It is quite important to monitor and control the pipe flow in scientific research and production, and to measure the flow is a prerequisite for it being adjusted or controlled. There are more than one hundred kinds of flowmeters available to meet the requirements of the consumers. However, people found in practice that flowmeters such as differential pressure types, positive displacement meters, and hot-wire/hot-film anemometers whose measuring elements are inserted into the stream, which have gained a significant share of the world rnarket1,2, may interrupt the flow field and cause pressure loss. The sensing elements in contact with the fluid are exposed to attack and contamination by the flowing fluid and this may shorten the meters' working life. When they are installed or removed, the fluid may leak and the pipe fittings may be damaged. Also, the flow-rate can only be measured in certain positions since the location of the flowmeter is fixed in the pipeline. In such situations, the method of measuring the pipe flow non-invasively by clamp-on sensors (which overcomes the shortcomings of invasive flowmeters) is more attractive nowadays. The non-invasive ultrasonic flow meters (Doppler and transit time types) have developed rapidly, but they are rather expensive and difficult for widespread application. It is thus meaningful to do research on simple and cheap non-invasive flow measuring methods. For this reason a new method, based on heat transfer principles, is advanced in this paper. Thermal methods have long been favoured for non-invasive pipe-flow measurement because precise temperature measurement is relatively easy and heat can be added into a system without causing damage in many situations. Fundamentally, the majority of thermal-based devices for measuring fluid velocities hinge upon a relationship between the heat transfer and the flow-rate being measured. In 1956 flowmeters of this type were based on the boundary layer principle3 featured an essentially linear scale over large ranges, and had no leakage or sealing problems. However, measuring error could result from variations in the composition and temperature of the fluid. Therefore the tube was to be of thinwall construction (with wall thickness usually less than I130th of the pipe diameter) with high thermal conductivity. In the Benson flowmeter4 or the Hastings flowmeter, a constant quantity of heat is supplied through two heat sinks at each end of a small tube to cause a temperature gradient along the tube, and the change in temperature distribution is a measure of the flow. These two types for measuring the mass flow-rate are generally limited to very small tubes (e.g. lmm diameter) and are not suitable for industrial application. Harrisons describes a non-invasive gas flow monitoring technique applicable to pressurised metal pipelines. The rate of the gas flow can be measured by heating a short length of the pipe externally and detecting the resulting temperature change through a change in the pipe's electrical resistance between two electrodes attached to the outside of the pipe wall. The electrical resistance of a heated section of pipe as a function of gas flow is monitored using low-cost circuitry. The system has general applications in monitoring fluid flow in metal pipes of various shapes carrying hazardous and volatile fluids. However, this method is restricted to fluids which do not deposit material on the inside surface of the pipe, and the tube material should have low thermal conductivity and high electrical resistivity.


Side-match vector quantization(SMVQ) achieves better compression performance than vector quantization(VQ) in image coding due to its exploration of the dependence of adjacent pixels. However, SMVQ has the disadvantage of requiring excessive time during the process of coding. Therefore, this paper proposes a fast image coding algorithm using indirect-index codebook based on SMVQ(IIC-SMVQ) to reduce the coding time. Two codebooks, named indirect-index codebook(II-codebook) and entire-state codebook(ES-codebook), are trained and utilized. The II-codebook is trained by using the Linde-Buzo-Gray(LBG) algorithm from side-match information, while the ES-codebook is generated from the clustered residual blocks on the basis of the II-codebook. According to the relationship between these two codebooks,the codeword in the II-codebook can be regarded as an indicator to construct a fast search path, which guides in quickly determining the state codebook from the ES-codebook to encode the to-be-encoded block. The experimental results confirm that the coding time of the proposed scheme is shorter than that of the previous SMVQ.


In order to evaluate the surface durability and spalling failure depth of induction-hardened sintered powder metal gears and rollers, the relationship between the surface durability and the hardness was investigated. The failure mode of the gears and rollers was spalling due to subsurface cracks. The spalling failure depth agreed almost with the peak depth of the amplitude A(τ /H υ) of the ratio of the orthogonal shear stress to Vickers hardness. The surface durability was evaluated using the amplitude A(τ ) of the shear stress and the hardness Hυ at the peak amplitude of A(τ ). In case of the sintered specimens with a same pore distribution, the relationship between A(τ ) and Hυ was represented by one line. In a case of the sintered specimens with differenet pore distribution, it was difficult to evaluate the surface durability using the relationship between A(τ ) and Hυ. It could be understood that the pore distribution played an important role when the sintered material was designed in terms of the surface durability.


Fiji is one of the smaller developing countries that has managed the development and maintenance of its highway structures with minimal reliance on other countries. Fiji is a collection of approximately 330 islands located 2000 km northeast of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean. The total land area of the islands is 18 270 sq. km, 110 islands of which are inhabited. The terrain of the country is mountainous and of volcanic origin. It is located in a seismic zone and is subject to extreme hurricanes, floods and tsunamis. The public works department of the Fijian government maintains over 500 road bridges throughout the islands. The geology of the land means that bridge foundations tend to be an expensive component of bridge design and construction. This paper provides an overview of the Public Works Department of Fiji Government since its establishment in the nineteenth century during British colonial rule. It has effectively managed in-house and locally sourced labour for the design, construction and mainte...


Abstract Objective: To determine the changes in cervical collagen during the first trimester of pregnancy and to evaluate the collagen deficit in cases with a previous diagnosis of cervical insufficiency (CI). Materials and methods: Cervical punch biopsies were obtained from 66 patients divided into three groups: patients with recurrent abortions due to CI (CI group; n = 8); first-trimester abortion group (study group; n = 37), subdivided into three groups according their gestational week (<7, 7–9 and 9–12 weeks), and patients with cervical biopsy due to gynecologic reasons (control group; n = 12). Collagen quantity was determined by a biochemical method that measured the levels of hydroxyproline (HOP) in dry cervix tissue. Results: The HOP concentrations were significantly higher at lower gestational ages (p = 0.001). Collagen quantity was lowest in the CI group compared with other groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study shows collagen component of cervix decreases as pregnancy advances through the first trimester. Cervical collagen concentration is lower in women with a history of CI compared to controls who has not a history of CI.


In this paper, a simple and efficient Least Mean Square (LMS) Algori thm is used for cancellation of noise in electrocardiographic (ECG) signals. As LMS Algorithm has a drawback of reduced convergence speed for stationary signals & Poorer tracking probability for non stationary Signals. The proposed implementation is Block Based Error Non linear signed regressive LMS Algorithm where increased convergence speed for stationary signals & Good tracking capability for nonstationary signals i s achieved. The scheme employ that the step size can be chosen independent of the input signal power and the number of tap weights. Simulation studies shows that the proposed realization gives better performance compared to existing realizations based on using Xilinx tool.


Nanometer technologies are a rising property,the using of this technologies in oil technology,which can take improvement for it.This paper reviews the Nanometer technologies applied in oil extraction activator,enhanced oil recovery,increasing water injection,water shut-off and profile control,taking particularly discussion,nanometer technologies are provided with construction safety,measure efficiency can be achieved,and point out the confront problem when its using in oil industry and the development direction.


We've added more than 80 new team members between July and September 2021, all recruited locally and based in our offices in Kenya and West Africa. Cohorts in Marsabit and Samburu were successfully onboarded, meaning that 1,645 new business groups (nearly 5,000 participants!) were enrolled in BOMA's poverty graduation program. An additional 5,415 business groups — comprised of more than 16,000 participants — were targeted for enrollment this fall. COVID-19 numbers in Kenya remained at an all-time low this quarter and, thanks to BOMA's conscious effort to ensure staff vaccination, our organization has proudly achieved a 98.3% vaccination rate.


Production from the aquifer adjoining area of the Ruehlertwist field is governed by pressure maintenance due to water influx, assisted by reinjection of produced water just downdip of the oilwater contact in the north of the structure. Resulting from the high in-situ viscosity (175 m Pa.s) of the 25/sup 0/ API crude in this area only 22 % of STOIIP have been recovered. Therefore, it was decided by the partners (BEB, Deilmann AG, PreuBag AG and Wintershall AG as operator) to perform a pilot test for investigation of steam injection under water-drive conditions in this highly watered-out part of the field. In Dec. 1978 steam injection into Rt 208 Well was started. The second Well Rt 56 began with steam injection in April 1979. The 580,000 m/sup 2/ pilot area contained 2.655 MM m/sup 3/ STOIIP. By the end of February 1983 about 1,080,000 m/sup 3/ steam (32.8 % pore volume) have been injected into the reservoir. During the period of four years the recovery due to steam flooding has increased up to 8 % of the STOIIP. This paper describes the reservoir, the project facilities and the pilot project performance. Conclusions drawn from the pilot performance are going tomore » be considered for future production strategy.« less


Traffic flow prediction has become a key issue in intelligent transportation system study.In this paper,a prediction model of short-time traffic flow is presented based on the chaotic time series analysis.After the phase space reconstruction using traffic flow data,a two-step optimized selection method is proposed which considers Euclidean distance and equal coefficient between neighboring point and predicted point.In addition,the prediction model is developed by local polynomial method to approximate the neighboring points.The model proposed in this paper is applied to predict the real traffic flow in Dongjiang Road,Dong Guan.Comparing the traffic flow predicting value with the measure value,the results indicate that the maximal relative error is 0.445% and the minimal one is 0.038%.Moreover,single-step ahead prediction only requires 38.52 seconds.It is proved that the proposed method can significantly improve the prediction accuracy and meet the requirement of the real-time prediction.


The acoustic field of a thermodynamic disk subjected to an alternating electric current is described theoretically and experimentally. Experimental results for the variation of the sound‐pressure level with frequency and electrical power and beam patterns are reported for a thin disk device. The experimental results agree quite well with the theory.


