In the manufacture of self‐compacting concrete (SCC), the replacement of a cement fraction by mineral additions is the most common method of the mix design in order to reduce the amount of cement for economic or environmental reasons. This study presents the effect of limestone filler and silica fume on the rheological and mechanical behavior of 13 types of self‐compacting concretes. Based on the rheology measurement such as slump flow diameter, V‐funnel flow time, yield stress, and plastic viscosity, and the mechanical tests such as the compressive strength and Young's modulus, our results show that it is possible, according to the type and dosage of mineral additions, to correlate the mechanical parameters and each of the used rheology tests.


The research on pipeline pigging technology is significant for the operation and management of pipeline. Domestic and foreign scholars usually research the operation rules of pigging in oil pipeline. There are few studies about gas pipeline pigging running because of running rate. The author established the force calculating model and corresponding numerical methods of leather cap type pig in gas pipeline. The model is based on geometric model of oil pipeline pigging. Combining pigging operation parameters with records in September 2013 and February 2014 at Bei Neihuan, the thesis used mathematical method and finite element software respectively to verify the mathematical model. The mathematical results described the average force of cup. The results indicated that the reason of the breaking of the cup is the force, instead of the cup material, temperament extrinsic reasons, etc. The force is larger than the tensile strength of the cup. The results of ANSYS finite element software simulation described the force of different parts of the cup. It is found that the force exceeding of the cup anti-pull force strength in the upper and lower sides of the cup is larger. Both results showed that using the mathematical model can quickly calculate cup pigging force conditions and determine the cause of damage to the cup. It can improve the efficiency of pigging.


The human intestinal tract is colonized by a resilient integrated ecosystem represented by a complex consortium of trillions of microbes [...].


In this paper, we present WWW system over native ATM services. The use of native ATM services through ATM API can provide better performance and functionality than that of IP over ATM, LAN Emulation or Multiprotocol over ATM. Our WWW browser and server provide advanced WWW services based on enhanced performance and guaranteed QoS support by using native ATM service benefits. This paper describes and compares advantages and disadvantages of Native ATM Services and ATM Internet Services, and addresses ATM API standardization and development trend that are made by the ATNI Forum for the support of native ATM services, and then describes the architecture and operation of our WWW browser and server using ATM API. The system architecture is based on HTTP over ATM API capable of supporting guaranteed QoS over its connections. The system defines and uses new HTML attributes within hyperlinking HTML elements for the description of ATM QoS and traffic characteristics that are derived from UNI signaling 3.1 connection characteristics information elements. Our system uses WinSock 2 API as its ATM API.


The paper reviews the researches at home and abroad about thin-layer chromatography,including TLC scanning,high performance TLC,Preparative TLC,RP-TLC,microemulsion TLC and the TLC coupling technology,and summarizes the application of TLC to the study of medical plants.


The subject of this article in an analysis of the globalisation process in economic and social areas. The author describes the main spheres of globalisation such as economic and political integration, the declining role of nation states, cultural homogenisation and the increasing significance of transnational corporations. The advantages and disadvantages of globalisation are discussed. The author also indicates differences between regions that benefit from globalisation. The article tries to answer questions whether globalisation is a desirable process and what it should be like to bring more benefits than losses.


This chapter takes as its starting point the fact that Hawthorne's novel, The Marble Faun; or The Romance of Monte Beni, was also published under the title Transformation (1860), thus suggesting a tension between animation and stasis that is implicitly explored in the text. It examines the connections between Hawthorne's work and Henry James's early novel Roderick Hudson (1875). Drawing on both writers' relationships with circles of sculptors, artists, and writers in Rome, this chapter considers the mediation of desire between protagonists in The Marble Faun and Roderick Hudson through key sculptural figures and metaphors of touch that contribute to the recognition, and eventual burial, of unruly desires.


The research aims to indicate role of Resource Consumption Accounting as a management and costing technique. That is compatible with the rapid developments and changes in the external environment, provided by the information and scientific basis in the allocation of indirect costs; Identifying and measuring idle power and costs contribute to scientific support accounting pricing decisions. This is in the light of the intense competition and the multiplicity of alternatives. To achieve this goal Authors selected a random sample represented in the men's clothing factory in Najaf. Sample include selected deliberate ones represented by administrative and accounting staff included (52) an individual. For test the hypothesis of the research, Authors used statistical program (SPSS), and a set of other statistical metrics. The most important conclusion is that the Resource Consumption Accounting contributes to support pricing decisions by contributing to the provision of accurate cost information, achieve cost reduction, contributes to the process of planning, improving productivity, and profitability. The most important recommendations were the need to apply the research sample to the technique of Resource Consumption Accounting, including the reduction in costs, identify and measure unused energy, and manage this energy. Which contributes to supporting accounting pricing decisions.


Early detection of plant disease is important for agriculture for the effective production and also to improve the economy of the country. Automatic detection and classification of plant disease and providing required remedy proves to be one of the efficient technique for agriculture. This paper presents one of the computer vision technique, a convolutional neural network(CNN) with the transfer learning method for effective classification of diseases in 3 crops namely Capsicum, Potato and Strawberry. The above technique effectively provides an


Icerya purchasii Maskell, or the cottony-cushion scale, was first officially recorded in Puerto Rico by W. A. Hoffman on trees of beefwood or Australian pine, Casuarina eqiiisetifolia Forst at San Juan (l). This introduced species, which for a short time appeared to be a serious pest to our agriculture, is practically under natural control. Since its introduction it has spread widely around the Island; fortunately, it has become less destructive because today it is practically controlled by its natural parasites and predators when it becomes abundant. Today, with the advent of modern and effective insecticides, it is controlled very readily. A more complete historical account of this insect pest is found in an interesting article published by Wolcott and Sein {2) in 1933.


Purpose. the present study intends to analyse the tactical schematics, outs, and corners marked in the last 12 meters of the court, through notational analysis, sequential analysis, and detection of t-patterns. Methods. We analysed outs (n = 71) and corners (n = 46) performed by the professional futsal team of Sport Lisbon and benfica. the tactical Scheme Observation System in Futsal and the Lince computer program were used. the data were analysed with IbM SPSS Statistics, SDIS-GSEQ, and tHEME programs. Results. the finalization of the tactical schemes takes place preferably after a pass, to the outer zones 5, 8, and 9. the sequential analysis showed some regularities when there is a second pass directed to zones 5 and 6, and regularity was verified in the finalization in interior zone 2. t-patterns were recorded in the execution of the observed tactical schemes. Conclusions. the finalization of the tactical schemes takes place after 1 or 2 passes occurring in external areas.


Subdivision curves have great importance for many CAD/CAM applications. In this paper we propose a simple method to define subdivision schemes on triangulations. It works by translating to the triangulation a perturbation of a planar binary subdivision. To reproduce this perturbation in the surface we use both, shortest and straightest geodesics, so we call this strategy intrinsic projection method. It can reproduce any binary subdivision scheme, regardless whether it is linear or not.


Harapan School was built to realize children's independence in learning. The activities include providing learning assistance and recitation guidance for children in Sinduadi Village, Sleman, Yogyakarta. The hope of realizing a better future for children is realized through education. Harapan School currently has one learning location, namely Sinduadi Village. The mentoring and guidance for children in Sinduadi Village with full glory and sincerity carried out by Harapan School succeeded in moving the hearts of this Activity Team and wanting to introduce Harapan School to a broader scope. This Activity Team plans to carry out a promotional program in the form of a company profile which will later be promoted through the social media owned by Sekolah Harapan (such as Instagram and Tiktok) and developed. This activity team hopes this will make Harapan School more widely known by the broader community by taking advantage of the current advances in social media technology and more volunteers who come to help Harapan School


The resonance light scattering (RLS) spectra of Fe3+ -orange G (OG) system have been studied. It was found that Fe3+ could enhance the RLS signal of OG.Further investigation indicated that there was a linear relationship between the enhanced RLS (△I) intensity and Fe3+ (ρFe3+) concentration.A method for the determination of Fe3+ was established and the optimal testing conditions were studied and discussed.The linear range for Fe3+ was 0.028~1.00 μg/mL and the detection limit was 0.009 μg/mL. This method had been satisfactorily used in the determination of trace Fe3+ in water.


Natural populations of four species of the Anopheles gambiae complex occurring in southern Africa were sampled and individuals identified using ovarian polytene chromosomes (19 species A, 190 species B, 140 species C and 54 A. merus Don.). The genotypes of these same insects were scored for three loci coding for non-specific esterases, and one locus coding for tetrazolium oxidase, after electrophoresis. There is no intra-specific variation at the tetrazolium oxidase locus; species A, B and C share a common allozyme and A. merus is unique. The relative gene frequencies for the 16 allozymes of the three esterase loci for each species give a minimum probability of correct identification of 0·9533 under the worst conditions of sampling, i.e ., where samples consist of equal mixtures of species. In practice, resort to such probabilities is necessary only in the discrimination between species A and C. This system of identification is superior to the chromosome method because all adults, whether male or female, and at whatever stage of the gono-tropic cycle, are identifiable.


