Numerous methods that automatically identify subjects depicted in sketches as described by eyewitnesses have been implemented, but their performance often degrades when using real-world forensic sketches and extended galleries that mimic law enforcement mug-shot galleries. Moreover, little work has been done to apply deep learning for face photo-sketch recognition despite its success in numerous application domains including traditional face recognition. This is primarily due to the limited number of sketch images available, which are insufficient to robustly train large networks. This letter aims to tackle these issues with the following contributions: 1) a state-of-the-art model pre-trained for face photo recognition is tuned for face photo-sketch recognition by applying transfer learning, 2) a three-dimensional morphable model is used to synthesise new images and artificially expand the training data, allowing the network to prevent over-fitting and learn better features, 3) multiple synthetic sketches are also used in the testing stage to improve performance, and 4) fusion of the proposed method with a state-of-the-art algorithm is shown to further boost performance. An extensive evaluation of several popular and state-of-the-art algorithms is also performed using publicly available datasets, thereby serving as a benchmark for future algorithms. Compared to a leading method, the proposed framework is shown to reduce the error rate by 80.7% for viewed sketches and lowers the mean retrieval rank by 32.5% for real-world forensic sketches.


: Generation of valid and effective test spectra from proving ground recorded loading spectra is critical in the indoor road simulation test. A set of spectrum development methodology is induced, which includes selection of proving ground recorded loading spectra and acceleration of durability test spectra. For the selection of loading spectra, traditional methods are mostly based on spectrum damage. Statistical characteristics of loading spectrum are taken into account, and a new selection methodology, which is based on concatenation of multi-sections minimum standard deviation spectrum(CMSD), is proposed. The generation method of CMSD is also illustrated. Based on proving ground recorded loading spectra, the CMSD is created. Fatigue damage analyses results have shown that CMSD is equal to mean damage spectra. For the acceleration of test spectrum, time domain signal compression method is applied to develop accelerated spectrum. The accelerated spectrum is applied as the target spectrum, and vehicle durability test is conducted. The fatigue models, which are the same as those of proving ground test, have occurred during the test. The validity of this set of methodology is verified, and it can be a reference for other vehicle indoor road simulation tests.


Accurate analysis of fault currents in inverter-based systems has always been a challenge. Most methods used today to predict fault currents in inverter-based systems employ the classical symmetrical component method. Typically, the inverter is assumed to act as an ideal current source providing balanced currents during faults. This assumption will work in special circumstances, as for the case when wye-delta transformers are interfaced to the inverter, but is problematic in other system arrangements. Hence, this paper proposes a modified symmetrical component model for current-controlled inverters experiencing unbalanced faults. The new symmetrical component model accounts for unbalances, the inverter control, and the output filter characteristics. The model is derived and justified mathematically. Finally, simulation studies using the PLECS simulation environment have shown that the new model offers superior prediction over the classical assumptions.


Digitisation and publication of museum specimen data is happening worldwide, but far from complete. Museums can start by sharing what they know about their holdings at a higher level, long before each object has its own record. Information about what is held in collections worldwide is needed by many stakeholders including collections managers, ‡ § |,¶,# ¤ « » ˄ ˅ ˄ ¦ ˀ,| ‡ ˁ ˅ ₵ l,₰ ‡ ₱,₳ ˄ ₴ This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC0 Public Domain Dedication. funders, researchers, policy-makers, industry, and educators. To aggregate this information from collections, the data need to be standardised (Johnston and Robinson 2002). So, the Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG) Collection Descriptions (CD) Task Group is developing a data standard for describing collections, which gives the ability to provide: 1. automated metrics, using standardised collection descriptions and/or data derived from specimen datasets (e.g., counts of specimens) and 2. a global registry of physical collections (i.e., digitised or non-digitised). Outputs will include a data model to underpin the new standard, and guidance and reference implementations for the practical use of the standard in institutional and collaborative data infrastructures. The Task Group employs a community-driven approach to standard development. With international participation, workshops at the Natural History Museum (London 2019) and the MOBILISE workshop (Warsaw 2020) allowed over 50 people to contribute this work. Our group organized online "barbecues" (BBQs) so that many more could contribute to standard definitions and address data model design challenges. Cloud-based tools (e.g., G itHub, Google Sheets) are used to organise and publish the group's work and make it easy to participate. A Wikibase instance is also used to test and demonstrate the model using real data. There are a range of global, regional, and national initiatives interested in the standard (see Task Group charter). Some, like GRSciColl (now at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)), Index Herbariorum (IH), and the iDigBio US Collections List are existing catalogues. Others, including the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF) and the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo), include collection descriptions as a key part of their near-term development plans. As part of the EU-funded SYNTHESYS+ project, GBIF organized a virtual workshop: Advancing the Catalogue of the World's Natural History Collections to get international input for such a resource that would use this CD standard. Some major complexities present themselves in designing a standardised approach to represent collection descriptions data. It is not the first time that the natural science collections community has tried to address them (see the TDWG Natural Collections Description standard). Beyond natural sciences, the library community in particular gave thought to this (Heaney 2001, Johnston and Robinson 2002), noting significant difficulties. One hurdle is that collections may be broken down into different degrees of granularity according to different criteria, and may also overlap so that a single object can be represented in more than one collection description. Managing statistics such as numbers of objects is complex due to data gaps and variable degrees of certainty about collection contents. It also takes considerable effort from collections staff to generate structured data about their undigitised holdings. We need to support simple, high-level collection summaries as well as detailed quantitative data, and to be able to update as needed. We 2 Woodburn M et al


Albumin, ethanol, and urea were measured in-vitro using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The peak height and corresponding peak area of the spectra were computed for concentration prediction. This univariate method was compared with partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression (PCR) multivariate routines. The standard errors of calibration obtained were cholesterol (7.8 mg/dl), albumin (49.1 mg/dl), ethanol (7.8 mg/dl), lactic acid (3.3 mg/dl), and urea (8.4 mg/dl). Amino acids, uric acid, glycerol, and glycogen were studied to determine their interference with good glucose measurements.<<ETX>>


Nitrogen provided to crops through mineralization is an important factor in N management guidelines. Understanding of the interactive effects of soil and weather conditions on N mineralization needs to be improved. Relationships between anaerobic potentially mineralizable N (PMNₐₙ) and soil and weather conditions were evaluated under the contrasting climates of eight US Midwestern states. Soil was sampled (0–30 cm) for PMNₐₙ analysis before pre-plant N application (PP₀N) and at the V5 development stage from the pre-plant 0 (V5₀N) and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ (V5₁₈₀N) rates and incubated for 7, 14, and 28 d. Even distribution of precipitation and warmer temperatures before soil sampling and greater soil organic matter (SOM) increased PMNₐₙ. Soil properties, including total C, SOM, and total N, had the strongest relationships with PMNₐₙ (R² ≤ 0.40), followed by temperature (R² ≤ 0.20) and precipitation (R² ≤ 0.18) variables. The strength of the relationships between soil properties and PMNₐₙ from PP₀N, V5₀N, and V5₁₈₀N varied by ≤10%. Including soil and weather in the model greatly increased PMNₐₙ predictability (R² ≤ 0.69), demonstrating the interactive effect of soil and weather on N mineralization at different times during the growing season regardless of N fertilization. Delayed soil sampling (V5₀N) and sampling after fertilization (V5₁₈₀N) reduced PMNₐₙ predictability. However, longer PMNₐₙ incubations improved PMNₐₙ predictability from both V5 soil samplings closer to the PMNₐₙ predictability from PP₀N, indicating the potential of PMNₐₙ from longer incubations to provide improved estimates of N mineralization when N fertilizer is applied.


This paper describes how the global financial crisis of 2007-2010 impacted trade both globally and more specifically for the European emerging economies, which in terms of GDP decline, were the most negatively impacted economies in the world. Just as with GDP, the trade of the European emerging economies was more severely impacted by the crisis than the trade for other regions of the world; exports for over one half of these economies declined by more than 50 per cent between the third quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009. Despite these large declines, the geographical and sectoral distribution of their trade remained relatively stable. Most of these economies adjusted to the shock with a currency depreciation of about 20 per cent. The current account deficits of many of these economies which were quite large prior to the crisis were reduced significantly. Although there were some increases in protectionist measures and they did have a beggar-thy-neighbor component, in many cases these measures reflected macroeconomic policy failures, especially regarding the coordination of fiscal stimulus programs, and may have been welfare improving second best policies. The crisis is unlikely to result in major design changes in the world trading system, although the opposite is true for the world financial system.


The production and consumer use of disinfectants has substantially increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a mixture of alkyl benzyl dimethyl ammonium chloride compounds and is the most common active ingredient in surface cleaning and disinfecting products. Accordingly, BAC compounds are routinely in contact with microorganisms in indoor environments, which may contribute to the development of antimicrobial tolerance and cross-resistance. To investigate the impact of BAC exposure on commensal and opportunistic bacteria of public health importance, we exposed Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium xerosis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a standard BAC mixture (BAC12–14), as well as purified BAC16. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined before and after repeated exposure to sublethal BAC concentrations. MICs for Gram-negative bacteria were significantly higher than Gram-positive bacteria. Additionally, BAC12–14 MICs were significantly higher for opportunistic pathogens and BAC-tolerance was associated with antibiotic cross-resistance. These results suggest that common Gram-negative opportunistic pathogens are less sensitive to BAC-inhibition than commensal species and may preferentially develop antimicrobial tolerance upon repeated or prolonged exposure to BAC12–14. Reevaluating the formulation and concentration of BAC-containing products in efforts to limit the development of antimicrobial tolerance and antibiotic co-resistance is warranted.


