Severe sepsis is a deadly, under-appreciated, under-diagnosed, under-investigated yet frighteningly common syndrome. –3 Data now over a decade old indicate that it kills nearly a quarter of a million people in the USA each year. The toll in the under-resourced world, where the few interventions that seem to work are often unavailable, is likely to be in the millions. It is increasinglyappreciated that those victimswhosurvive may be left with significant respiratory, locomotor, neurologic, and cognitive dysfunction. While implementation of the guidelines provided by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC), a concerted effort by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Society of Critical Care Medicine to increase the use of evidence-based management approaches, has improved recovery from acute septic episodes, a recent study indicates that 3-year mortality is an astonishing 70%. Those of us who care for septic patients are probably entitled to occasional fits of depression. To most clearly illustrate the origin of the frustration felt by practitioners of Critical Care Medicine, it is instructive to consider the chain of events that began with the March 8, 2001 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The journal contained the results of the PROWESS study, heralding a major breakthrough in the treatment of sepsis—the drug drotrecogin alpha, a recombinant, activated form of the endogenous anticoagulant protein C. The accompanying editorial summarized the feelings of many intensivists in noting that recent therapeutic approaches to sepsis had been unsuccessful and then stated 'At last, however, there has been progress in finding an effective new therapy for sepsis'. Protein C has both anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory properties. It was known to be deficient in septic patients and was touted as the link between excessive inflammation and aberrant coagulation, both hallmarks of severe sepsis. However, concerns about the drug, marketed by Eli Lilly and Co as Xigris, soon became apparent. Xigris was conditionally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in November of 2001 despite a 10–10 vote by the Advisory Panel reviewing the data. Similar concerns led the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency to grant approval contingent on a repeat of the PROWESS trial. After a number of years and several additional publications, the new investigation, designated PROWESS-SHOCK, was initiated in 2007. In October of 2011 Lilly abruptly withdrew Xigris from the market. Later that day release of the results of the PROWESS-SHOCK trial in essence refuted the results of the earlier trial and failed to demonstrate efficacy. And clinicians who had spent decades treating sepsis with only supportive measures—mechanical ventilation, fluid administration, antibiotics to addressthose cases where acausative organism could be identified—were again faced with an empty feeling as a seemingly promising therapy failed. Our sense of futility was not a new experience. A quick PubMed search reveals 117 papers detailing results of multicentred, randomized, controlled trials of therapies for sepsis. These involved 60 different agents, each supported by some preliminary study suggesting efficacy. In the majority of the trials, results were indistinguishable from controls. Seven interventions made matters worse and eight appeared to improve outcome. However, as occurred with Xigris, the benefits of all eight were either called into question or refuted by later studies. Volume 111, Number 5, November 2013


In the last decade, there has been an unprecedented global adoption of information and communication
technologies. While developed countries are more attractive targets and suffer significantly higher losses
to cyber-crime as a percentage of their Gross Domestic Product, developing and least-developed countries
countries are more vulnerable. Phone-based scams such as phreaking and caller identity spoofing are
instances of cyber-fraud, theft and forgery that are very widespread in these countries. Interestingly,
deception is at the heart of these cyber-crimes. This paper acknowledges the extant literature on
deception detection and the contribution of the related theories of deception, but proposes the
development of a theory that treats cyber-deception and fraud as fundamentally socio-technical
phenomena. Drawing on Humanities and the socio-anthropological concept of 'cunning intelligence', we
aim to develop an explanatory lens of fraud that can be applied to different types of cyber-crime.


Abstract : Spontaneous pupillary movements in darkness were recorded (1) in healthy subjects of different ages when they were rested or fatigued, (2) in chronically tired subjects without known neurological defects, and (3) in patients with various neurological lesions. In some of the experiments, local or systemic drugs were used. While the pupils are large and quiet in darkness when the subject is alert, they oscillate under the influence of tiredness. Waves of spontaneous pupillary contraction and dilation accompany periods of increasing sleepiness and spontaneous arousal until, at the moment immediately preceding sleep, the pupils become very small. The mechanism of these movements was analyzed and a simple test described which allows the objective determination of the degree of acute fatigue in a given subject at a given time. In the light of these results, the concepts of 'normal' and of 'pathologic' fatigue were discussed. (Author)


In the course of an investigation of oxidized flavor in milk, it was discovered that four cows were excreting in their feces more carotene ^ than they were consuming. The flavor of the milk from each of these cows was markedly and quickly improved by adding a carotene concentrate ^ to the ration. Since Atkeson and his coworkers (1),^ Fraps and Treichler (Í0), and Moore (18) had already shown that only a small fraction of the total carotene ingested appears in the milk, either as carotene or vitamin A, it was not altogether unexpected that large quantities of carotene should be excreted in the feces. In view of the great losses in the metabolism of carotene, it seemed desirable to examine the nature and quantity of these losses imder variable conditions. The relationship of the excretion of carotene in the feces of cows to carotene intake and to the concentration of carotene in the blood serum was studied. The results are presented in this paper. Except for carotene and vitamin A secreted in the milk, these studies were balance trials. In a previous study, Atkeson and his coworkers (1) showed that when cows were stall-fed green rye only 0.086 percent of a daily intake of 3.5 g carotene was deposited in the butter, as carotene, and only 0.154 percent as vitamin A. From these figures one might conclude that a carotene balance of the type here presented would not be appreciably affected by the small amounts of carotene secreted in the milk either as carotene or as vitamin A. Harris and Ray (14) found that animals without adequate reserves of vitamin C would use a suddenly increased supply much more efficiently than would animals with larger reserves. It was totally unexpected that cows showing evidence of carotene deficiency or even cows with moderate reserves would excrete in their feces carotene from body stores. The analogy to vitamin C, and consideration from this standpoint of certain experiments on children and rats might, however, have suggested this possibihty.


The field experiment was conducted to study the response of different fennel based cropping systems to varying levels of nitrogen during rabi season of 2000-01 and 2001-02 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. The fennel + fenugreek intercropping system tended to have the highest seed yield of fennel, fennel seed equivalent of intercrops, total equivalents, net return, net return/rupee invested and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiu by fennel. The marked response of fennel and intercrops was found up to the application of three -fourth of recommended nitrogen level in terms of productivity, net return, net return/rupee invested; and concentration and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium by fennel.


Norman Smith* looks at how the UK's offshore wind sector could learn a lesson or two from the experience of the UK's North Sea oil industry.


PURPOSE: This study, it was intended to induce repetitive muscular dystrophy in skeletal muscle cells (C2C12) with continuous electro stimulation, check the improvement of the antioxidant system, and determine whether the ER stress by the palmitate can be controlled by iterative muscle contraction. METHODS: To examine the expression of catalase on palmitate-induced ER stress and mitochondria calcium level, 100uM palmitate was treated with C2C12 cell. Palmitate-induced reactive oxygen species(ROS) formation was measured by DCFDA fluorescence dye. ER Ca2+ level was measured by using thapsigargin-induced ER Ca2+ release method which was detected by Flou-4 am, Ca2+ dye. palmitateinduced mitochondria calcium was measured by TMRM dye. ER stress protein PERK expression, phosphorylation, and ER Ca2+ releasing channel related protein, RYR1 and p-RYR were analyzed by western blotting. All parameters were compared between control cell, palmitate - treated cell and palmitate and electro stimulation - treated cell. In addition, the catalase inhibitor, 3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT), was treated in cells where the expression of the catalase was increased through electrical stimulation, and an experiment was conducted to establish the relationship between the catalase suppression and the ER stress. RESULTS: The one-week electro stimilation significantly increased the expression of the catalase in skeletal muscle cells and was shown to significantly inhibit the level of ER Ca2+ by Palmitate. In addition, muscle contraction reduced of mitochondria Ca2+ levels by palmitate was also shown to be inhibited, and the expression and phosphorylation of PERK / RYR1, an indicator were reduced. The result of processing 3-AT on cells that performed electro stimulation shows that the increase in ER stress indicators due to palmitate is significantly higher than that of electro stimulating cells. Phosphorylation of PERK / RYR also tends to increase. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated muscle contraction improves anti-oxidization capability in skeletal muscle, and activates the protective system of skeletal muscle related to metabolic disease. Palmitate increase the ROS of skeletal muscle cells and increase the ER stress. This study suggests that the incidence of catalase increases through skeletal muscle contraction an important role in defending the ER stress from palmitate processing, and suggests that the ROS defense system due to the Catalase is an important mechanism for suppressing ER stress and maintaining the mitochondria Ca2+ level.


Transformation plasticity and effects of stress on martensitic transformation kinetics in 3Cr2Mo steel were studied by dilatometric experiments under different applied tensile and compressive stress.Results show that transformation plasticity coefficient K in the Greenwood-Johnson model increases with increasing equivalent stress,and the coefficient α in Koistinen-Marburger equation of martensitic transformation kinetics is about 0.0236,which has no obvious relationship with the stress state.The MS temperature is in the range of 410-438 ℃,and increases with increase of equivalent stress.


