Abstract South African local government has entered a new era with the national local government elections of 5 December 2000 and has been legally empowered to expand its activities from its previously limited 'services to property' orientation into the promotion of social and economic development. Despite a dramatic extension of the role of local government in South Africa, legitimate doubts exist as to whether it possesses the requisite administrative capacity to adequately fulfill its new mandate. This paper argues that government failure, including local government failure, is now so pervasive in South Africa that municipalities are unlikely to be able to meet their expanded obligations. Accordingly, new models of local governance should be explored that can reduce the deleterious effects of local government incapacity. The paper then seeks to present the economic case for 'virtual local government' in South Africa.


The most common method for controlling structure through processing is through simple thermal excursions, as temperature causes atomic diffusion, and thus allows structural re-ordering. The primary experimental method used to determine the local internal structure of materials is that of transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Therefore, the most common dynamic in situ microscopy experiments revolve around the relatively simple act of heating a sample.


Abstract A mummy, or rather, a dessicated body, from Salts Cave, Kentucky, has been subjected to a comprehensive analysis. Radiocarbon analysis of internal body tissue placed the individual in the Woodland cultural period. A careful dissection of the body cavity revealed the presence of all internal organs but, due to dehydration, in a collapsed form. The diet of the individual, and indirectly of the population, was determined from the contents of the fecal material in the lower intestine and colon. Examination of the external side of the body revealed the individual to be a male, and radiographic and dental evidence indicated that he was around nine years of age. Blood group studies are still somewhat inconclusive, but tests are being conducted to clarify that problem. This paper was originally presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico, D.F.


To bulid the set-up for energy calibration of electron beam by the method of resonant depolarization in HLS,physics calculation is finished,and the beam loss monitor system to measure the relative change of Touscheck lifetime made.With this system,the beam loss of Touscheck lifetime is measured.The change of Touscheck lifetime is expected to be measured due to depolarization.


It has been reported that rat serum complement causes efficient hemolysis of antibody‐sensitized sheep erythrocytes (EA) at 20 C but not at 37 C. In connection with this, we demonstrated that C3 convertase of rat complement was significantly unstable at 37 C using purified components of rat complement.


The emergence of pervasive cloud computing has supported the transition of physical data and machine into virtualization environment. However, security threat and privacy have been identified as a challenge to support the widespread adoption of cloud among user. Moreover, user awareness on the importance of cloud computing has increase the needs to safeguard the cloud by implementing access control that works on dynamic environment. Therefore, the emergence of Risk-Adaptable Access Control (RAdAC) as a flexible medium in handling exceptional access request is a great countermeasure to deal with security and privacy challenges. However, the rising problem in safeguarding users' privacy in RAdAC model has not been discussed in depth by other researcher. This paper explores the architecture of cloud computing and defines the existing solutions influencing the adoption of cloud among user. At the same time, the obscurity factor in protecting privacy of user is found within RAdAC framework. Similarly, the two-tier authentication scheme in RAdAC has been proposed in responding to security and privacy challenges as shown through informal security analysis.


We present high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy of the brightest star in the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Leo IV. We measure an iron abundance of [Fe/H] = −3.2, adding to the rapidly growing sample of extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars being identified in Milky Way satellite galaxies. The star is enhanced in the α elements Mg, Ca, and Ti by ∼0.3 dex, very similar to the typical Milky Way halo abundance pattern. All of the light and iron-peak elements follow the trends established by EMP halo stars, but the neutron-capture elements Ba and Sr are significantly underabundant. These results are quite similar to those found for stars in the ultra-faint dwarfs Ursa Major II, Coma Berenices, Boötes I, and Hercules, suggesting that the chemical evolution of the lowest-luminosity galaxies may be universal. The abundance pattern we observe is consistent with predictions for nucleosynthesis from a Population III supernova explosion. The extremely low metallicity of this star also supports the idea that a significant fraction (≳10%) of the stars in the faintest dwarfs have metallicities below [Fe/H] = −3.0.


An active component was isolated from the culture of Streptomyces sp. by solvent extraction and column chromatography, and it was identified as a new component, named as tianshanmysin. For affirmance the area and methods of application, we choice Musca domestica and 12 representative fungi as tested objects for further bioactivity study. The result showed that this component had evidenced toxicity against Musca domestica and LC_ 50was 0.6μg/mL. This component also had strong fungicidal activity on Rhizopus nigrtcans Ehrb, Colletotrichum nigrum EL.et Halst and Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boed and IC_ 50 was 70.66,114.95 and 47.17μg/mL, respectively. So GAAS7310 is deserved for further study and having huge exploitation value.


The facets of host control during Plasmodium liver infection remain largely unknown and conventional innate regulatory pathways are only minimally effective at eliminating parasites1-3. Ferroptosis, a recently described form of iron-dependent cell death that drives accumulation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxides, but has not yet been shown to function as an innate immune response4,5. Inducing ferroptosis with pharmacologicals or by genetic perturbation of its negative regulators, GPX4 and SLC7a11, dramatically reduces survival of the Plasmodium Liver Stage. In contrast, knockdown or knockout of NOX1 or knockdown of TFR1, which are required for ferroptosis, increases the number of Liver Stage parasites. Moreover, we demonstrate that blocking ferroptosis renders parasite-infected hepatocytes resistant to P53-mediated hepatocyte death. Our work establishes that ferroptotic signaling serves to control Plasmodium infection in the liver and raises the possibility that ferroptosis operates as an axis of the innate immune system to defend against intracellular pathogens.


The farm household model, in which decisions about production and consumption are made simultaneously, lies at the heart of many models of development. Empirically modelling these simultaneous choices is not straightforward. The vast majority of empirical studies assume that farm households behave as if markets are complete in which case decision-making simplifies to a recursive system where consumption choices can be treated as if they are made after all production decisions. Previous empirical tests of this assumption have relied on restrictions on production decisions. We develop a new approach to testing based on household consumption choices and implement the procedure using data from rural Indonesia. Relative to production-side tests, the consumption-based test is well-suited to identifying those farm households in any setting whose behavior is consistent with complete markets and those for whom the assumption is rejected. We find the recursion assumption is not rejected for larger farmers but is rejected for small farmers. The tests are straightforward to implement and the results of the tests provide new opportunities to identify the behaviors that households adopt in the face of incomplete markets.


Objective To investigate the intracellular location of cytoplasmic transduction peptide-oligomerization domain 1-hemagglutinin (CTP-OD1-HA) and cytoplasmic transduction peptide-oligomerization domain 2-hemagglutinin (CTP-OD2-HA) fusion peptide and interaction with BCR-ABL protein in chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) K562 cells. Methods The prepared CTP-OD1-HA and CTP-OD2-HA fusion peptide were transduced into K562 cells, and the cytoplasmic transduction peptideoligomerization domain-hemagglutinin (CTP-OD-HA) peptide was used as positive control, and cytoplasmic transduction peptidehemagglutinin (CTP-HA) and PBS were used as negative control. The intracellular location of the fusion peptide was demonstrated by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The interactions between the fusion peptides and BCR-ABL protein were detected by His-pull down and CoIP test. Results Immunofluorescence assay showed that both fusion peptides CTP-OD1-HA and CTP-OD2-HA could penetrate the cell membrane, and they were mainly localized in cytoplasm. Western blotting also confirmed the existence of the two fusion peptides in the cytoplasm. His-pull down showed that CTP-OD1-HA and CTP-OD2-HA could directly bind BCRABL protein outside the cells, and CoIP experiment showed that both fusion peptides could interact with BCR-ABL protein and form complex in the K562 cells. The negative control CTP-HA fusion peptide and PBS showed no such effects. Conclusion CTPOD1-HA and CTP-OD2-HA fusion peptides can successfully target into CML K562 cells and locate in cytoplasm, and it interacts with BCR-ABL protein.

 DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2013.11.006


This project focused upon exploring elements of hegemonic masculinity which participants have consumed (or otherwise) in a context of Facebook profiles in order to create their social self-expression. At the same time this study recognised the consumption of ideological aspects that underpin participants' personal understandings of manhood.
The first phase of the research focused upon content analysis of eighty-nine Facebook profiles (Chapters 7-9). The aim was to capture masculine traits that participants symbolically consume and conceptualise in their social environment on a daily bases. The second phase of the research used an analysis of thirty-one open-ended questionnaires (Chapter 10). It explored the consumption of personal experiences of being a man which were also compared with participants' social self-presentation. Both parts of the research aimed to obtain a complex view on contemporary masculinities in order to understand why some aspects of hegemonic masculinity are consumed and valued on a daily bases while others are discarded by participants.
In short, gender identity was a main focus of this research. Masculine identities were shown to be underpinned by social, cultural and media messages as well as individual reflexivity. This thesis argues that looking at the concept of masculinity through the new lens of symbolic consumption allows both the identification of people's self-expression in a social context and the hearing of individual voices and the experiences of men. This approach captures the multiplicity of masculinities and contributes to challenging the hegemonic facets of gender.


We provide the reverse translation to that given in Fig. 2 of the main report as well as additional cross domain translations in Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Both forward and reverse directions are trained simultaneously using the same model as our model is symmetric. In the reverse direction, Given a sample b ∈ B (top row) and a sample a ∈ A (left column), each image constructed is of the form G(E(b), E A(a), 0)


The temperature dependencies of retention indices of a set of 80 esters with branched molecular structures were measured on a nonpolar gas chromatographic column. The correlation gas chromatography method and reliable data set of 16 esters selected from the literature were used to derive a correlation for the prediction of the standard molar enthalpies of vaporization at the temperature T = 298.15 K. Experimental values of for 64 branched esters were obtained with the help of this correlation. The vaporization enthalpies of isopentyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, and neopentyl pivalate were additionally obtained by the transiration method from the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure measured in a flow system and used for checking the validity of the correlation gas chromatography method.


In Lao People's Democratic Republic pigs are kept in close contact with families. Human risk of infection with pig zoonoses arises from direct contact and consumption of unsafe pig products. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Luang Prabang (north) and Savannakhet (central-south) Provinces. A total of 59 villages, 895 humans and 647 pigs were sampled and serologically tested for zoonotic pathogens including: hepatitis E virus (HEV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Trichinella spiralis; In addition, human sera were tested for Taenia spp. and cysticercosis. Seroprevalence of zoonotic pathogens in humans was high for HEV (Luang Prabang: 48.6%, Savannakhet: 77.7%) and T. spiralis (Luang Prabang: 59.0%, Savannakhet: 40.5%), and lower for JEV (around 5%), Taenia spp. (around 3%) and cysticercosis (Luang Prabang: 6.1, Savannakhet 1.5%). Multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering of principal components was performed on descriptive data of human hygiene practices, contact with pigs and consumption of pork products. Three clusters were identified: Cluster 1 had low pig contact and good hygiene practices, but had higher risk of T. spiralis. Most people in cluster 2 were involved in pig slaughter (83.7%), handled raw meat or offal (99.4%) and consumed raw pigs' blood (76.4%). Compared to cluster 1, cluster 2 had increased odds of testing seropositive for HEV and JEV. Cluster 3 had the lowest sanitation access and had the highest risk of HEV, cysticercosis and Taenia spp. Farmers which kept their pigs tethered (as opposed to penned) and disposed of manure in water sources had 0.85 (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.91) and 2.39 (95% CI: 1.07 to 5.34) times the odds of having pigs test seropositive for HEV, respectively. The results have been used to identify entry-points for intervention and management strategies to reduce disease exposure in humans and pigs, informing control activities in a cysticercosis hyper-endemic village.


The circulation of the travelling standards in the CIPM key comparison CCEM-K12 of AC–DC current transfer difference began in March 2005 and was completed in April 2007. The travelling standards were lost on their way from the last participant to the pilot laboratory. Since, prior to their disappearance, the travelling standards exhibited exceptional stability, the CCEM Working Group on Low-Frequency Quantities decided in June 2008 to accept the results of the comparison as valid without the final measurement by the pilot laboratory. The AC–DC transfer differences of the travelling standards have been measured at 10 mA and 5 A, and at the frequencies 10 Hz, 55 Hz, 1 kHz, 10 kHz, 20 kHz, 50 kHz and 100 kHz. The key comparison reference values were calculated as the weighted means of the results of the National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) with independent realizations of primary standards and low reported uncertainties. The degrees of equivalence relative to the key comparison reference values, as well as between pairs of NMIs, have been determined for the measurement points and show very good agreement. All but three of the calculated degrees of equivalence relative to the key comparison reference values are within the limits of the expanded uncertainties. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCEM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).


Though monetizing user-generated photos has a great potential in image business, this topic is seldom touched due to the difficulties of both image understanding and ads-to-images vocabulary matching. In this technical demonstration, we show case the Argo system, which attempts to monetize UGC (user-generated content) photos by mining a user's interest from a group of his photos and advertising the photos accordingly. Given a page of photos, it first auto-tags each photo by a large-scale search-based image annotation method, then maps both image annotations and the textual descriptions of ads onto an ODP-based topic hierarchy. The mapping produces semantic features which are statistical distributions on ODP topics. Ads are ranked by their similarities to such topic distributions of the photos and the top-ranked ones are output.


English teaching in Kindergarten is not optimistic.The goal of English teaching,as well as methods and teaching evaluation of English teaching in kindergarten should be reformed.The goal of English teaching in kindergarten should be unified and clear,i.e.,relating to three aspects of children's cognitive,emotional and skills.The method should base on games mainly and in line with the law of children's learning.Kindergarten English teaching evaluation should be conducive to the development of children's English language level,and should base on teacher's self-assessment,and should focus on the combination of formative assessment and summative assessment


We describe two infants suffering from severe pneumonia caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and needing mechanical ventilation with both high ventilator settings and a high fraction of inspired oxygen. The severity of the respiratory failure and the possibility of decreased and/or altered surfactant production led us to treat these infants with intratracheal instillation of natural surfactant. This resulted in an improvement of lung compliance and a decrease in the amount of oxygen required to maintain acceptable oxygen saturations. Intratracheal surfactant instillation might, therefore, be useful in the treatment of severe RSV pneumonia. Pediatr Pulmonol 1996; 22:412–415. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Validation of the problem definition and analysis of the results (tallies) produced during a Monte Carlo particle transport calculation can be a complicated, time-intensive processes. The time required for a person to create an accurate, validated combinatorial geometry (CG) or mesh-based representation of a complex problem, free of common errors such as gaps and overlapping cells, can range from days to weeks. The ability to interrogate the internal structure of a complex, three-dimensional (3-D) geometry, prior to running the transport calculation, can improve the user's confidence in the validity of the problem definition. With regard to the analysis of results, the process of extracting tally data from printed tables within a file is laborious and not an intuitive approach to understanding the results. The ability to display tally information overlaid on top of the problem geometry can decrease the time required for analysis and increase the user's understanding of the results. To this end, our team has integrated VisIt, a parallel, production-quality visualization and data analysis tool into Mercury, a massively-parallel Monte Carlo particle transport code. VisIt provides an API for real time visualization of a simulation as it is running. The user may select which plots to display frommore » the VisIt GUI, or by sending VisIt a Python script from Mercury. The frequency at which plots are updated can be set and the user can visualize the simulation results as it is running.« less


1. The coding method adapted to orthogonally transform each block having a predetermined size of a digital information signal, obtaining frequency transform coefficients, separating the frequency transform coefficients into a plurality of sub-bands, scaling and quantizing the frequency conversion based on the scale factor of the coefficients of each subband, and subband common scaling factor, which is common to the entire band, and encoding the quantized transform coefficients of the frequency of encoding in accordance with the variable length coding method comprising: the step of calculating the initial value of the total scaling factor; ! initial value correction step consisting in correcting the initial value; ! scaling factor control step of subband which consists in changing the scaling factor subband so that quantization noise does not exceed the allowable value; ! stage control the overall scale factor consisting in changing the common scale factor as long as the final value of common scale factor at which the amount of code which has been encoded with variable length code does not exceed a target code amount for each frame; and! a storing step consists in maintaining the original value of the total scaling factor and the final value of the total scaling factor for the current frame! wherein the initial value correction step is performed by adding the difference between the initial common scale factor value etc.


