The biological characteristics of four different soybean varieties were studied. Dynamic simulation models using logistic regression equations for plant leaf-area and plant aboveground air-dried weight over time were established. Results showed a very significant positive relationship between the single-plant largest leaf-area and growing days (r=0.9953, P0.01). The fastest leaf-area accumulation per plant occurred from early flowering to early pod setting. The fastest aboveground air-dried weight accumulation per plant occurred in the last stage of pod setting. The proportion of dry matter in the different organs aboveground was the same for the three varieties Shanghai 95-1, kenjian14, and early maturity 18, with the grain weight on average occupying 36.3%, and leaf, pod waste, and stem weight occupying 25.1%, 20.57%, and 18%, respectively. Variety 930257 was different with leaf, stem weight, grain weight, and pod waste occupying 35%, 32.4%, 18%, and 14.8% of total biomass, respectively.


In a consecutive series of 47 pancreatic transplantations, the duct occlusion technique and the bladder drainage technique are evaluated. Major problems, when using the duct occlusion technique are pancreatic fistulae with secondary infections and bleedings. Early postoperative graft thrombosis remains a crucial problem. Finally, graft rejection can not be diagnosed in time when using the duct occlusion technique. In contrast, the bladder drainage technique guarantees an absolutely safe management of the exocrine pancreas secretion. The risk of early postoperative graft thromboses reaches nearly zero. In addition, by monitoring urinary amylase and thereby the function of the exocrine pancreas, rejection episodes can be diagnosed very early. Early postoperative graft pancreatitis of the bladder drained pancreatic allografts remains a significant problem. In addition due to excessive bicarbonate loss via the urine oral bicarbonate substitution is necessary. A high incidence of urinary tract infections as well as unspecific irritations of the urinary tract are further drawbacks of the bladder drainage technique. They can be managed, however, relatively easily. Since using the bladder drainage technique, 1-year-graft-function rate of the pancreatic allografts increased by more than 40% and reaches now 88%. The new operative technique represents the best surgical procedure for control of the exocrine secretion of pancreatic allografts at the moment. Simultaneous pancreas-/kidney transplantation in the technique described can therefore be recommended a selected group of type-I diabetics with end-stage renal disease as the therapy of choice.


ABSTRACT Almost all mechanistic flexible pavement design procedures implicitly assume that fatigue cracks originate at the bottom of the bound layers and propagate upwards towards the surface of the pavement. However, observations from cracked roads in many countries have shown that the cracking originated from the surface of the pavement rather than at the base, particularly for thick flexible constructions. Many researchers have been trying to confirm that surface-induced cracking can be explained by the presence of tensile and/or shear stresses (strains) at (or near to) the pavement surface. A standard analysis of a pavement structure loaded by a uniform vertical contact stress shows that small horizontal stresses and strains can be generated due to negative curvature effects although it should be noted that the maximum (principal) strain at the pavement surface (at approximately 45o to the surface) can be of a similar magnitude to the horizontal tensile strain at the base of the asphalt layers. In addition, the inclusion of the complex three-dimensional contact stress distribution generated between the tyre and the pavement surface has been shown to produce high local values of horizontal tensile stress and strain at the pavement surface which could drive surface-induced cracking. However, other factors such as ageing of the surface material and temperature-induced stiffness gradients are also likely to be important.


Abstract The present study was aimed at investigating the relationships among perfectionism, reflection and burnout among Iranian EFL teachers. To this end, 156 Iranian EFL teachers completed a battery of questionnaires, namely Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey and English Language Teaching Reflection Inventory. Data were analyzed through Pearson correlation and multiple regression followed by path analysis. Our results showed that teachers' reflection was a significant correlate of their burnout with less reflective teachers experiencing more burnout. However, the findings were indicative of no significant relationship between the three aspects of perfectionism and teacher burnout. Further analysis of two path models which were conceptualized and proposed based on our primary findings, revealed a more detailed picture of the multilateral associations among perfectionism, reflection and burnout. Our first model assumed that teachers' reflection can function as a mediator in the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and burnout. Our second model presupposed that perfectionism components affect reflection positively, and reflection has in turn a negative effect on teachers' burnout. Results from path analysis showed that both of the proposed models enjoyed acceptable goodness of fit.


Teledentistry provides a viable option for dental professionals to increase care in underserved areas. Dental hygiene students at a state university complete a course in teledentistry that includes performing oral health screenings on Head Start children using intra-oral cameras and electronically submitting dental images to an off-site dentist for diagnosis. The objective of this study was to examine student knowledge, attitudes, and confidence levels regarding teledentistry. A 5-point Likert scale survey consisting of 10 items was administered to white females ages 22 to 25 (N=24) in a teledentistry course the first and last day of class. The survey included current knowledge of teledentistry and access to care, attitudes regarding effectiveness of teledentistry in identifying dental needs, the role dental hygienists play in access to care, and confidence in acquiring the necessary technical skills. Survey results analyzed by a matched pairs t test and Wilcoxen signed rank test found a significant increase in student knowledge, attitudes, and confidence level in 9 of the 10 questions (p


Cell signaling is an important part of a complex system of communication that governs basic cellular activities and coordinates cell actions. Errors in cellular information processing are responsible for diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, and diabetes. Many of the signaling pathways that are affected by genetic mutations and the tumor microenvironment have a profound effect on core metabolism, making this topic once again one of the most intense areas of research in cancer biology. By understanding cell signaling, diseases may be treated effectively. Due to these findings imatinib is the first drug used in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukaemia as a protein kinase inhibitor. Since the discovery of protein phosphorylation by E. Krebs and E. Fisher in the 1950s, protein kinases have been recognized as major players in cell signaling. Today, some protein kinase inhibitors are widely used to treat renal cell carcinoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and colon cancer. In recent years, new biding molecules against to a target which may be the reason of carsinogenesis are identified leading to increase selectivity of particular compounds in cell signaling. So, having the all aspects of cell signaling in normal and different types of cancer cells are important for having the new treatment protocols in cancer. Herein, the cell signaling in a model and the drugs developed against to the affected targets in cell signaling had been summarized. Also the challenges due to the new findings are tried to explain in this extremely active research area in cancer biology.


Objective LBW (< 2,500 g) is a significant problem in both developed and developing nations. Using data from a recently completed study, this secondary analysis was performed to identify and compare the risk factors associated with term and preterm LBW. Methods The original LBW case group was stratified into term and preterm deliveries. The control for this study was term, normal weight births (≥ 2,500 g), derived from the original control group. Logistical regression was used to estimate odd ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Risk factors associated with term LBW included advanced maternal age (OR: 3.2, 95% CI: 1.6, 6.3), unmarried status (OR: 5.0, 95% CI: 1.8, 13.7), rural residence (OR: 4.1, 95% CI: 2.1, 8.0), farming occupation (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0, 3.5), shorter stature (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5, 4.9), having an unemployed partner (OR: 4.4, 95% CI: 1.7, 11.6), lower rate of weight gain (OR: 4.2, 95% CI: 2.3, 7.6), exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.4), and placenta abnormality (OR: 13.9, 95% CI: 3.1, 61.9). Risk factors associated with preterm LBW were less than 3 antenatal visits (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.6, 5.3), lower (OR: 10.6, 95% CI: 4.9, 23) or higher (OR: 4.5, 95% CI: 2, 10) rate of weight gain, having an unemployed partner (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.2, 7.0), history of LBW infants (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.7, 8.7), history of spontaneous abortion or preterm delivery (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4, 4.7), psychosocial stress (OR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5, 4.8), exposure to ETS (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4, 3.6), vaginal hemorrhage (OR: 7.5, 95% CI: 3.6, 15.7), placenta abnormality (OR: 7.7, 95% CI: 1.9, 31.1), gestational hypertension (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.2), and anemia (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.5). Conclusion A comparison of the risk factors suggests potential benefits for distinguishing between term and preterm LBW deliveries in some populations.


Using a rotating probe combined with a ECG gat-ing technique we acquire transthorasic datasets (20 Images per ECG Cycle for 9-18 rotations). The aim of this research is the automated Left Ven-tricle (LV) reconstruction (3D+t) for later diagnoses. One of the main stages during the reconstruction process is the detection of the wall boundaries. Here we propose an approach based on a pre-calculated model of the displacement eld of the heart to guide the detection process in combination with active contours. The numerical model obtained during a learning phase can later be used for diagnoses as well.


A highly integrated low‐temperature polysilicon AMLCD has been designed that operates from a 3‐V power supply and has a low‐voltage digital interface. This has been achieved by reducing the threshold voltage of the TFTs and integrating digital column drive circuits and charge‐pump circuits onto the display substrate. In standby mode, the display is capable of retaining an image without the need for external signals through the integration of dynamic‐memory circuits within the pixels of the display.


Hypcrhqhy often devdops in respoasc tc cbmaic left ve&adar preSswe overl& (1.2). liowvcr. in adult paticatg with essential hypertension. there is oaly a weak correlatlo~~ between the hwel of systolic blood pressure at rest aud the F. of left watrkular hyperu'ophy O-71. Tldsweak~maYbcduetootherfact0rs(for example, w [rl-IO]. B Ill]. lwimamcatal I121 or newtic [I311 tkat coatribute to the dav@ment of bypemopby. Recently. iawenscd left ventricular preload awl omr c~atmcUllt~ C7.14) kave beea kadi aa deterndnhs of bypam&. I&ever. tbese~s~tudier used indexes of c~abnctility dependent on loading conditions. whicbmaylimitthcawytot=pmfctherdeof~ nTiy from that of lodiag waditii. These relations have Mt been h'eS&kd in pedbk @iea\S With eS%mkd hypcrlcnsion. The mwoose of this studv was to examioe the relation of lcftve&&&rpufomw&amlitadetermiaaots(prdo& aflerlcad and contractlljty) to mass incbildren with esscatlal hypertcnsim. Spccillcally. we wisked to test the @ethe& that left veauicular coatrwWy is a si@i=at inacpcaamt determiaamofma%s.


