The European Union (EU) grants financial aid to farmers, growing a certain kind of crops. In order to administrate and to control the farmers' declarations, the EU decided to establish an Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) in 1992. Over the years it was found, that the declared areas often do not represent the reality. As a result, the process of declaration should be improved by the establishment of a Land Parcel Identification System, preferably based on orthophotos. This identification system has to be developed and established before 1.1.2005 and has to be updated at least every five years. In this paper an updating process based on image classification and change detection is investigated. For this purpose the usefulness of the most common commercial highresolution satellite systems as well as newly developed airborne camera systems is discussed. In order to get reliable information about agricultural parcels areas, the images have to be rectified. Problems in image rectification are outlined and a classification case study using the eCognition software shows chances and limits for land parcel update.


Throughout these pages, we have defended the thesis that Man-kind is essentially constitutively free because it is bound to reality. For this, we have concentrated on the study of freedom from the base of binding throughout the thought of Xavier Zubiri.
We expound one our theory in thee chapters, each one of which deals with binding and freedom in various forms.
- In chapter number one, we study binding and freedom in the ontological version. We show Man is free but tied and totally dependent on things.
- In chapter two, we study binding and freedom in the anthropological/metaphysical version. We show that Man is free whether he wants to or not to become his own personal being. To do so he does not act alone but is impelled, allowed and based on reality.
- In the third chapter, we study binding and freedom in the noological version. We show, from an analysis of intelligence, that Man is under the power of reality from the very moment that he conceives it. From this moment, he has no option but to give a content to reality and he must explain what it (reality) really is.
Therefore, Man is essentially and irremediably free which leads to various dynamics of freedom.
1. Freedom in Mans task of becoming his own personal being, in such a way that freedom is something demanded in order for Man to continue living. In this work Man is not alone but counts on reality. Reality impels, allowed and provides the vase for him.
2. Freedom in the task of human self-realization that needs the utopic dimension when in reality.
3. Freedom when laying he basis for an authentic liberational ethic.
4. Freedom as a surrounding to pass through irreality to know more of reality.
5. Freedom in the form of creativity.
As such, freedom is the fruit of Man being bound to reality, as without binding there would be no freedom.


The availability of digitally verifiable employment data significantly expands credit access for economically disadvantaged customers, and at the same time, profitably expands lenders' loan portfolio.


1 Introduction 2 The ship 3 Ship design and construction 4 Ships, their cargoes, trades and future trends 5 Manning of vessels 6 Customs house and ship's papers 7 Maritime canals and inland waterways 8 Services performed by principal shipping organizations 9 Passenger fares and freight rates 10 Liner conferences 11 Ship operation 12 Bills of lading 13 Cargoes 14 The shipping company 15 Charter parties 16 Containerization 17 Seaports 18 Multi-modalism: global supply chain management and international logistics 19 The international consignment 20 Information technology and electronic data interchange 21 Ship management 22 Political aspects


Using nominal and real exchange rates for Ireland relative to Germany and the UK from 1975 to 2003, this article explores likely sources of nonlinearity in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) relationships and difficulties in employing an I(1)/I(0) econometric framework. Tests for fractional integration and nonlinearity, including random field regression-based procedures, are applied. Results reveal shortcomings in the standard cointegration and smooth transition autoregression approaches to modelling, and point to multiple structural changes models. Such a model for the case of Ireland and Germany suggests that PPP holds not only in the long-run but also in the medium to short term.


A rapid method for the spectrophotometric determination of chloramphenicol and tetracycline hydrochloride in binary mixtures without prior separation is described. Chloramphenicol is determined by the measurement of difference in (extinction) values (∆ E ) at 282 m μ , and 233 m μ , and tetracycline hydrochloride is determined by measurement of absorbance at 380 m μ , using 0.1 ammonium hydroxide as the solvent.


Abstract The Permian time scale based on marine rocks and fossils is well defined and of global utility, but non-marine Permian biostratigraphy and chronology is in an early phase of development. Non-marine Permian strata are best known from western Europe and the western United States, but significant records are also known from Russia, South Africa, China and Brazil. Global time terms based on non-marine Permian strata, such as Rotliegend, Zechstein, Autunian, Saxonian and Thuringian, are either inadequately defined or poorly characterized and should only be used as lithostratigraphic terms. Macro- and microfloras have long been important in non-marine Permian correlations, but are subject to limitations based on palaeoprovinciality and facies/climatic controls. Charophytes, conchostracans, ostracodes and freshwater bivalves have a potential use in non-marine Permian biostratigraphy but are limited by their over-split taxonomy and lack of well-established stratigraphic distributions of low-level taxa. Tetrapod footprints provide poor biostratigraphic resolution during the Permian, but tetrapod body fossils and insects provide more detailed biostratigraphic zonations, especially in the Lower Permian. Numerous radioisotopic ages are available from non-marine Permian sections and need to be more precisely correlated to the global time scale. The Middle Permian Illawarra reversal and subsequent magnetic polarity shifts are also of value to correlation. There needs to be a concerted effort to develop non-marine Permian biostratigraphy, to correlate it to radio-isotopic and magnetostratigraphic data, and to cross-correlate it to the marine time scale.


The Honduras basin is an intracontinental salient of a large marginal geosyncline that borders the southern side of the geanticline which divides northern Central America. During Mesozoic and Cenozoic time, 10,000-25,000 feet of sediments were deposited in the Honduras basin. No thick evaporite deposits have been found, suggesting the geosyncline was an open communication with the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Triassic and Jurassic periods are represented by 3,000 feet of deltaic, littoral clastics. The Lower Cretaceous is composed of 2,000 feet of black, shaly limestones containing oil seeps; 2,500 feet of red clastics; 2,000-6,000 feet of massive rudistid and miliolid limestones; and 2,000 feet of conglomerates and clastics derived from the lower formations. The Laramide orogeny divided the Honduras basin into the Ulua basin on the west and the Mosquitia embayment on the east. The main trough of the marginal geosyncline shifted south, and 35,000 feet of sediments were deposited in the area of Lake Nicaragua during Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary time. The Ulua basin received 2,000 feet of Upper Cretaceous and Eocene redbeds and limestones and then remained a positive area during the remainder of Cenozoic time. Compressive folding during the mid-Tertiary Antillean revolution, formed distinct east-west geanticlinal belts. Volcanism, beginning during this period and continuing until recent time, was responsible for the thick cover of flows and tuffs along the Pacific coast of Central America. The Mosquitia area of northeast Honduras and northern Nicaragua became a major embayment during Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary time. Thirteen hundred feet of Upper Cretaceous limestones and shales and 15,000 feet of Tertiary flood-plain and marine clastics underlie the broad Mosquitia continental shelf and extend eastward into the Caribbean Sea 150 miles. The Pliocene-Pleistocene Cascadian orogeny was responsible for the present-day topography of northern Central America. Wrench fault tectonics probably explain the complex structure of this region. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1774------------


The invention discloses a feed additive for shrimp culture. The feed additive comprises components in parts by weight as follows: 20-60 parts of shrimp shell meal, 10-30 parts of calcium carbonate, 5-15 parts of beta-glucan, 5-15 parts of xylooligosaccharide, 1-10 parts of vitamin C, 1-10 parts of vitamin K, 3-20 parts of phytase, 1-20 parts of bacillus and 1-10 parts of enzyme-producing nitrifying bacteria. The feed additive can provide necessary mineral substances and a small amount of carbohydrate and proten for shrimps, so that the growth of the shrimps is promoted, and the disease resistance of the shrimps is improved; and pollutants in culture water, particularly emitted nitrogen and phosphorus can be reduced, and the culture water is purified.


In response to the extraordinary increase in the number of carotid endarterectomies performed in this country, there is a rising wave of skepticism about the value of and the indications for this procedure. Conventional wisdom has held that one of the strongest indications for urgent carotid endarterectomy is the finding that a patient with ipsilateral ischemic symptoms has an intraluminal thrombus associated with an atherosclerotic plaque at the carotid bifurcation. An important article in this issue of Stroke by Buchan and colleagues from the University of Western Ontario describes the relatively poor results obtained at that institution with endarterectomy based on these conditions. In contrast, another group of patients under similar circumstances treated initially with anticoagulant drugs fared better. On the basis of their experience Buchan et al recommend deferring surgery and treating these patients with anticoagulants, at least initially. Because this recommendation is contrary to a widely accepted therapeutic approach, it should not go unchallenged.


ABSTRACT Ectoine (1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-methyl-4-pyrimidinecar-boxylic acid) is a compatible solute in many halotolerant bacteria. Its biosynthesis originates from L-aspartate- -semialdehyde and requires three enzymes: L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid aminotransferase (gene: ect B), L-2,4-diaminobutyric acid acetyl transferase (ect A) and L-ectoine synthase (ect C). Transgenic tobacco lines expressing the three genes, cloned from Marinococcus halophilus, were generated. HPLC, MS and NMR, indicated variation in amounts of ectoine in the transgenic lines ranging from 0.25 to 25 nmol/g fresh weight. Ninety-eight to one hundred percent seeds of T1 generation of both transgenic and SR1 progenitors germinated at NaCl concentrations ranging from 100 to 200 mM in the growth medium. Growth of transgenic seedlings was enhanced at all additional NaCl concentrations as compared to SR1 progenitor lines. Forty to forty-five percent germination at 250 and 25-30% germination at 300 mM NaCl in the growth medium, was seen in transgenic lines as compared to 2% germination at 250 mM and absence of germination at 300 mM NaCl of SR1 controls. Leaves of the seedlings growing at these NaCl concentrations were bleached and deformed. Transfer of these seedlings to media having 100 and 200 mM NaCl, 20 weeks after germination restored growth in 90% of the trans-genic seedlings. Cation and amino acid analyses indicated higher amounts of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Pro, Glu, Gln, Asp, Asn, Ser and Thr in the transgenic seedlings in concert with increasing NaCl concentrations as compared to controls. Likely role of ectoine as an osmoregulator contributing to these effects in seedlings of transgenic tobacco as in several nonhalophylic bacteria is discussed.


