The utility model discloses a PLC automatic control system of sewage treatment process, wherein an on-line UPS is connected with a server and simultaneously the server is connected with an RS232/RS485convertor. The system also comprises a 1 junction X RS485 hub which can further extend the communication distance. One end of the hub is connected with the RS232/RS485 convertor while the other end thereof is connected with a plurality of PLC control units which are connected with and control a plurality of measuring and controlling points. When the system is only connected with one PLC control unit, the PLC control unit can be directly connected to the RS232/RS485 convertor and is no longer subject to the communication distance of the RS485. The PLC automatic control system of sewage treatment process can improve the operating efficiency of a sewage treatment unit set, reduce the operating fee rate and improve the yielding water quality and can really realize the real distant control byovercoming the communication distance restriction, thus having the advantages of technical advanced quality and strong practicability, bringing significant potential technical effect and economical benefits and embracing bright future.


The present study demonstrates the synthesis and antimicrobial activity of the p-tetranitrocalix[4]arene (3). The microbial activity was determined against a variety of microorganisms, i.e., Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 10231, Streptococcus viridans ATCC 12392, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, as well as some fungal species including Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, Aspergillus flavus ATCC 90906, and Candida albicans ATCC 32333. Kirby-Bauer well agar diffusion method was employed for the determination of antimicrobial activity. All the microorganisms were applied to a selective agar medium (Mueller Hinton Agar) for growth. It was observed that compound 3 is considerably effective against selected microorganisms. The MIC values were also evaluated. Thus, from the results it could be deduced that compound 3 may be a valuable addition to the therapeutic index.


As human life is of utmost importance, timely help is more important than a helping hand. It has been found through surveys that knowing the condition of the patient pre arrival to Hospital ameliorate the chances of survival in case of fatal accident. This project is one among those which enhance the chances of saving human life with timely support. There are three main modules discussed in the project. When a biker meets with an accident an automatic detection system is triggered and an SMS consisting of the GPS location in descriptive terms through map plotting along with the current heart rate and the body temperature of the patient is sent to a specified phone number. The sensor network consists of gyroscope, GSM, GPS, Temperature sensors and Heart rate sensor. The system consists of two subsystems the master and the slave. The slave system situated onto the person's helmet detects the occurrence of an accident and triggers the rescuing mechanism. Here the GSM is used to send the text message and the GPS is used to track the exact coordinates of the vehicle. The communication between subsystems is carried out by Zigbee modules between the Microcontroller (Atmega 128), GSM and GPS module. The systems is a distributed system. A learning Algorithm is applied to the system to improve the efficiency of the system over time. Keywords— Accident monitoring and response, GPS (global positioning system), GSM (global system for mobile Communication), accident detection, Safety. SMS (short message service), Hospitalization, electrical signal characteristics.


Self-esteem is a widely used concept in many fields and social science and it refers to general feelings of self-worth or self-value. Self-esteem is one of the top three covariates in personality and social psychology research, along with gender and negative affectivity. Researches have shown that there is indeed a strong correlation between happiness and self-esteem, and self-esteem has held a significant place in positive psychology. The definitions of self-esteem vary and there are several types of self-esteem. Among many forms of self-esteem, authentic self-esteem and it's implications for well-being or for living the good life has been interested in positive psychology. (Korean J Str Res 2007;15:205 ∼ 214)


539 Background: Assess CT-scan guided renal biopsies relevance in the management of small renal masses. Methods: Retrospective analysis from 01/2007 to 12/2012 of percutaneous CT-scan guided renal biopsies performed at our institution for patients harboring renal tumors. Exclusion criteria were presence of metastasis and/or >4cm tumors. Data analyzed were pathological outcomes, management of the tumors and complications from the procedure during the 30 days post-biopsies. Results: 119 patients underwent a renal biopsy during this period. 79 presented the selection criteria. Renal biopsies lead to a diagnosis in 70 cases (88.6%) and were non contributive in 9 cases (11.4%). Among contributive biopsies, there were 46 (66%) cases of cancer and 24 cases (34%) of benign tumors. During follow-up, 2 (2.5%) patients presented Clavien-Dindo grade I-II complications: 1 acute urinary retention and 1 subfebrile lumbar pain. Conclusions: The yield of CT-scan guided renal biopsies to define pathological features of sma...


A mathematical-physical model of a kind of friction buffer that includes several friction loops and a buffer spring was established.The available references to improve designing the automatic weapon are given,especially for the automatic weapon that have particular request for firing rate.


The college invisible culture is an important part of the mechanisms of Higher Education,it's made up of the cultural traditions,the cultural atmosphere,the cultural spirit of a university,and it's the intrinsic characteristics of the university.This paper attempts from the university system,there are various cultural implied of the invisible culture of mining and integration,the basic idea of integration is to construct a systematic school uniform cultural system,thereby enhancing the ideological and moral education effectiveness of college invisible culture.


The role of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in human colon cancer metastasis has not been tested using an antisense approach. In our study, the HCT116 cells, with high metastatic potential were transfected with expression vectors containing a 3′ or 5′ uPAR cDNA fragment in an antisense (AS) orientation. Transfection of 4 clones was confirmed by DNA hybridization analysis. Receptor‐bound endogenous uPA activities of the clones were reduced to 16–68% of controls. The extracellular matrix degradation by the 4 clones was decreased to 33–76%. Two of the clones, 3′‐AS7 and 5′‐AS, were evaluated in an in vivo assay system of experimental metastasis using athymic mice. Pulmonary metastases were found in 63‐78% mice injected with the parent HCT116 or control cells. In mice injected intravenously with the antisense transfected clones, 3′‐AS7 and 5′‐AS, however, pulmonary metastases were found in only 19% and 9% respectively (p < 0.05). These results provide direct evidence that both 3′ and 5′‐AS uPAR can inhibit colon cancer invasion and metastasis and may offer the prospect of defining specific targets for gene therapy. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Abstract A new sensitive, selective, rapid, and reproducible method is presented for the analysis of trace amounts of molybdenum (VI) (Mo(VI)). The method is based on the reaction of molybdenum (VI) with a new analytical reagent, 6‐(5‐Chloro‐2‐hydroxy‐4‐sulfophenylazo)‐5‐hydroxy‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid, disodium salt. Under optimum reaction conditions, molybdenum (VI) forms a red complex with a maximum absorption peak at 589 nm. The color reaction is rapidly completed at room temperature. The apparent molar absorption coefficient and Sandell sensitivity were 1.13×104 L · mol−1 · cm−1 and 0.0084 µg · cm−2, respectively. Beer's law was obeyed up to 8.5 µg · mL−1. Methods for the determination of Mo(VI) by first‐derivative spectrophtometry have also been proposed at 547 and 625 nm. The proposed methods offer the advantages of sensitivity, rapidity, selectivity, and simplicity without any prior separation or extraction. The methods have been applied to the determination of Mo(VI) in various environmental samples and some alloys; satisfactory results have been obtained.


This study provided an overview of manipulating oral medicines given to hospitalised children and evaluated this practice in two hospitals. It focused on the type of manipulation and the dosage forms that were manipulated.


There are a couple of facets of human nature that have a big impact on how people perceive EHRs and what they do, or don't do, with them.


Kim-Ohira Agreement, which agreed on the structure and amount of the property claims' fund is often regarded as a turning point in resolving the issue of property claims between the Republic of Korea and Japan. However, negotiations continued for more than two years after that. It goes without saying that important discussions took place during this period as well. It is the negotiations on the details of property claims and on the importation of capital goods by deferred payment that this paper focuses. These two issues have several things in common. One is that they are related to the 1962 Agreement. The other is that the core of the problems is the nature or title of the fund, namely, whether it is a property claims' fund or an economic cooperation fund. Ultimately, these two factors expose the incompleteness and irresponsibility of the 1962 Agreement and the agreement concerning the property claims. This is the historical significance of the KoreaJapan Agreement that this paper intends to confront.


In the title molecule, C17H12N2O, the five-membered ring of the indandione moiety adopts an envelope conformation. The dihedral angle between the 2-indanoxy and phthalonitrile groups, excluding the out-of-plane envelope flap atom, is 59.81 (5)°.


Objective To explore the effect of systemic nursing and rehabilitation training in perioperative period on the postoperative function of patients with total elbow replacement.Methods Eleven patients undergoing total elbow replacement in Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital were selected,in which 7 were given systemic nursing and rehabilitation training in perioperative period(rehabilitation training group).And 4 patients not given systemic nursing and rehabilitation training at an early stage were as control group.Before and after treatment,the range of elbow motion in both groups was measured using Hospital for Special Surgery(HSS) scoring method,and the pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale(VAS).Results By comparison to before treatment,the range of elbow motion in both groups after treatment improved,HSS scores increased and VAS scores decreased obviously(P 0.01).Both range of elbow motion and HSS scores in rehabilitation training group were superior to control group,and VAS scores were significantly lower than in control group(P 0.05 or P 0.01).Additionally,no one encountered complications.Conclusion Systemic nursing and rehabilitation training can effectively ameliorate the joint function of patients with total elbow replacement,alleviate the pain and reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications.