The paper is dealing with the principles for modeling and simulating by 3D simulators of the well-known Luneburg lenses used as communication antenna devices. The models of spherical, semi-spherical and cylindrical multi- layer dielectric lenses are discussed. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed simulation procedures for investigation of the focusing effects and antenna parameters of these large-scale beam-forming devices.


Abstract : This project was developed to improve direct testing and refinement of the use of spatial models for wildlife exposure assessments. Past studies focused on whether spatial models could improve the assessment of avian exposures to chemicals in the environment. This study examined the value of spatial models with respect to improving the assessment of small mammal exposures in the environment, and aimed to overcome the disconnect that exists when applying spatial considerations between site-wide averages and an assessment that captures exposures based on species-specific habitat preferences.


Introduction: Oxidative stress has been suggested to play a main role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its micro vascular and macro vascular complications like nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the magnitude of oxidative by measuring the lipid peroxidation and to assess the antioxidants status in patients with diabetes with and without nephropathy. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 30 patients with Non insulin diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) without complication, 30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephropathy and 30 clinically healthy individuals were evaluated. Lipid peroxidation in terms of serum malondialdehyde (MDA), by thiobarbituric acid method, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and serum vitamin C were estimated using spectrophotometer. Fasting blood glucose, Serum urea and creatinine were also measured. Results: MDA content was significantly elevated in NIDDM patients without nephropathy when compared with the controls and even higher in NIDDM patients with nephropathy. SOD, GSH and Vitamin C levels were lower in NIDDM patients without nephropathy than in the controls and lowest in NIDDM patients with nephropathy. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that changes in oxidant and antioxidant equilibrium will have biological and possibly pathological role in the development of secondary complications like nephropathy. Hence, we suggest that supplementation with dietary antioxidants especially antioxidant vitamins accompanied by change in lifestyle might help to reduce damage brought about by free radical toxicity in diabetes mellitus and its complications.


Numerical solutions were obtained for two-dimensional free convective flow in rectangular and annular cavities by the strongly implicit procedure (SIP) and the cyclic reduction-fast Fourier transform (CR-FFT) technique. Rayleigh numbers range from 10/sup 4/ to 10/sup 6/, Prandtl numbers from 0.713 to 10/sup 3/, radius ratios from 1 to 3 (annular cavities), and aspect ratios (height/width) from 1 to 15. Motion is generated by either uniformly heating the bottom wall or heating a vertical wall and cooling the opposite wall. Both time-dependent and steady-state solutions confirm results previously obtained by others. Because SIP uses a common set of matrix algorithms, the governing equations of motion can be solved simultaneously without major modification to the method for each equation.


The present invention provides a data migration, comprising: obtaining load information of the first disk group; when the move the load information reaches a threshold value, the target set of the first disk logical unit number LUN Extent move in at least one of reading the data to the cache controller; Extent obtain at least a second disk group moved in the move, and the number of Extent of Extent move the same amount of each of the move Extent and a RAID level of the RAID level-one correspondence Extent move, the move is idle Extent Extent; move the mapping relationship of the LUN move updates the Extent and move LUN Extent of the mapping relationship move.


We analyzed the feedback relationship between short-term fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure in healthy persons and heart failure patients. Parameters derived from the feedback relationship between heart rate and blood pressure have been proposed. The purpose of the present study is to apply these parameters in estimating autonomic function or measuring physiological and mental workload.Electrocardiographs and beat-to-beat blood pressure were recorded in supine position at rest. The blood pressure was measured using arterial tonometry. The R—R interval and systolic blood pressure were fitted to two-dimensional autoregressive models, the relative power contribution in the frequency domain was calculated. The proposed parameters are the power contribution in the low-frequency range ( 0-0.15 Hz ) [ RS_LF, SR_LF ] and the power contribution in the high-frequency range ( 0.15-0.5 Hz ) [ RS_HF, SR_HF ].RS_LF was significantly different between healthy persons and heart failure patients ( pThere were no correlations between the proposed parameters and the usual indices to evaluate autonomic function. It is considered that the proposed parameters can be used to evaluate physiological states that cannot be evaluated using existing methods.


ab-sorb function is being developed for last several years. In this paper, a wave power generation caisson which consists of impermeable vertical water and an array of savonius-type watermills is proposed. Energy acquisi-tion performance from wave energy and wave attenuation ability were examined by conducting laboratory ex-periment. Experimental results on the effect of diameter of the watermill, the distance between impermeable wall and the center of watermills, and load torque on them are presented.


This paper deals with the taxonomy and ecology of 35 shells of Mollusk species identified from 12 samples collected from El Malaha Rayan offshore area. The study area is situated between south wadi El Malaha Rayan and Wadi El Malaha El Atchan offshore area. The study area has a length of 300 m and a width of 150 m. and El Malaha Rayan offshore areas represent the tidal and littoral zones.There are four wadies passing through the area of Wadi El Malaha Rayan and they pour their Flash flood in the Gulf of Aqaba. The marine environment of the study area is not influenced by the flash flood of the four wadies (Wadi El Wageran, Wadi El Malaha Rayan, Wadi El Malaha El Atchan and Wadi El Mohaymed). There are two groups of cluster analyses in the dendogram. The first group (A) located in the Tidal zone and include 33 Mollusk species (14 species from class Bivalvia and 19 species from class Gastropoda). These species exists in warm turbid water mostly caused by flash floods and they represent the tidal zone.The other group (B) located in the littoral zone and include 35 Mollusk species (14 species from class Bivalvia and 21 species from class Gastropoda).


This article describes the design and realization process about a simple instant messaging system based on the P2P.This system implementes the functions of real-time information transmission as well as the file transferring for the on-line users on the network.The system uses the mixed P2P pattern,in which the server program adopts the multi-thread technology used in the identification authentication and the inquiry about condition information when registering clients.The information communication on the P2P network is carried on directly among the clients.The instant messaging system based on the P2P has many advantages.It is convenient,effective,inexpensive,instant and so on.Therefore it is rapidly becoming an important tool for the application during the individuals and enterprises.


The conserved cell death suppressor protein BAX INHIBITOR-1 (BI-1) is a susceptibility factor in the pathosystem barley (Hordeum vulgare) - barley powdery mildew fungus (Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei). Here, BI-1-related LIFEGUARD (LFG) proteins were analyzed in plant - powdery mildew interactions and were shown to be conserved regulators of susceptibility to powdery mildew fungi was well. Moreover, investigations of the potential BI-1-linked signaling components CaM and MLO and of putative BI-1-interacting proteins revealed new insights into BI-1-associated processes, namely plant - pathogen interactions and cell death regulation.


Sima Qian's economic ideas are abundant as well as noticeable. The formation of these ideas is owing to the conditions and his family history, the contemporary mentality, and the economic background. 'Profit pursuing Man', the idea of'Shanyi', and equal importance in the 'Roots' and 'Branches' are among Sima Qian's economic ideas. His economic ideas have a far reaching impact on the successive generations. Some are still of great instructive implication.


In this paper we consider the methodological problems of compiling the data bank of absorption coefficients of atmospheric gases. The data bank includes high- and medium- resolution absorption coefficients. Various methods of compression, archiving, and interpolation of data are considered. Specialized applied programs are proposed to be developed for operating the data bank.


Drones are estimated to play a critical role in the smart city, assisting with a variety of use cases: medical, transportation and agriculture. The applications of drones in the smart city will involve multiple drone platforms that operate simultaneously to run missions. Therefore, the safe and secure environment for drones' operational quality and stability is necessary. It is also essential for governments to implement regulations to enforce safe security standards and disallow the implementation of weak cybersecurity measures in live environments. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicted that 30,000 drones could be flying in U.S. skies in less than 20 years.The investigation of the drone traffic safety and development of the intelligent transportation system needs drone-following models, which describes the one-by-one following process of drones in the traffic flow. There are two types of drone-following models that are proposed and discussed in this paper. The first models based on the principle that keeps a safe distance according to relative velocity, which based on the determining of the drone acceleration depending on the differences in speeds and gaps between the given drone and its leading drone. Another model is the Markov drone-following model which is improved model based on the approximation of the stochastic diffusion process of speed decision. The simulation results show that the changes in velocities of the following drones are nearly the same as leading one.


The invention relates to a variable diameter PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) bit. A slidable slant blade is mounted on a fixed blade and slides upwards during drilling, the diameter of the bit is maximum under pressurization, the slidable slant blade slides downwards under the action of wall friction during trip-out, and then the diameter of the bit is minimum, so that resistance during trip-out in an undergauged interval is avoided.


Nanoindentation studies on polyurethane-hectorite/laponite elastomer nanocomposites M.Özgür Seydibeyoglu* Nanoindentation has been used recently to understand the mechanical behavior of polymer nanocomposites especially for coatings. In this study nanoindentation was used to understand the properties of novel polyurethane-hectorite/laponite nanocomposites. The polyurethane hectorite/laponite nanocomposites were prepared with solvent casting method. The mechanical characterization was done with nanoindentation method. The modulus values were calculated with nanoindentation. The structures of the nanocomposites were determined with transmission electron microscopy. It was observed that the maximum hardness and modulus values were achieved with 7 wt % hectorite nanocomposite. It was also demonstrated that the modulus and hardness were higher for the natural clay reinforced polyurethane than the synthetic clay reinforced polyurethane.


