This paper studies the structural mutation phenomenon of economic growth in China.Empirical results show that the unconditional fluctuation has break at 1994Q3,conditional mean and conditional volatility have breaks at 1993Q1,employing the 1979Q1-2008Q3 GDP growth rate data of China.The structural mutation in sectoral composition of Chinese economy,the structural mutations in main variables which drive economy growing,and the profound changes in economy and society of China are main reasons for structural mutations.And that,the profound changes in system that arose by the southern speech of Deng Xiao-ping and the spirits of fourteenth congress of Chinese Communist Party are prime causes which result in the structural change phenomenon.The conclusions imply that deepening the reform of administrative system further,pushing forward the system innovation,are important motivations of promoting the changes of economic growth style and strengthening the sustainability of economic growth in China.


The natural pollination in yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Degener) as a reproductive and ecosystem service. The goal of this research was to study the mechanism of pollination in the yellow passion fruit and to identify natural pollinators of importance. The study was carried out in 2010-2011 in the Palestina (Caldas) to 1050 masl, by performing five treatments of pollination: natural (P.N), hand pollination (P.M.D), spontaneous and assisted self-pollination (A.P, A.P.E.) and geitonogamy/autogamy (G) in 48 accessions of yellow passion fruit. The results showed significative differences between treatments, the highest percentage of set fruit (88%) was observed during P.N carried by bumblebees from genus Xylocopa spp, followed by P.M.D. (60%). In contrast self-pollination treatments (A.P.E, A.P, G) achieved only a 3% set fruit. Likewise, the P.N showed the highest fruit weight average (203 g), and the highest flesh to seed ratio (47%), followed closely by P.M.D (187.5 g and 44.7%, respectively). The activity and effectiveness of pollinators showed a correlation with the maximum daytime temperature (r=0.69), solar irradiance (r=0.56) and relative humidity (r=0.64). However, the highest percentage of fruiting was achieved when the first two environmental variables decreased simultaneously below 26°C and three hours per day less.


Abstract During the 12 years 1949 through 1960, funnel clouds were observed over or near the Hawaiian Islands on 31 days. About half of these occurrences were waterspouts, but most of the other funnels remained aloft. Although none of the funnel clouds which reached or occurred over land during this period, or previously, appears to have attained the intensity or destructiveness of the major tornadoes of the continental United States, a number of them did minor damage. The climatology and synoptic concomitants of funnel clouds in Hawaii are compared with those of similar events elsewhere, and the associated air mass properties illustrated by several proximity soundings. Among the questions considered is whether the Hawaiian Islands serve merely as a vantage point from which to observe funnel clouds occurring over the nearby open seas, or whether through topography or otherwise they contribute to their formation. A close study of the pertinent circumstances suggests that while certain of the funnels may wi...


One of the greatest challenges in detecting concealed nuclear material by non-contact means is the measuring of uranium, especially highly enriched uranium, in particular if it is surrounded by additional shielding. Hence, gamma detection is not a promising option. However, neutrons provide a high probability to penetrate typical shielding materials well. Whereas plutonium emits enough neutrons from spontaneous fission to be measured by passive methods in most cases, highly enriched uranium, particularly in casings, does not emit sufficient neutrons to be detected passively. Therefore, we particularly examined the active interrogation with a neutron generator. A clear proof of the existence of special nuclear material is the emission of delayed neutrons after induced fission by neutrons. We performed measurements with a small, light-weight neutron generator, which can be carried by one person. The time structure of delayed neutrons was measured in order to detect and identify hidden or shielded nuclear material in geometrical configurations whereof only the outer shape is known but little or no information on the inner structure is available. A block of depleted uranium was irradiated repeatedly by a sealed neutron tube from a 14 MeV neutron generator for different time intervals. The delayed neutrons were measured by a neutron "slab" counter consisting of 6 He-3 tubes moderated by high density polyethylene. After the end of each interrogating neutron pulse we analyzed the delayed neutrons in different time intervals, ranging from 3 s to 300 s and thus recorded the "decay curves" of the delayed neutrons. We optimized neutron irradiation and measuring time to get information on the existence of fissionable material in a short time. These experiments show that fissionable material can be detected clearly and easily in a suspicious object without any information on the inner geometry and the surrounding moderating material within a very short time (several minutes).


––A continuous history of annual air temperatures in the Russian Altai for the past 2000 years has been reconstructed for the first time by integrating climate archives stored in the bottom sediments of four lakes in Gorny Altai (Teletskoye, Kucherla, Lower Multa, and Middle Multa). The integrated chronology comprises all known climate events of the two milennia time span: Roman warm epoch (~200 to 500 AD), Dark Age cold epoch (~500 to 750 AD), medieval warming (~750 to 1300 AD), and Little Ice Age (~1300 to 1850 AD). The events distinguished in the integrated climate reconstruction agree perfectly in number and time with the events reconstructed from other climate proxies for the Altai and adjacent areas of West Siberia, Tyva, and West Mongolia. Therefore, the temperature patterns represent a common course of the 2000-year climate evolution over a large part of Central Asia. Similar synchronicity is observed with the available quantitative climate reconstructions for the Northern Hemisphere and its different regions. It means that the climate change in Central Asia over the past two millennia has followed the general global scenario.


In the colorimetric or spectral characterization of imaging devices such as digital cameras and scanners, the optoelectronic conversion functions (OECFs) are tra- ditionally obtained from standard gray samples. However, these gray samples are sometimes unavailable when con- ducting color characterization. We propose an efficient method for recovering OECFs by using nongray samples, based on the finite-dimensional modeling of spectral re- flectance and the second-order polynomial fitting of OECFs. Experimental results indicate that the accuracy of the estimated OECFs are close to those obtained from gray samples, with the correlation coefficients R 2 larger than 0.995. The proposed method should be useful in col- orimetric and spectral characterization of imaging devices by using custom-made color samples in textile or other industries, when standard gray samples are not available and not easily made. � 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 135 - 141, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience


Background: Student nurses need to building up self-confidence in learning in order to cope with thecomplex clinical situations. Individuals with self-confidence be certain of themselves to have the capabilityto manage a situation or provide nursing care in accurate, relevant and efficient method. Equipping studentnurses to provide patients care in getting more complicated healthcare setting is a challenge face nursinginstructor, self-confidence is one of the important determinants of successful learning.Objectives: The aim of the present study is to identify the relationship between Self-confidence in learningand clinical educators' characteristics by nursing students.Method: Correlation research design was utilized in the present study. A convenience sample of 179nursing students was included in the study. The Nursing Clinical Teacher Effectiveness Inventory and Self-Confidence in Learning scale were used to collect the data.Results: The results of the study showed that the majority of study participants had high level of selfconfidence in learning. Also, the participants reported that their clinical educators had high level of teachingabilities, nursing competences, and personal traits. Moreover, significant positive relationship was existedbetween self-confidence in learning and clinical educators' characteristics.Conclusion: Self-confidence in learning is an essential goal in nursing education. Assessing clinicalcompetence and investigating factors influencing it might be helpful in increasing Self-confidence of nursingstudents.


Embedded systems that realize specific functions are usually hardware constrained systems running dedicated software. These embedded systems rarely take into account the possibility to change functions after their release. As a result, it would be difficult to change some function from outside an embedded system in its operational environment. In order to keep up with the need of quickly reacting to changes affecting requirements and environments, it is paramount to find a way to update the functions of these systems. We constructed a programming framework for updating functions based on the MAPE loop mechanism, which is generally used to develop self-adaptive systems. We regard MAPE loop as a set of independent components that make it easy to separate the updating functions from other functions. We apply our framework to a web application and an embedded system. The proposed framework is independent of the target embedded system and makes it possible to easily inject new functions into it.


59 IMR KINKEN Research Highlights 2012 IMR KINKEN Research Highlights 2012 A new framework of bidirectional collaborative research program has been started in 2010 for the study of nuclear fusion reactor materials. By utilizing the environment of the research center at each university, joint research is conducted interactively between the centers and the National Institute of Fusion Science (NIFS). Two topics that were conducted in this framework are described in this paper. The first topic is a study of a trapping mechanism of hydrogen Isotopes in neutron-irradiated plasmafacing materials [1]. One feature of fusion reactor environments is that helium and hydrogen are produced by nuclear transmutation, and the transport and retention of hydrogen isotopes and helium from the core plasma and tritium generated at the blanket occur under neutron irradiation. It is hence indispensable to clarify the effects of neutron irradiation on the behavior of hydrogen isotopes and helium in the candidate materials to assess the feasibility of their use in fusion reactors. For this, in 2010 a thermal desorption spectrometer (TDS) apparatus (Fig. 1) was installed in a radiation-controlled laboratory at the International Research Center for Nuclear Materials Science (IRCNMS). This apparatus allows us to obtain thermal desorption spectra, thereby enabling the identification and quantification of hydrogen isotopes and helium contained in radioactive materials following reactor or accelerator irradiation. In 2011, the TDS apparatus was equipped with an ion gun to inject hydrogen isotopes or helium into neutronirradiated specimens. By using this apparatus, the emission and retention behavior of D was measured in recrystallized tungsten (W) specimens that were first irradiated with 2.8 MeV Fe ions to 3 dpa (displacement per atom) and then exposed to D atoms with very low energy and low flux (fluence: 6.2×1022 Dm-2); the result is shown in Fig. 2. For comparison, the results for W specimens irradiated with neutrons or Fe ions and then exposed to TPE (tritium plasma experiment: high energy, high fluence 1025 D m-2) are included. In the case of TPE exposure, neutron irradiated specimens exhibit D desorption from relatively low temperatures to as high as above 1000 K, whereas Fe-ion-irradiated specimens exhibit the completion of D desorption at around 700 K. In the case of specimens with Fe-ion irradiation and D atom exposure, D desorption starts at around 500 K and continues even above 1000 K. The D desorption behavior suggests the existence of trapping sites for Advanced Evaluation of Radiation Effects on Fusion Materials International Research Center for Nuclear Materials Science


Quantum electrodynamic fluctuations cause an attractive force between metallic surfaces. At separations where the finite speed of light affects the interaction, it is called the Casimir force. Thermal motion determines the fundamental sensitivity limits of its measurement at room temperature, but several other systematic errors contribute uncertainty as well and become more significant in air relative to vacuum. Here we discuss the viability of several measurement techniques in air (force modulation, frequency modulation, and quasi-static deflection), characterize their sensitivity and accuracy by identifying several dominant sources of uncertainty, and compare the results to the fundamental sensitivity limits dictated by thermal motion and to the uncertainty inherent to calculations of the Casimir force. Finally, we explore prospects for mitigating the sources of uncertainty to enhance the range and accuracy of Casimir force measurements.