The trend of companies to be organized in logistics partnership exposes each one to external risks. These risks of partnership strategies are difficult to controlled and managed in supply chain, due to the multitude relations that exist in this chain and that generate many disturbances can propagate throughout this network. Under these conditions, the choice of the method of risk management is very important for a successful process. We will try in this paper to make a description of the different approaches of supply chain risks management to help the decision-makers in their choices.


Sirius is a 3 GeV, 4th generation synchrotron light source under commissioning by the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). Sirius will have a 0.25 nm.rad emittance storage ring based on 20 cells of a highly compact lattice – 5 bend achromat (5BA). Delta Undulators with magnetic aperture of 13.6 mm, and period of 52.5 mm will be used for the generation of soft X-rays to photoemission spectroscopy and X-ray absorption experiments. An extruded aluminum vacuum chamber having a small inner vertical aperture of 7.6 mm and inner horizontal aperture of 13 mm is proposed. This paper details the design and manufacturing processes of a complete chamber. Challenges regarding the TIG welding for aluminum and NEG coating for the small aperture chamber will also be presented. INTRODUCTION To reduce the horizontal emittance to a sub-nm.rad value, the Sirius storage ring has a circumference of 518 m comprising 20 achromats cells that are based on a 5-bend achromat (5BA) lattice [1]. Delta Undulators can be considered an adjustable phase device able to produce full polarized radiation [2] trough the displacement of magnetic arrays while maintaining the gap fix. This model of undulator can provide higher magnetic fields than conventional planar undulators [3]. However, the limited aperture in the cross section induces engineering challenges to the design of vacuum chambers. Sirius has 15 low beta straight sections, where the horizontal and vertical Beam Stay Clear (BSC) apertures, in the center, are +/3,2 mm and +/1,9 mm, respectively [4]. The small BSC values provides an opportunity to consider the Delta undulators at Sirius and use the produced intense and coherent photon beam to demanding experiments in beamlines. At this moment, one Delta 52 Undulators is planned to be installed at Sirius. Their main characteristics are presented in Table 1. Table 1: Delta 52 Undulator Parameters Period 52.5 mm Number of Periods 63 Maximum Total Length 3.6 m Magnetic Gap 13.6 mm Magnetic Field Amplitude 1.2 T K Maximum 5.85 The length of the first undulator to be installed will be 1.2 meters to validate engineering and scientific concepts, enabling the production of a 3.6 m version in the future. VACUUM CHAMBER'S DESIGN Material Selection Due to the characteristics of the Delta 52 undulator magnets, a vacuum chamber with narrow cross section and 1.3 meter length is proposed. To achieve the necessary cross section geometry, mechanical strength, and vacuum requirements, a custom 6063-T6 extruded aluminum profile was selected for the chamber. The extruded profile was manufactured in bars of 4.5 – 6 meters by the Hydro Extrusion company located at the city of Santo André, Brazil. Figure 1 illustrates de extruded profile as received. Figure 1: 6063-T6 aluminum extruded profile as received. Tight tolerances were demanded for the extrusion company. The center of the elliptical profile has only 0.2 mm acceptable deviation in position. Linear dimensions for the ellipse's axes have +/0.2 mm tolerance. Requested flatness for the profile was 0.5 mm for 6 meters of extruded bar. As part of the quality control of the extruded profile, metallographic analysis were conducted to evaluate grain refinement as illustrated by Fig. 2. Figure 2: Metallographic image from the central part of chamber's cross section. ___________________________________________ † email@example.com 12th Int. Particle Acc. Conf. IPAC2021, Campinas, SP, Brazil JACoW Publishing ISBN: 978-3-95450-214-1 ISSN: 2673-5490 doi:10.18429/JACoW-IPAC2021-WEPAB335 MC7: Accelerator Technology T14 Vacuum Technology WEPAB335 3463 C on te nt fr om th is w or k m ay be us ed un de rt he te rm s of th e C C B Y 3. 0 lic en ce (© 20 21 ). A ny di st ri bu tio n of th is w or k m us tm ai nt ai n at tr ib ut io n to th e au th or (s ), tit le of th e w or k, pu bl is he r, an d D O I


Combined with the rapid development of new media's potential market and service characteristics,this article analyses new forms of public library services in the new media era. Based on the current situation of new services such as the mobile library,library microblog,library wechat,library's mobile applications and digital TV library,it explores the content,function design and business characteristics of new media services for the public libraries,in order to enhance its professional ability construction in new era.


This study examines the conceptual background to specific aspects of competitiveness and examines one of the fundamental models for improving regional competitiveness. Regional competitiveness is an important factor of achieving economic growth and increasing the well-being. It plays a decisive role in enhancing the productivity and the economic performance of state and business enterprises and can also be used as a measure for the success of these enterprises as well as the proxy for their degree of openness to national and international competition and foreign trade. Furthermore, we present a theory of the movement of labour capital between regions and countries. Moreover, we show that factor allocation deviates from the most efficient outcome when the market is not working.


Objective To establish the method for determination the concentration of 5- FU in human serum. Methods The concentration of 5- FU in human serum was determinated by HPLC method,chromatographic condition: C18 chromatographic column( 250 mm × 4. 6 mm,5 um); moving phase methanol: water( 15∶ 85); detection wavelength: 265nm; flow rate: 0. 8ml / min; sample size: 20 ul. Results 5- FU in 1 ~ 20 ug / ml has a good linear relationship( r = 0. 9993). In 1,5,20 ug / ml,the RSD of intra- day were 5. 63%; 2. 14% and 2. 32% respectively. The average recoveries were 76. 76%,107. 87% and 98. 96% respectively. Conclusion This method is suitable for determination of the concentration of 5- Fu in human serum.


This paper analyzes the problems of the password guessing dictionary attacks and message replay attacks in current Kerberos protocol.An improved single sign-on protocol is proposed.The prevention of password guessing dictionary attacks is achieved by adding a random number and employing a dynamic key in authentication messages.The resistance of replay attacks is realized by marking the message between a client and its corresponding server with a unique serial number.Experimental results show that the improved protocol is valid.


There are several stages associated with fundamental changes in arrangement and production technologies for the development of agricultural production in the Republic of Belarus. Each of the stage was associated with achievements of scientific and technological progress and had important social and economic consequences. The paper dwells on the stages of agriculture development in the Republic of Belarus since 1919 to the present days. The basic transformations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food as a body for state administration of agriculture are covered. It is shown that nowadays the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus performs absolutely greater part of functions in the field of state agriculture management, in particular: administration, economic regulation, legal regulation, state agricultural policy, state control. It is known that high level of agro-industrial complex development guarantees the food security of the state, therefore, political independence and sovereignty as well. Over the years of the sovereign existence, the Republic of Belarus has been able to restore and develop agriculture, ensuring the country's food security, as well as become an important exporter of food and agricultural products. Thus, the achieved results of agricultural production confirm the right chosen course aimed at intensive methods of work based on achievements of science and technology.


CIS member countries are interconnected by both historical, cultural and economic components. Russia and China, as two global actors, influence the economic situation and security in the CIS. The purpose of the paper is to identify the dependence of the CIS member countries on Russia and China, as well as to identify dependence of the economic development of the member states on import of armaments. Applying a regional approach, as well as analyzing economic indicators, supplies of weapons and presence of the military industrial complex production and service enterprises, we can define Belarus and Kazakhstan as the states with the largest share of foreign (Russian and Chinese) investments and weapons in their home markets. The Russian Federation stands out in the general context of dominance throughout the CIS. There are also Russian geopolitical interests, which include protection of external borders by ensuring security and stability in the member states bordering third countries. Chinese interests are focused mainly in the border area, namely, Chinese interests in Central Asia. The growing influence of global actors in the region, which is ensured through their investments in industry, military supplies and setting up new production complexes, establishes an ever closer relationship among the nations of the region. Thus, such an influence may lead certain CIS member countries to closer integration with China and Russia in the future, namely, to create bilateral alliances with a higher degree of dependence on global actors in comparison with other CIS member countries.


