This article features measuring of individual charictristics of entrepreneurship amoung the owners of industry. It is believed that entrepreneurs have unique characteristics such as independence, craving success, focusing on internal lucas, willingness to accept ambiguity, Futurism, and more of this kinds of features but the community of them is not visible in general public. What the writer of this article is about to answer is whether the industry owners who are now the creator and owner of companies and industries have these individual features or without these characteristics (only because of environmental protection) tend to run different economic agencies and industries regardless of these charectristics. The group study in this research includes all owners of different industrial agnecies in Firouzkooh city that at the time of the research were active. To determine the statistical sample size Morgan Table has been referred to and the statistical sample were selected randomly, data collection method in this research was based on questionnaire. the researcher-made questionnaire has confirmed that the research has jugmental reliability, and to confirm the validity Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was used. To answer the questions Wilcoxon non-parametric method is used, the results of data analysis has shown that the study group lacks some features of an individual entrepreneurs.


The effects of clomiphene citrate (CC) and ejaculation frequency on semen characteristics of chickens were evaluated using 36 Black Nera cocks aged 24-28 weeks, and weighting 1.96kg to 2.39kg in a 4 x 3 factorial experiment, with clomiphene citrate dose at four levels (0mg, 5mg, 10mg and 15mg/kg body weight) and ejaculation frequency at three levels (once a week, twice weekly and thrice weekly) as factors. Ejaculate volume and colour, sperm motility, sperm concentration and total sperm per ejaculate generally increased progressively with increase in CC administration, with the 15mg CC group being significantly (P 0.05) effect on semen pH and morphologically abnormal sperm. Percent sperm motility increased significantly (P 0.05) by frequency of ejaculation. Ejaculation frequency, at each level of CC application, had no significant (P>0.05) effect on semen volume, semen colour score, sperm motility and total sperm per ejaculate. However, 15mg CC in combination with three ejaculations per week resulted in the highest numerical values of these characteristics, and in the lowest proportion of morphologically abnormal sperm. It was concluded that oral administration of 15mg CC kg -1 body weight alone or in combination with frequent ejaculations significantly improved semen output, sperm motility and % live sperm, and reduced the proportion of morphologically abnormal sperm in the cocks. Keywords: chickens, clomiphene citrate, cocks, ejaculate, ejaculation frequency, semen


The authors studied the possibility, in laboratory conditions, of producing briquettes with binders from brown coals of the Almalyk, Agulak, and Karakicha deposits in the republic of Kyrgyzstan. As a binder they used by-products from a vegetable-oil works. The possibility was shown of producing sufficiently strong briquettes from brown coals with low expenditure (3-4%) of cotton and fatty tars. The optimum values of technological parameters were found for producing high-quality brown-coal briquettes


Storage technologies of main crop seed were summarized,including preparation before seed storage,seed storage,management after seed storage etc.,so as to provide reference for improving the quality of seed.


Context Hepatic steatosis, defined as increased hepatocellular lipid content (HCL), associates with visceral obesity and glucose intolerance. As exact HCL quantification by 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) is not generally available, various clinical indices are increasingly used to predict steatosis. Objective The purpose of this study was to test the accuracy of NAFLD liver fat score (NAFLD-LFS), hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and fatty liver index (FLI) against 1H-MRS and their relationships with insulin sensitivity and secretion. Design, Setting and Participants Ninety-two non-diabetic, predominantly non-obese humans underwent clinical examination, 1H-MRS and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to calculate insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Accuracy of indices was assessed from the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AROC). Results Median HCL was 2.49% (0.62;4.23) and correlated with parameters of glycemia across all subjects. NAFLD-LFS, FLI and HSI yielded AROCs of 0.70, 0.72, and 0.79, respectively, and related positively to HCL, insulin resistance, fasting and post-load β-cell function normalized for insulin resistance. Upon adjustment for age, sex and HCL, regression analysis revealed that NAFLD-LFS, FLI and HSI still independently associated with both insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Conclusion The tested indices offer modest efficacy to detect steatosis and cannot substitute for fat quantification by 1H-MRS. However, all indices might serve as surrogate parameters for liver fat content and also as rough clinical estimates of abnormal insulin sensitivity and secretion. Further validation in larger collectives such as epidemiological studies is needed.


Off-policy evaluation methods are important in recommendation systems and search engines, where data collected under an existing logging policy is used to estimate the performance of a new proposed policy. A common approach to this problem is weighting, where data is weighted by a density ratio between the probability of actions given contexts in the target and logged policies. In practice, two issues often arise. First, many problems have very large action spaces and we may not observe rewards for most actions, and so in finite samples we may encounter a positivity violation. Second, many recommendation systems are not probabilistic and so having access to logging and target policy densities may not be feasible. To address these issues, we introduce the featurized embedded permutation weighting estimator. The estimator computes the density ratio in an action embedding space, which reduces the possibility of positivity violations. The density ratio is computed leveraging recent advances in normalizing flows and density ratio estimation as a classification problem, in order to obtain estimates which are feasible in practice.


The concept of tri-mode feeds was used to lower the cross-polarization level in far-field pattern of offset parabolic reflector antennas. First, the complex mode coefficients of a tri-mode horn are optimized by using particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique. Using optimized complex mode coefficients, the performance of the reflector is simulated to verify the effectiveness of the method. The horn is then designed to provide the calculated optimum mode coefficients. The performance of the reflector is then simulated when it is fed by the designed horn and the results are compared with PSO optimized horn case. In addition, a simulation was performed to evaluate the bandwidth in which the horn can lower the level of cross polarization for at least 10 dB. The acceptable level of cross polarization verifies the possibility of utilizing these gravitationally balanced back-to-back reflectors fed by matched feed horns for narrowband applications in future spaceborne antenna missions requiring spinning platforms


strategies for predicting lithium concentration are limited to half-life calculations based on patients with therapeutic lithium concentrations and normal kidney function or obtaining serial lithium concentrations in real-time. Both of these modalities are clearly inferior, and the latter approach risks delay in identifying patients who may benefit from earlier treatment with hemodialysis. Finally, we remind the readers that a predicted 36 h [Liþ] greater than 1 remains a level 2D "suggested" indication for ECTR and does not rise to the level of "recommended" indication by the EXTRIP workgroup [1]. We believe that the lithium nomogram is a useful, adjunctive tool to aid in the interpretation and application of the EXTRIP criteria for initiation of ECTR, but the still limited data highlights the need for robust prospective validation that can be incorporated into a holistic case-by-case decision analysis.


Comprehensive tables and graphs of cargo carrying capacity in relation to displacement, ship length, propulsion power, and block coefficient are presented. Technical data on 10 selected Panamax ships are also given of passage through the Panama Canal. Order from: BSRA as No. 47,900.


A landslide susceptibility map plays an essential role in urban and rural planning. The main purpose of this study is to establish a variable-weighted linear combination model (VWLC) and assess its potential for landslide susceptibility mapping. Firstly, different objective methods are employed for data processing rather than the frequently-used subjective judgments: K-means clustering is used for classification; binarization is introduced to determine buffer length thresholds for locational elements (road, river, and fault); landslide area density is adopted as the contribution index; and a correlation analysis is conducted for suitable factor selection. Secondly, considering the dimension changes of the preference matrix varying with the different locations of the mapping cells, the variable weights of each optimal factor are determined based on the improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP). On this basis, the VWLC model is established and applied to regional landslide susceptibility mapping for the Shennongjia Forestry District, China, where shallow landslides frequently occur. The obtained map is then compared with a map using the traditional WLC, and the results of the comparison show that VWLC is more reasonable, with a higher accuracy, and can be used anywhere that has the same or similar geological and topographical conditions.


AbstractMass production systems have been the dominant paradigm in manufacturing industries for the past century. Such systems rely on energy-intensive transformation processes. They require transformed materials which are product specific. They reach high levels of efficiency through centralization and large scale facilities. Considering raises concerns. Such systems have so far proven to be cost-effective but counter-productive from an environmental perspective. The concept of organic production systems has been envisaged by some researchers as a promising alternative. Organic production systems are defined as small-scale and decentralized production facilities, located close to the market they serve. Such systems rely on small and flexible manufacturing equipment and make use of modular materials that can be used, or reused, to make a wide range of products. The present paper explores the applicability of organic production systems to the particular industrial settings of SMEs.


In this paper, we provide an asymptotic expression for mean integrated squared error (MISE) of nonlinear wavelet density estimator for a truncation model. It is assumed that the lifetime observations form a stationary α-mixing sequence. Unlike for kernel estimator, the MISE expression of the nonlinear wavelet estimator is not affected by the presence of discontinuities in the curves. Also, we establish asymptotic normality of the nonlinear wavelet estimator.