Objective To compare the clinical efficacy between laser in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)and laser subepithelial keratomileusis(LASEK)for high and ultra-high myopia.Methods A total of 68 patients(125 eyes),who intended to take corneal refractive surgery(LASIK and LASEK ),were included in the study,29 patients(53 eyes) in LASIK group and 39 patients(72 eyes) in LASEK group.Preoperative spherical equivalent(SE) of patients was -6.00 D to -12.00 D,averaged in(-8.91±2.12)D.The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA),best corrected visual acuity(BCVA),SE,degree of haze,high wavefront aberrations and complications were examined and compared.Results At postoperative 1 week,the UCVA was 4.80±0.11 in LASEK group,which was significantly lower than 5.03±0.13 in LASIK group(P0.01).At postoperative 1 month,3 months and 6 months,UCVA were 4.96±0.09,5.05±0.22 and 4.93±0.07 in LASEK group,were 5.03±0.13,5.06±0.12 and 5.02±0.13 in LASIK group,and there were no statistical difference between the two groups(all P0.05).At postoperative 6 months,BCVA of two groups unchanged or improved compared with that preoperatively,and there was no decline in any cases.Haze did not found in LASIK group.Mild haze was found in LASEK group,but the haze was not higher than degree Ⅱ.At postoperative 1 week and 1 month,there were some minor regression occurred in both two groups,no statistical difference was found(P0.05).At postoperative 6 months,there were some refractive regression in both two groups.The regressive degree (-0.38±0.69)D in LASEK group was significantly higher than (0.01±0.37)D in LASIK group(P0.05).At postoperative 1 month,3 months and 6 months,the root mean square value of higher order aberrations,vertical coma,level of coma and spherical aberration were higher than those preoperatively in both two groups(all P0.05).At postoperative 1 month,3 months and 6 months,the increased degree of higher order aberrations in LASEK group was lower than that in LASIK group(all P0.05).Conclusions LASEK has similar efficacy and safety with LASIK for patients with high or ultra-high myopia,but long term effects need further observation.The visual quality after LASEK is better than that after LASIK for patients with high or ultra-high myopia.


Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important angiogenic factor in the ovary, but the localization of VEGF in the ovary of neonatal animals is poorly understood. A clear understanding of the relationship between the formation of the thecal layer and the cell-specific expression of the VEGF system during follicular development in the neonatal ovary is still lacking. Immature female Wistar-Imamichi rats used in this study were killed by decapitation 5, 7, 9 and 11 days after birth, and their ovaries were removed and subjected to histological and immunohistochemical observation. The number of primordial follicles had decreased in the ovaries at day 11 compared with that at day 5. The number of secondary follicles significantly increased with age. In the morphological observation of secondary follicles, we found that the theca layer (70 µm in diameter of follicles) began to form at day 9 and was completely formed at day 11. An endothelial cell marker, CD31, VEGF and Flk-1 were located in the stromal tissues in the ovaries on each day examined after birth. In particular, in the ovaries at day 9 and day 11, when the secondary follicles appeared, CD31, VEGF and Flk-1 were expressed in the theca layer. Flt-1 was expressed in the oocytes of the ovaries at day 5 and day 7, and the sites of its expression changed to stromal and thecal tissues at day 9 and day 11. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence that the theca layer of secondary follicles begin to form at day 9 after birth and that VEGF and Flk-1 may be able to stimulate the differentiation of stromal-interstitial cells into thecal cells and the formation of the thecal vasculature in the neonatal rat ovaries, suggesting that the VEGF system may be involved in the formation of the thecal layer and vasculature during folliculogenesis in the neonatal rat.


N U M BE R O F W EL LS Increased groundwater use for crop irrigation in Calhoun County, South Carolina has raised concern among citizen groups that the increase may be a ecting water levels in aquifers that are used for domestic supplies. Irrigation use increased from 1,559 MGY (million gallons per year) in 2001 to 3,426 MGY in 2012, and the number of registered irrigation wells increased from 25 to 73 during this same period (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control). To address this concern, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in collaboration with Calhoun County, drilled a test hole in the Town of Creston in south-central Calhoun County during the summer of 2013. The test hole was continuously cored to a depth of 1,058 ft (feet) using a wireline coring system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. A suite of geophysical logs was obtained from the hole after the cores were collected. The logs and cores were used to delineate local aquifer zones and to correlate them to regionally de ned aquifers. Sieve analyses were made to determine grain size and sorting.


Raku is a rapid ceramic firing process, which is made at low temperature and results in different color effects in the reduction phase. It was historically developed in the first Momoyama Period (1573-1615), especially designed for ceramic products used by Zen Buddhists in the tea ceremony and "Paper Clay", which is called as paper-added ceramic body, is a mixture created by adding different types and amounts of paper to ceramic clay. The paper, which is wetted with water and mixed into ceramic slurries, is distributed homogeneously in the mud. In this study, 10% paper additive was added to red, white and chamotte ceramic clay. 3 different raku glazes with copper oxide, iron oxide and cobalt oxide were applied on the prepared paper-added bodies. As a result, different effects were obtained.


Expert advice on energy is available to the federal government by the use of volunteer advisory committees. Contributions to these committees by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) personnel help decision makers gain necessary information at minimal cost. A sampling of past energy advisory committees - grouped as ad hoc, standing, and research committees - illustrates their impact on present energy decisions and suggests their value will ensure that the committees will continue to function during the current trimming of governmental activities. (DCK)


Measures taken to assure medical quality in hospital departments have focused on external quality control. Public health insurance organizations and the society of hospital holders in Germany have now agreed to carry out activities that aims not only at outcome but also at structural and procedural aspects of medical quality. The next step will be the introduction of quality management systems according to ISO 9000.


The prevalence of anti‐HEV was assessed in 2,233 subjects aged 20–79 years in the Republic of San Marino in the years 1990–1991. The sera were tested by ELISA and further confirmed by Western blot (WB) analysis. The overall anti‐HEV prevalence was 1.5%. A significant trend by age was observed. Anti‐HEV prevalence was 0.6% in subjects <30 years and 3.3% in those older than 70 years of age. Family size larger than four persons (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.8–13.2) was the sole independent predictor of anti‐HEV positivity in the multivariate analysis. Anti‐HAV and anti‐HEV prevalences did not show a parallel trend by age. No association was found either between hepatitis E virus (HEV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Follow‐up samples 5 years apart were available for 38 out of 54 (70%) anti‐HEV ELISA‐positive subjects. Eight out of 22 (37%) WB‐confirmed anti‐HEV–positive subjects were still anti‐HEV–positive after 5 years. However, anti‐HEV remained positive in all but two (75%) of the subjects with WB‐confirmed ELISA positivity value of S/CO ≥ 2 (cutoff 1.2), but in only 2 out of the 14 subjects (14%) with a WB‐con‐ firmed ELISA positivity value of S/CO < 2 (P < 0.005). None of the 16 subjects ELISA‐positive but not WB‐confirmed was anti‐HEV–positive 5 years apart. Therefore, only a relative proportion of subjects once infected with HEV maintain for at least 5 years anti‐HEV antibodies. J. Med. Virol. 58:49–53, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Intermittency in premixed reacting flows is studied using numerical simulations of premixed flames at a range of turbulence intensities. The flames are modeled using a simplified reaction mechanism that represents a stoichiometric H2-air mixture. Intermittency is associated with high probabilities of large fluctuations in flow quantities, and these fluctuations can have substantial effects on the evolution and structure of premixed flames. Intermittency is characterized here using probability density functions (pdfs) and moments of the local enstrophy, pseudo-dissipation rate (strain rate magnitude), and scalar (reactant mass fraction) dissipation rate. Simulations of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with a nonreacting passive scalar are also carried out in order to provide a baseline for analyzing the reacting flow results. In the reacting flow simulations, conditional analyses based on local, instantaneous values of the scalar are used to study variations in the pdfs, moments, and intermittency through ...


ABSTRACT The recent interest in lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs) has resulted in significant understanding of the assembly behaviour and liquid crystal properties of these water-based systems. On the other hand, there has been much less investigation into chiral LCLCs, which result if the chromonic molecule is chiral or if a chiral dopant is added to the solution. Measurements of the pitch of the LCLC disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) with several chiral dopants using both the Cano wedge and fingerprint texture methods are reported. The results include quantitative measurements of both the pitch and the helical twisting power. The ability of dopants to induce twist in DSCG varies widely, with some having almost no effect, with others producing a pitch approaching 3 and with most displaying an inverse pitch–dopant concentration dependence that is nonlinear at high concentrations. Graphical Abstract


Using a given starting word to make a sentence or filling in sentences is an important direction of natural language processing. From one aspect, it reflects whether the machine can have human thinking and creativity. We train the machine for specific tasks and then use it in natural language processing, which will help solve some sentence generation problems, especially for application scenarios such as summary generation, machine translation, and automatic question answering. The OpenAI GPT-2 and BERT models are currently widely used language models for text generation and prediction. There have been many experiments to verify the outstanding performance of these two models in the field of text generation. This paper will use two new corpora to train OpenAI GPT-2 model, used to generate long sentences and articles, and finally perform a comparative analysis. At the same time, we will use the BERT model to complete the task of predicting intermediate words based on the context.


The article considers typological varieties of scientific texts about characteristics, intended to teach foreign students of agriculture to communicate on educational and scientific matters. It also presents an abstract of the study guide lesson.


An electrochemical approach not involving activation-related processes is presented to grow ultrafine (∼3 nm) metallic seeds, subsequently catalyzing the electroless deposition of an ultrathin (20 nm) Co-alloy film with a controlled composition of CoB 4.5 , Co 92.0 B 8.0 , or Co 90.1 W 2.9 B 7.0 on thermally oxidized SiO 2 on Si. Examining thermal stability of Si/SiO 2 /Co-alloy/Cu samples after 450°C/l h annealing reveals that the Co-B film is converted into Co 2 Si by Si that has penetrated SiO 2 , and is thus insufficient to retard Cu diffusion. However, doping a minor amount of tungsten can substantially strengthen the barrier's thermochemical stability, hence alleviating intermixing of copper, silicon, and cobalt.