This study deals with the power spectral analysis of arterial blood pressure fluctuations by using an autoregressive model in mice. The authors analyzed the frequency contents in arterial blood pressure variability by estimating their power spectrum and analyzed the relationship between each frequency component and the activity of autonomic nervous system.


In order to master and use of Japonica rice resources for researchers and technical management departments,through all kinds of resources and various character data of North China Japonica rice collected by various research institutions and univerities,after three years of research and development,the North China Japonica Rice Resource Database Electronic Platform System(http://www.bfgdzy.com)was gradually constructed.The system owned multiple functions including the data management,web browsing,data analysis,download and so on.Through collecting the resource information,morphological data and picture information,several or single joint inquiry system were set up.


Amid these existing realities, some Western states spare no effort to maintain their positions. While imposing unilateral agendas, they seek to deter those with whom they disagree, destabilize other countries, or even bring down "objectionable regimes." However, it is becoming more difficult to behave this way on the world stage, where every state demands that its own interests be respected. For this reason, some countries have begun to circumvent universal norms and international institutions, including the United Nations and its charter. We have also seen attempts to replace international law with what some have taken to calling a "rules-based order."


Abstract : Since 1917, the Soviet Union has had only four top leaders--Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev--for an appreciable length of time. While each period of succession had unique features, many consistencies can be identified which point toward the existence of enduring power variables within the system. The communist party, the military, and the heavy industrial interests have evolved as the key means through which leaders and potential leaders gain their strength. No one can successfully rule the Soviet Union without the support of these interest groups. This thesis discusses the functioning of these interests during periods of transition in order to support projections about the future. Conclusions are then offered regarding implications for U.S. strategy, given the probability of generational change in the Soviet leadership in the near future. (Author)


The Himalayan Nepal Tibet Seismic Experiment (HIMNT) consisted of 28 broadband STS2 seismometers deployed throughout eastern Nepal and the southern Tibetan Plateau during 2001–2003. The data set is unique, with many stations in remote and difficult to access locations. Ground truth coverage in this portion of Asia is sparse and no permanent stations exist in most of the area covered by the HIMNT network. Thus this unique data set is able to provide reference events where none previously existed. With the ray coverage afforded us by the HIMNT and other regional stations and local network data, we are able to improve the regional and local velocity model as well, through 3D tomographic inversion. We have examined the entire continuous HIMNT seismic data set and have picked and located over 1600 regional and local events, ranging in magnitude from 1 to 5.5. Initial hypocenters are determined using a priori 1D velocity models and a weighted least squares location algorithm. Relocations using the 1D velocity models result in 33 events that pass the ground truth (GT) criteria of Bondar et al. (2004) for GT5. We further refine the earthquake hypocenters by inverting for 2D and 3D velocity structure with earthquake relocation using the code SIMUL2000. These 2D and 3D locations should increase the number of ground truth events available. Teleseismic receiver function analysis is used to further constrain the crustal thickness variations and the geometry of the major interfaces. The Vp/Vs structure obtained from local earthquake tomography shows a noticeable contrast between the Indian Plate and the overlying thrust sheet, at the bottom of which we find a region of high S-wave speed. Upper mantle P-wave speeds in the study are unusually high, but do not appear to be related to anisotropy. Earthquake hypocenters delineate several distinct groupings that correlate with tectonics of the collision zone. Crustal earthquakes show alignments with depths less than 25 km along the region of highest relief of the Himalayan Front. Clusters of upper mantle earthquakes are found beneath the High Himalaya, in the southern Tibetan Plateau, and beneath southern Nepal. We observe earthquake hypocenters over a large range of depths, beneath Nepal from nearsurface to 65 km depth, and beneath the Tibetan Plateau from near-surface to 90 km depth. Earthquakes show a bimodal distribution with depth, with the greatest concentration of seismic events in the upper crust and around Moho depth. Development of our GT catalog includes moment tensor analysis and waveform modeling of GT events with particular attention to depth control. We have determined focal mechanisms from moment tensor inversion and first motion polarities for twelve of the largest and best recorded local earthquakes recorded during the HIMNT experiment and one ground truth event. We performed a grid search over source depth and different velocity model to examine the sensitivity of the fault plane solution and focal depth to crustal thickness and speed variations. The mostly strike-slip focal mechanisms at sub-Moho depths indicate a right lateral shear zone in the upper mantle beneath the Himalayas and the southern Tibetan Plateau. The new ground truth events can be used to calibrate station-centric correction surfaces and increase the ability to accurately locate and identify seismic events in these regions. 28th Seismic Research Review: Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Technologies


Machine learning has been extensively used in diverse healthcare settings since the 21st century. Statistical models are proven to be powerful in detecting early disease symptoms and could potentially aid decision-making in the healthcare system. To help improve medical resource allocation during COVID-19 pandemic, we aim to develop machine learning models that predict each patient's length of stay (LOS) in hospital. Three machine learning models, namely, K-nearest Neighbors Algorithm, Logistic Regression and Random Forest are implemented and optimized on the same healthcare dataset. The final accuracy of each model is 0.3442, 0.3524 and 0.3541 respectively, which are not very high. Our subsequent correlation analysis on the healthcare dataset shows the patients' features used do not provide sufficient information for accurate LOS prediction. Yet, machine learning approaches could potentially yield much better results if the data quality can be improved by including additional relevant patient features and breaking LOS into more appropriate intervals. More detailed healthcare data should be obtained to make the LOS prediction useful for healthcare management.


In his "Ugaritic Literature" Cyrus H. GORDON sums up about Baal: "Baal is a fertility but not a seasonal god; on only one occasion (67:1I) do we know he was killed, later to be revived (49:III); the recorded droughts and famines associated with Baal's misfortune or hostility are calamities lasting seven years, plainly ruling out a yearly cycle of Baal's death and revival" 1). GORDON bases his conclusion on two features which he emphasizes. 1. According to him "the widespread notion that the year in Canaan is divided into a fertile and a sterile season is false". 2. "More-


The "Miller–Good method" is a collection of semiclassical approximations based on a representation which emphasizes the invariance in general form of a wavefunction under changes in the Hamiltonian of which it is an eigenstate. We prove the validity of the Miller–Good representation, discuss its properties, and study the physical and mathematical content of three semiclassical schemes which employ it.


We shall use a Renormalization Group (RG) scheme in order to prove the classical KAM result in the case of a non-analytic perturbation (the latter will be assumed to have continuous derivatives up to a sufficiently large order). We shall proceed by solving a sequence of problems in which the perturbations are analytic approximations of the original one. We shall finally show that the sequence of the approximate solutions will converge to a differentiable solution of the original problem.


For market-based procurement of low voltage (LV) flexibility, DSOs identify the amount of flexibility needed for resolving probable distribution network (DN) voltage and thermal congestion. A framework is required to avoid over or under procurement of flexibility in the presence of uncertainty. To this end, we propose a scenario-based robust chance-constrained (CC) day-ahead flexibility needs assessment (FNA) framework. The CC level is analogous to the risk DSO is willing to take in flexibility planning. Multi-period optimal power flow is performed to calculate the amount of flexibility needed to avoid network issues. Flexibility is defined in terms of nodal power ramp-up and ramp-down and cumulative energy needs over a full day for each node. Future uncertainties are considered as multiple scenarios generated using multivariate Gaussian distribution and Cholesky decomposition. These scenarios are utilized to solve the flexibility needs assessment optimal power flow (FNA-OPF) problem. Zonal clustering of an LV feeder is performed using electrical distance as a measure and spatial partitioning. The FNA tool calculates ramp-up and ramp-down flexibility's power and energy requirements. Energy and power needs are often valued differently in many energy markets. We identify the marginal value of flexibility associated with energy and power needs separately. From numerical results for an LV feeder, it is observed that zonal flexibility needs assessment is more immune to uncertainty than nodal flexibility needs, making it more useful for DSOs to evaluate day-ahead flexibility procurement. We also propose a Pareto optimal mechanism for selecting CC level to reduce flexibility needs while reducing DN congestion.


Cistanche is known to relieve cataracts; however, the active ingredients and mechanism of action of cistanche to relieve cataracts are unclear. At present, the active ingredients of cistanche were screened through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology website, and a total of six active ingredients were identified. Drug and disease targets were obtained through Swiss target prediction and the Genecard website, and a total of 172 common targets were identified. The biological functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment of the targets were found to be concentrated in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, forkhead family of transcription factors, and mitogen-activated protein kinases pathways. The protein–protein interaction network was established, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and protein kinase B-related genes were found to be the key genes. Molecular docking was carried out between the active ingredient and the key target, and it was found that the combination of the active ingredient and the key target was stable. In summary, cistanche can reduce cataracts by regulating the key targets of the active ingredients and thus alleviating cataracts.


Ever since Hannah Arendt's essay 'We Refugees' (1943), the phrase has been used to express sympathy with the under-privileged, the precarious and the politically persecuted. [1] Fifty years later, Giorgio Agamben borrowed it for the title of an essay comparing Nazi concentration camps and the contemporary detention centres. [2] Today, in the context of the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since WWII, the phrase has become a slogan of solidarity with exiles. Particularly when used by those who are not refugees themselves, it is considered proof of compassion and empathy for people who, fleeing political turmoil in their home countries and regions, have been stripped of their basic human rights in their new domiciles.


