Abstract Locating and delineating suspected or known groundwater contamination is often a difficult and costly task. Prior to drilling the first borehole or taking the first sample it is standard practice to undertake a desk study. This is likely to involve investigating the history, geology and hydrogeology of the site. Often, only present-day groundwater flow patterns are used to assess the current situation and plan a site investigation. This paper uses a recent experience to illustrate the importance of understanding the history of groundwater flow in planning a successful and cost-effective groundwater investigation. The site of an old coal carbonization (coking) plant in the UK East Midlands was selected as a field site to undertake research into coal tar related contamination in sandstone aquifers. From the evidence of previous studies, contamination was known to exist in the aquifer, although its exact location and extent was unknown. A comprehensive desk study, extensive surface geophysics and a solute transport modelling exercise were undertaken prior to doing any drilling. Based on the results of this work a number of monitoring wells were installed and samples taken. Results from these initial wells confirmed the original hypothesis. As more wells were completed it became evident that our understanding was not entirely correct and that the evolution and distribution of the contamination was more complex than the initial investigations indicated. Ongoing investigations have revealed a complex groundwater flow and contaminant history. This paper intends to illustrate how limited information can be made to fit and 'prove' expectations, whereas in reality an entirely different situation may exist.


In Indonesia, according to data from the Health Research Association (Riskesdas) In 2007 the national prevalence of obesity that occurs in people aged 6-14 years by 9.5% for boys and 6.4% for girls (Veronica, 2010). Obesity is an imbalance between energy intake with energy output. This research aims to determine the relationship of mother's knowledge about obesity levels and levels of consumption (energy, carbohydrates, protein, and fat) to the status of obesity in children classes IV and V MI Muhammadiyah I Kediri Pare District. Research targets are students in classes IV and V MI Muhammadiyah I Pare an entry criteria sample amount of 37 students. Type of research conducted is a cross sectional variables in this research is the level of mother's knowledge about obesity, the level of consumption (energy, carbohydrates, protein, and fat) and obesity status. Results of analysis of relationships using SPSS (Statistical Package For Social Science) version 16 with spearman rank statistical test showed no relationship between level of mother's knowledge about obesity on the status of obesity in students, Pearson Spearman Rank value a (0.352> 0.05). There was no association between the level of protein intake on obesity status on the student, the Rank Spearman Pearson>a (0.531> 0.05). There is a relationship between the level of fat consumption on obesity status on the student, the Rank Spearman Pearson <a (0.047 <0.05). It is recommended to do counseling on healthy and balanced diet at school. Keywords: Level of Knowledge Capital About Obesity, level of consumption (Energy, Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat), Status of Obesity.


Simple Summary Due to higher precision and consequent sparing of normal tissue, pancreatic cancer patients might profit from proton beam radiotherapy, a treatment modality increasingly used. Since molecular data upon proton irradiation in comparison to standard photon radiotherapy are limited in pancreatic cancer, the aims of our study were to unravel differences in the effectiveness of photon versus proton irradiation and to exploit radiation type-specific molecular changes for radiosensitizing 3D PDAC cell cultures. Although protons showed a slightly higher effectiveness and a stronger induction of molecular alterations than photons, our results revealed a radiation-type independent sensitization of molecular-targeted agents selected according to the discovered molecular, radiation-induced alterations. Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly therapy-resistant tumor entity of unmet needs. Over the last decades, radiotherapy has been considered as an additional treatment modality to surgery and chemotherapy. Owing to radiosensitive abdominal organs, high-precision proton beam radiotherapy has been regarded as superior to photon radiotherapy. To further elucidate the potential of combination therapies, we employed a more physiological 3D, matrix-based cell culture model to assess tumoroid formation capacity after photon and proton irradiation. Additionally, we investigated proton- and photon-irradiation-induced phosphoproteomic changes for identifying clinically exploitable targets. Here, we show that proton irradiation elicits a higher efficacy to reduce 3D PDAC tumoroid formation and a greater extent of phosphoproteome alterations compared with photon irradiation. The targeting of proteins identified in the phosphoproteome that were uniquely altered by protons or photons failed to cause radiation-type-specific radiosensitization. Targeting DNA repair proteins associated with non-homologous endjoining, however, revealed a strong radiosensitizing potential independent of the radiation type. In conclusion, our findings suggest proton irradiation to be potentially more effective in PDAC than photons without additional efficacy when combined with DNA repair inhibitors.


The utility model relates to a grounding protection circuit. The grounding protection circuit comprises an induction resistor (R3), a comparator (361) and a logic gate (362). The induction resistor (R3) is arranged on a path through which the charging current (IB) of a bootstrap circuit (D1, C1) flows. The comparator (361) compares the voltage (delta V) between both ends of the induction resistor (R3) with a particular threshold voltage (Vth) to generate a grounding protection signal (S1). The logic gate (362) makes the grounding protection signal (S1) invalid in the normal charging action of the bootstrap circuit.


Oxygen is vital to the evolution and sustenance of life. The ability to trap energy released during oxygen reduction underlies the basis for the evolution of mammals endowed with complex blood-based oxygen transport mechanisms. Corresponding to the development of complex oxygen delivery was the need to control oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues. Systemic controls mediated through the glomus cells of carotid body and erythropoietin-producing renal interstitial cells influence vascular tone and blood oxygen content to affect systemic oxygen delivery. Given the paramount need to regulate oxygen tensions in individual cells facing the risk of oxygen toxicity, paracrine control of local vascular tone further regulates blood flow. At the cellular level, oxygen tensions are sensed through hitherto undefined mechanisms that are different across cell groups (1). Although there is lack of knowledge about different cellular oxygen sensor(s), cellular adaptations to hypoxia are better understood and occur through ubiquitously distributed hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)–driven pathways that target pangenomic transcriptional sites (2). HIF proteins (HIF-1, HIF-2, and HIF-3) represent heterodimeric transcription factors with a highly regulated a subunit (which is degraded under normoxia through prolyl hydroxylases [PHDs], von-Hippel Lindau protein, and iron), and a constitutively expressed b subunit (2). The HIFa and HIFb subunits dimerize under conditions of hypoxia to constitute the HIF-binding complex that transactivates the genes involved in increasing oxygen delivery and reducing oxygen consumption (2). This individual cellular response to hypoxia represents a key adaptation that has been remarkably preserved through evolution (2). Although HIF-1 is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues, HIF-2 has restricted tissue expression (2). HIF functional activity depends on tissue context, with some tissues experiencing opposing HIF-1 and HIF-2 activities (2). As an example, in solid tumors, transition from acute hypoxia to sustained hypoxia (SH) decreases HIF-1 and activates HIF-2 via hypoxia-associated factor, an E3 ligase that causes degradation of HIF-1 and transactivation of HIF-2 (3). Conditions of SH present unique challenges in which the whole organism develops adaptations at multiple levels to maintain oxygen homeostasis. Some adaptations occur at the genetic level and include mutations in PHD2 that trigger the degradation of HIFa subunits, and provide protection against polycythemia of high altitude (4). This is in contrast to HIF-2–triggered erythropoietin-mediated polycythemia seen occasionally in acquired disorders of SH such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) caused by recurrent airflow obstruction during sleep is a unique problem manifest in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (5). Although the mechanisms of OSA-related organ dysfunction remain largely unknown, fluctuating oxygen tensions trigger carotid bodydriven autonomic activation, which appears to be an important mechanism for OSA-related tissue dysfunction (6). In this issue of the Journal, Gozal and colleagues (pp. 477–487) highlight the effects of intermittent hypoxia (IH) in a murine model exploring browning, vascularity, and visceral adipose tissue mass and contrast this with SH exposure over 6 weeks (7). Hypoxia has been shown to be a key driver in the promotion of adipose tissue–associated inflammation, changes in vascularity, adipokine generation, insulin sensitivity, and metabolism (8). Two types of adipose tissue that differ in function are found in humans; white adipose tissue (WAT) is involved in energy storage and release of adipokines, whereas brown adipose tissue allows for dissipation of energy and is characterized by the expression of thermogenic uncoupling protein 1 (9). Understanding the transcriptional controls for browning may provide solutions for the epidemics of obesity and diabetes occurring as a result of visceral WAT dysfunction (9). The common association of OSA with obesity raises important questions regarding the potential of OSA-related CIH as a trigger for WAT dysfunction (10). A key question has been the role of chronic hypoxia on the browning of adipose tissue, given the salutary benefits that browning confers on energy balance, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Gozal and colleagues (7) address this question, demonstrating discrepant effects of IH versus SH on visceral adipose tissue. The demonstration of pulsatile adipose tissue PO2 using tissue microelectrodes in anesthetized animals is a novel addition that validates their approach of alternating oxygen concentrations (21% versus 6.3% FIO2) (9). HIF-1 activation is demonstrated in WAT using multiple techniques including chromatin immunoprecipitation with DNA sequencing (ChiP-seq) of visceral WAT to demonstrate the localization of HIF binding to specific DNA binding regions and restricted gene arrays showing expression of HIF-1–regulated genes with different trajectories of HIF activation at 6 hours and after 6 weeks of hypoxia. This study demonstrates the contrasting effects of SH and IH on WAT inflammation, insulin sensitivity, vascularity, and, most importantly, decreased browning in response to IH (8). Although some key pathways involved in the browning process (11) (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor g [PPARg] mRNA levels and AMP-activated protein kinase a1) are measured, this study does not address oxidant pathways affected during CIH. In addition, the finding that HIF activation decreases at 6 weeks in CIH raises questions about alternative mechanisms that account for the ongoing tissue inflammation and adipocyte dysfunction. Other important questions include the following: What is the contribution of tissue variations in PO2 (as was shown using microelectrodes) versus CIH-related carotid body–mediated sympathetic excitation (6), which may be relevant given the robust sympathetic innervation of WAT? Do differential effects of HIF-1 versus HIF-2 activation account for discrepant effects in IH versus SH, as has been shown in the carotid body (12)? This is particularly relevant given the conflicting results on adipocyte


In view of chromatographic separation problem of chemical displacing agent and suitable scale models for evaluation of effect of alkali- surfactant- polymer( ASP) flooding,potentiometric titration method was used separately for quantitative determination of alkali and surfactant mass concentration of the effluen,while for quantitative determination of polymer mass concentration of the effluent,cadmium iodide and starch method was used. At the conditions of reservoir temperature of 69 ℃,chromatographic separation of the length scales sandpack of 30,100 and 240 cm on ASP flooding was separately investigated. The results showed that,with the scales of sandpack ranging from 30 to 240 cm,the normalized breakthrough time of polymer,alkali and surfactant is stepwise increasing correspondingly. With the scales of sandpack ranging from 30 to 100 cm,all the migration lag coefficients between the three components display rather big difference; the chromatographic separation is serious,but the degree of chromatographic separation does not increase. With the scales of sandpack ranging from 100 to 240 cm,there is a trend of decline of the degree of chromatographic separation.The model scale for the evaluation of effect of ASP flooding in the laboratory as well as in the oilfield site should be more than 100 cm.