An on-lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model of vacancy aggregation in crystalline silicon is parametrized using direct regression to evolution data from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The approach bypasses the need to manually compute an energy barrier for each possible transition and leads to an excellent, robust representation of the molecular dynamics data. We show that the resulting lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model correctly captures the behavior of the real, continuous space system by properly accounting for continuous space entropic effects, which are often neglected in lattice-based models of atomistic processes. These contributions are particularly important at the high temperatures relevant to many steps in semiconductor materials processing. Comments Copyright American Physical Society. Reprinted from Physical Review B, Volume 72, Issue 13, Article 134102, October 2005, 10 pages. Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.72.134102 This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/cbe_papers/60 On-lattice kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of point defect aggregation in entropically influenced crystalline systems Jianguo Dai, Joshua M. Kanter, Sumeet S. Kapur, Warren D. Seider, and Talid Sinno* Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Received 1 June 2005; published 6 October 2005 An on-lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model of vacancy aggregation in crystalline silicon is parametrized using direct regression to evolution data from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The approach bypasses the need to manually compute an energy barrier for each possible transition and leads to an excellent, robust representation of the molecular dynamics data. We show that the resulting lattice kinetic Monte Carlo model correctly captures the behavior of the real, continuous space system by properly accounting for continuous space entropic effects, which are often neglected in lattice-based models of atomistic processes. These contributions are particularly important at the high temperatures relevant to many steps in semiconductor materials processing. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.72.134102 PACS number s : 61.72.Ji, 61.72.Cc


Efforts at overcoming the nutrient limitations of mature tropical pastures in north Australia have relied heavily on supplementary feeding of non-protein nitrogen (Winks and Laing 1972). Early storms during an experiment designed to examine supplementation of dry season pastures with urea, presented an opportunity to observe changes in the diet selected by cattle immediately before and after the break in the season.


Gutman put forward three conjectures of hexagonal systems.This paper shows two of the confects on the distinct covers of hexagonal systems and 1 factor connections are false using two counterexamples. The problem of distinct covers of hexagonal system has a close connection with clar aromatic sextet theory.


(57) Abstract: The present invention, by culturing a mutant of a parent filamentous fungal cell with an increased A method for producing the amount of polypeptide (a) nutrient medium suitable for production of the polypeptide, here (i) mutant cell comprises a modification of the first nucleic acid sequence and DDC2 and reaction DDC3 polypeptide or one or more second nucleic acid sequence encoding the homologue encoding a polypeptide, and (ii ) mutant cells produced more polypeptide than the parent cell when cultured under the same conditions; which method comprises and (b) recovering the polypeptide from the nutrient medium of the mutant cell. The present invention also relates a second nucleic acid sequence, the polypeptide encoded by the second nucleic acid sequences, and nucleic acid constructs, expression vectors, and to host cells containing the sequence. The present invention relates to a method for obtaining further variant of the filamentous fungal cell and the mutant cells.


Green building or widely known as green construction preserves most of the resource competence throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. Green building has become increasingly on-demand and important in Malaysia, however, still has not become the interest of all groups in the construction industry. While there is a wide range of welfares for the society, the development of green building still agonizes from different kinds of market barriers which seem to hinder the implementation of the green building in developing countries including Malaysia. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate possible barriers in implementing green building in construction firm around Kedah State. In this research, the respondents were conducted among the management team and the method applied for collecting data is qualitative. The results from the interview show that lack of credit resources and lack of awareness are the major barriers in implementing green building in the construction firm. This knowledge contributes to the implementation of green building in the construction firm.


A new model describing the temporal transitions of atmospheric tilt is described and utilized in a Bayesian tilt-estimation algorithm. Using this model, images are synthesized from short-exposure data demonstrating the tilt-estimation improvements.


A σ-complex has been isolated from the reaction of ethyl acetoacetate and 2,4,6-trinitroanisole in the presence of potassium t-butoxide, which, in the presence of acid decomposes to ethyl 2-picrylacetoacetate.


A novel position-sensitive time-of-flight neutron detection and histograming system has been developed for use at the Intense Pulsed Neutron Source. Spatial resolution of roughly 1 cm*1 cm and time-of-flight resolution of approximately 1 mu s are combined in a detection system which can ultimately be expanded to cover several square meters of active detector area. This system is based on the use of arrays of cylindrical one-dimensional position-sensitive proportional counters and is capable of collecting the x-y-t data and sorting them into histograms at time-averaged data rates up to approximately 300000 events/s over the full detector area and with instantaneous data rates up to more than 50 times that. Numerous hardware features have been incorporated to facilitate initial tuning of the position encoding, absolute calibration of the encoded positions, and automatic testing for drifts. >


We consider an elastic circular inclusion embedded in a half-plane and subjected to uniform transformation strains (eigenstrains). The inclusion-matrix interface is either perfectly bonded or is allowed to slip without friction, while the straight edge of the half-plane is either fixed or frictionless (free to move in the horizontal direction). We compare the results with a recently obtained solution of an inclusion in a half-plane with a traction-free edge and show that the boundary conditions at both the inclusion-matrix interface and the half-plane edge have a significant effect on stress fields. Additionally, we observe that the effects of the interaction between the inclusion and the straight edge may be long range, i.e., may be observable when the inclusion is embedded several diameters away from the surface. We solve this plane elasticity problem using Papkovich-Neuber displacement potentials in the forms of infinite series and integrals.


Rechargeable organic electrolyte Li/O2 batteries are a focus of current research interest due to very high theoretical specific energy that may enable electric vehicles with driving ranges approaching gasoline-powered vehicles. Efforts to build practical Li/O2 batteries with suitable power density and long cycle life are hindered by a number of formidable technical challenges. 1 Among these challenges, the unsolved problem of electrolyte instability is perhaps most critical. With increasing cycle number, parasitic electrolyte decomposition reactions begin to dominate O2 reduction and evolution reactions in the positive electrode. The oxidative stability of many solvents is lowered in the presence of the discharge product, Li2O2, 2 and electrolyte decomposition products, such as Li alkyl carbonates, are often electrochemically oxidized at voltages that overlap with Li2O2 oxidation. Consequently, ambiguity exists in determining whether battery cycling is driven by parasitic processes vs. actual O2 electrode processes without the use of in situ electrochemical mass spectrometry or other specialized analytical methods. Carbonates, ethers, lactones, phosphates, certain ionic liquids and siloxanes all exhibit clear evidence of decomposition in Li/O2 batteries, 2‐7 while the stability of DMSO is a matter of debate. 8,9 Electrolytes based on nitriles or amides show improved (though still imperfect) stability in the O2 electrode compared to other examined solvent classes, yet these solvents are interfacially unstable against Li metal electrodes. 5,6,10,11 Af requently mentioned approach for solving the problem of Li metalreactivityinLi/O2 batteriesistheuseofaprotectivesolidLi-ion conducting membrane to prevent crossover of materials from the O2 electrode to the Li electrode. 1 While this architecture in principle allows the use of Li-unstable solvents in the O2 electrode, long cycling Li/O2 batteries having an organic electrolyte in the O2 electrode and a protected Li electrode architecture have not yet been experimentally demonstrated. Thus the discovery of liquid electrolyte formulations that are bistable toward O2 and Li metal electrodes remains an important goal. Recently, Li/O2 cells employing an electrolyte consisting of 1 M LiNO3 in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) was shown to cycle with comparativelyhighefficiencyandstabilityfor>2000hours. 12 Formation of Li2O2 during discharge and O2 evolution during charge were confirmed via XRD and in situ electrochemical mass spectrometry, respectively. An unexpected feature of this system is the remarkably stable cycling of the Li electrode in an electrolyte using DMA as solvent. Li metal reacts vigorously with neat DMA leading to the formation of gaseous and soluble products. 6,12 The present study examinestheroleofLiNO3 insuppressingthereactionbetweenLimetal and DMA. We report a cooperative effect of O2 and LiNO3 on the formation of a stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) that supports


A major concern with the GOLD criteria for defining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is that the use of 70% as a fixed cut-off for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) will add a significant number of false positives compared with the use of a true lower limit of normal.1 2 The recent paper in Thorax by Mannino et al 3 argues that this false positive rate is acceptable because they found that these false positive subjects had an increased hazard of death when compared with those …


Legislative changes under European Union Directive 97/11/EEC require environmental assessment to have regard to the effects resulting from "cumulation with other projects". This is a special case of cumulative effects assessment (CEA). Such an assessment has been carried out on the Humber estuary, where the likely effects of several major concurrent developments were examined and assessed in a collaborative exercise by the developers involved, in order to obtain necessary consents from various authorities. Developers, statutory consultees, local authorities and other consenting authorities were questioned to ascertain satisfaction with this CEA process and to gain insight into how easily the approach may be applied elsewhere, as well as the value of such work in identifying desirable mitigation and monitoring. In this example, a number of theoretical barriers to CEA have been avoided or overcome; these are examined and the benefits of the collaborative effort are explored.


Powersystemstateestimation is usually formulated as a weightedleast-squares problemandsolved iterativeLy bythenormal equations method.The normal equationssoluti on methodiswell-known to exhi,bit a tendencytobe numeri'cally unstableon some networks. A manifestation of thisnumericalinstability isan iLl-conditioned set of linearequationsthatare to be solved at eachiterative step. Recentpapers havepresentedorthog,onaL factorization methodsas remediesfor this ,instability'. Experienceshows, however,thatthesemethodstendto suffer'from excessive fill-inwhenconfronted withnetworksthathave.a high measurement redundancy. The foLklore of power-systemstateestimation says thatlarge numbers of'businjectionmeasurements(as opposedto linefLow measurements]tend,to aggrevatetheinstabi Lity;no explanationfor th'is observation, however, has appearedin the Literature.Thispaper presentsan analysisof the'sources of ill-conditioning in the power system state estimation problemandoffersan alternative solutionmethod,dueto PetersandWilkinson, that overcomes this ill-conditioning without losingmatrixsparsity. I INTRODUCTION Theheartof thedata processingactivitiesof the modern electricutilityenergy controlcenteris the power systemstate estimator. Using both real-timemeasurements and an histo'rical datebass, thepower systemstateestimatordetectserrors in the measurementsand the data base and calculates an optimalestimateof thesystem state vector'of bus voltagemagnitudesand angles. Thisoptimalstate estimateandcorrecteddatabaseisthenused by the security. monitoring- and operation andcontrolfunctionsofthecenter. The-calculation of this vital state estimateis usualLy formuLated as a weighted least-squares problem,which is targe, sparse, and occasionally poorly conditioned.Equipmentfailures andswitchingoperations affectthe topologyof the powersystemandtheavailabiLity ,ofthemeasurements; consequently, theleast-squares problemto be solved ,bythe state estimatorchangesduringthecourse of systemoperation.The Least-squares problemthat is to be solvedfora normal operating modemay be reLativelybenign'; 'a faultedcondition,however,may result in a poorly' conditionedleast-squares problem thatis difficultto-solve. If the data processing activitiesof'thecontrolcenterare to be secure,the algorithm employedbythestateestimatormust,be fast and robust, so that a stateestimateis calculated


Concerning the standards of Quality certification and Audits, the risk management appears more and more like a fundamental component. For example, in the ISO 9001 V2015, risk management is one of the major changes compared to the ISO 9001 V2008. In this article, we focus on risk management for the supply component of a logistics chain in the automotive sector; we are interested in the cases of international ALPHA companies that manufacture equipment for companies in the automotive industry. At first, we use the classic risk management approach and we show its limits. In a second step, we suggest an approach based on the AHP (Analytic Hiearchy Process) or the Analytic Network Process (ANP) methods to overcome the limits of the classical approach.


