Richard Dodds fRCS was captain of the gold medal-winning Great Britain hockey team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and also won the bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He is now a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. Sibella Egerton asked him for his insights on sport, surgery and life.


This proposes a new algorithm for advanced personal identification system using iris pattern and speech signal. Since the proposed algorithm adopts a fusion scheme to take advantage of iris recognition and speaker identification, it shows robustness for noisy environments. For evaluating the performance of the proposed scheme, we compare it with the iris pattern recognition and speaker identification respectively. In the experiments, the proposed method showed more 56.7% improvements than the iris recognition method and more 10% improvements than the speaker identification method for high quality security level. Also, in noisy environments, the proposed method showed more 30% improvements than the iris recognition method and more 60% improvements than the speaker identification method for high quality security level.


We revisit the notion of ontology localization, propose a new definition and clearly specify the layers of an ontology that can be affected by the process of localizing it. We also work out a numbe...


Morphology and structure of precipitates such as Al2O3, MnS, AlN and cementite in high strength low carbon steel produced by thin slab casting and rolling were investigated, thermodynamics and precipitation kinetics of some precipitates were studied, and their influences on microstructure and property were also analyzed.


A response to a letter by Phil Harley, who expressed concern about photovoltaic energy possibly altering the Earth's "surface albedo" – the balance between received energy from the Sun and what's lost to space.


New deep VLA D array HI observations of the highly inclined nearby spiral galaxy NGC 2683 are presented. Archival C array data were processed and added to the new observations. To investigate the 3D structure of the atomic gas disk, we made different 3D models for which we produced model HI data cubes. The main ingredients of our best-fit model are (i) a thin disk inclined by 80 degrees; (ii) a crude approximation of a spiral and/or bar structure by an elliptical surface density distribution of the gas disk; (iii) a slight warp in inclination; (iv) an exponential flare; and (v) a low surface-density gas ring. The slope of NGC 2683's flare is comparable, but somewhat steeper than those of other spiral galaxies. NGC 2683's maximum height of the flare is also comparable to those of other galaxies. On the other hand, a saturation of the flare is only observed in NGC 2683. Based on the comparison between the high resolution model and observations, we exclude the existence of an extended atomic gas halo around the optical and thin gas disk. Under the assumption of vertical hydrostatic equilibrium we derive the vertical velocity dispersion of the gas. The high turbulent velocity dispersion in the flare can be explained by energy injection by (i) supernovae, (ii) magneto-rotational instabilities, (iii) ISM stirring by dark matter substructure, or (iv) external gas accretion. The existence of the complex large-scale warping and asymmetries favors external gas accretion as one of the major energy sources that drives turbulence in the outer gas disk. We propose a scenario where this external accretion leads to turbulent adiabatic compression that enhances the turbulent velocity dispersion and might quench star formation in the outer gas disk of NGC 2683.


Abstract This study analyses how past tsunami-memories affect cheating in Sri Lanka. Subjects are assigned to a treatment (control) group in which they watch a video about the calamity before (after) participating in a trust game. Cheating is elicited by asking trustors how much they need to receive not to feel cheated and trustees how much they need to return not to make the trustor feel cheated. Finally, participants report whether the video mostly reminded them about solidarity, looting or the calamity. Trustors show lower cheating standards and trustees more often satisfy the trustors' cheating notion if they mostly recall solidarity.


The only constant in the online social behavior is forever changing user intent and preferences. These changes could be inspired by myriad of factors but still have an overall trend e.g. todays popular news will be stale tomorrow etc. Such patterns are especially noticeable in viral trends where an immediate gain in popularity is followed by gradual lost of holistic interest. In this study we focus on design of a recommendation system which accounts for this non-stationary behavior of declining popularity. Contextual multi-armed bandit (contextual MAB) is a popular framework for learning user behavior and personalized recommendations based on the past behavior. Fundamentally MAB solves the exploitationexploration dilemma which aims at minimal guided experimentation required to gain certain level of confidence in its recommendation. Traditionally contextual MABs (e.g. LinUCB) have been used to model stationary user behavior that is not appropriate for the target environment where LinUCB can accumulate linear regret. Here we extend this LinUCB type algorithm to model a decaying environment. We present three algorithms with variable levels of specificity in the assumptions they make about the non-stationary environment. We show by simulation the e↵ectiveness of our methods which illustrates the usefulness of modeling meta-trends in user behavior.


Background: Blunt abdominal injuries in the modern day are common due to vehicular accidents. Young males are more commonly involved and liver and spleen are the commonest organs injured. During the last century, the management of blunt force trauma has changed from observation and expectant management in the early part of the 1900s to operative intervention for all injuries, to the current practice of selective operative and nonoperative management.Methods: We studied outcomes of conservatively managed liver and splenic injuries in 51 patients who presented to a tertiary referral center over a period of 1 year. Patient demographics and outcomes were studied.Results: Males in the age group of 16-30 years were commonly involved. Liver was the commonest organ injured. Both liver and spleen were injured together only in 3 patients. One patient of liver injury was subjected to delayed surgery and 2 patients of splenic injury failed conservative management. Thus, the success rate of conservative management of blunt liver injuries was 96.87% and in splenic injuries was 90.91%.Conclusions: Outcome of conservative management of blunt liver and splenic injuries is extremely good, especially in patients who maintained hemodynamic stability. Nonoperative management of blunt liver splenic injuries should be the treatment modality of choice in hemodynamically stable patients with any grades of injuries.


British political parties are usually capable of dictating the voting behavior of their members in the House of Commons, but there are instances in which the parties choose to grant MPs freedom to vote as they wish. These "free votes" occur on private members' bills and frequently involve extremely emotional, important issues. Using multiple regression analysis, we examine voting on selected free votes since 1966. The results suggest that while partisan forces are potent even on free votes, they are by no means the only forces operating. Personal characteristics of the MPs-such as religion, age, education, and the like-also influence voting decisions. Moreover, at times it is even possible to observe characteristics of the constituencies (religion, region, and marginality) affecting voting decisions. We conclude by discussing what these findings mean for views of decision making in the House of Commons.


The research of efficiency of the use Cytoflavin in neuroprotectory therapy with the aim of correction of metabolic disturbances has been carried out in a very low and extremely low birth weight neonates (n=20). A study group consisted of 10 infants taking Cytoflavin, 2 ml\kg\day, during the first 5 days of life; 10 premature neonates from a control group had basic therapy. The use of Cytoflavin within the first hours of life promoted the normalization of gas composition of blood and acid-base balance.


Objective  Surgical outcome following reconstructive pelvic surgery is largely dependent on the vaginal wound healing process. As peri‐ and post‐menopausal women are the most likely candidates to undergo these surgeries, it is important to understand the effect of estrogen deficiency on this process. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is an important mediator of wound healing. We sought to assess TGFβ1 gene expression during the vaginal incisional wound healing process in a rabbit menopause model.


Regenerative brakes are most commonly seen in electric or hybrid vehicles. Electric regenerative brakes descended from dynamic brakes (rheostatic brakes in the UK) which have been used on electric and diesel-electric locomotives and streetcars since the mid-20th century. In both systems, braking is accomplished by switching motors to act as generators that convert motion into electricity instead of electricity into motion. Traditional friction-based brakes must also be provided to be used when rapid, powerful braking is required.


To determine the insulinotropic effects of an incretin mimetic, exenatide, a hyperglycemic clamp was used to evaluate three different doses (0.1, 0.24, and 1 μg/kg) administered subcutaneously to healthy cats. Subsequently, drug safety during chronic administration was evaluated during 4 weeks of twice daily exenatide treatment. Administration of exenatide at the highest dose tested, 1 μg/kg, increased plasma insulin concentration during hyperglycemia from 15 to 120, and also at 240 minutes post administration, as compared to a saline control. Exenatide at lower doses (0.1 and 0.24 μg/kg) had lesser effects on plasma insulin concentrations, thus insulin release was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner. Chronic administration of 1 μg/kg exenatide did not lead to apparent adverse effects, but significant weight loss was observed in cats


We discuss the many aspects and qualities of the number one: the different ways it can be represented, the different things it may represent. We discuss the ordinal and cardinal natures of the one, its algebraic behaviour as a neutral element and finally its role as a truth-value in logic.


