Purpose

Presently, a wide range of polyurethane adhesives can be obtained using different kinds of polyols and isocyanates. However, the applied temperature of the polyurethane adhesive is not more than 80°C. The film of polyurethane adhesive will be softened and deformed when its applied temperature is more than 100°C. Thus, the mechanical property of the polyurethane adhesive is decreased clearly, which limits its further application. The purpose of the study is to improve the heat resistance of polyols, especially polyester polyols and its resultant polyurethane adhesives.

Design/methodology/approach

The more rigid benzene ring is introduced into the polyester polyols to improve the heat resistance of its resultant polyurethane adhesive.

Findings

The more rigid benzene ring has ben introduced into the polyester polyols and the heat resistance of its resultant polyurethane adhesive is improved.

Originality/value

The polyester polyols with more rigid benzene ring have been prepared successfully by the vacuum melting method when diethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 1,6-hexanediol, ethanediol, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, sebacic acid and adipic acid are used as raw materials and tetra-isopropyl titanate is adopted as the catalyst.


AIM To study the spectrum features of formant pattern of vowel and the relationship between RVPI and F3 in postoperative patients. METHODS A spectrum analyzing program was coded using the acoustic functions Matlab language provided. 25 postoperative CP patients were grouped by speech articulation, and 15 normal children were selected as control. Formant pattern of vowel was obtained and frequencies of F1, F2 and F3 measured. Then 20 selected patients were divided into two groups by RVPI degrees: group A consisted of 7 patients whose RVPI 10%; those RVPI above 10% formed group B. Frequency of F3 were compared between group A and group B. RESULTS Frequency of F1 had no difference between IAr, NAr and control groups. There was significant difference about F2 among those children ( P 0.05). F2 frequency was highest in normal control group and lowest in IAr group. No difference about F3 frequency was found between control group and NAr group ( P 0.05), but F3 of IAr group was lower than that of the above two groups ( P 0.05). Furthermore, one extra formant about 1000 Hz existed in most CP patients. F3 frequency of group A was significantly higher than that of group B ( P 0.05). CONCLUSION There is significant relationship between articulation and F2. The extra formant on 1000 Hz is a characteristic of CP patients' spectrums. F3 frequency of can be used as an index to assess VPF.


This paper serves as an exploration and unscrambling of the gothic ingredients in the poet's poetry.As a constant theme for Gothic Fictions,death is repeatedly appeared in the poems of Allan Poe,the outstanding American poet.This phenomenon is not just a coincidence and there are some deep connections between the poet's life and the gothic tradition.Facts suggest the poet intentionally tailored his poetry with some gothic touch.


Fueled by digital distribution, unbundling is prevalent in many information and entertainment industries. What is the effect of this unbundling on sales, and what bundle characteristics drive this effect? The author empirically examines these questions in the context of the music industry, using data on weekly digital-track, digital-album, and physical-album sales from January 2005 to April 2007 for all titles released by a sample of more than 200 artists. The modeling framework, a system of an "album-sales" and a "song-sales" equation estimated with the seemingly unrelated regression method, explicitly accounts for the interaction between sales for the bundle and its components. The findings reveal that revenues decrease significantly as digital downloading becomes more prevalent, but the number of items included in a bundle (a measure of its "objective" value) is not a significant moderator of this effect. Instead, bundles with items that are more equal in their appeal and bundles offered by producers with a strong reputation suffer less from the negative impact of the shift to mixed bundling in online channels.


This book demonstrates the potential of the blended wing body (BWB) concept for significant improvement in both fuel efficiency and noise reduction and addresses the considerable challenges raised for control engineers because of characteristics like open-loop instability, large flexible structure, and slow control surfaces. This text describes state-of-the-art and novel modeling and control design approaches for the BWB aircraft under consideration. The expert contributors demonstrate how exceptional robust control performance can be achieved despite such stringent design constraints as guaranteed handling qualities, reduced vibration, and the minimization of the aircrafts structural loads during maneuvers and caused by turbulence. As a result, this innovative approach allows the building of even lighter aircraft structures, and thus results in considerable efficiency improvements per passenger kilometer. The treatment of this large, complex, parameter-dependent industrial control problem highlights relevant design issues and provides a relevant case study for modeling and control engineers in many adjacent disciplines and applications. Modeling and Control for a Blended Wing Body Aircraftpresents research results in numeric modeling and control design for a large, flexible, civil BWB aircraft in the pre-design stage as developed within the EU FP7 research project ACFA 2020. It is a useful resource for aerospace and control engineers as it shows the complete BWB aircraft modeling and control design process, carried out with the most recent tools and techniques available.presents research results in numeric modeling and control design for a large, flexible, civil BWB aircraft in the pre-design stage as developed within the EU FP7 research project ACFA 2020. It is a useful resource for aerospace and control engineers as it shows the complete BWB aircraft modeling and control design process, carried out with the most recent tools and techniques available. Advances in Industrial Control aims to report and encourage the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.


General practitioners are expected to make decisions on the problems of every patient whom they see, under conditions of great uncertainty. Pressure for cost containment is growing, and quality of care and accountability are major issues. Medical knowledge of varying relevance is accumulating at an increasing rate, so that GPs find themselves in a quicksand of volatile and unvalidated knowledge. Weighing up all the options, and seeking more information in order to select the favoured option is not easy in the time available. Then there is the burning question whether a decision has benefited an individual patient. The new generation of knowledge-based decision support (KBDS) computer systems may be able to offer some help.


One and two-generated free MV -algebras are algebraically described in the variety generated by perfect MV -algebras. Article Information Corresponding Author: A. Di Nola; Received: May 2020; Accepted: Invited paper. Paper type: Original.


In this paper the participation of young women in the labour force in Serbia is discussed, following two econometric approaches most recently used in the analysis of the binary choice model. The parametric probit and the semiparametric single-index models are specified and estimated and a formal test for the selection of the appropriate model specification is conducted. Following the estimation outputs of the selected participation equation, an economic interpretation of the importance of the factors that determine the propensity to work of young women in Serbia is given.


This paper explains the influence of National Interest (NI) in the formulation and execution of Foreign Policy (FP) of Malaysia during the Mahathir era since 1981-2003. Therefore, there is a need to analyse whether NI is the predominant factor influencing the FP of Malaysia and to indicate how strongly the NI and FP are related. However, the soundness of the application of the national interest and related theories are subjected to the degree of universality and flexibility of the changing geopolitical environment. These changing factors will be discussed in this paper via two objectives of study that leads to the establishment of two research questions. Two of the objectives of the study were; first, to indicate that the NI is the predominant factor in influencing the conduct of bilateral relations with other state actors and the participation in the multilateral framework and second, to identify the economic, political, security and societal interests and imperatives of Malaysia's NI that drove the FP. The study adopted a qualitative methodology to interpret the events and episodes of FP of Malaysia during the Mahathir era. The findings showed that the use of events, objectives, postures, initiatives, strategies and implementation of the FP at the bilateral and multilateral domains on the questions of defence/ security, economic, societal interests and ideological values during Mahathir's era was grounded by the NI - which went beyond the personality, character, family traits or educational background of Mahathir.


Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inspection is one of the most commonly used nondestructive evaluation (NDT) methods for detecting anomalies of ferromagnetic materials. Sizing of the defect with MFL signal is the key problem of inspection, which is important for evaluating the health condition of the material. However, it is an ill-posed inverse problem that is hard to solve and harder to be accurate. Forward models that give a highly accurate simulated signal with a corresponding depth profile are widely used in solving the inverse problem iteratively. Unfortunately, the policy which determines the iteration process is hard to design. In this article, a reinforcement learning (RL)-based algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the depth of defects with a complex depth profile. Instead of designing the policy, the iterative process of the classic iteration-based method is embedded into the learning process of the RL-based algorithm proposed in this article. The policy is learned from the data generated during the reconstructing iteration. By designing the states, actions, and rewards in the RL structure, the most computationally costly part of calling the forward model during iteration is avoided. An adaptive limited exploration process is given to balance the exploration and exploitation in the inverse problem of MFL inspection in this article. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated with simulation results under different noise levels. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust with good reconstruction accuracy.


Aims:  To isolate acid‐ and bile‐resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains directly from food samples and to preliminarily select them on the basis of fundamental probiotic properties.


A home fire broke out at and attracted the kitchen.With the authorization of the fire prevention department,the author attended the investigation of the accident.After the checking to the bottle and its valves,the cause of the fire was found out.


Abstract In this concluding article for the Special Issue, we attempt to summarize lessons learned from these various implementation and evaluation projects. We focus on the following four points: (a) correcting misperceptions of mental health; (b) identifying, training, and coaching system change implementers; (c) distinguishing strategies for launching versus sustaining systemic interventions; and (d) the role of culture in implementation and outcomes.


The turbulence can be expressed as small-scale, short term and frequent change to the velocity of air. The turbulence forecasting in the atmospheric boundary layer is very influenced by gradient Richardson number values. In this case, we use the data set were retrieved from Indonesia Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics in synoptic hour 0000H. In particular, our methods will use Richardson number value and machine learning approaches by using a support vector machine to forecast the Richardson number value and identification the stability of the layer based on the turbulence forecasting. The results will be practically beneficial as utilities can use the predicted values to generate an adequate amount of Richardson number value to avoid grid outages as well as construct dynamic pricing schemes based upon future turbulence.


