Seasonal neuroendocrine cycles that govern annual changes in reproductive activity, energy metabolism and hair growth are almost ubiquitous in mammals that have evolved at temperate and polar latitudes. Changes in nocturnal melatonin secretion regulating gene expression in the pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary stalk are a critical common feature in seasonal mammals. The PT sends signal(s) to the pars distalis of the pituitary to regulate prolactin secretion and thus the annual moult cycle. The PT also signals in a retrograde manner via thyroid‐stimulating hormone to tanycytes, which line the ventral wall of the third ventricle in the hypothalamus. Tanycytes show seasonal plasticity in gene expression and play a pivotal role in regulating local thyroid hormone (TH) availability. Within the mediobasal hypothalamus, the cellular and molecular targets of TH remain elusive. However, two populations of hypothalamic neurones, which produce the RF‐amide neuropeptides kisspeptin and RFRP3 (RF‐amide related peptide 3), are plausible relays between TH and the gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone‐pituitary‐gonadal axis. By contrast, the ways by which TH also impinges on hypothalamic systems regulating energy intake and expenditure remain unknown. Here, we review the neuroendocrine underpinnings of seasonality and identify several areas that warrant further research.


The invention discloses an online desulphurization method for a sintering process, and belongs to the technical field of desulphurization. According to the online desulphurization method for the sintering process, a grate-layer material layer is laid at the bottom of a sintering pallet, and a mixed material for sintering is laid on the grate-layer material layer to form a mixed material layer, wherein a desulphurization agent layer is also laid in the mixed material layer; the distance between the desulphurization agent layer and the bottom of the sintering pallet is 1/8 to 1/4 of the total height of the mixed material layer; and a desulphurization agent in the desulphurization agent layer is a particulate matter from which ammonium can be decomposed, and is particulate urea with an average particle size of 0.30 to 0.80mm. According to the method, the particulate desulphurization agent is added to a specific position, so that the desulphurization efficiency of the sintering process can be maximally improved, each technical index of sintered ore can be ensured, and influence on the quality of the sintered ore is substantially avoided.


The classification,character of protein electrophoresis technology as well as its application in the purity identification of crop were reviewed in this paper.And the wide-ranging application of isozyme electrophoresis technology in the purity identification of hybrid rapeseed was elaborated.Finally the feasibitly and application prospect of methods of storage protein electrophoresis in hybrid rapeseed purity identification were discussed.


Based on the onion cell model, a parent-body of an ordinary chondrite consists of petrographic type 6, 5, 4 and 3 from inward to outward. A high-pressure polymorph occurring in a shocked ordinary chondrite gives shock pressure, temperature, impact velocity and impactor size, which become clues for understanding a destruction process of an ordinary chondrite parent-body. We have to clarify the inventories of a high-pressure polymorph included in all petrologic types to elucidate the destruction process of an ordinary chondrite parent-body. Accordingly, we will describe the petrologic and mineralogical features of the shock-induced textures and high-pressure polymorphs therein in heavily shocked type 3 ordinary chondrites. We observed about three hundreds Antarctica type 3 ordinary chondrite (H-, Land LL-type) petrographic thin sections stored in the NIPR under an optical microscope. We found eight type 3 ordinary chondrites with a distinct melting texture; Y-981139 (H3), A-87170 (L3), A-87220 (L3), Y-000886 (L3), Y-86706 (L3), Y-981327 (L3) A-881199 (LL3.4) and A-881981 (LL3). We also selected thirty three type 3 ordinary chondrite petrographic thin sections without a melting texture as a reference. All these samples were scanned with a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) to observe the fine-textures of melt-pockets and the morphologies of chondrules. Mineralogy was determined by a laser micro-Raman spectroscopy. FE-SEM observations revealed that the melting textures (melt-pocket) in type 3 always occur around a boundary between a chondrule and matrix. Fine-grained quench silicate crystals and the spherules of metallic iron-nickel + iron sulfide with a eutectic texture filled the melt-pockets. Several interstitial glass fragments were entrained in the melt-pockets of A-881199 (LL3). Their bulk-chemical compositions are similar to that of plagioclase. Based on a Raman spectroscopy analysis, most of them are amorphous. On the other hand, back-scattered electron (BSE) image depicted that one of the interstitial glasses had a granular texture. A strong Raman shifts appeared at 372, 693 and 1032 cm-1 from the interstitial glass with a granular texture, which appear to be those of jadeite (Considering its chemical composition, probably, jadeite-diopside solid-solution) or tissintite. This is a first discovery of a high-pressure polymorph from type 3 ordinary chondrite. The ellipticity of chondrules (1 –(short axis/long axis)) in type 3 chondrites with and without a melting texture was measured. The ellipticity of chondrules in chondrites with a melting texture is ~0.31, which appears to be a bit bigger than those of chondrules in chondrites without a melting texture. The orientation of the long axis of chondrules was also measured. The long axis of chondrules in chondrites with a melting texture appears to be oriented along a specific orientation. The ellipticity and orientation degree of chondrules besides a high-pressure polymorph would be available for estimating shock pressure condition recorded in an ordinary chondrite.


Microglial FDG uptake alterations are the source of FDG-PET changes in models of neurodegenerative diseases. Description Microglial FDG uptake alterations are the source of FDG-PET changes in models of neurodegenerative diseases.


A graphical inverse method for determining the regional transmissivity distribution was applied to three field problems. The study areas were the Hanford Site, Washington; the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado; and the Nevada Test Site, Nevada. This method can aid in flow system conceptualization by revealing the location of bedrock controls for groundwater flow. It is a valuable tool for aiding the hydrogeologist in asking questions about the nature of trends in the pattern of transmissivity values. Quantitative estimates of regional transmissivities can be used as starting points for further parameter refinement. Sensitivity analysis using Monte Carlo simulation shows that quantitative estimates of transmissivity can be obtained when measurement error in the hydraulic head does not cause a large error in the hydraulic gradient.


The present invention relates to a method of Preparation ZnO / Celite nanocomposite layer self-assembly, comprising: (1) the base is slowly added dropwise to an alcoholic solution of zinc acetate in alcoholic solution, after the addition was complete stirring was continued and then ultrasonic dispersion obtained ZnO sol; (2) was immersed in the above-described ZnO sol celite, stirred, filtered, washed with deionized water, and then immersed in a negatively charged polyelectrolyte solution, stirred, filtered, washed with deionized water, the above process is repeated n times, n + 1 layer to obtain a self-assembled ZnO / celite material, wherein 0≤n≤10; obtained in (3) in step (2) drying the product, and then calcined at 300 ~ 500 ℃ , that is, too. Simple synthesis process of the present invention, the required equipment is simple, easy to be industrialized; obtained according to the present invention, a load having a ZnO nanoparticles Celite adsorption ability, good photocatalytic activity, easy recovery characteristics, a broad application prospect.


Nuts are delicious and they are good for you. Here are some simple handling and storage tips you can follow to keep them good to eat and prevent rancidity or the growth of bacteria that have the potential to cause illness.


Materials' deficiencies, such as corrosion, cracks, separation of surfaces, are one of the most important causes for provoking damages in constructions. Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) has a significant contribution on the detection of imperfections. This technology evaluates and inspects materials' structure continuously without destroying it. The prompt detection of deficiencies reduces the maintenance cost and it also increases the life duration of a construction. So, the technology of NDT is widely applied in many industries ensuring the structural integrity of materials. There are different NDT methods like visual testing, eddy currents etc. Each of these methods has both pros and cons. Eddy current thermography is used as NDT method in this master's thesis.
 Eddy current thermography combines the electromagnetic excitation and inspection of conductive materials with active infrared thermography. A coil creates varying-time magnetic field and consequently it induces eddy currents in the inspected specimen. Heat is released due to the circulation of eddy currents. Thus, heat causes temperature differences. The infrared thermography depicts temperature distribution in 2-D images on the surface of the specimen. The existence of a crack affects either heat flow or current flow and consequently it affects the temperature distribution. Therefore, the crack becomes detectable via thermograms in many cases. However, in many cases the illustration of isotherm curves (thermograms) is insufficient for the detection of a crack. So, data processing techniques have been developed, such as Discrete Fourier Transform. Although these techniques improve the results, they are time-consuming, because they require an enormous volume of data for processing. Objective of this thesis is the development of mathematical methods and the representation of characteristic parameters in order to improve experimental and computational results of thermographic NDT. Moreover, these methods' efficiency is investigated for the detection of cracks.
 The characteristic parameters, such as the measure of temperature's first spatial derivative, determine the points of specimen with low diffusion rate. In this way, temperature differences are higher. Firstly, characteristic parameters, which arise from experimental data, are illustrated. Furthermore, a computational model is developed. The theoretical temperature distribution is calculated on the surface of a specimen without cracks through the numerical solution of the computational model. Generally, we conclude that in most cases the comparison between experimental and theoretical temperature distribution improves the results significantly making cracks sharper.


A Large-scale underground interchange tunnels will be applied in the Chongqing Two Rivers Tunnel project with six crossings and four interchanges adopting NATM. The paper analyzes and discusses the whole-process construction mechanical behavior of the underground interchange by the numerical analysis method, at the same time considering the similar project established, and then suggests some important design parameters about crossings and close overlap interchanges between NATM tunnels, such as proper space of crossings and interchanges. Through the analyses, the paper suggests the design and construction method and construction organization project, especially for the crossings and close overlap interchanges between the NATM tunnels. The paper discusses the key problems of an underground interchange tunnels, and first suggests a mode how to construct an underground interchange tunnels. So, it is important in theory and practical engineering.


