THE importance of cytogenetic abnormalities in clinical diagnosis and response has been well established in particular for hematological malignancies with the diagnostic tools being microscopy-based karyotyping or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). For chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the associated genetic abnormalities are heterogeneous with trisomy 12 (+12) among the most common (1) and 17p deletions (del(17p)) among the most adverse prognostic parameters for response and survival in CLL (2). Immunophenotypically, CLL cells are typically characterized by co-expression of CD5, CD19, CD20, and CD23 with low expression of surface immunoglobulin, CD20 and CD79b compared to normal B cells and malignant clone-specific kappa or lambda immunoglobulin light chain restriction (3). Following remission induction, flow cytometry plays an important role in the detection of minimal residual disease with sensitivity of detection in the range of 1 CLL cell in 10,000 leukocytes (0.01%) (3). In contrast, conventional slide-based FISH applied to detect chromosomal abnormalities typically has a sensitivity of 5–7%, several orders of magnitude lower than that of flow cytometric phenotyping. The development of suspension fluorescence hybridization approaches quantifiable by flow cytometry was first reported in the context of measuring telomere lengths (4). A drawback of this approach, however, particularly in the context of spot counting is that the number hybridization sites is being assessed only by fluorescence intensity on the premise that intensity is directly correlated with number of hybridization spots/sites. However, without specific fluorescence spatial information, this approach does not account for potential non-specific reactions outside the nuclear area of the cell. The development of imaging flow cytometers combined the high-throughput capability of flow cytometry with the capability of microscopy to provide high image content information on each individual event acquired. This technology thus had the potential to perform image analysis on rare cell populations in statistically robust cell numbers in principle limited only by the number of events acquired. The application of imaging flow cytometry to detect aneuploidy using a FISH in suspension protocol (5) demonstrated that spotcounting algorithms alone were insufficient to derive accurate results. The source of the inaccuracy was the occurrence of super-imposed hybridization spots related to the 2D projection of the 3D cells in suspension, which could lead to underscoring of the spot counts. Additional artifacts were overscoring of spot counts due to disaggregation of hybridization spots. It was determined and validated that these artificial spot count results could be corrected by incorporating a spot intensity measurement with a true single hybridization spot having 50% of the intensity of a spot that resulted from two superimposed spots and that the total intensity of a true trisomy had 1.5-fold the intensity of a true disomy (5). It was further demonstrated that sensitivity of detection of trisomy 8 in AML was as low as 0.5% (5). The first imaging flow cytometry application of FISH in suspension in CLL was


The Cloncurry copper‐gold field, Mt Isa Inlier, contains a variety of copper‐gold mineralisation styles, in which Cu/Au ratios vary radically from Cu‐ to Au‐only. Several of these mineralisation styles are not recognised elsewhere in the Mt Isa Inlier and are rare in Proterozoic metallogeny, They developed concurrently with intense, high‐temperature, saline metasomatism exposed in the Cloncurry metasomatic zone 13 km to the southwest and may represent mineralisation styles that occur lateral to and above such albite‐actinolite alteration. Mineralisation varied through time in response to changing structural style. Initially small quartz vein‐hosted Au‐only deposits (Gilded Rose‐style) formed during regional D1 thrusting. These are known only from one east‐west oriented antiform in the Soldiers Cap Group, and do not display the high‐temperature saline fluid‐related alteration of subsequent systems. Quartz vein/replacement‐hosted Cu‐Au ± Zn‐As‐Co‐Bi‐Mn deposits (Eloise‐style) were formed in ductile D2/D3‐sh...


When soils of semiarid areas are used for agriculture, their arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal propagules undergo a series of changes, and when agricultural land is abandoned it is very difficult for these populations and the plant cover to recover. We studied soils that have been abandoned for different lengths of time (3–45 years) in a homogeneous semiarid area in order to observe changes in their physical and chemical properties and in the AM fungi propagules, comparing them with soils that continue to be cultivated and a soil that has never been cultivated. The data we collected clearly showed that agricultural use reduces soil fertility and lowers AM fungi populations compared to the soil kept in its natural state. After abandonment, there is a 5‐year period when the soils undergo a greater degree of degradation after which they slowly recover, with AM fungi propagules reaching values similar to those of the virgin soil after 45 years or so. Although the physical and chemical properties followed a s...


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are an important instrument for observing distributed remote environments. In most applications, failure is a serious problem. There are numerous algorithms of failure detection and failure recovery. However, most of them may reduce network lifetime or achieve poor accuracy. This paper proposes failure recovery algorithm based on Grade Diffusion with using Shortest Save Path. The sensor node may arrange the sensor node's routing and save some backup nodes depending on the shortest path to reduce the energy consumption for the re-looking routing. In case the direction is determined based on the amount of power required, the sensor node's routing is broken. In the simulation, the proposed algorithm is measured by power consumption, fault detection accuracy, number of hops, number of dead nodes, and time number of neighbour nodes.


Prior studies have explored the correlation between students' Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intention, where several studies found a strong relationship between them, while others suggested moderate even weak correlation on it. This research aims to explore the mediating effect of Entrepreneurship Intentional Self-Regulation (EISR) on the relationship between Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy (ESE) and Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) among undergraduate students in Indonesia. There is a need to explain this concept considering that the emergence of entrepreneurs is one of the government's priorities in Indonesia. Data were collected from 299 undergraduate students on their final year of studies from eight universities which provide entrepreneurship education in Jakarta and Bandung. Hayes's PROCESS Macro in SPSS was used to analyse the effect and showed that  Entrepreneurship Intentional Self-Regulation (EISR) was fully mediated the relationship between Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Entrepreneurial Intention among undergraduate students in Indonesia.


Acknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. New ideas of childhood c. 1880-1920s 3. Parent-child relations 4. Children and social policies 5. Children, schooling and the classroom 6. Children's leisure 7. Conclusion: disappearing childhood and children's rights 8. Select bibliography.


Influenza virus infection causes severe respiratory disease such as that due to avian influenza (H5N1). Influenza A viruses proliferate in human epithelial cells, which produce inflammatory cytokines/chemokines as a "cytokine storm" attenuated with the viral nonstructural protein 1 (NS1). Cytokine/chemokine production in A549 epithelial cells infected with influenza A/H1N1 virus (PR‐8) or nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) plasmid was examined in vitro. Because tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and regulated upon activation normal T‐cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) are predominantly produced from cells infected with PR‐8 virus, the effects of mRNA knockdown of these cytokines were investigated. Small interfering (si)TNF‐α down‐regulated RANTES expression and secretion of RANTES, interleukin (IL)‐8, and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1). In addition, siRANTES suppressed interferon (IFN)‐γ expression and secretion of RANTES, IL‐8, and MCP‐1, suggesting that TNF‐α stimulates production of RANTES, IL‐8, MCP‐1, and IFN‐γ, and RANTES also increased IL‐8, MCP‐1, and IFN‐γ. Furthermore, administration of TNF‐α promoted increased secretion of RANTES, IL‐8, and MCP‐1. Administration of RANTES enhanced IL‐6, IL‐8, and MCP‐1 production without PR‐8 infection. These results strongly suggest that, as an initial step, TNF‐α regulates RANTES production, followed by increase of IL‐6, IL‐8, and MCP‐1 and IFNs concentrations. At a later stage, cells transfected with viral NS1 plasmid showed production of a large amount of IL‐8 and MCP‐1 in the presence of the H2O2‐myeloperoxidse (MPO) system, suggesting that NS1 of PR‐8 may induce a "cytokine storm" from epithelial cells in the presence of an H2O2‐MPO system.


With the advent of bioinformatic tools in efficiently predicting neo‐antigens, peptide vaccines have gained tremendous attention in cancer immunotherapy. However, the delivery of peptide vaccines remains a major challenge, primarily due to ineffective transport to lymph nodes and low immunogenicity. Here, a strategy for peptide vaccine delivery is reported by first fusing the peptide to the cytosolic domain of the stimulator of interferon genes protein (STINGΔTM), then complexing the peptide‐STINGΔTM protein with STING agonist 2'3' cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP). The process results in the formation of self‐assembled cGAMP‐peptide‐STINGΔTM tetramers, which enables efficient lymphatic trafficking of the peptide. Moreover, the cGAMP‐STINGΔTM complex acts not only as a protein carrier for the peptide, but also as a potent adjuvant capable of triggering STING signaling independent of endogenous STING protein—an especially important attribute considering that certain cancer cells epigenetically silence their endogenous STING expression. With model antigen SIINFEKL, it is demonstrated that the platform elicits effective STING signaling in vitro, draining lymph node targeting in vivo, effective T cell priming in vivo as well as antitumoral immune response in a mouse colon carcinoma model, providing a versatile solution to the challenges faced in peptide vaccine delivery.


The television series is critically admired and has legions of fans, So why does Kath and Kim's translation to the big screen fall so flat? Watching the film, Brian McFarlane examines some of the problems that lay waste to so many promising TV-to-cinema adaptations.


Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disability in children in The Netherlands caused by brain damage. Children with CP have difficulties with movement and/or a deviating posture. To increase the mobility of the child, physiotherapists use progressive resistance exercise training (PRE) to strengthen the leg muscles of the child. During this training the child has to do exercises like standing up from a chair and stepping on a block while wearing a weighted vest. When the child is making progress, the physiotherapist can add load to the vest to make the exercises a bit more difficult. Existing vests used during PRE training are unfortunately not functional: they are a hassle to put on, cannot carry enough weight, are not comfortable and children do not like wearing the vests. This project focused on the design of a user friendly weighted vest used during PRE training for children with CP.The design of the weighted vest comes in two sizes, which have a large range of adjustability to fit children between 5 to 10 years old. The vest consists out of a hipband that is hold into place with adjustable shoulder straps. The hipband is easy to adjust with Velcro. Unique of this vest is that most of the load is worn on the hips, which is closer to the center of gravity of the child making him/her more stable during the exercises. The load is attached to the vest with magnetic Fidlock connectors, which makes it really fast and easy to attach and remove load. A total of 10kg can be fitted on the largest size, which would be enough to train a child of 10 years old.


