Overweight, lipidemia features, glucose tolerance and insulinemia were studied in 642 females suffering tumors of the corpus uteri, breast, ovary and large bowel, i.e. types of neoplasia which often occur and correspond to the syndrome of primary multiple "hormone-related" cancers. Beside certain obvious similarities in the said parameters established among patients with the said pathologies, the distinctions related, first of all, to degree of pernicious tumor process and, possibly, preoperative weight loss. Since no differences were found in manifestations of hormono-metabolic disturbances between cases of solitary and primary multiple neoplasms of the same localizations, it is suggested that carcinogenesis of both types might be caused by the same factors.


Orientation precision of NC machine is one of the important technical parameters to confirm the machining precision of NC machine.It indicates the position precision that all moving parts of NC machine can be arrived in movement.The principle and method of position analysis and parameter compensation were introduced with FANUC-Oi system as an example.The problems should be paid attention in parameter compensating were indicated.


Abstract   If there ever was a public health problem where we could learn a lot about public health research, practice, policy and communication, it is the COVID-19 pandemic. With increased knowledge about the spread, the prevention measures, treatment and vaccination, a lot of research on COVID-19 has been and is being published. Looking for COVID-19 articles on google scholar leads to over 3.6 million articles found. Nearly all research published on COVID-19 has been made publicly accessible to allow the latest research to be available for politicians, policymakers, practitioners and laymen. The quality of the research is sometimes good, sometimes less good (see our recent viewpoints https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/issue/30/5?browseBy=volume). But with the increase in research, it becomes more difficult to find which research is old, outdated and which is new. Furthermore, all sorts of media have covered the pandemic extensively, in many journals one can find very good reviews and articles by serious journalists, but in many cases, also rumours, guesses and fake news. On top of becoming tired of information overload, it is also more and more difficult to keep track of the development of the research. EUPHA - therefore - decided to publish a supplement to the European Journal of Public Health looking at specific health issues and specific groups that were affected by the pandemic. The supplement aims to present short summaries and updates on some key issues of public health relevance. Topics included range from environment, mental health, legal and ethical issues, health workforce, health inequalities, accountability, opening up the economy and such. In this Round Table, we will have a number of authors from the EJPH supplement to discuss their findings and find some common grounds on what we have learned from COVID-19 and how to move forward. Speakers/Panelists Martin McKee LSHTM, London, UK Elena Petelos Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece Julian Mamo Public Health Department, University of Malta, Valletta, Malta Ellen Kuhlmann Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany Els Maeckelberghe Wenckebach Institute for Medical Education and Training, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands Key messages Learning from this pandemic for future planning is essential. Touching all fields affected by COVID-19 to plan for the future is necessary.


This article focuses on Johannes Jessenius (Ján Jesenský) (1566‐1621), with particular attention paid to his famous Prague dissection and its publication (2011 marking its 410th anniversary). Jessenius was a physician, surgeon, anatomist, scholar, philosopher, and university authority. We focus on the life and main contribution of Jessenius based on his 1600 Prague dissection, the Anatomiae, Pragae (1601). Borovanský described Jessenius' book as "not as a textbook, but as a publication aiming at educated laymen with the purpose of advertising, filled with quotations of old classical authors." This work presents an important part of the Central European scientific, cultural, and political life of the late Renaissance period. Clin. Anat. 25:149–154, 2012. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The strength and sign of synapses involving ionotropic GABA and glycine receptors are dependent upon the Cl− gradient. We have shown that nitric oxide (NO) elicits the release of Cl− from internal acidic stores in retinal amacrine cells (ACs); temporarily altering the Cl− gradient and the strength or even sign of incoming GABAergic or glycinergic synapses. The underlying mechanism for this effect of NO requires the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) but the link between NO and CFTR activation has not been determined. Here, we test the hypothesis that NO-dependent Ca2+ elevations activate the Ca2+-dependent adenylate cyclase 1 (AdC1) leading to activation of protein kinase A (PKA) whose activity is known to open the CFTR channel. Using the reversal potential of GABA-gated currents to monitor cytosolic Cl−, we established the requirement for Ca2+ elevations. Inhibitors of AdC1 suppressed the NO-dependent increases in cytosolic Cl− whereas inhibitors of other AdC subtypes were ineffective suggesting that AdC1 is involved. Inhibition of PKA also suppressed the action of NO. To address the sufficiency of this pathway in linking NO to elevations in cytosolic Cl−, GABA-gated currents were measured under internal and external zero Cl− conditions to isolate the internal Cl− store. Activators of the cAMP pathway were less effective than NO in producing GABA-gated currents. However, coupling the cAMP pathway activators with the release of Ca2+ from stores produced GABA-gated currents indistinguishable from those stimulated with NO. Together, these results demonstrate that cytosolic Ca2+ links NO to the activation of CFTR and the elevation of cytosolic Cl−.


A new harmonic analysis method - the amplitude recovery method - is addressed and is used in the in-site faults diagnostic in induction motors. To practice this method, an in-site and portable system of faults diagnostic in induction motors on ARM (advanced RISC machines) is also addressed. S3C2410 ARM is chosen as the core of this system. Its faster and multi-channel ADC subsystem and small size can meet the needs of the real-time and in-situation test on induction motors. With the help of the PC and the current spectrum analysis, this ARM system can be used to diagnose the faults in induction motors. Even better, having the aid of the small-sized PC, Vortex86-6082, a reliable and portable system can be realized to meet the purpose of testing and diagnosing the faults of induction motors in-situation.


The objectives of the study are to analyze the implementation of financial report (cash flow) by micro and small businesses in Ciputat Tangerang Selatan. The method used in this research is descriptive-qualitative. The result shows that the most of micro and small businesses of the (44.5%) do not have financial reports (cash flows). As for the rest, 33.3% of respondents have financial report and 22.2% of them make a report.


OBJECTIVES
To assess intrarenal pressures (IRPs) and complication rates after flexible ureteroscopy, and to assess factors that contribute to raised IRPs and post-operative complications.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
After informed consent underwent flexible ureteroscopy under general anaesthesia. The transducer of a 0.014" Comet II Pressure Guidewire® (Boston Scientific Corporation, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA) was placed in the renal pelvis for live recording of IRPs. Flexible ureteroscopy procedures were performed in a routine manner under antibiotic cover with the aim of dusting the calculus to completion. The operating surgeon was blinded to the live recorded IRPs.

RESULTS
40 procedures were performed in 37 patients (26 male and 11 female). The mean age was 50.5 years. As a cohort, mean of average IRPs for is 34.8 mmHg and the mean of maximal IRPs is 128.8 mmHg. Pearson correlation showed significant inverse correlation between mean IRP versus age (r(38): -0.391, p=0.013). Three cases experienced post-operative deviations from uncomplicated recovery, with two being hypotension and one case being both hypotension and hypoxia. Three cases returned to the emergency department within 30 days of surgery, with two cases of flank pain and one case of urosepsis with positive urine cultures. The patient representing with urosepsis had exhibited IRPs exceeding the mean.

CONCLUSION
IRPs change significantly from normal baseline levels during routine ureteroscopy. Mean IRP during ureteroscopy correlates with patient age, but not with other factors. IRP may be related to increased complication rates at ureteroscopy. Understanding factors that influence IRP will allow urologists to better manage this intraoperatively.


This article follows media activists trying to transform the media system by broadening access to technology and skills. These activists intend for technological engagement to be compatible with a range of social identities, but their hopes are not always achieved. It is difficult to cultivate forms of technical affinity and expertise not associated with White masculinity, though the activists are more successful with regard to inclusion of women than of people of color. This case study provides an opportunity to analyze how social and personal identities may shape, and be shaped through, interactions with communication technologies, as well as the ramifications of technologically-oriented activism in the wider array of efforts to secure a more democratic media environment.


Key to abbreviations BIC/ Bictegravir + Emtricitabine + DTG/3TC Dolutegravir + Lamivudine (Dovato) FTC/TAF Tenofovir alafenamide (Biktarvy) DTG/RPV Dolutegravir + Rilpivirine (Juluca) CAB Cabotegravir (Vocabria, oral; Apretude, injection) EVG/C/ Elvitegravir + Cobicistat + Emtricitabine + CAB/RPV Cabotegravir/rilpivirine (long acting), (CAB, Vocabria; CAB/RPV, Cabenuva; RPV, Rekambys) FTC/TAF Tenofovir alafenamide (Genvoya) EVG/C/ Elvitegravir + Cobicistat + Emtricitabine + DTG Dolutegravir (Tivicay) FTC/TDF Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Stribild) DTG/ABC/3TC Dolutegravir + Abacavir + Lamivudine (Triumeq) RAL Raltegravir (Isentress) Key to symbols ⚫ These drugs should not be coadministered  Potential interaction may require close monitoring, alteration of drug dosage or timing of administration Potential interaction likely to be of weak intensity. Additional action/monitoring or dosage adjustment is unlikely to be required ◆ No clinically significant interaction expected Where advice differs between countries, and/or between boosted and unboosted regimens, the charts reflect the more cautious option. © Liverpool Drug Interaction Group, University of Liverpool, Pharmacology Research Labs, 1st Floor Block H, 70 Pembroke Place, LIVERPOOL, L69 3GF We aim to ensure that information is accurate and consistent with current knowledge and practice. However, the University of Liverpool and its servants or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for the continued currency of information in this publication whether arising from negligence or otherwise howsoever or for any consequences arising therefrom. The University of Liverpool expressly exclude liability for errors, omissions or inaccuracies to the fullest extent permitted by law. Interactions with Integrase Inhibitors


The streams and rivers draining the Flinders Ranges are largely concordant with structure but all major elements and many other channels include sectors that cut across local structure in anomalous or transverse streams. These anomalous sectors can plausibly be explained in various ways: by capture involving headward erosion, or stream and valley impression made possible by the deep erosion of folds, or by underprinting. The possibility of referral is broached, as is the significance of catchment characteristics in relation to piracy. The impression mechanism raises the possibility that some transverse sectors are of great antiquity. But the origin of many structurally discordant elements remains ambiguous, for they are susceptible of explanation by more than one process or mechanism.