The development of high brightness X-ray sources and high resolution X-ray optics has led to rapid advances in X-ray microscopy. Scanning microscopes and full-field instruments are in operation at synchrotron light sources worldwide, and provide spatial resolution routinely in the 25–50 nm range using zone plate focusing elements. X-ray microscopes can provide elemental maps and/or chemical sensitivity in samples that are too thick for electron microscopy. Lensless techniques, such as diffraction microscopy, holography and ptychography are also being developed. In high resolution imaging of radiation-sensitive material the effects of radiation damage needs to be carefully considered. This article is designed to provide an introduction to the current state and future prospects of X-ray microscopy for the non-expert.


The mechanisms underlying swelling of clays during water saturation still remain poorly understood. Swelling is generally understood to result from interlayer forces (in the range of small particle separations) and double-layer repulsive forces (in the range of large particle separations). Recently, a systematic molecular dynamic study was conducted (see the companion paper entitled "Behavior of Swelling Clays: A Molecular Dynamic Study by Amarasinghe and Anandarajah) (a) to develop an understanding of the interlayer and double-layer forces and (b) to develop a forcedisplacement relation covering the full range of small to large particle separations. In the present paper, the force-displacement relation developed from the results of the molecular dynamic study, as well as the previously developed relations for the double-layer repulsive force and van der Waals attractive force, are used in a discrete element simulation to study the swelling behavior of clays in a comprehensive manner.


Objective: In this study, we aimed to identify the difficulties encountered by the health teams and personnel working as volunteers or on assignment in the earthquake area, and to identify their experiences and recommendations regarding the disaster. Material and Methods: This study was conducted in October and November 2011 in Van, Turkey and the surrounding region with individuals, mainly health personnel, who arrived in the city as volunteers or on assignment to assist the relief efforts. The study was conducted as these individuals carried out their duties. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with volunteers and personnel who agreed to complete the questionnaires as required. Results: A total of 168 persons were included in the study. The mean age of these individuals was calculated as 31±8 (age range 17 to 56). Of the participants, 74 (44%) arrived in the city or the surrounding area as part of their official assignment, and 94 (56%) arrived as volunteers. During the study, 77 (46%) of the individuals experienced a health problem on at least one occasion. A job definition could be identified for 74% of the participants. Conclusion: The job definitions and required materials should be pre-deter mined and work hours rotated according to a shift system. We believe that this would allow relief efforts to be conducted more effectively. (JAEM 2013; 12: 66-70)


To explore molecular mechanism of dietary protein sources affecting development of intestinal tract of weaner piglets,porcine genome array(PGA) was used to detect intestinal transcription profile of weaner piglets(0,3,7 and 14 d after weaning) fed diets with different protein sources.Twenty-four male piglets were randomly divided into two treatments.Piglets in treatment 1 were fed the diet,30% total protein of which were substituted by milk protein,and those in treatment 2 were fed a diet with whole phytoprotein sources.The results showed as follows: 1) there were 370 differentially expressed genes in treatment 1(P0.05).Series test clustering(STC) analysis revealed 26 expression profiles,in which there were 3 significant expression profiles,and significance levels of profiles 5 and 11(P0.01) were higher than those of the other profiles.Meanwhile,there were 263 differentially expressed genes in treatment 2(P0.05).Twenty-six expression profiles were obtained by STC analysis,in which significance levels of profiles 3 and 22(P0.01) were higher than those of the other profiles.2) Gene co-expression network analysis revealed the molecular regulation mechanism of dietary protein sources affecting intestinal tract development of weaner piglets.A total of 12 and 9 valuable important candidate genes in regulatory network were successfully screened from the piglets in 2 treatments by PGA analysis,and 9 co-expressed genes were also obtained,and their regulation in network were affected by dietary treatment.In conclusion,some potential genes associated with intestinal tract development and function affected by dietary protein sources in weaner piglets are screened,and these candidate genes may deserve further investigation.


As for the arts of painting, there is no definite appraisal criterion for it. Most of the statements about appraisal criterion are too partial. The thesis puts forward that the definition of arts value is set at different levels (language, aesthetics, state): firstly, whether language has expression. Secondly, whether aesthetics bring people visual or spiritual enjoyment. Thirdly, whether spiritual state can carry on the classical and achieve eternality.


Acrylonitrile (AN) was graft copolymerized onto gelatinized and granular wheat starch in aqueous media in the presence of ceric ammonium nitrate initiator at 91-364 anhydroglucose units (AGU) per cerium (IV) and at 1.08-4.33 AN to AGU ratios. Molecular weights and dispersities of polyacrylonitrile side chains were determined by gel-permeation chromatography. Conversion-time plots of AN polymerizations in both gelatinized and granular starch systems show characteristics common to heterogeneous polymerizations that could be explained on the basis of buried polymer radicals. The rates of polymerizations were directly related to the square root of the corrected cerium(IV) concentration and to the 1.3 power of the AN concentration. Graft copolymerization of AN onto starch, at least during initial stages, is not suitably explained by a kinetic scheme involving termination by polymer radical with cerium(IV) ion.


At 1100 K a new phase of WO3 with space group P4/ncc, a = 5.2885(5) Åand c = 7.8626(8) Å, was established, and its crystal structure was determined. The previously known tetragonal phase P4/nmm, which is shown to exist only above 1170 K, was also refined with a = 5.3031(4) Åand c = 3.9348(3) Åat 1200 K. The difference between the two perovskite-like structures relates to a tricritical non-ferroic transition characterized by a soft mode at the Z-point of the Brillouin zone, which induces antiphase rotations of the WO6 octahedra about [001]. The oxygen sublattice of the lower tetragonal structure is shown to possess the symmetry of the a0a0c- perovskite tilt structure F4/mmc (I4/mcm), which is violated by the off-centre antiferroelectric displacements of the tungsten atoms that lead to the observed space group P4/ncc.


COVID-19 is proving to be a double-edged sword for health care professionals. It is not only causing physical malfunctioning but mental suffering among medical undergraduates. This study demonstrates the psychological impact and various predisposing factors causing mental distress. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study involving 157 medical undergraduates of Third, Fourth, and Final year MBBS being trained in tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi, Pakistan in September 2020, when the graph of COVID-19 was flattening. Data was collected through a selfdesigned questionnaire for demographic details and DASS-21. The mean and standard deviation was calculated for depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for the severity of DASS-21 and predisposing factors. Data analysis was done through SPSS. V. 25. Out of 157 students, there were 80(51%) males and 77 (49%) females. The mean age was 22.52 (SD=1.60). The overall mean score of anxiety was 7.43 ± 4.53, depression was 7.75 ± 4.12, and stress was 8.15 ± 4.53. This study found that the most common reason for stress and anxiety among students attending wards was the fear that they might infect their family members 42 (26.8%), followed by the fear of getting infected themselves 39 (24.8%). This study doesn't exhibit a significant mental burden of grave concern however, the anxiety level was high among the Third year and depression level was high among Final year students. Fear of infecting family members and contracting the virus themselves were common reasons for distress.


: 1277 Reasons for quarantine and positivity rate among quarantined Health Care Workers (HCWs) in North India Naveen Prashar, Rahuldeep Singh, Ritin Mohindra, Vikas Suri, Ashish Bhalla, Manisha Biswal, PVM. Lakshmi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India Background: WHO has declared the COVID-19 as Pandemic on 11 March, 2020. It is important to break the chain of transmission by quarantining the persons with high-risk exposure. Understanding the reasons for quarantine will help in reducing the exposures and thus reducing the chances of quarantine. Methods: A validated risk assessment tool based on National Centre for Disease Control guidelines was used for the risk assessment of HCWs. The forms of HCWs who underwent risk assessment between April-November, 2020 were analyzed for reasons of quarantine. The positivity rates among high-risk and low-risk groups were compared. Results: Out of 1414 HCWs who were assessed, 345 were categorized as high-risk exposure and were quarantined. The most common reasons for quarantine were performance of aerosol generating procedure without recommended personal protection equipment (PPE) (34%), exposure to COVID-19 positive patient without mask for more than 20 minutes at the distance less than 1 m (30%) and having food/tea together (27%). The positivity rate was 8.4% among high-risk and 1.9% among low-risk exposure group (pvalue: <0.001). The positivity among low risk category was more in the second half (19/466; 4.1%) as compared to first half (1/603; 0.2%) of the study period. This might be due to exposure from nonhospital sources as second half coincides with first wave of the pandemic. Conclusion: Not using recommended PPE and having tea/food breaks together were the most common reasons for quarantine. Key messages: Strict enforcement of recommended PPE and scattered tea and food breaks can reduce high-risk exposures. Victoria from 2005-2015 (n1⁄4529,261). We applied the same growth centiles, either adjusted or not adjusted for fetal sex. We compared overall <10 centile populations, populations of males considered small by sex-specific charts only, and populations of females considered small by sex-neutral charts only. Stillbirth risk was our primary outcome. Results: Of those <10 centile by sex-neutral charts, 39.6% were male and 60.5% female, but using sex-specific charts, 50.3% were male and 49.7% female. 19.2% of<10 centile females were reclassified as>10 centile using sex-specific charts. These females were not at increased risk of stillbirth or adverse outcomes compared with a healthy weight infant, but were at greater risk of being delivered by obstetricians on suspicion of growth restriction. A further 25.0% of male infants were reclassified as<10 centile by sex-specific charts. These male newborns, compared to a healthy weight baby, were at greater risk of stillbirth (RR 1.94, 95%CI 1.30-2.90) and other adverse outcomes. Conclusions: Use of growth centiles not adjusted for fetal sex disproportionately classifies female infants as<10 centile, increasing their risk of unnecessary intervention, and fails to identify a cohort of male infants at increased risk of adverse outcomes, including stillbirth. Key messages: Male babies are heavier than female babies. Thus, ultrasound charts growth charts should be sex-specific.