A high-speed bus, the Octobus, has been designed to be used with Transputer hardware for very-high bandwidth low-latency sharing of large datasets (e.g. video). It provides one-to-one, one-to-many


Objective To observe effects of Fuzi injection on bone tissue in ovariectomized rats with osteoporosis for further applicatioin of Fuzi. Methods 60 clean grade female Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,Fuzi injection low-dose,middle-dose,high-dose group and estradiol group 6 groups. Model group,Fuzi injecton 3groups and estradiol group have been ovariectomized to establish model of osteoporosis,and then Fuzi injecton 3 groups and estradiol group respectively were iv Fuzi injection and estradiol. control group and model group were iv the same volume normal saline. To examine levels of serum calcium and phosphorus,bone mineral density( BMD),uterus index,trabecular thickness,trabecular space and changes of bone morphology. Results: Compared with control group,levels of serum calcium,phosphorus and trabecular space in model group increased significantly while BMD,uterus index and trabecular thickness reduced significantly. Compared with model group,levels of serum calcium,phosphorus and trabecular space in both high-dose group and estradiol group reduced while BMD and trabecular thickness increased,in additon,uterus index in estradiol group increased significantly. Conclusion: It was suggested that both Fuzi injection and estradiol might improve bone tissue of osteoporosis while high-dose Fuzi injection had a milder stimulating effect on uterus than that of estradiol,whose mechanism was needed more experimental researches.


HWKINEN, M.M. & MAKINEN, K.K. 1987. Adrenal function of the rat in relation to peroral administration of xylitol : depression of aldosterone. Acta Physiol Scand 130, 687-693. Received I September, 1986, accepted 10 March 1987. ISSN 0001-6772. Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland, and School of Dentistry, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.


Explanations for the sexual behaviour of gonochoristic (dioecious) and hermaphroditic animal species differ. Gonochore sexual behaviours are generally understood in the context of sexual signals, whereas those of hermaphrodites have been explained by sexual conflict resolution. Specifically, the alternation or simultaneity of mating roles observed in some hermaphroditic species has been attributed to conditional reciprocity, in which an individual's donation of gametes (eggs or sperm) appears to depend on its partner's release of that same gamete type. Because it appears that individuals 'give gametes to get gametes' so as to avoid being cheated, this phenomenon is known as 'gamete trading'. Here, the observations from the original report analysing the egg trading behaviour of the sea bass Hypoplectrus nigricans are re-interpreted within the context of modern sexual signalling theory. Questions raised by the gamete trading hypothesis are resolved once the observed behaviours are viewed as sexual signals. I therefore propose that 'giving gametes to get gametes' represents conventional sexual signalling. Generalization of the hypothesis to other hermaphroditic mating systems, combined with empirical support, should contribute to a consistent theory of sexual signalling that is applicable to all animal mating systems.


The nuclear suppression factor R_AA of single inclusive hadrons measured in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions was the first observable to study jet quenching, i.e. the final state interaction of hard parton showers with the surrounding bulk matter. While its transverse momentum (P_T) dependence of R_AA observed at RHIC was weak and hence never decisive in constraining models, there is now a strong and non-trivial P_T dependence observed at the LHC. This has been a challenge for several models which worked well at RHIC kinematics. However, in more general terms it is also of importance to understand what physical properties of the hard process and the parton-medium interaction are reflected in R_AA(P_T). The results of the work presented here suggest that the two main effects underlying the P_T dependence are the Quantum-Chromodynamics scale evolution of the fragmentation function and the limited distance (set by the typical medium length scale) for which a shower evolves in the medium.


Distribution System: The electricity on campus is distributed via an underground distribution system. The campus electrical distribution system includes several distribution centers and load centers, at various voltages. These facilities provide electrical power to buildings or large loads in their respective geographic areas. Extensions or upgrades of the electrical distribution system are accomplished by installing conductors within underground ducts.


A performance prediction procedure is developed and applied to the evaluation of a passive tracking technique intended primarily for the localization of targets in the near field or vicinity of the sensors. The analysis is sufficiently general to be applied to underwater and air acoustics, passive radar, and electromagnetic direction finding systems. Since near field applications are of primary concern, localization parameter identifiability with a single pair of omni-directional sensors is established with the aid of the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM). The Fisher Information Matrix is also used to determine upper bounds on localization performance, and the corresponding uncertainty ellipses associated with target position are evaluated for various tracking scenarios and types of measurements. Emphasis is placed on the use of measurements such as time difference of arrival and frequency difference of arrival obtained with two sensors, and frequency estimates obtained with a single sensor. It is shown that under certain conditions the time difference of arrival measurements yield full localization information, even though the conditioning can be marginal. Additional measurements, such as frequency, are shown to improve localization performance significantly. Bearing measurements obtained with a closely spaced cluster of a few sensors are also considered.


A consistent and unified picture for critical phenomena of charged AdS black holes in f(R) gravity is drawn in this paper. Firstly, we investigate the phase transition in canonical ensemble. We derive the explicit solutions corresponding to the divergence of CQ. The two solutions merge into one when the condition Qc=√(−1/3R0) is satisfied. The curve of specific heat for Q < Qc has two divergent points and can be divided into three regions. Both the large radius region and the small radius region are thermodynamically stable with positive specific heat while the medium radius region is unstable with negative specific heat. However, when Q > Qc, the specific heat is always positive, implying the black holes are locally stable and no phase transition will take place. Secondly, both the T−r+ curve and T−S curve f(R) AdS black holes are investigated and they exhibit Van der Vaals like behavior as the P−v curve in the former research. Critical physical quantities are obtained and they are consistent with those derived from the specific heat analysis. We carry out numerical check of Maxwell equal area law for the cases Q=0.2Qc, 0.4Qc, 0.6Qc, 0.8Qc. The relative errors are amazingly small and can be negligible. So the Maxwell equal area law holds for T−S curve of f(R) black holes. Thirdly, we establish geometrothermodynamics for f(R) AdS black hole to examine the phase structure. It is shown that the Legendre invariant scalar curvature ℜ would diverge exactly where the specific heat diverges. To summarize, the above three perspectives are consistent with each other, thus providing a unified picture which deepens the understanding of critical phenomena of f(R) AdS black holes.


The violent behavior carried out by WBP while he was in prison is a thing that often occurs in prison. Where everyone who enters prison because of criminal cases will definitely experience a lot of pressure from within him or from outside himself. One of the triggering factors is the condition of peison which is over capacity. Violent behavior resulted in disturbances in security and order that disrupted the condition of prison. The purpose of this study was to find out the influence between the level of social tension and the level of risk of WBP committing violent behavior in prison class IIB Purworejo. This type of research is quantitative research. The population in this study is The Correctional Assisted person/prisoner prison class IIB Purworejo in november 2021 with a total of 180 people. The number of samples taken referred to Frankel and Wallen for this type of correlation study, which was as many as 50 respondents. Data collection was carried out by survey using questionnaires distributed to 50 WBP prison class IIB Purworejo as the object of research. Based on data and facts found by researchers at WBP prison class IIB Purworejo that the level of social tension affects the level of WBP risk of violent behavior. The results showed that the level of social tension of WBP Prison class IIB Purworejo was 70.7%. It can be concluded that the level of social tension that exists in the prison environment affects the violent behavior carried out by WBP in prison class IIB Purworejo.


Examples of the use of additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping in a range of applications are of great interest in order to emphasize their role in development and production technology. In this study, a catalytic low temperature burner for H2 on a lab scale with an integrated flow distributor was designed, manufactured, and tested for functionality. Based on a theoretical approach, a flow distributor for the burner was designed and a prototype was built using fused deposition modeling (FDM). Based on test results, an optimized version of the burner was then designed and manufactured using selective laser melting (SLM). The functionality of the designed catalytic burner was proven. Several advantages were found in comparison to conventional non-catalytic burners. In particular, flameless uniform low temperature heat generation with temperatures of about 200 °C could be realized. This contribution highlights the potential of additive manufacturing in chemical engineering. Not only was the final product built using SLM, but also during the development process, FDM was used for rapid prototyping.


This paper presents a conception model of a distributed algorithm as a heuristic (meta-heuristic) method inspired from the ant colony system which consists on exploiting pheromone information to find the shortest path from the food source to the nest, in order to optimize the urban traffic through a graph by orienting vehicles to make the best decision to choose the optimal road and to favor the fluency of the urban traffic. For this purpose, multi-agent system architecture will be proposed using embedded agents which aim to interconnect the various objects influencing the urban traffic. This interaction comprises an exchange of many informations and big data coming from many different devices existing in the real world. For this reason, the place of internet of things (IoT) technology is assured in our paper therefore will be discussed.


To solve the problem of rising energy use and CO2 emissions, China issued the 14th Five-Year Plan in 2020, emphasizing the need to reduce its carbon intensity and achieve a carbon emission peak before 2030. In order to estimate the future path of carbon peak in China, a novel dataset was constructed to analyze 30 provinces in China, and found that the realization of carbon peaking in 2025 requires a reduction of 1.072 million tons of carbon emissions in 2025, at which point peak carbon emissions will be 11,008.4 million tons. Due to this energy gap caused by carbon emission reduction the total amount of clean electricity has reached 3600 billion kWh. In carbon emission allowance trading, provinces with large carbon emissions, like Jiangsu and Guangdong, prefer to buy carbon allowances, while those with small carbon emissions like Shanxi and Inner Mongolia prefer to sell carbon allowances. In the energy trading market, the overall situation meets the 14th Five-Year Plan of west-east and north-south power transmission, except for Shanghai, Hainan, Hubei, and other provinces selling power, due to excessive power generation from a particular energy source.


