In Ecuador, cocoa plantations often present low yields due to a great diversity of pathogens, especially Moniliophthora roreri (monilia), which cause a substantial infection. It is thought that the fungi attack and an uprising of expression levels of encoding polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) genes are related as a defense mechanism in the presence of pathogens and herbivores in different plants. In order to identify the encoding genes of PPOs, leaves of National cocoa, coming from resistant and susceptible plants were collected, located in "La Represa", property of Universidad Tecnica Estatal de Quevedo. An extraction protocol for total RNA for recalcitrant cocoa leaves was optimized. After its reverse-transcription to cDNA, amplifying PCR assays were performed with different primers, designed from conserved PPOs sequences. Amplifying products allowed to identify a gen of 961 bp, similar to a gene that encodes a predicted PPO from Theobroma cacao stored in NCBI (XP_017978715.1). In addition to identify the gen, it is fundamental to evaluate in the future expression levels and quantify them in different development fruit stages. This quantification will be important not only to propose tools for monilia control but also to enhance genetic improvement of National cocoa.


The invention relates to a production process of oxytetracycline dihydrate hydrochloride, in particular to a process for preparing oxytetracycline dihydrate hydrochloride by the steps of salifying and crystallizing through using oxytetracycline as the raw material and isopropanol-normal butanol as crystallized solvent and adding chlorine hydride-normal butanol. Four production processes of oxytetracycline dihydrate hydrochloride are provided both here and abroad, and oxytetracycline hydrochloride obtained by the four prior production processes has low apparent density and poor fluidity either, or low yield and high cost. The oxytetracycline hydrochloride obtained by the production process of oxytetracycline dihydrate hydrochloride, which is provided by the invention, has high apparent density, good fluidity and high yield.


Russian political culture Russia's revolutionary heritage Stalinism, stagnation, and the mandate for reform ideology and political socialization the party - from unity to diversity democratization and the State nationality politics - the threat of fragmentation glasnost - the intelligenstia and the politics of culture the legal system - toward a civil society perestroika social policy and problems science, technology and education "New Thinking" in foreign policy whither the Soviet Union? reflections on the 28th party congress.


To the problem that the first-order linear delay system suffers slow response and offset,the design of a fuzzy controller is presented.Using membership function of fuzzy set,fuzzy condition sentence and fuzzy control rules,the fuzzy controller completes the control of the first-order linear delay system.The controller is designed with the fuzzy system toolbox provided by Matlab,and the system model and simulation are fulfilled based on Simulink environment.The simulation result shows that the fuzzy controller has improved dynamic and static property of the first-order linear delay system,and has obtained a better control quality.


In this work, carbon spheres having an average particle diameter of 0.6 µm were prepared by a simple hydrothermal synthesis method using glucose as precursor. These carbon spheres were carbonized and graphitized at different temperatures, namely 1200 °C, 2100 °C, 2400 °C and 2800 °C, in order to study the impact of the carbon structural properties, i.e. particle morphology and degree of graphitization, on the TFSI- anion intercalation behavior into these graphitized carbons used as cathode material in dual-ion cells. The structural properties of the carbon spheres, such as particle size, surface morphology, specific surface area and crystallinity after heat-treatment are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption measurements. Consequently, the structural characteristics are correlated to the electrochemical results for application as cathode material in dual-ion cells. In this context, a high degree of graphitization is mandatory to achieve a high reversible capacity.


The static and dynamic properties of pitch-interconnected hydro-pneumatic vehicle suspensions are derived using a generalized analytical model. The suspensions incorporate two compact struts with integrated gas chambers and damping valves within each unit. The struts provide superior flexibility in realizing fluidic couplings, while offering large effective working area. The proposed suspension configurations consist of hydraulic, pneumatic or hybrid fluidic couplings between the front and rear suspension struts. The coupling effects due to different interconnected suspensions are established through the mathematical formulations. A generalized model of the hydro-pneumatic suspensions is developed that could be applied for either the roll or pitch plane of the vehicle, permitting analyses of suspension forces in a very simple manner. The 7-DOF pitch plane model of a heavy vehicle is analyzed to derive the relative vertical and pitch properties of different suspension configurations, in terms of suspension rates, pitch stiffness, bounce and pitch mode damping properties. The results suggest that the use of fluidic interconnections could yield considerable design flexibility and reduced coupling between the bounce and pitch stiffness properties, while the hydraulic and hybrid fluidic couplings offer added flexibility in tuning the bounce and pitch damping characteristics. The influence of load distribution on the bounce and pitch stiffness properties is also explored.Copyright © 2006 by ASME


It is a complex and sometimes frustrating business to effect change that is in accordance with recognizably feminist principles in the world as it is and we inevitably risk confrontation, misunderstanding and compromise. In this paper I consider some of the complexities and obstacles to effecting feminist-friendly changes in educational spaces with specific reference to the field of teaching most familiar to a majority of us – Religion/Religious Studies or Theology and Religious Studies (TRS). I suggest an approach to change based on the mobilization of spirituality – characterized as becoming – as one metaphor that has been grasped to effect in the past by pioneers such as Carol Christ and Judith Plaskow to bring about changes in the western theological academy. This imaginative work has itself generated resistance and critique from scholars of religion and some feminists, but remains, I believe, one fruitful starting point for thinking through what needs to change in educational spaces identified as 'religious', and for avoiding the gendered traps that are laid for us in the process. Primarily these are traps that frustrate our abilities to explore the widest possibilities of difference/s and lead us back into the constrictions of sameness – here, that state of being tied either to a historical view of Christianity that privileges a disembodied, masculine, monotheistic God or to a post enlightenment view that privileges a disembodied, so-called 'secular' masculine rationality that just as fearfully excludes the Otherness of the feminine and all she represents.


Guided transect sampling (GTS) was recently proposed as a method for surveying sparse and geographically scattered populations if prior information with high spatial resolution is available. With this method, wide survey strips are, during a first stage, randomly selected in the area to be surveyed. In the second stage, the selected first-stage strips are subsampled with a survey line or survey strip based on the prior information. In this article, a new strategy for second-stage guidance is developed and evaluated in a simulation study. The suggested strategy uses an assumed model for the relationship between the prior information and the variable of interest to find an efficient design for selecting the second-stage transects. The performance of the suggested strategy is evaluated in terms of the variance obtained in different realizations of the assumed model. Results from the simulation study indicate that the suggested strategy is an efficient alternative to previously suggested strategies, if the correspondence between the model population and the real population is good. On the other hand, ifthe difference between thetwo populations is large, large variances were sometimes obtained.


Using the method of multiple scale we have studied the nonlinear stability of a travelling wave solution of an evolution equation for the viscoelastic fluid flowing down a vertical plane. Bifurcation analysis of first and second order Benney equations (BEs) for the viscoelastic fluid shows that the first order BE gives both subcritical unstable and supercritical stable zones depending on the Reynolds number greater or smaller than its critical value and the supercritical stable/subcritical unstable region decreases/increases as the viscoelastic parameter increases. However, the second order BE exhibits only supercritical bifurcation and this stable region increases with the increase in either the Reynolds number or the viscoelastic parameter. The spatially uniform solution of the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation for sideband disturbances is also investigated.


One of the most important parameters in ionospheric plasma research also having a wide practical application in wireless satellite telecommunications is the total electron content (TEC) representing the columnal electron number density. The F region with high electron density provides the biggest contribution to TEC while the relatively weakly ionized plasma of the D region (60 km - 90 km above Earths surface) is often considered as a negligible cause of satellite signal disturbances. However, sudden intensive ionization processes like those induced by solar X ray flares can cause relative increases of electron density that are significantly larger in the D-region than in regions at higher altitudes. Therefore, one cannot exclude a priori the D region from investigations of ionospheric influences on propagation of electromagnetic signals emitted by satellites. We discuss here this problem which has not been sufficiently treated in literature so far. The obtained results are based on data collected from the D region monitoring by very low frequency radio waves and on vertical TEC calculations from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal analyses, and they show noticeable variations in the D region electron content (TECD) during activity of a solar X ray flare (it rises by a factor of 136 in the considered case) when TECD contribution to TEC can reach several percent and which cannot be neglected in practical applications like global positioning procedures by satellites.


This paper describes an abstract problem derived from a combination of Siemens product configuration problems encountered in practice. Often isolated parts of configuration problems can be solved by mapping them to well-studied problems for which efficient heuristics exist (graph coloring, bin-packing, etc.). Unfortunately, these heuristics may fail to work when applied to a problem that combines two or more subproblems. In the paper we show how to formulate a combined configuration problem in Answer Set Programming (ASP) and to solve it using heuristics à la hclasp. The latter stands for heuristic clasp that is nowadays integrated in clasp and enables the declaration of domain-specific heuristics in ASP. In addition, we present a novel method for heuristic generation based on a combination of greedy search with ASP that allows to improve the performance of clasp.


This paper presents a novel mixed-integer non-linear programming model for the layout design of a dynamic cellular manufacturing system (DCMS). A novel aspect of this model is concurrently making the cell formation (CF) and group layout (GL) decisions in a dynamic environment. The proposed model incorporates several design features including alternate process routings, operation sequence, processing time, production volume of parts, purchasing machine, duplicate machines, machine capacity, lot splitting, intra-cell layout, inter-cell layout, multi-rows layout of equal area facilities, and flexible reconfiguration. An efficient simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is extended to solve the proposed model because of its NP-hardness. It is then tested using several problems with different sizes and settings to verify the computational efficiency of the developed algorithm in comparison with the Lingo software. The obtained results show that the proposed SA is able to find the near-optimal solutions in a reasonable computational time.