2014 The band structure at special points and the variation of the band gap as a function of temperature for CdIn2Se4 are calculated by using the empirical pseudopotential model. The theoretical values are in satisfactory agreement with the experiment. The estimation of the acoustic déformation potential is also effectuated. J. Physique 42 ( 1981 ) 1039-1044 JUILLET 1981,


Despite prominent previous research on disease in ancient Egypt through studies of human remains and Egyptian medical texts, we still know relatively little about how disease impacted daily life. This is especially true for short-term diseases, which leave no mark in the skeletal record and are often described only generally in medical texts. In this study, I use a scalar approach to analyze records recording absences from work at Deir el-Medina during the Nineteenth and Twentieth Dynasties, focusing on understanding how short-term diseases affected morbidity patterns at the site. At the broadest scale, I use a corpus of work texts to demonstrate a seasonal distribution of absences which can be accounted for by the seasonality of infectious disease in Upper Egypt. I then offer a circumstantial case for the contagion of one infectious disease in O. BM 5634 by identifying its transmission through the sequential absences of different workmen in the entire gang. Finally, I evaluate the impact of one disease on one workman through a close reading of the absences of Mr-%xm.t in O. Cairo CG 25785. This text elucidates how expectations for a workman's productivity were likely harmful to his well-being. I then combine these three levels of analysis to explore the social and economic ramifications these diseases would have had on both individual workmen and workforce productivity at Deir el-Medina. Many scholars have examined the paleopathology of human remains in ancient Egypt and the history of Egyptian medicine.1 Their publications offer numerous detailed accounts of the kinds of diseases present in ancient Egypt and their remedies, but they offer relatively little information about the impact of shortterm diseases on daily life. Lesions from such diseases would not become manifest skeletally, and medical texts are often missing diagnostic criteria to reveal the


Aiming at the problems of existing vector sketch generation methods, such as generated sketch scribble and single coding sketch information, this paper proposed a novel vector sketch generation method based on adversarial autoencoder (called Sketch-AAE). Sketch-AAE takes advantage of the adversarial mechanism to merge the spatial information of a raster sketch into the vector sketch generation, which makes the generated sketch having better category shape information. The proposed method utilizes not only the temporal information among the strokes in vector sketch, but also the spatial information of the object in raster sketch. The extensive sketch generation experiments were conducted on the QuickDraw dataset, and the Ske-score was used as the quantitative measurement. The experimental results show that the proposed method can alleviate the scribble effect of the generated sketches and achieves better visual impression and higher category discrimination.


Packet pulsed operation of a semiconductor streamer laser was achieved at pulse repetition frequencies up to ~ 10 MHz. The average power of the output radiation was ~ 10 mW (for CdS), which was between two and three orders of magnitude higher than the published values. A high-power compact laser with these parameters was constructed.


There has been a lot of methods that withdraw the road from remotely sensed image,such as image segmentation,road characteristic identifying basing on knowledge and morphology.But there are still many problems need to be resolved.This text carried out an algorithm.The first step involves road image two values,removing noise data,edge examination and edge conjunction using morphology.Through experiments using the ETM+data,this algorithm have a better anti-noise ability and higher accuracy,comparing with the traditional algorithm that edge detecting and edge conjunction.This algorithm has a certainly realistic meaning.


The availability of mobile information and communication technologies is increasing rapidly and provides huge opportunities for home monitoring applications in particular for outpatients and patients suffering from chronic diseases. Because of the high availability of mobile phones [1] these devices could be used as the home monitoring terminal (HMT) of choice to provide a basis for interaction between patients and caregivers. The most challenging part still is the patient terminal, i.e. to provide the user with a method to enter the measured data into the system. The objective of this paper is to present and compare solutions for mobile phone based HMT using textual input via numeric keypads as well as to present a unique approach to the human computer interface challenge which is based on digital camera enabled mobile phones and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).


Advances in modern day technology are rapidly increasing the ability of engineers to automate ever more complicated tasks. Often these automated aids are paired with human operators who can supervise their work to ensure that it is free of errors and to even take control of the system if it malfunctions (e.g., pilots supervising an autopilot feature). The goal of this collaboration, between humans and machines, is that it can enhance performance beyond what would be possible by either alone. Arguably the success of this partnership depends in part upon attributions an operator develops that help guide their interaction with the automation. One particular factor that has been shown to guide operator reliance on an automated 'teammate' is trust. The following study examined 140 participants performing a simulated search-and-rescue task. The goal of this experiment was to examine the relationship between automated agent's reliability, operator trust, operator reliance, and performance scores. Results indicated that greater automation reliability is positively correlated with greater user reliance (r = .66), perceived trust (r = .21), and performance scores (r = .34). These results indicate that more reliable aids are rated as significantly higher in terms of perceived trust and relied upon more than less reliable aids. Additionally, the size of the effect is much larger for operator behaviors (i.e., reliance) compared to more subjective measures (i.e., self-reported trust).


From dropping dwon enzyme,jaundice for protrecting liver,resisting fibrosis,anti-virtus,4 aspects,the paper summarized clinical frequently used Chinese crude drugs with hepatoprotective effect,it was thought that the superiority and feature should be utilized to promote the development of TCM in the field of liver disease.


The W-Moore-Penrose inverses of rectangular matrices are defined.Some necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence,some expressions and applications of the weighted W-Moore-Penrose inverses of rectangular matrices are given.And some new necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of the weighted group inverse introduced by 《The existence of inverses of weighted rectangular matrices》 are proved.


Effect of different levels of NADEP manure on insect-pest infestation as well as disease intensity in five different crops were studied at Certified Organic Farm of Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari. The result of an experiment indicated that nitrogen plays an important role on insect infestation as well as disease intensity in different crops. Higher infestation of sorghum stem borer, cabbage head borer, onion thrips and tomato fruit borer were found in when applied higher dose of NADEP manure (100% RDN). Whereas in case of disease intensity, higher disease intensity including sorghum anthracnose, alternaria leaf spot of cabbage, purple blotch of onion and early blight of tomato were also found in treatment receiving 100% RDN through NADEP manure. While in green gram, higher infestation of aphid as well as higher intensity of powdery mildew were found in treatment of 4 tonne NADEP manure per hectare.


Quantification of the extent of malaria parasite infection (parasitaemia) continues to rely on time-consuming manual microscopy of Giemsa-stained blood smears. We present an algorithm that counts red blood cells in thin blood smear images, the first step in the determination of malaria parasitaemia. Morphological methods and iterative thresholding are used for red blood cell segmentation, and boundary curvature calculations and Delaunay triangulation for red blood cell clump splitting. Our results compare well with those of published semi-automated methods, with an absolute error of 2.8% between manual and automatic counting of red blood cells.


The number of finger vascular pattern datasets available for the research community is scarce, therefore a new finger vascular pattern dataset containing 1440 images is prsented. This dataset is unique in its kind as the images are of high resolution and have a known pixel density. Furthermore this is the first dataset which contains the age, gender and handedness of the participating volunteers as meta data. The images have been captured using a custom designed capturing device. The various aspects of designing this capturing device are addressed in this paper as well. To confirm whether this new dataset is in fact an important contribution some performance figures in terms of EER of several published state-of-the-art algorithms using this new dataset and an existing dataset from the Peking University are presented. Using this new dataset EERs down to 0.4% have been achieved.


Organic scintillators have been promoted and widely used in scintillating fiber-optic dosimeters (SFOD) due to their tissue-equivalent characteristics, small sensitive volume combined with high spatial resolution, and emission of visible light proportional to the absorbed electron and gamma dose rate. In this paper we will present the validation of Monte Carlo simulations of dose measurements assisted by scintillating fiber optic dosimeters operating in the visible spectral range, in the context of the development of fiber optic dosimeters targeted to Brachytherapy. The Monte Carlo simulation results are compared to measurements performed with SFOD test probes, assembled with BCF-60 (Saint Gobain) samples of 1 mm diameter and 0.35 to 1.5 cm length, coupled to PMMA optical fiber. The optical signal resulting from scintillation and Cherenkov light is transmitted through an additional optical fiber link to a remote measuring device. For SFOD probes irradiation a dedicated PMMA phantom was used. The results were validated against measurements obtained with a properly calibrated pinpoint ionization chamber (PTW). The probes were positioned in a radial arrangement, with a radioactive source at its center point. The γ-rays source is a Nucletron Microselectron-V2 192Ir. The dose curves are obtained according to the different positions in the phantom with the SFOD dosimeters. The system is able to use a Fiber Optic Multiplexer (FOM) controlled with Labview software.