In this paper, a 3-phase induction motor model for simulation the field oriented control (FOC) system based on space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) is established in Ansoft/Simplorer software. The theory of field oriented control (FOC) and the principle of space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) were introduced. The simulation results are presented and analyzed. A Simulink simulation model of field oriented control system is presented as a comparison under the same conditions. The results indicated that the Simplorer model had quick response speed, small torque fluctuations and good performance both in steady and dynamic states. Furthermore, the Simplorer model can be coupled with the finite element model of the motor to achieve field-circuit coupling simulation of induction motor's field oriented control system.


This thesis describes the design and implementation of a positional-control
scheme for a limited angle torque motor, using a digital signal processor (DSP). [Continues.]


Precision medicine is since long an ongoing refinement of classical medicine, integrating improved and more detailed pathophysiological understanding with rapid technological advances. In the heterogenous area of chronic kidney disease there seems to be a high potential for the improvement in treatment and prognosis for several causes, with new technologies under development, that are yet to be introduced in clinical practice. As in other medical disciplines, investigation of abundant peptide patterns (proteomics) has gained recent interest. Especially relevant for kidney disease, urinary proteomics may provide both improved diagnosis and, as reviewed here, also holds promise for personalized treatment in the future. So far, capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE‐MS) is the most widely applied technique, and in addition to several cross‐sectional and cohort studies, there is even an ongoing randomized controlled trial that will soon report on the concept used as a method of personalizing treatment. In addition, there is hope that urinary proteomics can turn into a "liquid biopsy," replacing the invasive diagnostic procedure. The next couple of years will provide more answers on the topic.


Structured light projection techniques based on diffuse reflection are widely used for accurate, fast, contactless, and nondestructive optical 3D shape measurements. It cannot be utilized to measure uncooperative materials, i.e., materials with optical properties such as being glossy, transparent, absorbent, or translucent. Recently, it was shown that 3D reconstruction of an uncooperative object can be performed by a two-step process for each camera image pair. In the first step, the object absorbs a projected thermal pattern, e.g., in the long-wave infrared range. In the second step, after energy conversion, the object surface reemits light according to Planck's law. Whereas the irradiation can be performed by a CO2 laser at 10.6 μm, the detection of the reemitted light can be carried out by mid-wave infrared (MWIR) cameras sensitive in the wavelength range between 3 and 5 μm. In order to achieve accurate 3D results in a short measurement time, the projection parameters like radiation intensity and illumination time as well as the projection patterns have to be optimized depending on optical and thermal material properties (e.g., complex spectral refractive index, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, emissivity). Therefore, we have developed a simulation tool based on the Beer-Lambert law (for absorption of the irradiation) and on the heat diffusion equation (for the illumination-induced thermal pattern on the object surface). In this contribution, we present our simulation tool and several simulation results. We apply our tool to investigate the projection parameters and projection patterns for a given material and a specific total measurement time. Finally, we experimentally verify the theoretical results with our MWIR 3D sensor.


This paper contributes to research on emotional labour by offering a measurement instrument that is suitable for making comparisons across nations. We confront the challenge of measurement equivalence by reporting survey items that achieve configural and partial metric invariance across seven nations on four continents. Survey items for each of three emotional labour constructs - emotive capacity, deep acting, and surface acting (more accurately called pretending) - were developed by first analysing pilot data from a sample of nations. After variables were refined, full data collection was conducted by surveying public service workers in seven countries. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis then tested for cross-national invariance. Results confirm both configural and partial metric invariance of the items, enabling comparison of emotional labour demands and its consequences across nations.


Interindividual variability in responses to warfarin is attributed to dietary vitamin K, drug interactions, age, or genetic polymorphism in the cytochrome P4502C9 enzyme (CYP2C9) (allelic variants 2C9*2 and 2C9*3) linked with impaired metabolism of the potent enantiomere S ‐warfarin.


High-k/metal gate stacks are a promising and viable approach for CMOS scaling. The high permittivity of the dielectric used can reduce the leakage current while preserving the low equivalent oxide (EOT) thickness needed for the future step of technologies. The recent advances are very encouraging, but reliability aspects, in particular TDDB characteristics, are much less developed. In this paper we investigate the issue of progressive dielectric breakdown, a debated aspect (1-3), which is critical for evaluation of the device lifetime.


The concepts of design patterns and their application is discussed. The purpose of design patterns is to summarize the successful design and architecture. These patterns can be reused in the future development process. Design patterns are obtained by analyzing the related problems, and it describes the problems and their solutions. By using design pattern, developers can obtain the successful design and record the design experience in a standardized form. It also describes its application in elevator control system according to two patterns among them. These patterns made the design more robust, flexible and easy to extend.


Smectic clay suspensions have been used to prepare claymodified electrodes (CMEs) presenting unique properties (high surface area and cation exchange capacity, swelling and intercalation as well as chemical and mechanical stability) [1-3]. These properties provide new patterns of reactivity to incorporate reactants on CMEs. The use of CMEs is limited to positively charged species, since anionic species cannot be adsorbent on the clay film. However, cationic surfactants adsorb easily on the clay and built up a positive bilayer. Thus, when a CME has been pre-exchanged with cationic surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), it can act as an excellent collector of anionic species from dilute solutions [4,5]. In the present study, we examine the electrochemical activity of a natural clay (M) treated with CTAB, before and after acid activation and pillaring, We compare the sensitivity of the corresponding montmorillonite (ME), acid-activated (AME), pillared (PME) and pillared acid activated (PAME) montmorillonite modified electrodes in aqueous solutions of anionic red-ox active species. The results summarized on Table 1, show that the CTA pre-exchanged acid activated clay presents the highest ability to incorporate anionic species. Pillaring of the clay matrix decreases drastically the incorporation of anionic species, but acid activation of clay matrix before pillaring slightly increases the quantity of adsorbed anions. The ratio Ipa/Ipc shows that the AME and PAME lose more easily the incorporated species, which may be due to the acid activated clay matrix. In addition, the ME, AME, and PME can adsorb anionic species form solutions as dilute as 10M [Fe(CN)6] , although the PAME is electroactive in more dilute solutions (5x10M [Fe(CN)6] ). It is well known that acid activation and pillaring processes reduce CEC, but increase surface area and acidity of the parent clay. In addition, a number of electroactive species are leached out of the clay film when the electrodes are transferred in pure supporting electrolyte [6-7]. These reasons support the idea that the interaction of surfactants and anionic species in the clay material has an electrostatic character [8]. Its origin is probably the formation of ion pairs between the hydrophobic organoclay framework and the anionic redox active species. Thus, the ion pair mechanism, well established in the case of cationic species incorporated into a CME [3], can now be extended to organoclay modified electrodes. The more complex surface characteristics of the acid activated clay matrix and the high acidity favour the formation of ion pairs. In fact, the acidity of the clay film correlates well with the ratio Ipa/Ipc that means that this is the predominant factor in the electroactivity of the corresponding organoclay modified electrodes.


Wine is widely regarded as a 'complicated' product and for the majority of consumers the purchasing of wine in the retail situation evokes considerable risk. Marketers are therefore constantly and increasingly trying to demystify wine in order to reduce the perceived risk levels of consumers in the purchase situation. Most previous research in the area of perceived risk literature tended to focus on the concept of risk and its measurement rather than on risk‐reduction. This study examined the preferred risk‐reduction strategies (RRS) employed by identified wine‐related lifestyle segments in the Australian wine market and linked these strategies to the wine retail environment. Relying on favourite brands or so‐called 'safe brand' buying was found to rank highest as a risk reduction strategy in the commercial (under $15 per bottle) and premium‐to super‐premium ($15‐$25) price ranges while the opportunity to try before buying ranked highest in the ultra‐premium ($25) price range. The results obtained have major implications for retailers and form the foundation for a competitive advantage. It also indicates the direction for future research in this strategically important area of wine consumer behaviour.


Abstract The purpose of the present study was to characterise the physicochemical evolution of argillite/carbon steel coupons after 10 years of interaction inside the Tournemire Underground Research Laboratory (France). Carbon steel coupons were introduced in boreholes drilled in the geological formation in contact with the argillite, and were overcored 10 years later to study the interfaces. The iron release by steel corrosion induced mineralogical dissolutions (Ca phases) and precipitations (iron oxides and hydroxides), leading to a partial clogging of the argillite porosity. A sulphur enrichment was observed in the corrosion area, linked to a potential microbial activity. The biodiversities differed depending on the steel type, indicating the influence of iron–clay interactions. This analysis has shown the presence of bacteria known for their involvement in corrosion processes and isolates able to develop at elevated temperatures.


This report queries the legal submission of the Church of England to the Government's consultation on same-sex marriage. It disputes the assertions that legally marriage is solely a religious institution and that introducing same-sex civil marriage will result in churches being forced to recognise such marriages.


Objectives To investigate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) distribution in south and southwest of China. Methods The genotypes of 49 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus from Guangzhou and Chongqing were determined by Scheme ABC of RFLP based on 5′ noncoding region (5′NCR). And the samples of type 6a were subjected to direct DNA sequencing and similarity analysis with the reference sequences from GenBank. Results 4 samples of genotype 6a were detected and their sequences of 5′NCR had CA insertion at -145 site,which was the characterization of HCV type 6a. Compared with the references from GenBank,the 4 sequences also showed the largest similarity with genotype 6a. Among 34 patients from Guangzhou,there were 25 (72.53%) type 1b,5 (14.71%) type 2a,1 (2.94%) type 3b,2 (5.88%) type 6a and 1 (2.94%) mixed infection (1b+2a). Among 15 patients from Chongqing,8 were type 1b (53.33%),1 was type 2a (6.67%),1 was type 3a (6.67%),3 were type 3b (20.00%),and 2 were type 6a (13.33%). Conclusions Genotype 1b was the most prevalent type in Guangzhou and Chongqing. In Guangzhou,type 2a was still the second predominant genotype and type 6a also existed. And in Chongqing (southwest),multiple HCV genotypes were present. Our results indicated that the HCV genotype distribution in south and southwest of China was different from other regions of mainland. The reason might be that these regions are close to Southeast Asia and the rapid transmission of IDUs.