Received September 9, 2020 Accepted December 10, 2020 Address for correspondence Jin Woong Choi, MD, PhD Department of OtorhinolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, 282 Munhwa-ro, Jung-gu, Daejeon 35015, Korea Tel +82-42-280-8375 Fax +82-42-253-4059 E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com Hearing loss is the most frequent sensory disorder affecting newborns and children. About 1 newborn in every 500 suffer from congenital hearing loss, with approximately half of these having a genetic cause. In the last few decades, the study of genetic hearing loss and related mouse models has unveiled molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms of the disease. In addition, effective and safe viral vectors for gene delivery to the inner ear have been generated. A growing number of approaches, including gene replacement, gene silencing, and gene editing, have proved effective in mouse models. This article briefly introduces basic strategies of gene therapy, viral vectors used and surgical methods for gene delivery, and reviews the current works on mouse modes of genetic hearing loss. Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg 2021;64(4):215-22


RNA EXTRACTION, SEPARATION AND ANALYSIS The need to be able to extract, manipulate and analyze RNA Using chemical tools to solve the problem of analysis of biological problems The principle of chromatography and solid phase extraction RNA Chromatography Enzymatic treatment of RNA and analysis Content and organization of this book BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL RNA Why Classify RNA with biology and chemistry? Prokaryote cellular RNA Prokaryote sample type Eukaryote cellular RNA Eukaryote sample type Other Samples (Virus, Soil, Rock) Synthetic RNA RNA SEPARATION - SUBSTRATES, FUNCTIONAL GROUPS, MECHANISMS AND CONTROL Solid phase interaction The solid phase substrate and attachment of functional groups Reverse phase ion pairing separation mechanism Ion exchange separation mechanism Chaotropic denaturing interaction mechanism Hybridization / SELEX Gel Filtration RNA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS Transcription Translation Gene regulation Use of siRNA to investigate gene function RNA CHROMATOGRAPHY Development of RNA Chromatography RNA Chromatography instrumentation RNA Chromatography conditions Temperature modes of RNA Chromatography Comparison of gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography Analysis of human telomerase RNA under non denaturing conditions RNA CHROMATOGRAPHY, SEPARATION AND ANALYSIS Features of RNA Chromatography Separation of double-stranded and single-stranded RNA Separation of cellular RNA species Separation of messenger RNA from total and ribosomal RNA Analysis of transfer RNA Chromatography and analysis of synthetic oligo ribonucleotides Application of RNA and DNA Chromatography in cDNA library synthesis Chromatography analyses of RT-PCR and competitive RT-PCR products Alternative splicing Differential messenger RNA display via RNA Chromatography RNA STRUCTURE-FUNCTION PROBING Definition of the Structure-function paradigm Structure determination of RNA Footprinting, model building and functional investigations APPENDIX Chromatographic Separation Equotations and Priciples for RNA Separation HPLC Instrumentation and Operation RNA Chromatographic System Cleaning and Passivation Treatment


To impart good application performance to chitosan (CS) sizes for high polyester content warp yarns, methyl acrylate (MA) and acrylamide (AM) monomers, with a variation in feed molar ratio from 1:9 to 4:6, were grafted onto the molecular chains of native CS to obtain CS-g-P(MA-co-AM) products, with similar grafting ratios through a K2S2O8-NaHSO3 redox system. Effects of monomer compatibility of MA and AM on sizing performance of the CS-g-P(MA-co-AM) for high polyester content warp were studied. Grafting MA and AM with rational compatibility onto the molecular chains of CS is an effective method to improve the application performance of CS sizes. In view of the overall performance of the CS-g-P(MA-co-AM) sizes, the appropriate feed molar ratio of MA/AM should be 3:7.


In CWDM optical transmission system of the present invention, instead of at least one wave of the optical signal of the plurality of optical signals corresponding to the CWDM system, DWDM light output from the expansion optical transmission unit of a DWDM scheme with variable optical attenuator given to the multiplexer via, is transmitted to a transmission line is multiplexed with CWDM corresponding optical signal. At this time DWDM optical total power delivered to the transmission path is attenuated by the variable optical attenuator to be substantially equal to the power per one wavelength of the CWDM light. The optical receiving terminal, the light propagated through the transmission path is demultiplexed by the demultiplexer, DWDM light corresponding to the added wavelength is received by the extension light receiving unit after being amplified by the optical amplifier. This makes it possible to realize a low cost while avoiding the deterioration of transmission quality with Expansion of the optical signal in CWDM systems.


We present numerical simulations of the solar wind using a fully kinetic model which takes into account the effects of particle's binary collisions in a quasi-neutral plasma in spherical expansion. Starting from an isotropic Maxwellian velocity distribution function for the electrons, we show that the combined effect of expansion and Coulomb collisions leads to the formation of two populations: a collision-dominated cold and dense population almost isotropic in velocity space and a weakly collisional, tenuous field-aligned and antisunward drifting population generated by mirror force focusing in the radially decreasing magnetic field. The relative weights and drift velocities for the two populations observed in our simulations are in excellent agreement with the relative weights and drift velocities for both core and strahl populations observed in the real solar wind. The radial evolution of the main moments of the electron velocity distribution function is in the range observed in the solar wind. The electron temperature anisotropy with respect to the magnetic field direction is found to be related to the ratio between the collisional time and the solar wind expansion time. Even though collisions are found to shape the electron velocity distributions and regulate the properties of the strahl, it is found that the heat flux is conveniently described by a collisionless model where a fraction of the electron thermal energy is advected at the solar wind speed. This reinforces the currently largely admitted fact that collisions in the solar wind are clearly insufficient to force the electron heat flux obey the classical Spitzer–Härm expression where heat flux and temperature gradient are proportional to each other. The presented results show that the electron dynamics in the solar wind cannot be understood without considering the role of collisions.


In this paper we prove some common fixed point theorems for single valued and set valued mappings on a metric space. The theorems use minimal type commutativity and strict contractivity conditions with no continuity requirements. The theorems extend previous results on ¿-compatible and continuous maps of [1] and [11] to a wider class of weakly compatible mappings not necessarly continuous. Also, a common fixed point theorem which applies to a sequence of set valued mappings is given.


The more than US$ 1 billion market value of organic coffee makes this the single most important organic product imported into North America. The report includes information from the only annual survey of the industry (2007) and reveals total volumes and estimated value as well as which nations are supplying the global market, the price of organic coffee at origin, and the changes in price premiums paid to producers. In the U.S. and Canada, where organic sales are estimated to have reached close to US$21 billion in 2007, organic coffee imports showed a considerable change in both volume and value. In addition to the numbers, the report succinctly covers expected trends, industry projections for organics, and outlines the 3 factors that appear to be driving consumer interest. For 2008 the Report offers some basic indications for other certified coffees and also points out why organic coffee is unique among the certifications in today's market.


Objective To investigate the menstruation of female university students and analyse the influencing factors,then to provide evidence for further work.Methods Two hundred and fifty female students of grade 2 from Wenzhou Medical College were surveyed with a questionnaire for the situation of their menstruation and the influencing factors were analyzed.Results The rate of abnormal menstruation(38%)was significantly associated with sexual activity(P0.01),neglect to cold resistance(P0.05),and absence of vulva washing during menstrual period(P0.05).The rate of dysmenorrheal(38.0%)and the rate of premenstrual syndrome(44.8%)were both significantly associated with neglect to cold resistance(P0.05).Conclusion Menstruation education should be provided for the female university students to establish a healthy behavior during menstrual period.


Objectives: To explore basic relevance between qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern and the first admitted diagnosis of TCM disease code or the first admitted diagnosis of ICD-10 code on the first pages of medical record for inpatients.Methods: Screening the medical records with admitted diagnosis of qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern in the data base of National Monitoring Center of TCM Service Quality during 2000 to 2009 by Microsoft sqlserver 2000 then conduct basic data analysis.Results: Among the 379 776 screened medical records,male patients: female is 1.38:1,the pattern could possibly occur to patients at any age from 0 to 110 years' old.While the peak of morbidity has been found during the age of 30-50 years' old.Regarding the first admitted diagnosis of TCM disease,there were 739 different codes.Among the top 20 TCM codes of them,medical records of qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern were highly concentrated in bone fracture or other trauma related conditions,they also strongly related to conditions of limbs and meridians,such as impediment disease,abdominal mass and wind stroke.Regarding the first admitted diagnosis of ICD-10,there were 7 073 different codes.Among the top 20 TCM codes of them,medical records of qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern were highly concentrated in bone fracture and concussion,they also strongly related to conditions of joint degeneration,such as other spondylosis with myelopathy and lumbar and other intervertebral disc disorders with myelopathy.99.93% of the discharge diagnosis on patterns of all the screened medical records above were highly concentrated in qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern.Conclusion: There were slightly more male patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern than female ones.The pattern could possibly occur to patients at any age from 0 to 110 years' old.The TCM disease diagnosis were highly related to trauma,bone fracture,impediment disease and wind stroke,etc.The ICD-10 codes were highly related to trauma bone fracture and joint degeneration,and the discharge diagnosis on patterns of all the screened medical records above were highly concentrated in qi stagnation and blood stasis pattern.