OBJECTIVE To develop a method for determination of macro-porous resin residua in Genus Paris extract.METHODS Headspace GC with HP-INNOWAX was used to determine the resin residua,the column temperature programming was initial temperature 70℃(kept for 2 minutes),with the increasing rate of 10℃/min to 120℃(kept for 5 minutes),and with the increasing rate of 15℃/min to 180℃(kept for 3 minutes);the injector temperature was 150℃,and the FID detector temperature was 220℃.RESULTS The resolution of the macro-porous resin residua including benzene,methylbenzene,dimethybenzene,phenylethene,divinlbenzene was very good and the limit was lower than the normal range respectively.CONCLUSION The method is simple,accurate.It can be used for the determination of macro-porous resin residua in Genus Paris extract.


A "second-generation" scorpionate ligand was utilized to prepare the nickel(II) borohydride complex [(TpPh,Me)Ni(η3-BH4)], wherein the borohydride was coordinated through two bridging B–H bonds, leaving two terminal B–H bonds uncoordinated as determined by X-ray crystallography. The distorted square-pyramidal complex is paramagnetic (S = 1), with 18 valence electrons, and contrasts with a previously reported 20-electron pseudo-octahedral "first-generation" analogue, [(TpMe,Me)Ni(η4-BH4)] (P. J. Desrochers, et al. Inorg. Chem. 2003, 42, 7945–7950). These distinct borohydride coordination modes were distinguished by FTIR spectroscopy, and rationalized by DFT calculations on simplified models, [(Tp)Ni(ηn-BH4)] (n = 3, 4). The difference in borohydride hapticities is attributed to the steric effect of the scorpionate 3-pyrazole phenyl substituents disposed proximally to the metal, thus demonstrating the subtle versatility of Trofimenko's scorpionate ligands in controlling ligand field geometries. The precursor complex [(TpPh,Me)Ni(κ2-NO3)] was also prepared and characterized.


The heat energy released by chemical reactions was measured in the interaction of 50-ns Nd- laser pulse with titanium, germanium, coke, and sulphur samples placed in different gas media. The samples were exposed to focused laser radiation in the intensity range of 1 - 800 MW/cm2. It was found that the maximum value of the ratio of released chemical energy to the laser pulse energy is approximately 0.2 for Ti irradiated in oxygen as well as for Ge irradiated in air. For interaction of laser pulse with sulphur in air, the chemical energy released in the laser flare is a factor of 2 greater than the laser pulse energy. In 1-atm oxygen gas medium, this factor increases up to the values more than 3 and the continuous burning of the target arises for some shots. The source of chemical energy is the synthesis of sulphur dioxide. Thermal effect of chemical interaction depends on focal spot size at fixed target size.


In this paper, by applying the discharging method, we prove that if G = (V,E) is a Δ-critical graph, then |E|≥1/4|V|(Δ √2Δ - 1).


Music dynamics is now infiltrated on the development of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) genre. Characteristics of those songs combine the beat, effects, and repetition of words. Those reasons make the EDM genre lovers dance. The genre is commonly found in bars, pubs, night clubs, performance and event venues (venues and appearances). This music genre is also found in radio and cable tv. Interestingly, the lyrics of the genre mostly use English. Although in this country, the lyrics sometimes are found in Bahasa. The lyrics in the EDM genre tend to be repetitive. Thus, the possibility of memorizing the lyrics in English may be higher. Memorize the lyrics in direct use when listening to the EDM genre, giving music lovers chance to produce acceptable pronunciation. The purpose of this study is to examine the mastery of English pronunciation through the lyrics of the EDM genre. The study involves three participants. This study uses descriptive qualitative method. The result of this research is that all participants feel helpful in improving English pronunciation ability by using EDM genre.


Although artificial neural networks have been applied to problems within hydrology for over ten years, there is little consensus on the 'best' type of neural network model to use and the most effective means of training the chosen model. In order to explore the different approaches neural network modellers use to forecasting river stage, an international comparison study was undertaken during 2004. This research was based on a set of rainfall and river stage data covering three winter periods for an unidentified river basin in England (with a catchment of 331,500 Ha in the north of the country), sampled at 15 minute intervals. Several neural network enthusiasts took part in the study from a number of different countries. The preferred methodologies and forecasting outputs from a number of 'blind' models of river stage developed by the participants have been collated and are presented in this paper.


God gave Scripture to his people for many reasons. Two of the most important are the subversive and the therapeutic. This article concentrates on the former. All humans are blind to the extent of their alienation from God, others, and themselves. Christians have begun the process of salvation, part of which includes growth in theocentric self-awareness, and God uses Scripture to promote this growth. Christians, however, face a formidable challenge at this point, because in our remaining sin, we can also distort Scripture for sinful purposes. As a result, God has to use Scripture subversively and indirectly in order to enable Christians to read the Bible to promote the healing of inward deepening. A case for this agenda will be made from the Bible itself and the Christian tradition.


Lacustrine ecosystems play a critical role in regional and global biochemical cycles. Bacteria are dominant contributors to biogeochemical cycles,participating in most of the decomposition of organic material in freshwater,and are critical for the maintenance of the biodiversity and stability of lacustrine ecosystems. In addition,bacterial biomass is an important component of natural lacustrine systems. Investigating the correlations between environmental variations and microbial communities is expected to reveal how microbes tolerate different types of environmental change and to increase our understanding about microbial ecology and evolution. Such information would also enhance our understanding about microbial adaptations to different environments and their function in these environments. Lake Poyang is the largest lake in China. As one of the few lakes that are still freely connected with the river and not heavily polluted,this lake is important for the maintenance of the unique biota of the Yangtze floodplain ecosystem. However,in contrast to the contamination and the water quality of Lake Poyang,little is known about the bacteria and their ecosystem functions in Lake Poyang. In this study,genomic DNA of the microbial community was extracted from sediment and water collected in May 2011 fromSongmenshan Region,Lake Poyang,China. The benthic and planktonic bacterial community structures were examined by454 pyrosequencing of the v4-v6 16 S rRNA gene region. We used OTU-based analyses to identify changes in bacterial diversity and community structure. Chao1 estimator,inverse Simpson index,Shannon index,coverage,and the rarefaction curve were used to describe the richness and diversity of separate samples collected from different environments. The libshuff test was used to describe whether benthic and planktonic bacterial communities have the same structure. In addition,correlation analysis between the abundance of bacterial phyla and their diversity in each environment was performed to reveal whether they were related to each other. Overall,the dataset comprised 5751 sequences that were affiliated to Bacteria; of these,1454 and 269 OTUs were obtained from the sediment and water column,respectively,indicating that benthic bacterial communities have higher bacterial diversity and richness. The results also revealed different bacterial community structures between the sediment and water column. In benthic bacterial communities,228 bacterial genera belonging to 20 phyla,dominated by Deltaproteobacteria,Betaproteobacteria,and Verrucomicrobia,were found. A further 116 genera were obtained for bacterioplankton,which belonged to 13 phyla,with Betaproteobacteria,Bacteroidetes,and Actinobacteria being dominant. Significant variations in the relative abundance of bacterial phyla and proteobacterial classes were observed between environments. At the genus level,significant differences were also found,the dominant genera in the benthic bacterial community were Subdivision3 genera incertae sedis,Geobacter and Anaeromyxobacter etc. In the bacterioplankton community,the dominant genera were Acidovorax,Polynucleobacter,Hydrogenophaga,Acinetobacter,and Arcicella etc. Of note, Comamonadaceae, which included Acidovorax and Hydrogenophaga etc, was consistently dominant in the bacterioplankton community. In addition, Anaeromyxobacter was only detected in sediment, while Polynucleobacter,Hydrogenophaga, Acinetobacter, and Arcicella were only detected in the bacterioplankton community. The results demonstrated that the relative abundances of bacterial communities at the phylum level are correlated with their diversity,and that the correlation between the relative abundance and number of unique OTUs was significant for benthic and planktonic bacterial communities.


Background:  The X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is the most potent of the inhibitor of apoptosis family of eight proteins. High levels of XIAP have been found in melanoma cell lines and are believed to play a role in therapeutic resistance in a number of malignancies. XIAP expression has not been investigated in clinically obtained melanoma tissue samples, nor have studies attempted to correlate XIAP expression with prognostic variables or clinical aggressiveness of melanomas.