Two Ergativities and Their Cultural Correlates proposes a distinction between two types of languages with ergative structures: a group which includes languages partially ergative from the Je family, and another group of languages constituted mainly by languages also partially ergative from the Tupi-Guarani family. We discuss the cultural correspondences of these two types of ergative structures, based on observations of various Amazonian indigenous groups: some Je groups, on the one hand, and various Tupi-Guarani groups, on the other hand, among which, the Kawahiwa, Kayabi and Arawete, whose cultures will be focused. Keywords: Tupi-Guarani, Je, ergativity, cultural correspondences,  Amazonian languages


Multiple-valued logic (MVL) allows assessment of the reliability of systems where the inherent complexity leads to consider a discrete number of non-ordered classes of equivalent behaviors (CEBs). The concept of equivalent behavior is introduced to provide a comprehensive description of states and state transitions in the system and its components. MVL tree links all CEBs of interest in the engineered system by means of a combination of the CEBs of elementary components. Logic operators in the tree are defined by truth tables. The analysis of the MVL tree is aimed at eliciting the prime implicants for any one of the CEBs of the system or their groups. Prime implicants correspond to the largest set of CEBs in the smallest number of elementary components, thus extending the concept of minimal cut set which is found in binary fault-tree analysis. In reliability assessment, partitions among equivalent behaviors are often the result of subjective judgment. The methods presented in the paper for finding prime implicants are based upon criteria that recover unnecessary partitions among different CEBs. The methods indeed entail no theoretical constraint with regard to the number of CEBs that can be dealt with or their ordering. Our focus is on the tabular method, the Nelson algorithm, and generalized consensus. The tabular method has tutorial interest only. The Nelson algorithm appears easier to implement in a computer code, although the algorithm asks for the computation of the complete base of prime implicants as an unavoidable step.


The nickel-catalyzed electroreductive coupling of a benzylic chloride with an acyl donor reagent in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate has been studied in the preparativ...


Thirty years after the first transgenic mouse was produced, a plethora of genetic tools has been developed to study immune cells in vivo. A powerful development is the bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic approach, combining advantages of both conventional transgenic and knock‐in gene‐targeting strategies. In immunology the potential of BAC transgenic technology has yet to be fully harvested and, combined with a variety of elegant genetic tools, it will allow the analysis of complex immunological processes in vivo. In this short review, we discuss the applications of BACs in immunology, such as identification of regulatory regions, expression and cell‐fate mapping, cell ablation, conditional mutations and the generation of humanized mice.


In the Wasatch Mountains and on several of the islands in Great Salt Lake, Utah, there are outcrops of rocks which are believed to be of glacial origin and are probably parts of a single widespread formation. They comprise tillite, fluvial conglomerate, varved slate, and graywacke. The tillite is over 300 feet thick and contains boulders as much as 20 feet long. A few of the erratics are striated. The varved slates are much thicker, and some of the beds contain scattered pebbles thought to have been dropped by floating ice. The formation has yielded no fossils, but it underlies Cambrian terranes, in several places disconformably but in others perhaps conformably. Like the Paleozoic strata, it has suffered strong folding but not much metamorphism.


The need for leadership. Thinking like a President in the face of a global problem. Depletion: Refilling Niagara Falls with a garden hose. Reserve estimates - Playing a fool's game with numbers. Infrastructure and the grid. Iraq. Saudi Arabia. Food. Evaluating alternative energies. The alternatives. Localization: The alternative to the alternatives. Money. Foreign policy. Setting the policy. An emergency 25-point plan for action.


Daprodustat is a prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that stimulates erythropoiesis in a manner similar to the natural response to hypoxia, whereby inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) prolyl‐4‐hydroxylases by daprodustat ultimately results in increased levels of HIF‐responsive genes. Daprodustat is under development as an emerging new class of agents for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This was a single‐center, single‐dose, open‐label, randomized, 2‐way crossover study in healthy Japanese male participants consisting of 2 parts. The primary objective was to evaluate the bioequivalence (BE) between daprodustat tablet strengths (part 1) and to evaluate the food effect on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of daprodustat (part 2). A total of 64 healthy Japanese male participants were enrolled; 52 participants were included in part 1 and 12 in part 2. BE was demonstrated between the daprodustat 2‐mg tablet and the daprodustat 4‐mg tablet. A standard CKD meal did not have a large effect on the PK parameters of daprodustat after a single oral dose of daprodustat 4 mg. Administration of single oral doses of daprodustat 4 mg was generally well tolerated in the healthy Japanese participants, and no new safety signals were identified without regard to food.


This paper introduces the homebred reconstruction method of AC servo control system in import grinding machine by singlechip and analyzes the theory of position servo control system. By machanical repairing and electrical technique reconstruction, it raises credibility and stability of servo system, recovers machining precision and improves product quality.


Photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) was studied by using synchrotron light at a critical energy of 2.14 keV from the 1.5 GeV Taiwan Light Source. Samples of aluminum alloy (Al) and oxygen-free-high-conductivity copper (Cu) was studied at the 19B(PSD) beam line of the Synchrotron Radiation Research Center for exposure measurement. The yields of photoemission and the PSD are measured at different exposure beam doses. The result shows a decrease of the PSD yield for each gas and a decreased yield of photoemission at higher beam doses on the samples. The transient curves of pressure rise for each PSD molecule illustrate a longer delay time τ of the peak after exposing the surface with higher beam dose D. The delay time of H2O and O2 are longer than that of CO, CO2, CH4, etc., in the case of both Al and Cu samples. In this work, it is found that τ∼Dα, with 0.5<α<1, in cases where D<2000 mA h. The discrepancy between the Al and Cu samples is not much different at higher beam doses. The processes of the chemical ...


Making use of the Poincáre inequality with respect to a complete metric on the real line, we will give an elementary proof of the closed range property for ∂-operator on the unit disk endowed with Poincáre metric.


In practice, two types of tournaments can be distinguished - U-type and J-type tournaments. In U-type tournaments, workers receive prizes that have been fixed in advance. In J-type tournaments, the employer fixes an aggregate wage bill in advance, which is then shared among the workers according to their relative performance. The results of the paper show that the outcomes of the two tournament types differ substantially. In particular, an employer will prefer J-type to U-type tournaments if the number of workers is large, but the opposite if it is small.


In this paper, we address the radar adaptive detection problem in the case of multiple fluctuating targets with unknown parameters. The unknown parameters are: the number and location of targets, the amplitude and phase of received signals, the Doppler frequency of targets in slowly fluctuating case the target signal vectors in rapid-fluctuating case and the statistical characteristics of noise and clutter. We extract the generalised likelihood ratio test (GLRT) in Gaussian interference with unknown covariance matrix. Owing to high computational complexity of these detectors when the number of probable targets is large, we design a simple detector relying on the GLRT procedure, namely simplified GLR detector for implementation. This detector achieves satisfactory performance under several situations of practical interest and is simpler to implement than the designed GLR detector. Also in slowly fluctuation case, based on adaptive-matched filter (AMF), Kelly's detector (KD) and adaptive coherence estimator (ACE) that are used for single-target detection, some detectors are presented for multiple-target detection called generalised AMF, generalised KD and generalised ACE. Furthermore, in rapid fluctuation case in Gaussian interference with unknown covariance matrix, we propose an intuitive inexpensive detector with low computational complexity, which we will refer to as the generalised energy detector. Simulation results illustrate and compare the performance and the efficiency of the proposed detectors.


Transfer stains in a crime scene are often difficult to interpret. Given the large number of events that take place each year, this work is largely aimed at analyzing the different factors that influence and distort regular transfer stains. Different physical mechanisms under identical conditions influence the formation of distinct transfer stain patterns.


Authors of this paper explore recent proposals to reform the concept of permanent establishment (PE), which underlies the allocation of the rights to tax cross-border income between countries. The focus is on one specific form of PE, the so-called dependent agent PE (DAPE). Main motivation for the reforms of DAPE-related provisions found in tax treaties is the widespread usage of commissionaire arrangements by MNCs, which result in the erosion of the tax base of countries that provide markets to their products and services (destination countries). Paper will explore how OECD aims to tackle this issue, as part of its comprehensive project on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). It will be suggested that the reform of DAPE definition is neccesary in the light of new economic realities.


ABSTRACT Much has been written about India's soft power – how much it has, its sources and origins, and its deficits and applications. This article aims to place India's soft power in context of other nations like China and the US, by applying the Soft Power Rubric, a model that harnesses quantitative data on ordinary human interactions – like foreign visitors appearing in local street markets – to understand the relationships among countries. In this examination of India's soft power, the focus is on the activity of ordinary people, not necessarily actions by the government. The Soft Power Rubric centers around understanding in which foreign countries are people attracted to India and, vice versa, which foreign countries attract Indians to go abroad. The sum of this activity paints a picture of cultural affinity and social interaction unlike any other analysis of soft power.


Economic rapid growth causes a comprehensive change of a society and its members,which is also as a process of social mobilization with some political risk and social crisis.Based on a comparative analysis of foreign experiences,the author suggests that it is necessary to take economic means and political strategies to control and rate and range of mobilization in pushing China's economy to grow rapidly.It is also suggested that keeping a gradual social political reform pace is essential.


The invention discloses a microcapsule intumescent flame-retarding starch-based degradable material and a method for preparing the same. The method is characterized in that: starch is mixed with plasticizer and compatibilizer, heated to between 70 and 100 DEG C, added with biodegradable high molecular compound, microcapsule intumescent flame retardant and flame-retarding catalyst, and the intumescent flame-retarding starch-based degradable material which is formed by the starch, the plasticizer, the compatibilizer, the biodegradable high molecular compound, the microcapsule intumescent flame retardant and the flame-retarding catalyst is obtained by extruding obtained powder lot for granulation. The method utilizes the flame-retarding synergistic effect of C, N and P, introduces the microcapsule intumescent flame retardant to inhibit untoward reaction of the flame retardant and the starch, and improves the flammability of the material; and the product obtained has excellent flexibility and mechanical property, good water resistance and oil resistance and good flame retardant property, is nontoxic and harmless, can be completely biodegraded, and can be used in the fields such as packages, laminated materials, sport and sanitary articles and so on.