A new method for the formation of composite nanomaterials based on multi-walled and single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) on a silicon substrate has been developed. Formation is carried out by ultrasound coating of a silicon substrate by homogenous dispersion of CNTs in the albumin matrix and further irradiation with the continuous laser beam with a wavelength of 810 nm and power of 5.5 watts. The high electrical conductivity of CNTs provides its structuring under the influence of the laser radiation electric field. The result is a scaffold that provides high mechanical strength of nanocomposite material (250 MPa). For in vitro studies of materials biocompatibility a method of cell growth microscopic analysis was developed. Human embryonic fibroblasts (EPP) were used as biological cells. Investigation of the interaction between nanocomposite material and cells was carried out by optical and atomic force microscopy depending on the time of cells incubation. The study showed that after 3 hours incubation EPP were fixed on the substrate surface, avoiding the surface of the composite material. However, after 24 hours of incubation EPP fix on the sample surface and then begin to grow and divide. After 72 hours of incubation, the cells completely fill the sample surface of nanocomposite material. Thus, a nanocomposite material based on CNTs in albumin matrix does not inhibit cell growth on its surface, and favours their growth. The nanocomposite material can be used for creating soft tissue implants


Explicit formulas for Cotes numbers of the Gaussian Hermite quadrature formula based on the zeros of the nth Chebyshev polynomial of the second kind and their asymptotic behaviour as n → ∞ are given. This provides an answer to an analogue of Problem 26 of Tur´n.


A simple, rapid, specific and reproducible reverse phase HPLC method was developed and validated for the simultaneous separation and estimation of the Nitazoxanide and Ofloxacin from the commercially available tablet dosage form. The chromatography was carried out using a combination of 0.863% (w/v) ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphate buffer and Acetonitrile (45:55 ratio (v/v)) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min and was monitored at 240 nm wavelength. The method was statistically validated by the study of linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection, limit of quantification, recovery and robustness. The retention time of Ofloxacin and Nitazoxanide were 2.099 + 0.010 and 5.623 + 0.03 minutes respectively. The calibration curve showed the excellent linearity over a concentration range of 3.125 μg to 0.5 mg/ml for Nitazoxanide and 1.25 μg to 0.2 mg/ml for Ofloxacin with correlation coefficients of 0.99999 and 0.99998 respectively. The proposed method can be used for the simultaneous estimation of Ofloxacin and Nitazoxanide in the combined dosages forms.


This paper,from the perspective of investment management,elaborates the significance of engineering cost control in all process of a construction project and discusses the factors that will have influence on it so as to obtain good investment results.With the theory of value engineering and technical economy,the decision-making and design for a project investment as well as the emphases and difficulties of investment control in different stages of the construction are analyzed and thought about.It therefore points out the aspects that need a special attention and strengthening management for the engineering cost managers in their practical work.A proposal is prices in accordance with the market in the management and control of the engineering cost of a construction project.


The reaction 25Mg(p,T)26A1 has been investigated at Ep(1ab)=80-350keV. The existence of the resonance at Ep=317keV has been verified and new resonances have been found at Ep=198, 255 and 304keV. The Ep=304keV resonance represents a new compound state in 26A1. Information on branching ratios, 0)7 values, total widths and J~ assignments for the observed resonances as well as upper limits on the 0)7 strengths for the expected resonances at Ep=97 and 134keV are given. The astrophysical aspects of the data are discussed in the light of the renewed interest in the precise location of 26A1 nucleosynthesis.


The writers of this article take a gloomier view of the potential of an emissions reduction compliance market. It cannot be relied upon to even out disparities in the costs which different utility systems will have to incur, they say - i.e., promote fairness - and it will have the added disadvantage that it will work against the entry of nonutility electricity generators into this field. The monopolistic and noncompetitive nature of the electric utility industry is seen as a major problem by these writers - one which will preclude operation of an emissions market.


Concern around nonmedical opioid use (NUPO) among student-athletes in the United States abounds, yet research around NUPO in this population is mixed. While some studies have identified athletic participation and related injury as risk factors for NUPO, the balance of research has found the inverse, or no association. This study represents the first qualitative inquiry into college student-athletes' history of injury, medical and nonmedical opioid exposure, and pain management practices. Drawing on surveys (n = 280) and interviews (n = 30) with less-elite (i.e., non-NCAA Division I) athletes attending a large state university, our analyses documented little NUPO in this population, despite significant rates of injury and opioid prescription. Interview participants evinced little knowledge, but high fears, around opioid use, while describing potentially harmful levels of over-the-counter drug use. Overall, this study suggests the need for the development of broad, evidence-based curricula concerning pharmacological pain management within this population.


Aiming at the tracker failure problem induced by target pose changes during IR 3-D target tracking,a multimodal method based on non-uniform sampling was presented.Firstly,several prototype views were used to represent 3-D target,the corresponding prototype shapes were regarded as the multimodal shape representation,and the transition probability matrix between these prototype shapes was established.Then,under the frame of particle filtering,the reference target models were defined as the log-polar transformed prototype views' gray distribution features.By sampling the shape transition probability,the transfer and propagation of the sample's shape state were achieved.The method improves the robustness of the tracker to target pose's change.Meanwhile,log-polar transform possessing the non-uniform sampling characteristics can suppress target's scale and rotate deformation,and decrease the computation burdens.Simulation results show that the proposed method can track 3-D targets effectively.


Counselors working with alcoholic clients can use potential enablers effectively as a tool to engage what might be an unmotivated client in treatment. Workers must appeal to the potential enablers' vested interests, educated them regarding alcoholism, and then establish a therapeutic contract with them.


The main innovation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS Convention), with respect to the previous law of the sea regime, is the concept of the common heritage of mankind. The basic elements of the regime of common heritage of mankind, applying to the seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, are the prohibition of national appropriation, the destination of the Area for peaceful purposes and the use of the Area and its resources for the benefit of mankind as a whole with particular consideration for the interests and needs of developing countries, and the establishment of an international organization entitled to act on behalf of mankind in the exercise of rights over the resources. The institutional aspect is one of the main components of the concept of common heritage of mankind and cannot be separated from the others. Keywords: International Sea-Bed Authority (ISA); Law of the Sea (LOS) Convention; national jurisdiction


Use of the drug, isoprenaline, as an analytical reagent was studied and it was found that isoprenaline has a sensitive reaction with ferricyanide ion [Fe(CN)_6] 3- forming a orange-red complex. The optimum condition of the detection reaction, its sensitivity and selectivity were studied, and a new method of detection of [Fe(CN)_6] 3- was established. The limit of detection was found to be 0.055μg with a limit of dilution 1 to 4.5×10 6.


Bill Broadus will tell you that four essential ingredients make up an effective professional organization-serving member needs, serving the needs of members' employers, serving the members' profession and serving the communities in which the members live and work. Simple really. When W.A. Broadus Jr, CGFM, CPA, becomes AGAs 51st National President on July 1, he will be leading an organization that more than meets his four standards. "AGA is a top-notch organization," he said in a recent interview. "I see us as more than meeting those four characteristics. Some we do better than others, but we always keep in mind the members' needs." Broadus' theme for his one-year tenor reflects his desire to keep member needs at the forefront of every AGA program: "AGA-Serving Its Members, Its Members' Organizations and Its Members Profession in the New Millennium." Broadus views community service as one of greatest-hough intangible-benefits of AGA membership. He calls AGA's efforts in this area "tremendous." As chairman of the Association's 50th Anniversary Committee, he called for a National Community Service Day last September that was met with an outpouring of support from chapters across the country. "We must continue that effort and always ask how the members benefit," he said. A Deep Background in Government Financial Management A quick look at Broadus' biography shows that he knows what it will take to serve AGA members at all levels. After 28 years at the U.S. General Accounting Office, Broadus retired to begin his own consulting practice 10 years ago and now consults with governments at all levels, nonprofit organizations and public accounting firms,traveling to as many as 40 states each year. Broadus is an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), where, among other roles, he served on the organization's prestigious governing council. He is also a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the American Accounting Association (AAA) and the Ohio CPA Society. He is a past president of the Virginia Society of CPAs. He is a member of AGAs National Executive Committee (NEC), and is a past president of the Association's Cincinnati Chapter. He has served on the Journal Editorial and the International Development Committees. Staying the Course Like other recent National Presidents, Broadus plans to use AGA's Long-Range Strategic Plan to guide him through his year. He would much prefer to help the organization achieve its goals than worry about leaving a legacy. "I don't want to leave a landmark, just build on the plan that we have all agreed to carry out I don't care if you remember me at all," he added with a chuckle. That said, he has set specific goals for the coming year within each of the plan's nine concentration areas. Education He hopes to see the fledgling Academy for Government Accountability come to full prominence as the clearinghouse for government financial management training. He also wants AGA to pursue more online course offerings, form partnerships with other professional organizations to increase AGA's educational opportunities and enhance chapter involvement by encouraging them to host their own local and regional professional development conferences. Research Broadus has a true interest in government financial management research and would like AGA to look into various approaches for funding research projects. Certification The CGFM Program has brought new life to AGA and Broadus hopes to help keep the momentum building. "The CGFM gave AGA a transfusion," he said. An original member of the Professional Certification Board, he has helped guide this program since its inception. He supports the ongoing efforts to market the CGFM to all levels of government in the quest to make it the profession's preferred designation. …


The invention relates to a solid conical bubble atomizing nozzle applicable to high-viscosity non-Newtonian fluid. The solid conical bubble atomizing nozzle comprises an inner connector, an outer connector, a sleeve, a bubble generator, a mixer and a sprayer; the inner connector is fixed to one end of the mixer by the aid of the sleeve, the sprayer is fixed to the other end of the mixer, the outer connector is fixed onto the mixer, and the bubble generator is arranged in the mixer; the bubble generator comprises a flow guide barrel and a flow guide plate, the flow guide plate is fixed onto the flow guide barrel and divides an inner cavity of the mixer into an outer flow channel and a mixing chamber, one end of the flow guide barrel is communicated with the inner connector via the sleeve, the outer flow channel is communicated with the outer connector, a plurality of outer flow guide holes are circumferentially and uniformly formed in the flow guide plate, and a plurality of inner flow guide holes are formed at the end, which is positioned in the mixing chamber, of the flow guide barrel. The solid conical bubble atomizing nozzle has the advantages that technical problems of poor atomizing effect, high atomizing gas consumption rate and large average fluid drop diameter of an existing nozzle for high-viscosity non-Newtonian fluid are solved, the solid conical bubble atomizing nozzle is excellent in atomizing quality within a wide flow regulation range, and the average diameter of fluid drops is greatly reduced under the condition of a low gas consumption rate.