The Hands-On Laboratories in higher education are a fundamental pillar in the training of new engineers, proof of this are the practices in which the necessary data extracted to discover, design, acquire and evaluate new knowledge, to control the forces and materials that exist in nature. The Termolabo Project is a reality between the School of Industrial Engineers of the Technical University of Madrid and Information Technology Department at the University of Guayaquil, providing students and teachers with an educational innovation that allows checking the design theory of thermal systems, accessing remote practices in real-time.


Abstract Since venom is costly to produce and stinging is not obligatory in prey capture for scorpions, the need to optimize use of resources suggests that venom should be reserved for prey that cannot otherwise be overpowered, (i.e., larger and/or more active prey). In accordance with these predictions, sting use by Hadrurus spadix Stahnke 1940 increased with prey size, reaching 100% once prey items were longer than the scorpion's pedipalp patella length, and with prey activity, which we manipulated by varying prey temperature. Surprisingly, the scorpions were slower to capture less active (cooler) prey than those that exhibited higher rates of activity. We suggest this is because prey are located by vibrations in the substrate, with less active prey producing fewer vibrations.


Histopathological examination of both cases revealed a dome-shaped nodular skin lesion composed of multiple dilated infundibulocystic structures filled with keratin with only focal epidermal communications. Numerous sebaceous lobules were attached to the infundibular structures. The follicular structures were surrounded with fibrous sheaths and were separated from the adjacent stroma by cleft-like spaces (Fig. 2). The stroma appeared densely collagenous (black arrow, Fig. 2a) with spindle cells (dashed arrow, Fig. 2a), foci of adipocytes (diamond headed and black arrows, Fig 2a and b, respectively), and vascular spaces. What is your diagnosis? Diagnosis The histopathological findings are diagnostic of folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH).


The function of journals of higher learning institutions is illustrated,that is,journals of higher learning institutions is the distributor of academic information,the field of discovery,supporting and training of talents,and important ways of distributing innovative theoretical study,and the promotion of local economic development.


The nonlinear three‐wave interaction model of stimulated Raman backscattering in an underdense plasma layer, with a relativistic detuning taken into account, is simulated in space‐time. A mechanism is discovered based on a systematic transition to a chaotic state via quasiperiodic and intermittent regimes, that predicts a progressive growth in the backscatter complexity with an increase in laser intensity. Anomalous signatures of the backscatter, such as bursting and incoherence, together with broad, modulated and blue‐shifted spectra are readily observed. Consistency with recent data on high‐intensity sub‐picosecond laser plasma experiments is established.


Keywords: Hermitian spaces over rings of polynomials ; quadratic spaces ; bibliography Reference CMA-CHAPTER-1984-001 Record created on 2008-12-16, modified on 2016-08-08


In July 1933, an official at Joseph Goebbels's Propaganda Ministry gave an influential speech concerning the "cultural-political tasks of the German press." The speaker, Wilfrid Bade, was himself an author and journalist who had previously attracted little notice outside Nazi circles. He declared that "a new Germany needs new authors"—an unsurprising sentiment, and one pronounced by the cultural representatives of many new regimes. Bade went on, however, to name a surprising group of candidates for this authorial duty: the storm troopers, members of the Nazi's paramilitary group, the Sturmabteilung (SA), whose violent thuggery had raged through German streets and helped to push the decaying Weimar Republic over the edge.


The research collaboration trend between India and USA during 2007–2016 was evaluated on the basis of research publications indexed in Scopus database. Research collaboration of 55607 documents has been analyzed to see the international collaboration pattern between India and USA during the period. The trend of research publications in collaboration was assessed by analyzing; year-wise collaboration pattern, year-wise collaboration with other countries, growth trend in collaboration with USA, types of documents used for publishing research results, top institutes/universities which are associated with research collaboration, top source titles based on the number of publications, subject categories in research collaboration, etc. International collaboration patterns institutions and countries have been studied in the paper. The results of the study showed that major areas of collaboration between India and USA are in the field of medicines, followed by physics and astronomy, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology during 2007–2016.


In this experimental study propofol's hypotensive effect has been investigated. 30 rats were anesthetized and divided randomly into 3 groups. One group received propofol 10 mg/kg via the mesenteric vein while the other trasylol 100000 IU/kg intraperitoneally. The third group was for control. Serum PGE2 and histamine-like activities of the three groups were compared while carotid artery blood pressure was bein simultaneously recorded on the chimograph.
According to our results, histamine levels increased and PGE2 levels deçreased in the trasylol group whereas they both, increased in the propofol, group. Simultaneous b1ood pressure recordings showed a decrease of 30 %. There fore, it could be' stated that the increase of histamine which has a strong vasodilating action could contribute to the hypotensive effect -of propofol. However, it should not be forgotten that in rats, mesenteric vein bed is rich in mast cells. Moreover, the changes of PGE2 levels caused by propofol and trasylol activate the kallikrein-kinin system. These results also bring to mind a possibility of the role of kinin peptides in the hypotension created by propofol.


Aims:  In humans, skeletal muscle capillarization and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA response to acute exercise are lower in aged compared with young. The exercise‐induced increase in VEGF mRNA has been proposed to involve hypoxic regulation of VEGF and is believed to be fibre type‐dependent. We hypothesized that attenuated VEGF mRNA responses to hypoxia and exercise with advanced age would be greatest in oxidative vs. glycolytic muscles.


automatic storage system for locking electrical cycles (1) on locking stations (7), the cycles operated removable batteries (9) which each comprise a unique identifier for identifying the user to allow it to borrow a locked cycle in the storage system.


ABSTRACT The untreated and alkali-treated bamboo (Bambusa balcooa) fibers were coated with polyethylene glycol–based polyurethane (PU) and its semi-interpenetrating polymer network (SIPN) with polystyrene (PS). The tensile strength and chemical resistance were measured on alkali-treated and untreated fibers with or without polymer coating. The PU and PU/PS (50/50) IPN-coated bamboo fibers showed improvement in tensile behavior and chemical resistance.


Problems encountered in the production of chicken presto is bones which it is rapidly destroyed while cooking spices still does not penetrate properly  into the meat and rancidity is still felt. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of vapor pressure cooking and the influence of position rack storage of raw chicken in aoutoclave on quality and tenderness of chicken bones  of chicken presto. The study consisted of two phases, namely the production of chicken presto, and storage for 8 weeks. Steam pressure treatment used were 10, 15 and 20 psi. These treatment were conducted with rack storage (shelf dividers) and without rack storage (stacked as usual). Tests were conducted on the product organoleptic and bone hardness test. Presto chicken products with the highest organoleptic acceptance is the treatment T2, which was the process of cooking presto with a pressure of 15 psi and processed without the use rack storage. Rack storage did not affect the organoleptic score increase on the product. Organoleptic test results showed presto chicken products accepted by the panelists with the average value of A between 3.3 to 3.6. The bone hardness test shows hardness values varying between 22.44 gf / mm to 60,46 gf / mm


Housing NSW recognises that a commitment to both the development of its staff and the provision of a supportive and stimulating work environment is fundamental to quality customer service, continual improvement and innovation.


Bodies as conceived in macroscopic theories are loosely spoken of as participating in processes. But are there any systematic reasons for regarding processes as part of the ontology of macroscopic theory? The present paper suggests that suitable motivation can be found within a project of describing a phenomenological, macroscopic ontology for equilibrium thermodynamics, and outlines some aspects of the interrelation between continuant bodies and processes.


In previous studies,a cDNA fragment was found to be highly homologous with ras-related nuclear proteins(Ran proteins)by suppression subtractive hybridization(SSH)using WSSV-resistant shrimp.In this investigation,Ran gene was cloned from Penaeus japonicus shrimp by RACE-PCR,the total cDNA was 1 441 base pair and the ORF of shrimp Ran gene contained 645 bp,which encoded 215 amino acids.This was the first Ran gene obtained from marine invertebrates.Then the gene was cloned in pGEX-4T-2 and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21.After induction with IPTG at 37 ℃ for 6 h,the GST-Ran fusion protein(about 50 ku)was expressed and purified by glutathione-agarose beads.Based on protein domain analysis,the Ran protein was predicted to have a GTP/ATP binding motif.To test whether the Ran protein was endowed with GTPase activity,the GTP-binding assay was performed.The result revealed that the Ran protein had the GTP-binding activity.


: The research project reported here surveyed planners in Coastal Zone Management and "208" programs in New England to determine the nature of their educational and experiential preparation for carrying out public participation functions, and to identify the planners' own perceptions of the relative importance of those functions and their adequacy for performing them. Criteria for effective programming were developed and used as a standard for comparing various backgrounds with capability for performing necessary tasks. The research indicates that prior planning experience is more directly related to perceived adequacy than either academic or other experiential backgrounds. The survey also revealed a predominant emphasis on activities involving direct public conduct, e.g., organizing citizen advisory groups and conducting public meetings. The results of the analysis were used to make recommendations for curriculum topics that should be incorporated into the training of professional planners so that they will be better prepared to undertake public participation responsibilities. Those recommendations stress preparation for direct public contact, but also for training in other means of public involvement, such as media contact, that are not now being carried out with comparable emphasis or effectiveness.


The endogenous nature of money is a fact that has been recognized rather late in monetary economics. Today, it is explained most comprehensively by the theory of money in post-Keynesian monetary theory. The expert contributors to this enlightening book revisit long-standing debates on the endogeneity of money from the position of both horizontalists and structuralists, and prescribe new areas of research and debate for post-Keynesian scholars to explore.