Current economic and energy conservation needs force ranchers to utilize all the information available to them to best manage their operations. Beef production costs in 1982 increased 3 to 4% because of the higher cost of energy, equipment and repairs, taxes, and numerous other items, according to the Extension Service. This increase points out a need for greater production efficiency on our rangelands. One option ranchers are able to use is the Soil Conservation Districts, where they can obtain inventories, such as range sites and condition, stocking rates, and acreages, and then receive choices from which to select the best means of management. To obtain these services, a rancher only needs to sign a cooperator's agreement with the Soil Conservation District, thus entitling him to free assistance. One method which is now offered to Soil Conservation District cooperators is COPLAN. COPLAN, which stands for COMPUTER OPTIMIZATION PLANNING, is one such approach. It allows rapid analysis of large quantities of resource data for a number of management alternatives. COPLAN is a computer-based planning technique. It was developed by the Colorado State University Range Science Department, the National Science Foundation,' the Extension Service, with the cooperation of the Soil Conservation Service and local ranchers. The program was designed to assist ranchers by treating their ranch as a system and considering economic and resource constraints. COPLAN enables management strategies to be developed economically from a least cost allocation of land resources. The COPLAN process has seven steps: Step 1. Identify resource management units on the ranch and inventory all feed and land resources. Step 2. Identify all management alternatives and list those most applicable to each management unit or vegetation type, then define management seasons characteristic of the ranching operation. Step 3. Identify and inventory all existing and potential kinds of animals, then define the physiological, production, and nutritional needs for maintenance and reproduction of each kind of these animals. Step 4. Convert and quantify resource and management alternative information and list it on data input forms.


Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and complications of using microwave ablation and implantation of 125I Particles plus 5-FU Particles for curing androgen-independent prostate cancer.Methods:8 patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer were treated with microwave(10-20 minitus) guided by ultrasound.2 weeks later,125I Particles plus 5-FU Particles were implanted into the proslate with the guidance of ultrasonography.Result:All 8 patients were followed by 6 months-1 year,the volume of prostate were decreased from 67±13 ml to 40±15 ml,Qmax average increased from 8±2 ml/s to 14±3 ml/s.Before the therapy,PSA levels was 61.5±16.7,after the therapy,PSA levels decreased significiantly to 13.1±11.9.Conclusions:Microwave ablation and implantation of 125I Particles plus 5-FU Particles has better mini-invasive efficiency and lower complications in treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.


Through comparing and analyzing ISO9000 and The Evaluating Scheme I about Undergraduate Course Teaching Work in Polytechnical Universities.we suggest that the combination of the two can guide universities in establishing and improving the teaching quality system. The author believes that the teaching quality system in a university can be establishes and improved according to the elements and indexes in Scheme I and the principle and the mode of ISO9000 standards,which is in accordance with the direction of educational reformation in our country at present,and also has considerable manoeuvrability and validity.


On routine examination a 50‐year‐old white male Australian was found to have small golden particles in the macular regions of both eyes. He was found to have a history of canthaxanthine ingestion to produce skin‐bronzing.


Green dragon (Arisaema dracontium; Araceae) is a perennial woodland herb capable of switching gender from year to year. Small flowering plants produce only male flowers but when larger they produce male and female flowers simultaneously. Distinct male and monoecious phenotypes (referred to hereafter as plants) share a single underlying cosexual genotype. Four populations in southern Louisiana were sampled to determine frequencies and size distributions of male and monoecious plants, and to determine the relationship of plant size with male and female flower production in monoecious plants. Male plants were significantly smaller than monoecious plants and made up 340/o-78% of flowering plants within populations. Flower number (average = 120) was weakly positively correlated with size. Monoecious plants produced an average of 169 flowers (90 female) and had 100% fruit set, with individual berries containing an average of 2.5 ovules and 1.3 filled seeds. Male flower number was negatively correlated, and female flower number positively correlated, with basal stem diameter. Extrapolation of regression slopes suggested that green dragon should become completely female at a size 20% larger than the largest plant observed in this study. A simple model of inflorescence development is presented to illustrate how the reproductive system of green dragon is related to that of jack-in-the-pulpit (A. triphyllum), which exhibits a more distinct switch between male and female phenotypes.


In February 1990, the Mexican award winning director and animator, Carlos Carrera, went to Tokyo to oversee the photographing of the color frames (brought from Mexico) of the sex education animated film "Music for Two". The film begins with a warning that it should be shown as part of a sex education program. Further, a trained advisor guides the audience during the recommended discussion following the film. "Music for Two" is set in a large city and features a young female teen who daydreams about imaginary lovers. She soon discovers that her young male next door neighbor is interested in her. The moral of the story is that, once a woman is an adolescent, she must consider her future and have lifelong goals. In order for her to do so, however, she must know her mind and body, appreciate them, and not renounce them. This animated short feature includes both English and Spanish versions targeted to adolescents in their mid to late teens, especially females, in Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr. Carrera predicted that conservative older individuals will most likely not approve of "Music for Two". The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP) and the UNFPA sponsored this animated film and the Mexican Family Planning Foundation (MEXFAM) participated in its production. The Sakura Motion Picture Company in Japan and Kinam SCL International in Mexico coproduced it. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs underwrote the English version and the UNFPA and IPPF underwrote the Spanish version. Further, in 1989, Mr. Carrera played a major role in a successful sex education animated feature titled "Blue Pigeon". This film was geared to youth in their early to mid teens, however.


Abstract : How the creation of the Cyber Branch will effect the Signal Corps and Military Intelligence branches is unclear. Budgetary factors are reducing Army end strength and increasing competition for the resources across the Department of Defense. These budgetary forces are likely to drive a search for efficiency. How the Army will transform to confront cyber threats while dealing with budgetary pressures is uncertain. One past solution was multifunctionalization. The multifunctional logistics program started in 1992 to reduce redundancy amongst the logistics branches, eventually becoming the Logistics Branch. Army leaders may view a similar approach to Signal, Military Intelligence and Cyber officer management as a way to reduce redundancy and cost. This research intends to access how Signal and Intelligence officers perceive a multifunctional merger of the Signal, Military Intelligence, and Cyber branches? The officers surveyed view the creation of the Cyber Branch as being positive for the Army. Most respondents would disagree with a merger of the Military Intelligence with any other branch. Conversely the majority of survey participants would support a multifunctional merger of the Signal Corps and Cyber Branch. Based on this research it is recommended that the Army consider a pilot volunteer program similar to the FA90 (Multifunction Logistician) for interested Signal and Cyber officers.


when anyone from the business community talks "Green", all the ears receive attention.
Maybe this is because of the 'fad' value or maybe people think that, they are hearing something which
they do not hear usually. Most often, for the sake of corporate social responsibility (CSR), cheap public
relations or publicity and due to 'fad' factor, hospitality service providers, in Kerala, talk "Green".
They do not do much practically. This study searches for green practices adopted by resorts, which are
run by big corporate houses and whose resorts are classified as luxury hotels in Kumarakom, Kerala.
The study follows a case study approach, where each resort is appraised, on the best practices, they
claim to follow. The observations after this careful study are captured. The researchers have
undertaken on site visits and studies of all the 5 resorts, that fall the category of luxury resorts and an
attempt is made to collate the best practices of these resorts. The questions that were kept in mind in
the interactions with the managers were based on the best environmental practices they claim to do. An
audit was done on these practices, that they described added significant value to their customers.
The researcher believes that if such practices can be adopted, the guests would recommend
these resorts to their friends and relatives, who would travel to Kumarakom. This would definitely work
in favor of bettering the revenues of these resorts.


In this paper, a class of impulsive functional differential systems is inve stigated. It is proved that for the asymptotic stability of the zero solution of the system considered, it is sufficient that only som e components of the right-hand side of the system are bounded for unbounded values of time. For functional differential equations with out impulses, similar results were proved by Burton and Makay using Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals. The goal of this paper is to prove these criteria for a class of impulsive functional differential systems with variable impulsive perturbations applying the Lyapunov-Razumikhin technique.


The paper, in combination with the fact of the world national and religious heating situation and China's better coping with her national work, but lacking of further theory probe, chooses Xinjiang--the hot area where national problem is heeded both domestically and internationally, as a core to summarize how to improve the national work. It also puts forward six innovative theories as a constructive suggestion for Xinjiang national solidarity and make China's national work keep pace with the time.


Immobilization of transition-metal complexes by surface functionalization of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has recently attracted the attention for several applications. Thiolprotected AuNPs are stable and soluble in organic solvents. Therefore, immobilization of metal complexes on AuNPs permits reactions in common organic solvents and also induces properties of the metal complex to the NP. AuNPs functionalized by thiol-appended transition metal complexes are expected to find applications as immobilized catalysts to bridge between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. The high surface area of a nanocatalyst increases the contact between the reactant and catalyst dramatically. These catalysts are easy to synthesize through desired surface modification and can be characterized by different analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Moreover, the catalyst can easily be separated from the reaction mixture. Several reports are now available where immobilization of metal catalysts on AuNPs has been shown to increase the catalytic reactivity. Improved catalytic activities of transition-metal catalysts through surface functionalization of AuNPs have inspired us to initiate a project on immobilization of biomimetic iron complexes. In this direction, we have investigated the dioxygen reactivity of nonheme iron complexes on functionalized AuNPs. Dioxygen-activating a-ketoglutarate (a-KG)dependent oxygenases that carry out versatile biological reactions are well-studied in biology and biomimetic chemistry. The iron(II) centers of the enzymes activate dioxygen, upon binding of a bidentate a-KG and the substrate, to form an iron–oxygen intermediate. The heterolytic O O bond cleavage of the intermediate results in formation of an iron(IV)–oxo oxidant to affect substrate oxidations. Iron(IV)–oxo intermediates have been trapped and characterized in studies with several a-ketoglutarate-dependent enzymes. In biomimetic chemistry, a number of iron(II)–aketo acid complexes have been reported as functional models of a-ketoglutarate-dependent oxygenases. The model complexes exhibit versatile reactivity towards dioxygen and, in some cases, iron(IV)–oxo intermediates have been intercepted in the decarboxylation of a-keto acids. Model iron(II)– a-keto acid complexes of N4 donor ligands have been reported to react with O2 for days to undergo stoichiometric decarboxylation of the coordinated a-keto acids. Moreover, they often form m-oxo diiron(III) complex at the end of the decarboxylation reaction, leading to the deactivation of the complex. Such deactivation reaction may be avoided with a properly immobilized complex on the surface of AuNPs and is expected to exhibit improved/catalytic reactivity upon immobilization. As an outcome of our investigation, we report herein an enhanced reactivity of a biomimetic iron(II)–benzoylformate complex of a thiol-appended N4 ligand (TPASH, Scheme 1) towards dioxygen upon immobi-


The design adopts self-designed high accurate voltage source, Micro Control Unit (MCU), D/A converter and amplifier to control the on-state of Power MOS FET, to attain constant current. The closed loop system realizes constant current output of high-precision, presettable and step-by-step adjustable, and its output current data can be directly displayed by digital devices. Finally achieve a high-precision constant current source by locking output with closed hardware loop, closed software loop, software realtime integrating, real-time filtering. The role of software is to compensate the temperature variance of sampling resistances by data segment interpolation, while the linear interpolation compensation is applied to intersegments, which improves the output precision further. It has advantages on high precision, simple construction, performance stable, easy operation, low cost and loaded capability.