The treatment of suppuration of the middle ear unattended by any complication whatsoever, such as, e. g.• mastoiditis, extradural abscess, sinus-phlebitis, ete., will receive our attention in this article. It is a subject of sufficent importance if it only teaches us never by any chance to be guilty of advising procedures which will tend to bring about these complications, many of which are difficult to diagnosticate and still more difficult to cure. Also, if by the early and judicious treatment of an acute suppuration the too frequent development of the chronic condition may be guarded against. In the vast majority of cases this growth from the acute to the chronic process may be prevented by such treatment. . What is it well to do, in case of impending acute suppuration of the middle ear? First, ~he causative element should be unm!tsked and appropriate measures taken to counteract its influence. Should an acute nasa-pharyngitis be discovered, it is well to order warm, mildly antiseptic nasal sprays for cleanliness and a mild, mentholated oil to keep down the swelling so that the nasal cavities can be cleared without further dan~r of forcing infective material into the ear through the eustachian tube. If a tonsillitis is at the bottom of the trouble, it should be treated by gargles, astringent or stimulating applications, incision and constitutional measures, as may be indicated. Teething and dental caries should early receive attention. Unfortunately in the exanthemata, the middle ear inflammation is one manifestation of the disease process and is not dependent upon transmission of infection from the nasa-pharynx; the most we can do th~n is to limit further


Objective To analyze epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HPV16 E6 and E7 immortalized oral epithelial cells and biological characteristics of EMT cells. Methods We established a human immortalized oral epithelial cell line (HIOEC) by transfecting normal oral epithelial cells with recombined retroviral system LXSN HPV16 E6 and E7. The phase-control microscope and differential interference microscope were used to observe the morphology of HIOEC cells. Half-quantify the transcription of snail E-cadherin, β-catenin, wnt-4 and wnt-5a in normal cells and HIOEC cells with RT-PCR. Identify the expression of cytokeratin and vimentin in normal cells and HIOEC cells with histoimmunochemical staining. Observe the distribution of Actin filament cytoskeleton of normal cells and HIOEC cells with immunofluorescence staining under CONFACAL. Results HIOEC cells were immortal but not tumorigenic. Cells retained many characteristics of keratinocytes but displayed spindle-like shape and growth spreaded.The transcription of E-cadherin and wnt-4 were down-regulated while β-catenin and wnt-5a were up-regulated in HIOEC cells. Cytokeratin and vimentin were both positive in HIOEC cells. Actin filaments were more abundant and arranged in bundles in HIOEC cells. Cytoskeleton was much stronger in HIOEC cells than that in normal cells. Conclusion HIOEC cells are under EMT. The cells show partial characteristics of mesenchymal cell.


As far back as 1906, the SMS group delivered the first submerged arc furnace. Meanwhile – over more than 100 years SMS has supplied more than 7,500 submerged arc furnace (SAF) plants as well as major components to SMS customers worldwide operating plants for the production of ferroalloys, silicon, non-ferrous metals and other applications. Metix as well as Paul Wurth which have recently joined the SMS group have significantly increased the SMS product portfolio for our clients and SMS now offers complete process lines for all metal production facilities including a full range of upstream and downstream equipment. This paper will focus on recent SMS developments and projects with respect to electric smelters and submerged arc furnace technology, in particular the production of silicon. The paper will present the recent technology for silicon smelters, which are currently in progress or which have been recently commissioned. Most electric furnaces are considered to be highly energy-intensive units. The high level of electrical energy required is to a large extent defined by the process but can also be influenced by the equipment and the operating practices. SMS has developed a number of measures to reduce the overall energy consumption of these metal production facilities and will meet the requirements on environmental restrictions of the future. INTRODUCTION TO THE SMS GROUP The SMS group is, under SMS Holding GmbH, a global player in plant construction and mechanical engineering for the steel, nonferrous metals, ferroalloy and silicon production industries. It consists of the business areas represented by SMS Siemag, SMS Meer, Paul Wurth and the industrial affiliates. SMS Siemag is a part of the SMS group with more than 13,500 employees, which in 2013 attracted sales totaling some EUR 3 billion. Silicon furnaces are designed in the SMS office in Düsseldorf, Germany [1]. In recent decades SMS Siemag has supplied the majority of the SAF's for FeSi & silicon production. With more than 90 references for large scale silicon and FeSi furnaces since 1970, SMS is leading the furnace market (see Fig. 1). Fig. 1: SMS Siemag milestones in Silicon / FeSi furnaces Over the past years silicon plants have been commissioned in Korea, China, Kazakhstan and Germany. The most recent reference is a FeSi plant supplied for POSCO in Korea. The following Figure 1 shows a selection of the furnaces installed with the involvement of the SMS group. On 22 nd June 2011 the Metix Company which is based in Johannesburg, RSA, joined SMS Siemag AG as part of the SMS Group. Providing active in-plant construction and supplying


Objective To study the effect of nimodipine on the expression of Hsp-70 in the tissue around an intracerebral hematoma(ICH) in rats so as to probe into the protective action of the drug on the ischemic brain tissue around the ICH. Methods 120 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups:① the sham operation group(n=20),②ICH treatment group(n=50) and ③ICH model group(n=50).For each of the rats in groups ②and ③ an ICH model was established by injecting 50 μL of autoblood taken from the animal's femoral artery into the right caudate nucleus.In rats of the sham operation group(group ①),needle was inserted into the same region as mentioned but no blood was injected.After the operation,rats of each of 3 groups were further divided into 5 equal subgroups scheduled for corresponding experimentations to be carried out 6,24,48,72 and 120 hours later.Immediately after the establishment of the ICH model,rats of the treatment group(group②) were given each an intraperitoneal injection of 1.6 mg·kg~(-1) of nimodipine followed by the same injection q.d..Rats of the model group(group ③) were given each an equivalent amount of 0.9% sodium chloride solution via the same route.Nerve defect scoring was performed by a "blind" collaborator according to the method described by Bederson after the animals with the model awoke from the anesthesia.Animals of the ICH treatment group and model group with scores greater than 2 or equal to 2,reflecting a successful establishment of the model,were admitted into the experiment while all of the rats in the sham operation group were admitted.The admitted animals in each of the 15 subgroups described above were anesthetized with chloral hydrate and subjected to cardiac perfusion with 200 mL of 0.9%sodium chloride solution per rat followed by prompt decapitation for taking brain specimens 6,24,48,72 and 120 hours after the establishment of the model,respectively.Coronal sections across the caudate nucleus were made for the determination of the brain water content and assay of the expression of Hsp-70 with the immunohistochemical method. Results ①Brain water content: No apparent change was shown in the water content of the brain in rats of the model group 6h after the ICH.However,the water content began to increase 24h afterwards and reached its peak at 48-72 h,and then gradually declined.Dynamic changes in the brain water content in rats of the ICH treatment group followed a pattern similar to that in rats of the model group but the values at the different time points were lower(P0.05).The values of the brain water content in rats of the model group and ICH treatment group were by and large greater than those in rats of the sham operation group.②Expression of Hsp-70 in the brain tissue around the ICH: A few cells expressing Hsp-70 were seen in the specimen from rats of the sham operation group throughout the period from 6 h to 5 d.Cells expressing Hsp-70 in the brain tissue began to appear 6 h after the establishment of the ICH model,reached the peak 24-48 h thereafter and remained at high level until 120h in rats of both the model group and ICH treatment group.However,the values obtained from rats of the latter group were significantly greater than those obtained from rats of the former group(P0.01).The numbers of Hsp-70 expressing cells in the brain tissues from rats of he model group and ICH treatment group were also strikingly greater than those from rats of the sham operation group(P0.01). Conclusion Increased number of cells expressing Hsp-70 after ICH may be related to the injury of the brain tissue around the hematoma.Increased expression of Hsp-70 induced by nimodipine decreased the level of apoptosis around the hematoma,thus bringing about a protective effect on the nerve cells.Decreased content of brain water in rats treated with nimodipine suggests that the drug may also alleviate brain edema.