1. A method for inhibiting the proliferation and migration of strains of Helicobacter Pylori, using a substance containing minerals. ! 2. A method for inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 1, characterized in that the mineral content per kilogram is 40-5900 mg. ! 3. A method of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 1, characterized in that the substance containing minerals contains at least one or more of magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium. ! 4. A method for inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 2, characterized in that the substance containing minerals contains at least one or more of magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium. ! 5. A method of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 1, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is a liquid. ! 6. A method for inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 2, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is a liquid. ! 7. A method of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 3, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is a liquid. ! 8. A method of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 4, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is a liquid. ! 9. A method of inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 1, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is obtained from deep sea water. ! 10. A method for inhibiting the proliferation and migration of Helicobacter Pylori strains according to claim 2, characterized in that the substance containing minerals is derived from depth


This paper describes a digital speed control method of a rectifier-fed separately excited dc motor incorporating phase-locked loop technique. The converter uses cosine-wave crossing method, the digital version of which is generated by programming a set of read-only-memories (ROM). The smooth control of firing angle in the range of 0° to 180° permits motoring and regeneration in the full range, and four-quadrant operation is possible by reversing to motor field. A complete speed control system employing a 3/4-hp motor has been designed and tested in the laboratory and the experimental results agree wel1 with the theory. The principle can be easily extended to a three-phase system and higher horse power drives.


The invention relates to an oral preparation of neogambogic acid for treating tumor, which comprises (by weight ratio) neogambogic acid 1-100 parts, auxiliary materials 1-100 parts, the oral preparation can be prepared into dosage forms including tablets, capsules, dripping pills, granules, gelatin-coated pills, dried suspending agents or turbid liquors. The oral preparation has the advantages of controllable quality, easiness in application and high effectiveness.


Improving the efficiency of turbines for power plants and aircraft engines is an increasingly important research subject. Ternary Mo-Si-B alloys, consisting of a molybdenum solid solution (Moss) phase and two intermetallic phases Mo5SiB2 (T2) and Mo3Si, are able to combine balanced room temperature fracture toughness, high temperature creep strength and good oxidation performance. However, the high density (> 9 g cm3 ) of this class of alloys is a drawback when used as a turbine blade material. Therefore, the present thesis deals with vanadium as a potential alloying partner for density optimized Mo-based alloys. In order to identify the role of vanadium in terms of strengthening the solid solution phase, different Mo-5X (X=Ti,V, Zr) alloys were produced via arc melting and evaluated by means of RT microhardness measurements, three-point bending as well as compression tests up to elevated temperatures (1100 ◦C). Additionally, quantitative values for solid solution hardening were determined by the approach of Labusch. Those initial characterization of the binary systems confirmed vanadium to be a competitive alloying partner compared with Ti and Zr, due to its positive effect on the strength and the ductility of Mo-based alloys at the same time. In a next step, potential Mo-V-Si-B materials which provide a reduced density by about 20% as compared with the reference alloy Mo-9Si-8B were investigated. Different alloy compositions Mo-XV-Si-8B (X=10, 20, 30, 40 at.%) were produced by powder metallurgy, including mechanically alloying and a thermal treatment, to observe the effects of V as a solute in the respective phases. X-ray diffraction showed that V can entirely be solved in the Moss phase as well as in the Mo3Si and Mo5SiB2 phases. From Rietveld refinements the preferred V sites in the lattices of the present phases were derived and could be explained by density functional theory calculations. The thermomechanical characterization was carried out on sintered (FAST) and arc-melted Mo-40V-9Si-8B alloys. Three point-bending with notched samples as well as compressive creep tests reveal a high fracture toughness and acceptable creep strength of this new type of alloys. Furthermore, the effect of minor additions of Fe on the oxidation resistance was investigated by cyclic oxidation tests.


The aim of our study was to explore the association between dominance rank and body condition in outdoor group-living domestic horses, Equus caballus. Social interactions were recorded using a video camera during a feeding test, applied to 203 horses in 42 herds. Dominance rank was assigned to 194 individuals. The outcome variable body condition score (BCS) was recorded using a 9-point scale. The variables age and height were recorded and considered as potential confounders or effect modifiers. Results were analysed using multivariable linear and logistic regression techniques, controlling for herd group as a random effect. More dominant (p = 0.001) individuals generally had a higher body condition score (p = 0.001) and this association was entirely independent of age and height. In addition, a greater proportion of dominant individuals fell into the obese category (BCS ≥ 7/9,


Objects serve mundane needs in many capacities in everyday life: "This is what gives them their 'soul'..." (Baudrillard, J. 1986). The contexts in which objects are used give many insights on how people live. This article considers a theory of play to comment on user interaction with types of objects that cannot be 'consumed'. It looks at a 'problematic of use', questioning the notion of production.


This paper presented a brief introduction and some interesting results of the development of Austrian software FINAL in tunneling, slope, foundation and dam engineering. and proposed several new models and used such as the simulating of the tunnel excavation sequences, the modeling of the soft soil with creep and swelling behaviors; the blasting models of the excavation, the deformable blocky models for jointed rock masses; the interface element models for the slope faces and the interaction faces of two meadium; the pre-stressing bolts model; the large dynamic deformation models for the analysis of slope movement, back analysis methods; dynamic consolidation model for liquefication fication of earthfill dams and pile foundations , and so on .


(Ca, Ta)-doped TiO2 varistors with high nonlinear coefficients were obtained by ceramic sintering process. The nonlinear electrical and dielectric properties of the samples doped with 1.0 mol% Ca and different concentrations of Ta (0.05-2.0 mol%) were investigated. Especially, the effects of Ta dopant on the nonlinear and dielectric properties of the (Ca, Ta)-doped TiO2 varistors were studied in detail. When the concentration of Ta is 0.5 mol%, the sample possesses the highest nonlinear coefficient (16.6). By analogy to a, grain-boundary atomic defect model, the effects of Ta and the nonlinear electrical behavior of the TiO2 system were explained.


Case Report Non-typhoidal (NTS) species are important food borne pathogens with acute gastroenteritis being the most common clinical manifestation. However, (NTS) is increasingly recognized as an important pathogen associated with bacteraemia especially for patients with risk factors such as immunosuppression, haemoglobinopathies and extremes of age (1). Invasion beyond the gastrointestinal tract occurs in approximately 5% of the patients with NTS gastroenteritis resulting in bacteraemia (2) while enteritidis showing the highest blood invasiveness (3). is usually transmitted to humans by contaminated foods of animal origin and healthy person's risk for infection is low. The overall mortality rate has been reported to be 15% in children with extra intestinal NTS infections (4).We report a case of causing bacteraemia in a childwith thalassaemiamajor.


Editor We read with interest Schneider and Krämer's systematic review of 16 studies of indoor tanning correlates. Their study may have important implications for health policy, public health practice and research aimed at decreasing the prevalence of this healthdamaging behaviour. However, we have serious concerns about the quality of the review. We conducted a systematic literature review using the same publication time frame (1 January 2000, to 12 August 2008) and study inclusion criteria as Schneider and Krämer and identified 18 additional articles that presented data on indoor tanning correlates. Our search strategy included subject heading and key term searches (e.g., indoor tanning, sunbed*, tanning bed*, tanning booth*, tanning salon*, solarium*, solaria, sunlamp*, artificial tanning, UV tanning) in multiple databases (e.g. PubMed, PsycInfo, Google Scholar and Web of Science), examination of reference lists in identified articles and cited reference searches of identified articles. The literature search conducted by Schneider and Krämer was seemingly too restrictive, resulting in identification of only 48 articles, 16 of which were deemed relevant for the review. The 18 additional articles that we identified contribute substantially to the evidence base regarding correlates of indoor tanning. As shown in Tables 1 and 2, we reproduced Schneider and Krämer's tables of correlates of indoor tanning with the addition of the results from these 18 articles (see bold text). Three of the additional articles focused on datasets already represented in the articles identified by Schneider and Krämer, but they provide data regarding several unique correlates. We also identified many necessary corrections for the 16 articles included in their review (see italicized text in Tables 1 and 2). We were not able to determine the approach that Schneider and Krämer used for coding correlates from articles that reported univariate and multivariate results. When available, we focused primarily on results of multivariate analyses (e.g. multiple logistic regressions). Space limitations preclude a detailed discussion of how the 18 additional articles and the many corrections for the 16 original articles alter the results of the original review. In brief, consistent with the original results, Table 1 indicates that the typical indoor tanner is female, in late adolescence or early adulthood, and


This article about the European Higher Education Area ( EHEA ) intends to facilitate a better understanding of this complex and never-ending process in higher education in Europe, as well as an analytical perspective of it. The research is organized in a series of interlinked stages. First, it defines the origin of this initiative, which involves examining parallels between the emergence of the European Union and the implementation of the EHEA , for they cannot be understood separately. Secondly, it highlights key objectives that support the process, highlighting main patterns and trends. Finally, the research concludes with considerations from the perspective of educational reform.