Larvae of the Heliothis-Helicoverpa-Spodoptera spp. complex can damage tender sprouts, leaves and growth meristems of cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L) and induce stem cracks dute to "bites". In this study damage was simulated and shoot tips were manually eliminated from cotton plants after 30 days of the crop with the aim of evaluating the incidence of damage on the production of lint and seed. The crop was planted on 30 October 1998 using cultivar Pora INTA. On 11 November shoot tips were eliminated by hand. Plant stand was 12 plants per meter. Different intensities of damage were simulated: 0% (no plant injured); 25% (3 plants injured/meter); 50% (6 plants injured/meter); 75% (9 pl/m) and 100% (all plants injured). Along the crop cycle three "mappings" were carried out to better understand the response of plants to the damage. Detailed observations and records of the reproductive structures formed by the plants were done. Shortly after the damage, plants affected formed fewer squares, flowers, young bolls and open bolls. Nevertheless, in more advanced stages of the crop cycle, the crop, helped by good weather conditions, recovered. Analyzing yields reached at harvest (March 25, 1999, 115 days after damage) a decrease in yield was observed in damaged plants compared to those not injured. Seedcotton yield in kilogram per hectare decreased as the intensity of damage increased. With 50% and 70% of damage de same average yield was observed. Treatment 2 (25% damage) showed an 8% decrease in yield respect to Treatment 1 (control, 0% damage) and both Treatment 3 and Treatment 4 (50 and 75% damage respectively) had a 21% reduction in yield compared to the control. As a result, the difference in yield is more important when damage is greater than 50%, this would mean that in a linear row meter where about half of plants were injured, a 20% decrease in yield could be expected compared to that obtained with undamaged plants.


The rice alkaline chitinase (RC24) gene with disease resistance was transferred to indica rice maintainer line Zhuxian B by biolistic transformation method and the transgenic rice Zhuzhuan 68 was developed. Zhuzhuan 68 showed the characteristics of large panicle, good blast resistance, good grain quality and high yield. The number of spikelets per panicle and the number of filled spikelets per panicle were 103.6 and 84.4 more than those of Zhuxian B or 83.8% and 86.6 % higher than those of Zhuxian B, respectively. The resistance to blast of Zhuzhuan 68 was greatly strengthened compared with that of Zhuxian B. In addition, the F 1 hybrid of Zhuxian A/Zhuzhuan 68 was fertile with a seed setting rate of 62.2%, which indicates that the transgenic rice has become a restorer from a maintainer.


Abstract We quantified breeding bird abundance, diversity, and indicator species in riparian and upland dry forests along 6 third- to fourth-order streams on the east slope of the Cascade Range, Washington, USA. Upland dry forest on southerly aspects was dominated by open ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and dry Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) plant associations. Upland mesic forest on northerly aspects was dominated by closed-canopy Douglas-fir or dry grand fir (Abies grandis) plant associations. Riparian overstory vegetation was dominated by black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) plant associations with a prominent hardwood tree and shrub component. We quantified bird assemblages, diversity, and abundance from parallel point transects on riparian and adjacent dry and mesic upslope forests. We detected 80 bird species from >12,000 point-transect observations during 1998–1999. Eighteen species accounted for 75% of all detections. Species richness and evenness were similar in all 3 forest types, with approximately 35 species and high evenness (0.85) in each forest type. Bird species assemblages differed among dry, mesic, and riparian forest types, with the greatest differences between riparian and both dry and mesic upland forests. Riparian forest had the greatest number (9) of strong characteristic, or indictor, species among the 3 forest types. Upland mesic forest was characterized by 7 indicator species. Upland dry forest had 4 indicator species. Our results indicate that current standards and guidelines for riparian buffers zones would allow for avian refuge and corridor functions along these streams. Forest managers could use our indicator species to predict and monitor shifts in upland forest species composition from thinning and prescribed burning practices that are used to reduce fuels in uplands and to reduce continuity of fire effects between riparian and upland zones.


One of the important schemes for modern communication is Filter Bank Multi-Carrier with Offset Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (FBMC OQAM), as it provides better spectral efficiency with small inter-symbol and inter-carrier interference specially in data fusion platforms. Unfortunately, the design of filter banks in FBMC is difficult and complex to achieve the requirement due to complexity of handling the data fusion issues. This paper presents a proposed method to design a uniform and nonuniform filter banks using a data fusion optimization technique. The design process represented as an objective function describes the amplitude in the stop band, and the goal is to minimize the objective function. Different examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed design method.


RANGE OF TYPE organophilic clay IT IS MADE BY THE PRODUCT OF REACTION. A.A SALT WITH ORGANIC CATION WHICH MEETS THE FORMULA TION: (CF DRAWING IN BOPI) WHERE R IS A GROUP IN uNSATURATED ALKYL B, G, A hYDROXYALKYL GROUPS CONTAINING 2 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS OR A MIXTURE THEREOF, R GROUP LONG ALKYL CHAIN CONTAINING 12 TO 60 CARBON ATOMS, R and R individually represent an alkyl group unsaturated B, G, a hydroxyalkyl group containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group, an alkyl group having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, OR MIXTURES THEREOF, AND X REPRESENTS NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS OR; B.A ORGANIC ANION; AND C.A CLAY smectite WITH CAPACITY OF AN EXCHANGE OF AT LEAST 75 MILLIEQUIVALENTS CATION BY CLAY 100G, SO THAT COMPLEX ORGANIC CATION AND ANION ORGANIC is sandwiched WITH CLAY smectite AND THE SITES CATION EXCHANGE AND CLAY smectite BE SUBSTITUTED THE ORGANIC CATION. APPLICATION AS AGENT RHEOLOGICAL AUTOACTIVANT.


Backgrounds: The current stronger current of globalization has created many trends among the millennial generation. Most of the current trends are trends with the "ideology of western countries". This shows that the cultural value of the Pancasila ideology is slowly eroding. Based on these problems, the researcher formulated a question: What is the role of the millennial generation in preserving the cultural values of Pancasila? Purpose: The purpose of this research is to find out the impact of trends that exist among the millennial generation on cultural values, knowing how the millennial generation can do in preserving the cultural values of Pancasila. Methods: the method used in this study is a literature review. A search for journals is done through google. Indirect interviews with Millennials and Observation of content on Social Media. Results: The results of this study indicate the influence of trends in the millennial generation on the cultural values of Pancasila and the extent to which the cultural values of Pancasila are preserved by the millennial generation. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study discusses the role of the Millennials Generation who preserve the cultural values of Pancasila in the midst of trend developments by showing their own way.


Monitoring practices are the continuous routine in the tracking of key elements of project implementation performance that is: inputs (resources, equipment) activities and outputs, through recordkeeping and regular reporting through assessment of an on-going or completed project to determine its actual impact against the planned impact in relation to its design, implementation, and results. However, monitoring practices implementation has been a challenge over years, organizations have crumbled due to failure to master monitoring best practices in the performance of their projects. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of monitoring techniques on project performance of Kenyan State Corporations. Simple random sampling was used to select 65 state corporations which form the sample size. Data were collected from the sample size using questionnaires with both open and closed questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics as well as qualitative methods. The relationships between variables were determined using person correlation and t-test. Assessments of normality were done by Shapiro-Wilk test. Findings showed that Monitoring techniques (β3= 0.674, p<0.05) has significant affect project performance.


The rumen contents of sheep habituated to the intake of small quantities of oxalic acid are able to decompose considerably increased amounts of this substance. The presence of excess calcium decreases the amount decomposed.


IntroductionThere are several advantages of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in the treatment of isolated compartment osteoarthritis (OA) compared to the conventional total knee arthroplasty. Although various series report similar survivorship results, the national registries tend to show higher revision rates among the UKA. Persisting, unexplainable pain is a leading cause for UKA revision surgery. Therefore it is essential to investigate the various patient specific characteristics which might influence outcome following UKA in order to minimize revision rates and optimize clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of the various individual patient factors, including pre-operative radiographic parameters, on the outcome following UKA.Methods168 consecutive patients who underwent robot assisted UKA (MAKO Tactile Guidance System, MAKO Surgical Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA) were included. The investigated pre- and/or postoperative parameters included gender, B...


