The lack of characterization regimes available for the rapid single-particle assessment of two-photon (TPA) response in nanomaterials remains a critical barrier to nonlinear optical device development. This is particularly true of nonemissive species whose TPA must often be characterized in the bulk. In this study, self-assembly is used to produce uniform nanoparticles from a novel porphyrin dimer, which is known to exhibit both severe fluorescence quenching and two-photon cross section (TPACS) enhancement when assembled into macromolecules. We present here the first reported use of fiber aperture near-field optical microscopy (NSOM) for the purpose of characterizing directly the TPA of nonemissive nanoparticles, observing directly a 5-fold enhancement in TPA response. This assembly/characterization regime provides a fast and fully actualized method for the generation of low-scatter optical-limiting organic nanomaterials where domain size, morphology control, and TPA enhancement are all critical to applic...


In recent years,because of the advantages of proper folding,assembling and the modification of posttranslation for recombinant proteins,using mammalian cells to produce medical proteins has become an important part of biopharmaceutical industry.However,the yields of medical proteins in mammalian cells are still relatively low.Therefore,a hot research topic focuses on how to improve medical protein production in mammalian cells.In this review,we only summarized the recent achievements in methods for improving medical protein production in mammalian cells,including constructing high-level expression vector system,screening cell lines with stable and high expression,optimizing the transcription and translation,optimizing transient expression,improving culture biotechnology,and inhibiting cell apoptosis.


This paper extends the slender body theory of Stokes flow [G. K. Batchelor, J. Fluid Mech. 44, 419 (1970)] to slender prolate hemispheroids on infinite planes that are undergoing rotational or translational oscillatory motion. Unsteady stokeslets and doublets are placed along the focal length axis to represent the hydrodynamics, with strengths or weightings that are determined numerically from the boundary conditions. The hydrodynamic torque is determined using two different methods. Method 1 uses Green's functions for torque that are derived from unsteady stokeslets and doublets. Method 2 uses the stokeslet weightings, the boundary velocity, and the spheroidal shape to compute the torque, in a similar way as was done [C. Pozrikidis, Phys. Fluids A 1, 1508 (1989)] in computing the force on a prolate spheroid undergoing translational oscillatory motion. The results agree with those of the singularity- and boundary element methods.


Abstract:Indigenous knowledge systems are integrated epistemological systems taught through Indigenous pedagogies that support an understanding of an interconnected world and our places within it. These systems integrate ideas that are commonly referred to as science knowledge. Stories from two studies examine Indigenous youths' perceptions of science on the land and at school alongside Indigenous Elders' understandings of Indigenous science knowledge and pedagogies. The analysis is informed by Barnhardt and Kawagley's (2005) use of a two-way street metaphor that requires Western scientists and educators to understand Indigenous epistemologies as knowledge systems rather than by the more typical approach of requiring Indigenous students to learn Western science and to carry the burden of integrating it with their Indigenous science knowledge. Findings provide seven tenets of Indigenous science: (1) experiential learning, (2) transformative learning through experience, (3) cultural understanding, (4) interconnectedness and learning within relationships, (5) apprenticeships with Elders, (6) recognition of sacred teachings, and (7) a relational approach in which students learn from Elders and other knowledge keepers.


In the last few decades, image registration (IR) has been established as a very active research area in computer vision. Over the years, it has been applied to a broad range of real-world problems ranging from remote sensing to medical imaging, artificial vision, and computer-aided design. IR has been usually tackled by iterative approaches considering numerical optimization methods which are likely to get stuck in local optima. Recently, a large number of IR methods based on the use of metaheuristics and evolutionary computation paradigms has been proposed providing outstanding results. In this contribution, we aim to develop a preliminary experimental study on some of the most recognized feature-based IR methods considering evolutionary algorithms. To do so, the IR framework is first presented and a brief description of some prominent evolutionary-based IR proposals are reviewed. Finally, a selection of some of the most representative methods are benchmarked facing challenging 3D medical image registration problem instances.


Introduction: driven by the current need of achieving high-reliability and patient-focused organization, several efforts have been en-acted to date with the purpose of identifying and qualifying nurses' contribution to Nursing Sensitive Outcomes (NSOs) in critical care. Although many studies have been conducted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the set of NSOs that should be considered while designing studies in the field are limited and have not been well defined to date. In this paper, we outline a scoping review protocol to map the characteristics of the studies on NSOs in ICU to inform future research in the field. Methods and analysis: this scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses - Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) statement. A search will be conducted through the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, Joanna Briggs Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as grey literature sources. We will include all studies (a) focused on NSOs in adult critically ill patients admitted and cared for in an ICU and (b) published in English language, (c) with no limit on publication time frame. Two researchers will independently screen titles, abstracts and full-text for inclusion. Then, a pre-defined data extraction tool will be used to extract information from selected studies. Results will be presented in tabular and narrative form, providing a complete overview of the existing literature. Results dissemination: the scoping review will summarize the state of research by providing an overview of NSOs studied among patients cared for in ICU settings. This study constitutes the first step in a research agenda aimed at deepening and developing a set of NSOs reliable on critically ill patients and useful to proxy monitoring both the quality of care in hospital and the health-related quality of life of critically ill patients. The re-sults of this study will be disseminated through professional meetings and conference presentations, as well as published in biomedical journals.


Acoustic sounding sensor array calibration is needed before target localization and tracking.The optimal estimation method based on given coordinates of sound source is proposed,which includes model relation between angle of observation and calibration value in Gaussian noise.The cost function is determined by maximum likelihood method.Using particle swarm optimization method to obtain high precision parameter estimation value and achieve adaptive calibration with non-manual non-professional equipment assisted.The experiment and the simulation results demonstrate that the system can achieve stable convergence and accurate calibration with scalability and low time cost to solve practical problem effectively and conveniently.


Conservators and those charged with responsibility for collections care are often required to try to change the way that most people in their institutions work and think. Yet conservators are often seen as poor communicators. This paper argues that this can change and identifies one feature of communication science, persuasion, that can be studied and learnt by conservators to increase their positive influence within the organisations in which they work.


GaAs and InP based nanowires were grown epitaxially on GaAs or InP (111)B substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition using Au nanoparticles as catalyst. In this paper, we will give an overview of nanowire research activities in our group. In particular, the effects of growth parameters for GaAs and InP nanowires on the crystal quality were studied in detail. We demonstrated the ability to obtain defect-free GaAs nanowires via either two-temperature procedure, or by controlling V/III ratio or growth rate. The crystal structure of InP nanowires, ie, WZ or ZB, can also be engineered by just controlling the V/III ratio. (C) 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim


Application of cloud computing is rising substantially due to its capability to deliver scalable computational power. System attempts to allocate a maximum number of resources in a manner that ensures that all the service level agreements (SLAs) are maintained. Virtualization is considered as a core technology of cloud computing. Virtual machine (VM) instances allow cloud providers to utilize datacenter resources more efficiently. Moreover, by using dynamic VM consolidation using live migration, VMs can be placed according to their current resource requirements on the minimal number of physical nodes and consequently maintaining SLAs. Accordingly, non optimized and inefficient VMs consolidation may lead to performance degradation. Therefore, to ensure acceptable quality of service (QoS) and SLA, a machine learning technique with modified kernel for VMs live migrations based on adaptive prediction of utilization thresholds is presented. The efficiency of the proposed technique is validated with different workload patterns from Planet Lab servers.


Abstract In this paper, prediction and controlling angular distortion in fillet welded joint and structure were investigated. First, two methods to reduce angular distortion in fillet welded joint were investigated by experimental and numerical analysis. One was to apply a constant external force in-process and the other was rigid clamping. In numerical analysis, a new in-house finite element code has been developed based on the idea of iterative substructure method (ISM) to calculate welding distortion in rational time. During experimental analysis, the constant external force was designed and applied in-process to reduce angular distortion of fillet welded joint. The results showed that the distortion can be efficiently predicted by ISM, which were in good agreement with the experimental ones. Applying constant external force in process was a more effective method to reduce distortion than using rigid clamping. In addition, with a constant load distance from weld bead, the locations of the applied constant external force and rigid clamping along the longitudinal direction (welding direction) have little influence on the magnitude of welding angular distortion. Finally, the angular distortion of a large fillet welded structure was predicted with ISM and also controlled with applying a constant external force based on the simulation results of the fillet welded joint.


Abstract The effect of titanium on the homogenizing process of alloy 2618 and the microstructure of the Ti-containing alloy before and after homogenization has been investigated using optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), differential thermal analysis (DTA). The results show that the addition of 1.5 mass% Ti to alloy 2618 could refine its grain size remarkably. A large amount of rod-shape Al3Ti particles with the size range of 2–12 μm distribute evenly and dispersively in the alloy. It is θ (Al2Cu) phase instead of S' (Al2CuMg) obtained in eutectic structures due to the non-equilibrium solidification in casting of 2618-Ti alloy, which is the same as alloy 2618. The optimal homogenization temperature (773 K) for Ti-containing alloy 2618 (2618-Ti alloy) is the same as that of alloy 2618. Combining the results of kinetic analysis and experiments, the optimized homogenizing time for Ti-containing alloy 2618 at 773 K is only 12 h, which is shorter than that for alloy 2618. The shortening of the optimized homogenizing time results mainly from the decrease of the grain size of 2618-Ti alloy.


In this paper, the author studies the sources about the activity of Brun of Querfurt in Kiev. The narrative sources are well-known but on the basis of the new edition of the text it is possible to formulate new questions and give some new interpretations. But because of the few number of sources and short texts the results of these new analyses could be only hypotheses.