The conditions for student music teachers' learning trajectories were studied by drawing on the data from two interview studies about educational quality in music teacher education in the Nordic countries. The first investigated the notions of good quality of teaching and learning among 8 professors and 6 student music teacher focus groups in a music teaching course. The second concerned the notions of good quality of supervising and learning in the remote practicum among 4 supervisors and 3 student teacher focus groups. Drawing on the student data and perceiving the student teachers in the course as well as the practicum as participants of communities of practice allowed us to see factors conditioning their learning trajectories within and between those fields at three competence levels. As connected to the concepts of meaning, practice, community and identity, learning emerged as a relational feature within and between those communities and competence levels. Keywords: Music teacher education, learning trajectories, reflection, educational quality


The effect of nickel and palladium nitrates on the main selenium species in human urine, selenite and trimethylselenonium, was studied with respect to thermal stabilization in the graphite furnace. Special attention was also paid to the use of reduced palladium, either thermally or chemically. In all instances, maximum charring temperatures of 1200–1300 °C were attained for both species in aqueous solution. Trimethylselenonium was partially stabilized by reduced palladium, showing a similar behaviour to that using typical reducing agents that are found in urine, such as urea. The influence of the urine matrix on the selenium signal, using nickel as chemical modifier, was studied and minimized by optimization of the amount of modifier and charring and atomization steps. A selenium response independent of the urine matrix (selenium recoveries of 96%) was obtained for urine samples diluted 1+4 with water by adding 100 µl of nickel, using 900 and 2300 °C as charring and atomization temperatures, respectively, and including a cool-down step between charring and atomization.


In order to establish a high efficient regeneration system in vitro from Starkrimson apple cultivar, the effects of different basic culture media, hormone contents, explant types and dark treatment times on regeneration frequency of Starkrimson apple cultivar were studied in vitro. The results showed that MS medium was the optimal basic culture medium; the regeneration frequency of leaf was the highest , then etiolated internode, internode was the lowest , their highest regeneration frequencies were 74.1%, 51.9%, 42.6%, respectively. The optimal dark treatment time for leaf and internode was 3 weeks; however the optimal dark treatment time for etiolated internodes was 2 weeks. The optimal explant for Starkrimson cultivar regeneration was leaf, the medium was MS+TDZ 1.0 mg/L+NAA 0.3 mg/L+ sucrose 30 g/L+ agar 6.0 g/L and the dark treatment time was 3 weeks.


H2O2 is widely understood to regulate intracellular signalling. In airway epithelia, H2O2 stimulates anion secretion primarily by activating an autocrine PGE2 signalling pathway via EP4 and EP1 receptors to initiate cytic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR)‐mediated Cl− secretion. This study investigated signalling downstream of the receptors activated by H2O2.


Copyright © 2001 D.A. Campbell et al. This is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use provided the original work is properly cited. Peer reviewed.


Abstract : Deficiencies have been identified in the patient care utility capability in Deployable Medical Systems (DEPMEDS) hospitals, especially in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A study was conducted to assess space utilization around the patient bedside in DEPMEDS hospitals. Solutions utilizing the space between beds, at the end of beds, and underneath beds were identified and evaluated. Potential solutions included portable instrument mounting systems, shelf trucks, and other storage possibilities. Of the products evaluated, the most suitable unit was a high-strength plastic shelf truck that can be assembled without tools and provides considerable storage space and configuration flexibility.


We propose that a natural setting for the fractionalization, introduced in recent proposals in dimerized graphene, would be certain systems with excitonic instabilities. We demonstrate this by an example of graphene bilayer.


An extension of the well-known Thompson-Lampard theorem and its application for the measurement of resistivity of conducting materials is presented in this paper. Experimental results with an aluminium sheet are also included.


Intracellular signalling of antigen receptors in lymphocytes has been shown to depend on the function of a downstream trimolecular complex consisting of CARMA1 (CARD11/Bimp3), a member of the family of membrane-associated guanylate kinases, BCL10 and MALT1 resulting in NFkB transcriptional activity [1]. BCL10 degradation is part of the regulatory mechanisms that control the fate of lymphocytes after antigen stimulation [2]. The deregulation of BCL10 and MALT1 has been linked to the pathogenesis of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma possibly in association with their nuclear localization. Constitutive MALT1 activity can be explained by the chromosomal translocation t(11;18) which is absent in HL. In contrast, in cytogenetic studies amplification of the MALT1 locus was shown in a fraction of cHL cases [3]. In cHL, H-RS cells were shown to have constitutive NFkB activity and defective mutations of the IkBa gene in a portion of cases. Wild-type transcripts of the BCL10 genes are detected in H-RS cell lines [4] although primary H-RS cell lack the B cell antigen receptor. In the present study, we asked for the pathogenetic role of CARMA1, BCL10 and MALT1 in the context of cHL. For that purpose, B cellular H-RS cell lines (L1236, L428 and KmH2) and 20 primary cases of cHL (including five relapsed cases) were analyzed for the expression of CARMA1, BCL10 and MALT1 using standard immunoblot techniques and immunohistochemistry in paraffinembedded sections, respectively. We found that BCL10 protein was present at high levels in all H-RS cell lines and cytoplasmic expression was seen in a variable number of H-RS cells (between 10 and 80%). A weak cytoplasmatic staining for MALT1 was seen in all three cell lines and in H-RS cells (between 20 and 100%) of all primary cases. Surprisingly, the lymphocyte specific CARMA1 protein was not detected neither in cell lines nor in primary cases. Results of the analysis of IKK subunits and IkBa are in accordance with prior published data. There was no association between CARMA1, BLC10 or MALT1 staining and expression of the Epstein Barr Virus encoded late membrane antigen 1. Western blot data of cell lines are shown in Figure 1, representative stainings of a lymph node infiltrated by H-RS cells are shown in Figure 2. CARMA1 was recently described to be a key signalling molecule in ABC-DLBCL but not in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) despite the fact that both lymphomas show constitutive NFkB activity [2]. As expression signatures of PMBL are more related to Hodgkin lymphoma than to ABC-DLBCL [5], the now described lack of CARMA1 in HL represents another feature in common between HL and PMBL. There is emerging evidence that BCL10 is not specifically involved in antigen receptor signalling, but also in innate


The long road to the apple tree : special gardens and gardeners in a selection of Dutch poems
Gardens and gardeners are very meaningful symbols in most cultures and especially in literature. Gardens suggest the better country, an earthly or heavenly paradise, the soul "and the qualities cultivated in it" (Cooper, 1978). The gardener, on the other hand, is symbolic of the Creator who is the gardener of the soul, regenerating spiritual life in the individual. Plants like lilies and roses growing in these spiritual landscapes are also significant. In what follows a number of Dutch poems utilizing these important symbols are scrutinized. Starting with late the Middle Ages, Suster Bertken's Lyedeken;" is seen as the prototype in its genre. After that the focus is placed on Dutch poems from the 19th and 20th century: Petrus Augustus de Genestet's "'t Was toch de hovenier" and Ida Gerhardt's "Christus als hovenier" are compared as both use the symbol of the gardener. Both poems are based on a verse from John's gospel. In the last instance Rutger Kopland's "Onder de appelboom", a totally secular poem written in praise of his private earthly paradise, is analysed.


Teaching English, Maths, Science & Sports to disadvantaged children in Malindi town. The school is lacking in teachers and learning materials


Historically, Southern European countries have shared a 'semi-peripheral' model of capitalism which has been characterized by fundamental fragilities in the production system. The financialization induced by the EMU has rendered these economies more fragile and unstable. Liberalization and market reform policies have taken southern economies onto the path of a credit-based and passively-extroverted financialized economy that trap them into a low-cost-of-wages search of competitiveness. However, the lack of autonomy in macroeconomic policies has weakened Southern opportunity to react to the financial crisis. The 'internal devaluation' policies that followed have caused a deep and thorough process of de-industrialization. This has sped-up the centralization of the European economy that has its centre in a narrow space within Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Frankfurt.


Abstrak Background. Accurate and early detection of bacteriemia holds important role for management and prognostic of neonatal sepsis, however the limitation of spesific sepsis marker remain obstacles. Neutrophil to lymphocyte count ratio (NLCR) in adult population shows sensitive parameter to predict infection and has economic and available superiority. The role of NLCR in the neonate population has not been widely studied.Objectives. To analyze NLCR compare to CRP as neonatal sepsis predictor.    Methods. This study take analytic observatinal with diagnostic test approach to subject with sepsis risk factor and neonatal sepsis at dr. Moewardi hospital from April until May 2017. Characteristics data as gestational age, gender, birth weight, IT ratio, leucocyte count, neutrophil and lymphocyte count, NLCR, CRP and blood culture. Data presented descriptively and statistical analysis was performed.Results. No significant correlation between subject's characteristics and neonatal sepsis. NLCR with cutoff point for 2.215 has sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for 87.5%, 75%, 70% and 90%, respectively. CRP with cutoff point for 0.25 has sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for 83.3%, 55.6%, 55.6% and 83.3% respectively. While IT-rasio has sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value for 29.2%, 91.7%, 70% and 66%, respectively.Conclusion. NLCR has a better satisfactory predictive value for neonatal sepsis than a CRP that widely available and as economic predictor alternative with cutoff point for 2,215.Keywords : NLCR, CRP, Predictor, Neonatal Sepsis


From such aspects as development background, objective formulation and application in genetic teaching, we discuss the educational reform spirit that embodied in the "Development of Genetic CAI Teaching Software", the teaching design and the development of the software. We conclude that its synthetic application in genetic teaching is feasible and original


Regulating a light emitting region insulated portion disposed between the lower electrodes are patterned facing the substrate surface (11) and the counter electrode (15) (12) covers a part of the lower electrode (11) to. Shape of the light emitting region (13), with respect to the first direction in the substrate surface is regulated by at least the insulating part (12), and, for the second direction different from the first direction the lower electrode ( 11) or is regulated by at least one of the counter electrode (15). The light-emitting element, a plurality, each electrically independent, arranged in a second direction on the substrate surface, constituting the light-emitting element array, the exposure apparatus.