Objective: To define sample size requirements for establishing clinical serial monitoring protocols. Design: The 95% confidence bound of a critical difference score is defined and used to identify false-negative regions suitable for sample size calculation. Results: Reference subject sample sizes vary from about 40 to 480 subjects, depending on the minimum acceptable error rates of the clinical protocol. Conclusions: Sample size requirements for establishing test–retest standards are generally defined and suitable for any serial monitoring protocol.


1 The transient vasodepressor action of Met‐enkephalin (10–80 μg kg−1, i.v.) in anaesthetized rats was significantly potentiated by the angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril (2 mg kg−1, i.v.); at this dose, it failed to modify the transient vasodepressor action of the non‐specific vasodilator, nitroprusside (2.5, 5.0, 10 μg kg−1, i.v.). 2 Captopril (2 mg kg−1, i.v.) caused a slow, progressive fall in the blood pressure of anaesthetized spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats when compared to vehicle‐treated controls. Pretreatment with naloxone (1.5 mg kg−1, i.v.) 30 min earlier failed to alter significantly the hypotensive action of captopril in anaesthetized SH rats. 3 It was concluded that although captopril potentiated the vasodepressor action of Met‐enkephalin in anaesthetized normotensive rats, potentiation of endogenous opioids does not appear to be involved in the hypotensive action of captopril in anaesthetized SH rats.


Microfluidics is the science of designing and manufacturing devices and processes for manipulation of extremely small volumes of fluid, typically micro to nanoliters.The most mature application of microfluidics technology is ink-jet printing, which uses orifices less than 100 μm in diameter to generate drops of ink. The complex devices now being developed for biological applications involving the analysis of DNA (in genetics and genomics) and proteins (in proteomics) and bio-defense typically involve aqueous solutions and channels 30 to 300 μm in diameter. Unlike microelectronics, in which the current emphasis is on reducing the size of transistors, microfluidics is focusing on making more complex systems of channels with more sophisticated fluid-handling capabilities, rather than reducing the size of the channels. Although micro- and macro-fluidic systems require similar components including pumps, valves, mixers, filters, and separators, the small size of microchannels causes their flow to behave differently. At micron scales, fluid motions are primarily dominated by surface tension and viscous forces.

In the problem under consideration, the issue is one of wicking or leaking of the sample from the reaction reservoir to the waste region at elevated temperatures. A mechanism responsible for this phenomenon was thought to be the "wedge effect," which refers to the tendency of liquids to move along a sharp corner by capillary effects if the conditions are right. The analysis performed during the workshop also mainly focused on this effect.

While a definitive solution to this challenging problem posed in the workshop was not identified, it was felt that using a manufacturing process that can affect the corner angles in the channels may hold the most promise, allowing the wicking mechanism to be controlled without surface treatments that insert hydrophobic stops in the channel. For instance by "rounding" the side walls to increase the corner angles from 90 toward 180 degrees, the leaking of the sample away
from the reaction chamber might be delayed.


The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of interval aerobic exercise on forced vital capacity in non-active female students. Forty healthy non-active female students with no cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and skeletal deformity or smoking experience were randomly selected and divided into two groups; experimental group (N=20) and control group (N=20). The experimental group performed 36 sessions of 45-minute interval aerobic running with 65-80% of heart rate reserve while control group had no training program. Before beginning exercise plan and after 18, 24 and 36 session of training program, forced vital capacity (FVC) was evaluated by Lung Test1000 Spirometer. The results were analyzed by General Linear ModelRepeated Measures and the mean differences were tested. P>0.05 was considered as non-significant.The results showed that interval aerobic training had significant effect on forced expiratory vital capacity(FVC EX) and forced inspiratory vital capacity(FVC IN) (P<0.05). It seems interval aerobic training programs can be used for improving female's cardio-respiratory function and its efficacy.


Z. concludes by summing up the dramatic functions of the amoibaia which he has examined. He draws a distinction between amoibaia which carry forward the action and those which interrupt it, and shows that each type has metrical patterns especially associated with it. From Lysistrata onwards, amoibaia become much rarer than previously: it is remarkable that the change coincides with other developments suggesting the beginnings of a decline in the importance of the comic chorus, notably the gradual disintegration of the parabasis. The text ends with two excursuses, on the chorus of Peace (on which thorny problem Z. on the whole agrees with Dover) and on the classification of anapaestic passages as song or recitative. There is a full index of pasages referred to, and a separate index of passages discussed textually (over 80 of them). The metrical and subject indices are perhaps not as helpful as they might be; for instance, there are no entries for metrical pause and related topics (catalexis, hiatus, brevis in longo, etc.) of which there are valuable discussions in connection with various passages. At the end of the book Z. expresses the hope that he ' has been able to show how freely Aristophanes dealt with the inherited forms, how he guided the expectations of the public.. .in a particular direction and then to their surprise either redeemed or cheated those expectations; that the metrical and linguistic interpretations have been able to exhibit the close connection of language and musical structure with the action of the play in question, with the speaker's character and with the situation in which the lyric passage is performed; and that it has been possible to make intelligible the role of the chorus in the individual plays and in the work of Aristophanes as a whole'. Under the first two headings Z. has certainly achieved his object, and made a permanent and invaluable contribution to the understanding of 'this gifted poet'. When the whole project is completed, it is not impossible that Z.'s far more ambitious third goal may also be judged to have been attained. We await the second instalment with lively anticipation.


In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many predicted that automated external defibrillators would markedly improve cardiac arrest outcomes; unfortunately, these hopes were not realized. In 2005, the American Heart Association published resuscitation guidelines reemphasizing the importance of circulatory support with properly performed chest compressions in addition to …


This article treats the problem of learning a dictionary providing sparse representations for a given signal class, via ℓ1 minimisation. The problem is to identify a dictionary Φ from a set of training samples Y knowing that Y = ΦX for some coefficient matrix X. Using a characterisation of coefficient matrices X that allow to recover any orthonormal basis (ONB) as a local minimum of an ℓ1 minimisation problem, it is shown that certain types of sparse random coefficient matrices will ensure local identifiability of the ONB with high probability, for a number of training samples which essentially grows linearly with the signal dimension.


An evaluation of ALOS PALSAR (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar) data for shrub height and aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation has been performed in scrub-dominated ecosystems of central coastal California. Comparison between AGB field measurements and SAR estimations showed a correlation coefficient of R2 = 0.53 for the HV polarization. Post-fire AGB regeneration was examined two years after the Big Sur Basin Complex fire of 2008. In 2009, the average patch size of AGB density classes between 20-40 Mg ha-1 and 50-70 Mg ha-1 was 0.49 ha and 0.09 ha, respectively. In 2010, patch sizes in these same two AGB density classes increased to averages of 0.8 ha to 0.15 ha, respectively. No strong saturation in the SAR-AGB relationship was found, which indicated the potential for more advanced applications of L-band SAR data for coastal ecosystem AGB mapping.


Following years of silence after EC-Sardines, three cases were adjudicated by Panels under the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in 2011: US-Clove Cigarettes, US-Tuna II (Mexico), and US-COOL. These three cases dealt with key provisions of the Agreement, but the Panels adopted irreconcilable approaches. All three decisions were appealed before the Appellate Body (AB), but even the latter failed to apply a coherent methodology to adjudicate similar.In Section II, we provide a brief account of the facts and the outcomes of the cases, whereas, in Section III we discuss the methodology applied by the WTO judiciary in the three cases.


Recently, it has been observed that the brightness tcmpcraturcs of sca surfaces corrclatc with the azimuth angle of tl]c ocean wind vector, indicating that ocean wincl clircction can not only bc retrieved from the microwave backsmttcr, but also from tllc brightness tcmpcraturc mcasurcmcnts. In this paper , comparison of the theoretical results calculated from a two-scale clnission and scattering model with the Scasat and SSM/I moclcl functions ancl aircraft mcasurcmcnts is prcscntccl and pc)tcntial applications of microwave polarimctry arc discussccl. In our two-scale model, the modified rcflcctivitics of large scale surfa,ccs arc calculated by cxtcncling the small pcrturlmtion mctllod to the second order for small scale perturbation with allisotropic clircctional spectrum. It was found that the modified rcflcctivitics derived from the scccmd-orclcr scattcrccl field agree excellently WC1l with the results obtained from a Monte Carlo simulation tcchniclue which numerically calculates t hc polarimctric rcflcctivit ics of oneclimcnsional ranclom rough surfaces with a pc)wcr-law spectrum. Without the scconcl-order correction, the moclificcl rcflcctivitics of the rough surfaces arc significantly over-cstinmtcd ancl sign errors arc obscrvccl in the third allcl fourth Stokes parameters for thermal clnissicms. 'Ilc suxfacc spectrum parameters ancl two-scale cutoff arc sclcctcd so that the calcula.tcd scattering and emission signatures agree with the rcportccl moclcl functions for Scasat and SSM/1, Suhsccjucntly, the ]Jolarimctric signatures of sca surfaces arc il]ustrat,cc~ to indicate the pcwsibility of reducing the number of azimuthal looks requirccl for spaceborne sensors in the remote sensing of ocean wind by using the polarimctric. il~fcmnation. Furthcmnorc, it is found that contrary to the dcpcnc]cncc of baclcscattcring cocffkicnts on incidcmc.c angles, polarimctric brightness tcmpcraturcs clispla,y a stronger wincl clix-ccticnl clcpcndcncc in tl~c near naclir-lc)okingj direction than away from nadir. Finally, wc discuss the pc)tclltial of a singjc-loc)k ])olarimctric radiometer for wincl ret ricval.