In this paper we present the design of a learning environment in a mathematical domain (elementary combinatorics) where problem solving is based more on modeling than on deduction or calculation. In this approach, we want to provide students with a presentation which is close to the natural language formulations that they tend to give spontaneously, while ensuring a rigorous mathematical reasoning. To do so, we have introduced three modeling levels: first, a mathematical formalization of the students' intuitive process, that we called the constructive method, then a conceptual and computational model that allows mathematical reasoning as well as communication with the student, and finally a presentation consisting of several "machines". We show that, in such a system, error detection is specific. We present an incremental mechanism of error detection. Specific knowledge necessary to detect and explain the errors is organized into a database of error schemas. The system Combien? founded on this research, has been used by university students since 2002.


Complexity of a model of conditional independence structure is introduced as the least cardinality of a generating set. Four basic types of complexity are distinguished which depend on the type of generating. A method of calculation of complexity of a given conditional independence model is proposed. The method is based on a more eeective way of representation of the model by means of a list of dominant conditional independence statements. Prospects of the proposed approach are discussed in the end.


The article describes a query system on texts and literary material with advanced information retrieval tools suitable to retrieve the content of a text, either as material specifically organized with respect to linguistic, stylistic and rethoric features, and in its historical, social and cultural context. As a test bed we chose the Dante's characters of al di là. This method of investigation should help a scholar of a literary text to realize part of his interpretative intentions. For this purpose, we will adopt advanced methodologies in knowledge management and knowledge discovery to be applied to a rich representation of the tagged content


and procedures (i.e. theory and practice) that must be combined in order to successfully achieve goals in negotiating in this area. In all cases, the goals were set directly by headquarters, or identified on the Brazilian market. As in many occasions Brazil worked as a regulatory trendsetter for Latin America region (e.g. tobacco regulation), many of these goals were expanded to other markets such as Mexico and Argentina for collaboration, benchmark and/or support. Abstract: This work presents five descriptive case studies investigating the relationship between multinational private companies and the Brazilian Government, as the unit of analysis, through action research, direct participation and direct observation. The five cases are here presented in the following order: case #1 strategy development from brazil to other markets; case #2 identifying policy issues & developing a policy position; case #3 advancing legislation in the legislative branch of government; case #4: building and partnering with third party organizations; and case #5 using creativity to shape a regulatory environment and meet business' needs. In order to avoid disclosure of any proprietary and/or strategic information and for privacy purposes, selected names and data were altered/omitted when necessary, without sacrificing the academic rigour. The five cases occurred from 1996 to 2016 in Brazil. Finally, they throw more light on Government Relations' field of study, revealing pitfalls and barriers on dealing with the Government and help to promote best practices to multinational companies when negotiating with the Brazilian Public Administration. how to generate value co-creation, meeting at the same time company's objectives and Government concerns; and (iv) use of innovative and creative thinking to solve problems in this complex field of expertise.


This experiment evaluated the efficacy of television delivery of a behavioral weight reduction program. Seventy-one overweight adults were randomly assigned to a live-contact weight loss group that was videotaped for viewing by other groups, a live-contact group that was not videotaped, a television-delivered group that observed the videotaped weight loss sessions, or a waiting-list control group. Participants in all 3 treatment groups lost significantly more weight during the 8-week treatment program than those in the waiting-list control group. There was no significant weight loss differences among the 3 treatment groups during the program. These weight changes were maintained at 3-month follow-up. At 15-month follow-up, the television-delivered group and the live-contact group maintained their weight losses, whereas the videotaped group did not. Cost-effectiveness analyses indicated that the television-delivered group received the most cost-effective treatment.


In order to realize the position detection of false data injection, a position detection model based on bi-directional gated cycle unit optimized full convolution neural network is proposed. In view of the problem that the traditional false data injection detection is limited to judging whether the attack occurs or not, the processing of multi-level detection is proposed to realize the fine discrimination of the attacked data and effectively avoid the resource loss caused by direct location detection. According to the time series characteristics of the measured data, the bi-directional gated cycle unit is applied to the convolution layers of the full convolution neural network, which can effectively extract the spatiotemporal features between the data and improve the accuracy and efficiency of false data injection detection. The experimental results show that the optimized position detection model has a certain improvement in detection accuracy and efficiency compared with the traditional convolution neural network.


MyD88, IRAK4 and IRAK2 are critical signalling mediators of the TLR/IL1-R superfamily. Here we report the crystal structure of the MyD88–IRAK4–IRAK2 death domain (DD) complex, which surprisingly reveals a left-handed helical oligomer that consists of 6 MyD88, 4 IRAK4 and 4 IRAK2 DDs. Assembly of this helical signalling tower is hierarchical, in which MyD88 recruits IRAK4 and the MyD88–IRAK4 complex recruits the IRAK4 substrates IRAK2 or the related IRAK1. Formation of these Myddosome complexes brings the kinase domains of IRAKs into proximity for phosphorylation and activation. Composite binding sites are required for recruitment of the individual DDs in the complex, which are confirmed by mutagenesis and previously identified signalling mutations. Specificities in Myddosome formation are dictated by both molecular complementarity and correspondence of surface electrostatics. The MyD88–IRAK4–IRAK2 complex provides a template for Toll signalling in Drosophila and an elegant mechanism for versatile assembly and regulation of DD complexes in signal transduction.


The use of image processing is being accelerated over the past years in areas, including artificial intelligence, medical field, remote sensing and microscopic imaging. For 3D reconstruction of the objects, deflectometry is used to collect topographic information of surfaces. Due to computationally intensive nature of the algorithm, the execution time is one of the challenges faced by the deflectometry. In this paper, an extended FPGA based architecture is proposed to execute and improve the performance of deflectometry algorithm. The whole process consists of several stages, including initialization, acquisition and processing of data. The main idea is to utilize the optimizations e.g., pipelining, parallelization, provided by an FPGA to improve the performance of the algorithm. However, the advantage of parallelization can only be utilized if the associated algorithm contains the number of tasks, which can run independent of each other. For this reason, the deflectometry algorithm is adapted to the architecture of an FPGA to improve the performance. After successful realization of proposed architecture, the results have shown that performance is significantly improved in terms of execution time. Moreover, a rapid design development methodology is employed to decrease the prototyping time.


Meeting report Helen Mason and Deb Baker celebrate the collaboration between George Doschek and Tetsuya Watanabe that has uncovered so much about the Sun's behaviour.


The measurement signals average power both for adaptive and usual regular multiplex measurement systems are compared and the better effectiveness from viewpoint of power consumption is discussed in this paper.


A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor John Berger, Jean Mohr Canongate Books, 2015, HB, 176pp, £14.99, 978-1-782115-01-4

First published in 1967, this is one of those must-read general practice books, essential for every trainer, trainee, and practice library, and one, I suspect, that has been more frequently recommended than read. It has been re-issued this year with an introduction by Dr Gavin Francis. Anyone coming fresh to A Fortunate Man , expecting a paean to idyllic country general practice, will be disappointed, because the romanticised hero of John Berger's extended essay is a deeply troubled individual to whom the epithet 'fortunate' can be applied, at best, with irony.

Berger, now 88, is a distinguished critic and Booker Prize winner. He met the central character of the book, Dr John Eskell, as a patient …


Monika Bakke  "Zachlannośc autentyczności a wielokulturowośc [The Greed for Authenticity and Multiculturalism]" Revolving around the artistic project by Marina Abramowic and Ulay, the article explores the issue of otherness and cultural translation of tradition


Science occupies an important and unique role in the criminal justice system and the geochemistry has an important role in investigating cases attributable to crimes against the environment. In this paper, the authors proposed a forensic-based learning methodology in teaching geochemistry using the fluorine compounds and their chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties. With the assignment of a hypothetical, although realistically, issue, students will develop communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and self-directed learning skills based on recommended topics. Proposals for assessments and learning objectives are discussed in the present paper.


The 2017 3rd International Conference on Advances in Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering (AEECE 2017) will be held on May 26-28, 2017 in Chengdu, China. The conference addressed recent development in the following, (1) Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering (2) Study on Catalyst and Catalytic reaction (3) Biological Chemical and Technology (4) Environmental Unit and Information Automation (5) Power System and Automation This volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES) is a compilation of the accepted papers in AEECE 2017 and represents important results that were presented in the conference. The electronic submission and handling of the manuscripts via the conference website, including the selection of reviewers and evaluation of manuscripts, were identical to the procedures applied to manuscripts submitted as regular contributions for publication in peer reviewed journals. The organization of this conference and the preparation of proceedings volume would have been impossible without the tremendous efforts and dedication of many individuals. Our two conference chairs oversaw the organization of the Conference. We would like to acknowledge a large team of reviewers for their timely submission of quality reports. Without this support, the conference could not have been successful. We sincerely hope that AEECE 2017 will serve as an ideal forum for academia, industrial practitioners and government agents. Prof. Zhizhong Wang Taiyuan Univeristy of Technology, China General Chairman of AEECE 2017 Organizing Committees Conference Chairs Prof. Peijiang Zhou, Wuhan University, China Prof. Zhizhong Wang, Taiyuan Univeristy of Technology, China Technical Program Committee Chairs Prof. Tianhuan Huang, South China University of Technology, China Prof. Yaoku Guo, Southeast University, China A.Prof. Jianbo Yang, Henan academy of sciences institute of geography, China Dr. Weili Zhang, Henan University Of Economics And Law, China Dr. Xijun Yao, Inner Mongolia Land Surveying and Planning Institute, China Prof. Haining Wang, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, China Dr. Wei Luo, Hohai University, China Dr. Xiaoguang Huang, Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, China Dr. Abdul Latif Bin Mohd Tobi, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia Prof. Ahmad Baharuddin Abdullah, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia Prof. Norhaliza Abdul Wahab, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia Prof. Keishi Matsuda, Matsuyama University, Japan Prof. Ikuo IHARA, Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan Prof. Wen-Tsai Sung, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taiwan Prof. Jyhjong Lin, Department of Information Management, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan Assistant Prof.Chien Chiang Lin, Shih Hsin University, Taiwan Prof.Laurent Ruhlmann, University of Strasbourg, France Dr.Yanhui Huang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA Prof.Luigi Fortuna, University of Catania Department of Electrical, Italy Prof.Marcello De Falco, University "Campus Bio-Medico" of Rome, Italy Dr.Narottam Das, University of Southern Queensland, Australia


