whether this is the most appropriate time to start immunosuppressive therapy with conventional or biological antipsoriatic treatments, such as cyclosporine (CsA), methotrexate and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha blockers. Indeed, they fear that the immunosuppressive effect of these drugs might increase the risk of infectious complications and promote the spreading of COVID-19 infection in patients with psoriasis. Although we agree that currently the COVID-19 rate risk in immunosuppressed is largely unknown, we should like to raise a few points. First, drugs may exert additional effects in addition to their known function. To cite one, the calcineurin inhibitor CsA, affecting the function of many members of the cyclophilin family, is able to block the replication of coronaviruses (CoV) of all genera. However, its potential clinical application as anti-CoV therapeutic remains limited by its immunosuppressive effects. Methotrexate, if used in low, noncytotoxic concentrations, is not able to inactivate antigen presentation by dendritic cells. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the main death cause of COVID-19. Pathophysiology of COVID-19 shows that a release of large amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-1-beta, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, IL-33, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta) and chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10) occurs in patients with severe disease. Such "cytokine storm" is one of the main causes of ARDS. In severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)CoV-1, an infection caused by SARS-associated CoV, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are upregulated and induced by SARS-CoV spike protein via nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway. Receptors for the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha have been hypothesized as promoters of pathogenesis of SARS-CoV. IL-6 in serum is expected to predict the severity of COVID-19, thus there are perspectives on the use of an immunosuppressant, the monoclonal antibody against the receptor for IL-6, as potential therapeutic intervention for COVID-19. There is current evidence for possible clinical benefits of corticosteroids in critical patients, although there is no clinical guideline for their use. In conclusion, there is a complex interplay between viral replication and host immune response also in COVID-19. Because of the absence of cases analyzed, more studies need to evaluate the risk of immunosuppression in patients exposed to COVID-19. Immunosuppressive monotherapy, target therapy, and absence of significant comorbidities could be associated to a lower risk. Presently, a case-bycase assessment seems more appropriate than stopping the ongoing treatments or undertreating the patients with severe psoriasis.


Consideration of a common assumption in the theory of weak stability of linear multistep methods for ordinary differential equations leads to the study of a class of linear multistep methods with mildly varying coefficients. It is well known that, in the case of constant-coefficient methods, optimal stable methods suffer from weak instability. Corresponding methods of the new class, of step-number 2 and 4, which do not suffer from weak instability are derived. 1. Introduction. The general linear multistep method for the numerical solution of the initial-value problem


As humans we are capable of many kinds of violence. In his book, Violence, prejudice and sexuality, Tomsen draws our attention to the extreme performance of a particular kind – violence against hom...


HE MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED malignant T tumor in New York State (exclusive of New York City) is cancer of the female breast. Approximately 5 per cent of all women may be expected to develop this disease.1 In women, it is almost twice as frequent as any other type of cancer. As Haagensen states, cancer of the breast is one of the great diseases with which physicians have struggled since time immemorial, and in this country it is the leading cause of death for women between the ages of 40 to 60 years, the annual mortality exceeding 17,000. It is impossible to determine the exact, or even the approximate, toll that this disease causes annually in the broader fields of defect and disability, but the toll in death alone is certainly sufficient to justify more intensive studies on the subject.


The cooling water outfall at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, California, discharges heated water at an offshore sea-bed through multiport nozzles which are angled seaward. After 15 years (1974 through 1989) of monitoring the impacts of the outfall, the California Coastal Commission attributed this system to creating excessive turbidity near the discharge zone and thereby impacting a nearby kelp bed through diminished sun light reaching the sea floor. Our new analysis, herein reported, shows this conclusion to be less than complete. It found that the light level at the sea-bed around the outfall has actually increased, rather than decreased, by virtue of the upwelling effect generated by the unique discharge mechanism of the diffusers. Offshore transport of the diluted effluent at the surface gave rise to shoreward drift of cool and clear offshore water at sub-surface, enhancing light penetration to the sea floor in a broad shallow-water zone including the outfall and the nearby kelp bed. The Coastal Commission study had focused narrowly on the turbidity-enhancing function of the plume, instead of taking a broad view of the entire nearshore circulation system of which the plume was only a part. The designers of the diffusers, by incorporating energetic initial mixing capacity, plus seaward and upward momentum in the discharge jets, had anticipated the occurrence of an upwelling system in which the cool and more transparent offshore water will arrive underneath the mixed surface layer.