ABSTRACT A replication-competent rhabdovirus-based vector expressing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein was characterized on human cell lines and analyzed for the induction of a cellular immune response in mice. We previously described a rabies virus (RV) vaccine strain-based vector expressing HIV-1 gp160. The recombinant RV was able to induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses against the HIV-1 envelope protein in mice (M. J. Schnell et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:3544–3549, 2000; J. P. McGettigan et al., J. Virol. 75:4430–4434, 2001). Recent research suggests that the HIV-1 Gag protein is another important target for cell-mediated host immune defense. Here we show that HIV-1 Gag can efficiently be expressed by RV on both human and nonhuman cell lines. Infection of HeLa cells with recombinant RV expressing HIV-1 Gag resulted in efficient expression of HIV-1 precursor protein p55 as indicated by both immunostaining and Western blotting. Moreover, HIV-1 p24 antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and electron microscopy showed efficient release of HIV-1 virus-like particles in addition to bullet-shaped RV particles in the supernatants of the infected cells. To initially screen the immunogenicity of this new vaccine vector, BALB/c mice received a single vaccination with the recombinant RV expressing HIV-1 Gag. Immunized mice developed a vigorous CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response against HIV-1 Gag. In addition, 26.8% of CD8+T cells from mice immunized with RV expressing HIV-1 Gag produced gamma interferon after challenge with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HIV-1 Gag. These results further confirm and extend the potency of RV-based vectors as a potential HIV-1 vaccine.


Human serum albumin (HSA) is a commonly used product with high impact on healthcare expenditure. Little is known regarding the appropriateness of HSA use in healthcare system. This study aimed to assess prescriber's compliance to the approved HSA criteria. Potential cost saving was also estimated. A cross-sectional study was performed in a tertiary care, university hospital in Bangkok in 2019. Prescriptions for HSA for all adult patients along with corresponding medical records were reviewed and assessed against the approved HSA criteria. Deviation from the criteria was used to estimate the potential cost saving. A total of 688 prescriptions were reviewed, 200 prescriptions met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Among six indications in the approved criteria for HSA, the rates of criteria compliance ranged from 48 to 90%. Hypoalbuminemia was found to be the main reason for inappropriate use. The estimated cost saving from inappropriate HSA use was €3,543 (€59 per prescription). Significant deviation from the approved criteria of HSA use was seen in a Thai hospital and significant cost saving can be made by increasing the compliance to the criteria. A practice improvement initiative to promote rational use of HSA is warranted.


The present study attempts to expand the scope of investigation on the role of bilingualism in third language use. Recent studies have attributed an advantage to bilinguals over monolinguals with r...


This paper is based on a study of classroom practice of primary school teachers who were engaged in a programme of professional development to implement formative assessment in their classrooms. The programme sought to develop the skills and expertise of teachers to enable formative assessment to be used to support and improve the learning of students. This study examined changes in practice in these teachers' classrooms, their students' learning experiences, pedagogical decision‐making, and the challenges experienced by teachers and students in developing assessment for learning. Activity theory was used as an analytical tool and enabled the identification of important contradictions in the changing system that produced tensions and difficulties but also provided driving forces for change. The development of formative assessment practices was of necessity accompanied by a culture change in the complex classroom systems. For teachers change was characterised as a process of expansive learning that was motivated by a contradiction between the teachers' beliefs about learning and the existing culture in the classroom. The change in classroom practice was enabled by the formative assessment philosophy and a range of mediating artefacts.


The paper proposes a tree-structured shift-register memory which employs two different data permutation operations to perform pre-/post-order traversals of binary tree structures.


Studies showed positive correlation between availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables at home and children's consumption. However, effects of parental intervention to increase availability and accessibility have not been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of parental intervention on availability, accessibility, and preschoolers' consumption of fruits and vegetables as snacks. The intervention was developed to increase the nutrition knowledge and self efficacy of parents to influence children's diets and increase their fruits and vegetable consumption. An identical questionnaire was used as pre- and post-tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Fifteen of thirty qualified respondents who attended the education session (designed to instruct the participants on the importance of fruits and vegetables and strategies to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in their children's snacks.) completed pre-and post-tests. Statistical analyzed were performed using SPSS. Version 11.5. After the intervention, an increase was found in parent's perceived importance of their consumption of fruits and vegetables to increase children's consumption and overall nutrition knowledge. However, limited changes were found in availability, accessibility, and consumption of fruits and vegetables. The result of the study showed the effectiveness of the nutrition education program.


Aiming at site management problems of machining job shop, a site tools management method based on dynamic distribution for machining job shop is proposed. According to the method, the site dynamic distribution plan of machining tools is generated. A site tools distribution management information system is developed. The function and information models of the system are presented. With the system, dynamic distribution and recycling of machining tools and materials is realized. As a result, the inventory of machining tools is reduced, and the productivity is improved. The system has been applied in a machining job shop with satisfied result.


Assumptions regarding digital technologies in business schools have become part of the hidden curriculum. It is generally assumed that students have the same levels of access and prior exposure to digital technologies as well as information and digital literacies (IDL) skills. Little attention has been given to the issues of social-digital inequalities and the impact of this hidden curriculum on students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this study, using a phenomenographic approach, we examine how students from rural, socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds in Pakistan, experienced digital technologies in the context of a full-time, in-person MBA program. The findings reveal the students initially had an alienating experience of digital technologies which for most transitions to either an engaged or instrumental experience. While the students exercised agency in transitioning from an alienation experience this was as a result of their own effort, time and labor. We conclude that without additional support offered to students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the hidden curriculum associated with digital technologies potentially perpetuates, or maintains socio-digital inequalities within management education.


This study tested the monophyly of the previously proposed genera Alaternus, Frangula, Oreoherzogia, and Rhamnus s.str., and the phylogenetic relations suggested by Grubov (1949), within the Rhamnu ...


The economic and social contribution of franchising is widely reported. However, little research has examined the factors influencing the achievement of the four franchising imperatives (i.e., unit growth, uniformity, local responsiveness and system-wide adaptation). Based on the seminal work of Bradach (1995), the four franchising imperatives were found to be key elements driving franchise success. This paper will explore the four franchising imperatives within the context of multiple-unit franchising. This represents and important gap in the organizational choice literature. The purpose of this research was to identify those factors which may enable or hinder the achievement of the four franchising imperatives in plural franchising arrangements. An exploratory convergent interviewing approach was used to collect data from a sample of 16 respondents. A series of eight propositions derived from the qualitative stage of this research are presented for later quantitative testing. The results suggest that the four franchising imperatives are best achieved through the provision of rewards systems and business growth models, professional development training, timely communication with head office staff, and allowing informal flexibility beyond contract provisions. Key factors that may hinder the achievement the four imperatives include a lack of franchisor-initiated innovation and chain franchisee decision-making involvement, franchisee personality and costs of compliance.


In the first of three trials to compare total coliform and klebsiella counts in various bedding materials, freestalls were bedded with either green softwood sawdust or the same sawdust with lime mixed in the sawdust in the rear of each stall. Although there were fewer klebsiella organisms on teat ends of cows using the stalls with lime, this difference was small, and there was no significant difference in the numbers of klebsiella or total coliform organisms in the two types of bedding. In the second trial tie-stalls were bedded with either green sawdust or lime. There were differences between the two types of bedding with lower total coliform and klebsiella counts in the lime and on the teat ends of cows using stalls bedded with lime. In a third trial, freestalls were bedded with green sawdust, lime, washed concrete-grade sand, or cellulose fiber from old newsprint. There were differences in total coliform and klebsiella counts of these materials with the highest counts in sawdust and paper and with negligible numbers in lime and sand. Also, there were fewer organisms in paper bedding than in sawdust.


By means of modeling the internal high pressure forming finite element model and simulation with finite element analysis software MSC Marc, the basic features of the shaped process and the fluence rules of forming parameters are analyzed. Simulation results show that the reduction of the duration of the deformation by increasing the deformation speed properly can decrease the thinning availably; and axial feeding should be carried out before thinning instead of during the deformation.


Introduction The effective utilization of sewage sludge is an important part of municipal solid waste reuse and plays a pivotal role in establishing a recycling society. Anaerobic digestion is accomplished in converting organic wastes such as sewage sludge into biogas, achieving waste reduction and resource utilization at the same time. However, conventional anaerobic digestion technology has the disadvantages of slow growth of microorganisms, poor effluent quality, sensitivity to reactor pH, temperature and environmental conditions, etc. Moreover, hydrolysis of sewage sludge becomes a rate-limiting step due to complex floc structure and hard cell walls during the anaerobic digestion. The method of improving efficiency of sludge anaerobic digestion becomes an important issue. In this research, low-temperature thermal pretreatment was integrated into anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to stimulate the decomposition of organic matter in sludge for the sake of improving anaerobic digestion efficiency and reducing energy requirement. AnMBR combines anaerobic digestion and membrane separation technology, which offers plenty of merits including separating HRT and SRT, low sludge production and energy production. Well-known is that AnMBR retains microorganisms in the reactor through efficient membrane filtration, and improving the quality of the effluent. At present, the application of AnMBR in anaerobic digestion of high solid organic waste is extremely prevalent. Besides, thermal pretreatment is widely used in improving in anaerobic digestion efficiency through accelerate hydrolysis process. In this study, low-temperature treatment(70°C) was applied to upgrade bioconversion efficiency because high-temperature treatment entails huge energy consumption and places strict demands on devices. Based on the above consideration, the present study evaluated the performance of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of excess sludge by high solid AnMBR and the effect of low-temperature thermal pretreatment. Additionally, membrane fouling behaviour and the COD mass balance were carried out to in-depth evaluate the potential and sustainability of AnMBR system. Material and Methods The AnMBR used in this study consists of a continuous stirred reactor (CSTR) and a separate submerged membrane unit, with a total effective volume of 15L. The average pore size of the membrane is 0.1μm, and the effective filtration area is 0.1 m. The bottom of the membrane unit is equipped with an aeration pipe, which can continuously aerate the biogas from the top of the CSTR at a rate of 5 L·min in terms of cleaning membrane surface and reducing membrane fouling. A digital pressure sensor is connected to the membrane unit to monitor the transmembrane pressure (TMP) in real time. Long term experiment was divided into six phases. The substrate of phase 1 and phase 5 was steam injector treatment (70°C) excess sludge while venturi nozzle treatment (70°C) excess sludge was used during phase 2 and phase 4. The HRT of phase 1-3 was 30d and the HRT was improved to 15d from phase 4. The performance of reactor operation, biogas production, organic matter removal rate and mass balance due to the utilization of thermal pretreatment were evaluated. Besides, the concentration of sludge in AnMBR was 2.5% and 3.0% respectively during phase 1-3 and phase 4-6 in order to investigate the maximum sustainable flux at different high solid concentrations. The continuous operation management factors of AnMBR are summarized in table 1.Additionally, the resistance-in-series model (Cheng, 2020) was applied to analysis membrane fouling. Table 1. Experimental condition at different phases.