Despite Bangladesh's attempt to safeguard natural water bodies and wetlands, the loss of aquatic biodiversity is becoming an alarming issue. As a key habitat and breeding ground for inland freshwater fish, Shanir Haor in Bangladesh's north-eastern zone harbors a wide variety of fish species. Recent trends in biodiversity loss have emphasized the indispensable need for comprehensive biodiversity research, which is necessary for evaluating the haor ecosystem's present status and assuring its long-term management. The study intends to portray the present scenario of fish biodiversity and fishing practices in the Shanir Haor ecosystem. A total of 78 fish species were found in the study area, with 26 species commonly available, 22 species moderately available, 22 species rarely available, and 8 species very rarely available. The study identified a variety of natural and anthropogenic factors responsible for decline of fish biodiversity. The research will serve as a baseline for future biodiversity conservation and management in Shanir Haor.


Lamins are karyoskeletal proteins associated with the nuclear envelope which can be divided into two groups, i.e. the type A lamins of near neutral pI and the more acidic lamins, including mammalian lamin B. We have isolated cDNA clones encoding a representative of the type B subfamily from Xenopus laevis, and have deduced its amino acid sequence from the coding portion of the approximately 2.9 kb mRNA. The polypeptide (mol. wt 66,433) is identified as a typical lamin by its homology to Xenopus human type A lamins, but detailed sequence comparison shows that LI is less related to Xenopus lamin A than the latter is to human lamin A. The conformation predicted for LI conforms to the general model of lamins and intermediate filament proteins and is characterized by an extended central alpha‐helical coiled coil domain, flanked by non‐alpha‐helical domains, i.e. a relatively short N‐terminal head and a long C‐terminal tail. As in lamins A and C, the head of lamin LI is positively charged and the tail presents a similar C‐terminal pentapeptide, a putative nuclear accumulation signal, a very negatively charged region and a number of short regions that are highly homologous in all lamins. However, LI differs from the type A lamins by the absence of the oligo‐histidine stretch and a di‐proline motif in the tail region and by a significantly lower number of identical amino acid positions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A completely passive nonlinear transmission system is constructed using nonlinear absorption materials and azobenzene films. We experimentally demonstrated that in a pump-probe combination, the transmission of a linearly polarized probe beam through a photo-anisotropic material placed between crossed polarizers becomes nonlinear when a nonlinear absorbing medium is placed in the path of the pump beam. The nonlinear transmission of a reverse saturable material serves as pump beam and aligns the azobenzene molecules in a predetermined polarization direction. Thus the transmittance of the probe beam is enhanced at lower input intensities while it becomes clamped at high input intensities. The clamping level and threshold can be controlled by adjusting the concentration of the nonlinear absorbing medium.


Background: Guaiacyl lignin dominates the polymer's condensation, therefore, negatively affecting plant cell wall's digestibility. Results: A promiscuous O-methyltransferase was incrementally evolved to constrain its substrate specificity to guaiacyl lignin precursors. Conclusion: The enzyme with nine amino acid substitutions is functionally specialized for selectively methylating the condensed lignin precursors. Significance: The obtained enzyme is a candidate for specifically altering lignin structure to improve plant cell wall digestibility. Lignin, a rigid biopolymer in plant cell walls, is derived from the oxidative polymerization of three monolignols. The composition of monolignol monomers dictates the degree of lignin condensation, reactivity, and thus the degradability of plant cell walls. Guaiacyl lignin is regarded as the condensed structural unit. Polymerization of lignin is initiated through the deprotonation of the para-hydroxyl group of monolignols. Therefore, preferentially modifying the para-hydroxyl of a specific monolignol to deprive its dehydrogenation propensity would disturb the formation of particular lignin subunits. Here, we test the hypothesis that specific remodeling the active site of a monolignol 4-O-methyltransferase would create an enzyme that specifically methylates the condensed guaiacyl lignin precursor coniferyl alcohol. Combining crystal structural information with combinatorial active site saturation mutagenesis and starting with the engineered promiscuous enzyme, MOMT5 (T133L/E165I/F175I/F166W/H169F), we incrementally remodeled its substrate binding pocket by the addition of four substitutions, i.e. M26H, S30R, V33S, and T319M, yielding a mutant enzyme capable of discriminately etherifying the para-hydroxyl of coniferyl alcohol even in the presence of excess sinapyl alcohol. The engineered enzyme variant has a substantially reduced substrate binding pocket that imposes a clear steric hindrance thereby excluding bulkier lignin precursors. The resulting enzyme variant represents an excellent candidate for modulating lignin composition and/or structure in planta.


THIS paper deals with the result obtained after testing, by the " Dick " method, the susceptibility of a series of adults to scarlet fever toxin. The toxin used was produced by the Wellcome Physiological Research Laboratory. While various strengths of solutions were tried to begin with from 1: 2500 to 1: 250, no advantage was found to result from the use of a solution stronger or weaker than 1: 1000. The tests were, therefore, carried out with the standard " Dick " toxin as supplied by this firm. Until the beginning of 1928 the regulations of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary laid it down that, in the event of the occurrence of a case of scarlet fever, the ward in which the case occurred was closed for the admission or discharge of patients for the recognised period. After June, 1928, a different procedure obtained. On the removal of a case of scarlatina to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, all the occupants of the ward in which the case occurred were tested with "Dick" toxin. Nurses and ward-maids as well as patients were tested and those who were "Dick" positive were given serum. After June also, it was decided to "Dick" test all the nurses starting as probationers before they began their ward work. Those who were "Dick" positive were offered immunisation by scarlet fever toxin, graduated doses up to 20,000 s.t.d. being considered necessary for this. The initial dose was 500 s.t.d. and this dose was doubled weekly till 20,000 s.t.d. was reached. In several cases there was a local reaction with stifEness, redness and slight heat, but seldom was the general reaction more than mild, with a temperature of over 99° F. and headache for a few hours. In two cases, vomiting occurred but never did a rash appear or desquamation. The injections of toxin were all given intramuscularly into the deltoid in the morning, the nurses carrying on with their work. Any nurses who were unfit were required to report the morning after injection, but this happened so infrequently that it was exceptional. Since the Royal Infirmary is a general hospital, cases of scarlet fever are occasionally admitted during the incubation period, while sometimes patients acquire scarlatina from visitors to the Hospital. As the number of cases in the Hospital was small no effort was made to keep records of those " Dicked " in the wards, but complete records have been kept of all the nurses who were tested. Although the total numbers are small records of the general health of the cases during the last 3 years show one or two points worth bringing out. "Dick " positives among the pupil nurses were treated along with " Dick "


Abstract A new species of the lacazelline brachiopod genus Ospreyella is described from shallow cryptic habitats in Palau, western Caroline Islands and Arnd Atoll, Pohnpei, eastern Caroline Islands, north‐western Pacific Ocean. This new taxon, here named Ospreyella palauensis, and representing the third discovery of a species of Ospreyella from the Indo‐Pacific region, is compared with the other two recently described extant species of the genus, O. depressa Lüter from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and O. maldiviana Logan from the Maldive Islands, northern Indian Ocean. An ontogenetic sequence is described for the new species and compared with those previously described for other Holocene lacazellines. Additionally, a study of ontogenetic stages in Thecidellina congregata from Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands shows early‐stage similarities to those of the new species and other lacazellines. These observations on development in extant forms provide important analogies for comparison with ontogenetic stages in ancestral fossil forms and information which may be useful in reconstructing thecideide phylogenetic history.