Background: Twelve-month mortality in sepsis survivors has not been previously characterized in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Hospitalized adults with [≥] 2 modified systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria (temperature < 36{degrees}C or > 38{degrees}C, heart rate [≥] 90 beats per minute, or respiratory rate [≥] 20 breaths per minute) were enrolled at a tertiary care centre from October 2017 to August 2022. Multiple clinical blood and respiratory molecular and antigen assays were used to identify infectious etiologies. Baseline demographics were evaluated for risk of death by 1 month and 12 months using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Among 435 participants, the median age was 45.0 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 28.0, 60.0) years, 57.6% were female, and 31.7% were living with HIV. Malaria (17.7%) followed by tuberculosis (4.7%), and bacteremia (4.6%) were the most common detected causes of illness. Overall, 49 (11.3%) participants died, and 24 participants died between one month and one year (49.0% of deaths and 5.5% of the cohort). Female participants had a decreased risk of death by 12-months (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21 to 0.66). Conclusions: The burden of sepsis may be underestimated in sub-Saharan Africa due to limited long-term follow-up.


In this study the behavior of two Lactobacillus salivarius strains isolated from dental rootcanal (G1 and G2) and two Lactobacillus probiotic strains by intestinal origin (Lactobacillussalivarius probiotic and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG) were investigated at two extreme pH values:2.8 and 10.3.After three hours of incubation in MRS broth pH 2.8 at 37ÂoC, 5%CO2 atmosphere, theprobiotic strains recorded a continue decrease of CFU/ml with 68% for L. salivarius probiotic strainsand 71% for LGG). The Lactobacillus salivarius strains isolated from dental root canal grown in thesame condition recorded a decrease of CFU/ml after 2h incubation at 37°C as probiotic strains, butafter the third hour of incubation CFU/ml increased 73% for G1 and 10% for G2, versus moment T2.Those two strains were better adapted in acidic conditions.The dental origin Lactobacillus salivarius strains G1 and G2 recorded a continuedecrease of CFU/ml during 3h incubation at pH 10,3 (60% for G1, 99% for G2) as well as L.salivarius probiotic strain (83%). After the first hour of incubation the probiotic LGG straingrown at 10.3 pH has shown an increase of CFU/ml (43%) and then CFU/ml reduced by 94%,after the following two hours of incubation.


A lab was developed for use in an undergraduate honors and majors general chemistry laboratory to introduce students to optics, spectroscopy, and the underlying principles of quantum mechanics. This lab includes four mini-experiments exploring total internal reflection, the tunneling of light, spectra of sparklers and colored candles, and emission spectra of gases. These mini-experiments were of a mixture of styles, from open-ended inquiry, to more traditional cookbook experiments, and were chosen to echo current graduate research. In the accompanying lecture, students were given an overview of quantum mechanics and a primer on what type of information can be gleaned from a spectrum.


Introduction: Restrictive mitral valve annuloplasty (RMA) for secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) might cause functional (mitral) stenosis, yet underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain debated. Hypothesis: Diastolic restriction of the anterior leaflet (AL) opening, due to papillary muscle tethering, plays a key role in the inflow obstruction after RMA. Increasing AL opening during exercise is associated with greater mitral valve area (MVA). Methods: Consecutive RMA patients (n=39, 63±11 years, 77% male) performed a symptom-limited (supine) bicycle exercise test with stepwise Doppler echocardiography and respiratory gas analysis. Diastolic AL opening angle (3-chamber view, Figure A), transmitral flow rate, mean transmitral gradient, and effective MVA were assessed at rest and during peak exercise. Results: At rest, effective MVA (1.5±0.4cm2) correlated moderately to the AL opening angle (68±10°) (r=0.4, p=0.014; Figure B). During exercise, effective MVA increased significantly to 2.0±0.5cm2 (p<0.001...


Background: Evaluation of orbital pressure is crucial for monitoring various orbital disorders. However, there is currently no reliable technique to accurately measure direct orbital pressure (DOP). This study aimed to establish a new method for the DOP as well as to verify its repeatability and reproducibility in rabbits. Methods: The study included 30 normal eyes from fifteen 3-month-old New Zealand white rabbits. After administering inhalation anesthesia, intraocular pressure (IOP) was determined by tonometry (Tonopen). For DOP manometry, a TSD104 pressure transducer was inserted between the disposable injection needle and the syringe, and the output results were displayed on a computer. Two observers independently participated in the experiment to verify its repeatability and reproducibility. Results: The mean IOP of rabbits was significantly higher than the DOP in normal rabbits (11.67 ± 1.08 mm Hg versus 4.91 ± 0.86 mm Hg, P < 0.001). No significant interocular difference was detected for both IOP and DOP (P > 0.05). A high correlation was found for intraobserver measurements of both IOP (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.87, P < 0.001) and DOP (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.89, P < 0.001). A high agreement was also presented for the interobserver reproducibility for the measurements of IOP [Pearson correlation coefficient (R) = 0.86, P < 0.001] and DOP (R = 0.87, P < 0.001). Direct orbital pressure was positively correlated with IOP in both observers (R1 = 0.66, R2 = 0.62, P < 0.001). The Bland-Altman plots revealed that 5.0% (3/60) of the IOP and DOP measurement points were outside of the 95% limits of agreement, respectively. Conclusions: The TSD104 pressure transducer-based manometry may serve as a reliable device for the measurement of DOP, providing real-time measuring results with acceptable reproducibility and repeatability.


The extent to which it is necessary-and the collector current range over which it is valid-to characterize the base-emitter junction of a bipolar transistor by a nonunity emission coefficient is clarified by a simple theoretical argument based on a consideration of base majority carrier charge.


Twelve species of the genus Riccia L. from State of West Bengal have been studied critically under SEM. Three rare species, viz. R. melanospora, R. perssonii and R. stricta have been recorded for the first time from the State. The sporoderm of R. crispatula, R. cruciata, R. discolor, R. huebeneriana, R. melanospora, R. perssonii and R. plana from Indian materials have been studied for the first time under SEM. Brief taxonomic descriptions of each species based on observation under Light Microscope as well as Scanning Electron Microscope have been provided along with SEM micrographs.


The xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) protein has a dual function, both in nucleotide excision repair of DNA damage and in basal transcription. Mutations in the XPD gene can result in three distinct clinical pheno- types, XP, trichothiodystrophy (TTD), and XP with Cockayne syndrome. To determine if the clinical phenotypes of XP and TTD can be attributed to the sites of the mutations, we have identified the mutations in a large group of TTD and XP-D patients. Most sites of mutations differed between XP and TTD, but there are three sites at which the same mutation is found in XP and TTD patients. Since the corresponding patients were all compound heterozygotes with different mu- tations in the two alleles, the alleles were tested separately in a yeast complementation assay. The mutations which are found in both XP and TTD patients behaved as null alleles, suggesting that the disease phenotype was determined by the other allele. If we eliminate the null mutations, the remaining mutagenic pattern is consistent with the site of the mutation determining the phenotype. Three genetic disorders, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), tri- chothiodystrophy (TTD), and Cockayne syndrome (CS), are associated with defects in nucleotide excision repair. XP, a highly cancer-prone disorder, has been studied extensively, and


The invention discloses a construction method for a steel and concrete overlapped beam combined part, and belongs to the technical field of steel construction member pre-burying. The connecting steel construction member for the steel and concrete overlapped beam combined part comprises a steel edge box (1). The connecting steel construction member for the steel and concrete overlapped beam combined part is characterized in that the combined end where the steel edged box (1) is connected with concrete is provided with a bearing plate (4) connected with the steel edge box (1); the bearing plate (4) is fixedly connected with a top plate II (2), a base plate (6), and two webs (9) positioned between the top plate II (2) and the base plate (6); the top plate II (2), the base plate (6) and the webs (9) are connected with one another so as to form a box-type structure; the top plate II (2) and a top plate I (5) of the steel edge box (1) are positioned on the same level; the top plate II (2) and the base plate (6) are provided with a plurality of corresponding round holes (3); and the two webs (9) are also provided with a plurality of corresponding round holes (3). According to the connecting steel construction member and the construction method, the stress state of a steel and concrete combined part can be improved effectively, and the engineering quality can be improved.


Main objective of the paper is to evaluate the development of profitability in Slovak agriculture based on individual data from the balance sheets and profit and loose statements of all agricultural enterprises in the period 2004-2011. In the analyses we used more than 1100 enterprises in each researched year. For the characteristic the development of profitability we used more ratios from financial analyses, in the first place - Return on Investment, Return on Equity and Return on Sales. A group of profitability ratios shows the combined effects of liquidity, asset management, and debt on operating results. The results presented in this paper could be used as a benchmark for individual enterprises comparison.


REGARDING GRAVEL ROAD MAINTENANCE, EXPERIENCE IN MISSOURI WITH THE SKIN, MULCH, AND RETREAD METHODS IS DISCUSSED. THE DISCUSSER DISAGREES WITH THE COMMITTEE REPORT ON BRIDGE MAINTENANCE WITH RESPECT TO MAINTENANCE INTERVALS AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF RESTORING EARLY CONCRETE BRIDGES MADE WITH POOR-QUALITY CONCRETE.


Using updated evolutionary tracks for TP-AGB stars from the Padova Group we explore by means of Monte Carlo Simulations to what extent the Luminosity Functions and color distributions of TP-AGB stars in the LMC and SMC observed by the SAGE collaboration can be reproduced with these tracks. We compute as well the gas and dust production rate by TP-AGB stars in these galaxies, and derive the amount of gas and dust expelled by these stars during the past few Gyr. Detailed comparison with observations allow us to quantify the uncertainties introduced in population synthesis models by the use of these evolutionary tracks. We show that current models provide a better description of nature than previous versions. As illustration, Figs. 1 and 2 show the K band LF of TP-AGB stars in the LMC and SMC, respectively, compared to the SAGE data set (Srinivasan et al. 2009). In these plots the left panel corresponds to all the TP-AGB stars in the simulated galaxy. In the central and right panels only the O-rich and C-rich TP-AGB stars are shown, respectively. For the simulations we assumed the Salpeter IMF and Z = 0.008 isochrones. The heavy gray-line corresponds to the SAGE LF. The heavy black-line corresponds to the simulation LF using the central value of the SFH derived for both the LMC and the SMC by Harris and Zaritsky. The bracketing light black-lines correspond to the upper and lower limit of the SFH derived from the error bars in the SFH. given by these authors. GBA acknowledges support from UNAM through grant IB102212-RR182212.