The simulation of thermochemical processes is an appropriate means to demonstrate effects that are invisible. Simulation models of carburizing processes are used in practice for more than a decade. For nitriding and more so for nitrocarburizing, the lack of precise data made an approximate fit of similar simulations almost impossible. Due to progresses in the near past, some important facts now are better understood. They allow a first approach to a simulation of the behaviour of nitrogen atoms during nitriding and nitrocarburizing, although many details still have to be clarified. The use of a simulation model may even be of some help, since not only the anticipated consequences but also discrete values can be proven or disapproved by comparison between simulation and practical results.


Abstract The modern power system has undergone a paradigm shift in terms of geographical sprawl through extensive interconnection as well as technological innovations. As a consequence, the wide-area measurement system has evolved to cope with the requirements of efficient operation, monitoring, and control of such a complex system. The phasor measurement unit is the edifice of such a system; therefore, its reliable operation has assumed utmost importance. This has led to recent research focusing on the reliability assessment of phasor measurement units. In order to overcome the difficulties associated with decision making using a single reliability index, as is done in most traditional reliability assessment techniques, the well-being analysis framework has been employed in this article for phasor measurement units. This article presents a methodology using a Markov model in conjunction with event tree analysis to embark upon a set of health indices for phasor measurement units. The most significant contribution of this article is to arrive at three well-being indices for healthy, marginal, and risky states. In addition, the effect of failure rate and repair rate of sensitive components of phasor measurement unit on the well-being indices has been investigated for reliability planning.


Abstract : The mutagenic potential of 4 fluorophenyl methy(phenyl)phosphinate (44*); 4-nitrophenyl 4-trifluoromethylphenyl(methyl)phosphinate (86*); 4-nitrophenyl 3-trifluoromethylphenyl(methyl)phosphinate (4*); 4-methylsulfinylphenyl methyl(phenyl)phosphinate (96*) was assessed by using the Ames Salmonella/Mammalian Microsome Mutagenicity Assay. Tester strains TA 98, TA 100, TA 1535, TA 1537 and TA 1538 were exposed to doses ranging from 1 mg/plate to 3.2 x 10 to the -4 mg/plate. It was determined that none of the tested substances had mutagenic potential. (Author)


Krishna [89] shows that quotas may act as facilitating devices by relaxing price competition. We extend her analysis by considering the following stage game : a domestic government chooses an import quota, then a domestic and a foreign firm choose the quality of their product before engaging a price competition. Because it relaxes price competition, the quota deeply affects quality choices : when costs for quality do not rise too quickly , both firms end up choosing the same highest available quality for a wide range of quota values. It is then shown that the optimal policy for the government consists in choosing the quota level which is just sufficient to induce product imitation. Once its effects on quality choice is taken into account, the quota may thus hurt the foreign firm and increase domestic welfare.


Selicrelumab is a human IgG2 agonistic anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody. Binding of the antibody to CD40 expressed on antigen-presenting cells results in T- cell priming and T-cell dependent anti-tumor activity. In response to T-cell activation, tumor cells express programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1) that can suppress effector T-cells. Atezolizumab interrupts this feedback loop by blocking PD-L1, thereby supporting the combination with selicrelumab.This phase Ib open-label, multicenter, dose escalation (DE)/expansion clinical study (NCT02304393) investigated safety, pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and efficacy of selicrelumab in combination with atezolizumab in unselected patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors, not amenable to standard therapy. In DE cohorts, a single dose of selicrelumab was given, either by intravenous (IV) infusion at a 16 mg fixed dose or subcutaneously (SC) at a range from 1 to 64 mg/dose. In dose-expansion cohorts (small bowel and colorectal cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma [HNSCC] and non-small cell lung carcinoma), patients received multiple doses of selicrelumab SC at a dose of 16 mg. In all treatment cohorts, patients received atezolizumab at a fixed dose of 1200 mg IV Q3W.In this study, 140 patients were treated. This included 95 patients in DE cohorts (6 patients in the IV cohort, 89 patients in the SC cohorts) and 45 patients in dose-expansion cohorts. In the IV cohort, infusion related reaction was the most frequent treatment-related adverse event (TRAE; 50%), while Grade ≥ 3 TRAE occurred in 1 patient (16.7%). In this cohort one dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was reported (Grade 3 pancytopenia). In the SC cohorts, the most frequent TRAE was injection site reaction (ISR; 92%). Four DLTs were reported in four patients: three Grade 3 ISR and one Grade 3 transaminase increase. Grade ≥ 3 TRAE were reported in 22 patients (16.4%). Anti-tumor activity was observed across cohorts receiving SC selicrelumab (dose range 1 to 36 mg). Eight of 80 evaluable patients in DE cohorts experienced objective responses (9% ORR). In the dose-expansion HNSCC cohort, three of 16 evaluable patients responded (15.8% ORR). There were no objective responses in the IV cohort. Treatment with selicrelumab resulted in significant peripheral B-cell depletion and activation and CD8+ T cell proliferation.Treatment with selicrelumab in combination with atezolizumab was well tolerated in patients with advanced solid tumors. Signals of clinical and PD activity were observed. However, efficacy of the combination in this unselected population was limited, when compared to monotherapy efficacy of atezolizumab.NCT02304393This study was approved by the local IRB at each participating study site.


An approach to town planning solutions in the European context with redrawn illustrations from the Russian National Archives. An interesting insight into Russian town planning at the beginning of the 19th century.


Due to the correlation between friction reduction and the road-covering water film height, knowledge about the current wetness level is of relevance for drivers and autonomous systems. A promising approach for wetness quantification is based on capacitive transducer arrays that enable to detect water spray ejected by the tires. Even though previous studies on this approach have shown the feasibility of wetness classification, optimization opportunities exist. While these previous investigations were limited to one feature selection algorithm, we study various algorithms and demonstrate the potential for optimization. Besides an application-specific algorithm that is capable of determining class-dependent features resulting in a performance improvement of more than 0.03 for the considered evaluation metrics, sequential forward floating selection in particular yields the most significant performance increase of more than 0.06. In addition, prior studies were limited to a test track with constrained conditions. Thus, in order to study the transferability of the preceding results, we present investigations on new experimental data acquired on public roads. The unknown and varying environmental conditions on public roads as well as a larger wheel speed range and steering angle effects are shown to significantly decrease classifier performance. We demonstrate that fusing two transducer arrays of different wheel arch liners increases performance by around 0.02. Here, a considerable information benefit can be attributed to the different transducer positions with design-related advantages. Furthermore, we show that the fusion with additional sensor data available in the vehicle results in a further performance improvement of more than 0.02.


Within the framework of the nuclear reactor safety analysis of pressurised water reactor the flashing flow in pipes and nozzles is examined using a CFD numerical calculation. For the calculation of transient flashing flow a three dimensional CFD model is developed with the aim to predict the propagation of the pressure waves in the two phase flow through the three dimensional geometry. As the most important factor for the modelling of flashing flow, the thermal non-equilibrium between the phases is taken into account. The generation and the propagation of the vapor phase are modelled by conservation equations for the bubble number density according to the model of Jones [1] and mass conservation equations for the vapour phase. The turbulence of the flow is described with the k-e model. The influence of the dispersed vapor phase on the turbulence is neglected. The system of equations is implemented into the commercial CFD-code CFX4.2. The solution of the system of equations is done numerically with the method of finite volumes. For the verification of the model, calculations of the flow through a converging-diverging nozzle are carried out and the results are compared with experimental ones [2].© 2002 ASME


In recent years, the amount of data has increased explosively, which has spawned the large-scale development of cloud storage. Increasingly, individuals and enterprises store images in cloud space. The storage security of the cloud is generally guaranteed by encryption, but this can no longer meet the needs of image management and protection. In order to realize the management and loss tolerance of images, this paper proposes a thumbnail secret image sharing method. The proposed scheme combines the advantages of thumbnail-preserving encryption (TPE) and secret image sharing (SIS) with different meaningful shadows. Thumbnails can realize the visual management of stored images, and secret image sharing can realize the perfect security of stored images. The proposed scheme realizes the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of images, which are three elements of information security. Compared with TPE, our scheme not only realizes the visual management of images but also achieves loss tolerance and perfect security. Compared with SIS with different meaningful shadows, our scheme will greatly improve the sharing efficiency and reduce the consumption of computing resources. In this paper, the theoretical analysis and security proof of the proposed scheme are presented. In addition, we also conduct sufficient experiments and comparative explanations.


This research examines how the capability platform of a technology startup affects performance. The capability platform includes privileged assets, capital availability, and special relationships. Five hypotheses were tested using data drawn from 93 startups in North America. A startup's performance was measured in two ways: number of new products introduced in the market and the amount of venture capital raised by the startup during the first three years of operations. The results suggest that: (i) the number of partners established by a startup is positively associated with the number of new products introduced, (ii) the level of market related experience of the top management team is positively associated with the amount of venture capital raised by the startup, and (iii) the shorter the time to first round of venture capital financing increases the number of new products introduced and the amount of venture capital raised in the first three years.


In an increasingly connected world brought about by globalization, opportunities abound for countries and individuals to become bicultural or multicultural. This paper reviewed experimental studies that were designed to test bicultural Chinese individuals' responsiveness to Chinese and Western culture primes with regard to autobiographical memory, the inclusion of significant others in the self-concept, and how such self-inclusiveness can be revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging of the bicultural brain. Results showed that across all three areas, bicultural individuals resonated to the specific cultural context by displaying their socially connected or individuated unique self in support the 'alternation' model of biculturalism (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993) and its underlying dynamism.