This paper analyzed the current situation of legal consciousness in clinical young nurses;emphasized the necessity and the importance of enhancement the legal consciousness in clinical young nurses;and proposed the specific measures of enhance the legal consciousness of young nurses.


The current situation of the standardization of Smart City is analyzed. On this basis,key problems of information coordination standards in city operation are analyzed,and then a general framework of information coordination standard system of Smart City operation management is structured including basic information standards,information flowing standards,applications standards,sagety standards and interface standards. The internal structure and the external relationships of the general framework are expounded detailedly. Furthermore,key research are set on standards of basic information attributes,entity coding,and information flowing pattern in city system. At last,empirical analysis of key standards are carried out in the field of hazardous material management in city operation.


Random deviations from perfect symmetry in bilateral traits, fluctuating asymmetry, are thought to reflect developmental stability: the ability of an individual to buffer against genetic and (or) environmental stress during development (Palmer and Strobeck 1986). Fluctuating asymmetry is often regarded as an indicator of individual quality or fitness (Møller and Swaddle 1997); however, factors underlying fluctuating asymmetry are not well understood (Markow 1995). It has been suggested that heterozygosity, ploidy, and genomic coadaptation (hybridization) are genetic factors affecting the magnitude of fluctuating asymmetry (Palmer and Strobeck 1986; Markow 1995; Møller and Swaddle 1997). Insects having a haplodiploid sex-determining mechanism present opportunities to examine the relationship between ploidy and fluctuating asymmetry. In hymenopterans, females are diploid and males haploid. Thus the effects of ploidy can be investigated by contrasting males and females within a population (e.g., Clarke 1997). Diploid females, in which deleterious recessives reducing developmental stability could be masked, may be expected to have smaller asymmetry than haploid males (e.g., Brückner 1976; Smith et al. 1997). In this paper, we compare the level of fluctuating asymmetry in forewing venation of males to that of females in the carpenter bee Xylocopa appendiculata circumvolans Smith.


Standardization of a technique for diagnostics of actual requirements of the person is described. The technique diagnoses 15 requirements a method of paired comparison (ipsative format). Process and results of standardization are described, translation tables of crude points in walls are resulted


Adenylate cyclase from Brevibacterium liquefaciens (ATCC 14929) catalyzes the formation of the Rpdia-stereomer of adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphoro- thioate from the Spdiastereomer of adenosine-5'-(1-thiotriphosphate). The reaction catalyzed by this ade- nylate cyclase proceeds with inversion of configuration at phosphorus, indicating that the cyclization reaction is direct and does not involve formation of an adenylated enzyme intermediate. Adenylate cAMP and pyrophosphate


Coherent Si1−xGex alloys and multilayers synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on Si(100) substrates have been characterized by low‐temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Phonon‐resolved transitions originating from excitons bound to shallow impurities were observed in addition to a broad band of intense luminescence. The broad PL band was predominant when the alloy layer thickness was greater than 40–100 A, depending on x and the strain energy density. The strength of the broad PL band was correlated with the areal density (up to ∼109 cm−2) of strain perturbations (local lattice dilation ∼15 A in diameter) observed in plan‐view TEM. Thinner alloy layers exhibited phonon‐resolved PL spectra, similar to bulk material, but shifted in energy due to strain and hole quantum confinement. Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, external quantum efficiency, time‐resolved PL decay, together with the power and temperature dependence of luminescence inten...


This study aims to analyze the use of L1 in L2 class during the learning of written production in frensh foreign language by learners in difficulty. We want to reveal the role attributed to the L1 and its degree of incrustation in the writing practices of the learners in order to think about the mechanisms of the didacticalization of the interlanguage in LE class. We believe that the school is not impervious to bi-plurilingual language habits shared in the social or even ecological environment of the learner. And on the other hand, the linguistic practices claimed in a given linguistic community penetrate in fact in the strategies of learning in language class and influence the acquisition of the target language. We investigated various forms of L1-L2 transfer strategies adopted "unofficially" by learners to solve the L2 written production problem-situation.


Average income per capita in the countries of the OECD was more than 20 times larger in 2000 than that of the poorest countries of sub-Sahara Africa and elsewhere, and many of the latter are not only falling behind the world leaders, but have even regressed in recent years. At the same time, other low-income countries have shown the capacity to make dramatic improvements in income per capita. Two general explanations have been offered to account for the observed patterns of growth. One view stresses differences in the efficiency of production are the main source of the observed gap in output per worker. A competing explanation reverses this conclusion and gives primary importance to capital formation. We examine the relative importance of these two factors as an explanation of the gap using 112 countries over the period 1970-2000. We find that differences in the efficiency of production, as measured by relative levels of total factor productivity, are the dominant factor accounting for the difference in development levels. We also find that the gap between rich and most poor nations is likely to persist under prevailing rates of saving and productivity change. To check the robustness of these conclusions, we employ different models of the growth process and different assumptions about the underlying data. Although different models of growth produce different relative contributions of capital formation and TFP, we conclude that the latter is the dominant source of gap. This conclusion must, however, be qualified by the poor quality of data for many developing countries.


ABSTRACT Table tennis is a sport in which players perform technical actions at high speed. In this regard, response time (TTR), reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) are key factors that can contribute to successful performance of table tennis players. The purposes of this study were to determine the magnitude of intra-subject and inter-subject variability in TTR based on player's lateral dominance, to establish possible differences between sex, age group and ranking position for TTR, RT and MT, and to relate these results with table tennis performance by analysing the achieved position in the national ranking. A total of 116 Spanish national level players (71 males and 45 females) carried out the Take-Off Reaction Test in a table tennis court simulating real sport conditions. There were no intra-sex differences for the total sample when lateral dominance was checked. On the other hand, male players showed lower MT than females whereas female players showed significantly lower RT values than males. Moreover, and taken into account the correlation analysis, we can conclude that both lower RT and MT can be considered as key variables of performance in table tennis.


Building on the results in Nalewaik (FEDS 2015-93), this work models wage growth and core PCE price inflation as regime-switching processes, whose characteristics in the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s differ fundamentally from their characteristics in the 1960s and from the mid-1990s to present. The key innovation here is the addition to the models of fundamental driving variables like labor-market slack, and the evidence strongly suggests a non-linear effect of slack on wage growth and core PCE price inflation that becomes much larger after labor markets tighten beyond a certain point. The results are informative for assessing the likelihood and risks of meeting certain inflation targets on a sustained basis. ∗Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 20th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Stop 80, Washington, DC 20551 (e-mail: email@example.com). Thanks to seminar participants and colleagues at the Board of Governors for comments. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or the rest of its staff.


Kenyan Maasai is a pastoral society that lives in arid and semi-arid lands across the Kenya — Tanzania border. The society has a barracks-like institution called the Murran system where male youths are formally trained in preparation for community life. The study was conducted among the Maasai of Narok District, Kenya. Being a qualitative study, its data was collected through respondent interviews and examination of primary and secondary documentary sources. The study found that the Indigenous Knowledge of the Maasai Murran system has comprehensive and diversified community-focused attributes that have profound effects on school attendance by male Maasai youths of Narok District. The attributes of Indigenous Knowledge learned during Maasai Murran system make male Maasai youths who had already enrolled in school to drop out and those who had never enrolled to shun school for good. Key words: Murran System; Indigenous Knowledge; School-based Education


Our purpose was to explore a case of a complicated ulnar artery pseudoaneurysm and propose an algorithm to guide physicians in this scenario. We present a case of a 5‐year‐old boy with a pediatric ulnar artery pseudoaneurysm that developed after a wrist laceration from broken glass 6 weeks after the initial injury. The diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm was missed, and the patient was transferred to our facility in urgent need of resection and repair due to profuse bleeding. An ultrasound confirmed the suspected diagnosis of ulnar artery aneurysm with thrombosis within the vessel. An area of skin necrosis was also present. Upon exploration of the wound, the ulnar artery pseudoaneurysm was identified and resected. The defect measured six millimeters and it was repaired primarily, under the microscope, after the proximal and distal portions were freed by dissection. The patient's incision was well healed at six‐week follow‐up.


