In forest land of Central Iran, data regarding the labile pool of soil organic matter (especially carbohydrates) is scarce. A study was initiated in 2009 to evaluate the effects of deforestation on soils organic matter properties in Lordegan region of central Zagrous Mountain, Iran. Soil samples were collected from forest Oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) and adjacent cultivated sites (snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.)). In this study, soil organic carbon (SOC), carbohydrate, and no-hydrolysis carbohydrate in both land uses were studied. The results showed that land use changes (i.e. conversion of forest to cultivated fields) resulted in significant decreases in concentration of SOC, carbohydrate, and no-hydrolysis carbohydrate. In addition, soil organic matter pools were greater in forest than in the cropland soils, reflecting a better soil quality and thus higher potential for increasing soil organic carbon sequestration in the


The paper describes a new range of tubular induction motors. Compared with the usual forms of tubular motors, in which the magnetic flux lies largely in planes that are parallel to the direction of motion, the new machines have flux paths lying transverse to this direction. Two winding arrangements are described; the first of these uses skewed coils that completely surround the secondary conductor, the second uses a double helical system. The excitation produced by these windings is in the form of a circumferentially modulated axially travelling wave, and an appropriate multilayer analysis using cylindrical geometry is presented. Experimental and theoretical results are given that show that the transverse-flux machine can provide more thrust than the conventional machine when the core-flux density is the limiting design factor.


The propagation of soliton excitations in a system of two magnetic chains with impurities is studied. The inhomogeneous chains coupled through ferromagnetic interaction between the opposite spins are described by a Heisenberg model in the nearest-neighbor approximation. The presence of the impurities leads to linear perturbing terms in the evolutionary equations. We investigated numerically the influence of the soliton parameters, the interchain coupling and the defect strength on the soliton dynamics. The conditions of perfect soliton switching are obtained.


An experiment was carried out to screen nine determinate Indian bean varieties viz., Arka Vijay, Arka Jay, Arka Amogh, Arka Soumya, Arka Sambharam, NIB-1, Konkan Bhushan, Tirupathi Local and West Godavari Local were screened to know the infestation of spotted pod borer, M. vitrata under open field conditions revealed that among the nine determinate Indian bean varieties NIB-1(17.75 %) considered as highly resistant. Tirupathi Local was categorized as moderately resistant with 33.00 per cent flower damage. The other seven varieties viz. Arka Soumya, Arka Vijay, Arka Amogh, Arka Sambhram, West Godavari Local, Arka Jay and Konkan Bushan were rated as intermediate resistant to M. vitrata which recorded flower infestation percentage of 52.60 51.94, 50.21, 47.25, 42.64, 42.2 and 41.45 per cent, respectively with respect to the inflorescence damage due to spotted pod borer Maruca vitrata (Geyer).


INTRODUCTION: Despite recent advances in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of endochondral ossification, we still know little about the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the final step of endochondral ossification, growth plate closure. Activating mutations in FGFR3 cause achondroplasia, the most common form of human dwarfism. Fgfr3-null mice, in contrast, show skeletal overgrowth, indicating that Fgfr3 signaling inhibits longitudinal bone growth. In this study, we examined the role of Fgfr3 signaling in growth plate closure. METHODS: The institutional animal care and use committee approved all animal procedures. Mice harboring the Fgfr3 G374R mutation that corresponds to the human achondroplasia mutation G380R were used. Despite the activating achondroplasia mutation, their homozygosity at the Fgfr3 mutant allele produces an Fgfr3-null phenotype, since the neomycin cassette inserted into the intron 4 of Fgfr3 interferes with the normal splicing of Fgfr3 mRNA. When the neomycin cassette is removed by the Cre-loxP system, the achondroplasia mutant Fgfr3 G374R is expressed, and the mice show a dwarf phenotype. Zp3-Cre transgenic mice that express Cre recombinase in oocytes and Prx1-Cre transgenic mice that express Cre recombinase in mesenchymal cells of the developing limb bud were used to delete the neomycin cassette. Transgenic mice that express LacZ under the control of a 2.3 kb osteoblast-specific Col1a1 promoter were used to assess osteoblast function. Transgenic mice that express a constitutively active mutant of MEK1 in chondrocytes and Stat1-null mice were used to analyze downstream signaling. Gross skeletal phenotype was analyzed by skeletal preparation and by HE and alcian blue staining. Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies for type X collagen, osteopontin, and Runx2. Proliferating cells were identified by BrdU incorporation. Primary chondrocytes were isolated from the rib cages of 3and 4-day-old mice. Confluent cells were treated with FGF18 in the presence or absence of a MEK inhibitor U0126. RNA was extracted at 3 and 8 hours after stimulation and subjected to microarray analysis using Affymetrix mouse 4.30 chips. RESULTS: We used the Prx1-Cre transgene to delete the neomycin cassette in the developing limbs of heterozygous and homozygous Fgfr3-mutant mice. Even in skeletally mature adult mice—unlike humans—growth plates normally do not close in the limbs. We observed, however, a dosage-dependent induction and acceleration of growth plate closure in the distal femur and proximal tibia in mice that express Fgfr3 G374R. In contrast, growth plates did not close in mice with the neomycin cassette that were heterozygous or homozygous for the hypomorphic Fgfr3 allele. The homozygous mice that showed an Fgfr3null phenotype exhibited even wider growth plates. To examine whether the premature growth plate closure was a systemic event, we used the Zp3-Cre transgene to delete the neomycin cassette in the oocytes. We observed a systemic tendency of premature synchondrosis closure in offspring mice that express Fgfr3 G374R. (Synchondrosis is a growth-plate-like structure that resembles two opposed growth plates with a common zone of resting chondrocytes.) Synchondroses prematurely closed in the cranial base; cervical, thoracic and lumber spine; triradiate cartilage and sternum in mice that express Fgfr3 G374R. The shape of the spinal canal was either triangular or trefoil, similar to the spinal canal stenosis in human achondroplasia. To examine the mechanism of premature growth plate closure in mice expressing Fgfr3 G374R, we analyzed a series of vertebral synchondroses harvested at various stages of development. We found that the neurocentral synchondroses that connect the vertebral body to the pedicles closed at around postnatal day 4 in mice expressing Fgfr3 G374R, while those of wild type mice closed at around postnatal day 12. In the closing synchondroses of mice expressing Fgfr3 G374R, all the remaining chondrocytes became hypertrophic as evidenced by type X collagen and osteopontin expression. In contrast, in wild type mice, the layered structure of the growth plate was well maintained until the synchondroses were penetrated by vessels. BrdU incorporation studies further indicated that proliferating chondrocytes were prematurely lost in the closing synchondroses of mice that expressed Fgfr3 G374R. The closing synchondroses in mice expressing Fgfr3 G374R were also characterized by increased bone formation that encased the synchondroses. This was associated with an increased number of osteoblasts, as judged by the activity of the 2.3kb Col1a1 osteoblastspecific promoter and Runx2 expression. Similar findings were observed in the prematurely closing synchondroses in the cranial base and sternum. We further examined BrdU incorporation in skeletally maturing Fgfr3-deficient mice between 6 weeks and 5.5 months of age. While chondrocyte proliferation decreased with age in wild type mice, chondrocyte proliferation was not suppressed in skeletally mature Fgfr3deficient mice. To identify downstream signaling pathways that mediate growth plate closure, we expressed Fgfr3G374R in Stat1-null mice. Loss of Stat1 did not rescue the premature closure of the growth plates. In contrast, transgenic mice that express in chondrocytes a constitutively active mutant of MEK1 showed premature closure of synchondroses in the cranial base and cervical, thoracic and lumber spine. The closing synchondroses in these mice were characterized by increased bone formation. To identify possible downstream targets of Fgfr3 and the MAPK pathway, we performed microarray analysis in primary chondrocytes using Affymetrix Chips. When the threshold of the fold change was set at 3-fold, 277 genes were reproducibly downor up-regulated at 3 hours after FGF18 treatment. Of these, 199 transcripts (72%) were inhibited more than 50% by U0126. At 8 hours, 331 genes were reproducibly downor up-regulated by FGF18. Of these, 195 transcripts (59%) were inhibited more than 50% by U0126. Of note, FGF18 upregulated Bmp2, Bmp8a and Bmpr1b at 3 hours and Bmp7 and Bmpr1b at 8 hours in a MAPK dependent manner. In addition, FGF18 inhibited Noggin expression in a MAPK-dependent manner, and U0126 treatment alone upregulated its expression. DISCUSSION: We observed the premature closure of growth plates in mice that express a human achondroplasia mutant of Fgfr3. The growth plate closure was associated with the premature loss of proliferating chondrocytes, suggesting that Fgfr3 signaling regulates the number of self-renewing chondrocytes that maintain the growth plate. Our observations indicate that the accelerated growth plate closure caused by increased Fgfr3 signaling is not a simple acceleration of the normal process. Fgfr3 appears to induce premature exit from the cell cycle and accelerate the transition from proliferating chondrocytes to hypertrophic chondrocytes. Skeletally mature Fgfr3-deficient mice showed persistent chondrocyte proliferation that was not observed in wild type littermates, indicating that Fgfr3 signaling is required for decreasing chondrocyte proliferation in skeletally maturing growth plates. Transgenic mice that express a constitutively active mutant of MEK1 in chondrocytes also showed premature closure of the growth plates, strongly suggesting that the MAPK pathway at least in part mediates the premature growth plate closure caused by increased Fgfr3 signaling. Consistent with these observations, microarray analysis showed that a large proportion of FGF18 responsive genes is regulated through the MAPK pathway, strongly suggesting that the MAPK pathway is a major mediator of FGF signaling in chondrocytes. The closing synchondroses in these mice were characterized by increased bone formation, suggesting that the activity of the MAPK pathway in chondrocytes regulates bone formation, which in turn regulates synchondrosis closure. Based on the observation that FGF18 upregulated Bmp2, Bmp8a and Bmpr1b at 3 hours and Bmp7 and Bmpr1b at 8 hours in a MAPK dependent manner—together with in vivo observations that the bone formation is increased in the closing growth plates of mice that express Fgfr3 G374R and transgenic mice that express a constitutively active mutant of MEK1—we propose that Fgfr3 signaling and the MAPK pathway in chondrocytes regulate bone formation through regulation of the activity of BMP. In infants with achondroplasia, narrowing of the foramen magnum has been associated with unexpected sudden death. In addition, spinal canal stenosis in achondroplasia causes various neurologic complications. Further analysis of the roles of Fgfr3 and MAPK in chondrocytes will provide novel insights into the mechanisms of bone growth and pathogenesis of Fgfr3-related skeletal syndromes.


