The paper is focused on the evaluation of the effect of concrete long-term maturity with respect to chloride ion ingress related durability. The random variation of input parameters is considered. The attention is paid to the durability prediction related to steel reinforcement corrosion initiation based on the chloride penetration. The binary and ternary high performance concrete mixtures are selected for the analysis. The data set from complementary laboratory investigation is used for the description of resistance of concrete against ingress of chlorides. The corrosion initiation risk is expressed in the form of probability over intended life span of the bridge deck. Thus finite element chloride ingress model combined with Monte Carlo simulation technique considering the effect of aging is applied.


Multiple criteria for sustainability, such as the five pillars in the FAO/IBSRAM (International Board for Soil Research and Management) Framework for the Evaluation of Sustainable Land Management (FESLM), raise difficult assessment and evaluation problems. Economic viability is included as one of the pillars in this FELSM and is essential for the sustained adoption of conservation farming projects. However, even specifying economic viability and obtaining operational and predictive indicators for it is difficult because, for one thing, the economic viability of a farming system depends upon a variety of attributes. These include the level of economic returns, the instability and uncertainty of returns, and in monetary economies, the associated financial requirements for the farming system, the availability of finance and its implications for the financial liquidity of the farm. In all economies, the amount of investment required to adopt a sustainable conservation farming project will be a major consideration. As a rule, economic viability is also related to the sustainability of the natural productivity of soils and other natural resources on which economic production partially depends, so economic indicators depend in part on non-economic factors, and a holistic approach is needed. Taking such factors into account, as well as the difficulty of predicting the future economic sustainability of conservation projects, this paper critically reviews suggestions made in the literature for developing appropriate indicators of sustainability, such as those of Lynam and Herdt (1989), as well as break-even analyses and the scope for applying various forms of cost-benefit analysis. Illustrations are drawn from the IBSRAM/ACIAR project investigating land management on vertisols and on sloping lands, e.g. in Australia and The Philippines.


I am going to respond to Eagle and Wolitzky's critique (2011) of my plenary essay (Hoffman 2009) largely by quoting selectively from their commentary and addressing their arguments in a partial point-bypoint manner. Not everything will be addressed, but I hope the overall spirit of my position will come across so that it will be possible to infer what I might say regarding many points I do not take up explicitly. 1. When they suggest that I am unnecessarily polarizing, Eagle and Wolitzky and other critics (e.g., Safran, Strenger, and Fonagy in articles forthcoming in Psychoanalytic Dialogues) overlook certain aspects of my viewpoint that are actually in keeping with their own. Two especially stand out, as I believe is made clear by two passages in my essay. One is my own critique of "objectivism" in traditional case studies and in theorizing on the basis of clinical experience. To quote just a few words from an extensive statement on this point:


In this study, the binding of amine‐based hyperbranched macromolecular polyethyleneimine (PEI) to diatomite (DE) was carried out by using the silane coupling agent KH560 (PEI‐KH560‐DE). Fourier infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the structure of the modified DE. Then, the composites were prepared using PEI‐KH560‐DE as the filler in the epoxy resin matrix and then cured with dimethylimidazole. The cured composites were tested for impact resistance, flexural properties, and tensile properties, and then subjected to DSC. The experimental results showed that when different proportions of diatomite or modified diatomite were added to the epoxy resin matrix, the strength and toughness of the composites could be significantly enhanced. When the content of PEI‐KH560‐DE was 15 wt%, the impact strength of the composites reached the maximum value of 5.39 kJ/m2, which was 156.67% higher than that of the pure epoxy resin (2.10 kJ/m2). The tensile strength was also improved from 16.38 MPa of the pure epoxy resin to 26.55 MPa, corresponding to an increase of 62.09%. With the addition of modified diatomite, the Tdmax and char yield of the composites were significantly enhanced, indicating that the addition of diatomite can enhance the heat resistance and thermal stability of the composites. The curing kinetics study showed that the addition of PEI‐KH560‐DE can significantly reduce the apparent activation energy required for the curing reaction of epoxy resin probably due to the presence of amine group in PEI, which plays a role in promoting the curing behavior.
Amine groups and flexible chain segments were introduced into diatomite.
Mechanism of polyethyleneimine‐modified diatomite was investigated.
Improved mechanical and thermal properties of PEI‐KH560‐DE/EP composites.
Curing kinetics showed that amine groups reduce apparent activation energy.


In this paper a novel method is applied to detect dynamic changes in nonlinear time series. A multivariate control chart monitoring special causes of variation on the normalized descriptors of activity, mobility and complexity was applied to a change point detection problem on six synthetic nonlinear time series. The method performed very well on the recognition of dynamic changes of shift and volatility for the time series. A case study on six series of short-term electricity load consumption was used to illustrate the results.


Organic light emitting diode (OLED) method of manufacturing a display may include the step of providing a second electrode associated with the first electrode and the second sub-pixel associated with the first sub-pixel on the substrate , the gap is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode, has a boundary defined by the confinement structure on the substrate, it is positioned in the well . The method also includes, as the surface of the layer of the active OLED material facing away from the substrate extends to the well boundary to have a non-planar topography to form a substantially continuous layer of the active OLED materials , in wells with an electrode positioned therein, it may also include the step of depositing the active OLED material. Depositing may through the ink jet printing.


Stochastic weather generators combined with hydrological models have been proposed for continuous synthetic simulation to estimate return periods of extreme floods. Yet, this approach relies upon the length and spatial distribution of the precipitation input data series, which often are scarce, especially in arid and semiarid regions. In this work, we present a new approach for the estimation of extreme floods based on the continuous synthetic simulation method supported with inputs of (a) a regional study of extreme precipitation to improve the calibration of the weather generator (GWEX), and (b) non-systematic flood information (i.e., historical information and/or palaeoflood records) for the validation of the generated discharges with a fully distributed hydrological model (TETIS). The results showed that this complementary information of extremes allowed for a more accurate implementation of both the weather generator and the hydrological model. This, in turn, improved the flood quantile estimates, especially for those associated with return periods higher than 50 years but also for higher quantiles (up to approximately 500 years). Therefore, it has been proved that continuous synthetic simulation studies focused on the estimation of extreme floods should incorporate a generalized representation of regional extreme rainfall and/or non-systematic flood data, particularly in regions with scarce hydrometeorological records.


ANDERS BRODIN,14 OLOF OLSSON,2 AND COLIN W. CLARK3 'Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; 2Department of Zoology, Uppsala University, Villavigen 9, S-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden, and British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OET, United Kingdom; and 3Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z2, Canada


The Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory (CPAI) is an indigenously developed personality measure, which covers both universal and culture-specific personality dimensions. We argue that a combined emic-etic approach reflects the broader psychological reality and is a useful approach to advance our understanding of psychology cross-culturally. We examine subgroup differences in the CPAI-2 normative sample to illustrate variations and continuity of personality characteristics within the same culture. Sex and age differences on mean scores of the CPAI-2 scales are consistent with expected variations associated socialization and developmental stages. There is no consistent pattern of variations across Hong Kong and different geographical regions within Mainland China. Within-culture and cross-cultural differences illustrate the continuity of individual differences in personality, and the dialectics of emic and etic constructs.


Abstract The design and operation of a typical user-programmed laboratory robot system is discussed. A laboratory robot is defined as a integrated system of robot arm, controller and laboratory peripherals. The capabilities together with limitations of the current generation of robots and the design specifics of two typical laboratory robot systems, the Zymate and the Perkin-Elmer Masterlab, are presented.


Objectives: To evaluate the value of percutaneous endoscopy gastrostomy(PEG) in nutrition support of neurosurgical and neurological patients. Methods: Thirty patients had undergone PEG.HXResults: Nutritional status was improved in the survival patients and the lung infections were controlled.Seven patients recovered with oral intake and 10 patient were discharge from hospital with the feeding tube for further rehabilitation,3 patients died from the deterioration of the original disease.Two cases had the inflammation at the PEG wound but easily treated.No other complications of PEG occured. Conclusions: PEG is safe and effective for enteral nutrition in some neurosurgical and neurological patients.


Maimonides, rationale for the selection of sacrifice as the appropriate mode of worship for Israel at its birth as a nation1 and ? even more so ? the conclusion that some have erroneously drawn from this rationale have been a matter of serious concern and controversy to this day. Indeed, the issue is yet to be definitively resolved. In point of fact, Maimonides himself sensed that his theory was rather daring and might be misunderstood, and introduced it with the words: "I know that you will at first thought reject this idea and find it strange."2 Some have suggested that Maimonides postulated that sacrifice was a concession to the Israelites, the sole purpose of which was to wean them away from idolatry. As such they have concluded that, having been replaced by prayer, sacrifice will never return. Needless to say, the conclusion is sig nificantly more problematic than the contention and certainly of far greater consequence. For if it were correct, it would contradict not only accepted Jewish tradition that has been translated into the liturgy;3 more significantly, the writings of Maimonides himself. For in the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides writes:


This contribution provides a best-practice example or case study of a transatlantic online course focused on the integrative acquisition of environmental literacy, intercultural skills, and foreign language proficiency. Through binational and transdisciplinary group and class interactions, students from universities in Germany and the United States learned to identify and negotiate culturally and discipline-mediated perspectives on the more-than-human world. Discussing novels, films, media and cultural artifacts that centrally engage ecological themes, students learned to think of the relationship between nature and culture as deeply imbricated. If human culture is acknowledged as part of nature, and culture as a concept extends beyond the human sphere, intercultural competence as a skill or outcome acquires a new, added meaning. Intercultural competence then includes both the ability to negotiate differences between divergent human cultural viewpoints and practices (Byram 1997), as well as the ability to establish an egalitarian relationship with the nonhuman world that goes beyond anthropocentric extractivism.