T he family is a critically important social institution with huge implications for laypeople, policy makers, and scholars alike. As Socha significantly noted in 1999, family comprises the first group to which a person belongs, and usually provides the most longlasting group membership for individuals. In addition, as we and others have commented (e.g. Floyd, Mikkelson, & Judd, 2006; Galvin, 2006; Turner & West, 2013), in the United States, family is seen as a group that is qualitatively different from any other group to which a person belongs. The enduring bonds of obligation, the unique communication behaviors, the evolution through time, as well as the expectations for affection and support that characterize family set it apart from other groups. Further, the family's contributions to an individual's sense of identity and self-worth have long been noted, and as Olson, BaiocchiWagner, Kratzer, and Symonds (2012) comment, ". . . our families provide the glue that connects all the parts of our lives—for better and for worse" (p. 1). In addition, Braithwaite and her colleagues (2010) report that the family is "the most pervasive and central of human institutions" (p. 389). Clearly, family is a term signifying something of importance to people, and a term that is fraught with meaning. The question is: what does it mean? When a term is as important to people as family is, then the process of defining it also becomes important. Yet, defining family often is a problem that bedevils policy makers, laypeople, and scholars alike. In the realm of public policy, Tankersley (2008) comments that the definition of family is at the core of many political debates as well as policymaking discussions. The task of defining family


Abstract Let f be a locally univalent function on the unit disc and let α ∈ [0,  1 2 ]. We consider the family of operators extending f to a holomorphic map from the unit ball B in Cn to Cn given by Φn, α(f)(z) = (f(z1), z′(f′(z1))α), where z′ = (z2,…,zn). When α =  1 2 we obtain the Roper–Suffridge extension operator. We show that if f ∈ S then Φn, α(f) can be imbedded in a Loewner chain. Our proof shows that if f ∈ S* then Φn, α(f) is starlike, and if f ∈ Ŝβ with |β| π 2 then Φn, α(f) is a spirallike map of type β. In particular we obtain a new proof that the Roper–Suffridge operator preserves starlikeness. We also obtain the radius of starlikeness of Φn, α(S) and the radius of convexity of Φn, 1/2(S). We show that if f is a normalized univalent Bloch function on U then Φn, α(f) is a Bloch mapping on B. Finally we show that if f belongs to a class of univalent functions which satisfy growth and distortion results, then Φn, α(f) satisfies related growth and covering results.


In rats, water deprivation (WD) increases arterial blood pressure (BP) in part due to actions of elevated osmolality in the brain to increase vasopressin levels and sympathetic activity. However, the osmoreceptors that mediate this response have not been identified. To test the hypothesis that osmoregulatory circumventricular organs are involved, BP and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded telemetrically during 48 hr of WD in normal rats with lesions (x) or sham lesions (s) of the subfornical organ (SFO) or area postrema (AP). WD increased BP (P<0.01) in SFOx (99±3 to 111±2 mmHg, n=5) and SFOs (95±4 to 109±3 mmHg, n=4) rats; however, the hypertensive responses were not different. HR was not altered in either group. When water was reintroduced, BP decreased (P<0.01) rapidly and similarly in both groups (after 4 hr: −13±3 mmHg, SFOx; −11±3 mmHg, SFOs). HR also decreased (P<0.01) similarly (after 4 hr: −68±16 bpm, SFOx; −78±14 bpm, SFOs). Before WD, BP and HR were both lower (P<0.05) in APx (87±2 mmHg; 299±18 bpm; n=3) compared to APs (94±4 mmHg; 365±11 bpm; n=3) rats. Moreover, WD increased BP less in APx rats (6±1 mmHg, APx; 13±2 mmHg, APs; P<0.01), without changing HR in either group. Four hr after the rats began drinking water, smaller (P<0.01) falls in both BP (−8±1 mmHg, APx; −16±1 mmHg, APs) and HR (−14±13 bpm, APx; −90±9 bpm, APs) were observed in APx rats. In conclusion, the AP, but not the SFO, is required for the maximal hypertensive response induced by WD in rats.


AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a vital protein kinase that has the function of restoring cellular ATP levels by modifying diverse metabolic pathways and regulating gene transcription. In the skeletal muscle, AMPK is involved in contraction-stimulated glucose transport and fatty acid oxidation. In the liver, AMPK inhibits the production of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. AMPK also plays a major role in the regulation of food intake and body weight. AMPK signaling pathway may be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.


A mathematical model for determining the optimum towing velocity of tabular icebergs is presented. The optimization problem is formulated in terms of a benefit function that takes into account the ice mass delivered and the total fuel consumption for the tow. Results indicate that the optimum towing velocity is mainly affected by the water-to-fuel cost ratio. It is shown that towing icebergs from Antarctica to South Africa is a profitable way of supplying fresh-water provided that the towing velocity is optimized with the proposed method.


The influence of interface layers on the chemical and electronic states of a phase-change recording material, GeBiTe (GBT) alloy, used in high-speed rewritable HD DVD media was investigated for the first time by hard-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HX-PES). The binding state of elements for the amorphous state of the phase-change recording film with interface layers is closer to that of the crystalline state than the amorphous film without interface layers. The density of states (DOS) for the valence band of the amorphous state without an interface layer was smaller than that of the crystalline state. The band-edge energy of the amorphous state without an interface layer was lower than that of the crystalline state by about 0.5 eV. On the other hand, the DOS and the band-edge energy of the amorphous state of GBT with interface layers were almost the same as those of the crystalline state. This result may lead to almost the same carrier density for electrical conduction for the crystalline state as the amorphous state, which is totally unexpected, thus very interesting, because the atomic arrangements should differ from each other. We speculate that these effects are a factor allowing high-speed crystallization.


A new combinatorial interpretation of the moments of Al-Salam Carlitz polynomials as `striped? skew-shapes is used to explain the cancellation in the moments of Viennot theory for these polynomials.


The use of paraffin wax to reinforce the loading edges of corrugated fiberboard edge-crush specimens requires that the specimens be reconditioned after waxing. The traditional practice employing a 24-h reconditioning period is a conservative approach based on the moisture response rate of corrugated containers. An interlaboratory study was conducted to determine the effect of reconditioning time on edgewise compressive strength of waxed specimen prepared by standard test methods. Results showed that reconditioning time can be reduced from 24 h to 2 h wish no significant change in test values. The results apply to flexible-beam and rigidplaten loading machines, but at conventional loading speeds, the flexible-beam machine yielded higher overall streagth values. Other tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of an edge-clamping fixture for use with unwaxed specimens. When tested with heavy basis weight materials, the fixture did not yield equivalent results compared to those obtained with lighter grade waxed apecimens.


A graph that has odd harmonious labeling properties is called an odd harmonious graph. The purpose of this research is to obtain a new class graphs construction which is a family of odd harmonious graphs. The research method used consisted of several stages, namely research preparation, research investigation and verifivation of research results. The results of this study, we will give a line amalgamation construction of n double quadrilateral graphs DQ, denoted by *DQ(n) with n>= 1 and graph obtained by connecting between two graphs *DQ(n) with line graph L2, denoted by *(DQ(n),L2,DQ(n)). It has  further been proven that *DQ(n) and *(DQ(n),L2,DQ(n)) have odd harmonious labeling properties, such that all of them are odd harmonious graphs.


Hydrogen pellets are successfully accelerated for the first time using a two‐stage system consisting of a pneumatic gun and an electromagnetic railgun. The pneumatic gun preaccelerator forms cylindrical hydrogen ice pellets (1.6‐mm diam×2.15‐mm long) and accelerates them with high‐pressure helium gas to velocities in excess of 500 m/s. The booster accelerator, which is a fuseless, circular‐bore electromagnetic railgun, derives its propulsive force from a plasma arc armature. The plasma arc armature is formed by electrically breaking down the propellant gas which follows the pellet from the gas gun into the railgun. The diagnostics are for the monitoring of the main capacitor bank and rail currents, for the pellet detection and velocity measurements at the breech and muzzle ends of the railgun, for the recording of the plasma‐arc‐armature movement inside the railgun bore, and for the photographing of the hydrogen pellet exiting the railgun. Using the system, which is a 60‐cm long proof‐of‐principle machine...


In the present study methanol extracts of leaves and aerial parts of the plant Corchorus aestuans L. were taken and their antibacterial potential against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria were evaluated using cup-plate method. The methanol extracts of leaves and aerial parts of the plant significantly inhibited the growth of bacteria as compared to standard bactericide (streptomycin).The study reveals that the methanol fraction of leaves and aerial parts of Corchorus aestuans L. possess significant antibacterial activity.


The effect factors were summarized. the work principles and applications in the field of water treatment of several air-flotation equipments were introduced, and development trend in the future was analyzed.


BACKGROUND: Whole blood and also buffy coats (BCs) can be held for a few hours or overnight before processing into blood components or platelet concentrates (PCs). Individual studies have reported a range of outcomes regarding in vitro variables for PCs prepared from fresh and stored whole blood. In this multicenter study, effects of storage of whole blood or BCs on the in vitro quality of PCs were studied.