This paper presents the results of a numerical study which has been undertaken to predict the mechanical behaviour of a wide austenitic stainless steel cracked plate submitted to creep-fatigue bending load cycles at 650°C. In order to get a better understanding of the mechanical process at the crack tip and then use damage mechanics for life estimation purposes, finite element simulations of this test have been undertaken. For this, a sophisticated constitutive visco-plastic model referred to as the DID (Double Inelastic Deformation) model was used. This model, available in the finite element code CASTEM 2000 developed at CEA, is a non unified cyclic law that splits the inelastic strain into plastic and viscous strain terms. Each inelastic strain is described with a non-linear isotropic law and a non-linear kinematic hardening law. The plastic flaw rule is based on the Hill assumption and the visco-plastic behaviour is approximated with a secondary creep law. The paper addresses the multi-axial equations as well as the identification of the model parameters. The testing conditions are summarised and emphasis is given toward the results obtained with the model.


Clinics with experience in screening embryos will have their applications to perform pre-implantation genetic diagnosis fast tracked under new procedures, the government's fertility watchdog announced last week.

Applications to perform pre-implantation genetic diagnosis may be approved without first having to go through the lengthy application process of the licence committee of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as long as the applying clinic has proven expertise in performing embryo biopsies and wishes to screen for a condition already being successfully tested for in another clinic. Such …


The previously reported P,P'-diphenyl-1,4-diphospha-cyclohexane (dpdpc) ligand has been used to form novel metal complexes with extremely small bite angles for a bidentate phosphine ligand. Currently the only derivative of this ligand reported in the literature contains phenyl substituents at the phosphorus atoms. Herein we report the synthesis of a new derivative of this ligand, P,P'-1,4-diphospha-cyclohexane (dpc) through reaction of bis-(phospido)ethane with 1,2-dicholroethane. Reactions of dpc with BuLi and alkyl-halides to form dpc derivatives with other substituents at the phosphorus atoms will be reported. Preliminary metal coordination studies with these novel ligands will also be reported.


Drawing on social learning theory and taking a motivational perspective, this study mainly investigates how leader humility can promote employees' other-oriented motivations, and uncovers the other-serving motivational mechanism through which leader humility can impact their employees' different types of voice behavior. By collecting data from 152 leader–subordinate dyads through an online survey, the results revealed that leader humility was positively related to both employees' prosocial motivation and organizational concern motivation. Meanwhile, these two motivations play mediating roles in explaining how leader humility can positively affect employees' supportive voice and challenging voice. It is noteworthy that leader humility, which features highlighting the value and strength of others, is more likely to trigger employees' prosocial motivation and thus influence their voice behavior. This research extends our understanding of leader humility, employee motivation, and workplace voice. Practical implications and limitations of the results are also discussed.


A numerical scheme is presented for the solution of the Euler equations of compressible flow of a gas in a single spatial co-ordinate. This includes flow in a duct of variable cross-section as well as flow with slab, cylindrical or spherical symmetry and can prove useful when testing codes for the two-dimensional equations governing compressible flow of a gas. The resulting scheme requires an average of the flow variables across the interface between cells and for computational efficiency this average is chosen to be the arithmetic mean, which is in contrast to the usual 'square root' averages found in this type of scheme. The scheme is applied with success to five problems with either slab or cylindrical symmetry and a comparison is made in the cylindrical case with results from a two-dimensional problem with no sources.


In Spite of increasing interest and open source software growth, this article discusses about Linux-the open source software in Business. This study reveals the factors that influences on the selection of LINUX. This study is a qualitative research, which turns back the pages of past studies about LINUX and the factors that lead to select LINUX as Operating System. The results revealed that most of the SMB's prefer LINUX-OSS for Open Source, Freeware, low implementation cost, Security, Firewalls (less vulnerable to computer malware), Interoperability, Reliability, Support, Management Application, File Sharing, Databases, E-mails, DNS/File


Adhesive containing at least one synthetic polymer involving receptor sites that allow selective trapping or release of the target molecule. Polymer, the functionalized monomers or functionalized copolymer, polymerized in the presence of a target or template molecule, and is synthesized by cross-linking allows for the reversible interaction between the polymer and the target molecule. Target molecule can be extracted from the polymer, it is possible to create a complementary receptor sites for the target molecule. Also, the target molecule can be left in the polymer network, and is controlled to release. Molecularly imprinted polymer is formulated in the adhesive. The adhesive releases the template molecule, or to capture a target molecule in an empty receptor sites of a synthetic polymer, may be used as a component in a diagnostic device for in-vitro. .The 15


This paper presents a systematic review of extant literature to establish what research
has considered product design factors in the supply chain management domain. In so doing, this research aims to identify the limitations of this current body of knowledge and opportunities for further research. Peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2000 to the end of 2010 from the top 10 supply chain management journals as defined by Menachof et al. (2009) are reviewed using pre-defined Boolean search terms. The articles found directly relevant to this
research are evaluated to identify an emerging body of research highlighting the
significant impact of product design on supply chain strategies in different industries. This relationship is most commonly seen in fast growing industries with short product life cycles. With ever-shortening product lifecycles comes the need to design and redesign supply chains accordingly. Yet to date the relationship between product design and
supply chain management is not widely debated in the scholarly literature. We therefore propose further research.


Despite guidelines issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)


The non-linear theory of spinor fields with Lagrangian interaction was studied on the two-dimensional spacetime model. The renormalization group, in the investigated case has a structure similar to the renormialization group for the non-linear meson theory, obtained from the doublc charge meson-nucleon theory- within the limits of exclusion of meson-nucleon interaction. In contrast to all other field theorles, Thirring's model does not lead to the so called "logarithmic pole" difficulty. (R.V.J.)


The alternate occurrence of prosperity and depression has been the principal obstacle to the successful functioning of real estate mortgage finance. This type of credit usually involves large individual commitments in comparison with the assets of borrowers, and in the aggregate is the largest segment in the credit structure of the nation. Maladjustments in this credit structure, in view of its paramount importance both to borrowers and to lenders, have all too frequently ended in grave financial difficulty and frustration of the original purposes of at least one of the parties to the contract. As a rule, mortgages carry fixed and uniform payments which must be met promptly over a period of years, regardless of the income of the borrower or his changing ability to pay. Incomes from whatever source, whether from farming or industrial activities, have typically fluctuated widely in the United States.


Glutathione S-transferases (GSTM1 and GSTT1) detoxify tobacco smoke constituents and polymorphisms within GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes, can result in a complete lack of enzyme activity. In this hospital based case-control study, 230 cervical cancer patients (cases) and 230 controls were studied to determine the risk of the disease due to polymorphisms at GSTM1 and GSTT1 locus. For GSTM1 null genotype (?² =8.97, df=1, p=0.003) and GSTT1 null genotype (?² =8.33, df=1, p=0.004), the association was found to have statistically significant between cases and controls. The GSTM1 null genotype had 2.5 times increased risk for cervical cancer (OR= 2.57 p<0.001, 95% CI = 1.36 to 4.85), whereas GSTT1 null genotype had 1.8 times higher risk of getting cervial cancer (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.21 to 2.75). GSTM1 null genotype showed significant distribution for Gudakhu habit in case and control groups (?2=7.734, df=1, p=0.005). Tobacco chewing and alcohol drinking habit did not show any associations with the occurrence of cervical cancer.These findings indicate that GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms play crucial role in the development of cervical cancer.


This is the final published version of a paper published in Chemistry - A European Journal Volume 21, Issue 10, pages 3919–3923, March 2, 2015, DOI: 10.1002/chem.201406566


A detailed study on the multiplicity characteristics of the slow target fragments emitted in relativistic heavy-ion collisions has been carried out at ELab = 3.7A and 200A GeV using 32S projectile. The beam energy dependence of the black particles produced in the full phase space of 32S-emulsion (32S-Em) interactions on the target size in terms of their moments (mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis) is investigated. The various order moments of target fragments emitted in the interactions of 32S beams with the heavy (AgBr) target nuclei are estimated in the forward (FHS) and backward (BHS) hemispheres. The investigated values of ratio of variance to mean at both energies show that the multiplicity distributions (MDs) are not Poissonian and the strongly correlated emission of target fragments are in the forward directions. The degree of anisotropic fragment emission and nature of correlation among the emitted fragments are investigated. The energy dependence of entropy is examined in both hemispheres. The entropy values normalized to average multiplicity are found to be energy independent. Scaling of MD of black particles produced in these interactions has been studied to verify the validity of scaling hypothesis via two scaling (Koba–Nielsen–Olesen (KNO)-scaling and Hegyi-scaling) functions. A simplified universal function has been used in each scaling to display the experimental data.


