Global professional service firms (GPSFs) are key actors in contemporary capitalism. They (co-) produce and disseminate new business practices, linking firms, sectors, and countries, integrating them into a global system. We examine a second, less studied function of these firms: underpinning capitalism's status hierarchies. We ask whether these firms have emerged as producers of a new corporate nobility—as an extension of elite universities, and as a stepping stone in the selection and promotion of top executives. Focusing on the US, we ask: do global professional service firms merely amplify the credentials of elite universities, or can they compensate for an absence of an elite education in the careers of US top managers? and do professional service firms equip future top managers with specific expertise or merely with symbolic capital? Based on a sample of 2,610 top executive managers from leading American firms in 2005 and 2018, we study the role law, consulting, or audit firms played in their careers. Using multinomial regression analyses, we find that the career function of GPSFs varies: consulting firms amplify existing status and enhance the symbolic capital of alumni, aiding their ascent to the most prestigious jobs in US top firms. In contrast, top managers leverage audit firm roles to compensate for a non-elite background, yet then tend to be channelled into narrow, specialist roles in top management. We relate these results to Bourdieu's state nobility analysis and propose an augmented typology of these firms at the heart of contemporary capitalism.


The article studies the activities of Russian regional banks in modern economic conditions. The authors assessed the financial stability and efficiency of regional banks on the example of a number of banks selected for consideration. The interconnection between the financial stability of regional banks and the volume of attracting people's savings to deposits is shown. Recommendations on increasing the financial stability of regional banks are offered.


Using variation principle, we have demonstrated experimentally, for the first time, the existence of the thermal surface energy (TSE), resulting from the oriented motion of charged particles inside a material artefact and the energy of the guided electromagnetic (EM) field, which always accompanies the irregular motion of charged particles. The TSE arises gradually as an evolution process of hysteresis type as a result of interaction of the external EM field, characterized by a mean nonzero value of the Poynting vector, with an ensemble of charged particles of material artefact. It has been demonstrated experimentally that the principle of superposition of the external EM fields is not valid in case of TSE, and an artefact is shown to be in a continuous thermal evolution process, which has no symmetry in space and is irreversible in time, clearly confirming the preceding theoretical results of (Dicke 1954). Such process can be called as thermal synthesis. It is shown that the number of influence parameters, necessary for the description of the thermal evolution process is always huge, thus presenting an experimental confirmation of the fundamental theoretical observation of (Stroud et al. 1972, p.1096). We have shown experimentally for the first time that in a homogeneous material a heat source induces a larger flux of energy in a specified direction, if the energy flux in that direction has been created before by an auxiliary heat source. A deep agreement of our studies with Ancient Indian and Greek Philosophies, as well as with the classical German dialectics is outlined.


Pulsars undergoing crustquake release strain energy, which can be absorbed in a small region inside the inner crust of the star and excite the free superfluid neutrons therein. The scattering of these neutrons with the surrounding pinned vortices may unpin a large number of vortices and effectively reduce the pinning force on vortex lines. Such unpinning by neutron scattering can produce glitches for Crab like pulsars and Vela pulsar of size in the range $\sim 10^{-8} - 10^{-7}$, and $\sim 10^{-9} - 10^{-8}$, respectively. Although we discuss here the crustquake initiated excitation, the proposal is very generic and equally applicable for any other sources, which can excite the free superfluid neutrons, or can be responsible for superfluid - normal phase transition of neutron superfluid in the inner crust of a pulsar.


Background
Delay in COVID-19 diagnosis due to late real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction reporting has been described to be an important cause of suboptimal COVID-19 surveillance and outbreak containment.

Objective
The objective of the study was to determine the duration of diagnostic delay due to test turnaround time and its association with marginalization status.

Methods
In this observational study using national open data of Mexico and Colombia, we quantified the delay in COVID-19 diagnosis that occurred in both countries. We considered two periods that contributed to the delay in diagnosis: the time from symptom onset until testing (delay-one) and test turnaround time (delay-two). Marginalization status was determined according to country-specific scores.

Results
Among 3,696,773 patients from Mexico and Colombia, delay-two was generally longer than delay-one. Median delay-one was 3 days and delay-two 7 days in Colombia, while in Mexico, they were 3 days and 4 days, respectively. In Colombia, worse marginalization status prolonged delaytwo. In Mexico, a lower number and percentage of rapid tests were performed in areas with worse marginalization.

Conclusion
Diagnostic delay was mostly due to test turnaround time. Marginalization status was an important barrier to diagnostic test access.


Migration research has been dominated by broad assumptions which this paper brings into question. Modernization theory holds that rural-urban migration was one-way, permanent, and continually increasing during industrialization. Nominal-level research on urban populations tends to accept the idea that nonnatives are becoming permanent residents. Data from Germany show reality to have been quite different. Urban mobility peaked around 1900, and has fallen steadily since then. The great majority of urban inmigrants soon left the city, mainly returning to their rural origins. Thus a new model of urban migration is needed. This model must lake into account certain structural characteristics of urban migrants in Germany. Males were more mobile than females, but the differences lay primarily among unmarried adults, whose mobility rates were at least five times those of families. Mobility was inversely proportional to income: workers and domestics were several times as mobile as professionals and the self-employed. The paper does not construct a new model of migration but uses these data to raise questions which might lead to such a model.


To improve the performance of adaptive notch filter (ANF), a variable step-size ANF using combined gradient algorithm is proposed for frequency estimation. In this method, combined gradient algorithm is designed for improving constringency with both FIR-ANF and IIR-ANF advantages considered. According to the noise influence, a bias correction strategy is established for depressing the bias and MSE of frequency estimation. Additionally, variable step-size is adopted for the balance of convergence and precision. The proposed method process is given. In simulations, we discussed the influence of the ANF parameters and SNR on accuracy. Algorithms of DPG and MPG are carried out as comparisons. Convergences of these methods are also analyzed. Coriolis mass flow meter (CMF) is taken as an application to test the proposed method. Simulation results and CMF application both confirm the availability and superiority of the proposed method.


Intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH), even abdominal compartment syndrome, resulting from major stem portal venous thrombosis (MSPVT) postoperatively can lead to acute kidney failure (AKF). However, few physicians consider this clinical presentation, which is rarely reported in the literature. IAH often induces a few obvious clinical presentations, such as oliguria, anuria, and abdominal distension, etc., even in cases with normal liver function. Many doctors consider that AKF is due to hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), while postoperative development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) may be another important factor inducing AKF, which appears to have been ignored in recent years. In fact, devascularization surgery and/or shunt placement for treatment of portal hypertension are known to easily induce PVT, especially during devascularization procedures because of the rapid accumulation of platelets. In addition, the risk of hypercoagulability increases because of the use of hemostatic agents. Also, PVT may lead to gastro-intestinal congestion and tissue edema, which can contribute to the development of IAH. Abdominal distension became very obvious because collateral circulation could not be restored in time due to MSPVT after ligamentectomy surrounding the liver. Thus, it was difficult to arrive at a diagnosis of PVT at an earlier stage by B-type ultrasound and/or measurement of D-dimer levels. To achieve an early diagnosis, it is very important to actively incorporate the methods mentioned above. However, these methods are not recommended unless the diagnosis of HRS is definitive. The effective treatment is to administer anticoagulants, such as low-molecular-weight heparin, and to discontinue hemostatic agents in time. AKF will not benefit from Terlipressin if HRS was not considered as the major cause of AKF, especially in cases of IAH. It is well known that peritoneal dialysis and/or hemodialysis should be adopted to sustain kidney function postoperatively .


We discuss the inner product spaces of the middle homology groups of manifolds of dimensions 2 and 4. We prove that two compact 2-manifolds are homeomorphic if and only if the inner product spaces of their first homology groups are isomorphic. We outline a proof that every inner product space can be realized as the first homology group of some surface. We conclude by proving that two simply connected 4-manifolds are homotopy equivalent if and only if the inner product spaces of their second homology groups are isomorphic.


Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in children. Several biomarkers have been used for the diagnosis of UTI and prediction of renal parenchymal involvement. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate plasma D-dimer as a diagnostic marker of UTI in children. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 41 children aged 1 month to 14 years with their first febrile UTI confirmed by positive urine culture referred to Bandar Abbas Children's Hospital, Iran, from October 1, 2017, to April 1, 2018. Participants' demographic features, including age and gender were recorded. White blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of neutrophils, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum D-dimer were measured in random blood samples for all the patients. Results: Out of 41 children (mean age: 5.50 ± 4.01 years) evaluated in this study, 6 (14.6%) were male, and 35 (85.4%) were female. The mean plasma D-dimer level was 1496.49 ± 2787.55 µg/L. A significant positive correlation was found between D-dimer with ESR (r = 0.647, P = 0.026) and CRP (r = 0.525, P = 0.001). Plasma D-dimer was not associated with age; however, age was inversely correlated with WBC count (r = -0.327, P = 0.037). No significant relationship was found between plasma D-dimer, ESR, CRP, WBC count, and neutrophil percentage with gender (P > 0.05). Conclusions: According to our results, in children aged 1 month to 14 years with culture-confirmed UTI, plasma D-dimer is positively correlated with ESR and CRP. Nevertheless, D-dimer appears not to be influenced by age or gender. Further studies are required to confirm the utility of D-dimer as a diagnostic marker of UTI in children.