The academic discipline of history is currently focusing on transnational phenomena. Transnational history investigates the "different levels of interaction, connection, circulation, intersections, and interlacing" of a phenomenon that exceeds the framework of national boundaries.1 Hence, it is not merely a comparative history but an approach that, in addition to the comparative perspective, focuses on analysing the transfer "of material objects, concepts, and cultural semiotic systems [...] among different and relatively clearly identifiable cultures that can be delimited against each other, resulting in a cultural mix and interaction".2 As well as unlocking new research questions, the transnational approach has led to the emergence of new historical research areas and topics. Using the concept of "transfer history",3 there has been a growing interest in historical studies of religious communities because they were early "global players".4 Internationally, sisters – just like missionaries – belonged to the best-connected professions of the nineteenth century. Originating usually in France, many Catholic sisterhoods settled in numerous other European and non-European countries. Likewise, Protestant deaconess motherhouses became a popular German export in the nineteenth century. More than half of the apostolic congregations in England during the 1880s came from France; others came from Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria. Institutions and foundations of English origin constituted only a minority.5 Yet, what happened when nursing care organisations and the concepts of nursing that they embodied began their international journey? This anthology examines this question, focusing on the example of Protestant deaconesses who worked as nurses. At the centre we have a nursing organisation that was founded in the 1830s in Germany, but was subsequently exported to many European and even non-European countries. If the deaconess motherhouses wanted to stand a chance of survival in these countries, they had to adapt to the specific cultural and societal contexts. Because of these adaptation processes, the deaconess motherhouses are particularly suitable for an international comparative and transfer history. Simultaneously, only the transfer and subsequent contact with the other culture can illuminate the specificity of the


The article revisits the theory of hegemony of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe and shows how a normative injunction, which according to Laclau is not compatible with the hegemonic logic, is not only possible but a necessary condition for hegemony to function. The article claims that the path to demonstrate this involves rethinking the relationship between the theory of hegemony and Derridean deconstruction. Following criticisms that the theory of hegemony overlooks the aporetic nature of Derridean undecidability that it nevertheless relies upon, the hegemonic logic is submitted to a deconstructive reading, which reveals an internal aporia in it. It is further argued that the unaccounted aporia in the logic of hegemony explains the theory's inability to satisfactorily account for its essential theoretical underpinning, the radical exclusion. However, the article also demonstrates that the aporia does not destroy hegemonic logic but, instead, supplements it by a normative dimension, by a demand of opening to the other as other.


An Al coating was deposited on the surface of pure Ti substrate by arc spray technology. In order to enable the modification reaction between the Al coating and Ti substrate, the specimen was heated to a temperature above the melting point of Al. Oxidation testing of the uncoated Ti and coated specimen was conducted at 1073 K under an air atmosphere. The microstructure, chemical composition, and phase determination of the coatings and interfaces, before and after modification treatment, were done using SEM, EDS, and XRD methods. The relationships between the modification results and time and temperature were discussed. The results showed that, after heating at 973 K for 5 hours, there was still sufficient Al on the surface of the specimen. Only intermetallic TiAl3 was formed in the diffusion region. After heating at 1073 K for 5 hours, all the Al elements diffused into the Ti substrate. Intermetallics TiAl2 and Ti3Al were also formed in the diffusion front of Al, in addition to TiAl3. After heating at 1173 K for 5 hours, a new intermetallic TiAl phase was formed at the interface of TiAl2 and Ti3Al. As the modification reaction time was prolonged at 1173 K, the formation of intermetallics TiAl2, TiAl, and Ti3Al were all increased. Among them, the formation amount of TiAl2 > Ti3Al > TiAl. The specimen after modification treatment had better high temperature oxidation resistance than the pure Ti substrate without coating.


This paper proposes a lane detection algorithm using sub stretching of histogram.First of all,makes a decision whether the image has foggy or not.For this,sets the interest region and analyzes the histogram of the region. If the image has a fog,applies a contrast enhancement algorithm using sub-stretching of histogram.In order to detect lane information,uses connectivity of edge pixels of road image and finds the straight lines forward to the center of image.To evaluate the performance of proposed algorithm,tested the algorithm on the road image obtained by a driving test and verified its efficiency.


The shoreline was extracted from Landsat remote sensing images,trough data processing based on RS and GIS technique,to analyze the variation characteristics of the coast in Tieshan Harbor over the past decades(from 1987 to 2006).Result showed that the whole shorelines of the study area appear to advancing and the people activity were the main reason of it changes.The changes mostly occurred on the both side of the ending parts of Tieshan Harbor and Dandou Sea.


Detecting anemia in occupational health settings is critical in a high-risk population for anemia like the lead-exposed. Whether the point-of-care devices are sensitive to detect anemia in individuals with high levels of lead exposure is unknown. We compared hemoglobin (Hb) levels from HemoCue® Hb 301 System and standard analyzer, Mindrey-BC 5300, in individuals (n=58) exposed to lead (mean levels = 44.9 ?g/dL) for a chronic period (mean duration of exposure = 105 months). We observed high sensitivity (0.95), specificity(0.95) in detecting anemia by hemocue, and high agreement between the methods. The significant difference in Hb values between the methods (0.171g/dL, p=0.018) was clinically minimal. We conclude that hemocue is a good method for rapidly detecting anemia and estimating Hb levels among the lead-exposed in resource-limited settings.


D Abstract-One of the problems limiting myoblast transplantation (MT) is the early death of the transplanted cells. Because complement can be fixed by ni.yoblasts in vitro, and because it has the capacity to induce cell Iysis, its possible role in the early death of transplanted myoblasts was investigated. CDl mice and Macaca mulata monkeys were used as recipients for MT. In some mice, C3 was depleted before MT using Cobra Venom Factor. Mice were sacrificed during the first hour and up to 3 days after MT. Monkeys were biopsied 1 to 4 h after MT. Myoblast necrosis was assessed by the presence of intracellular calcium. Complement deposition was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry with anti-C3 and anti-CSb-9 neoantigen antibodies. In mice, C3 deposition was observed in damaged muscle fibers and in regions containing necrosed myoblasts. Complement depletion did not diminish the proportion of necrosed cells. In monkeys, only a small percentage of transplanted myoblasts showed C3 or CSb-9 deposition, mostly intracellular. Complement activation seems not to be implicated in directly damaging the transplanted cells, but seems secondary to cellular death. Taking into account its chemotactic functions, complement could be implicated in the migration of neutrophils and macrophages into the clusters of transplanted cells. © 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.


Graph technology has reached a point of maturity where it can run off-the-shelf algorithms over massive networks to discover previously undetectable patterns. These algorithms also permit security professionals to take the necessary actions to render systems more robust and secure. As a result, financial and government institutions are making increasing use of graph database technology to tackle fraud.


Abstract This paper reviews the recent progress made in the asymmetric synthesis on chiral catalysts in porous materials and discusses the effects of surface and pores on enantioselectivity (confinement effect). This paper also summarizes various approaches of immobilization of the chiral catalysts onto surfaces and into pores of solid inorganic supports such as microporous and mesoporous materials. The most important reactions surveyed for the chiral synthesis in porous materials include epoxidation, hydrogenation, hydroformylation, Aldol and Diels‐Alder reactions, etc. The confinement effect originated from the surfaces and the pores turns out to be a general phenomenon, which may make the enantioselectivity increase (positive effect) or decrease (negative effect). The confinement effect becomes more pronounced particularly when the bonding between the catalyst and the surface is more rigid and the pore size is tuned to a suitable range. It is proposed that the confinement in chiral synthesis is essentially a consequence of subtle change in transition states induced by weak interaction in pores or on surfaces. It is also anticipated that the enantioselectivity could be improved by tuning the confinement effect based on the molecular designing of the pore/surface and the immobilized catalysts according to the requirements of chiral reactions.


Conference Theme - A New Paradigm of Accounting for Capital Market and Corporations: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice


Previous studies have revealed that for some perovskite compositions, power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) improved after storing the devices in different ambient conditions. With the aim of better understanding such improvements, we focus our attention on the carrier/ionic dynamic kinetics of fresh and aged PSCs with different perovskite compositions (MAPbI3 and MAPbBr3 ) and using spiro-OMeTAD as HTM. For that, we use transient photovoltage (TPV), a technique used to analyse the different recombination kinetics at equilibrium and at different illumination times. We observe that the aging treatment causes significant changes on the kinetics behaviour for bromide-based devices, resulting in a positive influence on the cell performance (from 3.5 % to 6.1 % PCE, in reverse scan). However, the kinetics for those iodide-based perovskite solar cells remains unchangeable (from 16.3 % to 15.0 % PCE, in reverse scan).


ABSTRACT Thirty years since publication of David Harvey's Social Justice and the City is an appropriate time for a review of social justice and the South African city. The issue is complicated by questions of definition what qualifies as 'the city' or 'urban' in this context. Alternative theoretical perspectives have proliferated over the past thirty years, but they share common concerns with the distribution of means of well-being and the structures involved. The social injustice of apartheid was easy to demonstrate, from various theoretical perspectives. While the end of apartheid promised a more just society, gross inequalities are being perpetuated in the post-apartheid city and in society at large. The present trajectory is indefensible morally; in this respect, South Africa may be a microcosm of the world at large. Social justice in the (South African) city requires fundamental changes in political economy and its moral foundations, not only in this country but globally.


Synopsis In this paper, appropriate definitions are given for the spectra of multiparameter problems in Hilbert space when the operators involved are not necessarily self-adjoint. Notions of adjoint multiparameter problems are introduced, and some properties of the spectrum of a single linear operator are generalised to multiparameter settings. The results which are achieved are compared with those in the literature which have beendeveloped for multiparameter problems involving self-adjoint operators.


1. A compound comprising the structure QLY; where Q is a glucagon superfamily peptide; Y represents a GR-ligand that activates the glucocorticoid receptor ECpriblizitelno 1 uM or less and has a molecular weight up to about 1000 daltons; and L is a linker or svyaz.2. A compound according to Claim. 1, where Q exhibits at least 0.1% activity of native GLP-1 on the GLP-1 receptor, at least 0.1% activity of native glucagon glucagon receptor in respect of at least 0.1% activity of native GIP against GIP-receptor or kombinatsiyu.3. A compound according to Claim. 1, where Q is ECv against GLP-1 receptor in the range of 10-fold quantities ECY against glucocorticoid receptor ECv respect glucagon receptor within 10-fold ECY values regarding glucocorticoid receptor ECv against GIP-receptor within 10-fold quantity in relation to ECY glucocorticoid receptor or kombinatsiyu.4. A compound of claim. 1, where Y is a compound of formula Cformula Cgde each of R, R, R, R, R, r and independently represents a part which allows the agonist or antagonist activity when bound C a compound of formula c nuclear hormone receptor or glucocorticoid receptor or facilitate it; and each dotted line represents an optional double bond; and Y conjugated to L at position 3 or 17 Y.5. A compound according to claim. 4, wherein Y represents or a cortisol proizvodnoe.6. The compound of claim. 5, where the cortisol or derivative thereof selected from the group consisting of cortisol, kortizonatsetata, beclomethasone, prednisone, prednisolone, metilprednizo


The study of the decorativeness of the presented niche cultures indicates the possibility of their wide implementation in landscaping of Kherson and the Kherson region.