C.B. GARCIA is senior vice president, F.J. GOULD is president and chief investment officer, and CHRISTOPHER K. MA is vice president of investments at Investment Research Company in Chicago (IL 60604). T he purpose of the Garcia and Gould article [1993] was to give precision to several different forms of survivor bias and to some logical relations among these forms. It was motivated in part by the not widely appreciated subtleties of the topic, and in part by the publicly quoted backtesting of the new S&P MidCap 400 index, with subsequent and inappropriate claims about its past performance. As an example of such claims, we quote a consultant's statement that "over the past ten years the annual performance of the S&P MidCap 400 has been in the top quartile of all equity managers in our universe." That is what David Blitzer's Comment on our 1993 article refers to as our "inference" that this backtesting was being taken seriously by practitioners. Mr. Blitzer asserts that "[an S&P study] shows that the data published on the S&P MidCap may understate, not overstate, the results such an index would have achieved in the 1980s." It is axiomatic that we can never know or even suspect that. There is no true pegormance, because there was no index, and there are no rules for telling us what, had there been one, its exact composition would have been. Therefore, right from the start it is a leap of faith to test the way in which such an index, had it existed, would have performed. Mr. Blitzer asserts that GG "argue that survivor bias always makes a poor performance look good." This is not true. The GG tests deal exclusively with the perA


To the Editor.— Adverse reactions to cromolyn sodium are infrequent, as evidenced by the study of Settipane et al (241:811, 1979). Only 2% of their 375 asthmatic patients treated with cromolyn had adverse reactions. One of the adverse reactions was gastroenteritis. This is an unusual reaction to cromolyn not previously reported. 1,2 The following is a recent case of a patient with symptoms of esophagitis after cromolyn inhalation. Report of a Case.— A 53-year-old woman entered the hospital with an exacerbation of her asthma. She had a 39-year history of extrinsic asthma that necessitated numerous hospitalizations during the summer months. Her condition was recently treated with oral aminophylline. She showed the sudden onset of rhinorrhea, sneezing, and lacrimation, followed by increasing shortness of breath and wheezing. Initial spirometric measurement disclosed severe airway obstruction. Aminophylline therapy was continued with the addition of terbutaline sulfate, steroids, and supplemental oxygen. After several days


onservative surgery and radiation has been estabC lished as an alternative equal to mastectomy for stages I and I1 breast cancer by six prospective randomized trials (1-6). In five (1, 2, 4-6) of the six trials, the risk of recurrence in the breast following radiation was not signficantly different from the risk of a recurrence in the chest wall after mastectomy. At 5 years, the risk for either type of local recurrence was 5-10% (1, 2, 4-6). However, data from retrospective series have identified several factors that may predispose certain patients with early stage breast cancer to a substantially higher risk of recurrence in the breast (30-40%) when treated with excision and radiation. While there is no consensus as to the magnitude of the risk that would result in a recommendation for mastectomy, some of these factors have been included in the guidelines established by the Patterns of Care study (7) , and the report from the American College of Radiology, the American College of Surgeons, College of American Pathologists, and Society of Surgical Oncology (8) as relative or absolute contraindications to conservative surgery and radiation. The com-


Rates of decomposition of ethyne, ethene and butadiene on niobium wire filaments at high temperatures have been investigated for hydrocarbon pressures between about 100 mN m–2 and 2 µN m–2, using ultra-high vacuum techniques. At high pressures, clean filaments underwent rapid decay of activity to give steady zero-order decomposition rates whose values were independent of the hydrocarbon studied. This phenomenon is discussed in terms of carbon deposition and diffusion of carbon from the surface. At lower pressures, steady first-order rates were observed before very slow decays of activity. Complicating hydrogenation reactions, occurring on the reaction vessel walls, restricted the upper temperatures at which first-order rates could be accurately measured. First-order rates are in reasonable accord with the transition state theory for a mobile transition state.Experiments were performed with carbon, Nb2C and NbC filaments to indicate the possible effects of carbon contamination on niobium. Kinetics on Nb2C and pure Nb were similar.Results for ethyne decomposition on niobium using u.h.v. are compared with some results under conventional high vaccum conditions and differences explained by decarburisation by water vapour. The high pre-exponential terms reported are critically examined and discussed in the light of these findings.


The evolution of information technology have rapidly increase the sophisticated online application where accommodates most activities of users. Information and communication technology nowadays has become the importance part of our life. Majority of us are depending on the technology. Agreed or not, we cannot denied that technology helps us a lots in our daily activities. Besides the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), another thing that we need to know is about the privacy concern especially when it comes to the personal information. Nowadays, we used an online transaction for the daily life operation. Online banking, online games, social media networking such as facebook, instagram, twitter and so on are an example of social networking that we used in our daily life with the help of ICT. In fact, we actually expose our personal data by our own without prejudice. This article will identify the use of ICT, internet and social networking that affect the privacy concern of personal information.


Ad hoc networks of wireless devices carried by theme park visitors can be used to support variety of services. In such networks, links between the devices sporadically appear and disappear with the mobility of visitors. The network performance strongly depends on how often they encounter each other and for how long the contact opportunities last. In this paper, we study the mobility of visitors based on GPS traces collected in an entertainment theme park. We demonstrate and discuss the implications of the observed mobility on the efficiency of opportunistic message forwarding. On an example, we show how arrivals, departures, and spatial distribution of the park visitors affect the delay of a broadcast application.


The SHARPI (Solar High Angular Resolution Photometric Imager) primary mirror is a 5kg, 0.5m paraboloid, diffraction limited at FUV wavelengths when placed in a 0-G environment. The ULE sandwich honeycomb mirror and the attached mount pads were delivered by ITT (then Kodak) in 2003 to NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). At GSFC, we accepted, coated, mounted, and vibration tested this mirror in preparation for flight on the PICTURES (Planet Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment) mission. At each step, the integrated analysis of interferometer data and FEA models was essential to quantify the 0-G mirror figure. This task required separating nanometer sized variations from hundreds of nanometers of gravity induced distortion. The ability to isolate such features allowed in-situ monitoring of mirror figure, diagnosis of perturbations, and remediation of process errors. In this paper, we describe the technical approach used to achieve these measurements and overcome the various difficulties maintaining UV diffraction-limited performance with this aggressively lightweighted mirror.


A bit of experimenting will show that there are other possibilities; point d in Figure 1 is a new type, for instance. Further experimenting, however, leads to the conclusion that arbitrarily small alterations in the position of the fabric can eliminate any points not of the first three types. The new shape at d disappears, for example, as soon as the bottom fold is pulled to the right by any amount whatsoever (Figure 2).


Objective: To determine the content of total astragalan in Fuzheng Kang'Ai capsules. Methods: The determination was performed by phenol-sulfuric acid method. Results: The content of total astragalan in Fuzheng Kang'Ai capsules was 6. 72%, the linearity of this method was very satisfactory(r = 0. 9960), and the average recovery rate was 97. 62%,RSD=1. 82%. Conclusion:This method was simple,accuate,reproducable,and available for quality control of the capsules.


In the context of personalization has recently been doing a lot of researches and applications. A common component of all research in the field of personalization is user modeling that also called user profiling. The main work of the user modeling in the field of personalization in the first step is capturing information about users and in the next step is to identify the user's preferences and interests and efficient use this information for increasing the retrieval performance. How to collect information about the user, user model structures and the used techniques to create a user model is different in each of personalized applications. In the previous studies, there was not a complete classification on the major dimensions of user models. In this research, we present an appropriate classification on the major dimensions of user models. We aim to present a survey on applications and techniques of user modeling and make a classification of user modeling by considering the existing literature and research and we hope can help to researchers in better-developing on the area.


Two previous models of the dissipation of profits generated by the use of quality-guaranteeing prices assumed that pro fits were dissipated through investment in brand-name capital and ent ry. The model of this paper allows both possibilities. It is shown th at both types of dissipation will, in general, occur and that brand-n ame investment will dissipate a greater share of profits as the elast icity of consumer response to brand-name investment grows larger. Copyright 1987 by University of Chicago Press.


The problem violations of Human rights and its prevention is one of actual problems in the theory of law. The violations of Human rights in Russian Federation and USA which connected Counter-terrorism are analyzed. In this article excerpts from some judgment European Court of Human Rights, which are connected of this problem.