Author(s): Carrasquillo, Luis Enrique | Advisor(s): Wallace, Gregory | Abstract: Going into grad school I was sure that I would develop the confidence to face any artistic or creative challenge. Inspiration would no longer be something that I would have to seek out, nurture, or patiently await; it would simply be there. I've been forced to face many things during my time here at UCSD, the reality of these two falsehoods however, are by far the most valuable. After one day confessing to Gregory Wallace my interest in developing greater confidence as an actor he responded in so many words with "confidence is a fair-weather friend in this business. Get used to it." In a similar vein, the bottomless bounty of inspiration that I thought I would have at my beck and call has also proven unpredictable. What three years at UCSD have taught me however is that the solution--or rather remedy--to both of these truths is work: hard, uncompromising, rigorous work. Don't know your lines, uncertain about your character arc, not sure if you're good enough? Put in work. The result is unequivocally in tall or short order, greater confidence. The same applies to inspiration. Have I developed a greater number of avenues to pursue inspiration than I had never dreamed? Certainly. Does inspiration continue to elude me at times? Of course. As before, putting in the time, digging deep, remembering my love for language, the stage, and collaboration…and then putting in the work.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of self-regulated learning on student academic integrity with religiosity as the moderator variable. The approach used in this research was correlational causality. Using three measurement scales (self-regulated learning scale, academic integrity scale and religiosity) for 380 respondents, the results showed that self-regulated learning affected academic integrity with religiosity as a moderator variable of 54.2%. Based on the results obtained, it showed the effect of self-regulated learning on academic integrity in students in the form of a positive relationship. It means that the higher the level of self-regulated learning in students, the higher the level of academic integrity will be. Religiosity as a moderator variable in this study strengthened the influence of self-regulated learning variable on student academic integrity.


The problem of choosing an optimal mix of operating strategies in a flexible manufacturing system is solved by a network flow optimization approach. Mathematical methods which exploit the structure of the problem to generate manufacturing strategies are outlined. Numerical results show that the method produces results which agree with intuition for a two-workstation system.


Coal mining is carried out with an open system that is dredging topsoil, and then taken the coal material. In 2016, the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Land Resources Research and Development conducted a survey, mapping and characterization of ex-coal mine areas in Tapin, Tabalong, Balangan, and Hulu Sungai Selatan regencies. This paper aimed to provide information based on the soil biophysical characteristics on ex-coal mine lands and to assess the land suitability for agricultural crops. The land characteristics obtained were then matched with the criteria of quality/suitability land for agricultural crops. The ex-coal mine lands in the four regencies cover an area of 17,141 ha. The landform characteristics have changed, namely voids and piles of excavated products in the form of small piles to hilly called anthropogenic landforms. According to Soil Taxonomy, the soil is classified as anthropic soil that was formed from material transported by humans, as Endoaquents Anthroportic, Epiaquents Anthroportic, and Udorthents Anthroportic. The heavy metals found were Pb, Hg, and Cd that varied from low to high uneven both vertically and horizontally. The land suitability class of Suitable (S) for dryland food crops, vegetable crops and forage crops covered 12,606 ha, while for annual crops covered 14,158 ha. The land suitability class is classified as Marginally suitable (S3), and the remaining as Not suitable (N). Based on the biophysical conditions, the ex-coal mine area requires considerable land reclamation and rehabilitation efforts, both for the restoration of soil chemical and physical properties.


A 37-year-old pine plantation was harvested. An experiment was established at the site with three levels of logging residue retention and two levels of weed control. By age 10 years retaining harvest residue increased pine volumes by 10 m3 ha-l and weed control increased production by another 20 m3 ha-'. Growth differed between genetic family, but there was no genetic family x residue treatment interaction. Retention of logging residue without weed control increased the amount of carbon in the soil at age 5 years, but carbon levels decreased to pre-planting levels by age 10 years.


A temperature‐dependent study of the four Raman‐active phonons in MnF2 and FeF2 has shown that their Raman frequencies and intensities are affected to varying extents by the antiferromagnetic ordering. A theory for spin‐dependent effects in rutile structure antiferromagnets has been developed to calculate the anomalous variation in the phonon frequency and to estimate the corresponding spin‐phonon coupling coefficients.


-Several pass-transistor logic families have been introduced recently, but no systematic synthesis method which doesn't take signal arrangement on circuit performance into consideration. In the pass transistor logic, a Karnaugh map based method which efficiently synthesized Pass Transistor Logic (PTL) circuits, that have balanced loads on true and complementary input signals was developed. The method was applied to the generation of basic two-input and three-input logic gates in Complementary Pass Transistor Logic (CPL), Double Pass Transistor Logic (DPL) and Dual Value Logic (DVL). These methods were general and can be extended to synthesize any pass-transistor network which consumed more power. In this project, Complementary Pass Transistor logic is used which contains only NMOS transistor to design 2-4 Decoder circuits. Decoder based CPL is used to design low power memories. Usage of memories is to store the information and it is one of the intermediate of processor and external interface. Since CPL is being used, the power is reduced. CPL based decoder for memories is designed and its performance metrics of high speed and low power is analyzed using MICROWIND 3.1 Tool. The proposed design of CPL is to reduce the transistor count and also achieve the Power, area and delay performance. Index Terms – Pass Transistor Logic, CPL, Decoder, Memories.


Objective To investigate whether carotid atherosclerosis(AS) is associated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods The clinical index,CRP and triceps skinfolds(TSF), arm circumference(AC), arm muscle circumference(AMC)were measured in 33 elderly and 42 young patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis(HD).The initma-media thickness(IMT) of extracranial common carotid artery and presence of atherosclerotic plaques were determined by B-mode ultrasonography. Results The AC,AMC, blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(Scr), serum albumin(Alb) in elderly patients undergoing HD was lower than those in young patients;but serum CRP, mean IMT, prevalence of atherosclerotic plaque and increased IMT in carotid artery were high;The mean IMT of carotid artery correlated positively with CRP, triglycerides(TG),low density lipoprotein(LDL),age,but negatively with Alb in HD patients. Conclusions The malnutrition and AS are serious in elderly HD patients. To improve nutrition, micro-inflammation and abnormal serum lipid might have better effect on treating AS in elderly HD patients.


Functional Verification is one of the main processes in the Research and Development of new System-on-Chip. As chips are becoming more and more complex, this step becomes an extensive bottleneck which can vastly delay the chip mass production. It is a mandatory step as the design needs to not contain any faults, to ensure proper functioning. If this step is bypassed, large major financial losses and customer dissatisfaction can happen later in the process. Additionally, if the verification process is prolonging for a long period of time, to achieve a higher quality product, it will also cause a financial impact. Therefore, the solution is to find ways to optimize this activity. This paper contains a review on how Artificial Intelligence can reduce this blockage, taking into consideration the time spent on implementing the verification environment and the time of attaining the aimed coverage percentage. The engineer will take a decision on which causes of time-consuming processes presented in the paper will be reduced, depending on project specifics and his or her experience. A candidate for optimizing the training of the Neural Network is the Nvidia's Computer Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). CUDA is parallel computing platform that make use of the GPU, peculiarly of the CUDA cores located inside Nvidia GPUs.


Denial-of-service (DOS) is a type of computer attack, which can essentially disable computers and networks. Resource consumption type of DOS attack could not be detected by the traditional misuse detection technique. This paper presents a new method of support vector mchine (SVM) to detect these attacks. We find that a DOS attack to a host is related to the activities within an impact data set of the host. The SVM method is used to classify the subsets of an impact data set to estimate its anomalism. The experiment result shows that this method can detect resource consumption type of DOS attacks, such as SYN-flood, Smurf and UDP-storm. A receiver operating characteristic curve is plotted to determine performance for any possible operating point of the DOS attacks detection.


Vegetation management of power grids is essential for reliable distribution of services, prevention of forest fires and disruption of electricity due to tree fall. In this paper, we introduce a vegetation analysis system that utilizes information from GIS data, aerial and satellite imagery to estimate vegetation profile within a buffer zone. This vegetation profile is further combined with operational parameters of the grid to develop a survival model which predicts the outage risk of a power-line in an electrical grid. Using historical data, we show that the risk scores thus obtained are significantly better at developing trimming schedules for grid power-lines, compared to existing available methods.


Signal integrity (SI) degradation in printed circuit boards (PCBs) has been becoming more serious problem in GHz domain due to the difficulty of impedance matching designs. In this paper, we propose a novel trace structure called capacitor- segmental transmission line (C-STL) and its design methodology to overcome the SI degradation problem. In the C-STL, we intentionally generate reflection waves, or noises due to impedance mismatching by embedded chip capacitors connected to the trace, or transmission line in the PCB, and superpose the reflection waves onto the distorted digital signals to shape it to ideal ones. We use genetic algorithm to design the C-STL because chip-capacitor-selection becomes a combinatorial explosion problem. We fabricate a C-STL prototype and demonstrate its high SI improvement capability by eye-diagram measurements.


The left brachiocephalic vein (LBCV), or innominate vein, connects the left jugular vein to the right superior vena cava. Its course is posterior to the thymus and directly anterior and superior to the aortic arch. Pediatric and adult cardiology studies have reported on the subaortic or retrotracheal courses of the LBCV and the presence of double LBCV. We observed recently in the fetus that the LBCV may have a course through the thymus (intrathymic) or be absent in the presence of a left superior vena cava. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of isolated intrathymic and absent LBCV in normal fetuses undergoing second‐trimester ultrasound screening, as well as the prevalence of other courses in association with cardiac anomalies.


I numerically simulated one-dimensional lattice systems describable by the Hubbard-model and containing a at-band. I studied the manner in which particles initially held in place by a parabolic con nement potential are dispersed across the lattice after the potential is removed. I also studied currents owing within one-dimensional Hubbard-rings. In both of these cases I observed that the at dispersion relation of the at-band manifests itself as the immobility of the particles occupying it. Particles occupying at-band states do not disperse even after the removal of any external con nement, neither do they contribute to a current within a ring.