A 58-year-old man with hypertension and half a year ago documented left bundle branch block (LBBB) in his past history presented with progressive dyspnea. A pre-admission echocardiography showed severely depressed systolic left ventricular function [ejection fraction (EF) = 27%], diffuse hypokinesis and dilated heart chambers consistent with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). On admission, he presented with dyspnea on minimal exertion, his blood pressure was 100/70 mmHg, his heart rate was 62 beats/min with occasional mild irregularities suggesting premature beats. The electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a 67 beats/min sinus rhythm with complete LBBB pattern and a QRS duration of 170 ms (Figure 1A). Telemetry first revealed a 170–175 beats/min wide QRS complex tachycardia (WCT) consisting of six beats with right bundle branch block (RBBB) pattern, which followed a 62 beats/min sinus rhythm with LBBB pattern (Figure 1B), later showed two initial sinus beats with a heart rate of 54 beats/min and LBBB pattern and a QRS duration of 170 ms followed by an irregular wide QRS complex rhythm with a 78–102 beats/min mean ventricular rate, with QRS complexes of 150 ms QRS duration and a QRS morphology resembling LBBB (Figure 1C). Apparently at first glance, AV dissociation was not present during the irregular wide QRS complex rhythm, because the number of P-waves and QRS complexes were equal.  Because the vast majority (95%) of WCTs are either ventricular tachycardia (VT) (up to 80% of cases) or supraventricular tachycardia with aberrant conduction (SVT-A) (15%– 20% of cases), the main differential diagnosis of WCT is to distinguish VT from SVT-A. The QRS morphology of the WCT and irregular wide QRS complex rhythm resembling RBBB and LBBB patterns respectively might suggest SVT-A. However, the contralateral bundle branch block


A case of Graves' disease in a 2 years child old is reported. He presented tachycardia, loss of weight, anxiety and gait abnormality. The serum free T3 and T4 and thyrotropin receptor antibodies values were elevated, TSH was not measurable. The EMG was abnormal with short duration motor unit potentials.


AbstractThe author examines her journey before and as she pursued tenure and promotion in the academy. She argues that the path to tenure and promotion in higher education institutions was not one designed to provide a fair and equitable process for Black female faculty who function as academic librarians. Further, she suggests that librarians in this role are marginalized due to two factors-presumed incompetence based on their gender and/or race, and their ambiguous fit among the disciplines within the academy. This autoethnography, with Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Race Feminism (CRF) as its theoretical framework, outlines the struggles and successes of a Black female academic librarian as she addresses the challenges inherent in the culture of her discipline compounded with well-documented issues related to sexism and racism.IntroductionMuch has been written about the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty in higher education and the paucity of non-White faculty, who represent only 18.4% of full-time faculty nationally, and a smaller percentage of tenure-track faculty (Diggs, Garrison-Wade, Estrada, & Galindo, 2009; National Center for Education Statistics, 2011; Stanley, 2006; Thompson, 2008; Turner, Myers, & Creswell, 1999; Wilson, 1987). Much has also been written about challenges facing female faculty and faculty representing a variety of racial and ethnic groups seeking tenure (Daniel, 2009; Edwards, Beverly, & Alexander-Snow, 2011; Laden & Hagedorn, 2000; Stanley, 2006; Thomas, 2001; Turner & Myers, 2000; Valian, 1998). Similar imbalances and challenges face academic librarians, who represent a small segment of academia and who may or may not be classified as faculty depending on the institution.Academic libraries hold a unique position within the academy. At many institutions they are often perceived solely as service units; not part of a campus's scholarly community. Perhaps because "much of the work carried on in academic libraries tends to be invisible ... and much of what is visible ... is clerical in nature and only infrequently performed by librarians" (Oberg, Schieiter, & Van Houten, 1989, p. 215). Yet at some campuses, librarians have faculty status. Those in tenure-track positions are expected to teach, participate in service activities, conduct research, and publish. These are the same criteria required for tenure and promotion in research-oriented institutions of higher education. This situation presents challenges for many library faculty. One such challenge is that library faculty must often overcome feeling overwhelmed due to a lack of educational preparation for producing scholarly publications (Mitchell Another issue is the racial representation of librarians. Despite efforts to diversify, it is still a predominately White (and female-dominated) profession. Damasco and Hodges (2012) state, as of the year 2000, White librarians represented 85% of the total number of librarians working in academic libraries. Within the last 20 years, recruitment from underrepresented populations has increased, but efforts to retain individuals from these communities in the librarian ranks have not been as successful (Damasco «fe Hodges, 2012; Hollis, 1996; Thornton, 2000). …


Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides(OCPs) and seven PCB isomers in multi-medium environmental samples including soil, rice, corn, and paddy field water from typical industrial and agricultural areas in Jinlin Province were analyzed by GC-ECD method. The average concentrations of OCPs were in the order of Meihekou summer(98.9 ng·g-1)Changchun(81.2 ng·g-1)Jilin(72.6 ng·g-1)Meihekou autumn(27.1 ng·g-1). The average concentrations of PCBs(∑7PCBs) were in the order of Meihekou summer(98.7 ng·g-1)Changchun(61.0 ng·g-1) Jilin(50.3 ng·g-1)Meihekou autumn(27.1 ng·g-1). PCBs isomers were dominated by PCB28 and PCB52. Higher DDTs were found in Changchun and Jilin cities where dry field could well preserve DDTs from degradation. HCHs and DDTs were detected in all of the rice seed samples, but the concentrations all met the National Food Quality Standard. The ∑7PCBs in rice and corn stems were two-fold higher than those in their seeds, respectively. OCPs in the water samples from paddy fields all met the National Water Quality Standard for surface waters.


A control section of a three-dimensional shaping apparatus controls a shaping head so that, in a first layer, first resin materials are continuously formed in a first direction and arranged with a gap therebetween in a second direction crossing the first direction, and so that resin materials other than the first resin materials are continuously formed in the first direction and arranged in the gap. In a second layer provided over the first layer, the first resin materials are continuously formed in a third direction crossing the first direction and arranged with a gap therebetween in a fourth direction crossing the third direction, and the resin materials other than the first resin materials are continuously formed in the third direction and arranged in the gap.


Interstellar Ca II absorption lines on the path to 6 nearby stars from the antigalactic center hemisphere, have been measured at high resolution (R=110000) with the Aurelie spectrometer at the Observatoire de Haute-Provence 1.52 m telescope (France). The aim of this work is the detection of our ambient interstellar cloud, in which the sun is embedded, through 3D reconstruction of the velocity vector. A cloud moving at an heliocentric velocity of 25.7±0.5 km s −1 , in the same direction as the solar system interstellar flow, is the best solution to the observations, with excellent agreements in all directions


Due to its characteristics of collaboration, win-win and synergy, Supply Chain Management has achieved success in manufacture industry. This paper analyzes the feasibility of implementing CSCM and the steps that can be taken on the basis of comparing manufacture supply chain and construction supply chain. The authors also conduct a research on the developing direction of CSCM. Finally, the paper has a comparison between the traditional construction management approaches and CSCM approach.


The main objective of this study was improving basic perception of physicochemical crude oil's asphaltene properties in liquid and solid surfaces (asphaltene/mineral interactions). Using asphaltene obtained from Maroun crude oil and different reservoir rock minerals, static adsorption tests were performed. The amount of adsorbed asphaltene was calculated from mass balance after determining the equilibrium concentration by UV/VIS method (288 nm). Adsorption isotherms of asphaltene on Quartz, Kaoline, Calcite and Feldspar were analyzed and compared.


We investigate the impact of family ownership on determinants of leverage in South East Asia. We find that family firms use more debt than non-family firms and that family ownership strengthens the positive relationship between firm size and leverage. Family firms have a higher level of tangibility at a certain level of debt relative to non-family firms. On one hand, family firms with family CEOs use more debt to finance internal fund deficit relative to family firms with CEOs from outside or non-family firms. On the other hand, family firms with family CEOs have a lower level of debt corresponding to growth opportunities than others. Our results are robust to alternative estimation techniques and measurement of leverage. These findings contribute to understanding the determinants of leverage among family-controlled firms in South East Asia.


The scope and limitations of the addition reactions of simple and polymeric organolithium compounds with substituted 1,1-diarylethylenes to prepare in chain- and chain-end functionalized polymers is presented. The application of this general living functionalization reaction for the preparation of ω-functionalized polymers is illustrated for hydroxyl, carboxyl, dimethylamine, and primary amine groups, as well as for the fluorescent naphthalene and pyrene labels. The use of this chemistry to prepare functionalized initiators is described, as well as the copolymerization of substituted 1,1-diphenylethylenes with monomers to prepare in-chain functionalized polymers with alternating structures.


The invention relates to an ion-conductive polymer membrane for a fuel cell, whereby the polymer membrane is configured from a polymer-forming hydrocarbon material and to a method for producing the same. The membrane also has a metal-containing gel which has been hydrolysed and/or condensed from a metal alkoxide starting material and which is deposited in the polymer and/or is chemically bonded to the polymer. The proportion of metal alkoxide by weight, in relation to the membrane, lies between 25 % and 1 %.