The invention discloses a method and a system of log data transmission. The log data transmission relates to a process of transmitting log data generated by an application server to a log server, the log server comprises a log database, or, the log server is connected with the log database. The method includes that the log server captures the log data from the application server at regular time and writes the log data into the log database, and the log data which is written into the log database is deleted from the application server. The method and the system of the log data transmission can reduce risks of data loss and storage redundancy.


The utility model discloses a double-layer base structure for a motor, comprising a sealed casing, wherein end covers are installed at both ends of the sealed casing, a stator and a rotor rotating relative to the stator are arranged in the casing, a fan is installed on the rotor, the casing is endowed with a double-layer sealed barrel structure, a rotor shaft is caused to extend out of bearings in the end covers at both ends of the casing, the fan is positioned in a cavity between the casing and the end covers, a vent pipe is arranged in an interlayer in the casing, an inlet and an outlet of the vent pipe are caused to extend out of both ends of the interlayer of the casing, and the inlet of the vent pipe is adjacent to the fan; and four partition plates, namely a first partition plate, a second partition plate, a third partition plate and a fourth partition plate are arranged in the interlayer of the casing along the direction parallel to the axis of the interlayer, wherein one end of the second partition plate and that of the fourth partition plate are respectively provided with a notch, one end of the third partition plate, which is far away from the notch on the second partition plate, is provided with a notch, and both sides of the first partition plate are respectively provided with a cooling liquid inlet and a cooling liquid outlet.


Combined with Shi-Wu passengers dedicated line prefabricated line construction,in the summer high temperature construction condition,a series of technical measures and obtained effect of strict controlling concrete temperature,reducing inner and out temperature difference,preventing shrinkage joint,reducing concrete slump constant loss,prolonging condensing time and controlling concrete crack,so as to accumulate related construction experience.


Functionalized 3-bromocoumarins 2 have been prepared by a simple one-pot bromination/Wittig/cyclization tandem process from methyl (triphenylphosphoranylidene)acetate, N-bromosuccinimide and a series of 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes. Owing to the commercial availability of salicylaldehyde derivatives, this approach offers such a diverse range of compounds that it fulfills the recent demand for the generation of large combinatorial chemical libraries based on the coumarin scaffold.


Many kinds of cyanine dyes were bound covalently onto the monocrystalline silicon surface by a series of reactions. The results of their XPS show that the atoms and their chemical surroundings in dye binding surface layer are just the same as that in dye molecule itself. And the analysis of binding energy of correlative atoms indicates that dyes do have been bound to the surface of monocrystalline silicon through St-N bonds


The acyl amidine represented by the 4,5-dihydro-2( 3H )-pyrazinone ring system 2 is isosteric to the vinylogous amide of the 1,2-dihydro-3(6 H )-pyridinone 1 , but its assembly from separate amine and amide components enables ready incorporation of an amino acid side chain with correct regio- and stereochemistry. β -Strand peptidomimetics incorporating amino acid analogues based on 2 have recently been shown to be potent, protease-resistant ligands to a PDZ protein-interaction domain. Two routes to the protected dipeptide analogue 3 are described.


e14561 Background: Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR) is a type I transmembrane protein expressed mostly on CD25+CD4+ T-regs and upregulated on all T-cells upon activation. It serves as a T-cell co-stimulatory receptor and its role in cancer treatment is being explored. While pre-clinical data using combination therapies involving GITR agonism showed promise, early clinical trials have not shown improved outcomes to date. Methods: RNA expression levels of 397 genes in 514 patients with a variety of cancer types were assessed and analyzed at OmniSeq. Transcript levels were normalized to internal housekeeping gene profiles and ranked as percentiles using a reference population. High expression was defined as ≥ 75th percentile, and low-moderate as <75th percentile. Univariate p-values were calculated using Welch t-test or Fischer's exact test. Multivariate p-values were calculated using logistical regression. Results: A total of 99 patients (19.3%) had GITR high expression. Cancers with the highest proportion of GITR high expression were lung (7/20, 35%) and breast (19/49, 39%), and both these cancers showed a statistically significant association with GITR high expression on multivariate analysis (lung: OR 3.5, p = 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06 – 10.06 CI and breast: OR 4.59, p <0.001, 95% CI: 2.11 – 9.85). 30% of lung and 30.6% of breast cancer patients had a GITR high with ligand low-moderate expression profile; these cancers had the highest proportion of patients with this profile. GITR high expression showed significant association with high RNA expression of multiple known immune checkpoint proteins (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4, LAG3, OX40, ICOS and CD137, but not TIM3) as well as PD-L1 IHC ≥1 on univariate analysis, but statistically significant association was only seen with PD-L1 IHC ≥1 (p = 0.007) and OX40 high expression (p = 0.001) on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: While clinical trials with GITR agonism are ongoing, our data suggests selection of certain types of malignancies depending on GITR status may be required. Moreover, there is a correlation between high GITR and high OX40 RNA expression, which could imply increased efficacy using this targeted combination. Further clinical development based on this immune-profiling is warranted. [Table: see text]


The river–reservoir transitional zones play an important role in maintaining riverine fish biodiversity and abundance in highly regulated rivers. The Upper Yangtze River, which contains 286 fish species, is experiencing intense hydropower development. However, few studies have been conducted on the spatial distribution of fish in the river–reservoir transitional zones in the Upper Yangtze River, and it is therefore difficult to predict how this development will impact the region. In this study, a 200-kHz split-beam acoustic system in combination with biological samplings was used to investigate the composition and spatiotemporal distribution of the fish in the transition zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in 2017. The biological samplings comprised 7434 individuals from 61 species, 38 genera, 15 families, and 5 orders. The dominant fish species were Rhinogobio cylindricus, Coreius guichenoti, Hemiculter bleekeri, and Pelteobagrus vachelli. Acoustic detection identified the mean target strength (TS) to be −55.6 in May, −57.8 in August, and −55.8 dB in December. Accordingly, the average fish density was 4.96, 6.96, and 4.42 ind/1000 m3. Significant differences were found in the TS and fish density between flood season (August) and non-flood season (May and December). Spatially, fish preferred the meandering sections at 10–20 m deep. A size-dependent vertical distribution pattern was observed, with larger fish in the deeper layers and smaller fish in shallower waters. Lastly, our results suggest that meandering deep channels should be assigned high priority with respect to fish conservation in the Upper Yangtze River.


The invention relates to a sensor arrangement for detecting the position of a rod unit, in particular a brake master cylinder in a brake system, as determined, comprising a rod assembly with a position transmitter element, a housing having a recess into which the rod assembly can be inserted through an opening of the recess and within the recess along a longitudinal axis is slidably mounted, and a sensor element for detecting the position of the position sensor element, the sensor element is integrally formed within a arranged at the opening of the recess sleeve member.


The present invention is generally formed of a transparent conductive oxide, for the manufacture of a structure having a photovoltaic having a thin coating film which is laminated on the sub-layer having a photovoltaic. According to the present invention, the coating film, an electrolytic cell (1) in a light source (2) at least partially is assisted by light irradiation, is electrochemically deposited.


The porous structure and heteroatom doping are crucial for the electrochemical performance of carbon materials for supercapacitors. However, designing carbon materials with appropriate pore sizes and heteroatom content is still facing daunting challenges. Herein, simultaneous regulation of porous structure and heteroatom doping in superabsorbent resin (SAR)‐based activated carbon aerogels (SACAs) is implemented by facilely immersing superabsorbent resin in methylene blue (MB) solution with different concentrations, and then followed by freeze‐drying and carbonization. The resulting SACAs possess variable oxygen/nitrogen/sulfur elements, adjustable high specific surface area, abundant micro–mesopores, and controllable porous structure. Hence, the assembled symmetric supercapacitors exhibit an excellent rate capacity of 83%, a superior energy density of 24.58 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 400 W kg−1, as well as a satisfactory energy density of 20.84 Wh kg−1 at the power density of 4000 W kg−1. Furthermore, outstanding cycling stability (94.59% retention) and high Coulombic efficiency (average value over 97%) are achieved for the supercapacitors after 10 000 cycles. This work broadens a new avenue to design the appropriate pore structure and heteroatom doping of carbon materials for high‐performance supercapacitors.


TO THE EDITOR: We thank Dr. Talwalker for his comments on our article. He correctly noted that we could not determine the overall severity of liver disease from the administrative database we used, and that unknown variation in severity of liver disease may account for the observed differences in mortality and length of stay. Although we attempted to adjust for liver disease severity by looking for diagnosis codes associated with liver disease complications, we could not capture all the clinical data necessary to adequately characterize disease severity. However, he also notes that the observation of increased variceal bleeding and upper endoscopy use among nonspecialist physicians is unclear without knowing liver disease severity. We believe that these differences may reflect factors in addition to liver disease severity, such as variation in the outpatient care given to these patients or necessary differences in referral patterns due to insurance coverage. For example, patients cared for by nonspecialists in conjunction with a gastroenterology consultation had higher degrees of comorbidity than those cared for primarily by gastroenterologists. These patients may have been admitted to nonspecialist physicians who provided outpatient care for their comorbid conditions. Unfortunately, our database was limited in being able to characterize such differences.


Abstract Increasing therapeutic options available for the treatment of erectile disorder and the earlier identification of the problem in elderly patients has led to an increase in demand for treatment. While a decline in sexual function and desire can be expected with increasing age, little information exists on normal levels of sexual activity in the UK in the elderly male patient. One hundred consecutive unselected urological patients over 60 awaiting urlogical surgery were interviewed in detail to determine their sexual function. Results show an average age of 70 with 35% having had sex within the past year. Fifty-four percent of patients aged between 60 and 69 who had partners had had sex within the last two months. Twenty-nine percent had complete erectile failure while 9% were dissatisfied with their sex lives. We have shown that while sexual function decreases with age a significant percentage of patients over 60 remain sexually active. Although the vast majority are happy with their sex lives 9% ...