Discoveries are rapidly being made in multiple laboratories that shed "light" on the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the use of low level light therapy (LLLT) in vitro, in animal models and in clinical practice. Increases in cellular levels of respiration, in cytochrome c oxidase activity, in ATP levels and in cyclic AMP have been found. Increased expression of reactive oxygen species and release of nitric oxide have also been shown. In order for these molecular changes to have a major effect on cell behavior, it is likely that various transcription factors will be activated, possibly via different signal transduction pathways. In this report we compare and contrast the effects of LLLT in vitro on murine embryonic fibroblasts, primary cortical neurons, cardiomyocytes and bone-marrow derived dendritic cells. We also examined two human cell lines, HeLa cancer cells and HaCaT keratinocytes. The effects of 810-nm near-infra-red light delivered at low and high fluences were addressed. Reactive oxygen species generation, transcription factor activation and ATP increases are reported. The data has led to the hypothesis that cells with a high level of mitochondrial activity (mitochondrial membrane potential) have a higher response to light than cells with low mitochondrial activity.


Vehicular ad hoc networks have been attracting the interest of both academic and industrial communities on account of their potential role in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). However, due to vehicle movement and fading in wireless communications, providing a reliable and efficient multi-hop broadcast service in vehicular ad hoc networks is still an open research topic. In this paper, we propose FUZZBR (FUZZy BRoadcast), a fuzzy logic based multi-hop broadcast protocol for information dissemination in vehicular ad hoc networks. FUZZBR has low message overhead since it uses only a subset of neighbor nodes to relay data messages. In the relay node selection, FUZZBR jointly considers multiple metrics of inter-vehicle distance, node mobility and signal strength by employing the fuzzy logic. FUZZBR also uses a lightweight retransmission mechanism to retransmit a packet when a relay fails. We use computer simulations to evaluate the performance of FUZZBR.


Summary form only given. We designed and fabricated an LED based on a thin semiconductor membrane (/spl lambda//2) with silver mirrors. A large spontaneous emission enhancement and a high modulation speed are obtainable due to the strong localization of the electromagnetic field in the microcavity. The coupling to surface plasmon modes which are subsequently scattered out by means of a grating is used to improve the extraction efficiency of the LED. The bottom mirror is thick and unpatterned. The top mirror is thin and its top surface is patterned with a two dimensional lattice of subwavelength holes. The membrane consists of an InGaAs quantum well emitting at 980 nm with GaAs barriers and p and n type AlGaAs layers positioned next to the silver layers. The silver mirrors may also function as contacts for electrical pumping of the device.


The present paper deals with the chemisorption of nitrogen on ZSM-5 zeolite at very high temperature. The sorption of nitrogen was measured gravimetrically using a Cahn electrobalance. The adsorption of nitrogen, which remains almost zero at temperature in the range from ambient to about 400 {degrees}C, becomes appreciable at 450 {degrees}C. The adsorption of nitrogen on ZSM-5 at high temperature does not seem to be dependent upon the chemical composition of the zeolite. The highly activated adsorption of nitrogen on ZSM-5 zeolite is attributed to the chemical bonding between partly dissociated nitrogen molecule and the zeolite surface. The adsorption of nitrogen on the zeolite also seems to be dependent on the pretreatment conditions, namely temperature and vacuum. 5 refs., 2 figs.


Introduction: Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic disease in the world. Human brucellosis is known for its protean manifestations. However the most common presenting symptom is fever. The disease may be overlooked and misdiagnosed because of difficulty in diagnosis and lack of experience with laboratory testing. The present study therefore, was carried out, to see the prevalence of brucellosis in this area. Methodology: Serum samples received in Microbiology department for Widal test were screened for antibrucella antibody by slide agglutination test. Positive serum samples, from these sera were confirmed for Brucellosis by Standard Tube Agglutination Test. An attempt was made for isolation of Brucella by blood culture. Results: Of the 327 serum samples screened 6 were positive by slide agglutination. Four samples were positive by Standard Tube Agglutination Test.Brucellosis was confirmed in 1.22 % of the samples screened. Conclusion: To conclude, though culture is gold standard, serology remains simple, cost effective, best diagnostic method for Brucellosis. Also physicians including pediatricians should have high degree of suspicion of brucellosis with history of animal contact, or simply of living in rural areas as three of four positive cases were from pediatric age group.


It is just over fifty years since the Arts Council of Great Britain (ACGB) devolved the governance and subsidy of Scotland's arts from London to Edinburgh. Dan Brown, Deborah Jackson and Neil Mulholland discuss how artists, curators, arts administrators and the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) learned to cohabit. They examine the tensions between the SAC's Keynesian values, Scotland's emerging artist-run organizational culture and its long-established Unionist-nationalist arts institutions. What changes and challenges did the cultural devolution of the late 1960s precipitate in Scotland's contemporary art and what impact did this have upon the political devolution that followed in 1999?


Gas diffusivity in concrete is an important factor for researching concrete carbonation and reinforcement corrosion.Based on the mechanism of gas diffusion,factors that influence gas diffusion in concrete are analysed.After judging existent gas diffusion coefficient calculating formulas,an effective diffusivity calculating model which take concrete compressive strength as main factor are braught forward and influences of environment temperature and relative humidity and the stress state and level of the concrete are considered,and existent experiment results are used to gain model parameters.Consequently,the foundation for forecasting the speed of concrete carbonation and reinforcement corrosion scientifically is established.


This paper proposes a numerical approach to calculate the characteristic resistance (Rc) of partial-insulation (PI) and no-insulation (NI) high-temperature superconductor pancake coils with the nonuniform current path in such coils taken into consideration. Recently, an analytic approach has been proposed to estimate (Rc) of an NI coil, where the coil current is assumed to be "uniform" over the entire coil. This model, however, is not effective to explain the increase of (Rc) when a coil is modified from NI to PI. In this paper, we first introduce our numerical approach based on a finite element analysis. Then, the charging characteristics of selected PI and NI coils that we had previously reported are analyzed by the proposed approach. Reasonable agreement between the measured and calculated data validates the proposed approach to estimate (Rc) of a PI as well as an NI coil.


While evidence for the role of chlorofluorocarbons in ozone depletion grows stronger, researchers have recently been subjected to vocal public criticism of their theories-and their motives. Their understanding of the mechanisms of ozone destruction-especially the annual ozone hole that appears in the Antarctic-has grown stronger, yet everywhere they go these days, they seem to be confronted by critics attacking their theories as baseless. For instance, Rush Limbaugh, the conservative political talk-show host and now-best-selling author of The Way Things Ought to Be, regularly insists that the theory of ozone depletion by CFCs is a hoax: bladerdash and poppycock. Zoologist Dixy Lee Ray, former governor of the state of Washington and former head of the Atomic Energy Commission, makes the same argument in her book, Trashing the Planet. The Wall Street Journal and National Review have run commentaries by S. Fred Singer, a former chief scientists for the Department of Transportation, purporting to shoot holes in the theory of ozone depletion. Even the June issue of Omni, a magazine with a circulation of more than 1 million that publishes a mixture of science and science fiction, printed a feature article claiming to expose ozone research as a politically motivated scam.


A new kind of temperature sensitive hydrogel P(NIPAAm-PEGMA)is prepared by the free radical copolymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide(NIPAAm)and polyethylene glycol methacrylate(PEGMA).The experiments show that the swelling ratio(SR)of hydrogel decreases with decreasing of the content of PEGMA and increasing of temperature within a certain extent.There is a highest value of swelling ratio as the content of crosslinking agent changes.


It is critical to protect coastal and offshore structures. Most current studies and scientific investigations are centered on how to protect seashore with an efficient and cost-effective system. This study involved the testing of a new floating breakwater configuration (FB). A series of experiments were carried out in the lab of The Higher Institute of Engineering (El-shorouk City) on the new model and the traditional vertical plane FB without a curved face to compare their behaviours and performance in wave attenuation. The incident, reflected, and transmitted wave heights were measured, and the coefficients of reflection, transmission, and energy dissipation were calculated using these measurements. In terms of hydrodynamic performance, the curved-face floating breakwater outperformed the traditional vertical floating breakwater, according to the study's highlights. The curved face model significantly reduced wave transmission values when compared to the traditional vertical configuration. The greater the concavity of the curve, the better the model handles waves, especially when the wave steepness is low.


People are fascinated by picturesque little places such as Liechtenstein and San Marino and enough stamp collectors take their sovereignty seriously so as to keep their post offices in business. For the political scientist, however, these small entities are a reminder of the richness and multiplicity of polities and of the difliculties of defining sovereignty in the last third of the 20th century. What is a micro-state ? By what criteria is a territory to be considered &dquo;micro&dquo;? At what point, if any, must it cease to be considered a state ? What, other than the accidents of history and geography, determine the differences between entities such as the Isle of Man with its own thousandyear-old Parliament and those such as the Isle of Wight which has no more status than being part of Hampshire ? Does location play as important a role in determining identity and viability as does size ?