The first time James Joyce went to London, both Richard Ellmann and Gordon Bowker's biographies recount, was in May 1900 (jjii 77).1 As well as visiting relatives in the East End of the city with his father, Joyce sampled all the usual delights of the cosmopolitan town. As Bowker puts it, John Joyce "[showed] his son how to enjoy London - visiting music-halls, theatres, pubs and restaurants".2 It is difficult to ascertain exactly what entertainment the young Joyce saw on his trip, but in any case, his being enamoured with the halls in particular was clear: upon his return, Joyce would write to his brother Stanislaus proclaiming that "the music hall, not poetry, is a criticism of life" (jjii 77).With a series of cities already closely associated with the author's writing - Dublin and the Ulysses-closing "Trieste-Zurich-Paris" (u 993) - London has hitherto been a somewhat neglected locale in Joyce scholarship. Despite the city making repeated appearances in Joyce's works following his 1900 visit, it is only recently that scholars have been encouraged to look towards London, prompted by a broader spatial turn in the field. While such studies are welcome, their focus is still relatively narrow in scope. As first metropolis in an empire which included Ireland until 1922, London features most frequently in Joyce criticism as administrative colonial centre. While this interpretation allows significant insight into one facet of the capital, it necessarily fails to account for the intra-city local differentiation to which Joyce was attuned - homogenising, as it must, London as empire's synecdoche, or at least its symbolic geopolitical centre. The portrait of London in Joyce's novels and poetry, however, is attentive to the varying characteristics of the city's districts. Indeed, rather than simply rail against empire's heart, it is precisely London's multifaceted nature which Joyce employs to subvert its power as staid colonial centre, using the East End of the city as a disruptive counterpoint to its supposed propriety and authority.It is, of course, impossible to tell how seriously Joyce intended his line to Stanislaus on music hall to be taken. Yet, whether he meant its elevation above poetry earnestly or ironically, two inferences from Joyce's statement might productively frame his subsequent engagement with the East End. The first is the concept of the hall as an alternative. Juxtaposed against poetry, Joyce proposes the music hall as an art form distinguished from more established and, we can reasonably assume, more conventional traditions. The second is the music hall as a form able to speak critically of life. Not simply a diversion or play, Joyce here entertains the halls as a space in which culture might be assessed and criticised. In what follows, I will suggest that the vaudeville East End represented in the music hall came to serve this function in Joyce's writing. Contrary to the versions of the East End which we might expect to find in his works - on which more in a moment - Joyce employs a "Cockneyism" set against more conservative depictions of the city-as-a-whole. A thorough knowledge of the area allowed Joyce to selectively contrast tropes and images of the East End with their orthodox London counterparts, whether it be in placing ribald Cockney women alongside less locally-inflected British ones, using East End humour to make dignified images of London bathetically ludicrous, or aligning the area with other "foreign" spaces. Tracing the use of East End slang, place names, and figures in Dubliners (1914), Ulysses (1922), Finnegans Wake (1939), and Joyce's poetry, this essay will demonstrate how Joyce thus used the aesthetic of the music hall to fashion a destabilising alternative to London's imperial power.Joyce's general interest in the East End is suggested via even the most cursory examination of the area's fragmented iterations in Finnegans Wake. Numerous appearances of the "Bow Bells" (fw 626. …


In this paper, we proposed a new model-free method for correcting the radial distortion of a strong wide-angle lens using vanishing points in a single image. The key idea is to use a 3D concave calibration rig with three planar patterns aligned orthogonally with each other, so that the parallelism of the line patterns, orthogonality and concavity of the rig enable us to cope with the distortion of whole field of view (FOV) caused even by a strong FOV lens such as fish-eye lens efficiently using a single image. The first step of this method is to identify vanishing points in the distorted image with curved lines. And then, we estimate the center of distortion by the intersection of lines connecting the vanishing points. And, the undistorted straight lines and ideal vanishing are recovered using geometric constraints, so that the correspondences between distorted and undistorted images are established. Since the proposed algorithm assumes a general radial lens distortion model that is independent on specific parametric model, our method is model-free. So, it can be applied to various types of lenses. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method.


The application of a dynamic flight test method for the estimation of the aerodynamic derivatives of the RAAF F-111C aircraft is described. The instrumentation, installation and flight test programme was carried out by the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit and data processing and analysis was carried out in the Flight Mechanics Branch of the Aeronautical Research Laboratory. The test methods, data processing, and parameter identification analysis techniques are described. Typical results of the method are compared with wind-tunnel design data obtained from the aircraft manufacturer. The data are to be used for the validation of a flight dynamic computer model developed at ARL and for use in the RAAF F-111C Flight Training Simulator.


Perceptual learning style theory argues that humans have differing perceptual strengths and that instruction and learning materials should be adapted to fit their visual, auditory and/or kinesthetic preferences. The claims of various theorists that perceptual learning style theory also applies to the learning of musical material when practicing were tested using a questionnaire that draws on the formulations of these theorists. In total, 131 Western Classical instrument students in higher music education were surveyed using a paper-based questionnaire regarding the frequency with which they engaged in particular learning strategies and behaviors while practicing a large scale composition from the Classical or Romantic era. No response patterns comparable to those suggested by perceptual learning style theory could be identified through either principal components or cluster analyses. The applicability of the theory to describe individual differences in learning is questioned.


Light manipulation has been widely employed in lighting, display, and energy storage, becoming an inseparable part of human lives. However, the conventional optical devices suffer from the diffraction limit of electromagnetic waves. To overcome the limitation, plasmonic and dielectric nanoantennas are introduced for the control of light direction at nanoscale. The directionality of the nanoantennas stems from their electromagnetic resonance properties or the interference between different resonance modes. The near‐field interaction between the nanoantennas and fluorescent emitters or Raman molecules will generate directional light emission. The directional nanoantennas are widely applied in various fields. Although light manipulation at nanoscale is briefly discussed in several review articles, they are not specifically devoted to directional nanoantennas. A more selective, focused and up‐to‐date review article about light manipulation by directional nanoantennas is deemed necessary because of the rapid development in this field. In this article, the properties and mechanisms of various types of nanoantennas made of plasmonic or dielectric nanostructures are introduced, the current developments of the nanoantennas are summarized, and an outlook for future investigation on directional nanoantennas is offered. It is believed that the directional light control with the nanoantennas will be a flourishing and promising research field in the future.


This study aims to describe the form presentation of the Raddat Ape Nang Ditumbok Dance in Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan. The problem of this research is related to the elements of the presentation form of the Raddat Ape Nang Ditumbok Dance. This research uses qualitative approach. The authors used descriptive method to analyse the cheography of the Raddat Ape Nang Ditumbok Dance. The authors involved two informants in the process of interview. The authors also used observation dan document analysis in this study. Based on the interview, observation and document analysis, the authors concluded that the Raddat Ape Nang Ditumbok dance consists of 6 to 12 female players. This dance comprises 5 movements, namely "menumbuk padi", "menampi padi", "timang burung", "nyiur melambai", and "sedih bahagia". The floor pattern in this dance uses horizontal, triangular, and zig-zag floor patterns. The musical instruments used in the the Raddat Ape Nang Ditumbok Dance are tambourines, long drums (kedumbak), tahar, and rumba. The dance is accompanied with song. The dancers use realistic make-up, the clothes used are brackets, tapeh sarong, bun, lotus, and head accessories such as rocking flowers and earrings. The venue used must be a proscenium stage and an open field.


Are psychotherapy clients who pay via health insurance more likely to receive Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM–IV], American Psychiatric Association, 1994) diagnoses than identical clients who pay out of pocket? Previous research (Kielbasa, Pomerantz, Krohn, & Sullivan, 2004) indicates that when psychologists consider a mildly depressed or anxious client, payment method significantly influences diagnostic decisions. This study extends the scope of the previous study to include clients whose symptoms are even less severe. Independent practitioners responded to vignettes of clients whose profiles deliberately included subclinical impairment and a high level of functioning. Half of the participants were told that the clients would pay via managed care; the other half were told that the clients would pay out of pocket. As in the earlier study, payment method had a highly significant impact on diagnosis such that relative to out-of-pocket clients, managed care clients were much more likely to be assigned DSM–IV diagnoses. In addition, a noteworthy percentage of participants assigned diagnoses regardless of payment method. Ethical implications are discussed.


INTRODUCTION
To investigate the ultrastructural changes of dentin irradiated with 980-nm diode laser under different parameters and to observe the morphological alterations of odontoblasts and pulp tissue to determine the safety parameters of 980-nm diode laser in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity (DH).

METHODS
Twenty extracted human third molars were selected to prepare dentin discs. Each dentin disc was divided into four areas and was irradiated by 980-nm diode laser under different parameters: Group A: control group, 0 J/cm(2); Group B: 2 W/CW (continuous mode), 166 J/cm(2); Group C: 3W/CW, 250 J/cm(2); and Group D: 4W/CW, 333 J/cm(2). Ten additional extracted human third molars were selected to prepare dentin discs. Each dentin disc was divided into two areas and was irradiated by 980-nm diode laser: Group E: control group, 0 J/cm(2); and Group F: 2.0 W/CW, 166 J/cm(2). The morphological alterations of the dentin surfaces and odontoblasts were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the morphological alterations of the dental pulp tissue irradiated by laser were observed with an upright microscope.

RESULTS
The study demonstrated that dentinal tubules can be entirely blocked after irradiation by 980-nm diode laser, regardless of the parameter setting. Diode laser with settings of 2.0 W and 980-nm sealed exposed dentin tubules effectively, and no significant morphological alterations of the pulp and odontoblasts were observed after irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS
Irradiation with 980-nm diode laser could be effective for routine clinical treatment of DH, and 2.0W/CW (166 J/cm(2)) was a suitable energy parameter due to its rapid sealing of the exposed dentin tubules and its safety to the odontoblasts and pulp tissue.


The purpose of study was to evaluate the effect of scarification on the germination percentage of three species of Prosopis. It was used 100 seeds of each species and the treatment were: T1 and T2 H 2 SO 4 , T3 and T4 NaCL, T5 and T6 NaOH for 5 and 10 min., respectively, T7 and T8 Water at 80 0 C for 5 and 10 min., T9 and T10 water at room temperature for 24 and 48h, and a control group without treatment application. The germinated seeds were counted at 7 days after planting three times during 21 days. It was a completely randomized experiment with ten treatments, two replications and a control treatment. Data was analyzed using the median test one way Anova (no parametric design) by SAS, version 8.0 (2000). The more effective methods for P. laevigata were T1, T2, T5 and T6 and P. tamarugo the more effective methods were T1, T2, and T1, T2, T9 and T10 respectively. There were not significant differences between treatments to P. juliflora.