Colorectal cancer has become the commonest cancer in Hong Kong since 2011 and rectal cancer constitutes about one third of all colorectal cancers.1 Rectal cancer has a much higher local recurrence rate of about 10% than colon cancer.2 Hence, stern efforts must be made to safeguard patients from recurrence during the management of rectal cancer. In current practice, good oncological outcome with low local recurrence rate for rectal cancer treatment relies on careful exercise of total mesorectal excision (TME) technique which is the standard for midand low-rectal cancer resection3 and perioperative radiotherapy with/without chemotherapy. In the Dutch rectal cancer trial, combination of TME and preoperative short-course radiotherapy (5 Gy for 5 days) was associated with a significantly lower recurrence rate of 2.4% at 2 years versus 8.2% with TME only (P<0.001).4 A combination of longcourse radiotherapy (usually 50.4 Gy over 6 weeks) and fluorouracil offers additional benefit of tumour downstaging to improve sphincter preservation rate or even complete tumour remission in about 15% to 20% of patients.5 Radiotherapy, given after operation, can also reduce local recurrence rate. However, a randomised trial showed that, compared with postoperative chemoradiation, preoperative chemoradiation was associated with significantly better local control and less toxicity for locally advanced rectal cancer, which is defined as T3 or T4 or lymph node–positive rectal cancer.6 Hence, most colorectal centres adopt the policy of offering neoadjuvant (preoperative) chemoradiation to locally advanced rectal cancer. As the preoperative local staging of rectal cancer affects the management plan, the accuracy of staging is very important. Preoperative local staging usually relies on endorectal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recently, MRI has emerged as the preferred modality for local staging of rectal cancer by colorectal surgeons. Apart from having high reproducibility and accuracy in assessing T stage and regional lymph node status, high-resolution MRI can predict circumferential resection margin (CRM) of the rectal tumour. In pathology terms, a positive CRM is defined as presence of tumour within 1 mm of radial surgical margin and it is associated with high chance of local Hong Kong Med J 2014;20:364–5 DOI: 10.12809/hkmj144370 Jensen TC Poon*, FCSHK, FHKAM (Surgery)


Eight subjects performed a probablistic information integration task in which multiple cues, in favor of either of two competing hypotheses were presented. The cues varied in their reliability and their diagnostic value in choosing between the hypotheses. Primary interest focussed on the comparison of digital and analog-graphical displays, and upon sources of non-optimality in the information integration process. Generally the analog displays proved superior to the digital, and performance was better when information was presented at a more rapid rate. Subjects appeared to be non-optimal in their treatment of reliability vs. diagnosticity. However, departures from optimality related to serial position effects and to the use of the appropriate model of information integration were not observed.


Creative education is to develop the students' creative qualities, i. e., creative thinking, creative consciousness and creative characters. The key to creative education lies in classroom teaching reform. The reform should be carried out in the following three aspects: reform of teaching methods, reform of content, and reform of thinking development.


A new species of Androdeloscia (Isopoda: Philosciidae) from the Brazilian Amazon. A new species of Androdeloscia is described from the Brazilian Amazon. It has two autapomorphies, a concavity followed by a conspicuous elevation on the central portion of the lateral fringe of the maxillule and the apex of endopod 1 of male densely spinulose on internal and external margins, with apex straight and unarmed. The new species shares a unique synapomorphy with the two previously known species from Brazilian Amazon, the presence of four cleft teeth on the maxillule. Diagnostic characters, synonyms, distribution, and references are provided for the 22


This paper investigates a planar monopole antenna for fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks. The proposed antenna has an ultra-wide band impedance response in millimeter wave (mmW) spectrum, 25–39 GHz covering Ka band. The antenna has unique structural layout resembling hexagonal honeycomb and has low profile (8×7 mm2) on 0.254 mm thick Rogers substrate, enabling the design for incorporation into future mobile phones. This antenna provides peak gain of 4.15 dBi along with 90% efficiency in the working band. The design is also extended to an 8×1 element array presenting maximum gain of 12.7 dBi at central frequency of the antenna.


The study was undertaken to record the prevalence of soil borne parasites of zoonotic importance in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh along with the comparative evaluation of various techniques in recovering different parasitic stages from the soil samples. The overall prevalence of soil borne parasites was found to be 29.19 (n=148) percent out of 507 soil samples screened from four districts of Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. Prevalence of soil borne parasites from Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa and Kurnool districts was recorded as 26.05, 32.12, 25.0 and 29.47 percent, respectively. Thirteen parasitic species including seven nematodes, two cestodes and four protozoans were isolated from the soil samples in the present study. Overall prevalence of Toxocara spp. (9.07%) was recorded as the highest followed by Ancylostoma spp. (8.48%), Trichuris spp. (3.35%), Entamoeba spp. (2.36%), Strogyloides spp. (2.20%), Ascaris spp. (1.57%), Balantidium spp. (1.18%), Isospora spp. (1.18%), Eimeria spp. (0.98%), Capillaria spp. (0.78%), Taeniidae (0.78%), Oxyuroidea (0.19%) and Hymenolepis spp. (0.19%). Higher prevalence of soil borne parasites was observed from the urban (31.78%) than in rural areas (22.53%) of Rayalaseema region. Soil contamination in urban areas with Toxocara spp., Trichuris spp. and Entamoeba spp. was significantly higher than in rural areas. More number of soil samples were found positive for different parasitic species collected from the gardens (62.5%) followed by school grounds (31.9%), playgrounds (31.34%), animal dwelling areas (29.66%), veterinary dispensaries (24.13) and public parks (19.4%). Significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher prevalence of soil borne parasites was reported in rainy season (37.5%) than in summer (22.5%) and winter (21.25%). Thirteen out of 232, 5 out of 80 and 11 out of 195 soil samples examined were found positive for different types of parasitic species during rainy, winter and summer seasons, respectively. Out of 200 soil samples (naturally contaminated) processed, soil borne parasites were recorded in 62, 32 and 16 samples by Lorcain (1994), Kazacos (1983) and Santarem et al. (2009) methods, respectively. Efficacy of the methods described by Kazacos (1983), Lorcain (1994), Santarem et al. (2009) methods in isolation of soil borne parasites was compared after processing 144 soil samples experimentally seeded with two different concentrations (100/200) of the eggs of Toxocara canis, Ascaris spp. and Ancylostoma spp. and oocysts of Eimeria spp. Irrespective of parasitic species or load, the mean recovery rate of 50±4.32, 33.57±5.08 and 22.33±2.37 percent was obtained by Lorcain (1994), Kazacos (1983) and Santarem et al. (2009) methods, respectively. Findings of the study conclude that the Lorcain (1994) method is the best for the isolation of soil borne parasites though none of the above methods were found to be 100 percent sensitive. CHAPTER –


Interest in urban agriculture continues to expand, as a broad array of benefits are documented by researchers and practitioners. Landscape designers and urban planners are encouraged to purposefully integrate food production into the fabric of the city, using a multifunctional landscape approach that recognizes the value of ecological and cultural functions, beyond the simple metric of food production (Lovell, 2010). Despite the growing awareness and visionary proposals for the implementation of urban agriculture, we have yet to see broad integration in the urban environment. In most cities, the level of food production has not expanded in a meaningful way that would significantly impact the supply of vegetables, fruits, or other products. Widespread adoption of urban agriculture has likely been limited by a number of critical barriers. Land access can be an issue, particularly when property values are high or future development is anticipated. Zoning and tax policies often prohibit or restrict food production (Angotti, 2015) or foraging of edible and medicinal plant products from existing green spaces (Shackleton, Hurley, Dahlberg, Emery, & Nagendra, 2017). Another enormous barrier is the risk (real or perceived) related to soil and air contaminants tainting the edible products grown in urban environments (Wortman & Lovell, 2013). Finally, the emphasis on annual vegetables in most urban agriculture systems may come into conflict with other greening initiatives such as those promoting tree canopy cover across the city (Taylor, Lovell, Wortman, & Chan, 2017). Contributing to this conflict, urban forestry plans regularly neglect the topic of food security entirely, ignoring the potential for trees and shrubs to contribute edible products (Clark & Nicholas, 2014).


EccA1 is an important component of the type VII secretion system (T7SS) that is responsible for transport of virulence factors in pathogenic mycobacteria. EccA1 has an N-terminal domain of unknown function and a C-terminal AAA1 (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) domain. Here we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of EccA1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which shows an arrangement of six tetratricopeptide repeats that may mediate interactions of EccA1 with secreted substrates. Furthermore, the size and shape of the N-terminal domain suggest its orientation in the context of a hexamer model of full-length EccA1. Proteins 2014; 82:159–163. VC 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The possible contribution of immunological mechanisms in the development of Libman-Sacks endocarditis was studied in 2 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who underwent aortic valve replacement. Sections of verrucous lesions, stained with haematoxylin and eosin, showed three apparently distinct zones: an outer exudative zone of fibrin, nuclear debris, and haematoxylin-stained bodies; a middle organizing zone of proliferating capillaries and fibroblasts; and an inner zone of neovascularization which showed distinct, thin-walled junctional vessels. The striking finding was the apparently selective deposition of immunoglobulins and complement identified by direct immunofluorescence, within the walls of the small junctional vessels of the zone of neovascularization. We suggest that the observed immune deposits are immune complexes and that circulating immune complexes may play a critical role in the growth and proliferation of the verrucous lesion.