State theory is the nuclear part of the thoughts of Marxism's public management.From the views of Marx and Engels,the meaning of state includes three aspects: a state as a tool for governance,a state as a social administrative organ and a state as an interceder.A state is an organic body constituted by the three aspects.Understanding the semantic meaning of state from the approach of Marxism is the base and key to properly understand state and its essences.


As a core issue in the research fields of economics and management,Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) has drawn the attentions of including scholars,enterprises and government both in theory and practice.In this paper,the basic concept and evolution process of CSR are introduced,and then the analysis of CSR is conducted based on the thought and tools of game theory.The Game models of the enterprise's rivals and its stakeholders are put forward.In the meantime,the approaches to achieve equilibrium are illustrated.


Russia before the other countries began a large-scale economic development of the Arctic territory and intensive use of its natural resources. A focal economic development of the Arctic zone was conducted without taking into account the vulnerability of natural ecosystems to anthropogenic impacts and this led to the environment pollution. The authors of this paper reveal the nature and the scales of environmental damage, which to the large extent was determined by the system of used technologies and by the organization of production and transportation of natural resources of the North. The authors consider unacceptable the continuation of the current approach to development of Northern territories and the failure to take adequate measures for the elimination of previously accumulated environmental damage.


Thanks to recent human microbiome research, we are gradually gaining a better understanding of the vital role that microbial diversity plays in health and well-being. However, as industrial food production standardizes fermented foods—making monoculture "probiotics"—we risk losing both microbial diversity and the cultural heritage of how to sustain it. This article takes yogurt as a case study to explore the ongoing disappearance of microbial biodiversity and its relationship to food practices. As an ancient fermentation product, yogurt has a rich biocultural heritage that is reflected in its diverse preparation methods—including, as this article describes, using ants and spring rain. I employed autoethnography as a form of qualitative inquiry to trace the stories of yogurt passed down through generations in my community from the Rhodope Mountains. Here multispecies and sensory approaches allowed me to delve into the intimate cultural and personal aspects of yogurt making. The stories I gathered from Bulgaria and Turkey reveal the richness of interspecies and sensorial connections involved in yogurt production. I argue that these practices cultivate diverse multispecies relationships and provide valuable insights into the broader loss of biocultural diversity. This article is thus an invitation to reflect on the ways in which the contemporary biodiversity crisis is related to the loss of local cultural knowledge, skills, and wisdom that have long nurtured diverse and generative multispecies relationships.


An above-ground PVC cell was constructed in the laboratory to simulate a ground water system. Nine different sampling devices were used to sample the water from the PVC cell. The limited number of tests made in this laboratory study provided preliminary results to quantify chemical changes which may occur in sampling and preserving ground water from a well. The study results indicate that the principal reason for chemical changes is the varying amount of aeration caused by the sampling methods. Aeration results in the oxidation of ferrous iron and subsequent precipitation of ferric hydroxide. When the pH of water is above 7.3, both the sampling device and the water filtering procedure can cause significant aeration and subsequent loss of dissolved iron. In addition, the formation of ferric hydroxide results in adsorption or coprecipitation of dissolved cations and anions. Based on the limited experimentation, it appears that the bladder pump, peristaltic pump and conventional bailer introduce the least amount of aeration when fitted with inline filtration, and thus provide accurate measurements on the concentration of solutes. Since these results are preliminary and are based on limited experimentation, we must wait for the results of complete studies before drawing conclusions for amore » wide range of field conditions.« less


In the past few years, automatic genre classification has become one of the most interesting topics in the Music Information Retrieval (MIR) field. Musical genre is one of the most valuable metadata when managing huge music databases and many successful efforts have been done to automatically compute it. Basically, timbric and rhythmic description of audio is used for this purpose. From our point of view, some of these descriptors have been designed under some rigid constrains and the generalization of these algorithms into more flexible applications becomes a difficult task. In this paper, we present a method for rhythmic description which can improve the efficiency and flexibility of genre classifiers when used in combination with timbre descriptors.


Techniques for analysis, reconstitution and reuse of spent dyebaths have been extended to production winch dyeing of nylon 6 and nylon 6. 6 carpets. Results of in–plant dyeing show a 35% reduction in energy, a 40% reduction in water and a 56% reduction in auxiliary requirements by dyeing in reconstituted baths. Substantial decrease in discharge of pollutants is also achieved. Results suggest that dyeing in reconstituted baths is attractive economically, with a $28 per cycle reduction in dyeing costs and a 1. 5 year pay–back period on capital investment.


S-o-Lactoylglutathione is a thioester derivative. It is the physiological intermediate of the glyoxalase system and is present in the cytosol of cells and cellular organelles [l]. Exogenous S-o-lactoylglutathione. added to the extracellular medium of human leukaemia 60 cells in culture induces growth arrest and toxicity; the IC,, = 82 wM. There is no similar toxicity in corresponding differentiated cells, neutrophils and red blood cells in culture [2,3]. S D Lactoylglutathione is currently under evaluation as a prospective anti-proliferative, anti-tumour agent. The stability of S-o-lactoylglutathione (and other S-2hydroxyacylglutathiones in stock solutions at ambient and physiological temperature, and at physiological and non-physiological pH may be a limiting factor in their therapeutic application. S-o-Lactoylglutathione and other S-P-hydroxyacylglutathione derivatives hydrolyse spontaneously to reduced glutathione and corresponding aldonic acid: RCH(0H)CO-SG + H,O + RCH(OH)CO,H + GSH. The effect of pH and temperature on the rate of hydrolysis of S-Olactoylgl utathione, and other S(R) -2-hydroxyacyl glutathione derivatives was investigated. Thioester hydrolysis was determined by reaction with 5,5sdithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), DTNB [4]. S-DLactoylglutathione undergoes hydroxide-catalysed hydrolysis. The reaction was first order with respect to hydroxide concentration between pH 7.0 and 9.0, first order with respect to S-o-lactoylglutathione concentration, and independent of phosphate buffer concentration. The rate of reaction -d[SLG]/dt = k.[SLG][OH'], where k = 14.9 f 1.1 M-'s" at 37'C (n = 16). From the Arrhenius plot of the hydrolysis of S-Olactoylglutathione in the temperature rarge 18-37'C, the activation energy AE,, = 81 f 4 kJmol (n = 15). At 37'C, the activation enthalpy AH = 76 f 4 kJmol;' and the activation entropy AS,,, = 4{? f 0.1 JK-hol' .


Urban regime theory has emerged as the dominant paradigm for the study of local politics. The ascendancy of regime theory has made it the subject of intense critical scrutiny. While urban scholars ...


As code search is a frequent developer activity in software development practices, improving the performance of code search is a critical task. In the text retrieval based search techniques employed in the code search, the term mismatch problem is a critical language issue for retrieval effectiveness. By reformulating the queries, query expansion provides effective ways to solve the term mismatch problem. In this paper, we propose Query Expansion based on Crowd Knowledge (QECK), a novel technique to improve the performance of code search algorithms. QECK identifies software-specific expansion words from the high quality pseudo relevance feedback question and answer pairs on Stack Overflow to automatically generate the expansion queries. Furthermore, we incorporate QECK in the classic Rocchio's model, and propose QECK based code search method QECKRocchio. We conduct three experiments to evaluate our QECK technique and investigate QECKRocchio in a large-scale corpus containing real-world code snippets and a question and answer pair collection. The results show that QECK improves the performance of three code search algorithms by up to 64 percent in Precision, and 35 percent in NDCG. Meanwhile, compared with the state-of-the-art query expansion method, the improvement of QECK Rocchio is 22 percent in Precision, and 16 percent in NDCG.


In this paper, we present a human body simulator for healthcare research. In this special environment, human body is regarded as a black-box system that generates different outputs corresponding to different external inputs. The inputs can be healthcare interventions, and the outputs can be phenotypes that reflect latent health states. The healthcare purpose is to find effective strategies that can make the human body transfer to a healthy state from any other unhealthy states. At first, we propose to use deep neural networks (DNNs) to model the human body system. After some analyses, we discover that the models of neural networks can reflect some real cases. Then, we implement a virtual human body simulator and a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) module. These two modules form a closed loop to do some healthcare experiments. The experiments compare different architectures of the body simulator and illustrate some attributes of the models.


An optical nonlinearity at very low light levels in a CdTe/CdZnTe single quantum well at 4 K is reported. Excitation above the band gap produces a significant decrease in the heavy‐hole exciton absorption at intensities down to μW/cm2. The dependence of the change in absorption on the pump intensity is sample dependent and is strongly sublinear. At low pump intensity the recovery of the absorption after switching off the pump is exponential with a time constant of about 150 ms, which is nearly independent of pump intensity up to ∼3 mW/cm2. Above 30 μW/cm2 an additional process on a time scale ∼100 μs is observed. The rise time after turning on the pump varies inversely as pump intensity. It is shown that the nonlinearity arises from the presence of excess electrons in the CdTe quantum well, which reduce the excitonic absorption by phase‐space filling. These electrons are charge compensated by holes trapped in the barrier. The time and intensity dependence of the optical nonlinearity can be fitted by a kin...