This paper studies the performance of a vertical looped copper/water pulsating heat pipe which has 10 turns. The inner diameter of the copper tube is 2 mm, the outer diameter is 4.2 mm. Its whole length is 1.6 m. The evaporation zone is heated by electronic heater while the condensation zone is cooled by air with the speed 5 m/s. Experimental investigation has been done to find thermal resistance by measuring the temperatures under different heat loads and fill rates. According to the experimental phenomena and the different thermal resistance variation, the performance of the pulsating heat pipe and the different heat transfer modes are analyzed. The results will be very useful for developing and design of pulsating heat pipe for industry application.


Weâ€TMre the leading free Book for the world. Platform for free books is a high quality resource for free Books books.Give books away. Get books you want. Best sites for books in any format enjoy it and don't forget to bookmark and share the love!Our collection is of more than 123,000 free Kindle.The cbdoilproject.com is home to thousands of free audiobooks, including classics and out-of-print books. Site cbdoilproject.com find free eBooks.


Abstract Optimized total synthesis, radiolabeling and quality control of [68Ga]-DOTA-Hyd-TRP as an efficient and possible PET radiotracer for GnRH receptor imaging in various tumors is of great interest. DOTA-Hyd-TRP was synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis followed by conjugation to DOTA using pSCN-Bn-DOTA. [68Ga]-DOTA-Hyd-TRP was prepared using generator-based [68Ga]GaCl3 and DOTA-Hyd-TRP under optimized conditions for time, temperature, ligand amount, gallium content and column cartridge purification followed by proper formulation. The biodistribution of the tracer in rats was studied using tissue counting up to 120 min. [68Ga]-DOTA-Hyd-TRP was prepared at optimized conditions in 5–7 min at 95 ℃ followed by separation using C18 cartridge (radiochemical purity ≈ 99 ± 0.88% ITLC, > 99% HPLC, specific activity: 300 ± 15 MBq/nM). The biodistribution of the tracer demonstrated high kidney uptake of the tracer in 10–20 min as well as significant testicular uptake consistent with reported GnRH receptor mappings. Block test studies by triptorelin pretreatment of the animals prior to tracer administration demonstrated significant specific uptake in receptor rich organs including testes and stomach.


In this work the regeneration of spent granular active carbon saturated with phenol was studied in an aqueous solution by using domestic microwave oven, different factors have been studied such as microwave power level, pH of the solution, weight of the regenerated active carbon, volume of the regenerated solution, number of adsorption and regeneration cycles. It was found that, for the same power level, as the time of exposure increases, the regeneration efficiency increases. As, The microwave oven power increase from 160 to 800 W, the regeneration efficiency increase from 60 to 90% after 1.5min of radiation time, during the regeneration process the pH of the solution increase from about 6.03 to 7.15, after 4-5 adsorption/regeneration cycles the adsorption efficiency falls down from 90 to 55%.


Melt-crystallized, low molecular weight poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) consisting of a crystals was uniaxially drawn by solid-state extrusion at an extrusion temperature (T ext ) of 130-170 °C. A series of extrusion-drawn samples were prepared at an optimum T ext value of 170 °C, slightly below the melting temperature (T m ) of a crystals (∼180 °C). The drawn products were characterized by deformation flow profiles, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) melting thermograms, wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXD), and small-angle X-ray scattering as a function of the extrusion draw ratio (EDR). The deformation mode in the solid-state extrusion of semicrystalline PLLA was more variable and complex than that in the extensional deformation expected in tensile drawing, which generally gave a mixture of a and β crystals. The deformation profile was extensional at a low EDR and transformed to a parabolic shear pattern at a higher EDR. At a given EDR, the central portion of an extrudate showed extensional deformation and the shear component became progressively more significant, moving from the center to the surface region. The WAXD intensities of the (0010) α and (003) β reflections on the meridian as well as the DSC melting thermograms showed that the crystal transformation from the initial a form to the oriented β form proceeded rapidly with increasing EDR at an EDR greater than 4. Furthermore, WAXD showed that the crystal transformation proceeded slightly more rapidly at the sheath region than at the core region. This fact, combined with the deformation profiles (shear at the sheath and extensional at the core), indicated that the crystal transformation was promoted by shear deformation under a high pressure rather than by extensional deformation. Thus, a highly oriented rod consisting of only β crystals was obtained by solid-state extrusion of melt-crystallized, low molecular weight PLLA slightly below T m . The structure and properties of the α- and β-form crystals were also studied.


An object of the present invention is to provide a power storage system for the regenerative cell expansion is reduced at the time of rapid charging under a high temperature environment, such as regenerative charging under a high temperature environment. And a set of batteries (3) charging is made by the cathode layer and a non-aqueous electrolyte and a secondary battery unit cells, regenerative power having a negative electrode comprising the current collector are to be supported the negative electrode layer containing a lithium-titanium composite oxide, the set cells (3) over the temperature is 45 ℃, characterized in that it comprises a charge control means (4) for controlling the range of to the maximum charge voltage V However, V Set battery, the negative electrode layer, collector, the charging control means, the step-up mechanism, the battery control unit


One of the most advanced research issues in network security is intrusion-tolerant intrusion detection, which has become another essential technique to protect computer systems and prevent the intrusion from generating a system failure. This paper presents a novel intrusion-tolerant intrusion detection method based on real-time sequence forecast analysis for network stream. We devise linear regression techniques to forecast network stream sequences. According to these, it's helpful for us to analysis intruders' behaviors and to recognize undesirable intrusions. We also provide recovery strategies to tolerate intrusion. Experiments on the http server demonstrate that our method outperform the others


In this paper, we examine electromagnetic wave scattering from a window glass in multi-frequency band. Here we focus on scattering from three-layered window glass, which is made of sandwich dielectric structure (dielectric-air-dielectric structure). The scattering features from the layered glass for the wide bands are in detail examined by using 'collective ray solutions', which are high frequency asymptotic approximate solutions and can bundle the the multiple reflected rays in each layer into the primary scattered fields. Here we discuss on the resonance-like phenomena as low reflection return occurs, by comparing with the results of primary scattered model and single layer slab model.


Oil-valve style ultra-high-frequency(UHF) method applies to on line detecting partial discharges(PDs) in transformers. The frequency band and position of UHF detection equipment are the two key factors that affect its sensitivity. The round waveguide theory is used to analyze UHF propagation characters,simulations and experiments are carried out to study the propagation and attenuation of UHF in oil-valve. Research works show that the frequency components of UHF electromagnetic wave lower than the cutoff frequency of TE11 wave attenuates seriously in oil-valve,while the rest of frequency components almost no attenuation. A method was proposed to improve the sensitivity of Oil-valve style UHF detecting system,that is,the sensor should be placed as close as possible to the inner wall of the transformer; the lower cut-off frequency of the detecting system should not be lower than the cutoff frequency of the dominant mode. These conclusions are important to improve on line PD detection technique in transformers.


The article presents the results of assessing reproductive biotechnology for cattle breeding. The issues of obtaining genetic material from bulls-producers and oocytes from donor cows, for their further cultivation and obtaining embryos, in order to replicate highly productive offspring from valuable animals, are considered. Oocyte production was analyzed in three different ways: puncture, section, and aspiration. A total number of 156 oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs) were collected out of 40 ovaries by puncture – 50 pcs, section - 47 pcs, and aspiration – 59 pcs. The results showed that puncture and section gave significantly higher total OCCs per an ovary (4.16 and 4.0, respectively) than aspiration (3.68), but a higher number of normal (grade A and B) OCCs per an ovary was observed with aspiration (2.5) than with puncture (1.82) and section (2.00). During aspiration, oocyte-cumulus complexes were collected from the surface of follicles with a diameter of 3 to 8 mm using a needle. During puncture, all surfaces were pierced with a hypodermic needle; during section, incisions were made along the entire ovarian surface with a scalpel, that is, all sizes of superficial follicles were collected. OCCs were divided into 4 classes based on cumulus and nucleus cells: grade A - oocytes completely surrounded by cumulus cells; Grade B - oocytes partially surrounded by cumulus cells; Grade C - oocytes not surrounded by cumulus cells; and grade D - degeneration observed in both oocyte and cumulus cells. Grades A and B were considered normal, while grades C and D were considered to be damaged. The obtained oocytes were cultured and fertilized in vitro, which means that their fertilization with sperm occurred under artificially maintained optimal conditions outside the body. Normal fertilization results are zygote formation with male and female pronuclei (PN). As a result of the conducted fertilization of 251 mature oocytes, 142 fertilizations were successful, which amounted to 56.57%.