Several boiling regimes are characterized by intermittent contacts of vapor and liquid at the superheated wall surface. A microthermocouple probe was developed capable of detecting transient surface temperatures with a response time better than 1 ms. The transient temperature data were utilized to determine the time-varying heat flux under liquid contacts. The instantaneous surface heat flux was found to vary by orders of magnitude during the milliseconds of liquid residence at the hot surface. The average heat flux during liquid contact was found to range from 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 7} W/m{sup 2} for water at atmospheric pressure, as wall superheat was varied from 50 to 450{degrees}C. 12 refs., 8 figs.


A 45-year-old woman with solar urticaria is described. She was found to have: (a) increase of skin mast cells; (b) a good therapeutic response to hydroxyzine hydrochloride; (c) frequent peptic ulcers of the stomach; (d) antinuclear IgM antibodies in a titre of 1 : 1 000; (e) cold urticaria and dermographism; (f) anamnestically, suppression of the solar urticaria by a sequential oral contraceptive.


RECIPROCAL or mutual indenmity agreements, (1) often referred to as "knock for knock" agreements, are frequently used in the oil industry to allocate risk by contract, rather than through the vagaries of the legal system. Under these agreements, "each party (as 'indemnitor') agrees to indemnify the other party ('indemnitee') and the indemnitee's contractors for claims arising from injuries to the indenmitor's employees, regardless of fault." (2) In other words, each party agrees to take full responsibility for all bodily injury or property damage claims made by its own employees, regardless of which party may actually be responsible for the injury. While a contractual allocation of risk based on who makes the claim, rather than who is at fault, is contrary to the traditional risk allocation method under our legal system, such agreements can be very beneficial to both parties. The fact that mutual indemnity agreements have been and remain so popular in the oil industry attests to the beneficial aspects of such agreements. Unfortunately, as in the movies, good things often bring with them bad and sometimes ugly consequences. Accordingly, this article discusses some of the pros and cons of reciprocal indemnity agreements and finishes by briefly reviewing recent cases where courts in Texas have interpreted indemnity arrangements in interesting ways. I. The Good--Benefits of Reciprocal Indemnity Agreements Reciprocal indemnity agreements offer several significant benefits to contracting parties. The specific benefits enjoyed by contracting parties will often depend on the circumstances applicable to the object of the agreement. However, as a general rule, such agreements can reduce costs to both parties, help to strengthen the relationship between contracting parties and allow parties to work together against a common enemy, rather than against each other. A. Reduced Costs Even without complications, the search for oil and gas is expensive and always involves risk. Litigation inevitably increases the cost of the effort. Accordingly, one of the primary benefits of reciprocal indemnity agreements can be a reduction in cost to both parties. When parties enter into a knock for knock agreement, potential liability is established at the time of contract for both parties through the contract. If an accident occurs causing an injury to the employee of either party to the agreement, the parties can avoid disputes between themselves regarding their relative responsibility for the accident. As between the two parties to the contract, the reciprocal agreement will have already established liability--Company A will be responsible for all claims made by its employees, and Company B will be responsible for all claims made by its employees--regardless of who is at fault. The parties can, therefore, avoid costs that might otherwise be incurred to establish their respective responsibility. Furthermore, a reciprocal indemnity agreement allows one party to take over responsibility for both contracting parties and retain one lawyer to defend both parties. For instance, if an employee of a contractor for Company A is injured as a result of an accident caused by both Company A and Company B, the third party contractor employee would generally bring suit against both companies to determine liability. In maritime cases, where the employer is not protected by workers' compensation laws, suit is often filed directly against both companies by their own employees. In either case, without a reciprocal agreement, both companies would have to hire their own attorneys and incur the cost of separate defenses. However, if the parties had in place a reciprocal indemnity agreement, one attorney would be able to defend both parties. Thus, mutual indemnity agreements not only diminish the need for litigation between the contracting parties, but can also reduce overall litigation costs, should suit arise. …


Objective:To study the clinical application value of three-phase helical CT scan in describing the characterisdcs of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods:Precontrast CT scan was performed on 56 fiver cancer patients,of which 46 patients(including 11 nodular type) finished arterial,venous and equilibrium phase CT scan,and the other 10 cases were only perform ed with arterial,venous phase CT scan.Results:In the 56 cases,37 cases showed a dominant mass,10 cases were nodular type HCC,and 10 cases were diffuse type HCC.The percentage of clearly displayed HCC of 46 patients in precontrast CT scan,arterial,venous and equilibrium phase CT scan were 89%,98%,92%,and 98%,respectively.Conclusion:Three-phase helical CT scan could acquire truly the enhanced signs in each s of tumors in each phase,and could provide more inform action about qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of HCC.Especially in the early stage of the HCC,the arterial phase CT Scan could give the most important evidence for diagnosis.


People with mental illness are over 50% more likely to be overweight or obese than those without ([Compton et al , 2006][1]). Evidence shows that people with schizophrenia have an increased risk of early death, mostly due to cardiovascular disease and diabetes linked to obesity.

A case-control


Al was substituted for Co in LiNi 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co 1/3 O 2 by two different routes: during coprecipitation of the hydroxide precursor or afterward as Al(OH) 3 introduced during solid-state sintering. The latter method avoids the formation of layered double hydroxides during the coprecipitation, but may not ensure uniform distribution of the Al atoms in the mixed cation layers. The electrochemical performance and thermal stability of Al-substituted LiNi 1/3 Mn 1/3 Co (1/3-2) Al 2 O 2 was studied by coin cell testing and accelerating rate calorimetry tests, respectively. High resolution compositional analysis showed that the Al distribution was not uniform in material prepared by solid-state synthesis at 900°C, unlike materials prepared by coprecipitation at 900 or 1000°C or by solid-state synthesis at 1000°C. Nonuniform Al distribution does not affect the electrochemical properties strongly, but has a strong negative impact on the thermal stability of the charged electrode materials. The solid-state sintering substitution of A1 for Co can be successful if the sintering temperature is high enough to ensure a uniform Al distribution.


LLC resonant converter was getting more and more attention in recent years because of its high efficiency, high frequency operation capability and simple structure. In this paper, the over current protection issue of LLC resonant converter is discussed. Three methods to provide over current protection function for LLC converter are proposed and investigated. They are: increase switching frequency control, variable frequency+PWM control, and diode clamping method. The pros and cons for each method were discussed. Tests were performed to verify the discussion.


Synchronous electrical machines need to be tested after fabrication and also during maintenance. For this purpose can be useful suggested new measurement complex. The software structure of the considered measurement complex was designed in compliance with: Russian, IEC, and IEEE standards for testing synchronous machines. The software of measurement complex was designed on base "LabVIEW®" development metods and is orientated to work with National Instruments hardware. The measurement system software was tested using a designed peculiar laboratory test stand, which is based on the 700W G273 alternator. It also was tested by using (HIL) model of the 800kW STD-800 synchronous motor. The testing results show operability and high accuracy of the measurement system.


To assess the influence of precursor availability on estrogen synthesis in normal human pregnancy, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) (0 to 200 mg) was given intraamniotically to 9 volunteers in late gestation. Serum 17β-estradiol (SE2), total estriol (SE2), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), human chorionic somatomammotropin (HCS) and total urinary estrogens (UE) were measured before and after injection. Increases in SE2 were significant at all doses, while changes in UE and SE3 were not marked until 100 mg or more DHAS was given. It is concluded that precursor availability has a dominant role in regulating estrogen synthesis in normal pregnancy. The lack of significant change in HCG or HCS levels when serum estrogens were elevated suggests absence of a feedback mechanism between these hormones.


The paper starts out by pointing to the need for more research on the various aspects of accreditation programs including issues of implementation. I agree, and the ACCREDIT project, which the paper springs from, seems to be an important step in this direction. As such the introduction is well grounded in previous reviews of the accreditation literature. Also, the paper is based on a large number of focus groups (and eight individual interviews) with different kinds of stakeholders. However, I have several concerns about the manuscript at hand, particularly regarding the presentation of results and their contribution to the field.


An investigation of day and night shift work on health related physical fitness and disease related blood composition has been carried out on workers of a steel company in Pohang. This cross sectional survey was designed to compare the shift workers(n=280) with day workers(n=320) and divided four groups who have engaged less than 15years and more than 15 years. The study subjects were drawn from works who were employed in eight hour shift system. Health related physical fitness was not difference but night shift workers body fat, waist hip ratio(WHR) and blood pressure was higher than day workers. TC, TG, RBC, hemoglobin, blood sugar level was not difference but shift workers WBC was significant higher than day workers. The result suggest to study for immune system with night shift workers. Participation in a regular physical activity program is an effective and secure means to avoid and reduce the functional decline associated with cardiovascular risk factors and to improve the quality of life. Shift workers are more recommended regular exercise program.


: This article draws on evidence from my recent study of non-state forms of social control (Henry 1983) in order to demonstrate that informal collective justice is no less subject to a range of inherent contradictions than is the official criminal justice system. It is argued that while some of these contradictions can be traced to the wider social structure of capitalism in which the alternative collective forms are located, others stem directly from the semi-autonomous nature of individuals and the social groups which they form. The implications of this for change are discussed and it is suggested that attempts to restructure criminal justice systems are likely to be more successful if they are based on an understanding of the integral nature of the relationship between individual action and wider structural settings; and if we adopt a conceptual framework distinguishing horizontally between different institutions of control and vertically between different depths of formality.