The invention relates to a cholinesterase activity detection test paper strip based on silver nanoparticles. The test paper strip comprises a paper board, wherein water absorbent paper, a detection pad, a reduction pad and a sample pad are sequentially adhered on one side of the paper board from top to bottom, and the adjacent pads are overlapped and connected at the joints; the detection pad is a cellulose nitrate film, three detection lines are arranged on the film from top to bottom, and the detection lines are respectively coated with silver nitrate water solutions with concentrations from high to low; and the reduction pad is glass fiber and is sprayed with a certain concentration of HEPES solution of vitamin C. The test paper strip can be used for rapid detection of activity of cholinesterase and has the advantages of simplicity and convenience in use, high sensitivity, capability of obtaining detection results without relying on analysis of instruments and the like. The detection sensitivity of the established detection test paper strip against active cholinesterase can achieve 0.01nM, so that a new method can be provided for detection of the activity of cholinesterase.


Putrescine aminopropyltransferase transfers an aminopropyl group from decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine to putrescine forming spermidine. They have recently developed a rapid assay based on the separation of the spermidine product from the unreacted (/sup 14/C-met) labeled decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine substrate by charcoal adsorption. Using this assay they have developed a simple protocol for the purification of putrescine aminopropyltransferase from E. coli HT 527. The procedure involves ammonium sulfate fractionation, phenyl Sepharose chromatography, and FPLC. The enzyme is greater than 80% pure as judged by SDS-PAGE and has an apparent subunit molecular weight of 35,000. The kinetics of this enzyme are being reinvestigated.


Recent high-speed trains around the world have achieved remarkable improvement in speed. In Korea, the new high-speed train with maximum speed of 400㎞/h has been developing through the 'Future High-Speed Rail System Project'. The improvement in train speed brings numerous aerodynamic problems such as strong aerodynamic resistance, noise, drastic pressure variation due to the crosswind or passing by, micro-pressure wave at tunnel exit, and so on. Especially, the nose shape of high-speed train is closely related to the most of the aerodynamic problems. Also the pantograph has to be considered for noise prevention and detachment problems. In this paper, the project, 'Research on the Aerodynamic Technology Advancement of the High-Speed EMU' is introduced briefly, which is one of the efforts for the speed improvement of the 'HEMU400x'. Finally, two main results of train nose and pantograph will be shown. First, the optimization of the cross-sectional area distribution of the high-speed train nose to reduce tunnel micro-pressure wave, and second, robust design optimization of the panhead shape of a pantograph.


Citizens inhabit the domain of theory, populations the domain of policy. Unlike the concept of citizen, the concept of population is wholly descriptive and empirical, it does not carry a normative burden. Populations are identifiable, classifiable, and describable by behavioral criteria and are amenable to statistical techniques such as censuses and sample surveys.


Since its inception in 1957 the Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology has functioned as an extension of the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at Unisa. An active acquisition policy resulted in large collections currently totalling more than 27 000 artefacts. Mr H F Sentker, the founder, initially administered the collection in addition to his capacity as lecturer of the department, but later as full-time curator of what subsequently became a fully-fledged museum.


CAS 105-60-2 1. Summary The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is required to develop guidelines for conducting health risk assessments under the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program (Health and Safety Code Section 44360 (b) (2)). OEHHA developed a Technical Support Document (TSD) in response to this statutory requirement that describes acute, 8-hour and chronic RELs and was adopted in December 2008. The TSD presents methodology reflecting the latest scientific knowledge and techniques, and in particular explicitly includes consideration of possible differential effects on the health of infants, children and other sensitive subpopulations, in accordance with the mandate of the Children's Environmental Health Protection Act (Senate Bill 25, Escutia, chapter 731, statutes of 1999, Health and Safety Code Sections 39669.5 et seq.). These guidelines have been used to develop the following REL for caprolactam: this document will be added to Appendix D of the TSD. Exposure to caprolactam has been found to cause nasal, respiratory and eye irritation in both animals and humans. Exposure causes inflammation of the nasal and laryngeal epithelium in exposed rodents. High doses administered orally to pregnant rats caused fetal weight loss. 1.1 Acute REL Summary Acute inhalation reference exposure level 50 g/m 3 (3 ppb) as vapor Critical effect(s) Increased total symptom and complaint score, including nasal and eye irritation Hazard index target(s) Respiratory system; eyes 1.2 8-Hour REL Summary 8-Hour Inhalation reference exposure level 2 µg/m 3 (0.5 ppb) as aerosol Critical effect(s) Inflammatory changes of nasal and laryngeal epithelium


Regional distribution of rural population in a specific area or region has a direct influence on its progress andprosperity. The spread of people by size group and dispersion over a country's land mass also has an impact onits socioeconomic progress, prosperity and the availability and quality of infrastructural facilities. Village sizevaries considerably in the Kurdistan region, with some villages having less than 50 residents and some havingmore than 1000 residents. The study first observes the size category of villages in Erbil state using census data. Itthen establishes linkages between the size of villages and their accessibility to basic amenities. Small villageshave grown in number and there is a decline in the number of large villages in the state. Residents of largevillages are socioeconomically better developed compared to residents of smaller villages, and they have betteraccess to basic services.Keywords: village size; amenities; sustainable development; Kurdistan /Iraq


Simplex Adjacency graphs represent the possible Simplex pivot operations (the edges) between pairs of feasible bases (the nodes) of linear optimization models. These graphs are mainly studied so far in the context of degeneracy. The more general point of view in this paper leads to a number of new results, mainly concerning the connectivity and the feasibility-optimality duality in these graphs. Among others, we present a very short proof of a result of P. Zornig and T. Gall (1996) on the connectivity of subgraphs corresponding to optimal vertices, and we answer H.-J. Kruse's (1993) question on the connectivity of graphs related to the negative pivots in optimal vertices.


N Engl J Med 2003;348:2125-32. Copyright © 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society. A 58-year-old, right-handed woman was admitted to the hospital because of left hemiparesis. The patient had been well until five days earlier, when a right frontal headache developed, with radiation to the right eye and right ear; suspecting sinusitis, her physician prescribed amoxicillin. Four days before admission, weakness developed in the left arm, and she began to drop items that she was holding in her left hand. During the next three days, the weakness worsened. On the day of admission, she awoke with weakness in the left leg; at one point, she fell from a chair and was unable to rise or walk. She was brought to this hospital, where a right-sided intracranial mass was detected and she was admitted. The patient was married and was employed as an executive. There was a history of similar headaches, without radiation to the eyes or ears, associated with bouts of sinusitis that had been treated with antibiotics; these headaches had usually been accompanied by rhinorrhea, which was absent on this occasion. Her family had noted increasing somnolence during recent days but had observed no confusion or other neurologic symptoms except for the left hemiparesis. She was in excellent health and ordinarily took no medications. She did not smoke and consumed alcohol in moderate amounts. Four dental cavities had been filled during the preceding two weeks. She was allergic to sulfonamide. The temperature was 36.8°C, the pulse 65 beats per minute, and the respiratory rate 16 breaths per minute. The blood pressure was 125/80 mm Hg. On physical examination, the patient appeared well. Findings on a general examination were unremarkable, and no cardiac abnormality was detected. On neurologic examination, the patient was sleepy but alert and oriented, with fluent speech. Both pupils were 3 mm in diameter and constricted to 2 mm on exposure to light; extraocular movements and the visual fields were intact. Weakness in the central area of the left side of the face was noted. Strength was 4/5 in the left deltoid, biceps, triceps, and forearm and hand grip muscles and in the interosseous, iliopsoas, quadriceps, hamstring, soleus, and gastrocnemius muscles and was 5/5 in the same muscles on the right side. There was no pronator drift of the outstretched arms. The sensation of a presentation of case


Objective To study the effect of the extracts from Marsdenia officinalis Tsiang et P.T.Li on Na+,K+-ATPase activity and to affirm some cardiotonic materials in the plant.Methods The extracts were separated from stems,fruits and leaves of Marsdenia officinalis Na+,K+-ATPase activity of SD rat heart sarcolemma was determined.Results The extracts from stems and leaves of Marsdenia officinalis could inhibit the activity of Na+,K+-ATPase,and the extract from the stems had a stronger inhibition to the activity of the Na+,K+-ATPase than the others,and showed a dose-dependent manner.At the same time,the hydro-extraction from stems had no significant difference with Desacetyllanatoside in inhibiting activity of the Na+,K+-ATPase.Conclusion There are active ingredients in the extract of Marsdenia officinali which is similar to cardiac glycoside.These ingredients exists mainly in stems.The cardiotonic function of hydro-extraction from stems is the same as Desacetyllanatoside.