A set of take-home experiments associated with a junior-level course entitled Radiometry, Sources and Detectors has been developed. The students are furnished with a small, inexpensive radiometer and a kit of accessories which allow a wide variety of self-conducted experiments to be performed. A laboratory manual has also been developed to guide the student through a series of eleven experiments. The student must prove radiometric concepts in several cases, and must develop the details of the experiment. This paper describes the concept, the apparatus and the experiments, and reports on the results.


In this paper we consider a non-monotone (mixed) variational inequality model with (nonlinear) convex conic constraints. Through developing an equivalent Lagrangian function-like primal-dual saddle-point system for the VI model in question, we introduce an augmented Lagrangian primal-dual method, to be called ALAVI in the current paper, for solving a general constrained VI model. Under an assumption, to be called the primal-dual variational coherence condition in the paper, we prove the convergence of ALAVI. Next, we show that many existing generalized monotonicity properties are sufficient -- though by no means necessary -- to imply the above mentioned coherence condition, thus are sufficient to ensure convergence of ALAVI. Under that assumption, we further show that ALAVI has in fact an $o(1/\sqrt{k})$ global rate of convergence where $k$ is the iteration count. By introducing a new gap function, this rate further improves to be $O(1/k)$ if the mapping is monotone. Finally, we show that under a metric subregularity condition, even if the VI model may be non-monotone the local convergence rate of ALAVI improves to be linear. Numerical experiments on some randomly generated highly nonlinear and non-monotone VI problems show practical efficacy of the newly proposed method.


Mill mud has been known to be an effective organic fertiliser for sugarcane for quite a number of years now, but only in the past few years has the effectiveness of precision mill mud application come into its own.


THE SEEDS OF MISTRUST: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERCEIVED RACISM, HIV CONSPIRACY THEORIES, AND HIV TESTING ATTITUDES By Joshua Kyle Brevard, B.S. A thesis proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013 Major Director: Faye Z. Belgrave Professor of Psychology Department of Psychology Although the number of HIV infected peaked in the late 1980's, HIV remains a major concern within the African American community (CDC, 2008). African Americans are disproportionately affected, comprising 14% of the U.S. population but representing 44% of new HIV infections in 2009 (CDC, 2011). It is vital to identify barriers to positive health behaviors like consistent condom use and HIV testing. This study focus on factors impacting attitudes towards HIV testing, including mistrust of the healthcare system, measured by support for HIV conspiracy theories (Thomas & Quinn, 1991). It also examined the prevalence of HIV conspiracy beliefs among African American college students, along with their perceptions of racism. The first goal of this study was to determine if perceived racism and HIV conspiracy theories are predictors of HIV testing attitudes. The second goal was to examine if perceived racism moderates the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and HIV testing attitudes. The findings indicated that higher levels of HIV conspiracy beliefs were associated with more negative attitudes towards HIV testing. The association between perceived racism and testing attitudes was marginally significant, while the interaction between perceived racism and testing was not significant. Implications for research and HIV interventions are discussed.


In the last decade or so, a number of women writers have made the point that only through the body can human beings know adequately what is good and worthwhile in human life. To discern with any alequacy human values and their relative importance, one has to experience them physically. This epistemological claim is no novelty in Western thought, but women writers, eminently Susan Griffin, Audre Lorde, Robin Morgan, Adrienne Rich, and Haunani-Kay Trask make the claim particularly plausible and urgent in their chilling critique of maledominated Western culture.


The invention provides online tobacco material alcoholization storage equipment which can realize small unit, differentiation and online rapid alcoholization and a process method thereof. The equipment comprises a storage bin which can be closed, wherein the storage bin comprises a plurality of belt storage cabinets; a sealing cover is wholly covered outside the plurality of belt storage cabinets so as to form a closed storage unit; the storage unit is divided into a feeding area, a storage area and a discharging area along with the length direction of the storage cabinets; the storage area is respectively separated from the feeding area and the discharging area through a pneumatic door arranged at two ends of the storage area; the part, which corresponds to the storage area, of the sealing cover is provided with a heat insulation layer; and a temperature regulation device and a humidity regulation device are arranged in the sealing cover. The tobacco materials enter the belt storage cabinets of the sealing cover with a film in turn, the independent heating and humidifying equipment regulates the temperature and humidity according to the characteristics of the tobacco materials in the storage unit, so that online rapid alcoholization and storage of the tobacco with the characteristics of small unit and differentiation are realized.


The notion that only the lack of people obstructs the fruitful exploitation of land and rich natural resources is almost as old as the colonies which Spain and Portugal established in the New World. The degree of implausibility, if not irresponsibility, that creeps into the argument may be illustrated by the claim that Brazil, whose population has just turned 60 million, could "comfortably support as many as 600,000,000 people."1 If economic development means anything beyond the mere avoidance of endemic hunger, the problems associated with population growth are no less pressing in Latin America than in other world areas.


Mechanical diagram and design of an electric drive for cut-off valves based on wave gearing is proposed. The drive provides mass reduction, maximum moment increase, element position control, deviation in extreme positions. Two standard sizes of the drive are realized and tested.


Summary ResultsPostlingually deaf subjects learn the meaning of In a first neuroimaging experiment (Giraud et al., 2000), sounds after cochlear implantation by forming new we observed visual cortex activation in a group of six associations between sounds and their sources. Im- trained native French CI users listening to words (Figure plants generate coarse frequency responses, prevent- 2A, Study 1). This effect was not observed in a control ing place-coding fine enough to discriminate sounds group. To confirm this finding, we performed a second with similar temporal characteristics, e.g., buck/duck. experiment (Figure 2B, Study 2) in English speakers, (six This limitation imposes a dependency on visual cues, proficient CI users and six normal-hearing subjects). e.g., lipreading. We hypothesized that cross-modal fa- Significant activation of visual cortex was again ob- cilitation results from engagement of the visual cortex served in this group when words were contrasted with by purely auditory tasks. In four functional neuroimag-


It is well known that usual assumptions of neoclassical theory become invalid if very large gradients occur at the plasma edge. Therefore neoclassical theory of plasma rotation in tokamaks is revisited in order to account for anomalous transport driven by a turbulence. It is shown that this model yields both steep and gradual profiles for the poloidal rotation velocity at the edge corresponding to the H and L regimes of confinement, respectively. Results and conclusions are focused on experiments employing the biased electrode technique. Regimes with fast poloidal rotation in excess of poloidal sound speed are considered with the emphasis on relaxation.


The present invention is, for characterization of the interaction between the two species in the liquid environment, the liquid containing at least one of these species is passed through a measuring system as a flow, interact within the measuring system It relates to a process to occur. The method includes creating the above-described species of at least one of the first chemical species concentration gradients or at least one other species concentration gradients affect the interaction or the interacting components. Liquid flow is passed through a sensor device, it is detected result of the interaction between at least two species mentioned above. Liquid flow, before the flow is caused to pass through the sensor, at least once, is then further crossed with another liquid, different in at least one of the concentration of the chemical species of said species to form a concentration gradient separation at least two liquid segments is is produced.


Backgrounds: Bacterial SsrA RNA (also known as tmRNA or 10Sa RNA) mediates the addition of a short peptide tag to the C‐terminus of the nascent polypeptide when a ribosome is stalled at the 3′ end of an mRNA lacking a stop codon. This process, called trans‐translation, rescues the stalled ribosome and ensures degradation of tagged polypeptides by ATP‐dependent proteases. To fully understand the physiological roles of SsrA RNA, it is essential to know how endogenous mRNA targets for the SsrA system are generated in cells. The aim of the present study is to examine how translational readthrough by suppressor tRNAs affects trans‐translation in Escherichia coli.


Inferential narrative comprehension is essential for social interaction and reading comprehension (Cain et al., 2001; Kendeou et al., 2008; McIntyre et al., 2020; van Kleeck, 2008). Research indicates that autistic children exhibit inferential comprehension difficulties compared to their typically developing (TD) peers (Norbury & Bishop, 2002; Nuske & Bavin, 2011; Young et al., 2005). In a study by Norbury and Bishop (2002), 6to 10-year-old autistic children, children with developmental language disorder (DLD), children with pragmatic language impairment (PLI), and typically developing (TD) children responded to six questions (two factual and four inferential). The autistic children performed more poorly on the inferential questions than all other groups. Analysis showed that 70% of the children in the autism group demonstrated poor inferencing skills, compared to 25% in the DLD group. Although inferencing difficulties were observed across clinical groups, an autism diagnosis places children at additional risk. Nuske and Bavin (2011) matched children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; ages 4;6 to 7;11) with TD children (ages 4;2 to 5;4). The children listened to six very short stories (5–7 sentences each), then answered literal and inferential questions. The autistic children showed specific difficulties answering questions that required script inferencing (requiring the ability to incorporate background script knowledge), as opposed to factual questions or propositional inferencing questions (i.e., based on logical relations). In this study, the researchers sought to further describe the inferential narrative comprehension skills of autistic children in their first year of schooling compared to TD peers matched for age and year of schooling. They investigated the impact of structural language ability (i.e., spoken language skills at word and sentence levels as measured on a standardized language test) on the inferential comprehension skills of two subgroups of autistic children and compared to TD children matched for age and year of schooling. The researchers used an ecologically validated task containing a problem-oriented story that is reflective of the school curriculum as opposed to short scripts that had been used in other studies. In addition, they not only considered the children's performance on factual versus inferential comprehension questions but also specifically looked at causal inference type questions linked to the story characters' internal response, adopting a fine-grained coding system for analyzing the children's responses. Researchers asked two questions in this study:


The reform of controlling administrative discretion has started throughout the whole country.Many measures are taken to regulate administrative discretion in specific and in details,such as formulating detailed rules for implementation and refining regulations.Further more,the regulations in some areas were made in every possible way.Though the refinement of regulations was started in a good purpose and become effective in practice,the excessive use of it would still bring about a series of adverse results.Essentially,the reasonable exercise of discretion could not just depend on the regulations.The solution to this problem is to build a comprehensive system of the control of discretion based on the consideration of various factors and measures.