The fundamental geometry of satellite ground tracks and their crossover problem are investigated. For idealized nominal ground tracks, the geometry is governed by a few constant parameters whose variations lead to qualitative changes in the crossover solutions. On the basis that the theory to locate crossovers has not been studied in suf®cient detail, such changes are described in regard to the number of crossover solutions in conjunction with their bifurcations. Employing the spinor algebra as a tool for establishing the groundtrack crossing condition, numerical methodologies to locate crossovers appearing in general dual-satellite ground-track con®gurations are also presented. The methodologies are applied to precisely determined orbital ephemerides of the GEOSAT, ERS-1, and TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter satellites.


Objective This study aimed to describe the resource utilization of nurse practitioners (NPs) in the pediatric emergency department (ED) and compare among physicians. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional study of secondary data analysis in a level 1 academic pediatric trauma center was conducted. Patients were aged 1 to 24 months, evaluated in the ED between January 1, 2014, and November 30, 2018, with a diagnosis of bronchiolitis or wheezing. Data included age group, length of stay, disposition, diagnostic tests (chest radiography [CXR], viral testing, respiratory syncytial virus test), treatment (bronchodilator, corticosteroid, antibiotic), and medical provider (physician, NP, combination of both). Resources were evaluated before (early era) and after (late era) the implementation of an institutional clinical practice guideline. Comparisons between groups were done through χ2, Fisher exact, or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriate. Results A total of 5311 cases were treated by a physician (65.3%), an NP (30.3%), or a combination of both (4.3%). The was a difference in the use of CXR, respiratory syncytial virus testing, bronchodilators, and corticosteroids among providers (P = 0.001). In the late era, NPs were less likely to order a bronchodilator (odds ratio [OR], 0.390 [95% confidence interval, 0.318–0.478; P < 0.001]), whereas physicians were less likely to order a CXR (OR, 0.772 [0.667–0.894, P = 0.001]), bronchodilator (OR, 0.518 [0.449–0.596, P < 0.001]), or a corticosteroid (OR, 0.630 [0.531–0.749, P < 0.001]). Conclusions Nurse practitioners made fewer diagnostic and therapeutic orders. A clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and management of children with bronchiolitis successfully decreased the use of nonrecommended tests and therapies among NP and physicians.


Objective To investigate the changes of pulmonary function and their significance in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.Methods Ninety cases with type 2 diabetic nephropathy (Ⅲ to Ⅴ stages of diabetic nephropathy,30 cases in each stage group) and 30 healthy subjects (control group) were approached. Pulmonary ventilation and diffusing capacity of patients were detected with Vmax Spectra Series Pulmonary/Metabolic Systems of SensorMedics Corporation (USA), and pulmonary function changes in patients with different stages of diabetic nephropathy were compared.Results Compared with the control group, pulmonary diffusion indexes such as DLCO、DLCO(%)、DLCO/VA、DLCO/VA(%)decreased in stage Ⅳ to Ⅴ of diabetic nephropathy, but not in stage Ⅲ (P0.05). Pulmonary diffusion indexes of patients in stage Ⅲ, Ⅳ and Ⅴ of diabetic nephropathy were followed by descending (P0.05). Pulmonary ventilation indexes such as VC、VC(%)、FEV1、FEV1(%)were followed by descending in patients with Ⅲ toⅤstages of diabetic nephropathy(P0.05). VC(%) and FEV1(%)of patients in stage Ⅳ,and VC、VC(%)、FEV1、FEV1(%) in stage Ⅴ were lower than those of control group(P0.05 or P0.01).Conclusion Pulmonary ventilation and diffusive function are abnormal in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy, and the more serious diabetic nephropathy is, the more obvious pulmonary diffusion capacity and ventilation dysfunction are.


Purpose: This study was done to investigate the correlation of illness perception, coping strategy and health status in patients with acute coronary syndrome who had undergone a coronary angioplasty. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was used in this study. A total of 102 patients with acute coronary syndrome was recruited. Data were collected using structured questionnaires including scales for the illness perception, the coping strategy, and health status. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Results: Health status showed significant correlations with illness perception (r=-.44, p<.001) and avoidance coping (r=-.33, p=.001); illness perception, avoidance coping explained 21% of variance in health status (F=8.58, p<.001). The factors that influenced health status were illness perception (β=-.37, p<.001), and avoidance coping (β=-.21, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that illness perception and avoidance coping were significant variables for health status in patients with acute coronary syndrome who had undergone a coronary angioplasty.


Two concepts of brand loyalty are defined, "inertial" brand loyalty resulting from time lags in awareness, and "cost-based" brand loyalty resulting from intertemporal utility effects. Their market level implications are formally derived in a continuous time model. It is found that inertial brand loyalty leads to equilibria with price dispersion, while cost-based brand loyalty also may allow single price equilibria. In all cases, as brand loyalty vanishes, so does the difference between the average trading price and the price which obtains with no brand loyalty. Consistent with empirical results, the theory predicts that the relationship between market share and performance is positive in cross-sectional studies, but flat in time-series studies. The theory is also consistent with the view that market share is an asset in itself. After developing the theory, several strategic implications are drawn. In the end, some questions for further theoretical and empirical research are raised.


Simple Summary Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by loss of anti-tumor T-cell immunity. The precise mechanisms by which malignant plasma cells escape T-cell immunity are unknown, although upregulation of checkpoint molecules is seen in progressive disease. The aim of our study was to investigate mechanisms of escape from T-cell immunity. We observed that the expression of V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) in the tumor microenvironment is an independent prognostic factor for survival in MM and its major cellular source is tumor infiltrating CD11B+ cells. The combination of high VISTA expression in the tumor combined with low infiltration of CD8+ cells compared to the surrounding stromal tissue is significantly associated with poor survival. These finding have identified VISTA as an interesting target for inhibition to circumvent escape of T-cell immunity. Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by loss of anti-tumor T cell immunity. Despite moderate success of treatment with anti-PD1 antibodies, effective treatment is still challenged by poor T cell-mediated control of MM. To better enable identification of shortcomings in T-cell immunity that relate to overall survival (OS), we interrogated transcriptomic data of bone marrow samples from eight clinical trials (n = 1654) and one trial-independent patient cohort (n = 718) for multivariate analysis. Gene expression of V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) was observed to correlate to OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.72; 95% CI: 0.61–0.83; p = 0.005]. Upon imaging the immune contexture of MM bone marrow tissues (n = 22) via multiplex in situ stainings, we demonstrated that VISTA was expressed predominantly by CD11b+ myeloid cells. The combination of abundance of VISTA+, CD11b+ cells in the tumor but not stromal tissue together with low presence of CD8+ T cells in the same tissue compartment, termed a high VISTA-associated T cell exclusion score, was significantly associated with short OS [HR: 16.6; 95% CI: 4.54–62.50; p < 0.0001]. Taken together, the prognostic value of a combined score of VISTA+, CD11b+ and CD8+ cells in the tumor compartment could potentially be utilized to guide stratification of MM patients for immune therapies.


We report on the calculation of the factorisable one-loop weak-interaction corrections to the initial and final states for three-jet observables in electron-positron annihilations. We show that such corrections are of a few percent at s1/2 = MZ. Hence, while their impact is not dramatic in the context of LEP1 and SLC, where the total error on the measured value of ?S is larger, at a future Linear Collider, running at the Z mass peak (e.g., GigaZ), they ought to be taken into account in the experimental fits, as here the uncertainty on the value of the strong coupling constant is expected to be at the 0.1% level or even smaller. The calculation has been performed using helicity amplitudes so that it can be applied to the case of polarised beams.


The b-scholion on Iliad 22.94 attributes a claim about a venomous snake (δράκων) to Aristotle's On Animals. Likely because there is no obvious parallel text in Aristotle's extant works on animals, the reference tends nowadays to be dismissed as inauthentic (though it was taken much more seriously in the 19th century). Further, the Aristotle reference has been consigned to a footnote in the standard edition of the Iliad scholia. This essay reassesses the scholion and considers as possible sources a few different works of Aristotle. It also suggests that the Aristotelian material – whatever its source – was brought in by Homeric scholars to support one side of a debate over the meaning of κακὰ φάρμακα.


The recent development and implementation of new technologies have led to new era, the nanorevolution which unfolds role of plants in bio and green synthesis of nanoparticles which seem to have drawn quite an unequivocal attention with a view of synthesizing stable nanoparticles. In this present work, we have compared titanium dioxide nanocrystals synthesized by both chemical method and biological method from Titanium tetra isopropoxide as precursor. The biological method was performed by using the aqueous plant extract of Pithecellobium dulce and Lagenaria siceraria. The synthesized nanocrystals were characterized by FTIR Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Xray (EDAX), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques and also Antioxidant assay and antimicrobial test were performed to evaluate its biological behaviour. The nanocrystals synthesized by biological method were found to have higher antioxidant potential, antimicrobial activity than chemically synthesized.


PURPOSE: A semiconductor memory device, a driving method thereof, and a compression test method are provided to perform a compression test mode using data applied through the minimum input and output pad. CONSTITUTION: A plurality of banks(410A) include a plurality of memory cells. A pattern signal generator(490) generates a plurality of pattern signals. The plurality of pattern signals have a plurality of combinations in response to the input signal applied through an arbitrary pad in the compression test mode. The pattern signals are transmitted to the bank through the plurality of input paths. A pattern selector selects the pattern of the pattern signals in response to the input signal and the pattern selection signal. A pattern signal output unit outputs the output signal of the pattern selector as the pattern signals.