Some years ago 1 , in what was a discussion of other matters, we wondered about the analytic potentiality of ignorance (Sharrock and Anderson, 1980). What had caught our eye was the possibility, no more, that the initial fieldwork experience, involving as it does the overcoming of alienness and separation, could provide rich resources for the analysis of culture. In coming to know a culture, in finding one's feet, the fieldworker finds an organisation to activities, knowledge and practices. That organisation constitutes the culture for him. In focussing on this "discovery", it might be possible to draw out some of the ways that bodies of knowledge and associated activities make themselves accessible, comprehensible and utilisable by anyone who comes to them. Such a suggestion is, of course, little more than an extension of Schutz' (1962) insights with


The utility model discloses a fixing device for anchor bolts of embedded type steel tube concrete column feet, which comprises the anchor bolts, a positioning disc, an anchor bolt fixing rack transverse partition board and vertical supporting steel plates. The size of the positioning disc is identical to that of the anchor bolt fixing rack transverse partition board, positions of anchor bolt holes reserved on the positioning disc correspond to those of anchor bolt holes reserved on the anchor bolt fixing rack transverse partition board, the positioning disc is integrally connected with the anchor bolt fixing rack transverse partition board via the anchor bolts, and the positioning disc is fixed with the anchor bolt fixing rack transverse partition board by the vertical supporting steel plates by means of welding. The fixing device for anchor bolts of embedded type steel tube concrete column feet can be reused, saves building materials, not only effectively realizes fast and accurate positioning of steel tube columns, but also provides a reference basis for innovation of the steel structure hoisting and positioning technology.


Depression in HIV/AIDS patients will influence the quality of life (QoL) demographically or by its own HIV disease. QoL-affected factors could be helpful in making important policy decisions and health care interventions, especially in Banda Aceh. The study aims to find the relationship between depression and quality of life in HIV/AIDS patients. A cross sectional design and the sample recruitment technique was done by total sampling that all outpatient and inpatient HIV/AIDS patients who had received antiretroviral therapy or not and were willing to be interviewed in Zainoel Abidin Hospital, Aceh Province, Indonesia. QoLwas assessed using WHOQoL and depression data werecollectedusing the BDI questionnaires. The study resulted in 29 HIV/AIDS patients which the most were men (62.1%), and the mean age was 33.14 ± 6.13 years old. The most transmitted type was by IVDU, and the CD4+ count was less than 350 cells. There is a strong relationship between sex and QoL (p = 0.005) and depression is strongly negative correlation with QoL (r = -0.619, p < 0.00). The conclusion of the study i.e there is a relationship between depression and quality of life in HIV/AIDS patients.


Antennas are commonly deposited to rigid substrates using a physical vapour deposition process that requires high vacuum and eventually also high temperatures. Solution-processed inks that are based on e.g. metal nanowires or -particles have recently attracted a high research and commercial interest attributed to scalable synthesis protocols and readily available deposition techniques under ambient conditions.

In this contribution, we report on the fabrication and characterization of conductive thin-films based on spray-coated silver nanoparticles. In order to enhance the conductivity of the sub 250 nm thick films, different sintering techniques such as thermal annealing and high intensity light pulse sintering were investigated under ambient conditions. After sintering, films with a thickness around 130 nm and a resistivity around 64 nOhm*m, which is only around a factor of 4.8 higher than the value reported for bulk silver, were produced. The drastic reduction in resistance from almost non-conductive can be ascribed to the coalescence of the 50 nm particles to a percolating silver film. Furthermore, the highly conductive films were tested for spray-on antennas on rigid and flexible substrate using an original coplanar design.


The linear dispersion equation describing electromagnetic waves propagating in a homogeneous electron-proton plasma along arbitrary directions relative to the direction of the background magnetic field is solved numerically for bi-Maxwellian particle distributions. It is found that in the presence of an electron temperature anisotropy T⊥ 2), several purely growing modes (zero real frequency) and a quasi-parallel electron firehose instability develop. While the quasi-parallel mode is unstable for both parallel and oblique propagation, the zero frequency modes are unstable only for oblique propagation. Comparison of these modes further shows that the propagation angle for maximum growth rate and the maximum growth rate are larger for the purely growing modes than the quasi-parallel electron firehose while the threshold is lower. Potential application of the kinetic electron firehose instability to the slow solar wind is briefly discussed.


New water treatment facilities in the Gulf of Mexico include a seawater Sulfate Removal Unit (SRU) to mitigate reservoir souring and scaling. The general industry sulfate target for offshore SRU is usually 20 mg/L or even 40 mg/L; however, some facilities may require <10 mg/L of sulfate in injection water, which makes water quality monitoring more critical and challenging. Current industrial practice relies on only pressure drop and a constant cleaning interval frequency to perform SRU maintenance which may result in reduced membrane life due to frequency cleaning or severe membrane fouling without the capability to predict fouling based on process conditions. The machine learning techniques applied will fill the gap and deliver a prediction model based on both simulation and real-time field data. This model will track and monitor the system key performance indicators (KPIs) including pressure, membrane fouling factor (FF), permeate sulfate concentration etc. The monitoring and prediction of these KPIs provide estimates on when the next maintenance procedure is required, track membrane system status for troubleshooting and actions, and optimize membrane performance by tuning operation conditions.


Background: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection has been associated with childhood wheeze and asthma, and potential mechanisms include persistent epigenetic effects. Methods: In the randomized, placebo-controlled MAKI trial, 429 preterm infants randomly received RSV immunoprophylaxis with palivizumab or placebo during their first RSV season. Children were followed until age 6 for asthma evaluation. DNA methylation in cells obtained by nasal brushes at age 6 was measured by Illumina MethylationEPIC array. Results: RSV immunoprophylaxis in infancy had significant impact on global methylation patterns in nasal cells at age 6. The first principal component related to the immunoprophylaxis intervention was enriched for the pathway positive regulation of defense response to virus by host and antigen processing and presentation and driven by methylation changes in NOD2, DGKG, MSH3, and ITPR2. Three CpGsites, cg18040241, cg08243963, cg19555973 were differentially methylated at genome-wide significance, but were not associated with asthma. Differential methylation region analysis identified regions near genes that were previously implicated in the development of asthma and allergy such as HLA-DPA1, HLA-DPB1, FASLG, and CHI3L1. Conclusions: The study provides the first proof of concept that RSV immunoprophylaxis during infancy has long-term effects on nasal epigenetic signatures at age 6, relating to host antiviral defense pathways.


Rapid human-induced changes, such as climate change, population growth and rapid urbanization, are putting enormous stress on water resources. An accurate estimate of available water resources is a prerequisite for sustainable water resources planning and management. For gauged basins, historical records of hydrological observations are available, but for ungauged basins, the assessment of water availability is a challenging task. Therefore, the major focus of studies in ungauged basins is the development of appropriate tools that can accurately quantify hydrologic responses under various land use and climatic conditions. The reduction of the number of unknown parameters to be estimated is a key aspect in the development of hydrological models for ungauged basins.

This work is part of these issues and proposes an approach to reduce the complexity of hydrological models that include substantial uncertainties about the input data, initial and boundary conditions, model structure and parameters, owing to lack of data (i.e. for ungauged basins) and poor knowledge of hydrological response mechanisms. The case study of a basin of the District of Licola, located in the territory of the municipality of Giugliano, a city near Naples (southern Italy) is analyzed. Originally devoted to agriculture and grazing, it has been affected in the last decades by intense urbanization, which caused an increase in the impermeability of the soil cover. The increase in residential, commercial and production buildings has changed the functioning of the drainage network canals, compared to the original conditions, causing an increase in the frequency of flooding in the area. The semi-distributed hydrological model SWMM is adopted, which allows the subdivision of the basin in sub-basins according to land use and soil data.

Sensitivity Analysis (SA) is an effective approach to model simplification, providing an assessment of how much each input / parameter contributes to the output uncertainty. In general, SA is an essential part of model development, reducing uncertainties that have negative effects on the accuracy and reliability of simulated results. Specifically, in this study the SA is carried out with a method based on the decomposition of the variance of the peak flow and runoff volume, to quantitatively evaluate the contributions of single uncertain inputs/parameters that characterize the surface runoff with respect to different rainfall events, for both pervious and impervious areas. To this aim, the Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST) is implemented. This method allows quantifying not only the “main effect” of variance, but also provides the Total Sensitivity Indices (TSI), defined as the sum of all the sensitivity indices for each parameter (including the effects of the interaction with other uncertain parameters).

The research objectives aims at: (i) increased understanding of the relationships between input and output variables in a complex hydrological system; (ii) reduction of model uncertainty, through the identification of input parameters mostly contributing to output variability and should therefore be the focus of sensitivity analysis; (iii) model simplification, fixing  the values of input parameters that have little effect on the output, and identifying and removing redundant parts of the model structure.


Athenian Solon who lived between BC 640-560 was statesman and poet. In order to end the class fights in his age, he was appointed as the mediator to Archont of Athens. Solon was equipped with unlimited powers to prevent the clash between the two extreme socioeconomic classes in Athens and the newly emerging merchant class, peace coup attempts and ensure peace. For this purpose, he was assigned to make new laws. He has objectively observed the demands and values of different classes under the changing conditions of the age, and has made its laws aiming to please everyone. In his poems he praised moderation, justice, virtue and wisdom, and criticized the extremes of the life style and moral preferences of the people of Athens. By abolishing slavery, he spread the title of citizenship to the grassroots and tried to balance the aristocracy-democracy. He prepared the contents of the laws in a way to balance the attitudes of the people and presented a fair constitution to Athens. Aristotle (388-322 BC) handled human beings as a compound entity who consisting of spirit and body, and he analyzed how to achieve virtues and happiness as an activity style by following the footsteps of smart side of human being's soul. In addition to being a smart being by nature, being political requires human being to live with others. Therefore, this distinguishing feature determines justice as the most basic virtue of human. This virtue must exist in the structure of both the human and the state. Thus, continuity and happiness can be achieved. Justice should also be in laws and the constitution. Justice which taking into account the principle of equal  Bu makale, Serdar Sakınmaz tarafından, Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Önder Bilgin'in danışmanlığında, Akdeniz Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Felsefe Anabilim Dalında ''Atina'lı Solon ve Aristoteles'in Yasa ve Adalet Anlayışı" başlıklı Yüksek Lisans Tezinden bazı değişiklik ve değerlendirmeler eklenerek üretilmiştir.  Arş. Gör., Akdeniz Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Bölümü, Felsefe Tarihi ABD, firstname.lastname@example.com  Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Akdeniz Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Felsefe Bölümü, Felsefe Tarihi ABD, firstname.lastname@example.com Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi Cilt: 12 Sayı: 66 Ekim 2019 The Journal of International Social Research Volume: 12 Issue: 66 October 2019 710 share among equals, and unequal share among unequal, changes with regard to deciding who will be equal in the state or which constitution will remain in force. The criterion for the implementation of the constitution is that it iscompatible with the characters, attitudes and habits of the society to which it is bound. The best constitution will emerge in the state where virtuous individuals with moderate character a governed.