7.1. Water Structure in Carbon Nanotubes 5020 7.2. Radial, Axial, and Total Water Density 5023 7.3. Hydrogen Bonds 5024 7.4. Filling Carbon Nanotubes with Water 5025 7.5. Dipole Moment 5026 7.6. Proton Transport in Water 5027 7.7. Transport Properties 5027 8. Driven Flow 5029 9. Charged Carbon Nanotubes 5029 10. Polarizable Carbon Nanotubes 5030 11. Selective Partitioning 5030 12. Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes 5031 13. Conclusions 5031 14. Acknowledgments 5031 15. References 5031


As COCOMO is a non-proprietary model, its details are available in the public domain, encouraging researchers and practitioners in the software engineering community to independently evaluate the model. There have been many extensions independently reported where machine learning techniques are used to generate effort models from the original COCOMO model. In our research work, we proposed a calibration method by transforming the model equation into a linear form and estimating the model parameters using standard linear regression techniques. This calibration method has been adopted by the COCOMO development team in their calibration work. COCOMO has also been a model used to validate new estimation approaches such as fuzzy logic and neural networks. The COCOMO development team continues to calibrate and extend the model using different calibration approaches on more augmented data sets and our research work is mainly based upon these approaches wherein we have evolved newer and better approaches over the existing approaches and gave a realistic outlook to the very purpose of achieving the best performance.


This paper investigated the changes of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) expression in rats hippocampus after swimming and discusses the neurobiology mechanism of aerobic exercise promoting the brain healthy.The results show that there is BDNF expression at hippocampus neuron.BDNF expression of 7SG and 12SG in hippocampus is significantly increased individually compared with CG(P0.05,P0.01),12SG in hippocampus is significantly increased compared with 3SG(P0.05).These results lead to conclusions that the aerobic swimming can increase the BDNF expression and promote the brain nerve plasticity.


This paper proposes a new integrative control logic for rapid maneuvering of a rigid satellite using reaction wheels. The proposed control algorithm is of a state feedback nature and is designed to accommodate a variety of conditions, such as the general three-dimensional direction of rotation, initial and/or final angular rates, general alignment of three or four reaction wheels, torque and angular rate limits, and system time response limits. Simulations indicate that the new algorithm allows smooth control, free of chattering. The new controller also uses a tuning capability to compensate for time delays and parasitic dynamics. The tuning capability can be varied in order to enhance performance or robustness. Robustness of the algorithm is proven through a stability analysis and supported by detailed and practical simulations.


This paper deals with the problem of robust and non-fragile H∞ control via state feedback for linear discrete-time systems with time-delay and norm-bounded parametric uncertainties by using a method of linear matrix inequality (LMI). Both the gain perturbations of the controller and the uncertain terms of the system are time-varying and norm-bounded with linear fractional form. Moreover, the gain perturbations of the controller are considered to be either additive or multiplicative. Sufficient conditions for the existence of a robust and non-fragile controller are given in terms of LMI, so the resulting closed-loop system is robustly stable and attains a certain H∞ attenuation level. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.


Advancement of computer, software, telecommunication and internet technologies during the last twenty years has fundamentally shifted the focus of the expertise in control-systems engineering (CSE) industry. It is evident that building high-quality modern control systems requires a multi-disciplinary effort as a single engineer simply cannot be an expert in all the related areas, e.g., software/computer engineering, computer science and information systems. As an experience and evidence report, this article reports on the challenges in CSE based on the authors' experience and presents observations and potential recommendations for multi-disciplinary nature of CSE. It is hoped that the article would bring awareness to the community and would be useful for the industrial practitioners and researchers working in this area in building stronger multi-disciplinary CSE teams and, ultimately, in building higher-quality modern control systems.


The comparative clause of "(X) lian Y A dou meiyou" is one kind of differential constructions.In the typical constructions of "(X) lian Y A dou meiyou",Y is usually one component which is subjectivly deemed near the low end in many compared components,and the constructions meaning is that Y is not A,but X is not more than Y.In the untypical constructions of "(X) lian Y A dou meiyou",Y is usually one component which is subjectively deemed in the middle of many compared components,and the constructions meaning is that Y is not very A,but X is not more than Y.These constructions express with strong hyperbole and subjectivity.


The urbanization process in Ghana involves the local commu nity, the family, the school, and the peer group in a continuous sequence of influences upon the behavior of youth. Initial effects of urbanization are a disproportionate age concentration, an un even male-female ratio, and the diminution of traditional kin ship controls which are replaced by the less effective controls of the contemporary urban family. The male delinquency which oc curs as a consequence of these factors, in both the central city and the adjacent villages, is also affected by the urban gangs that roam into the villages periodically to steal and to recruit mem bers. Delinquent behavior may be seen as an adaptation by youths who have become alienated from the family and school and are thrust into a marginal social position for which the urban community lacks the institutions and agencies to channel the youngsters' needs and energies into conventional outlets. In this anomic state, some boys become attracted to deviant peers in the street society and look to them for guidance. These deviant reac tions by youths can be seen more readily in the newly developing urban societies than in the more complicated urban societies of Western countries.


The science is out and undisputable: Humankind is heading rapidly towards ecological disaster on several fronts, the most visible of which is climate change (STEFFEN, 2015; McNUTT, 2015; BARNOSKY, 2012). Radical measures are urgently needed to alter this trajectory yet they are not forthcoming. Getting a majority of governments to act effectively on these issues has repeatedly proved impossible. The latest multilateral initiative to deal with impending environmental catastrophes is the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit, an event that culminates a negotiating process spanning more than two years. The agenda? The approval of 17 "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs) that will succeed the 15-year tenure of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the forefront of UN operations. Both of these UN enterprises owe much of their intellectual inspiration to the work of Jeffrey Sachs. Ban Ki Moon identifies Sachs as his special advisor in the Foreword to The Age of Sustainable Development and many of the book's ideas are easily recognized in the SDG's formulations. In brief, it is an important and influential book that needs to be reviewed and discussed in some detail.The acclaims received by Sachs for The Age of Sustainable Development are numerous and compelling. Inter alia, Lord Stern states that the book "explains clearly where we can go and how to get there"; Rajenda Pachauri finds that the book "is clear on what we need to make sustainable development a reality"; Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson sees this book as "the most important in circulation". The nature and amount of praise for Sachs'


The structure and work principle of the multistage hydraulic cylinder was introduced.Using ADAMS software,the multistage hydraulic cylinder was decomposed to some single stage hydraulic cylinders,its mechanism-hydraulic coupling dynamic simulation model was established.The hydraulic lift system of some mining dump truck was simulated and the test was done.The test results validate correctness of the simulation model,and indicate that the oil pressure impulse appears in the rodless cavity of the multistage hydraulic cylinder at the time of every cylinder outing while working.


Abstract Opinions are divided as to whether the area of Vestfold Hills was formerly covered by the East Antarctic ice sheet or S0rsdal Glacier. Striae orientations have been used to erect the model of extension of the ice sheet followed by a minor lateral expansion of Sørsdal Glacier, while basal till fabrics; distribution of weathered rock; and the nature, orientation, and distribution of moraines have been used to conclude that lateral expansion of Sørsdal Glacier alone can explain the evidence of the last glaciation of Vestfold Hills. A review of all available data supports the model of regional glaciation by an extended East Antarctic ice sheet. Lateral expansion of Sørsdal Glacier has probably only played a minor role in the glaciation of Vestfold Hills since the regional glaciation.


Shell moulds for investment casting are formed from several layers, different materials and particle sizes. The fabrication of the shell moulds is a complex process comprising a number of different steps. To fabricate close-tolerance castings and prevent premature failure of the shell moulds, it is important to obtain exact details on the behaviour of shell moulds under the influence of temperature. Dilatometer tests were performed on green and fired shell moulds made of zirconium and molochite layers and bonded with colloidal silicic acid, as well as on the individual layers forming the moulds, to determine their sintering behaviour and thermal expansion. From the thermal expansion and firing shrinkage of the individual layers, inferences can be drawn regarding the dimensional stability of the moulds and the build-up of stresses between the layers as a function of the firing temperature. To establish whether the microstructure undergoes any changes as a function of the firing temperature, photomicrographs and electron micrographs were prepared. For better identification of the phases, radiographic examinations of the phases at room temperature as well as at the firing and application temperatures of the mould were performed.


The current treatment for osteoporosis such as bisphosphonates inhibits the catabolic activity of osteoclasts and subsequent bone resorption, but does not increase bone formation. There is therefore interest in using anabolic factors such as stem cells to augment fracture repair. The poor bone formation in postmenopausal women could be due to poor retention and function of Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) resulting into delayed unions. Another factor associated with fracture healing is the retention and migration of stem cells to the site of injury (1–3). The aim of this study was to isolate stem cells from osteopenic rats and investigate and compare the CD marker expression, proliferation, migration, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. The hypothesis of this study is that the migration of MSCs from young, adult and ovariectomised (OVX) rats will have different proliferation, differentiation and migratory abilities. Ovariectomy was performed in 6–9 month old Wistar rats and osteopenia developed over a 4 month post-op period. MSCs were harvested from the femora of young, adult and osteopenic Wistar rats. Proliferation of the these MSCs from the three group of rats was measured using Alamar blue, osteogenic differentiation was measured using ALP expression at day 0, 7, 14 and 21 and alizarin red at day 21. Adipogenic differentiation was measured at day 7, 14 and 21 using Oil red O. Cells were incubated in Boyden chambers to quantify their migration towards SDF1. For analysis, the number of cells migrating across the membrane was expressed as a percentage of the cells remaining on the upper membrane surface. Data was analysed using a Student t-test where p values The stem cells from all 3 groups of rats expressed on average the same amount of CD29 (>90%), CD90 (>96%), CD34 ( MSCs from OVX rats are similar to MSCs from young rats. However when induced to turn into bone, fat and migrate towards SDF1, young MSCs are significantly more responsive than MSCs from OVX and adult control rats. The poor homing ability and differentiation of the stem cells and their retention may result in a reduction in bone formation leading to delayed union in fractures of osteoporotic patients(4).