Objective: To develop a chromogenic substrate assay for determining the concentrations of the recombinant hirudin(rH) in plasma of rats.Methods: Because thrombin can specifically bind to rH and can hydrolyze chromogenic substrate(tosyl-glycyl-polyl-arginine-para-nitraniline) to release para-nitraniline with specific absorption at 405nm.Thus,it was used to detect the concentration of rH in plasma of rats.Results: The method could effectively and accurately detect the concentration of rH in plasma of rats.The linear range of rH was 3.125~40 ng·mL-1.The RSD of intra-day and inter-day was satisfactory.Applying the method,the concentration of the rH in plasma of rats was detected at different time points after iv 2.0 mg·kg-1.The results showed that the change in drug concentration met two-compartment model.Conclusion: Chromogenic substrate assay is an accurate and reproducible method and can be used in pharmacokinetic study to detect rH concentration in plasma of rats.


Literature values for the equivalent width of the interstellar absorption line of Ca II K (3933 A) are used to constrain a simple empirical model for the strength of this line as a function of distance from the galactic plane. The best-fit model has an integrated Ca II K equivalent width in the direction perpendicular to the galactic plane of approximately 200 mA and a scale height of approximately 1100 pc. Such a model is useful for estimating (and correcting for) the contribution of the interstellar Ca II K feature to the total observed Ca II K line strength in the spectra of metal-deficient stars in the galactic halo. 23 refs.


The article "Ophthalmia Neonatorum: A Chart Review" by Armstrong et al. (Pediatrics 57:884, June 1976) catches my eye. If one reads the Credé prophylaxis method of instilling silver nitrate into the eyes of newborns, one realizes that should anything be instilled into the eye afterwards to wash out the silver nitrate it should not be saline. The chloride reacts with the silver, forming silver chloride, which is ineffective as an antibacterial. Perhaps this is why they had as many as 43 cases of gonococcal conjunctivitis during their six-year review!


This paper investigates the effects of the number of coupon and element tests on uncertainty in element failure stress. In aircraft structural design, failure stress is first obtained from coupon tests, which is then used in predicting failure stress of structural element under combined loads. The mean and standard deviation of failure stress are expressed as a distribution due to errors in failure theory and variability due to finite number of coupon tests. This paper focuses on identifying the effect of the number of coupon and element tests on the distribution of failure stress of structural element. This paper assumes isotropic properties and the failure stress of structural element is assumed to be predicted by a failure theory (e.g. Von Mises), and initial distribution of this failure stress reflects uncertainties. Bayesian updating is used to reduce the uncertainties in the initial failure stress distribution by using element tests. The relation between the number of tests and the level of uncertainties is presented for a simple test case.


The home economics teacher's attitude to school meals may well be influenced by her own childhood experiences and she may not welcome the thought of combining her teaching with those in the Educational Catering Service. Teachers may not think that such a combination is possible. Alan Harrison claims that it is time educational catering offered more towards food education, and time, too, that such help was accepted!


This descriptive study introduces community-managed rice loans, as implemented by people's organisations in the rural Philippines. Projects addressing low income and food shortages are by no means new to the development sector. Development agencies, nonprofit organisations, and local governments have implemented such projects to address immediate food shortages and threats of hunger. Less explored, however, is the potential of rice loans as intermediate solution, not only in terms of food provisioning but also in strengthening communities' organisational structures and capabilities. This study explores such possibilities by focusing specifically on community-managed rice loans as implemented in the Philippines' regions of Nueva Ecija and Isabela and supported by a local nonprofit, Outreach Philippines Incorporated (OPI). It discusses how rice loans provide communities with an alternative option for accessing affordable food and how these rice loans operate in the context of community development. The analysis of programme proposals identified three components integral to rice loans' implementation and ongoing operations. These include specific organisational structures, clear operational processes, and well-defined policies and systems. We argue that these components are the building blocks of not only successful project implementation but also the strengthening of participating organisations' project implementation and management capacity.


Juvenile turbot (45 g, SE = 1.3) were reared under three photoperiods, 08L:16D, 12L:12D and 20L:04D at slightly elevated ambient temperature for Ireland. Over the 297-day experimental period, the overall growth rate of the 12L:12D (0.82% d−1) treatment was higher than for both 08L:16D (0.80% d−1) and 20L:04D (0.77% d−1). Overall relative feed intake (FI = % consumption*day−1) was higher for the 20L:04D (FI = 0.81% d−1, SE = 0.06) treatment than for the 08L:16D (0.63% d−1, 0.04) and 12L:12D (0.64% d−1 0.04) treatments, whereas feed conversion efficiency (FCE = weight gain* consumption−1) was lower in the 20L:04D (FCE = 0.67, SE = 0.08) group when compared with the 08L:16D (0.88, 0.06) and 12L:12D (0.88, 0.06) treatments. Present results show that the long-term extended fixed photoperiod may act as an irritant, inducing stress, suppressing growth and reducing feed utilization. It is hypothesized that the progression of size-dependent hierarchies over time can be divided into two distinct phases herein referred to as 'hierarchy resolution' and 'hierarchy stabilization' phases (or phases 1 and 2) characterized by increasing and decreasing growth heterogeneity respectively. Growth heterogeneity is measured as coefficient of variation of weight and rank correlation of initial weight of a phase and corresponding growth rate.


Virtual CT colonoscopy is an accurate, highly informative, and less invasive method of examining the colon. The predominant and additional positive ability of virtual CT colonoscopy is the ability to detect non-intestinal pathologies. Based on the high sensitivity and specificity of the method to the developmental abnormalities of the colon, diverticula, polyps, cancer and other volumetric formations, we can conclude that virtual CT colonoscopy is one of the main methods of diagnosis and screening for diseases of the colon.


From the beginning of 2001,a number of accounting scandals of some famous companies have been exposed.The investors that have lost several billion dollar including banks,insurance companies and fund organizations turn their target of attack to the CEOs of those companies and their auditors.This causes people's attention to CPA liability insurance.


A Monte Carlo simulation framework has been proposed to characterize grain growth phenomena during microstructural evolution of plain C-Mn steel under reheating condition prior to hot rolling. The effect of deformation temperature on the temporal evolution of the grains has been analyzed during reheating operation prior to hot rolling.


[Extract] At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight international development goals established to address the major inequities faced by developing countries (1). the MDGs are a framework for the world to reduce poverty, illiteracy, gender inequality, child mortality, maternal mortality and environmental degradation (Table 1) (2). The eight major Development Goals are further divided into specific targets, which include a series of health and economic indicators. A target for access to improved drinking water sources was originally included in the MDGs, but a target for sanitation was not; it was added in 2002 (3). Water and sanitation are now both targets of MDG 7 (Ensure Environmental Sustainability), as subgoal 7c: "Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basice sanitation" (4).


A prototype upward-scanning, under-canopy, near-infrared light detection and ranging (lidar) system, the Echidna® validation instrument (EVI), built by CSIRO Australia, retrieves forest stand structural parameters, including mean diameter at breast height (DBH), stand height, distance to tree, stem count density (stems/area), leaf-area index (LAI), and stand foliage profile (LAI with height) with very good accuracy in early trials. We validated retrievals with ground-truth data collected from two sites near Tumbarumba, New South Wales, Australia. In a ponderosa pine plantation, LAI values of 1.84 and 2.18 retrieved by two different methods using a single EVI scan bracketed a value of 1.98 estimated by allometric equations. In a natural, but managed, Eucalypus stand, eight scans provided mean LAI values of 2.28–2.47, depending on the method, which compare favorably with a value of 2.4 from hemispherical photography. The retrieved foliage profile clearly showed two canopy layers. A "find-trunks" algorithm processed the EVI scans at both sites to identify stems, determine their diameters, and measure their distances from the scan center. Distances were retrieved very accurately (r2 = 0.99). The accuracy of EVI diameter retrieval decreased somewhat with distance as a function of angular resolution of the instrument but remained unbiased. We estimated stand basal area, mean diameter, and stem count density using the Relaskop method of variable radius plot sampling and found agreement with manual Relaskop values within about 2% after correcting for the obscuring of far trunks by near trunks (occlusion). These early trials prove the potential of under-canopy, upward-scanning lidar to retrieve forest structural parameters quickly and accurately.


Because affected by natural conditions,the difficulty of cultivated land protection increased.Taking the case of Xilin County of Guangxi Province,principal component analysis was used and found that the main influence factors of cultivated land protection of Xilin County was convert cultivated land into forests,and through analyzing the time and space differences of standard allotment area,problems in cultivated land protection and ecological protection in Xilin County were analyzed,finally,coordinated measures for cultivated land protection in Xilin County were put forward.


Siemens PLC is used as system controller in the mould online width adjustment system of the No.4 conticaster in Jingtang Iron Steel Co.Steelworks to achieve mould width or taper adjustment in automatic mode or semi-automatic mode during continuous casting.By cooperation with level 2 model,such as cut optimization,the system is able to optimize the produce of slabs.Relying on the width change pattern and table of width,taper and cast speed,the system is capable of keeping these three variables in secure area,such that quality of the slab and safety of manufacture are ensured,and threat of leakage is avoided.This article explains the corresponding technology,automation and algorithm of mould online width adjustment.