1. Outline of Play. 2. Mostly for Parents. 3. Out of School Play and Fulfilment. 4. School Years and Continued Growth. 5. Imagination, Social and Theatre. 6. Senior Education. 7. Dance. 8. Rea St Centre. 9. Dramatherapy. 10. Delinquency. 11. Adult Training. Final Remarks.


Motivated by observations that consumers demand product variety and scope economies or diseconomies for multiple products are prevalent, we develop two supply chain models under different channel leaderships, namely the retailer(-led) Stackelberg (RS) model and manufacturer(-led) Stackelberg (MS) model, to address the issues on product variety and pricing. In the RS case, we find that if it is not too costly to increase variety, the manufacturer's profit increases with diseconomies of scope, and it is optimal to provide a greater variety than the variety just covering the market under the centralized supply chain, while the decentralized supply chain provides a variety level just covering the market; however, the variety under the decentralized supply chain is greater than that under the centralized system. In addition, a higher shelf cost for the retailer strengthens the double marginalization effect. For the MS model, when we compare it with the RS model, we find that the retail price under the MS model is higher than that under the RS model, while the variety level under the MS model is higher when scope economies exist and whether variety and channel profit under the MS model are higher highly depends on shelf cost and marginal variety cost.


This report presents an evaluation of Swedish traffic information services as assessed by professional drivers using the stated preference method. IN SWEDISH


Due to the daily increasing demand for crude oil fuel for its various capacities of energy production and utilizations, a twin respond of exploration for more hydrocarbon reserves and drilling activities was accompanied. As a result, rate and cost of importing drilling clay (Wyoming Bentonite), a major raw material in drilling mud becomes so high that hundreds of millions of dollar is incurred on company budget (Arinkoola, et al., 2020). Thus, the Federal Government of the federal republic of Nigeria, on sensing the benefits of local content development, then clamour for its use as drilling mud. This therefore becomes the bed-rock which this paper is belt on to investigate local clay for some its properties, like viscosity-gel strength. This paper also reviews the formulation of an equivalent one barrel of a laboratory drilling mud using Irhodo bentonite. This paper report two methods and devices used to determine viscosities; the marsh funnel viscosity method using Marsh Funnel and Fann Viscosity-Gel method using the Rheometer. The result of the experiment for the determination of viscosity using marsh funnel apparatus, for both local and bentonite drilling mud, and show 27.12 and 37.17sec/qt (seconds per quart). And when additives, CMC and guar-gum were added, 27.23sec/qt, 29.47sec/qt and 23.19sec/qt and 29.47sec/qt respectively obtained.


Background: Congenital Anomalies (Birth defects) are functional, metabolic and even structural deficiencies that are present before or at birth. They are a major contributor to perinatal and infant morbidity and mortality. In Kenya, there is little empirical data on congenital anomalies. Study objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of congenital anomalies; and to describe the associated risk factors. Methodology: This was a hospital based descriptive, cross-sectional study design. 52 respondents were recruited for this study using the Fischer's formula. A researcher-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data from structured questionnaires was entered, checked, cleaned and analyzed. Descriptive analysis using means, frequency and proportions was computed. Results: Analysis of the data showed that among the 315 neonates admitted in Newborn Unit, Kenyatta National Hospital, the prevalence of Congenital Anomalies was 19.4% (61). The Musculoskeletal system was the most affected (38.5%). 88.4% of the mothers were below 35years of age and 61.5% were not working. The prevalence of Congenital Anomalies was more among neonates born vaginally. Conclusion: The prevalence of Congenital Anomalies was high compared to the global prevalence of 3-7%. Congenital anomalies were more likely to be associated with younger maternal age, being of low socio-economic class, vaginal delivery and the neonate being a first born.


The invention provides a novel friction stir welding stirring head. The stirring head comprises a connecting part, a stirring needle, a clamping part, a shaft shoulder, a threaded rod and two nuts. The connecting part is a cylinder. The stirring needle is mounted at one end of the shaft shoulder, and the stirring needle and the connecting part are coaxially arranged. The connecting part is provided with an inner threaded hole capable of being matched with the threaded rod. A mounting groove capable of being matched with the side, far away from the stirring needle, of the connecting part is formed in one end of the clamping part. The clamping part is further provided with an inner threaded hole capable of being matched with the threaded rod, and the inner threaded hole of the connecting part can correspond to the inner threaded hole of the clamping part in position. The shaft shoulder is mounted on the stirring needle, and the shaft shoulder and the stirring needle are coaxially arranged. The nuts are matched with the threaded rod. The using cost of the stirring head can be effectively reduced, and abrasion of the stirring head is effectively reduced as well.


Abstract : The Cartographer has long been interested in depicting surface features of the earth as a pictorial representation. This representation has normally consisted of pen and ink drawings in an easily referenced format. The ability to assure both quality and accuracy became two of the primary concerns of the Cartographer in the production of maps and charts. This paper details the rapid advancement of Cartography through the introduction of micro and minicomputers in the management and quality accuracy determinations of digital elevation and cultural information. Advantages and disadvantages of the new processing techniques are clearly stated. The algorithms and programming techniques are discussed with emphasis placed on resultant enhancements utilized by the cartographic analyst. The major theme for this paper is the methods used at DMA to review the digital data bases through the use of the Image Manipulation Station. System configuration, components, software development and image utilization are discussed. These comments are directed toward the various images (gray-coded, shaded relief) and the quality assurance verification techniques associated with the image enhancements. (Author)


High-κ cerium oxide (CeO2) was applied to AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) as a gate insulator and a passivation layer by molecular beam deposition (MBD) for high-power applications. From capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurement results, the dielectric constant of the CeO2 film was 25.2. The C–V curves showed clear accumulation and depletion behaviors with a small hysteresis (20 mV). Moreover, the interface trap density (Dit) was calculated to be 5.5 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 at 150 °C. A CeO2 MOS-HEMT was fabricated and demonstrated a low subthreshold swing (SS) of 87 mV/decade, a high ON/OFF drain current ratio (ION/IOFF) of 1.14 × 109, and a low gate leakage current density (Jleakage) of 2.85 × 10−9 A cm−2 with an improved dynamic ON-resistance (RON), which is about one order of magnitude lower than that of a conventional HEMT.


We report nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) studies on the chain Cu sites of PrBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 , a quasi-one-dimensional conductor with a nearly quarter-filled band. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1 /T 1 shows a pronounced peak near 100 K caused by fluctuations of electric field gradient (EFG). Similar peak was observed for the spin-echo decay rate 1 /T 2 , however, at a different temperature near 50 K. These results and broadening of the NQR spectrum at low temperatures indicate that slow charge fluctuations of either electronic or ionic origin freeze gradually at low temperatures. There has been increasing interest in quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) correlated electrons.