Submitted for the MAR12 Meeting of The American Physical Society Active colloids at liquid-liquid interfaces: dynamic self-assembly and functionality ALEXEY SNEZHKO, IGOR ARANSON, Argonne National Laboratory — Self-assembled materials must actively consume energy and remain out of equilibrium in order to support structural complexity and functional diversity. Colloids of interacting particles suspended at liquid-liquid interfaces and maintained out of equilibrium by external alternating electromagnetic fields develop nontrivial collective dynamics and self-assembly. We use ferromagnetic colloidal micro-particles (so the magnetic moment is fixed in each particle and interactions between colloids is highly anisotropic and directional) suspended over an interface of two immiscible liquids and energized by vertical alternating magnetic fields to demonstrate novel dynamic and active self-assembled structures ("asters") which are not accessible through thermodynamic assembly. Structures are attributed to the interplay between surface waves, generated at the liquid/liquid interface by the collective response of magnetic microparticles to the alternating magnetic field, and hydrodynamic fields induced in the boundary layers of both liquids forming the interface. Two types of magnetic order are reported. We demonstrate that asters develop self-propulsion in the presence of a small in-plane dc magnetic field. We show that asters can capture, transport, and position target microparticles. Alexey Snezhko Argonne National Laboratory Date submitted: 13 Nov 2011 Electronic form version 1.4


This paper describes an approach used in developing a performance-based mixture design and optimization system for paving concrete. This system is being developed as part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) project entitled "Computer-Based Guidelines for Job-Specific Optimization of Paving Concrete." In this project, a new method of designing and optimizing concrete mixtures for pavement applications is being developed. The procedure includes two key elements: a knowledge base and mixture optimization routines. The former assists the user selecting mixture design criteria based on site-specific conditions. It also allows for the user to quickly identify what combinations of concrete-making materials may be a starting-point for their site-specific conditions. The second element allows the user to optimize numerous properties of their concrete mixture including: W/cm ratio, cement content, the use of chemical and mineral admixtures, and gradation of aggregates. The optimization can be based on a variety of targets including cost, strength, workability, durability, and numerous other concrete mixture properties—both fundamental and phenomenological. Overall optimization of the selected targets is achieved using concepts of utility theory. When combined, these methods represent a rational approach to quantifying subjective decision-making criteria that is used in finding the optimum concrete mixture of specific conditions.


We show how multi-partite entanglement, such as of W-state form, can be created in branched spin chain systems. We also discuss the preservation of such entanglement, once created.

The technique could be applied to actual spin chain systems, or to other physical systems such as strings of coupled quantum dots, molecules or atoms. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


The questions, concerning forming of information resources of the electronic library «Scientific heritage of Russia» and access procedures to them are considered in the article


Abstract In this Special Issue introduction, I share lessons from five trailblazing scholars who contributed to developing CRT in education fields – Laurance Parker, Tara Yosso, David Gillborn, William Smith, and David Stovall. I put their reflections into conversation
 with the contributing authors of the Special Issue, which include Daniel Solórzano, Walter Allen, María Ledesma, Chezare Warren, Rican Vue, and many more. As the host, of what I envisioned as sort of a dinner-party style introduction, I also share my own coming into CRT moments
 and the legacy I am proud to carry forward. We gather here to honor the liberatory impact of CRT, speak its intergenerational stories, and learn its lessons about our past, present and future: to name racism; to be in collective struggle; to create spaces of support, freedom, and possibility.


To explore the intracellular pathways activated by vasopressin receptors, the effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and its analogues mediating glycine (Gly)-induced Cl−currents (IGly) were examined in acutely dissociated rat hippocampal CA1 neurons using the whole-cell patch recording technique. AVP and its analogues inhibited IGly in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibitory actions of AVP(4–9) (AVP metabolite) and NC-1900 (AVP(4–9) analogue) were reversed by a V1 receptor antagonist, or pretreatment with 1,2-bis(2-amino-5-fluorophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid. In contrast, these blocking procedures had no effect on the 1-desamino-8-d-AVP (DDAVP; V2 agonist) action. A V2 receptor antagonist did not block the inhibitory action of AVP(4–9) or NC-1900, but blocked that of DDAVP. The inhibitory action of AVP was completely blocked by the co-application of the V1 and V2 antagonists. The inhibitory action of NC-1900 was not affected by perfusion with a Ca2+-free external solution, but was strongly blocked by thapsigargin. The intracellular application of heparin or anti-inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) also blocked the NC-1900 action. Furthermore, Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) inhibitors blocked the NC-1900 action, while a CaM-dependent kinase II inhibitor and PKC modulators had no effect. 2′,5′-Dideoxyadenosine (an adenylate cyclase inhibitor), H-89, and Rp-cAMPS blocked the inhibitory actions of NC-1900 and DDAVP. These results suggest that the activation of the V1 receptor in the hippocampal neurons induces the production of IP3, which releases Ca2+ from the IP3-sensitive Ca2+ storage sites. The Ca2+ binds to CaM, resulting in the activation of Ca2+/CaM-sensitive adenylate cyclases. The activation of protein kinase A through the adenylate cyclase inhibits IGly.


Objective : The location services has been an important research area in the U-Healthcare. The location services in medical environment can be implemented by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) which is the location tracking method by RFID. In this study, we was designed the Patient Location Monitoring System based on RFID using RSSI method. Methods : The RSSI method is a distance measurement method from reference points to object using the Friis's Principle and the Triangulation. The Patient Location Monitoring System was implemented by XML Data transmitted from the Positioning Server to the application. The Patient Location Monitoring System was designed by C# of Visual Studio 2005 and MS-SQL 2005 Express. Results : The Patient Location Monitoring System had the location-tracking average error of 90.50 , the standard-deviation of 13.34 in Open-Space test. And, the designed system ㎝ ㎝ had the location-tracking average error of 163.24 , the standard-deviation of 16.85 in Closed-Space Test. Also, a patient ㎝ ㎝ waiting-list guide performance of the Patient Location Monitoring System had successes of 85~100%. Conclusion : In this study, the Patient Location Monitoring System, combined with both patient location-tracking function and patient waiting-list guide function, was validated by experiments in medical environment and this system can be applicable to patient management and further applications. (Journal of Korean Society of Medical Informatics 15-1, 41-48, 2009)


A shock wave model is proposed in order to study theoretically non-linear effects in sputtering phenomena with molecular ion bombardment. Sputtering yields from Ag, Au, and Pt bombarded by diatomic ions of Sb, Se, and Te are calculated using the present model at the enegies of 10–2000 keV. The calculation is carried out with time-dependent simultaneous collision-cascades and their overlap at perpendicular ion incidence. The model shows that the observed sputtering yields are due to both linear and non-linear effects, i.e. Y=YL+YNL. In particular, non-linear interaction between recoil atoms causes high sputtering yields. An explanation using the non-linear effect is also given for bombarding at the maximum yield.


The previously unestablished structure of purported 2:1 adducts isolated from the reaction of Δ1-azirines with s-tetrazines is now shown to be identical with the aziridine derivatives resulting from thermally promoted addition of pyrazoles to Δ1-azirines.


For reliable multicasting, packet retransmission is an important mechanism in ensuring lossless data delivery. Existing packet retransmission methods cannot effectively address the recovery redundancy problem. This paper presents an OpenFlow-enabled elastic loss recovery solution, called ECast, for reliable multicasting. It employs a novel communication method, called elastic area multicast (EAM), to better retransmit the multicast recovery packets in OpenFlow-enabled networks. With the flexible flow-matching ability of OpenFlow switches, any subtree of a multicast tree can be used as an EAM tree. EAM approximately implements an elastic local multicast. Therefore, it can effectively alleviate the recovery redundancy with good scalability. We introduce an optimal EAM-based packet retransmission orchestration problem, named outdegree-constrained minimum-cost loss recovery (OCMCLR), which finds the EAM-based packet retransmission scheme with the minimum recovery cost. ECast uses an optimized tree-based feedback method to obtain the status of packet losses, and uses a fast cluster-based algorithm to approximately solve the OCMCLR problem based on the collected packet loss status.


The electrical properties of cement–polyvinyl alcohol were studied using the impedance measuring technique. The study has been carried out under different temperatures and frequencies. Some electrical quantities such as AC conductivity, dielectric constant, activation energy, and relaxation time of the conduction process were determined from collected impedance data, at a frequency range from 20 kHz to 1 MHz and temperatures of 30–105°C. It was found that the measured electrical quantities have frequency and temperature dependence. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss increase with increasing temperature and decrease with the applied frequency. The AC conductivity increases with increasing temperature and frequency. The calculated values of the activation energy and relaxation time vary with temperature and frequency. The observed enhancement in the electrical conductivity with increasing temperature may be due to electron hopping between the intrinsic localized states in composite composition. The increase in the dielectric constant with temperature is attributed to space charge, ions, and metallic inclusions existing in the cement structure.