The invention discloses a denitration (denitrogenation) and desulfurization agent for flue gas for reducing equipment investment. The agent by CTR-ultraviolet radiation can remove NOioNO#-[2] and SO#-[2] in flue gas simultaneously or respectively. The agent comprises the following components: 40% to 100% by weight of calcium carbonate, 0% to 20% by weight of calcium oxide, 0% to 20% by weight of magnesium carbonate, 0% to 10% by weight of titanium dioxide, 0% to 10% by weight of ferriferous oxide, 0% to 5% by weight of rare earth; in which, ferriferous oxide contains one or more of ferric oxide, ferrous oxide and ferroferric oxide.


Until recently, monopolistic network operators considered resolving service and network management from a systems viewpoint. Due to deregulation, the customer becomes central and there is a need to consider management as an activity transversal to all the business units of the company. The issue needs to be considered first from a business viewpoint and only then from a systems viewpoint. Moreover, there is a general need of increasing the quality of IT systems. Therefore, new methods are required for the realization of management solutions. This paper proposes a methodological approach for the specification, design and implementation of management systems in this renewed telecommunications industry context. The application of the method first identifies and defines the business processes and specifies the information models, which contain data manipulated by these processes. The obtained results are inputs for system design whose outputs are in turn software and hardware entities that make up the management system.


Homoaromaticity has been the subject of many investigations and continues to remain an extraordinarily rich area of chemistry. Quantitative experimental evaluation of the level of long range delocalization and assessment of interactions in molecules having two or more insulating atoms, together with various theoretical estimates of energies and geometries, are areas currently being examined. The primary intention of this review is to provide a critical up-to-date survey of relevant spectral and structural data, as well as an analysis of the many reactions believed to involve generation of homoaromatic ions. Extensively discussed are mono-,bis-, and trishomoaromatic systems arranged on the basis of their cationic, anionic, or uncharged nature. Presentation of these individualized segments is preceded by a brief analysis of homoaromatic overlap.


Global disability is increasingly being associated with stress, anxiety and depression. As a corollary, studies have associated these psychological conditions with worry. Based on these considerations, it had been suggested that research on the content of worry can contribute to better understanding the role of worry in anxiety disorders. Towards this end, this paper investigated the extent of worrying and the contents of worry thoughts among students in the United Arab Emirates University using Wells' (1994) Anxious Thoughts Inventory (AnTI). The study further tested whether the sex, age, or marital status of the students influenced their extent of worrying. The findings consistently showed that the students only sometimes experienced social and meta-worry and almost never indulged in health worry. Furthermore, the extent and content of worry were not specific to the sex, age, or marital status of the participants. On the whole, worrying was more of the suppression of intrusive thoughts and functioned as an individual means of self-precaution and regulation, and a pragmatic way of coping and adapting to anxiety rather than being a causal factor for anxiety.


This diploma thesis is directed to preparation of mixed metal oxides pigments doped by ions of lanthanides with general formula LnxFe2-xO3, where x = 0,2 - 1,8 and Ln = La, Gd, Yb, Tm, Lu. The main aim of this work was to monitore the effect or rare earth elements contents, calcining temperature and used precursors on the pigments-application of the compound, whereas the biggest attention was paid to the compound containing the lanthan.


The invention discloses a precise floating joint device which comprises a joint body, an inner hole of the joint body is connected with a floating joint, and a thrust bearing which can be adjusted radially is installed between the inner hole of the joint body and the floating joint. According to the precise floating joint device, the thrust bearing is installed between the joint body 4 and the floating joint 1, sliding type friction is achieved, abrasion is greatly reduced, precision is improved, service life is prolonged, and radial floating of the floating joint 1 relative to the joint body 4 is flexible and reliable.


Based upon geologic background of solum evolvement, aimed to strong structural soft clay strata Zhanjiang Formation lower Pleistocene series the Quaternary system in Zhanjiang area, the research on soil properties, which combines macroscopical mechanics test and microanalysis, has been made, so as to disclose internal relations between occurrence and strong structural characteristic of soft clay in this area. It is shown that Zhanjiang Formation is the deltaic-facies strata controlled by river(interactive marine continental sedimentation); and its special sedimentation characteristic result from multi-geologic-agent coupling action with strong tectonic movement working on. Fundamentally, agglutination among particles result in the characteristic strong structural strength of this soft clay, and its pedogenic mechanism is extraordinarily similar to that of indigenous laterite.


Maritime and civil aviation security is a global problem posed by terrorism and illegal acts and therefore requires global attention and solutions that can only be provided by relevant international organizations (International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization). Nineteen years have passed since the attacks of 11 September 2001 on the World Trade Center, but the threat of another terrorist attack is still just as possible and unacceptable. The series of attacks in the USA have started a new period of history. This period can be characterised as unsteady, unpredictable, and transforming of complex systems, including new types of dangers. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis and comparison of the most serious types of unlawful acts (terrorism and piracy) regarding legislation and jurisdiction. For the sake of comparability of legal phenomena, special attention is paid to illegal acts at sea and in the airspace above the sea.


For clarification of physiological effects of dietary maize and yeast sphingolipids on colon cancer in vivo, we investigated the effects of dietary maize and yeast cerebrosides on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) -induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation in mouse large intestine. After 10 weeks of maize and yeast cerebroside feeding and DMH administration, DMH-induced ACF formation was significantly suppressed in all large intestines of these mice. When lipids in the feces of mice fed maize and yeast cerebrosides were analyzed, maize and yeast cerebrosides decomposed by intestinal enzyme and/or microflora were observed. The present study demonstrated that DMH-induced ACF formation could be inhibited in mouse large intestine by maize and yeast cerebrosides. Daily ingestion of these compounds may serve to suppress colon carcinoma in humans.


Dielectric elastomers are useful for large-strain actuation and energy harvesting. Their application has been limited by their low dielectric constants and consequently high driving voltage. Various fillers with high dielectric constants have been incorporated into different elastomer systems to improve the actuation strain, force output and energy density of the compliant actuators and generators. However, agglomeration may happen in these nanocomposites, resulting in a decrease of dielectric strength, an increase of leakage current, and in many instances the degree of enhancement of the dielectric constant. In this work, we investigated aluminum nanoparticles as nanofillers for acrylate copolymers. This metallic nanoparticle was chosen because the availability of free electrons could potentially provide an infinite value of dielectric constant as opposed to dielectric materials including ferroelectric nanocrystals. Moreover, aluminum nanoparticles have a self-passivated oxide shell effectively preventing the formation of conductive path. The surfaces of the aluminum nanoparticles were functionalized with methacrylate groups to assist the uniform dispersion in organic solutions and additionally enable copolymerization with acrylate copolymer matrix during bulk polymerization, and thus to suppress large range drifting of the nanoparticles. The resulting Al nanoparticle-acrylate copolymer nanocomposites were found to exhibit higher dielectric constant and increased stiffness. The leakage current under high electric fields were significantly lower than nanocomposites synthesized without proper nanoparticle surface modification. The dielectric strengths of the composites were comparable with the pristine polymers. In dielectric actuation evaluation, the actuation force output and energy specific work density were enhanced in the nanocomposites compared to the pristine copolymer.


This paper mainly investigates the fixed-time attitude stabilization problem of a rigid spacecraft subject to inertia uncertainties and external disturbance. Firstly, a terminal sliding mode surface is constructed to guarantee the fixed time convergence of the attitude independent of initial states. Then, active disturbance rejection control is used to guarantee the states of the spacecraft system reach an arbitrary small vicinity of the terminal sliding mode surface in fixed time. Moreover, to solve the singularity problem in terminal sliding mode control design, an asynchronous switching law is proposed to avoid the singularity. Finally, numerical simulations illustrate the control performance of the proposed control method.


Effective field theories provide a formalism for categorizing low-energy effects of a high-energy fundamental theory in terms of the low-energy degrees of freedom. This process has been well established in mapping the fundamental theory of QCD in terms of the hadronic degrees of freedom, which allows for quantitative connections and predictions between hardronic observables. A more direct approach to performing the non-perturbative QCD calculations is through lattice QCD. These computationally intensive calculations approximate continuum physics with a discretized lattice to extract hadronic phenomena from first principles. However, as in any approximation, there are multiple systematic errors between lattice QCD calculation and actual hardronic phenomena. To account for these systematic effects in terms of hadronic interactions, effective field theory proves to be useful. However, the fundamental theory of interest here is lattice QCD, as opposed to the usual continuum QCD. In this work, the basics of this process are outlined, and multiple original calculations are presented: effective field theory for anisotropic lattices, I=2 $\pi\pi$ scattering for isotropic, anisotropic, and twisted mass lattices. Additionally, a usage of effective field theories and the employment of an isospin chemical potential on the lattice is proposed to extract several computationally difficult scattering parameters. Lastly, recently proposed local, chiral lattice actions are analyzed in the framework of effective field theory, which illuminates various challenges in simulating such actions.


From the ergonomic point of view, society has an obligation to provide every possible means to correct or supplement the deficiency of one person, if this is not the company faces the problem of disability. In Colombia, 6.3% of the population has some form of permanent disability, a condition which requires the company to generate research to social inclusion and employment of these people. With the development of this project was designed for a computer peripheral to the upper limb amputees in half, which facilitates the management and control of data. The system was designed to implement ergonomics in every step of the process, seeking to generate a quality product with ergonomically designed for both methods of investigation were used in the early stages of the process, testing methods for the development of ergonomic design in detail and two usability tests for determining the appropriateness of the device with respect to the initial objective. The device allows the disabled to use their affected limb allowing the management of computers.