To exploit frequency diversity in Wi-Fi channels, instantaneous channel quality must be estimated. However, there is a trade-off between acquiring channel quality information and improving protocol efficiency because channel estimation consumes time and frequency resource that ideally should be used for data transfer. In this paper, we present D-Fi (Diversity-aware Wi-Fi), a novel Wi-Fi PHY/MAC protocol, that capitalizes on frequency diversity gains while sustaining protocol efficiency. The D-Fi design allows to estimate channel quality while D-Fi is performing channel contention using an OFDM-based Bloom filter. To resolve the ambiguity caused by the Bloom filter, we adopt two methods: (i) An analysis-based multi channel backoff method enables to explore/exploit frequency diversity while reducing the occurrence of the ambiguity. (ii) Applying machine learning (ML) methods to the D-Fi PHY/MAC protocol corrects the ambiguity taken place already and makes our protocol reliable. We have shown the feasibility of D-Fi by implementing it on the USRP/GNURadio platform. Experiments and trace-driven simulations show that D-Fi successfully achieves frequency diversity gains without losing improved protocol efficiency.


Previously, the deletion of SUP35N has been shown to create the genetic background for identification of the novel genes and epigenetic determinants controlling the nonsense-suppression. Here, using a genomic overexpression screen, we have found several genes encoding potentially amyloidogenic proteins, whose overexpression affects the suppressor phenotype in the strain producing the chimeric protein Aβ-Sup35MC on the background of the deletion of SUP35 gene encoding releasing factor eRF 3. It has been demonstrated the NAB2, NAB3 and VTS1 genes participate in the regulation of nonsense-suppression in S. cerevisiae.


Biochemistry provides knowledge about commonality principles, explains particularities of individuals, and discloses targets for therapeutic approaches. Although common biochemical pathways have been conserved during evolution, and although molecules and pathways have been generated based on existing ones, a one-fitsall medicine is about to be more and more replaced by personalized medicine. The declared objective of personalized medicine is to either predict a person's risks for developing a disease or to treat a patient according to his or her metabolic predisposition and capacity, genetic mutations, or polymorphisms. The genotype of a person can hint at imminent risks and prevent the outbreak of diseases if lifestyle or behavior is changed according to the risk profile. The phenotype does not only describe proteins, enzymes and metabolites from the expression of the person's genes, but provides data to recognize patterns belonging to an existing or eventually silent disease which can be treated effectively.


The invention relates to an intelligent power supply system which is used in student dormitories. The intelligent power supply system comprises an electric generator, wherein a rotary shaft of the electric generator is connected with a rotary handle, the output end of the electric generator is connected with an adapter, the output end of the adapter is connected with an electric energy storage device which is connected with an inverter, the output end of the inverter is connected with a socket which is provided with an intelligent switch, the intelligent switch is connected with a processor controlling the intelligent switch, the processor is also connected with an IC (integrated circuit) card reader and an electric energy metering device respectively, and the electric energy metering device is connected with the electric energy storage device. The intelligent power supply system has a simple structure, is convenient to use, and can electricize storage batteries while people move, thus both achieving the purpose of exercise and fully utilizing mechanical energy generated by exercise; furthermore, the electric energy generated by exercise of students can be input into the intelligent power supply system, so that the students are encouraged to exercise to get more electric energy.


Background: Lipoatrophy, lipohypertrophy and increased serum lipids are frequently observed during long-term highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated whether the consumption of a Mediterranean diet and physical activity are associated with lower risk of body shape changes and dyslipidemia in Croatian HIV-infected patients treated with HAART. The purpose of this study was to classify risk factors associated with these conditions.

Methods: Between May 2004 and June 2005, we conducted a cross-sectional study of 136 adults with HIV-infection who were treated with HAART for at least one year. Lipoatrophy and lipohypertrophy were assessed by self-report and physical examination. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was determined by a 150-item questionnaire; a 0 to 9-point diet scale was created that stratified respondents as having low adherence (<4 points) and medium to high adherence (≥ 4 points). Physical activity was assessed by an international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). Between July 1997 to May 2005 we prospectively collected demographic information and analyzed lipid levels in 117 participants infected with the human immunodeficiency virus at six time points during their first year of antiretroviral treatment.

We used analysis of variance for repeated measurements for the analysis of the total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides over time (procedure MIXED, SAS 9.1.3)

Results: In our cross-sectional study we found that lipoatrophy was present in 56 (41%) and lipohypertrophy in 25 (32%) of patients infected with HIV. In multivariate analysis we found that non-smokers with a dietary score ≥ 4 had lower risk for lipoatrophy (OR 0,3 95% CI 0,1-0,8; p=0.021). Stavudine use (OR 3,9 95% CI 1,7-9,3; p=0.001), female gender (OR 0,3 95% CI 0,1-0,9; p=0.023), and duration of HAART for every twelve months (OR 1,5 95% CI 1,2 -1,9; p =0.001) were also independently associated with a higher risk of lipoatrophy. A medium to high adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with lower risk of lipohypertrophy (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.8; p =0.010). Female gender (OR 11,1 95% CI 3,8-33,3; p=0.001), longer duration of HAART ≥ 25 months compared with those < 25 months (OR 6,2 95% CI 1,8-21,7; p=0.005), and longer known duration of HIV-infection prior to HAART (per 12 months) (OR 1,2 95% CI 1,1-1,3; p=0.004) were also independently associated with a higher risk of lipohypertrophy.

Longitudinal study showed increased values of the total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides among participants infected with the human immunodeficiency virus after initiation of antiretroviral therapy. The increase was most expressed in the first 3 till 6 months of treatment (average increase at 3 months: 25% for total cholesterol, 22% for LDL-cholesterol, 18% for HDL-cholesterol and 43% for triglycerides). In the longitudinal study, neither adherence to the Mediterranean diet nor physical activity had an influence on lipid levels.

The mean total cholesterol was higher in participants receiving a combination of a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and a protease inhibitor (NNRTPI) (-10,5% CI -10,9-10,0%; p=0,007) compared to participants receiving a combination of a nucleoside analogs with a non-nucleoside analog (NRTNRTNNRT) or a combination of a nucleoside analogs and a protease inhibitor (NRTNRTPI) (-8,8% CI -10,0-7,5%; p=0,019).

Participants receiving a combination of a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and a protease inhibitor (NRTNRTPI) had higher triglyceride serum levels (-26,9% CI -36,1-20,4; p=0,012) than participants receiving a combination of nucleoside analogs with a non-nucleoside analog (NRTNRTNNRT).

Among individual drug treatments, indinavir/ritonavir had the most unfavorable lipid profile.

Other factors significantly associated with higher total cholesterol levels in serum were age older than 39 years (-9,2% CI -9,4-9,0%; p=0,028), heterosexual HIV transmission (-9,6% CI -13,0-6,7%; p=0,028), a baseline hemoglobin levels higher than 123 g/l (-10,2% CI -10,7-9,6%; p=0,002), smoking (-6,8% Cl -8,3-5,4%; p=0,041), and viral loads >400 copy/ml HIV RNK (5,1% CI 4,6-5,7%; p=0,012) were significantly associated with lower total cholesterol level. Baseline CD4 lymphocyte counts ≥ 50 mm3 were associated with higher HDL-cholesterol levels (-14,1% CI -16,8-11,8%; p=0,007) compared with participants with < 50 CD4 lymphocyte. Male gender (15,8% CI 12,0-19,0%; p=0,033) and participants who consumed ethanol ≥10 g/d had a lower of HDL-cholesterol level (18,2% CI 14,1-23,3%; p=0,017). Age older than 39 years (-13,0% CI -13,4-12,6%; p=0,024), baseline hemoglobin level higher than 123 g/l (-12,7% CI -13,1-12,1%; p=0,013) and smoking (-11,3% CI -14,5-8,7%; p=0,029) were associated with higher LDL-cholesterol level.

Conclusions: HIV-infected persons from Croatia who did not smoke and who moderately or highly adhere to the Mediterranean diet are least likely to develop the clinical syndrome of lipoatrophy. Moderate to high adherence to the Mediterranean diet is also associated with a lower risk of lipohypertrophy. Mediterranean diet and physical activity appear to have no effect on serum lipids in persons on HAART. Antiretroviral therapy was the principal factor found to increase lipid levels, the treatment with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and a protease inhibitor had a higher effect on total cholesterol and triglyceride levels than combinations of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or a protease inhibitor.

Keywords: HIV-infection, HAART, lipoatrophy, lipohypertrophy, Mediterranean diet, physical activity, lipids, smoking.


There has been a shift in federal land management agencies toward less facility-oriented recreational activities. This shift is described by executive messages and legislation. Other indicators of the shift are President Carter's environmental message of 1979, establishment of additional National Recreation Trails, and a combined report to the President by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior which describes coordinated objectives and action plans developed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service.


To solve the Quay Crane Scheduling Problem(QCSP) of large container,a quay crane scheduling constraint programming model by considering the factors such as constraint programming,crane interferences,safety requirements,ready times and precedence relations was proposed.The benchmark data was used to test and the result was compared with the current heuristic algorithm.It showed that constraint programming method could solve QCSP with high quality and fast speed,especially for the solving efficiency of large scale cases.