BACKGROUND: Roller milling of hull-less barley generates fibre-rich fractions (FRF) enriched in non-starch polysaccharides from the endosperm cell walls (β-glucans and arabinoxylans). This investigation was initiated to compare the suitability of different baking processes and to determine the optimal conditions for incorporation of barley FRF into pan bread. RESULTS: Addition of FRF from waxy and high-amylose starch hull-less barley genotypes was evaluated in pan bread prepared from Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Western Extra Strong (CWES) wheat flour. Three bread processes were used: Canadian short process (CSP), remix-to-peak, and sponge-and-dough. Addition of 20% FRF (equivalent to enrichment with 4.0 g of arabinoxylans and β-glucans per 100 g of flour) disrupted dough properties and depressed loaf volume. CSP was not suitable for making FRF-enriched bread because dough could not be properly developed. FRF-enriched remix-to-peak bread was better, especially for the stronger CWES flour. The better bread quality compared to CSP was probably due to redistribution of water from non-starch polysaccharides to gluten during fermentation prior to remixing and final proof. The sponge-and-dough process produced the best FRF-enriched bread because of the positive effect of sponge fermentation on gluten development and hydration. FRF was added at the dough stage to fully developed dough. CONCLUSION: The method of bread production strongly influences bread quality. Pre-hydration of FRF improved bread quality. CWRS and CWES flour produced comparable FRF-enriched sponge-and-dough bread. Addition of xylanase to the sponge-and-dough formula improved the loaf volume, appearance, crumb structure and firmness of FRF-enriched bread. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry


SUMM ARY The hopes that plants will be the renewable energy source of the fu. ture is dimmed by the possibility that such energy plantations may have to take over the lands needed for food crops. An energy inventory of the Coco· nut Tree shows a uniqueness in being able to provide both Food and Fuel without need for periodic replanting or re-growing for well over 50 years. The Philippine annual harvest of 12 billion nuts from plantings of 377 million coconut trees, furnish an annual harvestable biomass of 18.9 million metric tons with an energy �quivalent of 85.9 x to12 kilocalories. The food calories (oil and oil-meal) constitute 17.5% of the total calories. The major portion (32.5%) of the calories is then useable for fuel. Thus the coconut is to be looked upon more an an Energy tree. The magnitude of this energy reser voir (equal to ca 35 million barrels of petro oil) should spur concentrated research directed at utilization. Discussed in the paper, is the energy value in terms of LPG, of a coco nut, a coconut tree and a hectare of such trees. The information helps answer such questions as: how can coconut trees make the family kitchen self


In the past few decades, numerous studies have been carried out on the potential applications of methanol as fuel, for both the transportation and the power generation sectors. These fuel applications require significant reductions in manufacturing cost, particularly in plant investment. The present study evaluates the savings in investment that could be achieved by applying various emerging manufacturing technologies. The most advanced technologies are based on the intermediate production of synthesis gas. They are based on new re-forming technologies or various "once-through" methanol synthesis schemes. The newest manufacturing technologies either proceed via methyl chloride or methyl bisulfate or apply direct partial oxidation. From our study, we conclude that none of the technologies proposed, whether based on synthesis gas or not, can offer large savings in investment unless they can be scaled up by a factor 4−8 above the conventional capacity of 2.5 kt/d.


In beyond 5G and 6G network scenarios, the use of satellites has been actively discussed for extending target monitoring areas, even for extreme circumstances, where the monitoring functionalities can be realized due to the usage of millimeter-wave wireless links. This paper designs an efficient scheduling algorithm which minimizes overlapping monitoring areas among observation satellite constellation. In order to achieve this objective, a quantum optimization based algorithm is used because the overlapping can be mathematically modelled via a max-weight independent set (MWIS) problem which is one of well-known NP-hard problems.


An access system, such as a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), includes a multiplexer for connecting Subscriber devices, such as telephones and/or IP terminals, to a subscriber line: and an access multiplexer for connecting Subscriberlines to a backbone network. The access system may also include a gateway for connecting the backbone network to a first sys tem. When the access system receives a voice call to a second system via the telephone system and the first system employs a voice coding method, the access system is arranged to negotiate with the second system a type of Voice codec to be used in both the first and second system. The access systems is configured to transmit an encoded Voice signal from the subscriber device or the multiplexer to the first system and to transmit an encoded Voice signal from the first system to the subscriber device or the multiplexer.


Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, and a main cause for excessive daytime sleepiness.It is accompanied by cataplexy, sleep paralysis and sleep hallucinations, collectively known as tetralogy of narcolepsy.Research progresses in the pathogenesis of narcolepsy are briefly summarized in this article, paving directions for further research.Both the realm of western and Chinese traditional medicine are concerned.Western medicine stated that it′s pathogenesis is closely related to orexin and HLA-DQB1*0602.In addition, recent studies from countries in Western Europe(UK, Finland, and Sweden)have indicated that the use of H1N1 influenza vaccine gives rise to incidence of the narcolepsy as well.From the realm of Chinese medicine, upsetting the balance of Yin-Yang and Yin-Wei are also possible causes attributed to the disease.In the case of child narcolepsy, the condition of the patient′s internal organs is also highly concerned.

Key words:
Narcolepsy; Pathogenesis; Traditional Chinese medicine; Western medicine


In practice, the zinc‐air flow batteries are charging by reduction of zinc oxide, dissolved in the battery electrolyte through consuming electrical energy. Later, during the discharge process, the produced zinc reacts with oxygen and releases electrical energy. Thus, the amount of produced zinc in a battery is directly related to the amount of energy storage. The current work aims to maximize the reduction of zinc oxide for a single cell of 100 W zinc‐air flow battery by using the Taguchi method. The controlling parameters, which influence the zinc production are charging current, electrolyte concentration (KOH), stirring speed of the electrolyte, and electrolyte temperature. Interestingly, the results show that the temperature of the electrolyte is the most effective parameter of zinc oxide reduction. After that, the charging current density, electrolyte concentration, and stirring speed are the other important parameters, respectively. The results reveal that an optimized set of the controlling parameters could improve the zinc production up to six‐fold compared to a badly tuned set of control parameters.


【Objective】 The study was to confirm the best period,best location and critical nitrogen concentration of plant diagnosis in cucumber.【Method】 A hydroponic experiment was conducted to investigate the changing characters of the leaf SPAD values,nitrate reductase activity and the leafstalks nitrate nitrogen content at different growth stages of cucumber under the conditions of different nitrogen supplying rates respectively.【Result】 The results showed that the leaf SPAD values increased significantly with the increase of N rate,and they all could be used as indices for plant nitrogen nutrition diagnosis.The leaf SPAD values at different positions of leaf responded differently to the increase of N rate.The leaf SPAD values,the nitrate reductase activity and the leafstalks nitrate nitrogen content have changed significantly at the different growth stages and there was a significant relationship in seedling stage and florescence.【Conclusion】 Therefore,the 3L's SPAD values at seedling stage and in florescence and the 7L's in fruiting were more sensitive,which were suggested to be the best leaf position to diagnose the nitrogen nutrition status of the cucumber plants;The best period and critical nitrogen concentration of cucumber plant diagnosis were florescence and 210 mg/kg.


Immobilized trypsin covalently attached to cross-linked dextran was prepared. In the presence of high concentrations of primary and secondary alcohols, the transesterification of L-lysine esters catalyzed by the immobilized trypsin was observed to be predominant. In contrast to this, no transesterified product was detected with tertiary butyl alcohol. These reactions were compared with the acid-catalyzed transesterification reactions and the characteristics of the enzymatic reaction are discussed.


Background Secondary prevention in patients with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) focusing on classical risk factors has been less successful in women than in men. Previous studies have suggested that psychosocial factors may be new targets for secondary prevention. In the present study, psychosocial factors have been compared in women with and without IHD. Methods and subjects Using a cross-sectional comparison, classical cardiovascular risk factors and self-rated stress behaviour, vital exhaustion, stressful life events and quality of life were assessed in 198 women (age 35–77 years) who had IHD and a population-based sample of 206 women (age 45–74 years) without IHD. Results Control of classical risk factors was most often adequate in women with IHD. The prevalence of smoking was 9% in women with versus 18% in women without IHD (P < 0.001), blood pressure levels were similar, and a very large share of women with IHD were on treatment with anti-thrombotic, anti-hypertensive and/or lipid-lowering drugs (P < 0.001 compared with women free of IHD). In contrast, women with IHD scored significantly worse than women without IHD in self-rated stress behaviour (P = 0.003 after adjustment for other possible determinants), and in vital exhaustion (P = 0.003). In univariate analyses, quality of life was significantly worse in women with IHD. Stressful life events did not differ between the two groups. Conclusions In this group of women with IHD, control of classical risk factors was good, whereas control of psychosocial risk factors was clearly inadequate. Secondary prevention by psychosocial intervention in women with IHD should be evaluated in randomized controlled trials. Eur J Cardiovasc Prevention Rehab 10:258–266 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.