Japan, Italy and New Zealand changed their electoral systems to similar (though also significantly different) mixed systems combining single-member districts and proportional representation in the early 1990s. I examine the reasons for these three reforms being enacted, showing that while common symptoms of system failures were important in setting the three reform movements in motion in like fashion, they were not compelling enough to push reluctant politicians to enact reform. Other country-specific factors were needed to intervene and force them to take action. Japan's reform was enacted without the imposition of the popular referendum that occurred in Italy and New Zealand, but was made possible by changes in the nature of party competition that favourably altered political parties' incentives to reform. The change was brought about by the presence of pro-reformers within the dominant party and the relative coincidence between reform and the interests of parties.


Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), the main growth and multiplication factor accounting for non-suppressive insulin-like activity (1, 2), was initially thought to act as an endocrine factor synthesized and secreted by the liver under the control of growth hormone (GH). While IGF-I has well-established endocrine activities (3,4), more recent evidence suggests that it may also act as an autocrine and/or paracrine factor.


Toll-like receptors (TLRs) belong to the family of pattern recognition receptors.TLRs recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns(PAMP) of the invading microorganisms and trigger immune reaction via a series of signal transductions.TLRs also play an important role in regulating both innate and adaptive immunities.So far there have been 10 different TLRs found in human.Recent researches show that the expression of TLR7 in immune cells is closely linked to allergic and autoimmune diseases, such as allergic asthma and systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). Activation of TLR7 plays a significant role in the initiation and development of asthma and SLE, suggesting that TLR7 can be a potential target in treating these diseases.

Key words:
TLR7; Allergic Asthma; Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; Immunotherapy


Trans 3-substituted-4-cycloalkyl~-lactones 4 and 8 have been prepared via the condensation of appropriately substituted acetic acid dianions 1 with cyclohexaneor cyclopentanecarboxaldehyde to afford the corresponding diastereomerically pure &hydroxy acids 3 and 7, which were then lactonized via treatment with benzenesuifonyl chloride in pyridine. Exposure of these molecules to magnesium bromide in ether prompted a dyotropic rearrangement to either a-substituted spiro butyrolactones 5 (from the cyclohexyl 8-lactones) or trans-fused butyrolactones 9 (from the cyclopentyl 8-lactones). The latter sequence is particularly useful since the three contiguous asymmetric centers are stereospecifically fixed in the trans,trans relative configuration common to several sesquiterpene lactones.


This paper studies seismic discontinuities and seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle beneath eastern Chinese continent and Korean peninsula by receiver functions and SKS splitting techniques.It uses broadband seismic data of earthquakes magnitude larger than 6.0 recorded by seismic stations operated by National Seismic Network of China,Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology and Ocean Hemisphere Project Network of Japan for more than three years.In Northeast China,North China and Korean Peninsula,there are large zones of shallower "410km" discontinuities and deeper "660km" discontinuities,which are related with Pacific stagnant slab.Seismic anisotropy in this zone originates from upper mantle flow,which is related with relative movement between Eurasia plate and Pacific plate.Spatial distribution of fast axes of SKS phases indicates this complicated movement pattern.


......................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 CHAPTER TWO: ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVES .................................................. 6 Andragogy ................................................................................................. 7 Transformative Learning Theory .............................................................. 10 Teacher Immediacy ................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER THREE: QUALITY ............................................................................ 17 Quality Online Course Initiative ................................................................ 18 Quality Matters ......................................................................................... 20 Quality Online Learning and Teaching ..................................................... 21 CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 24 APPENDIX A: QUALITY ONLINE TEACHING: EFFECTIVE COURSE DESIGN STRATEGIES ............................................................................. 26 REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 97


Half a century ago, the Supreme Court recognized the crucial role of public education in opening the doors of opportunity to all Americans. In its famous decision declaring school segregation unconstitutional, the Court proclaimed that "it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education," and yet that same Court, repopulated by the fruits of President Richard Nixon's "Southern Strategy," turned its back on education just nineteen years later.


Intense colinear laser beams ω 0 , k 0 and ω 1 , k 1 , shone on a plasma with a frequency separation equal to the electron plasma frequency ω pe are capable of creating a large coherent longitudinal electric field E L = mc ω pe / e of the order of 1 GeV/cm for a plasma density of 10 18 cm -3 by the laser beat excitation of plasma oscillations. Accompanying favourable and deleterious physical effects using this process for a high energy beatwave accelerator are discussed: longitudinal dephasing, pump depletion, transverse laser diffraction, plasma turbulence effects, self-steepening, self-focusing, etc. The basic equation, the driven nonlinear Schrodinger equation, is derived to describe this system. Advanced accelerator concepts to overcome some of these problems are proposed, including various forms of the plasma fiber accelerator. An advanced laser architecture suitable for the beat-wave accelerator is suggested. Accelerator physics issues such as the luminosity are discussed. Applications of the present process to the current drive in a plasma and to the excitation of collective oscillations within nuclei are also discussed.


The First Radiation Protection Regulation for West Germany related only to radioactive material. The present Regulation, relating to x rays, was passed in December 1972; after a transition period of six months, it will become effective on September 1, 1973. Listed and discussed are the most important sections of the regulation that concern licensing of x-ray installations, professional expertise of operators, operation of installations for therapy, controlled and monitored areas, licensure to administer x radiation to patients, and the keeping of appropriate records. Also presented are professional radiation exposures with maximal doses, personnel dosimetry, and radiation hazards as well as protective measures. (HBG)


On the north-western edge of the Witbank Coalfield, near the town of Delmas (Mpumalanga Province) a prominent and undulating sill is believed to affect quality of the coal in the seams mined in the area. The study area was separated into two subsections, Study Area A and Study Area B. In Study Area A the sill overlays the coal seams. The top of coal and the sill are separated by ~11 m thick sandstone with intermittent bands of shale, siltstone and carbonaceous shale. Study Area B, on the other hand, is located where the same sill underlies the coal seams. In this area, Dwyka tillites form the parting between the sill and the bottom coal seam. 51 composited samples were received from Study Area A and 26 uncomposited samples were received from Study Area B. In both areas, Seam 2 (bottom coal) was sampled due to its consistency and economic importance, as other seams were irregular over the complete area. Three parameters were assessed and compared to the thickness of the sill and the distance between the sill and the bottom coal; i.e. volatile matter, calorific value and ash. The volatile matter behaviour was further investigated using an empirical equation postulated by an industry specialist to determine whether the samples had been devolatilised by an external mechanism, i.e. contact metamorphism. The experimental calculation, based on a regression slope in relation to the South African baseline, indicated that two very different events had occurred on the coal seam. In Study Area A, the calculation indicated that the coal in the area was not devolatilised, thus implying that the sill had no influence on the coal. Conversely the results of the experimental equation in Study Area B indicated that the volatile matter of the lower coal seam had been greatly reduced by an external factor and the coal was devolatilised. Global studies of similar conditions point out that the content of volatile matter in the coal is the most affected variable during the intrusion of an igneous body into coal. This variability is governed by proximity to the sill, the shape of the intrusion, the thickness of the intrusion, orientation, location of the sill or lastly by the thermal conductivity of the country rock. In Study Area A the bottom coal seam was insulated from the heat conducted away from the sill by the presence of strata of different conductivities separating the sill intrusion from the bottom coal. On the other hand, in Study Area B heat was successfully transmitted to the bottom coal by highly conductive strata which separated the sill from the bottom coal. Therefore the study concluded that the sill had a significant influence on the bottom coal when it was underlying the coal (Study Area B) and a conductive layer separated the sill from the coal. In addition, the results indicate that neither the distance from the sill nor the © University of Pretoria


Legal Aspects of 'Gold Farming' Islamic Banking Product. Islamic banking can progress quickly through market-based product innovation. This product innovation must be in accordance with the rules laid down in Islamic law. The concept of contract in Islam should pay attention to three aspects, namely: the substance of contract law, the law that is related to the substance of the contract, and contract clarity. A contract becomes invalid if ta'alluq(dependence between two or more contracts) and shafqatayn fi al-shafqah(uncertainty arising from multiple contracts) occurs. This article explains that the 'gold farming' products offered by Islamic bank violate of the principles of contract in Islam. This product should be the modified further to accord with the rules of Islamic contract. DOI:  10.15408/ajis.v14i2.1275


The aim of this paper is to show teachers' role in organizing the teaching process. Half of the teaching process represents the teacher, and the other half presents his students. In their mutual relations, which includes lectures, discussions, questions, suggestions, new ideas, makes the whole process of teaching. In the process, the teacher is only one part that can not function without the cooperation of students. This text deals with the obligations of teachers that are necessary to make the students were motivated and inspired to also take part in joint work. The teacher, as an individual, cannot achieve its objective if there are interested and equal interlocutors among students. Adresa autora: Slobodan Vuksanović  email@example.com MENADŽMENT 2018 – MANAGEMENT 2018 Published: May 2018 207 CITIRANI RADOVI Nikolić, M. (2006). Metodika nastave. Beograd: Zavod za udžbenike. Marinković, S. (2007). Metodika. Beograd: Kretivni centar. Vuksanović, S. (2012). Metodička praksa. Beograd: Šprint.