There is a standard historical lore of the Supreme Court's role in the economy and it runs as follows. The due process clause, like the rest of the Fourteenth Amendment, was enacted after the Civil War to help blacks. The Supreme Court proceeded to empty the amendment of its protections for minorities and then, from the turn of the century on, used the due process clause to protect business from government regulation. It did so (1) by interpreting the word person in the amendment to include the corporation and (2) by finding that the clause not only for-bade the government from interfering with private property unless it followed fair procedures, but also forbade the government to do so unless it had a good, substantive reason. Substantive due process meant that no statute regulating property was constitutional unless it was reasonable, and the Court was the final arbiter of reasonableness. The Court's approach to reasonableness was that free market laissez-faire was the rule, and government regulation the exception.


The dynamical system theory in combination with experimental medical data can serve to improve our understanding of how the immune system works and fights the cancer. Some recent math- ematical models (see (1)) try to explain the complex interaction between tumor cells, immune-effector cells and both immunosuppressive and immunostimulating cytokines. In this paper the Kirschner- Panetta system (6) is considered. The objective of the study is to broaden, through evolutionary dynamics, our understanding of the efficiency of adoptive immunotherapy and also shed the light on the phenomena of spontaneous tumor remission. Resume. La theorie des systemes dynamiques non lineaires en combinaison avec des donnees medicales experimentales peut contribuernotre comprehension comment le systeme immunitaire fonctionne et interagi avec le cancer. Les divers modeles mathematiques (1) decrivent l'interaction complexe entre les populations de cellules tumorales, de cellules immunitaires effectrices et des cytokines. Dans ce travail le systeme de Kirschner-Panetta (6) est analyse. L'objectif de ce travail est d'´etudier, ` travers de la dynamiquel'efficacite de limmunotherapie adoptive et clarifier le phenomene de la regression spontanee.


A cloud vision-based automatic eye make-up apparatus with a control mechanism serving as a basic system comprises a camera, an LED fill light, a cloud control chip in which recognition and eye defining algorithms are loaded, a microcontroller, a wireless transmission module, a USB (universal serial bus) interface, an eyeliner, an eyelash puller clamp, a step motor and the like. By the use of the cloud vision-based automatic eye make-up apparatus, the problem that manual eye making-up is time consuming, unprofessional and the like is solved; a single setting is available for multiple usages, multiple settings are also available, and a service mode can change as required; the terminal needs of beauty pursuers are met; the cloud vision-based automatic eye make-up apparatus is finally applicable to worldwide popularization as a living necessity, and great economic and social benefits can be created.


On August 2008, a single individual of the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus, a boreal species indigenous to the North Pacific, was caught by a gill net in the Ionian Sea, Central Mediterranean. The crab weighed 4 kg and it is estimated it was ten years old. Transport in ballast water seems the most likely way of introduction. If true, the implication is that this cold-water species is capable of surviving and growing to adulthood in a warm-temperate sea.


This paper is a direct continuation of [1]. In this paper we investigate some properties of ES-curvature tensor of g − ESX n , with main emphasis on the derivation of several useful generalized identities involving it. In this subsequent paper, we are concerned with contracted curvature tensors of g − ESX n and several generalized identities involving them. In particular, we prove the first variation of the generalized Bianchi's identity in g − ESX n , which has a great deal of useful physical applications.


Abstract This article examines security sector reform (SSR) in Sudan and provides an overview of some of the ongoing challenges in the operationalisation of SSR in Sudan's post-war economy. The author argues that security providers such as the military and police function within a highly political and undemocratic milieu that lacks transparency and does not have the capacity to expose the government's lack of commitment to combating impunity and punishing human rights violators and violations. With the attendant shortcomings in security, such as the blatant disregard for the rule of law and the state's failure to guarantee security of its people, undertaking SSR in the Sudan is a huge task. In conclusion the article recommends processes for a comprehensive overhaul of the security apparatus of the Sudanese state which would subject the security (military and police) apparatus to democratic control and oversight as well as making them accountable for their actions.


The present invention discloses a light emitting device and a method for preparing an organic electroluminescence. The organic electroluminescent device comprising an anode, a hole transport layer, an organic light emitting layer, electron transport layer and a cathode, the electron transport layer is doped with an active metal and an organic metal complex compound, wherein said active metal compound is an alkali metal compound, an alkaline earth metal compound or a lanthanide metal compound. The preparation method comprises: sequentially etching pattern anode, a hole transport layer and the deposited organic light emitting layer on the ITO glass substrate; electron transporting material were deposited on the organic emission layer, an organic metal complex, reactive metal compound forming an electron transport layer; deposition cathode on the electron transport layer. The present invention can be obtained a lower driving voltage, higher efficiency from the cathode structure, and may be more widely used as a cathode material.


The work is dedicated to research of hemis-pherical open resonator (OR) with a fragment of a coaxial line in the centre of a flat reflector. Excitation efficiency of TE01 wave mode of such waveguide via TEM01q oscillation mode of OR is analyzed. Excitation efficiency amount of 97% is demonstrated. On the ground of conducted analysis, availability of such resonance system for compression microwave energy of millimeter wave length range is discussed.


CONCERNS OVER the lack of nurse numbers have yet again clouded a major government announcement aimed at improving patient care.


The chemical composition, molecular weight and its distribution, the bonding structure and the regulation of ultranigh molecular weight polyacrylonitrile (UHMW-PAN)prepared by aqueous suspension polymerization were determined by FIIR, viscometry, GPC, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. The mechanical properties of the porous hollow fiber prepared by UHMW-PAN were discussed to provide a theoretical basis for the preparation of ideal precursors of the porous hollow oxidation fiber.Ke ywords : ultrahigh molecular weight, pol yacrylonitrile ,chain structure.


Abstract This paper constitutes a comprehensive study of ten classes of self-maps on metric spaces $\langle X\,,\,d\rangle $ with the pointwise (i.e., local radial) and local contraction properties. Each of these classes appeared previously in the literature in the context of fixed point theorems. We begin with an overview of these fixed point results, including concise self contained sketches of their proofs. Then we proceed with a discussion of the relations among the ten classes of self-maps with domains $\langle X\,,\,d\rangle $ having various topological properties that often appear in the theory of fixed point theorems: completeness, compactness, (path) connectedness, rectifiable-path connectedness, and $d$ -convexity. The bulk of the results presented in this part consists of examples of maps that show non-reversibility of the previously established inclusions between these classes. Among these examples, the most striking is a differentiable auto-homeomorphism $f$ of a compact perfect subset $X$ of $\mathbb{R}$ with ${{f}^{'}}\,\equiv \,0$ , which constitutes also a minimal dynamical system. We finish by discussing a few remaining open problems on whether the maps with specific pointwise contraction properties must have the fixed points.


The histological features of the ventral ribs were identified using semithin sections. The ventral rib had two cartilaginous ends and an elongated body. The cartilaginous ends exhibited typical zonal organization of the growth plate. The body was comprised of bone collar and the medullary cavity. Chondrocytes were organized in the resting, proliferating and hypertrophic zones. Cartilage matrix subjected to extensive degradation and erosion particularly by Chondroclasts. At the level of the hypertrophic zone, perichondral bone was formed and small projections of the bone tissues extended to the cartilage matrix. However, no medullary bone was formed beyond the hypertrophic zone. Cartilage erosion was also identified in the sub-osseous tissue and in the interior cartilage matrix. In the body of the ventral ribs, a remnant of the hypertrophic zone was surrounded by perichondral bone. Chondroclast was detected at the eroding surface of the cartilage matrix. Active osteoblasts, that had an oval or columnar in shape, were aligned at the surface of the bone collar as well as the resting osteoblasts. In conclusion, ventral ribs of the silver carp grow by perichondral bone formation in addition to the linear expansion of the growth cartilage.


The Ming and Qing dynasties were a period that the forest resources was damaged seriously,and it was a period of urban construction as well.In the ancient China which the wooden frame was taken as the main architectural features,the demand for forest was produced in the process of urban construction.The increase of urban quantity and the construction of government offices,residential areas and temples,as well as the demand for fuelwood that the daily life of the government officials and the peoples had certain influence to the forest of the mountainous region by surrounding the city.The forest around city reduced gradually with the development of urban construction.Specially after the Qianlong and Jiaqing period of Qing dynasty,the bare hills was appeared around city,and the forest was seen only in the deep of mountains.