There are Jiuquan basin,Qaidam basin and Tarim basin in the south-north sides of Altun fault belt.The structural deformations since the Pliocene show the following three aspects.First,the structural line strike is dominated by NE in north side,approximately parallel to the Altun fault and by NW in south side,near perpendicular to the fault.Second,the strain intensity is weak,with average shortening ratio of 4.1% in north side and 51% in south side.Third,the structural style appears basement-involved structure in north side and thin-skin nappe one in south side.This paper proposes the stress-strain theoretical model of "active wall plus passive wall" and presents a rational interpretation for such structural differences between the north and south sides.It is considered that the geological body of the southern side of Altun fault belt is directly affected by the India-Eurasia plate,being regarded as the active wall,while that of the north side is affected by NW component of remote stress,being as the passive wall.The interface between them is the Altun fault belt which transmits part of the NW component to the geological body of north side,so such a component decrease gradually from the south to the north.


The effect of inoculation and fermention time on WSSV-VAP1 expression in recombinant Pichia pastoris was studied. The result showed that the percentage of expression protein was 10.45% of total supernant protein. The volume of inoculation was an important factor for WSSV-VAP1 expression.Stability of WSSV-VAP1 gene in recombinant P. pastoris showed that the transformation of WSSV-VAP1 gene had little effect on the growth of the host cells. The recombinant plasmid had excellent stability in P.pastoris SMD1168.


This chapter briefly describes the growing concern over a lack of academic integrity in higher education and the traditional methods employed to detect and prevent it. Arguing that these possess inherent shortcomings, the author describes a systems approach that incorporates all aspects of student services: admissions, marketing, and orientation; instructional support; instructional technology; library services; and counseling and advocacy. For academic integrity policies and programs to truly be effective, they must be universal and preventative in scope and include all segments of student services and the student body itself. Regular assessment must be conducted and the topic incorporated into professional development. The primary goal for educational institutions should be to foster and support the development of academic integrity in their students.


The cadaver dissection experience can elicit intense emotions in students who are taking anatomy for the first time. Students are often disinclined to share these feelings with others because they believe they are the only ones experiencing such feelings and/or do not want to appear less able than their student colleagues to cope. Discussing anticipatory feelings about the dissection process can reduce students' feelings of isolation, imposter syndrome, and simple nervousness by revealing that most students share similar experiences and that there is a range of normal anticipatory feelings.


Following the original description of lymphoma complicating coeliac disease [1], it has become clear that patients with coeliac disease have a 50to a 100-fold increased risk of developing malignant lymphoma compared with the general population [2,3]. The exact risk is unknown as the precise prevalence and incidence of coeliac disease in the population is also unknown. Lymphoma may present in two main ways. First, clinical deterioration may be seen in coeliac patients previously well controlled on a gluten-free diet, or secondly symptoms may develop or longstanding symptoms may worsen, allowing the diagnosis of coeliac disease and lymphoma to be made more or less at the same time [4-7]. The symptoms of coeliac disease and of the complicating lymphoma are so similar initially that the diagnosis of the lymphoma is often made very late with a correspondingly poor prognosis [5,6]. There are four areas of difficulty concerning coeliac lymphoma that will be discussed in this article: do patients presenting with a flat jejunal mucosa and lymphoma have coeliac disease?; what type of lymphoma occurs in coeliac patients?; how can the diagnosis of lymphoma be made earlier?; does a gluten-free diet protect against the development of lymphoma in the coeliac patient?


Environment Perception is the basic function in Automated Driving Systems. The inaccurate result of perception leads to subsequent erroneous decisions and erroneous control commands. Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) is an important sensor for environment perception. Aiming at the uncertainty caused by environment influences on LiDAR perception, this paper analyzes the high-order uncertainty of the sensor based on hierarchical Bayesian regression model. Experiments on the influence of rainfall on the accuracy of the LiDAR were carried out. The experimental results show that the measurement error does not depend distance, but rainfall lead to more uncertainty of LiDAR perception.


✓ An aneurysmal bone cyst of the parietal bone is reported. A typical hemangioma was seen in the central part of the lesion. The pathological findings are described in detail and the theory of a pre-existing lesion discussed.


"Air force training gym of athletic training base on the pneumatic principles"is an equipment which could control speed and direction of wind for training.The article talk on the action of "Air force training gym",consider that it have positive role on raising action frequency,forming good rhythm,raising relax ability,developing rapid power and increasing delivered power by tail wind training,dead wind training and associative training in the "Air force training gym".And to introduce the principle of work,structure and method of operation.


inclusion in NIA's Alzheimer's drug development program, although he suggests that the neurotransmitter itself may not be a suitable drug. Substance P is a mediator of inflammation, as well as a neurotransmitter in the body's pain pathways, although Yankner says that the rats injected with it didn't show any signs of discomfort. The next step, everyone agrees, will be to see whether Yankner and Kowall's model can be duplicated in nonhuman primates, so that substance P's action can be tested in animals whose brains more closely resemble those of humans. Whether those results can be duplicated in monkeys or not, Khachaturian says this latest development is "going to get everyone excited." Which isn't a trivial thing, because, he says, "science always does well when there's excitement." Next to be seen: whether that excitement will produce answers to the remaining puzzles in the Alzheimer's mystery. E JEAN MARX


Girls and young women between the ages of fourteen and twenty-eight have both the characteristics of youth of this age bracket and special features of their own, different from boys and men of the same age. They face some special problems in their growth process due to social, historical, and educational reasons.


The National Centre for Culture is conducting a foresight research project on the impact of emerging technologies on the arts. The article presents the first findings brought by the analysis of opportunities created by the development of virtual spaces accessible to artists and the public – which are expected to create the Metaverse and promote a new form of ownership, NFT. The text is dedicated to the potential of new tools and media – the positive side of the interface between modern technologies and art. The article offers definitions of the Metaverse, NFT and digital art. Apparently, these elements of social (and technological) reality not only overlap, but also complement each other. The text attempts to answer the question of what potential the next phase of digital transformation brings for visual artists.


Background: The key question in living kidney donor assessment is how best to determine the contribution of each kidney to overall renal function as a guide to selection of which kidney to donate. This study aimed to determine the effect of using kidney length to decide which kidney to donate in a retrospective cohort of potential donors. Methods: All 333 potential living kidney donors between January 2009 and August 2018 who completed assessment as per UK guidelines in our centre were evaluated. Data included age, sex, kidney length, glomerular filtration rate, split function and renal vascular anatomy. There were 48 exclusions due to inadequate data or incomplete investigations. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel pivot tables and GraphPad Prism. Results: Of 285 potential donors included in the study, there were 144 males (mean age 49.9±14.75) and 141 females (mean age 51.2±11.23). Overall the Pearson's correlation between differences in length and divided function of kidney pairs was 0.1630, p = 0.0058. Of 73 with significant difference (>10%) in divided function, 18 (24.7%) had no difference in kidney length; 54 (74%) had a difference of <2cm and only one of >2cm. Using a difference of 2cm as cut off for performing split function would lead to false reassurance in 72 patients (6 had >20% difference in divided function whereas 66 had 10-20% difference). Conclusion: Length difference between kidney pairs alone is not sufficient to replace measurement of divided function; further studies such as a randomised controlled trial are required to resolve it. P-4.56


The goal of the gynecologist is to detect ovarian tumors in their earliest stages. Small virilizing tumors, which barely affect the size of the ovaries, are such lesions. Since the introduction of transvaginal sonography it is technically possible to detect small intraovarian neoplasms. Three cases of virilizing steroid cell tumors in postmenopausal women with ovarian volumes just exceeding the normal sizes for age are presented. High‐frequency transvaginal ultrasound and color Doppler studies to measure flow parameters were used. These small tumors had different echogenicity from the surrounding ovarian tissue and two had low impedance‐to‐flow values. Gray‐scale transvaginal sonography combined with co/or Doppler studies can make the diagnosis of small steroid cell tumors easier and, at times, better than other, more costly imaging modalities. Copyright © 1997 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology


A thermostatic expansion valve comprises a valve main body, a temperature-sensing drive part and a transmission rod, wherein the valve main body comprises a first connector and a second connector and is further provided with a valve cavity; a through hole part is arranged between the valve cavity and the second connector; a valve seat capable of moving up and down in the axis direction of the valve cavity is arranged in the valve cavity; a valve port and a valve seat cavity are formed in the valve seat; a valve body for adjusting the opening degree of the valve port is arranged in the valve seat cavity. When fluid flows into the second connector and out of the first connector, all or most of the fluid flows through the bypass flow passage of the valve; when the fluid flows into the first connector and out of the second connector, all or most of the fluid flows through a throttling passage between the valve port and the valve body. Under the condition that throttling of the thermostatic expansion valve is not required, the fluid can directly flow out through the bypass flow passage of the thermostatic expansion valve per se but not throttled, and another bypass flow passage and a non-return valve in parallel connection are not needed, so that components are reduced, the pipeline connection is more convenient and concise.