Classroom management continues to be a serious concern for teachers and especially in urban and diverse learning environments. The authors present the culturally responsive classroom management practices of two teachers from an urban and diverse middle school to extend the construct, culturally responsive classroom management. The principles that emerged in this study included the importance and centrality of teachers' (a) understanding equity and equality, (b) understanding power structures among students, (c) immersion into students' life worlds, (d) understanding the Self in relation to Others, (e) granting students entry into their worlds, and (f) conceiving school as a community with family members. The authors conclude the discussion with implications for teachers and researchers.


The subject of the research is a set of institutional institutions and organizational and managerial relations that effectively regulate the financial and investment environment in the EU countries, comparing them with Ukrainian realities.The goal of writing this article is to develop practical and scientific-methodicalrecommendations on how to increase the efficiency of using financial and investment potential based on the experience of EU countries. The methodology of thework-system-structural and comparative studies (to understand the logic of thefunctioning of institutions that form the investment environment and the mechanisms of their interaction); monographic analysis (in studying the problems ofattracting investors); historical and economic analysis (in assessing the state andprospects of the European, as well as the Ukrainian economy). Results of work -it is revealed that modern European regulators are aimed at forming a holisticinvestment and financial infrastructure and investment platform at the supranational level. It was proposed to carry out further liberalization of currency regulation in Ukraine in order to transform it into a convenient and efficient electronicautomated currency exchange system and introduce the integration of the domestic depository system into the international depositary clearing system Clearstream.It was noted that the financial and investment environment in Ukraine is blockedand domestic monopolies are interested in this, thanks to lobbying in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and in the executive branch they have distorted financial,investment and currency legislation for their interests and needs. Conclusions-thepresence of a holistic investment and financial infrastructure in the EU countriesis due to the gradual convergence and unification of legislation at the nationallevel to the supranational level. In addition, it is reasonably high investment positions of Ireland in the world and it was proposed to use this experience to createa favorable financial and investment environment in Ukraine. Note that the formation of the financial and investment environment in Ukraine according to European standards is hampered by: oligarchic monopolies, which parasitizes mainly onnatural monopolies; government corruption; confusing and incomprehensible legislation for investors; high tax rates and tax administration system; instability ofthe banking system, the risks of hryvnia devaluation; the insecurity of landagrarian relations; as well as armed conflict in the east of Ukraine.


Most often, patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) are treated conservatively, but in some forms of CP associated with impaired outflow of pancreatic juice, surgical treatment is the method of choice. One of the indications for surgical treatment is virsungolithiasis, in particular, impacted stones of the Wirsung duct. With such a pathology, they resort to internal drainage operations (pancreatojejunostomy according to Duval or Puestau), virsungoplasty or endoscopic removal of stones.


Abstract At first sight, The Chronicle History of Perkin Warbeck seems to be the only one of Ford's plays that is not pointedly and openly concerned with sexual deviation; in contrast to his other plays, it presents a cast of characters who are models of sexual rectitude. Sometimes, however, dogs that do not bark can be as significant as ones that do. This paper argues that Perkin Warbeck actually encodes a trangressive sexuality so subversive that its traces are hidden deep within the fabric of the play, visible only to a reading that historicizes Ford's work within very specific contexts and connects the play with the Buggery Statute.


The objective of this project is to understand how information design– specifically informative illustration– can contribute to producing concept sketches for a science-fiction/puzzle game called S ...