Objective To investigate and analysze the knowledge,awareness and risk behaviour related to HIV/AIDS among female sex workers based on low-class establishments.Methods sex workers in roadside parlors and hairdressing establishments were selected as the study population.A questionnaire was used as the instrument for quantitative study.Information collected included sex workers' demographics,knowledge awareness and behavior related to STD/HIV and history of condom use and treatment seeking.At the same time cervical secretion and blood tests were done to obtain the STD rate Results Of the 199 sex workers,63.6% were unmarried,36.4% were married,divorced or separated.The rate of knowledge of STD-syndrome,sequela and correct preventive methods were very low.67.3% lack of the perception of STD susceptibility.During the latest three commercial sex,activities 79.9% consistently used condoms.21.8% reported condom breakage in the latest week.After illness,the method they took were treatment in hospital(50.2%),treatment by taking medicine themselves(24.3%),treatment in private clinic(17.8%),examination in hospital then treatment by themselves(7.7%).The STD infection rates were 50% Conclusion The rate of knowledge of STD-syndrome,sequela and correct preventive methods were lower,which was not propitional to with condom use.The lower correct condom use rate and the higher condom breakage rate were not enough to prevent STD/HIV from transmitting.The higher.STDs detection rate showed that the unsafe sex behavior was very popular.49.8% can't seek normative treatment.Appropriate intervention strategy should be adopted.


Background/Aims The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of individualised physical rehabilitation programmes aimed at improving cardiovascular function in women with post-maste...


This study addresses one of the most important policy issues for underdeveloped countries: what are the factors which must be addressed, when designing effective policy to reduce excessive rate of population growth. We introduce quantitative model based on cross-national data in order to find out what are the most important variables associated with population growth. The model is based on Soft Regression (SR) method. This method is based on Fuzzy Information Processing and Heuristic approach. In contrast to traditional statistical regression methods, it does not require restrictive conditions (which often contradict the "real world" conditions), and thus avoids computational distortions when such conditions are violated. It allows us to include in the model all the relevant explanatory variables without losing some variables due to multi-collinearity problem. Moreover, SR method performs reliable computation of relative importance of the explanatory variables, which is a very helpful feature for determining policy priorities. The main conclusion of this study is: Secondary and Tertiary Education enrollment variables are the most important policy variables to reduce excessive rate of population growth. JEL classification:C21, J10, O20.


SUMMARY The methodology of the conventional mixed lymphocyte culture test has been simplified and miniaturized by developing a micromethod employing Terasaki trays with a final culture volume of 20 μl containing between 10,000 and 20,000 responding and stimulating cells each/culture. This represents one-tenth the cell concentration of the conventional mixed lymphocyte culture. For this new test, a special microharvester has been designed and developed. The test allows accurate and reproducible results giving a high level of discrimination between the different levels of response.


The liner thermal expansion coefficient of the polystyrene that was blended with porous silica has been studied. The specific porous silica was prepared using silica sol and potassium bromide (KBr) by the pseudo-phase separation method. Next, to remove KBr from the mixture of silica and KBr, this mixture was soaked into heated water. The porous silica was convenient in preparing the composite because the mechanical strength can be controlled by the processing temperature. The composite of the porous silica and polystyrene was obtained by blending in an extruder. The silica was smashed at the blending procedure by the shearing stress. The blend of the polystyrene with spherical silica was prepared to compare the effect of the silica particle in polystyrene. The coefficient of the liner thermal expansion (CTE) was measured in two regions of temperature: one was the below the glass transition temperature and the other was in the higher temperature region. The CTE of neat-polystyrene was much larger than the blends with the two kinds of silica particles and the CTE of the blend with the spherical silica was larger than that with the porous silica in both temperature regions. In particular, the difference of the CTE was remarkable in the higher temperature region and the thermal expansions were much lower than the calculation values by the equations which have been applied to the organic/inorganic composites. As the CTE is one of the fundamental characteristics of materials, it is regarded not to deviate from the theoretical value. The chain of the polystyrene could be considered to intrude into the pores in the porous silica because the diameter of the pore was too small to reject the intrusion of the chain in both temperature regions.


Data from the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) has been analyzed under the ARM Fourier Transform Data Analysis Tools science team project. A portion of the effort was accomplished through a subcontract to S. A. Clough of Atmospheric Environmental Research (AER), Inc. This section of the proposal highlights a few important accomplishments obtained during the past grant period. Specific accomplishments include: 1) The AERIplus temperature and moisture retrieval algorithm (Feltz et al. 2003, 2005) has now implemented a new fast model based upon LBLRTM. The fast model provides a doubling of vertical resolution within the first 100 hPa of atmosphere (surface to 900 hPa) from 10 hPa spacing to 5 hPa. This algorithm has been implemented at Pacific Northwest National Laboratories to upgrade previous AERI retrieval software. A peer reviewed paper has been published with regard to this work along with Value Added Product (VAP) technical document available through ARM web site. 2) Developed an objective methodology to detect planetary boundary layer (PBL) height using the AERI derived potential temperature field. AERI temperature and moisture data are also used to correlate the perturbation temperature and moisture in time within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) to view the structure of PBLmore » turbulence and convection. 3) The temporal resolution of the DOE ARM AERI systems is now being increased to less than 20 seconds (currently ~ 8 minutes depending on system). The University of Wisconsin mobile AERI system was deployed three times (Texas 2002 at SGP, CRYSTAL-FACE in southern Florida, and AWEX 2003 at SGP) collecting data at 40 second temporal resolution. The DOE ARM science team has requested that all DOE ARM AERI systems be upgraded to run in rapid sampling mode (including the ARM Mobile Facility AERI) to provide improved sampling of changing cloud characteristics using high spectral resolution infrared data. This grant has facilitated in the demonstration of improved science when the AERI systems on operated in this higher temporal resolution mode.« less


 This paper discussed Several aspect in Plato Utopia structurethrough studying education thought of Plato including the key factor in Plato Utopia structurethe internal mechanism in Utopia running and the necessary condtion in Utopia existing.


Objective To establish a rapid and sensitive method for detecting RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) product of HCV-RNA. Methods The product of RT-nested PCR amplication was tested by two ways: coated microtiter plate hybridization and polyacrylamide gel electrophorisis (PAGE). The samples producing doubtful or discripant negative results were amplificated and retested with HCV Amplification KIT (Roche Co.) for confirmation, and the results were taken to form the golden standard. Results 144 samples (64 anti-HCV positive and 80 anti-HCV negative ones) were recruited in the study. The coated microtiter plate hybridization method produced 70 positive results, with a sensitivity of 97.18% and a specificity of 98.63%; while the PAGE method yielded only 61 positive results, the sensitivity and specificity being 81.69% and 95.89% respectively. Following 2-fold serial dilution of one positive sample, it was found that the hybridization method remained to be sensitive (positive) to 2 -9 dilution, but PAGE was sensitive to 2 -7 dilution. Conclusion Coated microtiter plate hybridization is a rapid, accurate and sensitive method for detecting the amplification product of HCV-RNA, and may be used to replace electrophoresis technique in routine work.


1 Kuipers S, Schreijer AJ, Cannegieter SC, Middeldorp S, Buller HR, Rosendaal FR. The absolute risk of venous thrombosis after air travel (WRIGHT study). J Thromb Haemost 2005; 3: P1657. 2 Schreijer AJ, Cannegieter SC, Meijers JC, Middeldorp S, Buller HR, Rosendaal FR. Activation of coagulation system during air travel: a crossover study. Lancet 2006; 367: 832–8. 3 Martinelli I, Taioli E, Battaglioli T, Podda GM, Passamonti SM, Pedotti P, Manucci PM. Risk of venous thromboembolism after air travel: interaction with thrombophilia and oral contraceptives. Arch Intern Med 2003; 163: 2771–4. 4 GeertsWH, PineoGF, Heit JA, Bergqvist D, LassenMR, Colwell CW, Ray JG. Prevention of venous thromboembolism: the Seventh ACCP Conference on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy.Chest 2004; 126: 338S–400S. 5 Chen AH, Frangos SG, Kilaru S, Sumpio BE. Intermittent pneumatic compression devices — physiological mechanisms of action. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2001; 21: 383–92. 6 Giddings JC, Morris RJ, Ralis HM, Jennings GM, Davies DA, Woodcock JP. Systemic haemostasis after intermittent pneumatic compression. Clues for the investigation of DVT prophylaxis and travellers thrombosis. Clin Lab Haematol 2004; 26: 269–73.


This article introduces the definition and reason of active fault firstly,and then summarizes the identification signs and manifest characteristics of active fault in many ways,and also the working flowcharts of using RS image to study the active fault.It also supplies some methods and approaches for the application of RS image in the research of active faults.