The modified and improved polarizer ellipsometer is to improve the signal quality for the noise. This improvement is based on that a relative rotation with respect to a polarizer on the other a fixed polarizer to generate a signal related to the AC mode thin film being analyzed. AC-mode signals may be compared to the ratio of the sample signal and the background signal that is used to provide a survey of the background signal and more accurate thickness. Known the AC signal that is normalized to the thickness for the determination of the correct thickness, compared with a similar or a standard curve generated for a film with optical properties, it can be used directly to derive a value of the relative thickness. Other improvements in the improved polarizer ellipsometer of the present invention to provide one or both of the polarizer to improve the signal strength by reducing the number of optical elements can be described as the removal. These improvements are designed to deal with a particular thin film and substrate combination.


Taking Na 2 SO 4 as sulfur source and 46% CO( NH 2) 2 as nitrogen source to simulate nitrogensulfur deposition,dynamic change of residual rates of C and N in litters of Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden and Cunninghamia lanceolata( Lamb.) Hook. plantations under different levels of simulated nitrogen-sulfur deposition was studied by the quadratic rotation-orthogonal combination design,and decomposition models of C and N were fitted by the Olson exponential model. The results show that during one year,residual rates of C and N in litters of E. dunnii and C. lanceolata appear generally a decreasing tendency with prolonging of treatment time under different levels of nitrogen-sulfur deposition,and N release is more difficult with the dynamic process "release-enrichment-release ",but there are extremely significant differences in residual rates of C and N of litters among different levels of nitrogen-sulfur deposition and among different treatment times( P0. 01). The correlation of Olson exponential models of C and N decomposition in litters reaches generally extremely significant or significant( P0. 05) levels. Average decomposition coefficients of C and N in litters of E. dunnii and C. lanceolata are 0. 877 and 0. 208, 0. 704 and 0. 600,average turnover periods of them are 3. 148 and 15. 877 a,4. 090 and 4. 947 a, respectively,indicating that C release rate in litters is higher than that of N,and C turnover period in C. lanceolata litter is longer than that in E. dunnii litter but N turnover period of the former is shorter than that of the latter. Under level of Na 2 SO 4 164 kg·hm-2·a-1,nitrogen deposition has a promoting effect on C and N release in E. dunnii litter and on N release in C. lanceolata litter but has a inhibiting effect on C release in C. lanceolata litter, and sulfur deposition has the same effects under level of 46% CO( NH 2) 2 150 or 256 kg·hm-2·a-1. With prolonging of decomposition time,C / N value in E. dunnii litter appears a trend of fluctuation and general decreasing,while that in C. lanceolata litter appears a fluctuation trend. There are extremely significant differences in C / N value in litters under different levels of nitrogen-sulfur deposition,and variation range of C / N value in E. dunnii litter is generally bigger than that in C. lanceolata litter.


Background Esophageal cancer is one of the most common gastrointestinal malignant tumors in the world. According to related studies in recent years, P70S6 K is closely related to the occurrence of esophageal cancer. Some previous studies indicate that Bufalin has significant anti- tumor effect. Objective To investigate the effects of Bufalin on P70S6 K in orthotopic transplanted tumor of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice. Methods 36 Nu / Nu healthy nude mice( 18 were male,and 18 were female) were euqally divided into four groups by random number table method: control group( treated with 0. 9% sodium chloride solution),Bufalin low dose group( BL group,treated with 0. 5 mg/kg Bufalin),Bufalin middle dose group( BM group, treated with 1. 0 mg / kg Bufalin) and Bufalin high dose group( BH group, treated with 1. 5mg / kg Bufalin). The growth of xenografted tumors after Bufalin treatment was observed; the expression of P70S6 K mRNA in transplanted tumor in nude mice was examined by RT- PCR method; the expression level of P70S6 K and activation level of P70S6 K in transplanted tumors of nude mice were detected by western blot and immunohistochemical methods. Results There was no significant difference in body weight of nude mice among four groups before treatment and one day after treatment( P 0. 05). There was no significant difference in tumor volume among four groups before treatment( P 0. 05); there was significant difference in tumor volume among four groups 15 days after treatment( P 0. 05). Tumor volume of mice in BM group and BH group was significantly lower than that of mice in BL group and control group 15 days after treatment,respectively( P 0. 05). There was significant difference in tumor inhibition ratio among three groups( P 0. 05). There was no significant difference in relative expression levels of P70S6 K mRNA and P70S6 K among four groups( F = 0. 634,P 0. 05). There was no significant difference in relative expression level of p- P70S6 K among four groups( F = 233. 005,P 0. 05). Conclusion Bufalin has an anti- tumor effect on the orthotopic transplanted tumor of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice;Bufalin can decrease the level of P70S6 K phosphorylation,while P70S6 K is not affected,which suggests that Bufalin may inhibit tumor growth through inhibiting the activation of P70S6 K.


Objective To observe the influence of low intensity voluntary running and forced running on blood pressure and endothelium-dependent vessel dilation in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) and to investigate its mechanism.Methods Male SHR of 8 months of age were assigned to sedentary and low intensity treadmill running voluntary or forced running(200 m/d,10-12 m/min) for 16 weeks.Blood pressure was measured using a tail-cuff method.After the end of training,aortic vessel was isolated and endothelium-dependent relaxation was assessed.The ultra-structure of aortic endothelium was examined under transmission electron microscope.Wistar-Kyoto(WKY) rats were used as normal controls.Results SHR showed significant elevated blood pressure and impairment in endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation as compared with WKY controls.Low intensity voluntary running reduced blood pressure [blood pressure after exercise was(212±7) vs(238±8) mmHg before exercise,P0.01] and improved relaxation of isolated aortic ring to acetylcholine,which were blocked by nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-L-arginine-methyl-ester.SHR had significant endothelium damage and aortic macrophage infiltration,which was ameliorated by voluntary running [ratios of monocyte to endothelium in WKY,sedentary SHR and low intensity voluntary running SHR were(3.1±1.9)%,(16.5±4.5)% and(10.0±5.3)%,respectively,P0.05].Forced running did not improve blood pressure or endothelium function.Conclusion Voluntary running but not forced running leads to improvement in endothelium-dependent vessel relaxation and reduction of endothelial inflammation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.


Feminists have been at the forefront in connecting body practices to culture and politics and placing the body, particularly women's bodies, at the center of political power struggles. The videos in this review all fit within this discourse and most clearly connect body issues with issues of personal and political power. They vary in their focus of body experience and in their proposed solutions to women's body problems.


The water transportation plays an important role in the world recently. However, the maritime accidents are attracting public attention. The way to improve safety of navigation has become a prior task for the operations. The trajectory is useful to analyze the features of the traffic flow and helpful to simulate traffic flows. Therefore, to explore the law of navigation in curving waterway and the reliability prediction of trajectories could provide security for the navigation of ships, and also provide the decision-making for trajectory-planning and risk warning. This paper uses Markov Chain and Grey prediction, and improves the traditional Markov model. Based on this, it offers a prediction method for island ship in curving waterway on the foundation of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. It can be showed that this method can effectively predict the trajectory of island ship.


The average precipitations were more than normal in northern China in summer 2012.The causes of precipitation anomalies were analyzed.Results showed that more warm and humid water vapor was transported continuously to northern China due to the stronger East Asian summer monsoon and the northward West Pacific subtropical high ridge.While shortwave troughs were in activities in the mid-high latitudes over the Eurasia in summer 2012,they brought about more cold airs,and the latter converged with the warm and humid airs from the South China Sea and the East China Sea in northern China,which contributed to the more precipitation above normal in northern China.In addition,early La Nina event and the PDO cold phase were the external forcing conditions to the precipitation anomalies in northern China.