This paper proposes a scheme for handwritten Chinese character recognition (HCCR), which is made up of pre-classifiers and model integrated, and both use neural networks. Experiments show that the proposed scheme can classify large number of catalogs well. For example, testing 1 000×10 characters, the maximal recognition rate is 95.22%, 5.0%-8.7% higher than that of advisual classifer.


Deep neural networks (DNNs) are currently widely used for many artificial intelligence (AI) applications including computer vision, speech recognition, and robotics. While DNNs deliver state-ofthe-art accuracy on many AI tasks, it comes at the cost of high computational complexity. Accordingly, there has been a significant amount of research on the topic of energy-efficient processing of DNNs, from the design of efficient DNN algorithms to the design of efficient DNN processors. However, in surveying these techniques, we found that there were certain limitations to the approaches used in this large body of work that need to be addressed. First, the number of weights and MACs are not sufficient for evaluating the energy consumption of DNNs; rather than focusing of weights and MACs, designers of efficient DNN algorithms should more directly target energy and incorporate that into their design. Second, the wide range techniques used for efficient DNN algorithm design has resulted in a more diverse set of DNNs, and the DNN hardware used to process these DNNs should be sufficiently flexible to support these techniques efficiently. Many of the existing DNN processors rely on certain properties of the DNN which cannot be guaranteed (e.g., fixed weight sparsity, large number of channels, large batch size). In this work, we highlight recent and ongoing work that aim to address these limitations, namely energy-aware pruning, and a flexible accelerator (Eyeriss v2) that is computationally efficient across a wide range of diverse DNNs. ACM Reference Format: Yu-Hsin Chen, Tien-Ju Yang, Joel Emer, and Vivienne Sze. 2018. Understanding the Limitations of Existing Energy-Efficient Design Approaches for Deep Neural Networks. In Proceedings of SysML Conference (SYSML'18). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 3 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/nnnnnnn.nnnnnnn


Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, 29 January, 2015 Title: Deutsch-Schwedisches Codeswitching an der internationalen Universitat English title: German-Swedish Codeswitching at the International University Author: Heike Havermeier Language: German Distribution: Department of Languages and Literatures, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 200, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden ISBN: 978-91-979921-5-2 http://hdl.handle.net/2077/41147 The study contributes to the growing field of multilingualism in university contexts. The subject is the bilingual language use of scholars working at German institutes at universities in Sweden. The study illuminates both the formal and the functional aspects of their codeswitching. It thereby goes towards filling gaps in research on codeswitching in academic communication. The analysis of the grammatical integration of switched items uses a contrastive method giving special attention to aspects where the language systems (German and Swedish) come into conflict. The findings are interpreted in relation to the sociological approach of communities of practice, which reveals that, in building such a community, the informants follow specific practices in their codeswitching. A corpus of more than 30 hours of conversation has been compiled, comprising different communication situations at the workplaces. It is exposed that the existing descriptive models do not contribute categories suitable to describing the form of codeswitching in the corpus, since they do not consider the syntactical characteristics of spoken language. Therefore, a new descriptive model is suggested. The main categorization criteria are conversational turns and morphosyntactical dependencies. Further, categories of analysis of motivation for codeswitching were found to be a desideratum. To create a description model, the function of and motives for codeswitching mentioned in previous literature were compiled and assigned to subordinated factors. The analysis shows that the informants prefer a distinct base language, in which items from the respective other language can be inserted, mostly nouns and particles. The insertion of verbs is avoided. The investigated speakers follow strict patterns concerning the morphological and syntactical integration of inserted items. These patterns differ from those reported from other bilingual communities and predicted in theoretical models such as the MLF model: Even though the word order in bilingual utterances follows the base language, inserted words are inflected according to the embedded language, so neither Swedish nor German constitutes a classical matrix language. One grammatical item that comes into conflict as a result of this pattern is the definite article, which is an inflectional suffix in Swedish, but is a free grammatical word in German. Which system is used to mark an embedded language noun as definite, depends mainly on the motivation for the codeswitching. Metalinguistic comments are a common motivation for codemixing in the corpus. The frequent insertion of nouns is, however, mainly motivated by linguistic domains. This is also remarkable in comparison with other bilingual communities, since linguistic domains are mostly predicted to cause a change of the base language rather than the insertion of single words.


The main purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the inaccuracies in the article by Paul Kiparsky and Karl Pajusalu (2003). Their influential study suggests a typological classification of vowel harmony based on mostly Finnic languages and their dialects which is claimed to be supported by a particular OT analysis. However, in many cases, their example languages and dialects are hardly classifiable into the category suggested by them. Moreover, their OT analysis completely ignores cases of variation (including vacillation) in the example languages. The present study deals with the data available for Estonian (Mulgi and Northeastern dialects), Veps and Khanty, and demonstrates – mostly based on the same sources referred to by Kiparsky and Pajusalu – that the actual patterns of harmony are considerably different from the patterns described in their article. It is  emphasized that many patterns do not arise from the behavior of neutral vowels but instead, they can be results of the length and the nature of the harmonic domain. The paper also introduces the notion of harmonicity slope, according to which the domain has no strict borders and in which the tendency for the vowels to harmonize gradually diminishes.


AbstractThe assumption who says that Sufism as a cause of poverty, backwardness, and stagnation is a misnomer because scientific research has been done by r. Pieris mentioned that India's Sikhs seized economic position because it combines the simplicity and the hard work of teaching, research and student groups mention that Geetz relatively richer than at abangan caused due to the attitude of a group of students is simple and avoids the lavish ceremony but workers hard. Likewise, some Sufi figures who have many scientific works such as Al-Farabi and Al-Ghazali.However, Sufism's future will be more commonly used with model neo-Sufism, in terms of a model that requires the batiniyah religious active life and engage in cooperation. Once in a while get rid of yourself to uzlah it might be worthwhile if it is done to energize your insights and views that was the starting point for the involvement and activity in the community. Such a model is like that offered by Hamka (Modern Tasauf) and Fazlurrahman (Neo-Sufism). Sufism this model trying to maintain the positive outcomes of modernization or development of science by filling the void that exists in him.Keywords: mistisme, the dilemma, Preview the future


A heat damper (20) is provided with a plate-like guide (21) which, in a heating mode, guides warm air to an air mix space (R3) and promotes the mixing of the warm air and cool air. The guide (21) is configured so that, in a vent mode, cool air which is discharged from a cool air passage (R1) to the air mix space (R3) flows bypassing the guide (21).


The invention discloses a method for preparing amphiphilic nano silica powder and is used for preparing nano silica powder with about 90 degrees of a tri-phase contact angle. The method uses ultrasonic preparation, thus having short preparation process; the invention adopts liquid phase modification, thus avoiding processing means such as grinding, calcining and the like which are easy to cause the powder to generate hard particle agglomeration; the invention can prepare better amphiphilic surface (about 90 degrees of tri-phase contact angle) nano silica powder. The invention also discloses amethod for preparing Pickering emulsion by using the amphiphilic nano silica powder under the action of ultrasound or cutting, the nano silica powder stably exists in oil-water interface, thus preventing diffused oil (water) droplets to re-agglomerate into big droplets to split phase and stabilizing emulsion. The prepared emulsion can be stored at room temperature without occurrence of demulsification in three months.


Excerpt In the past 3 years the bone marrows of 14 patients with unequivocal multiple myeloma were subjected to cytogenetic study. All had at least 20 clear, scorable metaphase plates. Five had a m...


The effect of unbalanced coefficient of magnetron (UCM) on the structure and tribological properties of CrN x hard coatings was studied. The CrN x coatings were deposited on both Si wafer and hardened tool steel substrates using a closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating technique in a gas mixture of Ar+N2 under different unbalanced magnetron conditions. The coatings were characterized by means of XRD, XPS, SEM, microhardness tester and pin-on-disc tribometer to study respectively their structure, chemical bonding state, microstructure, hardness and tribological properties. The experimental results show that the UCM has a profound effect on the structure, hardness and tribological properties of the CrNx coatings. With increasing the values of UCM, the dominant phases in the deposited coatings evolved from Cr+Cr2N to Cr2N+CrN, the microstructure became denser and the hardness increased; in addition, reduced coefficient of friction and improved wear resistance of CrN x coatings were also observed under a larger UCM.


Source-code plagiarism detection in programming, concerns the identification of source-code files that contain similar and/or identical source-code fragments. Based on the analysis of the characteristics and defects of the existing program code similarity detection system, a method of source code similarity detection based on Abstract Implementation Structure Diagram (AISD) is proposed. The source code modelling and format into an abstract implementation structure diagram, and forming structural feature strings and variable reference relationship sequences by extracting structural features and variable position features. We calculate the overall similarity by calculating structural similarity and variable similarity. The results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed AISD-based approach overcomes other approaches on the same source code datasets, and reveals promising results as an efficient and reliable approach to source-code plagiarism detection.


This paper presented a new passive wheel type of Biped Ice-Skater Robot(BISR) on the basis of ice-skating principle. The paper narrated briefly its motion principle and construction. Also, the posture of the robot in every gait when it skated straight was discussed and planed. After the model was simplified and the coordinate systems were established, the motion differential equations of the robot were obtained with the generalized Lagrange Routh Equation when the nonholonomic constraints existed. Then, the paper gave out actual examples and simulated the result on computer. Finally, some related conclusions were drawn.