Abstract The starting point of this paper is based on the relevant theory and concept, focus on analysis of the characteristics and connotation of the economic performance of the regional tourism industry, and dissect the mechanism and relationship between the differences of the congenital conditions of the regional tourism resources and the region's corresponding economic performance. And the corresponding evaluation index system is constructed by combining with the above analysis, the related elements that influencing the regional economic performance and their internal relations are studied. Under the interaction of these indicators, the characteristics and principle of tourism industry's optimized economic performance is analyzed, through the regression model. And the relevant measures to enhancing the corresponding economic performance of the region are put forward.


The national Model Law project aims to standardise the regulation of the profession across Australia. As part of this, the Legal Practitioners Act 1970 will be replaced by the Legal Profession Act 2006. We expect the new law to be debated and passed in early June and to commence on 1 July 2006.


Social and organizational psychologists have long been interested in the attributional and inferential biases that result from intergroup contact, but they have rarely studied the behavioral consequences of these judgmental biases. In the present research, subjects participated in a simulated organizational decision making task in which they made hiring and salary decisions about a prospective male employee with whom they shared the same ethnicity (ingroup condition) or from whom they differed in ethnicity (outgroup condition). Some subjects were informed that the job candidate committed a moral breach of judgment during his prior employment, whereas other subjects were informed that the candidate committed no moral breach. The results revealed that outgroup breachers were perceived as more immoral than ingroup breachers; however, outgroup non-breachers were perceived as equally moral to ingroup non-breachers. In addition, whereas subjects were likely to hire both ingroup and outgroup non-breachers, they were significantly more likely to hire ingroup breachers than outgroup breachers. Subjects also recommended starting ingroup non-breachers at a higher salary than outgroup non-breachers. These and other data illustrate the potential behavioral impact of intergroup bias in demographically diverse organizational settings. The Morality of Indiscretion: Hiring and Salary Decisions Involving Ethnically Diverse Job Applicants "What is new in our time is the increased power of authorities to enforce their prejudices." -Bertrand Russell "Sentence first, verdict afterwards." -Lewis Carroll Although Bertrand Russell and Lewis Carroll are an unlikely pair, and are even more unlikely authorities on the topic of prejudice in modern society, their statements nevertheless reveal insights about intergroup perception that social scientists today are only beginning to understand and appreciate. Consider first Russell's observation. Organizations are currently facing massive changes in the demographic composition of their work forces, changes that entail the mixing of demographic groups that have traditionally been professionally isolated from one another (Songer, 1991; Williams, 1990). Recent estimates suggest that women, minorities, and immigrants will make up 85% of all new entrants in the U.S. workforce by the year 2000 (Rosenfeld, Giacalone, & Riordan, 1994). Despite this unprecedented influx of "non-traditional" workers into U.S. organizations, the fact remains that managerial positions remain predominantly occupied by White males (Rosenfeld, Booth-Kewley, Edwards, & Alderton, 1994). Therein lie the hazards of which Russell warned us; at no time in U.S. history is there greater opportunity for managers to use their prejudices to wield an unjust power over others. Let us next consider Lewis Carroll's observation, addressing the human tendency to condemn others on impulse, either prior to or in lieu of thoughtful deliberation. Were he alive today, Carroll might be flattered--or appalled--to learn of his uncanny accuracy in anticipating scientific work on psychological biases in human decision making. That individuals would enter a decision situation in a biased fashion is by no means new. In fact, a long string of research in the forensic sciences and organizational behavior shows that individuals are quick to base decisions on factors irrelevant to the case itself. In the literature on forensic decision making (see, for example, Kalven & Zeisel, 1966), many factors unrelated to the issues or incidents in question influence the decisions made; similar factors have been implicated in the process of arbitration (Giacalone, Pollard, & Brannen, 1989). Forensic specialists call these biasing influences extralegal factors, defined as "information not directly bearing on the individual's guilt or innocence, nor on the nature of a convicted offender's crime or the situational context within which the offense was committed...Extralegal factors can be either positive or negative, mitigating or incriminating, consequently they can either help or hurt a defendant." (Austin & Utne, 1977, p. 170). Although these factors are numerous, they can involve such things as the impressions made by individuals (Parkinson, 1979; Pryor & Buchanan, 1984), the previous history of infractions (Giacalone & Pollard, 1989; Green, 1961), and the consequences resulting from the infraction that one has caused (Kalven & Zeisel, 1966; Rosen & Jerdee, 1974; Walster, 1966). We propose that one of the most pervasive extralegal factors influencing personnel decisions in organizations today is demographic information. Recent social psychological research has shown that people are quick to mentally assign the individuals they encounter to one or more social, racial, or gender categories (Messick & Mackie, 1989). They do so because such categorizations provide perceivers with a fast and seemingly informative portrait of those whom they perceive. Once a given social category is activated, it automatically brings with it a set of inferential baggage consisting of loose generalizations, oversimplifications, and damaging stereotypes that too often have little basis in fact. These demographic-based extralegal inferences may become increasingly rampant in organizations that continue to grow in cultural diversity (Allison & Herlocker, 1994). The central mission of the present research was to explore the potential psychological and behavioral consequences of today's unprecedented intergroup contact in the American workforce. Specifically, we wished to illustrate how managerial decisions whether to hire an individual, and how much to pay that individual, can be affected by the psychology of intergroup perception. Prior to describing our research, we first provide a brief review of the literature on intergroup bias and its implications for multi-cultural organizational life. Intergroup Bias in Demographically Diverse Organizations Social psychologists have long been concerned with the pernicious consequences of partitioning the human landscape into fixed social categories, a phenomenon known as group categorization (Allport, 1954; Brewer, 1979; Tajfel, 1970; Wilder, 1986). A prominent type of categorizing is called ingroup-outgroup categorization, whereby perceivers label the people they perceive as belonging either to their own group (the ingroup) or to an outside group (the outgroup). Research has shown that people are alarmingly quick to designate people as either ingroup or outgroup members, and although such differentiation is usually based on prominent differences in physical features (e.g., skin color or gender), it can also arise from something as trivial as differences in preferences for paintings (Fiske & Neuberg, 1990; Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971). Allison and Herlocker (1994) have highlighted three negative consequences associated with categorizing people as ingroup or outgroup members: outgroup homogeneity, ingroup favoritism, and attributional asymmetry. Each of these unfortunate byproducts of categorization has important implications for organizational behavior, which we describe below. Outgroup homogeneity. The first of these categorization effects, outgroup homogeneity, refers to people's belief that their fellow ingroup members are rich in diversity and complexity, whereas outgroup members are simple and undifferentiated. This belief in outgroup homogeneity contributes to people's quick use of limited information in making oversimplified judgments about outgroup members (Allison, Worth, & King, 1990; Park & Rothbart, 1982). The presumption that outgroups are monolithic often easily leads to the conclusion that members of the outgroup "are all alike" in terms of the prevailing stereotype. In organizations, such a belief system can have important ramifications for employees designated by their supervisors as outgroup members. Believing that their outgroup employees "are all alike", supervisors may rarely give these employees opportunities to extend their basic skills or to excel in challenging new tasks. Stereotypic beliefs about outgroups are therefore difficult to disconfirm and often take on a selfperpetuating quality (Eden, 1991). Ingroup favoritism. The second unfortunate effect of ingroup-outgroup categorization is that members of ingroups are typically viewed in a more favorable light than are members of outgroups (Wilder, 1986). In organizations, ingroup favoritism could manifest itself in many ways, such as when White supervisors evaluate White employees more favorably than Black employees independent of the work that the employees produce. Favoritism of this type can often operate quite subtlely, without the awareness of anyone, including members of the categorized outgroup. For example, supervisors may publicly bestow small rewards to outgroup members as "token" gestures to appear nondiscriminatory, while privately they may withhold significant rewards (such as pay raises) from those same outgroup members (Dutton & Lennox, 1974; Pettigrew & Martin, 1987). Attributional asymmetry. The third pernicious outgrowth of ingroup-outgroup categorization is its effect on people's causal attributions, which refer to how people explain the causes of others' behaviors. When members of an ingroup successfully perform a task, perceivers tend to conclude that the success was due to their internal qualities, such as their strong work ethic or ability level. However, when outgroup members succeed in a task, their success is often attributed to external factors, such as good luck or fortuitous circumstances. For failed performances, the perceived locus of causality is reversed. When ingroup members fail at a task, their failure is seen as stemming from external factors, such as bad luck or unfortunate circumstances. In contrast, when outgroup members fail, the failure is judged as reflecting their inferior traits and abilities (Pettigrew, 1979). A causal att


Wear particles serve a central role in periprosthetic osteolysis, which leads to the aseptic loosening of prostheses. In the present study a lentiviral vector was constructed to silence macrophage colony stimulating factor (M‑CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor κ‑B ligand (RANKL) genes, which synergistically inhibit osteoclast formation and differentiation. To confirm the role of the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway in osteolysis, we transduced murine macrophage/monocyte RAW264.7 cells with M‑CSF‑short hairpin (sh)RNA‑RANKL‑shRNA. Tumor necrosis factor‑α (TNF‑α) protein levels were evaluated using enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay. Transduced RAW264.7 cells were cultured in Transwell chambers in the presence of 0.1 mg/ml titanium particles to investigate the capacity of TNF‑α inhibition to reduce wear debris‑induced inflammation. RANKL, M‑CSF, TNF‑α, interleukin (IL)‑1β, IL‑6 and NFATc1 mRNA levels were also assessed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Osteoclastogenesis was measured by tartrate‑resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) mRNA quantification. Lentiviral‑mediated double gene inhibition is known to be able to completely inhibit inflammatory osteolysis, simultaneously decreasing the number of NFATc1‑ and TRAP‑positive cells. The present study confirmed that the combined silencing of M‑CSF and RANKL genes can inhibit the osteolysis induced by the wear particles around the prosthesis. The calcineurin/NFAT pathway serves a role in the prevention of prosthesis loosening.


Experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that human erythrocyte phosphofructokinase (PFK) is composed of nonidentical subunits (M and R) while muscle PFK is composed of M subunits only. When erythrocyte PFK was dissociated into inactive subunits at pH 5.3, the R subunit could be precipitated by a specific antibody, and the reassociated enzyme at pH 8.0 had the chromatographic and immunologic characteristics of muscle PFK. When dissociated erythrocyte PFK was treated with antiserum against muscle PFK and reassociated, the resultant enzyme no longer contained the M-type antigen. The chromatographic methods did not distinguish between native erythrocyte PFK and PFK from which the subunits had been removed. The results support the original hypothesis and provide a basis for explaining muscle PFK deficiency as a genetic lack of the M subunit.


New rules to the constitution of provision for losses on loans for banks and similar financial institutions were established for National Monetary Council (Resolucao no 2.682/99), and fundamented in accordance with the level of risk of customers. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze this new rules and their effects in the reporting of financial statements of banks and financial institutions.


Fiber can improve the bending strength of cement mortar or concrete due to its high toughness. The straw fiber, SF and PF with different properties were mixed into the mortar in the same proportion and different mixing processes to prepare mortar specimens, and the different types of fibers were mixed for the standard curing 7d and 28d. The mechanical properties of the test piece affected the change in this study. The results were showed as follows: the strength of the mortar with straw fiber was higher than that of the post-mixing method, and the flexural strength (referred to as FS) was increased by about 16.0%; the FS of the mortar after the SF was added by 9.7% higher than that of the first blending method, but the compressive strength(referred to as CS) of the first mixed mortar was higher than that of the post-mixing method 16.9%, indicating that the SF had a high modulus of elasticity, which could improve the CS; the growth trend between the FS and CS of the mortar were close with PF. Under the SF first mixing process, the CS was maximized, followed by the PF at the post-mixing method, and the worst was the post-mixing method of the straw fiber.


One of how a bank's financial performance is healthy can be seen through the bank's financial statements. Information regarding the condition of the bank can be used by the bank itself or from outside the bank such as creditors, investors, and customers. The factors that can affect the profitability of Islamic banking are capital adequacy and liquidity. So that Islamic banking, is required to be able to increase profitability every year to attract internal and external parties. This study aims to determine the effect of capital adequacy and liquidity on the profitability of Islamic commercial banks.
This research uses descriptive analysis method and verification. The data collection technique used is secondary data. The population in this study are Islamic commercial banks registered in Statistik Perbankan Syariah (SPS). The sampling technique used was purposive sampling with a total sample of 11 Islamic banks with a total of 33 sample data. This research uses classical assumption test analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, coefficient of determination, model feasibility test and hypothesis testing.
Based on the results of the study indicate that capital adequacy has a significant effect on profitability and liquidity has no significant effect on profitability


To eliminate the static error, overshoot, and vibration of the series elastic actuator (SEA) position control, the resonance ratio control (RRC) algorithm is improved based on L1 adaptive control(L1AC)method. Based on the analysis of the factors affecting the control performance of SEA, the algorithm schema is proposed, the stability is proved, and the main control parameters are analyzed. The algorithm schema is further improved with gravity compensation, and the predicted error and reference error is reduced to guarantee transient performance. Finally, the effectiveness of the algorithm is validated by simulation and platform experiments. The simulation and experiment results show that the algorithm has good adaptability, can improve transient control performance, and can handle effectively the static error, overshoot, and vibration. In addition, when a link-side collision occurs, the algorithm automatically reduces the link speed and limits the motor current, thus protecting the humans and SEA itself, due to the low pass filter characterization of L1AC to disturbance.


The Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards is seeking entries for outstanding initiatives in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) from the UK higher education community. The award is supported by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). The judges seek initiatives that demonstrate institutional impact as well as the potential for impact across the UK. St. George's University of London received the 2009 award for training paramedic students using problem-based learning (PBL) in the virtual world of Second Life. For more information on submitting entries. Contact: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/news/stories/2009/12/ award.aspx ——————


The cation exchange capacities (CEC) estimated in this paper are too high and should not be used as estimates of the positive surface charge for the ash from this study. In the original experiments, Ca2+ was used as the saturating cation and was displaced subsequently by Mg2+. The measurement of the saturating cation was accurate, but the concentrations of Ca2+ reflect not only surface-bound species but also contain Ca2+ released by the dissolution of matrixminerals, especially gypsum and calcite, which were both present in the ash. Therefore, the CEC values reflect more than just surface processes and include a potentially large undesired contribution from the dissolution of the matrix. Anion exchange capacity values should be accurate.


By using many kinds acids to solute minerals,using inductive coupling plasma emission spectrograph,method for determing 19 kinds of elements,such as Ba and Be at the same time is established.Precision of this method is tested by national standard matters,and relative error is less than 10%,RSD value which is determined by 12 times is 0.9%~5%.


The high-end white wine Xingkai fish development, so that cultural and traditional brewing process Xingkai combination of improved product image, by experts as "the northern fish wine, the Chinese first"; for some rich people and for tourists to provide an appreciation of the local products can be gift; to make newcontributions to local economic development.


A high-voltage and ultra high-voltage cross linked polyethylene insulation electric power cable with a nonlinear shielding layer belongs to the power transmission field, in particular to a high-voltage and ultra high-voltage cross linked polyethylene insulation electric power cable. The utility model solves the problem that the insulation performance of the cross linked polyethylene of the existing high-voltage and ultra high-voltage electric power cable is degraded and then is destructed because of the generation of the electrical tree. In the utility model, an inner nonlinear shielding layer is extruded and wrapped between an inner semiconductive shielding layer and a cross linked polyethylene insulation layer, and separates the inner semiconductive shielding layer from the cross linked polyethylene insulation layer; and an outer nonlinear shielding layer is extruded and wrapped between the cross linked polyethylene insulation layer and an outer semiconductive shielding layer, and separates the cross linked polyethylene insulation layer from the outer semiconductive shielding layer. The utility model is applicable to various high-voltage and ultra high-voltage power transmission occasions.


The selection pressures that drove dramatic encephalisation processes through the mammal lineage remain elusive, as does knowledge of brain structure reorganisation through this process. In particular, considerable structural brain changes are present across the primate lineage, culminating in the complex human brain that allows for unique behaviours such as language and sophisticated tool use. To understand this evolution, a diverse sample set of humans' closest relatives with varying socio‐ecologies is needed. However, current brain banks predominantly curate brains from primates that died in zoological gardens. We try to address this gap by establishing a field pipeline mitigating the challenges associated with brain extractions of wild primates in their natural habitat. The success of our approach is demonstrated by our ability to acquire a novel brain sample of deceased primates with highly variable socio‐ecological exposure and a particular focus on wild chimpanzees. Methods in acquiring brain tissue from wild settings are comprehensively explained, highlighting the feasibility of conducting brain extraction procedures under strict biosafety measures by trained veterinarians in field sites. Brains are assessed at a fine‐structural level via high‐resolution MRI and state‐of‐the‐art histology. Analyses confirm that excellent tissue quality of primate brains sourced in the field can be achieved with a comparable tissue quality of brains acquired from zoo‐living primates. Our field methods are noninvasive, here defined as not harming living animals, and may be applied to other mammal systems than primates. In sum, the field protocol and methodological pipeline validated here pose a major advance for assessing the influence of socio‐ecology on medium to large mammal brains, at both macro‐ and microstructural levels as well as aiding with the functional annotation of brain regions and neuronal pathways via specific behaviour assessments.


The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari CIHEAM-Bari produced this report as a part of the Organic Knowledge Network Arable (OK-Net Arable) project, Work Package 4. CIHEAM-Bari has developed two facilitated courses and a self-learning one according to the international E-Learning standards to promote the use of end-user material beyond the farmer innovation groups and the knowledge platform of the project. This report provides a description of these courses. Facilitated courses were developed using Leaning Management System (LMS) on the CIHEAM-Bari e-learning platform and were addressed to 70 participants from 26 countries (77% European countries and 23% non EU Mediterranean countries). Participants represented different institutions and profiles, such as ministries of agriculture, Universities, associations, certification bodies, farmers, private companies, research centres, extension services etc. The self-learning course is delivered on the project knowledge platform to be followed indefinitely by users even after the end of the project.


Background & Aim: Considering the psychosocial model of diseases, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of psychiatric intervention with regard to demographic and marriage characteristics on the pregnancy rate using Bayesian network model in infertile women. Methods & Materials: In a randomized clinical trial, 638 infertile patients referred to an infertility clinic were evaluated. Among them, 140 couples with different levels of depression in at least one of the spouses were included in this substudy. These couples were divided randomly into two groups. After psychiatric intervention the clinical pregnancy rates of the two groups. The data were divided into two groups: demographic characteristics and marriage specifications, and by drawing Bayesian networks using Grow-Shrink (GS) algorithm, the conditional probability of pregnancy was estimated. Results: According to the results, Bayesian network model of the GS algorithm was significant  (P = 0.548) and given that the fertility in the intervention group who were concurrently treated with antiretroviral treatment, the conditional probability was 38.5%, and this amount in the control group is 3.5% and group who were concurrently treated with induction of ovulation or did not receive any treatment the conditional probability was 72.2% and this amount in the control group is 23.1% comparing the values shows the importance of psychiatric intervention in increasing pregnancy rate. Conclusion: Results obtained from Bayesian network model are in line with results obtained from logistic model in terms of the significance of the variables with the difference that apart from the graphic structure, Bayesian network model also estimates conditional probabilities. This study shows that psychiatric and psychological treatments play an important role in curing infertility that will increase the chances of pregnancy.