We review the main concepts underlying the derivation of appropriate receivers for code synchronization in spread spectrum systems, emphasizing a likelihood theory viewpoint. Practical structures for the separate tasks of code acquisition and tracking are discussed and categorized. A brief discussion of analysis tools and performance measures is presented, along with design considerations for threshold settings, and impact of fading. An extensive bibliography is also included.<<ETX>>


Recently, we proposed an improved structured low-rank (SLR) reconstruction - locally structured low-rank (LSLR) method, which forces low-rank constraints on submatrices of the Hankel structured matrix. This simple modification leads to a robust improvement over conventional SLR reconstruction, which has been validated on the low-rank tensor reconstruction for the multi-echo GRE data.


Solving the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equation remains an effective and practical approach in engineering applications, but the uncertainty of Reynolds stress modeling will lead to discrepancies in the prediction accuracy of this approach. With the development of artificial intelligence, the data-driven method of turbulence model combined with machine learning algorithm is more effective than the original RANS model, however, the stability and prediction accuracy of the data-driven method could still be further improved. In the present paper, a fully connected neural network is constructed to predict the eddy viscosity, and this neural network is called as Eddy Viscosity Neural Network (EVNN). Additionally, a tensor-based neural network (TBNN) is also applied to predict the higher-order eddy viscosity relationship between the unclosed quantity and the analytical quantity, and the basis tensors are used to ensure the Galilean invariance. Finally, the closed-loop accuracy of the predicted flow field is realized through multiple modifications. For the method above, the neural network which is combined by EVNN and TBNN, is trained by using the high-fidelity data generated by the large eddy simulation (LES) and the baseline data obtained by the RANS simulation. Compared with the high-fidelity LES results, the results of the modified model exhibit significantly higher accuracy in the posterior velocity field, the mean pressure coefficient, and the mean friction coefficient than the original RANS model. It can be found that the implicit treatment of the linear part of the Reynolds stress can enhance the numerical stability, and the modification of the nonlinear part of the Reynolds stress can better predict the anisotropic characteristics of the flow field. Furthermore, the prediction accuracy is further improved through the multiple modification strategy. Therefore, the combined neural network and multiple modification strategy developed in this paper, have strong potentials in data-driven turbulence modeling and engineering applications in the future.


The objective was to describe the levels of psychosocial factors in a sample of workers in a transport company in Santiago, Chile. The short version of the instrument ISTAS-21 was applied to 290 people (186 men and 106 women). The results found that there are no risks of psychosocial factors regarding the norm, but very close to the Compensations factor. Statistically significant differences were found in the Social Support dimension with higher risk for men (t=3.112; p=0.002), higher risk in Active Work and Skills Development for assistants with no people in charge (t=2.158; p=0.32) and in Active Work and Double Presence being the ages between 25 and 34, the period with the higher risk in these dimensions. Interesting results are seen for the studied population in such an exposed sector as the transport service, showing differences that should be considered for future studies.


Background: Women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) or hormone-receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer (BC) with a CPS (clinical and post treatment pathological stage) +EG (estrogen receptor status and grade) score ≥3 or score 2 and nodal involvement after NACT (ypN+) are at high risk of recurrence. SG is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with metastatic TNBC who received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease and has shown activity in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic HR-positive/HER2-negative BC. SG may represent a new option against residual disease after NACT. Trial Design: SASCIA is a phase III, prospective, international, multicenter, randomized, open label, parallel group study (NCT04595565) of the GBG in collaboration with the AGO-B. Eligible patients must have received taxane-based NACT for 16 weeks, including 6 weeks of a taxane. Patients should have centrally confirmed HER2-negative BC (IHC score 0-1 or FISH negative) and either HR-negative (<1%), with any residual invasive disease > ypT1mi or HR-positive (≥1%), with a CPS+EG score ≥3 or CPS+EG score 2 and ypN+ using local ER and grade assessed on core biopsies taken before NACT. Radiotherapy should be delivered before study treatment start. Patients are randomized 1:1 to receive either SG 10 mg/kg body weight (days 1, 8 q3w for eight cycles) or treatment of physician´s choice (capecitabine 2000 mg/m² day 1-14 q21 or platinum-based chemotherapy i.e. carboplatin AUC 5 q3w or AUC 1.5 weekly for eight 3 weekly cycles or observation). Randomization is stratified by HR status (positive, negative) and nodal involvement after NACT (ypN+, ypN0). Endocrine-based therapy will be administered according to local guidelines in patients with HR-positive BC. The primary endpoint is invasive disease-free survival (iDFS). Secondary endpoints include comparison of overall survival (OS, key secondary endpoint), distant disease-free survival, locoregional recurrences-free interval, safety, compliance, iDFS and OS according to stratified and - predefined subgroups, patient reported outcome, and quality of life between treatment arms. As of 21st June 2021, 57/1200 patients have been randomized in Germany.
 Citation Format: Frederik Marmé, Marcus Schmidt, Jenny Furlanetto, Carsten Denkert, Anthony Goncalves, Elmar Stickeler, Mattea Reinisch, Silvia Antolín, Toralf Reimer, Wolfgang Janni, Philippe Aftimos, Michael Untch, Laura Michel, Marija Balic, Bruno Sinn, Volker Möbus, Patrick Morris, Laura Schöllhorn, Sabine Schmatloch, Julia Rey, Sibylle Loibl. Phase III postneoadjuvant study evaluating sacituzumab govitecan (SG), an antibody drug conjugate in primary HER2-negative breast cancer patients with high relapse risk after standard neoadjuvant treatment - SASCIA [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT1-02-01.


The renewal works for generator No.4 for the Tagokura hydropower plant is now underway. For this work, a generator and a turbine are replaced in order to improve the generator's reliability and electricity output. Process control is important because the off-generation period should be minimized or limited. In civil works, concrete surrounding a turbine is demolished and reconstructed after setting up a new turbine. Especially, concrete demolition works was a main part of civil works and occupied much term of construction. Therefore, progress control of concrete demolishing works was needed. This paper presents the sophisticated construction planning and procedure and the actual construction works.


If you find an error, please understand it is there for a purpose. We try to publish something for everyone, and some people are always looking for something to criticize.


1. TERM-FINANCE — Its Function in the Capital Market Industry requires financial resources for: (1) setting up a new industrial concern, (2) expansion, modernization, renovation, etc, of an existing unit, and (3) carrying out the day-to-day business operations, Finance is required for the first two purposes on a long-term basis for the acquisition of fixed assets like land, building, plant, machinery, etc. On the other hand working capital is required for financing current assets like stock of raw materials, semi-finished goods, stores, bills receivable, etc.


A three-factor model of schizotypy is the prevailing theoretical model in the literature. However, item-level factor analyses of schizotypy measures suggest that a four- or five-factor model may provide the best fit for this construct. Few item-level factor analyses of these measures have been conducted, and these analyses have generally used smaller samples with relatively few males. To address these issues and to further explore the factor structure of schizotypy, we conducted an exploratory item-level factor analysis of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) on a sample of 1850 undergraduate students (562 males). We found evidence supporting a five-factor model consisting of: Mistrust, Social Anhedonia, Unusual Beliefs and Experiences, Social Anxiety, and Oddity/Eccentricity factors. This model emerged in both males and females. Although the factor structure appeared gender invariant, there were some gender differences in scores on these factors. Males scored higher than females on the Mistrust, Social Anhedonia, and Oddity/Eccentricity factors, while females scored higher than males on the Social Anxiety factor. We also investigated the functional correlates of these schizotypy factors. A series of correlational analyses revealed that four out of five of our derived factors were significantly correlated with overall social functioning (with the exception of the Unusual Beliefs and Experiences factor). The magnitude of the correlation between the negative symptom factor that emerged from factor analysis, Social Anhedonia, and social functioning was greater than the magnitude of the correlation between any of the other factors and social functioning. relationships between schizotypy dimensions functioning. conducted an item-level exploratory factor analyses examined correlational data based on large online data set. The independent variable is schizotypy symptom dimension scores, and the dependent variables are overall, school, social/leisure, and family functioning.