Background . The problem of pediatric disability remains one of the most acute social challenges. Along with the question of the social status of a disabled person and the ambivalence of the term "disabled person" itself, whom the modern society prefers to refer to as "a person with limited abilities," there is the unresolved issue pertaining to the method of socialization of disabled children. Aim . We aimed to analyze the relationships of a disabled person and the society in the context of cultural history and consider the problem of the socialization of disabled children and the methods used for this form of socialization. Method . The study involved the analysis of the relationships between disabled children and the society as well as the methods and ways of social and psychological rehabilitation of such children, undertaken in terms of philosophical anthropology. Results and discussion . The purpose of encouraging the socialization of a disabled child in his family that actively interacts with a team of doctors is not only to teach him/her to adapt to societal conditions and be useful to the society but also to help him/her to integrate effectively in the society as a person who is aware of himself/herself, is equal to other members of the society, and is conscious of his/her dignity and undoubted value. Conclusion . The family and the immediate environment of the child, apart the medical community, play an active role in his/her social and psychological rehabilitation. The success of rehabilitation depends largely on their interactions. Irrespective of the rehabilitation method we use, including gaming methods, para athletics, and the practice of integrated schools or home education, we must remember that we are working with an individual with his/her own personality, talents, problems, and needs.


Decapitation operation has existed for a long time in military history; however, it was notuntil March 2003 'decapitation attack' became a well known term in the mass media. This paperis based on the connotation of decapitation based on historical study and refines the term intomilitary strategic concept of decapitation strategy. Ideas derived from detailed studies onLanchester-type combat models are used to describe the effectiveness of conventional regularforces under decapitation warfare, which includes asymmetric, nonlinear, stand-off and specialoperation forces (SOF) operations. A conceptual model is presented to describe the effects ofthe decapitation strategy on the regular battlefield. With extensive coverage of operational factorssuch as robustness of forces, time difference between combats, undermining effects, breakpoints,attrition rates, total force level and force allocation, the model is suitable to analyse complexscenario with different types of military operations consisting of decapitation strategy. Anillustrative example is provided to demonstrate the application of the model. The conceptualmodel is built based on hypotheses, assumptions, and criteria. In the absence of historical data,no data analysis and parameter estimation are involved.


In my thesis program, I have not stated a problem or theme running throughout my artwork. The line is the vehicle and the common ground upon which my work rests. Art to me is a form of higher consciousness whatever the complexity or statement. For me, art spotlights my awareness, but does not always focus on the same subject. My awareness shall change as I change, hopefully in growth rather than decay.


Over the past decade,China's public management has experienced transformation and transition from the traditional public administration to new public management."New Public Service"theory is a new public administration theory proposed based on reflecting to the"new public management"theory.Its core idea is the government's function is to service rather than a"steering".With"New Public Service"theory to examine the"last one eliminated"in west rural education management,we can find its many problems.It should be reformed from follow aspects: changing function of education management organization,changing awareness of education administrator's,changing policy-oriented about education management etc.


Maternal depression has been linked to the development of adolescents' emotional and behavioural problems. The main objective of this study was to determine the association between maternal depressive disorders and externalizing and internalizing problems among their adolescent children. This was a cross-sectional, comparison study of 35 mothers with depression and their adolescents, matched with 35 healthy mothers and their adolescents as controls. The mothers completed Quick Inventory Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS) for assessment of current depression. The emotional and behavioural problems in the adolescents were assessed independently by the mothers and their adolescents off-springs using Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and Youth Self-Report (YSR), respectively. SPSS version 12.0 was used for statistical analysis. The fi ndings showed that adolescents who have mothers with depressive disorders had signifi cantly higher scores of externalizing (mean difference = 4.686 + 10.887, p = 0.016) and total emotional and behavioural problems (mean difference = 10.171 + 23.007, p = 0.013) than controls. The cases also scored higher than the controls in the following CBCL syndrome scales: aggressive behaviour (mean difference = 3.200 + 6.773, p = 0.008), social problem (mean difference = 1.286 + 2.865, p = 0.012), and attention problem (mean difference = 1.543 + 4.435, p = 0.047). Mothers with depressive disorders reported that their adolescents have greater emotional and behavioural problems than the controls. The fi ndings suggested a need for preventive strategies to curb problematic behaviour focusing on this vulnerable group.


An experimental investigation into the variation of the mechanical properties (yield stress, yield strain, elastic moduli, hardness) from sub-ambient temperature (77 K) to that just below the glass transition temperature, of different bulk metallic glasses was conducted. Particular emphasis was on the constraint factor, the ratio of hardness to compressive yield stress, which is taken to be the proxy for the temperature dependence of pressure sensitive plastic flow. All the mechanical properties, except the constraint factor, decrease linearly, throughout the temperature range examined, with temperature and when normalized exhibit certain universal tendencies. The constraint factor was found to increase, monotonically but not necessarily linearly, with temperature. Finite element analyses, with pressure dependent constitutive behaviour, were performed in order to extract pressure sensitivity from the indentation load-displacement curves reported by Schuh et al. in 2004. This, in turn, was used to predict the variation of constraint factor with temperature. A good correlation suggests that the increase in constraint factor with temperature is indeed associated with enhanced pressure sensitivity.


At this conference we have discussed the science and medicine of in vitro fertilization, and recorded the considerable advances in our understanding of human conception and its clinical application. We have noted the advances being made worldwide, and have been privileged to judge the contributions of our colleagues from many countries. Yet, despite the great variety of these lectures and discussions, each of us has recognized a common aspect of our work: its ethical dimensions. We are all deeply aware that our work deals with the earliest stages of human life, and that some of the embryos growing in vitro may one day be walking, talking people. This responsibility has been with us since the work began, and entails an awareness that every action, each new technical aspect, all the new concepts under discussions, can have an impact upon the conception, birth and life of human beings. We are directly responsible for introducing such issues into society: obviously then, we cannot possibly avoid discussing the ethics of our work. It is a common belief that scientists and doctors who practice the work do not have any interest in ethical standards, and that scientists especially are unfeeling and uncaring about the social implications of their work. Misinformed comments are made about science such as "What can be done will be done." This viewpoint must be challenged and rejected. How can it be propagated about scientists when they themselves have opened major debates on the ethics of their work? Consider, for example, the intense debate carried on among physicists about the development of nuclear weapons or among geneticists on the perils of transforming DNA. We must reject such accusations by demonstrating our care for the social, moral and legal aspects of our own field of study, and take steps to ensure that our care is recognized. To this end, the Scientific Committee of the Third World Congress on in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer has unanimously agreed to prepare a statement which will provide a simple basis for an international ethical viewpoint. This statement, called the Helsinki Statement, follows this paper and will be available to delegates a t our next meeting, in Melbourne in 1985, and at other meetings to endorse, criticize, or enlarge upon. Obviously, our work traverses national boundaries, and concepts emerging in one country could be developed clinically in another. Moreover, patients and doctors can travel, and a strict ethical climate in one country can be balanced by a more liberal one in another. We are true internationalists, and it is time that we expressed a collective viewpoint on our work. Our acceptance of the need for ethical debate is shown by the distinguished contributors to this volume who will discuss various points of ethics. We are always delighted to welcome contributions from other professions, from the Church, the


Two major conceptual CMP approaches, namely flexible polishing surface (utilized in linear belt CMP) and rigid polishing surface (hard platen rotary and orbital CMP) concepts are compared with regard to process stability, uniformity, planarization efficiency and other performance features. A new CMP characteristic, Normalized Removal Work, the amount of wafer layer material removed by a unit of active pad area (NRW=(Thickness removed)/(Active pad area), [A/sq. inch]), is used to analyze and compare the concepts. The NRW shows how much of the removed material is transferred and redeposited over a unit of pad area. It influences all aspects of the CMP process. Low NRW is good for CMP, high NRW is bad for CMP.


1. We characterized Ca(2+)‐activated Cl‐ currents in calf pulmonary artery endothelial (CPAE) cells by using a combined patch clamp and fura‐2 microfluorescence technique to simultaneously measure ionic currents and the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]i. 2. Various procedures that increased [Ca2+]i, such as stimulation with ATP or ionomycin, or loading the cells with Ca2+ via the patch pipette, activated a strongly outwardly rectifying current with a reversal potential close to the Cl‐ equilibrium potential. Changing the extracellular Cl‐ concentration shifted this reversal potential as predicted for a Cl‐ current. Buffering Ca2+ rises with BAPTA prevented ATP from activating the current. 3. Ca(2+)‐activated Cl‐ currents could be distinguished from volume‐activated Cl‐ currents, which were sometimes coactivated in the same cell. The latter showed much less outward rectification, their activation was voltage independent, and they could be inhibited by exposing the cells to hypertonic solutions. 4. The permeability ratio for the Ca(2+)‐activated conductance of the anions iodide:chloride: gluconate was 1.71 +/‐ 0.06:1:0.39 +/‐ 0.03 (n = 12). 5. This Ca(2+)‐activated Cl‐ current, ICl, Ca, inactivated rapidly at negative potentials and activated slowly at positive potentials. Outward tail currents were slowly decaying, while inward tail currents decayed much faster. 6. 4,4'‐Diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2'‐disulphonic‐acid (DIDS) and niflumic acid inhibited Icl,Ca in a voltage‐dependent manner, i.e. they exerted a more potent block at positive potentials. The block by N‐phenylanthracilic acid (NPA), 5‐nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino)‐benzoate (NPPB) and tamoxifen was voltage independent. Niflumic acid and tamoxifen were the most potent blockers. 7. The single‐channel conductance was 7.9 +/‐ 0.7 pS (n = 15) at 300 mM extracellular Cl‐. The channel open probability was high at positive potentials, but very small at negative potentials. 8. It is concluded that [Ca2+]i activates small‐conductance Cl‐ channels in endothelial cells, which coexist with the volume‐activated Cl‐ channels described previously.