This paper studies the extent to which ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance is priced into corporate loans. I construct a firm-specific ESG measure from 136 raw metrics related to the fundamentals of ESG components. The constructed ESG scores provide measurement transparency and exclude all traditional corporate governance factors that have been established to exert financial impact on firms. Through identification within lender-borrower's persistent relationships over time, I find that a one standard deviation increase in a borrowing company's ESG score leads to an 6.3 basis-point decrease in its loan spread. The reduction in loan spread can be explained through the credit risk channel, where highly rated ESG companies have a 4% lower default probability in the future. Better firm ESG scores also predict fewer financial restatements due to fraud, clerical error, and SEC investigation.


We introduce a technique for 3D human keypoint estimation that directly models the notion of spatial uncertainty of a keypoint. Our technique employs a principled approach to modelling spatial uncertainty inspired from techniques in robust statistics. Furthermore, our pipeline requires no 3D ground truth labels, relying instead on (possibly noisy) 2D image-level keypoints. Our method achieves near state-ofthe-art performance on Human3.6m while being efficient to evaluate and straightforward to implement.


The current work aims at studying the defense mechanism of cotton plant against mealybug (Phenococcus solenopsis). Changes in phenol, tannin and lipid activity were observed in both resistant and susceptible cotton cultivars in response to mealy bug infestation. Highly susceptible cultivar had higher protein quantity than resistant and tolerant cultivars, whereas phenol tannin and lipid content were higher in resistant cultivars. Total soluble sugar content for resistant and tolerant cultivars remained at similar levels. Gel stained for protein identified differences in the protein bands of resistant, tolerant and susceptible cultivars.


Hygienic assessment of frequency of consuming food products of animal origin in the diet of medical students and rationale of ways of its correction. Yeltsova L.B. Omelchuk S.T. Petrosian A.A. Availability of various healthy food products in the student's diet and conscious student's choice represents the best way of prevention of the alimentary and alimentary-associated diseases, preservation and promotion of health. The aim of the study: hygienic assessment of frequency of consuming food products of animal origin by medical students in order to prevent alimentary diseases by means of correction of diet. The authors studied medical students' diet using map questionnaire with the subsequent data assessment. The study includes the data of 858 respondents, students of the 2, 4 and 6 years of study of medical faculties of O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University. Random sampling was used. The age of the respondents ranges between 18 and 25 years, 570 females and 288 males. Frequency of consumption was estimated according to the following categories: consuming of food products of animal origin once a day or even more often, consuming them almost every day, consuming them once a week, consuming them several times a week, consuming them once or several times a month, consuming them rarely or never. The study assessed frequency of consumption of such product groups as: meat and meat products, fish and seafood, milk and dairy products, eggs and fatty products. The authors have established that one third of the respondents, regardless of their gender and year of study, consume meat and meat products once a day or almost every day. From 20% (the 2 year of study) to 28% (the 6 year of study) of male respondents and from 13% (the 2 year of study) to 21% (the 6 year of study) of female respondents consume fish and seafood once a week or several times a week. Less than 30% of both male and female respondents, without regard to the year of study, consume milk and dairy products once a day or even more often. About 20% of male respondents and from 10% (the 2 year of study) to 25% (the 6 year of study) of female respondents consume eggs daily. 16-18% of male respondents and 6-10% of female respondents consume fatty products (butter, lard) daily or almost every day. The obtained results make it possible to conclude that more than 2/3 of the medical students' diets according to the frequency of consuming food products of animal origin do not correspond to the National recommendations on nutrition precisely by the frequency of their consumption [12, 13]. This may lead to polynutrient deficiency and development of alimentary diseases, which proves the necessity of correction of medical students' diet. Реферат. Гігієнічна оцінка частоти споживання харчових продуктів тваринного походження в раціоні студентів-медиків та обгрунтування шляхів його корекції. Єльцова Л.Б., Омельчук С.Т., Петросян А.А. Забезпечення доступності до різноманітних здорових продуктів у раціоні студентів, їх вільний самостійний та свідомий вибір – це один з найкращих заходів профілактики аліментарних та аліментарнозалежних


In this paper the site survey is done for four sites in Pune India. The electrical power is predicted for each site for different tower heights of the wind turbine. Different lengths of blades of turbine are also considered for power prediction. This method involves site survey using anemometers. This method involves low cost and less manpower.


This study examines whether heterogeneous beliefs contribute to the incidence of the disposition effect. We measure optimism using elicited beliefs from incentivized experiments and surveys and link these measures to investment decisions using administrative register data. We find that optimistic beliefs lead to both a higher allocation of wealth to risky assets and a higher incidence of the disposition effect. These relationships are robust to various specifications of risk preferences. Individuals form optimistic beliefs from positive return experiences consistent with reinforcement learning. We conclude that individuals' beliefs play a role in determining behavioral biases in financial decisions.


OBJECTIVE To establish an HPLC fingerprint of the methanol extract from Swertia punicea. METHODS A column of Kromasil C_ 18 (250 mm×46 mm,5 μL) was used. The mobile phase conststed of methanol-water(containing 0.05% H_ 3 PO_ 4 )-ACN, Gradientelution mode was adopted. Flowrate was 0.8 mL·min~ -1 . Wavelength of detection 254nm. Column temperture was 30℃.RESULTS The fingerprint of Swertia punicea was established was containing 13 common peaks 4 common peaks were identified using reference substance. CONCLUSION It is a simple and reliable meathod in controlling the quality of Swertia punicea.


Lattice strain and lattice dynamics of ZnSe‐ZnTe strained‐layer superlattices (SLSs) were examined by means of transmission electron microscopy and Raman scattering. Superlattice structures were confirmed from both transmission electron diffraction patterns and bright field images of the samples. Lattice distortions which originated from misfit strains were observed by the lattice image mode. The crystallinity of the adjacent layers was degraded when the layer thickness became large and polycrystalline structures were observed when the layer thickness exceeded the critical layer thickness. Raman scattering was used to assess the magnitude of the strain in the SLSs. Optical phonon frequencies of the components in SLSs were different from those frequencies of the bulk materials. The frequency shifts were used to quantify the strains in the SLSs. The observed shifts corresponded to the calculated values.


Abstract In 'Rethinking Nature,' Shaun Gallagher makes the case for a non-reductive, naturalized phenomenology. In doing so, he seeks to close the metaphysical gap between world and mind by pursuing a 'world > mind' strategy, conforming the natural world to the world of reason and experience. Here I assess the merits of this approach by comparison with the alternative 'mind > world' strategy, whereby the the world of reason and experience is conformed to the natural world. This latter approach is exemplified by the method of 'triangulating' the mind through the integration of experiential, psychological, and neurophysiological evidence. While sympathetic to Gallagher's ambition and aspects of his approach, I raise some doubts about the anti- or non-representational model of mind that he believes his revisionist metaphysics of nature supports. Arguably, representational assumptions are built into the concepts of perception, the senses, and the mind itself. Thus, even if the metaphysical gap between mind and world can be closed, the epistemic gap between an agent and its environment must still be bridged by the engine of representation that is the extended and embodied mind.


The alloying of the metal surface layer using a pulsed laser is a rather complex process. It is necessary to develop technological conditions for each pair of metals: base-alloying material. The paper presents the results of investigations into this problem for silver as a base metal and for nickel and tin as alloying materials. Studies on the laser alloying of the surface layer of Ag aim at improving its functional qualities from the viewpoint of use of Ag as a material for electrical contacts. This defines desirable properties of the modified surface layer: a uniform depth of about 100 micrometers and structural homogeneity at a set percentage variable of alloying material content. The results of previous studies allowed determination of a set of technological parameters necessary for producing a layer of an appropriate, uniform depth (duration and energy of a pulse and coefficient of coverage characterizing the degree of overlapping of successive areas of action). The two remaining requirements can be satisfied owing to the use of special methods--multiple treatment of the sole layer or multiple pulse action on particular areas of the surface under treatment.


A procedure for calculating current-quark masses and the slope parameter of the confining potential for quarks (antiquarks) is proposed in the phenomenological model of compound mesons with a QCD-motivated potential. Relations that make it possible to improve the accuracy of calculations of strong-interaction constants in the proposed model are derived. These constants are determined with experimental data on the mass spectra of 1{sup --} mesons. 9 refs.


Pohjasvaara T, Leskela M, Vataja R, Kalska H, Ylikoski R, Hietanen M, Leppävuori A, Kaste M, Erkinjuntti T (2002) Post-stroke depression, executive dysfunction and functional outcome. European Journal of Neurology, 9(3), 269-75. Robinson S, Fisher AG (1996) A study to examine the relationship of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) to other tests of cognition and function. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 59(6), 260-63. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (2011) SPSS I. IBM SPSS Statistics 17. SPSS Inc.Available at: http://www.spss.com/software/ Accessed 17.01.11 Rockwood K, Doble SE, Fisk JD, MacPherson KM, Lewis N (1996) Measuring functional change in adults with Alzheimer's disease. Final report to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Dalhousie University. Stephens S, Kenny RA, Rowan E, Allan L, Kalaria RN, Bradbury M, Ballard CG (2004) Neuropsychological characteristics of mild vascular cognitive impairment and dementia after stroke. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(11), 1053-57. Stephens S, Kenny RA, Rowan E, Kalaria R N, Bradbury M, Pearce R (2005) Association between mild vascular cognitive impairment and impaired activities of daily living in older stroke survivors without dementia. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 53(1), 103-07. Streiner DL, Norman GR (2008) Health measurement scales: a practical guide to their development and use. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stroke Unit Trialists' Collaboration (2007) Organised inpatient (stroke unit) care for stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 4. 10.1002/14651858. CD000197.pub2 [doi]. Toglia J (2005) A dynamic interactional approach to cognitive rehabilitation. In: N Katz, ed. Cognition and occupation through the life span. Models for intervention in occupational therapy. 2nd ed. Bethesda, MD: AOTA Press, 2-72. Van der Putten JJ, Hobart JC, Freeman JA, Thompson AJ (1999) Measuring change in disability after inpatient rehabilitation: comparison of the responsiveness of the Barthel Index and the Functional Independence Measure. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 66, 480-84. Weld E, Evans I (1990) Effects of part versus whole instructional strategies on skill acquisition and excess behavior. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 94(4), 377-86. Zinn S, Bosworth HB, Hoenig HM, Swartzwelder HS (2007) Executive function deficits in acute stroke. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 88(2), 173-80.