Fracture toughness of polypropylene (PP)/poly(styrene-ran-butadiene) rubber (SBR) blends as a function of concentration of maleic anhydride (MA) in the maleated polypropylene (MAPP) compatibilizer was investigated under uniaxial static and impact loading conditions. The addition of MAPP to the unmodified PP/rubber blend enhanced the tensile modulus and yield stress as well as the Charpy impact strength. The maximum values were recorded at 1.0 wt% grafted MA in the compatibilizer. V-shaped blunt-notched specimens exhibited typical ductile behavior and no breakage of the specimens occurred during the impact fracture tests. Sharp-notched specimens of uncompatibilized and low-content MA blends broke in a semibrittle manner, supported by a rapid crack propagation process. Increasing MA content in the blends led to semibrittle-to-ductile transition characterized by stable crack propagation. Fracture mechanics experiments, supplemented by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were also employed to obtain a better understanding of the fracture and deformation behavior. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry


law were not at the same time full liberty. Again, criticizing Bergson's distinction between two moral doctrines, one of obligation, the other of invention, he continues: "La véritable moralité n'est ni soumission pure, ni invention absolue: elle est l'une et l'autre à la fois. Ce n'est ni l'attitude d'un esclave, ni celle d'un maître absolu, mais bien celle d'un citoyen, participant en quelque sorte à l'autorité législative, par le choix et l'initiation dont il a droit" (p. 98). Not only does this seem to confirm the disjunction above mentioned and lessen the value of the formula "fusion des deux volontés," but it is in contradiction with the doctrine of the Koran. Mohammed passes from liberty to predestination without hesitation but nowhere does he seek to find a middle term. It is extremely unlikely that he would have accepted the term citoyen as an equivalent for Moslem. Prof. Massignon had encouraged the discussion of the differences encountered within Islam itself. Dr. Draz limits his study in this field to a few pages which hardly go beyond the common data of textbooks. Such questions as that of the "abrogations," of the sense and limits of the idjma, are not satisfactorily handled. Had Dr. Draz given us a fuller treatment of the Koranic doctrine of the double lumière touched upon on pp. 14-15, his presentation would have gained in clarity and depth. As it is, to most readers the fourth volume of Gazalis Iriya will seem an indispensable complement to the present work.


The paper deals with obtainment methods of formaldehyde and alternative ecological fuel types – dimethyl ether and dimethoxymethane. The development studies of these products were carried out both on Zr-Mo, Zr-V, V-Fe bimetallic catalysts and modified Со2+, Сu2+ forms of clinoptilolit. The optimum conditions of reaction conducting have been studied, RFA and RFES specters of the catalysts took, and the connection between the composition of surface layer and catalysts' activity and selectivity specified as well.


THE task of physiological genetics is that of describing gene action in chemical terms. Any such description implies, in the first place, knowledge of the chemical structure of the gene, and, in the second place, an understanding of the relationship between this chemical structure and its cellular environment. Already the first rough outlines of gene structure have been drawn. Terms such as nucleic acid, polypeptide chain, prosthetic group and crystalline virus have by now found comfortable places in the genetical vocabulary. It is the second aspect of the general problem that is the subject of the discussion this afternoon, however, and more particularly, that phase of it dealing with the role of the gene in the physiology of the organism. There is recorded in the literature a sufficient number of instances of mutations affecting the normal biochemistry of the organism to indicate that the gene exercises an important function in metabolism. The loss, through gene mutations, of the ability to form coat color pigments in mammals (Wright, 1941) and eye color pigments in Drosophila (Ephrussi, 1942) has, in particular, been investigated. Genic control of various processes involved in the production of flower pigments has also been extensively studied (Lawrence and Price, 1940). One of the clearest cases of genic control of a more or less definable chemical reaction, and also the first one to be recorded, is in the disease of mnan known as alcaptonuria (Garrod, 1923). Here the ability to oxidize hoinogentisic acid is lost, and large quantities of it are excreted in the urine. The genealogies of alcaptonurics indicate that they differ from the normal by a single recessive gene. Studies such as these have been of the greatest value in furthering our knowledge of the gene as a physiological


The COVID-19 pandemic impacts the management of cardiovascular emergencies in one of the most dramatic ways encountered in the history of modern cardiology. The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and cardiovascular emergencies is bi-directional. From a logistic point of view, the management of cardiovascular emergencies is significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the most severe forms of viral infection are encountered in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A recent survey conducted by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) showed a dramatic decrease in the number of primary percutaneous interventions (pPCI) performed in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEMI) across Europe.1 This was mainly caused by the fear of patients to present to STEMI hospitals or to call 112 when they had a chest pain, because they were more scared by the possibility to contact the new coronavirus than by the possibility to have a heart attack. This survey indicates that more than 80% of European centers are encountering a significant reduction in the number of pPCIs performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of them reporting decreases between 50% and 70% in the number of pPCI procedures. At the same time, more than 50% of pPCI centers reported that patients arrive later than usual for pPCI, beyond the optimal time window for revascularization.1 New logistic challenges include the need to exclude Sars-CoV2 infection in patients presenting to the emergency room and the need to take appropriate measures to protect medical staff in the emergency room and cath lab. These all take extra time, while we have learned very well in the latest years that time is muscle, time is life. As a consequence, in a recent material released by the ESC to serve as guidance for diagnosis and management of CVD during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ESC recommends to calculate an extra time of 60 minutes in the original time frame of maximum 2 hours from diagnosis to pPCI in the guidelines.2 Pragmatically speaking, this means that we have only one hour left, instead of two, to transport the patient to the closest cath lab, because we will lose one hour with extra logistic measures specific for the COVID-19 period. This may significantly impact the choice of pPCI versus thrombolysis, leading to an increased number of treatment options in favor of thrombolysis. A recent correspondence from this year compared the emergency admissions for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in 15 hospitals from Northern Italy in February-March 2020 versus January-February 2020 and the same period in 2019, and reported a significant decrease in the total number of ACS admissions in the COVID-19 period: 13.3 daily admissions for ACS vs. 18 daily admissions in the preceding month (p <0.001) and vs. 18.9 in the same period of 2019 (p <0.001).3 Another study analyzing ACS admissions in Austria reported a 39.4% decrease in the number of ACS admissions (25.53% for STEMI and 49.24% for NSTEMI) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.4 As for the network times, a study from Hong Kong reported a significant prolongation of critical times in STEMI networks: 318 minutes in the COVID period vs. 82.5 minutes in the pre-COVID months for the time from symptoms onset to presentation, and 110 minutes vs. 84.5 minutes for door-to-balloon time.5 Unpublished data from Romanian centers indicate a dramatic decrease of 75% in the number of pPCI procedures for STEMI compared to the pre-COVID period, while STEMI Networks in the COVID-19 Era


Vascular injury is one of the drastic complications that can arise from internal fixation of acetabular fractures. A 29-year-old, obese man sustained multiple trauma, including a displaced transverse acetabular fracture. Extreme obesity made adequate exposure to the posterior acetabular area difficult, causing placement of a large lag screw in malposition, such that it penetrated the superior pubic ramus at a point adjacent to the superficial femoral artery. Angiography, immediately after operation, revealed extrinsic compression of this vessel. The lag screw was successfully repositioned, with immediate return of vessel patency and no sequelae. The surgical approach and anatomic landmarks for placement of posterior to anterior lag screws are reviewed in an effort to prevent this complication.


(p. 5). Like certain of the previous reports of the Commission, this report is based on individual histories, or case studies. It utilizes both a psychological and a sociological point of view and technique. A group of forty-one problem boys and their non-problem brothers ranging in age from ten to nineteen years was selected from two areas in New York County where juvenile delinquency was known to be a serious problem. Thus, more than eighty boys were studied. The widest difference in age allowed between brothers was four years, the average difference being two years and five months. The median ages for the problem and the non-problem groups were exactly the same-fifteen years. Section I of the report is devoted to a discussion of the problem boy as a community problem in the light of the findings of the Commission. It is a summary of the social situations which were discovered in the study and includes the conclusions and recommendations of the Commission. The influence of slum life, desirable and undesirable school practices, the pupil-teacher relation, segregation of child offenders, and procedures of the various social agencies are the topics which receive major consideration. Comparisons and contrasts between the problem and the non-problem boys are set forth in Section II of the report. The groups are compared with respect to age, intelligence, mechanical ability, educational accomplishment, frequency of transfer from school to school, and behavior traits. This general comparison is followed in Section III by the case histories themselves. Rather complete data are presented with respect to fifteen problem boys and their brothers, including chronological data, general picture of conduct, intelligence, temperament, physical condition, character, associates, interests, school history, vocational history, home conditions, parental conditions, neighborhood conditions, and family background. The remaining cases are not described in such complete detail, but data are presented which "illustrate interesting and important aspects of delinquency causation" (p. 294). The point of view developed in the report is well expressed in the following


Authors the innovative approach to catering services of the concentrated contingents by optimization ingredients structure of diets with the set properties (indicators of a chemical compound and power value) on the basis of mathematical model, on methodology of parity of requirements is offered.


An address to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs on 16 August 2010. The address provides an overview of International Whaling Commission negotiations, a proposal to cap whaling over a period of 10 years, and of an application brought by Australia in the International Court of Justice against Japan's scientific whaling.