A manufacturing apparatus for liquid crystalline polyester resin pellets that is provided with: a die head with a discharge port for discharging melted liquid crystalline polyester resin supplied to the die head from a reaction tank via a valve; a cutter for cutting the resin discharged from the die head and solidified; and at least one perforated plate located downstream of the valve and upstream of the discharge port. The pore diameters of multiple spinneret holes provided in the discharge port are 3 mm - 6 mm and the mean pore diameter in the perforated plate is 0.1 - 1.2 times the pore diameter of the spinneret holes. A manufacturing method for liquid crystalline polyester resin pellets for cutting liquid crystalline polyester resin, which has been discharged from the die head of said apparatus via the discharge port so as to form groups of strands and solidified, into pellet form. Provided is a manufacturing method for liquid crystalline polyester resin pellets, the method having excellent discharge stability and being able to improve continuous batch productivity and pellet quality in the step for discharging the melted resin as groups of strands.


Development of safety features to prevent drunk and drowsy driving is one of the major technical challenges in the automobile industry. Driving while being drunk or drowsy is a major reason behind road accidents especially in the modern age. Driving when drowsy can lead to higher crash risk than being in alert state. Therefore, by using assistive systems to monitor driver's level of alertness can be of significant help in prevention of accidents. This paper aims towards the detection of driver's drowsiness using the visual features approach along with drunk detection using alcohol sensor. Driver drowsiness is based on real-time detection of the driver's head, face and mouth, where-in HAAR-Cascade classifier for face and eye detection and template matching in the mouth region for yawning detection. The system will also have an alcohol detection sensor which will determine whether the driver is drunk or not, thus covering the major reasons behind road accidents.


Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of food-borne gastrointestinal disease worldwide. A survey conducted in 2002-2003 showed that oysters may contain Salmonella and thus may also be a source of salmonellosis. Since oysters are commonly consumed raw, no amount of food safety education will prevent consumers from ingesting a possibly infectious dose from Salmonella contaminated oysters. The research in this dissertation employed a combination of traditional culture techniques as well as genomics-based molecular applications to explore Salmonella infection in oysters and the subsequent risk to consumers of raw oysters. A year-long survey of oysters served on the half-shell in local restaurants determined that overall 1.2% of oysters were contaminated with Salmonella. Oysters containing Salmonella were found in 7 of the 8 months surveyed and 7 of the 8 restaurants served contaminated oysters. Six different serovars were isolated, but one strain of S. Newport, as determined by matching pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns, represented 43% of the positive samples. Interestingly, this is the same strain that was predominantly isolated in the earlier survey of oysters and was also resistant to at least 7 different antimicrobials. The remainder of this dissertation work was an exploration of why this particular strain is seen so often in oyster infections. A custom microarray was used to perform a transposon site hybridization (TraSH) assay to identify genes that are necessary for S. Newport survival in the oyster. In this way, a negative selection was able to determine the genes that were necessary for S. Newport to survive in oysters. A subset of the genes identified by TraSH was selected and site-directed mutagenesis was performed to knock those genes out of LAJ160311. Oysters were infected with those mutant strains to test for their ability to survive in oysters and thereby determine the role of those individual genes in pathogenesis. The conclusions of the TraSH assay were that virulence factors that are essential for survival of Salmonella in mammalian models, particularly the type three secretion systems, may not be important in the oyster model. Motility provided by flagella was identified as a major virulence factor in oyster colonization by S. Newport.


This project evaluated the efficacy of seven different organic plant protection programs against the black cherry aphid Myzus cerasi (MYZUCE) in a low stem cherry orchard. The standard paraffin oil (Weissol) applied after bud swelling (BBCH 03) significantly reduced the number of infested long shoots and aphid colony size, represented by the number of curled leaves. Additional treatments with Pyrethrum (Pyrethrum FS) and Neem oil (Neem Azal T/S) added no further efficacy. Neem oil and Majestik applied twice showed only limited efficacy. A test oil was clearly less efficient than the standard paraffin oil. Ant baits placed on the stems after bud swelling to prevent ants from promoting aphids offered an interesting, sustainable control approach should for further investigation.


Provided is a process for the preparation of the fluoroalkyl sulfonate salt of a nitrogen-based organic base said process comprising the step of reacting a fluoroalkyl sulfonyl halide with an organic base selected from the group consisting of tertiary amines, pyridines, amidines and guanidines.


This article develops a dynamic, dual-economy general equilibrium model that can be adapted to analyze the short- and long-run effects of a variety of fiscal policies. The model provides a complete description of how the private capital stock, underemployment, and real wages evolve during the adjustment process. The main policy message conveyed by the results is that the method by which the fiscal deficit is lowered is important. There is a strong presumption that higher prices for publicly produced intermediate inputs and cutbacks in government expenditure to support social infrastructure will reduce private investment, real wages in both the formal and informal sectors, and the share of the labor force employed in the high-wage manufacturing sector. By contrast, layoffs in the final goods and services sectors can potentially improve the external balance without sacrificing output and employment growth.


RA is a complex chronic disease, primarily affects the lining of the synovial joints and can cause progressive disability, premature death, and socioeconomic burdens. The clinical manifestations of symmetrical joint involvement include arthralgia, swelling, redness, and even limiting the range of motion. The pathogenesis is not known therefore the study included Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of systemic inflammatory diseases that characterized by a progressive disabling course. The study included patients suffering from RA and as healthy controls. immunological and genetic factor were evaluated in each subject by using serum level of cytokine and genetic factor. The etiopathology of the disease is not well known for this reason the study was done. Keyword: cytokine, rheumatoid arthritis, single nucleotide polymorphism.


Prime labeling is the most interesting category of graph labeling with various applications. A graph G= (V(G), E(G)) with |v(G)| vertices are said to have prime labeling if its vertices are labeled with distinct positive integers 1,2,3,……,|v| such that for each edge uv e E(G) the labels assigned to u and v are relatively prime, where V(G) and E(G) are vertex set and edge set of G, respectively. Therefore, the graph G has a prime labeling whenever any of two adjacent vertices can be labeled as two relative prime numbers and is called a prime graph. In our work, we focus on the prime labeling method for newly constructed graphs obtained by replacing each edge of a star graph K1,n by a complete tripartite graph K1,m,1 for m = 2,3,4, and 5, which are prime graphs. In addition to that, investigate another type of simple undirected finite graphs generalized by using circular ladder graphs. These new graphs obtained by attaching K1,2 at each external vertex of the circular ladder graph CLn and proved that the constructed graphs are prime graphs when n ≥ 3 and n ≠ 1 (mod3) . Finally, focus on another particular type of simple undirected finite graph called a scorpion graph, denoted by S(2p,2q,r) . The Scorpion graph gets its name from shape, which resembles a scorpion, having 2p + 2q + r vertices p ≥ 1, q ≥ 2, r ≥ 2)are placed in the head, body, and tail respectively. To prove that the scorpion graph has prime labeling, we used two results that have already been proved for ladder graphs.


Introduction: Currently, several approaches have been used to detect EML4-ALK rearrangement, but the performance of laboratories was unknown in China. To evaluate the proficiency of different laboratories to detect EML4-ALK rearrangement, we organized a proficiency test. Methods: We prepared formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples derived from the xenograft tumor tissue of three non-small cell lung cancer cell lines with different EML4-ALK rearrangements and used proficiency tests to evaluate the detection performance of laboratories in China. Results: We received results from 94 laboratories that used different methods. 75.53% participants correctly identified all of the PT panel. Among the errors made by participants, false-negative errors were prone to occur. According to the methodology applied, 82.86%, 76.67%, 77.78%, and 66.67% of laboratories using RT-PCR, FISH, NGS, and IHC, respectively could analyze all the samples correctly. Moreover, we have found that the capacity of genotype of laboratories is high especially for variant 3. M AN US CR IP T AC CE PT ED ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Conclusion: our PT survey revealed that performances and methodological problems of laboratories must be addressed to further increase the reproducibility and accuracy of EML4-ALK rearrangement detection to ensuring reliable results to select appropriate patients.


T h e h igh p r ic e ta g s t h a t go a long w ith a Qollege e d u c a t io n a r e a c o n  c e rn for m a n y A m eric an families. I t's on ly n a t u r a l th e n t h a t t h e i s s u e of how to pay for h ig h e r educa t ion and to m a k e i t m o r e a f f o r d a b l e h a s b ec o m e an issue in t h e p r e s i d e n t i a l e lection . R epub lican c a n d i  d a t e G e o r g e W. B u s h a n d D e m o c r a t i c c a n d i  d a t e Al G o r e a r e g o in g a g a i n s t t h e i r P a r t y 's t r a d i t i o n a l s t a n c e on th e issue w ith Bush focusing his p ro p o sa ls for c o l le g e tu i t io n a id a t th e p o o r an d G o r e t a r g e t i n g t h e m i d d l e c l a s s . R egard le ss of w ho the c a n d id a te s are c a te r in g th e i r p la n s to, th e q ues t ion t h a t r e m a in s is will th o se w ho need aid m os t bene f i t from th e se plans. G o r e 's p l a n w o u ld a l lo w p e o p l e pay ing for college to d e d u c t $10 ,000 a y e a r in tu i t ion from th e i r ta x ab le in c o m e or ta k e a $ 2 ,8 0 0 tax cred it . T he p la n would p r im a ri ly help middle c l a s s f a m i l i e s e a r n i n g b e t w e e n $ 4 0 ,0 0 0 to $1 2 0 ,0 0 0 . F am il ies ea rn -


1A Workshop on Advances in the Use of HistoricalMarine Climate Data was held at the NOAA ClimateDiagnostics Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA, 29 Janu-ary-1 February 2002. It was organized by NOAA, theUK Met Office and the Japan Meteorological Agencyand was sponsored by the Global Climate ObservingSystem (GCOS) and WMO.