TWO METHODS OF ANALYSIS ARE OUTLINED THAT ARE DIRECTLY APPLICABLE TO "HALF-SPACE" PROBLEMS IN GEOMECHANICS, I.E. BUILDING FOUNDATIONS, DAMS, EMBANKMENTS, AND ROAD AND AIRPORT PAVEMENTS. SOLUTIONS, IN THE FORM OF DEFINITE INTEGRALS, ARE GIVEN FOR DISPLACEMENTS, STRAINS, AND STRESSES IN AN ELASTIC, LAYERED SYSTEM. THE ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIAL COMPRISING THE LAYERS MAY BE ORTHORHOMBIC, CROSS-ANISOTROPIC, OR ISOTROPIC. THE FIRST METHOD USES INTEGRAL TRANSFORMS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WITH STRESS-DEFINED LOADING CONDITIONS ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LAYERED SYSTEM. PARTICULAR SOLUTIONS OF THE EQUILIBRIUM EQUATIONS ARE USED AS A GUIDE IN THE SELECTION OF THE APPROPRIATE TYPE OF TRANSFORM. THE SECOND METHOD IS AN EXTENSION OF THE FIRST METHOD TO A CLASS OF PROBLEMS WITH MIXED BOUNDARY CONDITIONS. A SPECIAL SOLUTION OF A SET OF DUAL INTEGRAL EQUATIONS IS GIVEN THAT CAN BE USED TO SOLVE SIMPLE PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE. /TRRL/A/


Optimal transmission of pulsed laser energy to a target is essential for the maximization of reflected signal power in Debris Laser Ranging (DLR) systems. We describe the use of the PPPP measurement technique to allow compensation for both wavefront aberration, tip/tilt and errors arising from misalignment of the transmit and receive optical axes. This paper provides an update on the bistatic Wavefronts Obtained by Measuring Beam-profiles through Atmospheric Turbulence (WOMBAT) trial1 conducted with the EOS Space Systems 1.8m DLR system2 on Mt Stromlo, Australia, using an adjacent telescope to observe the 170 Hz PPPP intensity profiles.


Si(111) surfaces have been prepared electrochemically. Using high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy it is demonstrated that perfectly terminated and clean Si(111) 1×1‐H surfaces can be achieved. The dark current observed during electrochemical preparation is shown to be a very reliable control parameter.


The study presents the results obtained following the analysis of the so-called Granger causality between daily and monthly temperatures of air and water for the period 1987–2013 carried out for the Noteć river and its two main tributaries: Drawa and Gwda. Granger causality relates to a situation where the data concerning past values of one time series provide important information helping to predict values of another series not included in the information about its past values. The analysis was based on the Granger causality test (of the first order). A causality relationship was established for daily temperature series both for the air-water and water-air directions of influence, which means that forecasting the pattern of river water temperatures from changes to air temperatures can yield better results when done based on data from the previous day. The model forecasting daily water temperature in the Noteć river on the basis of water and air temperatures from the previous day explained 0.07–0.27% of unique variance more than the model that used only water temperature from the previous day. The model forecasting the daily air temperature based on air and water temperatures from the previous day explained 0.3–0.79% of the variance more than the model, which uses only the air temperature from the previous day. For monthly series of water and air temperatures, different configurations of correlations in terms of Granger causality were established: one-way in water-air direction or no correlation, which may result from the river water thermal regime being disturbed by the local impact of anthropogenic factors. In addition, the analysed effect of Granger causality between series of random fluctuations of both temperature models confirmed that causal dependencies occur in both directions. The identification of causal relationships in terms of Granger causality confirms the influence of one data series on the evolution on another data series, and it defines the application potential of study results for the purpose of forecasting the changeability of thermal parameters of river waters. The obtained results may help improve the quality of forecasting changes in water thermal conditions, which is important for managing their environmental condition properly.


Line scratches are prominent artifacts in motion picture films. They are lines of bright or dark intensity, oriented more or less vertically over much of the image (Buisson et al., 1997). They are caused due to the slippage of the film during the process such as fast forward, rewind, fast stop, start etc. Dust particles are accumulated over the scratch. This deterioration is usually generated because of mechanical rubbing of film in the projector. Defects that can be handled by digital film restoration techniques are for example dust and dirt removal, noise reduction, image stabilization, scratch removal, flickering reduction, local color-shift reduction, and missing frame reconstruction (Joyeux et al., 1999). Many varieties of literature exist about scratch restoration, but with regards to technological development of scratch detection there are two methods. Kokaram proposes a spatial technique in which each frame of degraded sequence is examined one by one i.e. one frame at a time. Temporal method proposed by Besserer B. relies on spatio-temporal information. It means that two or more frames are used for the detection of scratch on the current frame. This justifies that motion estimation technique is one part of the temporal method. Both the techniques include the following drawbacks: A lot of thresholds are required to tune in the algorithm by the operator, there is some percentage of false detection, and a long computation time is taken for detecting scratches. This paper presents a spatial domain technique based on the characteristics of the scratch for detecting scratches, instead of using geometric technique like Hough transform. The technique overcomes the drawbacks of the spatial techniques, and is able to provide a detector and remover that are cost effective and almost automatic.


Objective To explore the clinical significance of the parameters changes and the clinical performance improvement of the pulmonary surfactant(PS) for the treatment of children with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS).Methods We analyzed the treatment of 28 cases children with NRDS using the pulmonary surfactant(Curosurf) in our hospital from September 2002 to January 2009.Results The medication after l h,6 h,12 h,24 h FiO2 had significant differences from that of pre-medication(P 0.01).The mean airway pressure(MAP) of the patients decreased significantly 24 h after medication(P0.05),PEEP decreased 1 h after medication and had significant differences from that of pre-medication(P0.05).Conclusion PS has no adverse effects on the children with NRDS and it is a safe and reliable method which is worth applying clinically.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Levucell SC (LY; Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077) supplementation on performance, feed efficiency, ruminal temperature, feeding behavior, and carcass quality traits in yearling steers. Forty-eight crossbred steers were randomly allocated into two treatments: (1) Control and (2) LY with two pen replicates per treatment (12 steers per pen). Steers were housed in pens equipped with GrowSafe and fitted with reticulo-rumen boluses. All steers were maintained on their respective dietary treatments until harvest to assess carcass traits. There were no differences amongst treatments in DMI, ADG, morbidity or mortality rates, ruminal temperature or F:G. Live-yeast supplemented steers had 17% greater (P = 0.05) backfat thickness than control steers, which resulted in a 13% increase in yield grade, with no differences in all other carcass traits. Live-yeast steers exhibited different feeding behavior patterns than control steers, such that LY steers approached the bunk 25 minutes earlier (P = 0.01) than control steers, had 22% greater (P < 0.05) bunk visit (BV) duration, 41% increased (P < 0.05) head down duration, 18% slower (P < 0.05) BV eating rates, and a tendency for 9% lower BV frequency. Meal criterion was 47% longer (P = 0.01) for LY steers resulting in a reduction (P = 0.07) in meal frequency. Additionally, LY steers consumed 27% longer meals (P < 0.05) that tended to be larger in size (P = 0.09). Although DMI was not different throughout the trial, LY displayed 10% decreased (P < 0.05) meal-eating rates due to longer meal lengths. Overall, LY steers approached the feed bunk sooner following feed delivery, ate fewer, but larger meals at a slower rate, and spent more time eating compared to control steers. Live-yeast supplementation clearly altered feeding behavior patterns, suggesting more favorable fermentation and the capability to mitigate metabolic stress in steers fed high-grain diets by altering meal patterns.


The article is devoted to gestalt-psychology and reveals some features of perception of new music which is characterized by an idea of binary of — a sound and an echo — a smooth surface of reflections, which is in the center of a system of an Italian composer Salvatore Sciarrino. The main concern of the article is works by a German composer Helmut Lachenmann, who is known for his research on this issue (Musik als existentielle (Lachenmann H. Erfahrung: Schriften 1966–1995. Wiesbaden: Breitkopf/Hartel, 1996). In addition, the article focuses on the researches of Michel Imberti in gestalt-psychology and Gilles Deleuze, a French philosopher, postmodernist. It concludes that a H. Lachenmann's conception rates the hyper-structure most highly and psychology of a listener and the concept of a composer are subdued to the idea of smooth surface of S. Sciarrino.