We report a study of the Mott insulator La$_2$O$_3$Fe$_2$Se$_2$ by means of $^{139}$La nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR). The NQR spectra evidence a single La site in the paramagnetic phase and two inequivalent La sites, La1 and La2, in the antiferromagnetically-ordered phase (Neel temperature $T_{\rm{N}} \simeq 90$ K). These two sites are characterized by different quadrupole couplings, indicative of distinct lattice and/or charge configurations likely segregated in domains. The dependence of the quadrupole coupling for La2 on temperature suggests that the magnetic order parameter drives the structural distortion. The nuclear spin-lattice and transverse relaxation rates, $1/T_1$ and $1/T_2$, evidence fluctuations in the paramagnetic phase with characteristic frequencies well below the Heisenberg exchange frequency, likely associated with nematic fluctuations.


Objective To evaluate the protective effects of MCI-186(edaravone) on the heochromocytoma-derived cell line(PC12 cells) induced by amyloid beta protein(Aβ25-35).MethodsThe cell model of Alzheimer′s disease(AD) was set up by means of inducing PC12 cells with Aβ25-35.Survival rate of PC12 cells was detected by MTT assay,and scavenging effect of ·OH was determined with CuSO4-PHEN-VitC-H2O2 biochemiluminescence system.Results The median inhibitory concentration(IC50) of Aβ25-35 inhibiting PC12 cells growth was 29.76 μmol/L,at which the maxium inhibitory rate of PC12 cells growth was found at 36 h.Aβ25-35 at concentration of 30 μmol/L inducing PC12 cells for 36 h could develop an ideal AD cell model.MCI-186 in a concentration of 20 μmol/L had the strangest effect for quenching ·OH generated by Aβ25-35 and protecting the AD cells.ConclusionMCI-186,a novel free radical scavenger,has an neuroprotective effect,which may be through inhibiting ·OH produced by Aβ25-35.


In this Letter, two novel types of synchronization called lag generalized projective stochastic perturbation synchronization (LGPSS) for chaotic systems with different order are introduced. The problems of reduced order (RLGPSS) and increased order LGPSS (ILGPSS) for different chaotic systems with fully unknown parameters are considered in detail. By combining the adaptive control method and feedback control technique, the suitable controllers and parameters update laws are derived to achieve RLGPSS and ILGPSS of chaotic systems. Moreover, the unknown parameters can be efficiently estimated according to a rigorous and systematic scheme. The corresponding simulation results are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods.


Recent studies have shown that the mere exposure effect under subliminal conditions is more likely to emerge for implicit attitudes than explicit attitudes. We tested whether the implicit effects of subliminal mere exposure could spill over to the explicit level by depleting self-control resources. Participants were subliminally exposed to a novel female photograph. Then, implicit and explicit attitudes toward an exposed and an unexposed photograph were measured. This basic design was crossed with a cognitive load manipulation, which should deplete the capacity of self-control resources (low cognitive load vs. high cognitive load). Results showed that the subliminal mere exposure effect occurred for not only implicit attitudes but also explicit attitudes when participants' cognitive resources were depleted in the high cognitive load condition. In contrast, when cognitive resources were not depleted, the subliminal mere exposure effect only emerged for implicit attitudes. These findings support the contention that self-control failures could facilitate implicit effects of subliminal mere exposure toward the explicit level.


An inductive charging apparatus (1) for motor vehicles comprises a loading plate (10) and means (20) for displacing the loading plate (10). The latter comprise at least one air bladder (21) for displacing the loading plate (10) which at the loading plate (10) acts in the vertical direction.


Next step in power scaling of low quantum defect resonantly cladding-pumped Er-doped LMA fiber laser is reported. Over 88 W of single transverse mode power at 1590 nm was obtained with optical-to-optical efficiency of 69%.


What is the central question of this study? Transition to supine posture induces an inspiratory load associated with cortical activation in awake healthy subjects. Some obstructive sleep apnoea patients exhibit this cortical activity in the sitting position contributing to the arousal‐dependent compensation of their upper airway abnormalities. Does a transition to the supine posture in awake obstructive sleep apnoea patients increase this cortical activity? What is the main finding and its importance? The transition to supine posture induces a reduction in the cortical activity despite evidence of an increase in genioglossus activity, suggesting that genioglossus activation is not driven by cortical activity.