Until now, cervical cancer is still a cause of female mortality which is quite high, estimated at 4,900 people per year. When doctors diagnose a person suffering from a dangerous (chronic) disease such as cancer, there are three forms of emotional responses that may generally appear, namely rejection, anxiety and depression. Anxiety that often occurs in cervical cancer patients is a negative emotion that causes individuals to feel afraid, worried and concerned about something, the source is realistic or not, and ultimately motivates the individual to take concrete action in response to the existing anxiety.This study was conducted to examine the effect of CBT therapy in reducing anxiety levels of cervical cancer patients, using quantitative and qualitative research methods. The combination of quantitative and qualitative methods will help researchers to better understand the phenomenon being studied. The quantitative method in this study uses descriptive analysis.Based on the results obtained from this study, it was seen that there was a decrease in the degree of anxiety in cervical cancer patients who were the subject of this study after being intervened by using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).An effective change occurs in cervical cancer sufferers after being given CBT therapy where positive effects are felt such as feeling calmer, more energetic and optimistic to recover in the face of the disease. Giving CBT therapy makes the process of cognitive assessment of patients to change. Social support that comes from families such as husband and children and the surrounding environment can provide strength and motivation to recover for patients with cervical cancer


In this paper we consider a sequence of vector optimization problems. We aim to generalize a vector condition that relates the parametric function and the limit function. In particular, we recover our condition given in the scalar case. Our stability approach is such that the limit of the sequence of solutions that correspond to vector optimization problems to be a solution of a limit vector optimization problem. Therefore, one can view our statement as an existence result. This general framework has been used in several previous works. In our main theorem, we use the notion of strong lower cone-semi-continuity. An example is given to illustrate why only cone-lower semi-continuity for the limit function is not sufficient for our result.


ed from Turner, J.A.M.; Sillett, R.W.; and McNichol, M.W. Effect of carboxyhaemoglobin and plasma nicotine concentrations in primary pipe and cigar smokers and ex-cigarette smokers. British Medical Journal, 2:1387-1387, 1977. ©1977, British Medical Jour- nal. Reproduced by permission. *Primary pipe and cigar smokers are those who have never been regu- lar cigarette smokers. Secondary pipe and cigar smokers are ex-cig- arette smokers who have switched to a pipe or cigars, which they then tend to inhale (Castleden and Cole, 1973; Cowie, Sillett and Ball, 1973).


This study was designed to assess the elementary and middle school students' performance in the Gender Equality Education curriculum with longitudinal methods. The purpose was to locate the teaching emphasis among elementary school, junior high school and senior high school. By stratified sampling, there were 2,867 participants in this study (1,097 participants from Elementary School, 785 from Junior High School, 1,034 from High School and Vocational School). Data were collected from the questionnaire, which contained six parts — awareness, knowledge, attitude, behavior and intention, self-efficacy of gender self-understanding, interpersonal relationship and demographic information. The important findings were as follows: 1 .The percentage of implementation on gender education is increasing, but 10% of elementary school students, 20% of junior high school students and 30% of senior high school students indicated that not such program was offered in their schools. 2.The improvements are: first, the awareness, knowledge and attitude of elementary school students; second, awareness, knowledge and attitude of junior high school students ; third, awareness of gender inequality, knowledge and attitude toward gender role, self-esteem, homosexuality of senior high school students. 3. The following parts are necessary to be enhanced: The middle graders of elementary school—knowledge about physiology and reproduction; The upper graders of elementary school—self-efficacy about affective expression and communication; junior high school—gender role attitude toward gender interaction, gender career interest and performance, gender competence and performance; senior high school—knowledge about physiology and reproduction, sexual harassment and abuse , gender career interest and performance, gender competence and performance. Additionally, the Ministry of Education ought to pay attention to the increasing rate of sexual behavior in junior high school and senior high school. 4. The regressive parts are: first, junior high school—self-efficacy about "refusal skill and self-adaptation"; second, senior high school—self-efficacy about "affective expression and communication" and "refusal skill and self-adaptation".


The structural evolution that takes place during the homogenization heat treatments of powder metallurgical Ni-Ti alloys was studied by in situ synchrotron diffraction. It is proposed to get a deeper understanding of this phenom- enonby using different types of thermal/mechanical cycles.This work also intends to prove the feasibility of in situ X-ray diffraction studies during thermomechanical cycles and to demonstrate the interest of the combined dilatometry (under compression) and diffraction data for the detailed analysis of the phase transformations in powder metallurgical Ni-Ti shape memory alloys.


In this paper, we propose a resource-efficient Minkowski-like fractal seismic metamaterial by hybridizing U-shaped and cross-shaped pillars, providing wide complete band gaps (BGs) due to its multi-scale self-similar property. Numerical modeling of seismic surface waves is used to study the band structure and transmission of our seismic metamaterial. A comparison of the band structures of the developed seismic metamaterial with various levels reveals that the iteration order itself is responsible for the increase in the number of frequency bands and the decrease in the center frequencies of the BGs. Furthermore, the vibrational modes are calculated and examined to understand the mechanism of BG generation. To demonstrate the efficiency of earthquake shielding in multiple complete BGs, investigations of seismic surface wave propagation on a 1D array of Minkowski-like fractal structure units on the surface of single and layered semi-infinite substrates are employed. The results show that the layered soil has the function of widening BGs by itself. Our proposed Minkowski-like fractal structure due to its multi-scale self-similarity mitigates the intrinsic drawback of the narrow BG of resonant metamaterial, providing a superior alternative in seismology and related areas of multi-frequency band vibration reduction. Moreover, its green design and manufacturing due to low filling rates, strong wear resistance, and ductility can realize the low-carbon and sustainable development of the construction industry.


Objectives: to identify the prevalence and describe the use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief in pregnant women during childbirth in public maternity wards. Method: this is a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study, carried out with 344 parturients, through the analysis of medical records. The descriptive analysis was carried out with absolute and relative frequencies. Results: it is recorded that the prevalence of the use of non-pharmacological methods was 95.4%. Five methods were offered to 35.5% of the parturients: professional support (86.6%), the most offered method; breathing (80.2%); warm bath (72.4%); ball (57.3%) and massage (50.0%). Conclusion: it is concluded that most women in labor have received non-pharmacological methods for pain relief during labor, however, this practice should be applied to all women, as it is an evidence-based action and incorporated as one of the priority strategies for assisting women in labor. J Nurs UFPE on line. 2021;15:e245001 DOI: 10.5205/1981-8963.2021.245001 https://periodicos.ufpe.br/ revistas/revistaenfermagem Descriptors: Normal Birth; Labor; Pain; Labor Pain; Women's Health; Obstetric Nursing. RESUMEN Objetivos: identificar la prevalencia y describir el uso de métodos no farmacológicos para el alivio del dolor en parturientas durante el trabajo de parto en maternidades públicas. Método: se trata de un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, transversal, realizado con 344 parturientas, mediante el análisis de historias clínicas. El análisis descriptivo se realizó con frecuencias absolutas y relativas. Resultados: se registra que la prevalencia del uso de métodos no farmacológicos fue del 95,4%. Se ofrecieron cinco métodos al 35,5% de las parturientas: el apoyo profesional (86,6%), el método más ofrecido; respiración (80,2%); baño tibio (72,4%); pelota (57,3%) y masaje (50,0%). Conclusión: se concluye que la mayoría de las parturientas recibieron métodos no farmacológicos para el alivio del dolor durante el trabajo de parto, sin embargo, esta práctica debe ser aplicada a todas las mujeres, ya que es una acción basada en la evidencia e incorporada como una de las estrategias de atención prioritaria a las parturientas. Descriptores: Parto Normal; Trabajo de Parto; Dolor; Dolor do Parto; Salud de la Mujer; Enfermería Obstétrica. 1 State University of Londrina/UEL. Londrina (PR), Brazil. 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0157-1983 2 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6656-8155 3 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9723-1857 4 https:// orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-6747 5 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1280-8421 *Article extracted from the Undergraduate Thesis entitled: Use of non-pharmacological methods during childbirth in public maternity hospitals. State University of Londrina/UEL, 2019. It is known that the perception of labor encompasses different views, talking about both its physiological and psychological changes. The end of pregnancy is understood as a moment that requires special attention to pregnant women because, in many cases, they are insecure and afraid of experiencing the moment of childbirth.1 It is noted that physiological changes during labor stimulate the release of hormones such as oxytocin, which contributes both to emotional and behavioral changes in women in labor and the emergence of much more rhythmic uterine contractions, which assist in the process of dilation of the cervix, forcing the passage of the child through the vaginal canal. The extremely common consequence of this process is the appearance of pain in women during labor.2 INTRODUCTION How to cite this article Maffei MCV, Zani AV, Bernardy CCF, Sodré TM, Pinto KRTF. Use of nonpharmacological methods during labor. J Nurs UFPE on line. 2021;15:e245001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5205/1981-8963.2021.245001 Pain in labor is characterized as physiological. It is observed that labor alone generates anguish, fears, and anxiety, which can potentiate pain. The pain is thus perceived differently by each woman. It is considered that minimizing these feelings is essential for the woman to have a positive experience.3 It is essential to relieve the pain of the parturient, which can be done through nonpharmacological methods, including physical and emotional support. It is important to emphasize that these practices are scientifically proven and promote, besides pain relief, the reduction of stress and maternal anxiety.4-5 It is understood that non-pharmacological techniques for pain relief and the possibility of active participation of pregnant women in their labor are tools that bring positive results, not only for the improvement of the care provided but, mainly, on the whole course of labor and the way the body responds to these actions.6 It is evaluated, in relation to the use of non-pharmacological methods for the relief of pain during labor, that health professionals should reflect a lot about their own values and beliefs, so that this does not interfere in their way of assistance and management of pain to the pregnant women, and in this way they should seek to support them in all their decisions during this very important moment. It is emphasized that, whatever the woman's choice, she must be respected and encouraged and, during all the labor assistance, the woman must be offered the use of nonpharmacological methods for the relief of pain, which can be performed through several techniques, such as warm shower, breathing exercises, ball exercises, relaxing massage, among other strategies that are also used aiming at the woman's well-being.7 To identify the prevalence and describe the use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief in pregnant women during childbirth in public maternity wards. It is a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study. It should be noted that this study is part of a larger project entitled "Evaluation of normal childbirth care in public maternity hospitals in a city in the South of Brazil", being carried out in two public maternity hospitals of reference for the care of pregnant women by the Unified Health System (UHS) in the city of Londrina (PR). The population was composed of 344 women who had a normal delivery during the collection period and who agreed to participate voluntarily, excluding women with unfavorable clinical conditions to respond to the survey (resulting from any serious complication related to pregnancy OBJECTIVES