The white fabric was printed with different printing temperatures and pressing times using the sublimation printing process in solid-tone black color with a 100 % total ink limiting level. Non-uniformity of the print was examined through print mottle determined by grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) image processing method. Color strength of print was also determined by reflectance spectrophotometry. The print with the lower print mottle was obtained at a printing temperature of 190 °C at a longer pressing time of 120 s or at an increased printing temperature of up to 210 °C at the reduced pressing time of 60 s. The print with the lower print mottle had the lowest entropy, contrast, and correlation and the highest energy and homogeneity. The print with a higher color strength was accompanied by decreased print mottle. Choosing a suitable printing temperature and pressing time for sublimation printing is helpful in achieving print with low print mottle and high color strength and balancing cost, price, and price.


There exist many different algorithms to construct good low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. To maximize the girth of the bipartite graph, which represents the LDPC code, the progressive edge-growth (PEG) algorithm was introduced. This construction methods leads for irregular LDPC codes to a lower error floor, but also to a performance loss in the waterfall region compared with randomly constructed LDPC codes. In this paper, we describe a modification of the PEG algorithm that improves the performance in the waterfall region. Furthermore, this modified PEG algorithm yields codes with lower error floors and a slightly better performance in the waterfall region than randomly constructed LDPC codes


The questions concerning the necessity of higher schools transition to the two-level system of students' training, the modern technologies of professional training at higher school are considered in the article.


Abstract Proteomic approaches based on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and database search are widely used to address questions about the development, physiology and quality of seeds. Identification of proteins is of great importance in proteomic analyses. For seed crops without full genome information, cross-species protein identification by mass spectrometry-driven sequence similarity search can be used. However, this approach is risky due to protein polymorphism between different species. Species-specific expressed sequence tag (EST) databases are an invaluable resource, which complements mass spectrometry data analysis for protein identification. Here, we illustrate a modified method of protein identification and characterization using species-specific EST databases and peptide mass fingerprinting with an example of protein identification. This method is reliable, supplements the existing methods, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of protein identification for seed crops for which complete genome information is not available.


The study effect of integration technique of rainwater-collection and micro-irrigation fertilization for eggplant in membrane surface of sunlight greenhouse showed that,compared with traditional irrigation technique,the technique saved 4 875 m3/hm2in water(55.08%)and 457 kg/hm2in fertilizer,reduced soil moisture and air humidity in the greenhouse effectively,inhibited pests occurrence significantly,rasied formation of long column flowers in eggplant and inhibited short column flowers and malformed fruits effectively because of improving room temperature and geothermal.Meanwhile,yield increased 773 kg/hm2,and moisture production efficiency was 10.19 kg/m3.


Hinrichs, Madison, B.A., May 2017 Creative Writing and Literature A Reflection on My Writing Process Faculty Mentor: Debra Magpie Earling For my honors research project, I investigated the techniques of established contemporary writers, took a specific look at their different ways of framing a story through the guise of recollected memory, and used their conventions and mechanisms to develop my own original work. I also studied the elements of noir, speculative, and realistic fiction, as those are the genres that I am primarily interested in. In the process, I examined my old workshop material, with revision in mind, and selected the pieces with the most potential for improvement. I then developed and polished these into two short works of fiction that I hope to submit to literary magazines for publication. I also planned out and began work on my first novella. Through this personal essay, I reflect back on my writing process, and what I learned from my research, and examine how I might move forward with my work.


Operations planning in smart grids is likely to become a more complex and demanding task in the next decades. In this paper we show how to formulate the problem of planning short-term load curtailment in a dense urban area, in the presence of uncertainty in electricity demand and in the state of the distribution grid, as a stochastic mixed-integer optimization problem. We propose three rolling-horizon look-ahead policies to approximately solve the optimization problem: a deterministic one and two based on approximate dynamic programming (ADP) techniques. We demonstrate through numerical experiments that the ADP-based policies yield curtailment plans that are more robust on average than the deterministic policy, but at the expense of the additional computational burden needed to calibrate the ADP-based policies. We also show how the worst case performance of the three approximation policies compares with a baseline policy where all curtailable loads are curtailed to the maximum amount possible.


A case of congenital giant pigmented nevi (neurocutaneous melanosis) in which clusters of nevus cells were found within the interstitium of the primary and tertiary villi of the placenta is described..


A hardwired implementation for Petri net is suggested, which includes synchronous Petri net, timed Petri net and col-ored Petri net. Petri net components are established through the hardware description language VHDL in Max+PlusⅡ. Finally, examples are presented, which are drawn by using Petri net components in component library. Simulation results show the cor-rectness of this method.