The effective assessment of risk and speed limitations in ice are critical for the route planning of polar cruise ships. While the Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS) is widely used to evaluate the operational risk in ice, its scope of assessment is limited to the ship's assigned ice class. For a specific ship with a given ice class, the propulsion performance under varying ice conditions is more essential for assessing the besetting risk and finding an optimal route. To establish a more detailed risk evaluation method for a PC6 class polar cruise ship, propulsion performance under various ice conditions is obtained via model tests in an ice tank. During the tests, the tow force, propeller torque, and thrust are measured under different ship velocities and propeller rotation rates, and the relations between required delivered power (P) and ship velocity (V) under the tested ice thicknesses and concentrations are obtained and extended to other ice conditions by curve fitting. A new risk index outcome, RIO*, is proposed after POLARIS according to the optimized load ranges of the ship's rated power. Four risk levels, including low, medium, high, and unnavigable, are classified with the required propulsion power in ice being 50%, 85%, 100%, and >100% of the rated power, respectively. The recommended speed limit for each risk level is proposed based on the economical service speed of 11 kn, the operational limit of 3 kn by POLARIS and the minimum speed of 0.5 kn to avoid besetting, respectively. Based on the RIO* and P–V relations, the speed map for varying ice thicknesses and concentrations can be calculated. On these bases, a route planning simulation for the present polar cruise ship is performed. Results of the case study show that 29% of the simulated area is identified as "unnavigable" by the present procedure, while only 8% is detected by POLARIS.


(57) ABSTRACT A polyarylene sulfide resin composition containing a pol yarylene Sulfide resin (A) and an olefin wax (B) having an acid value within the range of 65 to 150 mgKOH/g. wherein the amount of the olefin wax (B) is 0.01 to 5 parts by mass of relative to 100 parts by mass of the polyarylene sulfide resin (A) and the olefin wax (B) contains a carboxyl group and a carboxylic anhydride group. A molded product prepared by molding the composition is also provided. The polyarylene Sulfide resin composition has excellent mechanical properties and mold releasing properties and the molded product prepared from the polyarylene sulfide resin composition exhibits good adhesion to epoxy resins.


In the article efficiency of development of skills of reflection activity is argued by facilities of the interactive teaching. Results of learning have certified, that students capable to a critical introspection. Students know how to excrete the causes of natural failures, to detect difficulties in execution of problems, in mutual relations with comrades, to define pathes and methods of their overcoming. Development of reflexive abilities of students carries on them to comprehension of concrete methods of activity, to systematization and generalization of the natural learning-cognitive strategy.


Introduction: Atorvastatin is one of the frequently used Statins. If it is used inappropriately it could lead to several adverse effects, interactions and efficacy will be decreased. Aim: This study aims to monitor the prescribing pattern of atorvastatin at a public hospital in Alkharj. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study was conducted at a public hospital in Alkharj. The data were extracted from the electronic records of 564 patients who received antihyperlipidemic drugs. Results: The majority of the prescribing physicians were residents. The majority of the prescriptions were prescribed by the internal medicine department. Antiplatelet agents were the most common classes of cardiovascular drugs that were combined with atorvastatin. Conclusion: It is important to prescribe atorvastatin appropriately to increase its efficacy and to decrease its adverse drug reactions. There are several strategies to improve atorvastatin use including increase the awareness of the health-care professionals and by implementing checking practice before dispensing the prescriptions. Original Research Article Ahmed and Menshawy; JPRI, 32(31): 19-24, 2020; Article no.JPRI.62483 20


LIVE measles vaccine1 given without gamma globulin protects children from the clinical manifestations of natural measles even if given as late as three days after exposure.2 3 4 Krugman et al.5 have suggested that this early protective effect may be an example of viral interference in man. This inhibition of viral replication due to a prior viral infection may be mediated by interferon, an antiviral protein made by animal cells in response to a viral infection. Interferon has been found in the pharyngeal washings of patients with influenza,6 in the spinal fluid of certain patients with viral meningitis7 and occasionally in the . . .


The effect of notch depth on the elastic new strainconcentration factor (SNCF) of rectangular bars with single edge Unotch under combined loading is studied here. The finite element method (FEM) and super position technique are used in the current study. This new SNCF under combined loading of static tension and pure bending has been defined under triaxial stress state. The employed specimens have constant gross thickness of 16.7 mm and net section thickness varied to give net-to-gross thickness ratio ho/Ho from 0.2 to 0.95. The results indicated that the elastic SNCF for combined loading increases with increasing notch depth up to ho/Ho = 0.7 and sharply decreases with increasing notch depth. It is also indicated that the elastic SNCF of combined loading is greater than that of pure bending and less than that of the static tension for 0.2 ≤ ho/Ho ≤ 0.7. However, the elastic SNCF of combined loading is the elastic SNCF for static tension and less than that of pure bending for shallow notches (i.e. 0.8 ≤ ho/Ho ≤ 0.95). Keywords—Bar, notch, strain, tension, bending


The ability of different locally isolated fungi to transform cortisol to its Δ1-dehydro derivative (prednisolone) was investigated. The desired reaction was performed by some organisms; namely, Fusarium oxysporum 153, F. moniliforme 2 and 157, F. solani, Gliocladium sp., and Helminthosporium speciferum. Reduction of the 20-keto group of prednisolone was observed with F. oxysporum 153, F. moniliforme 2, and Gliocladium sp.Study of the convertibility of cortisol with the most active fungus (F. oxysporum 153) revealed the existence of Δ1-dehydrogenase and 20β-keto reductase systems which exhibit different velocities and activities. The dehydrogenation reaction proceeds faster during the early stages of fermentation, while the reductase system attains its maximal activity at later stages of the transformation period.


The Catholic Church in Latin America was until the mid-1960s one of the most ignored topics of research in a neglected continent. It was not only overlooked by North Americans and Europeans; stranger still, it received only cursory attention from Latin American scholars. The meagre consideration it did attract was overwhelmingly historical in nature and frequently came from authors promoting or attacking particular religious beliefs and institutions. The controversy in Colombia over the persecution of the Protestants (Goff, 1965), and the dramatic events caused by the reactions of the Church to the Mexican revolution (Brown, 1964), stimulated a literature that was at times extremely biased.Yet, it is not easy to explain the neglect of the Church in the literature since, unlike peasant leagues or guerrilla movements, it is not a novelty in the region. The Church was founded simultaneously with the Iberian societies; much of the culture of Latin America derives from within the Church and has evolved in relationship to it; social fields such as education and charity have always been heavily influenced by Church doctrine and organizations; and the vast majority of the population are declared Catholics. In addition the Church is a highly structured organization in a region of low organizational development; in all countries Catholic groups have been politically active and in some cases assumed the form of Christian Democratic parties (Williams, 1967) which have held power; and the political models currently being formulated in Brazil and Peru would appear to owe much of their content to traditional Catholic principles of hierarchy, paternalism, and corporate identity.


Intact protein masses from immortal, nontransformed MCF10A, a human breast epithelial cell line, and its malignant derivative MCF10CA1a.cl1 have been mapped using a combination of all‐liquid separations and automated data interpretation. Preparative liquid isoelectric focusing combined with nonporous silica reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography allows efficient separation of a large number of proteins in complex mixtures such as whole‐cell lysates. Molecular weight determination of these proteins is achieved using electrospray‐time of flight‐mass spectrometry, however, manual data analysis for these separations is both complex and time‐consuming. Protein mass mapping can be significantly enhanced by automating deconvolution functions typically performed manually, with resulting reductions in hands‐on analysis time from 20–30 h per chromatogram to approximately 15 min. This reduction in analysis time allows for rapid screening of cancer cell lines for potential biomarkers over a wider pI range than would otherwise be possible.


Nile tilapia, Oerochromis niloticus, a species that has been undervalued until the mid-1990s, is today one of the most widely cultivated fish species in the world.1Infection with Streptococcus agalactiae is a major threat to Nile Tilapia in aquaculture around the world. This type of streptococcosis causes acute septicemia and meningo encephalitis. Antibiotic therapy is the indicated method for controlling outbreaks, preferably with the use of vaccines. Oxytetracycline, a tetracycline antibiotic with a broad spectrum of action, is the preferred antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial diseases in aquaculture, due to its relative efficacy, low cost 2 and because it has the diffusion capacity in body fluids and tissues.3 The susceptibility to antibiotics obtained by the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of bacterial strains isolated from clinical cases can be used to classify isolates as wild-type and non-wild-type and to calculate provisional epidemiological cut-off values.3,4 Studies of experimental infections carried out in Brazil with Streptococcus agalactiae with MIC of 0.24ug/ml treated with oral doses of 100mg/kg of oxytetracycline every 12hours showed 20% of mortality rates and 60 % of persistence of infected animals.3 The PK/PD models relate pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters with pharmacodynamic parameters (PD) and are widely used as indicators of the efficacy of antibiotic treatments in humans and animals. These models optimize antimicrobial therapy and minimize resistance selection.5


Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) progression increases dyspnea in activities of daily living, thereby worsening the impact of disease and decreasing quality of life. The combined training is the most complete physiologically resource, being able to improve these variables. Aim: To verify the responsiveness of dyspnea, impact of COPD on health status and quality of life on aerobic and resistance training in different intensities. Methods: Twenty-three COPD patients were assessed and reassessed by: modified Medical Research Council (mMRC), London Chest Activity of Daily Living (LCADL), COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The patients were randomized into two groups and performed 36 training sessions: Aerobic + High Intensity Resistance Training (HIRT: n=11, 68.8±6.6yrs; FEV 1 =47.7±16.2%pred) and Aerobic + Low Intensity Resistance Training (LIRT: n=12, 68.3±10.5yrs, FEV 1 =52.8±18.2%pred). Results: There were significant reductions (p≤0.05) in mMRC (from 2[1-3] to 1[1-2]) and LCADL (from 16[14-17] to 13[12-14]) in HIRT group. In LIRT group, only CAT (from 15.3±10.5 to 11.3±9.1) and SGRQ activities domain (from 46±25.3 to 28.8±22.2) presented significant difference. Moreover, there was a minimal important difference in SGRQ (>4) and CAT (>1.6) in both groups and mMRC (≥1) only in HIRT, with no significant differences between changes post training. Conclusion: COPD patients showed similarly responsiveness to impact of COPD and quality of life for both intensities of training, but those undergoing HIRT showed also significant improvement for dyspnea in daily activities.