FIELD: physics. SUBSTANCE: proposal is given of a sensitive device for detecting charged particles and/or quanta of electromagnetic radiation. The sensitive device has a sensing apparatus (12) and an amplifier circuit (14); (M1, M4). The sensing apparatus (12) transmits a signal to the input unit Vin of the amplifier; (M1, M4), so as to induce change in the level of Vout at the output unit of the amplifier (14). The negative feedback device (T1); (M2) reacting to the change in the level at the output unit, changes effect on the negative feedback device, so as to increase loop gain of the given amplifier circuit (14); (M1, M4). Current mirror (T2, T3); (M3, M6) repeatedly restores the initial level in the output unit. A sensitive device for detecting a single particle and an integrating sensitive device are hereby invented. EFFECT: reduced connection volume and simplification of assembling when connecting the sensor to the amplifier. 25 cl, 27 dwg


We report the dynamics of the structure of CaSiO3 perovskite from ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations at high pressure (P up to 130 GPa) and high temperature (T up to 5000 K). Our calculations indicate three separate stability fields: orthorhombic, tetragonal and cubic, with the tetragonal phase dominating the pressure and temperature region between room temperature and 4000 K. These regions are defined by the stress symmetry of the AIMD calculation. The boundary between the orthorhombic and the tetragonal structures is found to have a positive Clapyron slope and is close to room temperature at low pressure. The boundary is marked by the transition from stable, constant octahedral tilts, to dynamically varying tilts that change sign with time. The calculated atom positions indicate that the orientation of the octahedra can be noted as a−a−c+ in the orthorhombic phase (T = 150 K). The magnitude of the octahedra rotation varies little over the entire P–T range at high T (1000 K and above) while, at elevated temperature, the rotation angles of the octahedra oscillate positively and negatively with time. The tetragonal structure is probably due to a shortened Si O bond distance along one axis. Calculated X-ray diffraction patterns indicate small super-lattice reflections that could result from the octahedral rotations throughout the P, T region investigated. The small spontaneous strain of the tetragonal phase relative to the aristotype, cubic phase, throughout conditions appropriate to the lower mantle, creates the possibility for seismic energy absorption (low Q) in the deep Earth. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


This study aimed to evaluate the application of two quality assurance methods to the ductus venosus pulsatility index (DVPI), as a first‐trimester aneuploidy marker, including retrospective assessment of distribution parameters and cumulative sum (CUSUM) plots.


In view of the characteristics of the numerical simulation results of the nuclear reactor core, including the regular structures, multiple geometry duplications, large-scale grids, and the demand for refined expression of calculation results, a mesh generation method based on Delaunay triangulation was used to solve the restructuring and visualizing problem of core three-dimensional (3D) data fields. In this work, data processing and visualization of the three-dimensional refined calculation of the core were accomplished, using the triangular mesh model, hash matching algorithm, 3D visualization technology, etc. Descriptions are also given for key issues such as Delaunay triangular mesh construction, the geometric model of the reactor core, and 3D data field mapping in this work. The application results showed that the 3D physical field data, such as core power and temperature, can be accurately and efficiently displayed using the visualization technology and solution. In addition, the efficiency of design and analysis in nuclear engineering activities can also be improved significantly.


This paper analyzes the development of the banking sectors in six former Yugoslavian Republics. Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro formed their own banking system in the last decade. Some of them faced with banking crisis, the others had experienced smoother transition. We examine the challenges faced by these countries with respect to European Union membership.


The purpose of the chapter is to find out the meaning of the sustainable development in the post-industrial society in the first half of the 21st century. The financial crisis that started in 2008 is an indicator of how short-term profitability mindsets and related strategies, policies and actions of individuals and individual organizations can cause global economic, ecological and ethical crises. These events have contributed to the judgement that most organizations operate on business models that are not sustainable. The conceptual content contributes to the ongoing discussion about the increasingly important role of sustainable development as a major concern for the profit and non-profit sector that wish to develop the policies that will enable low but sustainable growth of society.


In real life, how to solve the path planning in the process of logistics distribution is the primary problem faced by logistics enterprises. The ant colony algorithm of path planning can solve the scheduling problem of logistics allocation and find the optimal path. When establishing the model, we should consider various constraints. The ant colony algorithm is used to analyze and calculate the distribution path in the actual case. The optimal distribution path is obtained. Therefore, the algorithm can help enterprises achieve higher economic benefits and pave the way for the long-term development of logistics enterprises.


We report the circulating genotypes and the frequency of macrolide-resistance patterns among Treponema pallidum pallidum DNA isolated from syphilitic lesions from patients who attended 2 sexual health clinics in Lima, Peru. We implemented and used a molecular typing scheme to describe local T. pallidum pallidum strains. Among 14 specimens, subtype 14d/f was the most prevalent strain in 7 fully typed T. pallidum DNA specimens obtained from men who have sex with men and transgender women presenting with chancre-like lesions. No macrolide-resistance mutations were found in T. pallidum DNA from 10 lesions.


This research is intent to elevate the students' reading skill through ICT and
PBL method. This research answer these main questions (1)How is the
implementation of ICT and PBL method improve students reading skill in reading
skill of the eleventh years students of SMK N 1 Salatiga in the academic year
2014/2015? (2)How is the students reading skill improvement after being taught
using ICT and PBL method of the eleventh years students of SMK N 1 Salatiga in
the academic year 2014/2015?. The methodology of this research used Class room
Action Research (CAR). It was conducted in two cycles. Each cycle consists of
planning, action, observation and reflection. From the result, the researcher found
several findings on it. The result of this research is there is an improvement of
students' reading skill by using ICT and PBL method. It can be seen from the
mean score of pre-test and post-test. In cycle I post-test is higher than pre-test:
76,8 > 67,1. In cycle II: 88 > 85,7. The students' mean score percentage in pre-test
cycle 1 31%, post-test cycle I 48%, pre -test cycle II 82,7%, post -test cycle II
89,6%. It meant that the used of ICT and PBL method is able to improve the
students' reading skill.


ZnO nanowires with diameters in the range of 10 to 30 nm and lengths of ca. several micrometers are prepared with the use of ZnO nanoparticles as building blocks. The length and diameter of the ZnO nanowires can be controlled by the variation of the concentration of the nanoparticles in the orientation attachment process. A plausible mechanism for the concentration-controlled orientation attachment process is suggested. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2006)


Abstract Due to the difficulties arising in state estimation in Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms, Kalman filtering and dynamic matrix control (DMC) estimation approaches were combined in the current work. Then a weighting average of both estimated states was passed to the algorithm. To determine the weighting coefficient of the mentioned average, a fuzzy supervisor was designed to control the combined estimation. An industrial process 'heavy oil fractionator' was used for simulation. The results demonstrated the improved performance of the approach particularly in better disturbance rejection capability.


Geoelectro-chemical extraction method is used to prospect Ni-Co deposit in south Jinchuan area.The correlation between Ni and Co is over 0.8(positive correlation).Ascertaining the natural value of mineral elements by statistic comparison is Ni 1.57×10-6,Co 0.28×10-6.In order to make the information of icon distinctively,the abnormal area can be divided into high consistency area and light consistency area.High consistency area can be divided by the standard(Ni4.3×10-6,Co0.84×10-6).Light consistency area can be divided by the grade(Ni 2.9×10-6 to 4.3×10-6,Co 0.56×10-6 to 0.84×10-6).In the distributing contrast of rock and tectonic alignment,Ni-Co abnormity is found in this area.It is verified that geoelectro-chemical extraction method in the dry and debris covered area is effective indeed.


status, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA)1 has evolved into a complex statute and regulation imposing numerous responsibilities on creditors. At its heart, the ECOA is a civil rights statute. Primarily, it prohibits discrimination by creditors against credit applicants based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, income derived from public assistance, or a prior exercise of rights under the Consumer Credit Protection Act, presuming the applicant has the legal capacity to contract.2 Private litigation and government enforcement actions with respect to fair lending and the ECOA continue to proliferate. This Article summarizes major court decisions and consent decrees related to fair lending and the ECOA. The first part of this Article addresses cases and consent decrees related to housing finance. The final part of this Article discusses cases and settlement agreements related to alleged discrimination by assignees of retail installment sale contracts, involving dealer participation in vehicle sales transactions.


Social media is one of the lifestyles in the modern era that uses web-based technology for social interaction. As one of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter allows users to express themselves through tweets that can show their personality. The Big Five theory states that a person's personality is divided into five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Several methods have been used to conduct user personality research based on activity on social media. The AdaBoost method is used in this study to identify the personality of Twitter users using sentiment, emotion, social, PCA, and POS-tag features. There are two test scenarios in this study. The first is testing the AdaBoost model with all features, and the second is testing the AdaBoost model with a combination of three features. The research indicates that the data preprocessing method can affect the model. The results showed that the AdaBoost model with all the features and without the stemming process had the highest accuracy value of 53.57%.


PREVIOUS experience in 1944-1945 with gamma globulin as a therapeutice agent in scarlet fever indicated that this product of human blood was useful in combating the acute phase of the disease and in preventing early and late complications. It was felt, however, that further, more carefully controlled, studies on the comparative value of gamma globulin, scarlet fever streptococcus antitoxin U. S. P. and penicillin should be made. This paper represents the results of such a study at the Willard Parker Hospital during 1945 and 1946 on 245 patients with scarlet fever. Of these patients, the illness of 93 was graded as mild, that of 127 as moderate and that of 18 as severe (table 1). No patient who did not have a culture of material from the throat yielding hemolytic (beta) streptococci was included in the study. Only 18 per cent of the throat cultures of the patients treated with


Objective: To optimization extraction-technology in the activity ingredient from roe deer antler. Methods: Roe deer antler for raw materials, uses alcohol for solvent on its in the activity components for extraction, based in single factors of experimental, select alcohol concentration, extraction time, and extraction temperature for variable, alcohol dissolved real of extraction rate for response value, used Box- Behnken center combination design and response surface analysis law, research variable and interactive role on extraction rate of effect. Results: The regression equation prediction models were developed, in solid-liquid ratio is 1:8, determine the best extract conditions: the concentration of alcohol is 70%, time 2.5 h, temperature of 55 ℃, this alcohol-soluble under the conditions of extraction rate of 39.87 mg/ g. Conclusion: Box-Behnken center combination design and method of response surface analysis can analyze in continuity circumscription, it possess forte that test cycle is short and degree of precision is better, the optimization result provide evidence for developing roe deer product.