The present invention, cut resistant fabrics and cut resistant articles (including gloves), and relates to a manufacturing method of cut resistant articles, the fabric and the article includes a yarn comprising an intimate blend of staple fibers, the blend, the lubricating fiber and the total weight of the first and second aramid fibers based lubricating fibers 20-50 parts by weight; 20 to 40 parts by weight, from 3.3 to 6 denier per filament (3.7 to 6.7 dtex per filament first aramid fiber having a linear density of); and of 20 to 40 parts by weight, a second aramid having a linear density of from 0.50 to 4.5 denier per filament (0.56 to 5.0 dtex per filament) including the fiber. First and aramid fiber The difference in filament linear density of the second aramid fiber is 1 denier (1.1 dtex per filament) or greater per filament.


A field expedition into the British Columbia wilderness involving helicopter drops, mountain and landslide traverses, and treacherous ice caves aimed to facilitate geothermal exploration in Canada.


With the first-hand data of 16-week-studies on 150 female college students,this paper finds out that yoga af- fects the female college students' sleeping conditions positively.This is especially evident on the length of the sleeping time,the sleeping efficiency and the sleeping quality in contrasts to other exercises.Yoga advances the female college students' emotion utterly and effectively and is manifested by the remaining of balanced mentality and emotion.It decreases anxiety and blahs and prevent crankiness and fear,etc.


FOR DECADES East Asia has been growing as a powerhouse of the global economy. Several East Asian nations have established themselves as the world's preeminent manufacturers of many capital goods and consumer products, as major players on global financial Issues, and as leaders in the development and application of new technologies.No nation has done more to assure Asian security and encourage regional vitality than the United States. We extended a helping hand to Japan after the war. We have supplied a reliable security shield behind which our friends and allies could recover their strength and pursue economic development. We provided generous aid and technical assistance to Asian friends practicing "catch up capitalism." Above all, our open market and our voracious appetite for imports has been an indispensable catalyst for Asia's export-led growth.Americans, of course, benefit enormously from the stability and prosperity of Asia. Our transpacific trade exceeds $250 billion a year, and by the mid-90s may double the size of our trans-Atlantic commerce. Yet our relative share of Asia's prosperity has been declining. Our trade with the region has not kept up with the growth of intra-regional trade. Our investment in the area has grown only modestly compared with that of Japan, Taiwan and others. Our official assistance levels have slowed to a trickle, while Japan continues to allocate 60-70 percent of its growing official development assistance to regional neighbors, much of it aimed at securing contracts for Japanese companies to build local infrastructure.Despite the size of our transpacific trade, only about half of our Fortune 500 companies have established a presence in Japan, the world's second largest market. And judging from the relative infrequency of Congressional visits to Tokyo, I suspect more of our legislators traveled to Lithuania last year than visited Japan. Such inattentiveness by Americans toward Asia is troubling, for it has real consequences.The Concerns of JapanJapan, of course, tops the list of Asian nations demanding our attention. Our relationship with Japan has experienced its share of difficulties in recent years. There have been well-publicized frictions over trade, and the Gulf War exposed some differences in our perspectives about international peacekeeping. Naysayers in both countries have come out of the woodwork, trading accusations and questioning the durability of our partnership.Commentators in both countries have wondered whether our alliance can survive the disappearance of the Soviet threat which provoked it. Others discount trade frictions as the inevitable byproduct of our growing interdependence. Most agree that if our relationship is to endure, there must be, as in any marriage that endures, shared commitment, "give and take" on both sides, and a readiness to adjust to new circumstances.Certainly our governments recognize the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship. How could they not? Our alliance remains a keystone of regional stability. We have developed the largest transoceanic bilateral trade in history. Our cultural and educational exchanges enrich the lives of both our peoples. Our governments understand that very few international issues can be resolved without active U.S.-Japan collaboration. And the proliferation of strategic alliances among our respective corporations enables us to share the costs and risks of developing and marketing new high technology products.An effective relationship with Washington remains the foundation of Japanese foreign policy. That said, subtle changes in Japanese thinking about the United States have taken place in recent years. We need to take these into account if we are to adapt our relationship to changing realities.I meet a wide cross-section of thoughtful Japanese in the course of my duties and have been hearing a variety of concerns about America, and about Japan's relationship with us. …


We study decay properties for solutions to the initial value problem associated with the one-dimensional Zakharov–Rubenchik/Benney–Roskes (ZR/BR) system. We prove time-integrability in growing compact intervals of size t r , r < 2/3, centered on some characteristic curves coming from the underlying transport equations associated with the ZR/BR system. Additionally, we prove decay to zero of the local energy-norm in so-called far-field regions. Our results are independent of the size of the initial data and do not require any parity condition.


Diverse literature sources on infectious endocarditis were reviewed, especially those that dealt with clinical epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects, in order to make an investigation that constitutes a material for the study and the update of this topic; nevertheless, it was considered the necessity to continue this investigation on other certain characteristics of this infection to widen the knowledge in this respect.


In this study, a methodology to develop hourly demand scenarios in a medium-term horizon for primary distribution substations is presented and applied to a case study. The main contribution of this study is that it addresses successfully the effect of saturation of distribution feeders in the medium term due to sustained growth in demand. In addition, the method is able to simulate the future necessary reconfiguration and reinforcements in the distribution feeders. A detailed comparative study of five well-known forecasting techniques, to estimate future demand, is conducted. The methodology is tested with hourly power records, measured from 2008 to 2013, in 169 feeders of the distribution company of Santiago, Chile. When the performance of the forecasting techniques is compared, results of one-year-ahead forecasting, with hourly resolution, show that multilayer perceptron neural networks outperformed the other techniques, having a MAPE lower than 9% for more than 96% of the feeders. A final evaluation for 13 feeders, using the forecasted and registered demand from 2014 to 2017, shows that the MAPE remains in a low range (9–13%), improving the method currently used by the industry. The overall results indicate that reconfiguration and reinforcement allocation are key elements for medium-term hourly demand forecasting in distribution feeders.


I want to greet and congratulate you with the starting of the AzRCS's next General Assembly. The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society takes a significant place in the current public and social life of our Republic. Adhering to the principles of humanity and voluntarism the Red Crescent Society provides necessary assistance to people in need of care. One of the main objectives of the government is to improve a social welfare of population of Azerbaijan Republic which is continuously developing. During the recent years significant works have been done towards improving living conditions and welfare of citizens who are in need of social protection, invalids of war and martyr families, refugees and displaced people. At the same time, large-scale activities in the sphere of liquidation of damages to farms in our country as a result of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, restoration and rebuilding of the destroyed settlements are being carried out. We solve these problems without outside assistance by relying on economic potential created by our government. The Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society also provides within the limits of its possibility moral and material assistance to citizens facing certain social difficulties and endeavors to perform its tasks in this sphere. Today, there is a necessary legislation base and favorable condition for effective functioning of the Red Crescent Society in our Republic. As a mark of respect to noble aims and practical activity of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society the 10 th of March is celebrated annually as a Red Crescent Day in our country according to a decree of the President of Azerbaijan. I hope that the decisions of today's General Assembly will open new opportunities for the activity of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society as well as will strengthen greatly the work of the organization both at national and international levels. I wish the delegates of the General Assembly and all Red Crescent workers in Azerbaijan every success, long and sound health.


Abstract An inferential approach is proposed to identify the nature of the generating process corresponding to a real time series. This new sequential and iterative testing procedure goes beyond the Box and Jenkins methodology for the identification, estimation, and validation of linear data generating processes by investigating the probabilistic structure of non-Gaussian estimated residuals {ϵ t } for the possible presence of nonlinear serial dependence. The testing procedure aims at indicating the right type of dependence present in a series by means of specific inferential tests on the moments of the generating structure probability distribution. The test statistics adopted are very popular and powerful and encompass a wide range of stochastic nonlinearity alternatives. The U.S. Industrial Production Index series is used to illustrate the iterative testing procedure proposed.


In using a shared network of workstations for parallel pr ocessing, it is not only important to consider heterogeneity and differences in processing power between the workstations but also the dynamics of the system as a whole. In such a computing envir onment where the use of r esources vary as other applications consume and r elease resources, intelligent scheduling of the parallel jobs onto the available r esources is essential to maximize resource utilization. Despite this realization, however, there are few systems available that provide an infrastructure for the easy development and testing of these intelligent schedulers. In this paper, an infrastructure is presented together with a scheduler that is capable of both gang scheduling and dynamic task r eallocation of PVM applications.