Using Yueguang rice produced in Wusi farm in Donggang as raw material to detect composition and content of fatty acid under different conditions of rice storage, discuss the variation of rice fatty acid, and study the mechanism of rice aging and quality changing. It provides a theoretical basis for taking suitable rice storage method, maintaining rice nutrition quality, and assuring grain safety.


The remote electronic voting system based on homomorphic encryption and blockchain technologies is analyzed. The existing methods of protecting the voting system from an attack related to incorrect filling a ballot by the voter are studied. The method to protect against an attack of violation of the rules for filling a ballot as a whole is developed, which increases the security of voting system by ensuring secrecy of total number of votes given by voter during the verification correctness of filling a ballot.


We present a novel impedance sensor to detect water leaks in water transportation pipes. The system comprises a set of impedance electrodes running along plastic pipes and measuring units. The sensor working principle is demonstrated experimentally with leaks as small as 1 liter volume. The low-power main electronic unit contains a battery, a LoRa radio module and conditioning stages of local sensors (temperature, pressure, flow rate), whereas a remote unit measures impedance to detect leak. The communication among the main unit and remote ones is achieved by the same copper electrodes employed for both impedance sensing, powering and digital communications. Low power design allows a global power consumption below 10 mW/h per day operation.


Engineering ThermodynamicsFundamentals of ThermodynamicsThermodynamics, Kinetic Theory, and Statistical ThermodynamicsPerformance Analysis of a Two-lobed Roots Blower SuperchargerThermodynamicsConvective Heat TransferBasic Engineering ThermodynamicsDesign in NatureFluid Mechanics Fundamentals and ApplicationsFinite Element Analysis of Composite Materials Using ANSYS®, Second EditionThermodynamicsEfficiency Evaluation of Energy SystemsEngineering ThermodynamicsThermodynamics and Heat Powered CyclesEngineering Materials TechnologyFundamentals of Thermal-fluid SciencesSchaum's Outline of Thermodynamics for Engineers, 2edThermodynamicsThermodynamics(Si Units) Sie 6EIntroduction To Thermodynamics and Heat TransferIntelligent Computer Based Engineering Thermodynamics and Cycle AnalysisHeat and Mass TransferBasic And Applied Thermodynamics 2/EProperty Tables Booklet for ThermodynamicsEnergy Systems Engineering: Evaluation and ImplementationThermodynamicsEngineering Thermodynamics 2Nd Ed.Fundamentals and Applications of Renewable EnergyDifferential Equations for Engineers and ScientistsFundamentals of Heat and Mass TransferThermodynamicsProperty Tables Booklet to Accompany ThermodynamicsEconomic GrowthIncompressible FlowFundamentals of HVACREngineers' Practical DatabookA Conceptual Guide to ThermodynamicsIntroduction To Thermodynamics and Heat TransferThermodynamicsMechanics of Aircraft Structures


Holography has recently returned to the forefront of physics with new applications in security verification, display technology, and information storage. With the development of cost-efficient organic polymer films, holograms are developing into more than an amusing artistic media. Holograms store information about the intensity and phase of light reflected from an object, giving depth to the resultant image. Thus, information can be represented in three dimensions as opposed to two. Many such compact images can be placed on a film and subsequently recreated by changing the angle of the incident light and the position on the film to each image's location. This process is the key to using holography for mass data storage. In holographic reconstructive imaging the wave nature of light allows for the generation of a unique diffraction grating which may be used to store data. Although various companies have implemented this property in data storage technology, none have solved the problem of long term image decay. In this project, the goal is to store holograms in an organic polymer film using an optical breadboard, a helium-neon laser, a beam splitter, mirrors, and kinematic optical mounts. This experiment is designed to measure the decay time for a hologram when placed in a split-beam image setup. The angular selectivity of the holographic process is also used to store multiple images on the same film. Image retention of the film is then measured using a digital camera along with image analysis software.


Although implicit emotion regulation is thought to be critical for psychosocial development and mental wellbeing, few studies have investigated the neural underpinnings of this form of emotion regulation in children. We used a modified emotional Go/NoGo block design fMRI task to explore the neural correlates of implicit emotion regulation and individual differences in a sample of 40 children (50% female, mean age = 8.65 ± 0.77). Conditions included happy, sad, neutral, and scrambled faces as implicit distractors within the actual Go/NoGo targets. We used a relatively standard preprocessing pipeline via fMRIprep, with T-contrasts for response inhibition and emotional effects, and a nonparametric multiple comparisons procedure, with SnPM, for our group-level analysis. There were multiple significant response inhibition effects, including larger NoGo vs Go activation in the IFG, insula, and MCC/ACC. Valence effects showed significantly greater right putamen activity for the Sad NoGo vs Go contrast and greater bilateral putamen and right pallidum activity for the Happy Go vs Sad Go contrast. These results provide preliminary findings of neural substrates, particularly the putamen, that may be associated with implicit emotion regulation in children.


In this paper we discuss the theoretical backgrounds and implementations issues of scaling a linear-fractional programming problem (LFP). We consider an LFP problem in the canonical form and show how to scale rows and columns of the problem, then if the scaled problem has been solved, we show how the solution obtained may be unsealed. Also we briefly overview two scaling rules for calculating scaling factors. Finally, to illustrate how these rules work we consider a numeric example


In this paper, we present a prototype algorithm for tracking and following a moving target through RFID technology by a robot. The robot is equipped with two front facing antennas, which collect phase measurements of the tag's modulated signal. We consider a direction-finding algorithm, based on particle filter theory, which exploits the phase-measurements to assign weights to the particles. The proposed track-and-follow robot is successfully tested in a laboratory environment and will be deployed inside a museum.


Speech act theory has been used on numerous occasions to create an underlying framework on which communication technologies can be built. Electronic mail filtering methods, communication support tools and modelling techniques using several variants of speech act theory have all been proposed in the last few years. Distributed organisations employ various communication methods in order to share knowledge around the globe; however many of the techniques are asynchronous, time consuming and culturally dependant. This is further exacerbated when conducting projects in such an organisation, that stakeholders are globally distributed and different business and social norms are employed. By applying various speech act theories and using BDI architecture as a framework, it should be possible to create an agent negotiation architecture especially for distributed organisations. This will allow stakeholders enter their project requirements quickly to reach agreements through negotiation, which allow projects to run smoother, faster, with less ambiguity in stakeholder requirements.


A device with a cycle vapor compression working with a supercritical pressure on the pressure side circuit comprising a compressor, a gas cooler, an internal heat exchanger, a throttling valve, an evaporator, a receiver refrigeration low pressure agent, further provided with means for determining at least one mode of operation of the circuit, it is preferable to determine parameter representative of the refrigerant temperature at the exit of the gas cooler.


A new hexagonal actuator arrangement continuous face-sheet MEMS deformable mirror is proposed, a mirror array with 19 elements is fabricated by a surface micromachining process. This design has a good fitting capability and a fast dynamic response. The fabricated sample is tested by an optical profiler. Simulation and test results indicate that it has a small aperture size, a high fill factor, a fast response time and a high working bandwidth. This new device provides a possibility of manufacturing a large-actuator-count DM for high speed wavefront control.


In this paper, we apply two different algorithms to find the geodesic equation
of the normal distribution. The first algorithm consists of solving a triply partial
differential equation where these equations originated from the normal
distribution. While the second algorithm applies the well-known Darboux
Theory. These two algorithms draw the same geodesic equation. Finally, we
applied Baltzer R.'s finding to compute the Gaussian Curvature.


The tradition in Zimbabwe is that after teachers have completed their initial professional training, they are deployed to all parts of the country by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) with equity in mind so that quality teachers are equally distributed nationwide in pursuit of universal primary education (UPE), which was declared at independence (Government of Zimbabwe [GoZ], 2020). However, those who are usually deployed to remote schools, which are sometimes inaccessible, encounter challenges.


Purpose - – This paper aims to investigate factors which may influence or bias judges' decisions to exclude or admit the testimony of accounting expert witnesses, under the US judicial guidelines commonly known as the Daubert/Kuhmo standards. Accounting experts are increasingly providing expert testimony as a part of financial litigation support services. Design/methodology/approach - – Judges' decisions, in which opposing council evoked a Daubert/Kuhmo challenge to the testimony provided by 130 professional accountants serving as expert witnesses, were analyzed. The period of study was 2010 through 2014. Based on prior research, three variables believed to potentially influence or bias judges to systematically exclude expert testimony were examined: gender, complexity and familiarity. Findings - – The results of binary logistic regression show that none of the variables has a significant relationship to the accounting expert witnesses' probability of surviving a challenge to Daubert/Kuhmo standards. Findings suggest that judges are objective in evaluating the testimony provided by accounting experts under Daubert/Kuhmo guidelines and that they may be immune to biases based solely on gender, complexity and familiarity. Originality/value - – These results will be of interest to judges, lawyers and forensic accountants acting as expert witnesses.