A detailed geological survey in Karbla and Najaf area has been carried out by the authors and others including a lot of geological sections, traverses, document points and mapping, beside drilling boreholes, to investigate the origin and distribution of the celestite in the studied area. The work indicates that the main celestite deposit is concentrated as a narrow strip of about 200 m width along both Tar Al–Najaf and Tar Al–Sayyed, then decreases downwards within Karbala– Najaf Plateau. It is scattered along both tars (cliffs), either within certain areas, extending to many kilometers or within isolated sections, in very limited areas. Abu–Jir Fault is the main and the principle controlling factor on the distribution of the celestite, in the studied area in addition to the lithology, porosity and permeability. The celestite has been found in the upper part of Injana Formation and the lower part of Dibdibba Formation within sandstone, siltstone or silty claystone beds, but more concentrated in the sandstone beds of Dibdibba Formation. It is differentiated in the field either by its heavy weight in a tough, cliff–forming siltstone or silty claystone beds or as colourless needle–shaped crystals in heavy, tough sandstone beds. Generally, three main horizons of celestite are present in different levels in both formations, but more horizons may be present in other areas. The celestite is formed from the combination of Sr from the deep ground water and the SO3, which was supplied from the surrounding environment due to high ground water level and continuous evaporation. The thickness of the celestite–bearing beds ranges from (0.1–0.5) m. The Sr concentration is up to 34% whereas the celestite concentration is up to 74.8 %. ءلابرك ةقطنم يف تياتسلسلا عيزوت و فجنلا – قارعلا طسو بونج بلاغ يلع راھزأ و نسح دومحم ميرك صلختسملا ءلابرك ةقطنمل يليصفت يجولويج حسم ءارجأب نورخآو ناثحابلا ماق – ،ة يلقحلا تاراسملا ،ة يجولويجلا عطا قملا نم ديدعلا لمش فجنلا مب ةيجولويج طئارخ دادعإو ،فصولا طاقن سايق 1 : 25000 و 1 : 50000 نا يطأ ،راب سدلفلا ،تيات سلسلا ندا عمل يند عملا فاشكتسلاا ضرغل رصحني تيات سلسلا ز يكرت نأ ةساردلا تتبثأ . ةساردلا ة قطنم يف تياتسلسلا عيزوت ةساردل رابلآا ضعب رفح ىلإ ةفاضإ اھريغو تياغلباتلاا يلاوح ضرعب قيض قاطن يف 200 لا راطو فجنلا راط لوح م ءلابر ك ةبضھ لخاد قمعلا يف صقانتيو ديس – ى لع دجاوتي ثيح ، فجنلا قلا ف نا ني بت . "اد ج ةدودحم ةحاسم نمض ةدرفنم عطاقم وأ طاقن لكش ىلع وأ تارتموليك عضبل دتميو ةنيعم تاحاسم نمض نيراطلا لوط ا ىلإ ةفاضإ تياتسلسلا عيزوتو نيوكت يف يساسلأاو يسيئرلا لماعلا وھ ريج وبا يف تيات سلسلا دجاوتي .ةيذافنلاو ةيماسملا ،يراخصلا عضول يف ر ثكأ ةروصب زكرتي نكلو ة ينيط ة ينيرغ وا ة ينيرغ ،ة يلمر روخص نمض ة بدبدلا نيوكتل ىلفسلا ءازجلأاو هناجنا نيوكتل ايلعلا تاقبطلا ض ليقثلا هنزوب امأ "ايلقح تياتسلسلا زييمت نكمي . ةبدبدلا نيوكتل ةيلمرلا روخصلا ة يفرجلا ة فاحلا تاذ ةبلصلا ة ينيطلا ة ينيرغلا روخصلا نم ) cliff– forming beds ى لعو تيات سلسلل ةي سيئر ة قطنا ثلاث كانھ ةماع ةروصب . ةبلصو ةليقث ةفافش ،نوللا ةميدع ةيربأ تارولبك وأ ( ف ر ثكأ ة يوناث ة قطنا كا نھ دجاوتت د ق نكلو ة بدبدو ة ناجنا ينيو كت نمض ة فلتخم تايوت سم دا حتا نم تيات سلسلا نو كتي . نكا ملاأ ضعب ي نويا و ةقيمعلا ةيفوجلا هايملا نم نوكتملا مويتنورتسلا SO3 ر يخبتلاو هيفوجلأ هايملا ىوتسم عافترا ببسب ةطيحملا ةئيبلا نم هزيھجت متي يذلا . رمتسملا  Instructor, Koya University, College of Engineering, Iraq.  Senior Chief Geologist, State Co. of Geological Survey and Mining, P.O Box, 986, Baghdad, Iraq. ELESTITE IN KARBALA AND NAJAF AREA Karim M. Hassan and Azhar A. AL-Khateeb 46 INTRODUCTION The studied area is cone–shaped, bound by Tar Al–Najaf, Tar Al–Sayyed and Karbala–Najaf road (Fig.1). It represents a plateau bound by two scarps, the western one called Tar Al–Sayyed and the southern one called Tar Al–Najaf. The surface of the plateau is flat covered by gypseous pebbly soil or gypcrete with some aeolian sand sheets or shrub dunes. The soil is underlain by sandstone or pebbly to gravely sandstone of Dibdibba Formation. This study is based on field work and laboratory studies, which were carried out by a team from the State Company of Geological Survey and Mining during 2001–2003. The study deals with the origin and distribution of the celestite in the area and the factors controlling its distribution. Fig. (1): Location and generalized geological map Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining Vol. 2, No. 1, 2006 pp 45 – 56 47 PREVIOUS WORKS *Al-Bassam (1994) mentioned that the celestite in siltstone of Injana Formation (Al–Najaf area) is formed by early diagenesis. He reported that the Sr was supplied from aragonite during the gradual change to calcite, it eliminate Sr, while the SO3 was supplied from the surrounding environment due to high ground water level and continuous evaporation. *Al-Bassam (1995) studied the mineralogy, geochemistry and genesis of celestite in Al–Najaf area. He mentioned that there is a remarkable siltstone bed in Injana Formation which contains up to 43 % of celestite (SrSO4). He recorded that the celestite seems to have formed by direct crystallization from saline solution as well as by replacement of aragonite and calcite under hot and arid climatic conditions. Strontium may have been supplied from several sources, including aragonite, feldspar, and deep ground water aquifer of oil–field origin, whereas the sulphate was supplied from near–surface ground water. *Al-Baidary (1997) mentioned that the celestite is present in a tough calcareous bed in Injana Formation in Karbala–Najaf area and the celestite has been formed from strontium–sulphate rich solutions directly or from the combination of strontium ion resulted from changing of aragonite. *Al-Khafaji and Al-Quaizi (1999) investigated the celestite on both Tar Al– Najaf and Tar Al–Sayyed and mentioned that the celestite was developed in some areas along both Tars. * Polis and Al-Ka`aby (1998) stated that the mineralization of celestite is local and patchy. Mineralized from ground solutions containing considerable amounts of strontium and sulphate that precipitated within the pores of the original rock. *Dawood (2000) studied the mineralogy, origin of celestite and the factors controlling its distribution in Tar Al–Najaf in a limited area extending 19 km northwest and 10 km southeast of Najaf city. He mentioned that celestite precipitated locally by mixing of groundwater rich in Sr and SO4 ions in rock interstitial spaces. The major source of Sr ions is the deep oil–trap groundwater, in addition to Sr ions set by decomposition of feldspar as minor source. He mentioned that Sr was supplied from ground water due to the effect of Abu Jir Fault. Moreover, he listed the factors controlling the distribution of the celestite in the area to be porosity, permeability, difference in the chemical composition of water and the climate. *Al-Khafaji and Al-Quaizi (2002) mentioned that the celestite occur in lenses within Injana and Dibdibba Formations, and the celestite bearing beds are characterized by their high permeability, which affected the movement of ground water and consequently on strontium concentration. ELESTITE IN KARBALA AND NAJAF AREA Karim M. Hassan and Azhar A. AL-Khateeb 48 AIM The present study deals with the distribution of celestite in Karbala–Najaf plateau along both Tar Al–Najaf and Tar Al–Sayyed, which extend laterally to about 170 km, and the factors controlling its distribution. GEOLOGICAL SETTING Structurally, the studied area is located between the Stable Shelf and the Unstable Shelf, the latter is represented by the Mesopotamian Zone. Abu Jir Fault Zone passes through the studied area and has a considerable effect on the topography of the area, particularly the configuration of the depressions and ridges as it was proved by (Hassan et al., 2000) in the neighboring areas. Stratigraphically, Nfayil (M. Miocene), Injana (U.Miocene) and Dibdibba (Pliocene–Pleistocene) Formations are exposed along the scarps of the plateau (Tar Al–Sayyed and Tar Al–Najaf) Fig. (1) (Hassan et al., 2000). Nfayil Formation (Middle Miocene) The formation is exposed at the base of the scarps. It is composed of alternation of marl and limestone in cyclic deposition. Two main cycles can be recognized in the studied area, each cycle consists of marl, yellow to yellowish green, friable, medium tough, slope–forming, overlain by limestone, grey, tough, cliff–forming. Oyster shells are dominant in the second cycle. The contact with the overlying Injana Formation is marked by the first appearance of brown to reddish brown clastic sediments (claystone or sandstone) of Injana Formation. The thickness of this formation is (2–15) m. Injana Formation (Upper Miocene) The formation represents the dominant rocks of both Tar Al–Najaf and Tar Al– Sayyed. Lithologically, Injana Formation is composed of brown to reddish brown clastic sediments; alternation of claystone, sandstone and siltstone with few (2–3) thin beds of marly limestone. The claystone is brown to reddish brown, medium tough, conchoidally fractured, occasionally silty and massive. The sandstone is grey to greenish grey, fine to medium grained, cross–bedded (planner cross– bedding) and micaceous. The siltstone is brown to reddish brown, clayey, massive, and medium tough, the thin limestone or marly limestone beds are greenish grey, tough to medium tough. The thickness of each bed reaches (15–20) cm, occasionally reaches 40 cm, this limestone devoid of any fauna (Fig. 2). Iraqi Bulletin of Geology and Mining Vol. 2, No. 1, 2006 pp 45 – 56 49 Dibdibba Formation (Pliocene–Pleistocene) The formation is exposed in the upper part of both Tar Al–Najaf and Tar Al– Sayyed, it locally covers the surface of Dibdibba plateau. The formation is Fig. (2): Generalized columnar section of Injana and Dibdibba Formations ELESTITE IN KARBALA AND NAJAF AREA Karim M. Hassan and Azhar A. AL-Khateeb 50 composed mainly of sandstone, pebbly sandstone with some thin beds of siltstone or claystone. Some sandstone beds, particularly in the lower part are rich with celest


To investigate the antihyperuricemia and nephroprotective effects of Orthosiphon stamineus extracts on hyperuricemia (HUA) mice and explore the potential mechanisms.


As part of a program to identify applications for poly(phenylquinoxalines) (PPQs), their evaluation as thermally resistant wire coatings was undertaken. Because of their superior toughness, thermal stability and hydrolytic stability, PPQs appear to offer major advantages over state-of-the-art polyimide-based high temperature wire insulation. These factors in conjunction with a density 15% lower than that of polyimide suggested that aerospace wire insulation, which places a premium on weight reduction, might be an attractive application. Extrusion coating as a method of application was quickly ruled out because of the high glass temperature of the PPQs. Solution coating from m-cresol appeared promising and was evaluated. In this case however, the multistrand nature of aerospace wire led to problems. Air and/or solvent was retained in the interstitial volume between the wire strands, resulting in bubbles and voids in the coating after solvent bake-out. Application to single strand or magnet wire was more successful in that void-free coatings could be obtained.<<ETX>>