The present invention uses topical oral compositions containing a safe and effective amount of an antimicrobial agent were mixed pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, relates health promotion body in humans and animals, said composition the management of bacterial-mediated diseases and conditions of the oral cavity, and is effective in preventing the spread of the mouth pathogen associated bacterial toxins and endotoxins, and inflammatory cytokines and mediators of blood resulting therefrom. The present invention also is by topical application of a safe and effective amount of an antimicrobial agent to the oral cavity, for enhancing and / or improving the health of the body in humans and other animals, methods of using these compositions.


The synchronous reference frame (SRF) phase-locked loop (PLL) is widely used in three-phase grid-connected converter systems. For the balanced grid condition, the PLL can be linearized in the dq frame, and the derived small-signal model is linear time-invariant (LTI), which can be readily analyzed with classical control theories. However, in the unbalanced grid, the presence of the negative-sequence voltage leads to frequency-coupling dynamics in the SRF-PLL, which cannot be characterized by the dq-frame LTI model. This paper thus proposes a harmonic transfer-function model of the SRF-PLL under three-phase unbalanced grid conditions based on the linear time-periodic theory. It is found that the negative-sequence voltage can result in considerable phase error, which yields three time-periodic coefficients in the dynamic model of SRF-PLL. Simulations and experimental results corroborate the effectiveness of the model. The frequency-coupling effects are verified in the time domain and the frequency domain.


The existence of an incubation stage before edge drift occurs was found by examining the electromigration characteristics of eutectic SnPb solder in an edge drift structure using in situ scanning electron microscopy and the interruptive test method. During this incubation stage, the depletion of Pb was observed at the cathode end. From the change in resistance, the activation energies for the incubation and edge movement stages were calculated to be 0.88 and 1.02eV, respectively. Based on a comparison of the activation energies for each stage with the previously reported values, it is believed that, during the incubation stage, Pb migrated before Sn and that the edge movement resulted from the migration of Sn. These results suggest that Pb depletion is a prerequisite for electromigration-induced void nucleation in eutectic SnPb solder.


Based on the hypothesis that inconclusive research results with regard to the impact of games and simulations are linked to the absence of clear concept definitions, research was undertaken to fill this methodological gap by identifying the essential attributes of games and simulations. This paper first introduces the context for our study. This is followed by a description of the analysis grid used to create a database of the literature, and the methodology employed to conduct our systematic review of this literature. The essential attributes of games and simulations are then described and the distinctions between these two concepts are presented.


Research on context-aware systems is usually user- centric and thus focussed on the context of a specific user to serve his or her needs in an optimized way. In this paper, we want to apply core concepts developed in research on context-awareness in a system-centric way, namely to elevator systems. We show with three different examples that the performance of an elevator system can be significantly improved if the elevator control has access to contextual knowledge. The first example demonstrates that an appropriate elevator group scheduling algorithm can be chosen and adjusted to the current and near-future passenger traffic situation. The second example incorporates a second predominant technology used in many ubiquitous computing environments, namely RFID tags, to predict the passengers destination. The third example shows that adaptation to a specific emergency situation can further increase the transportation capacity of an elevator system which is ultimately important to save as many lifes as possible in an emergency. Evidence for the increased efficiency is provided by using a comprehensive simulation of a diverse set of scheduling algorithms and scenarios.


PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a curable composition curing in an extremely high sensitivity, on applying it for a pattern formation on a hard substrate materia surface, showing a high close adhesion with the hard material surface in a cured region and excellent in its removable property in non-cured region, also a color filter formed by using the curable composition and a method for producing the color filter. SOLUTION: (A) This curable composition contains a graft polymer having a branched polymer part containing at least ≥2 structural units having a pendant ethylenically unsaturated double bond. The curable composition contains preferably (B) a photopolymerization initiator, (C) a coloring agent and (D) a sensitizer, etc. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT


The cDNAs of LgSOS1(GenBank aceession No.EU780458),a plasma membrane Na+/H+ antiporter gene LgSOS1 separated from halophyte Limonium gmelinii(Wildl.) Kuntze,were inserted into plant vector pCAMBIA1301.Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type(WT) plants were transformed with Agrobaterium tumefaciens containing the resultant vectors under the control of CaMV 35S promoter,and hygromycin-resistant plants were obtained.PCR analysis indicated that LgSOS1 gene was integrated into the genome of Arabidopsis.RT-PCR analysis revealed that transgenic plants over-expressed the LgSOS1 in the transcript levels.Salt stress assay showed that the transgenic plants grew more vigorously than wild-type plants.It was implied by salt contents measure analysis that,compared with WT Plants,Na+ accumulation was remarkably lower and the K+ level was obviously higher in transgenic plants under severe salt stress(150~200 mol/L NaCl).These results showed that LgSOS1-overexpression improved salt tolerance of Arabidopsis transgenic plants.


Abstract : Since the success of Tomahawk cruise missiles the Navy continues to pursue advanced weapons systems to project force ashore from the maritime environment. In what may be referred to as the Land Attack era for the Surface Navy, increasing emphasis is placed on the tactical responsiveness of future Land Attack weapons systems. While from a systems standpoint this may be acceptable, doctrine must be prepared that also compliments the inevitable operational use of these tactically responsive weapons. Without proper consideration of details that connect both levels of maritime power projection, tactical exploitation of future Land Attack weapons stands to undermine operational flexibility. There is a command and control architecture in place that has due regard for today's emphasis on innovative changes which, through years of evolution, also has an appreciation for relationships between operational and tactical command and control. The Navy has the opportunity now to reap the benefits of that evolution without stalling innovation. The command and control doctrine inherent to Tomahawk strike coordination is a firm basis on which to build doctrine for future Land Attack operational success as well as tactical responsiveness.


The purpose of this investigation was to understand how the athlete produces acceleration during the first steps of sprint running. One athlete performed four starts from starting blocks over a series of four force plates. Horizontal impulse (which directly relates to the acceleration of the athlete) gradually decreased after leaving the blocks, while this decrease was transferred to a gradual increase in vertical force production to support the small but required vertical movement of CM in order to increase flight time (to gain longer steps). It also seems that the body can compensate for some technical mistakes during the performance, as the results revealed that an extended braking time in one step yielded a reduced braking time in the next step. This implied that the increased time in the contact was used to get other body parts into more favourable positions for the next step.


While civil procedure reforms are often said to be based on concerns of efficiency and economy, This article argues that civil justice reforms are also part of any nation's project of national identity and state building. A robust civil justice system is a statement of national progress and reforms to the system are less a reflection of a "civil justice crisis," and more a result of political bartering and debates about a nation's identity. This can be seen in European countries' recent efforts to coordinate procedural systems even as they are called to define themselves as member states of the European Union. As this article will document, this is similarly true in China and in the United States, where civil procedure reforms have matched critical stages of state building and national expansion. But interestingly, this article concludes that despite the different polity of the two countries, recent changes in civil procedures may be similarly counter- productive to the raison d'etre of the procedures sought to be reformed, rather than supportive of their ideals. The effect of these changes, in the case of the United States can be counter-democratic, and in China, counter-harmonious.


Background. The anatomical structure of the paranasal sinuses of a person predetermines the risk of development, diversity of presentation, possibility of complications and features of surgical treatment of rhinosinusitis. Objective: of our study was to determine the thickness and density of the walls of the maxillary and frontal sinuses, which are potentially dangerous in terms of the development of complications. Materials and methods: Our study involved 121 subjects without any ENT diseases, who underwent SCT examination due to the reasons that were not related to abnormalities of ENT organs. Thickness  and density in the region of the lower (orbital) wall and posterior (cerebral) wall of the frontal sinus were calculated. Results and Discussion: The  maximum density was characteristic of the lower wall of the frontal sinus under physiological conditions and appeared 107.96 ± 201.64 Hu, the minimum for the lower wall was -29.98 ± 208.54 Hu. The thickness of the bone tissue in the frontal sinus was 4.05 ± 2.04 mm. Conclusion: The minimum density and thickness of the lower and posterior walls of the frontal sinus and upper and lower walls of the maxillary sinus was established under physiological conditions. The density of the posterior wall was found to be 25.4% lower than the density of the lower wall, and the thickness 22.2% lower.


Abstract : The results of an investigation of gas discharge with an incandescent cathode in an equipotential volume in magnetic field with intensity up to 2000 oe are given. In the investigated range of pressures, from 0.000002 to 0.0001 mm Hg, a plasma column will be formed which is negatively charged relative to the surrounding walls. It is established that such a discharge becomes unstable with an increase in the pressure of the neutral gas. There was formed a plasma jet, steadily revolving to the electron side, which breaks away from the region of the primary beam. The appearance of the jet is the result of polarization of plasma in the beam of primary electrons in the presence of azimuthal heterogeneity in density and distinction in the drift speeds of ions and electrons. With a further increase in pressure steady-state rotation vanishes and intense oscillations with continuous spectrum of frequencies are developed in the discharge. An explanation of the basic regularities of behavior of discharge is given. On the basis of a simplified model an expression for the frequency of rotation of the jet is obtained; it is qualitatively confirmed by an experiment. (Author)


The Climacteric and menopause are part of the experience of one phase of life of women, silenced, permeated with prejudices, taboos, with demonstrations of physical, psycho-emotional and social. This study aimed to identify the meanings attributed to menopause for women who experience this experience. We used a qualitative approach in the phenomenological perspective. Participants 12 women aged between 45 and 60 users of the Basic Health Unit New Cross, located in the district Cruise in Campina Grande - PB in the period from May to October 2010. The results show that the woman experiences the menopause with unpleasant symptoms that change their daily life: decreased libido, loss of reproductive capacity, denial of sexuality and the beginning of the aging process. It is considered that postmenopausal women are in inauthenticity, dominated by talk, curiosity and ambiguity, and lead to the authenticity, opening up to new possibilities, free of menses, with availability of care and time to be able to develop new relationships for the achievement of a better life.