Schuz's Divorce and Ethnic Minorities was stimulating, although I am not sure her views have been fully tested on the wide array of minorities who should be served by divorce law; I wondered how her proposals would play out in respect of religious groups whose status is not 'ethnic' (like Catholic couples). Of the essays on the current reforms I found Cretney and Deech's contributions disconcerting. While I understand the roots of their pessimism (even despair) I did not feel that their attitude was balanced by any positive proposal for a better solution. The inevitability of some unhappiness and expense in divorce seems unavoidable. But I cannot agree that the law can do nothing (or even very little) to alleviate at least some of it. And without proposing any alternative solution I cannot see how dismissal of mediation is helpful. Piper's considered uncertainty about the potential for the success of mediation seems to me to be more useful. While it holds out no grand hopes for the reforms, it does seem to be less dismissive of them, and it gives us a broad range of information upon which to base our hopes and to avoid the obstacles that this new 'solution' will present. Finally, flowing from Gibson's view that growing family diversity requires a broader legal view of divorce, it seems odd that there is no essay on the termination of unmarried cohabitation relationships. It seems especially noteworthy that there is no consideration of the termination of relationships where marriage is not available to the parties. In the light of Freeman's own contribution to the collection-the essay on children 'divorcing' their parents-this seems to be a particularly odd decision. After all, the application for a residence order by a child who wishes to move away from hidher parents can only be regarded as 'divorce' in the most liberal sense, while the end of an unmarried adult relationship very often mirrors all of the problems (and more) associated with traditional divorce. In the end, then, while the book is one which should be read, it should not be read in its entirety (or at least not all at once). Individual parts will be useful to readers concerned about particular aspects of divorce at particular times. It is, therefore, an ideal book for a library (in the way that family law journals are essential to law libraries). And perhaps academic family lawyers will be satisfied with it on their shelves so that relevant essays are available to them for their contemplation when required. The authors are, after aU, impressive academic personalities, many of whom have spent long years developing their own perspectives on this subject (and many other issues in family law). Unfortunately the consolidated value of the volume does not quite equal the sum of its individual parts.


Family gold key" is a new job that obtain employment small in our country society at present.Analyse the phenomenon from the secretary studies angle is necessary.The new developing job belongs to category that indivivdual hire secretary broadly-defined,not housekeeping of general meaning.The person who obtains employment hsa advanced distinct theory,good comprehensive accomplishment,sturdy and rich vocational skills with characteristic,the salary income that ordinary person envy extremely.They are the special colony that the individual hire secretary.Studying this colony has important enlightenmentto secretarial job,secretary' s specialized education and the job choice for the professional graduate in the social organization.


This paper proposes the architecture and the methods of security network management for auto-configuration of security systems by extending the existing policy-based network management architecture. The architecture and the methods proposed in this paper enable a security management sewer to automatically decide the best-suited security policy to apply to a security system and the most effective and efficient security system to perform security policy rule, based on the role and capability information of security systems and the role and time information of security policy. For integrated control of network system and security system, this paper also proposes SNMP protocol based security network topology map generator. To show the excellence of the proposed architecture and methods, we simulate and evaluate the automatic response against attacks.


Means of Song Dynasty settling southwestern ethnic conflict was peaceful. On the one hand, it embodied the peaceful settlement among minority nationality;on the other hand,it manifested the oath of alliance among Song Dynasty and minority nationality,who had calsh with Song Dynasty. Song Dynasty made the peaceful settlement,bceause the minority nationality was faraway and Song Dynasty did not rule them deeply. And because Song Dynasty reflected on the ethnic polices about the areas. And because the policy of" safeguarding the inland security and conducting a medium foreign attitude" . Peaceful Settlement was more successful, and it maintained close ties with Song Dynasty and the minority nationality.


Purpose: This study was to investigate the effects of fatigue, postpartum family support on postpartum depression in postpartum women. Methods: Data were collected through structured questionnaires. The participants of this study were 123 postpartum women in B metropolitan city. The data were analyzed with the SPSS/Win 18.0 program, using descriptive statistics, in independent t-test, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The subjects' degree of fatigue and postpartum depression had strong positive correlation (r=.623, p<.001). The subjects' degree of postpartum family support and postpartum depression had moderate negative correlation (r=-415, p<.001). Factors that affect postpartum depression were fatigue (β=.492, p<.001), postpartum family support (β=-.234, p=.001), pre-conception job (β=.222, p=.001), Pregnancy depression (β=.177, p=.007), Parity (β=.167, p=.009). The explanation power was 55.0%. Conclusion: The study results indicate that it is necessary to various programs that can reduce postpartum mothers' fatigue and improve postpartum family support, in order to reduce the postpartum depression.


The properties of anthracite and bituminous coal are analyzed. In order to reduce production cost and increase coal injection ratio for the blast furnace, Masteel Iron-making Plant 2 carried out the practice of mixed coal blending. After analysis, the authors choose appropriate pulverized coal size and moisture and mixing ratio to get uniform blending, which fulfills the demand of the high coal injection ratio by the blast furnace.


Both English and Chinese have their own long-term development history. In the process of continuous improvement, both languages have formed their own characteristics. Due to the different environments, there are inevitably some differences between the two languages. Their differences are mainly reflected in pronunciation, grammar, text structure, language taboos and so on. These differences lead to English learners not being able to completely get rid of Chinese's interference when learning English, so that mistakes are made in the process of using it. Therefore, it is important for English learners to analyze the differences between English and Chinese sentence structures composed of words and phrases that are used to express complete meanings. It also necessary for them to consciously understand and grasp these differences. The differences between English and Chinese language structure are actually the concrete manifestations of the differences between their thinking patterns in language. This paper explores the differences between English and Chinese sentence structure. Specifically, it analyzes the differences from four aspects: hypotaxis and parataxis, the structure of simple sentences, sentence classification, word order, active and passive voice. It can help learners get rid of the interference of Chinese during the English learning process to some degree.


Objective To explore a method to develop the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model. Methods Two-day-old Wistar rats (n=147) were divided into two groups: model and control groups. The modol group rats underwent intraperitoneal injection with 90 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). When they had ablacted they were injected with 25 mg/kg streptozotocin(STZ) again. Then these rats were fed the diets enriched with sucrose (20%) , lard(18%) and yolk powder(3%).Another group served as control group. Results Biochemical parameters and morphology proved that the methods could develop the T2DM rat model. Conclusion This method to develop T2DM rat model is high-efficient, stable and quick.


This article reviews some recent UK strategy and policy documents about building a "national choice offer" to enable end of life care to be delivered at home, and encouraging the formation of supportive communities. Notably, with the implicit assumption that planned choice is sufficient for end of life care, the contribution of healthcare chaplaincy is neglected. The article explores the implications for healthcare chaplains, how chaplains can help to build up compassionate communities, and some practical aspects of community support for those of faith and no faith through initiatives for parish support.


Interdisciplinary work is increasingly becoming a larger expectation in research and teaching. Moreover, prominent kinesiologists have proposed interdisciplinary research as a solution to perceived and/or real fragmentation issues that have developed within the field and across, and even within the various subdisciplines. For such an important topic, however, there is a lack of research surrounding interdisciplinary research in kinesiology. This may be due to the ambiguity surrounding interdisciplinary research, an often misunderstood and misapplied concept with deep philosophical roots. The purpose of this article is to help those in kinesiology understand and use interdisciplinary concepts in their work. Toward this end, the article provides an overview of the literature and suggests kinesiology-specific definitions for interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary research. Additionally, the article gives examples of interdisciplinary research projects. Finally, the article will expand beyond scholarship and explore the importance of interdisciplinary teaching and service as well.


immunologists when they speak of the beneficial reactions evoked by non-specific therapy, such as protein shock. It may be convenient to have a word such as biophylaxis which embraces all these ideas, but it does not advance our knowledge of the phenomenon, and there is very real danger in coining words like this because only too many minds seem quite satisfied that everything is known about a phenomenon once a ticket has been attached. Dr. Tzanck argues that since true antibodies cannot be demonstrated in many hypersensitive states their underlying mechanism must be different, and this mechanism he finds to be " cell memory." Well, of course it is; but to ascribe a phenomenon to cell memory does not help us to understand it better, any more than our conceptions of allergy are clarified by saying " allergie c'est la vie," an expression which seems rather to have taken the author's fancy.


The propagation of millimeter wave through offing fog is affected by the size distribution, droplet shape, dielectric parameters and frequency. Based on the Gamma distribution of droplets size, the property of offing fog is analyzed. Using the Monte Carlo method to establish the propagation model, the propagation process of millimeter wave is simulated at different frequencies. The transmission and attenuation of millimeter wave through offing fog at different frequencies (35、94、140、220GHz) and different sea conditions is obtained which can reflect the influence of offing fog on the propagation of electromagnetic wave.


The paper presents a philological analysis of a passage of Galen's Protrepticus (p. 9 Kaibel) with some emendations to the traditional text and a discussion of the variants here preserved for the poetical texts quoted by the author.