Five-year-old pear trees were sprayed with handguns operating at 600 psi to evaluate pesticides for control of PP. Plots consisted of unreplicated blocks 2 rows wide containing ca. 48 trees. In the standard program trees were sprayed as follows: 18 Mar—Pydrin 2.4 lb/gal EC .075 lb (AI)/100 gal plus superior oil 1 gal/100 gal; 7 Apr—Morestan 25% WP .25 lb (AI) plus Pydrin 2.4 EC .075 lb (AI) plus Parathion 4F .25 lb (AI)/100 gal; 28 May and 19 Jun—Guthion 50% WP .25 lb (AI)/100 gal; and 17 Jul— Mitac 50% WP .375 lb (AI) plus Guthion .25 lb (AI)/100 gal. The 3 insect growth regulators (IGR's) (first 3 treatments in tables) were applied 7 Apr, 30 Apr, 28 May, 19 Jun and 17 Jul. PP eggs, nymphs and adults were counted at 2-week intervals. Adults were counted on 25 limb taps/plot. Eggs and nymphs were counted on 2 samples of 5 fruiting spurs/plot from 8 Apr through 8 May and 2 50-leaf samples/plot thereafter. All spur tissues were examined under a dissecting microscope; leaf samples were processed using the standard leaf brushing technique. Adults were counted by the limb-tap method. Phytophagous mites were also counted on brushed-leaf samples. AA infestations were rated by determining percent infested terminals and average number of infested leaves/terminal by examining all terminals in plots. PP, PRM russets and CM damage were rated according to US grade standards for fresh market pears on 2 samples of 25 fruit/rep.


This study aims to provide interactive, active participatory and collaborative media for learners through MOOC in the Introduction to Sociology course. This paper presents alternative learning by utilizing MOOC-based information technology as one way to achieve learning objectives. This development uses research and development (R&D) with development steps consisting of preproduction, production, and postproduction. This development was also validated and implemented during the development process. This study found that development products are feasible to be implemented as learning products. In addition, the results of the implementation test also showed that the use of MOOC media through the development of context-based video learning can improve student understanding more easily, more effectively, and more efficiently. Thus, this development product can be one of the learning media that can be used in the sociology learning process.


Anatase Ti 1-x Co x O 2 thin films onto SiO 2 /Si substrates at 400°C using liquid-delivery metallorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were successfully prepared and the ferromagnetic properties investigated through microstructural analysis by transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution scanning Auger microscopy as a function of Co-doping concentration. Ferromagnetic behaviors of polycrystalline films were observed at room temperature and the magnetic and structural properties depend critically on the Co distribution, which varies widely with Co-doping concentration. Annealed Ti 1-x Co x O 2 thin films with x ≤ 0.05 showed a homogeneous structure without any clusters, and pure ferromagnetic properties of thin films are attributed only to the Ti 1-x Co x O 2 phases. In the case of thin films above x = 0.05,10-150 nm Co-rich Co 1-x Ti x clusters are formed in homogeneous Ti 1-x Co x O 2 phases. The solid solubility of Co was approximately 5 atom % in MOCVD-Ti 1-x Co x O 2 polycrystalline thin films. Co 1-x Ti x clusters with a c axis preferred orientation decrease the value of H c (coercive field) and increase the saturation magnetic field. The polycrystalline anatase Ti 1-x Co x O 2 thin films prepared by liquid-delivery MOCVD have an advantage for high-density device application in ferromagnetic semiconductor fields.


The role of active learning in the professional training of engineering personnel is analyzed in the article. Active methods of training stimulate cognitive activity. They are characterized by students' high activity level. This article considers methods of active learning such as contextual learning, the method of case studies and business games. Characteristics of each method are described. The reviewed active learning methods have a tremendous positive impact on the students' creative and research activities. The article presents the results of pedagogical research.


ABSTRACT Shopping mall studies reveal various factors attracting customers and patrons, whilst Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) studies focus on the impact of these developments on transit ridership. There is, however, limited research on Transit-Oriented Shopping Mall Developments (TOSMDs) and their attractiveness to passengers to board at nearby stations. This study investigates the attractiveness of these developments by exploring three contextual factors. Structural modelling indicated two contextual factors related to the preference of shopping mall passengers to board at transit stations near shopping malls. The study contributes to understanding and optimizing TOD planning practice and forecasting across transit networks.


The generation of the ensemble forecast is a key step in the design of an ensemble-based data assimilation scheme as it bears a significant impact on the assimilation outcome. The ensemble of model states is used within the assimilation algorithm to derive a flow-dependent background error covariance which is used to express prior information uncertainty. The covariance matrix of the background errors is associated to both, the quality of the prior, and the relations between the elements of the control vector. This matrix drives the spread of the observational information through the control variables determining, in part, the quality of the analyses. Only a handful of studies have focused on investigating the generation of ensembles for aerosol data assimilation which might be compromising the optimal integration of model simulations and observations when it comes to the use of ensemble-based assimilation schemes.


The article aims to contribute to the studies on teaching reading, through a new paradigm that associates Linguistics and Theory of Literature in the perspective of education by means of virtual learning objects. The reader, with the contribution of Linguistics, can realize the resources used by the author of the text, extending the possibilities of inference, reflection, association and filling the gaps of literary text. So the one who reads does it in relation to himself and in relation to he world around him, driven by the sensitive approach of reality built by the linguistic work of the writer.


When I was ten years old, a little dog called Xueqiu came into my life as a birthday present. It was a pretty dog with long white hair. And the hair felt very soft. At first I hated it, because I didn't like animals at all. But wherever I went it always followed me as if it liked me. Slowly and slowly, I began to like it, too. One day, our family were going to my grandma's in our car without taking Xueqiu. But after we drove more than twenty minutes, the dog suddenly came out from under the seat. That ma...


Analytical techniques were applied for analysis of monitor data from many deposition runs to measure the end-pointing accuracy. Results show that the magnitude of transmission ripple in the filter pass-band spectrum bears a strong correlation to the standard deviation of the endpointing from the target.


Abstract BACKGROUND: Ultraviolet radiation can contribute to various damages to body organs especially to skin. However, the effect of Ultraviolet B on the function of viruses, immunologic changes and antioxidants levels which protect human skin health are still unknown. We aimed to find the harmful level of UVB that can be helpful in taking preventive action against the increasing depletion of Ozone layer. METHODS : In this cross-sectional study conducted in Isfahan population, two areas with high and low levels of UVB radiation were investigated based on the information obtained from Meteorological Office. Samples in each area were selected by a cluster-sampling method. 250 persons were assigned to each group. The antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxide level of samples were measured. Data were analyzed with Student t test by using SPSS software. RESULTS: The mean (± standard deviation) of Malondialdehide in high and low UVB radiation areas were 2.8 ± 0.32 and 1.65 ± 0.38 nmoles/ml, respectively (P < 0.001). Mean (± standard deviation) of antioxidants capacity levels were 81.6 ± 2.36 μmol/l in patients living in low UVB radiation area and 76.5 ± 2.6 μmol/l in patients living in high UVB radiation area (P < 0.0001). Glutathione Peroxide levels were 38.2 ± 1.7 and 35.3 ± 1.9 μmol/l in areas with low and high UVB radiation respectively (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Findings of this study indicates that the amount of free radicals and antioxidant capacity in high UVB radiation areas are less than areas with low levels of UVB radiation. Therefore, it is suggested that necessary considerations should be taken into account for the residents of such areas in order to reduce its health damages. Keywords: Ultraviolet B, antioxidant, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxide.


The reversibility of the magnetic behaviour of superconductors assured by the Meissner effect allows the application of thermodynamics to analyse the macroscopic properties of superconductors. In this second lecture, the fundamentals of electromagnetism and thermodynamics will be reviewed and applied to the analysis of superconductive phenomenon.


The reactions of hydrogen atoms produced by the mercury-photosensitized decomposition of H2 with bis(trifluoromethyl)disulfide has been studied. The rate coefficient for the primary reaction, H + CF3SSCF3 CF3SH + CF3S, was determined in competition with the reaction H + C2H4S SH + C2H4 to have the value k = (3.0 ± 0.18) × 1014 exp[-(4560 ± 140)/RT] cm3 mol−1 S−1. The high A factor can be partially accounted for by assuming free rotation for the two CF3 groups and the SCF3 groups about the S—S bond in the transition state. The relatively high activation energy is attributed to inductive and orbital overlap effects. CH3SH, H2S, and CF3SH all react with CF3SSCF3 to yield solid complexes which were not explored further.


In recent years, newly launched satellite sensors have provided data enabling qualitatively higher level of remote sensing of oceanic processes. Better spatial resolution of the data allows examining finer scales down to a few meters; it is now possible to compare radar and optical data obtained almost simultaneously over the same region at close high spatial resolutions; smaller time intervals between data acquisitions allow observing pollution drift and transformation and water dynamics. In this paper presents an example of using three consecutive satellite images captured over the Gulf of Lion in the Mediterranean Sea on the 19th of June 2017 with time intervals of 5 and 7 hours to analyze propagation of oil film occurred on the sea surface due to the discharge of waters contaminated with petroleum products from a ship. The images acquired on the same day presented a unique opportunity to study the spreading and drift of the film in great detail. The effects of wind on the pollution propagation were investigated. It was found that the wind had no effect on the propagation in the immediate region surrounding the source of the spill, near the coastline. The pollutants in this region propagated only by spreading. It was suggested that the effects of wind were partially negated by the coastal counter current. Further out from the coast, the spill patches drifted towards the northwest at an average speed of 15–19 cm/sec, under the influence of a south-southeasterly wind.


Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tampere University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme in International Business ESSI KUUSELA: Sustainability Trends Effecting Modern Business Practices Bachelor's thesis 28 pages May 2019 Currently, one of the most popular and out-there subjects is sustainability – but what is it and how can we reach it? This bachelor's thesis will look at the concepts within sustainability, its development and trends, and uses the gained knowledge to give recommendations for modern business on how to take advantage of the current sustainability trends in their business practices. The theoretical framework and concepts used in this research consist of literature study, PESTEL analysis on the sustainability challenges and SWOT analysis on the sustainability trends. The results of the research will give information to business looking to implement sustainable practices into their business strategies. The information in concluded at the end of thesis paper in the form of suggestions.