Discontinuities in rock mass are the characteristic challenge of rock tunnel engineering projects, which have a vital impact on rock mass exposures' mechanical and hydrological characteristics. There is a growing demand for predicting the fracture maps during tunnel excavation to ensure a smooth tunnel excavation process. The computer vision measurement of fractures in the tunnel surface is a current hot spot, but the traditional statistical analysis methods for fractures are still mainstream. This paper uses a novel perspective of the time‐space sequence to explain the continuously exposed rock mass during tunneling. A spatial‐aware recurrent neural network is proposed, which takes the historical fracture maps as the input to predict the unexcavated part. The experimental results suggest that the proposed model produces reliable performance and is superior to the other two state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models. Moreover, the test on the site rock tunnel data suggested promising results for fracture map predictions.


An analysis of the pseudoscorpion material from Croatia has supported the
 elevation of two taxa to full species rank: Chthonius (Chthonius) pagus n.
 sp. and Roncus navalia n. sp., both from Dalmatia; Croatia. Most diagnostic
 characters of the analyzed species are thoroughly described or figured. Some
 taxonomic interrelationships and features of geographic distribution have
 also been briefly discussed. Both studied taxa, which currently inhabit a
 cave on the Island of Pag in Dalmatia (Croatia), are probably endemics and
 relics of the Tertiary period. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije,
 br. 173038]


The present investigation was carried out with the purpose of reducing the Accident
index which will allow us to verify compliance with the management system in
occupational safety and health, preventing and controlling risks to mitigate the
generation of accidents at work and diseases professionals in the activities carried
out in the area of construction. Based on the taking of pertinent actions to minimize
the impact of these, reducing absenteeism, work stress, overload, staff turnover and
in turn to comply with the legal requirements established by the Ministry of Labor in
accordance with Decree 1072 of 2015; This guarantees the company a safe work
environment for its workers and thus obtain maximum performance in each of the
activities programmed in Work.


The discipline of psychology has historically been based upon Western, Eurocentric perspectives on human behavior. Critical theory has played a central role in pushing psychology out from its insularity and perceived objectivity. This chapter examines the role of critical pedagogist Paolo Freire and liberation psychologist Ignacio Martín-Baró in the shaping of a multicultural perspective within psychology that has revolutionized the way that psychologists understand and treat mental health conditions. Freire and Martín-Baró gave voice to the marginalized and disenfranchised and pushed psychologists to engage in their own conscientization of their history and complicitness in perpetuating oppression. Implications of their work are examined in light of their contributions to theoretical underpinnings, clinical diagnosis, and treatment approaches.


A short review of oscillator noise theory development is presented. Two types of harmonic oscillators are considered in the review: quartz crystal oscillators and voltage controlled oscillators. Development of the noise theory in connection with steady-state operation theory and stability theory is discussed from the early stages to modern state. Three basic characteristics are considered for each type of the oscillator output power, tuning range, PM-AM noise. Connections between these characteristics for each type of the oscillators are considered and discussed. Methods of the oscillators noise analysis are classified. The advantages and shortcomings of each method are analyzed and the areas of their application for oscillator development and design are discussed.