As software engineering practice evo/ves to respond to demands for distributed applications on heterogeneous p/atforms, software change is increasing/y influenced by midd/eware and components. Interoperabi/ity dependency re/ationships now point to more re/evant impacts of software change and necessarily drive the ana/ysis. Software changes to software systems that incorporate midd/eware components /ike web services expose these systems and the organizations they serve to unforeseen ripp/e effects thatfrequent/y resu/t infai/ures. Current software change impact ana/ysis mode/s have not adequate/y addressed this trend. Moreover, as software systems grow in size and comp/exity, the dependency webs of information extend beyond most software engineers abi/ity to comprehend them. This paper examines pre/iminary research for extending current software change impact ana/ysis to incorporate interoperabi/ity dependency re/ationships for addressing distributed app/ications and explores three dimensional (3D) visua/ization techniques for more effective


Saturable absorption (SA) and reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at 532 nm were observed in Ag nanodots prepared by pulsed laser deposition. The real [Re χ(3)] and imaginary [Im χ(3)] parts of the third order nonlinearity of these films were measured using the Z-scan technique. At low input irradiances, the decrease in absorption near the focal point results from a negative Im χ(3) and yields SA. At higher input irradiance, RSA becomes dominant. The transition from SA to RSA suggests that there is a threshold irradiance at which additional nonlinear process(es) is (are) involved and become dominant. The recovery time of these nonlinear processes was measured by a degenerate pump-probe experiment. The effects are explained in terms of the electron dynamics in the excited states.


An ensemble of new techniques has been developed to study cell metabolism. These include: CO2 production monitoring, cell irradiation with soft X rays produced with a laser-plasma source, and study of oscillations in cell metabolic activity via spectral analysis of experimental records. Soft X-rays at about 0.9 keV, with a very low penetration in biological material, were chosen to produce damages at the metabolic level, without great interference with DNA activity. The use of a laser-plasma source allowed a fast deposition of high doses. Monitoring of CO2 production allowed us to measure cell metabolic response immediately after irradiation in a continuous and non invasive way. Also a simple model was developed to calculate X-ray doses delivered to the different cell compartments following a Lambert-Bouguet–Beer law. Results obtained on Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells in experiments performed at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory are presented.


An exact map for Sinai's billiard with maximal central scatterer has been deduced from geometrical principles. Using this map a simple numerical method has been implemented for the search of periodic orbits. Results that seem to be useful in classical as quantum chaos are shown.


Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs), powerful chemical weapons in warfare and armed conflict, were prohibited by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), but the danger persists because of its misuse in terrorism and warfare. It is crucial to detect them rapidly because exposure to small quantity of CWAs can cause lethal damage or death in a short time. Generally, they have been detected by various conventional techniques such as photoionization, ion mobility spectroscopy, flame photometry, and IR spectroscopy. But most of these methods possess a crucial challenge in being a portable detector because they are heavy, bulky, and consumes large power. In this study, the surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor, and quantum cascade lasers (QCL) were used to detect simulant of CWA. The SAW sensor and QCM sensor, a chemical detector based on piezoelectric substrates, detect chemical compounds using mass loading effect. It is caused by the adsorption of chemical compounds on the sensing material coated on the surface of the delay line. Therefore, the synthesis method, coating process, type, and concentration of sensing material have a prime effect on the sensitivity of the sensor. QCL was used to make a contactless small chemical detector with a mid-infrared photodetector, drive circuit, and optical hardware. Most CWAs have very high absorption rates and different absorption spectra in the range of 8-12 μm wavelengths. This detection method provides real-time detection of CWAs based on advantages of being contactless, excellent selectivity, and high sensitivity.


Diffusion of NO - 3 -N ions and nonuniform distribution of surface-applied N fertilizers contribute to large variations in field measurements of net N mineralization. An in situ soil core-ion exchange resin bag (ISC-IERB) field method has been used reliably to measure net N mineralization in intact soil cores but has not been widely tested in moist, though nonirrigated, N-fertilized agricultural soils. From 1996 through 2000, net N mineralization was measured in the top 20 cm using a refined version of the ISC/IERB technique for the first 1-mo period following planting and fertilization of N-fertilized and N-unfertilized, no-tillage and chisel-plowed corn (Zea mays L.) agroecosystems on Piano silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic, typic argiudoll) in south-central Wisconsin. Progressive modifications were made to the ISC/IERB technique, which ultimately resulted in reduced sample variability. Following the refinements, a significant N fertilization effect was shown for the most variable period of the growing season where net N mineralization rates for N-fertilized corn treatments were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than for N-unfertilized corn treatments.


The number of laser based biomedical and chemical sensing applications continues to increase. Development and exploitation of many of these applications is limited by the lack of practical laboratory based sources of the required laser radiation. An IR laser/OPO system has been optimized for use in the 5 to 7 /spl mu/m range. This region includes important water, protein and carbonate absorption bands. Output can be extended to 12 /spl mu/m if required. The bench top system operates with a multi-wavelength pump laser, which can be configured to operate in the 2.6 to 3 /spl mu/m region. All three output wavelengths (pump, signal and idler) are available, thus making it suitable for pump-probe experiments. Energy is delivered in single pulses of 50 to 70 ns duration, from 1 to 10 Hz. Depending on the configuration and repetition rate, up to 10 mJ/pulse of signal or idler can be produced.


Actors' perception of urban agriculture can affect the way urban agricultural decisions are made and implemented either positively or negatively, with or without the actors being aware of it. The way actors perceive urban agriculture is influenced by actors'  interests, limited or unlimited information about urban agriculture, policy and legal frameworks. This study used a case-study design to examine the effects of actors' diverse perception of urban agriculture on the governance of urban agriculture.  Purposefully selected 60 respondents participated in-depth interviews in the wards of Daraja Mbili and Lemala. Farmers and agricultural officers perceived urban agriculture positively because their livelihoods and professional interests were related and relied on the practice of urban agriculture. Urban planners and agricultural officers perceived  agriculture positively and negatively depending on the way agricultural activities affected the environment or were compatible with non-agricultural activities. The implementation of policy and enforcement of bylaws relating to urban agriculture was not successful because urban planners and environmental officers were skeptical about the value of urban agriculture. Doing urban agriculture in the environmentally sensitive areas was against environmental bylaws, but the area was encroached upon by the farmers who had no alternative land for farming. Land use hurdles for doing urban agriculture were rarely addressed by urban planners who had no evidence of the benefits of urban agriculture to city authority compared with revenue and employment opportunities from real estate developments. We conclude that the farmers' and non-farmers positive and negative perception of urban agriculture stem from their interests, limited or unlimited information about urban agriculture. Government officials' perception of urban agriculture is influenced by their carrier and work obligations. Despite the presence of policy acknowledging urban agriculture and environmental bylaws for regulating urban agriculture, actors cannot really govern urban agriculture if they perceive it negatively.


The combustion system,of circulating fluidized bed boilers,is a thermal system,characterized by time lag,strong coupling and non-linear properties.The complexity of its dynamic behavior makes it impossible for that,at present widely used,multi-loop control system to be effectively put into automatic service.Based on an analysis of the influence,exerted by the input quantities on the output quantities,and after having calculat the relative contribution of each control loop,a multi-variable control version,for the combustion system of circulating fluidized bed boilers,has been decided on;its design optimized by genetic algorithm,and its robustness evaluated by the Monte-Carlo method.Study results indicate that this multi-variable control system,which is based on the dynamic characteristics,is featured by good control properties and satisfactory robustness.


In vitro antioxidant activity of Korean traditional fermented soy sauce with different brewing periods was investigated.The antioxidant activities of aged soy sauce were evaluated by free radical(DPPH,·OH) scavenging assay,H2O2 scavenging assay,peroxide value(POV) assay and conjugated dienes acid(CDA) test.The results suggested that aged soy sauce has a powerful free radical and H2O2 scavenging activity,and could effectively inhibit oxidation of linoleic acid via reducing POV and CDA formation.Antioxidant activity of soy sauce increased depending on the brewing periods.Hence,aged soy sauce has powerful in vitro antioxidant activity.


Do honey bees compete for food with other bee species in nature? This question has been the focus of considerable scientific and political attention in recent years, especially, but not exclusively in Australia. In this article we provide the background and rationale of the argument and present scientific studies which have attempted to provide evidence. We also suggest some approaches to dealing with real issues related to honey bee competition, bee conservation, and honey bee management.


The application of CAN fieldbus to homemade basis weight instrument is studied and the method of com- municating CAN with ordinary instruments is analysed. The practical circuit is given and the stipulation of ap- plied protocol is reseached.


Abstract National Meteorological Center (NMC) data from midlatitudes for three Januaries is used to calculate time series of the zonal mean meridional eddy heat flux and the zonal mean baroclinic stability, as measured by the difference between the zonal wind shear and the critical value of the shear in two-level models. Time- lagged correlations between the two series show a highly significant negative correlation for short time lags, peaking at about −0.4 when the stability parameter lags one half day behind the eddy flux. They also show that strongly unstable conditions are not followed by significant increases in the eddy flux. These results indicate that the synoptic variations of the zonal mean eddy flux are not closely related to the degree of baroclinic instability of the zonal mean flow. The autocorrelation of the eddy flux is compared with those expected for auto-regressive processes. A Bayesian information criterion indicates that the behavior is represented best by a damped oscillation, with a...


We present a scientific computing accelerator on FPGA that uses hundreds of processors working in parallel organized in several SIMD cores. The accelerator is installed within an Ethernet network and acts as a high-performance computing server. A prototype is presented for processing solar images and achieves a great performance that can compete with a cluster.


This study of the work of the Jewish convert physician and poet Francisco Lopez de Villalobos (1474-1549) gives a wide piece of biographical news and considers his role as a physician of Castilian aristocracy and royalty, with special emphasis on his condition of Jewish convert. A new approach to his humanist and literary work in the Castilian Renaissance shows him as the author of a valuable Castilian and Latin epistolary, being a precursor of certain aspects of jesting literary, modern essaying, and translation of classical authors, such as Pliny and Plautus, from Latin into Spanish. The study ends with the analysis of Villalobos' narrative of the Revolution of Communities of Castile (1520-21). Conclusions, sources, and bibliography complete this historiographical essay.