It is widely known that the differential calculus, as developed by Newton and Leibniz, relied heavily on the concept of the infinitesimal. However, due to the inability of mathematicians to provide an adequate foundation for their manipulations of these mysterious quantities, the infinitesimal approach fell into disrepute over the following centuries and the − δ limit as stated by Weierstrass became the foundation of modern analysis. The tools of modern logic and the axiomatic foundation of mathematics in the twentieth century, however, provided new opportunities for the creation of a rigorous calculus of infinitesimal quantities. The type-theoretic construction of enlargements of R by Abraham Robinson in the 1950s and 1960s was the first serious attempt to resolve this issue, and resulted in many proofs of (already established) results which were great improvements over the classical proofs. These results were, according to Kurt Gödel, "good reasons to believe that non-standard analysis, in some version or other, will be the analysis of the future." [10]


Performance on items in intelligence and achievement tests can be represented in terms of child development and information processes. Research is reviewed on item performance that supports developmental and information processing effects, particularly in children. Some suggestions for item development in intelligence and achievement tests are presented.


An object of the present invention, while suppressing the operating voltage to improve the conductivity of the organic EL element is that it possible to suppress the leakage current of the organic EL element, between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, at least a light-emitting layer When a hole transport layer adjacent to the positive electrode side of the light-emitting layer, wherein an organic EL device having an adjacent electron injection transport layer on the anode side of the light-emitting layer, the hole transport layer and the positive electrode hole injection layer is formed between, the hole injection layer using an organic EL element characterized in that continuously changing its conductivity in the thickness direction of the hole injection layer.


power output of 20 mW. A horn antenna (23 cm x 18 cm) was used at the transmitting end and a dish antenna (64 cm diameter) was used at the receiving end. The dish had a reflex waveguide feed. Behind the dish was mounted a Low Noise Broadband (LNB) converter, and the entire assembly could be rotated in the horizontal plane for the purpose of alignment. The LNB was connected to ICOM-R7100 receiver. The receiver was operated in the wideband FM mode and with the automatic frequency control on. This compensated for any frequency drift in the transmitted frequency. The clear-sky signal-to-noise ratio of the beacon at the receiver was determined by comparing the signal strengths of the ICOM receiver with and without those of the transmitter signal and this was about 26 dB. Measurements were carried out for several days that


A method and a circuit for narrow band voice transmission is proposed which leads to a particularly large reduction of the required transmission bandwidth. The method emerges from a voice frequency band (VF) which is divided up into three frequency bands, namely a lower frequency band (FBU), a centre frequency band (FBM) and an upper frequency band (FBO). The lower frequency band characterises the vowels of the voice, the centre frequency band the lower frequency range of the consonants and the upper frequency band the upper frequency range of the consonants. The centre frequency range is excluded from transmission. The envelope curve frequency band (FBO') is derived from the upper frequency band and is converted into a frequency range which is adjacent to the lower frequency band. In this way, in the case of analogue signal transmission, instead of the original voice frequency band (VF), only a frequency band which is smaller by approximately two thirds is transmitted.


This article studies peculiarities of the anatomical and histological structure of the aortic valve cusps in Baikal seal in the age of 3-3.5 years. Topographically, the aortic valve takes a central position and is located between the atrioventricular valves, and cranial - pulmonary valve. Projectively, the aortic valve is placed above the level of the atrioventricular valves, but below the level of the pulmonary valve. The aortic ostium has marked sinuses, two coronary and one septal, forming the aortic bulb. The valve is shown by the septal right and left semilunar cusps. The septal cusp is caudally attached to the aortic ostium and the right and left have a cranial location. Aortic valve cusps have three layers of connective tissue: fibrosa (aortic) – with collagen fibers, ventriculosa (ventricular) - with elastic and spongiosa (intermediate) - a combination of both fibers, give strength to this structure. The thickness of the ventricular layer of the cusp is 2.4 times higher than the thickness of the aortic layer. At the places of the greatest thickness value, there are transverse resections (2 deep and 4 surface), which increase the contact surface and increase the pressure on the cusp. The thinning area, which is located before the bulging edge of the cusp, acts as a closure point for the aortic valve cusps.


Chiral building blocks for macrolides and related natural products are obtained from 1,6-anhydrosugars by conversion of the bicyclic acetals 2 or 12 into the open chain chiral 1,3-dithianes 6 and 13. Branched precursors can be obtained by opening of the Černý epoxide 1 with the 1,3-dithiane anion to yield 7, followed by ring opening with 1,3-propanedithiol to the bis-1,3-dithiane 8.


The research below draws heavily on the visual aspect of miscellaneous urban pattern of Barcelona. It highlights those visual effects of the structure of city ambiences which tend to improve their quality. Visual aspect is treated from the scientific, detached standpoint, trying to identify visual invariables which, being detached visual elements in complex field of visual in their interaction constitute the composition of city ambiences which induces similar sensitive provocation. City ambiances of miscellaneous urban pattern of Barcelona affect the perception of it's users which causes the appearance of variety of visual effects because of visual interaction. This research results in categorization of diversity of achieved visual effects of Barcelona, as well as comparison of this urban pattern with the urban pattern of planned cities of 20th century according the number of achieved visual effects, also providing the general guidelines for their improvement in existing and prospective planned cities. Following methods are used empirical method which basis on visual detection and observation /analysis of characteristics of urban pattern of Barcelona and identification of it's visual effects/, historical method /develop of miscellaneous urban pattern of Barcelona through history/, comparative method / comparison with the urban patterns of planned cities of 20th century according the achieved visual effects/, descriptive method as well as methodological - dialectic couples analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction.


One limitation encountered by chemical rocket propulsion in high-pressure planetary atmospheres is illustrated by the conflict between the dependence of specific impulse on the ratio of chamber pressure to ambient pressure and the dependence of the motor structural design on the difference between the pressures. This work proposes to resolve the difficulty by employing detonating propellant in which the high pressures necessary for efficient propulsion are developed over a short time and need not be contained statically. Experimental results are presented to substantiate this claim of relatively high performance, together with an analytical development that approximately describes the flow dynamics. Nomenclature A = nozzle cross-sectional area ca — speed of sound in ambient gas CD = flow coefficient ea = specific energy released in explosion, EJme Ea — energy released in explosion Ea' = energy released per solid angle, Ejai /i/2 = functions of y, Eq. (15) /3 = function, Eq. (19) F = axial thrust g = acceleration of gravity gc = conversion constant G = integral, Eq. (16) H = integral, Eq. (16) Ht = total enthalpy A/I = height / = specific impulse L = axial length of nozzle m = mass of gas ma = mass of ambient gas contained in nozzle me = mass of explosive material ra = mass flow rate M = mass of equipment Mw = molecular weight P = static pressure Pa = ambient pressure Po = plateau pressure Ap = pressure difference, Pt — Pa r — radial distance from apex of cone re = effective radial length of nozzle, Table 4 R = gas constant Ru = universal gas constant Ri = characteristic radial length, Eq. (17) t — time T = temperature u = velocity V = volume z = elevation a = function of y, Table 3 y = specific heat ratio


This paper is an analytical investigation of practices related to business fraud prevention and detection and employs the analogy of fire control and safety as a model for accounting control. As in fire control where fire counter measures must match fire type, anti-fraud activities must match fraud characteristics. The paper contains a historical literature review of accounting fraud, an account of internal control research, and a report of a game theoretical model used to explain the behaviour of the players in accounting fraud. The model described in the paper includes factors such as perpetrator category, detection probabilities, collusion, the cost of controls, and the value of rewards. The model postulates a set of perpetrator types based on the level of commitment to fraud and employs a game tree to describe movements and outcomes with varying rewards and control environments. In addition, the model is used to show the interplay among a variety of fraud and counter-fraud factors. Historical evidence suggests that what is known about internal control activities is based on anecdotal evidence and therefore, a game theoretic approach may have merit.


Large scale metrology, with its origins in triangulation methods, is today strongly focused on the use of tracking laser interferometers, particularly in the aerospace industry. These systems can achieve 10s of microns accuracy over 10s of metres in range. Trackers provide 3D position by direction and range whilst triangulation systems use multiple direction measurements. Achieving a particular positional accuracy depends on many factors, in particular configuration of instruments and measurement location within the workspace.


Multi-cavity integrated passband optical filters using phase-shifted Bragg gratings incorporating micro-heaters for fine phase-shifts control are realized in silicon-on-insulator technology. Experiments report flat-top moderate-loss sharp passband windows with 40dB contrast-ratio, and up to 250 dB/nm roll-off for 3rd-order filter designs.


Objective To evaluate the health education effect of hand-washing behavior in rural areas with improving drinking water and lavatories,and to provide scientific basis for health education. Methods With random sampling,the villagers from 3 counties of Mingshan,Anju and Daxian were intervened and surveyed,and the effectiveness was evaluated. Results After years of health education,habits of hand-washing before breakfast,feeding child before meals,after using the toilet,after wiping children,contacting with feces on villagers were improved in general( P0. 01); the hand-washing behavior of the students in school after using the toilet improved in general( P0. 01); the rates of hand- washing with soap in villagers did not improved in general( χ2= 0. 05; P0. 05),the rates of washing hand with soap in the students in school were improved in general( χ2= 4. 36,P0. 05). Conclusion The targeted hand-washing behavior intervention model has achieved certain effect,especially the mode carried out in the students,which is worthy of popularization and application.