This background note offers first a synthesis of the main research questions addressed under the three topics of the 5th European Conference on Corporate R&D and Innovation - Industrial Research and Innovation: Evidence for Policy (CONCORDi 2015). Section II positions the selected papers in the current academic literature. It focuses on the extent to which the papers address the main issues above-underlined, and on how they strengthen and challenge what we know about evidence for industrial R&D and innovation policies. Section III briefly presents the key priorities of the European innovation and industrial policy and some examples of current programs to support corporate R&D and innovation activities. Section IV raises a series of research and policy issues the Conference will address.


This article discusses the involvement of parents in developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for their children. Included are facts related to the development of meaningful IEPs, including the essential components of IEP documents. The article also discusses strategies available to professionals to ensure significant parent and family involvement.


Diabetes education has been acknowledged as the cornerstone of good diabetes care and management. Although evidence to support the need for diabetes education has grown in recent years, many people with diabetes remain unable to access or choose not to attend diabetes education for a variety of reasons. In order to improve the likelihood of success, diabetes education needs to be adequately resourced and tailored to meet the needs of specific populations. This paper seeks to offer a global perspective on the current status of diabetes education. Insight is provided into recent evidence suggesting poor integration of diabetes education across the globe. Finally, issues such as the need to tailor education and increase international collaboration are addressed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons.


An efficient method is presented for quantifying the effect of parametric uncertainty on the response of a nonlinear aeroelastic system. The proposal stochastic model uses a response surface method to map the random input parameters of the system to the specified system output (in this instance root-mean square wing tip response). To handle the bifurcation in the response surface due to aeroelastic self-excited instability, the response surface model is fit using a two region regression. The results from this model are compared to those from a full Monte Carlo simulation for both a one-dimensional random input parameter model (thickness) and a two-dimensional random input parameter model (thickness and modulus of elasticity). The response surface method results compare favorably with the full model results while achieving a 2 to 3 order of magnitude gain in computational efficiency.


We consider the possibility for the existence of the third family of compact objects, considering the effect of strong magnetic fields inside the hybrid stars. As a result, we demonstrate such new sequences of stable equilibrium configurations for some hadronic equations of state. Through the analysis of the adiabatic index inside stars, we find the conditions for appearing the third family of compact objects, i.e., for hadronic stars without quarks, that the maximum mass should be small, the central density for the maximum mass should be also small, and the radius for the the maximum mass should be large. Even for soft hadronic equations of state, the two solar-mass stars might survive as the third family of compact objects, once quark matter with strong magnetic field, such as $\sim {\cal O}(10^{19} {\rm G})$, is taken into account. It might give a hint to solve the so-called hyperon puzzle in nuclear physics.


Objective:To investigate the distribution of persons with hepatitis B virus infection and to make medical staff more aware of prevention.Methods:Doctors from different departments made the diagnosis according to diagnosis standard,filled in report cards and delivered them to Dept of Protection for network direct report.Results:Of all persons with infectious diseases,patients with hepatitis B virus infection accounted for 64.46% ,who were mainly young people.No patient under 15 was found infected by hepatitis B virus.The infection was not associated with their jobs.Conclusion:Persons with the infection were found in many places,so cross infection should be prevented and treated during medical practice by strictly observing aseptic technique procedures and disinfection technique standard.


The purpose of this analyze the effect of staffing and workload toward employee work performance at Sugar Factory of Djombang Baru. This type of research is associative description and sample collection techniques are purposive side techniques with a total sample of 122 employees of Sugar Factory in Djombang Baru. Data collection techniques using observation, interviews, questionnaires and documentation. Data analysis techniques using multiple linier regression. The results of this study indicate that, 1) Staffing has a partially significant effect on the work performance  Djombang Baru Sugar Factory employees, 2) Workload has partially significant effect on the work performance Djombang Baru Sugar Factory employees and, 3) Staffing and workload simultaneously affects work performance of Djombang Baru Sugar Factory employees.


Case 1.-A fenmale patient, aged 23, with a number of superficially ulcerated and irregularly shaped lesions, and the remains of older ones and scars, about the upper hemisphere of the left breast. The process had been going on for a year on and off. There was a history of similar lesions in the same situation three to four years previously. There was also an ulcerated lesion on the right leg. According to the patient, the individual lesions lasted three months, then fresh ones appeared. There was very marked tenderness in the supraand infra-mammary areas on the left side, but no ovarian tenderness. Some anesthesia of the left border of the tongue was also present a few days previously, but there was no pharyngeal anaesthesia. The patient was left-handed in a general way for rough work, but she used her right hand for writing.


The present invention discloses a high-voltage distribution network in rural areas voltage class portfolio selection method the calculation method of planning supply radius of the period, the computation of operating costs and construction costs can be considered load power supply radius and average annual growth rate of all affect the rate of change, to achieve the different voltage levels options more accurate economic comparison. The method comprises: (1) the introduction of new annual supply radius calculation method to determine the saturated load power supply radius; (2) under the terms and conditions by the power supply line length of the radius of influence is calculated substation construction costs; (3) the terms and Get substation under load and subject to such conditions by the power supply line length of the radius of influence, calculate operating costs; (4) based on the calculated construction costs and operating costs of the voltage level options were evaluated. Since depreciation into account the impact of changes in supply and load radius period, the present invention greatly improves the accuracy of the voltage level economic evaluation of combination regimen.


court's role in democratic contestation of science-informed policy, fidelity to citizens with vaccine injuries, and the use of the law to pacify a powerful social movement. In particular, Kirkland's defense of the vaccine court as a location for democratic contestation of the science of vaccine safety provides an excellent case study for anyone interested in the role of values in science. I close this review by indicating a potential tension in Kirkland's defense of the vaccine court, to illustrate some of the fascinating complexity of the issues Vaccine Court addresses. Kirkland argues that immunization is a "civic duty" and that the vaccine court protects "the social good of herd immunity" (144), by "fashion[ing] justice in the immunization social order" (123). I agree with Kirkland that vaccination ought to be understood as a form of national service, and that the vaccine court helps to achieve justice for citizens who provide that service. However, it is notable that this account of immunization – and of the vaccine court – is not emphasized by many vaccine advocates who interact with the public. For example, the Vaccine Information Statements (VISs) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasize the individual benefits of vaccination and are silent on the question of civic duties to maintain herd immunity, while pediatricians generally discuss vaccination decisions in light of the healthcare needs of their child patients, rather than as opportunities to encourage parents to have their children perform national service. Vaccine advocates and vaccine critics are usually taking for granted (what Kirkland calls) "health libertarianism," according to which health is a matter of only individual responsibility, rather than a matter of social responsibility (27). This is not an objection to Kirkland's emphasis on social responsibilities surrounding vaccination, so much as it is a cautionary note about the possibility that her preferred account of the morality of vaccination (or the justification of the vaccine court) could be the object of democratic consensus in the contemporary US.