Geothermal  is  considered  to  be  a  green,  clean  and  one  of  the  most  reliable  sources of  energy  globally  for electric power generation and direct utilization. Kenya is endowed with vast high- and medium- temperature geothermal resources located  mainly  along  the  Kenyan rift,  and parts  of Coast,  Central  and Nyanza  regions, with  a  potential  in  excess  of  10,000  MWe.  In  the  Kenya's  2011–2031  Least  Cost  Power  Development  Plan (LCPDP)  geothermal  resources  are  considered  the  choice  for  the  future  generating  capacity.  The  optimum solution indicates that geothermal sources will contribute at least 5000 MWe out of the total projected 15,000 MWe by the year 2031. Currently, geothermal contributes a total of 212 MWe of power to the national grid accounting  for 14  % of the  total  power generated.  In  order to  achieve  the  projected  5000 MWe, additional geothermal prospects/fields  have been  identified and earmarked  for development.  This  paper describes  the determining factors of prioritizing geothermal prospects/fields for development in Kenya.  Key words: geothermal energy, prioritization, electric power, geoscientific, drilling, Kenyan Rift


Illicit drug users are almost nine times more likely to die prematurely than those who do not, a new study suggests.


Crystalline phases present in pigments scratched off the surfaces of some decorated ceramic sherds belonging to the Cucuteni Neolithic culture were successfully identified using synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction at Daresbury Laboratory. The ceramic sherds were selected from a collection of the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. The synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the black-color pigments on the surface of a number of sherds were produced by a variety of jacobsite (Fe2MnO4) phases; magnetite (Fe3O4) was also found in one of the sherds. The red color was derived from clay slips with a high content of hematite (Fe2O3). Calcite (CaCO3) was found in the white pigments; its presence was explained as being related to postburial deposition processes. Conclusions on technological aspects, provenance, and conservation issues are given.


On February 12, 1962, 4 years before he was awarded the Nobel Prize, Charles Huggins gave an informal interview to Dr. Willard Goodwin and co‐workers at UCLA on how he made one of the greatest discoveries in our field—hormonal therapy for prostate cancer. In this fascinating story, he tells how he transformed the investigation of what causes a hydrocele into a Nobel Prize winning discovery. Prostate 72:1718–1718, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The legal and policy framework that endeavor to protect wildlife in and outside protected areas should explain to the local people the importance of those habitats. The policies and laws in place should be categorical on reasons for use, regulations, impending dangers and benefits expected from the regulatory framework and seek to promote coexistence of various stakeholders in wildlife conservation. Were these laws and policies sufficient? What were the feelings of the locals on existing legislations? The paper wanted to ascertain the sufficiency in laws and policies that promoted community involvement in wildlife conservation among the communities that lived adjacent to Saiwa Swamp National Park. The research adopted descriptive survey design and used a sample size of 254 from a target population of 2538 by simple random and purposive sampling techniques. The data was tallied, organized and its frequencies and percentages calculated and presented in form of tables and bar charts with the assistance of SPSS (Statistical Programme for Social Sciences) computer software. On a higher degree, the research found out that laws and policies were doing little in promoting local community involvement in wildlife conservation in Sinyerere location and the locals were of the view that new legislation be put in place to revitalize the conservation sector. Data from the research pointed out that proper and genuine legislation was lacking in refereeing competing interests in the study area.


Introduction: The uterine caesarean scar defect, also known as uterine niche or isthmocele, is an irregularity in the anterior uterine wall at the site of a previous cesarean section scar. It is associated with obstetrical complications such as caesarean scar, ectopic pregnancy, uterine rupture, and the placenta accreta spectrum. Women with cesarean scar defects are frequently asymptomatic but may also experience abnormal vaginal bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Methods: This systematic review aims to determine the best hysterotomy closure technique to prevent subsequent development of uterine scar defects. An electronic search in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ClinicalTrials.gov was performed from January 2001 until December 2020 for studies evaluating hysterotomy closure techniques. Results: Our systematic search strategy identified 1,781 titles. Six studies fulfilled inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The results supported the superiority of the double-layer closure over the single-layer closure. Conclusions: Hysterotomy closure with continuous running sutures in two layers represents a suitable option to prevent cesarean scar defect formation. Particularly, the first layer should include the decidua and the second layer should overlap the first.


This article presents the results of the application of the Delphi Method in the process of validation of a Psychosocial Factors Model for Innovation in Organizations. Conducted in the exercise were two successive rounds with ten experts, and in each one a questionnaire was applied. Interviews with three of these experts were conducted in the third phase. Found were informal organization and psycho-social factors, related to innovative capabilities such as climate and learning environment, innovation culture, leadership characteristics, group cohesion, psychological climate for learning, and engagement. All of which serve as model constituents enabling its validation. How to reference this article:  Uribe Muentes, D. (2014). Validacion del Modelo Factores Psicosociales para la Innovacion en la Organizacion por medio del Metodo Delphi.  Revista Interamericana de Psicolgia Ocupacional,  33(1), pp. 49-62


In this paper, a perfluoropolyether (PFPE) micellar solution was effectively deposited on metallic substrates using a dip-coating process to enhance brass and nickel aluminum bronze (NAB) corrosion resistance. Particular attention was paid to the aesthetic results as well. Enabling the metallic substrates hydrophobic to facilitate water and moisture removal was the key concept of this work. The corrosion resistance of the as-received and coated metals was investigated via a salt spray chamber test. The study focused on the characterization of the polymeric coating via dynamic light scattering and wettability tests, while the substrates were assessed with traditional metallographic techniques. The preparation of the polymeric solution was important in determining the final corrosion resistance of the two substrates. Noteworthy was the effectiveness of the PFPE-based coating when it was applied to the brass rather than the NAB. Moreover, the polymer concentration of the dip-coating polymeric emulsion was the most significant factor to obtaining adequate protection: higher polymer concentrations resulted in a decrease in corrosion resistance.


Flowering is the first of several events that lay the foundation for mango production every year. The temperatures below 15°C readily promote floral induction. Decrease in temperature below 20 0C is common in sub-tropical regions but seldom occurs in many tropical ones. So, an alternative strategy for optimum flower initiation under tropical condition is essentially required for increasing the productivity of plant. Among different strategies evolved, paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate application is effective not only in flower induction but also in early and offseason flower production in mango. Hence, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate on the flowering, fruit yield and quality of Amrapali mango (Mangifera indica L.) plants grown under different plant spacings at Horticultural Research Station, OUAT, Bhubaneswar during 2018-19 and 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with 24 treatment combinations and 2 replications. The treatment combinations consist of four levels of spacings (2.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 2.0 m, 4.0 x 4.0 m, 8.0 x 2.0 m) and 6 levels of chemical treatments (email@example.com, 0.50 and 0.75 g a.i. per meter of canopy spread and KNO3@ 2% and 4%) and a control with water application.  The results revealed that plants spaced at 4.0 x 4.0 m with application of paclobutrazol 0.50 g a.i. recorded maximum flowering intensity (82.48%), fruit set percentage (6.47%) and yield (11.12 kg/tree). Whereas the fruit quality parameters like TSS, acidity, reducing sugar, total sugar, ß carotene content are not significantly influenced by either due to plant spacing or flower inducer such as paclobutrazol and potassium nitrate.


Abstract Over a six week period, 845 people with low vision or blindness responded to our survey regarding how they used their smartphone, contributing to the first ever large-scale research project on the importance of smartphones in the Australian blind community. The results were significant − 79% of people with vision impairment use smartphones. They are part of their everyday lives and used for a broad range of purposes. Furthermore, the broad adoption of this device is a recent phenomenon – there has been a 365% increase in smartphone use in less than five years. While the rapid uptake of the smartphone by the vision impaired community demonstrates one level of 'access' is being achieved, we also identified ongoing issues impacting users. Our research demonstrates that people with disability must be included in the development process in order to ensure technological advancements are empowering and inclusive, especially in challenging times.


This paper is concerned with the networked predictive controller design problem for the discrete-time two-dimensional (2-D) systems represented by the well-known Fornasini-Marchesini local state-space (FMLSS) model subject to time delays. Particularly, a novel networked predictive control (NPC) scheme is employed for the considered 2-D systems in order to compensate for the communication delay actively. Firstly, by using the Lyapunov stability theory, sufficient conditions are established for such 2-D systems. Based on the stability analysis results, a new networked predictive controller design strategy is proposed to stabilize the addressed 2-D systems and also achieve the desired control performance. Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the newly developed NPC strategy for 2-D systems over networks. Different from the existing results, this is our first attempt to apply the NPC scheme to 2-D systems.


A hybrid image intensifier zoon tube, based on a thinned backside electron-bombarded CCD (EBCCD) 1024 X 1024 pixels (13.1 X 13.1 micrometers 2), to be used for the readout of a high resolution fiber detector in a high energy physics experiment, has been designed, manufactured and tested. This tube has a photocathode diameter of 40 mm and allows to change the image magnification (M) from 0.6 to 1.3. Owing to the low energy threshold of the EBCCD (2.5 keV) and the high operational voltage (15 kV), a gain (electrons per photoelectron) of 4000 has been attained. A spatial resolution of about 40 lp/mm (15% MTF) with an illumination of 2 (DOT) 10(superscript -4 lux and has been achieved. The EBCCD tube is gateable by applying appropriate voltage pulses to the focusing electrode. The high gain and the excellent space resolution of this device make it very interesting for many applications in high energy physics, astrophysics, medical diagnostics and very low light imaging.