The author discusses how electronic mail has removed the barriers of time and place between engineers collaborating on complex design projects. Besides the obvious boon of avoiding telephone tag and time zone dissonance, E-mail gives companies unprecedented flexibility. Electronic mail can also uncover hidden expertise in a company. It has ended the isolation of researchers at universities and cuts across hierarchies at corporations and other institutions. Disadvantages of electronic mail are also discussed. >


Over the last decades, large contributions have been made to Synthetic Aperture Focusing methods in multiple areas of research. Most of them try to balance the image quality at expense of increasing the computational complexity. In this paper, a modified method is presented, in which a midpoint is reached in between the accuracy of recreating focused aperture projections and the speed obtained by using the simplest Synthetic Aperture Focusing time-domain method. Details regarding the implementation of focusing on semi-automatic or automatic inspections systems are also described in the proposed methodology. Finally, in the evaluation results section, the suggested approach probes to be able to image small signatures up to approximately 0.035 mm.


In this paper we consider a new framework for linguistics based on the behavior of DNA molecules: biosyntax. This new framework includes two approaches - molecular syntax and recombination patterns - that seem to be quite suitable for explaining in a completely new way some syntactic phenomena. Molecular syntax and recombination patterns are two different formalisms with the same single idea: mechanisms at work in biology may be used in the field of linguistics and natural language processing and may provide a simpler and more efficient approach to the description of the syntax of natural languages.


At present, the automatic water environment monitoring sensors are generally expensive and have a large maintenance workload. The monitoring methods adopted for the environment are still mainly manual monitoring, supplemented by a few automatic monitoring points. The frequency is low, the data representation is poor, and there is no immediate and true reflection of the water environment. It is be found that the environmental problems are very backward, resulting in the science and accuracy of environmental management Refinement is difficult to guarantee, and the cost of later management is very high. The system integrates sewage and flue gas online monitoring devices, sensor networks, data collectors, controllers, etc., obtains data from analytical instruments, and automatically reports the data to the pollution source online monitoring platform of the environmental protection department. Based on the cloud platform architecture, the pollution source online monitoring platform uses the industrial Internet of things to collect emission data, working condition operation data and instrument and equipment operation status data in real time. It also monitors the real-time data of pollution factors of emission enterprises, the status of production and treatment facilities and the status of real-time monitoring instruments. Through big data analysis means and monitoring model, timely find information such as excessive emissions and abnormal treatment facilities, so as the provide data support for environmental protection law enforcement decisions. The public, enterprises, operation and maintenance and law enforcement can all conduct real-time monitoring and management through mobile app. #


Spectroscopic properties and laser performance of new laser materials based on Yb-doped tungstates have been investiged. Room temperature lasing near 1025 nm has been demonstrated in Yb:KY(WO)2 and Yb:KGd(WO4)2 under Ti-sapphire and InGaAs diode laser pumping. A slope efficiency up to 78% at cw pumping and up to 86.9% at pulsed laser pumping has been obtained.


Abstract The mesoscale thermodynamic, kinematic and reflectivity structure of a rainband observed in Hurricane Irene on 27 September 1981 is presented. Data are from 16 aircraft passes, from 150 to 4700 m MSL through the rainband which was located SSW of the circulation center of the northward moving hurricane. Cross sections of the rainband as a function of height and radial distance from the storm center reveal the following: 1) little or no decrease of θe in the subcloud layer associated with the weak convective cells in the rainband; 2) large differences in static stability between the north and south sides of the band; 3) a change of the radial wind component in the subcloud layer, from flow toward the circulation center to flow away from it as the rainband weakens. The decay of the rainband is believed to be related to mesoscale subsidence and the location of the rainband relative to the motion of the hurricane. Melting and evaporation of hydrometeors falling between the eyewall and the rainband are...


This paper presents a new type of extruded flame retardant cable with oxygen barrier from the principle of flame retardancy. It describes the characteristics of the new cable and the selection and process of the oxygen barrier.


The requirement for secondary spectrum usage is the control of secondary generated interference to the primary system. The generated interference from different types of secondary networks can be controlled by adjusting different parameters. The carrier sensing threshold can be used as a common parameter to control the density of active secondary users in wireless networks with contention control thereby enabling primary system protection. In this paper, we propose a method to set the carrier sensing threshold in secondary wireless networks with finite user density and finite deployment area. Based on the secondary user density, we first find the required distance separation among secondary transmitters so that the primary system service is protected. Given the distance separation, we set the carrier sensing threshold by computing the self-interference at a secondary user. Our method is illustrated for Matern type II and Matern type III point processes for modelling the locations of active secondary users due to the resemblance of these processes to CSMA/CA type of contention control.


In this study, the redox state of iron in sodium silicate glasses was varied by changing the melting conditions, such as the melting temperature and particle size of iron oxide. The oxidation states of the iron ion were determined by wet chemical analysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy methods. Iron commonly exists as an equilibrium mixture of ferrous ions, Fe²?, and ferric ions Fe³?. In this study, sodium silicate glasses containing nanoparticles of iron oxide (0.5% ㏖) were prepared at various temperatures. Increase of temperature led to the transformation of ferric ions to ferrous ions, and the intensity of the ferrous peak in 1050 ㎚ increased. Nanoparticle iron oxide caused fewer ferrous ions to be formed and the Fe²?/Fe³? equilibrium ratio compared to that with micro-oxide iron powder was lower.


This work explores the deformation theory of algebraic structures in a very general setting. These structures include associative algebras, Lie algebras, and the infinity versions of these structures, the strongly homotopy associative and Lie algebras. In all these cases the algebraic structure is determined by an element of a certain graded Lie algebra which determines a differential on the Lie algebra. We work out the deformation theory in terms of the Lie algebra of coderivations of an appropriate coalgebra structure and construct a universal infinitesimal deformation as well as a miniversal formal deformation. By working at this level of generality, the main ideas involved in deformation theory stand out more clearly.  2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.


Enterobacter cloacae CT978 was ambulatorially isolated from a patient suffering of conjunctivitis. The strain was resistant to ceftazidime, ceftriaxone and aztreonam, partially susceptible to cefotaxime and susceptible to carbapenems, quinolones, aminogly- cosides, piperacillin/tazobactam and cefepime. The analysis of the crude extract showed the presence of one β-lactamases with iso- electric point of 8.2. The enzyme failed to be transferred by conjugation in Escherichia coli. Kinetic studies of this partially purified β- lactamase confirmed that the enzyme was able to hydrolyse ceftazidime, aztreonam and cefotaxime. A polymerase chain reaction was performed using specific primers for the bla SHV gene. Nucleotide sequence analysis showed that the enzyme was a SHV-5. This is the first report of SHV-5 in Enterobacter cloacae from an ocular infection in ambulatory.


Secure interaction and interoperability between administrative domains is a major concern. For domains that utilize RBAC, Kapadia et al. proposed the IRBAC 2000 model, which can be used to establish a flexible policy for dynamic inter-domain role translations. However, there are scenarios under which the IRBAC model becomes difficult to manage. One such scenario is where interoperability is desired among large and complex role hierarchies. Another is where there is a desire to distribute the administrative authority for managing inter-domain translations between different security officers. Therefore, we introduce the Administrative IRBAC 2000 model. The A-IRBAC builds over IRBAC model by employing RBAC to manage inter-domain role translations, following the concepts outlined in ARBAC97 by Sandhu et al.


The operation and safety characteristics of the road system depend more on intersections than any other single parameter under the control of the road or traffic engineer. It is at intersections that the majority of vehicle and pedestrian conflicts occur and therefore where delays, accidents and congestion are likely to occur. The importance of intersections in respect to road safety is emphasised by accident statistics which show that about 60 per cent of all casualty accidents in urban areas in Victoria occur at intersections. In rural areas some 25 per cent of all casualty accidents occur at intersections. This section deals with a number of aspects of the design of intersections (including roundabouts), including: choice of intersection type; performance of intersections; objectives of intersection design; intersection design and control; elements of design and standards; and special forms of intersection treatment (A).


The extensive data requirements of three-dimensional inverse dynamics and joint modelling to estimate spinal loading prevent the implementation of these models in industry and may hinder development of advanced injury prevention standards. This work examines the potential of feed forward artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a data reduction approach and compared predictions to rigid link and EMG-assisted models. Ten males and ten females performed dynamic lifts, all approaches were applied and comparisons of predicted joint moments and joint forces were evaluated. While the ANN under- predicted peak extension moments (p = 0.0261) and joint compression (p < 0.0001), predictions of cumulative extension moments (p = 0.8293) and cumulative joint compression (p = 0.9557) were not different. Therefore, the ANNs proposed may be used to obtain estimates of cumulative exposure variables with reduced input demands; however they should not be applied to determine peak demands of a worker's exposure.


CZTS exhibited apparently phase-dependent photocatalytic H2 evolution under visible light. Possible factors for the phase-dependent photocatalytic activity of CZTS were discussed in detail.


The mass spectrum of the Schiff base formed by the condensation of ethylenediamine and trifluoro-acetylacetone shows that the compound is N,N-ethylenebis(1,1,1-trifluoro-4-iminopentan-2-one). The mass spectra of the nickel(II), palladium(II) and copper(II) chelates of the Schiff base confirm this structure for the ligand. Mechanisms are proposed for some of the fragmentation reactions which occur in the mass spectrometer.