Nondestructive testing (NDT) for ferromagnetic material under motion condition is a challenging topic, because the distribution of the magnetic fields inside the ferromagnetic material is more complicated due to motion-induced eddy current (MIEC) and ferromagnetic material magnetization. Therefore, a fast, accurate, and automatic NDT technique for quantitative detection of crack in the moving ferromagnetic material is an urgent issue. Currently, the pulsed eddy current (PEC) technique is widely applied in quantitative crack characterization in metals; however, the literature focus on the investigation of the velocity influence on PEC is rare. This article performs a deep investigation on the velocity effect of PEC technique by numerical simulation and experiments, and the relationships of speed and PEC signal are discovered. The results show that the velocity effect can change the baseline value of the detection signal in the PEC detection system. Moreover, the crack location, width, and depth can be characterized by PEC with high speed when crack appears in the high-level stage of the excitation signal, and in contrast to static PEC testing, motion detection has a stronger capability to characterize the crack depths. Based on the results, it is beneficial to propose a new high-speed inspection technique for crack characterization in ferromagnetic material components, such as rotating metal components, pipelines, and rail tracks.


The invention relates to a preparation method of a MoO3/polyaniline coaxial nano heterojunction. The preparation method comprises the following steps: (1) dropwise adding H2O2 into metal molybdenum powder under a condition of an ice water bath, and stirring and fixing the volume to obtain precursor liquor; (2) adding deionized water into the precursor liquor, stirring at room temperature and carrying out a hydrothermal reaction, after reaction, naturally cooling to room temperature, and washing the product by excessive ethanol, and finally, carrying out centrifugal separation to obtain a MoO3 nano belt; and (3) adding deionized water into the MoO3 nano belt to obtain liquor A; dropwise adding hydrochloric acid liquor of aniline into the liquor A while stirring, and then adding deionized water liquor of ammonium persulfate, and stirring for 1-24 hours at constant temperature; and after reaction, washing, centrifugalizing and vacuum-drying to obtain the MoO3/polyaniline coaxial nano heterojunction. The preparation method provided by the invention is simple to operate, free from complex equipment and relatively easily controlled in components, and the heterojunction can be produced on a large scale and has a wide application prospect.


The problem of the action of a local power load on a transversely isotropic plate is considered. The load is distributed evenly and acts in the direction normal to the median plane of the plate. Expressions for internal force factors obtained on the basis of the refined theory of {1,2} -approximation are considered. The influence of the elastic constants of a transversally isotropic material on internal force factors is analyzed


Surgical site infection is more prevalent in open gastrointestinal surgery which will affect hospital stay and morbidity and
mortality of patients.In our study,we are comparing the factors which will directly or indirectly causes SSI.By knowing
the factors which causing SSI,We can decreases the incidence of surgical site infection.


Density and potential fluctuations were measured in the core region of the JIPP-TIIU plasma using a heavy ion beam probe. By applying a new technique of wavenumber resolved bicoherence, the coupling of the drift waves with zonal flows was clearly observed. In addition, nonlinear energy flow from drift-wave turbulence to high-frequency zonal flows using Ritz's model equation was first observed in the core region of low-density tokamak plasmas, which means there is generation of GAM by drift waves. The nonlinear growth rate of high-frequency zonal flow was estimated to be in the order of 104 s−1 or higher. In additionally heated plasmas where low-frequency ion temperature gradient mode is dominant, the bicoherence pattern changes drastically.


Habermas' moral philosophy has two important hits, the ethics of the speech and the ethics of the species. Resorting to the argument of the Hume's naturalistic fallacy, implicitly accepted in the first one and rejected in the second one, we will show the evolution from a formal ethics towards a material ethics.


THE PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION PRESENT IN SOME CARBONATE ROCKS WAS DETERMINED AS PART OF AN INVESTIGATION CONCERNED WITH THE PROPERTIES OF AGGREGATE WHICH AFFECT THE DURABILITY OF PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE. PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION IS CONSIDERED CRITICAL IN CONTROLLING FLOW AND RETENTION OF WATER IN AGGREGATE. THOSE PROPERTIES, IN TURN, MIGHT BE RELATED TO AN AGGREGATE'S EFFECT ON THE RESISTANCE OF CONCRETE TO FREEZING AND THAWING AND TO POTENTIAL CHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF THE AGGREGATE IN CONCRETE. PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS WERE DETERMINED BY USE OF A MERCURY CAPILLARY PRESSURE APPARATUS MANUFACTURED BY RUSKA INSTRUMENT CORPORATION, HOUSTON, TEXAS. SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES OF THE ROCKS WERE ALSO DETERMINED. THOSE PROPERTIES ARE: (1) EFFECTIVE POROSITY, (2) TOTAL POROSITY, (3) CALCIUM-TO- MAGNESIUM RATIO, (4) INSOLUBLE RESIDUE, (5) AMOUNT OF CLAY PRESENT, (6) LOSS IN WEIGHT IN FREEZING-AND-THAWING, (7) SERVICE RECORD, AND (8) TEXTURE. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS PROPERTIES WERE RAISED AND ANSWERED TENTATIVELY ON THE BASIS OF THE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE OF THE PROPERTIES. THIS INVESTIGATION SHOWED: (1) A LARGE NUMBER OF THE ROCKS SAMPLED POSSESS PORE ENTRY DISTRIBUTIONS WITH MAXIMA IN THE REGION OF RADIUS LESS THAN, OR EQUAL TO, 0.5 MICRON, (2) KNOWLEDGE OF A ROCK'S PORE-SIZE DISTRIBUTION MIGHT BE OF VALUE IN ATTEMPTING TO PREDICT ITS SERVICE RECORD AS AGGREGATE, AND (3) THE FREQUENCY-OF- OCCURRENCE METHOD LENDS ITSELF WELL TO THE CHARACTERIZATION OF A ROCK. /AUTHOR/


Objective
To evaluate factors contributing to bleeding after percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL) and to provide evidence for prevention and reducing severe hemorrhage caused by PCNL.

Methods
The medical records of 650 patients with upper urinary calculi underwent PCNL in a single center from August 2014 to August 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Single factor chi-square test was employed to analyze the patients general characteristics(age, gender, solitary kidney, hypertension, diabetes, preoperative blood coagulation function, creatinine values, the degree of hydronephrosis, urinary tract infection), stone factors(number of stone, stone size, stone location, stone shape)and factors relative to operation(number of tract, the size of tract, calyceal access, costal entries, previous operation, and operation time). In addition, multiariable Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the above positive factors.

Results
In chi-square analysis, hypertension, diabetes, preoperative blood coagulation dysfunction, preoperative creatinine values >115 μmol/L or renal dysfunction, urinary tract infection, moderate to severe hydronephrosis, multiple kidney stones, combination of calculi in renal pelvis and calyces, multi-tracts, the larger puncture tract, repeated surgery and the operation time >90 min associate with severe hemorrhage caused by PCNL(P<0.05). In multiariable Logistic regression analysis, larger puncture tract, operation time over 90 min, urinary tract infections and renal dysfunction were independent risk factors for postoperative severe hemorrhage caused by PCNL (P<0.05).

Conclusion
The larger size of tract, operation time over 90 min, urinary tract infection and renal dysfunction are the independent risk factors for severe hemorrhage caused by PCNL during postoperative period.

Key words:
Upper urinary calculus; Percutaneous nephrolithotomy; Hemorrhage; Factors


In this paper, we demonstrate a beam-steering antenna using a fluidically programmable metasurface (FPMS). The proposed FPMS-based antenna consists of a source antenna and a bilayered programmable metasurface as a superstrate. The metasurface is composed of a $4 \times 4$ square-ring element array on the top side of a thin dielectric substrate and 3-D-printed fluidic channels for fluid movement as the bottom layer. The switchable phase of the metasurface was obtained by realizing air holes of equal dimensions inside the dielectric polylactic acid (PLA) substrate using 3-D-printing technology. The simplicity of the approach is acquired from the beam-steering properties through programmable water injection in different channels. Beam steering of ± 20° in the elevation plane with a 10 dB impedance bandwidth of 2.57–2.64 GHz was achieved. A stable radiation gain of more than 6 dBi was demonstrated across the operating bandwidth. To validate the concept, an antenna prototype was fabricated, and far-field measurements were performed. The simulation and measurement results showed good agreement and confirmed the proposed concept. The proposed antenna has a low profile and was fabricated at low cost and thus is a cheap and accessible way to control the electromagnetic waves in the microwave region using water.


A traffic model for a packet transmission system is analyzed. The notion of an unbalanced bearer (u-bearer) is introduced to support a MAC connection. A burst structure for this u-bearer is proposed. Since link control is provided in both uplink and downlink channels, mixed voice/data services may be presented. Channel efficiency gain is analyzed in comparison with the duplex allocation scheme.<<ETX>>


Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis is one of the most frequent and serious complications after thyroid operation. Routine dissection and demonstration of the recurrent nerve remain controversial. To know the risk of damage of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a prospective study was done randomly in 50 patients.Material and method: Fifty consecutive patients underwent thyroidectomy. Only patients with normal vocal cords were included in the study. Patients were allocated to two groups randomly, in group (a) the nerve was not identified and in group (b) the nerve was identified.Results: There were 29 unilateral and 21 bilateral operations performed, with 71 nerves at risk. Out of these 50 operations, 4 patients in the group without nerve identification developed nerve palsy (16%) but the percentage of nerves injured was 2.84%.Conclusions: Careful dissection of the nerve during surgery essentially eliminates the risk of nerve injury during surgery.


unplanned reintubation, urinary tract infection, deep vein thrombosis, renal insufficiency, pulmonary embolism, venti-lator > 48 h, acute renal failure, cerebrovascular accident with neurological deficit, cardiac arrest requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation, myocardial infarction, sepsis, or septic shock. c Readmission and discharge destination data were not available for all patients. The denominator and percentage reflect the total patients with available information for those variables.