ABSTRACT Research suggests the Cross-Race Effect (CRE), the difficulty to remember faces from a different race relative to their own, is due to other race faces being processed featurally. It has been theorised that if individuals process other race faces the same as they do same race faces (globally) the CRE could be attenuated. Research inducing global processing, through the use of a Navon processing task, has improved memory for same race faces. Across two experiments we explored if inducing global processing through the Navon processing task prior to encoding (Experiment 1) and at both encoding and retrieval (Experiment 2) would reduce the CRE. Results revealed that biasing White participants' processing orientations failed to improve memory for Black faces. Furthermore, in Experiment 2, global processing impaired participants' memory for identifying faces relative to a control group. Practical implications and the need to address inconsistencies in the Navon processing literature are discussed.


Mining activities have purpose to increase the prosperity and welfare of human. In Cibereum Wetan Village, Cimalaka District, sand mining activities have caused various negative impacts from changes in land use until disturbed springs and rivers, so there is a need for post-mining land reclamation efforts. Data of this study are the geographical conditions of the land and the chemical properties of the soil. The population of the area in this study is the whole area of sand mining, where has been used as Dragon fruit farm or not. Human population is the whole head of the family (KK) in the Village Cibereum Wetan. The reclamation effort was able to reduce the original sand content 55% to 12%. KTK value increase from 11.75%, to 12.37% and increasing the value of microorganisms from the original value of 26% to 74%. keywords: Dragon fruit farm, reclamation sand mining


Letter to the Editor commenting on how pediatricians spend their time with patients during office visits compared to physicians. Pediatricians espouse emphasizing the quality, not the quantity, of parents' time with children. The author suggests that should be the case for physicians' time with patients.


Proceedings of the 2018 International Scientific Conference 'Economic Sciences for Agribusiness and Rural Economy' No 2, Warsaw, 7–8 June 2018


.Abstract This paper reports a descriptive correlation to explore the relationships among core competencies, nursing professionalism, and employment strategies of nursing students. Data collection was conducted from November 1 to November 28, 2014. A structural questionnaire were completed by 107 nursing students of 4th year in B city andG city. The data was analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 program. The mean value of the study was as follows: core competencies, 3.57; nursing professionalism, 4.22; and employment strategies, 3.69. A positive relationship was observed between the core competencies and nursing professionalism (r=.401, p<.001), core competencies and employment strategies (r=.559, p<.001), and nursing professionalism and employment strategies (r=.465, p<.001). Thefactors affecting the employment strategies of the study participants were core competencies (β=.43, p<.001), nursingprofessionalism (β=.28, p=.001), school score (β=-.19, p=.011), which explained approximately 42% (F=24.82, p<.001). Overall, this study indicates that the core competencies and nursing professionalism, employment strategies of Nursing students have a significant positive relationship. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the curriculum, program development and repeat research for improving the core competencies, nursing professionalism, and employment strategies.Keywords : Core Competencies, Employment Strategies, Nursing Professionalism, Nursing Students


Sexually transmitted infections are on a dramatic upswing, according to the CDC, leaving physicians and health officials looking for solutions


Two major views dominate recent historiography of the English Revolution: the Orthodox view that represents Whig-Marxist interpretations and Revisionist conservative explanations of the civil wars of 1640-1660 in England. The origins of the two views can be traced back to the seventeenth century. It is, however, hard to identify the first systematic and comprehensive interpretations of the revolution. This article attempts to identify the first one of the two views. Writing Defensio Regia in 1649, Salmasius started hot discourses with Milton, Salmasius denied legitimacy of the revolution. He called the affair criminal activities. According to Salmasius the rebels deceived the people although they vainly claimed their sovereignty, committed regicide crime, established a tyranny, and produced thousands casualties of the war. The rebellion had few causes to rise: Charles' rule was adequate, his religious policy was appropriate considering the situation of the three kingdoms he ruled, and he did not violate any laws of the kingdom. The revolt was a typical coup d'etat, which was led by small numbers of power hungry intellectuals. Milton, who was a secretary of the Commonwealth, wrote the first Defence to respond to Salmasius in 1651 with approval of the State Council. His view was official to the new regime. Milton urged liberties of the people, righteousness of the resolution and legitimacy of the regime: Charles was a tyrant, he abused his rights which the people entrusted, the leaders of the revolution wisely and bravely led the protest against the king to save the nation and free people from serfdom, and the action was well planned from the first under the guidance of respectful ideology. The arguments of Milton and Salmasius contain almost all of the main topics of the Orthodox 'view and Revisionism. Milton's praise of the revolution was succeeded by the Whigs; Revisionists share the negative interpretations of the civil wars with Salmasius. Their manners and ways of discourse were also similar to those of modern opponents. Milton and Salmasius used the same materials for their evidence but produced totally different interpretations, as modern scholars have done so. Milton and Salmasius were the first polemicists in the discussion of the negative or positive interpretations of the English Revolution, when the systematic and comprehensive writings define the status of the first writings of the Orthodox view or Revisionism.


It is described to a carrier strip, a holding member having a holding clamp, an arrangement of a holding element with a carrier plate and an arrangement of a holding element, wherein the carrier strip and the retaining element are formed integrally. Advantageously, the retaining element has two legs, with which a retaining clip can be placed on a support plate. In this manner, a stable holding element is produced, which is without further aids on a base plate and can be easily soldered.


Knowledge management (KM) has become an important term in the construction industry. Knowledge management involves creating, securing, capturing, coordinating, combining, retrieving, and distributing knowledge. Most know-what, know-how, and experience exists only in the minds of individual participants during the construction phase of construction projects. The knowledge can be reused and shared among the involved engineers and experts to improve the construction process and reduce the time and cost of solving problems. Sharing and reusing knowledge depends on acquiring and preserving of both tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge as the property of a corporation. This study addresses application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects and proposes a construction activitybased knowledge management (ABKM) concept and system for general contractors. This chapter proposes a practical methodology to capture and represent construction 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING This chapter appears in the book, Knowledge Management in the Construction Industry: A Socio-Technical Perspective, edited by Abdul Samad Kazi. Copyright © 2005, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited.


Inthispaper, theneedfortheconstruction of Theveryfirst STBCfortwotransmit antennas wasthe asymmetric space-time block codes (ASTBCs) isdiscussed, mostlyAlamouticoderepresenting multiplication intheringof concentrating onthecaseoffourtransmitting andtworeceiving quatemions. Asthequatemions formadivision algebra, such antennas forsimplicity. Abovethetrivial puncturing method, i.e.m switching offtheextra layers inthesymmetric multiple input-matrices mustbeinvertible, i.e. theresulting STBC meets multiple output (MIMO)setting, amoresophisticated yetsimpletherankcriterion. Matrixrepresentations ofotherdivision asymmetric construction method isproposed. Thismethod canbe algebras havebeenproposed asSTBCsatleast in(2)-(7). converted toproduce multi-block space-time codes thatachieveThemostrecent workhasconcentrated onadding multiplexing thediversity-multiplexing (D-M)tradeoff. Itisalsoshownthatgaini.e. MIMO applications, and/or combining itwithagood maximizing thedensity ofthenewly proposed codes isequivalent.' tominimizing thediscriminant ofacertain order. Theuseofthe minimumdeterminant. Ithasbeenshownin(5)thatCDA- general method isthendemonstrated bybuilding explicit, spherebasedsquare ST codeswiththeNVD property achieve the decodable codes using different cyclic division algebras (CDAs).diversity-multiplexing (D-M)tradeoff introduced in(8). This We verify bycomputer simulations thatthenewlyproposed result alsoextends overmulti-block space-time codes(9). method cancompete withthepuncturing method, andinsome Thecodes proposed inthis paper arenotfully multiplexing casesoutperforms it.Ourconquering construction exploiting norfull-rate' duetothemodified application requirements. maximal orders improves evenuponthepunctured perfect code Thisfollows fromthefact that thenumberofRxantennas will andtheDjABBAcode. bestrictly less thanthenumberofTxantennas. We call this I.BACKGROUND situation asymmetric asopposed tothesymmetric caseof#Tx


Recognizing the increasing importance of using the Internet to conduct business, this paper looks at some related matters associated with small businesses making a decision of whether or not to have a Website and go online. Small businesses in Saudi Arabia struggle to have this decision. For organizations, to fully go online, conduct business and provide online information services, they need to connect their database to the Web. Some issues related to doing that might be beyond the capabilities of most small businesses in Saudi Arabia, such as Website management, technical issues and security concerns. Here we focus on a small business firm in Saudi Arabia (Case Study), discussing the issues related to going online decision and the firm's options of what to do and how to do it. The paper suggested some valuable solutions of connecting databases to the Web. It also discusses some of the important issues related to online information services and e-commerce, mainly Web hosting options and security issues. Keywords—E-Commerce, Saudi Arabia, Small business, Web database connection, Web hosting, World Wide Web (Web).