In this paper I discuss and reflect on the relationship(s) between the supervisor and the PhD-student, but also touch upon role dilemmas and relational challenges, as part of the interaction between the supervisor and the PhD-student. Many have emphasized the importance of a successful relation as part of a successful supervision. However, the relational aspects of supervision is most often not articulated or problematized in practice. Supervision is an interpersonal matter with strong emotional dimensions, but it is also a vulnerable relation that has to be understood in terms of its asymmetrical character, including issues of dependency, power and inequality. Having in mind that the relationship takes place in this hierarchical environment, the dialogue concerning relational aspects of supervision becomes even more important to highlight. Embracing these aspects is also a crucial part of handling the professional role as a supervisor as well.


In this manuscript we show how covariates may be included in Markov chain nest-failure models and illustrate this method using nest-monitoring data for Coastal Plain Swamp Sparrows (Melospiza georgiana nigrescens) from Woodland Beach Wildlife Area, Delaware. First, we explore hypotheses for nest failure as a single event class, which is the converse of modeling covariates to survival. We then generalize to consider separate covariates to two classes of nest failure - predation and flooding. Temporal variability, both within and between years, was the most important factor for describing daily nest failure probabilities, though percent cover around the nest also received strong support. The Markov chain estimators for a single class of failure are likely to be similar to other generalizations of the original Mayfield estimator. The estimators for modeling two or more classes of failure should prove useful, but must be employed with caution. They are sensitive to nest-fate classification errors and they can lead to a proliferation of models, which could result in over-fitting.


I HAVE recently bad the opportunity of observing a patient who exhibited a peculiarity in the deep reflexes which, although described by various observers as occurring in certain of the lower animals, is somewhat rare in man. On tapping one patellar tendon in the usual way this patient showed not merely the ordinary knee-jerk on that side, but in addition a crossed knee-jerk, or more accurately, a crossed adductor jerk, was also evoked. Thus, for example, if the right patellar tendon was tapped, two jerks occurred, the one being that of the right quadriceps extensor, the other that of the left adductor muscles. Conversely, if the left patellar tendon was tapped, the knee-jerk occurred on the left side and the adductor jerk on the right. Moreover the left adductor jerk was only elicited by tapping the right patellar tendon, and the right adductor jerk only by tapping the left patellar tendon. To the naked eye these two jerks which occurred when one patellar tendon was tapped seemed to be practically simultaneous, but the case seemed to me to be worthy of experimental observation by more delicate methods, in order to determine some points in the comparative physiology of the knee-jerk and of the adductor jerk respectively. The only experiments, with which I am familiar, which have been done on the human subject on the comparative time-relations of the knee-jerk and of the crossed jerk are those made by Dr Glynn of Liverpool'. In Dr Glynn's case, the crossed reaction was apparently due to the vastus internus of the opposite side and not to the adductor muscles, as in my own case. Glynn's observations are of extreme interest, but their value as accurate time-records is impaired by the


The present work analyses the conception of History in Raul Pompeia's work and the role attributed to the memory. To that, we have chosen as corpus the chronicle Cavaleiros Andantes (Wandering Knights), Professor Claudio's second conference in O Ateneu (The High School) and the work Cancoes sem metro (Songs without metric), as we find a great narrative of the humanity in them, which makes possible to recognize a History Philosophy from it. Against the dominant ideologies at the end of the XIX century, we realise a reaction to the positive idea of progress, which is expressed in a decadentist and cyclic vision of History, whose eschatology without gods leads us, after the final cataclysm, to the stainless time of origin. However, despite the pessimism of the system, the repressed desire of the revolutionary rupture is latent in it and is able to rend the infernal cycle. The task of recording the tragedy of the ideals with the probable aim of keeping this flame alive is given to the artist. so it is to the historian


Over the past decades, tropical forests have experienced both compositional and structural changes. In the Neotropics, researchers at multiple sites have observed significant increases in the abundance and biomass of lianas (i.e. woody vines) relative to trees. However, the role of dynamics at early life stages in contributing to increasing liana abundance remains unclear. We took advantage of a unique dataset on seedling dynamics over 16 years in ~20 000 1‐m2 plots in a tropical forest in Panama to examine temporal and spatial trends in liana and tree seedling abundance. We found that the relative abundance of liana seedlings increased across the study period, from 0.18 in 2001 to 0.24 in 2017. However, increases in liana seedling relative abundance appear to have levelled off in more recent years. The observed increases in liana relative abundance appear to be the result of both higher survival and higher recruitment rates of liana seedlings compared to tree seedlings. Increasing liana abundance in the seedling layer was not explained by annual variation in dry season length, total rainfall or the proportion of area occupied by canopy gaps. In addition, liana seedlings did not exhibit a demographic advantage (i.e. higher recruitment or survival) over tree seedlings in dry habitats. Synthesis. Our results reveal that seedling communities experienced important compositional changes in the past, but liana seedling relative abundance may have stabilized in recent years. Longer‐term monitoring is needed to determine whether tropical forests will continue to experience compositional changes that may alter forest structure and ecosystem function.


Drosophila hydei is more abundant under colder and drier montane habitats in the western Himalayas as compared to Drosophila repleta, but the mechanistic basis of such climatic adaptation is largely unknown. In this study of two closely related Drosophila species, D. hydei and D. repleta, we examined the role of dehydration tolerance on survival under desiccating conditions. Water loss before succumbing to death (dehydration tolerance) is much higher in D. hydei (~ 74%) than D. repleta (~ 48%). Total surface lipids and percent melanisation did not differ significantly in these two species. Thus, species-specific water loss tolerance capacities are significantly correlated with varying levels of desiccation resistance. Patterns of rate of water loss do not account for contrasting levels of desiccation resistance in these two species. These differences in dehydration tolerance impact desiccation resistance and might explain their distribution pattern – why D. hydei is more abundant than D. repleta in dry habitats or during dry periods.


Keyword auctions are being used to sell the positions along the side of organic results shown by search engine when user types a keyword or a query related to keyword in a search engine. It has been a huge revenue generating arena for search engines since last decade. Irrespective of the great success of these types of auctions there are certain research issues which are still in inchoate state and needs urgent attention of research communities e.g. how much a naive bidder should bid without referring to any complex agents, how much he/she will be minimally charged for the participation etc. In this paper we propose a novel scheme to compute effective bidding range based on fuzzy logic which has threefold advantages. Firstly, it provides bidders with the information of his effective range of bids which can ensure his chances of participation and winning. Secondly, it provides auctioneer with the information about bidders bidding behavior which can help in predicting their revenues and lastly it can enforce the minimum reservation prices in natural way. Experimental results are presented to illustrate working of the proposed scheme.


The Urban Food Agenda echoes the importance of improving food security in the urban space and food security remains central in the United Nation Development Agenda (2030) as highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs 2). Nonetheless, urban food security remains the less researched topics in Eswatini, and in southern Africa in general. This study investigated the levels of food insecurity in the low income households of Msunduza in Mbabane, Eswatini. It further captured the food (in)security determinants and the coping strategies employed by Msunduza residents to deal with food shortages. Data was collected from 91 heads of households, selected through systematic sampling procedure. The results reveal that majority of households in Msunduza are food insecure, with a larger proportion in the mildly food insecure category. Household income, household size, education level and employment status, as well as gender of the household head were found to be among the key determinants of food (in)security in the area. In cases of food shortages, households in the informal settlement of Msunduza employ different coping strategies which include reducing food intake (size of meals), begging, settling of household asserts and skipping of meals, among others. The paper recommended that food security interventions be considered for low income urban households, more particularly female headed households which tend to be more vulnerable to food insecurity.


With the drastically growth in optical communication technology, a lossless, low-crosstalk and multifunction optical switch is most desirable for large-scale photonic network. To realize such a switch, we have introduced the new architecture of optical switch that embedded many functions on single device. The asymmetrical architecture of OXADM consists of 3 parts; selective port, add/drop operation, and path routing. Selective port permits only the interest wavelength pass through and acts as a filter. While add and drop function can be implemented in second part of OXADM architecture. The signals can then be re-routed to any output port or/and perform an accumulation function which multiplex all signals onto single path and then exit to any interest output port. This will be done by path routing operation. The unique features offered by OXADM has extended its application to Fiber to-the Home Technology (FTTH), here the OXADM is used as a wavelength management element in Optical Line Terminal (OLT). Each port is assigned specifically with the operating wavelengths and with the dynamic routing management to ensure no traffic combustion occurs in OLT. Keywords—OXADM, asymmetrical architecture, optical switch, OLT, FTTH.


In this work, we demonstrate damage-free removal of residual carbon in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for carbothermal-synthesized materials, such as CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors, SnSb alloy anode materials, and TiN ceramic powders. The efficiency of residual carbon removal and the damaging effects of the plasma for treated materials are investigated in detail, with carbothermal-synthesized CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors being used as an example. Results show that the residual carbon in carbothermal-synthesized CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors could be removed effectively within a DBD plasma generator, resulting in the significant improvement of luminescent properties. The damage-free character of this DBD plasma decarburization process to phosphors is revealed, showing amazing superiority over the traditional high-temperature decarburization route. These results offer an attractive strategy for the removal of residual carbon for various carbothermal-synthesized materials with finely controlled compositions.


The importance of family businesses has been increasingly acknowledged in the academic literature. In recent times, Qatar is witnessing a big boost in education and women in particular have shown keen interest as corroborated by the increase in the number of registration in the Universities. But even after acquiring degrees at par with the males in the family, in general, women still encounter serious challenges in family businesses and they are traditionally found to be not participating in core activities of the business. The aim of the project was to study issues related to women in family businesses in Qatar. The project studied role of women in the family in business activities; entrepreneurial growth among women in the family; and the role of women in building goodwill for family business by participating in community and social issues.