Spectral downwelling shortwave irradiance measurements made beneath overcast stratiform cloud decks at Ross Island, Antarctica (77.5°S, 167°E), are used in conjunction with discrete ordinates‐based radiative transfer simulations to examine how mixed‐phase clouds influence shortwave irradiance at the surface during austral spring‐summer. From 10 October 2012 until 4 February 2013, an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD, Inc.) spectroradiometer deployed at the Arrival Heights (77.82°S, 166.65°E) laboratory of McMurdo Station measured in 1 min averages the downwelling spectral hemispheric (direct plus diffuse) irradiance spanning visible (VIS) and near‐infrared regions of the solar spectrum, from 350 to 2200 nm. Conservative‐scattering cloud optical depth τc is retrieved in the interval 1022–1033 nm, where the albedo of the snow‐covered surface is lower than at VIS wavelengths. The impact of liquid versus mixed‐phase cloud properties on the surface shortwave energy budget is discerned using irradiances in the 1.6 μm window. Five case studies employ NASA A‐Train satellite and ancillary meteorological data sets to investigate the macrophysical, microphysical, and shortwave radiative characteristics of clouds possessing distinct meteorological histories. Cloud systems within marine air masses arriving at Ross Island after transiting the West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS) and the Ross Ice Shelf are radiatively dominated by the ice phase. In contrast, moist marine air moving directly onshore from the Ross Sea brings low clouds with a stronger influence of liquid water. Deep cyclonic disturbances over the Ross Sea are seen to be limited in their ability to deliver significant moisture as far south as Ross Island, where clouds are mainly optically thin.


The 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is an infectious disease which was first reported in late 2019 and soon spread to become a global pandemic, prompting major action from world governments. Soon after, many institutions began attempts to analyze and predict the spread and severity of the disease via statistical modeling. Some information is not available for public consumption; however, a number of institutions have published the results of their analyses and some have made public repositories of the code used to build the models. This research paper attempts use these and other resources to examine the modeling techniques employed by several such institutions and assess their accuracy and efficacy. In addition, it will explore these techniques and discuss their implementations as well as what assumptions they rely upon and how small parameter changes affect output. COVID-19 STATISTICAL MODELING 3 Senior Honors Research Project: An Examination of COVID-19 Statistical Modeling In December 2019, in Wuhan, China, a new respiratory disease emerged and was found to have been caused by a novel coronavirus which soon became known as COVID-19. The spread of the highly transmittable virus eventually prompted unprecedented societal upheaval as world governments scrambled to contain the pandemic. Self-quarantining, shelter in place and stay at home orders have left many individuals and families under drastically different circumstances than just a few short months ago. The state we find ourselves in now is highly uncertain and leaves the majority of the population asking the same questions; indeed, there has never been a more important time for investigation with the purpose of finding a solution to such a dire problem. Researchers around the world have been working tirelessly to answer questions related to the pandemic to better inform government entities and the public. Specifically, statisticians, data scientists, epidemiologists and mathematicians are attempting to model as many prescient attributes of the pandemic as possible. The Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization, as well as government entities and, most prolifically, academic institutions, have employed several different modeling techniques from various branches of statistical analysis to answer pressing questions, with varying degrees of accuracy and success. In this research paper, we would like to present three different models from three different academic institutions, examine the statistical techniques with which they are constructed and discuss the motivation behind each technique, as well as the assumptions they are based on, the data they are describing, the challenges in their implementation and the interpretation of their results. COVID-19 STATISTICAL MODELING 4


The design principles and collection procedures behind a speech synthesis corpus directly impact the performance of the resulting text-to-speech system. This paper describes the design and collection of the Victoria corpus, created to support speech synthesis research and development at Apple Computer. This corpus is composed of (cid:12)ve constituent parts, each designed to cover a speci(cid:12)c aspect of speech synthesis: polyphones, prosodic contexts, reiterant speech, function word sequences, and continuous speech. It was spoken in general U.S. English by one linguistically-trained adult female. Portions of the corpus are being used in the statistical estimation of duration and pitch models for Apple's next-generation text-to-speech system, MacinTalk 4.


The design of radiation efficient antennas for ultrawide band (UWB) signalling is a challenging step in the design and development of UWB communication systems, especially when UWB signals co-exist with previously standardized narrowband (NB) wireless services. This work presents a compact UWB antenna design that is capable of suppressing NB interference (NBI) signals. The immunity of the proposed design to NBI is tested both experimentally and through simulations. Moreover, the experimentally measured spectral characteristics are employed in simulating the impact of the proposed UWB antenna on a typical UWB signalling waveform. Both experimental and simulation results confirm the capability of the proposed design to suppress NBI signals at six different frequencies, corresponding to the most frequently used wireless services at these frequencies, while introducing an almost negligible distortion to the UWB signalling waveforms.


In our article on oral contraceptives (OCs) we state that 'oral contraceptives increase the risk of breast cancer with long-term use but reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer'. Some commentators have questioned the breast cancer risk. The UK National Case-Control (UKNCC) study, which looked at oral contraceptive use in women with breast cancer diagnosed before age 36, found a trend for increased risk associated with duration of use.1 'The simplest and most plausible explanation', say the authors of the study, 'must be that there is a substantial causal relation between prolonged use and breast cancer in young women.' The increased risk seems to be associated particularly with OC use before the first full-term pregnancy.2 Several studies found no excess risk in OC users aged 45 or over, few of whom had taken the pill before their first pregnancy.3–5 In the UKNCC study the relative risk of breast cancer was 1.43 after 4–8 years' use and 1.74 after more than 8 years' use. In broad terms this means that three women in 1000 who use oral contraceptives for 4 or more years might be expected to be under treatment for breast cancer by age 36, compared with two per 1000 non-users.


Chronic liver inflammation (CLI) is a risk factor for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Galectin‐1 (Gal1) is involved in the regulation of inflammation, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis, exhibiting multiple anti‐inflammatory and protumorigenic activities. We aimed to explore its regulatory role in CLI and HCC progression using an established model of CLI‐mediated HCC development, Abcb4 [multidrug‐resistance 2 (Mdr2)]‐knockout (KO) mice, which express high levels of Gal1 in the liver. We generated double‐KO (dKO) Gal1‐KO/Mdr2‐KO mice on C57BL/6 and FVB/N genetic backgrounds and compared HCC development in the generated strains with their parental Mdr2‐KO strains. Loss of Gal1 increased liver injury, inflammation, fibrosis, and ductular reaction in dKO mice of both strains starting from an early age. Aged dKO mutants displayed earlier hepatocarcinogenesis and increased tumor size compared with control Mdr2‐KO mice. We found that osteopontin, a well‐known modulator of HCC development, and oncogenic proteins Ntrk2 (TrkB) and S100A4 were overexpressed in dKO compared with Mdr2‐KO livers. Our results demonstrate that in Mdr2‐KO mice, a model of CLI‐mediated HCC, Gal1‐mediated protection from hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and HCC initiation dominates over its known procarcinogenic activities at later stages of HCC development. These findings suggest that anti‐Gal1 treatments may not be applicable at all stages of CLI‐mediated HCC.—Potikha, T., Pappo, O., Mizrahi, L., Olam, D., Mailer, S. M., Rabinovich, G. A., Galun, E., Goldenberg, D. S. Lack of galectin‐1 exacerbates chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and carcinogenesis in murine hepatocellular carcinoma model. FASEB J. 33, 7995–8007 (2019). www.fasebj.org


The paper initially engages in a discussion of the different concepts of trust promulgated over the years via a review of the literature. Trust is then discussed in the context of three management accounting situations, viz. the typical transfer pricing situation; the (equally) typical budget setting process; and the rather more specific situation of the accounting information system (here utilising the concept of action at a distance) employed within a particular construction company. So whilst two of the management accounting applications examined are from a theoretical perspective, the third is empirically based (if only because there is a dearth of theoretical literature available in the relevant domain). The 'angle' from which trust is viewed differs somewhat in the three situations discussed. Thus in the case of both transfer pricing and budgeting, the focus is largely upon the extent to which the identified activities are enabled or enhanced by their taking place within a context of trust. The major difference between the two situations described is that, in the case of transfer pricing, the trust that is required for a satisfactory outcome is likely to exist between individuals of more or less equal rank. In the case of budgeting, however, the situation likely to be encountered is more of a principal:agent variety, where the superior will, concomitant with their seniority, have more power than the subordinate (even though the latter might well be better informed than the former). These two examples are both of a general nature, but when the paper moves on to discuss the case of an accounting information system used within a construction company to inform headquarters regarding geographically remote activities, it becomes far more specific, identifying as it does the implications of the breakdown in trust that then occurred. The three instances investigated suggest that trust is an important ingredient in a variety of management accounting applications. The exploration presented is therefore suggested as providing the foundation for a programme of research to examine the role of trust in various 'negotiation' and principal:agent contexts. So the paper ultimately suggests a research programme that explicitly considers trust in the study of a variety of management accounting situations.