This study introduces a new method to produce a granular material to encourage use of dredged materials for construction applications. Cement Treated Granular Soil (CTGS) was produced from dredged marine clay mixed with proper amounts of cement and polymer. This study focuses on lean mixture design to reduce the production cost. The applicability of CTGS as a geomaterial was verified based on engineering properties (i.e., compaction characteristics, California Bearing Ratio, compressibility, strength and deformation characteristics) obtained from laboratory tests. The principle of treatment and physical properties of CTGS are also discussed. It was found that CTGS is lightweight, has high porosity, and possesses similar characteristics to conventional granular materials. The densification is not sensitive to water content, and the strength and stiffness parameters obtained from the tests indicate that CTGS shows high potential for applications such as reclamation, subgrade, or backfill material.


Political decision making can be analyzed through a plethora of theories. Here Economic Psychology is used as theoretical framework to analyze decision making, both by politicians and voters. The thesis consists of an overview of current research; an econometric study of how the voters in municipal elections react to changes in fiscal policy; and two case studies where the transfer of responsibility from one political level to another are studied, namely the transfer of Elder Care from counties to municipalities, and the transfer of the school system from the national government to the municipalities. It is shown that political actors often take psychological factors into consideration when they design or react to policy proposals. It is also shown the use of a psychological approach can improve the understanding of political decision making, particularly when the processes are complex or involve negotiations.


In any hydrologic model calibration is a must in order for the model to adapt to the particular catchment characteristics. A multiobjective optimization methodology is devised, tested, and applied for parameter estimation problems. The current approach extends a relatively new optimization algorithm, known as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), to deal with multiobjective problems. The new algorithm, known as Multiobjective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO), has been applied on test problems as well as two very different kinds of modeling efforts in hydrology. In the first application a well-known conceptual rainfall-runoff (CRR) model, the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model for estimating streamflow is calibrated. MOPSO is further applied to calibrate three parameters of Support Vector Machines (SVM) model for predicting soil moisture. PSO algorithm though exhibits various properties common to genetic algorithms, has seen to perform better than GA's, and is relatively easier to implement.


Enterprise architecture has taken on many meanings as practitioners and scholars attempt to understand and apply the principles of design and construction necessary for today's highly complicated enterprise scale systems.


Using the derivative of the Boolean function and the e-derivative defined by ourselves as research tools, going deep into the internal structure of Boolean functions, we study relationship of algebraic degree, correlation immunity and annihilators for H Boolean functions with a specific Hamming weight. We obtain the algebraic degree of the e-derivative which is a component of H Boolean functions decide the algebraic degree of H Boolean functions. Besides, we describe the characteristics of the algebraic degree of e-derivative for the correlation immune H Boolean functions. We also check the e-derivative of H Boolean functions can put annihilators, correlation immunity and algebraic degree of H Boolean functions together. Meanwhile, we also deduce a formula method to solving annihilators of H Boolean functions. Such researches are important in cryptographic primitive designs, and have significance and role in the theory and application range of cryptosystems.


Punctuation has definitely been, until quite recently, a neglected area of study in thinking and research on writing. This has meant that strategies for teaching punctuation have lagged behind, say, those developed for teaching spelling. David Waugh attempts in this article to redress some of this balance by laying out some practical ways forward in teaching punctuation.


This survey of mass communication programs' attitudes and practices found unpaid student internships are more likely at unaccredited programs and where the highest degree offered is a bachelor's. Advisers at bachelor's programs also are more likely to agree academic credit appropriately substitutes for monetary payment. Although most advisers support unpaid internships, they agree universities are ethically obligated to protect students from illegal ones. The study recommends steps for journalism and mass communication (JOMC) educators to engage in informed discussions and decision-making to arrive at ethically justifiable policies and practices governing internships where their students work for free, especially for academic credit at for-profit companies.


Recent scientific studies conducted with athletes of various sports modalities showed that pre-competition anxiety directly affects the performance and yield of athletes, damaging their results. Ho...


A considerable series of studies (1) has indicated that many enzymes lose their activity when irradiated by ionizing radiation in the dry state. The loss of activity fits with the idea that a single ionizing energy release, often a single ion pair, occurring anywhere in the molecule will cause the loss of activity. Such a rather simple and general result can be applied, under some circumstances, to analyze the probable cellular damage by ionizing radiation. Because no extensive studies of the effect of the primary ionizing processes on enzymes within intact cells have been made, it was thought worth while to make such an investigation. The object was to compare the effect of ionizing radiation on dry enzyme preparations and also on intact cells, which were subsequently opened, extracted, and the enzymatic activity assayed. For this purpose invertase was chosen, in commercial preparation, and in yeast; and the two respiratory enzymes, cytochrome oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase, in lysed cell preparations on the one hand and in intact cells on the other. In addition to confirming the identity of radiation sensitivity in the two cases, there is the added interest that the method can yield some information about the organization of a particulate enzyme system such as the succinic dehydrogenase-cytochrome oxidase system. This system has to date proved quite refractory to attack on its physical properties by other means, because of its intimate attachment to the mitochondrial fraction of the cell. A preliminary account of this work was given to the American Physical Society (2). The cytochrome oxidase-succinic dehydrogenase system was studied in Bacillus subtilis. A microorganism was chosen for the present study because of the greater stability of the intact cell to drying techniques and because of the greater stability of bacterial cytochrome preparations in vitro. Furthermore B. subtilis was chosen because its cytochrome spectrum closest resembles that present in mammalian tissues and may permit a comparative study at a later date with mammalian cells (3). An excellent summary of the present concepts of bacterial cytochromes has recently been published (4), and the reader is referred to this for the details of spectroscopic analysis of the cytochromes present in B. subtilis.


Article presents solution for retrieving multimedia files stored in database. It starts with discussion of problems that may arise when such files are store in database. Next it presents GStreamer library that can be used in programs to access multimedia data. Then it describes system implemented with help of GStreamer to store and manage database of multimedia files. At the end article presents possible ways of enhancing created system.


Arctic science is often claimed to have been transformed by the increased involvement of local people, but these claims of a new research paradigm have not been empirically evaluated. We argue that the "new" participatory research paradigm emerging in Arctic science embodies many of the principles of the Mode 2 knowledge production framework. Using the Mode 2 thesis as an assessment framework, we examined research articles appearing between 1965 and 2010 in the journal Arctic to assess the extent to which there has been a paradigm shift toward more participatory approaches. Results suggest that the involvement of local people has increased only slightly over the last half century and continues to vary systematically among disciplines, organizations, and regions. Analysis of three additional journals focused on Arctic and circumpolar science establishes the generality of these slight increases in local involvement. There is clearly room for more community involvement in Arctic science, but achieving this will require either increasing the proportional representation of the organizations, disciplines, and regions with a track record of successful Mode 2 research, or encouraging Mode 2 research innovation within the organizations, disciplines, and regions currently predominated by Mode 1 approaches.


In the opening number of a new volume of these Publications it seems desirable to recapitulate the methods of observation and the scheme of classification underlying these tables. Reference must also be made to the inclusion hereafter of local magnetic fields, or invisible spots, which are described in a separate note. Systematic observations of the magnetic polarities of, sunspots have been made daily with the 150-foot tower telescope since 1915. Summaries of the results have appeared regularly in these Publications since May, 1920, and preparations are being made for detailed publication, in graphical form, of the entire set of daily records. The image of the Sun, 42.4 cm. in diameter, is projected upon a sheet of paper and a sketch of the spots is made. The approximate heliographic latitude and longitude of each group is read from a disk upon which the meridians and the parallels of latitude have been drawn. The magnetic polarity and approximate field-strength of each spot are then determined by the character of the polarization and the measured separation of the components of the Zeeman triplet À6173.553 (Fe), observed in the second order spectrum of the 75-foot spectrograph. The large solar image permits the polarities of very small spots to be determined, but since the lines of force at the center of a spot are generally normal to the Sun's surface, polarity observations are difficult for large spots and impossible for small ones when near the limb. Local magnetic fields, or invisible spots, are also observed regularly whenever possible. In this


Ground-based experiments on glass formation, crystallization, surface tension, vaporization, and chemical durability of a zirconium-barium-lanthanum (ZBL) fluoride glass are summarized. In a container large, columnar grains grew out from the container-glass interface during cooling. The main crystalline phase was alpha BaZrF6. A ZBL glass sphere was levitated acoustically during Shuttle flight STS-11. The glass was melted and then cooled while being levitated (containerless). Crystallization in the recovered sample was very fine and mainly beta BaZr2F10, showing the influence of the container on the nucleation and microstructure of crystallization in the glass. Glass formation should be easier for a containerless glass than in a container.