A recent article in Popular Science magazine really resonated with me, in light of other recent experiences with "research and development programs." "DARPA's Debacle in the Desert" (Hooper, 2004) concerned the much-hyped 2004 DARPA Grand Challenge, which offered a US$1 million prize to the individual or team that developed an unmanned, completely autonomous vehicle that could navigate itself over a 150-mile course in the shortest time (under 10 hours). DARPA, the U.S. Department of Defense's premier basic research and out-of-the-box funding agency, gambled on technology development/advancement via a structured contest. The price tag to plan, advertise, provide support and logistics, monitoring and scoring, etc., was likely several times the potential prize. The best performer in the contest dropped out approximately 7.5 miles from the starting line. The contest certainly generated excitement, and it pulled together some interesting and talented teams. Did the contest spur technological advancement? Likel...


When the Hawaiian bobtail squid rises from the sand each evening to hunt, it swims cloaked from detection by predators and prey because it casts no moonlight shadow, a trick it owes to compartments full of glowing bacteria on its underside. It tunes these mini-floodlights to the right intensity using light sensors on its back, adjusting a shutter on its body to match the moonlight perfectly (1).


Early-life stress (ELS) is known to exert long-term effects on brain function, with resulting deleterious consequences for several aspects of mental health, including the development of addiction to drugs of abuse. One potential mechanism in humans is suggested by findings that ELS interacts with polymorphisms of the GABRA2 gene, encoding &agr;2 subunits of GABAA receptors, to increase the risk for both post-traumatic stress disorder and vulnerability to cocaine addiction. We used a mouse model, in which the amount of material for nest building was reduced during early postnatal life, to study interactions between ELS and expression of &agr;2-containing GABAA receptors in influencing cocaine-related behaviour. Breeding of parents heterozygous for a deletion of &agr;2 resulted in litters containing homozygous knockout (&agr;2−/−), heterozygous knockout (&agr;2+/−) and wild-type (&agr;2+/+) offspring. Following the ELS procedure, the mice were allowed to develop to adulthood before being tested for the acute effect of cocaine on locomotor stimulation, behavioural sensitization to repeated cocaine and to cocaine-conditioned activity. Exposure to ELS resulted in increased acute locomotor stimulant effects of cocaine across all genotypes, with the most marked effects in &agr;2−/− mice (which also showed increased activity following vehicle). Repeated cocaine administration to nonstressed mice resulted in sensitization in &agr;2+/+ and &agr;2+/− mice, but, in keeping with previous findings, not in &agr;2−/− mice. Previous exposure to ELS reduced sensitization in &agr;2+/+ mice, albeit not significantly, and abolished sensitization in &agr;2+/− mice. Conditioned activity was elevated following ELS in all animals, independently of genotype. Thus, while the enhanced acute effects of cocaine following ELS being most marked in &agr;2−/− mice suggests a function of &agr;2-containing GABAA receptors in protecting against stress, the interaction between ELS and genotype in influencing sensitization may be more in keeping with ELS reducing expression of &agr;2-containing GABAA receptors. The ability of ELS to increase cocaine-conditioned locomotor activity appears to be independent of &agr;2-containing GABAA receptors.


: A simple solution method to synthesize Cu nanoparticles with the mean diameter of 57.5 nm is developed, and as-synthesized Cu nanoparticles are characterized systematically, including scanning electron microscope(SEM), transmission electron microscope(TEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), thermal gravity analysis(TGA) and differential thermal analysis(DTA). The nano copper paste is prepared by dispensing as-prepared Cu nanoparticles into deionized water with the assistance of ultrasonic. The sandwich structure of nickel/nano copper paste/copper is fabricated using a simple screen-printing method and the shear strength of the sandwich structure, the cross-sectional microstructure and fracture micro-structural features under the different pulsed current sintering processes is studied. Experimental results show that the shear strength of the sandwich structure increase as the current increase, and the shear strength reach the highest value, i.e. 46.3 MPa, when the current is 0.8 kA, also the pulse electric current sinter nano copper paste and connect nanometer copper particles and nickel as well as copper substrates in a short time (less than 200 ms) to obtain a high density and high performance joint structure. Mechanism of pulse current sintering nano copper paste is proposed by analyzing the nano-copper solder paste microstructural features after the pulse current sintering.


It is well known that the resolvent kernel for a strongly elliptic operator with constant coefficients, which is the inverse Fourier transform of the related symbol, satisfies the exponential decay estimate. We derive it by the formula that expresses the resolvent in terms of the integration with respect to spectral parameter of a high power of the resolvent, whose kernel can be evaluated by the standard method. This approach also works when the elliptic operator is defined on a domain and has variable coefficients.


Efficiency is one of the important criteria to see whether a nation's civil litigation system is scientific. Adjudication deadlines are an important factor to affect the efficiency of civil litigation. Therefore, the improvement of civil adjudication deadlines directly affects the efficiency of civil litigation. Based on the analyses of defects in the current regime, this paper puts forward some proposals to improve the deadline procedures for China's civil adjudication.


MnS nanocrystals were prepared by a solvothermal method using Mn powder and Surfur powder as the reactants.The obtained products were characterized by XRD and SEM,respectively.The results indicated that as-obtained samples(MnS-1 and MnS-2) were rock-salt-type α-MnS.The electrochemical properties of the MnS nanocrystals were also studied.The initial lithiation capacities of the α-MnS nanocrystals were 957.2 mAh/g and 1 033.1 mAh/g,respectively.The MnS-1 sample prepared at 180 ℃ for 2 days exhibited a better cycling performance related to the smaller particle size and narrower particle size distribution,compared with the MnS-2 sample prepared at 160 ℃ for 5 days.The as-prepared α-MnS materials have potential applications as an alternative anode material for lithium-ion batteries in the future through modification or encapsulation.


New and general stability criteria are developed for magnetic bearing-rotor systems under practical conditions of system operation and failure based on the Lyapunov second (direct) method. The unperturbed (fully nonlinear) stability of a conventional magnetic bearing-rotor configuration is analyzed for zero gravity; these results are shown to apply with gravity, based on observed similarities of the nonlinear Lagrangian equations. In addition to known results for stability and instability, the system can be stable when a magnetic bearing fails (has negative stiffness), but the net stiffness is still positive. A complete set of sufficient conditions are derived. This temporary stability depends upon inherent gyroscopic forces and is lost when dissipative forces are introduced. However, even with damping the gyroscopic forces improve the system's relative stability. The results are applicable to other gyroscopic systems.


ABSTRACT Primary consideration in this critical review was given to treating oil spills at sea with the intent of reducing the environmental impact of that oil if it should reach the shore. The general conclusions reached were: In carefully planned and monitored laboratory and sea tests, oil has been effectively dispersed; but at many field tests and at accidental spills, reported effectiveness has been low—perhaps because of poor targeting and distribution of aerial sprays, because the oils were too viscous to be dispersable, or the observations of effectiveness were inconclusive. The acute lethal toxicities of dispersant formulations currently in use are usually lower than those of the more volatile and soluble fractions of crude oils and their refined products; hence the toxicity of dispersed oil is due primarily to the oil and not to the dispersant. Sublethal effects of dispersed oil observed in the laboratory occur in most cases at concentrations comparable to or higher than those expected in the wat...


Patch robustness certification ensures no patch within a given bound on a sample can manipulate a deep learning model to predict a different label. However, existing techniques cannot certify samples that cannot meet their strict bars at the classifier level or the patch region level. This paper proposes MajorCert. MajorCert firstly finds all possible label sets manipulatable by the same patch region on the same sample across the underlying classifiers, then enumerates their combinations element-wise, and finally checks whether the majority invariant of all these combinations is intact to certify samples.


The present study focuses on the usage patterns of Herbal Personal Care Products (HPCP). In this research paper an attempt has been done to understand the impact of selected herbal cosmetic Products on Indian women in and around the cities of Mysore and Bangalore. The study has been undertaken with the anticipation to find the association between varied age groups and fashionable cosmetic products and to assess the frequency of usage patterns of the herbal cosmetic products among the study sample undertaken. One hundred women respondents were chosen through stratified random sampling, Where the strata chosen was the age factor. Women aged between the ages of 16 to 60 were addressed with Close-ended Questionnaires. The SPSS (v20) for windows was incorporated for the analysis. Prevalence of Conventional and traditional cosmetic usage patterns are derived and tabulated.


The tobacco planting soil of Nange township Huili county is collected as a standard sample.After the sample digested,the ICP atom absorption spectrum apparatus in used to determine the heavy metal content of lead,cadmium,arsenic and chromium in the sample,and the single factor index method is used to evaluate and analyse the pollution status.The results of the study show that the average percentage of this 4 kinds of heavy metals in the tobacco planting soil of Nange township is:Pb 289.17 mg/kg,Cd 6.25 mg/kg,Cr 73.92 mg/kg,As 16.08 mg/kg.Compared with the soil environmental quality standard values,Cd belongs to severe pollution grade,Pb belongs to moderate pollution grade,while the rest is free from contamination or belongs to light pollution grade.In the evaluation of the health risks and ecological risks of tobacco planting soil,Pb health values are in a low risk level,and Pb ecological risks are in a medium risk level.Cd is in a high risk level because of exceeding badly.We can see from this,the status of the heavy metal content of the tobacco planting soil of Nange township of Huili county is not optimistic,and it is worth our long-term attention.