Note: This data has been clipped by NJDEP for use in various Internet applications and only shows roadways, streets and major roadways within the State of New Jersey. All information in this metadata record is relevant with the exception that all outside counties surrounding New Jersey have been removed. Original metadata for Teleatlas Roads: This data set represents all roadways, streets, and major highways within the State of New Jersey and the counties surrounding New Jersey, in a digital, vector based geographic database format. Streets in this data set contain address information such as postal codes, street names and address ranges, and other routing attributes which may be used for geocoding or route finding. The Dynamap®/Transportation street layer contains all streets in the Tele Atlas North America database with a Feature Class Code (FCC) of A1*, A2*, A3*, A4*, A5*, A6* and A7*. Driveways (FCC = A74) and parking areas (FCC = A75) are excluded from the dataset. The street layer in all GIS output formats contains address, name, FCC and ZIP Code attribution. The data set was received as part of the Dynamap®/Transportation v9.1 release of April 2007 by Tele Atlas to licensee New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety (LP street name aliases are not handled in the same way in the shapefiles. Also included in the license is the Dynamap®/Census product, v9. The terms of the license agreement limit distribution generally to state and local government entities. Please read the license agreement to determine whether the access and use contemplated is included in the license.


Recently devised 3-dimensional (3D) diagnostic modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and multislice computed tomography (CT) allow visualization of the heart and great vessels from any angle of view and perspective. In complicated congenital heart disease, however, substantial discrepancies still remain between interpretation of the reconstructed 3D images and the real structures of anatomy. One possible way to overcome these problems is to construct tangible replicas that reproduce the real structures of the disease. Stereolithography is a rapid-prototyping technology whereby an ultraviolet laser beam selectively polymerizes and solidifies a photosensitive, polymeric liquid-plastic solution. By using this technique, 3D volumetric image data can be converted into plastic models that enhance spatial perception of the real anatomy …


Delayed release tablets of Diclofenac sodium tablets were prepared by wet granulation method using different pH resistant polymers like HPMC, CAP and Eudragit to dissolve it in alkaline pH. F1-F4 trials were performed and evaluated. F4 was found to be satisfactory.F4 was seal coated using HPMC E-5 EP & PEG 400L(F5).F5 was enteric coated using HPMC(F6-F7), CAP(F8-F9), EUDRAGIT(F10F11).Dissolution was carried out in 0.1 N HCl for first 2hrs and next 1hr in phosphate buffer pH6.8.Dissolution studies of EUDRAGIT polymer trail (F10) shows much better release then HPMC and CAP.


Helix pomatia is one of the most well known species of land snails across Europe and it presents economical importance due to its consumption as food. The preliminary results of the genetic comparison between two populations, one of them under the pressure of exploitation, are presented here. As expected, most indices revealed a disequilibrium in the exploited population, with the exeption of the allelic pattern which was similar among the two studied populations.


Objective
To evaluate the safety, local efficacy and survival rates of isolated pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma treated with CT-guided radiofrequency ablation.

Methods
A total of 28 patients with isolated pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma were performed with CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (radiofrequency ablation group). The size of the lesion was 1.2-5.0 (2.9±1.0) cm. During the same time, 9 patients, who did not take any treatment for isolated pulmonary metastases from colorectal carcinoma, were collected as control group. The size of the lesion was 2.0-5.0 (3.6±1.0) cm. The local progression-free rates and overall survival rates were compared.

Results
All the cases were able to complete the radiofrequency ablation in radiofrequency ablation group. During and after the procedure, no major complications occurred. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year local progression-free rates and overall survival rates in radiofrequency ablation group were significantly higher than those in control group. The local progression-free rates were 89.3% vs. 76.2%, 78.6% vs. 33.9%, 70.7% vs. 16.9%. The overall survival rates were 96.4% vs. 77.8%, 85.7% vs. 44.4%, 56.7% vs. 22.2%. The differences between two groups had statistical significance (P<0.01).

Conclusion
CT-guided radiofrequency ablation for isolated pulmonary metastasis from colorectal carcinoma is a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment, and can significantly improve the local progression-free rates and overall survival rates.

Key words:
Colorectal neoplasms; Neoplasm metastasis; Catheter ablation


The efficacy of protecting electronics from high power microwaves (HPM) through plasma creation depends on how quickly the plasma forms in the protective gas chamber when illuminated with microwave radiation. A cylindrical chamber with polycarbonate windows was filled with a neon, krypton gas mixture and illuminated with a train of ~25kW, 800ns long pulses at 43Hz repetition rate as a simulation of the HPM attack scenario. In order to facilitate the formation of a plasma, a set of metamaterial, stainless steel masks for the incident polycarbonate window were created to increase the effective electric field. In addition to the masks, we investigated the effect chamber pressure had on the breakdown delay.


ABSTRACT The anastomosing hemangioma is a recent described rare variant, which histologically simulates an angiosarcoma and occurs primarily in the genitourinary tract. We present a case of renal anastomosing hemangioma from a radiologic perspective, describing its imaging features and reviewing its presentation and management.


Summary The spatangoid echinoids Abatus shackletoni and A. nimrodi were examined for reproductive activity in the early austral spring and summer of 1984 and 1985 in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Gonad indexes did not change over the sampling period for either species, nor did they differ between the sexes. The testes always contained spermatogenic columns and numerous sperms; the ovaries always contained many different-sized oocytes. Over 60% of the females in all samples contained embryos in the brood chambers, and these were in different stages of development within individuals. These observations suggest that, unlike A. cordatus of the Kerguelen Islands, the two common species of Abatus in McMurdo Sound reproduce throughout most or all of the year. However, like A. cordatus, mean number of brooded embryos was about 30 in both species (maximum number of 102 embryos in A. shackletoni and 129 in A. nimrodi, versus 109 in A. cordatus). There were substantial differences between the two species in McMurdo Sou...


Chinese excellent traditional culture contains a wealth of educational resources, ideological and political education for college students can provide an inexhaustible supply of ideological essence and educational philosophy. In the process of integrating excellent Chinese traditional culture into the ideological and political education in colleges, it is important to follow the important principle of integrating and take effective measures to promote the excellent Chinese traditional culture into the ideological and political education in colleges to further enhance the attractiveness and effectiveness of ideological and political education in colleges.


An aggressive malignant mesenchymal neoplasm occurring in children. It is characterized by the presence of round cells with myoblastic differentiation, and a fibrovascular stroma resembling an alveolar growth pattern.


The objects of this research was to identify risk factors and models for solving low birth weight problem, and the rate of newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams of  Ban Muang and Phonnakaew District, SakonNakhon Province.The research method was a combination of qualitative and quantitative designs with 2 phases of study: phase 1 was to analyze risk factors for low birth weight by collecting the personal data of women who had delivery from  October - September 2011,  phase 2 was to determine soluting model for low birth weight babies by interview and focus groups technique and also study the rate of newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams from secondary data (ก-2 form)  the fiscal year 2011-2013 The results showed that the risk factors for low birth weight infants were diseases of pregnant women, less than 150 centimeters height of mothers, less than 8 relaxing hours per day, complications during pregnancy and incomplete antenatal care. The study of the model for solving low birth weight found the analysis of problems to determine the form of solution in according to the potential and strengths. In BanMuang district, there is hospital which had obstetricians was its strength. They worked seriously for solving the nutrition problems and focusing on the issue of preventing preterm labour . In the Phonnakaew, there is a small hospital which no obstetrician doctors, only intern doctor working in the short term, but having nursing staffs which were local people and working continuously for long was its strength point. The team chose to do what can be done with rely on doctors in minimum. These nutrition solution and behavioral modification was required in regard to principles of early antenatal care, complete antenatal care in the community with comprehensive and proactive network parties as the issue of preventing preterm labour was cumbersome and relate to the limitations of a small hospital with no obstetrician.As a result, the rate of newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams of Ban Muang in 3 year backward (2011-2013) was equivalent to 6.6, 4.2 and 5.5 percent.  As Phonnakaew was 6.4, 5.7 and 6.6 percent. There were also highlight of an optimizing problem in both districts: setting the team in the form of district committee, distribution of nurse cover all Health Care Sub District Hospital , discussion on problems as whole district view, teamwork and integration between hospitals and community health district with the academic hospitals acting as mentors in friendly way. KEYWORDS :  low birth weight


A step-by-step program is outlined for training tongue thrusters to swallow properly as part of orthodontic treatment. Most important in achieving the cooperation of the child are the assignments he is giverr at each session and on which he reports at the next appointment.