This work concerns a comparison of the hydration properties and self-association behavior in aqueous solution of two biologically relevant simple molecules:  the trimethyl-amine-N-oxide (TMAO) and the tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). These molecules are geometrically very similar, having the same hydrophobic moiety and different polar groups. Both molecules were used as a model to study hydrophobic behavior in water solution. In particular, water perturbation induced by TBA and TMAO molecules was studied as a function of the solute molar fraction X2 (0 < X2 < 0.05) by using the IR absorption bands due to the vibrational modes of water in the 4000−2600 cm-1 frequency region. Furthermore, possible clustering effects in aqueous solution of the TBA and TMAO hydrophobic groups were investigated by studying the behavior of the alkyl CH stretching band in the 3200−2800 cm-1 frequency region as a function of X2. The OH stretching absorption data show, in agreement with molecular dynamics simulation results and other sug...


Results: Eighty eight pelcent of the females in our study sampie were familiar with one or more mel.hods of coul.raception (72.7oowere hnrili:rr wil.lt cornbirrerl or';rl contr.rceptj\c pill (COCP), 60.7oL were aware of intra uterine coutiaceptive clevice (lUCD1 &75'o knew .rboirt concloms) whereas 12% showed ignorance. 64.6% ol the sti-rdy population was contraceptive users & 35.4% they were r-rsing was suggested by their husbands,44 o/o said by healtlr professionll .Orrly 10'/o of tlie str"rciy po;-rul.rtiorr were rrsL'Lg a method o[ their own choice. Cottclrrsiorr:Thc present stucl; coLrcltrcles tlrrt thele is a g.rp betwecrr knowledge (38%) nrrd use (64.6%) of contraceptives among females of reproductive age groLlp. Another important Lr{elence drawn flont tlte stud; is tirat rnerr shoLrld be macle r'qurl Largets of su.'lr proellms in Pakistan since 46'lo femaies in our study population r,vere nsing method of contraceptive srrggesl.ecl by tlreir hLLsbrnci.


This article aims at studying the military situation of the capital of the State of Brazil - Rio de Janeiro -, during the second half of the 18th century. More specifically, we shall stick to the government of the Vice Roy Conde da Cunha (1763-1767), when the establishment of the new directives of the Portuguese Crown concerning the militarization of the colonial population was about to start. Such directives, due to their intense social consequences, ended up making such period become especially interesing due to their impact upon society.


The scalded skin syndrome, or toxic epidermal necrolysis of Lyell, is a nonspecific reaction pattern of the skin. In small children, the syndrome has been associated with group 2 staphylococcal infection, as has previously been described in Ritter's disease. We have observed this association in four children. Other cases of scalded skin syndrome are almost certainly due to drugs. Other infectious and toxic agents are also occasionally responsible for the syndrome. Although the scalded skin syndrome may be lethal to infants less than 1 year of age, children between 1 and 6 years of age usually recover rapidly, exhibiting a mortality of only 7%. In patients 6 or more years of age, the syndrome is fatal more than 40% of the time.


The Research entitled was carried out at "All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits", Department of Horticulture, MPKV., Rahuri, Dist. Ahmednagar (MS) during the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 to find the effect of different 9 treatments i.e. combinations of 3 different levels of irrigation (I1-100%, I2-75% & I3-50% ETr) and 3 levels of fertigation (F1-90%, F2-80% & F3-70% of RDF). The interaction effect of irrigation and fertigation was found significant on qualitative parameters and yield of acid lime cv. Phule Sharbati. Irrigation level I1-100% ETr through drip along with fertigation level F1-90% RD through WSF recorded significantly the maximum yield t hectare-1 in Ambia bahar (8.25 t, 9.37 t and 8.81 t), Mrig bahar (5.84 t, 7.03 t and 6.44 t), Hast bahar (5.53 t, 6.97 t and 6.25 t) and annual (19.62 t, 23.36 t and 21.49 t) in the both year of investigation and in pooled results respectively.


The invention relates to a hollow cylindrical cement-stabilized soil test sample preparation and maintenance device. A pull rod is connected with a base and a pressing disk; a triple-opened inner barrel and a triple-opened outer barrel are connected among the pull rod, the base and the pressing disk; the triple-opened inner barrel is arranged in the triple-opened outer barrel; a test sample bin is formed between the triple-opened inner barrel and the triple-opened outer barrel. According to the hollow cylindrical cement-stabilized soil test sample preparation and maintenance device, the shortcomings that air bubbles and weepage in a test sample cannot be discharged, the uniform compactness of the test sample is difficult to guarantee, the final completeness of the fragile test sample is difficult to guarantee and the like are overcome. The hollow cylindrical cement-stabilized soil test sample preparation and maintenance device can be inversely arranged on the pull rod during demolding; the tripe-opened outer barrel and the test sample are put on the pressing disk, so that the whole test sample is conveniently pulled out of the triple-opened outer barrel from top to bottom, and the completeness of the test sample can be effectively guaranteed; the staggering among blades is effectively prevented; cracks are avoided; the test sample can be demolded as soon as the test sample reaches certain independence without reaching the maintenance age; and therefore, the time of the device can be greatly shortened, and the sample preparation efficiency is improved.


Objective To investigate the effects of Tribulus terrestris on cell proliferation and melanin synthesis of cultured human melanoma cells Methods MTT method,NaOH-assay were employed to measure the cell viability,melanin synthesis of human A375 melanoma cells;tyrosinase activity was measured by utilization of L-Dopa as the substrate.Furthermore,the effects of Tribulus terrestris on human A375 melanoma cells were compared with that of 8-MOP.Results The melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity were clearly enhanced after use of Tribulus terrestris with a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0.1mg/ml,0.2mg/ml,and 0.5mg/ml in human A375 melanoma cells.0.2mg/ml and 0.5mg/ml of Tribulus terrestris showed statistically significant enhancement(P0.01) than the control.Conclusion Tribulus terrestris exhibits a a dose-dependent enhancing effects on melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in human A375 melanoma cells.


........................................................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii PREFACE .......................................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 1.


The author analyzes the experience of a governmental program for the development of the poor communities in Northeastern Brazil, having as a perspective the community management of communication in the process of fighting against social exclusion. The author takes the location as a privileged space where the global cultural mediations are materialized and highlights the need for effective community participation in governmental actions for promotion, disapproving processes in which political paternalism prevails.


As the scholarly literature and the experience on the ground indicate, good station-area planning is an important prerequisite for the successful operation of a high-speed rail (HSR) station; it can also trigger opportunities for economic development in the station area and station-city. What is less clear, however, is what constitutes good station-area planning. This study details the elements of good station-area planning for HSR stations, the challenges and opportunities for good station-area planning around the San Jose Diridon station, and the lessons learned from five case studies of successful European HSR stations.


The effect of the dielectric cladding on the performance of cylindrical conformal microstrip antennas was studied.Firstly,the radiation characteristic of cylindrical conformal microstrip antenna with dielectric cladding was analyzed by using reciprocity theorem.Then,the FEM was applied to calculate the radiation patterns of the antennas and the results were compared with the experimental results to verify the program validity.Finally,the scattering parameters and radiation patterns of the antennas with different values of the dielectric cladding thickness and dielectric constant were simulated.The calculated results show that the antennas have a resonance frequency drift and impedance bandwidth decrease after loading dielectric layer.The influence of the dielectric cladding thickness on impedance bandwidth is greater than that of the dielectric constant.


This chapter looks at the relationship between Tony Harrison's work and the legacies of modernism. In the dominant version of Harrison's relationship with modernism, the poet undergoes a 'Eureka' moment akin to Philip Larkin's repudiation of Yeats when the Leeds poet begins to write The School of Eloquence sequence: switching to the example of Thomas Hardy, Larkin no longer wished, he contested, to 'jack himself up' into poetry, just as Harrison desires to be the poet that 'blokes in the boozer' might read. However, as with Larkin's deployment of symbolist verse and references to T. S. Eliot in his later poetry, Harrison's work does not simply repudiate modernism either. Harrison's apparently antipathetic response to modernist literature seems to be encapsulated in Desmond Graham's chapter on Harrison's early poetry, in which he depicts the Leeds poet at Poetry and Audience editorial meetings, mimicking Eliot's voice and demeanour. Yet the poetry tells a different story. In his first full collection, The Loiners, Harrison engages with a number of modernist antecedents, including Arthur Rimbaud, Joseph Conrad and Charles Baudelaire. This chapter then focuses on the modernist 'double consciousness' of myth that Harrison then draws on, and refines, throughout his oeuvre. Writers such as James Joyce and T.S. Eliot were the first authors to herald an intensification of writing about myth that fictionalises mythic characters rather than retaining them as symbols and narrative ballast. I explore how Harrison utilises this 'double consciousness' in his film-poem Metamorpheus and in the poem 'The Grilling' from Under the Clock.


Abstract The aim of this study was to examine whether the connection between patient and therapist, therapist competence, and the interaction between connection and competence, measured in the early process of schema-focused therapy of personality problems, influenced treatment outcome. Connection is a rater-observed measure of the intimacy and mutual engagement between patient and therapist that appears to represent an easily observable aspect of the therapeutic alliance. The sample consisted of 35 patients with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia and DSM–IV Cluster C personality traits who participated in an 11-week inpatient program. Patients and an expert observer rated the schema-focused individual therapy sessions. Better observer-rated connection in the first session predicted greater across-session reduction in the strength of belief in the particular schemas addressed in the individual therapies. Connection was unrelated to across-session symptomatic improvement and to overall change. Competence predicted a reduction in maladaptive schemas during the schema-focused treatment and in the number of Cluster C personality traits from pretreatment to the follow-up period but was unrelated to across-session change. There was no interaction between connection and competence, indicating that they influenced treatment independently of each other.