Abstract We have found that cross-coupling between aryl Grignard reagents and allylic methyl ethers proceeded well in the presence of a catalytic amounts of Fe(acac)3 to afford the corresponding allylic substitution products in good yields. Under the same conditions, allylic trimethylsilyl ethers also reacted with Grignard reagents to give the corresponding cross-coupling products.


There have been a number of case reports on oral mucosa disorders or skin disorders caused by metal allergy. Patch tests are performed for the diagnosis of such disorders, but it is difficult to objectively evaluate patch tests. In order to establish an objective evaluation of patch tests, we examin...


Two dimensional materials has enormous applications in electronics, sensors, optoelectronics, water purification, medicine, biomedical and many more areas. Development of these 2-D materials in a cost efficient and high quality became challenging task. Out of all 2-D materials, graphene is the first 2D material discovered in 2004. Many conventional ways are present to develop
these monolayers things and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the recent method that is popularly used for developing high quality monolayers on a large scale. This thesis address the development of graphene with the newly
developed automated CVD method. The objective of this thesis is to provide a guide to design, implement and
operate a CVD reactor for the growth of 2-D materials such as graphene, CNTs, GNRs, polysilicon, silicon dioxide etc. Leveraging open source, a fully automated CVD setup with controlling parameters such as pressure, gas flow rate, temperature, and other devices being activated, deactivated and controlled by open source software and hardware resources has been prepared. In this CVD system, a single computer Raspberry pi has been used, this Rpi acts as the main controlling unit of the whole CVD control flow setup. Rpi is a fully functional computer running Linux based Raspbian OS. Rpi can run multiple servers and can have a GUI on its own which help us to manage controlled flow of parameters and dynamically changing if necessary


If the Supreme Court applied the legal provisions declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court, as a Constitutional Court in order to quickly and efficiently relieve the fundamental rights of the people and at the same time secure the effectiveness of the unconstitutional decision, It would be necessary to cancel not only the Supreme Court's judgment but also the original administrative disposition at the same time. In order to file a constitutional complaint against not only administrative disposition but also court trials, in accordance with the principle of supplementation, the final judgment of the final trial is subject to judgment in principle. However, the res judicata of the court does not reach a direct constitutional issue, that is, a judgment on whether fundamental rights are violated in principle. The principle of supplementation only requests administrative disposition to preferentially receive relief from rights through court trials. And it cannot be immediately concluded that even a constitutional complaint against the original administrative disposition itself that caused the trial was excluded from the legal text "excluding judgment of the courts." There is no reason to deny the constitutional complaint against the original administrative disposition if the court has caused the irrevocable result of the judgment that used the original administrative disposition as the subject of judgment. The judgment of dismissal of the retrial is because the only procedure in which the judgment subject to retrial can be canceled was blocked by denying the binding force of the limited unconstitutional decision. The attitude of the current Constitutional Court Act on constitutional complaints does not deny the constitutional complaint against the original administrative disposition in accordance with principle of the original disposition of the revocation suit. It would be reasonable to regard the exclusion of trials from the subject of constitutional complaints in principle as prohibiting only constitutional complaints against the trial itself. Constitutional complaint against the ruling on the administrative appeal is illegal unless the ground is that the ruling itself has a unique reason for unconstitutionality. However, if a constitutional complaint is filed against the ruling itself due to its own reasons for unconstitutionality and illegality, it can be argued by filing a revocation suit, making it illegal against the principle of supplementation.


The purpose of this study was to understand the ways in which adolescents, children of the Lowland farmers experience their personal space and community. Through experiences of body and movement, learn stories and social participation of young farmers living in Cote Canabuoca Marrecao and the municipality of Manacapuru, Amazonas. The result showed that the adolescents to talk about what they feel, and rediscover a symbolic space permeated recognition of the image itself to be coastal, with a look of itself to reflect the other as a subject of transformation and transcendence.


Objective To observe the clinical therapeutic effect of scalp point acupuncture therapy combined with cognitive training on post-stroke mild congnitive impairment. Methods A total of 60 patients with post-stroke mild congnitive impairment were randomly divided into two groups. Patients of the treatment group( n = 30) were given scalp point acupuncture therapy combined with cognitive training,and patients of the control group( n = 30) were given nimodipine 30 mg,three times a day,combined with cognitive training. All patients were treated for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by the mini-mental state examination( MMSE) and the Montreal cognitive scale( Mo CA) before and after treatments. Results The score change of MMSE and Mo CA after treatments in the two groups were significantly different? respectively( P 0. 05),between the two groups on the score change of MMSE and Mo CA before and after treatments,there were no significant differences. Conclusion The result of the study shows that there are significant effect on post-stroke MCI by scalp point acupuncture therapy combined with cognitive training and nimodipine combined with cognitive training,but there are no significant differences between the two kinds of treatments.


The delay convention and the Maxwell convention, widely adopted in catastrophe theory, may be regarded as two extreme cases in a broad range of possibilities. A Fokker-Planck equation is introduced to interpolate between these two extremes. The two time scales associated with the Fokker-Planck equation are related to the critical curvature and the potential-barrier height. The canonical relaxation and diffusion time scale curves of the cusp catastrophe are presented. Quantitative conditions for the validity of one of these two conventions are given in terms of the time rate of change of the control parameters, the curvature at locally stable critical points, and a signal-to-noise ratio.


We describe our initial investigations into generating textual summaries of spatiotemporal data with the help of a prototype Natural Language Generation (NLG) system that produces pollen forecasts for Scotland.


The supply of lignocellulose substances which is abundant and not competed with food substance is rarely used. Indonesia has large potensial in bioethanol production. Saccharum spontaneum Linn is one of lignocelluloses material which is available and not used for more. Saccharum spontaneum Linn contains fiber/lignoselulosa which can be degradated into simple sugar and can be converted to ethanol by fermentation. To degradating lignocelluloses into simple sugar that is ready to fermented requires pre-treatment such hydrolysis. In enzymatic hydrolysis, lignocelluloses can't be directly degradated into simple sugar fraction since the lignin bonding in the lignocelluloses component is hard. Therefore, it is required pretreatment on increasing yield of glucose in enzymatic hydrolysis method. This research is concerned to pre-treatment of Saccharum spontaneum Linn by Hot Compressed Water Method. Hot Compressed Water (HCW) method in this research is done by mixing 0,9 gr Saccharum spontaneum Linn with water in solid/liquid ratio 0,05 % w/w. That mixture will be heated on temperature 200 C, pressure 20 bar and reaction time which is according to determined variable (10, 20, 30, 45, 60 minutes). The hydrolysat produced is analyzed on glucose content while HMF, Furfural and derivative of phenol compounds are analyzed in qualitative. From this research can be obtained that HCW process causes decreasing on hemicelluloses and lignin content. These


Handheld Computers for Doctors. By Mohammad Al-Ubaydli . West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2003; $35

Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, MD, a Visiting Research Fellow at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in Washington, DC, recently has published an information guide entitled Handheld Computers for Doctors . A handheld computer, also known as a personal digital assistant (PDA), is defined in this report as "a computer that is small enough to hold in your hand, or keep in your pocket." This book addresses four main topics: What is a handheld computer? What utility does it provide for personal organization and clinical information management? What are some practical applications of networked handhelds in the clinical setting? How does an individual become a successful handheld computer project champion? The book is arranged into three sections that are well organized to address these questions.

The first section, termed Why Star Trek Is Science Past , is clearly targeted at clinicians who are skeptical about the technology or who recently became new users of handheld computers. Dr. Al-Ubaydli provides insight into choosing basic hardware and software, and covers both Palm and PocketPC handheld computer environments. Some of the general functions covered include personal organization (calendar, address book, and notepad), …


How to incorporate instructional strate- gies in computer-assisted learning systems in a sys- tematic manner has been a major research topic in recent years. In this paper, a style-matching strategy that attempts to match learning materials' styles to learners' latent traits is proposed and realized in a Web-based tutoring system, called CooTutor. The mechanism of adaptive material selection takes learners' different spatial ability and learning styles into account, and performs traits-based personaliza- tion of learning experience. This system is specifi- cally designed to conquer the difficulty of tutoring the topic on fundamental spatial geometry in the curriculums of engineering education. By conducting empirical evaluation with a small group of students, we observe that this adaptive mechanism can pre- vent potentially harmful scenario of styles- mismatching for learners with extreme learning styles. Suggestions from the empirical evaluations and the analysis of effect sizes are also presented in this paper as implications for further studies.


We present a new adaptive subsample Explicit time delay estimator (ETDE) that is well suitable for determining and tracking the large-range time-varying delay between two noisy bandlimited signals only using low-order interpolators. Unlike conventional ETDE where a Fractional delay filter (FDF) is used, the new ETDE is based on a novel on-line interpolator which has the ability to optimally synthesize any continuously variable nonintegral sample delay. The theoretical derivations for our proposed on-line interpolator and the new ETDE algorithm are provided. Simulations are presented to evaluate the performance of the new estimator and to compare the performance with other estimators. Simulation results show that the new ETDE significantly outperforms FDF-based ETDE when the delay is large or varies in a large range, and the same filter orders are used.


We investigate properties of the Euler system associated to certain automorphic representations of the unitary similitude group GU(2,1) with respect to an imaginary quadratic field $E$, constructed by Loeffler-Skinner-Zerbes. By adapting Mazur and Rubin's Euler system machinery we prove one divisibility of the ``rank 1"Iwasawa main conjecture under some mild hypotheses. When $p$ is split in $E$ we also prove a ``rank 0"statement of the main conjecture, bounding a particular Selmer group in terms of a $p$-adic distribution conjecturally interpolating complex $L$-values. We then prove descended versions of these results, at integral level, where we bound certain Bloch--Kato Selmer groups. We will also discuss the case where $p$ is inert, which is a work in progress.