Background: Patients (pts) with cancer are at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease. Longitudinal followup is needed to characterize the severity, sequelae and outcomes in pts with cancer who develop COVID-19. Methods: NCCAPS is a prospective, longitudinal study (NCT04387656) aiming to accrue 2,000 pts with cancer undergoing active treatment or prior stem cell transplant for hematologic or solid tumor malignancy. Adult patients are eligible to enroll within 14 days of their first positive SARS-CoV-2 test;pediatric patients may also enroll retrospectively. Clinical data, patient-reported outcomes, blood specimens, and imaging are collected for up to 2 years. This abstract provides initial baseline and 2-month follow-up data. Results: As of Jan 22, 2021, 585 pts (552 adults and 33 pediatric pts) had complete baseline data and of these pts, 215 adults had 2 months of complete follow-up data. 23.4% of adults and 42.4% of pediatric pts were of nonWhite race and/or Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. The most common cancer diagnoses were breast (19.6%), lung (9.9%) and multiple myeloma (8.9%) in adults and acute leukemia (AML/ALL;63.6%) in children. The most recent treatment was chemotherapy in 38.2%, immunotherapy in 9.6%, and radiation in 5.4%. Median time from positive SARS-CoV-2 test to study enrollment was 10.5 days in adults and 18 days in pediatric pts. Preliminary analysis of plasma cytokines will be presented. At enrollment, 84.6% of adults had COVID-19 symptoms. 55.9% reported symptoms 2 weeks after their positive SARSCoV-2 test;this fell to 39.0% at 1 month and 28.8% at 2 months (see Table). Of the 215 adults with complete data at 2 months, sequelae included pulmonary (n=22, 10%), cardiovascular (n=12, 6%) thromboembolic (n=9, 4%), bleeding (n=9, 4%) and gastrointestinal (n=11, 5%). 144 (67%) reported at least one cancer treatment disruption in the first 2 months, most commonly delayed therapy (n=98;46%).Of the 348 adults with baseline data and SARS-CoV-2 test date prior to Nov 23, 2020, 6.3% had died (median time from SARS-CoV-2 test to death: 27 days), and 22.1% reported at least one hospitalization for COVID-19. No deaths were reported in the pediatric population. Conclusion: Cancer pts with COVID-19 report ongoing symptoms after acute infection and a substantial number develop sequelae. Cancer treatment disruptions are common in the initial months following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Longer follow-up will inform whether these treatment disruptions are associated with adverse outcomes. (Table Presented).


As is widely known, a non-Hermitian matrix exhibits distinct left and right eigenvectors, which form a bi-orthogonal system. Chalker and Mehling initiated the study of the joint statistics of the eigenvalues and the overlaps defined by the left and right eigenvectors of the Ginibre unitary ensemble. Later, Akemann et al. continued their investigation by studying the $k$-th correlation function weighted by the on- and off-overlaps of the Ginibre unitary ensemble. In this paper, as a natural extension of their work, we investigate the $k$-th correlation function weighted by the on- and off-diagonal overlaps of the induced Ginibre unitary ensemble. Similar to the Ginibre unitary ensemble case, we will demonstrate the determinantal structure. As a result, we will confirm the universality of the $k$-th correlation function weighted by the on- and off-diagonal overlaps in both the bulk and edge scaling limits in the strongly non-unitary regime. Furthermore, in the weakly non-unitary regime and at the singular origin, we will report new relationships between the overlap and such spectral regimes.


The measurement of credit quality is at the heart of the models designed to assess the reserves and capital needed to support the risks of both individual credits and portfolios of credit instruments. A popular specification for credit- rating transitions is the simple, time-homogeneous Markov model. While the Markov specification cannot really describe processes in the long run, it may be useful for adequately describing short-run changes in portfolio risk. In this specification, the entire stochastic process can be characterized in terms of estimated transition probabilities. However, the simple homogeneous Markovian transition framework is restrictive. We propose a test of the null hypotheses of time-homogeneity that can be performed on the sorts of data often reported. We apply the tests to 4 data sets, on commercial paper, sovereign debt, municipal bonds and SP sovereign debt also looks Markovian (perhaps due to a small sample size); municipals are well-modeled by the Markov specification for up to 5 years, but could probably benefit from frequent updating of the estimated transition matrix or from more sophisticated modeling, and S&P Corporate ratings are approximately Markov over 3 transitions but not 4.


A new, distinctive, and inexpensive colorimetric sensor for the detection of phosphate ions (Pi) performed on paper-based analytical device (PAD) based on anti-aggregation of 2mercaptoethanesulfonate (MS) modified silver nanoplates is proposed. An aggregation of MS-AgNPls due to the electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged sulfonate group on MS-AgNPls and europium ions (Eu3+) causes color change. Whereas, the color of MS-AgNPls remains unchanged in the presence of premixed Eu3+ with Pi because the higher binding affinity of Eu3+ has towards Pi leaving the AgNPls dispersed. An apparent color changing from dark violet to pink with the increasing amount of Pi can be observed by naked eyes on PAD and can be used for quantification by the measurement of color intensity using ImageJ software. The aggregation and anti-aggregation of MSAgNPls were characterized by TEM and UV-visible spectroscopy to confirm the mechanism. This method can detect Pi in the range of 5 150 ppm with a detection limit of 1.67 ppm (3 SD/Slope) and a limit of quantification equals to 5.07 ppm (10 SD/Slope). The optimum parameters including pH, concentration of MS and Eu3+, reaction time, and effects of interferences were studied. This method can be applied with the detection of Pi in real samples collecting from soils and in agree with the standard method (UV-visible spectrophotometry).


A regular charge-monopole theory is derived from simple and self-evident postulates. It is shown that this theory provides explanations for effects of strong and nuclear interactions. The theory is compared with Dirac's monopole theory. Applications to strong and nuclear interactions are compared with quantum chromodynamics. The results favor the regular charge-monopole theory and indicate difficulties of the other ones. An experiment that may provide further evidence helping to decide between the regular charge-monopole theory and quantum chromodynamics is suggested.


In time-sensitive and dynamic missions, autonomous vehicles must respond quickly to new information and objectives. In the case of dynamic task allocation, a team of agents are presented with a new, unknown task that must be allocated with their original allocations. This is exacerbated further in decentralized settings where agents are limited to utilizing local information during the allocation process. This thesis presents a fully decentralized, dynamic task allocation algorithm that extends the Consensus-Based Bundle Algorithm (CBBA) to allow for allocating new tasks. Whereas static CBBA requires a full resetting of previous allocations, CBBA with Partial Replanning (CBBA-PR) enables the agents to only partially reset their allocations to efficiently and quickly allocate a new task. By varying the number of existing tasks that are reset during replan, the team can trade-off convergence speed with amount of coordination. By specifically choosing the lowest bid tasks for resetting, CBBA-PR is shown to converge linearly with the number of tasks reset and the network diameter of the team. In addition, limited replanning methods are presented for scenarios without sufficient replanning time. These include a single reset bidding procedure for agents at capacity, a no-replanning heuristic that can identify scenarios that does not require replanning, and a subteam formation algorithm for reducing the network diameter. Finally, this thesis describes hardware and simulation experiments used to explore the effects of ad-hoc, decentralized communication on consensus algorithms and to validate the performance of CBBA-PR. Thesis Supervisor: Jonathan P. How Title: Richard C. Maclaurin Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics


We showed previously that rats display ~1°C core temperature (Tc) increase during ~4 days of heat stroke (HS) recovery; however, the mechanisms mediating this response remain unidentified. It was suggested that hypothalamic damage mediates this Tc response, but there is a lack of histological evidence in support of this. We hypothesized that local hypothalamic cytokines and/or chemokines, which are known regulators of Tc, may be mediating the elevation in Tc during HS recovery. The hypothalamus of Fischer 344 rats was examined for 83 cytokine/chemokine genes (real‐time PCR) at Tc,Max (41.8°C), 1, 3, and 10 days of HS recovery (3‐8 rats/group). IL‐1β was elevated ~14‐fold at Tc,Max and returned to baseline by 24 hours; IFNγ and IL‐10 were decreased ~3‐fold at 24 hours. All cytokines returned to baseline by 3 days. Most chemokines were downregulated ~2‐ to 4‐fold through 24 hours, but shifted towards increased expression by 3 days. Despite normal Tc at 10 days of recovery, some chemokine changes persisted. Contrary to our hypothesis, most cytokines/chemokines showed significant down regulation during HS recovery, which may indicate increased translation in our model. Importantly, resumption of normal Tc at 10 days with persistent alteration in the hypothalamic cytokine/chemokine profile may indicate greater susceptibility to a subsequent HS event. Author views not official US Army or DoD policy.


Various adducts were prepared by reactions of amino acids with acid chlorides, and examined for antirust and other characteristic properties. Aqueous solutions of N-acyl leucine and N-acylglutamic acid salts with triethanolamine showed antirust and antiwear properties forward water-based cutting fluids to be quite satisfactory.


Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has identified over 6,000 radioactive sealed sources currently licensed in the US that are neither needed nor wanted by their owners. Most of these sources contain transuranic isotopes in quantities greater than those allowed for current disposal pathways. These sources, along with an additional 12,000 estimated to become excess over the next 5 to 10 years, were made the responsibility of the US Department of Energy (DOE) for ultimate disposal under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 (PL 99-240). This paper describes the plans and accomplishments of the Off-Site Source Recovery (OSR) Project at LANL. The Project is organized under the Environmental Science and Waste Technology (E) Division to address DOE's obligations for unwanted sealed sources that exceed the limits of Class-C low-level waste. The paper discusses the group's new management philosophy, the scope of the unwanted sealed source problem that LANL will face, and the proactive approach that the OSR Project is taking to reduce the risk posed by these sources in the public and private sectors. In addition, the paper presents the schedule for reducing the backlog of unwanted sources in the US. Recognizing the current reality of unresolved disposal pathways, the paper also discusses mitigating the impact that recovered sources with no identified disposition path will have on the designated storage facility at LANL.