After the incident of the attack on a military rayon command post in Kisor, Maybrat, West Papua Province occurred, people felt scared & threatened, and decided to flee to the forest. In addressing this situation, the Regent of Maybrat called on his people who were still displaced to return to their respective homes or villages. The addition of personnel of Kodam XVIII Kasuari in that location was not for a military operation but rather looking for the perpetrators of criminal acts of terrorism because they had caused tremendous fear in the local community, making them flee into the forest. This study aimed at examining the subject matter based on the scope and identification of the aforementioned problems through a normative juridical approach. Moreover, the researchers also included juridical-historical and juridical-political approaches based on the scope and identification of the problems. In this study, the researchers applied normative and empirical legal research methods at the same time. However, the researchers focused more on the normative legal research method, while the empirical legal research method was used to obtain supporting information. The object of this study was Kodam XVIII Kasuari which always tries to eliminate the bad culture of the Arfak mountain community, especially daily activities that clash with criminal acts (e.g., presenting firearms as a dowry). In addressing this problem, Kodam XVIII Kasuari had used various ways with the anthropological approach. This approach had been fully implemented by soldiers in West Papua within the framework of territorial operations in the aspect of education, raising awareness, and enforcing national laws in the communities in West Papua.


A practical framework for the quantification of liquidity premium is proposed by designing an optimal liquidation strategy. That is, in a thin market, considering the market impact caused by the investors' own dealings, a rational investor adopts such optimal strategy as liquidating his position by steps to maximize his utility, which is different from the strategy under perfect liquidity market. According to the no-arbitrage principle, the liquidity premium can be calculated if the market is unbiased. It is found that it decreases with the increasement of the investment horizon, but the premium remains persistent while continuing to increase the horizon.


Over the last few years, there have been a number of tendencies towards change in the pronunciation of Standard British English (StBrE), some of which have been noted in ET. Most of the changes are related to spelling pronunciation or the elimination of redundancy. Some of them may be interpreted as means of differentiating the speakers both from earlier generations of standard British speakers and from non-standard speakers of the same generation (speakers of "Estuary English", for example); they are symptoms of generational change and part of the gradual "drift" of a language.


From prehistoric civilization to ancient glory, from modern revolution and transformation to contemporary development and take-off, Zhejiang (a pio-neering and leading province in China) has a long and profound culture and rich connotation, which is the internal force for it to create miracles today, the deepest force in the reform and development in the new era, and the most attractive highlight in building an "important window" and a demonstration area of common prosperity for the other provinces to learn. This article explores the outstanding historical Zhejiang traditions that achieve remarkable achievements, tells the origins of development outlook, fairness and benefit outlook, and world outlook of its people, narrates the stories of figures and achievements that embodies these three above-mentioned outlooks in its history, discusses how its traditional culture contributes to social development and progress, and constructs its people's basic international communication discourse, providing its wisdom and solutions for national and international governance


ObjectivesOur objectives were to determine how hot carcass weights affected temperature decline and pH decline of carcasses, and subsequently shear force, juiciness and color of steaks.Materials and MethodsCarcasses (n = 59) were selected at a commercial abattoir over five collection days at approximately 45 min after exsanguination and sorted by hot carcass weight. Carcasses were separated into light (< 363 kg), medium (363 to 408 kg), or heavy (> 408 kg) weight groups. Temperature decline was monitored with a data logger for 24 h with one probe inserted into the longissimus muscle at approximately the sixth rib and one probe inserted directly into the center of the semimembranosus muscle. Muscle pH was measured in the longissimus and semimembranosus muscle at 0, 4, and 24 h after carcasses were moved into chill coolers. After approximately 24 h of chilling, ribeye area, 12th rib fat, KPH, and USDA Quality and Yield Grades were collected. Ribeye rolls (IMPS 112A) and inside rounds (IMPS 160A) were transported to the North Dakota State University Meat Laboratory and aged in vacuum packaging for 14 d. Ribeye and rounds steaks were fabricated for Warner-Bratzler shear force and color analysis. Color analysis was determined on each steak using a Minolta colorimeter after a 30-min bloom time. A 50-g sample was collected for drip loss analysis. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS.ResultsLongissimus muscle temperature at 4 h was less (P = 0.02) in light carcasses compared with heavy weight carcasses and semimembranosus muscle temperature was less (P < 0.0001) in light and medium weight carcasses compared with heavy weight carcasses. There were no differences in pH decline (P ≥ 0.16) among hot carcass weight groups. There were no differences in fat thickness, KPH or marbling score (P ≥ 0.12) among hot carcass weight groups. Longissimus area (P = 0.0002) was larger and USDA final yield grade was greater (P = 0.04) among hot carcass weight groups. There were no differences in drip loss, cook loss or WBSF in either longissimus or semimembranosus muscles (P ≥ 0.10) among carcass groups. Color data indicated that ribeye and round steaks from heavy weight carcasses were redder than steaks from light weight carcasses (P ≤ 0.02).ConclusionHot carcass weight did not have an influence on objective measures of meat palatability traits; however, carcass weight did have an effect on color.


Method for online control of a welding machine stop type contact welding sputters for bars, blooms or billets, during welding cycles, comprising the steps of: - measuring on the machine direct measurements using a acquisition system, - a drive control of a valve controlling positioning of clamps welding machine; and - firing angle control of a divider for controlling the thermal power supplied to the welding process; wherein said control steps are controlled based on an analysis by a dynamic state observer (A) of the history of the welding process during execution of each welding cycle, characterized by the fact that said dynamic state observer (a) estimates, by means of a mathematical model, the trend of a plurality of state variables (X) and of performance variables (Z), the latter comprising arc length, arc impedance, the primary voltage and arc current, used as a basis for controlling the welding cycle itself and the subsequent welding cycles, using a plurality of direct measurements (Ym) made by the acquisition system.


City to city collaboration was established in most nations to overcome the challenges caused by urbanization and to cope with the lack of sources and more demand in urban service. It considered as a tool to establish, steer, facilitate, operate and monitor arrangements to address public policy problems that cannot be easily addressed by a single city alone. Has been popular in the developed country since 1970s, city to city collaboration has also come to emerge in many developing countries. Following the regional autonomy and fiscal decentralization policy enacted in 1999, Indonesia experienced the sudden increase of regional competitiveness and at the same time the transformation from a centralized to a decentralized. The rapid change of fiscal and administrative system together with increasing demand of urban infrastructure and service push the city level governments to search for a new mechanism of regional governance through city to city collaboration that fit the current system and more sustainable in the long term. Along with this quest, there is lingering evidence that some collaborations are more effective than others or work in some situations and not in others, but without knowing why or how. This paper started with a purpose to identify the form and mechanism of current regional governance in Indonesia. In order to explore this potential this paper identified the transformation of city to city collaboration in four metropolitan regions in Indonesia, set in the time frame from mobilization to the current system, with in depth analysis of the existing dimensional approach of horizontally and vertically linked organizations in two metropolitan regions (Surabaya and Yogyakarta). The type of collaboration investigated is city to city collaboration related to the provision of urban infrastructure and services. Questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted in all four metropolitan regions. Based on the findings of the empirical analysis it is found that the development's direction and the effectiveness of city to city collaboration depends on the tendency of vertical and horizontal integration in each region. With regards to the diverse types of intergovernmental relations, the paper then tried to discuss several tailored strategies to achieve sustainable city to city collaboration. The findings of this study aimed not only help to improve the development of collaboration in the Indonesian metropolitan regions, but also shed light on city to city collaboration elsewhere, especially in the developing countries.


The acidic properties of the commercial zeolite catalyst HZSM-5 (Si/Al = 25) were evaluated using different techniques. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia showed the presence of both weak and strong acidic sites. FTIR of adsorbed pyridine showed the presence of both Bronsted (1545.2 cm -1 ) and Lewis acidic sites (1445.1 cm -1 ). Using the acetonylacetone method to assess the acid/basic properties in zeolites is a very interesting quantitative method that is not commonly used. Using this method, we have shown that the active sites in this catalyst are not completely acidic, but some basic sites also exist, that cannot be detected by the other two methods. Such understanding is very critical for reactions requiring an entirely acidic or basic surface.