In 2015, a team of scientists spotted an unexpected glitch, or "anomaly", in a nuclear transition that could be explained by the production of an unknown particle. About a year later, theorists suggested that the new particle could be evidence of a new fundamental force of nature, in addition to electromagnetism, gravity and the strong and weak forces. The findings caught worldwide attention and prompted, among other studies, a direct search for the particle by the NA64 collaboration at CERN.


Gadget were the most frequently used daily communication tools. Gadgets have been used by many people, not only adults but also young people. This article desribed using gadget either positive or negative impact on early childhood development and giving solution in addiction gadget of childhood development. The researchers used qualitative method. The collecting data used interview and documentation. There was 10 participants in this interview. The documentation collecting by reviewing some of the previous findings with a coding system and in-depth analysis of each data. The researchers conducted an online search on Google Schoolar, Science Direct, et all, specifically on articles published between 2010 to 2022. The result showed that Gadgets have a bad impact on children, for instance decreased concentration power, weak emotional control, and health problems. The right communication model from parents can decrease children addiction.


primarily concerned with Burma. Nor is it much of a surprise to find that the years of greatest productivity were those between 1957 and 1977. History accounts for nearly a quarter of all theses concerned primarily with Burma. One of the regrets for this reviewer is that this work omits M.A., M.Phil., and M.Sc. degrees examined by dissertation. In the United Kingdom, for example, 15 out of the 27 theses presented between 1965 and 1985 (Stephens: 1986) fell into this category. It is particularly to be regretted as many of these were submitted by students from Burma. Scholars and librarians will be very grateful for the existence of this work which is careful and thorough. It is to be hoped that the author will have the time to produce further volumes for other South-East Asian countries, as well as his very useful annual serial Doctoral dissertations on Asia.


This report discusses the primary civil, criminal, and immigration-related penalties associated with immigration-related document fraud. In order to enter or remain in the United States and be eligible for various immigration-related benefits, non-citizens (aliens) must comply with a number of document requirements under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).


We investigate a dividend maximization problem under stochastic interest rates with Ornstein-Uhlenbeck dynamics. This setup also takes negative rates into account. First a deterministic time is considered, where an explicit separating curve α(t) can be found to determine the optimal strategy at time t. In a second setting, we introduce a strategy-independent stopping time. The properties and behavior of these optimal control problems in both settings are analyzed in an analytical HJB-driven approach, and we also use backward stochastic differential equations.


The research revealed a high level of overall satisfaction and satisfaction with individual components of quality of medical care for rendered to the patients of obstetric hospitals. However, indirect quality criteria (correspondence of medical assistance to the expectations and willingness to recommend the hospital to other persons requiring in childbirthobstetric aid) testify to overestimation of such assessments and presence of certain problems with satisfaction. Higher levels of satisfaction with individual parameters of health care in hospitals with bigger capacity than in those with less capacity were identified. However, due to the problems with delivery to the hospitals, parturient woman prefer to receive medical care at the hospitals located closer to their place of residence, irrespectives of their capacity.


We analyze the construction of conformal theories of gravity in the realm of teleparallel theories. We first present a family of conformal theories which are quadratic in the torsion tensor and are constructed out of the tetrad field and of a scalar field. For a particular value of a coupling constant, and in the gauge where the scalar field is restricted to assume a constant value, the theory reduces to the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity, and the tetrad field satisfies Einstein's equations. A second family of theories is formulated out of the tetrad field only, and the theories are not equivalent to the usual Weyl Lagrangian. Therefore, the latter is not the unique genuinely geometrical construction that yields a conformally invariant action. The teleparallel framework allows more possibilities for conformal theories of gravity.


Based on Geoffrey Harcourt's Palgrave volumes, this review article attempts to picture how, in a Cambridge environment, Keynes's fragmentary monetary theory of production grew organically out of Marshall's equally fragmentary monetary theory of exchange. The dangers associated with Keynes's close links with Marshall are alluded to. Indeed, without taking account of the classical spirit of Sraffa's work, Keynes's monetary theory may quite easily be integrated into the Marshallian‐neoclassical framework of analysis. However, theorising, not literally, but in the spirit of Keynes and Sraffa, within a Ricardian‐Pasinettian framework of vertical integration, opens the way to a Classical‐Keynesian monetary theory of production.


ABSTRACT

Thesis is with the title "The concept of Ibn Juzayy Naskh Perspective (Assessing Naskh Verses of Religious Tolerance in al-Tashi> li l 'Ulu> m al-Tanzi> l)" this is written Angki Fauzan Alim, 2843134005, Science Program al-Qur'an and Interpretation with the supervisor is Dr. H. Abad Badruzaman, Lc., M.Ag and Dr. H. M. Syaifudin Zuhri, M. Ag.
Keywords: naskh, tolerance verses, Ibn Juzayy
This research is motivated the gap between the concept naskh and the practice naskh being done by Ibn Juzayy in the book of commentary. Through the al-Qur'an Islam voiced and provide motivation to the people to be tolerant, giving freedom to other faith communities to embrace a religion that is believed. The verses is about tolerate as well as give religious freedom form connected verses with the problem of faith as well as the fundamentals of religion which does not accept naskh. However, in the view of Ibn Juzayy about religious tolerance is part of the Naskh verses. The gap need being examined further in view of the elimination of tolerance nuanced paragraph will give a significant influence in understanding the concept of interfaith relations.
There are several formulation of the problem in this research. The first: How does Ibnu juzayy view the concept of naskh ?. The second: How does Ibnu Juzayy the status of verse has been abrogated ?. The third: How is the methods of Ibnu Juzayy in abrogating paragraph ?. The fourth: How is the methods of Ibnu Juzayy in abrogating verses related to religious tolerance ?. The first aim of this study: Describing the concept of Ibnu Juzayy naskh the al-Qur'an or the Book of commentary., The second: Describing the view of Ibnu Juzayy the status of paragraph which has been abrogeted. The third: To describe and criticize the methods of Ibnu Juzayy in abrogating verses of the al-Qur'an. The fourth: Describe, criticize the method in abrogating verses related to religious tolerance.
To achieve these objectives in this study is used multiple methods and techniques of analysis is descriptive, explanatory, critical. This study concludes. The first: Ibnu Juzayy considers that the concept of naskh is the concept of law abolition, a total cancellation of the law is ever enacted. The concept has very urgent in the Qur'an and one of the requirements must be followed by a commentator in the process of interpretation of the al-Qur'an. The second: The concept of Ibnu Juzayy naskh give implication that the verse which has been abrogetad as well as a paragraph is not valid based on those objects abolition. The third: Scripting a verse in the perspective of Ibnu Juzayy is based on the historical aspects of the conflict and verse / taqdi> m and ta'khi> r. This means that the last paragraph descending assessed as na> sikh the verses that is revealed earlier. The fourth: Ibnu Juzayy who have an exclusive understanding of the commentators so nuanced tolerance tend being based on the assumption, does not happen abrogating real.


Through expounding the merits and demerits of the qualitative forecasting method and the quantitative forecasting method, this paper mainly approaches the inner links and organic combination between the qualitative forecasting method and the quantitative forecasting method in the process of the information forecasting, and points out that only the combination of the two methods can make each factor of the forecasted object merge into the forecasting results, improving the precision of the information forecasting.


This longitudinal study aimed to verify the advantages of simultaneous bilateral stimulation for the development of hearing and oral language skills over unilateral stimulation in children using cochlear implants, in the first year of electronic device use. The study included twenty children divided into two matched groups (n=10): children using unilateral cochlear implant (UCI), and those using simultaneous bilateral cochlear implant (BCI). The IT-MAIS or MAIS and MUSS questionnaires were used for evaluated language and auditory performance at three, six, and twelve months after activation of the electrodes. A gradual increase in auditory speech perception and oral language development was seen over the first year of device use in both groups; however, there was no significant difference between the two groups. In conclusion, in the first year of cochlear implant use, children using UCI and those using simultaneous BCI showed similar development of auditory perception of speech and oral language. Research Article Hearing and Oral Language Skill Development in Children with Unilateral and Simultaneous Bilateral Cochlear Implants in the First Year of Device Use Simone Fiuza Regaçone1, Kátia de Freitas Alvarenga1*, Julia Speranza Zabeu-Fernandes2, Adriane Lima Mortari Moret1, Eduardo Boaventura Oliveira2, Rafaela Cristina da Silva Bicas2, and Orozimbo Alves Costa1 1Department, of Speech Pathology, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil 2Hospital of Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil


Background : The reason why heartburn in gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease subjects without oesophagitis is less responsive to proton pump inhibitors than heartburn in those with erosive oesophagitis is not known.