Abstract Changing demographics are dictating a need for increased understanding between the generations. An academic environment is fertile ground for providing experiences to foster this understanding and service-learning can have an important role in this endeavor. This paper will describe an intergenerational service-learning experience for undergraduate students and report the results of a qualitative analysis of their experience. Introduction "Being around both age groups can really make me take a step back from my fast-paced life and learn to appreciate the small and precious things in life."--Generations Together Participant Over the past twenty years, a variety of service-learning programs have emerged with two models becoming the most prominent. The first model is that of younger people going to senior centers, nursing homes, adult day care centers, etc. and reaching out to the older residents/participants through friendly visitor programs, music, or the arts, with the older adults being the recipients of the service. The second model involves older adults serving children (pre-school through middle school age) as tutors, classroom helpers, or mentors with the children being the recipients of the service. The focus of this study was to explore how three generations, the young child, the traditional age college student, and the older adult, simultaneously impact on each other during a service-learning intergenerational experience. This Generations Together program, at a university in rural western Virginia, was created to provide an environment where older adults and college students work together to co-mentor a grade school child. The co-learner/co-mentor model is a unique approach among intergenerational program models. The Generations Together study furthers the knowledge base of the intergenerational service-learning field by focusing on what was happening as older adults and college students developed a co-mentoring relationship. This paper will emphasize the learning, both emotional and intellectual, that the college student participants experienced using this model. Review of the Literature Intergenerational service-learning began in a formalized way in the early 1960's with adopt-a-grandparent programs and has evolved to international networks for intergenerational service-learning (Newman, 1989). Previous research has shown the benefits of intergenerational programs for children and youth with goals linked to improving school attendance, increasing self-esteem, and reducing substance abuse and troublesome behaviors (Brabazon, 1999; Taylor, LoSciuto, Fox, Hilbert, & Sonkowsky, 1999). Studies have also focused on the positive impact that intergenerational programs have on diminishing stereotypes and biases toward older adults (Chapman & Neal, 1990; Freedman, 1988; Henkin, Rogers & Lyon 1992; Kuehne, 1989; Newman, Ward, Smith, Wilson, & McCrea, 1997). Angersbach (1999) examined interactions between elder volunteers and children in a campus-based child care center. The findings of this study showed that the interactions that were initiated by the volunteers and the children, as opposed to those initiated by the teacher, resulted in particularly strong interest levels among all of the participants. These interactions also seemed to create strong bonds between the volunteer and the children and to create an atmosphere of light-hearted fun. While this study shows a positive outcome from the intergenerational interactions, why this outcome occurred was not explored in any depth. Blieszner's 2001 study at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University used pre-and post-course questionnaire data and answers to open-ended questions from 117 undergraduate students involved in a variety of intergenerational service-learning programs. Data from the open-ended questions revealed numerous benefits associated with intergenerational service-learning: improving understanding of course concepts, dispelling myths about aging, and reinforcing career choices. …


To answer the research questions: (a) what were the training pathways followed by the first generation of robot urologists; and (b) what are their opinions on the ideal training for the future generation?


The term smart city has recently become recurrent in discussions about the development of new urban models that use technological innovations to become economically, socially and environmentally efficient. From the perspective of transport, this theme translates into the search for smart mobility, through the introduction of new vehicular technologies (connected and automated vehicles) and disruptive transport means. These innovations are in line with sustainable development, as they have the potential to promote the efficiency of displacement, aiming to improve accessibility and mobility, and minimize the negative impacts caused mainly by congestion, pollution and road accidents. Connected and automated vehicles have the potential to affect profoundly on energy efficiency and reduce its consumption, and decrease of frequency and severity of traffic accidents. With sequential increases in productivity, and decreases in production, operation and maintenance costs, these vehicles are already a revolutionary technology. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of current trends and vehicular technological innovations in the search for smart mobility within the context of smart cities. KeywordsSmart City, Connected Vehicles, Automated


Study Design: A systematic review of the literature. Objectives: To assess the efficacy of conservative treatment in patients with whiplash injuries. Summary of Background Data: Many treatments are available for patients with whiplash injury, but there continues to be no evidence for their accepted use. Methods: A computerized literature search of Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Psychlit, and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register was performed. Studies were selected if the design was a (randomized) clinical trial; if all patients had sustained a whiplash injury; if the type of intervention was a conservative one; if pain, global perceived effect, and participation in daily activities were used as one of the outcome measures, and if the publication was written in English, French, German, or Dutch. The methodologic quality was independently assessed by two reviewers by using the Maastricht‐Amsterdam list. Three quality scores were calculated using this criteria list: the Overall Methodologic Quality Score, the Internal Validity Score, and the Delphi Quality Score. The conclusion of the review was based on articles that scored a quality score of at least 50% of the maximum available score on two of three quality scores. Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Only three studies satisfied at least 50% on two of three ways of calculating a quality score, indicating overall poor methodology. There was a high rank correlation among the three ways of calculating a quality score. No statistical pooling was performed because of the heterogeneity of the interventions. This review indicates that active treatments show a beneficial long-term effect on at least one of the primary outcome measures. Conclusion: Caution is needed when drawing a valid conclusion on the efficacy of conservative treatments in patients with whiplash injury. It appears that "rest makes rusty," whereas active interventions have a tendency to be more effective in patients with whiplash injury. [Key Words: conservative treatment, efficacy, neck sprain, physiotherapy, randomized clinical trial, systematic review, whiplash] Spine 2001;26:E64 ‐E73 For a long time there has been no consensus on the definition of whiplash. The term whiplash was used to describe a mechanism of injury, the injury itself, the various clinical manifestations as a consequence of the injury, and signs and symptoms designated as the whiplash syndrome. In 1995 the Quebec Task Force on WhiplashAssociated Disorders (WAD) adopted the following definition of whiplash: Whiplash is an acceleration‐ deceleration mechanism of energy transfer to the neck. It may result from rear-end or side-impact motor vehicle collisions, but can also occur during diving or other mishaps. The impact may result in bony or soft tissue injuries (whiplash injury), which in turn may lead to a variety of clinical manifestations called WAD. 33 By using WAD, patients with whiplash injury can be classified according to severity in signs and symptoms and duration. Nevertheless, there's still potential vagueness in the definition. 7 Research 19,27,30 has shown that the most common symptoms observed after an acute motor vehicle collision are neck pain (88 ‐100%) and headache (54 ‐ 66%). Other symptoms are neck stiffness, shoulder pain, arm pain and numbness, paraesthesia, weakness, dysphagia, visual


For dynamic model-based method to estimate the vehicle sideslip angle,the disadvantages such as the uncertain vehicle parameters and unknown road friction coefficient are obvious.In this paper,the support vector machine(SVM)was proposed to realize the estimation of the vehicle sideslip angle based on statistics theory.The characteristic vectors for SVM were chosen including the steering angle,the vehicle speed,the yaw rate and the lateral acceleration.The training samples were obtained on the Carsim simulation platform in which a group of 20maneuver tests were conducted to establish prediction model.The model was verified by two groups of vehicle controllability and stability tests on variable adhesion coefficient road.The results show that the method can realize the accurate estimation of the sideslip angle and the absolute error does not exceed 1.42°even when the severe sideslip occurs and the tire takes on the nonlinear field,which can provide useful reference for the active safe control.1tab,14figs,11refs.


ABSTRACT Syrian refugees in Lebanon experience widespread food insecurity, implying lifelong negative effects on human development. Urban agriculture can improve food security status at the household level and incubate sustainable development. This article outlines lessons learnt from an urban agricultural project in Lebanon that aimed to provide food security for Syrian refugees and vulnerable host communities. The findings from a survey of 41 project participants show the potential to improve the project's performance in achieving its objectives by revising the project design. Fine-tuning project objectives based on available capacities and resources, beneficiaries' expectations, and integrating the social, cultural, technical and economic characteristics of the region into the project design could increase its success.


In this study the KBS Internet broadcasting site was chosen as a testing object and its usability was analyzed. Since the KBS has built up a good brand image through its VOD contents, improvement of its usability will be a key to success. If the usability is improved, it is highly likely that the KBS Internet broadcasting site will have a broad user base. To conduct an experiment, four benchmark tasks(Watching a re-run of Yoon Do Hyun Love Letter/ Checking the weekly TV program schedule/ Reading today`s headline news/ Posting opinions on the online bulletin board) were chosen. For this experiment ten university students were selected who had normal Internet skills and didn`t use Internet broadcasting sites much. They were given chosen tasks and the time of conducting tasks was recorded. In this study Usability Testing was conducted. After Hands-On Experiment, about twenty problems were found out and `complexity of the contents` was number-one problem according to the participants. The participants of benchmark tasks were ten university students in their 20`s who had normal Internet skills and didn`t use the Internet broadcasting site much. They were given the same tasks and their execution time was recorded. Absolute execution time means the time taken when they knew how to conduct tasks. Delay-Time is what the actual execution time minus absolute execution time is. It means the time consumed when participants got lost in executing tasks. First, according to the given tasks the causes of delays and Delay-Time were recorded and then delay-time was calculated according to the causes. Problems causing longer Delay-Time were considered bad factors for the site`s usability. On this assumption problems were analyzed to find out what deteriorates the site`s usability. The purpose of this study is to determine the main causes of low usability of the Internet VOD services by conducting usability testing and provide the useful data for the improvement of Internet broadcasting sites.