ABSTRACT Salmonid alphavirus (SAV) is an emerging virus in salmonid aquaculture, with SAV-3 being the only subtype found in Norway. Until now, there has been little focus on the alpha interferon (IFN-α)-induced antiviral responses during virus infection in vivo or in vitro in fish. The possible involvement of IFN-γ in the response to SAV-3 is also not known. In this study, the two IFNs were cloned and expressed as recombinant proteins (recombinant IFN-α [rIFN-α] and rIFN-γ) and used for in vitro studies. SAV-3 infection in a permissive salmon cell line (TO cells) results in IFN-α and IFN-stimulated gene (ISG) mRNA upregulation. Preinfection treatment (4 to 24 h prior to infection) with salmon rIFN-α induces an antiviral state that inhibits the replication of SAV-3 and protects the cells against virus-induced cytopathic effects (CPE). The antiviral state coincides with a strong expression of Mx and ISG15 mRNA and Mx protein expression. When rIFN-α is administered at the time of infection and up to 24 h postinfection, virus replication is not inhibited, and cells are not protected against virus-induced CPE. By 40 h postinfection, the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2α) is phosphorylated concomitant with the expression of the E2 protein as assessed by Western blotting. Postinfection treatment with rIFN-α results in a moderate reduction in E2 expression levels in accordance with a moderate downregulation of cellular protein synthesis, an approximately 65% reduction by 60 h postinfection. rIFN-γ has only a minor inhibitory effect on SAV-3 replication in vitro. SAV-3 is sensitive to the preinfection antiviral state induced by rIFN-α, while postinfection antiviral responses or postinfection treatment with rIFN-α is not able to limit viral replication.


Social scientists in general, and BSchool faculty in particular, are in sore need of a theory of the private sector firm that relates managers' activity to the creation of economic value. Rational-man based theorizing admits only managers' computable inputs so it cannot address value creation. Along with Adam Smith, I presume individual creativity is the source of all economic value and see the managed firm as democratic capitalism's principal apparatus for channeling creative inputs into the socio-economy. Thus managers have both economic and political functions. Firms generate value as managers contribute their judgment in the course of shaping their firm's responses to the Knightian uncertainties (KUs) and bounded rationalities (BRs) met with as the firm's goals are pursued. Under KU/BR, an analysis of managers' agentic activity and rhetorical practice complements their rational decision-making and helps us see more of the nature of the managed firm. The TMF provides a post-positivist basis for re-theorizing entrepreneurship, business leadership, strategizing, and innovation management. Practice rather than theory is its basis.


ABSTRACT The sorption of nickel, cadmium, and copper by cultured biomass from a naturally occurring bloom of Microcystis aeruginosawas demonstrated in two systems: cells suspended in culture medium and cells immobilized in alginate. Incubation in the absence of light, in the presence of metabolic inhibitors, and at 4°C did not substantially decrease the copper accumulation by cells in culture medium. Heat-killed, formaldehyde-treated, and air-dried biomass samples sorbed nearly as much (or in some cases slightly more) copper as did viable samples.


The present hierarchical management on students is irreplaceable for vocational and technical colleges to improve and develop Chinese educational system.With the progress of modern hierarchical practice,this hierarchical management will influence the further development of Chinese hierarchical management system.We construct modern hierarchical management system in trinity of college,department,and students,and promote reform of vocational educational system,and improve the system in vocational and technical colleges through reducing management layers,focusing human-oriented management,and building information exchange platform.


In length measurements on digitizer systems a considerable overestimation of the actual value can occur due to improper algorithms by as much as 41%. The effect of cursor speed on this phenomenon is discussed. Possible algorithms are presented to diminish the problem. We used a two‐way filtering algorithm with a practical error of between 0.1% and 0.4%.


Demand responsive transit (DRT) is attracting increased attention as a means to provide public transit to low-density populations. This research aims to provide a suite of evaluation metrics with low data requirement and widespread availability, so that operators, funders, regulators, and practitioners can better evaluate the performance of DRT services. Trip numbers can be divided by a number of available variables (period, trip length, population, and density) to create a number of derived metrics. By applying these variables across three different DRT service areas in Logan City, Australia, where other key factors are held constant, one can see how different formulations lead to very different readings of DRT system performance. The results confirm the dilemma of cost efficiency versus equity in service provision in low-density environments. This paper also highlights current data limitations and calls for better data collection to facilitate the development of new evaluation methods for DRT services and a new composite metric that can be used for inter-service comparison.


AT the annual meeting of the New York State Medical Association, October 17th to 20th (Med. Record, October 22nd), Louis Fischer read a paper entitled Clinical Observations in Scarlet Fever, with Special Reference to the Heart and other Complications. He said that in that disease more attention should be paid to the heart and less to the temperature. Some important questions arose for consideration, such as: (i) Was the temperature a positive indication of the condition of the patient? A moderate rise of temperature was often encountered in the most malignant forms of the disease, and, on the other hand, the mildest forms of scarlet fever sometimes begin with a temperature of 1020 to 1050; therefore one could not say that very high fever was any guide to the severity of a given case. (2) Does fever invariably indicate disease? No. This was a fact that he had frequently verified. He had operated on cases of empyema in which there had been a normal temperature for days, and he had seen other suppurative complications without any fever. He was convinced that too much stress was laid on the fever, and the temperature curve was given far more credit during convalescence than it deserved. (3) Was the decline of temperature always a favourable sign? A drop of several degrees in the temperature did not indicate improvement in all cases. Frequently a complication will be detected when the temperature indicated improvement. He believed the toxins of scarlet fever inhibited the proper action of the thermic centre in the brain, because the most malignant form of this disease frequently showed no rise, or only a slight rise above the normal. (4) By which symptom should we be guided in determining a favourable or unfavourable termination ? The greatest attention should be bestowed on the condition of the heart. The pulse, its character, its frequency, and its tension were the most important guides. The necessity for immediate support of the system was apparent if the heart and pulse rate were studied. Experience had taught him that he was facing a danger point when feeble or muffled heart sounds were noted or a bruit was heard, when, during this same time, a normal temperature would have been a misleading factor. The mortality in private practice was high, and he accounted for it simply by the one fact, that children were not kept in bed long enough to permit the toxaemia to be modified. Every case of scarlet fever


Integration of stoichiometric molybdenum trioxide (MoO3−x) as an effective hole transport layer (HTL) in solar cells is expected to reduce fabrication cost by eliminating the high temperature processes while maintaining high conversion efficiency. In this work we performed a systematic study to extract the electronic properties of vapor-phase deposited MoO3−x thin film and MoO3−x/crystalline silicon interface through capacitance and conductance analysis. Effect of MoO3−x thickness as well as post deposition annealing on series resistance, electrical response, interface and bulk trapped oxide charges were profoundly examined and determined. Moreover, variation in series resistance, behavior of the interface and bulk trapped charges were revealed. Finally, frequency and bias voltage dependence of the series resistance and interface trapped charge were determined


Based on the analysis of the problems faced by merging of universities with multi-campuses and the weaknesses of traditional organization having vertical functions, the paper introduces the concept of network organization for the universities and studies the feasibility and applicability of adopting such form to the management of the universities with multi-campuses .


As a method for bonding the two substrates executed in a material selected among semiconductor materials, the method comprising the steps of: - the step of bonding the two substrates by heat treatment; - a surface to be bonded of the first substrate of the two substrates includes an oxide film, and implement a plasma activation of the surface to be bonded of each substrate, The method is performed in an atmosphere where the plasma activation of said oxide layer containing oxygen, the plasma activation of the surface to be bonded of the second substrate is characterized in that the run under an inert atmosphere. Bonding, plasma activated, the oxide film, heat treatment, before


The adaptation of the Spanish University System to the European Higher Education Area has deeply transformed the initial teachers training in our country. In the article it is presented the structure of the new degree and the author is placed himself with the change in a positive way.


Modern electric power utilities are facing many challenges due to increasing complexity in their operation and structure. In the recent times, one of the problems that got wide attention is the power system instabilities due to lack of new transmission facilities. Existing transmission facilities can be better utilized by installing Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices. The TCSC is the most effective FACTS device used to increase the power transferable capabilities of the transmission line. This paper presents a Sensitivity analysis based Complex Power Flow Sensitivity Index (CPSI) calculated for placing the TCSC at an appropriate location. Once the location to install the TCSC is determined, the optimal tuning of the TCSC is determined through BAT Algorithm. The BAT Algorithm is implemented on multi-criterion objective function to minimize total real power loss, total voltage magnitude deviations, the fuel cost of total real power generation and the branch loading to obtain the Optimal Power Flow. Simulations have been carried out in MATLAB software for the IEEE 57-bus system. The results have been taken for BAT Algorithm based Optimal Power Flow without and with TCSC. The results obtained with BAT Algorithm were compared with Genetic Algorithm (GA). KeywordsBAT Algorithm, Optimal placement, Sensitivity index, TCSC .


A dry purge procedure was used to eliminate water during the analysis of the volatile fraction of a water-rich cheese, by dynamic headspace-GC-MS. The impact of the duration of this procedure on chromatographic profile was studied for dura- tions ranging from 0 to 50 minutes. A dry purge duration of 3 minutes sufficed to reduce the water peak area and improve the quality of the chromatographic signal. However, the dry purge procedure induced marked modifications to the chromatographic profile of the cheese throughout the range of component polarities.