Introduction: 7 T prostate imaging with a radiative antenna (single-side adapted dipole antenna) surface array is beneficial in terms of high signal penetration into the body as well as low tissue heating [1]. This is due to its radiative design where the antenna geometry is optimized in terms of optimal power transfer to the target region. Recent studies indicate that parallel transmit can lead to complex SAR behavior. The local maximum SAR can vary over a large dynamic range (1 dB) for different RF shim settings but constant total RF power [2,3]. In this study we will investigate the local SAR behavior of a 8 elements radiative antenna array for 7 T prostate imaging. Methods: The array was simulated with the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method using SEMCAD (SPEAG, Zurich, Switzerland) to investigate the local SAR distributions. The surface array comprises 8 radiative antennas each consisting of a dielectric substrate with a dipole antenna on top tuned for a standing λ/2 standing wave. The substrate was εr=37, 6.7x4.2x14.3 cm. The antenna elements were placed in a belt-like setup around the pelvis of the male model of the Virtual Family [4] (Figure 1). To ensure perfect element-skin abutment, blocks of skin and fat layers were modeled under the elements as well as air blocks around the substrates to avoid the tissue curling around the corners of the elements. Each antenna is tuned to 298.2 MHz and voltage source impedances are matched appropriately. The elements are driven individually in separate simulations (only 1 voltage source of an element is on, the rest of the array is off). Then, the worst possible SAR distribution is calculated from the sum of the magnitude of the E-fields of all elements. This distribution is compared to the SAR distribution of each individually simulated element. In this way we verify what the potential influence of an unfortunate shim setting is on the SAR levels under the elements. The SAR averaged over 10 g and normalized to 1 W input power was calculated. Note that the SAR distribution of the single elements is normalized to 1W delivered power, while the worst case SAR distribution for 8 elements is normalized to 8 W delivered power. Results and Discussion: The SAR hotspots of the radiative array are observed under the elements, mainly in skin, and fat and muscle boundaries (Figure 2). Moreover, the locations of the SAR peaks are identical for the single element simulation and all simulations superimposed. However, the exact values of the SAR peaks are dependent on phase settings when the SAR values for single element and 8 elements are compared (Figure 3). The maximum average SAR over 10 g for the worst possible shim setting is located under element 7.


We report the first results of the low-temperature photoluminescence study on polycrystal zinc oxide (ZnO) films obtained by atomic layer deposition at 100 °C, 130 °C and 200 °C. These ZnO films, when studied 'as-grown', show a strong excitonic emission even at room temperature. Low-temperature (T = 9 K) photoluminescence reveals lack of defect-related bands and a sharp photoluminescence peak at 3.36 eV with full width at half maximum of 6 meV which is comparable with the value reported for good quality bulk ZnO crystals. The energy position of the excitonic peak scales with temperature according to standard formulas and give the Debye temperature of 963 ± 26 K. We show that optical properties of low-temperature 'as-grown' ZnO films are correlated with structural and electrical ones and that optical study can be a valuable tool for evaluation of quality of ZnO films for novel electronic applications.


Objective: The objective of the present study was to design and evaluate a novel, 'blended learning' approach to the teaching of paediatric resuscitation to medical students.


Heart transplantation remains the gold standard therapy for patients with advanced heart failure; however, the utilization of heart transplantation is constrained by the limited supply of donor organs. To further expand the pool of available organ donors, there has recently been renewed interest in the use of donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors for heart transplantation. Kidney, liver, pancreas, and lung transplants are currently being performed in the US with organs procured from these donors; however, there are no DCD heart transplants being performed. Programs in Europe and Australia, however, have adopted selective DCD donation for heart transplantation and report short-term survival comparable to those obtained with use of donation after brain death (DBD) donors [1–3]. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential maximal increase in the US heart transplant donor pool should selective DCD heart transplantation be adopted using a large national heart transplantation registry. This study was deemed exempt by Duke University's Institutional Review Board.


The skull of Nannippus grdtus (Leidy), W. T. No. 639, Figs. 1-3. This is the most perfect skull thus far discovered in the Clarendon Beds representing the species N. grdtus. It is not distorted and the only part of the skull that is missing is the anterior end of the premaxilla bearing the incisors, and the extremity of the supra-occipital bearing the lambdoidal crest. The teeth are badly worn, so much so that no enamel pattern can be seen on P4, Mi, and M2. On the other teeth, however, the pattern is clear and distinct. At the posterior end of the nasals there is a small area which is slightly crushed, but which does not effect the remainder of the skull. In the Clarendon fauna the family Equidae is predominant. Numerous skeletal elements are known representing a number of species and genera. Literally thousands of teeth and parts of skulls have been collected from a number of localities. Of these the N. grdtus is perhaps the most typical, and the most abundantly represented of the Lower Pliocene Equidae of Texas. It is with a view, therefore, of supplementing our data that the following discussion on this species is presented.


This paper proposes a method for computing eigen-decomposition of a symmetric bi-edge diagonal matrix based on BCD-SVD algorithm.It computes all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors,and exhibits good property of numerical stability.


PURPOSE: A reinforcing structure for corners of a structure for improving an internal force and earthquake-resistant performance and a reinforcing method of the corners are provided to highly improve the internal force and the earthquake-resistant performance of the structure by additionally supporting the corners with a support reinforcing member. CONSTITUTION: A reinforcing structure for corners of a structure for improving an internal force and earthquake-resistant performance comprises a sliding connection member (2) and a support reinforcing member. The sliding connection member is installed on an inner wall facing a corner of a structure (100). The sliding connection member comprises a connection plate integrally connected to the inner wall and a sliding plate protruding from the connection plate. The support reinforcing member is arranged between the sliding connection members and integrally includes a reinforcing rib.


The new Post Accelerating Data and Knowledge Online Society, or 'Padkos' requires a new model of decision making. This introductory paper proposes a model where decision making and learning are a single symbiotic process, incorporating man and machine, as well as the AADD (ánthrōpos, apparatus, decider, doctrina) diamond model of individual and organizational decision-making and learning processes. The learning is incorporated by using a newly proposed quadruple loop learning model. This model allows for controlled changes of identity, the process of creating and the sense making of new mental models and assumption, and reflections. The model also incorporates the recently proposed model of quantum decision-making, where time collapse of the opted past and the anticipated future (explicitly including its time horizon) into the present play a key role in the process, leveraging decision-making and learning by human as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. The paper closes with conclusions.


The article discusses in detail a real case of an ongoing trial on challenging an administrative penalty imposed as a result of a violation of industrial safety standards, comments of an occupational safety specialist are given.


In an example, a method for rendering graphics data includes receiving a plurality of commands associated with a plurality of render targets, where the plurality of commands are received in an initial order. The method also includes determining an execution order for the plurality of commands including reordering one or more of the plurality of commands in a different order than the initial order based on data dependencies between commands. The method also includes executing the plurality of commands in the determined execution order.


A novel model reference adaptive control (MRAC) method was proposed and tested with a transrectal intracavitary applicator for thermal treatment of prostate disease using ultrasound hyperthermia. Two significant advantages of this innovative adaptive control method are: 1) there is no need of a priori knowledge of the tissue properties; and 2) the controller could adaptively change the amplitudes and phases of the array's driving signal according to the perfusion rate or other dynamic tissue properties. Computer simulations, ex vivo and in vivo experimental results all showed that with this adaptive controller the tissue was heated up to 43 /spl plusmn/ 0.2/spl deg/C within 7 /spl plusmn/ 2 minutes, and adaptively maintained 43/spl deg/C with dynamic blood flow for the rest period of the hyperthermia.


"IN matters of commerce the trouble with the Dutch is giving too little and asking too much," a British foreign secretary once is supposed to have remarked. Whatever the value of such political poetry, the contents of this rhyme apply very neatly to the Dutch expansion in the Atlantic. By giving little and asking much, the Dutch were forced to exploit the Atlantic in combination with many other nations. First, the Dutch turned to the Spanish and the Portuguese Atlantic empires and siphoned off part of their trade and produce. Later they turned to the British and the French and did the same. This role of intermediary gave the Dutch an important position in shaping the conditions in the Atlantic that went far beyond the economic importance of their own relatively modestly sized possessions. The impact of the Dutch can be fully appreciated only after contrasting the nature of the Portuguese and Spanish expansion in the Atlantic with that of the countries of northwestern Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The differences between the first and second Atlantic systems are discussed in part I of this chapter. The role of the Dutch in the creation of the second Atlantic system during the second and third quarters of the seventeenth century is outlined in part II. Part III provides a survey of the Dutch involvement in the slave trade and the use of slave labor in the Dutch colonial economy.


Content-based image retrieval (CBIR) systems often rely on global image characteristics such as color and texture histograms, but not the spatial relationships among component objects of an image. In this paper, we describe a new image retrieval scheme where objects of interest in an image are first identified and spatial relationships among them as well as their features including semantic information are annotated to represent the image. An important and unique aspect of the system is that users are allowed to formulate a query based on both objects of an image and their spatial relationships. This could give better precision and flexibility to retrieve images from image databases. In the prototype system, semantic information of interest for objects and the spatial relationships among them are captured and represented using XML.


The invention relates to a hybrid-power battery SOC self-adaptive control method. SOC supplemented by regenerative braking recovery energy is distinguished from the energy recovered by motor generating mode through reasonably dividing a state of charge SOC section, wherein the energy recovered by motor generation is only used for efficiency auxiliary driving, so that the use of hybrid power energy is reasonably controlled, and the system efficiency is optimized.


This paper outlines the spatial distribution, population size, habitat preferences and factors causing the decline of Hirola antelope in Arawale National Reserve (ANR) in Garissa and Ijara districts, north eastern Kenya. The reserve covers an area of 540Km2. The objectives of the study were to gather baseline information on hirola distribution, population size habitat preferences and human activities impacting on its existence. A sampling method using line transect count was used to collect data used to estimate the distribution of biological populations (Norton-Griffiths, 1978). Community scouts collected data using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and recorded on standard datasheets for 12 months. Transect walks were done from 6.00Am to 10.00Am every 5th day of the month. The data was entered into a geo-database and analysed using Arcmap, Ms Excel and Access. The results indicate that the population of hirola in Arawale National Reserve were 69 individuals comprising only 6% of the total population in the natural geographic range of hirola estimated to be 1,167 individuals. It also revealed that hirola prefer open bushes and grasslands. The decline of the Hirola on its natural range is due to a combination of factors, including, habitat loss and degradation, competition with livestock, poaching and drought.