Emphasis (contrastive uvularisation) in Arabic spreads from an emphatic consonant to neighboring segments (Davis 1995). The effect of emphasis spread on a consonant is manifested as lowering of its spectral mean (Jongman et al. 2011). Although stop consonants reveal a strong effect of emphasis, it is not known how emphasis spread affects other acoustic properties of stops, e.g. voice onset time (VOT). Previous studies (Kulikov 2018) showed that VOT and emphasis are linked in speech production: plain /t/ in Gulf Arabic is aspirated; emphatic /t/ has short-lag VOT. Phonological theory predicts that plain /t/ should become more emphatic in emphatic context, which might reduce stop VOT as well. The current study investigates the effect of emphasis spread on VOT in word-initial coronal stops in Qatari Arabic. The stimuli, produced by sixteen native speakers of Qatari Arabic, contained target plain and emphatic stops /t/, /t/ followed by short or long low vowel, and plain coronal obstruents /t, s, ð/ or their emphatic counterparts /t, s, ð/. The acoustic analysis included measurements of VOT and spectral mean of burst in the stop, and F1, F2, F3 frequencies at the vowel beginning, middle and end. The results showed that final emphatic obstruent triggered emphasis spread across the syllable. The effect of emphasis on the vowel was stronger next to the emphatic obstruent (p < .01). Spectral mean of burst in plain /t/ was lower in the emphatic context (D = 276 Hz, p = .05). VOT, however, was not affected by emphasis spread. Plain /t/ had long-lag VOT averaging 52 ms; emphatic /t/ had short-lag VOT averaging 17 ms. These values were not different in emphatic context (p = .743). The findings demonstrate that emphasis spread within a syllable affects only spectral characteristics of a coronal stop. Emphaticness of plain /t/ did not affect its VOT and did not result in complete transformation of the stop category


Experimental petrology and major element chemistry are used to infer the melting processes that operate in the upper oceanic mantle to yield basaltic magma, and the subsequent cooling processes by which these magmas chill to form the oceanic crust. THE PRIMARY MAGMAS OF MID-OCEAN RIDGE BASALTS This paper reports experiments carried out between 9 and 16 kbar (0.9 1.6 GPa) using natural, primitive mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) compositions and synthetic analogs of MORB to investigate the effects of pressure, temperature and variable bulk chemistry on the composition of liquids multiply saturated with the minerals present in the upper oceanic mantle: olivine, orthopyroxene, augite and plagioclase or spinel. For this low-variance, 5-phase assemblage, expressions involving pressure, liquid NaK# (Na2 0+K 2 0)/(Na2 0+K 2 0+CaO), Mg# (Mg/[Mg+Fe 2 ]; total iron as Fe2+) and wt. % TiO 2 predict temperature and major element compositions of magmas produced by melting spinel and plagioclase lherzolites over the pressure range of 0.001 16 kbar. The expressions are derived using data from this experimental study and published experimental studies that report compositions of glasses coexisting with olivine, orthopyroxene, augite and plagioclase and/or spinel. A two-part quantitative framework for evaluating the systematics of MORB chemistry is presented: 1) for estimating melts from a depleted MORB-mantle source as a function of pressure and changing mantle composition, and 2) for evaluating the effects of fractional crystallization on these


Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of the AccuChek Inform point‐of‐care glucose measurement device as compared with central laboratory glucose measurement. Design: Prospective, observational study. Setting: A ten‐bed mixed closed format intensive care unit in a 500‐bed general hospital. The unit has a computerized insulin protocol aiming for 81 to 135 mg/dL. Patients: All intensive care unit patients were eligible. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Paired samples (AccuChek glucose in whole blood calibrated to give whole blood results and central laboratory glucose in serum) were taken simultaneously. In 32 critically ill patients, we obtained the following information: mean ± standard deviation age 71.6 ± 11.9 yrs; mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score at admission 17.8 ± 6.7; 239 paired samples were taken from arterial catheters. Mean AccuChek whole blood glucose was 126 ± 36 mg/dL (7.0 ± 2.0 mmol/L); mean central laboratory serum glucose was 137 ± 38 mg/dL (7.6 ± 2.1 mmol/L). Mean difference was 11 mg/dL (0.61 mmol/L) (8%) (95% Confidence Interval = 9–13 mg/dL, p < .001). ISO 15197 guideline requires 95% of point‐of‐care measurements to be within 15 mg/dL margins with reference <75 mg/dL or within 20% if reference is higher. In total, 216 (90.4%) of AccuChek measurements were within ISO 15197 margins. Because AccuChek was calibrated to give whole blood results, we calculated a correction factor of 1.086 from the two mean values to correct whole blood AccuChek into serum‐like results. This is almost the same as the correction factor of 1.080 given by Roche Diagnostics. By multiplying AccuChek whole blood results with 1.086, 225 (94.1%) of results were within the ISO 15197 margins. Hematocrit did not influence AccuChek results in the 0.20 to 0.44 range. Beyond this range, there were not enough data to draw conclusions. Conclusions: In critically ill patients, the accuracy of AccuChek glucose measurement calibrated to give serum‐like results with blood samples derived from arterial catheters is acceptable but falls short by about 1% of complying with the ISO 15197 guideline.


Language change and variation belong to two different concepts and categories,and they operate according to their own separate laws.Language change contains its laws of gradualness,permanency in borrowing,simplicity and enrichment and disequilibrium.Language variation laws lie in universal existence,structural destruction,expressing creation and flexibility.


To assess, in a population comprising normal fetuses and fetuses with primary or post‐hemorrhagic ventriculomegaly, the reproducibility of measurement of neonatal ultrasound indices in the fetus and to compare the performance of various cut‐offs of these parameters to diagnose ventriculomegaly and classify its severity.


Combined with project examples,it does calculation to the unloading rebound quantity generated by the pipe gallery foundation ditch excavation existing on the overpass utilizing the finite element program Plaxis.And it does comparison analysis to the rebound quantity in two work conditions,verifies the necessary and availability of designing and employing the rebound control measures,which will supply reference to the similar projects.


In recent years, numerical simulation and modeling of materials coupling multiple-length scales has received much attention. While challenges remain, significant advances have been made. An equally important area of materials modeling, one that has received much less attention, is the integration of multiple physical phenomena for simulation of complex materials behavior. This volume offers a review of current capabilities in materials modeling and simulation that (1) bridge length scales and time scales and (2) couple a variety of physical phenomena to either provide insight into fundamental aspects of materials structure or predict materials behavior. By bringing together the materials modeling community from around the world, the volume provides a current snapshot of the field. Topics include: multiscale modeling; mechanical properties; transport phenomena; phase transformations; microstructure and its evolution; atomistic modeling; and materials structure and properties.


A production scheduling method based improved genetic algorithm is proposed to minimize the completion time of dismantling decommissioned power batteries. The crossover operator of the genetic algorithm is designed to increase the diversity of individuals in the offspring population, expand the population size during the iteration of the algorithm, improve the coverage of the population, and increase the convergence speed of the population by retaining the excellent chromosomes. The algorithm is tested by using arithmetic example. The results show that the proposed improved genetic algorithm significantly outperforms the standard simulated annealing algorithm and the traditional genetic algorithm.


The corrosion product films of two kinds ofB30 tubes(similar to CDA 715)exposed to seawat-er for various periods of time were investigated bySEM,AES and XPS.The results show that the pro-tective corrosion product film is thin,uniform andadherent.FeOOH is found to be present in the filmsurface,which confirms the hypothesis that ironhydroxide segregates at the surface of the film.TheFeOOH promotes Ni enrichment in the corrosionlayer by preventing Ni from running off.The corro-sion product film with no protectiveness is of lay-ered structure,loose and bad adherence.The for-mer film is formed through direct oxidation and thelatter by precipitation and redeposition from dis-solved species.


In Latin America, studies on television - regardless of theoretical or methodological approaches - have been concerned with investigating the processes of reception or interaction that are unleashed in children (Corona, 1989, Orozco, 1990, Cornejo, 1995), called "housewives" (Renero, 1992; Llano, 1992), or in general in families (Barrios, 1992, Covarrubias et al., 1994).


Attempts to predict protein tertiary structure, through neural network or other means, generally try to optimize some potential function or other "score" over a set of structures. This paper develops a formalism that addresses the question: What are the accuracy requirements for a potential function that predicts protein structure? The results of a simple model calculation with this formalism are also presented. The paper closes with a discussion of the implications of these results for practical structure prediction.


Tracing theflowofelectricity becomes an important issueundertransmission open access.Inpractice, power flow follows thephysical lawsofelectricity andtherefore itisnot straightforward tomap outhowtheparticipants makeuseofthe system. Thispaper focuses on presenting an analysis ofthe performance of majorpower tracingmethodsbasedon proportional sharing principle namelytheGraph,Nodeand Commons method.A numberofsimulations are performed basedon theirassumptions to critically compare their performance andvalidate theexactness ofeachmethod.Finally, conclusions andrecommendations arestated.


The most promising designs for 6D muon cooling channels operate on a specific sign of electric charge. In particular, the Helical Cooling Channel (HCC) and Rectilinear RFOFO designs are the leading candidates to become the baseline 6D cooling channel in the Muon Accelerator Program (MAP). Time constraints prevented the design of a realistic charge separator, so a simplified study was performed to emulate the effects of charge separation on muons exiting the front end of a muon collider. The output of the study provides particle distributions that the competing designs will use as input into their cooling channels. We report here on the study of the charge separator that created the simulated particles.


The Newfoundland and Labrador Real Time Water Quality (RTWQ) network was established by the Water Resources Management Division (WRMD) of the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation in 2001. Digital sensors continuously record water temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen and stage level for the rivers and streams in the network. This technology is still a relatively new and unfamiliar approach to collecting water quality data in the province. This thesis presents the complete findings of research and development carried out to further enhance the WRMD's capability to work with the RTWQ data in new and innovative ways. -- Statistical regression models for predicting water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels are developed for RTWQ stations owned and operated by the WRMD: Humber River, Peter's River, Leary's Brook and Waterford River. A logistic S-shaped model using air temperature can accurately predict water temperature. An exponential model using water temperature can accurately predict dissolved oxygen. Investigations are also carried out into developing statistical regression models using RTWQ data as a surrogate for grab sample chemical concentrations (alkalinity, chloride, etc.). There is more potential to develop these grab sample regression models for urban rivers than there is for rural rivers. -- Investigations are made into designing statistical process control charts for monitoring the RTWQ data. Modifications to the traditional process control chart need to be made so that it can monitor the highly autocorrelated RTWQ data.