The method that the present invention relates to the recycling of the isomer of a kind of medicine, carries out halogenation by the compound of non-required configuration and halide reagent being reacted, and then carries out eliminating reaction, makes isomer be converted into available intermediate;Can prepare into, then through conventional serial reaction step, the compound needing configuration, enable the isomer being considered garbage to be obtained by, reduce production cost, be conducive to industrialized production.


Many patients experience cognitive decline after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and some have strokes. Experts debate whether off-pump CABG


A steady-state, two-dimensional model for cocurrent gas and liquid flow in a trickle-bed reactor is described. First, the model is developed along with appropriate boundary conditions for multidimensional flow. Then, we discuss the numerical solution method for the model. Finally, model results are shown along with experimental data for an example, two-dimensional system


There are 513 million new wooden pallets produced every year in the United States, most of which are purposely built for specific applications. Currently, most wooden pallets are designed with the assumption that they will carry a uniformly distributed, flexible load. However, it has been observed by many researchers that most loads carried by pallets are discrete loads where the interactions between packages cause pressure redistribution defined as load bridging. The load bridging phenomenon has been extensively studied for corrugated boxes, and it has been found that the deflection of the pallet is highly dependent on the number, size and type of corrugated boxes and the design of the pallet used. Although pails are an essential packaging solution used to transport smaller amounts of liquids (1–40 L), there is a lack of understanding about the effect of load bridging on unit loads of pails. The objective of this research was to understand the differences in pallet bending and pressure distribution across the top of the pallet when pallets are loaded with plastic pails compared with a flexible airbag. The results revealed that pallets deflect 32%–89% less when loaded with plastic pails. The load predominantly distributes down the bottom perimeter of the pail, indicating that the design of the bottom of the pail could have a major effect on pallet performance. The effect of plastic pails was dependent on pallet design, indicating that the stiffness of a pallet could have a major effect on load bridging experienced by plastic pails.


Organooxotin carboxylates where the organic group linked to the tin is substituted by an ester group in various positions from the metal have been prepared by hydrolysis and reaction with acetic acid of the corresponding trialkynylorganotins. It was shown that, in solution, these compounds are hexameric with hexacoordinated tins. Strong coordinating effects of bridging carboxylato ligands prevent the ester groups to coordinate to the tin atoms.


450Background: Pancreatic cancer is seen predominantly in elderly patients. Since many patients with pancreatic cancer have locally advanced unresectable tumors or distant metastases at diagnosis, they require chemotherapy. However, it is difficult to appropriately select elderly patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy. This study aimed to identify prognostic factors for elderly patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer treated with chemotherapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 191 patients with pancreatic cancer, aged ≥ 70 years, who had been diagnosed at our hospital between January 2006 and August 2016. Their overall survival (OS) was calculated using Kaplan-Meyer analysis. Prognostic factors were evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Results: Of the 191 patients, 52 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were treated with chemotherapy. Their median age was 76.5 years (range, 70–85 years). Twenty-two patients (42%) were men, and 44 (85%) had metastatic disease....


Chemical elements and molecules have characteristic absorption spectra that can be used for identification and detection. The photoacoustic effect has previously been used to perform spectroscopic measurements. We describe a modified photoacoustic spectroscopy method to accomplish standoff detection of thin layers of materials using an interferometric sensor. The interferometric sensor measures changes to the optical path length of an interrogation beam incident on a surface. We have developed a detailed model of the physical processes that result when a system comprised of a thin layer on a larger substrate is excited by the absorption of a modulated Gaussian laser beam. The modulated excitation beam generates heating in the sample which leads to surface motion, modulation of the temperature profile in the adjacent air, and an acoustic wave which all contribute to the signal. The model allows for the calculation of the measured signal of the interferometric sensor using the physical properties of the sam...


Nippon Eiyo Shokuryo Gakkaishi (J. Jpn. Soc. Nutr. Food Sci.) 46, 233~239 (1993) The effect of coconut oil (0.5 and 1.0g・kg-1 BW) on plasma ethanol levels in male rats was examined. When coconut oil was administered orally to rats 30 min before oral administration of ethanol (1.0g・kg-1 BW), the maximum plasma ethanol concentration decreased dose-dependently and the time to reach the maximum plasma ethanol concentration was delayed significantly, without changing the disappearance time of plasma ethanol. The proportion of ethanol remaining in the stomach was significantly higher with oral administration of coconut oil (1.0g・kg-1 BW). A high negative correlation (r=-0.91, p<0.001) between the maximum plasma ethanol concentration and the proportion of ethanol remaining in the stomach was observed. On the other hand, when coconut oil (1.0g・kg-1 BW) was administered orally to rats 30 min before intraperitoneal injection of ethanol (1.0g・kg-1 BW), no effect of coconut oil on the plasma ethanol level was found. These results suggest that slowing of


Abstract Study Objective:To review the effects of antihypercalcemic treatment on morbidity and mortality in cancer-associated hypercalcemia. Design:Retrospective study of 126 consecutive patients w...


A frequency tuning method of ring dielectric resonator antenna is presented in the paper. The basic of proposed method is micro mechanical alteration of the composite ring dielectric resonator. Advantages of the proposed method are the wide range of adjustments and increasing of the radiation efficiency of the antenna. Design of the tunable dielectric resonator antenna excited by waveguide in the standing wave mode is investigated. The basic antenna characteristics, and also analysis of dependencies of the antenna's central operating frequency, voltage standing wave ratio, bandwidth and radiation pattern versus the relative position of the ring dielectric resonator parts are presented. The influence of the inner to outer ring radius ratio on the efficiency of frequency tuning, radiation efficiency and bandwidth are investigated.


The purpose of this study is to find out how much influence Brand Image and Brand Trust have on Purchasing Decisions with Consumer Satisfaction as Intervening Variabels at PT. Galatta Lestarindo. Methods of data analysis using a questionnaire, with a sample of 100 respondents. The data analysis method used is SEM. Based on the results of the study indicate that there is a positive and not significant effect between Brand Image on Consumer Satisfaction. There is a positive and significant influence between Brand Trust on Consumer Satisfaction. There is a positive and significant influence between Brand Image on Purchasing Decisions. There is a positive and significant influence between Brand Trust on Purchasing Decisions. There is a negative and significant influence between Consumer Satisfaction and Purchasing Decisions. Consumer Satisfaction does not mediate Brand Image on Purchasing Decisions. Consumer Satisfaction mediates Brand Trust on Purchasing Decisions. The variabel contribution of Brand Image and Brand Trust through Consumer Satisfaction is 37.9% while the remaining 62.1% is influenced by other variabels outside of this study. Based on the results of this study, it is expected that PT. Galatta Lestarindo can improve purchasing decisions by increasing Brand Image, Brand Trust and Consumer Satisfaction through each indicator.


Adding Ni-coated graphite particulates to a tape casting colloidal suspension is capable of creating a sintered solid oxide fuel cell anode with a critical percolation threshold for conductivity significantly lower than conventional anode materials. For example, conductivity at 800°C reached over 1200 Ω -1 .cm -1 in these anodes at a Ni volume below the percolation threshold reported for conventional anode materials. This behavior was explained based on an effective Ni content, V Nieff , which includes the graphite portion of the particle. In the green tape, V Nieff controls the creation of a percolating network of Ni. However, when the graphite burns away, it leaves a percolated Ni network at a much lower volume fraction than would otherwise be required.


The classification between rectangular and ellipsoid/circular areas was studied,and the method and steps was listed in detail.There were rectangular and ellipsoid/circular areas which had different areas and different obliquities in bio-value image.The rectangular areas and ellipsoid/circular areas targets could be classified by the parameters such as area,perimeter length and bounding box.And some important parameters such as the center position,length(major axis),width(minor axis),perimeter length,area,and the obliquity of the minor inertia axis were also given.The new method proposed in this paper was obvious and have rotation invariability and translation invariability.


Abstract Objective: To determine cost-effectiveness and protective efficacy of a program to identify and immunize susceptible hospital employees during a measles outbreak. Design: A cost analysis was made of blind measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) immunization versus directed MMR immunization based on 2,000 employees born after December 31, 1956. A directed MMR immunization program for susceptible employees was instituted. Actual costs of the program were calculated at the conclusion of the program. Setting: A medical center complex with more than 4,000 employees, two acute care community hospitals, and a tertiary care children's hospital. Results: A directed MMR immunization program was projected to he less expensive than blind immunization ($23,106 versus $70,720). MMR vaccine was administered to 169 of 188 susceptible employees. Actual cost of the directed MMR immunization program was $25,384. Conclusions: The directed MMR immunization program was cost-effective and prevented secondary cases among hospital employees during a community measles outbreak.


Extraction of man-made objects from high resolution satellite images has been studied by many researchers. In order to reconstruct accurate 3D building structures most of previous approaches assumed 3D information obtained by stereo analysis. For this, they need the process of sensor modeling, etc. We argue that a single image itself contains many clues of 3D information. The algorithm we propose projects virtual shadow on the image. When the shadow matches against the actual shadow, the height of a building can be determined. If the height of a building is determined, the algorithm draws vertical lines of sides of the building onto the building in the image. Then the roof boundary moves along vertical lines and the footprint of the building is extracted. The algorithm proposed can use the shadow cast onto the ground surface and onto facades of another building. This study compared the building heights determined by the algorithm proposed and those calculated by stereo analysis. As the results of verification, root mean square errors of building heights were about 1.5m.