Physical and thermodynamic concepts are used to develop a potential function for application to high temperature polycrystalline material response. Inherent in the formulation is a differential relationship between the potential function and constitutive equation in terms of the state variables. Integration of the differential relationship produces a state variable evolution equation that requires specification of the initial value of the state variable and its time derivative. It is shown that the initial loading rate, which is directly related to the initial hardening rate, can significantly influence subsequent material response. This effect is consistent with observed material behavior on the macroscopic and microscopic levels, and may explain the wide scatter in response often found in creep testing.


THIS long‐running BBC Television series aims at recounting success stories of British industry. It was natural, therefore, to assume that someday the British Paint Industry would provide the material for a programme. That day came at a very late hour on July 29th. Perhaps to ensure that early‐to‐bedders might learn something about paint, the programme was repeated at a much earlier hour on August 4th.


Gabriela is confident that she will find the perfect book. She knows how hard her teacher has worked to ensure that there is a variety of texts from which to choose during self-selected reading time. There are joke books, riddle books, books of poems, magazines, mysteries, and graphic novels. Gabriela's teacher understands that fifth graders are motivated to read when they have access to books about topics that are important to them, so her teacher has included books about technology, sports, animals, families, and friendships, to name just a few. Because Gabriela's home language is Spanish and she is learning English, her teacher has provided books in both languages. New books appear on the shelves constantly. On this day, Gabriela discovers one of these new books written by the same author that the teacher has been reading aloud to the class. Delighted, she plops down on the floor and starts to read. Gabriela's teacher observes all of this from a distance and makes a quick note to herself regarding the connections her students are beginning to make between her read-aloud choices and the students' selfselected reading materials. At this very same moment—over 10,000 miles away in a rural South African school—Puleng, an equally vibrant fifth grader, has finished her assignments early and looks around the room for something to do. She would prefer to read. She excels in reading, and her teacher has often told her that she is a gifted learner. But Puleng has few choices for reading materials—either she can reread the one and only textbook that is to be found in her classroom, or she can select from one of the hundreds of books donated to her school library through an international aid project—mostly used and surplus books. All of the books are written in English, a language Puleng is learning, but she would prefer to read in Sepedi, the language she speaks at home. Puleng's teacher gives her permission to go to "the school library"—a small storage closet crammed with books. Puleng attempts to locate a book on the shelf that interests her. There are some high school math books. There is a social studies textbook. But Puleng, like Gabriela, is interested in books about technology, sports, animals, families, and friendship. She finds none of these. Finally, Puleng attempts to read a page in one of the textbooks, not realizing that the book is written in Spanish, a language she has never heard or seen in print before. Puleng finally gives up and goes back to the classroom. Puleng's teacher watches her return and takes note of the frustration and disappointment written across her face.


This paper investigates the method for evaluating unlisted companies in stock exchanges via the discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation method. This method seeks to determine the company's value by estimating the cash flows it will generate in the future and then discounting them at a discount rate matched to the flows' risk. Nowadays, this method is generally used because it is the only conceptually correct valuation method. The study was conducted on companies in the Spanish olive oil industry during the period 2005-2020. The results suggest two values for valuing private companies: static and dynamic value. Both values are calculated based on the sum of the updated cash value plus the remaining value. Static value provides only one value, while dynamic provides a range of values, resulting in a more accurate understanding of a company's value and a better understanding of the risks associated with that value. Therefore, the company is considered a generator of cash flows, and the value of the company is determined by calculating the present value of these flows using an appropriate discount rate. The results show that determining the discount rate is one of the most important tasks given risk and historical volatility. In practice, the minimum discount rate is usually set by the relevant parties.

Keywords: Cash Flow Discounted; Companies Unquoted; Valuation methods.


In this article, a set of decentralised open-loop and closed-loop iterative learning controllers are embedded into the procedure of steady-state hierarchical optimisation utilising feedback information for large-scale industrial processes. The task of the learning controllers is to generate a sequence of upgraded control inputs iteratively to take responsibility for sequential step function-type control decisions, each of which is determined by the steady-state optimisation layer and then imposed on the real system for feedback information. In the learning control scheme, the learning gains are designated to be time-varying which are adjusted by virtue of expertise experiences-based IF-THEN rules, and the magnitudes of the learning control inputs are amplified by the sequential step function-type control decisions. The aim of learning schemes is to further effectively improve the transient performance. The convergence of the updating laws is deduced in the sense of Lebesgue 1-norm by taking advantage of the Hausdorff–Young inequality of convolution integral and the Hoelder inequality of Lebesgue norm. Numerical simulations manifest that both the open-loop and the closed-loop time-varying learning gain-based schemes can effectively decrease the overshoot, accelerate the rising speed and shorten the settling time, etc.


Elesclomol rescues Menkes disease mice Menkes disease results from loss-of-function mutations in the P-type copper-transporting adenosine triphosphatase ATP7A. Children diagnosed with Menkes present with connective tissue abnormalities and neurodegenerative changes that result in death caused by severe copper deficiency, typically before 3 years of age. In the brain, lack of copper impairs cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV) in the electron transport chain, which leads to progressive neurological injury in Menkes patients. No treatment exists for Menkes disease because of the difficulty in supplying the brain with copper using traditional hydrophilic copper complexes such as copper histidine. Guthrie et al. developed a treatment involving the drug elesclomol that successfully alleviated disease symptoms in a mouse model of Menkes disease (see the Perspective by Lutsenko). Science, this issue p. 620; see also p. 584 Elesclomol therapy stops the progression of neurodegeneration and improves survival in a mouse model of Menkes disease. Loss-of-function mutations in the copper (Cu) transporter ATP7A cause Menkes disease. Menkes is an infantile, fatal, hereditary copper-deficiency disorder that is characterized by progressive neurological injury culminating in death, typically by 3 years of age. Severe copper deficiency leads to multiple pathologies, including impaired energy generation caused by cytochrome c oxidase dysfunction in the mitochondria. Here we report that the small molecule elesclomol escorted copper to the mitochondria and increased cytochrome c oxidase levels in the brain. Through this mechanism, elesclomol prevented detrimental neurodegenerative changes and improved the survival of the mottled-brindled mouse—a murine model of severe Menkes disease. Thus, elesclomol holds promise for the treatment of Menkes and associated disorders of hereditary copper deficiency.


For investigating the influence of climatic conditions on the contents of main chemical components in flue-cured tobacco leaves,experiments on different transplanting time were carried out in Xiangcheng County of Henan Province.The climatic factors(average temperature,precipitation,sunshine hours) at different growth stages and the contents of chemical components in cured tobacco leaves(C3F and B2F) were compared,and their correlations were analyzed.The results showed that: with the delay of transplanting time,the average temperatures at fast-growing stage and field growth stage rose,while the average temperature at mature stage,the sunshine hours at fast-growing stage,mature stage and field growth stage decreased.Advanced or delayed transplant decreased the nicotine content in flue-cured tobacco leaves to a certain degree,while its effects on the other components differed between middle and upper leaves.Comparing with middle leaves,upper leaves displayed stronger correlation with climatic factors.Fast-growing stage might be the key period when climatic factors affected chemical component contents in flue-cured leaves.There was negative correlation between total nitrogen content in upper leaves and the sunshine hours at fast-growing stage,mature stage and field growth stage.The contents of reduced sugar,total sugar and starch in upper leaves positively correlated to the sunshine hours at fast growing stage,while negatively correlated to the precipitation at fast-growing stage.


As a prototypical vasorelaxant, nitric oxide (NO) produced by the endothelium indirectly regulates cardiac function through its modulation of the coronary reserve and peripheral hemodynamics. Since the initial description of a direct, autocrine regulation of cardiomyocyte contraction by a constitutive nitric oxide synthase,1 a substantial body of evidence has confirmed the pleiotropic effects of NO produced within cardiac myocytes on many aspects of their cellular biology, such as oxygen consumption,2 excitation-contraction (EC) coupling,3 and hypertrophic remodeling4 (for a review, see elsewhere5).

Article p 3729

The endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS; encoded by the NOS3 gene) and the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS; encoded by NOS1 ) are the 2 constitutive NOSs expressed in cardiac myocytes. eNOS is enriched in plasmalemmal and T-tubular caveolae,6 where it colocalizes with caveolin-3 (the myocyte-specific structural protein of caveolae). One study7 identified nNOS in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes of normal rabbit and human hearts; there is also biochemical evidence for nNOS expression in mitochondria.8 In addition, nNOS is abundantly expressed in cardiac adrenergic and cholinergic nervous fibers, and eNOS is expressed in both endothelial and endocardial cells. On ischemia or sepsis, inflammatory cytokines induce the expression of the calcium-independent NOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase [iNOS], encoded by NOS2 ) in cardiomyocytes and inflammatory cells infiltrating the myocardium.

At first glance, this multiplicity of NOS isoforms would hardly be compatible with signaling specificity on limited (sub)cellular targets a fortiori given the theoretical diffusibility of NO as a gas. In muscle cells, however, the abundant distribution of cytosolic myoglobin and oxidant radicals continuously produced by muscle contraction is likely to significantly limit NO bioavailability and its ability to diffuse (at least as a free radical) to molecular targets distant from its enzymatic source. This restricted diffusion, combined with the differential …


Compared with other surface modification technologies,induction melting technology has many unique advantages and is more widely used.The principle of induction melting was introduced briefly,with the focus on its development,technological process,influencing factors and control methods.The development trend of induction melting technology was prospected.