Buffon's Natural History was reedited by a French politician and biologist, Jean de Lanessan, in 1884. Lanessan wished to demonstrate that Buffon originated a theory of evolution based on inheritance of acquired characters. He hoped to advance a French theory that avoided the unpleasant implications of Darwinian natural selection. He also expected to show that the Church persecuted Buffon, who was the fount of a liberal, democratic, and anticlerical Republic.


The present invention relates to a metal filter screen for separating cancer cells from blood. Metal screen filter of the present invention is mounted in a passage of blood that contains a cancer cell and a non-target cell flows, and a plurality of filter holes are formed for the filtration of the cancer cells, the two adjacent ones of a plurality of filter holes filtered hole with respect to the diameter of the distance between the tumor it is formed in 45 to 65%. According to the present invention can be collected by simple cancer cells from the large amount of blood and efficiently separated. In addition, it is possible to improve the collection rate of the cancer cells by live cancer cells smoothly discharged from the duct by the flow of the solution, it can be usefully adopted in the cancer cell analysis, inspection, test drug, a clinical trial.


Comamonas acidovorans MCI, which is capable of degrading the chiral phenoxypropionate herbicides 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionate [dichlorprop, (RS)-2,4-DP] and 2-(4-chloro-2-methyl-phenoxy)propionate [mecoprop, (RS)-MCPP] and of degrading the phenoxyacetate herbicides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D) and 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetate (MCPA), was investigated with respect to the enzymatic basis of this broad substrate specificity. The initial steps of the degradation pathway of (RS)-2,4-DP and 2,4-D were studied. By applying either ion exchange chromatography or hydrophobic interaction chromatography it was possible to separate two enzyme fractions with etherolytic activity, which exhibited pronounced substrate specificity. One enzyme fraction was highly specific for the degradation of the R-enantiomer of 2,4-DP and did not essentially attack the S-configuration. The other enzyme fraction showed pronounced activity toward the cleavage of the S-enantiomer and additionally utilized 2,4-D with almost equal velocity; (R)-2,4-DP was even cleaved at a low rate by this enzyme. These results confirm the existence of phenoxyalkanoate-degrading enzymes with enantiospecific properties in strain MCI.


A new method for detection and classification of power quality (PQ) disturbances in single-phase power systems is presented in this paper. The method detects transients, waveform distortions and short and long duration disturbances such as sags or swells. The method was developed with special consideration for its suitability for implementation in a digital signal processor (DSP) and for real-time operation. The proposed method was implemented and its performance was verified on detection of real PQ disturbances in a PC based system monitoring a single-phase power system.


Village land consolidation is an important and indispensable project to be primarily completed in the process of preliminary urbanization in China before 2020,the potential survey is a necessary prerequisite to carry out the village consolidation work in Luliang county. The raw data obtained by office,questionnaire and field investigation is analyzed and checked to obtain the quantitive and spatial distribution characteristics of its existing potential. Its area is 713. 72 hm2and accounts for 11. 24% of the total area in Luliang county,and it has the following characteristic that the spatial distribution is scattered,the village in lower stage of development has higher potential,the higher one owns more abandoned lands,the lower one owns more spared lands,the consolidation potential in the hilly and mountain area is higher than that in the flatlands,some of its features are different from those of the universal cognitions and it has a certain reference significance in Yunnan province. So it can be concluded that the common whole village reclamation mode doesn't apply to Luliang county according to the characteristics mentioned previously,and a new self-directed reclamation mode under government's supervision is puts forward.


In the present paper, we have studied the influence of (bi)sulfate anion (0.1 and 0.5 M) on the electro-oxidation of glycerol on basal Pt( hkl ) and stepped surfaces belonging to the series of Pt(S)[ n (111) x (111)]. Cyclic voltammograms and derivative voltammetry pointed out that the catalytic activity decreases for Pt(111) and Pt(110) and, to a minor extent, for stepped surfaces in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4. Chronoamperometric curves demonstrated that above 0.60 V ( vs. RHE), for both concentrations (0.1 and 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 ), stepped surfaces and Pt(110) showed greater ability to catalyze the glycerol electro-oxidation in comparison with Pt(111). Potential oscillations were mapped along with slow galvanodynamic sweeps and studied at constant current. For Pt(111), no oscillations were found in the galvanodynamic regime, however, under the galvanostatic regime, period 1 oscillations were observed after a long induction period. The oscillations showed a very similar profile for stepped surfaces, even for a surface with a high step density (110), such as Pt(332). Pattern changes were observed only for Pt(110) compared to other surfaces. Therefore, we conclude that (110) step sites influence the oscillatory behavior, thus the insertion of the steps favors the path of formation of inactive species, which compete for the same catalytic sites in a given potential region. The extinction of the mechanism oscillatory occurs differently due to the intrinsic characteristics of each surface electrode for the formation of (hydro)oxides.


This paper proposes a speed sensorless direct torque control(DTC) system and the control means of AC motor fed by matrix converter,to reduce the harmonic pollution and realize high performance control of induction motor.The TMS320LF2812A was used which is specialized for motor control.A set of experimental system for AC motor DTC based on DSP controlled matrix converter was developed.The ideal results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.


This article presents information related to conceptualizing, initiating, and maintaining a private practice in the music therapy field. The author discusses her experience in establishing Music Therapy Services of Arizona (MTSA), an independent agency for providing services in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Contents include a description of the agency's concept and service provision and a discussion of practical business considerations for therapists considering private practice.


There is no doubt regarding the need for recently adopted legislative and normative acts oriented toward a transition to a market economy. For all their shortcomings and defects, they are creating some of the requisite legal foundations for [this transition]. But as experience shows, too many of the decrees and laws of recent years, especially in the area of economics, "do not work." One of the principal reasons why [they do not work] is that there is as a rule no adequate technology for their implementation. It is surprising but true that the situation in the economic mechanism is similar to the situation in production: the ideas are not bad, but the technology for implementing them is extremely weak. There is increasing awareness of the foregoing. And for this reason there is obviously a plurality of opinions concerning the avenues and technology of transition to a market economy. From the Polish shock-therapy modelinstantaneous (over a six-month period) transition to a marketto the six-year government program that was approved at the end of 1989 but that has now essentially been rejected.


Communication overhead and latency are critical factors for application performance in cluster computing based on commodity hardware. We propose a general strategy, splintering, to improve communication performance. In the splintering strategy, previously centralized functionality is broken into pieces, and the pieces are distributed among the processors in a system, in such a way that ensures system integrity and improves performance. In a previous paper we demonstrated the benefits of using splintering to reduce communication overhead. In this paper, we describe our efforts to use splintering to reduce communication latency. To date, our efforts have not resulted in the improvement that we originally anticipated. In order to identify the sources of latency, we have done a thorough instrumentation of our implementation. Based on our analysis of our measurements, we propose several modifications to the MPI library and the NIC firmware.


The SSM/I application presented in this paper illustrates a NN based intelligent integral approach in satellite retrievals when the entire retrieval system, including the quality control block, is build as a combination of several specialized NNs. This approach offers significant advantages for operational applications. This intelligent retrieval system not only produces accurate retrievals, it also performs an analysis and quality control of these retrievals and environmental conditions, rejecting poor retrievals if they occur.


The study was for assessing performance of broilers fed Tithonia diversifolia flower meal as substitute of conventional feed ingredients. 180 number of day-old broiler chicks were assigned into six homogenous groups and fed rations with TDFM at 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% of the total ration, respectively. The feeding trial was conducted up to 6th weeks of age and a metabolic trial for 3 days at the end of feeding trial. The average body weight gain decreased with increased level of TDFM; but, no significant difference was observed up to 6%inclusion level at 42nd days of age. No significant difference was observed for apparent nutrient digestibility, but was comparatively lower at 8% and 10% level. No significant difference observed in average profit and ERS up to 6% TDFM inclusion. It was concluded that TDFM was acceptable and could be included up to 6% level without significant effects on growth, nutrient utilization and economics of broiler in Mizoram.


Nowadays, there are abundant of big data collection and to understand its patterns would need a thorough analysis. Analyzing big data would depend highly on the purpose and the tasks involved would be various. One of the significant tasks is frequent itemsets mining and the strategy has been evolved in many ways in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the mining process. In this paper, we briefly reviewed mining frequent itemsets algorithms from year 1998 until year 2013 that focus on maximal and closed frequent itemsets. We discussed these algorithms based on three main areas namely: the searching strategy, space reduction method, and data representation. These three main areas are concluded as the optimization strategy and are designed to improve the efficiency and scalability using a different approach in different areas to adapt to numerous growth of the dataset. This work is beneficial for researchers in designing and enhancing the algorithm based on their own purposes.


To investigate the effect of hypercortisolism on the developing brain we performed clinical, cognitive, and psychological evaluation of children with Cushing disease (CD) at diagnosis and 1 year after remission.


The binding characteristics of clozapine(CP) and bovine serum albumin(BSA) in aqueous solution were studies with fluorescence and absorption spectrometric methods.The results showed that CP had a powerful ability to quench the BSA fluorescence via nonradiative energy transfer mechanism.The fluorescence quenching data were analyzed according to Scatchard equation and double-reciprocal equation.The reaction distance and the thermodynamic parameters were obtained.