Aim: The aim of this review was to analyze eating habits and food composition in stroke survivors. Methods: In the years 01/2000–06/2020, research published in the following databases was analyzed: Pubmed, EBSCO, Science Direct, Scopus. The literature review integrated 9 studies. Results: Studies included in the review were published mainly in the years 2015–2019. Dietary analysis in the research was predominantly focused on fruit/vegetable intake and salt intake. Consumption of fruits and vegetables in stroke survivors is not at an adequate level and their intake is lower in comparison with a healthy population. Qualitative analysis of salt intake is limited to a small number of studies (n = 3), with results showing differences in salt intake between countries. Only one study comprehensively assessed diet in stroke survivors (intake of energy, macroand micronutrients). We did not find any studies to evaluate the adherence of after-stroke patients to the Mediterranean diet/DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), in line with current nutritional recommendations for secondary prevention. Conclusions: Although diet is one of the modifiable factors of a stroke and it can be well managed, the issue of diet and eating habits after overcoming the disease is not given sufficient attention by researchers.


Vector coherent state (VCS) theory is used to give a rotor expansion of the su(3) Lie algebra in a way that parallels the boson expansions that have been made for other Lie algebras. The construction provides a systematic procedure for calculating Hermitian matrix elements of su(3) in an SO(3)-coupled basis and represents a new development in VCS theory and in the theory of induced representations.


The effect of somatostatin – a growth hormone release inhibitory factor – on pancreatic glucagon release was studied in the isolated, perfused canine pancreas, as previously described. In three experiments pancreatic glucagon was markedly inhibited both at low (25 mg/100 ml) and at high (150 mg/100 ml) concentrations of glucose. Previously, we have demonstrated an inhibition of glucose-induced insulin release by somatostatin both in vivo and in vitro. Hence the effect on both glucagon and insulin release, and thereby the net nutrient balance in liver and in adipose tissue, must be taken into account, when evaluating the effect of somatostatin in vivo.


The invention relates to a method and device for changing the position of large-area glass plates which are stationary or moving, having the following features: one or more devices located on a level plane, each having a plurality of suction devices (12), are connected to the glass plates (10) to be re-positioned by means of a vacuum, b) the devices are connected to a lifting column (4) in a rotatable and pivotable manner, c) the devices can travel horizontally in the gripping area of the glass plates (10), d) the lifting column (4) has a counterweight (5) supplied with compressed air to compensate for the moving weight of the devices, e) the suction device (12) disk caps are spring-loaded in their holders, can be tilted in every direction, and are provided with a filter element (27), f) a controllable vacuum can be applied to each of the suction devices (12) individually, with a computer program as the controller.


On a subject of considerable import to the laser-induced damage community, a two day workshop on the topic, Thin Film Thermal Conductivity Measurement was held as part of the 13th Symposium on Thermophysical Properties at the University of Colorado in Boulder CO, June 25 and 26, 1997. The Workshop consisted of 4 sessions of 17 oral presentations and two discussion sessions. Two related subjects of interest were covered; 1) methods and problems associated with measuring thermal conductivity ((kappa) ) of thin films, and 2) measuring and (kappa) of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond. On the subject of thin film (kappa) measurement, several recently developed imaginative techniques were reviewed. However, several authors disagreed on how much (kappa) in a film differs from (kappa) in a bulk material of the same nominal composition. A subject of controversy was the definition of an interface. In the first discussion session, several questions were addressed, a principal one being, how do we know that the values of (kappa) we obtain are correct and is there a role for standards in thin film (kappa) measurement. The second discussion session was devoted to a round-robin interlaboratory comparison of (kappa) measurements on a set of CVD diamond specimens and several other specimens of lower thermal conductivity. Large interlaboratory differences obtained in an earlier round robin had been attributed to specimen inhomogeneity. Unfortunately, large differences were also observed in the second round robin even though the specimens were more homogenous. There was good consistency among the DC measurements, however, the AC measurements showed much greater variability. There was positive feedback from most of the attenders regarding the Workshop with nearly all respondents recommending another Workshop in three or fewer years. There was general recognition that thin film thermal conductivity measurements are important for predicting the resistance of optical coating materials to laser damage.


The solar radio bursts are the results of solar flares take place on the surface of the Sun. Some of them could reach the surface of the Earth and can be detected by the ground base antenna. The CALLISTO system is used to interpret the radio bursts that have been detected by the antenna before the results appeared on the computer's screen. The CALLISTO system consists of software and hardware with the aim to observe the solar radio emission for astronomical science. There are five types of solar radio bursts that have been classified based on their characteristics since 1960s. However, all these types of solar radio bursts have their own related events due to different process before their formations. Based on the result, it shows that all related events of the bursts such as Coronal Mass Ejections, prominences and flares occurred several minutes or hours before the bursts appeared on the computer's screen.


We study population imbalanced Fermi mixtures under quasi-two-dimensional confinement at zero temperature. Using mean-field theory and the local-density approximation, we study the ground state configuration throughout the BEC-BCS crossover. We find the trapped system to be either fully normal or to consist of a superfluid core surrounded by a normal shell, which is itself either fully or partially polarized. Upon changing the trap imbalance, the trap configuration may undergo continuous transitions between the different ground states. Finally, we argue that thermal equilibration throughout the trap will be considerably slowed down at low temperatures when a superfluid phase is present.


Exploration of oil/gas resources in shallow waters has been a challenge in Bohai Bay, China. Jidong Nanpu oilfield is the largest shallow water oilfield in Bohai. How to develop it effectively and economically is of great importance and has been becoming an attractive topic. This paper introduces the Characteristic technologies and development modes of Jidong Nanpu oilfield. The design practice of minimum structures for Nanpu oilfield development is presented. The fabrication and installation of minimum structure are also discussed in this paper. At the end of the paper the design proposal and design considerations of minimum structures used for shallow water oilfield are discussed.


Foreign language anxiety (FLA) is considered as a strong predictor of students' performance in second or foreign language learning. Although studies of implementing gamification to facilitate language learning are drawing more and more attention, limited research has been conducted to explore the effects of gamification on FLA. By conducting semi-structured interviews, this paper investigated students' perceptions of gamification and their FLA in the preliminary stage of a gamified College English Listening and Speaking (ELS) class. Two major findings of this study are reported: 1) Students believe that gamification is helpful in visualizing their learning goals and creating a relaxing learning environment, but they can be frustrated by some complex game designs; 2) Students' FLA mainly comes from speaking English publicly, lacking preparation, fear of making mistakes, and introverted personality, and the alleviating effects of gamification can vary according to the sources and levels of students' FLA. For students who feel anxious due to their introverted personality or lacking preparation, the effect of gamification on reducing anxiety is less obvious. For students with lower anxiety levels, gamification alleviates their feelings of embarrassment and nervousness and promotes their classroom participation in a relatively more remarkable way comparing to their counterparts. This study is expected to contribute to the literature of gamification and foreign language education by exploring the preliminary effects of gamification on language learners' anxiety and providing references for further longitudinal research.


Search agents can improve users' perceptions of how effective and efficient database retrieval is. In connection with an on-going project for community interaction, a search agent was designed with a strong theoretical basis and tested for effectiveness with the community of users.


This study scrutinizes the emerging focus on physical activity correlated with academic achievement. The aim is to produce knowledge on the entanglement of human body and mind when involved in read ...


Polyacrylate elastomers were introduced into poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymer-based nanocomposites filled with BaTiO3 nanoparticles and the three-phase nanocomposite films were prepared. The energy discharged of the nanocomposite with 3 vol. % polyacrylate elastomers is 8.8 J/cm3, approximately 11% higher compared to that of the nanocomposite without adding polyacrylate elastomers. Large elastic deformation of the polyacrylate elastomers increases Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars interfacial polarization and space charge polarization of the nanocomposites with the electric field increasing, which results in increased maximum polarization and energy discharged of the nanocomposites.


The mother"s image appears in works of Juvan Shestalov on the initial stage of his creative works. The main premise is the motive of loneliness which is caused by the loss of the most beloved man his mother. The poet"s feeling of loneliness, formed in early childhood, at first appears in his instinctive address to the heaven, space, emptiness. Then on the genetic level Shestalov realizes the bond of the deceased"s spirit with a whole surrounding world. And on the modern stage of the poet"s creative works the mother"s spirit is endowed by cosmic consciousness.


In this work, the characteristics of CMOSFETs with heavily nitrided NO oxynitrides, which meet performance and manufacturability criteria, are investigated. The gate leakage current in NO oxynitride with sufficient nitridation is reduced by a factor of more than 10 when compared with thermal oxide of equivalent thickness. It is projected that NO oxynitride can be scaled down to an effective physical oxide thickness of 1.5 nm while maintaining strong resistance to B penetration and low standby power. Significantly enhanced diffusion of B in the Si substrate is observed during NO annealing. It is revealed that the magnitude of the diffusivity enhancement strongly depends on the NO annealing temperature, suggesting that the NO anneal process should be carefully optimized to minimize the channel/well dopant redistribution. Additionally, optimum device design for CMOSFETs with heavily nitrided NO oxynitrides is studied. It is experimentally demonstrated that careful tailoring of doping profiles for halo and S/D regions is required to minimize short-channel device degradation in heavily nitrided devices.


Postoperative ileus occurred inevitably after abdominal surgery.In this paper,mechanism of action,application effects and superiority were summarized and the shortage was analyzed,improvement strategies were proposed,in order to provide reference for the further research and clinical application.