"WHEN a patient desires operative interference for the relief of the deformity, the surgeon should be able to communicate to the patient as accurate a knowledge as possible of the extent of recovery, partial or complete, which the operation offers." This dictum was communicated to Robert Kennedy by Sir Charles Ballance 1 in a discussion of results in spinofacial anastomosis. We are presenting this survey of 87 cases of unilateral facial paralysis in which spinofacial nerve anastomosis was performed at the Mayo Clinic from Jan. 1, 1926 to Jan. 1, 1949, inclusive. The causative factor for the facial paralysis in 41 cases was the surgical treatment of neurofibroma of the cerebellopontile angle (acoustic neurofibroma), the facial nerve having been injured or sacrificed by necessity in the removal of the tumor. Surgical treatment of mastoid infection accounted for 25 cases and head injury with basal fracture for 7 cases. Surgical interruption


A bilingual piece that shows how a teenaged actor involved himself in theatre, an act that ultimately led to his exile. Beside his comrades, he established his career and a small theatre company in the middle of the civil war in EI Salvador.


Platelets promote tumor metastasis by inducing promalignant phenotypes in cancer cells and directly contributing to cancer-related thrombotic complications. Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells, which confers high-grade malignancy. 12S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE) generated by platelet-type 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) is considered a key modulator of cancer metastasis through unknown mechanisms. In platelets, 12-HETE can be esterified into plasma membrane phospholipids (PLs), which drive thrombosis. Using cocultures of human platelets and human colon adenocarcinoma cells (line HT29) and LC-MS/MS, we investigated


This book is an important addition to the growing literature on Brazil's foreign policy in the twentieth century and also to that on the Good Neighbour policy of the United States. Based largely on archival research in Brazil, the United States, Germany and Great Britain, it covers the period between the Great Depression and United States entry into the Second World War. Its main concern is to analyse the rivalry of the great powers over trade with Brazil. The chief rivals were the United States and Germany, with Britain playing a lesser role. Professor Hilton begins by examining the view taken by Brazilian policy makers of die world crisis in 1930 and the options they saw open to their country. The overall impression was one of weakness in die face of potential threats. Outside Latin America her natural riches were coveted by great powers; within it Brazil was ' surrounded by latently hostile Spanish American neighbors ' (p. 14). No group among Brazil's leaders was more convinced of dieir country's weakness dian die military, who, therefore, strongly supported a policy of industrialization and expanded foreign trade. But, more immediately, die Brazilian military wanted arms, which Germany, unlike the United States at diis time, was willing to supply in exchange for raw materials. Hilton's study is particularly interesting for its account of the military's influence upon the economic policy of the Vargas Government. The period covered by Professor Hilton's book is, of course, the one in which die United States was pursuing the Good Neighbour policy towards Latin America, principally under Franklin Roosevelt. Clearly relations with Brazil, the biggest country in die region and traditionally more friendly towards the United States dian die Spanish American countries (above all, Argentina), were particularly important to die success of this policy. Therefore die reciprocal trade agreement widi Brazil (signed under die Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act of 1934) was of special significance. But the multilateral trading system which die United States was promoting ran counter to the bilateral agreements with Germany which Brazil's leaders were determined to maintain. Given its unwillingness to adopt sanctions against Brazil, the Roosevelt administration had to make do widi die latter's mere lip-service to die cause of multilateralism. In Professor Hilton's words, ' maintenance of a facade of hemispheric unity on commercial and political questions was a matter of overriding importance to die State Department, and it preferred to allow violations of the treaty radier than make a public confession of failure and disunity by retaliating' (p. 227). Whatever the validity of this judgment-and of Hilton's broader claim that his book in a sense ' is a study in the failure of Good Neighbor diplomacy in


There are several ways to kill the bacterium and treat the wound by use of silver material. The silver material also is a kind of sedative to keep people calm, especially for children. Because the bacterium resistance to the action of drug, the medical application of silver material should be paid attention to.


Dense plasma focus (DPF) device is a pulsed plasma device that had attracted much interest since its discovery, mainly for its high neutron yield. The DPF as a neutron source can be used for blanket and material problem of controlled thermonuclear reactor [1] and for reactor material testing [2]. The high neutron flux from focus device may also be used for neutron activation analysis of material to identify the constituting elements.


We have to learn to be accommodating, discriminant, listen to views, and integrate them into a particular environment if we really want to achieve anything useful. That's what private freelance healthcare consultant Dr Nicholas Crisp believes.


The operation Moser Holding AG (Moser) controls the major daily newspaper in the Tyrol ("Tiroler Tageszeitung") and the regional Tyrolean radio station "Antenne Tirol". Athesia Druck GmbH…


Ten Chlamydia trachomatis isolates were tested for their sensitivity to roxithromycin, in comparison with erythromycin and tetracycline. The minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of roxithromycin ranged from 0.03-0.12 and 0.25-1 microg/ml, respectively.


Background: Infertility with an incidence of about 15% has been considered one of the major burdens on the community and has even been a threat to the continuity of the family life. One of the most prevalent causes of women infertility is ovarian causes particularly PCOS. The objective of this study was to determine the outcome of IVF & ET in women with PCOS in comparison with tubal factor. Material and Methods: This historical cohort study was performed from 2000 to 2002, in Royan Institute. Our cases consisted of 33 patients with PCOS (without any other causes of infertility) who failed standard ovulation induction treatment with clomiphen citrate (≥6 cycles) and had undergone 33 cycles of IVF & ET. Control group consisted of 76 patients with only tubal factor infertility. Our study was performed during the first cycle of IVF in two groups, using long protocol with Buserelin (GnRHa and HMG). IVF and ET cycle characteristics were compared using student's t-test, χ 2 and Fisher's exact test. Results: The results of this research showed that a statistically significant difference existed in mean age and incidence of OHSS between the two groups. But there were no statistically significant differences in duration of follicular phase, the duration of GnRHa use up to onset of HMG, cyst number after using GnRHa, the percentage of cyst aspiration, HMG ampule consumption, retrieved oocyte, number of embryo per patient, embryo transfer per patient, cycle cancellation and pregnancy rate per embryo transfer in two groups. Conclusion: The result of this study showed that IVF/ET can be a successful treatment in PCOS patients resistant to other usual treatments and that hormonal disturbance of PCOs patients had no significant effect on IVF/ET outcome in comparison to patients with tubal factor.


b. Abstract: We propose to develop and implement new codes and decoders targeted to magnetic recording channels. For each channel (or, more specifically, combination of channel and channel detector) we will perform simulations to identify the predominant error patterns of the channel. Then we will design cyclic codes targeted to combat these predominant error patterns. The decoders will combine an advanced extension of the belief-propagation decoder with decoders specifically designed to recognize and correct the dominant error patterns of the channel. [02] Subject of research and relevance to issue(s) to be solved. a. Complete description of the research matter and its connection with ASTC stated goals. Historically, codes used in magnetic recording systems have not been designed specifically for the magnetic recording environment; rather, designers have used generic codes like the low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and their associated belief-propagation (BP) decoders. These codes and decoders were designed for more common memoryless channels like the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, or not designed with any specific channel in mind. As the demands for higher performance error-correcting codes continues to increase due to higher and higher density recording channels, it is evident that more advanced codes and decoders will be needed to meet these needs. Thus decoders that improve on the BP decoder, and codes/decoders that are targeted to the error patterns dominant in specific channels, should be of interest to ASTC. We now discuss the background for our ideas for such improved codes and detectors. It is well known that LDPC codes are not without their problems; in many cases the minimum distance (! d min) of these codes is not known, and even when it is known, the performance of these codes with BP decoding is not as good as might be expected


The Advanced Helmet Mounted Display (AHMD), augmented reality visual system first presented at last year's Cockpit and Future Displays for Defense and Security conference, has now been evaluated in a number of military simulator applications and by L-3 Link Simulation and Training. This paper presents the preliminary results of these evaluations and describes current and future simulator and training applications for HMD technology. The AHMD blends computer-generated data (symbology, synthetic imagery, enhanced imagery) with the actual and simulated visible environment. The AHMD is designed specifically for highly mobile deployable, minimum resource demanding reconfigurable virtual training systems to satisfy the military's in-theater warrior readiness objective. A description of the innovative AHMD system and future enhancements will be discussed.


ed them to create readable maps. The third section focuses on resettlement programs that Azara oversaw to populate the frontier, while the fourth provides a close reading of the maps and natural history that he published of the region.


The invention discloses a polyimide film as well as a preparation method, a flexible substrate and application thereof. The polyimide is prepared by taking an aromatic dianhydride compound such as 3, 3 minute, 4, 4 minute-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (sBPDA), cycloaliphatic dianhydride compound 1, 2, 3, 4-cyclobutane tetracid dianhydride (CBDA) or 1, 3-dimethyl-1, 2, 3, 4-cyclobutane tetracid dianhydride (MCBDA) and an aromatic diamine compound as raw materials by virtue of a thermal imidization method. By adjusting the ratio of sBPDA and CBDA or MCBDA, the heat-resisting stability and optical transparence of the polyimide film substrate can be controlled. The film can be used as a flexible substrate to be applied to a flexible display device such as a flexible AMOLED (Active Matrix/Organic Light Emitting Diode), a flexible TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display) and the like.