THE POTENTIAL WEALTH from seabed resources off Canada's coasts has in recent years focused considerable attention upon the legal regime of the continental shelf in Canadian law and politics. Jurisdictional disputes abound, at both the national and international level. Nationally, the first major dispute to reach the Supreme Court of Canada was the Reference re Ownership of Offshore Mineral Resources, decided in 1967. In that case the Court held that Canada, and not British Columbia, has the right to explore and exploit seabed


A durable press finisher formula based on citric acid (CA), featuring polyol extenders, can be made to compare favorably to dimethylol dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) or 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) in whiteness and wrinkle recovery performance. Durable press (DP) finishing of cotton fabrics with CA has long been implicated by inferior resilience enhancement and appreciable fabric yellowing, which hinder the industrialization of the technique despite the obvious merits of CA being cost-effective, nontoxic, and renewable. In this research, glycerol was used as the model compound for investigateing the mechanism of polyol's whitening effect and for obtaining the optimized curing conditions. Then a series of polyols were investigated as extenders for the cross-linking of cotton with CA. Performance indicators such as the wrinkle recovery angle (WRA), CIE whiteness index (WI), tear strength (TS) retention, and DP rating of the treated fabrics were correlated with curing conditions and the structur...


Based on the analyses of the development of the recent network techniques and the characteristics of products, the idea is proposed that technical standards must be combined with products in the construction of a digital campus application system. The framework of the digital campus application system with a unified authentication system and its implementation are described.


Epitaxial zoisite/clinozoiste crystals hydrothermally synthesLed at approximately 650.C and 6500 bar were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe techniques to deduce the following thermodynamic relations: G,o I G.t"for Xp," < 6 mole% ps, and b",, < G"o for XF. > 19 rnoleVo Ps (Ps : pistacite molecule). The good correspondence between these values and natural zoisite-clinozoisite pair compositions suggests that single crystal (versus bulk) techniques could be employed to bracket equilibria for phases that are extremely dillicult to synthesize with a homogeneous composition.


The invention relates to a production method of high-purity vinylidene fluoride monomers. In the purification process of vinylidene fluoride, heavy components and high-boiling residues are firstly removed, then light components are removed, finished products are produced in a tower kettle, and vinylidene fluoride monomers with the purity more than or equal to 99.999% are produced in the tower kettle without removing the heavy components for a second time, thus saving the investment in equipment and reducing the operating expense. Simultaneously, the finished products of the vinylidene fluoride are extracted by adopting the tower kettle in liquid phase, thus reducing the cold consumption when extracting the products.


Background : Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional biopsychosocial examination. The CGA is conducted at the primary health facility such as the public health centers ( Pusat Kesehatan Masyarakat , Puskesmas); categorized as Eldery-Friendly Public Health Centers (Puskesmas Santun Lansia), a puskesmas where one of its programs provides health care for the elderly, and Puskesmas in general, where there is no specific program for the elderly. The purpose of the study was to analyze the difference between Puskesmas santun lansia and Puskesmas in providing CGA. Methods : A comparative analytical study was carried out from August to November 2019, involving Puskesmas Santun Lansia (n=6) and puskesmas (n=12) in Bandung City. From each Puskesmas, two elderly were selected and observed for the CGA. The assessment consisted of the identity of the elderly, anamnesis, vital sign examination, physical examination, assessment of nutritional status, functional, psychosocial, social, cognitive, and mental assessment. The collected data were analyzed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Results : This study showed that there was no difference between Puskesmas Santun Lansia and Puskesmas in the CGA, except in the simple nutritional anamnesis (p=0.003), anamnesis of the symptoms or signs of the dysfunction of the organ system (p=0.034), and body mass index measurement (p=0.009). Conclusions : The CGA is not well implemented in both Puskesmas. In the future, both of the Puskesmas should enhance their knowledge and skills to provide the CGA as mentioned in the regulation of the Minister of Health No. 67/2015.


Malignant oral neoplasms have great relevance because they represent one of the main causes of death in the world. Squamous cell carcinoma is its most frequent form, but reports in the retromolar region are rare when compared to other oral sites. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the diagnosis and conduct in the case of a patient participating in the Oral Injury extension project (LeBu) at the State University of Maringá - PR/BR. Male patient, 67 years old, a heavy smoker for about 50 years, alcoholic, attended the university with an ulcer in the right lower retromolar region of brownish-white color, with approximately 3 to 4 mm, irregular shape, and rough surface. A biopsy was performed in the lesion region, collecting a fragment of approximately 2 mm, which was referred for histopathological examination, resulting in a diagnosis of moderately differentiated, invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was referred for medical oncological, surgical, and chemotherapy treatment, remaining under dental monitoring throughout the treatment and later with scheduled returns. After 4 years of follow-up, the patient is in good general physical condition, with no signs of recurrence, orally rehabilitated, even quitting the smoking habit. Thus, it is concluded that the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck neoplasms lacks a multidisciplinary view, being the dental surgeon of great importance both for the diagnosis of these injuries, as well as in the prevention and treatment of injuries that may arise from or after the treatment.


An electrically-operated pupil filter with super resolution, consisting of polarizer, electro optical crystal, radial symmetric birefracting crystal and analyzer. The said electro optical crystal and radial symmetric birefracting crystal are arranged between the polarizer and analyzer, and the polarizer is in parallel to the transmission axis of the analyzer. The azimuth of the electro optical crystal is defined depending on the placement of the main axis of the electric induction. The included angle between the slow axis of the electric induction and the transmission axis of the analyzer is 8=45degree or 135 degree. The direction of the slow axis of the radial symmetric birefracting crystal is consistent with that of the slow axis of electro optical crystal. This utility model provides real-time control of the parameters of the transverse super resolution performance and extension of axial focal depth by subjecting the electro optical crystal to electro optic modulation.


Singing corncrake males were surveyed in the Saxon landscapes of southern Transylvania, Romania. We found 132 singing males, meaning an average density of 0.77 males/km². Most singing males were detected in reed mixed with weeds (52.52%), followed by mesophilous or mesohygrophilous meadows (32.32%), and in a much smaller number in cropland (8.08% in alfalfa, and 7.07% in wheat). The narrow valleys contain a higher density of corncrake than the wide open valleys, the differences only approaching statistical significance. The conservation of characteristic habitats, present only in a relatively small amount within the study area, is a compulsory measure for the maintenance of the corncrake populations. Therefore, the continuation of traditional practices (i.e. hand-scything) in order to control the natural succession of pastures towards woodland and reducing the rate of conversion of grasslands into arable lands are crucial aspects of the corncrake conservation measures.


Before beginning this critique I want to congratulate my colleagues for entering the murky world of tacit knowledge. Their attempts to observe and analyse tacit knowledge have moved the discourse forward. They correctly describe tacit knowledge when, for example, they state: ''Successful teachers may know how to behave appropriately in the teaching role, but may not be aware of, or be able to articulate, the basic principles and theoretical concepts underlying effective teaching behaviours.'' They are saying that tacit knowledge is procedural; it is about what to do. Explicit knowledge, on the other hand, is declarative and abstract; it is knowledge about teaching. They are not saying that those with tacit knowledge cannot describe in plain English what they are doing when they teach in the classroom or by the bedside. Teachers possessing tacit knowledge are just unable to explain what they do and why they do it using the educational jargon for basic pedagogic concepts and principles. To identify teachers with tacit knowledge one cannot ask them explicit verbal questions about pedagogical concepts and principles because they do not know them. Researchers must be able to observe the use of effective pedagogical practices in appropriate situations (on paper, simulated, or real) and determine that the teacher is unable to articulate what he/she did using pedagogical terms and concepts. The knowledge of what to do is implied by the use of effective techniques and strategies. The label of tacit is applied later by the lack and impossibility of an articulate description and explanation. One can ascertain tacit knowledge of teaching only indirectly. It is a diagnosis of exclusion. I find their description of tacit clear, but its use in their paper ambiguous.


As well as joining the comments of my Coalition colleagues in the Dissenting Report, I would like to highlight an obvious issue that has seemingly been avoided at all costs by the proponents of these recommendations—the potential to introduce optional preferential voting. The language used to support or justify the Labor proposal as outlined in Recommendations 25 and 26 is Orwellian. 'Saving' votes somehow implies that Australians are being denied their right to vote through circumstance, conspiracy or chance. The Labor members then argue that this proposal will address this alleged flaw. This is patently not the case—votes are deemed informal if they do not comply with the instructions as outlined on the ballot paper and in substantial advertising campaigns during every election period. I do not lightly dismiss the fact that certain demographic groups experience a higher level of vote informality, nor that it is higher in those states that have an optional preferential voting system. However, these issues can and should be addressed through education rather than tampering with the method of counting votes and 'deeming' votes to have been cast when that has not occurred.


Different kinds of a priori information used to enhance microwave tomography are introduced and classified into two main categories. The first main category of a priori information is about features of target, these can introduce some information of the target to the tomography algorithm. This type of a priori information can lead to a better initial guess and an appropriate regularization as well. The second category is about the imaging system, these can enhance the imaging though loading system configuration information, such as the boundary condition, background and so on. This type of a priori information changes the field which inquires the target, thus it can enhance the system's ability of acquiring the information of target. Both the categories are aimed to improve the quality and quantity of available information, and help the algorithm seeking an accuracy solution stably.