AbstractGenealogy has been practiced by people all over the world for many years, and in recent years, its leveraging to the academic level has been suggested. Mostly, discussions about the academization of genealogy were focused on teaching in the field, rather than on promoting it as a legitimate research field. This article suggests taxonomy for genealogy as an academic multidisciplinary research field. The taxonomy consists of six components: people, families, communities, representations, data, and bird's-eye view. This taxonomy demonstrates how genealogy is related to many other existing disciplines, highlights its unique points of view, and hence, promotes it as a separate field of study. The discussion goes further and recommends a way of actually building this new academic community in a bottom-up fashion, gathering currently affiliated scholars from other disciplines who will together work for constructing the new field.Keywordsgenealogy, taxonomy, academic disciplineIntroductionGenealogy has been in the minds of people for many generations, dating back hundreds and thousands of years, when it played a major role in the formation of many cultures. Detailed and rich genealogies are documented in numerous canonical texts, like the Holy Bible, the New Testament, Hesiod's Theogony (which describes the genealogies of the ancient Greek gods), or Sima Qian's Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian, in which the author describes the genealogies of the emperors and kings of China) . Genealogy as a field of practitioners (genealogists) has been growing tremendously over the last few decades.In the late 1970s, it was Alex Haley's bestseller Roots (1976) that inspired many African-Americans to trace their own family history back to their ancestors' country of origin, and encouraged many Americans to investigate their own lineages. A survey published in 1995 suggests that more than 40% of adult Americans were at least "somewhat interested in genealogy" (Fulkerson, 1995). Five years later, this number had grown to 60% (Gallop- Goodman, 2000), and after another five years, 73% of Americans were interested in discovering their family history (MyFamily.com, 2005). Countries from which people emigrated have attracted genealogists and descendants of those emigrants, as in the case of Ireland (Nash, 2002). Along with the growth of the Internet and its adoption by millions around the world, genealogy has experienced a boost in interest over the last couple of decades due to increased access to remarkable amounts of data and resources, and new opportunities for connectedness between genealogists (Veale, 2009). This growth also led to the production of a number of TV genealogy shows - the most prominent example being the BBC production, Who do You think You are? (2004), and its numerous spin-offs, which were very popular and led to even more interest in the field of genealogy.Being a self-taught practice, associated with only a few self- accredited organizations in the field, genealogy is not yet in the spotlight of the academic arena. However, in recent years, there has been an ever growing interest in studying the various aspects of genealogy using the tools of academic research, whether it be immigrant registration under History (Alroey, 2011); the study of visualization of family trees, through the lens of Computer Science (e.g., Bezerianos, Dragicevic, Fekete, Bae, & Watson, 2010; Kim, Card, & Heer, 2010; Tuttle, Nonato, & Silva, 2010); or the implications of genealogy on tourism, in light of Management studies (e.g., McCain & Ray, 2003). Until now, only the "other" disciplines discussed such topics, mainly because genealogy in itself has not yet developed into an academic field of study. This article presents Genealogy as a multidisciplinary academic research field and suggests a taxonomy for this domain.Re-defining Genealogy as a Multidisciplinary Academic Research FieldAt its most basic, the term "genealogy" traditionally refers to both the "history of the descent of families" and "the pedigree of a particular family or person" (Findlater, 1882, p. …


The present invention discloses a heating apparatus of a battery pack which includes a battery pack housing, the warming compartment by the front, rear side, right side panel, doors, consisting of top and bottom plates, before the heating cartridge, after the plate equipped with the battery pack case opposite to the heating plate, the heating plate is provided with a heating element, the gas nozzle is provided with a catheter, a guide pin adapter socket and the rear side plate of the above-described heating cartridge, the the gas nozzle is provided with a peripheral surface of the conduit duct perpendicular to the gas nozzle fixing plate, the fixing plate is provided with a screw of said rear plate opposite to the screw through hole conduit and said gas nozzle pack case Matches the gas nozzle hole, the right end of the adapter is provided with the receptacle mating plug and socket aircraft signal pins, said guide pins mate with the guide hole on the battery pack case. The warming compartment doors, front, rear side, right side panel, the top and bottom plate equipped with a double layer of insulation. Swing bolt head is provided at the left end of bay floor heating. The present invention is a low-temperature environment.


Victimization surveys provide key information about crimes known and unknown to the police, and are the main source of data to analyze perceived safety and trust in the police. These surveys, however, are only designed to allow the aggregation of responses and production of reliable direct estimates (i.e., weighted means or totals) at very large spatial scales, such as countries or states. Sample sizes are generally too small to produce direct estimates of adequate precision at the increasingly refined spatial scales of the criminology of place. Model-based small area estimation may be used to increase the reliability of small area estimates produced from victimization surveys. Small area estimation techniques are designed to produce reliable estimates of parameters of interest (and their associated measures of error) for areas for which only small or zero sample sizes are available. In 2008, the US Panel to Review the Programs of the Bureau of Justice Statistics recommended the use of small area estimation to produce subnational estimates of crime. Since then, these techniques have been applied to study many variables of interest in criminology. This chapter introduces theory and a step-by-step exemplar study in R to show the utility of small area estimation to analyze crime and place. Small area estimates of trust in the police are produced from European Social Survey data.


Ageing is accompanied by a decline in the physiological function decrease the quality of life; immune system function is protection, recognition and destruction of elements foreign to the body which decrease in older adults being this population more susceptible to infections, find strategies to improve immune system function in older adults could reduce health care costs on society, This article reviews the physiological causes that generate in turn decrease the exercise as an alternative review of improvements in the immune system of elderly.


A sub aperture cross-correlation magnitude (SCM) algorithm is presented to improve the contrast between targets of our interest and clutters in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. Firstly, the SCM processing is applied to the original image. Secondly, the target region is segmented from the SCM image. Thirdly, the feature vector is extracted from the segmented target contour based on the polar mapping (PM). Finally, the correlation coefficient is used to compute the feature vectors of two contours. Experiments on moving and stationary target recognition (MSTAR) data indicate the effectiveness of the target segmentation and recognition with the SCM processing.


The presence of gas hydrates offshore New Zealand has been inferred from bottom simulating reflections (BSRs) for over two decades (Katz, 1981). BSRs are widespread on the Hikurangi margin east of the North Island and on the Fiordland margin southwest of the South Island. New Zealand's largest conventional gas field may be depleted in a few years and hence, there is increasing interest in the resource potential of gas hydrates. Most of our studies are currently focusing on the Hikurangi margin, mainly because of its proximity to major population centers, making it attractive for possible future gas production.


The Middle East: A Cultural Psychology, by Gary S. Gregg. Oxford, UK and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. 472 pages. $45. The book's title immediately attracts the attention of any scholar interested in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the effort displayed by the author is commendable ("over two-thirds of the psychological studies cited are by MENA researchers"). The author is undoubtedly aware of the complexities and problems plaguing the area, and displays a welcomed sensitivity in writing about it. The book is divided into two main parts. The first part presents the author's interpretation of the cultural context of the MENA: it provides a review of misconceptions (chapter 1 ), a social ecology (chapter 2), and a focus on the value systems of honor and Islam (chapter 3) that the author assumes to shape emotions, traits, and selves across the region. The second part of the book (chapters 4 through 10) displays an incongruous developmental stage approach that paces each of the remaining chapters (e.g., early childhood, adolescence, etc.). Some of the chapters (e.g., chapters 4 through 9) are accompanied by a "sources" section in which the author provides the reader with the main references that were consulted. This transparency is most welcome, as it enables the reader to make his or her own judgment about the assertions made. Some of the book's more interesting reflections are developed in the two closing chapters. The author clearly endorses the indigenous proposition about the need for a deeper investigation of the "psychology of subjugation" (including the impact of autocratic/authoritarian Arab regimes), and the influence of underdevelopment on the cultural psychology of the region. However, the author fails to mention the important impact and consequences of foreign forces of occupation and war (there are no references to the US occupation of Iraq, no discussion of the debilitating effect and repercussions of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, or of the many wars that have plagued the region). The book heavily relies on ethnographic studies and psychodynamic interpretations that do not fulfill the expectations set by the book's title. A large bulk of the ethnographic studies cited focus on tribal and/or rural research that bear little ecological validity; qualitative research based on case studies and extended life narratives do not constitute a sufficient source of information to make claims about the "cultural psychology of the Middle East and North Africa" in 2005. …


Firstly, the paper summarizes the defi nition of a computer database, analyses the construction of computer databases, respectively, including two aspects of the library database and enterprise content management database, studys the problems on the management of computer databases, and then proposes how to do management computer database maintenance work, we must strengthen the professional quality database management, strengthen knowledge of the database user, database information is updated well and fill job, database software is also tested regularly, so as to make the database management well.