Objective To examine the impact of peritoneal dialysis catheter configuration, curled or straight catheter, on catheter survival and mechanical and infectious complications. Design Prospective randomized trial. Setting Department of Nephrology of a single university hospital. Patients Seventy-two consecutive patients initiating peritoneal dialysis were randomized to receive either a single cuff straight catheter or a single cuff curled catheter, implanted by percutaneous technique. Results Significantly higher (p < 0.01) survival rate of the curled as compared to the straight catheter. The difference in catheter survival was due to a significantly higher (p < 0.01) incidence of drainage failure associated with catheter tip migration of the straight catheter than of the curled catheter. No difference in infectious complication between the two types of catheters was seen. Catheter survival at 12 months was 77% for the curled catheter and 36% for the straight catheter. Conclusion This study demonstrates superiority of the curled Tenckhoff peritoneal dialysis catheter survival as compared to the straight catheter. This difference in catheter survival is due to the higher displacement rate of the straight catheter.


This paper presents a simple and highly efficient method for dopamine detection using water-soluble carbon dot nanoparticles. The ZnO-associated carbon dots (CDZs) were synthesized using a green chemical strategy. An examination of the effects of biomolecules on the fluorescence of CDZs revealed selective dopamine-induced quenching. In a phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4) medium, a detection limit of 1.06 nM was obtained. This "turn off" phenomenon was attributed to the electronic interaction between CDZs and dopamine, during the oxidation of dopamine. At lower pH, however, the effects of dopamine on the fluorescence of CDZs were insignificant as the oxidation of dopamine was hindered when the proton concentration was increased. This method was found to be free from the interference of coexisting molecules, that is, ascorbic acid and uric acid. This sensing platform was applied successfully in biological fluids to confirm the practical significance of the as-designed sensor.


It is known that sulfurhexafluoride (SF/sub 6/), used as an insulating gas in HV apparatus, will oxide in electrical discharges in the presence of oxygen or water vapor to form various reactive and stable by-products. In order to interpret experimental data on rates of oxidation and by product formation in discharges, meaningfully, it is necessary to apply theoretical chemical kinetics models that utilize rates for numerous gas-phase processes as functions of gas temperature and/or electric-field-to-gas-density ratio. Current knowledge about the fundamental collision processes involving electrons, ions, free radicals, and molecules needed to understand the gas-phase discharge chemistry in SF/sub 6/ is reviewed. Implications of the fundamental rate data reviewed here for recently proposed chemical-kinetics models of corona and glow-type discharges in SF/sub 6/ are discussed. >


Abstract : The audit objectives were to determine whether DoD VE policies, procedures, and implementation of the revised OMB Circular No. A- 131 were adequate and whether agency-reported VE savings were valid. We also assessed how extensively the VE Program was included in contracts, whether contractors believed they were encouraged to participate in the VE Program, and how VE related to other streamlining or savings initiatives. We also evaluated the adequacy of the management control program applicable to the stated objectives.


The effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on the electroplating of Zn–Nb2O5 coatings of mild steel were considered in this research work. The hardness performance and corrosion resistance of the coated samples were analysed using Emco-test microhardness tester and Autolab PGSTAT 101 Metrohmpotentiostat/galvanostat. The results of the research showed that Zn–10Nb2O5–SiO2 coatings displayed preferable hardness property and corrosion resistance compared to Zn–10Nb2O5 coating. Also, the incremental addition of SiO2 nanoparticles improved the hardness behaviour and corrosion resistance of Zn–10Nb2O5 coatings.


We discuss certain globally convergent iterative procedures for determining an "extremal" of a nonconvex optimization problem with a finite number of equality constraints and infinite-dimensional inclusion constraints. These procedures are designed for nonlinear programming and for relaxed optimal control problems with isoperimetric and unilateral restrictions. We also present a variant of one such procedure which does not involve any infinite subiterations.


Objective: To analyze the inhibitory effect of genistein on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) through inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activation. Methods: A total of 36 female mice were divided into six groups (n=6 in each group): control group (untreated mice), endometriosis mice group, and endometriosis mice groups administered with genistein at different doses (1.30 mg/day; 1.95 mg/day; 2.60 mg/day; and 3.25 mg/day). The genistein treatment was performed for 14 d. The expressions of NF-κB, MMP-2 and MMP-9 on the endometriosis lesions were analyzed by the immunohistochemical technique. Results: The activity of NF-κB in the endometriosis group increased significantly than that of the control group (P<0.05). The expression of MMP-2 or MMP-9 in the endometriosis group increased significantly than that of the control group (P<0.05). Administration of genistein at different doses was capable of significantly reducing the activity of NF-κB compared to that of the endometriosis group (P<0.05), reaching the level comparable to that of the control group at the third highest dose (P>0.05). The four doses of genistein administration were capable of significantly reducing the expression of MMP-2 compared to that of the endometriosis group (P<0.05), reaching an expression comparable to that of the control group for the highest dose (P>0.05). Administration of genistein at different doses was capable of significantly reducing the expression of MMP-9 compared to that of the endometriosis group (P<0.05), reaching the level comparable to that of the control group at the highest dose (P>0.05). Conclusions: Genistein suppresses the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 through suppressing NF-κB activity in the peritoneum of murine model of endometriosis.


Abstract A selective determination method for tin (II) ion by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed. Tin (Sn) ion was extracted into 4‐methyl‐2‐pentanon at pH 4.5 as salicylideneamino‐2‐thiophenol (SATP) chelate. Sn–SATP chelate in the organic layer was then separated on a phenyl column with an eluent of methanol/water mixture containing 1 mmol/L NaCl and detected at 430 nm. The correlation coefficients of the calibration curves obtained with 5 mL Sn standards were more than 0.999 over the range of 10 ng/mL (ppb) to 1 µg/mL (ppm). The detection limit of Sn ion in 5 mL solution was 1.4 ppb, which corresponded to 3 times the standard deviation of the blank peak area. The detection limit was better than that of inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP‐AES, 2 ppm). Reproducibility for 50 ppb Sn standard was 2.3% as relative standard deviation (N = 7). Recovery tests were carried out by the presented HPLC method and ICP‐AES with a spiked river water sample. The recoveries obtained by the HPLC method were 100.6% (500 ppb) and 96.3% (50 ppb). Since ICP‐AES could not detect Sn ion at the ppb level, a recovery test was carried out for 5 ppm Sn with 99.8% recovery. Effects of foreign ions on the method were investigated with 55 metal ions. Almost none of the ions interfered except for Hg(II) and Zr(IV).


Ripe fallen jackfruit was chosen as natural bait for isolation of wild yeasts producing fruit aroma. Surface, pulp and underground samples were cultured in three different selective culture media, one of them specific foryeasts tolerant to 6% ethanol. Colonies with different morphology were purified with successive stages in modified YEPD agar. Cultures producing fruit aroma were selected by non-trained testers and cultured on YEPD broth and on molasses-based broth for selection of the best producer strain by a trained panel. From this material, 92 yeast strains were isolated which 8 were selected as producers of fruit aroma. Ordination and hedonic scale sensory assays were carried out with the selected strains and three other reference strains. The panel members selected ĚS4X (YEPD broth) and SP5X (molasses-based broth) strains as the strongest producers of fruit aroma. These strains were identified according to conventional methods as Candida valida and Pichia pijperi.


Microwave-assisted extracting chlorogenic acid from maize(Zea mays L.) leaves was studied.The extraction yield of chlorogenic acid was investigated with respect to mesh size,solid to liquid ratio,microwave time,microwave power and extraction frequency.Through single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment,the optimal extraction conditions were mesh size 80,solid to liquid ratio 1∶30(g∶L),microwave time 50 s,microwave power 550 W.The extraction yield of chlorogenic acid was 2.62 mg/g under the optimal condition.


The network interference model for causal inference places all experimental units at the vertices of an undirected exposure graph, such that treatment assigned to one unit may affect the outcome of another unit if and only if these two units are connected by an edge. This model has recently gained popularity as means of incorporating interference effects into the Neyman--Rubin potential outcomes framework; and several authors have considered estimation of various causal targets, including the direct and indirect effects of treatment. In this paper, we consider large-sample asymptotics for treatment effect estimation under network interference in a setting where the exposure graph is a random draw from a graphon. When targeting the direct effect, we show that---in our setting---popular estimators are considerably more accurate than existing results suggest, and provide a central limit theorem in terms of moments of the graphon. Meanwhile, when targeting the indirect effect, we leverage our generative assumptions to propose a consistent estimator in a setting where no other consistent estimators are currently available. We also show how our results can be used to conduct a practical assessment of the sensitivity of randomized study inference to potential interference effects. Overall, our results highlight the promise of random graph asymptotics in understanding the practicality and limits of causal inference under network interference.


Built upon the decision tree (DT) classification and regression idea, the subspace learning machine (SLM) has been recently proposed to offer higher performance in general classification and regression tasks. Its performance improvement is reached at the expense of higher computational complexity. In this work, we investigate two ways to accelerate SLM. First, we adopt the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to speed up the search of a discriminant dimension that is expressed as a linear combination of current dimensions. The search of optimal weights in the linear combination is computationally heavy. It is accomplished by probabilistic search in original SLM. The acceleration of SLM by PSO requires 10–20 times fewer iterations. Second, we leverage parallel processing in the SLM implementation. Experimental results show that the accelerated SLM method achieves a speed up factor of 577 in training time while maintaining comparable classification/regression performance of original SLM.


Objectives of this study are to study the effects of the dynamic system off Cape San BIas on its unique group of nesting sea turtles and foraging shorebirds, including :
1. changes in beach topography,
2. changes in offshore topography,
3. current flows and direction,
4. tidal patterns,
5. sand composition and origin,
6. sea turtle nesting pattern,
7. structure of the sea turtle group nesting along EAFB on Cape San BIas,
8. shorebird prey availability along an accreting and eroding beach, and
9. effects of beach driving on shorebird prey availability.
(4 page document)