HIFU treatment has been developed for various diseases because of its minimal invasiveness, and we are now developing a HIFU treatment for varicose veins of the lower extremity. Previous studies have succeeded in occluding rabbit's veins with HIFU, but the success rate was low (about 10%). Failures were mainly caused by skin burns. When the heating lesion comes close to skin, the absorbed ultrasound energy may cause skin burns. Therefore, it is necessary to study the relationships between HIFU lesions and skin burns to improve the success rate. To visualize heating lesions from HIFU, we used tissue‐mimicking BSA gel phantoms. We tried various concentrations of BSA in gels, and determined 14% BSA as the most suitable for phantoms for experiments. The attenuation coefficient of the gel was 0.73 dB/cm, and the denaturation temperature was 70 °C. We put the BSA gel phantom in a water tank in which the temperature was kept at 39 °C, and used HIFU exposures at various intensities and irradiation times. After ir...


Our topic is the receipt patterns of low-income support benefits in the form of the guaranteed income supplement (GIS) benefit amongst Canadians who are 65 and older. The GIS regime is the only means-tested public retirement benefit that is targeted to the group of retired individuals and couples. The primary outcome variables are the incidence of receipt of payment amongst this population and the dynamics of entries and exits from this state. Our study is based on administrative data drawn from tax returns. The analysis is in the spirit of the poverty/low-income literature that is fairly developed in regards to the working-age population. In a point of departure from that literature, however, we take a retrospective approach by including in our analysis several phases of the life cycle. We estimate multivariate econometric models of the incidence of receipt among the eligible population, as well as hazard models of both entry and exit from that state. In our estimating equations we include indicators for age and entry cohort. We subsequently include regressors to reflect demographic variables such as gender, marital status, immigration status, minority language status, and regional effects. The fullest specification includes indicators for permanent income and prior savings activity, all calculated based on retrospective information observed when the individual was 50-52 years old. Among our numerous empirical results are an incidence rate that rises sharply with age and is much lower for married than single individuals. In regards to the dynamics, a majority (but not all) of GIS receipt is characterised as persistent.


This paper describes ten simple thermal imaging experiments designed primarily for upper secondary students, but usable with younger pupils as well. The author's primary motivation was to come up with a meaningful use for a thermal imaging camera even if the teacher only has a short time to work with it—in the extreme case, only one lesson in each class (if he/she e.g. borrowed the camera from another school or university). Experiments create three logical sequences—interaction of IR with matter, mechanical experiments and thermal properties of matter. In the predict-observe-explain design, the sequences are continuously used in the Interactive Physics Laboratory, which allows the author to add some relevant notes and recommendations derived from authentic experience.


The purpose of this research is to conduct a preliminary study to create a virtual chemistry laboratory innovation to optimize learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Natural Science Education Study Program of the Teacher Training and Education Faculty Universitas Sebelas Maret (FKIP UNS). The Natural Science Education Study Program of FKIP UNS itself teaches chemical concepts that require laboratory activity. This study used the descriptive qualitative method. Data was collected using observation, interviews, and analysis of related documents and equipped with a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with students and lecturers (Science Education and Chemistry Education FKIP UNS). The results showed that 11 chemistry practicums required virtual laboratory innovation in the Natural Science Education Study Program of FKIP UNS due to restrictions on the use of laboratories by the campus. It was concluded that a virtual chemistry laboratory was needed as an alternative to student practicum activities to maintain and optimize laboratory skills in online learning. In addition, the developed virtual laboratory needs to be embedded online and can be accessed through various gadgets so that it can be used anytime and anywhere.


Low birth weight is a baby with birth weight 1500 to less 2500 grams. Factors that cause infant weight are influenced by several factors both from the baby and from the mother itself. In neonates and in LBW infants the incomplete liver formation causes indirect bilirubin conjugation to direct bilirubin in inperfect liver. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment originating from the heme reshuffle of hemoglobin in the process of breaking the erotrocytes by reticuloendothelial cells. Jaundice is a clinical condition in infants characterized by yellow staining of the skin or other organs due to excessive accumulation of bilirubin which further gives yellow color to the skin. The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of bilirubin in low birth weight (LBW). To determine the percentage the precentage of elevated bilirubin levels in low birth weight (LBW). This research is a type of descriptive research using secondary data using 30 samples by randomly collecting data from January 2017 - April 2018 in RSUD Dr. Moewardi Surakarta. Based on the result of total bilirubin level concentration on 30 samples of low birth weight as many as 18 (60%) did not increase total bilirubin levels and 12 (40%) increased total bilirubin levels.
Keyword : Low birth weight infant , Bilirubin, Icterus


Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) was one of the most inventive and prolific Classical architects in Britain in the twentieth century, and his work is now much admired around the world. To understand his mature buildings, how they were conceived, detailed and executed, one needs to understand the man, and the story of his evolution as an architect. This paper explains that journey. From his unusual education in his youth, and the Arts and Crafts Movement into which as a young architect he was born; his early integration of Classical details within vernacular designs; his 'Wrenaissance' (increasing fascination with the work of Sir Christopher Wren [1632-1723]) and his evolution into full blown canonical Classical designs, and then the final flowering into abstract Classicism and the style that he was to make his own.


The accuracy of determination of film properties from ellipsometer measurements is determined by the accuracy with which ψ and Δ can be measured. This paper examines the effects of off-diagonal elements in the Jones matrices on calibration measurements in P -A, P -C -A, and P -S -A configurations. Based on these results, specific calibration procedures for determining instrument constants are given that will minimize the effects of off-diagonal elements. In particular, the method of McCrackin et al. for determining the polarizer–prism offset is found to be influenced by off-diagonal elements, and a simpler method based on extinction readings is presented. The advantages of using a sample with ρ˜=±j during P -S -A calibration measurements and a subsequent P -C -S -A check are pointed out. Polarizer–prism beam deviation in combination with photomultiplier sensitivity variations has been found to be a source of error. However, a specific procedure for determining the relative phase retardation δ′ of the compensator in the P -C -A configuration is described, which eliminates beam-deviation effects.


The report considers the history of development of general theory of vibroacoustic simulation of distribution of broadband dynamic loads on bearing structures of buildings and structures. The following examples show the principles of construction of their direct and inverse vibroacoustic models in series and in parallel. It has been proven that the topology of the original schema is completely the same as that of its inverse model. This makes it possible to conclude that inverse vibroacoustic models of building structures are most convenient for design modeling of complex and multi-connected mechanical oscillatory systems. It is shown that vibration acoustic models for the first time allowed to create algorithms of automated design simulation of explosion resistance of bearing building structures in a wide band of numerous resonances of frequency reaction of the construction structure and its elements to explosive pulse loads.


Humanity is facing considerable challenges in the 21st century. Population is predicted to growwell into this century and saturate between 9 and 10 billion somewhere in the later part. This growth has led to climate change (see the latest IPCC reports), has impacted the environment, and has affected ecosystems locally and globally around the planet. Virtually no region exists where humans have had no footprint of some kind [Sanderson et al., 2002]; we now basically "own" the ecosystem, and we are not always a good Shepard. An increasing population will require an increasing amount of resources, such as energy, food, and water. In an ideal scenario, we would transform the current situation of unsustainable carbon-emitting energy sources, polluting agricultural practices and contaminating and over-exploiting drinking water resources, into a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. Regardless of what is done (or not), this will not be an overnight transformation. For example, natural gas, a green-house gas (either as methane or burned into CO2), is often called the blue energy toward a green future. But its production from shales (with vast amounts of gas and oil reserves, 7500 Tcf of gas, 400 billion barrels of oil, US Energy Information, December 2014) has been questioned for its effect on the environment from gas leaks [Howarth et al., 2014] and the unsolved problem of dealing with the waste water it generates. Injecting water into kilometer-deep wells has caused significant earthquakes [Whitaker, 2016], and risks to contamination of the groundwater system are considerable [Osborn et al., 2011]. Challenges bring opportunities. The Earth is rich in resources, and humanity has been creative and resourceful in using the Earth to advance science and technology. Batteries offer promising energy storage devices that can be connected to intermittent energy sources such as wind and solar. Battery technology will likely develop further from a better understanding of Earth materials. The Earth provides a naturally emitting heat source that can be used for energy creation or heating of buildings. In this book, we will contribute to exploration and exploitation of geological resources. The most common of such resources are briefly described in the following: 1. Fossil fuels will remain an important energy source for the next several decades. Burning fossil fuels is not a sustainable practice. Hence, the focus will be on the transformation of this energy, least impacting the environment as possible. An optimal exploitation, by minimizing drilling, will require a better understanding of the risk associated with the exploration and production. Every mistake (drilling and spilling) made by an oil company has an impact on the environment, direct or indirect. Even if fossil fuels will be in the picture for a while, ideally we will develop these resources as efficient as possible, minimally impacting the environment. 2. Heat can be used to generate steam, drive turbines, and produce energy (high enthalpy heat systems). However, the exploitation of geothermal systems is costly and not always successful. Injecting water into Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Anadarko, The Woodlands, TX, USA University of Liege, Liege, Belgium Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA


For over forty years it has been known that two benign tumors of human skin, warts and molluscum contagiosum, are caused by an infectious filterable agent.3 Although they are the only proved virus-induced tumors in man, little attention has been paid them until recently. Our ignorance of these viruses is exemplified by our lack of knowledge of the basic immunologic phenomena which occur with infection. It is clear, however, that human warts and molluscum contagiosum have never been successfully transmitted to other than human hosts. The relatively large virus of molluscum has been well characterized under the electron microscope and is one of the members of the "pox group" of viruses.I0 Recently a small body, forming crystal-like structures, has been demonstrated from several human warts." The changes which occur in epithelial cells infected with each of these viruses are unique. The histologic architecture of warts is distinctive, exhibiting a marked increase in the thickness of the several layers of the epidermis (FIGURE 1). The only specific cytologic changes we were able to observe, however, appeared in the nuclei of the epithelial cells. It was reasoned that an accumulation of a distinctive mass of nucleoprotein within a virus-infected cell might be demonstrated microscopically, and thus reveal the presence of a mass of nucleoprotein containing virus particles. Using ultra-violet microscopy Hyden shoued, in appropriate areas in the prickle cell layer, the appearance of increasing amounts of nucleic acid within the nuclei of human warts.* All stages in the accumulation of this material can be seen until the nucleus becomes completely filled and distended with a homogeneous mass of nucleoprotein which displaces the chromatin to the periphery of the nucleus. Using the toluidine blue stain for nucleic acids, we confirmed Hyden's studies and also demonstrated with the Feulgen stain that the material was chiefly DNA4 (FIGURES 2 and 3). "Inclusion material" in this form, is not seen in any other human skin disease except certain early stages of infection with the herpes simplex and the herpes zoster-varicella viruses.6 Other cellular components have been described by earlier workers as virus "inclusion b o d i e ~ . " ~ ~ l1 Some, however, have confused nucleoli with intranuclear inclusion bodies and others have pointed to the prominent cytoplasmic keratohyalin clumps as inclusion material. Although keratohyalin is markedly increased in warts, it also is seen in normal cells and, in spite of its affinity for hematoxylin, it contains neither DNA nor RNA histochemically. Even though it is prominent in verrucae, its presence cannot be regarded as specific cytologic evidence of infection with wart virus. Additional useful chemical information of the


The American Gastroenterological Association recently published an article, entitled Probiotics and the Microbiome: How Can We Help Patients Make Sense of Probiotics? Detailing their plans to offer a seal service for companies looking to substantiate the evidence behind their probiotic product claims. The paper discussed how under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), dietary supplement and food products can claim to affect the "structure or function" of the body without going through the FDA approval process required for pharmaceuticals to make such a claim. Congress' decision to treat supplements and foods differently than pharmaceuticals was undoubtedly based on the relative safety of food and supplement products, because structure/function claims do not claim that the product can treat, cure or prevent a disease, and because there are other provisions in the Act and in other laws requiring that such claims be truthful, not misleading, and substantiated. While the article cynically refers to this well-established regulatory framework as an "honor system," and use it a basis to make the case for a new "seal" program, the fact is it has given consumers access to countless safe, efficacious and affordable products that would not have been available had the manufacturers been required to go through the approval process required for pharmaceuticals.


Rice bran, a byproduct generated during the rice milling process, is widely utilized as a livestock feed ingredient. However, the quality of rice bran can vary across different production regions. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of rice bran in Maros District, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, based on its physical properties and predicted nutrient contents. The study employed a completely randomized design, with ten treatments (representing rice mills from Bonto Marannu, Maccini Baji, Allepolea, Majannang, Salenrang, Turikale, Allatengae, Soreang, Baju Bodoa, and Tunikamaseang) and four replications. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's multiple range test. The results revealed a highly significant effect (P<0.01) of the rice mill location on the physical quality and predicted nutrient contents of rice bran. The bulk density and tapped density densities varied (P<0.01) among the ten rice mills located in five sub-districts of Maros District, while the predicted crude protein and crude fiber contents also showed variation (P<0.01). The highest values were observed in the rice bran from the Allatengae mill, while the lowest values were found in the rice bran from the Allepolea mill. In this study, the quality of rice bran was categorized into grades I, II, and III according to Standard Nasional Indonesia (2013), based on its physical quality and predicted nutrient contents


In this study we compare human and machine acceptability judgments for extreme variations in sign productions. We gathered acceptability judgments of 26 signers and scores of three different automatic gesture recognition (AGR) algorithms that could potentially be used for automatic acceptability judgments, in which case the correlation between human ratings and AGR scores may serve as an dasiaacceptability performancepsila measure. We found high human-human correlations, high AGR-AGR correlations, but low human-AGR correlations. Furthermore, in a comparison between acceptability and classification performance of the different AGR methods, classification performance was found to be an unreliable predictor of acceptability performance.


Loss of full-length adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein correlates with the development of colon cancers in familial and sporadic cases. In addition to its role in regulating β-catenin levels in the Wnt signaling pathway, the APC protein is implicated in regulating cytoskeletal organization. APC stabilizes microtubules in vivo and in vitro, and this may play a role in cell migration (Näthke, I.S., C.L. Adams, P. Polakis, J.H. Sellin, and W.J. Nelson. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 134:165–179; Mimori-Kiyosue, Y., N. Shiina, and S. Tsukita. 2000. J. Cell Biol. 148:505–517; Zumbrunn, J., K. Inoshita, A.A. Hyman, and I.S. Näthke. 2001. Curr. Biol. 11:44–49) and in the attachment of microtubules to kinetochores during mitosis (Fodde, R., J. Kuipers, C. Rosenberg, R. Smits, M. Kielman, C. Gaspar, J.H. van Es, C. Breukel, J. Wiegant, R.H. Giles, and H. Clevers. 2001. Nat. Cell Biol. 3:433–438; Kaplan, K.B., A. Burds, J.R. Swedlow, S.S. Bekir, P.K. Sorger, and I.S. Näthke. 2001. Nat. Cell Biol. 3:429–432). The localization of endogenous APC protein is complex: actin- and microtubule-dependent pools of APC have been identified in cultured cells (Näthke et al., 1996; Mimori-Kiyosue et al., 2000; Reinacher-Schick, A., and B.M. Gumbiner. 2001. J. Cell Biol. 152:491–502; Rosin-Arbesfeld, R., G. Ihrke, and M. Bienz. 2001. EMBO J. 20:5929–5939). However, the localization of APC in tissues has not been identified at high resolution. Here, we show that in fully polarized epithelial cells from the inner ear, endogenous APC protein associates with the plus ends of microtubules located at the basal plasma membrane. Consistent with a role for APC in supporting the cytoskeletal organization of epithelial cells in vivo, the number of microtubules is significantly reduced in apico-basal arrays of microtubule bundles isolated from mice heterozygous for APC.


Efficient energy-saving light portable multifunctional construction panel is the construction wall sheet which is combined by trough plate and strip plate which width are both less than or equal with 600 mm and energy-saving materials, among them, the edge legs allocation of trough plate can cross the openings of hydroelectricity pipelines. When wallboard construction, first the trough plates are installed vertically, next the hydroelectricity pipelines are installed in the grooves and the edge legs openings, then the strip plates are installed and the energy-saving materials are filled transversely from down to up separately in layers, all installations are both surround the trough plate edge legs and openings and are connected with special openings implicitly. The installation method of the trough plate and the strip plate are installed separately or crossly and the installation method of strip plates are installed from down to up separately in layers make the installation of hydroelectricity pipelines and component parts and the filling of energy-saving materials more compact and convenient. The trough plate design of edge legs allocation openings can make the panel be the cheap construction exterior wall and furred ceiling decorating sheets without or with less keels. The invention reduces the cold-bridge ratio of walls significantly, improves the energy-saving performance of wall; the hydropower installation is more convenient, and improves the construction efficiency and the integrality of wall is not broken; the wall thickness is decreased significantly, the construction usable floor area is increased, the construction costs are reduced; the light, sound-proof, shock proof and other performances of wall are increased significantly; the invention has simple production, the raw materials are easy to be purchased, the invention is very worthwhile be spreaded and used.


Covid-19 has proven to be a particularly challenging epidemic to contain. Covid-19 has been around for more than two years, despite the swift efforts of medical specialists. Our paper helps this cause by presenting ways to forecast the estimated number of cases in a certain state or country on a future date. This will contribute in the preparation and fight against the spread of the virus as people will know which states require lockdown and which do not. The research paper will also provide statistics on the many patterns that have been observed in India as a result of the Covid-19 problem, as well as how it has affected the people.


Sir, we took notice of the article "Height and life satisfaction: Evidence from 27 nations" by Habibov and coworkers (Habibov, Luo, Auchynnikava, & Fan, 2019). This is an interesting paper. It nicely reviews common concepts of understanding the regulation of human growth and clearly states the objectives of this work as "to evaluate the effect of height on life satisfaction." The authors' "main finding is that height does have a strong positive effect on life satisfaction"; and they conclude that their "findings suggest that height is important in explaining life-satisfaction independent of other wellknown determinants." These statements perfectly fit into current knowledge, and they repeat the current understanding of causality in the association between height and life satisfaction: The taller, the better; and size is beautiful, at least in terms of marriage and earnings (Bogin, Scheffler, & Hermanussen, 2017). Yet, we are concerned. The association between tallness in stature and life satisfaction unquestionably exists. The link between size and success is obvious, and the authors correctly cite this perception. But this link is not limited to the one direction: height affects life satisfaction. This direction is only one side of the coin; the reverse is also true: Life satisfaction affects height. Stature is a social signal, it signals status among social mammals and also among humans (Hermanussen & Scheffler, 2016). Not only those who are tall tend to enjoy the premium position among others, those who achieve premium position, grow better—this has brilliantly been demonstrated in meerkats (Huchard, English, Bell, Thavarajah, & Clutton-Brock, 2016)—and evidence suggests that this also applies for humans, even for children and adolescents. Those who expect premium position later in their life grow better and become taller than those who expect a more subordinate rank. It has explicitly been mentioned since more than 100 years that upper class children grow taller than lower class children, and that they grow taller irrespective of their nutrition (Hermanussen, Bogin, & Scheffler, 2018; Schlesinger, 1925). Koziel, Zaręba, Bielicki, Scheffler, and Hermanussen (2019) studied the effect of intergeneration changes in social status on height in a three-generation setting and showed that upward social mobility results in taller and downward social mobility, in shorter stature within the same family. We need not to forget about the biocultural perspective. The understanding of the regulation of human growth includes an understanding of competitive growth strategies and community effects on height (Hermanussen, Bogin, & Scheffler, 2019).