The paper presents a socio-philosophical analysis of government social responsibility of the authorities. It contains the explication of this phenomenon from the position of the system approach: the structure of the responsibility of power as a system is disclosed, its elements are described. The social responsibility of power is presented as a construct that presents certain powerful messages, influences the evaluation of political reality by the object of power. A level model of social responsibility is presented in terms of the degree of activity of the subject of power. The criteria for the social responsibility of the authorities within the framework of the power process are presented. The subject of this study is the social responsibility of the authorities as an open system. The work contains an analysis of the mechanisms for realization the construct of social responsibility of the authorities from the standpoint of achieving national interests. The purpose of this work is to explicate the social responsibility of the authorities, to investigate the mechanisms for implementing the construct of responsibility. There is an attempt to determine the content of government social responsibility in different political environments. © 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.UK


Very accurate variational calculations have been performed to determine the ground state energy of the negative hydrogen ion when it is embedded in a variety of Debye plasmas. The results predict a high degree of stability even under strong plasma conditions. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}


The research aims to produce batik product in accordance with the costumers buying intention which has market oriented and to recognize the correlation model of marketing mix (product, price, promotion, distribution) with buying intention at the Industrial Center of Batik (SIB), Masaran District, Sragen, Indonesia. This researches exploratory methods and survey methods where two-hundred (200) consumers who understand the problem of batik are being the research samples.The study was conducted from January to August 2019. Data were documented and analyzed using conjoint analysis and SEM analysis. The results showed that the batik products in Sragen Indonesia were very good in quality, the prices were affordable and cheap, the promotions were quite good and the distribution of Sragen batik was quite broad. There is a significant correlation between marketing mix (product, price, promotion and distribution) and market-oriented consumer preferences. It is concluded the product has a correlation of 0.493, price of 0.697, promotion of 0.546 and distribution of 0414 to market-oriented consumer buying intention.Batik products that consumers desire are characterized by:

(1) Product variables: (a) fabric made from cotton; (b) feature patterned combination of modern-traditional; (c) washed not fade; (d) fabric size of 115 cm x 240 cm; (e) can last 3-5 years; (f) printed batik; (g) contrast color combinations; (h) brand to order; (i) made by a well-known businessman; (j) good quality and affordable prices;

(2) Price variables, including: (a) selling price fromRp. 101,000 up to Rp. 250,000 per piece; (b) cash payment system; (c) giving a discount at the time of purchase; (d) lower prices than similar products sold in the market;

(3) Promotional variables, including: (a) advertising on social media / internet and making sign boards; (b) sold in stores / boutiques and also uses marketing personnel; (c) actively participate in the event; (d) CSR activities; (e) advertising is widely known by the people of Indonesia;

(4) Variable distribution, including: (a) sold at every store in all regencies / cities in Indonesia; (b) timely delivery of goods; (c) sales can be through online stores; (d) batik products are sold in stores / outlets outside Sragen City.


The analysis of the turbogenerators' TВВ-1000-2Y3 failure has shown that the most vulnerable link in the stator is such of their elements as tightening prisms, the teeth of the end packet core, lead-out and connecting buses of the stator winding. The basic reason for the destruction of the elements mentioned is metal fatigue caused by excessive vibration under the influence of variable axial forces of electromagnetic origin. Preventing the destruction of the structural elements may be achieved by vibration monitoring and diagnostics.


been represented by counsel at hearings, in order to continue the detention of the patient. In one case, no fewer than seven IP reports were submitted (p. 120). Another surprise to me was the contention that the medical member of the tribunal, a quasi-judicial body, should be subject to cross-examination by the patients' representative. Doctors will find many other statements and inferences in the book surprising. Those at †̃¿ Acheland' and †̃¿ Bendene' will not welcome the phrase "¿ Once out ofthe clutches ofthe Special Hospital . . Much space is devoted to the negative relationship between patients and the RMO which Peay says she found at Acheland. She seems unaware of the truism: "¿ The work of custody creates a relation of opposition between those who exercise it and those upon whom it is exercised―(Smith, Psychiatry, 28, 317). Another surprise is the statement: "¿ The tribunal were fully aware that in order for their recommendation (transfer from a locked to an open ward) to be put into effect, the Home Secretary would have to concur with this course―.I can find no backing for this in the 1983 Act, the memorandum on the Act, or the Mental Health Review Tribunal rules. In a pejorative context, Peay says of RMOs that "¿ legal restrictions were simply not at the forefront of their minds―.Why should they be? It is not only special hospital doctors who are assessed by rather odd criteria


Since their introduction, process trees have been frequently used as a process modeling formalism in many process mining algorithms. A process tree is a (mathematical) tree-based model of a process, in which internal vertices represent behavioral control-flow relations and leaves represent process activities. Translation of a process tree into a sound workflow net is trivial. However, the reverse is not the case. Simultaneously, an algorithm that translates a WF-net into a process tree is of great interest, e.g., the explicit knowledge of the control-flow hierarchy in a WF-net allows one to reason on its behavior more easily. Hence, in this paper, we present such an algorithm, i.e., it detects whether a WF-net corresponds to a process tree, and, if so, constructs it. We prove that, if the algorithm finds a process tree, the language of the process tree is equal to the language of the original WF-net. The experiments conducted show that the algorithm's corresponding implementation has a quadratic time complexity in the size of the WF-net. Furthermore, the experiments show strong evidence of process tree rediscoverability.


he paper by Kramer and his colleagues in this issue raises T new doubts about the quality of care provided by managed care.' The logic of the argument seems persuasive: Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are more likely to use nursing homes for post-hospital stroke care than are fee-for-service (FFS) providers and seem to give less care. This difference is associated with poorer outcomes, especially fewer patients in the community at follow-up. Earlier, Kramer showed that nursing home post-acute care (PAC) was associated with poorer outcomes than formal rehabilitation.2 Because this message can be quite damning, it deserves careful consideration. Two major aspects come to mind. First, how do the methods used potentially affect the question asked? Second, if the findings are correct, what are their implications? Kramer deliberately chose to identify cases at the time of admission to either a rehabilitation unit or a nursing home. As a result, the study is limited to only those receiving those types of care. Omitted are those stroke patients who went home with or without home health care. This study enrolled subjects from 1993 to 1995. Using data from the 5% Medicare sample for 1996, we found that 31 YO of FFS stroke cases were discharged home with no PAC and another 21% received home health care (unpublished analyses). Hence, the Kramer study addresses only about half the stroke discharges. (We have no comparable data on the distribution of HMO discharges.) Data from an earlier study, showed that HMO stroke patients were more likely than FFS patients to go to nursing homes than to be discharged home. Part of the difference could be explained by patient characteristics. Those going to either nursing homes or rehabilitation had more dependencies in activities of daily living (ADLs). Nursing home patients were more likely to live alone, to be older, and to have poorer per~ept ion.~ Kramer's sample was further selected by choosing specific HMOs and FFS "delivery systems." Presumably the latter were more integrated than most FFS care. Hence, the actual comparison is not with typical FFS but with care provided in some organized (but undescribed) way. Each of these systems had the full range of rehabilitation options. In general, the availability of rehabilitative care varies geographically, as does the use of PAC. Data from the same analyses of the Medicare 5% sample shows that the use of PAC varies substantially from region to region. For example, in 1996 the proportion of stroke discharges receiving no PAC varied from 24% in the Pacific region to 32% in the South Atlantic and West Northcentral regions. Likewise, the HMOs chosen were group and staff models. The most prevalent forms of managed care are more loosely controlled contracting arrangements, whereby the HMO has much less direct influence on practice. Indeed, the same providers may contract with multiple HMOs. Hence, the study may be said to compare the best of HMO care against the best of FFS care. The extent of this selection can be seen in use of PAC services. In this study, rehabilitation units were used in more than 85% of the FFS cases and nursing homes in the remaining 15% (a ratio of 5.7). In the 5% Medicare sample, 15% received formal rehabilitation and 33% got nursing home care (a ratio of 0.45). In the earlier PAC study, the ratio was 0.64.


The polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) system emits microwaves on two orthogonal polarizations (the most often horizontal and vertical) and receives the backscattered echoes on the same two polarizations to synthesize recordings of the ground scene. The information
embeded in the four resulted polarimetric channels fully describes the backscattering properties of the recorded ground objects. In order to take full advantage of this information and to extract the physical properties of the recorded targets, simple false-color representations of the polarimetric channels are not sufficient, so several coherent and incoherent target decomposition theorems have been proposed in the state-of-the-art literature. All these decompositions assume the fact that any scattering mechanism can be represented as the sum of some simpler, ,,canonicalˮ scattering mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to perform a comparative survey on these decomposition techniques and to provide examples using two PolSAR datasets: a L-band PALSAR image over
Danube's Delta, Romania, and a C-band RadarSAT2 image over Brăila, Romania.


This note shows that for the Engset loss model with s servers working at rate μ and quasirandom (N,Γ) input the transient distribution can only have a product form if no blocking arises, i.e. . Furthermore, in the case with blocking the transient distribution of the number of requests at the service station can be expressed as a sum of two product form distributions if and only if


Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause a neurological damage, affecting the motor and sensory systems. Harnessing brain plasticity should make it possible to reconstruct the closed loop between the brain and the body, i.e., association of the generation of the motor command with the somatic sensory feedback might enhance motor recovery. In order to aid reconstruction of this loop with a robotic device it is necessary to assist the paretic side of the body at the right moment to achieve simultaneity between motor command and feedback signal to somatic sensory area in brain. To this end, we propose an integrated EEG-driven assistive robotic system for stroke rehabilitation. Depending on the level of motor recovery, it is important to provide adequate stimulation for upper limb motion. Thus, we propose an assist arm incorporating a Magnetic Levitation Joint that can generate a compliant motion due to its levitation and mechanical redundancy. This paper reports on a feasibility study carried out to verify the validity of the robot sensing and on EEG measurements conducted with healthy volunteers while performing a spontaneous arm flexion/extension movement. A characteristic feature was found in the temporal evolution of EEG signal in the single motion prior to executed motion which can aid in coordinating timing of the robotic arm assistance onset.