In this paper we give an attempt to extend some arithmetic properties such as multiplicativity, convolution products to the setting of operators theory. We provide a significant examples which are of interest in number theory. We also give a representation of the Euler differential operator by means of the Euler totient arithmetic function and idempotent elements of some associative unital algebra.


Internal Fracture Fixation using the Anterior Retroperitoneal Lower Laparotomy Approach in Pelvic Ring and Acetabular Fractures: the First Experience and Outcomes Introduction. The ilioinguinal approach is well established for the treatment of pelvic fractures. As an alternative, the anterior retroperitoneal lower laparatomy (modified Stoppa) approach can be used to expose pelvic and acetabular fractures. We describe our experience with this approach in polytrauma patients with pelvic ring and acetabular fractures. Aim of the Study. The aim of study was to evaluate possibilities and impossibilities of internal fixation of pelvic ring and acetabular fractures using the anterior retroperitoneal lower laparatomy approach. Materials and methods. This retrospective study describes a series of 20 consecutive patients where a modified Stoppa approach was used for pelvic or acetabular fracture fixation. Results. 10 patients with acetabular fractures, six patients with a pelvic ring injury not involving the acetabular joint and 4 patients with a combined fracture were operated through a modified Stoppa approach. Anatomic or satisfactory reduction was achieved in 92% of the acetabular fractures. Pelvic ring fractures had an anatomic (displacement <1 cm) postoperative result in 100%. Conclusions. using this approach may have good the postoperative radiological un surgical results. This is a method of choice for patients with combined trauma with internal organ damage and patients with both side pelvic bone fracture.


Traditionally, application databases have been developed for efficiency of computer operations. The logical structure of the data is buried in the database schemas, application programs, and users' and programmers' minds. To manage information as a corporate resource the logical data structures must be made explicit. In this way organizational databases can be conceptually integrated. The magnitude and complexity of corporate databases makes a manual approach to this task infeasible. We propose a computer aided approach. The approach is based on extracting implicit functional dependencies from existing database schemas and forming an Entity-Relationship representation. Where the semantics of the schema are unclear, rules are applied and additional input sought from the Data Administrator. Because of its widespread use in production systems, we focus on CODASYL Network DBMSs in this paper. The approach also has applications in databases from one DBMS to another.


Effects of exogenous salicylic acid on the growth of Oritental lily"Siebria" in summer were studied.By spraying 25,50,100,200 mg/L Salicylic Acid(SA),respectively,the content of chlorophyll and soluble protein and the activity of SOD and POD were determined.The plant height,stem diameter and flower bud number were calculated respectively after flower bud differentiation.The results showed that the content of chlorophyll and soluble protein and the activity of SOD and POD was(except the treatment of 25 mg/L)increased by SA treatment.With the increase of salicylic acid concentration in the range of 0~100 mg/L,the plant height,stem diameter and buds number increased,among which the effect of 100 mg/L of SA was the most obvious.These indicated that the thermotolerance of lily cut flower could be improved by SA,thereby enhancing the quality of cut flowers in summer.


Technology acceptance is one of the most extensive streams of research in the information systems literature. Building on previous work, it has recently been proposed that the gender of information system users moderates the relationships between intention to use a technology and its most important determinants, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. A better understanding of the magnitude of this effect and its implications seems important in the development of practical applications of the theory, such as those related to training and motivational interventions. This research reports on a preliminary meta-analysis of extant literature in mainstream journals employing the proportion of men and women in the studies as an indicator of the expected relationships. An explanation of this approach is provided, and preliminary results are discussed.


The problem of an adequate description of the egg and the ratio of its shape and incubation process with various environmental conditions, development strategies, directions of evolution and the phylogeny of birds is relevant in modern ornithology. The egg, as a stage of ontogenesis, contains a significant amount of information that allows you to make many predictions about the incubation process, the quality of the future offspring, as well as some issues related to the state of populations of various bird species. However, many methods of describing the shape of bird eggs do not fully take into account the peculiarities of the ovoid shape, since the closed loop does not allow seeing its constituent parts. In this regard, the composite ovoid method, that we use, is more constructive. In accordance with it, the egg profile is considered as a set of arcs of different radii, which smoothly merge into each other. Such an approach makes it possible to compare various methods of describing an ovoid form that are not related to bird eggs. For centuries, mathematicians have developed many egg-shaped curves based on algebraic equations. Architects and engineers have built various designs according to ovoid drawings. Jewelers have created different forms of Faberge style eggs. All of them were not ornithologists studying real egg forms. On the other hand, birds produce eggs that are identical by shape with different human designs. The above shows that the egg-shaped form is a manifestation of the general law of morphogenesis, which manifests itself equally in mental and practical human activity, in the form of planetary orbits, in the form of bird and animal eggs, in the ovoid form of animals, plants and their organs. All these aspects to the idea of a new look at the evolutionary process and the laws of its manifestation. accumulation of evidence, their synthesis and the search for patterns. The new algorithm is based on the knowledge of the general patterns. Knowing the parameters and the nature of the manifestation of patterns, we get the opportunity to objectively describe any particular object and predict possible ways of its variability. A wonderful example is the Pythagorean figure of Vesica piscis, from which all types of ovoid are derived, and, consequently, the variants of their realization in objects of nature and human activity. On the basis of this figure, we have developed a system of standards for the egg shape [1], which includes the geometric shape, its name and parameters. Only this approach allows us to find the correlation between the shape of the egg and its ability to provide optimal conditions for the development of the bird embryo.


Companies today that seek to diversify their business are looking for opportunities in new markets by considering their core competencies. However, companies are struggling to diversify and grow their current businesses due to a lack of information concerning diversification and a low level of capability for future commercialization. In this study, we suggest a new methodology that identifies promising industry and technology areas by examining mergers and acquisitions (M&As) transaction data. Specifically, by analyzing the extent to which firms have engaged in M&A activities, the prediction of promising industries is derived from the relationships among specific industries, as well as the M&A transactions among technology areas within a focal industry. We first theoretically test whether all M&A transactions are related to promising areas. Second, we analyze the trends of global M&As by a time-series analysis of M&A transactions by sectors over the last 15 years. Lastly, we conduct an association analysis to identify the degree of M&A connections between industry and technology areas, respectively. We hope that our results provide insights for R&D policymakers and investors who need to decide on promising industries to cultivate or invest in, and researchers who want to identify overall M&A trends and promising industries and technology areas.


During the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has unquestionably become one of the most extensively employed techniques to minimize unemployment, keep society operating, and shield the public from the virus. However, the impacts of work-from-home (WFH) on employee productivity and performance is not fully known; studies on the subject are fragmented and in different contexts. The purpose of this study is therefore to provide systematic review on the impact of WFH on employee productivity and performance. A sample of 26 studies out of 112 potential studies (from various databases, including Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Web of Science database from 2020 to 2022) were used after a comprehensive literature search and thorough assessment based on PRISMA-P guidelines. Findings reveal that the impact of the WFH model on employee productivity and performance depend on a host of factors, such as the nature of the work, employer and industry characteristics, and home settings, with a majority reporting a positive impact and few documenting no difference or a negative impact. This study recommends that an improvement in technology and information technology (IT) training and capacity-building would yield more significant results to those who are willing to adopt the WFH model even after the pandemic.


There's not much that's homey about long-term care for people with dementia. Usually, the environment is clinical, the staff are uniformed, and the day is structured. It's a place where antipsychotics and restraints may be used. It's not uncommon for residents to feel abandoned, their


The QTBM prognosis model is used for estimating the consequences using of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) tunneling given taking into consideration the different geological and rock mechanics properties of a site. Using a variety of parameters for input, QTBM yield output that are estimates of penetration rates and actual advance rates over calculated periods of time. The program then calculates and graphs the overall performance as well as estimating the time of tunnel completion. In this article, the authors offer examples, discussing strengths and weaknesses, as well as noting areas of input needed from industry regarding new TBM designs. They emphasize the notion of hybrid tunneling when substantial contrasting conditions exist.


The continuously improving spatial resolution of remote sensing sensors sets new demand for applications utilizing this information. The need for the more efficient extraction of information from high resolution RS imagery and the seamless integration of this information into Geographic Information System (GIS) databases is driving geo-information theory, and methodology, into new territory. As the dimension of the ground instantaneous field of view (GIFOV), or pixel size, decreases many more fine landscape features can be readily delineated, at least visually. The challenge has been to produce proven man-machine methods that externalize and improve on human interpretation skills. Some of the most promising results come from the adoption of image segmentation algorithms and the development of so-called object-based classification methodologies. This paper builds on a discussion of different approaches to image segmentation techniques and demonstrates through several applications how segmentation and object-based methods improve on pixel-based image analysis/classification methods. In contrast to pixel-based procedure, image objects can carry many more attributes than only spectral information. In this paper, I address the concepts of object-based image processing, and present an approach that integrates the concept of object-based processing into the image classification process. Object-based processing not only considers contextual information but also information about the shape of and the spatial relations between the image regions.