Key words:
Chewing gum; Abdominal surgery; Postoperative ileus


Cell counting has a wide range of applications in cytology research and clinical practice. Cell counts are widely used in the early diagnosis and treatment of serious diseases and the screening of effective drugs in the later stage. The method of studying cell counts is of great significance. This paper proposes a method for cell counting based on the highlight area of the cell center as a live cell marker. This method uses algorithms bilateral filtering to smooth noise in the original image; after adaptive threshold segmentation, an algorithm based on flood filling is used. Accurate segmentation of the highlighted area in the center of the cell; finally, counting is achieved through the connected domain labeling algorithm. The experimental results show that the accuracy of the cell counting method proposed in this paper is above 98%, which verifies the feasibility and practicability of the method proposed in this paper.


The main otorhinolaryngological manifestations of CF are chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis, with different clinical presentations. AIM: To characterize children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis through a questionnaire, an ENT clinical examination and nasal endoscopy. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional clinical descriptive. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Assessment of 100 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis through a specific questionnaire, ENT physical examination, nasal endoscopy and endoscopic staging of nasal polyps. RESULTS: The most frequent symptoms were: cough (45%), oral breathing (44%), sleep disorders (42%) and nasal obstruction (37%). Twenty-eight patients (28%) had purulent nasal discharge, and 41% had medial bulging of the nasal lateral wall. Nasal polyps were identified in only 14% of cases, none were obstructing. CONCLUSION:The questionnaire, clinical examination and especially nasal endoscopy lead to a detailed assessment of the nasal characteristics of children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis. Some findings were discordant with the literature, particularly the low prevalence of nasal polyps, and appear to be related to specific characteristics of the population studied. The best characterization of this group of patients, from the ENT standpoint, contributes to an appropriate multidisciplinary approach.


Design and realization of control system of automated warehouse in logistics is presented in this paper.It cludes various automactic technic,such as field bus,transducer control,communication of multi-PLC,configuration and control,touch screen control,and so on.


Under the condition that the robot has no side movements,using the driving forces of the left and right wheels as the input parameters,the translatory and rotary discrete time state space models of a 2-wheel soccer robot are established.With the combination of immune algorithm and predictive control,an immune predictive control strategy is proposed to control the robot's translation and rotation on the basis of the state space model.The immune predictive control strategy utilizes a clonal selective algorithm to implement the rolling optimization of the predictive control,which can avoid the complicated derivation of inverse matrix and derivation of optimum solutions of constrained objective functions.Simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve good performance in the control of the robot's translation and rotation,as well as a good adaptability to external disturbances and modeling error.


In the mathematical model of melt spinning of fibres from crystallizing polymers the set of conservation equations is completed with structure-controlled constitutive equations and structure evolution equations describing kinetics of stress-induced crystallization. In a definite range of conditions, bifurcation of solutions is observed. Maximum filament velocity is limited and the same boundary conditions yield different steady-state dynamic and structure profiles. Bifurcation is observed when stress-induced crystallization leads to rapid solidification of the material. Critical conditions for bifurcation in melt spinning are analyzed and physical mechanism of such a behaviour is discussed.


Objective:To investigate the distribution and the drug susceptibility of non-fermentative Gram- negative bacilli isolated from patients and to provide information for the clinical application of antibiotics.Methods: Strains of non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli from clinical specimen by routine examination were identified with the U.S.A.DADE BEHRING MicroScan analysis system according to the criterion of NCCLS.Results:Strains of non- fermentative Gram-negative bacilli accounted for 20.25% of pathogenic bacteria in the corresponding period,including three strains:58.04% belongs to Pseudomonas aeruginosa,21.67% Acineto-bacter and 9.09% Alcaligenes.The susceptibility tests indicated that cefiazidime,imipenem,levofloxacin were obviously more effective and the other antibiotics were less effective in Pseudomonas aeruginosa;Amoxycillin/clavulanic acid,ampicillin,ampicillin/ sulbactam,cefazolin and gentamicin were all lower than 30% in Acinetobacter;Gentamicin,amoxycillin/clavulanic acid,ampicillin/ sulbactam,ampicillin were rather lower in the Alcaligenes.Conclusion:The trend in the rate of isolation and drug resistance of non-fermentative Gram-negative Bacilli increased,so administrating antibiotics should be conducted according to the result of drug susceptibility tests.


Over the past years, researchers have investigated the potential of focused ultrasound surgery for non-invasive or minimally invasive modalities for cancer treatment. Focus ultrasound (FUS) transducer induces a high acoustic intensity at the localized focus for a short time period while the temperature at the focus rises significantly and reaches a thermal dose that causes local irreversible cell damage (coagulation necrosis). The key limitations of FUS surgery are the difficulty of monitoring temperature and tissue mechanical properties as well as potential requirement of interrupting the FUS exposure during surgery. Amplitude-Modulated Harmonic Motion Imaging (AM-HMI) technique for simultaneous monitoring and generation of ultrasound surgery using a single-element FUS transducer was formerly introduced [Maleke, C, et al., 2006]. The uniqueness of this technique is that the focused transducer is driven by a low AM wave with high modulation index. This produces a stable harmonic radiation force oscillating at a low modulation frequency (25 Hz). This paper presents the effect of thermal ablation using the AM-HMI technique in in vitro bovine liver. The temperature and RF echoes were recorded during FUS ablation. The tissue displacement was estimated using a speckle tracking technique based on the one-dimensional cross-correlation to estimate the resulting axial tissue displacement. The temperature elevation at the focal zone throughout sonication was over 50degC that produced tissue damage. During FUS ablation, the temperature rose significantly while the tissue stiffness decreased resulting in higher tissue displacements. The results show a linear relationship between the temperature and tissue displacements during lesion formation (<53degC). The AM-HMI technique was able to accurately detect the protein-denatured lesion according to variation in the tissue displacement. In this conclusion, the technique could be potentially used for realtime monitoring of the temperature and mechanical properties of tissues during FUS surgery


PP RI No. 41 1999 has been the only legitimate policy of national ambient air quality standard in Indonesia since more than 20 years ago. Most of standard for air quality parameters were set based on precautionary principle. It ratified other ambient air quality standards globally which is less representative from real conditions in Indonesia. Due to possibility of massive changes in national air quality conditions and various technological and non-technological factors driving them. The needs of national ambient air quality revision in Indonesia is raising. In addition, air quality as public value needs to be managed strategically by Indonesia's government in order to provide basic need of society. More representative standard is a key for better monitoring and controlling ambient air quality in Indonesia. Hence, we proposed a critical mind map of integrated approach, air quality standardization principle, and brief process on how to reset national ambient air quality standard. It included the path role of public administrator, private administrator, and theorist in defining integrated framework of status quo and snap prediction. This mind map can be used as base of re-standardization ambient air quality in Indonesia. Furthermore, upcoming greater legitimate policy on this issue is gladly looked forward.


A strain of yeast-like-symbiotes(YLS) was isolated from the eggs of brown planthopper(Nilaparvata lugens St°al,BPH),and named as strain 34.The 26S rDNA sequence of strain 34 was highly homologous with that of the YLS directly isolated from BPH,and the strains both belonged to the Yarrowia lipolytica of subphylum Ascomycotina class Pyrenomycetes.The results showed that the strain 34 had the genetic relationship with the yeast-like-symbiotes of BPH.Moreover,it was concluded that the YLS of BPH could be cultured in vitro.


In autumn 2009 the Almaqah Temple of Yeha in Ethiopia has been recorded by terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry in cooperation between the Sana'a Branch of the Orient Department of the German Archaeological Institute and the HafenCity University Hamburg. The temple dates from the 7th Century BC and is one of the best preserved buildings of Sabaean architecture in Africa. As a basis for all future project works a geodetic network was established in UTM-coordinates by GPS measurements. The geodata collected will form the basis for all future work on the temple. The deformations of the facades were determined for restoration issues and the existing parts of the temple were modelled by meshing (3D triangulation). Using the scanned point cloud and a technical analysis of the building the Propylon, which is no longer existent today, was virtually reconstructed. In future, the data will also be included in the master plan for touristic development of the region of Axum and Yeha in northern Ethiopia.


PURPOSE: A compound is provided to prevent deformation of a host material due to heat at operation temperature, and to have high triplet energy level. CONSTITUTION: A compound is represented by chemical formula 1. In chemical formula 1, each of X, Y, and Z is formed of nitrogen; R1 is selected from a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic compound, hetero aromatic compound, and silicon compound; each of R2 and R3 is selected from substituted or unsubstituted aromatic compound, hetero aromatic compound, hydrogen, deuterium, silicon compound, and phosphoryl. An organic electroluminescent device includes a light emitting layer between an anode and cathode. The light emitting layer includes a dopant material and host material. The host material is formed of the compound.


— Remote energy meter monitoring is an advanced energy meter formulated by our own which will overcome the problems faced in conventional metering system such as human interference which leads to incorrect billing. In this energy meter advanced technologies such as ARM microcontroller, Raspberry Pi, ADC, Seven segment display (SSD), Cloud (Thing Speak) have been used. This is the new device which is using CY8C4247AZI-M485 ARM Microcontroller and will display voltage, current, and power on SSD and send data on IoT cloud Platform through Raspberry Pi. It can be implemented for residential as well as for industrial purpose. The developed system replaces traditional meter reading methods and enables remote access of existing energy meter by the energy provider. Also it can monitor the meter readings regularly without the person visiting each house. The system collects and manages energy consumption data and provides billing information for the user. A user can easily monitor, manage, and control energy consumption and achieve energy cost saving using the proposed scheme.


Introduce optimum level of Galega orientalis grassy meal in the diet of parent flock ducks at 10–15 % on weight of mixed fodder. Gathering of eggs and production traits on average layer was above on 9,0 and 12,0 % on absolute gathering of eggs, and also on 17 and 22 eggs accordingly production traits on average egg-laying bird. The expense of forages was more low on 11,7 and 13,4 % is compared with control group. The morphological structure of eggs in all groups was approximately identical. Thus in the first 3 groups where level of inclusion of Galega orientalis a grassy flour made from 5 to 15 %, the big maintenance of vitamins A, В2, D and E was observed. Thus, the comparative estimation of forages from long-term bean grasses in diet of parent flock duck has shown that fine addition to a lucerne and real alternative to it is Galega orientalis.