Situation and Policy Curriculum has gone through five stages of development in China, leaving some historical reference experience for modern teaching. According to the present teaching situation of "Situation and Policy", this paper finds out the following problems, such as: single teaching mode, emphasizing theory over practice, curriculum that can not reflect the latest situation and related policies of the country or the world deeply. According to the actual needs of students, we should take the following teaching forms to stimulate students' learning motivation and enhance teachers' teaching effects, such as: network teaching, social practice and reorganization of students and classes, and boldly explore new teaching modes to serve the students better. 1. Situation and Policy is a compulsory course in colleges and universities. To educate college students in patriotism, train them to analyze and judge the situation of the country and the world, to study the latest policies of the country and the parties, all of these are related to the development of the nation and the prosperity of the country. 1.1 The teaching model of the course is single. With the development of network technology and the integration of artificial intelligence and education, the network learning mode has changed dramatically compared with the traditional learning mode. The traditional teaching mode can not meet the needs of contemporary students, and the effect of teaching is even less satisfactory. At present, considering that the conditions are not allowed or the concept is outdated, most colleges and universities still adopt the teaching mode of "single indoctrination", that is, the passive mode of teachers speaking and students listening, resulting in insufficient motivation for students at learn and unsatisfactory teaching effects. Students are not deep enough to study, some students even cope with or do not listen at all. This teaching mode is rather old, can not meet the needs of contemporary college students, and the combination of science and technology has not been developed innovatively, which can not stimulate students interest in learning, let alone students' motivation to learn. 1.2 The curriculum emphasizes theory over practice. The current situation is that the syllabus usually set out the task and purpose of the course like this. 1) Students are required to understand basic theory and knowledge, situations and policies. To enable students to learn scientific situation and policy analysis methods, especially to understand, analyze and familiarize themselves with basic national conditions, domestic and foreign hot spots, and to overcome difficult points, in the hope of helping students to understand correctly the law of current situation and policy development, forming a scientific political view. 2) Hope to cultivate students ability of integrating theory with practice. Students are generally encouraged or required to take the initiative to participate in social practice and establish a correct world outlook, outlook on life and values, but there is generally little or no opportunity to practice. 3) Hope to guide students to understand the purpose of educational development, clarify the current professional employment situation, and establish a realistic concept of employment. With the syllabus, teachers usually only emphasize imparting theoretical knowledge and neglect teaching practice. As a result, many students can only learn the knowledge from books, and they can not apply it in practice, which 2019 2nd International Conference on Global Economy, Finance and Humanities Research (GEFHR 2019) Published by CSP © 2019 the Authors 1 leads many students not to be interested in the course. Therefore, the practical teaching mode is urgent! 2. Since the founding of the people's Republic of China, the development of curriculum has experienced 70 years, which has a certain historical accumulation and teaching experience. The "situation and Policy" curriculum has gone through five stages of development since it was incorporated into the curriculum system The first period: From 1949 to 1956, it is the curriculum formation stage. Specifically, "the curriculum was not developed at this stage and it mainly used in various national political education series activities. At that time, the teaching mode emphasized the effective combination of social hot spots, such as national events, political movements and so on, as well as the policies of the Party and the state. At the same time, the teaching model combined theory with practice and finally adjusted the specific teaching contents to meet the current teaching needs. That way of education did indeed stimulate the upsurge in students learning at that time. The second period: from 1956 to 1966, the curriculum was formally formed. The iconic event was the Context and Task course, which was launched in 1956. At this stage, the course is required to be study at a fixed time in politics. The third period: From 1956 to 1976, teaching pauses and retrogression stage. Influenced by the Cultural Revolution, curriculum teaching paused and finally regressed. Under the influence of some negative thoughts, some students and thoughts are biased, distorting the original intention of setting up situation and policy courses. The forth period: Recovery and development stage, from 1978 to2000. With the arrival of the reform and opening-up, the curriculum education has a new vitality. The teaching mode of this stage requires that the teaching content should be arranged according to the characteristics of the students and the current needs in the political work. The fifth period: From 2000 to the present, continuous improvement phase. At this stage, the curriculum design, the teaching staff, the curriculum development and so on have been fully improved, and the teaching mode has changed greatly . Table.1. Five Periods of Situation and Policy Course Experience Period Time and Characteristics The first period 1949-1956, curriculum formation stage. The second period 1956-1966, the course "Situation and Policy" formally took shape. The third period 1966-1976, teaching pause and regression period. The fourth period 1978-2000, the stage of recovery and development. The fifth period 2000-present, continuous improvement stage. The characteristics of past course teaching experience. From the course of teaching and development in the past few decades, the course has the following teaching characteristics. The first is to take the students as the subject and assist the students to understand the teaching purpose of the course. Since the beginning of the class, the Party and the state, who understand the politics, have made them familiar with the national conditions of our country and the present situation of the present development in order to cultivate the patriotic college students. Therefore, they have made unremitting efforts to make the students fully study and objectively understand the current learning hot spots in order to return to the university students as the center. It is the principle that the curriculum must follow. The second is to pay attention to the timeliness of the teaching content. Namely, the timeliness of the current teaching content is emphasized. Once, during the period of the Anti-Japanese War, our country has popularized relevant knowledge for college students.


The objectives were to analyze ontogenetically the fruits of Mimosa daleoides, M. dolens var. anisitsii and M. orthacantha, comparing themselves and identifying them correctly. Collections were made in Botucatu, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, and the fruits in several development stages were prepared according to usual anatomical techniques. During pericarp development, dendritics and spine-like emergences are produced, and an adaxial meristem is installed, originating the multiseriate lignified outer endocarp and the uniseriate parenchymatous inner endocarp. The structure of pericarp follows the pattern for Fabaceae, with uniseriate exocarp, parenchymatous and vascularized mesocarp, and heterogeneous endocarp. In M. daleoides and M. orthacantha, false septa are formed where transverse fragmentation of the pericarp occur; moreover, lignified tissue is produced externally to the ventral and dorsal bundles. Therefore, the fruits of these two species are craspedium and M. dolens var. anisitsii produces legumes with passive dehiscence.


1. Introduction: The concept of sustained development, as defined in the Brundtland report in 1987 and later on endorsed in Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is a complex and dynamic challenge that demands contributions of the most diverse sectors of activity. Research works concerning direct application of this concept for most industrial activities still is needed. The implementation of sustainable development in construction industry has led to concept of sustainable construction. Hence, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach is becoming, slowly but surely, the acceptable tool for selection of construction materials and products, as well as, construction processes and design. The application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for selection of construction materials constitutes, at present, the first step in a more complex assessment of the whole life global environmental performance. In order to assist designer different approaches to LCA have been suggested and a few software have been developed namely: SimaPro (Netherlands); general applications of LCA studies. GaBi (Germany); general applications of LCA studies. BEES 3.0 (U.S.A); support of decisions making in the materials selection. ATHENA (Canada); support of decisions making in buildings conception. GBTool (Canada); support in complete buildings system valuation. However, it was found that the software available could not be used directly for the case at hand and hence it was deemed necessary to develop a simple software for this research work. This research work is an attempt for gathering the necessary data for evaluation of reinforced concrete structures and steel structures, as well as, developing a user friendly software for quick comparison of these two construction materials that are used most frequently. 2. Methodology of the research work Selection of the structure: The structure studied is the structure of a multi-storey residential building. The specific object of this research work was a portion of the main frame which consisted of a three span continuous beam and four columns. It is assumed that in as a first approach this will be representative of the whole structure (see fig 1). The second step was to design the structure for the same function using the two construction materials considered. This step followed the conventional procedures for such designs using EU codes of practice.


This paper is based upon the practice of the Human-Machine Interaction Group at EDF Research and Development. It describes essentially the said stage "dialogue principles" for user interfaces design.


How much does your genetic makeup influence your likelihood to smoke tobacco? Nicotine is the addictive component of tobacco and tobacco smoke that acts on the central nervous system by stimulating the dopamine reward pathway. Differences in the nicotine dependence of individual smokers may be influenced by variations in the dopamine receptor genes. Spitz et al. (p. 358) studied therelationship between specific D2 dopamine receptor (DRD2) genotypes (i.e., which variant alleles were present) and smoking status among case (lung cancer) and control subjects participating in an ongoing epidemiologic study. The authors found that subjects with rarer DRD2 genotypes were more likely to be ever smokers, were apparently younger at the time of smoking initiation, and had attempted to quit smoking fewer times. In an accompanying editorial, Noble (p. 343) discusses the study conducted by Spitz et al., and he concludes that their results provide support for an association between the DRD2 genotype and smoking habits. He suggests that research into the mechanisms involved may eventually lead to interventions that reduce the numbers of people affected by nicotine addiction.


Environmental consciousness among the Swedish population has considerably increased over the last decade. However, to be concerned with environmental questions does not automatically lead to greate ...


Internet of Things (IoT) defines a network of devices connected to the internet and sharing a massive amount of data between each other and a central location. These IoT devices are connected to a network therefore prone to attacks. Various management tasks and network operations such as security, intrusion detection, Quality-of-Service provisioning, performance monitoring, resource provisioning, and traffic engineering require traffic classification. Due to the ineffectiveness of traditional classification schemes, such as port-based and payload-based methods, researchers proposed machine learning-based traffic classification systems based on shallow neural networks. Furthermore, machine learning-based models incline to misclassify internet traffic due to improper feature selection. In this research, an efficient multilayer deep learning based classification system is presented to overcome these challenges that can classify internet traffic. To examine the performance of the proposed technique, Moore-dataset is used for training the classifier. The proposed scheme takes the pre-processed data and extracts the flow features using a deep neural network (DNN). In particular, the maximum entropy classifier is used to classify the internet traffic. The experimental results show that the proposed hybrid deep learning algorithm is effective and achieved high accuracy for internet traffic classification, i.e., 99.23%. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm achieved the highest accuracy compared to the support vector machine (SVM) based classification technique and k-nearest neighbours (KNNs) based classification technique.


Radiographic measurements of foot deformities are used to determine, among other things, such conditions as flatfoot, high arch, or calcaneal fracture. Those measurements are achieved by estimating four angles. Manual assessment of those angles is time-consuming not to mention inevitable errors of such approximation. To the best of the authors knowledge, currently there is no research focusing on finding those four angles. In this paper an algorithm for automatic assessment of those angles, based on extremely randomized trees, is being proposed. Moreover this diagnostic assisting system was intended to be as generic as possible and could be applied, to some degree, to other similar problems. To demonstrate usefulness of this method, correlations of automated measurements with manual ones against correlations of manual measurements with manual ones are being compared. The significance level for manual-manual measurements comparison is less than 0.001 in case of all four angles. The significance level for automated-manual measurements comparison is also less than 0.001 in all cases. The results show that the search for the aforementioned angles can be automated. Even with the use of a generic algorithm a high degree of precision can be achieved, allowing for a more efficient diagnosis.