The 50 nm-thick polystyrene (PS) film, involved in some innovative memory devices, is sandwiched between two Al electrodes and contains 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) molecules and gold nanoparticles. A periodic DFT study of the molecular adsorption of two different tautomers of the 8HQ on an Al (111) surface has been performed. The changes of the metal work function under molecular adsorption have been calculated to determine the possible effect at the interface on the electron and hole injection barriers. The strong adsorption of the 8HQ(II) tautomer makes the work function change up to 1.2 eV with respect to the bare Al (111) surface. Hence, the stabilization of the 8HQ(II) at the interface could play a key role in the switching mechanism of the device.


This paper looks at arsenic, and in particular the trioxide, from the days of the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, through the 17th–20th centuries to its adoption by today's haematologists. It looks at its commercial and medical uses, past and present, its notoriety as a poison, it's reputation as a 'tonic' and therapeutic agent, many of the famous people associated with it including Thomas Fowler, William Withering and Robert Christison, and the promise an 18th century panacea now offers 21st century patients under the care of today's haematologists and tomorrow's oncologists.


In this paper, we study mechanics of bubbles in a yield stress fluid. This scenario can be found in a wide range of industrial and natural settings including natural and man-made ponds, oil well drilling and well-control applications, and nuclear waste storage. The original motivation of the study stems from relevant observations in oil sands tailings ponds. Recent studies indicate that anaerobic microorganisms contribute to the degradation of naphtha hydrocarbons and naphthenic acids in the FFT/MFT layers of oil sands tailings ponds, which leads to methane emissions from the ponds. The FFT and MFT layers are colloidal suspensions, which behave like viscoplastic fluids with time-dependent rheology: changing both with age and depth in the pond. The key feature of a viscoplastic fluid is its yield stress: the material flows only if the imposed stress exceeds the yield stress. This raises questions regarding the stability of bubbles that are trapped in a yield stress fluid, that we try to answer in this research through a series of targeted experiments. A vacuum chamber system was used to control the concentration and size of bubbles trapped in the fluid. A series of experiments have been performed to investigate the stability of both bubble clouds, and a single bubble. Our results show that the rheology of the material as well as interaction between bubbles affect the onset of motion significantly. According to our findings, a single bubble starts to rise in a solution with higher polymer concentration, i.e. higher yield stress and elastic modulus, at a larger size and with a larger aspect ratio. Furthermore, our results confirm that bubble clouds become unstable at a smaller bubble size in comparison with that of a single bubble. We believe this is related to the interaction of stress fields around the bubbles. To further clarify this point, we extend our study by looking at more fundamental scenarios, i.e. two or three bubbles at different orientations and separation distances. We examine this problem using both an experimental and a numerical approach to demonstrate how the stress fields around neighbouring bubbles interfere with each other and how this affects their onset of motion in a yield stress fluid. Acknowledgement This research was made possible by funding from NSERC and COSIA/IOSI (project numbers CRDPJ 537806-18 and IOSI Project #2018-10).


2014 The neutral atom method is generalized in order to deal with a Hartree-Fock nonlocal ionic potential. It is used to test the following metal potential, based upon a theoretical analysis due to Hedin and Lundquist. The true HF potential is used to describe the ionic part and a simple local density scheme (the Gaspar-Kohn-Sham approximation) is used for the valence part. The method is first applied to the calculation of the rigid neutral atom valence density of a few simple metals and the corresponding form factor n(q). The choice of the ionic potential (HF or GKS) is found to have a small but significant effect as far as n(q) is concerned. A comparison with experiment is made for Al and Be, using the available X-rays structure factor measurements. Good agreement is obtained for Al with the recent results of Raccah and Heinrich. No agreement is obtained with the Be results of Brown, although the general behaviour of the observed and theoretical n(g) as function of g (reciprocal vector length) are found to be quite similar. The binding energy is calculated for Li, Be, Na, Mg and Al, using the Nozières-Pines formula for the valence-valence correlation energy Z03B5corr. The agreement with observed values is improved considerably when the present (HF + GKS) scheme is used, instead of the HFS completely local density scheme used in a previous work. The remaining discrepancies (at most 8 % of Z03B5corr) may be ascribed to the inaccuracy of the NP formula and to the neglect of the whole valence-core correlation energy. LE JOURNAL DE PHYSIQUE TOME 36, JUIN 1975, Classification Physics Abstracts 7.150


GENERAL METHODS All H and C NMR spectra were recorded on a Varian Inova 400 MHz (400 MHz H, 100 MHz C) at room temperature in CDCl3 with internal CHCl3 as the reference (7.26 ppm for H and 77.0 ppm for C). IR spectra were recorded on ASI ReactIR 1000 FT-IR spectrometer, equipped with a silicon probe. Peaks are reported (cm) with the following relative intensities: s (strong, 67-100%), m (medium, 40-67%), w (weak, 20-40%) and br (broad). Optical rotations were measured at 25 oC with a Perkin-Elmer 241MC polarimeter. Melting points (mp) were taken in open capillary tubes on a Thomas Hoover capillary melting point apparatus. Analytical thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was carried out on commercial Aldrich aluminum-supported silica gel plates (thickness: 200 μm) with fluorescent indicator (F-254). Visualization was accomplished by UV light or staining with 5% phosphomolybdic acid in ethanol. Column chromatography was performed by the method of Still with 32-63 μm silica gel (Woelm). HPLC was performed on a Millipore Waters 60C HPLC spectrometer with a CHIRALPAK AD column at room temperature using a Waters 486 UV detector (HPLC grade isopropanol and hexane were used). Dichloromethane (HPLC grade) and THF (99%+) were purchased from Merck and Aldrich, respectively, and dried over 4Å molecular sieves (2 weeks) before used. Dry diethyl ether was purchased from Mallinckrodt and used as received. CH3CN was purchased from Aldrich and distilled from phosphorus pentoxide before use. TMSOTf and Sc(OTf)3 were purchased from Aldrich, Et3N from Lancaster and PDC from Across; all were used as received.


This paper analyzes the relationship between language and culture, and the implication of cross-culture communication,and points out the importance of cultivating students?culture awareness in the process of foreign language teaching. Several practical methods are also suggested to improve the cross-culture communication competence of students.


Due to the environmental crisis that chokes contemporaneity, it is of paramount importance for society to re- think our physical and abstract behaviours towards nature. Ecocriticism, providing a bridge between literature and nature, allows us to reorganise proven problematic notions, such as progress and development, which tend to gradually separate human beings from the space they occupy. Such separation results in a detachment that hinders our ability to transcend metropolitan, narrow-minded, biased judgments regarding the future of deve- loping countries like Brazil, and perhaps artistic tools like literature are the only ones capable of broadening our reflections for inviting us to go beyond preconditioned perspectives. This article aims at showing how Milton Hatoum's novel The Brothers (2000) implies that we must look for distinct possibilities of developing our spaces, more specifically the Amazon, and, through the analysis of the book as well as the impact of deve - lopment on the region, the dialogue between literature and nature is proposed. First the theoretical approach on both nature and literature is delineated, followed by a discussion on how important it is to (re)connect subjects and environment, and then by analysing the novel's characters which evince the side effects of "progress" and "growth" in the Amazonian region. The result is a problematisation of normative dichotomies such as savage/ civilised, past/future, subject/space, underdeveloped/developed, and the conclusion that, for development to stop being detrimental to nature, we shall avoid believing in a "faceless environment" (Campbell, 18), that is, one needs to start observing the impact of such development on the lives of those inevitably and automatically marginalised by it.


We describe a solution to automatically produce distributed and fault-tolerant code for real-time distributed embedded systems. The failures supported are processor failures, with fail-stop behavior. Our solution is grafted on the "Algorithm Architecture Adequation" method (AAA), used to obtain automatically distributed code. The heart of AAA is a scheduling heuristic that produces automatically a static distributed schedule of a given algorithm onto a given distributed architecture. We design a new heuristic in order to obtain a static, distributed and fault-tolerant schedule. The new heuristic schedules supplementary replicas for each computation operation of the algorithm to be distributed and the corresponding communications, where is the number of processor failures intended to be supported. In the same time, the heuristic statically computes the main replica after each failure, such that the execution time is minimized. The analysis of this heuristic shows that it gives better results for distributed architectures using multi-point, reliable links. This solution corresponds to a software implemented fault-tolerance, by mean of software redundancy of algorithm's operations and timing redundancy of communications.


Factors influencing T‐cell responses are important for vaccine development but are incompletely understood. Here, vaccinia virus (VACV) protein N1 is shown to impair the development of both effector and memory CD8+ T cells and this correlates with its inhibition of nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) activation. Infection with VACVs that either have the N1L gene deleted (vΔN1) or contain a I6E mutation (vN1.I6E) that abrogates its inhibition of NF‐κB resulted in increased central and memory CD8+ T‐cell populations, increased CD8+ T‐cell cytotoxicity and lower virus titres after challenge. Furthermore, CD8+ memory T‐cell function was increased following infection with vN1.I6E, with more interferon‐γ production and greater protection against VACV infection following passive transfer to naive mice, compared with CD8+ T cells from mice infected with wild‐type virus (vN1.WT). This demonstrates the importance of NF‐κB activation within infected cells for long‐term CD8+ T‐cell memory and vaccine efficacy. Further, it provides a rationale for deleting N1 from VACV vectors to enhance CD8+ T‐cell immunogenicity, while simultaneously reducing virulence to improve vaccine safety.