This paper will describe the architecture and results obtained with two new e2v products designed for Space grade applications which open up new design possibilities for direct conversion of signals to and from L band.


Detecting the OS core is an important component of the trusted computing platform following the TCG specification. This paper has proposed a method detecting the integrity of the OS core on the trusted computing platform by accessing the disk sector data directly. In the implementation of the system, the Optimized technology of detecting the sectors and recovering the critical data by level has been used, while the configure file for scanning and the SFS for managing integrity value has been set for users to manage the process effectively. The testing results show that the system can quickly judge whether the OS core has been tampered with, withstand destructive attacks from virus and wooden horse, and recover from disastrous.


Currently, liver transplant (LT) is only the effective treatment for an acute decompensated liver. Yet, a result of LT in the background of acute decompensated liver largely depends upon the cause of decompensation. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) should not be confused with acute liver failure (ALF), where a patient with ACLF presents with a distinct clinical feature than ALF and often requires LT as the only definitive treatment option. However, ACLF patients are generally not listed for the emergency LT due to advanced age, ongoing sepsis, multiple organ failures and active alcoholism. Then again, about 40% of the patients with ALF recover spontaneously with medical care and hence do not need LT. In between these all perplexities and contentions, it's critical to comprehend the clinical course of liver failure. In addition, physicians should also understand when it is necessary to enlist a patient for LT and which patient are likely to get benefit from LT. Thus, utilizing a "golden window" time for LT before the development of multi-organ failure. In this chapter, we focus on the current situation of LT for ALF and ACLF and further discuss the current decision making strategies used to indicate LT in this difficult clinical scenario.


Accounting for almost half of the total exports of Korea to southeastern Asian countries in 2018, Vietnam has become the 4th biggest trade partner of Korea. It is of no debate that seaports would play a central role in the national economy especially for export-driven countries such as Vietnam and the investment in the seaport construction may be less productive when there exists an imbalance between the number of goods received and the handling capacity of the port. It is hence critical to take a holistic approach to investigating economic effects of seaport construction in relation to the level of industrial development in the surrounding area. Along this line, this study is aimed at analyzing the economic ripple effects of investing in the seaport construction on other industries in the region. The popular input-output analysis is employed to investigate the economic ripple effects for production, value-added creation, and employment, of which data has been collated from the database provided by the Vietnamese General Statistics Office and Asian Development Bank. The results indicate that an additional investment of 1 million USD in port construction may render 1.85 million USD of production, 0.55 million USD of value-added creation, and 155.5 employments in the related 16 industries. The Vietnamese Government has spent 159.83 million USD to maintain and develop the port system in 2017, from which the Vietnamese national economy has benefited 296.1 million USD of production, 87.6 million USD of value-added creation, and 24.9 thousands of employments. The results of this study may provide a meaningful insight into the Vietnamese seaport construction and operation policy to domestic companies considering investments in Vietnam.


Objective
To explore the effects of operating room nursing pathway in patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) .

Methods
Totally 96 patients receiving LC in the Operating Room of Nanfang Hospital from October 2016 to April 2017 were selected and equally randomized into observation group (n=48) and control group (n=48) according to the order of admittance. Patients in the control group received conventional nursing, while patients in the observation group received operating room nursing according to operating room nursing pathway on this basis. Operation, postoperative recovery (time of operation, intraoperative bleeding, time of gastrointestinal function recovery and length of hospital stay) , incidence of complications, incidence of operating room safety hazard and patients' satisfaction with nursing were compared between the two groups.

Results
Compared with the control group, shorter time of operation, less intraoperative bleeding, earlier recovery of gastrointestinal function and shorter length of hospital stay were found in the observation group (P<0.05) . Incidence of postoperative complications in the observation group was lower at 4.17% compared to 16.67% in the control group (P<0.05) . No operating room safety hazard was found in the observation group, while the incidence in the control group was 12.50%, showing a significant difference (P<0.05) . Patients' satisfaction with nursing in the observation group was higher at 93.75% compared to 75.00% in the control group (P<0.05) .

Conclusions
Operating room nursing pathway enables LC to run smoothly, reduces the incidence of postoperative complications, enhance surgical patient safety management, curtail operating room safety hazard, and improve patients' satisfaction with nursing service.

Key words:
Operating room nursing; Laparoscopic cholecystectomy; Patient safety management; Nursing pathway


Objective To investigate the effect of dibutyl phthalate(DBP) on reproductive-related element in blood of rats.Methods Six-week-old healthy male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups,4 experimental groups and 1 control group.DBP was administered by gavage once a day.After 30 day exposure,the rats were killed,and blood was obtained,Testis and epididymis were weighed for calculating the ratio of organ and body weight.The levels of Zn,Mn,Mg and Cu in blood were detected by flame atomic absorption spectrometry.Results The ratio of testis and body weight were obviously lower in groups above 0.50 g/kg DBP than that in control group(P0.05).The ratio of epididymis and body weight in groups of 0.50 and 1.00 g/kg DBP were also lower than that in control group.In groups of 1.00 and 2.00 g/kg DBP there were differences of the level of Zn and Mn in blood from control group,which were(45.52±6.60),(48.21±8.08),(1.71±0.97),(0.68±0.73)in DBP groups and(64.39±11.68),(4.40±0.82)in control group,respectively.But there were no differences of the level of Cu and Mg.Conclusion The reproductive toxicity of DBP may be mediated by affecting the level of Zn and Mn in blood.


■ EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER Thrombolytic therapy should be limited to patients with acute ischemic stroke who meet strict inclusion and exclusion criteria (Table) and who can adhere to strict treatment protocol. Patients treated under these conditions have improved combined mortality and disability outcomes at 1 year when treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) (number needed to treat [NNT]=18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11–56) (strength of recommendation [SOR]: B, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with significant heterogeneity). Treating patients with rtPA outside the strict protocols definitely increases morbidity and mortality (SOR: A). A recent meta-analysis on this topic and the Cochrane review of eligible studies found the statistical heterogeneity and lack of precision in the analyses bothersome. These authors believed additional data were needed to more precisely define the circumstances in which thrombolysis could be recommended, if ever, for acute ischemic stroke.


The Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) is a national level trade union dedicated to the informal women workers of India. The organisation has contributed immensely to various facets of the Women's movement such as to the labour movement, cooperative movement, women's movement in general and more specifically to that of self-employed women and health movement in India and abroad. The paper aims to throw light on the socio-economic activities undertaken by SEWA at the grass-root level to make women self-employed, self- reliant, self-diligent and self-dependent in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. It delineates SEWA's initiatives in generating alternative sources of employment for women which are being made available to the region where there are hostile climatic conditions, acute scarcity of water, increased migration, limited access to capital and also limited employment opportunities. The organization's initiative in the rural organizing process with its need-based integrated approach towards empowerment has transformed the lives of rural women of Gujarat particularly in the district of Banaskantha. The SEWA entities are democratic, self-managed and sustainable in terms of their functioning and work on the principle of full employment and self-reliance to produce individual and collective empowerment. It is both a union and a movement -A national, and now increasingly, a global movement of informal women workers, organizing for their rights, for recognition and inclusion in national plans, programmes and legislation.


A theme park is not just a recreational space for leisure activities, but also a place of storytelling as collected around abstract boundaries called themes. These stories are 'a space that tells the meaning' that the visitor is looking for and the Robot Land space offers robots, humans, and nature. This study is a description of the design strategy and content of the work which was elected as a subject of the subsequent rank negotiation of the Masan Robot Land design contest for the selection of a private contractor. The focus of the plan is, first, the organizational power of each space and the delivery power of a theme for the history of revisits, which might be considered depending on whether or not the theme park has been successful in the visitor's mind. Second, it is to actively use the potential of Masan, which is not only the key hub of the mechanical industry but also has beautiful coastal resources. First, they created a space that can flexibly react depending on the user's desire and the change of form, minimizing environmental damage by using a linear metabolism that can provide an amalgam of the elemental characteristics of robots, humans, and nature as motifs. They introduced a planting plan for the admissions square, an existing forest, slope, vacation spot, the inside of a complex, and Eco Island, etc. by utilizing symbolic meaning and adjusting to the spatial characteristics of each space. In addition, they sought a detailed space by setting up zones tailored to the use and character of the subject area, having exhibitions and education about robots, vacation facilities for lodgers, various recreational and commercial facilities, and space for utopian gardens as themes. They planned Masan Robot Land to be a true cultural space that creates mental richness on the basis of not only the economical effects but also local emotion.


The present invention formula is Si Method for producing an active material, - and the powder mixture under non-oxidizing conditions a composition Si


The likelihood ratio test for the equality of k univariate normal populations is extended to include the case in which the means are expressed as simple linear regression functions involving two parameters, The moments of the likelihood ratio statistic are derived, and an approximation to the null distribution is obtained.