Myosin II isoforms with varying mechanochemistry and filament size interact with filamentous actin (F-actin) networks to generate contractile forces in cells. How their properties control force production in environments with varying stiffness is poorly understood. Here, we incorporated literature values for properties of myosin II isoforms into a cross-bridge model. Similar actin gliding speeds and force-velocity curves expected from previous experiments were observed. Motor force output on an elastic load was regulated by two timescales--that of their attachment to F-actin, which varied sharply with the ensemble size, motor duty ratio, and external load, and that of force build up, which scaled with ensemble stall force, gliding speed, and load stiffness. While such regulation did not require force-dependent kinetics, the myosin catch bond produced positive feedback between attachment time and force to trigger switch-like transitions from short attachments and small forces to high force-generating runs at threshold parameter values. Parameters representing skeletal muscle myosin, non-muscle myosin IIB, and non-muscle myosin IIA revealed distinct regimes of behavior respectively: (1) large assemblies of fast, low-duty ratio motors rapidly build stable forces over a large range of environmental stiffness, (2) ensembles of slow, high-duty ratio motors serve as high-affinity cross-links with force build-up times that exceed physiological timescales, and (3) small assemblies of low-duty ratio motors operating at intermediate speeds may respond sharply to changes in mechanical context--at low forces or stiffness, they serve as low affinity cross-links but they can transition to effective force production via the positive feedback mechanism described above. These results reveal how myosin isoform properties may be tuned to produce force and respond to mechanical cues in their environment.


Increased oxidative stress and antioxidant deficit have been suggested to play a major role in isoproterenol‐induced myocardial infarction. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of α‐mangostin on the antioxidant defense system and lipid peroxidation against isoproterenol‐induced myocardial infarction in rats. Induction of rats with ISO (150 mg/kg body weight, ip) for 2 days resulted in a marked elevation in lipid peroxidation, serum marker enzymes (LDH, CPK, GOT, and GPT) and a significant decrease in the activities of endogenous antioxidants (SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, and GSH). Pre‐treatment with α‐mangostin (200 mg/kg of body weight per day) orally for 6 days prior to the ISO administration and 2 days along with ISO administration significantly attenuated these changes when compared to the individual treatment groups. These findings indicate the protective effect of α‐mangostin on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant tissue defense system during ISO‐induced myocardial infarction in rats. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 21:336–339, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20199


In the present study, Curcuma longa L. was selected to extract natural dye. The selected plant material was analyzed for its phytochemical constituents, physiochemical properties, antibacterial properties and its cytotoxicity.  For phytochemical test and dye extractions, three solvent systems, ethanol only, 50% ethanol and water were used. Phytochemical test performed on ethanol extract showed that they contained all tested secondary metabolites. The EDXRF results of dye powder expresses it does not contain toxic heavy metal and contains lower mineral contents. The physicochemical property of dye powder expresses it was suitable for dye processes. Cytotoxicity determination was   carried   out   by using the brine shrimp lethality bioassay method. The LC50 values of the extracts were determined by linear regression analysis method. It was observed that the ethanol soluble dye powder LC50 value was 323.752 ppm, which was more potent compared to water soluble potion with LC50 value of 207.182 ppm. The lower concentration of dye powder is suitable for food dye as well as textile dye.


The thermal performance of high-voltage submarine cables is controlled by the effectiveness of heat transfer through the sediments in which they are buried. This paper assesses the influence of sediment parameters on this heat transfer using finite-element simulations. Particular attention is paid to the role of convective heat transfer, with a method being developed to define installation scenarios where this may become significant. This paper shows that the permeability is the dominant factor and can have a significant impact on cable temperatures, even though it is typically neglected in conventional models.


The effect of different modes of cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater treatment plant effluent has been investigated. Characterization of the wastewater effluent revealed the presence of foulants containing carboxylic and phenolic functional groups as well as calcium ions. The chemical cleaning agents, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and sodium chloride (NaCl), were selected as models for alkaline solutions, metal chelating agents, surfactants, and salt cleaning, respectively. Specifically, we examined the impact of a sequence or a combination of two cleaning agents compared to the use of single cleaning agents. Increased cleaning efficiency was demonstrated when two cleaning agents were applied in a certain order and mixture. In particular, it was shown that addition of NaOH can enhance the overall cleaning performance when introduced with other chemical agents, due to its ability to loosen the fouling layer. Cleaning efficiency as high as 94% was obtained by simply increasing the pH of an NaCl cleaning solution, compared to 65% in the case of the individual salt solution with no pH adjustment. On the other hand, combining chemical cleaning agents astewater reclamation embranes was not advantageous in some cases, possibly because of the competing cleaning mechanisms of some of the agents. The most and the least effective cleaning modes were highlighted, suggesting a rationale for the design of chemical cleaning of RO membranes fouled by wastewater effluent. This study demonstrates that careful selection of cleaning agents and the steps through which those agents are applied allows the regeneration of high water productivity after fouling while minimizing both the cleaning time and the amount of chemicals. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


The utility model discloses a fixture for welding a muffler bracket. The fixture comprises a base plate, wherein a muffler positioning component for transversely positioning the elliptical cylinder-shaped outer barrel of a muffler and a bracket positioning component for positioning a bracket needing to be welded on the outer wall of the outer barrel are fixedly arranged on the base plate; and the muffler positioning component consists of a left positioning block and a right positioning block which can be used for positioning the left end and right end of the outer barrel in one-to-one correspondence respectively. The fixture for welding the muffler bracket can be used for accurately positioning the outer barrel and bracket of the muffler so as to weld the bracket and outer barrel of the muffler, thereby ensuring the standardization and stability of a muffler structure, accurately positioning the muffler and smoothly installing the muffler.


This article explores how the notion of care is conceptualised and described in early childhood education policies across countries in the majority (Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia) and minority (New Zealand and Sweden) world. A central focus is the relationship and balance between care and education. The authors examined whether there are trends and tendencies to strengthen or weaken the care/education component at the expense of the other. Grounded in local and national knowledge, the authors employed a cross-national collaborative inquiry approach and interrogated the notion of care while extrapolating its implications for the endeavour to design socially sustainable early childhood education. The results revealed that care has remained ingrained within policies in the minority world, while there is a tendency to view it as separate from education in the majority world. Although quantitative goals for early childhood education and care still dominate the majority world, the importance of care and sustainable development are present in all policy documents across the five nations. The authors concluded that strengthening these promising policy endeavours paves the way towards effective educare approaches, which lay the foundation for social sustainability in early childhood education.


Objective:To study the expression and the clinical significance of androgen receptors(AR) and estrogen receptor(ER) in gastric cancer tissue.Methods:1.Estradiol(E2) and testosterone(T) levels in serum of gastric cancer patients are determined by means of chemiluminescent immune.2.To detect the protein expression of AR and ER in gastric cancer by means of immunohistochemical SP method.Results:1.Serum levels of T and E2 in same gender were lower compared with the normal control and the distinction is obvious(P0.01).2.The positive rate of AR is 47.6% and the positive rate of ER is 34%,the distinction in the comparison of positive rate of AR and ER in the side of cancer tissue is significant,they are 61.9% and 66.7%.The positive expression in gastric cancer is related to the tissue type of tumor,the grade of differentiation,the shift situation of lymph node and TNM stages.Conclusion:AR and ER positive gastric cancer has sex hormone dependency.The detection of AR and ER of gastric cancer is significant in deciding clinical prognosis and incretion treatment.


The phenomenon of self-medication is a significant problem in a developing country due to easy availability of drugs. It is important in pregnancy as these agents may be teratogenic; pregnant women may be exposed to drugs that have serious harmful effects on their fetus. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and nature of self-medication in pregnant women in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh. The study was carried out using a self-designed standard structured questionnaire following WHO guidelines from January 2015 to April 2015. In this study, 650 pregnant women were considered as randomly selected sample from women attending for maternity care from one public hospital and five private clinics in Rajshahi City. 79 (12.2%) women use self-medication. The conditions which prompted women to obtain self-medication of drugs were gastric acidity (32.9%), infection (24.1%), cold & fever (21.5%), pain (12.7%), vomiting (8.9%) and disorders related to pregnancy (7.6%). The drugs most commonly used were antacids (27.8%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (26.6%), iron (15.2%), vitamins and minerals (12.7%), ayurvedic preparations (5.1%), antiemetic (5.1%) and antibiotics (3.8%) respectively. Most common reasons of self-medication were availability of drugs (42%), prior experience (20.8%), emergency usage (11.2%), knowledge about drugs (10.0%) and advice from traditional healers (8.0%). Moreover, 44.3% of women did not complete the course of antibiotics. Due to the adverse effects of self-medication, particularly during pregnancy, which can lead to teratogenicity or fetotoxicity, it is necessary to take some measures to preventing self-medication in pregnant women.


Abstract : The report concerns the analysis of condensation and droplet growth in the nozzle, the separation of the two charged species, and the problem of pumping out the uncondensed gas to a low enough pressure that the required electrical fields can be attained without breakdown.


Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO{sub 2}) promises a high power conversion efficiency of the recompression Brayton cycle due to its excellent compressibility reducing the compression work at the bottom of the cycle and to a higher density than helium or steam decreasing the component size. Therefore, the high SCO{sub 2} Brayton cycle efficiency as high as 45 % furnishes small sized nuclear reactors with economical benefits on the plant construction and maintenance. A 23 MWth BORIS (Battery Optimized Reactor Integral System) is being developed as a multipurpose reactor. BORIS, an integral-type optimized fast reactor with an ultra long life core, is coupled to the SCO{sub 2} Brayton cycle needing less room relative to the Rankine steam cycle because of its smaller components. The SCO{sub 2} Brayton cycle of BORIS consists of a 16 MW turbine, a 32 MW high temperature recuperator, a 14 MW low temperature recuperator, an 11 MW pre-cooler and 2 and 2.8 MW compressors. Entering six heat exchangers between primary and secondary system at 19.9 MPa and 663 K, the SCO{sub 2} leaves the heat exchangers at 19.9 MPa and 823 K. The promising secondary system efficiency of 45 % was calculated by a theoretical method in whichmore » the main parameters include pressure, temperature, heater power, the turbine's, recuperators' and compressors' efficiencies, and the flow split ratio of SCO{sub 2} going out from the low temperature recuperator. Test loop SOLOS (Shell-and-tube Overall Layout Optimization Study) is utilized to develop advanced techniques needed to adopt the shell-and-tube type heat exchanger in the secondary loop of BORIS by studying the SCO{sub 2} behavior from both thermal and hydrodynamic points of view. Concurrently, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code analysis is being conducted to develop an optimal analytical method of the SCO{sub 2} turbine efficiency having the parameters of flow characteristics of SCO{sub 2} passing through buckets of the turbine. These simultaneous experimental and analytical methods for designing the secondary loop of BORIS can supply an optimal solution to developing a new battery-type integral nuclear power reactor system. (authors)« less


A series solution method is developed that is a generalization of the method used by Pekeris for helium‐atom calculations. It is equivalent to the linear variation method but requires few, if any, matrix component integrals to be evaluated. The method is illustrated by an application to the s states of the hydrogen atom.


My work is aimed at construction and chosing of materials, which is used in the creation of the mechanical blocking systems. It browses normally applied materials and shows its mechanical properties. On the basis of this theses, new posibilities of suitability and the height of durability and reliability are stated. These properties is nessesary to verify, before the work start, along the building-up and, of course, in the during of lifetime.


A mountain and a stone: I sit atop a mountain with a pencil and paper, drawing a mountain peak across the valley. With pen and paper I attempt to understand the temporal relationships between the mountain and the river. The revealing and concealing of rock by vegetation is the exploitation of deposition in defiance of gravity and entropy. A mountain is rarely denuded, it conceals and reveals according to these ongoing geological conversations. The stone in a garden has been removed from one conversation and appropriated into another. Removed from geological processes, it becomes a projection for people unable to talk in geological time. Mundane on its own terms, the stone is appropriated into metaphysics, and contemplated like the life of a star. It is an object for speculation, not for dissection. Data stones: I offer a composition of stones, conceived in the spirit of the human/mountain, the appropriation of the mundane, and projecting onto random noise. These stones are produced procedurally from the mundane dialogue accumulated by the everyday use of instant messaging. I download every conversation I have had with one person, and sort the messages using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). The LDA gives an abstract order to sentiments and conversations that never had any order. It is another type of noise to generate another type of stone for speculation and projection. I visualise this information by making procedurally generated stones, each representing one half of the conversation. The stone is treated like a graph, where the statistical patterns my sentiments determines its shape. The stones are accompanied by a musical composition that reveals fragments of the processed conversation (composed by Tom Smith). I offer these stones for contemplation and speculation as objects of data collection, surveillance and big data processing, as well as objects of random noise.


No.8 horizontal HP heater for Unit 1(660 MW)in Shajiao C Power Station was rejected after 6 years of operation due to frequent tube bursting leakage and high blocking rate. A dissecting test was made on the rejected HP heater to analyze the problem.Test results show that the defects of the said heat~exchange tubes are mainly located in the superheated~steam cooling area as the result of the severe vibration of the heat~exchange tubes and the intense inter~baffle friction in this area. Some suggestions on the operation and inspection of similar in~service HP heaters are put forth as well.


Two new ternary bismuthides, La{sub 3}MgBi{sub 5} and LaLiBi{sub 2}, have been prepared by solid-state reactions of the corresponding pure metals in welded niobium tubes at high temperature. Their structures have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. La{sub 3}MgBi{sub 5} crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6{sub 3}/mcm (No.193) with cell parameters of a=b=9.7882(7)A, c=6.5492(9)A, V=543.41(9)A{sup 3}, and Z=2. LaLiBi{sub 2} belongs to tetragonal space group P4/nmm (No.129) with cell parameters of a=b=4.5206(4)A, c=10.9942(19)A,V=224.68(5)A{sup 3}, and Z=2. The structure of La{sub 3}MgBi{sub 5} is of the 'anti' Hf{sub 5}Sn{sub 3}Cu type, and features 1D linear Bi{sup -} anionic chains and face-sharing [MgBi{sub 6/2}]{sup 7-} octahedral chains. The structure of LaLiBi{sub 2} is isotypic with HfCuSi{sub 2}, and is composed of 2D Bi{sup -} square sheets and 2D LiBi layers with La{sup 3+} ions as spacers. Band calculations indicate that both compounds are metallic.


Abstract
During the last few decades, rising intra-regional volumes of trade as well as air passenger traffic have been key characteristics of Asia-Pacific's economic development. Although conceptual and empirical linkages between rising levels of trade and air passenger flows are often assumed, relatively little is known about the potential causality in these parallels. In this chapter, we seek to empirically uncover this causality through the application of heterogeneous Time Series Cross Section Granger causality analysis for the period 1980–2010. Four scenarios are found amongst the different country-pairs: (1) there is no co-evolution, implying that both patterns develop independently (e.g. Japan–Australia); (2) there is 'real' co-evolution in that both patterns influence each other through feedback loops (e.g. South Korea–Philippines); (3) air passenger traffic is facilitated by trade (e.g., South Korea–Philippines); or (4) trade is facilitated by air passenger traffic (e.g. Australia–Malaysia). Some possible interpretations of this heterogeneity are discussed.


This chapter discusses varied methods for achieving what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls "flow," the feeling that all members of a team are working smoothly and effectively together. In order to achieve flow in rehearsal, instructions must be delivered clearly and efficiently. Based on music education research and the author's many years of experience, this chapter examines the mechanics of giving short and cogent instructions. It further explores lessons from thin-slicing research about the importance of one's tone of voice when delivering instructions and the impact of non-verbal behaviors. Conductors can benefit from research on interleaving, which involves taking advantage of spaced practice and the mixing of learning activities when structuring rehearsals. The chapter further examines how rehearsal efficiency will increase when conductors understand the primacy/recency effect, the phenomenon that people remember best what happens first in a learning episode, and they remember second best what happens last.


A robust, facile and solvent-free mechanochemical path for aldehyde-oxime transformations using hydroxylamine and NaOH is explored; the method is suitable for aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes decorated with a range of substituents.


Abstract Background: It seems paradoxical that both increased height and earlier age at menarche (which predicts for shorter stature) are both associated with increased breast cancer risk. Methods: Retrospective data from a parental cohort coupled with prospective interviews with and anthropometric measurements from their daughters were used. Multivariable linear regression analyses were conducted using mixed regression models to account for same-family participants. Results: Controlling for birth weight, maternal height, and birth cohort, and analyzed as a group, a 1—year increase in the age at menarche predicted an increase in standing height, leg length, and trunk height of 0.76, 0.41, and 0.35 cm, respectively. However, when stratifying by birth year (prior to 1966 vs 1966 or after), these relationships were true only for those born prior to 1966. Conclusion: Given the height–breast cancer risk association, the emerging evidence linking breast cell proliferation to hormones associated with growth, and the finding in this study that the relationship between age at menarche and adult height no longer exists for women born in 1966 or later, it is possible that the long-established relationship between age at menarche and breast cancer risk may also no longer exist.


The maintenance of bridges as a key element in transportation infrastructure has become a major concern due to increasing traffic volumes, deterioration of existing bridges and well-publicised bridge failures. The main goal of this study is to develop a requirement-driven decision support methodology for remediation of concrete bridges within acceptable limits of safety, serviceability and sustainability. The proposed model includes two phases: Phase one is focused on condition assessment and priority ranking of bridge projects which makes use of an integrated priority index addressing a variety of factors. Phase two includes a multi criteria decision making technique which is able to select the best remediation strategy at both project and network level. The modified Simple Multi Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) is used as a decision analysis tool that employs the eigenvector approach of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for criteria weighting.


In this work, the authors present the resonance frequency shift of the magnetic sensor with Terfenol‐D/PMN‐PT heterostructure by LC tuning. A custom‐built low noise voltage pre‐amplifier is used to convert the weak signal induced by magnetic field into an output voltage. A practical noise model is established to theoretically analyze the variation of noise level of LC tuning magnetoelectric (ME) sensor. Both the theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that LC tuning is an effective way to adjust the resonance frequency and reduce the equivalent magnetic noise (EMN). The resonance frequency of the LC tuning ME sensor can be shifted from 54.8 kHz to 24.8 kHz, with the maximum responsivity being 131 firstname.lastname@example.com kHz. Furthermore, the EMN is as low as 0.22 email@example.com kHz, which indicates a significant reduction from 0.54 pT/Hz1/2 at the same frequency without LC tuning.


Radio frequency interference (RFI) is ubiquitous in wireless communications which could greatly degrade communication system performances in an open environment. For satellite communications (SATCOM), the system performances degradation could be even worse considering the large round trip time (RTT) delay. To mitigate RFI effects, cognitive radio with adaptive waveform configurations could be effective. To quantify the cognitive radio system performance, spectral efficiency and energy efficiency are two metrics. Spectral efficiency (SE), defined as the average data rate per unit bandwidth, quantifies how efficiently the available spectrum is utilized. Energy efficiency (EE), defined as the successful transmitted information bits per unit energy from transmitter to receiver, quantifies how efficiently the energy is utilized. However, the two metrics construct a fundamental trade-off in communication system design. Basically, with higher average energy per bit to noise power spectral density ratio at the receiver, the packet can be more successfully detected, thus utilizing the spectrum more efficiently, giving higher SE; which however requires more energy, lowering EE, and vice versa. In this paper, we design adaptive configuration of SATCOM link operating in the RFI environment, and study the system trade-off between SE and EE, by greatly exploiting cognitive radio configurability for SATCOM interference mitigation capability. A general metric SEE (Spectral/Energy Efficiency), which quantifies the preference of SE or EE, has been formulated with practical system parameters, including information bit length, overhead bits, modulation and channel coding schemes, frequency hopping, wireless channel conditions, frame retransmissions, etc, to facilitate the system analysis. A closed-form solution for information bits rate control is obtained in various RFI environments. An iteration algorithm is presented for cognitive radio joint transmission power control, information bits rate control, and modulation and channel coding adaptation, to optimize the system performances in the RFI environment.