Isosorbide dinitrate, a vasodilator is the drug incorporated into calcium alginate beads by encapsulation procedure with polymer sodium alginate and cross-linking agents (Gluteraldehyde and Formaldehye). The Formulations were tested for entrapment efficiency and drug release in various buffered medium. The beads containing formaldehyde as the cross-linking agent was found with maximum drug release of 85% in pH 7.5 and all the three formulations had efficient drug release in basic pH. Effect of pH in release of drug from polymer.


The purpose of this article is to make a comparative study between the dramatic poem Los reyes, written by Julio Cortazar, and the myth of the Minotaur. The approach will start from the first connections of the author with Greek mythology and then go into the analysis of various aspects of the play. The structural level of the piece along with some of the resources of Greek tragedy used by Cortazar will also studied. Besides, in this resemantization of the classical myth, the resignification potential latent in the construction of the different characters in the light of the heroic figure will be examined.


As I write this review-in June 2012, in Kolkata, a very strange feature film about rehabilitation of displaced ghosts is making big news. The title of this movie Bhooter Bhabishyat also intends to convey the deeper problem about the Future of the Past. But not only is the future of our historical past, our bygone cultures and traditions atrisk now, the future of our future seems to be at risk too.The short-sightedness and hoplelessness of the new cyber-space-occupying face-book generation sometimes seems to ceate a false nihilism about civilization's future itself.


A number of accidents involving toxic chemicals have occurred in the last thirty years (Kletz, 1985; Parrish et al., 1987). Considering their magnitude and the inability of the affected community to absorb their impact without external assistance, some of these events qualify to be defined as disasters (Jones 1987). The Bhopal Gas Disaster of December 2-3, 1984, the worst so far in the history of the chemical industry, points out that an accident though occurring within the plant has the potential to inflict serious injury on public health and damage the ecosystem outside (Bowonder et al., 1985; Heyline, 1985). Some indicative data on chemical accidents in India, United States of America, and the United Kingdom are given in Table 1 and the losses sustained by the Indian chemical industry due to accidental fires and explosions for the period 1981-1983 are given in Table 2 (Ministry of Industry, 1986). Analysis of accidents that took place within site in India up to 1985 showed that equipment failure and improper operating conditions together accounted for 68% whereas inadequate design and layout accounted for 14% and the rest due to unknown causes.


The relationship between Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma continues to remain an enigma. In recent years, doubts are being cast on the traditional approach for regarding these two diseases as entirely different entities. Much of the interest has been fuelled by the clinical observation of the two diseases occurring in the same patients sequentially, and the even rarer synchronous presentation. The latter has been labelled as composite lymphoma, which defines the occurrence of two histologically different types of lymphoma in the same anatomic site in a patient (1-3). We describe our experience with one such case of composite lymphoma, and briefly review the literature.


The moving plate (15) comprises a closed-cell expanded polyolefin foam of the core layer (16) elongated, having a core layer thickness of the core material and the opposing surface (18, 19), further comprising a first polyolefin sheet (23), the sheet having a thickness less than the core and the inner surface (25) and an outer surface (24), also has an intermediate metallocene polyolefin layer (20), the metallocene polyolefin layer having an inner surface (22) and an outer surface ( 21), and a thickness smaller than the core layer, further comprising an intermediate layer, the intermediate layer on the inner surface of the core layer and the adhesive bonding to the inner surface of the first layer on its outer surface. The intermediate layer may comprise an ethylene -α-olefin copolymer, and may comprise a copolymer of ethylene and octene.


Thermoelectric generation (TEG), the theoretical basis of which is the Seebeck effect, is a new energy-saving and environmentally-friendly power generation technology that directly converts thermal energy into electrical energy. The TEG system has the advantages of simple structure and maintenance-free, and can be used for the conversion of small and medium-sized waste heat in life and electric energy. The heat source is widely distributed, and the generated electric energy is accumulated in a small amount, thereby effectively promoting the construction of a green city. This paper introduces the composition of the TEG system, and verifies its feasibility by establishing models and analytical calculations. Introduction Thermoelectric generation(TEG)can directly convert thermal energy into electrical energy, which is a new type of green power generation. Compared with traditional energy and new energy, the temperature difference energy(TDE) has many merits, as is shown in Table 1. Table 1. Characteristics of different energies. Energy resources Generation and usage mode Environmental protection Equipment safety Universality Traditional energies: coal, oil, etc. central electric power system resourceconstrained, severely polluting large and complex equipment: turbine, boiler etc. natural existence in limited areas New energies: solar, wind energy, etc. central electric power system green, renewable, non-pollution complex mechanical structure, time-consuming maintenance commonly existing, affected by weather TDE distributed electric power system green, environmentfriendly no moving, mechanical components, maintenancefree ubiquitous The superiority of TEG is manifested in the wide range of TDE sources. Besides, the TEG device is small in size, simple in structure, free from mechanical movement, maintenance-free and so on. It can simplify the structure of the TEG system, collect small waste heat everywhere in life, and accumulate energy, improving energy efficiency and improving energy structure. It is an indispensable component of a smart green city. Principle of the TEG System The Electricity Generating Principles The principle of TEG is the Seebeck effect, also known as the first thermoelectric effect. It refers to the formation of an internal electric field due to the thermal motion of holes (electrons) in a P(N) semiconductor to cause a thermoelectromotive force. [1]


The practice that has come to be known as "tracking" began as a response to the influx of immigrant children into America's schools during the early 20th century. To educate this newly diverse student population, school officials thought it necessary to sort children into different "tracks" based on their ability or past performance. As school reformer Ellwood P. Cubberley stated in 1909, "Our city schools will soon be forced to give up the exceedingly democratic idea that all are equal, and our society devoid of classes ... and to begin a specialization of educational effort along many lines." The advent of the IQ test and standardized achievement tests accelerated this trend by making the sorting process more apparently scientific. In the early days of tracking, junior-high and high-school students were assigned to academic, general, or vocational tracks. At one extreme students were being groomed for college, while at the other they prepared to enter trades such as plumbing or secretarial work. By midcentury, a majority of secondary schools used some form of tracking. The practice was especially prevalent in large comprehensive high schools. Today this extreme form of tracking is relatively rare. In the early 1970s, policymakers and educators, fearing that America was in danger of losing its competitive edge, began insisting that all students have access to a rigorous academic curriculum. States passed minimum graduation standards that required students to take a certain number of courses in the core subjects of English, mathematics, social studies, and science. And the 1983 A Nation at Risk report recommended even tougher standards. In the ensuing two decades, the percentage of students taking four years of each core academic subject increased dramatically. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] With the new emphasis on preparing every student for college, tracking in its modern form has come to mean grouping students by ability within subjects. In each subject, students are assigned to advanced, regular, or basic courses depending on their past performance. For instance, students in the advanced track might take pre-calculus as juniors in high school and calculus as seniors, while students in the basic track might go only as far as algebra II or geometry. The creation and growth of Advanced Placement courses is perhaps the best example of how tracking has become an institutionalized practice (see Figure 1). The Backlash Educators broadly support the practice of tracking in its modern form. Teachers find that tracking facilitates instruction by making it easier to gear lessons to the ability level of the whole class. Parents of high-performing students also favor tracking because research shows that students assigned to high-ability groups make greater gains in achievement. However, in studies published in 1986 and 1999, my colleagues and I found that students assigned to low-ability groups score lower on standardized tests than if they had been placed in mixed-ability or high-ability groups. That finding lies at the core of a backlash against tracking that began in the 1980s. Critics argued that tracking, especially in practice, created greater learning opportunities for high-performing students at the expense of their lower-performing peers. Tracking's opponents alleged that students in lower tracks often had the weakest teachers in a school, an unchallenging curriculum, few academic role models, and low social status. Moreover, they argued, tracking enabled educators to claim that courses were academic or college preparatory in nature when, in fact, the content lacked even the semblance of rigor. The movement picked up considerable momentum with the 1985 publication of Jeannie Oakes's deeply influential Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality. Oakes provided empirical evidence of the disadvantages endured by students placed in lower tracks. In a similar vein, she revealed that some schools, under orders to desegregate, were promoting internal segregation by disproportionately assigning minority students to lower tracks. …


The accuracy of the computed stress distribution near the free surface of vertical slopes was evaluated in this study as a function of the element size, including aspect ratio. To accomplish this objective, a parametric study was carried out comparing stresses computed using the finite element method (FEM) to those obtained from a physical model composed of photoelastic material. The results of the study indicate a reasonable agreement between a gelatin model and the FEM model for shear stresses, and an overall good agreement between the two models for the principal stresses. For stresses along the top of the slope, the height of the element tends to be more important than width or aspect ratio, at least for aspect ratios up to 4. In all cases, the greatest difference between the two models occurs in the vicinity of the slope. Specifically, if H is defined as the slope height, an element height of H/10 appears to be adequate for the study of stresses deep within the slope, such as for typical embankment analyses. However, for cases where tensile stresses in the vicinity of the slope face which are critical, such as for the stability analysis of steep slopes, element heights as small as H/32, or higher‐order elements, are necessary. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Many concepts of earth processes that differ widely from those held by scientists are endemic among the general public. The belief that groundwater typically occurs in underground lakes and rivers is an example of such a vernacular concept, which persists because it serves as a simple mental picture, based on easily observable surface phenomena, of unobservable processes in the subsurface.