Has economic integration lowered the level of environmental standards in developing countries? Many observers think so. But in this study Jale Tosun argues that this need not necessarily be the case. As the case studies on Chile and Mexico reveal, trade interlinkage with developed countries can yield a positive impact on the level of environmental policy setting. At the implementation stage, however, developing countries try to evade enhanced regulatory burdens through reduced enforcement activities. Tosun explains this behaviour by developing a two-level interaction model, which integrates the concepts of regulatory competition, international cooperation, and conditionality. She shows that more stringent environmental protection standards in developing countries mainly result from conditionality pressure, whereas regulatory competition can still become effective during implementation. As a result, the progress of environmental policy in low-regulating countries must be regarded with some caution. The book combines a comprehensive theoretical model with original empirical data, turning it into a valuable resource for students of public policy analysis and practitioners alike.


The primary objective of this study is to meet the energy demands of the power consumer through the implementation of Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) with multiple solar panels and wind turbines. As the photovoltaic (PV) power generation is enveloped with multiple advantageous measures like low maintenance, environmental-friendliness and fuel-efficient, it is significantly preferred in this study. However, the low power conversion quality of PV weakens the overall system and so the DC-DC improved SEPIC converter with magnetic coupling is employed to achieve maximum DC output voltage. In addition, the Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is implemented in this work totrack the maximum power from PV and to maximize the energy efficiency in an optimal manner. The MATLAB Simulink is used to validate the present study with optimal outcomes and the obtained results prove that the present approach delivers lesser THD of 1.00%, which in turn efficiently enhances the overall performance of the system. Thus, the research findings of this system are well suited to be applied as the solution for rectifying the issues in the DC link voltage control and grid compensation or synchronization.


The synthesis of biodegradable material-polycaprolactone was studied. The influences of reactive time, reactive temperature and the initiator(ethylene glycol) to the reaction of ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone were discussed. The best reactive conditions(140 ℃, 7 h) were obtained. The molecular weight of polycaprolactone is controlled by the concentration of ethylene glycol as the formula is M= 150.46(V ρ/m) -0.5315. Moreover, the molecular structure of polycaprolactone was characterized by infrared spectroscopy, H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.


Using the SOA would be as an economic dynamo to transform the legacy business processes to the matured and unbundled E-Services. While there are some differences in between the definitions of E-things in Developing Countries and Developed Countries, the concept of SOA is inferred as the same. The SOA is being used in the e-governments, e-governances, e-commerce, and e-businesses projects and plans as an architectural style. In this context, streamlining the global village grid through unifying e-governments, e-businesses, and e-commerce services could be realized through the SOA. We believe in that, in the global village grid, the SOA is more than an instance of the architectures and the architectural styles. SOA is a strategy, in spite of the fact that it is not adopted with the term "service oriented architecture".


Current CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) platforms store the toolpath information as a set of positions and orientations of the milling tool in a Cartesian Coordinated System defined in the working space, being the most standardized both G code (DIN 66025) and APT code (DIN 66215). These platforms come prepared for the control and postprocessing of up to a maximum of 5-axis trajectories (i.e., three positioning coordinates and two orientation angles of the milling tool), which supposes no indecisions in conventional CNC machines. In the case of manipulating the milling tool by means of redundant workcells, a profuse kinematic analysis of the robotic system is required before any work is carried out. In this article, the inverse kinematics of a complex KUKA robotic system for milling works is described, consisting of one robotic manipulator (KUKA KR15/2 with 6 rotary joints) mounted on a linear axis and synchronized with a rotary table. Thus, the possible effective control to carry out trough the commercial controller KUKA KRC2 is also faced up, in order to analyze the postprocessing possibilities from NX™'s CAM platform. As main contribution, after studying the capabilities of the set, a functional postprocessor is programmed inside the CAM, improving the communication between software and manipulator. It is easily applicable on any industrial robot by the same guidelines.


The toxicity of complexes formed by copper with glycine, aspartic and glutamic acids, arginine, and ornithine was studied on a medium whose organic components do not form complexes with copper. All copper was found to enter into a complex with amino acids at pH 7.0. At more acid pH values, Cu/sup 2 +/ ions are present in the medium along with copper complexes. The copper concentration which reduces the mean growth rate of Candida utilis by 50%, varies within a range of 0.02-0.05 mM for all amino acids tested (the copper: amino acid ratio being 1:2). Increasing the amino acid concentration in the medium reduces the toxicity of copper complexes. Changing the pH toward alkaline values also reduces the toxicity of copper-amino acid complexes. The factors are discussed which produce an identical effect when parameters such as pH and amino acid concentration are changed.


Sugars are a major storage carbohydrate and a primary component of carrot root quality. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of sugar transport into the storage cells of carrot [Daucus carota (L.)]. Tissue disks were incubated in a buffered solution (pH 6.5) containing various concentrations of sucrose, glucose, or fructose, 1 mm CaCl2, and 100 mm mannitol. Passive uptake was defined as uptake in the presence of 5 μm carbonyl cyanide, - m chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP). Active uptake was the difference between total (–CCCP) and passive uptake. Characteristic, biphasic kinetics were observed for all sugars. At sugar concentrations below 10 mm, a saturating active component was operating. Above 10 mm, the influx was a nonsaturating, linear transport system. Active transport was pH dependent, showing high rates of uptake at low pH. Glucose and fructose did not inhibit sucrose influx and vice versa, but they did compete with each other. The kinetics of the hexose competition was noncompetitive inhibition. The competition studies suggested the presence of a separate carrier for each sugar. The evidence indicated that sugar transport across membranes of carrot storage cells is a combination of active and passive transport, consistent with transport kinetics observed in other crops. Active sugar uptake is a significant part of uptake, doubling influx at low apoplastic concentrations. At maturity, sucrose is the major transport and storage sugar. Glucose and fructose however, are transported at considerable rates in vitro, when they are present in the free space.


Communication is an indispensable element for social life as well as playing an important role in meeting organizational goals. Organizational communication is essential for organizations. Organizational communication benefits the development of organizations that fulfill their specific goals and functions. The relationships and communications that employees establish with their colleagues in the business environment are important for the success of the organization. Organizational communication and organizational citizenship behavior are elements that have a very important place in increasing and developing the efficiency of an organization. The insufficiency of these elements leads to a decrease in the human resource potential, which is one of the basic building blocks of the organization. In the light of this information, it is necessary to invest in the logistics capabilities of the organization in order to ensure integrity and order within the organization, to achieve competitive advantage by acting on customer needs at the right time, at the right place and with the right price policy. Thanks to these investments, the performance of the organization can increase. Based on this information, the main purpose of the study is to examine the impact of organizational communication perceptions and organizational citizenship behaviors of employees working in logistics companies on logistics ability. In order to achieve this aim, research data were obtained by survey technique. The surveys were applied to 301 employees working in logistics companies operating in Istanbul. The analysis of the questionnaire data was made in SPSS and Mplus statistical program. As a result of the analysis, it was found that organizational communication and organizational citizenship behavior perceptions have a positive effect on logistics ability sub-dimensions.


This study investigated the possibility of kin recognition by phenotype matching and inbreeding in a solitary rodent, the rat like hamster Cricetulus triton. After rat like hamsters were individually caged for 8 months from weaning, they did not display significant preferences between siblings and non siblings and there were no significant differences between amicable behavior, agonistic behavior and mating in a Y maze. Our results showed that nepotistic behavior and inbreeding avoidance after long term isolation in rat like hamsters Cricetulus triton were lost and that they might not recognize kin by phenotype matching mechanism.


Abstract : As the positive political changes in continental Europe cause the central front to wither away, it becomes more apparent that the northern region faces new strategic challenges. Although there seem to be a common apprehension in the Western World that the previous threat from eastern Europe is gone, the tuture of the previous Soviet strategic forces is unclear as is the long term role of Russia on the world's scene. Unless this insecurity is properly addressed by the US and the NATO alliance the security environment is llkely to change dramatically for Norway. The study adresses the changing Norwegian security environment and the importance of the Trans - Atlantic link to the United States and the importance of the NATO Alliance. Of particular importance is the process of enlarging the NATO Alliance. An extension of NATO should be based on the continued evaluation of the overall development in Europe and take place only in the case of serious setbacks in the relationship between Russia and the western world. In the case that NATO in the fliture should cease to be the forum for collective European security with flill American participation, Norway may well find it her best interests to seek a bilateral agreement on friendship, support, and mutual security with the United States. The realism in this approach will be heavily dependent upon the US role in the world in a long term perspective.


4506 Background: The role of radiation therapy (RT) as part of treatment for pancreatic cancer is uncertain in the post-gemcitabine era. The primary endpoint of this trial was to evaluate the impact upon overall survival for the combination of RT plus gemcitabine (G) versus G alone in locally unresectable pancreatic cancer. Methods: Patients (pts) with histologically proven, locally unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, PS 10% vs....


Multidimensional separation methodology provides a mechanism for a very substantial increase in the resolving power of chromatographic and related systems. After defining the conditions required for multidimensional separation and reviewing the origin of its high resolving power, a comparison is drawn between the two principal kinds of multidimensional systems, represented by continuous two-dimensional operation and coupled column assemblies. It is shown that their roles are complementary. The two-dimensional system gives a broad powerful overview of a sample while the coupled column system can be used flexibly to magnify and resolve selected regions of the sample space.


We employ a simple model to show how the natural electromagnetic field on the surface of the earth, which has a strong horizontal magnetic field component, can be converted to a significant vertical magnetic field at the surface. Such a conversion mechanism will be caused by lateral variations of the subsurface conductivity structure. Our idealized model is a thin conducting sheet with a periodic variation of the conductivity-thickness product in one horizontal direction only.


Through several concrete examples coming from the accounts of old hospitals and from the founding deeds of the first institutions especially denoted to children, we shall try to define the elements of a spiritual and mental evolution in the reflector on destitute sick children, and its being materialized by the foundation of the very first "hospitals" specialized in welcoming them.