An all-optically induced spatial shift in the interference between the two lowest-order modes of a lithium niobate channel waveguide was demonstrated based on the power-dependent nonlinear phase shift induced via quadratic cascading.


In the years that have elapsed since the ending of colonial rule, the newly independent states of Africa have been understandably preoccupied with a general resolve to achieve rapid and sustained economic growth. Certain countries have attached especial importance to investment in agriculture, others have devoted high proportions of their resources to material infrastructure, to the exploitation of minerals, or to education and training; whatever the immediate policy pursued, however, there has been general unanimity that at the far end of the development process each African state hopes to possess a growing number of economically viable manufacturing industries.1 Apart from the material benefits that industrialisation can bring there is a general belief, as Pierre Moussa has put it, that 'the factory chimney has mythical value; it expresses a people's success on earth, their ability to cope with the modern world'.2


Enterprise Resource planning is an integrated software philosophy that adheres to integration of software comprising automated enterprise transaction processing systems. Selection of an ERP, based on its constituent parameters, is a critical problem for an industry. The technical parameters could be Hardware, Software, Peripheries, Memory constraints, processing efficiency, seek delays, database based attributes, ease of navigation, GUI factor, Security & Integrity aspects. Maximization and Minimization problems need to be addressed simultaneously for making optimum decisions. Conventional ways to opt an ERP has meagerly margined perfection. An optimized way to select an ERP for a scenario is a desperate need of Techno Industrial world. The paper aims to provide a selection constraints handling Hodgepodge optimization techniques based logic, for an optimum selection. A set of Constraints Expressions are formed, the background for making multioptions choice is laid down. The decision logic is framed for drawing inferences.


In view of the vertical bearing mechanism of bored cast-in-place piles and the influencing factors of their bearing capacity,considering the reinforcement effect on pile tip soil and pile side mud cake by compound post-grouting at pile tip and side,the bearing capacity and deformation property of compound postgrouted bored piles in Zhengzhou area are preliminary discussed. By full-scale static loading test on the postgrouted bored piles of a project in Zhengzhou,the improving effect of pile tip resistance and pile side frictional resistance,the load share of pile tip and side by composite post-grouting,and its influence on settlement deformation as well as the whole vertical bearing capacity are researched. The results show that(1) grouting at pile side has improved the mechanical property of interface between pile and soil,which made the resistance of pile side play effectively;(2) grouting at pile tip has reinforced soil layer of pile tip such as sediment layer,which made the resistance of pile tip play in advance;(3) compound grouting has decreased the plastic displacement of interface between pile and soil,which made pile tip settlement slowly and obviously improved the bearing capacity of bored piles.


In this paper, an extensive study on plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) driving characteristics, charging behavior and their impact on the utility is presented. The primary challenge in investigating the effects of PEV charging loads on the distribution system is taking care of the uncertainties. A detailed study on National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) data is carried out and the PEV charging behavior is modeled. Thereafter, a stochastic optimization model is proposed considering different PEV charging scenarios with their associated probabilities and the impact on system load, feeder loss and voltage deviation are studied. A Distribution Optimal Power Flow (DOPF) model with various objectives such as feeder loss minimization, energy drawn minimization and PEV charging cost minimization subject to feeder operational constraints including PEV charging within a 33-bus balanced distribution system is presented. In the uncontrolled charging case, the worst case scenarios are discussed. The proposed smart charging model provides with the optimal charging schedules which result in flattening the load profile.


Integration of the preparation of arylboronic esters via aryllithiums and Suzuki–Miyaura coupling using monolithic Pd catalyst without an intentionally added base was achieved. A continuous operation has been done successfully for over 21 hours.


Conditions for the surface plasma osciilations in a planar metal foil bounded on both sides by vacuum are obtained. The conditions are derived by expanding the expressions for the electron density perturbation and the scalar electric potential in Fourier integrals, neglecting externally maintained charges and fields. If collective modes in the system are to exist, the foil must be thick compared with the Debye length in the plasma. (C.E.S.)


We demonstrate a dual-frequency Yb3+-doped distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) fiber laser, using a homemade low reflectivity dual-wavelength fiber Bragg grating (FBG) as one of the cavity mirrors. The dual-frequency laser output is at 1063.09 nm and 1063.21 nm, with a beat frequency of 32.014 GHz.


With the advancement of remote detecting the utilization of hyper otherworldly pictures is turning out to be increasingly inescapable. The precise characterization of ground highlights through hyper ghostly pictures is a significant exploration content and has drawn in broad consideration. Numerous strategies have accomplished great order and bring about the arrangement of hyper spectral pictures. The electromagnetic range of an observational scene can be covered by two or three hundred absurd collections produced by hyper spectral information in differentiating a single acquiring. The generated 3D hyper spectral data square contains a substantial quantity of geographical and urban information. The speed and volume of the hyper-spectral photo collection create a data age issue, especially for distant recognition applications. The project is organized to first provide an in-depth analysis of agent studies to provide details into fundamental urban research attempts putting an emphasis on frameworks or plans, information management, and considerable learning using big data, AI, and assessment using hyper spectral and multispectral data.


Based on the standard Tower of Hanoi problem,this paper deeply studies the general Towers of Hanoi problems by way of divergent thinking and recursive thinking.After strict mathematical induction and reasoning,we obtain the formula solutions of general Towers of Hanoi problems,which provide important reference value on recursive relation in the field of Algorithm Analysis and Combinatorial Mathematics.


This paper describes the development of a cost-effective advanced fuel metering system for the spark ignited internal combustion engine. The orbital fuel metering (ofm) system employs pneumatic means for metering and atomising the fuel delivered to an engine. This feature allows use of parts which have reduced tolerancing requirements with consequent reductions in machining cost and complexity, and low rates of deterioration in use. The unique mixture preparation has important technical advantages, notably in the ability to finely atomise alcohol as well as petroleum-based fuels. Development testing has demonstrated advanced metering accuracy and range with consequent consistency of cylinder- to-cylinder air fuel ratio, and advanced steady state and driving cycle (cvs) performances. A number of levels of control sophistication have been evaluated, ranging from mechanical control to totally electronic control, with intermediate systems of hybrid design. Each level of control has show different levels of cost-benefit. Details of the operating principle and test results are discussed together with development planned for the future. (Author/TRRL)


For a variety of location-based services, it is important to know the location of mobile devices indoors as well as outdoors. Among the wireless communication-based indoor positioning methods, the way using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has the advantage of being able to build an infrastructure at a low cost and use it in an environment with limited power supply. However, multipath and noise caused by wireless environment may degrade the location measurement accuracy. Machine learning-based methods have been proposed to resolve the problem, but they utilize only Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI). BLE beacon can use extended advertisement according to user's intention, and the resulting change in PHY affects RSSI. This paper shows the effect of PHY on indoor positioning accuracy and proposes a deep learning-based indoor positioning method. We demonstrate that additional learning of BLE beacon's advertisement reception rate can increase accuracy. The accuracy of the location-prediction model was increased by 8.93% compared with the RSSI-only model, and the mean error distance was reduced by 15.02cm. In addition, even in the locations where advertisements were not collected, the locations were predicted with an error of 133.64cm using the data collected from a nearby location.


We introduce and study a new class of spaces, namely $beta-$topological vector spaces via $beta-$open sets. The relationships among these spaces with some existing spaces are investigated. In addition, some important and useful characterizations of $beta-$topological vector spaces are provided.


More and more results of econometric modeling research are showing the relationship between the value of general government deficit and the costs of public debt service. The correlation analysis conducted for the purposes of this work confirms strong negative dependence between the average general government balance (in relation to GDP) and the average yield of 10-year treasury bonds in 15 Western countries within the EU in the 1995–2015 period (sustaining higher deficits of general government are accompanied with higher costs of public debt service over a long period of time). Pearson's correlation coefficient for the entire research period amounted to –0,78. This dependence increased after the breakout of the financial crisis – within the 2008–2015 period, Pearson's r = –0,71, whereas during the 1995–2007 period, it was –0,63, which is consistent with the research results pointing out that the condition of public finances affects the decisions of investors in crises greater than in the relatively calm periods.


We present the first long-term current and bottom pressure observations from Unimak Pass, Alaska, and adjacent locations on the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea shelves. Vector mean current recorded between March and August 1980 was ∼12 cm/s toward 284°T or onto the Bering Sea shelf, however, magnitude decreased from ∼20 cm/s to ∼6 cm/s between the first and second halves of the record. At shorter periods (3–10 days), current fluctuations in the pass were strongly coherent (K2 ≧ 0.7) with the pressure difference measured along the axis of the pass, and this was coherent with geostrophic wind estimates. The results indicated that wind-induced sea level perturbation was the dominant forcing mechanism for fluctuations. Relations among current, bottom pressure, pressure difference, and geostrophic wind time series also showed that dynamic variaton on the Gulf of Alaska shelf was primarily responsible for current fluctuations in the pass. Hydrographic data indicated that a baroclinic current existed along the Gulf of Alaska coast, and this flow became the long-term mean flow through the pass. We suggest that this feature was the extension of the Kenai Current. The historic supposition that water is transported from the Gulf of Alaska into the Bering Sea was verified; however, the waters are of coastal origin rather than from the Alaskan Stream.