Global health research is a discipline in which it is highly possible to cause more harm than good. Universally, the conduct of ethical research is bound by international principles and guidelines and its design and implementation are interrogated by funders and institutional review boards. Research in resource-limited settings is no different in this respect but poses additional ethical considerations due to the nature that the research is conducted alongside or within poorly resourced healthcare systems. The aim of this special issue is to identify work that acknowledges this complexity but demonstrates best practice in the pursuit of fair and equitable approaches to global health research. We were thrilled to receive a total of 27 paper proposals fromabroad range of institutions, research teams and geographical locations. After some tough deliberation we are pleased to present the final 12 manuscripts that make up this special issue. We begin in post-Ebola Sierra Leone, where Peña-Fernández et al.1 outline the experience of setting up a transnational research partnership to deliver a parasitology training programme and demonstrate the complexity of forming equitable and ethical research partnerships. Their team highlight that whether something is ethical (or not) cannot be determined simply in an ethics committee meeting. Wright2 echoes this sentiment in a short communication summarising a recently published Nuffield Council on Bioethics report: 'Research in global health emergencies', arguing that research can only be ethical if it encompasses three core values: equal respect, fairness and helping to reduce suffering, all of which are the responsibility of all the stakeholders or 'duty bearers' involved in research. Transnational research partnerships are then scrutinised more broadly under the lens of the Decolonising Global Health movement by Lawrence and Hirsch,3 who focus particularly on what researchers from highincome settings can and need to do to make partnerships more equitable. The design of global health research raises particular ethical issues related to both participant reimbursement and the provision of ancillary care to individuals who may live in resource-limited settings with weak healthcare infrastructure. Reflecting on their ethnographic community-based study of air pollution in Malawi, Saleh et al.4 demonstrate the complexity of decision-making around participant compensation and encourage researchers to engage with research participants and communities to develop and evolve their approach. Sansom and colleagues from the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit in Vietnam outline the steps their institution took to develop a fair and transparent research participant compensation and reimbursement framework, encouraging others to learn from and adapt their method.5 In their research with ethics committee members and research investigators in Uganda, Ssali et al.6 identify shared concerns about the potential for participants to consent to a study as a surrogate for routine healthcare provision, and Nkosi et al.7 describe the dilemmas faced by HIV prevention research workers in South Africa when trying to meet the ancillary care needs of their vulnerable participants. What it means to be vulnerable and the importance of including a broad range of communities in clinical trials is the focus of the research conducted by Khirikoekkong et al.8 on the ThaiMyanmar border. The authors show us how and why the design of clinical trials must be adapted to enable vulnerable communities to participate. We also learn from Ngwenya et al.9 about how changes in the focus of research in South Africa, in their case from infectious to non-communicable diseases and increasingly towards genetic analyses, should lead to changes in the way we communicate with potential participants to ensure that consent is truly informed and voluntary. One key message to take home from this special issue is that the social sciences have an immense amount to contribute to global health research. Peay et al.10 show us how social science and community engagement performed alongside a HIV cure trial in Thailand helped to determine what is truly ethical, particularly in a dynamic research discipline where the standard of care is rapidly changing. Lees and Enria's comparative ethnographies of preventive clinical trials conducted in Sierra Leone and Tanzania highlight the contributions of critical anthropological engagement in research, taking into account global and local power dynamics and demonstrating the true value of anthropology in clinical trials.11 Finally, Henderson et al.12 point


This is the first of three articles on the Fibered Isomorphism Conjecture of Farrell and Jones for L-theory. We apply the general techniques developed in [9] and [10] to the L-theory case of the conjecture and prove several results. Here we prove the conjecture, after inverting 2, for Artin braid groups and for one-relator groups. In fact we consider a more general class of groups which includes the braid groups and fundamental groups of fiber-type hyperplane arrangement complement in the complex space. We also check that the properties we defined in [9] are satisfied in several instances of the conjecture.


A synchronous simulation system of trimming line unfolding and flanging was developed based on SolidWorks platform.The system realized seamless integration between CAE analysis environment and CAD platform,which successfully help toavoid accuracy loss caused by data conversions.With the development tool of SolidWorks API and according to the actual process of flanging,the process operation tree and open material library were designed;also a technique of intelligent mesh repairing and the method of defining boundary constraints were studied.By using parametric modeling function of SolidWorks,parametric and automatic synchronous updating process in flanging simulation was also achieved,which managed to obtain feedback from the design change on feasibility and practicality in time.Combined with practical tests,an example of flanging simulation was performed at last,which validated the feasibility of SW-TUX.


We develop a general multi-scale diversity framework to account for spatial segregation of hierarchically-ordered ethnic groups residing in politically and administratively nested geographic aggregations. We explicate how ethnic diversity, ethnic segregation, and ethnic hierarchy interact with the "public goods catchment area" to cast doubt on extant hypotheses linking diversity and public goods provisioning. We not only show how the celebrated "diversity debit" relationship is incomplete at best but also call into question the more recent literature that posits a positive association between ethnic segregation and public goods. We test our framework using a large national census dataset containing ethnicity information (aggregate caste categories) for 830 million rural residents in India. Our nested-geography models use data from villages (n 600; 000) and sub-districts containing these villages (n 6; 000) for twenty-five different public goods. We show how not accounting for the spatial structure of diversity, segregation, and hierarchy result in biased empirical models of diversity and public goods. To the best of our knowledge, the empirical evidence in this paper comes from the largest dataset used in the politics of public goods literature.


Epidemic is a hot issue in the public safety field. In this paper, we construct a two-layered networks to analyze that how the information diffusion prevents an epidemic spreading in the population. We used the effective degree theory to analyze the the spreading process which shows the results in high accuracy. Compared with the result of the mean field theory, we find our results obtained from the effective degree theory is highly accord to the numerical simulations, where regular networks, random networks, and scale free networks are examined. We therefore conclude that the effective degree theory could be successfully extended to two-layered networks with high accuracy and reliability.


Anticancer drugs can cause drug-induced prolongation of the QT interval. Prolongation of the QT interval is a known risk factor and an independent predictor of the development of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, also called Torsades de Pointes), and sudden cardiac death in patients with and without structural heart disease. Healthcare practitioners should constantly evaluate the benefit/risk ratio prior to initiating treatment as well as continuing the chosen one. Some patients need particular attention, especially those who have risk factors such as comorbidities, taking drugs associated with QT interval prolongation, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, etc. Despite apparent increase in the awareness among the patients and medical professionals, many scientists suggest that there is a lack of awareness about the true prevalence of these adverse events, which are at least 10 times greater than reported cases. This article discusses anticancer drugs that have an association with QT interval prolongation, and also possible strategies in the treatment of the patients with drug-induced QT interval prolongation.


The BLLAST (Boundary-Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence) project was designed to investigate the PBL transition that occurs in late afternoon. This poorly understood, but crucial time period lays in between the diurnal mixed convective boundary layer and the newly stably-stratified surface layer regime capped by the residual layer in the late afternoon. This project focuses on two core questions: the role of surface heterogeneity, and the evolution and complexity of the vertical structure during this phase.


Fifteen Monascus strains were isolated from different Monascus fermented products.Based on morphological characteristics,these strains were identified as 4 species of Monascus,M.ruber,M.purpureus,M.anka and M.barkeri.One of the isolated Monascus strains had excellent pigment-producing ability.The color value of the angkak made by this strain was 1532.69U/g.


A system of personalized dynamic service (PDS) in digital library (DL) based on independent component analysis (ICA) was proposed and discussed in detail in order to improve the quality of personalized service to readers. Meanwhile, architectures of general PDS system and the most important subsystem were introduced. The experiments showed that better effects of books' topic classifying and readers' interest clustering could be respectively achieved by employing ICA method, and a dynamic mapping relation that improved the quality of PDS, furthermore, could be adaptively generated along with the changes of readers' personalized interests or books' topics


Using the mouse model of viral myocarditis, we recently reported that animals immunized with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) conferred complete protection against Coxsackievirus B3 infection. Because that Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a well-known inducer of trained immunity and both CFA and BCG possess similar mycobacterial components, we sought to test the hypothesis that the trained immunity might be the underlying mechanism of CFA-mediated protection against CVB3. By using incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) as a negative control, we investigated the metabolic profiles by mass spectrometry in bone marrow-derived monocytes and CD11b+ cells sorted from splenocytes using LPS as a secondary stimulus. The analysis revealed elevated levels of lactate, α-ketoglutarate, fumarate, malate, and oxaloacetate in the CFA group as compared with the control or IFA groups. In contrast, S-adenosyl methionine and homoserine levels were high in the IFA group. Overall, our data suggest that the metabolites produced in response to CFA were uniquely different from those of IFA. Whether these profiles correlate with the epigenetic changes are currently being investigated.
 Supported by grants from NIH (R21, A116673)


Introduction: Terminal diagnoses in the pediatric population are universally challenging for interdisciplinary team members. Cases of pediatric patients that suffer from malignancies more commonly affecting adults can be even more difficult for pediatric and adult teams to manage. This case brings to light some unique struggles where a med-peds perspective can provide assistance to adult and pediatric providers. Case Report: Fifteen-year old MB presented with one month of emesis, 3 months of abdominal pain, and 6 months of unintentional weight loss (15 pounds). MB was anemic with a positive fecal …


In this paper, we present the user modeling domain, its current and possible uses. We describe our urban guidance system for the impaired user, and discuss the possible benefits of using user modeling for three of its components. We present two possible approaches for user modeling, our environment modeling. Then we conclude and present our future work.