Professional self-development of students is a conscious selfknowledge of the future specialist, aimed at improving their personality in accordance with the requirements of the future profession and self-realization as a person in the social sphere that determines the future profession. It is proved that the educational environment of the educational institution, value-motivational relations, the processes that take place in it, can affect the readiness of students for professional self-development. Theoretical analysis of the scientific literature shows that the category of «selfdevelopment» is one of the key concepts of the modern intellectual process in all its manifestations. Professional self-development is a basic component of professional competence of future teachers and is characterized as a continuous, purposeful process of personal and professional growth aimed at improving their professional competence by improving professionally significant qualities, skills and creativity in accordance with social requirements to achieve significant results. in future professional activities. The constituent elements of professional self-development are self-knowledge, self-determination, self-organization, self-education, self-actualization; self improvement. The need to ensure the readiness of the individual specialist for continuous professional self-development during the term of professional activity determines the necessary task of the institution of higher education to establish a system of continuous management of the process of forming mechanisms of personal selfdevelopment. For a pedagogical institution of higher education, the solution of this problem is seen in the development and implementation of appropriate pedagogical conditions for the management of professional self-development of students. The introduction of the competence approach within the modern educational paradigm testifies to the need to form, along with key and professional competencies,


Objective To explore the effect analysis of scene-simulation teaching method in the clinical nursing teaching of department of otolaryngology and head surgery.Methods 178 cases of nursing students were randomly divided into observation group and control group from March 2008 to March 2011 in otolaryngology and head surgery department of our hospital,each group had 89 cases,the observation group was given scene-simulation teaching method,the control group was given traditional teaching method;the effect of scene-simulation teaching method and traditional teaching method were analyzed by questionnaire,papers exam and operating skills.Results In the observation group,the determination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills of grade point average and the evaluation of teaching methods were significantly better than that of the control group(P 0.05).Conclusion Scene-simulation teaching method can mobilize the initiative and enthusiasm of the nursing students,enhance the effectiveness of clinical nursing teaching of otolaryngology and head surgery department,and improve the ability of the clinical practice,it is an effective teaching method for clinical nursing teaching.


The formulation of the problem in this study is whether knowledge sharing has an effect on the Performance of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Does absortive capacity affect the performance of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Does organizational learning capability affect the performance of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Does knowledge sharing, absortive capacity and organizational learning capability affect the performance of the State Civil Apparatus (ASN) at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. The total population in this study amounted to 389 people, and by using the Slovin formula obtained a sample of 80 people. The analysis technique used is multiple linear regression. The results showed that knowledge sharing had a positive and significant effect on innovation performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Absortive capacity has no effect on innovation performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Organizational learning capability has a positive and significant effect on innovation performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan. Knowledge sharing, absortive capacity and organizational learning capability have a positive and significant effect on innovation performance at PT. Perkebunan Nusantara IV (Persero) Medan.


The problems of late-Holocene, or Neoglacial, climate cooling and the advance of glaciers are discussed with case studies from the main mountain systems of the former USSR: Caucasus, Pamiro-Alai, Tien Shan, Altai, Sayan, Polar Urals, mountains of northeastern Yakutia, and Kamchatka. The greatest uncertainty lies in the difference between palynological and geomorphological assessments. Pollen data reveal increased cooling and humidity during the last 3,000-2,000 yrs BP, but the dating of glacial deposits suggests a reduction in the volume and areal extent of glaciers during the same time period. However, in almost all mountain areas, a general cooling trend prevailed 3,000-2,000 yrs BP, and a similar, but less distinctive trend about 1,500 yrs BP. The Middle Ages climate optimum and the following Little Ice Age were identified everywhere. From pollen data the maximum cooling is attributed to the late-Subatlantic (Little Ice Age) everywhere, except in Kamchatka (Subboreal cooling), but glacio-morphological research suggests that the Neoglacial moraines are situated below the Little Ice Age moraines.


The manufacturing landscape of the corporate world has undergone a quality revolution, resulting in a plethora of research works on the tools, techniques, critical dimensions and other organizational requirements for the effective implementation of total quality management (TQM). But the same cannot be said with certainty of service industry management. Research works on total quality service (TQS) is not exhaustive in the sense that there appears to be a vacuum in the literature as far as a holistic model (from the perspective of the management) is concerned. The present study is an attempt to fill this gap. Based on an extensive review of the vast literature on TQM and TQS, the study has identified 12 dimensions of TQS as being critical for effective implementation of quality management in service organizations. The momentousness of each of these dimensions from the manufacturing and service perspectives has been authenticated. The different roles that these dimensions play in the manufacturing and service milieu have also been discussed. A conceptual model for TQS has been proposed demonstrating the relationships among its dimensions. The present work aspires to provide a basis for a thorough and insightful discernment of TQS and its critical dimensions.


As most of the industrial nations are located in the moderate climate zone with distinct summer and winter, global heating and cooling supply is less a matter of energy shortage than an issue of seasonal storage. Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES ) is capable of storing large energy volumes to bridge the seasonal mismatch between demand and supply of heating and cooling systems. However, there is a discrepancy in global ATES development, since more than 80 % of all ATES system are currently operating in the Netherlands and Scandinavia, which is mainly attributed to techno-economic barriers. Thus, this work analyses the technical performance of ATES based on monitoring data from 73 low temperature Dutch ATES systems. The analysis reveals total abstraction of 30 GWh of heat and 32 GWh of cold per year with average abstraction temperatures of 10 °C and 15 °C in summer and winter, respectively. However, while the temperature difference between abstraction and injection is 3-4 K smaller compared to the optimal design, the stored and abstracted amount of thermal energy is 50 % lower than the licensed capacities. This suggests inadequate interaction between the energy system and the aquifer as a result of the insufficient charging process of the subsurface. Nevertheless, the data showed only small thermal imbalances and small temperature losses during the storage period. Based on the comprehensive analysis, valuable conclusions can be drawn on the optimizations needs of current and future ATES projects.


This paper describes the use of non-homogeneous Markov transition process to predict pavement deterioration over time. Each element of the transition probability matrices is calculated through Monte Carlo simulation. The new technique is based on the reliability concept which runs through the process of pavement management at network level. The paper presents the equations developed to generate the transition probability matrix. The authors feel that the technique could be used to predict pavement condition state, determine needs and priorities and optimise pavement rehabilitation and maintenance alternatives.


Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is considered as one of the gaseous transmitters participating in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. H2S possesses vasoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties so this study aimed to investigate the role of H2S in diabetic nephropathy and to examine the role of nitric oxide on H2S induced effects. The protective effects of H2S were tested by administration of sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS) as an exogenous source of H2S.To study the role of nitric oxide, N-Nitro L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was administered with NaHS. After four weeks of type 2 diabetes induction, diabetic rats showed signs of nephropathy evident in increased serum urea and creatinine levels. On the other hand, treatment with an H2S donor (NaHS) exhibited protective effects against nephropathy induced by diabetes. NaHS diminished the elevated TNF-κ, NF-κB and caspase 3 expression induced by diabetes. Treatment with NaHS resulted in decreased MDA and H2O2 production with subsequent increase of SOD and CAT activity measured in kidney tissues. Chronic administration of L-NAME in combination with NaHS diminished the protective effects of NaHS on inflammatory and oxidative status. In conclusion, H2S has a protective role in diabetic nephropathy through its antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory on kidney tissue. This study provides evidence that nitric oxide is important in mediating some of the protective effects of H2S.


THROUGHOUT the Middle Ages the preferred method of travel was on horseback, and in the fourteenth century persons unable or unwilling to ride invalids, children, and ladies commonly made use of litters as more comfortable than chariots. By the end of the seventeenth century, however, the situation was reversed; carriages were incomparably the favorite vehicle, litters obsolete, and horseback a strenuous mode of travel. Fundamental to this change was an improvement in the design of carriages, and paramount in this superior construction was the widespread adoption of suspension. The suspension of carriages generally is assumed by modern writers to have come in with the coach in the sixteenth century. Thus Lefebvre des NoRttes' states that it was in Germany in the sixteenth century that the first suspended carriages appeared. Jope, writing in Singer's History of Technology,2 agrees on the period, although he refers the origin of suspension to Hungary. It is my pur-


Legend, not science, states that crabs are easier to boil than frogs. Frogs placed in a pot of hot water jump out to safety. In a cauldron of crabs, however, if one crab laboriously crawls up the pot wall from the hot water to the rim to escape, the other crabs snatch him back down so they all cook together. Frogs are individualists who save their skins and know their minds. Crabs are egalitarian communitarians. What is good for one is good for all. Most of us are either frogs or crabs. Frogs make specific, precise advance medical directives, appoint surrogate medical decisionmakers, and create durable powers of attorney so that if they cannot decide on medical care, an absolutely trustworthy substitute will act as they would if they could. Crabs have faith in their health, partners, spouses, and invulnerability. Crabs love the state and trust its central control. Terri Schindler Schiavo transformed many complacent crabs into vigilant frogs. Pretend for the moment that Terri at age 26 had written a precise instruction that stated if she ever were in a PVS, she wished no heroic life support and expressly forbade any water and food by tube. Pretend that Terri had a devoted, loving, sexually and spiritually faithful husband who provided MRIs and diagnostic tests to learn what minimal brain function she retained, and who lavished on her all rehabilitative therapies to maximize her possibilities of recovery. Pretend that circuit court Judge Greer had no conflicts of interest and no vested interest in appointing as guardian over a wifeis life and death a husband who waited seven years after the suspicious event that injured his wifeis brain, and dallied until after he received a hefty medical malpractice award of more than $1 million, primarily for her rehabilitation, to suddenly remember his dear wifeis explicit desire to die. Pretend that court appeals reviewed not mere procedure of previous trials, but actual fact and new substance, as Congress prescribed, not accepting factual determinations by just one judge named Greer. Pretend that the ACLU, the Hemlock Society, and euthanasia groups had no interest in promoting quick and easy dying of the ugly, the inconvenient, and the expensive. Even if Terri had written precise instructions, even if Michael was radiantly truthful, and even if the Judge Greer was not corrupt, we still would be obliged to fight the philosophy of crabs. Crab world-view, crab means of analyzing reality, and crab ethics of action created the horror of Terri Schiavois judicial murder.