Blockchain technology holds several promises for many application areas; however, it is not without its limitations. One of the most significant weaknesses of blockchain technology is its substantial energy consumption. Many researchers have proposed solutions to reduce the energy demands of this technology - such as the use of alternative consensus algorithms and the use of renewable energy. However, the use of alternative trust and reputation models to improve sustainability (by, for instance, selecting miners based on these trust or reputation values) has not been widely investigated. In this paper, we propose a reputation model that quantifies and compares the trustworthiness of miners based on their behaviours within a blockchain network. The model is evaluated analytically and compared to other trust and reputation models for miners. The evaluation shows that our model fulfils several desirable properties that should always be satisfied by reputation models, whereas other models do not always meet these requirements. In addition, we perform experimental evaluations to represent the performance of our model and its accuracy in detecting malicious miners. We also report the effectiveness of using the model in reducing the energy consumption of blockchain-based systems.


Dynamic molecular processes modulate dipolar and quadrupolar interactions in nuclear spin systems. Zero field NMR measures evolution arising purely from these interactions, and thus can be used to characterize molecular dynamics in disordered samples. A theory is presented which numerically simulates the effect of molecular reorientation in zero field NMR for a spin‐1 nucleus or pairs of dipolar coupled spin‐1/2 nuclei. Representative zero field NMR simulations are compared to their high field NMR analogs to demonstrate features which make zero field NMR a potentially useful tool for the study of molecular dynamics.


Some deviation inequalities and moderate deviation principles for the maximum likelihood estimators of parameters in an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process with linear drift are established by the logarithmic Sobolev inequality and the exponential martingale method.


Objectives: We investigated whether red cell distribution width (RDW) and red cell distribution width to total serum calcium (RDW-to-TSC) ratio were associated with mortality in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: A total of 170 patients who present emergency department between January 2017 and June 2018 with a diagnosis of AP were enrolled in this study. A comparison between survivor and nonsurvivor AP patients was performed. Diagnosis of AP were defined according to the revised Atlanta classification 2012. Variables evaluated included demographics, hospital stay, laboratorial parameters and mortality . Results: AP related in-hospital mortality was 6.4%. Red cell distribution (RDW), white blood cell (WBC), platelet, serum glucose and RDW-to-TSC ratio were associated with AP mortality. RDW-to-TSC ratio had the highest AUC (0.88; 95% CI, 0.756-1.0), followed by RDW, serum glucose, platelet and WBC (AUC = 0.801, 0.797, 0.743 and 0.687 respectively). A cut-off value of RDW-to-TSC ratio >2.0, the highest sensitivity (91.9%), specificity (81.1%), PPV (82.9%), and NPV (91.1%) were achieved for prediction of AP related in-hospital mortality in approximately 86.5% of the cases ( p  16.6 and RDW-to-TSC > 2.0 were very good predictors for AP mortality.


An interdisciplinary project, aimed at developing tools for the determination of physical characteristics of the atmosphere by means of ground‐based digital imaging in the visible range is in progress. Determining the 3‐dimensional field of velocities of motion of the air masses from digital images of clouds is among the central tasks. The approach consists in identifying patterns of the cloud structure with characteristic shape and measuring their angular displacement by tracking them in series of consecutive digital images, taken at optimal time intervals. The geometrical mapping of the cloud of an image onto the following image (including translation, rotation, dilatation and additional small irregular deformations) is parameterized, and the numerical values of the parameters are computed by minimizing the sum over pixels of the squared deviation of the brightness, weighed with factors accounting for the representativeness of the group of pixels, and with constrains on the parameters describing irregul...


This paper examines why large private equity (PE) funds earn lower returns. The article argues that large PE funds are suited to making large investments and small PE funds are suited to nurturing start-ups. Thus, the suboptimal investment in small companies is one driver of the size effect in PE. A theoretical model and empirical results from a sample of 1,222 funds in the USA support this prediction. The largest 25% of PE funds earn internal rates of return of 5.17% when they invest in the largest 25% of companies but only - 2.98% when they invest in the smallest 25%. This suggests that investment size is a driver of the size effect in PE. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.


The retail industry such as minimarkets has many products consisting of several types of products that have expiration dates. Their warehouses have limited capacity, making it difficult to make decision about optimum inventory. Most of the suppliers will give permissible delay in payment, that can be used to increase income potential through earned by considering the risk of fines imposed if payments are exceeded and help companies raise capital before generating sales. These three factors must be considered when developing the inventory model. The purpose of this study is to develop a multi-item inventory model by considering perishable or damaged products, permissible delay in payment in limited warehouse. Model development is carried out in 2 stages. The first stage was the development of a multi-item EOQ model by considering product defects and permissible delay in payment. The second stage model is by adding a capacity constraint factor to the model.  The results obtained are getting the optimal order quantity by considering the number of product types, product damage factors, late payments in limited warehouses, the best ordering policy can be found, and it is known that the total inventory costs to changes in parameters are good and sensitive to changes in percentage, interest percentage, payment allowances, and warehouse capacity through sensitivity tests.


As the growth of most cancers is dependent on the growth of tumor blood vessels, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis may provide an efficient strategy to slow down or block tumor growth. The possibility of selectively targeting angiogenic vasculature in a tumor mass depends on molecular, cellular, and structural differences between the tumor vessels and their normal counterparts (Figure (Figure1).1). Tumor cells, like normal cells, need to be located close to the blood vessels serving their metabolic demands to the extent that in solid tumors every endothelial cell in a tumor vessel is considered to support several concentric layers of tumor cells (1). A hypoxic tumor generates its own microcirculation mainly via the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) complex, which is activated by inhibition of its oxygen-dependent prolyl hydroxylation and proteasomal destruction (2). This leads to increased transcription of several hypoxia-induced genes. One such gene encodes VEGF, which activates endothelial cell (EC) responses during angiogenesis in coordination with, for example, matrix adhesion events. Studies of the signaling pathways of VEGF receptors, integrins, and cadherins have provided new antiangiogenic strategies for inhibition of tumor growth, and inhibition of VEGF-C and VEGF-D signals that stimulate lymphangiogenesis seems to inhibit lymphatic metastasis in mice (3). One of the most striking new developments in antiangiogenesis research concerns the inflammatory cells and pericytes (PCs) associated with the tumor vasculature. The new findings presented in this issue of the JCI by Bergers and collaborators suggest that the PCs of tumor blood vessels and their signaling mechanisms via the PDGFR-β are functionally important for the maintenance of tumor blood vessels (4). These findings add another constituent cell type of tumor stroma to the list of anticancer targets.

Figure 1

Growth factor receptor signals involved in tumor angiogenesis and vascular development. A solid tumor is dependent on new blood vessels for growth. (a) Angiogenesis is induced by VEGF produced mainly by hypoxic tumor cells and inflammatory cells (such ...


On the basis of social network theory and metrology science,the paper analyses the changes of some document network and discusses the main field,hot spots and frontier questions of the Chinese sports service researches.The research shows that the research mainstream is featured with public goods theory and qualitative description.The research frontier is the redefinition of the duty of the sports public service departments and the sports public interest.The research trend is the justice oriented equalized research.


Research and Publications Nearly 75% of the specimens were collected from Florida with the vast majority being collected in the Central Florida region. The other 25% of the holdings were collected from various surveys conducted in the continental U.S., including California and Tennessee. Less than 5% of the holdings are from international localities. Over 75% of UCFC holdings have ecological data associated with each specimen SCOPE OF UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA COLLECTION OF ARTHROPODS A GROWING COLLECTION


The goal of this paper is to provide a comprehensive empirical analysis of majority rule and Tiebout sorting within a system of local jurisdictions. The idea behind the estimation procedure is to investigate whether observed levels of public expenditures satisfy necessary conditions implied by majority rule in a general equilibrium model of residential choice. The estimator controls for observed and unobserved heterogeneity among households, observed and unobserved characteristics of communities, and the potential endogeneity of prices and expenditures, as well as the self-selection of households into communities of their choice. We estimate the structural parameters of the model using data from the Boston Metropolitan Area. The empirical findings reject myopic voting models. More sophisticated voting models based on utility-taking provide a potential explanation of the main empirical regularities.


A new method of data-domain full traveltime inversion (FTI) is proposed to estimate the near-surface velocity model using early arrivals in seismic shot gathers. Data-domain FTI is capable of generating a background velocity model from which the predicted early arrivals can kinematically match the observed ones. Such a match is measured and quantified in terms of the crosscorrelation function between the computed and observed traces. Our method aims to find an optimal estimated velocity model that minimizes the crosscorrelation computed from the selected early arrivals. The early arrivals are isolated via a sequence of operations, including the [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] scan, autopicking, multidomain quality control, and guide interpolation. Because windows, rather than exact arrival times, are constructed, the difficulties encountered while picking precise arrivals are reduced. In addition, the gradient of data-domain FTI is derived based on an amplitude-constrained optimization problem, which makes the gradient essentially different from that derived with the Born approximation in which no constraint is used. The constraint requires the inversion to honor traveltime information only, and it thus ignores any amplitude changes caused by velocity variations. This method is validated using 3D synthetic as well as field data sets. The results show that data-domain FTI, combined with the early arrival selection workflow, is able to generate reasonable background velocities that kinematically match the predicted early arrivals with the observed ones, and the associated depth-domain images are clearly improved.