Acknowledgments/competing interests: work carried out in this letter was funded by the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Unit (SH, PB, DPA) and Biomedical Research Centre (PB). DPA is funded by a National Institute for Health Research Clinician Scientist award (CS-2013-13-012). DPA's research group has received unrestricted research grants from Amgen, Servier Laboratoires, and UCB Pharma. None declared for SH, SS, and PB


Airline industries are currently faced with challenges to satisfy consumers in order to improve organizational performance. The purpose of this study is to analyze service quality, corporate image, price fairness, and airline safety as a stimulus of customer satisfaction and its impact on brand loyalty. Samples data of 350 Low Cost Carrier/LCC passengers in Indonesia were collected and purposive sampling technique was used to analyze the developed hypothesis. Further data is processed with Structural Equation Modeling technique. The results of the study found that the stimulus of customer satisfaction of LCC is service quality, corporate image, price fairness, and airline safety. Furthermore, customer satisfaction will provide consequences for airline brand loyalty. The study also found that corporate image is the strongest factor affecting customer satisfaction. For further research, it is suggested to add customer value as a stimulus of customer satisfaction.


Abstract Participants volunteered for either an ACME-type marital enrichment discussion group or an assessment-only control group. Participants in the enrichment group increased their level of marital adjustment and improved their communication more than those in the assessment group. Both groups maintained their posttreatment level at a one-month follow-up. Marriage enrichment sessions were videotaped and coded. Facilitator statement-participant response pairs of utterances were analyzed using two coding systems, the Heckel Classification System (HCS) and the Hill Interaction Matrix (HIM). The hypothesis that therapists' statements and participants' responses would be significantly related across time was supported. On the HCS, participants tended to follow the focus, action, intent, and function of the previous facilitator statement. On the HIM, participants tended to follow both the style and content of therapists' statements. Across time, participants decreased the depth of their responses to therapis...


Forecasts that are easiest to accept are those which fit with the management goals ... it is important to match the forecasting model not only to the data or situation but also to the culture of the organization for which forecasts are being prepared ... forecasters are now entering into new areas of exploration where both uncertainty and risk are hi h. Forecasting services have a derived demand function. The effectiveness and importance of forecasting is directly impacted by the ability of the forecaster to meet the needs of the forecast user -- most often some management function within a company or organization. It follows that the forecaster must satisfy the expectations of managers. Their needs are being affected by a changing business environment and a dynamic set of shareholder and constituent group expectations. As the external environment operates, it will affect management's forecast needs. At the 1996 Business Forecasting: Best Practices Conference in Chicago, a recurring theme in individual discussions and in the formal presentations was the changing world of the forecaster. Fewer resources, less time, downsizing, and greater management demands were identified as important factors influencing the professional demands placed upon the forecasting profession. Forecast and forecaster credibility, more diverse forecasting projects, more forecast situations where sufficient historical data are not available, and conflicting forecasting methods were also areas of concern expressed by those in attendance. Unclear objectives and inter-functional rivalries also contribute to the difficulties of managing a forecasting process, along with the expectations for technology. Organizational fragmentation and an unwillingness to share information further exacerbate efforts to meet management needs. All of these factors are symptoms of the changing business environment, and in some cases are a direct consequence of the changes which are affecting management in many organizations. The purpose of this article is the identification of those factors which have the greatest potential to affect the manner in which forecasters work and interact, and to identify actions which can be taken to better position forecasting and the forecasters in the dynamic environment in which business and supporting services must operate. A most important consideration is determining how the forecast function can add value to the business operations. If one looks up "forecast" in the dictionary, forecasting is defined as the attempt to predict, foresee, prophecize, plan, or otherwise develop outlooks for future events. The innate need to see into the future has been recognized by political and business figures throughout history. The importance of a soothsayer or prophet, and the danger of becoming one, has been long documented in both mythology and theologically recognized documents of authority. In Greek mythology, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo -- the gift of seeing future events and outcomes. But as a punishment, Apollo also decreed that no one would believe her prophecies, even though they were true. Certainly many modern day forecasters can identify with the frustration which Cassandra must have experienced. Valid, reliable forecasts are not always readily accepted by those who would benefit. Forecasting has always been a risky business. The processes by which forecasts are developed -- be they mathematical in origin, psychic in nature, or supernatural in outlook -- have always awed as well as alienated those whom the forecasters have endeavored to reach and persuade. The unacceptable nature of many outcomes as well as the probabilistic nature of the events being forecasted have often made forecasts difficult to envision or accept. Where forecasts do not fit the conventional wisdom or the current vision of those for whom the forecasts are being developed, the forecasts are generally criticized based upon their assumptions, plausibility, and in some cases the credibility of those preparing the forecasts. …


We are interested in the spreadsheet as a form of mathematical user interface – human-spreadsheet interaction. Concretely, we aim for a better understanding of spreadsheet comprehension. We look into the "context space" of spreadsheets, i.e., the space induced by information dimensions along which users try to grasp the presented content. Our recent research has shown that, on the one hand, there is a clear difference in the context spaces of spreadsheet readers and authors. On the other hand, spreadsheet complexity does not distinguish the users' context space. In this paper we look even deeper into the elicited data to find out whether and if so, how context dimensions depend on each other. If there are significant differences between such co-occurrences with respect to user roles or complexity, then we can make use of the results to enhance user-assistance systems for spreadsheets.


Light absorbed by light-harvesting antennae is transferred to the reaction center (RC). The excitation energy transfer (EET) to the RC is known to proceed with nearly perfect quantum yield. However, understanding of EET is still limited at molecular level. Here, we examine the dynamics in the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) protein by developing an efficient molecular dynamics simulation that can properly describe the electronic properties of the bacteriochlorophylls. We find that the FMO protein consists of sites with heterogeneous fluctuations extending from fast to slow modulation. We also find that efficient EETs are facilitated by site-dependent fluctuations that enhance the resonance condition between neighboring sites with large site-energy differences and circumvent exciton trapping on the pathway to the RC. The effect of underdamped vibrations on the population transfer and dephasing rates is also discussed. Knowledge of site-dependent fluctuations is an important component of understanding optimization of EET in photosynthetic systems.


One of the main blockages to advancing sanitation coverage – identified at Unclogging the Blockages (Kampala, Uganda, 18–20 February 2014) – is the lack of inter-sector coordination (among relevant sectors such as housing, energy, agriculture, and health, as well as public and private actors), particularly at district and municipal levels. The main challenges are: 1) uncertain leadership and silo approaches affecting collective impact; 2) not addressing districtwide or nationwide service delivery; and 3) lack of opportunities to learn from and contribute to other sectors outside sanitation, particularly on market-based solutions. A holistic sanitation strategy not only addresses technology, business models, and financing across the entire sanitation value chain, but also a cross-sector approach that leverages the resources, platforms, expertise, and experiences sectors such as agriculture, energy, and housing have already advanced. With significant gains in demand creation, the tasks are to connect an inc...


Summary This was an open-label, non comparative study to assess efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) S-Pantoprazole in the treatment of patients with peptic ulcers and/or moderate to severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), in clinical setting. Men or non-pregnant women at least 18 years of age who presented clinically with acute symptoms (viz. pain, heartburn, regurgitation, nausea and vomiting) suggestive of moderate to severe GERD and/or severe peptic ulcers that required use of IV proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or patients with endoscopic esophagitis (grade II-III) and/or severe peptic ulcers (confirmed by endoscopy as visible ulcer/erosion/oozing/bleeding in any form), were enrolled after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria and after obtaining written informed consent. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count, platelet count, blood urea, hemoglobin and faeces examination was done at baseline. Each enrolled patient was given S-Pantoprazole IV for 3 days. The visual analog scale (VAS) (0100) was used to assess severity of symptoms. A total of 50 patients (M: F: 35: 15, age (mean ± SD): 44 ± 16 yrs) were enrolled and all completed the study. Patients received IV S-Pantoprazole 20 mg (solution was prepared by injecting 10 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride injection into the vial containing the lyophilised powder and this freshly prepared solution was further diluted with 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride injection to administer as a shortterm infusion) once daily for three days. There was a significant (P 50% relief from heartburn and regurgitation and 94% of the patients showed >50% relief from pain after three days of therapy with SPantoprazole 20 mg IV. S-Pantoprazole IV was also well-tolerated. Headache, constipation, flatulence and diarrhea were seen in 5, 3, 6 and 9 patients respectively. However, these were mild in nature and were not attributable to therapy in the opinion of the investigators. Thus S-Pantoprazole IV at half the dose of racemate was found to be an effective and safe PPI option for patients with peptic ulcer and/or moderate to severe GERD.


This paper investigates the sterilization effects of a low-temperature cyclonic atmospheric-pressure plasma. Bacillus subtilis was exposed to the cyclonic atmospheric-pressure plasma, and the degradation of the bacterial cell was thoroughly examined with scanning electron microscopy. It was found that cyclonic atmospheric-pressure plasma is effective in the destruction of the B. subtilis cells.