Many Researchers have written on the SMEs and Entrepreneurship in the past but failed to distinguish clearly the difference between the two concepts, thereby leaving a gap in literature. This study attempts to bridge his gap. The study identified the difference between entrepreneurship and Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs), clarified the erroneous practice of using both words interchangeably by Researchers/Practitioners, categorized the supporting agencies and climaxes their contributions and limitations with suggestions for future considerations. In examining their contributions, a sample population of 1200 stakeholders was purposely selected in the state of Osun, Nigeria. Overall findings revealed that Agencies' impacts have been minimal due to the high rate of corruption, bureaucracy and inability to separate entrepreneurial SMEs from non-entrepreneurial SMEs, These Agencies fall within the intermediate environment of businesses, categorized as participatory, facilitating & regulatory and are public sectors dominated with low entrepreneurship orientation. The study averred that Agencies/government officials should be more entrepreneurial by promoting auxiliary marketing systems for SMEs. It is suggested that having business-minded and entrepreneurial politicians/ leaders would promote SMEs and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.


The advent of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) capabilities enabled the development of the Established-on-RNP (EoR) approach concept. Flight validations of the concept are currently being conducted at Denver International Airport (KDEN) to demonstrate the operational viability of independent parallel EoR approaches to widelyspaced runways. The validations complement ongoing studies to determine the acceptability of routine EoR operations from a safety aspect. Broader application of EoR operations and the ability to realize associated benefits throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) largely hinge on aircraft RNP equipage levels and achieved navigational performance to safely support approaches to runways with closer centerline spacing. This paper explores options to leverage Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) capabilities commonly available on modern transport category aircraft to enable NAS-wide use of curved flight paths and same-altitude turns to independent final approaches for landing on parallel runways. Initial findings suggest that leveraging design flexibilities to increase the lateral spacing between turns to angled approach paths may facilitate PBN-based approach applications and enhance operational safety. The paper reviews the separation standards and air traffic control requirements currently applicable to parallel approach operations, presents procedure design concepts that capitalize on PBN-enabled design flexibility, outlines key benefits of associated operational changes, and identifies potential applications.


The form factor and the mean-square radius of the pion are calculated analytically from a parametrized form of a wave function. The numerical wave function was obtained previously by solving numerically an eigenvalue equation for the pion in a particular model. The analytical formulas are of more general interest than just being valid for the pion and can be generalized to the case with unequal quark masses. Two different parametrizations are investigated. Because of the highly relativistic problem, noticeable deviations from a nonrelativistic formula are obtained.


Ethics is important for business, individual career and image of industry. However, construction companies do not show high ethical standards. Studying ethical perception of manages is a popular topic at generic level, in particular professions and on construction-related professionals, but there is lack of research on studying ethical perceptions of construction managers. The aim of this research is to study the ethical perceptions of construction managers and how do demographic factors influence it. The method for conducting this study is through questionnaire survey among the UK construction managers. Three hundred and seven questionnaires were distributed and ninety-three completed questionnaires are completed and returned. The construction managers who appear to pay most concern on ethics are male, at middle age, at middle position in their organisations, having more than 21 years experience and are educated up to at least at degree level. The results show that the construction managers found 'producing falsifying reports,' 'over-claiming expenses' and 'having low level of personal honesty' as the most unethical perceptions. The findings also show that the ethical perceptions of construction managers are different from other construction-related professionals such as surveyors and engineers.


Presents the design of a novel Articulated Manipulator for Minimally Invasive Surgery (AMMIS) that has been developed at the US Naval Postgraduate School. This manipulator (patent pending) is expected to provide surgeons with improved dexterity during minimally invasive surgical procedures and be ideally suited for tele-surgery.


International legal cooperation began to be a prominent part of the object of Private International Law a few years ago. When the internationalist doctrine highlighted its necessary intervention by dedicating hundreds and hundreds of pages is when it began a journey dedicated to establishing the bases and pillars to improve, increase, facilitate and expedite the mechanisms and tools of international aid and thus prevent the presence of elements Relevant foreigners in a legal relationship are a wall that is likely to prevent, hinder or slow down the continuation of a process. In this paper we propose to analyze one of the aspects that caused the most problems and headaches not only to the jurists but also to the legal operators: Should the requested authorities analyze the competence of the authority before an international cooperation request? demanding? Did the Civil and Commercial Code of the Nation change the international competition control? Did you favor international cooperation or do we lean towards the path of exhaustive control?


The egg-carrying copepod Eurytemora affinis IS cles and detntus are often found in high concentrations often a characteristic and dominant component in the carbon cycles of freshwater influenced marine ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere. In egg-carrying copepods the specific egg produclion rate in the field can be calculated from the egg hatching rate at in situ temperatures, the eggliemale ratio and the carbon content of the eggs and females. To determine the temperature dependent egg hatching time (HT) of 2 populations of E. affinis, hatching experiments were conducted at 6 different temperatures (T). Hatching times ranged from 14.1 to 1.6 d at 5 and 22"C, respectively. Results from the 2 populations were pooled and fitted to a power functionHT = 187T ' 5 4 (I-' = 0.97; p < 0.001). There is a large range in the hdtch~ng t~rnes versus temperature reported In the 11tei-ature, dnd our results reveal longer hatching times than prev~ously reported To overcome this pronounced vanation in hatching tlmes, we present a significant relationship (r2 = 0.87; p < 0 001) based on all available data: HT = 36.87 'l'' in estuaries, E. affinis potentially plays an important role in trophic dynamics, making these carbon sources available for higher trophic levels. The consumption rate and production of copepod populations can be estimated from measurements of the weight-specific egg production rate and the standing stock (Kiarboe et al. 1985a, b). This method assumes equal weight-specific growth rates in all stages and a close correlation between ingestion and egg production (Kiorboe et al. 1985a, b, Berggreen et al. 1988, Fryd et al. 1991). Egg production rates of free-spawning copepod species are determined by incubation of adult females under in situ conditions as described by Kimboe et al. (1985a, b). However, this method cannot be implemented directly to egg-carrying copepods,


A generalized photovoltaic array simulation model in Matlab/Simulink environment is developed and presented in this paper. The model includes PV module and array for easy use on simulation platform. The proposed model is designed with a user-friendly icon and a dialog box like Simulink block libraries. This makes the generalized PV model easily simulated and analyzed even with a maximum power point tracker. Considering the effect of solar irradiance and temperature change, the output current and voltage of PV modules are simulated and optimized using the proposed model. The model was tested using a directly coupled dc load as well as an ac load via an inverter. The test result validates the model which can be used in related research works.


Position information often achieves by direction-finder multi-stations in practice. Direction-finder multi-station Data processing is an important problem related to the problem that how to use the data correctly. In this paper we calculate the distance matrix, then analyze the relation matrix and determine the best fusion data in different ways. we know that the supported degree applying ellipse curves will enhance fusion result. Meanwhile extremes theory, maximum likelihood method, bayes principle and synthesis sustainability method are used in the paper, and the result approves that these methods are effective, but we should apply them in different condition.


The invention discloses a monitoring system and a monitoring method of equipment positions in a cabinet and is used for solving the problem existing in the prior art that the energy consumption is big when the equipment positions in the cabinet are monitored. The monitoring system comprises a movement sensing unit, a low-frequency transceiving unit, asset locating tags and a networking unit, wherein the movement sensing unit and the low-frequency transceiving unit are arranged on the inner side of a cabinet door, and the asset locating tags are fixed on the surface of the equipment in the cabinet. The movement sensing unit is used for receiving movement signals of the cabinet door and transmitting the movement signals to the low-frequency transceiving unit, the low-frequency transceiving is used for acquiring position information of the asset locating tags in the cabinet after receiving the movement signals and transmitting the position information to the networking unit, the networking unit is used for judging whether the positions of the asset locating tags are authorized application positions according to the position information, and if the positions of the asset locating tags are not authorized application positions, the position information of the asset locating tags is uploaded to a network monitoring device. Compared with the prior art, the monitoring system and the monitoring method of the equipment positions in the cabinet have the advantages that the energy consumption is reduced, and the practicability is improved.


We report the fabrication of tellurite composite microstructured optical fiber (CMOF) with ultra-flattened zero dispersion (±3 ps/nm/Km) over 200nm band. To obtain this dispersion profile together with high nonlinearity, one ring of air holes and two layers of glass cladding are employed in the tellurite CMOF. The core of fiber is made of TeO2-Li2O-WO3 -MoO3-Nb2O5 (TLWMN) tellurite glass which possesses high linear and nonlinear refractive indices. The refractive index (n) at 1544nm and nonlinear refractive index (n2) of TLWMN glass is 2.08 and 3.78×10-11 esu, respectively. TeO2-ZnO-Na2O-La2O3 (TZNL) glass with n of 1.96 at 1544 nm and TeO2-ZnO-Li2O-Na2O-P2O5 (TZLNP) glass with low refractive index n of 1.63 at 1544 nm are used as the first cladding and the second cladding, respectively. Six small air holes are located between the core and the first glass cladding. Such kind of fiber with ~1.7 μm core and ~0.6 μm air holes are fabricated by a rod-in-tube method. The chromatic dispersion of the fiber is calculated by the fully vectorial finite difference method (FV-FDM) and becomes (±3 ps/nm/Km) in the wide range from 1.53 μm to 1.72 μm. And the nonlinear coefficient of present fiber is about 3.47 m-1W-1 which is much higher than that of silica MOFs. Furthermore, broad and flattened supercontinuum generation is demonstrated in 30-cm-long fiber with femtosecond laser pumping at 1557 nm. This kind of fiber has promising potential in nonlinear applications owing to the high nonlinearity and flattened dispersion profile.