The objective: to substantiate the methodological approaches to the target management (TM) of a health care institution (HCI) in the context of the implementation of public-private partnership (PPP). Materials and methods. General scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, interpretation of scientific data, as well as systemic and structural-functional approaches were used in the work. Results. The article developed methodological approaches to HCI's TM in the context of PPP, the features of using the system of target indicators are presented, a scheme for improving the production efficiency of medical activities, an informative map of indicators and methods for monitoring, calculating and analyzing individual targets is given. Conclusions. Formation of TM mechanisms is the priority direction for the development of HCI in the context of PPP. Implementation of TM will provide employees with a deeper understanding of an organization and its divisions aims, and consequently, a more conscientious fulfillment of their duties, improve interaction in the management system and enable subordinates to have more powers, clarify existing norms and standards and create conditions for a more objective control and encouragement of workers, and as a result, will increase the effectiveness of HCI.


Significance The disruption of Classic Maya society coincided with extended droughts, as suggested by numerous paleoclimatic studies. However, the role of drought in civil upheaval and demographic decline is complicated by the difficulty of linking relatively coarse estimates of meteorological drought with fine-scale plant processes that underpin agriculture. Our analysis of drought resistance across the historically documented, indigenous food plants of ethnographic Maya groups shows a broad range of foods gradually dwindling through droughts of increasing severity. This finding implies that short to moderate droughts could have caused agricultural disruption but not subsistence collapse. However, multiyear extreme drought is consistent with agricultural collapse and the specter of starvation, unless mitigated by food storage or trade from areas less affected by drought. Paleoclimatic evidence indicating a series of droughts in the Yucatan Peninsula during the Terminal Classic period suggests that climate change may have contributed to the disruption or collapse of Classic Maya polities. Although climate change cannot fully account for the multifaceted, political turmoil of the period, it is clear that droughts of strong magnitude could have limited food availability, potentially causing famine, migration, and societal decline. Maize was undoubtedly an important staple food of the ancient Maya, but a complete analysis of other food resources that would have been available during drought remains unresolved. Here, we assess drought resistance of all 497 indigenous food plant species documented in ethnographic, ethnobotanical, and botanical studies as having been used by the lowland Maya and classify the availability of these plant species and their edible components under various drought scenarios. Our analysis indicates availability of 83% of food plant species in short-term drought, but this percentage drops to 22% of food plant species available in moderate drought up to 1 y. During extreme drought, lasting several years, our analysis indicates availability of 11% of food plant species. Our results demonstrate a greater diversity of food sources beyond maize that would have been available to the Maya during climate disruption of the Terminal Classic period than has been previously acknowledged. While drought would have necessitated shifts in dietary patterns, the range of physiological drought responses for the available food plants would have allowed a continuing food supply under all but the most dire conditions.


Abstract  The historical biogeography of phlebotomine sand fly taxa Hertigia, Warileya, Phlebotomus (Idiophlebotomus), P. (Spelaeophlebotomus), P. (Anaphlebotomus), and P. (Euphlebotomus) and the Phlebotomus (Euphlebotomus) argentipes species complex was investigated using phylogenetic inference from comparative genital morphology, distribution of ancestral taxa, fossil evidence and geological age. Idiophlebotomus and Euphlebotomus occur in the Oriental region with one species from northeast Australia, whereas Anaphlebotomus occurs both in the Afro‐tropical and Oriental regions. These disjunct distribution patterns across the Oriental region and the present day distribution are likely to be vicariance due to break of Gondwanaland. Fossil records, extant taxa distribution, phylogenetic analysis of the Old World Phlebotominae and paleogeography suggest that ancestors of Idiophlebotomus and Euphlebotomus originated apparently in the Cimmerian continent of northern margin of Gondwanaland in the early Permian (290 million years ago, MYA) and subsequently radiated in the Mesozoic by tectonic vicariance. The Phlebotomus argentipes species complex occurs in the South and South‐east Asian countries and transmits the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani that causes visceral leishmaniasis (Kala‐azar) in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The phylogeography of P. argentipes was caused through vicariance followed by dispersal events from 5O MYA (the Eocene) until the Recent era.


The main thrust of this paper has been the13; exploitation of Cartesian grids in the numerical13; solution of transonic full potential equation.13; Notwithstanding the present-day popularity for13; the use of body-wrapped coordinare systems in the13; context of Computational Fluid Dynamics.13; concerted effort has been .aade here to work with13; Cartesian grids for a variety of flow situations:13; aerofoils. axisymmetric flows. wings and13; wing-body combinations. One reason for this is13; that the codes based on these grids become13; amenable to computers with limited storage and13; speed. Several cases are presented here for each13; of the above flow situations. 'The results clearly13; demonstrate the efficacy of Cartesian grids for13; dealing with complex geometries and also13; underscore their use in the design of computer13; codes usable as engineering tools.


The main features of the nonlinear spin wave propagating in the magnonic crystal/semiconductor (SC) layered heterostructure are studied. We demonstrate the possibility of double electric and magnetic control of the gap solitons parameters (their number, threshold of formation, velocity), bistability of spin waves, switching powers and nonlinear band gap shift in investigated structure. Our results show the possibility of nonlinear magnonics and SC electronics integration based on the proposed structure.


For many physicians, the word marketing conjures images of Yellow Page ads, flashy brochures, or radio and television commercials. Of course, these are all components of marketing, but the easiest way to market your practice is to provide stellar service to your current patients.


Driven by the twenty-century surface air temperature rise, extreme wind events could change in their frequency and magnitude of occurrence, with drastic impacts on human and ecosystems. As a matter of fact, windstorms and extreme wind conditions contribute to more than half of the economic losses associated with natural disasters in Europe. Across Scandinavia, the occurrence of wind gust events can affect aviation security, as well as damage buildings and forests, representing severe hazards to people, properties and transport. Comprehensive extreme wind datasets and analysis can help improving our understanding of these changes and help the society to cope with these changes. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty in measuring wind gust and the lack of homogeneous and continuous datasets across Sweden, it is challenging to assess and attribute their changes. Global reanalysis products represent a potential tool for assessing changes and impact of extreme winds, only if their ability in representing observed near-surface wind statistics can be demonstrated.

In this study the new ERA5 reanalysis product has been compared with hourly near-surface wind speed and gust observations across Sweden for 2013-2017. We found that ERA5 shows better agreement with both mean wind speed and gust measurements compared to the previous ERA-Interim reanalysis dataset. Especially across coastal regions, ERA5 has a closer agreement with observed climate statistics. However, significant discrepancies are still found for inland and high-altitude regions. Therefore, the gust parametrization used in ERA5 is further analyzed to better understand if the adopted gust formulation matches the physical processes behind the gust occurrence. Finally, an improved formulation of the gust parametrization is developed across Sweden and further tested for Norway, which is characterized by more complex topography.


We argue that radiative lepton flavor violating (RLFV) decays $P \to \gamma \ell_1 \overline{\ell}_2$ of $P =B^0_q$, $\bar{D}^0$, and $K^0$ meson states are robust probes of new physics models. In particular, they could be used to put constraints on the Wilson coefficients of effective operators describing lepton flavor-changing neutral current interactions at low energy scales. We set up a generic framework for describing these transitions and review new physics constraints from $P \to \ell_1 \bar \ell_2$ decays. There is discussion of how RLFV transitions provide access to the operators that cannot be constrained in two-body decays and we in turn motivate further experimental searches via these channels.


Litrature review reveals prevalence of urinary stones for ages as proved by different archeological studies. Renal and blaader stones were also discovered in Egypsian Mummies. Urolithiasis was associated with worst morbidity and mortality, although Egypsians were expert in conservative treatment but did not have enough expertise to take out urinary calculi [1,2]. Stone disease is on rise worldwide primarily as a result of increase in prosperity and changing dietary habits in almost all social groups of the world. Afro-Asian belt includes the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Indonesia, Philippine, Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Egypt, India, Myanmar, Thailand and Pakistan. The reported incidence of stone disease in these regions has been found to be 4-20% for all age groups [3,4,5]. In Pakistan prevalence of kidney stones is 16% as quoted by Rizvi et al. Incidence (100,000) as extrapolated by operating room statistics varies in different geographical locations. It varies from 0.2-9.4 in the North, 10.5 in North Sindh, 200 in South Sindh and 11.1 to 28 in Balochistan [6] Pathophysiology of stone formation is an inter-play between promoters and inhibitors of crystallization, along with urine PH and urine flow rate.


We present SensorTrust, a trust model to evaluate the trustworthiness of nodes in hierarchical wireless sensor networks, focusing on data integrity.


Based on the Feresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction equation, the Talbot image amplitude distribution can be calcuated It is shown that the self imaging conditions are mutually interact and has no relation with the unite cell, but with that of the periodic structure of the plane periodic object. Experiment results are also exhibited.