Osiris'. A still more favourable rendering can be urged: these stars are 'the followers of Osiris' (cf. Faulkner's translation). The case of Re seems more difficult, for if he is the sun-god and the sun plainly sets every evening, how can he belong to the 'never-setting stars', which is the Egyptian phrase for the Circumpolar Stars? Bradshaw's reply is to deny, with much vigour, that Re (or Atum) is a sun-god. 'What is important in these texts', he says (p. 15), 'is that they associate eternal life not with the sun, but with the C.S., the reason for this doubtless being ... that in former times sunset was compared with death'. If one were to object that the hieroglyphic writing ofRe points to the sun, Bradshaw would reply, as in his pp. 8-9, that 'in hieroglyph N5 (Gardiner) Re is depicted by a small circle within a larger one; this suits a star describing a circle about the pole star (Thuban) rather than the sun'. Ingenious, certainly, but hardly convincing. Many related matters are discussed (such as sunset as the start of the 'religious day', pp. I and 3) and the work is one of undoubted originality which is likely to stimulate as well as provoke.


The aim of this study was to evaluate Streptococcus agalactiae carriage among pregnant women and to investigate antimicrobial susceptibility and capsular types of recovered isolates. A total of 114 pregnant women at high risk attending the prenatal service of the Hospital Universitario Antonio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, between September 1st, 2013 and August 31st, 2014 were evaluated. Vaginal/rectal secretions, collected by swabs, were cultured and positive cultures were submitted for species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing by the disk-diffusion technique and capsular typing by multiplex-PCR. Colonization rate was 6.1%, without significant difference between colonized or uncolonized women regarding age, level of education and previous gestation. On the other hand, absence of bacterial infection at the moment of the specimen collection was significantly associated with S. agalactiae colonization. Isolates were susceptible to ceftriaxone, clindamycin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, penicillin G and vancomycin. Tetracycline resistance was observed in 75% of the isolates. Capsular types found were Ia (50%) and III (50%). Frequency of S. agalactiae carriage was lower than observed in other studies, which may be associated with the population attended at this institution. Bacterial isolates were susceptible to antimicrobials recommended for neonatal infection prophylaxis. These isolates harbored capsular type genetic determinants associated with neonatal infections. Such results corroborate the need for continuous carriage screening, in order to prevent neonatal streptococcal infection.


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine acupuncture intervention suggested in the papers of assisted reproductive technology(ART, hereafter) in medicine journals and to establish the further direction. Methods: The papers published between 1996 and 2009 in Pubmed were reviewed. Results: 1. A variety of randomized controlled trials and case series were found in Pubmed concerning influence of acupuncture in ART. It was investigated into improvement of pregnancy rate, analgesic effect during oocyte retrieval, change of serum hormone, and reduction of anxiety. 2. It was on clinical pregnancy rate that main focus of the investigation was placed and the improvement of pregnancy rate differed from studies. 3. For the analgesic effect during oocyte retrieval, the electro acupuncture was mainly used and the studies reported the reduced pain rate, tiredness, and nausea. 4. Acupuncture was reported as significant in improving the state of anxiety during ART. Conclusion: It would be necessary to further study the period of acupuncture intervention, the selection of acupoint through well-designed study, and establish standard of evidence of them.


To reach international and national targets for climate gas reductions over the coming decades, a transformation is needed in all sectors including the manufacturing industry. A wide range of measures are needed to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Opportunities for radical reduction of emissions from industrial sites include process electrification, carbon capture, renewable feedstock and energy supply and a better utilization of excess heat.


A 34Gb/s 2:1 serializer consisting of a MUX and CMU using 0.18/spl mu/m CMOS is presented. The serializer is based on distributed amplifier topology realized using spiral inductors. The circuit also includes an on-chip 2-channel 2/sup 7/ -1 PRBS generator. The 34Gb/s serial output has single-ended voltage swing of 225mV with rise/fall time of 13ps, and measured ISI is less than 5ps p-p (with 2/sup 7/ - 1 PRBS data).


To investigate the compositional dependence of the piezoelectric properties in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films, 2-J..Lm-thickness Pb(ZrxTi 1 .x)0 3 (x=0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8) films were prepared on Pt/Ti/Si0 2 /Si substrates by a chemical solution deposition process. The prepared thick films were fabricated into disk shape structure using reactive ion etching with a diameter of 10 J.Lm and 20 J.Lm. The ferroelectric properties and longitudinal displacement of the PZT thick film disks were measured simultaneously with an atomic force microscope (AFM) connected with a ferroelectric test system (FCE). Piezoelectric constants, referred to as AFM d 33, were calculated from unipolar driven strain-field curves. For ferroelectric properties, the coercive field Ec increased with decreasing Zr content, x, and remnant polarization Pr showed a peak at x= 0.4. On the other hand, the AFM d 33 showed two peaks at x= 0.5 and 0.7. These tendencies are consistent with a simulation result for PZT ceramics (Yamamoto 1998 [1]). We suggest that the AFM d 33 peak at x= 0.7 corresponds to the rhombohedral phase boundary between the high temperature, Rh (HT), and low temperature, Rh (LT) phases.


Immunoassay of molecular forms of human plasma kininogen and detection of low Mr fragments of kininogen by means of a conformation-dependent antigenic determinant


This paper describes the methodology applied in order to increase working gas capacity in existing GAZ de FRANCE aquifer storage facilities. Over the 1990-1995 period, a total increase of more than 12 % was achieved. The cases of three sites - Chemery, Gemigny sous Coulombs and Saint Clair sur Epte - are described and new perspectives are given.


Global trends show the worldwide increasing demand of energy and growing scarcity of fossil resources. To guarantee a safe and reliable electrical power supply also in future times, the aspect of sustainable electrical power generation is becoming more and more important. Thus an increasing number of countries meet this challenge with a steadily growing amount of renewable electricity production. Especially in Germany a part of the electrical power generation shifts into the medium and low voltage levels. Their increasing importance for the power supply requires a new way of distribution system operation with respect to transmission system operator's (TSO's) system responsibility. This paper proposes a schedule based distribution system operator (DSO) operation approach with special focus on the storage management algorithm. Numerical case studies have been performed to analyze the characteristics of the developed algorithms. It is shown, that the defined schedule between DSO and TSO grid level can be realized, without creating critical grid situations.


Presented is the research in a large number of studies, devoted to the study of state policy in relation to compatriots living abroad, at the same time, today there are practically no data on the state and assessment of the state and non-state support. In this regard, the authors have classified the forms of support into two groups - state and non-state, investigate the specific features of these forms of support, and analyze their effectiveness. Empirical analysis carried out in this research study includes qualitative data from expert interviews collected in 2021. In total, 31 interviews were conducted with experts from sixteen countries (Russia, Ukraine, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, USA, Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Panama, Uganda, New Zealand). Representatives of Russian and foreign public authorities, heads of the Coordination Councils of organizations of Russian compatriots abroad, heads of Russian youth public organizations abroad, heads of higher educational institutions, teachers and educators, and public figures acted as experts. In conclusion, the authors summarize the effectiveness of state and non-state support for young students of compatriots abroad, form a set of practical recommendations for improving these forms of support.


Academic staff development in the pedagogical applications of new technologies is fundamental to the transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary education settings. We present a case study of a staff development activity at Deakin University, a multi-campus university offering on and off-campus programs, which aimed to develop a collegial online experience for academics interested in using online technologies. It is contextualised within a broadly based centrally funded project initiated by the University to extend the use of technologies in significant curriculum areas. The initiative employed a text-based, asynchronous computer conferencing environment. We describe the structure of the online environment and explore the major issues raised by the participants based on their experience and evaluation of the conference. We conclude by raising key questions that draw on our experience of the successful outcome of this initiative to advance relevant and meaningful opportunities for academic staff development.


Carl G. Jung (1875-1961) was a Swiss psychologist whose principles have been found to be applicable to nearly all academic disciplines from mythology to religion to quantum physics, and to nearly all aspects of modern life. In the following selection, Jung discusses his most well-known (and controversial) concept, the collective unconscious, that aspect of the unconscious mind which manifests inherited, universal themes which run through all human life. The contents of the collective unconscious are archetypes, primordial images that reflect basic patterns or common to us all, and which have existed universally since the dawn of time.


Blockchain technology has a significant application in smart farming due to its immutability, decentralization and transparency properties. Data exchanged in an Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart agriculture can be used to remotely monitor the fields and regulate the crop needs for optimal productivity. However, such data is sensitive to several attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attack, replay attack, ephemeral secret leakage attack, impersonation attack and denial of service (DoS) attack. The existing solutions to counter these attacks are either costly or lack significant security features. To mitigate these issues, we design a novel lightweight blockchain based authentication scheme based on a fully decentralized and distributed architecture. The designed scheme is subjected to a rigorous security analysis and also a formal security verification using the widely-used Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications (AVISPA) tool, and it is shown that the scheme is robust and secure against various passive and active attacks. A detailed comparative analysis shows that the proposed scheme has the low communication cost and significantly lower computation cost while satisfying all the security and functionality features as compared to those for other existing relevant schemes.


This work propose a simple and effective methodology to detect and estimate musical tones, in real time, from mid-register musical instrument executions. Digital signal processing not only involves time-frequency estimation algorithms to establish the executed tones but the capability to generate automatically the coding needed to adapt the information to MIDI protocol, a widely accepted standard in music industry.