An iterative learning-control for distributed parameter systems is discussed.Based on the vector-plot analysis, we propose a new iterative learning-control algorithm,which is different from the existing algorithms by its nonlinear form. Convergence analysis is given in details for this new algorithm by employing` L2,λ(ξ)′-norm.


Industrial computed tomography (CT) is an elementary tool for the non-destructive inspection of cast light-metal or plastic parts. A comprehensive testing not only helps to ensure the stability and durability of a part, it also allows reducing the rejection rate by supporting the optimization of the casting process and to save material (and weight) by producing equivalent but more filigree structures. With a CT scan it is theoretically possible to locate any defect in the part under examination and to exactly determine its shape, which in turn helps to draw conclusions about its harmfulness. However, most of the time the data quality is not good enough to allow segmenting the defects with simple filter-based methods which directly operate on the gray-values—especially when the inspection is expanded to the entire production. In such in-line inspection scenarios the tight cycle times further limit the available time for the acquisition of the CT scan, which renders them noisy and prone to various artifacts. In recent years, dramatic advances in deep learning (and convolutional neural networks in particular) made even the reliable detection of small objects in cluttered scenes possible. These methods are a promising approach to quickly yield a reliable and accurate defect segmentation even in unfavorable CT scans. The huge drawback: a lot of precisely labeled training data is required, which is utterly challenging to obtain—particularly in the case of the detection of tiny defects in huge, highly artifact-afflicted, three-dimensional voxel data sets.

Hence, a significant part of this work deals with the acquisition of precisely labeled training data. Firstly, we consider facilitating the manual labeling process: our experts annotate on high-quality CT scans with a high spatial resolution and a high contrast resolution and we then transfer these labels to an aligned ``normal'' CT scan of the same part, which holds all the challenging aspects we expect in production use. Nonetheless, due to the indecisiveness of the labeling experts about what to annotate as defective, the labels remain fuzzy. Thus, we additionally explore different approaches to generate artificial training data, for which a precise ground truth can be computed. We find an accurate labeling to be crucial for a proper training. We evaluate (i) domain randomization which simulates a super-set of reality with simple transformations, (ii) generative models which are trained to produce samples of the real-world data distribution, and (iii) realistic simulations which capture the essential aspects of real CT scans. Here, we develop a fully automated simulation pipeline which provides us with an arbitrary amount of precisely labeled training data. First, we procedurally generate virtual cast parts in which we place reasonable artificial casting defects. Then, we realistically simulate CT scans which include typical CT artifacts like scatter, noise, cupping, and ring artifacts. Finally, we compute a precise ground truth by determining for each voxel the overlap with the defect mesh. To determine whether our realistically simulated CT data is eligible to serve as training data for machine learning methods, we compare the prediction performance of learning-based and non-learning-based defect recognition algorithms on the simulated data and on real CT scans.

In an extensive evaluation, we compare our novel deep learning method to a baseline of image processing and traditional machine learning algorithms. This evaluation shows how much defect detection benefits from learning-based approaches. In particular, we compare (i) a filter-based anomaly detection method which finds defect indications by subtracting the original CT data from a generated ``defect-free'' version, (ii) a pixel-classification method which, based on densely extracted hand-designed features, lets a random forest decide about whether an image element is part of a defect or not, and (iii) a novel deep learning method which combines a U-Net-like encoder-decoder-pair of three-dimensional convolutions with an additional refinement step. The encoder-decoder-pair yields a high recall, which allows us to detect even very small defect instances. The refinement step yields a high precision by sorting out the false positive responses. We extensively evaluate these models on our realistically simulated CT scans as well as on real CT scans in terms of their probability of detection, which tells us at which probability a defect of a given size can be found in a CT scan of a given quality, and their intersection over union, which gives us information about how precise our segmentation mask is in general. While the learning-based methods clearly outperform the image processing method, the deep learning method in particular convinces by its inference speed and its prediction performance on challenging CT scans—as they, for example, occur in in-line scenarios.

Finally, we further explore the possibilities and the limitations of the combination of our fully automated simulation pipeline and our deep learning model. With the deep learning method yielding reliable results for CT scans of low data quality, we examine by how much we can reduce the scan time while still maintaining proper segmentation results. Then, we take a look on the transferability of the promising results to CT scans of parts of different materials and different manufacturing techniques, including plastic injection molding, iron casting, additive manufacturing, and composed multi-material parts. Each of these tasks comes with its own challenges like an increased artifact-level or different types of defects which occasionally are hard to detect even for the human eye. We tackle these challenges by employing our simulation pipeline to produce virtual counterparts that capture the tricky aspects and fine-tuning the deep learning method on this additional training data. With that we can tailor our approach towards specific tasks, achieving reliable and robust segmentation results even for challenging data. Lastly, we examine if the deep learning method, based on our realistically simulated training data, can be trained to distinguish between different types of defects—the reason why we require a precise segmentation in the first place—and we examine if the deep learning method can detect out-of-distribution data where its predictions become less trustworthy, i.e. an uncertainty estimation.


Many aspects of the ideal diet for people with diabetes also apply to the population in general. Dr Judy Buttriss and Sara Stanner review new nutritional guidelines from the American Diabetes Association.


Purpose:To evaluate the value of ultrasound in diagnosis of fetal and neonatal congenital heart diseases.Methods:Retrospective analysis of 22,088 cases of 13~40 weeks of gestation fetal echocardiographic data,including fourchamber view and left and right ventricular outflow tract view,and its neonatal echocardiographic data was done in our study.The ability of prenatal and perinatal ultrasound diagnosis of congenital heart disease was evaluated.Results:A total of 105 congenital heart disease cases were diagnosed.Prenatal diagnoses of 34 cases of congenital heart disease were done.The cases including pulmonary atresia(n=3),critical pulmonary valve stenosis(n=1),atrioventricular septal defect(n=7),transposition of great arteries(n=2),tetralogy of fallot(n=2),truncus arteriosus(n=1),univentricular heart(n=1),dextrocardia(n=1),septal defect(n=12),artrial septal defect(n=2),acardius(n=1)and cardiac rhabdomyoma(n=1).There were 24 terminations,9 cases were diagnosed by echocardiography of the newborn,and 1 case was lost follow up.Seventy-one more heart malformations were diagnosed by echocardiography in postnatal period.These cases including ventricular septal defect(n=24),artrial septal defect(n=3),patent ductus arteriosus(n=17),patent foramen ovale(n=15),patent ductus arteriosus and patent foramen ovale(n=11),and pulmonary atresia(n=1).Of all the congenital heart disease cases,54.8% were founded in prenatal period except 43 cases of patent ductus arteriosus and patent foramen ovale.Ventricular septal defect was the most common congenital heart disease.There were 36 cases of ventrircular septal defect,accounted for 58% of congenital heartdisease.Twelve cases were detected on prenatal and 24 cases in postnatal period.Defect detection rate of was ventricular septal 33.3% on prenatal by ultrasound.Conclusion: Most serious congenital heart diseases can be diagnosed in prenatal period.Common heart diseases were usually miss diagnosed as prenatal period.Ventricular septal defect was the highest incidence of congenital heart diseases in perinatal period,but it was often miss diagnosed in prenatal period.


In order to optimally control the denitrification and phosphorus removal effect of A2/ O process,based on the AS-AD model and the BioWin3.1 software,the A2/ O pilot model is numerically simulated.The comparisons between the simulated results and experimental data show that the simulated COD and ammonia nitrogen are in agreement with the experimental ones,and that the simulated total nitrogen and phosphorus have differences from the experimental ones.Based on the cause of the simulation errors,the methods of eliminating errors are improved.The research shows that the BioWin3.1 software can precisely simulate the denitrification and phosphorus removal effect of A2/ O process,and can provide reference basis for the control and optimization of the A2/ O process.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of quercetin (Que) on the TNF-alpha injured human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV-304).

METHODS
The experiments were performed in culture of TNF-alpha-induced ECV-304 in vitro. Cell viability was assessed with MTT assay. Lipid peroxidation of ECV-304 was monitored as malonaldehyde (MDA) with a fluorometric assay. NO and SOD of ECV-304 were monitored with colorimetry. The expression of NF-kappaB was detected with immunocytochemistry.

RESULTS
TNF-alpha inhibited the ECV-304 prolifteration. Preincubation of ECV-304 with Que for 24h before TNF-alpha exposure increased the cell viability. Que significantly decreased the level of NO and MDA and the expression of NF-kappaB, and increased the activity of SOD in TNF-alpha-induced ECV-304.

CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate that Que can produce the protective action on TNF-alpha-induced cultured ECV-304 and its mechanism of action may be related to the decrease of NO, antioxidant effect of lipids. However, antioxidant effect might be exerted through NF-kappaB activation pathway.


In this paper we present a novel method for the automatic location and segmentation of the optical disk in fundus images. It is based on the decoupling of vessel and background information obtained with morphological segmentation and inpainting. A multiresolution optimization scheme finding elliptic contours optimally adapted to a brightness model is then applied on the inpainted brightness image, under the constraint that a reasonable amount of vasculature must be present inside the disc. An effective objective function and a multiresolution scheme allow a deterministic optimizer to converge on the OD contour with good accuracy, while the vessel-based constraint limits wrong contour detections in anomalous cases. Our initial experiments (30 DRIVE images, ground truth from two doctors) suggest that the method can provide accurate results both in term of optic disc location and contour segmentation accuracy.


Italy's education system imposes few prohibitions on teaching methodology. Individual teachers enjoy considerable freedom in their choice of pedagogical approach, albeit with a degree of compromise between colleagues in teaching teams. But though freedom has produced a rich diversity of pedagogical approaches, is there a risk of exacerbating competition between schools ?