ABSTRACT Heavy metals are known to have adverse effects on soil ecosystems, while soil enzyme activities are sensitive to soil pollution. This study investigated the combined effects of Cu, Zn and Pb on the activities of invertase (IN), urease (U) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in soil obtained from the vicinity of a wellhead protection area via an orthogonal array (OA) design method. The experimental results showed the following: (1) Cu showed higher inhibition on the activities of all three enzymes than Zn and Pb when three metals were all present in the soil sample. IN activity, U activity and ALP activity decreased as the levels of Cu increased, and ranged from 15.9% to 55.7%, 3.57% to 78.6%, and 3.23% to 75.3%, respectively. Their lowest values were found in samples at 35 days with 400 mg/kg Cu. (2) Zn and Pb had different influences on the activities of the three enzymes. The lowest IN activity (the highest reduction 58.0%) and U activity (76.8%) were observed when Zn was at the concentration of 100 mg/kg after 35 days, whereas the highest inhibitory function of Zn on ALP activity (75.3%) was at 300 mg/kg after 7 days. When the concentration of Pb increased from 35 to 350 mg/kg, the activities of IN (62.5%) and U (69.6%) were most inhibited at 35 days and 14 days, respectively. However, when Pb was at the concentration of 500 mg/kg after 14 days, ALP activity (72.0%) showed the lowest value. (3) With respect to the three hydrolases in this study, ALP was the most sensitive to the two-variable interactive effects of Cu, Zn and Pb, especially Cu × Pb. It is concluded that the soil ALP activity may be a sensitive tool for assessing additive toxic effect on soil biochemical parameters. To provide more information about the potential ecological risk of chemicals on soil ecosystems, much more should be done to clearly determine the mechanisms of the combined effects of heavy metals in soil.


Outlook on honor and disgrace is the concrete reflection of outlooks on the world, values and life, which controls man's moral acts and emotions.It permeates all over the aspects of social life, which not only influences social atmosphere, embodies the orientation of social values, signifies the degree of social civilization, but also possesses great reaction to economic development, social progress.Based on the "Eight Honors and Eight Disgraces of Mr. Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China, this paper carries out preliminary study on the ways for schools, the leaders and cadres, teachers and students of colleges and universities to substantially develop and practice socialist outlook on honor and disgrace.


A unifying meta-theory of nursing is suggested, building from the foundation of the AQALframework. A definition of nursing as situated caring is presented, along with a historical discussionof nursing epistemology and theory for context. Implications for practice, education, and researchare also discussed. A unifying meta-theory will enable nurses at both the practical and academiclevels to appreciate the complexity and simplicity of nursing, allowing them to articulate confidentlywhat we do and why we do it.


PDS patients had a higher rate of hemorrhage (7% vs 1%) and blood clots (2.4% vs 0.3%). "It was concluded that in patients with very extensive disease, as included in our study, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery can be considered as the preferred treatment," Prof. Vergot said. "However, chemotherapy before surgery should not be used in patients with less than FIGO Stage IIIc ovarian cancer, or small IIIc ovarian cancers, as these patients were not well-represented in the study. "Aggressive debulking surgery to no residual tumor remains the most important prognostic factor, underscoring the importance of a maximal surgical effort whenever the surgery is performed, whether 42


This paper is dedicated to the solving of NP-complete task vehicle routing problem. Modeling of natural selection is the main idea of this algorithm. A computer program of VRP solution for Taganrog map was created during this work. Experimental researches have proved efficiency of the modified genetic algorithm. «Good» solution is found during several seconds.


As a new interdiscipline, computer-assisted teaching has brought about tremendous changes of the traditional means, patterns, methods and teaching materials. This is particularly clear in the field of foreign language teaching, and hence, has led to the birth of a new conception of foreign language teaching.


Regulation of cancer cell phenotype by the tumor microenvironment has motivated further investigation into how microenvironmental factors could contribute to tumor initiation, development, and therapeutic resistance. Analyzing how the microenvironment drives tumor development and cancer cell heterogeneity is particularly important in cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) that have no known risk factors and are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity. GBM patients have a median survival of 15 months and therefore are in great need of more effective therapeutic options. The goal of this research is to generate in vitro models of the heterogeneous brain tumor microenvironment, with a focus on vascular dynamics, to probe the impact of microenvironmental cues on tumor progression and to integrate the tumor models with highly sensitive analytical tools to characterize the epigenome of discrete phenotypic subpopulations that contribute to intratumoral cellular heterogeneity. As GBM tumors are characterized by a dense vasculature, we delved into microenvironmental factors that may be promoting angiogenesis. The correlations emerging between inflammation and cancer led to analysis of the inflammatory molecule lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We utilized 3D micro-tissue models to simulate vascular exposure to ultra-low chronic inflammatory levels of LPS and observed an increase in vascular formation when brain endothelial cells were exposed to ultra-low doses of LPS. We also utilized our micro-tissue models to analyze histone methylation changes across the epigenome in response to microenvironmental cues, namely culture dimensionality and oxygen status. The H3K4me3 modification we analyzed is associated with increased gene transcription, therefore the alterations we observed in H3K4me3 binding across the genome could be a mechanism by which the tumor microenvironment is regulating cancer cell phenotype. Lastly, we developed a microfluidic platform in which vascular dynamics along with microenvironmental heterogeneities can be modeled in a more physiologically relevant context. We believe the studies presented in this dissertation provide insight into how vasculature primed by chronic inflammation and epigenetic alterations in tumor cells could both contribute to enhanced tumor development. Modeling these biological processes in our advanced microfluidic platform further enables us to better understand microenvironmental regulation of tumor progression, uncovering new potential therapeutic targets. Modeling the Heterogeneous Brain Tumor Microenvironment to Analyze Mechanisms of Vascular Development and Chemoresistance


Vásquez-García A., Silva T.S., Almeida-Queiroz S.R., Godoy S.H.S., Fernandes A.M., Sousa R.L.M. & Franzolin R. 2017. Species identification and antimicrobial profile of bacteria causing subclinical mastitis in buffalo. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 37(5):447-452. Departamento de Zootecnia, Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, SP 13635-900, Brazil. E-mail: email@example.com Microorganisms causing subclinical mastitis in water buffalo were isolated from 20 buffalo milk samples at four dairy farms located in central region of São Paulo State, Brazil, through testing of somatic cell count (SCC), standard plate count (SPC), biochemical, PCR assays and antimicrobial profile. The SCC showed average of 721,000 cells/mL in the milk, indicating the presence of subclinical mastitis. The overall average for SPC was 1.8 x 104 CFU/mL. The microorganism most frequently isolation according to biochemical tests were: Staphylococcus epidermidis (17%), Staphylococcus aureus (15%), Bacillus spp. (14%), Acinetobacter spp. (12.5%); with intermediate frequency: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.5%); Shigella flexneri (7.0%), Streptococcus spp. (5.5%), Corynebacterium spp. (5.0%), Escherichia coli (4.5%), Serratia marcescens (4.0%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (4.0%), and low incidence: Klebsiella rhinoscleromatis (0.5%), Klebsiella ozaenae (0.5%), Tatumella ptyseos (0.5%), Enterobacter cloacae (0.5%). The molecular analysis indicated that samples positive by culture method of the genera Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and E. coli were positive by PCR. Para S. aureus and S. epidermidis the highest percentages of observed sensitivity were gentamicin (100%) and vancomycin (100%); for the genus Streptococcus to gentamicin and oxacillin and E. coli to Ampicilin. These findings may help in the control and treatment of subclinical mastitis in buffaloes and contribute to improving the efficiency and quality of the milk produced.


Combo-biding is uncertain game-collaborative with uncertainty,and decision maker's experience is fuzzy.Gameoptimizing of combo-biding can be translated into fuzzy-chance- restriction programming according to Fuzzy Bernardo Methed with a view to creditability measure of fuzzy occurrence.The method can adapt itself to game-collaborative decision-making of combo-biding in allusion to different gaol.


A Rayleigh-scatter lidar has been operated by the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences (CASS) at Utah State University (USU) since 1993. The lidar measures atmospheric temperatures between 45 and 90 km which are important for understanding the physics and chemistry of the middle atmosphere. The temperature profiles were used to create a multi-year temperature climatology. This climatology was used for comparisons with the temperature climatology from the Purple Crow Lidar at the University of Western Ontario, and nightly temperature profiles from the SABER instrument on board the TIMED satellite.


Modern commentators on the Vitae Prophetarum have tended to assume that every prophet's bur-ial in this text was considered monumental in scale. A close examination of the language used to describe each burial yields a different, more nuanced picture. Vitae Prophetarum features prophets being buried in one of three ways: in a more-or-less monumental rock-cut tomb just outside Jerusalem, in a rock-cut tomb on the prophet's own property, or in an indistinct field grave. This typology agrees with the emerging archaeological record of socioeconomic distinctions in burial practices. Whereas Jewish elites were buried in rock-cut tombs around Jerusalem or, more modestly, on their own estates, non-elites were interred in simple trench graves. This study demonstrates that the Vitae Prophetarum corroborates this relationship between burial types and socioeconomic distinctions, placing priestly elites and landowners in rock-cut tombs but the humbler prophets in trench graves.


Education plays an important role in development of a country. The main goal is to educate students with advance knowledge and skill. It is a well-known fact that, academic libraries occupy in important place in current globalized environment. Technology played a major role in class room teaching and pattern of learning in higher education. The rapid development in digitization and ICT makes a huge impact on libraries in which a large number of Leaner's Researches and student are their users. In this situation higher education libraries have to work with latest technology and library professionals have to acquaint with them. What emerging trends of information needs and discussion about academic libraries challenging role in the rapid growth of information and advance in information technology concern with higher education in Indian contest and try to understand about of user ways to searching information and is solution in this paper.