The interaction between Io's atmosphere and Jupiter's magnetosphere results in a significant mass loss from Io. Some of the material lost is directly picked up from Io's exosphere in the form of ions. A significant fraction, however, escapes as neutral atoms and molecules, principally oxygen and sulfur atoms and their compounds (see Section 23.2). These neutrals accompany Io in its orbit about Jupiter (5.91 jovian radii, RJ, from the center of the planet) until they are ionized through electron impact and charge exchange. The relative importance of ionization in Io's near vicinity (less than a few Io radii) with respect to ionization remote from Io (greater than a few Io radii) is an outstanding question. Once ionized, however, the ions are accelerated to the nearly corotational flow of the ambient plasma (see Section 23.3), which passes Io at a relative velocity of rv54 km s1 , to form a torus of ions (the Io plasma torus) completely surrounding Jupiter (Figure 23.1). The first observational evidence of these processes was the detection of sodium D-line emission (at 589.0 and 589.6 nm) from a "cloud" in the vicinity of Io (Brown 1974). It was quickly established that resonant scattering of sunlight was producing the observed emission (Trafton et al. 197 4, Brown and Yung 1976). It was also suggested that the neutrals were being removed from Io by charged particle sputtering of its surface and/or atmosphere (Matson et al. 1974, Haff et al. 1981). Following the Voyager 1 observations oflo, which revealed an S02 atmosphere (Pearl et al. 1979) and a sulfur-dominated surface (Sagan 1979), it became widely assumed that Na was merely a trace element in a neutral cloud dominated by sulfur and oxygen atoms and their compounds. Sodium remains by far the most frequently observed species, its emission being 30 times brighter than any other at visible and near infrared wavelengths. These early discoveries and initial modeling were reviewed in Pilcher and Strobel (1982). Images of the sodium cloud have been acquired since the early 1980s (e.g., Goldberg et al. 1984) and models of the sputtered neutral clouds showed that electron impact ionization and charge exchange with torus plasma were significant loss processes on timescales of a few hours (e.g., Smyth and Combi 1988, Smyth 1992). Hence, the observed distributions of the neutral clouds are dependent upon the spatial distribution of the torus plasma. Imaging studies also began to reveal that sputtering was not the only escape mechanism. This became even more clear when wide-field observations showed that sodium emission extends out to at least 500 RJ from the planet (Mendillo et al. 1990). To reach these distances, iogenic neutrals must be accelerated to above jovian escape velocity. Models constrained by detailed observations of characteristic structures (Section 23.2.1) have shown the presence of a number of acceleration mechanisms both at Io itself and in the torus (Wilson et al. 2002).


Caused by the tick-borne spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, Lyme disease (LD) is the most common vector-borne infectious disease in North America and Europe. Though timely diagnosis and treatment are effective in preventing disease progression, current tests are insensitive in early-stage LD, with a sensitivity <50%. Additionally, the serological testing currently recommended by the US Center for Disease Control has high costs (>$400/test) and extended sample-to-answer timelines (>24 hours). To address these challenges, we created a cost-effective and rapid point-of-care (POC) test for early-stage LD that assays for antibodies specific to seven Borrelia antigens and a synthetic peptide in a paper-based multiplexed vertical flow assay (xVFA). We trained a deep learning-based diagnostic algorithm to select an optimal subset of antigen/peptide targets, and then blindly-tested our xVFA using human samples (N(+) = 42, N(-)= 54), achieving an area-under-the-curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 0.950, 90.5%, and 87.0% respectively, outperforming previous LD POC tests. With batch-specific standardization and threshold tuning, the specificity of our blind-testing performance improved to 96.3%, with an AUC and sensitivity of 0.963 and 85.7%, respectively.


A case of delayed spinal cord damage due to high voltage electric shock is presented. The literature on the subject is reviewed and discussed.


Objective To explore the formation and features of emergency surgical disease spectrum in our hospital.Methods We retrospectively collected the data of the patients admitted to the Emergency Department of Jin Shan Hospital,Fu Dan University about information of gender,age,time and month distribution of admission,reasons of admission,etc.in the year of 2009 and made analysis of admission time,age in different genders.Results In 2009,we accepted 39 865 emergency surgical patients,among which males were 24 822,accounting for 62.27%.The admission time was different in males and females with significance(P=0.009).The difference in patients′ ages was also significant(P0.01).The number of patients differed in months:more patients from May to October and less in January and February.Digestive system disease was included in the emergency surgical disease spectrum,among which acute appendicitis,acute cholecystitis with cholelithiasis and intestinal obstruction were listed in the first,the second and the third.The major injury admission included accidental injuries,traffic accidents,work injuries,sharps injuries and high falling injuries.For patients above 70,the admission diseases listing in the first three were biliary tract diseases,femoral intertrochanteric fracture and intestinal obstruction.Conclusion Through analyzing the emergency surgical disease spectrum as well as the time distribution,we were equipped with more reference materials for emergency department construction,scientific management and medical training and so on.


To the Editor:— Dr. Emily Dunning Barringer in a paper "The Treatment of Gonorrhea in the Female" (The Journal, Dec. 15, 1934, p. 1825) makes the following statement: The greater degree of heat, 130 F. as given by the Elliott machine, seems unwise during the acute stage because of the softening and relaxation of the cervix, thereby opening up one of the natural barriers to the spread of infection. It is common knowledge that when the gonococci reach the mucous membrane of the cervix or urethra an inflammation is set up. The micro-organisms and their decomposition products stimulate serum exudation diapedesis, leukocytic infiltration and decomposition of fibrin. The interaction between the organism and the micro-organism is the same as for, say, the strepotcoccus, the purpose of the reaction being localization of the infection, destruction of the micro-organisms and restoration of the injured tissues to normal. Failure of the organisms to localize the infection results in spread and complications. In heat there exists the


A total of 18 flocks , 45 day old broiler from Ismailia, Egypt were tested for chicken anemia virus (CAV) using serological evidence and molecular characterization. Tested birds had history of diarrhea, blue wing, depression, and deaths. Necropsy findings were pale liver, severe atrophy of bursa Fabricius and thymus, pale discoloration of the bone marrow and subcutaneous hemorrhages. The viral DNA of the VP1 gene was detected and sequenced. Nucleic acid alignment showed 100% similarities with many CAV viruses. Antibodies against CAV were detected in 73.9% of the tested samples using commercial ELISA kit. Hemoglobin (Hb) revealed low percentage (4.3% to 8.02%),  and packed cell volume (PCV) were measured and showed anemic level (22.5 to 34.2).    The data strengthen the concept that CAV may have a negative economic impact on the chicken industry in Ismailia.


The present invention discloses a rotor body provide a vertical shaft crusher, which comprises a plate (1), a rotor disk rotor at the rotor body (2) and the butt ends (3), butt ends (3) located on the rotor disk between (1) and the rotor disc (2), are connected to the fixed end (4) and a fixed end (5) on the lower plate (2) on the disk (1) a rotor and a rotor, the fixed tip (4) and is provided on the fixed end (5) projecting card table (6), the butt ends (3) defines the same side of the upper and lower end faces of the card matching table (6) of the slot (7). The present invention can be directly along the slot into the butt ends butt ends during mounting, by rotation of the same so that the butt ends butt ends butt ends centrifugal direction of the slot opening, of the rotor body is rotated in the , the centrifugal force can be protected to ensure the butt ends do not fall.