The current status of research on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs)—carbon nanotube structural analogues—is discussed. Latest achievements in BNNT synthesis, morphology, and atomic structure analysis as well as physical, chemical, and functional property evaluations are reviewed. Similarities and differences between structural parameters and properties of BNNTs in comparison with conventional carbon nanotubes are particularly highlighted. Recent breakthroughs in BNNT filling, doping and functionalization, morphology, and electronic structure engineering are examined. Finally, prospective BNNT applications for fabricating field‐effect transistors, gas accumulators, and reinforcing polymer films are presented.


Indicator species need context to perform optimally for conservation purposes. If indicator potential is context‐dependent, then indicators should improve with increasing spatial‐environmental stratification. We tested this hypothesis by hierarchically stratifying a species combinations matrix (plants and wetlands) using regionalization and site typology and analyzing class specificity and occupancy rate for indicators shared across strata. Performance of indicators collectively improved with increased sample stratification providing greater spatial‐environmental context. Carefully considered sample classification schemes could strengthen the value of indicator species for monitoring biodiversity loss, environmental change, and management progress. However, the better accuracy of context‐specific indicators will have to be weighed against the practical need for fewer broad‐based indicators.


We comprehensively investigate the determinants of viability of rural banks in Indonesia. We take into account bank specific characteristics, bank governance, banking competition and regional characteristics to explain the difference in sustainability of rural banks. By studying 144 Indonesian rural banks located in 23 provinces over the period of 2010-2016, we find that banking competition measured by Lerner index and banking density is strongly negatively associated with viability of rural banks. Further, involvement of owners in the management is found to lessen the viability of such kind of banks. Well established rural banks would more likely be survived than newly established ones. Socio-economic and socio-political factors at the regional level have significant effect on the sustainability of rural banks. Some policy implications are discussed. JEL Classification: E50, G21


Abstract This paper describes observations on the air-borne pollen concentration in the Ascoli Piceno atmosphere in 1983. The pollen grains were collected using Hirst volumetric spore trap. 72 different types of pollen belonging to 47 families were identified. In order to consider the intensity and the lenght of the pollination of the main taxa, the annual pollination has been divided in three distinct periods: «initial accessory period», «principal period» and «final accessory period».


A leakage failure of ERW pipe was investigated by macroscopic analysis,chemical composition,metallurgical analysis testing,mechanical property testing and SEM observation.Based on the systematic analysis,it can be concluded that the reasons for ERW pipe crack are unqualified welding technology,the lower impact energy of weld and large numbers of gray spot in weld fusion line.


We present a class of covariant-noncovariant linear gauges which are characterized by a real parameter and also by an arbitrary temporal, but constant vector. The parameter can be adjusted to include the Lorentz (or Landau) gauge and the Coulomb gauge as special cases. We show that the noncovariant singularities in the Coulomb gauge can be regularized with the parameter. We calculate the Yang-Mills self-energy in this class of gauges to one-loop order, and obtain the self-energy in the Landau gauge and in the Coulomb gauge. The renormalization in this class of gauges is also discussed.


We experimentally investigate the generation of high-order modes (HOMs) at the wavelength band of 1.95 µm from a passively mode-locked, ultrashort pulse, Tm/Ho-co-doped fiber laser based on a mode-selective coupler (MSC). The mode-locked fiber laser outputs dissipative soliton pulses operating at wavelength of 1932.1 nm with spectrum width of 10.4 nm and pulse duration of 1.84 ps with repetition rate of 15.4 MHz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the generation of cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) from mode-locked fiber laser in the mid-infrared wavelength band that features all-fiber configuration, ultrashort pulse, and high-purity CVB generation.


Ph IP(2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine) is one of the most abundant heterocyclic amines detected in high-temperature cooked meat products. In this paper, the biological toxicity, formation mechanism, generation and control of Ph IP are reviewed with the aim of providing a reference for related research.


Application distribution platforms - or app stores - such as Google Play or Apple AppStore allow users to submit feedback in form of ratings and reviews to downloaded applications. In the last few years, these platforms have become very popular to both application developers and users. However, their real potential for and impact on requirements engineering processes are not yet well understood. This paper reports on an exploratory study, which analyzes over one million reviews from the Apple AppStore. We investigated how and when users provide feedback, inspected the feedback content, and analyzed its impact on the user community. We found that most of the feedback is provided shortly after new releases, with a quickly decreasing frequency over time. Reviews typically contain multiple topics, such as user experience, bug reports, and feature requests. The quality and constructiveness vary widely, from helpful advices and innovative ideas to insulting offenses. Feedback content has an impact on download numbers: positive messages usually lead to better ratings and vice versa. Negative feedback such as shortcomings is typically destructive and misses context details and user experience. We discuss our findings and their impact on software and requirements engineering teams.


Temme et al. (1) found that the Neanderthals and the HLA-DPB1*0401 shared Lys at the 69th amino acid and GGPM at the 84th to 87th amino acids of HLA-DPβ. They thus concluded that the Lys-69/GGPM-(84–87) in DPB1*0401 was derived from a Neanderthal introgression.

They observed that DPB1*0401 is rare in sub-Saharan Africans (SSA), which is consistent with the claim that the DPB1*0401 was from Neanderthal introgression. However, the DPB1*0402 also carries the Lys-69/GGPM-(84–87), and the frequency of DPB1*0401 and DPB1*0402 in SSA are 5.5 and 18.9%, respectively. Given that the SSA are nearly free from Neanderthal introgression (2), it is less likely that haplotypes from Neanderthal could reach a frequency as high as 24.4% in SSA.

Further, we reconstructed a phylogenetic tree for DPB1*0201, DPB1*0202, DPB1*0301, DPB1*0401, and DPB1*0402 haplotypes, along with chimpanzee and high coverage Neanderthal and Denisovan sequences. If the DPB1*0401 were from recent Neanderthal introgression, one would expect that it first coalesced with Neanderthal, instead of other modern human haplotypes (3). However, it was observed that the DPB1*0401 first coalesced with DPB1*0402, then with the two DPB1*02 haplotypes, and then with the Neanderthal and Denisovan sequences. Divergence time between DPB1*0401 and Neanderthal was estimated as 2200 thousand years ago (KYA) (95% confidence interval (CI): 1657.8–2742.2 KYA), which far predates the Neanderthal − modern human divergence time (∼270 KYA). This observation is also inconsistent with the hypothesis that the DPB1*0401 was from Neanderthal introgression. To summarize, the identified Neanderthal introgression at HLA-DPB1*0401 could be an artifact that resulted from ancient population structure.