In their book, Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Lave and Wenger (1991) wrote that learning is a process of participation in communities of practice; participation that is at first legitimately peripheral but that increases gradually in engagement and complexity. This has certainly been the case of me as I have been transformed from a South Korean graduate student to a teacher educator in the United States. I grew up and was educated in South Korea. When I entered the graduate school in the United States, not only did I have to learn about university teaching and research, I also had to learn the norms, values, and expectation of teacher educators and educational researchers--especially those related to "active participation in one's own learning" as Lave and Wenger note. In this article, I will document my own journey to become an educational researcher and teacher educator in the United States, and how I crossed linguistic and cultural borders with mentoring assistance from Suzanne Wilson. I will explain the community of researchers in South Korea and how I learn to socialize and belong to the communities of educational researchers and teacher educators in the United States. I will also describe and explain how Suzanne Wilson, as my academic advisor, challenged and supported me to become a better educational researcher and teacher educator. BEFORE THE BEGINNING I first met Suzanne Wilson through her writing in the spring of 1995 when I started my master's degree in South Korea. At that time my professor asked us to read research articles about teaching social studies and history which had been published in the United States and England. That assignment introduced me to Suzanne's early work on history teachers and their subject matter knowledge: "Peering at history through different lenses: The role of disciplinary perspectives in teaching history" (Wilson & Wineburg, 1988). It was a study of four novice social studies teachers with different undergraduate majors, and Suzanne and her colleague wanted to know how the teachers' different disciplinary backgrounds influenced their teaching. To answer this question, they followed these teachers for 3 years, from their entry into the teacher education program to the first year of teaching. They interviewed the four teachers 14 times and observed them on several occasions. Using the data from both interviews and field observations, they reported that teachers brought different disciplinary perspectives to teaching, and those different perspectives affected how they view history, and what and how they chose to teach in history. At the time I was first reading Suzanne's work, there were two research traditions of history education in South Korea (Song, 1999): It was either theoretical work or quantitative studies based on small-scale surveys. Researchers in the first school did extensive literature reviews, and based on their analysis of previous researchers' findings, proposed new teaching strategies. Those in the second school designed a survey to answer their research questions, conducted the surveys once or twice in a classroom of 30 or 40 students, used SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) to analyze their data, and reported their results. It appeared that neither researchers in the first school nor in the second school captured what was really going in the classrooms. I was not the exception. I belonged to the first school. As a middle school social studies teacher and a student of history, I was interested in how secondary history teachers can use artwork such as paintings, photographs, and music created during an historical period to teach students about the history of that time period. Like most master's students at that time in South Korea, for my master's thesis I reviewed both history and history education literature, and tried to rationalize how artwork could serve as a good pedagogical tool in history. …


Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder which results in abnormal Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator (CFTR) protein. CFTR protein actively transports chloride and bicarbonate out of cells which produce mucus in epithelium of various organs. However, when there is an abnormality in this protein then ion and water transport across airway surface is affected and form viscous mucus due to dehydration. This disease affects lung, pancreases, intestine and hepatobiliary system. Infection of lungs is main reason of high morbidity and mortality. Patients with CF are more prone to bacterial infection of the respiratory tract. Mainly four bacterial pathogens are found in the respiratory tract of CF patient viz. Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Burkholderia cepacia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Mucoid P. aeruginosa is the most dangerous pathogen among them due to ability to form biofilm. There are many conventional and new treatment options available for CF patients. New therapies are used to correct the CFTR protein and antibiotic treatment is used to prevent or early infection or suppression of chronic infection. However, when P. aeruginosa turn into mucoid form, formation of extracellular polysaccharide biofilm starts with alginate as major constituent. The antibiotics fail to reach the target as EPS of the biofilm shield the microbe from antibiotics action. Alginate lyase, an alginate degrading has the ability to break the alginate and subsequently increases the efficacy of antibiotics therapy. The co-administration of alginate lyase and Dnase along with antibiotics has proved to be very efficient in the management of patients with CF.


Background: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC US) has been proven to be an accurate and efficient tool in thyroid nodule evaluation. Thyroid nodule aspiration can be acquired with either of two techniques: the short axis, in which only the tip of the needle is observed, and the long axis, in which the entire length of the needle is observed. Our retrospective study aimed to compare the adequacy of the two techniques. Methods: FNAC US was performed in 357 thyroid nodules between January 2019 and December 2019. Data on the technique and the diagnostic accuracy were collected. Results: A total of 181 nodules were aspirated using the long axis technique, and 176 nodules were aspirated using the short axis technique. The diagnostic adequacies of the long axis technique were significantly higher than those of the short axis technique. technique (93% versus 83%, respectively, p< 0.001). Conclusion: In our study, the long axis technique provided more accurate cytological evaluation than the short axis technique.


The utility model relates to a paper core or a metal core for a panel, particularly a cross wave-shaped sandwich core. The utility model is characterized in that a plurality of wave-shaped core boards or bars of the same shape are mutually and nonparallelly folded and bonded in a crossing mode according to ripples of two adjacent wave-shaped core boards or bars. Because a flat plate does not need to be arranged between two adjacent wave-shaped core boards, the utility model can reduce constructional elements, and production efficiency can be enhanced.


Many languages are in serious danger of being lost and as a result, there has been a significant increase in language documentation projects, and also in attempts to preserve language documentation via the use of digital technologies. We are developing a distributed digital library for endangered languages which will contain various data of endangered languages in the forms of text, image, video, audio and include advanced tools for intelligent cataloging, indexing, searching and browsing information on languages and language analysis. As part of this project, we developed ImageSpace, an ontology creation and annotation tool that currently supports both texts and images. In this paper, we share our experience of annotating linguistic data with ImageSpace.


(1) Clemson University, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, Laboratory of Hydrogeoscience and Biological Engineering, L.G. Rich Environmental Laboratory, Clemson, SC, United States (email@example.com), (2) Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France, (3) AP-HM, Parasitology Laboratory, Timone Hospital, Marseille, France, (4) USDA Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville, MD, United States


Significant progresses in developing approaches to dynamic optimization have been made. However, its practical implementation poses a difficult task and its realtime application such as in nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) remains challenging. A toolchain is developed in this work to relieve the implementation burden and, meanwhile, to speed up the computations for solving the dynamic optimization problem. To achieve these targets, symbolic computing is utilized for calculating the first and second order sensitivities on the one hand and parallel computing is used for separately accomplishing the computations for the individual time intervals on the other hand. Two optimal control problems are solved to demonstrate the efficiency of the developed toolchain which solves one of the problems with approximately 25,000 variables within a reasonable CPU time.


The research has goal improved of perceived benefits on interest in using E-Mobile services through perceived use and perceived risk as moderating variables. The study was conducted on customers who use E-Mobile services owned by conventional banks in the city of Padang. In this study, several active customers used E-Mobile services. The analytical method used in this research is the path analisys which is processed with the help of the Smart PLS program. In accordance with the test results, it was found that the perception of benefits had a positive effect on interest in using conventional bank E-Mobile services in Padang City, besides that in the analysis stage it was also found that perceived benefits had an effect on interest in using conventional bank E-Mobile services in Padang City. In addition, in testing the indirect effect, it is known that the perception of benefits does not affect the interest in using E-Mobile at conventional banks in Padang City after going through the perception of use and perceived benefits as moderating variables.


The use of proper fertilizers norms and types accelerating their development are the main terms by greening soil in order to improve the technogenic violated soil. For this purpose desalination of soils, providing high doses organic wastes as a fertilizer, planting salt-resistant grass, plants, trees, and shrubs are suggested.  To restore technogenically contaminated soils the utmost and the main issue is the correct and rational use of organic fertilizers that promote soil fertility and productivity. Realization of dedicative and agro technical measures, planting of contaminated soils and cultivation of salt-tolerant plants, trees and shrubs accelerate the process of purification from petroleum products. As a result of researches carried out it was established that as a result of the application of sludge deposits and sewage sludge on oil-contaminated soils of the Absheron under 20 % of weight of soil –development, growth and dry weight of plants in versions with 3-time washing were higher than in versions without washing one and two-time washing.


Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are biocatalysts that synthesize a wide variety of glycans present in nature. The mechanism by which they form a new glycosidic bond, preserving the configuration at the anomeric carbon, has been strongly debated. In the last few years, new experimental and computational results have provided very valuable knowledge: the proposed front-side reaction seems to be the preferred path, whereas some systems (family GT6 members) can switch mechanism toward the double displacement. However, why would retaining GTs have evolved to catalyze sugar transfer by different mechanisms? The present QM(DFT)/MM work on α1,4-N-acetylhexosaminyltransferase (EXTL2) fills this gap in the understanding of retaining glycosyltransferases catalysis. We show that EXTL2, despite having a nucleophilic residue (Asp246) that is structurally analogous to the Glu nucleophile found in GT6, clearly follows a front-side mechanism. Our results show that Asp246 is used to facilitate UDP–GalNAc bond cleavage by stabil...


Experiments have been concluded demonstrating energy recovery in conjunction with the Los Alamos free-electron laser. In this paper, we discuss measurements of electron-beam transport during decelerations greater than 70% from 21 MeV down to 5 MeV. Power-flow measurements demonstrate the efficient conversion of beam power back into rf power and its reuse in the accelerator. We also describe instabilities of the system and compare them with simulations.


Advances in endothelial and anterior lamellar keratoplasty have given it distinct advantages over penetrating keratoplasty, in corneal replacement. However, there are variations in outcomes from different centers. Moving forward, regenerative cell therapy and tissue engineering will be the future treatments of endothelial disease.