With the fast development of open-ended fund,its risk needs to be managed effectively.VaR model is an effective tool in risk management of openended fund.This article explains the definition of VaR model,illuminates calculation principle of VaR and discusses three computation methods of VaR model: Variance-covariance,Historical Simulation and Monte Carlo Simulation.Every computation method of VaR model has its advantages and disadvantages and application scope,so its selection depends on specific situation.This article finally explores the application of VaR model in risk management of open-ended fund.


The structure, physical and chemical properties of natural rubber are considered, the complex of unique properties of natural polymer in comparison with synthetic rubber is shown.


Extension processing (Cai, 1999) has been developed and studied for solving contradictory problems in the real world. Due to the huge amount of computing power needed in the extension, it is important to develop a higher performance scheme for supporting extension processing. In this paper, a data-driven (Gandiot et al., 1996; Nikhl et al., 1992) approach to support the parallel processing of matter elements in an extension system is presented. According to the nature of matter elements, divergent, conjugate, correlative, and implicative, the related attributes can be derived and found efficiently through the proposed data-driven mechanism. In the data-driven execution model, any operation with needed operands available is ready to fire. Those attributes are deemed as the operands needed by the operation, execution is ready to fire as long as the operands are available. Therefore, a higher performance and throughput can be achieved. The evaluation of the scheme is developed and tested according to the requirement of the extension process. From the simulation results, the proposed scheme and associated architecture can provide an effective environment for Extenics.


In the ten years since China jointed in WTO, cases related with intellectual property had always been a trouble to Chinese enterprises. The lose of these extraterritorial intellectual property cases also forces Chinese enterprises to pay a huge amount of compensation,it's even more rare for a Chinese enterprise to issue a intellectual property litigation. While the case Hua Wei suing Motorola happened earlier this year is the first case for Chinese enterprise to win in the name of intellectual property protection. Some scholars even claim this to be the first step for Chinese enterprises to integration into the world. Strategy for intellectual property and enterprise benefit can be concluded with analyzing this case.


This paper presents an algorithm to process the electromyography signal (EMG). It requires low computational power which allows it to be implemented in embedded, low cost platforms. The proposed algorithm uses the Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) and the feature extraction methods, namely, modified mean frequency, and the first spectral moment (SM1). This algorithms is able to identify four different movements of one upper limb, allowing to control a robotic assistance tool with four degrees of freedom. Thanks to the properties of this algorithm, rural populations can have access to this type of technologies.


ABSTRACT. We introduce two real entire functions $f_{A}\not\in\infty$ and $f_{D_{\int\infty}}$ in two variables, having only two critical values $0$ and 1. Associated maps $C^{2}arrow C$ define topologically locally trivial fibrations over $C\backslash \{0,1\}$ . The critical points over $0$ and 1 are ordinary double points, whose associated vanishing cycles in the generic fiber span its middle homology group and their intersection diagram forms the bi-partite decomposition of quivers of type $A_{1,z\infty}$ and $D_{1,z\infty}$ , respectively. Coxeter element of type $A_{1}z\infty$ and $D_{z^{1}\infty}$ are introduced as the product of the monodromies of the fibrations around $0$ and 1. We describe the spectra of the intersection form (normalized


Breaking edges off regular truncated cuboctahedra leads to a metal-organic framework (MOF) with polybenzene topology. This fully characterized MOF with lowest connectivity has the largest BET surface area among interpenetrated MOFs.


The key to setting up database of aircraft geometry data is the design of database logical structure based upon the results of aircraft geometry data analysis and study,to reduce or eliminate the redundancy data.The software for aircraft geometry database management system,which is designed through the programme technology of Visual Basic 6.0 Language and SQL Server,has friendly interfaces and the function of database accessing in local area network and reasonable administrative level management,to make the management of aircraft geometry data systematize and enhance security.


The arrival of the first Phoenician merchants and colonists in the far western portions of the Iberian Peninsula destabilised the delicate balance of the regional Late Bronze Age networks, unleashing a wide-ranging process that would completely change the socio-political landscape of southern Portugal. However, the growing volume of data shows that, far from being a linear and straightforward process, the ensuing restructuration was complex and dynamic. Following this reasoning, we argue that "traditional" models based on normative views of culture can no longer explain the diversity of the archaeological record, requiring new and more nuanced approaches. We particularly suggest that such diversity reflects specific representational discourses that combine "traditional" and innovative elements, often exogenous, according to variable identity discourses, historically situated and socially negotiated, destined to be deployed on multiple levels – from the microregional context of intraand intergroup interactions, to the transregional, Mediterranean level.


Medical Imaging is an emerging discipline, as well as a rapidly developing one. Currently imaging technology has entered a new era of digital imaging, which represents a hot trend in the development of clinical medicine, promoting the development of medicine. Medical imaging is an important part of medical education, which relates to various systems and various diseases of the human body, but with the constantly update of various imaging devices and rapid development of medical imaging technology, the traditional medical imaging teaching patterns cannot meet the demand of clinics any more. Based on our teaching experiences and copious references, we give a brief analysis for the teaching situation and the reform trend of medical imaging teaching, to deep our understanding of its teaching methods, adapt the rapid development of medical imaging, and improve the quality of imaging teaching.


Abstract Crashworthiness parameters like internal energy absorption and crush force efficiency are the key constants in evaluating the component crashworthiness and its safety. In the design of automotive structures for crashworthiness, there is an immense requirement for null strain submodules that provide a rigid room of survival area for the occupants and deformable submodules which can dematerialize the kinetic energy effectively. The front crash box of an automotive car is one of the most important deformable components which dissipate kinetic energy while frontal crash, which is the most persistent crash situation affects the entire automotive structural behavior. In this research, quasi-static axial loading response and crashworthiness characteristics of empty hollow tube, empty hollow tube with V-notch and empty hollow tube with horizontal groove have been investigated through experimental and numerical simulations. The axial quasi-static loading was executed at a couple of feed rates to evaluate the crashworthiness constants of each sample against quasi-static loading. The supremacy of feed rate, V-notch and square grooves over empty hallow structures were pursued. The numerical simulation of quasi-static test was performed in accordance with explicit finite element algorithm of PAMCRASH in order to envisage and justify the crashworthiness of each variety of specimen with experimental results. The derived crashworthiness experimental results and deformation behaviours of finite element analysis are found to be in a good concurrence with the experimental results.


Due to it's high, best quality protein content, soybean is one of the few sources of vegetal origin that provides all eight essential amino-acids, being an important source of folic acid, vitamins B3, B6, E, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper and phosphorus. It contains quality lipids as well (polinonsaturated fatty acids) and it causes a drop of the "bad" cholesterol level from the body (LDL-cholesterol decreases with 12.9%). Good cholesterol level increases on an average with 9% and the triglycerid concentration from the blood drops, with approximately 10.5%.[2] The present paper points out the influences soybean fiber enrichment has on biscuits in the technological processing and also on the qualitative content of amino-acids. To achieve this, thin layer chromatography was used from biscuits samples with different soybean fiber enrichments and a witness sample of soybean fiber. Another studied aspect was the influence of extraction solvents (ethylic alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, ammonium hydroxide) upon the amino-acids spots resolution. The experiment ascertained that the rheological properties of the soybean fiber enriched dough were improved, the amino acid quantity grew exponentially with the growth of fiber content in the biscuits and the most efficient solvent was isopropyl alcohol.


Electrical load forecasting is an integral part of power system planning, operation, and control. Accurate load forecasting is beneficial for making various operational decisions such as energy generation, reliability analysis, and dispatch scheduling of generated energy. However, short-term load fore-casting is difficult due to the complexity posed by the nature of load time series as it expresses multiple seasonality and nonlinear trend. In this paper, we propose an extension of a novel hybrid hierarchical deep learning-based forecast model which incorporates multiple seasonality. The original groundbreaking hybrid forecasting model is developed by Smyl. The model presented in this paper is based on a dilated recurrent neural network with a context vector by integrating exponential smoothing (EScdRNN). Exponential smoothing performs the adaptive time series processing whereas dilated recurrent neural network using context vector helps in cross-learning. This helps in the selection of useful input information which leads to improved accuracy. The results of the proposed methodology are compared with different statistical machine learning methods which show the potential of our proposed approach in terms of increased accuracy.


Human society is chiefly divided into three prominent classes, viz. the rich, the middle class and the poor. For a healthy social environment a balance among these three is essential. The Ṛgvedic society, being very ancient, features two primary classes-The Aryan and the Dāsa. They were further divided into four varṇas, viz. Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra. This classification chiefly depended on division of labour. The Brāhmaṇas represented the intellectual class, the Kṣatriyas were warriors. The Vaiśyas took care of agriculture and commerce, while the Śūdras served the other varṇas and worked as labours. The Puruṣa hymn (ṚV 10.90) states that, the Śūdras were born from the feet of the cosmic puruṣa. While the Brāhmaṇas came out from his mouth, the Kṣatriyas from his arms and from thighs the Vaiśyas . According to some commentators, this mantra attests the inferior position of the Śūdras in Ṛgvedic society. On the contrary some interpreters think it rather eulogizes the Śūdras as the plinth of the society. It is generally held that Śūdras were the poorest class and deprived of all rights in the Vedic society, while the most privileged were the Brāhmaṇas.But, an unbiased research may reveal something drastically opposite. For example, we hear the Brāhmaṇa seer Vāmadeva saying that due to severe poverty he had to cook dog's intestine.We also find a Śūdra king Jānaśruti imploring the sage Raikva for metaphysical knowledge and offering the latter riches of all kind.The present study will show the actual position of people of Ṛgvedic Age.