Nitrogen is a paramount important essential element for all living organisms. It has been found to bea crucial structural component of proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes and other cellular constituents which are inevitable for all forms of life. In the atmosphere, the percentage of nitrogen is very high (N2, 78%) compared to other inorganic gases. However, most organisms have practically no direct access to this nitrogen. While plants can not directly uptake nitrogen from atmosphere, they are capable of assimilating other forms of nitrogen, for example ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-). For agricultural crop production, artificial fixation of nitrogen is heavily utilized and it is an expensive process that requires high temperatures (at least 400 °C) and pressures (around 200 atm). It has been conspicuously demonstrated that indiscriminate use of fertilizer hampers soil physical, chemical and micro biological properties and also a potential risk to environment e.g. water quality. Besides, chemically manufactured fertilizers are depleted from soils in various ways, for instance; denitrifying bacteria, volatilization, and leaching. Consequently, it results relatively poor availability of nitrogen to get into plants. On the flipside, only 1-2% of the nitrogen fixation in the world occurs through the natural process of lightening. Notably, microbial fixation is well characterized in diazotrophs for example; Rhizobia and Frankia, and blue-green algae. Against the backdrop, we are accentuated on an environmentally friendlyand themost sustainable approach to increase productivity for legume and non-legume crops. Till today, the term biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) has received much attention as a sustainable alternative; this process facilitates atmospheric nitrogen to convert into ammonia by rhizobia in specialized plan organs termed "root nodules". This review article seeks to better understand plant mechanisms involved in the development of root nodules in soybean.
Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important oil crops and a source of animal feed protein in the world. It has a salient feature to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbioses with compatible rhizobia that yields to determinate type nodule (Oldroyd, Murray et al. 2011). Biological nitrogen fixation in soybean nodules reduces the use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers resulting in cost-savings to producers and minimizes environmental damage due to nitrogen run-off. A better understanding of how nodules form and function is important for selection or generation of soybean genotypes with better nitrogen fixation capacity. Soybean nodules originate from root cortex via de novo cell differentiation (Oldroyd 2013). Consequently, two major nodule development zones are formed for instance; the nodule
primordium (Npr) in the middle and it is encircled by nodule parenchyma (Npa). At later time point, the Npr gives rise to N-fixation zone and the Npa holds vascular bundles. It is not clear what early signaling pathways driving the conspicuous development of the nodule zones. My research is aimed at filling this knowledge gap by illustrating the molecular signatures that paves the way to cellular differentiation in root nodule development in soybean. Based on initial evidence obtained by the Subramanian lab, we hypothesize that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important regulatory roles in spatio-temporal expression of their target genes during nodule developmental in soybean. For instance, the regulation of auxin sensitivity by miR160 has been found to be crucial for formation of nodule primordia and vasculature in the parenchyma (Marie Turner 2013). Against this backdrop, this review article focused on nuclear and cytoplasmic transcriptome as well as miRNA profiles of parenchyma and primordial tissues and determine the relative abundance and differentially expressed mRNAs and regulatory role of miRNAs in cell differentiation and nodule development.
Root nodule a sustainable alternative to fix atmospheric nitrogen
Atmospheric nitrogen percentage is very high (N2, 78%) compared to other inorganic gases (Mary Elvira 1932). However, most of the organisms have practically no direct access to this nitrogen. Nevertheless, plants can not directly uptake nitrogen from atmosphere but they are capable of assimilating only very specific forms of nitrogen, for example ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) (Bytnerowicz and Fenn 1996, Peter M. Vitousek 1997) (Sponseller, Gundale et al. 2016). Virtually, nitrogen has been found to be a crucial structural component of proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, and other cellular constituents which are inevitable for all forms of life (O'Brien, Vega et al. 2016). For agricultural crop production, artificial fixation of nitrogen is heavily utilized. It is an expensive process that requires high temperatures (approx. 400 °C) and pressures (approx. 200 atm) (Witschi 2000). It has been conspicuously demonstrated that indiscriminate use of N fertilizer hampers the diversity of the bacterial community and decreases soil C and N concentrations (Verzeaux, Alahmad et al. 2016). Notably, it has been demonstrated as a potential risk to environment e.g. water quality (Zhao, Sha et al. 2016) (Sponseller, Gundale et al. 2016). Besides, chemically manufactured fertilizers are depleted from soils in various ways, for instance; denitrifying bacteria, volatilization, and leaching (Johnson 1996, Peter M. Vitousek 1997). Consequently, it results relatively poor availability of nitrogen to get into plants. On the flipside, over 90 % of the nitrogen fixation in the world occurs through the natural process of lightening and microorganisms. Furthermore, microbial fixation is well characterized in diazotrophs for example; Rhizobia and Frankia, and blue-green algae (Cheng 2008). It has been demonstrated that Bradyrhizobium strains substantially escalated soybean grain yield, and protein content up to 57% and 26%, respectively (Zimmer, Messmer et al. 2016). Against the backdrop, we are accentuated on an environmentally friendly and a sustainable approach to increase the productivity for legume and non-legume crops. Literature mining depicted that biological nitrogen fixation in soybean nodules reduces the use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers resulting in cost-savings to producers and minimizes environmental damage due to nitrogen run-off.
Rhizobia infection leads to the root nodule development
In the natural environment, plants are continuously confronted with pathogenic and symbiotic microbes. Symbioses involves mutual exchange of diffusible signal molecules, first endophytic bacteria (rhizobia) are attracted by the plant root exudates flavonoids which are perceived and triggered the bacterial nodulation (nod) genes. Consequently, the bacteria synthesize specific lipochito-oligosaccharides, called nodulation (Nod) factors. This signal is perceived by the LysM receptor like kinase of host plant, it induces the root hair curling, and bacteria get access into the host epidermis through infection threads (ITs) and initiate cell division within the root cortex, leading to the progression of the root nodule meristem. In later stages of the interaction, bacteria are released from the infection threads into the plant cells, surrounded by membrane of plant origin. These bacteria multiply within the host cells and differentiate into the nitrogen fixing bacteroids (Udvardi and Day 1997) (Oldroyd 2013). Till now, integration of genetic and genomic approaches has revealed twenty-six genes to be involved in nodule development of Medicago truncatualaand Lotus japonicum (Kouchi, Imaizumi-Anraku et al. 2010). In addition, deep sequencing of the Medicago truncatularoot transcriptome has uncovered thousands of genes to be induced during Nod factor signaling and its resulting ethylene (ET) biosynthesis throughout the multiple development stages of indeterminate nodule (Larrainzar, Riely et al. 2015). Albeit the molecular mechanism of such regulation is not well understood. There has been a large-scale transcriptome analysis of B. japonicum-inoculated and mock-inoculated soybean root hairs. It has showed that a total of 1,973 soybean genes differentially expressed during root hair infection, particularly NFR5 and NIN genes (Libault, Farmer et al. 2010). Nevertheless, the signaling mechanisms directing the cellular differentiation of nodule are not known.
Soybean root nodule organogenesis
Soybean (Glycine max) has a genome size of 1.1 to1.5 Gb, it is partially diploidized tetraploid. It is one of the most important oil crops and a source of animal feed protein in the world (soybase.org/sb_about.php). It has a salient feature to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbioses with compatible rhizobia that yields to determinate type nodule (Udvardi and Day 1997) (Oldroyd, Murray et al. 2011). Notwithstanding of the economic and environmental importance, there has been very few studies about quantitative trait loci (QTL) that controlling BNF traits, for instance nodule number, ration of nodule dry weight with nodule number, and shoot dry weight (SDW). It has been reported via composite interval mapping that approximately six QTLs bears very small effect on BNF traits (Santos, Geraldi et al. 2013). Besides, it has been demonstrated in earlier studies that nodules originate from root cortex via de novo cell differentiation into two different cell types, parenchymal and primordium (Celine Charon 1997) (Oldroyd&Downie 2008; Oldroyd 2013). In addition, early nodulin genes in legume for instance; Enod 40 gene reported to be expressed in root pericycle during the rhizobia infection and later it occupied in the dividing cortical cells (H. Kouchi and S. Hata 1993). Among the two major nodule development zones, the nodule primordium (Npr) in the middle which is encircled by nodule parenchyma (Npa). At later time point, the Npr gives rise to N-fixation zone and the Npa holds vascular bundles. Lat


SUMMARY To clarify the aetio-pathogenesis of Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder (ANSD), a total of 845 papers were divided into four categories: Review, Audiology, Treatment and Aetiology. Aetiology was the topic analysed categorising papers as: Genetics, Histopathology, Imaging and Medical diseases. Isolated ANs were in relation to Otoferlin, Pejvakin and DIAPH3 deficiency, and the syndromes were mainly Charcot Marie Tooth, Friedreich Ataxia, mitochondrial disorders and those associated with optic neuropathies. In histopathology papers, important information was available from analyses on human premature newborns and on some syndromic neuropathies. From cochlear dysmorphism to cerebral tumours associated with ANs, these are described in what is identified as the Imaging area. Finally, the prevalent clinical pathology was bilirubinopathy, followed by diabetes. In conclusion, AN/ANSDs do not refer to a clear pathological condition, but to an instrumental pattern without any evidence of auditory nerve involvement, except in a few conditions. The terms AN/ANSD are misleading and should be avoided, including terms such as "synaptopathy" or "dis-synchrony".


The resonant multipactor is a special electron multiplication phenomenon in which electrons oscillate synchronously with the radio frequency electric field and grow exponentially. It could take place only if the emission phase of the electron satisfies a specific resonant condition1. In some microwave components commonly-used in spacecrafts, such as isolators and circulators, a typical parallel-dielectric-plate structure exists. Actually, the resonant multipacror is more likely to occur in this structure due to the local high electric field intensity resulted from the tiny space between two dielectric surfaces. For this type of the two-sided resonant multipactor, the most prominent feature is that the transit time of the electron should be an odd number of half cycles of the microwave electric field. It has been noted that up to date few publication focuses on the resonant multipactor as well as the parallel-dielectric-plate structure. Additionally, as the bias magnetic field in isolators and circulators cannot be neglected, its influence on the resonant multipactor should be considered.


There is a rapidly developing empirical literature on the effects of agglomeration on economic activity. This paper surveys recent studies that provide econometric estimates of effects. Doubling economic density increases labour productivity by three or more per cent. Beneath this general picture, however, effects vary widely in a way that defies easy generalisation. A variety of factors are involved in producing effects, with labour market specialisation featuring as important in a number of studies. There appears to be an important positive interaction between human capital and agglomeration effects. However, the empirical literature surveyed does not shed much light on the precise nature of the mechanisms involved. Effects of own industry scale are substantial in some cases. But a majority of three or four-digit industries are not significantly agglomerated, and even fewer demonstrate significant positive agglomeration effects of own industry scale. On the basis of this literature, New Zealand policy makers aiming to raise productivity should include a focus on the conditions that would allow its largest city to successfully grow in size. They should avoid attempts to select particular industries to increase their national scale in the hope of reaping agglomeration economies.


Serological identification of western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) vi¬ rus as the etiological agent in three human cases of encephalitis which occurred in British Columbia during August and September 1971 re¬ ported by Kettyls and his group in this issue of the Journal (page 1175), provide the first laboratory-substantiated evidence that WEE virus has caused human infections west of the Rocky Mountains. Isolation of WEE virus from the brain of a horse which contracted fatal encephalitis in a locality near the residence of a human case confirmed the preva¬ lence of this group A mosquitoborne arbovirus in British Columbia. Although limited outbreaks of en¬ cephalitis occurred among horses, especially in the Okanagan Valley in 1942, 1946 and 1969, a more se¬


Purpose. To assess the clinical effectiveness of the method of fixing the lens capsule with an intracapsular ring at one point in IOL decentration in the late postoperative period against the background of pseudoexfoliative syndrome (PES). Methods. Patient A., 71 years old. He was admitted with a diagnosis of OD – pseudophakia, decentration of the IOL, PES; OS – artifakia, PES. In the anamnesis: 5 years ago, cataract phacoemulsification with intracapsular ring and IOL implantation in the right eye. Examination: visometry, perimetry, autorefractometry, pneumotonometry. In order to center the IOL at the OD, ab interno fixation of the lens capsule with the intracapsular ring was performed to the sclera at one point in the region of the ciliary sulcus using a suture needle with a double thread and a guide needle. The suture thread on the intracapsular ring was fixed with a «cow hitch». Results. On the 2nd day after surgery, visual acuity without correction was 0.7. On examination, the right eye is calm, the cornea is transparent, the anterior chamber is of medium depth, the moisture of the anterior chamber is transparent, the pupil is round 3 mm, centered, the IOL is in the correct position. Visual acuity did not change throughout the entire period of observation, intraocular pressure remained compensated for the entire period of observation of the patient. Conclusion. This example demonstrates the feasibility of using an intracapsular ring during phacoemulsification against the background of PES and the clinical effectiveness of the method of fixing the lens capsule with an intracapsular ring at one point in IOL decentration in the late postoperative period. Key words: intracapsular ring, pseudoexfoliative syndrome, «cow hitch»