This article mainly explores how to manage,use and maintain PC machines in medical equipments in order to reduce the breakdowns of equipments.


Purpose of this paper is to show how the Up to University (Up2U) platform, our Next Generation Digital Learning Ecosystem (NGDLE) supports the latest pedagogical trends and helps students master the essential digital skills of the 21st century inside and beyond the regular classroom. Up2U uses a set of different tools and services to combine technology, infrastructure and pedagogy. In the pilots we run different learning scenarios in which the learner acquires theoretical knowledge through Open Educational Resources (OERs) and videos consultation, then discusses and applies that knowledge to critically analyze poetic texts and make connections through history, culture and literature, enhancing ICT and linguistic competencies while developing traversal skills. All lessons learned from these scenarios in pilot activities will be presented.


A sustainable transportation future is one in which people eschew personal car ownership in favor of using autonomous vehicle (AV)-based ridehailing services in a shared mode. However, the traveling public has historically shown a disinclination toward sharing rides and carpooling with strangers. In a future of AV-based ridehailing services, it will be necessary for people to embrace both AVs as well as true ridesharing to fully realize the benefits of automated and shared mobility technologies. This study investigated the factors influencing willingness to use AV-based ridehailing services in the future in a shared mode (i.e., with strangers). This was done through the estimation of a behavioral model system on a comprehensive survey data set that included rich information about attitudes, perceptions, and preferences pertaining to the adoption of AVs and shared mobility modes. The model results showed that current ridehailing experiences strongly influenced the likelihood of being willing to ride AV-based services in a shared mode. Campaigns that provide opportunities for individuals to experience such services firsthand would potentially go a long way to enabling a shared mobility future at scale. In addition, several attitudinal variables were found to strongly influence the adoption of future mobility services; these findings provide insights on the likely early adopters of shared autonomous mobility services and the types of educational awareness campaigns that may effect change in the prospects of such services.


In the title compound, C22H26BrNO6, the indole ring system is planar [maximum deviation 0.029 (2) Å]. The tert-butyl bound carboxylate group forms a dihedral angle of 17.54 (8)° with the indole ring system. In the crystal, molecules are linked into centrosymmetric R 2 2(10) dimers by paired C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.


The screen control method of a remote control and a remote control is provided. More specifically, the screen control method of a key and a pointer to change the broadcast channel of the display device using the virtual keypad available remote control devices and remote control is disclosed. Some of the disclosed embodiments is how the display control of the remote control device and a remote control device to select the divided regions divided into a plurality of virtual possible to change the broadcast channel in the full screen of the display device by using an adjustable pointer on the remote control to provide.


Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that results from a dysregulated immune response to commensal gut bacteria. In health there is a state of mucosal immune tolerance to our gut bacteria. There is a complex interaction between the epithelial cell and the T lymphocyte in the lamina propria. This "cross-talk" is medicated by cytokines such as TNF-alpha (TNF-α), IL12 and IL23.


BACKGROUND
Pyrethroids and organophosphates are the most frequently used insecticides for Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), control in the Czech Republic. Based on molecular methods, organophosphate and pyrethroid resistance alleles have been detected in samples from three sites. The accuracy of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and bidirectional polymerase chain reaction amplification of specific alleles (Bi-PASA) for detection of resistance alleles is compared.

RESULTS
Leptinotarsa decemlineata from three sites showed higher frequencies of resistance alleles to organophosphates than to pyrethroids. The rates of occurrence of individuals homozygous resistant (RR) to pyrethroids ranged from 20.0 to 22.9%, while the rates of occurrence of individuals RR to organophosphates ranged from 52.9 to 66.7%. The incidences of individuals with resistance alleles to both organophosphates and pyrethroids ranged from 8.6 to 13.6%. No relationship was found between incidence of the pyrethroid resistance allele and site, while incidence of the organophosphate resistance allele differed significantly according to site.

CONCLUSION
Both RFLP and Bi-PASA were suitable for detecting resistance alleles to pyrethroids, and in most cases also for detecting resistance alleles to organophosphates. In contrast to Bi-PASA, RFLP was also suitable for samples with lower DNA quality when testing for the resistance allele to pyrethroids. On the other hand, RFLP was not as accurate as Bi-PASA in detection of the organophosphate resistance allele.


This paper studies integration aspects of DC blocking capacitors in differential high speed bus channels. The presence of a DC blocking capacitor in the signal path can present an impedance mismatched medium which can lead to signal degradation. Integrating the capacitor to minimize impedance mismatches becomes of high importance. The differential impedance of a micro-strip differential pair is evaluated in simulation under different physical design conditions. Additionally, test vehicle measurements for a variety of capacitor test sites with different characteristics including: package size, voiding scenarios under capacitor pads/packages and wiring layers for traces to the capacitors has been designed and fabricated. The test sites are measured up to 20GHz using a VNA and their results are discussed. Also, several of the test sites are simulated in order to validate the modelling method for future design analysis purposes.


The analysis of the conditions of social visibility and occupational health led to the recension, within various academic fields, of the "masks" which spread confusion over the perception of the links between health and work. Beyond their recall, this article explores here the ways by which the growing illegibility of work feeds the denial of the origins and processes of painfulness and work risks.New conditions of construction of an illegibility of work can be added today to the well known difficulties of access to the activity's understanding. It is in such a context that one can identify both an increase in the concerns for psychic health at work and new professionals, experts in the area of occupational health, dealing with prevention and reparation. The analysis we propose questions their contribution to the illegibility of work and the conditions of a re-anchoring of the link health /work in the shared analysis of the real activities and their transformation.


1780 MicroRNAs (miRs) are transcribed from non-protein-encoding genes that regulate the post-transcriptional fate of other, protein-encoding mRNAs. Overexpression of miR146b, miR221 and miR222 has been reported in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). In the present study, we sought to determine the expression of these miRs at the histological level in thyroid cancer. A total of 87 different archival cancer specimens, including 65 thyroid carcinomas (26 PTC, 25 medullary [MTC], 14 anaplastic [ATC]), were examined on paraffin sections in comparison to matched normal tissues and clinicopathological parameters. The expression of miRs 146b, 221 and 222 was assessed by in situ hybridization (ISH) with cocktails of DIG-labeled oligonucleotide probes complementary to each miR. Semiquantitative RT-PCR for the same targets was performed for a subset of 25 tumor/normal pairs and showed concordant results with ISH in all but one case. In normal epithelia (thyroid, breast, colon, stomach), faint positive cytoplasmic signal of all three miRs was observed in limited cases (10 - 12%) and cells/case (


The invention discloses a method for sending configuration data, which comprises a step of sending a configuration command to equipment performing virtual private service, wherein the configuration command contains configuration data arranged according to the set order; and a step that the equipment receives the configuration data, and takes the configuration data as setting parameters corresponding to the services arranged according to the same order. The method solves the problem of data model differentiation of network management brought by equipment differentiation, so as to make the configuration management process simpler and more convenient. The invention also discloses a system for sending configuration data, a configuration server and equipment for executing VPN service.


This paper compares different energy conversion rates for some geothermal power plant cycles. These are being implemented at two high temperature, liquid dominated reservoirs; Kawerau and Rotokawa. The power plant cycle selected for the first development is a dual flash, condensing steam turbine; however, optimisation with higher pressures and enthalpies resulted in a triple flash, condensing steam turbine for the second development. This will be the largest single cylinder geothermal steam turbine in the world. The project is currently under construction with commercial operation scheduled for the first half of 2010. The environmental consent process in New Zealand provides a fixed average fluid extraction rate and an instantaneous maximum. Geothermal fluid conditions, (including; enthalpy, non-condensable gas content and chemistry) were defined from well test results and reservoir modelling. The owners' financial model has been used to provide key metrics for selection of the plant cycle giving the maximum revenue from the consented geothermal fluid flow, considering life cycle costs. In one example, the selected triple flash cycle developed 6 MW more than a comparable dual flash cycle.


In this article, I argue that the church must build up its theology of marriage in a more disciplined manner because the culture no longer sustains the Christian notion. In making a substantive argument I rely on the Lutheran "two ways that God reigns" approach in which we share "places of responsibility" with all humans, but in which the Christian virtues of faith, love, and hope transform those places into genuine Christian callings. I then contend strongly for the continued rejection of same-sex marriage among orthodox Christians. I conclude with what I hope is a compassionate pastoral approach—gracious tolerance—toward homosexual Christians.


Despite advances in medical knowledge regarding pain management, pain continues to be significantly undertreated in the United States. There are many drug and nondrug treatments, but the use of controlled substances, particularly the opioid analgesics, is universally accepted for the treatment of pain from cancer. Although opioid analgesics are safe and effective in treating chronic pain, there is continued research and discussion about patient selection and long-term effects. A number of barriers in the health care and drug regulatory systems account for the gap between what is known about pain management and what is practiced. Among the barriers are physicians' fears of being disciplined by state regulatory boards for inappropriate prescribing. State medical boards are in a unique position not only to address physicians' concerns about being investigated, but also to encourage pain management. Prior to 1989, a few state medical boards had policies relating to controlled substances or pain. Subsequently, state medical boards began adopting policies regarding the prescribing of opioids for the treatment of pain; many of these specifically addressed physicians' fear of regulatory scrutiny.


Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space (ACES) is a mission in fundamental physics that will operate a new generation of atomic clocks in the microgravity environment of the International Space Station. Fractional frequency stability and accuracy of a few parts in 1016 will be achieved. The on-board time base, distributed on the Earth via a microwave link, will be used to perform space-to-ground as well as ground-to-ground comparisons of atomic frequency standards. Based on these comparisons, ACES will perform fundamental physics tests (Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, the search for drift of fundamental constants, the Standard Model extension and tests of string theories) and develop applications in time and frequency metrology, time scales, geodesy, global positioning and navigation. After an overview of the mission concept and its scientific objectives, the present status of ACES instruments and subsystems will be discussed.


In the past days, Security threats are detected by Anomaly based Intrusion detection system. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) consist of tiny devices that have limited energy, computational power, transmission range and memory. WSN are deployed mostly in open and unguarded environment. Therefore, intrusion detection is one of the important aspects for WSN. It will detect the Misdirection, Sybil, Wormhole attack, Sinkhole attack and hello flood attack. Mainly it detects Squeal and Black hole attack. This paper describes the major security threats in WSN and also describes different intrusion detection techniques.


With this package, you can use many alternative fonts with one single package. psNFSS and mfNFSS use one file for every font, while I prefer having everything in one package. Besides, of you load two of the font changing packages, the latter one overwrites the changes of the first one. Having all in one package avoids this.


A civil action recently instituted by a rape survivor against the South African Ministers of Safety and Security and Justice raises a number of interesting questions regarding the states duties to take particular steps to protect women against violence and liabilities that could arise from failure to take such action. The plaintiff in this matter who was brutally raped and assaulted by two men is alleging that various state officials were negligent in granting the two accused men bail on similar though unrelated charges before her attack. Against this background this article aims to establish the combined influence of the South African Constitution and recent developments in the sphere of international human rights law on state obligations to address violence against women. It first examines the nature of state duties created by human rights generally. It evaluates the role of international law in the interpretation of the South African Bill of Rights and subsequently analyzes the obligations created under a number of international human rights instruments. This analysis is then used as a basis for examining the effect of the inclusion of the right to be free from violence in the Final Constitution. The article finally draws conclusions regarding the scope and implications of this right and related duties created by international law. (excerpt)


Welcome to the first edition of 2003. In reviewing the submissions to the Journal of Marketing Management in 2002, a number of trends are immediately apparent. The first is that the numbers of papers submitted is increasing dramatically: last year we received 32% more papers than in the previous year. This would suggest that the Journal may account for an even larger proportion of articles to be forwarded by colleagues to the next RAE. (See Easton and Easton's paper below). Ah, but does quantity mean quality? Well, for one perspective on that, refer again to the Eastons' paper and for another, consider that less than 2% of articles submitted to the JMM are returned to authors as unacceptable or inappropriate to the Journal by the Editors. Of the remainder, some 30% do not survive the first round of reviews, while the final acceptance level is now ruMing at 17%. Most popular topics include marketing theory, market orientation and relationship marketing, followed bye-marketing, international marketing consumer behaviour and research, marketing communications and branding. Together, these topics account for around 50% of articles. Once again, submissions come from around the world and while many of these are UKbased, we have received papers by colleagues in Australia, China, Denmark, Greece, Finland, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the US. This edition is typical of the international provenance researchers publishing in the JMM. The first paper, by Easton and Easton is, however, UK focused. It reports on where marketing academics published in their returns to the recent Research Assessment Exercise. The authors note that the Journal of Marketing Management was submitted most frequently, accounting for fourteen percent of all marketing submissions to the RAE. The paper notes further that the frequency of JMM submissions to the RAE is even higher, but that the authors are not categorized as 'marketing academics' are not represented in the data. Now comes the conte~tious bit. By categorizing the journal submissions according to institutions and their ratings, the authors of the paper invoke an implied quality rating for all marketing journals; that is, a quality rating based on the perceptions of the panel as evidenced in their overall rating given to an institution's submission in business and management. All comments on a postcard, please. An interesting debate should ensue. Determining what marketing activity is effective in keeping customers has been a central element of marketing, both traditionally and in its so<alled 'new' forms. In their paper, Romaniuk and Sharp revisit the notion of brand salience the extent to which a brand comes to or is held at the forefront of a


Based on data collected on a wide range of financial sector indicators, new indices of financial development for countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are constructed, encompassing six themes: development of the monetary sector and monetary policy, banking sector development, nonbank financial development, regulation and supervision, financial openness, and institutional quality. The paper finds that the degree of financial development varies across the region. Some countries have relatively well-developed banking sectors and regulatory and supervisory regimes. However, across the region, more needs to be done to reinforce the institutional environment and promote nonbank financial sector development. Based on a subset of indicators, the MENA region is found to compare favorably with a few other regions, but it ranks far behind the industrialized countries and East Asia.


Purpose: To determine whether tear nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration correlates with corneal sensation and ocular surface dryness after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Methods: A prospective, non-randomized comparative clinical trial. Seventy eyes of 35 patients and 76 eyes of 38 patients underwent PRK and LASIK procedures to correct myopia and myopic astigmatism, respectively. Total tear protein level, tear NGF concentration, corneal sensation, tear film break-up time (BUT) and Schirmer values were measured before and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the surgery. Results: The postoperative mean tear NGF/total tear protein ratio (NGF/tP) increased in both PRK and LASIK patients compared to their preoperative levels (p


The Computing Research Laboratory (CRL) at New Mexico State University, jointly with the Center for Machine Translation (CMT) at Carnegie Mellon University and the Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at the University of Southern California, are developing a Translator's Workstation to assist users in the translation of newspaper articles in the area of finance from Spanish or Japanese into English. At its core is a multi-engine MT system, consisting of a knowledge-based, interlingual system, an example-based system, and an extensive glossary and bilingual dictionary system. Results from all systems are combined in a chart structure which selects the most reliable and complete translation. The KBMT system consists of a source language analysis component, a mapper, and a target language generation component.


*We would like to sincerely thank Anonymous Referee #1 for their review. The referee's comments provided useful information on limitations that needed to be addressed within the revised manuscript. The suggestion of evaluating a larger fetch for curvature led us to perform additional analysis that improved the consistency of the models developed. Also, our conclusions based on model results were improved based on their recommendations. We believe that the revised manuscript clearly outlines limitations and provides a more robust description of the results presented. Below we address each of the referee's comments and concerns.


The present invention provides a method of administering pulmonary manner mainly an effective amount of a bisphosphonate active agents. The invention together with its active agent one or more mucosal protective agents, consists in administering to mainly mucosa protective agent of one or more protective enzymes, and / or protected amino acids, and / or a protective peptide It can have. Also provided inhalation compositions for use in the practice of the method of the present invention. The present invention methods and compositions include, but are not limited to, the use of the various conditions, including treatment of bone resorption symptoms.


Pioglitazone (PIO) is an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) which is predominantly expressed in adipose tissue and improves insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We hypothesized that PIO effects are mediated, at least in part, by changes in the cargo composition (specifically, miRNAs) of circulating exosomes. We tested this hypothesis in a 3-month trial in which 24 patients with T2D who were well-controlled (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%) with diet/exercise or metformin were randomized to either PIO or placebo (PLA) treatment (NCT00656864). Levels of 42 miRNAs expressed in adipocyte exosomes were measured in exosomes isolated from fasting plasma samples obtained before and after treatment. Levels of exosomal miR-374b-5p, miR-20a-5p, miR-7-5p, and miR-195-5p changed significantly (fold change > 1.5, P 0.4, P Disclosure Y.O. Nunez Lopez: None. R.E. Pratley: Other Relationship; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eisai Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Pfizer Inc., Sanofi-Aventis, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc..


A study was conducted using irrigation treatments and changes in soil and plant carbon (OC), nitrogen (TN), and phosphorus (TP) stoichiometry and homeostasis were investigated to explore the soil nutrient limitation in farmland ecosystems in the Hexi irrigation area. The following results are presented. (1) The OC, TN, and TP concentrations of silage maize soils under different irrigation treatments reached the highest values in 0-10 cm. (2) Among four irrigation treatments, the nutrient content of plant organs was the highest under W0 irrigation. However, at 0-30 cm soil layers, the values of soil OC, TN, and TP concentrations were the highest under W1 irrigation treatment (i.e., traditional irrigation), soil TN and TP contents were more than those under other irrigation treatments (6.66%-26.17% and 4.67%-19.21%, respectively), and the decrease in soil and plant nutrients was more significant than that in irrigation water amount. (3) The ranges of C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios in soil and plants were at 3.60-61.2, 4.39-53.9, and 1.01-1.24, respectively. Soil C:N ratios were relatively stable among three soil layers and different irrigation treatments. The N:P ratios of leaves (11.9) and roots (7.58) were less than the threshold of plant N limitation (14), indicating that plant growth was limited by N. (4) Among four irrigation treatments, corn OC and TP and their ratios remained stable. However, the leaf N:P homeostasis was more sensitive to W2 treatment (20% watersaving irrigation) than to W0 treatment. Thus, 10% watersaving treatment in the Hexi irrigation area might be beneficial to the retention of soil nutrients in silage corn and maintains the stable adaptability of crop growth, realizing the purpose of water-saving and alleviating the current water scarcity situation.