Well-written Java programs that conform to the Language and the J2SE-API Specifications can surprisingly deadlock their hosting JVM. Some of these deadlocks result from the specific manner in which the library implementations (incorrectly) lock their shared objects. Properly fixing them can require corrections in the J2SE-source. We use static-analysis to fetch a list of such potential deadlock scenarios stemming from the library, and use it to drive focused investigation into its source. This can help improve the reliability of the Library-design and implementation. A related reliability-metric can also be designed for objective comparison of update-releases to avoid regression (in maintenance-releases) of large Java libraries. The focus of this investigation is to identify, and thereby, help remove deadlock-possibilities in the Java-Library. An initial prototype implementation of our approach has already helped detect a deadlock in the JDK1.5 Annotation API.


We obtain an analytical solution for the binding of 2‐site ligands to a heterogeneous lattice. The model also describes the kinetics of chemical reactions between adjacent pendant groups of a copolymer. Our analysis is based on the principle of independence, as formulated by Gonzalez and Hemmer. Several special cases are solved in closed form; a power series solution is developed for the general problem. The results may be modified to take into account fixed total ligand. We also analyze competition between 1‐site and 2‐site ligands. As an illustration of the results, we examine in detail the kinetics and final extent of binding for two special cases.


Accurate quantification and analysis of geocenter motion are of great significance to the construction and maintenance of the international terrestrial reference frame and its geodetic and geophysical applications. Here, the time series of 13-year geocenter motion coordinates (from 2006 to 2019) is determined by using the network shift approach from Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations to Lageos1 / 2. Then, the geocenter motion time series is analyzed by using singular spectrum analysis. The principal components of geocenter motion are determined with the w-correlation criterion and two principal components with large w-correlation are regarded as the periodic signals. The results show that the annual periodic terms are clearly detectable in all out of three coordinate components, whereas the semi-annual term is only detected in the X-component. Moreover, weak periodic oscillations of 3 to 4 months exist in the X- and Y-components. Besides weak periodic signals with periods of about 8 months and 1 month for the X- and Y-components, respectively, a significant periodic signal of about 2.8 years exists in the  Z-component. Compared to the geocenter motion signals derived by the Center for Space Research (CSR) and Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences (WUELS), both amplitude and phase agree well, with a better consistency with those from CSR, especially for the X- and Y-components.


This study aims to determine effectiveness of Multiple Intelligences (MI) strategy to the skills of imitating mathematical reasoning fourth grade students of elementari school. The research design used is quasi experimental design with form none equivalent control group design. Data analysis technique in this reasearch include independet sample t test to determine whether there is difference effect in imitating mathematical reasoning skills between the control calss and experiment class. Then, one sample t-test to determine the effectiveness of MI strategy to students' imitating mathematical reasoning skills. Based on the result of the hypothesis test using independent sample t test, the values of treuslt is 3,351 (ttable2,032) by significance values 0,002. Next, the result of one sample t test showed the value of tresultis 7,880 (ttable 2,110) by value of significance is 0,000. Refer from the result obtained, It can be concluded 1) there are differences of students; imitating mathematical reasoning skill among the students who use the MI strategy with students who use the conventional strategy; 2) the MI strategy is effective to increase of students' imitating mathematical reasoning skill.


In this paper, we suggest a scheme to develop an efficient discrete nonlinear model based on polynomial structure for a RF power amplifier(PA). We describe a procedure to extract a discrete nonlinear model such as Taylor series or memory polynomial by sampling the input and output signal of RF PA. The performance of the model is analyzed varying the model parameters such as sample rate, nonlinear order, and memory depth. The results show that the relative error of the model is converged if the parameters are larger than specific values. We suggest an efficient modeling scheme considering complexity of the discrete model depending on the values of the model parameters. Modeling efficiency index(MEI) is defined, and it is used to extract optimum values for the model parameters. The suggested scheme is applied to discrete modeling of various RF PAs with various input signals such as WCDMA, WiBro, etc. The suggested scheme can be applied to the efficient design of digital predistorter for the wideband transmitter.


The main concern of human population genetics is to identify and describe genetic differences between groups of people. These differences give insight into the evolutionary processes and unique histories that have shaped these populations. A better understanding of human genetic diversity will lead to a better understanding of the biological systems that underly human phenotypic diversity. Here I explore three processes which have led to population differentiation in modern humans. First, I examine how differential disease risk across continents may have (or may not have) led to differences in allele frequencies immune-related genes. Second, I describe a method for discovering genomic regions in admixed populations that appear more similar to one parent population than the other. This method highlights regions which may have very recently been under selection in these populations. And finally, using the same method I attempt to discern regions of the genome in modern humans that may have been shaped by archaic admixture.


Relegated by Indian culture and traditions to a position of inferiority, women remain shackled by lack of access to education and health care, increasing unemployment and the deficiencies of their legal status. Burdened at home and exploited at work, women are India's vast "invisible" labour force — yet they have been virtually by-passed by Indian development programmes. This book explains why and suggests practical changes to ensure the effectiveness of future programmes.


Misconceptions are knowledge possessed by individuals/students that are irrelevant or not in accordance with existing concepts. This can affect the learning process about scientific concepts. The purpose of this study was to determine the misconceptions students had in the Animalia classification concept. The method used in this research is quantitative descriptive method. This research was conducted on one of the MA in Sukabumi district. The research subjects were 50 students of class X A and X B. The instrument used was a four-tier test (four-level diagnostic test) which was combined with a thinking tree and consisted of 15 questions. The results showed that students who understood the concept (PK) in the Animalia classification material had a percentage value of 23%. Students who do not understand the concept (TPK) have a percentage value of 7%. Students who understand some of the concepts (PS) have a percentage value of 21%. Meanwhile, students who experienced misconceptions (M) in the Animalia classification material had the highest percentage value when compared to other categories, namely 49%. Based on these data, it can be seen that the misconceptions that students have on the Animalia classification concept fall into the medium category.


In the past 20 years,international capital has been flowing into developing countries on a large scale and has made some great economic miracle in these areas.But in the meantime,the over flowing capital caused economic crisis in some of the areas.The author discusses the international capital's promotion to the developing country economic growth,analyses the relation between international capital flow and economic crisis and finally expounds the policies and measures we should take to protect financial risk while opening our door to the outside world.


Optimizing traffic signal timing is an effective and economical way to improve mobility in an urban area and reduce traffic congestion. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to enable traffic to traverse through the maximum number of downstream intersections without a stop. In this study, Bluetooth technology, to measure travel times on arterial roads, is used as input for an optimal bandwidth progression algorithm. The trajectories of vehicle platoons are tracked and decomposed into link-based samples using adaptive smoothing method, and paired with signal timing on each signalized intersection. Predicted travel time, a value representing the travel time between signalized intersections, is obtained by Support Vector Regression (SVR) model. According to bandwidth efficiency and attainability, the signal timing generated by the proposed model yields lower delays than the current signal planning. The applicability of the proposed model has been validated. Keywords-Bluetooth technology; bandwidth optimization; adaptive smoothing; support vector machine


Small-volume oral transmucosal dosage forms or NanoTabs comprising a predetermined amount of a pharmaceutically active drug are provided. Exemplary applications include use of the NanoTabs to administer a drug for the treatment of acute, post-operative or breakthrough pain.


In this work, we study existence of taxicab incircle and cir- cumcircle of a triangle in the taxicab plane and give the functional relationship between them in terms of slope of sides of the triangle. Finally, we show that the point of intersection of taxicab inside angle bisectors of a triangle is the center of taxicab incircle of the triangle.


Abstract : The last three years have been exceptionally productive. Our research focused on two complementary themes: optimal learning, which addresses the efficient collection of information, and approximate dynamic programming, which is a modeling and algorithmic strategy for solving complex, sequential decision problems. These problems arise in the control of complex machinery, R&D portfolio optimization, materials science (sequential design of experiments), communications, and a wide range of resource allocation problems that arise in operations and logistics including mid-air refueling, spare parts management, emergency response, and robust allocation of fuel, medical supplies and food. In the process of making advances in approximate dynamic programming, we found ourselves making contributions to an area that is proving to be critical to both lines of investigation: machine learning. In fact, we have come to realize that machine learning is starting to play a critical role in the advancement of our ability to solve complex stochastic programming problems, and it began to play an important role both in optimal learning and approximate dynamic programming.


Elderly people often suffer from taste disorder, with subsequent appetite loss. A reduction in umami-taste sensitivity is strongly related to appetite loss. Under these circumstances, how is umami taste considered and applied to foods for the elderly in Japan? In this study, we measured the concentration of L-glutamate (a typical umami amino acid) in 658 different miso soups served in 220 institutions for the elderly in Japan. Miso soup is a popular Japanese savory soup made with soup stock (dashi) and fermented soybean paste (miso), both of which are abundant in umami substances. The concentration of L-glutamate in the miso soups was the highest among the measured amino acids (Av ± SD: 156.3 ± 101.3 mg/100 g) with a very large range (15.7–697 mg/100 g, CV: 64.8%). We also measured the sodium concentration in the same miso soups (Av ± SD: 328.5 ± 70.1 mg/100 g) and found that it is controlled in a narrow range (CV: 21%). We should further investigate whether these concentrations are preferred by the elderly, for the improvement of their appetite and nutritional status


Various interferences in substations will be,inevitably,led into the seeondary equipment via induction,conduction,radiation and other means,which may directly influence the security and reliability of system.Based on the detailed analysis on interference type and method of integrated automation substation,this thesis has put forward the corresponding anti-interference proposal aiming at the praetical situation in field.