Disclosed is a method for determining the length of a surface flaw in an object, including the steps of generating a directional beam of ultrasonic waves on the surface of the object toward the flaw and at an angle theta with respect to the normal to the direction of the flaw, measuring the intensity of the waves reflected from the flaw, at an angle theta ' with respect to the normal, as a function of frequency, and calculating the length 1 of the flaw according to the formula 1=n VR/[fn(Sin theta +Sin theta ')] where n is a integral number defining the order of the frequency minimu, VR is the speed of the surface waves in the object, and fn is the frequency at which a minimum of intensity occurs. Also disclosed is an apparatus for evaluating a surfacae flaw in an object including a transducer for inducing ultrasonic surface waves, a signal generator driving the transducer, a deteactor for responding to reflected waves, an amplifier to boost the detector response, a spectrum analyzer to measure the intensity of the reflected waves as a function of frequency, and a gating device to apply the output of the amplifier to the spectrum analyzer durng a predetermined time interval.


Signals of acoustic emission sensors about tool wear are analyzed,feature vectors reflecting tool wear MFCC coefficient and differential coefficient are extracted.Signals are processed by HMM.A test boring tool condition monitoring system is established.Experimental results show that the tool monitoring system can roughly forecast tool wear in the normal wear stage,and also can timely monitor and forecast tool damage to the state in the case of tool breakage or damage.This monitoring method can be real-time online monitoring of tool wear.It provides a practical way for tool condition monitoring.


On the step of application of increasingly advanced technologies on the existing power system network, the traditional power system has been realizing the intelligent innovation and forming the mode of the Smart Grid. The access of distributed energies, such as distributed generation(DG), distributed energy storage (DES), to the power system, demand response's being introduced, changes the direction of the traditional power flow, enable the Interaction among customers, power companies and power generations. The implementation of bilateral trade, the introduction of competition, are gradually to alter the government-lead demand management model, improve demand-side-management marketing operation, achieve the goal of Government to promoting, market-based electricity market structure of smart grid in the future. In the case of electricity market for China, this paper will explore of the electricity market operating mode under the Smart Grid and give some valuable suggestions.


Objective The broad range of increasing applications for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may bring hazardous exposure to humans and other biological systems. Modification of CNTs with different chemical groups was used to enhance solubility and was likely to result in different toxicity. The current study was designed to study the cytotoxicity of pristine CNTs (p-CNTs) and functionalized CNTs (f-CNTs) against vascular endothelial cells,which mediate many key biological processes in the body. Methods Vascular endothelial cells (VECs) were isolated from human umbilical veins and identified by immunochemical staining. MTT assay was employed to test the viability of the VECs exposed to different concentrations of p-CNTs or f-CNTs for up to 72 h. The mor-phology of the cells was observed under transmission electron microscope. Results It was demonstrated that both p-CNTs and f-CNTs induced decreased cell viability in a dose dependent manner, whereas neither of the medium dialyzed against p-CNTs or f-CNTs showed any cytotoxicity against the VECs. The eytotoxicity of p-CNTs was greater than that of f-CNTs after at 24 h of exposure. However, at 48 h and 72 h of exposure, f-CNTs resulted in greater decrease of cell viability as compared to p-CNTs. Transmission electron microscopic observation showed that there were much more CNT aggregates in the cytoplasm of f-CNTs treated cells than those of p-CNTs treated cells. It was also observed that the p-CNT aggregates are much more condensed than f-CNTs aggregates. Conclusion It is likely that the aggregation may play greater role in the cytotoxicity of p-CNTs, whereas the sur-face chemistry was the major factor responsible for that of f-CNTs. Increased number of f-CNTs enveloped by the cells may cause greater degree of cell damage or interfere the mass transportation in the cytoplasm, and hence in-duced increased loss of cell viability.

Key words:
Cytotoxicity;  Vascular endothelial cells; Aggregates; Surface chemistry


Migratory and resident fish in the Columbia River Basin are exposed to stresses associated with hydroelectric power production, including pressure changes during turbine passage. The responses of fall chinook salmon and bluegill sunfish to rapid pressure change was investigated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Previous test series evaluated the effects of passage through a vertical Kaplan turbine under the"worst case" pressure conditions and under less severe conditions where pressure changes were minimized. For this series of tests, pressure changes were modified to simulate passage through a horizontal bulb turbine, commonly installed at low head dams. The results were compared to results from previous test series. Migratory and resident fish in the Columbia River Basin are exposed to stresses associated with hydroelectric power production, including pressure changes during turbine passage. The responses of fall chinook salmon and bluegill sunfish to rapid pressure change was investigated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Previous test series evaluated the effects of passage through a vertical Kaplan turbine under the"worst case" pressure conditions and under less severe conditions where pressure changes were minimized. For this series of tests, pressure changes were modified to simulate passage through a horizontal bulb turbine, commonly installed at lowmore » head dams. The results were compared to results from previous test series. Both fish species were acclimated for 16-22 hours at either surface (101 kPa; 1 atm) or 30 ft (191 kPa; 1.9 atm) of pressure in a hyperbaric chamber before exposure to a pressure scenario simulating passage through a horizontal bulb turbine. The simulation was as follows: gradual pressure increase to about 2 atm of pressure, followed by a sudden (0.4 second) decrease in pressure to either 0.7 or 0.95 atm, followed by gradual return to 1 atm (surface water pressure). Following the exposure, fish were held at surface pressure for a 48-hour post exposure observation period. No fall chinook salmon died during or after exposure to the horizontal bulb turbine passage pressures, and no injuries were observed during the 48-hour post exposure observation period. As with the previous test series, it cannot be determined whether fall chinook salmon acclimated to the greater water pressure during the pretest holding period. For bluegill sunfish exposed to the horizontal bulb turbine turbine-passage pressures, only one fish died and injuries were less severe and less common than for bluegills subjected to either the"worst case" pressure or modified Kaplan turbine pressure conditions in previous tests. Injury rates for bluegills were higher at 0.7 atm nadir than for the 0.95 atm nadir. However, injuries were limited to minor internal hemorrhaging. Bluegills did not suffer swim bladder rupture in any tested scenarios. Tests indicated that for most of the cross-sectional area of a horizontal bulb turbine, pressure changes occurring during turbine passage are not harmful to fall chinook salmon and only minimally harmful to bluegill. However, some areas within a horizontal bulb turbine may have extreme pressure conditions that would be harmful to fish. These scenarios were not tested because they represent a small cross-sectional area of the turbine compared to the centerline pressures scenarios used in these tests.« less


The analysis of the ion-beam etching rates of the materials used for manufacturing the integrated circuits is carried out. The etching rate-time functions and etching rate - ion beam current functions are presented. The results show that the current increasing involves significant increase of sputtering and redeposition effects. Based on results the most suitable ion beam etching parameters for subsequent correction of experimental integrated circuits are determined.


Recently, in Japan, some owners of umi no ie (seaside shops) have started illegally occupying the shore for a large part of the year. This has resulted in the problem of the public nature of the beach being violated. In the present research, the following two points were studied. (1) Maintenance of beach facilities, such as restrooms, showers and dressing rooms. (2) Problems concerning the establishment of beach recreation facilities by private businesses, and solutions for these problems. For point (1), a survey was conducted on the maintenance conditions of beach facilities and the needs of beach users all over Japan. We found that users desire facilities such as restrooms and dressing rooms that can be used throughout the year. For point (2), there were problems concerning the procedures required for establishing facilities and conflicts in using such facilities provided by private businesses. As a solution to these problems, we proposed that the local government provide the facilities and private businesses manage the facilities.© 2008 ASME


Given the characteristics of operation methods and the cognitive habits of users,we designed a visualization system for dynamic demonstration of forestry operation methods based on a B /S model.In this system,current operation methods were summarized and classified in detail and a dynamic demonstration of each operation method was designed according to its characteristics,which can help users to understand the flow of operation methods clearly and intuitively.With a user-friendly interface presenting information intuitively and efficiently,the system is very helpful for foresters and the ordinary public to acquire professional forestry knowledge.It has great value for the popularization of forestry knowledge.


The influential factors of construction projects for resource recycling and utilization base were firstly introduced,and the significance of the Preliminary work was pointed out.Based on an analysis of relative policies and local situation,a construction clue of new-type base was put forward,and 3 associated segments,as well as 3public interested segments which could be optimized and recombined were designed.Finally,the strategic principal for the management-innovated leading enterprises and targeted suggestions were proposed.


An investigation of the hot-carrier relaxation in GaAs/(Al,Ga)As quantum wells and bulk GaAs in the high-carrier-density limit is presented. Using a time-resolved luminescence up-conversion technique with \ensuremath{\le}80-fs temporal resolution, carrier temperatures are measured in the 100-fs-to-2-ns range. Our results show that the hot-carrier cooling rates in the quantum wells are significantly slower than in the bulk for carrier densities greater than 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{18}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$. A comparison is made with previous publications to resolve the confusion concerning the difference in cooling rates in quasi-two- and three-dimensional systems.


The epitaxial Ni nanoparticles embedded in metallic TiN matrix [TiN(Ni)] on p-type (001) Si heterojunction [TiN(Ni)/(001)p-Si] has been fabricated using pulsed laser deposition technique. The I-V characteriatics of TiN(Ni)/p-Si heterojunction have been studied at different temperatures in the range of 100-300 K. The heterojunction shows reasonably good diode like rectifying behavior in this temperature range. The ideality factor, reverse saturation current, series resistance and turn-on voltages have been estimated at different operating temperatures. The magnetoresistance (MR) properties of TiN(Ni) film and the junction MR of TiN(Ni)/p-Si heterojunction have been studied up to a magnetic field of 8 Tesla. The junction MR attains a peak with high positive junction MR value at 250 K. The origin of high value of junction MR has been best explained using standard spin injection theory.


Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) has emerged as a standard notation to express the business process models. A lack of formal semantics in the BPMN can cause the syntactic and structural errors. The former requires less effort to be checked, while the later usually needs a complex state-space analysis to prove some properties, like the deadlock-freedom and the livelock-freedom. In this paper, we present an approach based on model checking for the automated verification of business process models. We illustrate the deadlocks, livelocks, and multiple termination problems, which can help the business modelers to avoid structural errors.


Aim : To assess the nutritional status of children under five years of age who have attended an institutional nursery in the Federal District, Brazil. Methods : The sample consisted of children who have attended the institutional nursery between March 2010 and December 2013. The children and their mothers' socioeconomic, environmental, demographic, anthropometric and biological data were analyzed and a Food Frequency Questionnaire was applied in order to assess the children's food intake. To assess the diet overall quality, a score based on the Recommended Foods Score was used. Results : The sample consisted of 26 mothers and 28 children. As for the mothers, 67.9% were aged 31 to 40 years; 67.9% had postgraduate degrees; 85.7% were earning over 10 Brazilian minimum wages; 75% were married; 85.7% were normal weight and 14.3% were overweight. As for the children, their mean age was 29.44 months (± 14.18); 67.9% were exclusively on breast-feeding up to 6 months and 50% were weaned between 12 and 15 months; 88.9% of the children were eutrophic and 11.1% were at an overweight risk; 28.6% presented consumption of sugars and sugary drinks above what was recommended; 32.2% presented consumption of fruit below what was recommended and 67.9% had vegetable consumption below the recommended by the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics; 10.7% often had meals watching television and 21.4% never had meals watching television. The diet average score was 23.25 ± 2.31 points out of a total of 28. Conclusion : Attending an institutional nursery can positively contribute to children's nutritional status and eating habits. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2015.14141


The transposition of Sandmeyer chlorination from a batch to a safe continuous-flow process was investigated. Our initial approach was to develop a cascade method using flow chemistry which involved the generation of a diazonium salt and its quenching with copper chloride. To achieve this safe continuous process diazotation, a chemometric approach (Simplex method) was used and extrapolated to establish a fully continuous-flow method. The reaction scope was also examined via the synthesis of several (het)aryl chlorides. Validation and scale-up of the process were also performed. A higher productivity was obtained with increased safety.


This paper explains the differences between the two main theories of cultural participation - the theory of cultural capital and the theory of cultural omnivorism/versatility. The paper also states and interprets the results of the author's own survey research related to the habits of television watching and consuming music content, conducted in order to test out these theories.


Helminth infections can immunosuppress hosts, leaving them vulnerable to co-infection. This talk will present a model of helminth immunosuppression: the teleost, stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), and its helminth, Schistocephalus solidus. The teleost adaptive immune response is thought to occur in the melano-macrophage center (MMC). This structure is the proposed site in which B cells proliferate and generate high affinity antibody, homologous to germinal centers in mammals. Stickleback MMCs transiently increase in size following immunization, suggesting that the MMC likely participates in the adaptive immune response. Infection of stickleback with S.solidus, however, suppresses MMC size, suggesting helminth-mediated immunosuppression. To investigate the mechanisms underlying parasite-mediated immunosuppression in teleosts, wild populations of Vancouver Island stickleback were identified that vary in their magnitude of helminth-mediated immunoregulation. Helminth-infected stickleback from Gosling lake show suppressed MMC responses, while Roberts lake fish are refractory to helminth-induced immunosuppression. The resistance of Roberts lake fish to immunosuppression, however, is helminth genotype specific, with some helminth genotypes able to suppress MMC size. F2 hybrid fish were generated from Gosling and Roberts populations and QTL analysis was performed to identify loci associated with differential immunoregulation of the MMC response by helminths. As MMCs are found in most teleosts (and reptiles and amphibians), these findings highlight a new and broadly applicable assay of immunity in both laboratory and wild animals, which does not require the development of species-specific reagents.


It designed the programmable filter which is composed of program-controlled amplifier,programmable filter,A/D converter and D/A converter,single-chip control and display circuit with AT89C51 and FPGA for the control center.It can select the filter mode,control the gain,adjust the cutoff frequency,and it can display the cutoff frequency of the filter and the amplification of the amplifier through the LCD,the whole system has the good man-machine interface,high precision and good practical value.


Based on acoustic and perceptual studies,this paper determines the four tone values in Yuzhou Zhongyuan Mandarin,and finds out that both FO contours and phonation contribute to the perception of tones.The FO contours play the leading role while the phonation compensates.When the pitch contours are less distinctive,phonation will increase its effect on tone perception,while in cases where FO patterns are sufficiently distinct from each other,the contribution of phonation will be reduced even to zero.


Globally, buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the total world annual energy consumption. Most of this energy is for the provision of lighting, heating, cooling, and air conditioning. Increasing awareness of the environmental impact of CO2 and NOx emissions and CFCs triggered a renewed interest in environmentally friendly cooling, and heating technologies. It was therefore considered desirable to reduce energy consumption and decrease the rate of depletion of world energy reserves and pollution of the environment. One way of reducing building energy consumption is to design building green, which is more economical in their use of energy. This research attempts to formulate an implementation strategy for developing and enhancing the Energy Category of an Egyptian Green Building Rating System. This implementation strategy is based on the detailed review of the major green building guidelines globally and contextual information of Egyptian society collected through a survey questionnaire. The results show the energy credits that should be considered as mandatory within the Egyptian Green Building Rating System and indicate the other credits that should be taken into account and propose weights of such energy credits.


[Objective]The aim was to explore the effects of cigarette blends on phenol of mainstream smoke.[Method]The phenol in mainstream smoke of cigarettes that prepared by different cigarette blends was determined through high performance liquid chromatography.[Result]Different tobacco leaf and the content of cut stem,reconstituted tobacco and expanded tobacco have significant impact to phenol of cigarette mainstream smoke.The content of phenol in foreign tobacco was higher than that in internal tobacco,and the content of phenol released in upper part of tobacco was the highest,followed by middle,lower minimum,while the influence of the content of 3 kinds of tobacco motioned above to phenol of cigarette mainstream smoke is according to negative correlation.[Conclusion]The phenol decreased regularly with the increase of the amount of 3 kinds of tobacco motioned above,the internal tobacco and the lower part of tobacco.


The purpose of this paper is to introduce valuation and discrete valuation modules over an integral domain. Some basic results and characterizations are obtained and these results are used to characterizeDedekind multiplication modules with discrete multiplication valuation modules. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 13C13


Description This paper presents the state-of-the-art, challenges, and issues related to biogas production technology on small and large scale in India. The biogas development in India occurred in several stages mainly from year 1950-2020. First Stage focused on research and development for practical digester in India as the design and construction of bio digester for production of biogas is one of crucial factor. During this period 15 types of Indian digesters were designed and found virtually feasible, efficient and further development was perpetuated. In the second stage launched and initiated several National Biogas Programs with immense incentives across the rural India. In third stage installation of household size biogas for cooking fuel and lighting in rural from 1984-2004 largely subsidized and further scaled up to urban and peri urban areas till 2019.


In this study accumulation of some heavy metals Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni) and Lead (Pb) in the operculum, gills, heart, kidney, muscle and vertebrae were determined in some fishes (Hydrocynus forskahlii, Hyperopisus bebe occidentalis and Clarias gariepinus) collected from fishermen around Ogun estuary. The accumulation of the metals in different organs showed significant differences (P H. bebe occidentalis > C. gariepinus and the pattern of distribution was Ni > Cr > Co > Cd > Pb for all the fish species. The levels of Ni and Cr in this study were higher than the maximum permissible limits (FAO, UNEP, FEPA and WHO) for human consumption and that of Cd, Pb and Co were still lower. Safe disposals of domestic sewage and industrial effluents as well as enforcement of laws enacted to protect our environment are therefore advocated.


Based on gravity data, the depth to crystalline basement in the valley of La Paz, Baja California Sur was estimated. Geometry of the tectonic depression that underlies the valley was interpreted with support of the aeromagnetic anomaly. For regional-residual separation of gravity data, regional effect was considered as a horizontal plane. In order to estimate depth to basement, the formula for the calculation of gravity in a point over a horizontal layer of infinite extension was used. A density contrast of 0.66 g/cm³ was used, based on the general characteristics of basement and sedimentary infill. Estimated depths were normalized to a depth to basement obtained in a magnetic profile from another study. Two sections were modeled to evaluate the procedure. The depth to basement in the valley of La Paz ranges from 100 to 500 m on the east and the center-south, to more than 1500 m to the NNE, NW and west. A graben delimited by two main lineaments is evident, one lineament extends on the east with a N-S direction, and the other on the west with a SSE-NNW orientation, which are respectively attributed to the La Paz and El Carrizal faults. The graben is tilted towards the WNW.


This contribution deals with the demographic redistributive effects of any pay-as-you-go social security scheme. Some transfers are linked to the differential mortality among individuals or social groups while other transfers are linked to fertility differentials between generations. Intra-cohort redistributions resulting from social security schemes are due to the spread of life durations. They are the unavoidable outcome of a collective old age insurance system. Mortality differences between social groups result in systematic transfers from lower to higher income classes. Progressive contributions or benefits formulas do not usually eliminate those transfers. These redistributions are measured by using the concept of "critical age" i.e. the age where the discounted sum of contributions. The aging of the population resulting from differential fertility rates between successive generations will lead to resulting from differential fertility rates between successive generations will lead to important income redistributions between cohorts advocating for new policy measures to help social security survive. (authors)