The broad utilization of designed Nano materials (DNMs) in an assortment of advances and buyer items unavoidably causes their discharge into sea-going situations and last statement into the seas. What's more, a developing number of DNM items are being created particularly for marine applications, for example, antifouling coatings and natural remediation frameworks, in this way expanding the need to address any potential dangers for marine creatures and environments. To defend the marine condition, major logical holes identified with surveying and planning eco safe DNMs should be filled. In this Nano Focus, we look at key issues identified with the cutting edge models and diagnostic instruments being created to comprehend natural dangers and to configuration shields for marine living beings.


A consummate system is the key to the standardized training of specialist doctors.The Second Affliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College started to carry out the training task for residents in 1993,started to enroll trainee in 2005,and became one of the first group of specialist doctors' training unit approved by the Ministry of Public Health in early 2007.In the process of many year's organizing task,we accumulated experiences,improved administration style and examination system of the training.We also undertook some beneficial investigation about the transconformation work from residents' training to specialists' training.The hospital has carried out some reforms and practice in many fields such as training patterns,personnel management,and training plan.The article discusses some focal points and problems existing in the course of training.


The roots of madder (Rubia tinctorum) are source of anthraquinone dyes with alizarin being the main component. Free alizarin (I) is present in madder root in only small quantities, most of it is present as its glycoside i.e. ruberythric acid(III) On the basis of the importance of alizarin, in this research, it was isolated, purified and its structure was confirmed by various spectra. Maceration of the powdered madder roots in various polar and non-polar solvents, as well as Soxhlet extraction resulted in the formation of a reddish solid material (5.2% and 14.2% yield, respectively). Successive TLC and column chromatography of the solid material on silica gel with methanol as the mobile phase, gave three fractions with Rf = 0.21, 0.48 and 0.68. The fraction with Rf = 0.68 was the major one. 1HNMR, 13CNMR, IR, UV and Mass spectra of this fraction were taken. On the basis of the results obtained from the spectra, the chemical structure of alizarin was determined and confirmed.


Field surveys of lithic sites in Central Australia and experimental tests of materials from these sites permit evaluation of Binford's (1979) concept of embeddedness. While basically agreeing with Binford's view that raw material procurement by mobile hunter-gatherers occurred incidentally in relation to other subsistence activities, our results indicate that Binford's argument cannot account for patterning in raw material procurement based on the utilitarian properties of the materials themselves. In dealing with questions of raw material procurement, we propose that controlled efforts be made to evaluate the technological characteristics of materials vis-a-vis the mechanical forces involved in their known or presumed uses before assuming the degree to which their procurement was structured by subsistence factors.


Transfer to polymer in the radical polymerization of acrylic monomers results in chain branching and has significant implications for both reaction kinetics and the microstructure of the resulting polymer. While intramolecular transfer to polymer is more prevalent than the intermolecular pathway, intermolecular transfer to polymer is of particular importance for understanding polymer microstructures. Despite this, the magnitude of the rate coefficient is uncertain, and therefore, predicting the effects of intermolecular transfer remains a challenge. Herein, we seek to provide an estimate of the rate of intermolecular transfer of butyl acrylate by conducting reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations in the presence of a low molecular weight dead polymer. In these experiments, intermolecular transfer to polymer yields a characteristic low molecular shoulder in the polymer detected by UV in the SEC. We obtain a value significantly higher than those previously estimated and discu...


The effects of synthetic estrogens on energy metabolism in chicks were studied. The results obtained were as follows.1. The body weight gain of the treated chicks was higher than that of the control in one case, but in most cases the differences were not statistically significant.2. The increases in cholesterol and lipid contents of the blood, liver, abdominal and tissue fat might be stored in tissues, thus making the chicks fatter.3. The metabolizable energy of the diet was the same for both the control and synthetic estrogen treated lots. The productive energy of the diet was numerically in favor of the control lots. These results indicated that estrogen treatment did not improve digestibility and net energy yield, neither did it lower heat production.4. Protein gain in chicks was reduced by estrogen treatment.5. Fat was being deposited following estrogen supply, less total gain per unit of metabolizable energy consumed was observed because of the relatively high caloric concentration of adipose tissue.6. The increase in the amount of fat deposited appears to be due to the increased feed intake per unit of weight gain.


Research aim. The article considers the kinematic and dynamic parameters of the screen GISL-62 in order to improve the device for exciting mechanical vibration and the effective use of the screen because of the ISSN 0536-1028 «Известия вузов. Горный журнал», № 2, 2020 107 need to transfer it to the operation mode with increased frequency of vibrator shafts rotation and reduced amplitude of the box vibration. Research methodology. Methods of analytical research with the elements of dynamic and kinematic synthesis are used to specify the adjustment of the screen with the necessary kinematic parameters. Results. The studies of the differential equation of the steady-state screen motion are carried out to obtain the required amplitude of the screen box oscillations and the vibrator shaft rotation frequency. The necessary disturbing force created by the vibrator, the value of static moment of unbalance, the required number of vibration dampers in the screen box supports, the calculated power of motors and other parameters of the vibrator operation mode are determined. The strength and rigidity of the vibrator shafts is calculated considering the significant exciting forces created by the unbalance. The coefficient of the screen dynamics is calculated. Conclusions. The questions connected with defining parameters of the screen, necessary to transfer to a new operation mode are comprehensively settled.


Bradycardia is a common phenomenon which can provoke syncope or various less specific symptoms. Its diagnosis requires electrocardiographic documentation of the sinus pause, sinus bradycardia, or atrioventricular block. When symptoms are infrequent, prolonged electrocardiogram recordings are needed, sometimes requiring the implantation of a loop recorder. Provocative testing can be helpful in some patients.


Polyurethane(PU) modified with polylactic acid (PLA) microcapsules were fabricated for controlled release of Chloropyrifos (Cp, one of the high usage solid phosphorous insecticides) via interfacial polymerization method using MDI50, N306, 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and PLA serve as modifier. The structure, morphology and encapsulation performance of synthesized microcapsules were characterized by FTIR, SEM, and HPLC. More benign solvents, namely ethyl acetate (EA) and n-butyl acetate (BA) were used in the preparation of PU microcapsules. The spherical microcapsules prepared in this study had a diameter of 1-20 μm. FTIR indicated that PLA had successfully participated in the interfacial polymerization of polyurethane. The encapsulation efficiency of microcapsules can reach up to 71.0%, and loading content to 26.2%.


Single epoch K-band photometry of 32 RR Lyrae stars in the young galactic globular cluster IC 4499 is presented. The mean magnitudes have been estimated using the K-band template light-curves of Jones et al. (1996). We derive an independent estimate of the distance and reddening for the cluster based on the new -log P-[Fe/H] relation from Bono et al. (2003) which has a zero-point in agreement with the canonical LMC distance of (m - M) 0 = 18.5. For an assumed metallicity of [Fe/H] = -1.65 ± 0.1 we find (m - M) 0 = 16.47 ± 0.04 ± 0.06 (random and systematic errors respectively) and E(B - V) = 0.24 ± 0.03 in good agreement with the findings of Walker & Nemec (1996) based on optical data. The distance estimate is very robust to uncertainties in the reddening estimate but naturally depends directly on the adopted zero-point of the -log P-[Fe/H] relation.


Introduction Despite an ageing population and a rise in the number of joint replacements being performed, the mean age of patients undergoing surgery remains static. One explanation for this is continued concern over the risks of performing surgery on the very elderly. The Elective Orthopaedic Centre, Epsom has an established patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) programme into which all patients are routinely enrolled. Post-operative complications, Oxford scores and Euro-Quol (EQ5-D) are collected to the second post-operative year. Methods and Results We retrospectively reviewed our data set for a cohort of nonagenarians undergoing primary total hip replacement (THR) between April 2008 and October 2011. Post-operative complications, mortality rates and functional outcomes were compared to those of a time matched 70–79 year old cohort. Only patients with a primary diagnosis of osteoarthritis were included whereas an exclusion criterion consisted of patients undergoing revision surgery, simultaneous bilateral replacements or conversion from a dynamic hip screw. We identified 38 nonagenarian patients (12 men and 26 women), with a mean age of 92.18 (90–99) and the control group consisted of 55 patients (21 men and 34 women), with a mean age of 74.69 (70–79). We found that nonagenarians requiring a THR presented with lower pre-operative Oxford Hip Score (OHS) (p=0.02) but made a greater improvement in the first post-operative year than the younger cohort (p=0.040). The nonagenarians had a greater risk of requiring a blood transfusion following THR (p= 0.0265; CI 1.11 to 5.75), and also required a longer stay than their younger counterparts (p=0.001). Mortality rates were higher in the nonagenarian cohort, but these were in keeping with the life expectancy projections identified by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Conclusion In conclusion, we identified that over a 2 year period, nonagenarians achieved the same functional outcome and satisfaction rates following a THR as 70–79 year olds.