Directional solidification have been studied on the GS-36Ni russian single crystal superalloy at various temperature gradients and solidification rates. A liquid metal cooling technique was employed to take advantage of its high temperature gradient capability in directional solidification which is essential for single crystal growth. The dendrite spacings(λ) with temperature gradients (G) and solidifiation rates(V) were satisfied by well known equation λ ∝ G^(-½) V^(-¼). The finer dendrite spacings in the single crystal superalloy were produced at the higher temperature gradients, which results in decreasing sharply the homogenization time. The solid/liquid interface instability was also investigated by quenching the solid/liquid interface during directional solidification.


Using a widely used stellar population synthesis model, we study the ability of using pairs of AB system colours to break the well-known stellar age–metallicity degeneracy and give constraints on the two stellar-population parameters (age and metallicity). The relative age and metallicity sensitivities of AB system colours that relate to u, B, g, V , r, R, i, I, z, J , H , and K bands are presented, and the abilities of various colour pairs for breaking the age–metallicity degeneracy are quantified by an uncertainty parameter (UP ) method. Our results suggest that a few pairs of colours can be used to constrain the two above stellar-population parameters. This will be very useful for exploring the stellar populations of distant galaxies. In detail, colour pairs [(r−K), (u− R)] and [(r−K), (u−r)] are shown to be the best pairs for estimating stellar ages and metallicities. They can constrain two stellar-population parameters on average with age uncertainties less than 3.89 Gyr and metallicity uncertainties less than 0.34 dex for typical uncertainties in colours. Some other colour pairs, such as [(R−K), (u−R)], [(I − K), (u − R)], [(R − K), (u − r)] and [(i − J), (u − R)], can possibly be used for constraining the two parameters, too. As a whole, our results suggest that colours relating to both UBV RIJHK and ugriz magnitudes are much better than either UBV RIJHK colours or ugriz colours for breaking the well-known degeneracy. The results also show that the stellar ages and metallicities of galaxies observed by the Sloan Digital Sky Survery (SDSS) and the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) can be estimated via photometry data. It is also shown that the colours can be used in conjunction with line indices to measure stellar-population parameters.


This work examines a significant sampling of those twentieth-century American literary works which focus on the native past. It is the first critical study that deals with a broad range of our modern historical literature -- meditative essays, novels, short stories, poems, and verse.


: In the well-known analysis of Cinque (1988), the generalization that a language will form impersonal reflexives of unaccusatives if and only if it can have accusative pivots follows from Parameter Theory. But the Balkans provide a two-way exception to this prediction. First, impersonal reflexives of unaccusatives are found in Standard Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian in spite of the fact that these are nominative-pivot languages. Second, in Slovene, impersonal reflexives of unaccusatives are disallowed, even though Slovene has accusative pivots. I offer an areal solution to this problem, suggesting that anomalous languages are affected by features from the Čakavian dialect of Croatian. I furthermore argue that this is possible because of the relative superficial nature of case marking in these languages.


Abstract The water dynamics and budget in soil-plant ecosystems under dry farming in northern Kazakhstan were investigated for two consecutive years from autumn in 1998 to the end of the cropping season in 2000. In total, 12 plots were established at the experimental farm of Barayev Kazakh Research and Production Center of Grain Farming, Shortandy, and the soil moisture content up to the 90 cm depth was measured several times throughout the period. In spite of snow management during the winter time, in which parallel snow rows were developed in order to accumulate additional snowfall between the rows, the increase in the soil moisture content at the time of thawing widely ranged from -40 to 74 mm in 1999 and from -6 to 84 mm in 2000, respectively. Monitoring of the soil temperature revealed that, in the plots after fallow, a higher moisture content in the frozen subsurface soil layer was responsible for the slow thawing there, resulting in slower water percolation from the overlying layers of the profile and 0n water loss through enhanced evaporation and possible surface runoff. After thawing, the soil moisture content decreased throughout the cropping season, except during several rainfall events. The evapotranspiration was estimated to range between 194 and 259 mm during the cropping season. The bNonmass and yield of wheat at harvest time were linearly correlated with the estimated evapotranspiration, indicating that crop production here was mostly determined by the amounts of available water. The initial soil moisture content accounted for 27 to 52% of the total evapotranspiratiou. In the summer fallow plots, 39 to 104 mm more water accumulated in 1999 and 100 to 119 mm in 2000 than in the cropped plots, respectively. Comparison of the water budgets during the pre-cropping and cropping seasons in the plots under fallow and cropping revealed that both summer fallow and snow management could increase the soil moisture content up to approximately 100 mm, but that the benefit of snow management would be occasionally canceled by the effect of the summer fallow. Given the possibly adverse effects of the summer fallow on enhanced decomposition of soil organic matter, we recommend that snow management should be the main approach for capturing water in the studied plots rather than the summer fallow practice. Further studies should be carried out to determine whether soil and /or topographical conditions are more effective for individual water-capturlng management and also are more suitable from economic and environmental viewpoints.


AIM
To evaluate the 18 kDa antigen in diagnosis of human alveolar echinococcosis.

METHODS
A total of 214 sera from patients with alveolar echinococcosis (AE, 33), cystic echinococcosis (CE, 69), cysticercosis (30) and healthy controls (82) were examined by Western blotting to detect the antibodies against 18 kDa antigen using both antigens from protoscoleces of E. granulosus (Eg) and E. multilocularis (Em). All the sera were tested simultaneously by ELISA to detect the antibodies against hydatid cystic fluid antigens of sheep as a comparison.

RESULTS
The positive rate by ELISA was 93.9% in AE, 85.5% in CE, 50% in cysticercosis and 6.1% in healthy controls, respectively, suggesting a critical cross-reaction and a certain degree of nonspecific reaction. The serum positive rates by Western blotting with the 18 kDa antigen of Eg and Em were 90.9% and 90.9% in AE, 10.1% and 13% in CE, 13.3% and 16.7% in cysticercosis, respectively. No positive was found in the sera from healthy controls.

CONCLUSION
The 18 kDa antigen may be used in the differential diagnosis of AE from CE.


Some Southern Type Poplar planks were dried with the comprehensive vapor drying technology which combined by high temperature and conventional drying technology in this experiment. The test results showed that the comprehensive vapor drying technology would not only shorten drying time, but also improve drying quality.


An in situ method, called synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction, was introduced to examine the electric-field-induced structural modulation of the epitaxially grown pseudotetragonal BiFeO3 thin film. To evaluate the d spacing (d001) from the measured intensity contour in the 2θ-χ space, the peak position in each diffraction profile was determined by applying two-dimensional Lorentzian fitting. By tracing the change of d spacing as a function of the applied electric field and by examining the Landau free energy function for P4mm symmetry, the authors were able to estimate the two important parameters that characterize the field-induced structural modulation. The estimated linear piezoelectric coefficient (d33) at zero-field limit is 15pm∕V, and the effective nonlinear electrostrictive coefficient (Qeff) is as low as ∼8.0×10−3m4∕C2.


Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM + ) images covering the Muteh area in the Central part of SanandajSirjan metamorphic zone were evaluated for mapping of lithology, gold-related alteration zones and geologic structure. The basement of the study area is composed of metamorphic rocks including granite intruded into a variable mixture of metavolcanics and metasediments. Firstly, color composite (741) in RGB was applied to identify the lithological units. The results show that this image discriminates the granitic rocks from the adjacent rock units very well. The ETM-derived rock units show excellent correlation with those on the reference geologic map. The chlorite schist, felsic schist and metarhyolite are dissected by gold-bearing quartz veins which are surrounded by alteration zones. Band ratio (7/5, 5/4, 3/1) in RGB and principal component analyses (PCA) were applied to map the alteration zones as indicated by field verification work. The structural features were enhanced by the application of linear contrast stretching, and directional cross edge detection filter. Overlying extracted faults and alteration zone classification images show that the NW fractures represent potential zones for gold exploration. Results have proven to be effective, and in accordance with the results of field survey and geochemical analyses. In conclusion, the image processing methods can be used to provide cost-effective, comprehensive and accurate information to discover possible locations of gold mineralization in other parts of the Sanandaj- Sirjan metamorphic zone.


IgA B cells have been detected in the peripheral circulation of most patients with IgA deficiency. It has recently been shown that the surface isotypes expressed by human IgA B cells vary as a function of their stage of maturation. To determine the stage at which IgA B cell differentiation is blocked in patients with IgA deficiency, peripheral blood lymphocytes from 11 patients with serum levels of IgA ≤ 2 mg/dl were stained for surface immunoglobulins by immunofluorescent techniques. Cells expressing surface IgA were detected in all patient samples but occurred at a significantly lower frequency than in samples from normal controls (0.09% vs. 1.4% of the total lymphocytes). In 10 of the 11 patients 87% of the IgA B cells co-expressed IgM (range 70-100) and 81% expressed IgD (range 65-94). This staining pattern was similar to that seen in the normal newborn in which 95% of the IgA B cells expressed IgM and IgD. In contrast only 5% of the IgA B cells from normal adults co-expressed IgM and IgD. The remaining IgA deficient patient had only 0.05% IgA B cells but these cells demonstrated a typical adult phenotype. 3% of the IgA B cells bore IgM and none bore IgD. These results indicate that in most patients with IgA deficiency IgA B cells differentiation is blocked at an early stage. (Supported by NIH Grants CA16673 and 5MOR32 and National Foundation Grant 1-608),