Medicinal plants are being used widely, either as single drug or in combination in health care delivery system Hemidesmus indicus R.Br, also popularly known as 'Anantmul'in Marathi ' Sariva' in Sanskrit and 'Indian sarsaparilla' in english is a semi erect shrub belonging to family Asclepiadaceae. It is widely distributed throughout India.It contains various phytoconstituents belonging to the category glycosides, flavonoids, tannins, sterols and volatile oils. It is traditionally used in skin disorders, dysentery, diarhhoea, syphilis, dyspepsia, leucoderma burning sensation, chronic fever and asthma,leprosy, loss of appetite, eye diseases, epileptic disorder, dyspepsia, nutritional disorder,leucoderma ,ulcer and rheumatism and used for diuretic and blood purifier purpose. Pharmacological studies carried out with its extract and purified compounds indicate that this plant possess antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-ulcer, antimicrobial, anticancer, hypoglycemic, antithrombotic, antihyperlipidemic, otoprotective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. It also protects radiation-induced DNA damage. This review provides comprehensive and unique information regarding ayurvedic and modern aspect of sariva under one umbrella which will be helpful to researchers and pharmaceutical industries to expand the pharma worth of this wonder drug. Key wordsSariva, Hemidesmus indicus, Asclepiadaceae, Anantmul IntroductionHemidesmus indicus is a semi-erect shrub found throughout India from upper Gangetic plain eastwards to Assam and throughout central, western and southern India [1] .The name Hemidesmusis derived from Latin word Hemidesmos which means half bond. It is so named in allusion to sub connate filaments at their base joint pods and connected stamens. Word indicus stands for of India. Hemidesmus indicus belongs to family Asclepiadaceae which is derived from word Askleplos means God of Medicine [2] . Vernacular name Anantmul is a Sanskrit word which means 'endless root' [3] . Plant has two varieties namely black variety, also called as Krishna Sariva and white variety which is called as Sariva [2] Hemidesmus indicus is accepted by Ayurvedic formulary as white variety whereas, Cryptolepis buchananii Roem and Schytt as black variety. Ichnocarpus fruitescens is also used as black variety by the people of West Bengal and Kerala [4] . It is a slender, laticiferous twining shrub distributed to greater part of India. Leaves are opposite, shortly petioled, elliptically oblong to linear lanceolate.Flowers are greenish outside but purplish inside. Seeds are black, flattened with a silvery white coma [5] . Ayurvedic Aspect: [6] In Charka samhita Sariva is included in the following ganas (groups): Varnya (complexation enhancing drugs) 1 Pansare T.A., International Journal of Ayurvedic & Herbal Medicine 8(1) Jan.-Feb. 2018 (3133-3143) Page 3134 Kandhya (beneficial for throat and voice) Stanyashodhan (purifies breast milk) Purishsangrahaniya (drugs that find faecal matter) Jwarahara (anti-pyratica) Dhahaprashaman (destroyes burning sensation) Madhurskandha (group of drug having sweet taste)


A concept of companion vector is defined. Necessary and sufficient conditions for determining whether a quaternion matrix is a diagonalizable matrix are given.Schur theorem over quaternion field is proved.


Based on the headway distribution rule and car-following theory,the model for prediict-ing traffic noise both of non-restricted free flow and interrupted flow controlled by traffic lights is established. Using the model,noise caused by the two types flow is simulated,compared and analyzed, and there is a good agreement between the theoretical results and test results.


Background: The effects of having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on parents are multifaceted and pervasive. While ample evidence has been provided that these families are under severe stress, there are still several knowledge gaps and unresolved questions. Objective: This study aimed at quantifying the subjective and objective burden of ASD in mothers and fathers, and at improving the understanding of the interplay between parental burden, child's characteristics, and parents' coping resources and strategies. Methods: The parents of 359 children/adolescents with ASD were compared to parents of age-matched patients with Down syndrome (N=145) and Type 1 diabetes mellitus (N=155). Child's clinical characteristics and parents' caregiving burden, psychological distress, coping resources and strategies were assessed. Results: The parents of children with ASD reported higher objective and subjective burden, more frequent psychological distress, lower social support. Mothers reported greater subjective burden than fathers. Structural equation modeling showed that the most consistent positive and negative predictors of objective and subjective burden were ASD symptom severity and social support, respectively. Other positive predictors were engagement, distraction and disengagement coping, intellectual disability, and adaptive functioning. Other negative predictors were spiritual wellbeing and hardiness. Some effects were indirect through social support and coping strategies. Conclusion: This study confirmed that parents of children with ASD carry a huge caregiving burden, and added to our understanding of the factors associated with burden. The findings may help inform the design of effective interventions aimed at reducing burden among the parents of children with ASD.