To aim of this study is to evaluate the cyclic fatique resistance of two different Ni-Ti rotary files Protaper Next and Fantadental V-Taper Gold at angle of 60 degrees in a metal block. This study was done with 7 files in each group including Protaper Next #25(Group 1) and Fantadental V-Taper Gold files#25(Group 2). The files were tested in artificial 600 curved canal on computer (CNC) machined metal block at a constant body temperature at 36.5 degrees. Each file rotated in a 360 motion with 350 rpm speed and 2.5 Ncm torque (Xsmart plus, Dentsply) until files were fractured. The time elapsed during rotation were recorded and the length of fractured part of the instruments measured for each file. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare two independent groups. Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to compare time and length among groups. The time periods and the length of the fractured parts of the instruments in each group: Group1 Protaper Next #25 10:05±0,76 sec (n=7); Group2 Fanta V-Taper Gold#25: 24:02±0:36 sec /(n=7).There was significant difference observed between cyclic fatigue of Group1 Protaper Next Files#25 and Group2 Fanta V-Taper Gold Files#25. No significant differences between groups were apparent regarding length of the fractured part.

Keywords: Cyclic Fatique, Protaper Next,V-Taper Gold.


Business intelligence became a standard part of undergraduate and graduate curricula in recent years. Faculty are challenged with staying abreast of this evolving topic and teaching it in relevant ways. The latest enhancement to the Teradata University Network (www.TeradataUniversityNetwork.com) is the addition of software from a leading business intelligence vendor. The website now offers MicroStrategy Web (an interactive environment for business reporting and analysis, which provides ad hoc querying and analysis capabilities) and a variety of MicroStrategy analytic software modules that focus on analytics for specific business processes. It is available for hands-on use by students. This tutorial describes these business intelligence resources and provides several ways in which the resources can be used to create effective classroom experiences. The resources are available to all faculty and students at no cost by registering with the Teradata University Network.


UMKM are expected to be at the forefront of strengthening the economic pillars in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). This is because UMKM are one of the businesses that are most able to survive in a deteriorating economic condition, especially in the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, UMKM must have good financial management so that the business can be sustainable. One of them is by having correct financial records and being able to compile the financial reports needed to make decisions in planning the next business strategy. UMKM Batik in Tegalrejo Village, Gedangsari, does not have good records so they are unable to produce financial reports. The results of training and assistance in making simple bookkeeping and compiling financial reports increase the awareness of UMKM of the importance of information generated by financial reports as a basis for decision making and formulating business strategies to achieve sustainable business.


An automated method for coronary calcification detection from ECG-triggered multi-slice CT data is presented. The method first segments the heart region. In the obtained volume candidate objects are extracted by thresholding. They include coronary calcification, calcium located elsewhere in the heart, for example, in the valves or the myocardium, and other high density structures mostly representing noise and bone. A set of 57 features is calculated for each candidate object. In the feature space objects are classified with a k-NN classifier and feature selection in three consecutive stages. The method is tested on 51 scans of the heart. They contain 320 calcification in the coronary arteries, 291 in the aorta and 62 calcifications in the heart. The system correctly detected 177 calcifications in the coronaries at the expense of 56 false positive objects. On average the method makes 3.8 errors per scan.


The myasthenic syndrome occasionally is associated with bronchogenic carcinoma. The neuromuscular transmission defect in this syndrome is characterized by a reduction of acetylcholine release from motor nerve endings. This paper reports that an acetone extract of cancer tissue from a patient with the syndrome reduces the acetylcholine release from motor nerve endings and produces a neuromuscular transmission defect in the frog nerve-muscle preparation. This suggests that the pathogenic substance(s) contained in the extract may be produced by certain types of bronchogenic carcinoma and may cause the myasthenic syndrome.


The generation raised on MTV, cell phones and computers is not truly prepared to embark on a career in printing. They have a different view of the printed page and the craft that goes into creating it. Their main point of reference is the computer screen, and, for the most part, the techniques used to create attractive print pieces are lost on them. Many print schools report that it is hard to recruit new students to learn the print process. Those students who do choose print as a career do not know some basic fundamentals of print, such as what CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) means and its relationship to four-color offset printing. This new generation of tech-savvy students creates content on their computers, then sends digital files to a printer or other service provider. This has made it paramount that the print or service provider engages in preflight activities. However, the real key is to teach preflight techniques to students so that they can send better and more accurate documents to their service provider, which saves both time and money. Preflighting documents before print ensures that the final output of the project will run smoothly and accurately. Industry-Tested Tool Currently, one of the top schools teaching print and graphics is the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York. RIT Professor Michael Kleper says: "Preflighting has become an essential step in the preparation of files for their journey through a digital work flow. Anyone involved in any aspect of a premedia operation must be able to locate and correct errors in a digital file as early in the work flow as possible. The further that an error-laden file progresses through the work flow, the more costly it is to make corrections." In the RIT School of Print Media all of the workstations have Markzware FlightCheck installed, providing every student with an essential industry-tested tool that helps to locate potential problems before they enter the production cycle, according to Kleper. Preflighting plays an important part of several RIT courses. "This quarter I have been teaching a graduate online course called Digital Printing and Publishing. We use an online preflight tool called PrintFlight (offered by Printable Technologies, which is powered by Markzware) so that off-campus students have the benefit of a preflight software engine," says Kleper. He also believes that preflighting is a valuable course requirement: "Our intent is to educate students who are able to manage print media operations that are successful, and that embody effective and efficient production. Preflight software is one important element in the digital job engineering process." Missing Pieces Graphics industry software utility programs such as FlightCheck can be used to check designs and teach how to follow the basic rules of print production. A systematic check of your files before they go to a print vendor or are printed at your own institution is the best way to ensure error-free output. Once a layout has been created using QuarkXPress, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word or most other desktop publishing programs, you simply drag the files to the program to be checked for a number of trouble spots, which you can program into FlightCheck or let the program run automatically. …


The use of direct current in combination with x-ray therapy in order to increase the efficacy of the latter has not been reported, although it has been known for some time. Our basis for this procedure is of necessity, therefore, purely theoretical. In the case to be reported treatment was given with the following x-ray therapy factors: 120 kv.p., 5 ma. filament current, 4 mm. Al filtration, 25 cm. distance. The output of the apparatus was 15 r per minute. Each area received a total of 1,500 r. The electrical apparatus consisted of an ordinary galvanic machine and a pair of electrodes made of felt pads soaked in normal saline. The positive electrode was placed over the tumor area and the negative electrode over a nearby area, so that the lines of force would travel as directly as possible through the region of the tumor. The positive electrode was made as small as possible but large enough to cover the entire tumor area. The purpose of this arrangement was to produce the greatest possible current density ...


Capacitive and inductive parasitics of every electrically conducting structure are inseparably associated with geometry. Especially in power electronics thermal optimisation along with minimisation of occupied circuit layer area has the demand for a thick metallisation to improve heat spreading. Electrical optimisation by means of minimisation of formation of parasitics instead aims on flat structures. Multi-objective optimisation aims on best compromise solutions. The paper considers a half-bridge configuration of transistors and diodes to investigate aforementioned parasitics by use of simulation. Validation of the results by measurements provide the possibility to use dispersed parameters of simulation results for optimisation purposes.


Foreword Introduction Acute relapses Disease modifying drugs - relapsing disease Disease modifying drugs - progressive disease Disease modifying drugs - emerging therapies Disease modifying drugs - overview Symptomatic management Drug synonyms.


The electrical actrvity of the cochlea and the action potentials in the auditory nerve of all these animals were recorded by means of amplifiers and the cathode ray oscillog-raph which we have employed in our experimental analysis of the auditory mechanism and has recently been described elsewhere in some detail.' All animals which, in any of our experiments, gave indications of functional abnormalities of any kind were subjected to postmortem examination. The middle ears and the petrous bones were removed, fixed in Helley's solution, sectioned and studied


BackgroundGlucose and insulin levels are associated with left ventricular mass (LVM) in insulin-resistant individuals. Antihypertensive drugs have different effects on glucose and insulin metabolism (GIM) and on LVM. To evaluate whether the effects of antihypertensive therapy on LVM are associated with its effects on GIM, we compared the effects of atenolol and perindopril on these parameters in a group of insulin-resistant, obese hypertensives . Methods and ResultsA total of 21 obese, nondiabetic hypertensives who were aged 55±12 years, had a body mass index of 32.8±5.0 kg/m2, were free of coronary or valvular heart disease, and had normal LV function were randomized to treatment with atenolol (n=11) or perindopril (n=10). Echocardiographic LVM corrected for height (LVM/height) and GIM (3-hour intravenous glucose tolerance test) were measured after 4 to 6 weeks of washout and 6 months of treatment. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Atenolol and perindopril effectively reduced blood pressure (from 149±13/98±4 to 127±8/82±6 mm Hg and from 148±9/98±4 to 129±9/82±6 mm Hg, respectively, for the atenolol and perindopril groups;P =0.002). Atenolol significantly worsened GIM parameters, fasting glucose levels (5.3±0.9 to 6.0±1.5 mmol/L;P =0.003), fasting insulin levels (121±121 to 189±228 pmol/L;P =0.03), and most other relevant metabolic measures (P <0.05 for all). Perindopril did not affect GIM. Atenolol did not affect LVM/height (119±12 to 120±17 g/m;P =0.8), whereas perindopril significantly reduced LVM/height (120±13 to 111±19 g/m;P =0.04). ConclusionsIn obese, hypertensive individuals, adequate and similar blood pressure control was achieved with perindopril and atenolol. However, perindopril but not atenolol was associated with a more favorable GIM profile and led to a significant regression of LVM.