Resumo Simultaneous occurrence of cable vibrations under the combined action of wind and rain have been observed around the world in cable-stayed bridges in the last 20 years. This mechanism has caused great concern to bridge engineers and researchers due to the large vibration amplitudes. These vibrations, which are predominantly cross-wind, were observed only under conditions of light rain and low wind speed occurring simultaneously. This paper presents the main results of an experimental wind tunnel study on three sectional cable models, set to investigate the influence of rivulets on the vortex shedding mechanism. The M1 model was positioned horizontally with perpendicular wind incidence to the longitudinal axis, the M2 model was positioned horizontally with oblique wind to the longitudinal axis and the M3 model was a typical inclined cable of cable-stayed bridges. For the M3 model, the vortex shedding intensity increases for all rivulets positions. The greatest intensity occurred when the upper and lower rivulets were at 50° and 110°, respectively. For turbulent flow, the vortex shedding is stronger in the models with rivulets. For Re 1.2 x 105 the lower rivulets have a clear influence on the flow around the cylinder. For the inclined model (M3) the lower rivulet affected the flow for all the Re range.


It is presented an analysis of the agroindustry coordination´s forms in Chiapas, in the South Pacific of Mexico, in the context of globalization processes and the neoliberal transformation of the State. Three agroindustries are examined: mango, dairy-cheese, and non traditional products. It is based in direct field work that includes case studies by agroindustry. Focus is on regional system´s organization for competitivity; the coordination of specific agroindustries; and how is this related with territorial competitivity conditions. Conclusions indicate the diversity of industry organizational forms in the globalization.


Employee happiness as well as well-being at the workplace is an emerging concept in the management and psychology domain. This article aims to analyze the impact of grit on employees' workplace happiness via psychological capital (PsyCap), moderated by coaching culture and theorize by trait activation theory. Data were collected from 272 employees working in the public and private sectors of the service industry in Pakistan. For statistical analysis, we conducted reliability, correlation, and process Hayes. Employees who were highly engaged and grittier, satisfied at work, and feel happy while PsyCap fully mediated this relationship between grit and happiness at work. Coaching culture on the other side moderate this relationship between grit and workplace happiness through PsyCap such that the relationship is strong for the high value of coaching culture than when it is low. It's been found that grit is a greater indicator of future success than Intelligence. Therefore, it is the need of the hour that organizations developed PsyCap in employees through proper training and coaching. Encourage them to think long-term as well as short-term and teach them how to prioritize their work accordingly. Thus, in today's dynamic business environment, this study contributes potential for organizational survival and growth.


The b -adrenoceptor activities of trimetoquinol (TMQ) isomers and selected derivatives were evaluated on human b -adreno-ceptor subtypes expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. In cAMP accumulation assays, ( 2 )-TMQ was 214-, 281-, and 776-fold more potent than ( 1 )-TMQ at stimulating b 1 -, b 2 -, and b 3 -adrenoceptor subtypes, respectively. In radioligand binding assays, ( 2 )-TMQ exhibited 123-, 331-, and 5-fold greater affinity than ( 1 )-TMQ for b 1 -, b 2 -, and b 3 -adrenoceptor subtypes, respectively. ( 2 )-TMQ and ( 6 )-TMQ activated the human b 3 adrenoceptor with an 8.2- and 3.4-fold greater efficacy, respec- tively, than the reference b -adrenoceptor agonist ( 2 )-isoproter-enol (efficacy 5 1). The 3 9 ,5 9 -diiodo analogs of TMQ were partial agonists of the b 2 -adrenoceptor relative to ( 2 )-isopro-terenol, and their potencies were 5- to 10-fold higher at the b 3 -adrenoceptor as compared with b 1 -adrenoceptors. Modification of the catechol (6,7-dihydroxy) nucleus, such as replace- ment of the 7-hydroxy group with a chloro group (7-chlo-roTMQ), ring fluorination (8-fluoro and 5,8-difluoro analogs), or preparation of bioisosteric tetrahydrothiazolopyridine (THP) derivatives of TMQ yielded compounds that displayed partial agonist activity (relative to ( 2 )-isoproterenol) or were inactive at the b 2 -adrenoceptor and exhibited b 3 -adrenoceptor-selective stimulation compared with the b 1 -adrenoceptor. Furthermore, the 3 9 ,5 9 -diiodo-4 9 -methoxybenzylTHP derivative of TMQ was 65-fold more potent than the corresponding 3 9 ,4 9 ,5 9 -trime-thoxybenzylTHP at the human b 3 -adrenoceptor. Our results indicate that 6,7-dihydroxy-catechol-modified and 1-benzyl halogen-substituted derivatives of TMQ represent promising leads for the development of b 3 -adrenoceptor-selective agonists. 3 9 ,5 9 -diiodo-4 9 -desme-thoxyTMQ, 6,7-dihydroxy-1-(3,5-diiodobenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; 3 9 ,4 9 ,5 -triiodoTMQ, 6,7-dihydroxy-1-(3,4,5-triiodobenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; 8-fluoroTMQ, 6,7-dihydroxy-8-fluoro-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; 5,8-difluoroTMQ, 5,8- difluoro-6,7-dihydroxy-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; 7-chloroTMQ, 7-chloro-6-hydroxy-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline; 3 -trimethoxybenzylTHP, 1-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrothiazolopyridine; ,5 9 9 methoxybenzylTHP, 1-(3,5-diiodo-4-methoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrothiazolopyridine; THP, tetrahydrothiazolopyridine.


Article investigates the questions of development strategy of small metal trading firms using the methods of economic-mathematical modeling and methods of forecasting. Predictive calculations were performed on example of one particular enterprise, for different demand scripts: pessimistic, optimistic, inertial and aggregated


Microscopic and ultrastructural cytochemical techniques were utilized in an attempt to localize the site of solanine synthesis in potato (Solarium tuberosum L. cv Russett Burbank) tubers. Application of an alkaloid extract of potato tissues to TLC plates before and after incubating with digitonin indicated solanidine, a direct precursor in the biosynthesis of solanine, was removed by digitonin. In the electron micrographs, the solanidine-digitonin complex was recognized as darkly stained needles or spicules. These spicules were observed primarily in the vacuoles of sprouted tips with a few also noted in the cytoplasm and peridermal tissue. This study demonstrated only minute quantities of solanidine present. The small quantities observed may reflect a rapid conversion of solanidine to solanine or chaconine or insensitivity of the method.


An orientation-stretch-coupled constitutive equation is suggested for symmetric Cayley tree-like dendrimers, which can self-consistently describe the linear relaxation spectrum and nonlinear viscoelastic behavior. The molecular stress is determined by orientation-stretch-coupled conformation tensors of all segments. The linear relaxation spectrum is determined according to hierarchical arm retraction with branch point hopping and dynamic tube dilation. Under strong flows, the orientation relaxation time and the stretch relaxation time are affected by the convective constraint release effect and branch point withdrawal. The coupling between segmental orientation and stretch in each generation is represented in the evolution of the coupled conformation tensor, while the possible stretch coupling among different generations is ignored. The predictions on both linear and nonlinear rheological behaviors are consistent with experiments, proving the rationality in treating coupling problems.


If the assistant principalship position is to improve, it will require enlightened and dedicated leadership by principals, says this writer, who urges them to work to improve AP job satisfaction.


The luminescence generation mechanism of semiconductor epitaxial structure and the basic principle of photoluminescence spectrum measuring instrument are outlined in this paper. Detailed method about how to make use of the instrument to measure the doping level and composition as well as the uniformity of GaAs/GaAlAs layer is described. In the end, the effect of these parameters on the function of the III-gen photocathode is discussed.


Wind resistances and moment acting on a ship model measured in a wind tunnel are non-dimensionalized using the air density, the projected area of the model and the representative wind velocity. However, there is no common definition of the representative wind velocity in wind tunnel tests for ships, thus wind velocities which are obtained by an anemometer fixed in a certain place in a wind tunnel or measured at a height equivalent to 10 m from the sea surface are often used. In principle, there is no problem as long as the wind velocity profile under the same condition is assumed and the wind velocity at the same position is employed when the wind resistance coefficients are converted into forces of different scales. Nevertheless, if the wind velocity distributions between in the wind tunnel test and the assumed distribution by the user are different, the wind resistance coefficients cannot be used in the first place. And the existence of various definitions of non-dimensionalization makes it difficult to simply compare wind resistance coefficients themselves. Since it is meaningful to clarify the definition of the representative wind velocity which can provide wind resistances in a realistic and reasonable manner using the wind resistance coefficients without being influenced by the assumed wind velocity distribution, it was derived from the results of wind tunnel tests under the conditions of various wind velocity profiles and using various types of ship models. Furthermore, the influence of the wind velocity profile on the wind resistance measurement was evaluated with the results of the wind resistance measurement in different wind velocity profiles. Several findings on the wind velocity profile required for wind resistance measurements are reported in this paper.