In this paper, the parameters of a power system stabiliser (PSS) with help of a combination of a Differential Evolution algorithm (DE) and Local Search Algorithm (called the DELSA (Memetic DE algorithm)) are introduced, which are designed independently, converge to the correct and optimal solution in a small number of iterations and are attuned to damp low frequency oscillations, such as local mode oscillations, inter-area mode oscillations. In this paper, the DELSA algorithm searches in a wide-ranging area which probably has the optimal solution. In this paper, the threearea power system is simulated in the time domain. Simulation is done by MATLAB program.


Killifish kept in distilled water or in river water containing 10 M-CdSO4 for 24 hrs, were then transferred to the same water without cadmium (Cd). Survival rate ofthe fish in the distilled water was 63.6% at 24 hrs after the transfer and 50.0% at 168 hrs, whereas no dead fish was observed in the river water even at 168 hrs. Cd uptaken preliminarily was excreted with a relatively rapid rate up to 24 hrs after the transfer, followed by a slow excretion rate. Cd remained in the fish kept in the river water for 168 hrs was 32.2% of the uptaken, whereas that in the distilled water was 74.0%. The contents of zinc and calcium in the alive fish (/gram) increased highly significantly during the excretion phases of Cd both in the distilled and river water. Those of iron and copper increased significantly in the distilled water, but did not in the river water. In considering the decrease of body weight owing to non-supplementation of feed, minerals in the whole fish were assessed. A significant increase in zinc and calcium was also observed; however, that in iron and copper even in the distilled water was not observed. From the observations, it is assumed that the intakes of zinc and calcium should be needed, while iron and copper were not actively taken during the excretion phase of Cd.


Accurate terrain representation with appropriate preservation of important terrain characteristics, especially slope steepness is becoming more crucial and fundamental as the geographical models are getting more complex and commonly used. Based on our earlier success in Overdetermined Laplacian Partial Differential Equation (ODETLAP), which allows for compact yet accurate compression of the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), we propose a new terrain compression technique which focuses on improving slope accuracy in compression of high resolution terrain data. With high slope accuracy and a high compression ratio, this technique will help all sorts of geographical applications that require a high precision in slope yet also have strict constraints on data size. Our proposed technique has the following contribution: we modify the ODETLAP system by adding slope equations for some key points picked automatically so that we can compress the elevation without explicitly storing slope values. By adding these slope equations, we can perturb the elevation in such a way that when slope is computed from the reconstructed surface, they are accurate. Note we are not storing the slope explicitly, instead we only store the elevation difference at a few locations. Since the ultimate goal is to have a compact terrain representation, encoding is also an integral part of this research. We have used Run Length Encoding (RLE) and linear prediction in the past, which gave us substantial file size reduction. In addition to that, we also propose a Minimum Spanning Tree based encoding scheme that takes advantage of the spatial correlation between selected points. Our technique is able to achieve a 1:10 compression at the cost of 4.23 degree of RMS slope error and 3.30 meters of RMS elevation error.


A Structural Equation Model of the Factors Associated with Influence and Power of IT Departments and their Relationship to Firm's IT Orientation and Business Performance by Raghu V. Kowshik M.B.A, Texas Christian University, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences: Information Systems Management Walden University November 2010


Quinquefolium on pancreatic lipase activity was performed by measuring the release rate of oleic acid from triolein.For in vivo experiments,female ICR mice were fed a high fat diet with or without 1% or 3% saponins from stem and leaf of Panax quinquefolium for 8 weeks.1% or 3% crude saponins from stem and leaf Panax quinquefolium inhibited pancreatic lipase activity.The results showed that at the concentration of 0.5 g/L,saponins from stem and leaf Panax quinquefolium inhibited pancreatic lipase activity by 90%.At the concentration of 0.5 g/L,ginsenosides Rc,Rb_1 and Rb_2 inhibited pancreatic lipase activity by 100%,96% and 97% respectively.1% or 3% crude saponins from stem and leaf Panax quinquefolium suppressed the increases in parametrial adipose tissue weight,when mice were fed a high-fat diet.It is demonstrated that the anti-obesity effects of saponins from stem and leaf Panax quinquefolium in high-fat diet treated mice may be due to the inhibition of intestinal absorption of dietary fat by ginsenosides Rc,Rb_1 and Rb_2.


Time-series of persistence diagrams, known as vineyards, have shown to be useful in diverse applications. A natural algebraic version of vineyards is a time series of persistence modules equipped with interleaving maps between the persistence modules at different time values. We call this a vineyard module. In this paper we will set up the framework for representing vineyards modules via families of matrices and outline an algorithmic way to change the bases of the persistence modules at each time step within the vineyard module to make the matrices in this representation as simple as possible. With some reasonable assumptions on the vineyard modules, this simplified representation of the vineyard module can be completely described (up to isomorphism) by the underlying vineyard and a vector of finite length. We first must set up a lot of preliminary results about changes of bases for persistence modules where we are given $\epsilon$-interleaving maps for sufficiently close $\epsilon$. While this vector representation is not in general guaranteed to be unique we can prove that it will be always zero when the vineyard module is isomorphic to the direct sum of vine modules. This new perspective on vineyards provides an interesting and yet tractable case study within multi-parameter persistence.


Through usingthe powerful software ANSYSY, we have simulated the boundary condition and mechanical conditions of rollers in reason and set up a finite element analysis mechanical model for rollers of rotary kiln. According to the analysis of finite element computing results, we have understood the mechanics action of rollers, which are the bases for designing and adjusting of rotary kiln.


I am pleased to share some good news. It appears the American Journal of Evaluation is the highest rated evaluation journal in terms of "impact factor" in the latest report from the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI is the organization that compiles the Social Science Citation Index). As you may know, the impact factor is an index of the frequency with which articles are cited in other work—and thus serves as one rough indicator of a journal's impact. ISI includesAJE in a group of 58 interdisciplinary social science journals. AJE is ranked 5th in that group, with an impact factor of 1.000. This was higher than the impact factor for the other evaluation journals included in the same category and for the one evaluation journal we found listed in another category (several evaluation journals appear not to be listed). Although the impact factor is an imperfect index, and although the ratings are subject to fluctuation from year to year, this index gets a fair amount of attention in many circles as an indicator of journal quality. AJE'srelatively strong showing is especially surprising given the short time we have been publishing under the current title . Thanks and accolades to Blaine Worthen, the previous Editor, who deserves great credit for this accomplishment. I am also pleased to announce that, with the collaboration of Midge Smith, we are producing a special issue of AJEto follow up on her October 1994 special issue of Evaluation Practice (the predecessor of AJE). That issue was entitled, "Past, Present, Future: Assessments of the Field of Evaluation," and it has drawn widespread praise. Once again, a select group of evaluators will be asked to offer concise assessments of the status of the field. The new special issue is tentatively scheduled for the final issue of the 2001 volume. Finally, as announced in the first issue of this volume, the Arizona Evaluation Network (AZEnet) has been holding discussion meetings following the publication of each issue of AJE, focused on one or two articles in the new issue. Cluster Groups (AZENet's version of Topical Interest Groups) select the articles. One other regional evaluation group has expressed interest in starting a similar discussion group. If other local affiliates or other groups would like to initiate similar sessions, please contact me and I will send you an advance copy of the Table of


Objective To observe the impact of an injection of botulinum toxin type A combined with rehabilitation on the quality of life (QOL) of patients with spasmodic torticollis.Methods Thirty-eight patients with spasmodic torticollis were randomly divided into a combined treatment group and control group.Both groups were given a local muscular injection of botulinum toxin type A.One week later the combined group was given rehabilitation training.Both groups were assessed using the Toronto torticollis rating scale (TWSTRS),Tsui's scale and a health survey (SF-36) one week and eight weeks after the injection.Results Eight weeks after the injection,severity,disability,pain,physical functioning,vitality,mental health and Tsui scores had all increased significantly in the combined treatment group compared with before treatment.Physical functioning,pain,vitality,mental health and Tsui scores had also improved significantly compared with the control group.In the control group,only severity and Tsui scores were significantly improved compared with before treatment.Throughout the course of treatment there were no significant adverse reactions.Conclusions Combining botulinum toxin type A with rehabilitation has synergistic effects on spasmodic torticollis.It can significantly reduce disability scores,relieve pain and improve quality of life.

Key words:
Botulinum toxin type A;  Spasmodic torticollis;  Rehabilitation;  Quality of life


In this study, C-doped TiO2 nanofibers were fabucated by electrospinning. The different amount of carbon was added into the nanofibers by using chitosan and glucose. With different amount of carbon and different atmosphere and fibers were calcined at 500°C, and then the optical characteristics of C-doped TiO2 nanofibers has been changed. Nanofibers were analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), UV-vis, Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD was applied to identify phase composition of nanofibers. The morphology of nanofibers were explored by FE-SEM and TEM. Optical characteristics of absorption were measured by UV-vis. We scanned the surface and then it showed the 3D graphics of C-doped TiO2 nanofibers, and observed the effects of different processes for nanofibers by AFM. And then we measured the electrical performance of single fibers. The XRD results showed phase of C-doped TiO2 nanofibers were transformed successfully from rutile phase to anatase phase. The results of AFM showed the morphology of nanofibers became smoother after high-temperature heat treatment. Images from TEM and FE-SEM displayed the average size of nanofibers. UV-vis results revealed that the band-gap of TiO2 was shortened. Finally, we found out the surface of C-doped TiO2 nanofibers can be changed after the heat treatment. To sum up, the surface of nanofibers would be smoother than the one without the heat treatment.