The double aspect of the satisfaction of the users and the professional satisfaction of the nurses is an indicator of result, valid in the evaluation of the quality of the services. We aim to evaluate the satisfaction of nurses and the satisfaction of patients with nursing care, in a hospital setting. The EAST-Enf scale, the SUCEH21 scale and characterization questions were used. A cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory, quantitative study was developed in a sample of 124 nurses and 462 patients in northern Portugal. The sample of professionals is predominantly female (82.3%), with an average age of around 42 years. Of the 462 users, the majority are female (53.2%), with a mean age of 57.47 years. The most professionally satisfied nurses are the youngest (84,13), with a lower academic rank (74,80), with a service period of less than 10 years (78,59), who work in the stroke unit (77,10), and those who work in services with democratic leadership (76.6). Among the users, the most satisfied with nursing care are women (2,87), the elderly (2,87), widowers (2,59), retired (2,56), hospitalised in the unit of stroke (3). In nurses' satisfaction, the determinants, the age of the nurses and the service time stand out. The satisfaction of the users with the nursing care stands out the sex, age, marital status, labor situation, profession and internment service. Overall, there was a direct relationship between the satisfaction of the professionals and the satisfaction of the users. The identification of these relationships is very important in health organizations, constituting a solid tool in decision making and, therefore, in providing better health care.


Numerous crises through history have showed different effects on economies, from ones tied to monetary expansion in Great Britain in 1825 to crises caused by oil shocks in the 1970s and 1980s. Every one of those represents contraction, a downward trend in business cycles, which by its features is never the same. With every crisis, and especially the latest one (from 2008 until today), it was observed that business cycles are appearing more often, last longer and have more severe consequences on the economy. Therefore it is of special interest for financial markets and enterprises, which obtain their funds on them, to analyze business cycle movements and creating the appropriate business strategy and financial structure. The readiness of enterprises for the downward phases of the economic cycle, followed by the changes in the financial sector, should be defined by appropriate business strategy. Business cycles for enterprises represent a test of their strengths and weaknesses. A large portion of enterprises after the current crisis will no longer exist, but those which will successfully manage their financial structure, following the business cycle movements, will be ready to enter another period of growth and development. In the frameworks of this paper the structure of financial markets in Croatia is researched as well, as a result of the transition process, through which we got a larger choice of modern forms of financing and investment. The existence of an appropriate number of financial instruments needed for creating supply on the financial and capital market tends to follow the development of needs on the domestic business, private and public sector. Although modest, the domestic stock market shows the ability of creating wanted effects during investing, and special attention require public offers for buying stocks.
 DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p553


MERCURY, a group 12 element with a valence electron configuration of s 2 d 10 , is generally considered to be limited to the +1 and +2 oxidation states. Theoretical work, however, has long predicted that mercury could be stable in the +4 oxidation state. In a fundamental advance that opens new possibilities for mercury compounds, that prediction has now been confirmed with the successful synthesis of HgF 4 using matrix isolation techniques ( Angew. Chem. , DOI: 10.1002/anie.200703710). HgF 4 was prepared in cryogenic conditions by reacting mercury with excess fluorine in either an argon or a neon matrix, with ultraviolet irradiation from a mercury arc lamp. According to chemistry professor W. Lester S. Andrews at the University of Virginia, who did the experimental work with senior research scientist Xuefeng Wang, two factors were critical to the success of the experiments. These were controlling the light intensity, since HgF 4 is photosensitive, and using neon to improve the yield. Neon has a lower ...


*Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH–8057 Zurich,Switzerland, ‡The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, U.K., §MantaRay & Whale Shark Research Centre, Tofo Beach, Mozambique, kMarine BiologicalAssociation of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB,U.K. and {Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences,University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, U.K.(Received 30 May 2008, Accepted 8 November 2008)


Introduction.- Historical Sketch.- The Diversity and Landscape Ecology of Whistled Languages.- Whistled Speech and Language Ecology.- Whistle Production and Physics of the Signal.- Acoustic Adaptation to Natural Environments.- Phonetics, Phonology and Typology of Whistled Languages.- Perspectives and Neurocognitive Aspects.- Evolutionary Perspectives.


Advancement of technologies throughout the year have produce different kind of medicine. Despite that people seeks homeopathy as source of medication, especially in Malaysia. Debate for the best form of medicine has been going around between homeopathy and conventional medicine. This study is conduct to identify the level of awareness between the effectiveness of homeopathy and modern medicine. The study indicated that the public are more aware that effectiveness of modern medicine is more high (M= 3.309) and homeopathy were (M= 2.81).


The effects of saponins extracted from stems and leaves of Panax ginseng CA Meyer (including the total ginsenoside-GNS, panaxadiol-PAD and panaxatriol-PAT) on the activities of ATPase in rabbit cerebral microsomes were studied in vitro. GNS produced dramatic inhibition of the activity of Na+, K+-ATPase at concentrations of 0. 10 and l.00 mg/ml, and it significantly inhibited the activity of Ca2+-ATPase at the same concentrations. An inhibitory effect on the activity of Mg2+-ATPase was also found at concentration of l.00 mg/ml. PAD and PAT, at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.50 mg/ml, exhibited inhibitory effects on the activities of Na+, K+-ATPase. The activities of Na+, K+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase were inhibited significantly by chlorpromazine at 0.35 and 0.70 mmol/L. GABA, however, did not significantly alter the activity of Na+, K+-ATPase at 0.10 or 1.00 mmol/L. These results indicate that the inhibitory effect of ginsenoside on the central nervous system is associated with its effect on brain ATPase activity.


A smart grid employs information and communications technology to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of electricity production and distribution. The convergent and complex nature of a smart grid and the multifarious connection between its individual technology components, as well as competition between private companies, which will exert substantial influences on the future smart grid business, make a strategic approach necessary from the beginning of research and development (R&D) planning with collaborations among various research groups and from national, industry, company, and detailed technological levels. However, the strategic, technological, business environmental, and regulatory barriers between various stakeholders with collaborative or sometimes conflictive interests need to be clarified for a breakthrough in the smart grid field. A strategic R&D planning process was developed in this study to accomplish the complicated tasks, which comprises five steps: (i) background research of smart grid industry; (ii) selection of R&D target; (iii) societal, technological, economical, environmental, and political (STEEP) analysis to obtain a macro-level perspective and insight for achieving the selected R&D target; (iv) patent analysis to explore capabilities of the R&D target and to select the entry direction for smart grid industry; and, (v) nine windows and scenario planning analyses to develop a method and process in establishing a future strategic R&D plan. This R&D planning process was further applied to the case of a Korean company holding technological capabilities in the sustainable smart grid domain, as well as in the sustainable electric vehicle charging system, a global consumer market of smart grid. Four plausible scenarios were produced by varying key change agents for the results of this process, such as technology and growth rates, policies and government subsidies, and system standards of the smart grid charging system: Scenario 1, 'The Stabilized Settlement of the Smart Grid Industry'; Scenario 2, 'The Short-lived Blue Ocean of the Smart Grid Industry'; Scenario 3, 'The Questionable Market of the Smart Grid'; and, Scenario 4, 'The Stalemate of the Smart Grid Industry'. The R&D plan suggestions were arranged for each scenario and detailed ways to cope with dissonant situations were also implied for the company. In sum, in this case study, a future strategic R&D plan was suggested in regard to the electric vehicle charging technology business, which includes smart grid communication system, battery charging duration, service infrastructure, public charge station system, platform and module, wireless charging, data management system, and electric system solution. The strategic R&D planning process of this study can be applicable in various technologies and business fields, because of no inherent dependency on particular subject, like electric vehicle charging technology based on smart grid.


The Soldier Lower Extremity Exoskeleton (SLEE) is designed based on the biological characteristics of the soldier movement. It is a wearable intelligent device that integrates human body with exoskeleton in order to improve the soldier's ability of load-carrying. The virtual prototype model in the UG was built, the FEA model was built, and the strength is studied of the SLEE's key parts by finite element simulation with the finite element analysis software. The control system is analyzed, gait stability control is realized using ZMP technology. The main control machine of control system comprise embedded processor and high speed digital signal processor (DSP), cooperative motion control of the actuators is realized through the CAN technology. Current research work will be helpful in further this kind of designers to select material and the frame optimization design.


This study explores how chemical and microbial properties of litters can be affected by coastal environments across the Mediterranean basin. A litterbag experiment including Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pistacia lentiscus L., collected from both inland and coastal areas, was set up in France, Greece and Algeria. Control litterbags were left in their sampling sites and a transfer of litterbags from inland to coastal areas was performed to test whether the effect of the specific constraints of coastal environments varies according to the country and the litter type. After 10 months, litter chemical composition (CP/MAS 13C‐NMR) and microbial activities (cellulase activity, basal respiration, catabolic diversity using Biolog) and community structure (TRFLP) were analysed. Coastal conditions led to various responses: (i) litter aromaticity differed in the coastal zones depending on the country (high in the Greek coastal area, low in the Algerian coastal zone), (ii) fewer functionally diversified microbial communities were found in the Greek coastal area compared to the French and Algerian coasts, (iii) genetic diversity and richness were strongly impacted after transfer to the coastal zone whatever the country. The type of litter shaped microbial communities: (i) at a local scale (i.e., in either coastal or inland areas) catabolic profiles and cellulase activities varied with the plant species, (ii) at a regional scale, the effect of coastal conditions differed with the plant species (basal respiration, Shannon‐Weaver index, catabolic diversity H′, cellulases and catabolic profiles). Thus, litter microbial properties differed in coastal environments across the Mediterranean basin and plant litter type plays a major role in microbial properties at a large spatial scale.