In our thinking, speaking and doing we employ two basic conceptualizations of the world. On the one hand, we see the world as consisting of physical objects interacting through causal connections. On the other hand, we see it as consisting of agents (primarily human beings), who intentionally represent the world and act in it. The great successes of natural science have suggested to many that the physical or material conceptualization fits every part of the empirically accessible universe, including humans. This idea, however, has created serious problems for the intentional conceptualization. It suggests that mental states are causally inefficacious in human actions, or conversely, that human action is causally overdetermined by mental states as well as brain states. Nowadays a large part of the philosophy of mind is devoted to analyzing these types of problems. Our research program, "The dual nature of technical artifacts", will address a set of problems that originate in the existence of these two conceptualizations. The intentional conceptualization applies not only to mental states of individual persons, but also to social entities, i.e., entities involving several persons, such as gangs, armies, banks, governments, countries, etc. And it stretches out in another direction, so to speak, to include (technical) artifacts, such as screwdrivers, spectrographs and skyscrapers. It is this category of technical artifacts on which the research program focuses. Its subject matter is the applicability of the two conceptualizations and their interrelatedness when human beings connect to the physical world in the creation of technical artifacts (artifacts designed by engineers). The problems encountered here are different from the ones in the philosophy of mind. In that discipline one problem among others is the existence of two alternative conceptualizations of mental states, where one seems to be superfluous in the explanation of human action. As will be explained below, the problem addressed here is the indispensability of both conceptualizations for understanding and explaining


Because of the existence of the private information, the informed trader can make excess payoffs by using the information advantages. And also the informed trader can choose the trade strategies to attain the up most excess payoffs. However, he may lose his information advantages. This paper analyzes the conditions when the informed trader can make use of the private information and its optimal times underlying the framework of the strategic market game.


Steel shear wall is a novel system used to resist against the lateral loads of wind and earthquake. Nowadays, due to the special benefits of this innovative system, in comparison with the other lateral loading-resistant systems such as concrete shear walls and moment frames, shear steel walls are used widely in the construction practice, especially in tall buildings in North America and Japan. In the present paper, the collapse behavior of shear steel walls is studied. The finite element method has been used to investigate into the effects of various parameters on the collapse behavior of these systems. All of the analyses have been undertaken using ANSYS. In order to verify the accuracy and validity of the finite element modeling, the theoretical results, obtained from material and geometric nonlinear static analyses, have been compared with the available experimental results of steel shear walls. It has been found that the finite element model is reliable enough to be used to undertake nonlinear collapse analysis for parametric investigation. The effects of these parameters have been studied: post buckling behavior, type of connections of frames, material model, type of connection of shear steel wall to the frame, and slenderness ration of plate.


In addition to non-manufacturing robot applications that are considered hazardous, there are also opportunities for applying robots to the socalled service industries. The possibilities cover a wide spectrum of jobs that are non-hazardous. We present the following subsections to illustrate the potential applications – Teaching Robots, Retail Robots, Fast Food Restaurants, Bank tellers, Garbage Collections and Waste Disposal Operations, Cargo Handling, Loading, Unloading, and Distribution based Operations, Security Services, Medical Care Centre and Hospital Responsibility, Agricultural based Robots, Household based Robots, Rehabilitation based Robots. Main goals of automation are to step by step increase the reliability and quality of a given process. The objective is to make the Robot independent to take the decision by itself. The robot shall be able to understand it with the little change in hardware software and programming. Under machine configuration system channel with Artificial Intelligence is provided by automatic joint functional behaviour & controllability & observability function. Automation has been achieved by various means including mechatronics, hydraulic system, pneumatic system, electrical, electronic and computers, usually in combination. As per robot controlled machine configuration, the program sequence of discrete operation depends upon user portfolio & based on input & output term condition via process implementation.


The ethanolic extract of heart wood of the plant Caesalpinia sappan obtained was dried under vacuum and subjected to anti oxidant activity using in vitro models such as DPPH radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, and hydroxyl radical scavenging. Preliminary phytochemical screening was carried out to find different phyto constituents present in the ethanol extract of C. sappan. The extract exhibited the presence of important compounds such as flavanoids, glycosides, protein. The extract exhibited significant antioxidant activity which was comparable with the standards employed.


s-wave J=3/2+ 3H(d,n)3He 3He(d,p)4 reaction the J=3/2+ resonance, the relative values of the spin-space transition matrix elements fixed. These spin-polarization observables. and doublet s=l/2 initial states, with the assumption of the single J=3/2+ reaction amplitude.


In the context of increasing Sino-Zambia trade and investment relations and the controversy surrounding China's engagements in Africa, this paper tried to examine the determinants of Zambia's trade with China. To achieve this, the traditional augmented Gravity Model of International Trade was used for the analysis over a period of 15 years (2000-2014). The results indicate that Sino-Zambia bilateral trade is significantly determined by Zambia's GDP, such that when other factors are held constant, a unit increase in GDP will lead to Zambia's exports to China rise by 27%. Further, Sino-Zambia trade is determined by Zambia's population and the stock of investment as well as China's GDP per capita and the stock of investment. The paper recommends urgent investments in infrastructure development, especially transport and communications and power generation as well as the formulation of consistent and appropriate policies aimed at reducing trade barriers. Further, a detailed study on how to promote Zambia's agricultural trade with China is recommended.


A novel muitistate storage methodology suitable for 'Read only' type optical memories is proposed and demonstrated using a simple microstructural design for PbTe thin films. This approach facilitates enhanced storage capacity through mutivalued logic. The PbTe films are found to exhibit four different optical states.


The gene encoding cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase (CYP7A1) is tightly regulated to control bile acid synthesis and maintain lipid homeostasis. Recent studies in mice suggest that bile acid synthesis is regulated by the fasted‐to‐fed cycle, and fasting induces CYP7A1 gene expression in parallel to the induction of peroxisome proliferators‐activated receptor γ co‐activator 1α (PGC‐1α) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). How glucagon regulates CYP7A1 gene expression in the human liver is not clear. Here we show that glucagon and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) strongly repressed CYP7A1 mRNA expression in human primary hepatocytes. Reporter assays confirmed that cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibited human CYP7A1 gene transcription, in contrast to their stimulation of the PEPCK gene. Mutagenesis analysis identified a PKA‐responsive region located within the previously identified HNF4α binding site in the human CYP7A1 promoter. Glucagon and cAMP increased HNF4α phosphorylation and reduced the amount of HNF4α present in CYP7A1 chromatin. Our findings suggest that glucagon inhibited CYP7A1 gene expression via PKA phosphorylation of HNF4α, which lost its ability to bind the CYP7A1 gene and resulted in inhibition of human CYP7A1 gene transcription. In conclusion, this study unveils a species difference in nutrient regulation of the human and mouse CYP7A1 gene and suggests a discordant regulation of bile acid synthesis and gluconeogenesis by glucagon in human livers during fasting. (HEPATOLOGY 2005.)


The blood acid-base status was studied in equines when induced large colon impaction was followed by applying an isotonic polionic enteral solution, or sene associated with intravenous fluid therapy, or fluid therapy alone. The blood samples were collected in twenty animals, four groups (E8, RL, SE, and C) of five animals each. Animals of the treated groups had experimentally induced colon impactions. Equines in group E8 received isotonic polionic enteral solution (8 mL kg -1 h -1 48


A structural system developed and named 'Pantadome system' by the author has been applied to six major spatial structures of various shapes and dimensions in different corners of the world. It is a structures system (not a construction method) incorporation a temporary 'kinematic mechanism' in it for a rational construction of domical structures. Nara Convention Hall has recently been constructed successful on the principle of Pantadome System. In the present paper raison d'etre, principle and newly applied examples of Panatadome System are presented.


Provided are a computer software design support method and a design support device, wherein the design step pertaining to performance issues which is one of the serious causes for malfunction is ameliorated and development costs associated with improving the quality of embedded software and reducing the number of back track steps are reduced. At least the priory, activation cycle, execution time and execution frequency are defined for each task constituting an application processing program. Moreover, the execution flow of tasks constituting the application processing program is defined. The execution time for the execution flow of the tasks is calculated by using the priority, activation cycle, execution time and execution frequency defined for each task. The system performance is predicted from the minimum execution time, maximum execution time and execution time distribution of the application processing program.


Thisreport describes amethodofestimating the duration offungicidal activity ofamphotericin B in thevagina after itsinsertion inacreambase. Various localized vaginal infections aretreated by theinsertion ofapessary orcreamintothevagina. Thismethodoftreatment isnotentirely satisfactory since failure torespond maybeduetothemethod ofapplication rather thantothelimitations ofthe preparation ortheresistance oftheinfection tothe active principle. Theeffectiveness ofthisprocedure depends on thedistribution oftheactive principle overthe wholesurface ofthevaginal mucosa.A variety of factors maycombine toprevent ordelay thisdispersal. Wheninserting apessary thepatient may fail tointroduce ithighenough intothevagina to ensure uniform spread throughout itssurface. The composition ofapessary together withlocal anatomical, physiological, orpathological conditions mayprevent itsrapid andcomplete disintegration, thereby delaying theliberation oftheactive principle. Although muchworkhasbeendoneonthe composition ofpessaries toensuretheir rapid disintegration inthevagina, thepractical difficulties of application remainandmaketheefficacy ofthis particular formoftreatment extremely difficult to assess inanyindividual patient. Insomerespects theuseofacreaminserted with anapplicator ispreferable toapessary. Thecream spreads moreuniformly overthevaginal mucosa buttheamountofleakage varies considerably betweenpatients. A pregnant ambulant multiparous womanneartermmaylose averysubstantial proportion ofthetotal doseinthis way. Whichever vehicle isused, theconvenience ofthe patient demands that theactive principle should be present ineffective concentrations atallvaginal sites foratleast 24hours, oramultiple thereof, so