Abstract – RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) markerswere used to evaluate the genetic diversity among 19 common bean( Phaseolus vulgaris €L.) cultivars. Amplifications using 15 decamersprimers revealed 108 RAPD loci , 70 of which were polymorphic. Therelative genetic distance was estimated using the complement ofJaccard´s coefficient and grouping analyses were derived fromUPGMA and Tocher. These two grouping analyses confirmed thebroad genetic diversity among the common bean tropical germplasm,which was divided into two main groups. These groups correspond tothe Andean (genotypes with medium and large size seeds) andMesoamerican (genotypes with small seeds) domestication centers.The relative genetic diversity was greater among the Andean cultivarsthan that of the Mesoamerican cultivars.Index terms: Phaseolus vulgaris , genetic markers, genetic distances. (1) Aceito para publicacao em 27 de abril de 2000.Extraido da tese de doutorado, apresentada pelo primeiro autor a Universidade Federalde Vicosa (UFV), Vicosa, MG


Two kinds of new copyright protection technologies, including Digital Rights Management(DRM) technology and digital watermarking technology, are introduced in this paper. The application of digital watermarking technology in Digital Rights Management(DRM) is discussed. And the security issue of digital watermarking is analyzed.


The invention provides a sliding fastener assembly, which comprises a sliding part and a fixed part which can be glidingly connected; the fixed part is provided with an elastic tongue; the elastic tongue is provided with a hemispheric boss; one side of the sliding part, which faces the fixed part, is provided with a first groove and a second groove, wherein the first groove is arranged along the sliding direction which is relative to the fixed part and is used for enabling the sliding fastener assembly to be in a locked state, and the second groove is used for enabling the sliding fastener assembly to be in an unlocked state. In the sliding fastener assembly provided by the invention, the elastic tongue is arranged on the fixed part, so that the hemispheric boss on the elastic tongue and the first groove on the sliding part form a matching structure, and a bolt is better ensured to be locked and unlocked so as to solve the problem that the gliding connection of the sliding part and the fixed part in the sliding fastener assembly is comparatively sensitive and unstable. Simultaneously, the invention also provides a panel grill assembly comprising the sliding fastener assembly and an air conditioner comprising the panel grill assembly.


Composite based on gadolinium doped cerium (GDC) co-doped Lanthanum (La), Scandium (Sc), Ytterbium (Yb) were investigated as electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), namely GDC-La, GDC-Sc, GDC-Yb and GDC-Nd, respectively. The second co-doped La, Sc, Yb and Nd ensured the stability and high ionic conductivity of the GDC ceria-based electrolyte materials for SOFC. The GDC powder was synthesized via sol-gel technique. Then the La-GDC, Sc-GDC, Yb-GDC and GDC-Nd were subsequently prepared by mixing the GDC with La, Sc, Yb, and Nd respectively, through solid-state reaction in ballmill at 200rpm alumina balls. The composite electrolytes were then characterized in terms of its morphology, phase and thermal properties of the powders. Among the composite electrolytes investigated, GDC-Yb powder show higher purity and better dispersion than the others co-doped GDC. TGA analysis present that the addition of co-dopant led to improve thermal resistance and stability of solid electrolyte powders. The results confirm that GDC with co-dopant is promising alternative electrolyte for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFC).


Coal-measure mudstone is a typical dual-porosity media, and grouting in a matrix system is dominantly controlled by the imbibition effect for silica sol. This paper studies the imbibition effect using mudstone in the Huaibei mining area and silica sol as grouting material as an example. Groutability, driving force, and diffusion difficulty affecting the imbibition effect were tested by a mercury porosimeter, nanoparticle size analyzer, optical contact-angle measuring device, surface tension meter, and rotary viscosity meter. After finely grinding a mudstone sample, a pressureless imbibition process was conducted through nuclear magnetic resonance equipment for 216 h to study colloid spontaneous migration and phase characteristics. Results show that silica sol absorption rate follows a power function and that the spectrograms of T2 are distributed in a triple peak pattern, with a tendency to move to the right of vertex time. The paper lays a theoretical and experimental foundation for field grouting in the coal mine.


The misfire of the hybrid initiation system of detonating-cord and Nonel tube was analyzed,including intersection angle between detonating cord and Nonel tube,safe distance that detonating cord initiated Nonel tube and propagation direction of detonating wave. Firstly,the mathematical model of initiation system of detonating cord and Nonel tube was established by taking account into the forward and reverse propagation of detonation wave,and the reasonable range of the intersection angle was obtained,then the maximum lap radius of tubes encircling detonating cord was calculated from the energy initiation mechanism. Finally initiation tests of the hybrid initiation system of detonating cord and Nonel were conducted with different lap radius and different intersection angles. Results show that the detonating cord initiated the Nonel when the intersection angle between the detonating cord and tube ranged from70 ° to 110° and the lap radius was within 6 mm to 8. 4 mm,which agreed well with the theoretical analysis.


Abstract Fisher and Cleveland originally proposed that individuals differ in exterior-interior body awareness. A study was conducted in a population of 61 men and 43 women to examine this hypothesis. Tachistocopic recognition times for picture categories depicting the exterior and interior (E and I) body sectors were ascertained. A chi square analysis revealed that these recognition times were significantly related (P = 0.01) to Rorschach measures reflecting E-I awareness. An additional finding was that men recognized the I category more rapidly. This was considered to provide further support for the hypothesis that men have accentuated I awareness. An outline was given of ongoing work designed to measure the extent of the tachistoscope's regional specificity.


Within the framework of the $B$-meson light-cone sum rules, we review the calculation of radiative corrections to the three $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}$ transition form factors at leading power in $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}/{m}_{b}$. To resum large logarithmic terms, we perform the complete renormalization group evolution of the correlation function. We employ the integral transformation which diagonalizes evolution equations of the jet function and the $B$-meson light-cone distribution amplitude to solve these evolution equations and obtain renormalization group improved sum rules for the $B\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\pi}$ form factors. Results of the form factors are extrapolated to the whole physical ${q}^{2}$ region and are compared with that of other approaches. The effect of $B$-meson three-particle light-cone distribution amplitudes, which will contribute to the form factors at next-to-leading power in $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}/{m}_{b}$ at tree level, is not considered in this paper.


Let $k,N \in \mathbb{N}$ with $1\le k\le N$ and let $\Omega=\Omega_1 \times \Omega_2$ be an open set in $\mathbb{R}^k \times \mathbb{R}^{N-k}$. For $p\in (1,\infty)$ and $q \in (0,\infty),$ we consider the following Hardy-Sobolev type inequality:
\begin{align}
\int_{\Omega} g_1(y)g_2(z) |u(y,z)|^q \, dy \, dz \leq C \left( \int_{\Omega} | \nabla u(y,z) |^p \, dy \, dz \right)^{\frac{q}{p}}, \quad \forall \, u \in \mathcal{C}^1_c(\Omega),
\end{align}
for some $C>0$. Depending on the values of $N,k,p,q,$ we have identified various pairs of Lorentz spaces, Lorentz-Zygmund spaces and weighted Lebesgue spaces for $(g_1, g_2)$ so that the above inequality holds. Furthermore, we give a sufficient condition on $g_1,g_2$ so that the best constant in the above inequality is attained in the Beppo-Levi space $\mathcal{D}^{1,p}_0(\omega)$-the completion of $\mathcal{C}^1_c(\Omega)$ with respect to $\|\nabla u\|_{L^p(\Omega)}$.


Speech privacy between closed‐plan and open‐plan work situations is the goal of the new Social Security Administration (SSA) Headquarters complex in Baltimore. Approximately 1.1 million square feet of office building is being procured by the U. S. General Services Administration (GSA) using the "Systems Approach." A key element is the "Performance Specification for Office Buildings" which establishes detailed criteria for the "in systems" portion of the building including structure, HVAC, Electrical Distribution, Finished Floor, Luminaries, Finished Ceiling and Space Dividers. The successful system offeror demonstrated system compliance in a technical proposal before submitting an installed and lifecycle cost bid. American Bridge, Wolf and Munier, and Owens‐Corning Fiberglas, in joint venture, submitted the low bid, Prototype tests recently completed demonstrate full compliance. Since acoustical attributes affect each subsystem, the criteria includes reference to the PBS C.1 and C.2 test procedures among others. A summary of the procurement process, testing criteria, development parameters and solutions will be available.


OBJECTIVE
To survey attitudes about three "best practice" medical interventions (hormone replacement therapy [HRT], thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction [THROM] and coronary artery by-pass surgery [CABS]) in a sample of patients, and identify factors associated with those attitudes.

SETTINGS
Metropolitan tertiary care hospital outpatient clinics (survey 1, April 1997), two general practice surgeries (survey 2, May 1997), and one general practice surgery (survey 3, October 1997).

DESIGN
Patients completed a questionnaire while waiting for their clinical consultation. Attitude scores were measured on an 11-category Likert scale ranging from -5 (definitely would not) to +5 (definitely would) for acceptance of proposed medication or surgery.

PARTICIPANTS
85 (participation rate, 85%), 77 (94%) and 95 (97%) in surveys 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Surveys 1 and 2 constituted the primary study group (n = 162). Patients aged > or = 50 years or reporting heart disease were excluded from the HRT analyses; patients aged > or = 65 years were excluded from the THROM and CABS analyses.

RESULTS
The median attitude scores for HRT (n = 58), THROM and CABS (n = 111) were -2.95 (95% CI, -5 to -2.1), -0.5 (95% CI, -0.9 to 0) and -0.1 (95% CI, -0.5 to +1.3), respectively. Decreasing the risk-benefit ratio fourfold for HRT in survey 3 (n = 68) increased the median score to -0.75 (95% CI, -2.3 to 0).

CONCLUSIONS
Patients do not view favourably the risk-benefit ratio of the three surveyed medical interventions. These attitudes may present a major impediment to most primary prevention programs.