An important part of Canada's contribution to the Allied war effort during the Second world war can be measured in kilowatt hours of hydroelectric power. And as Matthew evenden argues in Allied Power, the mobilization of Canadian hydro power involved the mobilization of political power in the country. indeed, a very close relationship emerged between, on the one hand, the centralization of federal authority, and on the other, the acceleration and expansion of hydroelectric development. The context of war provides evenden with a new approach to thinking about the history of hydroelectricity in Canada, while his national perspective offers a useful comparative framework for evaluating the range of uneven, but often related, consequences that unfolded at the same time in distinct places across the country. By weaving together the changes to Canada's social and physical geographies during the war, Allied Power simultaneously contributes new insights to scholarship on the influence of the state in directing economic growth, This is where the 'Unconformities' of Gidal's title comes into play. Geological unconformities describe layers in strata that are missing or hidden, usually because of a complex geological history including catastrophic events, and the passage of great lengths of time. in the ossian case, the unconformities – the missing layers – had disappeared under the radical environmental changes that beset this region as British industrialization rapidly devoured the landscape. The region in question includes Belfast, the valley of the river Lagan, Glasgow, the Firth of Clyde, and the Highland and western isles of Scotland. This region once encompassed the fabled kingdom of Dal riata in the sixth century. By the early nineteenth century it had become the site of environmental catastrophe. The eccentrics used modern geographic tools to uncover ancient historical landscapes for a purpose that in the end proved improbable: the general consensus today is that Macpherson was inspired by Gaelic oral traditions but wrote the epics himself. However, what the eccentrics did uncover was more lasting and significant. Their publications bore witness to an invasion far more sinister than that of the Scandinavians and romans that ossian's heroes attempted to drive away. rivers had been widened and canals had been excavated. Mines scarred the hillsides and railways and aqueducts snaked along elevated platforms. Harbors were widened and dredged. Quays jutted into the water to welcome steamboats and their ear-splitting horns. Cities crowded once verdant plains and factories belched coal smoke into the atmosphere. Acid rain smothered the ancient peat. in walking in the footsteps of ossian and his people, the eccentrics addressed the unconformities with a sentimental awareness of tragic loss. The fabled lands were gone from sight, yet in trying to uncover them new imaginative geographies emerged, geographies of poetry and longing and a new ecological perspective in response to evidence of environmental destruction. As a professor of english literature, Gidal focuses mostly on the poetry and that is as it should be, for without the poetry these evolving landscapes would never have been subjected to such scrutiny. For those interested in these landscapes and the changes wrought upon them by the industrial revolution, the book is a rich and satisfying resource – if only one can get past the academic unconformities in the language Gidal uses to describe them. Scott Anderson Geography Department, State University of New York, Cortland, NY, USA firstname.lastname@example.com


Flow cytometry was used to examine the expression of type I insulin-like growth factor receptors (IGF-IR) on three types of human hematopoietic cells that represent different stages of myeloid lineage development. Both HL-60 (promyeloid) and U-937 (monocytic) cells express abundant IGF-IR protein (>79% cells positive for the IGF-IR), whereas KG-1 myeloblasts express negligible levels of IGF-IR (<1% IGF-IR-positive cells). Exogenous IGF-I, IGF-II, and an IGF-I analog that binds poorly to IGF-binding protein-3 (des-IGF-I) increased DNA synthesis of HL-60 and U-937 cells in a dose-dependent (1–25 ng/ml) fashion by 2- to 4-fold in serum-free medium, whereas KG-1 cells did not respond to any of these growth factors. The IGF-induced increase in proliferation of HL-60 promyeloid cells was inhibited by soluble IGF-binding protein-3 (500 ng/ml) when these cells were stimulated with 10 ng/ml of either IGF-I (53 ± 8%) or IGF-II (59 ± 8%), but not with des-IGF-I (3 ± 1%). In contrast, the anti-IGF-IR monoclonal antib...


A laboratory experiment using a two-dimensional wave tank was designed to investigate the mechanism of erosion at a cliff base by waves armed with rock fragments. The experiment was performed under constant wave conditions by systematically changing the amount of beach sand at the foot of steep model cliffs of the same slope and strength. Cliff erosion occurred when the beach material at the cliff/beach junction was moved by waves. Turbulence created by bores rushing up on the beach mobilized the sand and exerted a mechanical shearing force on the cliff face using the sand as an abrasive. The analysis of results indicated that the effect of the abrasive doubled when the cliff/beach junction was located above Still Water Level (SWL) as compared to when it was below SWL. The assailing force of the sediment-laden water masses was proportional to the square of the bore speed immediately in front of the cliff face. The factor of proportionality is related to the quantity of beach sand entrapped in the turbulent fluid.


OBJECTIVE
To detect the expression of AT-rich sequence-binding protein (SATB1) mRNA in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and explore the role of SATB1 in the development of NSCLC.

METHODS
The total RNA was extracted from NSCLC tissues and normal lung tissues and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR was performed for detecting the expression of SATB1 mRNA these tissues.

RESULTS
The expression of SATB1 mRNA was 13-fold higher in NSCLC tissues than in normal lung tissues (P<0.001), and in metastatic and nonmetastatic NSCLC, the expression was 23.63 and 5.57 folds that in normal lung tissues, respectively.

CONCLUSION
SATB1 mRNA expression might be associated with the development and lymph node metastasis of NSCLC and may potentially used as an indicator for predicting the prognosis of NSCLC.


The objective of this work was to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of extractive activities in the forest of an ejido located in the southern area of the Yucatan Peninsula, with the purpose of evaluating its potential impact on the conservation of natural resources. The extractive activities selected were firewood collection, chicle extraction, wood extrac - tion and hunting. In addition, we included the milpa, since this form of agriculture is closely related to forest dynamics and other evaluated activities. Thirty-two ejidatarios were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to obtain information regarding the ejido's extractive activities. Subsequently, sites where extractive activities take place were located using a gps. A perturbation index was calculated for the elaboration of a sensitivity map based on the spatial summation of the


The transcriptome comprises all RNA molecules in a sample, tissue, or organism. A limitation of comparative transcriptomic studies which compare gene expression between individuals often under some differing exposure or treatment, of wild avian populations continues to be sample preservation of high-quality RNA (i.e., ribonucleic acids that transfer, translate, and regulate the genetic code from DNA into proteins). Field sampling of wild bird blood provides challenges as RNA degradation progresses quickly, due in large part to the high nuclease content of avian blood and because cryopreservation is often not feasible at remote locations. The introduction of commercial buffers for preservation of RNA enables field-collected studies as these buffers deactivate nucleases which degrade target nucleic acids. We seek to compare the effectiveness of widely available RNA stabilizing buffers, RNAlater (Ambion) and DNA/RNA Shield (Zymo) at varying concentrations along with a dry ice-based flash freezing method to determine optimal preservation methods for field-collected avian blood samples. To determine optimal preservation methods, we assessed RNA quantity and quality metrics: RNA integrity numbers (RINe), rRNA ratios, and total RNA concentration. Nucleated red blood cells, a characteristic common across non-mammalian vertebrates, provide sufficient transcriptionally active material enabling the identification of potentially active gene regions from small and non-lethal samples (∼ 20 μl). A protocol was also optimized for total RNA extraction from avian blood samples with small starting volumes enabling sampling of birds with a minimum threshold of 5 g body mass. We found that RNA preservation buffers, RNAlater and DNA/RNA Shield at all concentrations provide sample protection from RNA degradation. We recommend that caution be exercised when using dry ice-based flash-freezing alone for sample preservation as these samples resulted in lower quality measures then samples in preservation buffer. Total RNA concentration was generally not affected by preservation treatment and may vary due to differences in initial sample volumes.


Abstract : This project was based on the PI's research during 2005-2010 as part of a NSF-CAREER award, on the ferromagnetic properties of pure and transition metal doped oxide semiconductors such as SnO2, ZnO, and CeO2, reported in 40 refereed research papers. In this ARO project, studies on ultra small particles of these oxides with crystallite sizes of 2-5nm have shown room temperature ferromagnetism in undoped samples. Interestingly, in oxide nanoparticles doped with transition metal ions such as Fe and Co, the magnetic moment per dopant ion decreased with increasing their concentration, thus suggesting that the magnetic properties are not arising from the dopant ions. The observed magnetic moment in these materials scales with oxygen defect concentration determined from catalytic studies, thus indicating the major role of oxygen defects in the magnetic properties of nanoscale oxide semiconductors. Magnetic Properties of Fe doped, Co Doped and Fe+Co co-doped ZnO nanoparticles showed that charge transfer between co-doped metal ions contributes to ferromagnetism. Thin film structures using Co doped SnO2 were fabricated and studied their usefulness in device applications. NP of semiconducting oxides such as ZnO were also used to investigate their cytotoxicity and preferential cancer cell killing in several types of human cells.


Studies in the process industry (and also common sense) show that the most cost effective way to keep production processes running is through predictive maintenance, i.e. to carry out optimal maintenance actions just in time before a process fails. Modern processes are highly auto-mated; data is collected with sensor technology that forms a big data context and offers challenges to identify coming failures from very large sets of data. Modern analytics develops algorithms that are fast and effective enough to create possibilities for optimal JIT (Just-in Time) maintenance decisions.


The growth of a high‐quality complete graphene layer is successfully achieved for Ir(111) and Ru(0001) substrates using liquid ethanol as a precursor. Metallic substrates, which are cleaned in ultra‐high vacuum conditions, were ex‐situ immersed in liquid ethanol followed by the controlled in situ thermal annealing. The process of graphene formation and its quality are carefully monitored using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, low‐energy electron diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy methods. It is found that graphene formation starts at 400 °C via ethanol decomposition and desorption of oxygen from the surface leading to the formation of the high‐quality complete graphene layer at 1000 °C. The results of the systematic angular‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy experiments confirm the high quality of the obtained graphene layer, and it concludes that such an approach offers an easy, quick, and reproducible method to synthesize large‐scale graphene on different metallic substrates.


This paper proposes an improved Harris corners extraction algorithm, which consists of coarse screening and fine screening in the corners extraction process. Firstly, image segmentation is used to find the redundant regions of feature points in the image. Secondly, the original image is divided into 3x3 blocks to separately deal with the response values of the Hession matrix of the corners contained in each block. Finally, for the corners in the three small blocks on the left of the figure, since they are the farthest from the overlapping area, only two corners with the largest response values are taken from each small block. Similarly, the corners in the middle three small blocks are required to take 20%-60% of the number of corners in each block, and the corners on the right three small blocks are required to take 90% of the number of corners in each block. After removing the redundant corners, the rest corners are the key feature points to be matched. Experimental results show that the algorithm proposed by this paper not only improves the operating speed, but also improves the registration accuracy by reducing the number of corners, so as to lay the foundation for subsequent image stitching.