Chaudhari, et al.: PCR v/s 24 HUP to assess proteinuria 75 International Journal of Therapeutic Applications, Volume 35, 2018 urine protein-to-creatinine ratio for the assessment of proteinuria has been strongly acclaimed by US National Kidney Foundation K/DOQI Guidelines in 2000 in lieu of 24-h urine collection.[6] Both random and first morning specimens are acceptable with the first morning specimen being more preferable.[12] The urinary creatinine excretion is equitably constant; so the ratio of protein to creatinine excretion in single voided samples thus rule out the time factor as well as any dilution effects. Hence, an accurate reflection of quantitative proteinuria is attained.[15] Moreover, the guidelines reiterate that it is often unessential for a timed urine specimen collection to assess proteinuria in either children or adults.[2] Thus, this study was conducted to find out the correlation of 24 HUP and protein creatinine ratio (PCR) in spot urine in a tertiary care center set up at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal, in patients with normal as well as impaired glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at various level of proteinuria irrespective of specific clinical conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a hospital based cross-sectional study conducted from May 2014 to October 2014 at B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal, after being approved by Institutional Review Committee. A total of 64 patients were enrolled after fulfilling the inclusion criteria and providing the written informed consent. All patients having proteinuria and advised for assessment of 24 HUP in biochemistry laboratory were included as study participants while patients on dialysis and patients taking Levodopa, methyldopa, and Na2-cefoxitin, having hematuria, urinary tract infection were excluded from the study. 24 h urine samples were collected in a clean container after voiding the first-morning urine up to next first-morning urine. After completion of 24 h urine collection, a random 5 ml urine and 2 ml of blood sample were collected in a sterile vial for estimation of protein and creatinine. Serum and urinary creatinine was estimated by Kinetic Jaffe method based on the colorimetric assay in automated Roche chemistry analyzer of cobas c 311, semi-quantitative estimation of urinary protein was done by dipstick test (Combilizer), and quantitative measurement of urinary protein was done by turbidimetric assay in automated Roche chemistry analyzer of cobas c 311. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel,TM and statistical analysis was done by SPSS 11.5 (Chicago Inc.). Normality was tested using Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Spearman's correlation test was used to observe the correlation between 24 HUP and PCR in spot urine. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the cutoff of PCR in spot urine to detect proteinuria. RESULTS Sixty-four subjects were recruited in the study. Data were not normally distributed, and thus nonparametric tests were applied. The mean age of the study participants was 31.30 ± 13.30 with the range of 8–60 years, respectively. The gender distribution in the present study shows that 69% (n = 34) of the study participants were male and 31% (n = 20) were female, respectively. Of the total study participants, 53% (n = 34) of the patients had impaired GFR and 47% (n = 30) had normal GFR. Protein categories and their median 24 HUP showed significant difference among different categories of proteinuria assessed by semi-quantitative dipstick kit in spot urine samples as depicted in Table 1. Spearman's correlation between 24 HUP and PCR in spot urine in subjects having normal and impaired GFR suggests that the 24 HUP and PCR in spot urine were significantly correlated between the normal and impaired GFR as shown in Table 2. The difference in median PCR value in spot urine and 24 HUP showed no significant difference between two groups as shown in Table 3. Median 24 Urinary protein and Median PCR in spot urine have been illustrated in Tables 4 and 5. A significant positive correlation between 24 HUP and PCR in spot urine in subjects having normal GFR (r = 0.79) as well as impaired GFR (r = 0.66) as shown in Table 2. A significant positive correlation was found between 24 HUP and PCR at different range of proteinuria, i.e. proteinuria <150 mg/ day (r = 0.37, P < 0.04) and ≥150 mg/day (r = 0.68, P < 0.0001) as illustrated in Table 4. Correlation of 24 HUP and PCR, we found a significant positive correlation in proteinuria >1000 mg/day (r = 0.79, P < 0.0001) as depicted in Table 5. ROC curve at various cutoffs for the spot urinary PCR and the sensitivity and specificity has been demonstrated in Figure 1. Considering proteinuria Table 1: Median 24 HUP and various protein categories assessed by semi‐qualitative dipstick kit in spot urine samples Dipstick protein category Median (IQR) P value* Nil (n=36) 131.6 (75.4, 236.6) 0.04 30 mg/dL (n=2) 254.8 (134, 514.5) 100 mg/dL (n=15) 147.5 (108, 295) 300 mg/dL (n=5) 117.8 (72, 195.8) 2000 mg/dL (n=6) 1936 (1231.1, 2662.5) *Kruskal–Wallis test P<0.05 considered as statistically significant. HUP: Hour urinary protein, IQR: Interquartile range Table 2: Spearman correlation coefficient between 24 HUP and PCR in spot urine in subjects having normal and impaired GFR GFR categories Correlation coefficient (r) P value GFR ≥90 mL/min (n=30) 0.79 <0.0001* GFR <90 mL/min (n=34) 0.66 <0.0001* *P<0.05 considered as statistically significant. HUP: Hour urinary protein, PCR: Protein creatinine ratio, GFR: Glomerular filtration rate Chaudhari, et al.: PCR v/s 24 HUP to assess proteinuria 76 International Journal of Therapeutic Applications, Volume 35, 2018 ≥150 mg/day as a cutoff, we measured sensitivity and specificity at different cutoff of PCR. The area under the ROC curve for spot urine PCR at cutoff of 0.20 was found to be 0.85 (95.0% confidence interval [CI]; 0.75–0.95 P < 0.0001) [Figure 1]. An excellent sensitivity of 83.9% and specificity of 75.8% were achieved to detect proteinuria ≥150 mg/day at the PCR cutoff ≥0.20. With this cutoff, the positive predictive value was found 76.5%, and negative predictive value was found 83.3%. A positive correlation between PCR and 24 HUP (Spearman's correlation r = 0.70, P < 0.0001) which further improved with degree of proteinuria from ≥150 mg/day (Spearman's correlation r = 0.68, P < 0.0001) to ≥1000 mg/day (Spearman's correlation r = 0.79, P < 0.0001). A PCR value ≥0.2 was found to be equivalent to proteinuria ≥150 mg/day as assessed by standard method.


The Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Guidelines propose an encoding scheme that is applicable to a large variety of dictionaries. This paper takes a widely-used and simple French dictionary (Petit Larousse Illustre) as an example to describe some of the problems that arise when using the TEI Document Type Definition (DTD), particularly from an editorial standpoint, where it is necessary to retain the presentational features of a text. It also discusses general issues in DTD customizing and compatibility.


In modern times there were frequent natural disasters in Hebei province.Missionaries adopted various ways to relieve them.When they had relief work with the desires of love and beneficence,they also had some kind of practical motivation such as changing the image of churches,attracting people into their religion and so on.Some missionaries took measures of quick success and instant benefit,thus weakening the beneficence while relieving natural disasters.


The invention relates to a gas control unit of modular design, in particular for controlling the quantity of gas to be fed to a gas burner, having a pneumatically controlled gas control valve that is configured as a whole as a module and is usable in such a gas control unit of modular design together with a gas safety valve.


. Abstract In this paper, we propose a method for suppressing sea clutter and estimating the range and velocity of a slow target with a low SCR(Signal to Clutter power Ratio) using the difference in the velocities and correlation characteristics of the target and sea clutter. Sea clutter is suppressed using the eigenvector corresponding to the smallest eigenvalue of a sample covariance matrix for temporal correlation of sea clutter in the absence of a target in the range-Doppler map. In addition, the velocities of the target and clutter are obtained using a DFT matrix as the pulse axis. To verify the performance of the algorithm, we simulate the root mean square error of the range and velocity of the target and obtain the detection probability. It was proven that the detection probability that was obtained using the proposed algorithm was much higher than that obtained using the CA-CFAR


A new technique is described which can be used for preparing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) specimens suitable for high resolution studies on supported metal catalysts. By conventional silicon processing techniques 200 × 200 μm2 Si3N4 membranes on Si wafers are produced. These membranes are extremely flat and have a uniform thickness of 13 nm. They can be used as a support in various kinds of thin film deposition. A TiO2 film, optimally structured with respect to the requirements for high resolution TEM work in TiO2–metal cluster systems, is deposited on the Si3N4 layer. It consists of one monolayer of 10–25 nm TiO2 crystallites. TiO2 lattice images show that a line resolution down to 0.19 nm is possible. Examples of TiO2–Pd and TiO2–Rh are given using respectively photodeposition and impregnation reduction to produce l.5–4 nm metal clusters.


The title compound [systematic name: 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one monohydrate], C16H12O6·H2O, is isolated from Belamcanda chinensis and is said to have antimicrobiotic and anti-inflammatory effects. The chromen-4-one system and the benzene ring are inclined at a dihedral angle of 36.79 (6)°. Molecules are linked by inter- and intramolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.


COMMONLY four parathyroid glands are located in the neck. 1,2 The incidence of a fifth supernumery parathyroid gland has been reported to be between 2% and 6%. 1,2 Most reports of a hyperfunctioning supernumery parathyroid gland have been adenomas. 3-5 There have been only a few reports of parathyroid gland carcinoma occurring outside of the cervical region, 6-9 none of which were in a supernumery parathyroid gland. We believe this is the first report of a carcinoma occurring in a supernumery parathyroid gland. The patient is free of recurrence seven years after surgical excision. Report of a Case A 57-year-old woman was seen in the emergency department with a sprained ankle. Roentgenograms of the ankle revealed no evidence of skeletal trauma, but because of marked osteopenia, testing for serum calcium levels was performed, with values of greater than 15 mg/dL (>3.74 mmol/L). The patient's detailed history was normal, aside from


The paper introduced the research progress For heavy haul train operation control described the different control targets,research methods and desgine methods of controller based on classification.


Abstract The introduction of the paper highlights best practice in the area of deploying autonomous trucks in warehouses and the automotive industry, including the current technical possibilities of selected autonomous trucks. The next chapter presents the selected outputs of the scientific project "Center of Excellence for Intelligent Transport Systems" focused on a proposal of the methodology for calculating the necessary number of autonomous trucks and trolleys deployed in logistics warehouses. The methodology is based on the requirement that autonomous trucks do not have downtime. This represents a model solution with possible application in warehouse logistics but also in the automotive industry. The follow-up chapter proposes a methodological procedure to evaluate the efficiency of introducing autonomous trucks to pull trolleys in a logistics warehouse compared to conventional trucks operated by trained personnel. Autonomous trucks can theoretically be operated 365 days and 24 hours depending on the technology of their operation, battery charging, etc. On the other hand, there is generally a shortage of logistics personnel in the European Union as well as reliability and performance have been declining in recent years. The conclusion of the paper includes a discussion of the research results obtained and possibilities for future research.


We deal with the design and performance analysis of transmit-beamformers for multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems, based on bandwidth-limited information that is fed back from the receiver to the transmitter. By casting the design of transmit-beamforming based on limited-rate feedback as an equivalent sphere vector quantization (SVQ) problem, we first consider multi-antenna beamformed transmissions through independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh fading channels. We upper-bound the rate distortion function of the vector source, and also lower-bound the operational rate distortion performance achieved by the generalized Lloyd's algorithm. A simple and valuable relationship emerges between the theoretical distortion limit and the achievable performance, and the average signal to noise ratio (SNR) performance is accurately quantified. Finally, we study beamformer codebook designs for correlated Rayleigh fading channels. and derive a low-complexity codebook design that achieves near optimal performance.


In 1933 Schatzki suggested the term "krauselung," or curling, for an uncommon condition of the oesophagus which seems to be little known outside the field of radiology (Scheinmel et al., 1949). In this condition alternating contractions and dilatations of the oesophagus occur as a result of multiple segmental spasms affecting it below the level of the aortic arch. Teschendorf (1928) aptly described the lower end of the oesophagus as resembling a string of pearls. This condition, however, is better known as "corkscrew" oesophagus.