The rapid spread and dissemination of the multidrug-resistant bacteria worldwide represents a major public health problem. The development of antibiotics decreased the mortality among the human and animals leading to a better life expectancy. But the injudicious use of antimicrobials and selection pressure the microbes have developed resistance which became more prominent during last few decades. With the evolution of Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Hospital-acquired MRSA, Communityacquired MRSA and MDR TB (Multidrug resistant tuberculosis) challenge for the clinicians have increased to a greater extent. The global emergence and dissemination of acquired carbapenemases among gram negative bacteria are considered a major public health problem. Gram-negative bacteria, most notably Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii, are among the most important causes of serious hospital-acquired and community-onset bacterial infections in humans, and resistance to antimicrobial agents in these bacteria has become an increasingly relevant problem. Recent development in nanotechnology based drug delivery system may prove to be solution for combating these resistant bacteria. However policies and regulations for antibiotic use should be formulated to control the further development of resistance among the microbes.Bangladesh Journal of Infectious Diseases 2017;4(1):25-28


The specific purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of the principal's leadership style, the physical environment of the school, and the teacher's commitment to the performance of primary school teachers in Nogosari District, Boyolali Regency. This type of research is quantitative research. The research was conducted in an elementary school in the District of Nogosari, Boyolali Regency. The population in this study were 333 teachers. A sample of 182 teachers. The results of the significance test of the contribution of the principal's leadership style, school physical environment and teacher commitment to teacher performance obtained F count (131.961) > F table (2.70) it can be concluded that there is a joint contribution between the principal's leadership style, school physical environment and teacher commitment to teacher performance. The results of the study prove that there is a contribution from the principal's leadership style to teacher performance, the school's physical environment to teacher performance, and teacher commitment to teacher performance.


Free to read on publisher website Devastating floods in southeast Queensland in 2011 were the combination of flash flooding in the Lockyer Valley with riverine flooding in the Brisbane metropolitan area. While there is considerable information about the immediate impact on those affected, there is less understanding of the long-term health effects that follow such events. This study explored the perceptions of health effects and support received by people affected by the 2011 southeast Queensland flood six years after the event. A cross-sectional survey of 327 people was conducted in areas affected by the floods. The questionnaire sought information about the ongoing social, economic, demographic and self-declared physical and mental health effects. The data were analysed through comparison of those unaffected with those directly affected by the floods. Residents whose households were flooded were more likely to score their health negatively than non-affected residents and had higher reported rates of trauma, injury and mental illness. Twenty-six per cent of this group reported that they still experience some adverse health effects from the floods. Managing the long-term health implications of a flood-affected population is an important public policy task. Dissatisfaction with recovery operations and perceived injustices associated with insurance and compensation arrangements may aggravate health consequences. Early recognition and intervention may assist with reducing secondary effects.


An efficient, simple convergent assembly of a homolinear alpha(1-->6)-linked octamannosyl thioglycoside was obtained starting from imidazolium cation-tagged mannosyl fluoride and thiomannoside using block couplings. During chain elongation glycosylation reactions no column chromatographic purifications were used.


This paper discusses the two-stage single-relay channel model for in-home broadband power line communication links with up to two hops. This channel model consists of the concatenation of two single-relay channels that can result in eight configurations; however, only five of them are analyzed in this work since they cover up to one relay availability. In this context, a discussion addressing both amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward cooperative protocols at relay node and maximal ratio combining at destination node is carried out. As the power line channels are frequency selective, the attenuation profile increases along with both distance and frequency, and the additive noise is colored, we discuss achievable data rate analyses using a data set covering the frequency band from 1.7 to 100 MHz, under sum power constraint. Based on the attained results, we state that the two-stage single-relay channel model is the best option for in-home broadband power line communication systems when the source-to-destination link is severely degraded (e.g., high signal attenuation and/or high-power noise presence), while the two-hop channel model is more appropriate when the channel degradation is not severe. Moreover, we show that the single-relay channel model may be remarkably outperformed by the two-stage single-relay channel model.


The characteristics of pitting corrosion and corrosion mechanism for type 430 stainless steel in different solutions were studied using the electrochendcal potentiodynamic hysteresis curve technique. Inhibition performance of some inhibitors was also examined. Experimental results showed that increase in concentration of Cl-and solution temperature could accelerate the pitting of 430ss. Oxygen was one of the principal factors to keep passivity of the steel. CO2 was an accelerant for pitting. Na2MoO4 and Na3VO4 could prevent the pitting corrosion in solution containing Cl-and CO2, and they had a synergistic inhibition effect.


We present an analysis of the metapopulation dynamics of the federally threatened coastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila c. californica) for an approximately 850 km2 region of Orange County, California. We developed and validated a habitat suitability model for this species using data on topography, vegetation, and locations of gnatcatcher pair observations. Using this habitat model, we calculated the spatial structure of the metapopulation, including size and location of habitat patches and the distances among them. We used data based on field studies to estimate parameters such as survival, fecundity, dispersal, and catastrophes, and combined these parameters with the spatial structure to build a stage‐structured, stochastic, spatially‐explicit metapopulation model. The model predicted a fast decline and high risk of population extinction with most combinations of parameters. Results were most sensitive to density‐dependent effects, the probability of weather‐related catastrophes, adult survival, and adult fecundity. Based on data used in the model, the greatest difference in results was given when the simulation's time horizon was only a few decades, suggesting that modeling based on longer or shorter time horizons may underestimate the effects of alternative management actions.


The first version of WiMAX, for fixed broadband access in the 10-66 GHz range, began in 1998 and was completed in October 2001. It was amended in version 802.16a for the 2-11 GHz bandwidth in January 2004, brought some enhancements in the uplink. Version 802.16e mainly concerns mobility and asymmetric links


Root meristem cells of Vicia faba were used as the test system for the detection of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) through the fluorescence Plus Giemsa technique. The results indicate that thinner composed of: 52.0% toluene, 25.5% n-hexane, 12.5% ethanol, 6.0% ethly acetate, 2.0% isopropanol, 1.Wo benzene and 1.0% n-heptante applied at concentration of 0.003, 0.006, and 0.012% induced a positive response in the frequency of SCEs.


Before discussing the situation of school physical education in Belgium, an introduction on the specific constitutional context of Belgium can be considered as a necessity. Until 1970, Belgium was a unitary state with a general governmental structure, situated on central (state), regional (province) and local (municipality) level. The educational system was organised on a national level and supervised by the national minister of education. In 1970, a constitutional reform made an end to this organisational structure. Belgium developed from a unitary to a federal state, with new authority levels including a Dutch, French and German speaking community (Verhoeven & Elchardus, 2000). These newly established authority levels got entrusted with several cultural responsibilities, such as sport and outdoor recreation (Van Mulders, 1992). In 1989, the responsibilities concerning education and as a consequence, school physical education were also redirected to the community level (Verhoeven & Elchardus, 2000). Since then, each community steered an autonomous educational course. The political conditions explaining the transfer of responsibilities to the communities were the constitutional guarantee of freedom as well as equality of education to the ideological and philosophical minorities on either side of the linguistic borders. In this chapter, the situation of physical education will be discussed for the three official communities (i.e., Dutch, French and German speaking community). The majority of the presented data refer to the situation of school physical education in Flanders, which represents 58% of all Belgian citizens.


The invention relates to a daily utensil, in particular to a portable door closer clip. The portable door closer clip comprises a notice board, a back face plate, a handle, a door slot plug, springs, short down and a groove. The front face of the notice board is printed with characters showing that ''someone is inside''. The door slot plug is a hollow cuboid with the two sides provided with openings, wherein the open end on one side of the door slot plug is next to the back face of the notice board, and the open end on the other side of the door slot plug is next to the back face plate. The springs penetrate the open end on one side of the door slot plug and come out from the open end on the other side of the door slot plug. One end of each spring is fixedly connected with the back face of the notice board, and the other end of each spring is fixedly connected with one side of the back face plate. The other side of the back face plate is fixedly connected with the handle. The side, close to the notice board, of the door slot plug is provided with the groove. The plane of the open end on the left side of the door slot plug and the plane of the open end on the right side of the door slot plug are evenly provided with the short down. The extension direction of the short down is towards the notice board.


The treatment of breast cancer is mainly based on drug therapy, including chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. The emergence of multidrug resistance is the main reason for drug treatment failure. Multidrug resistance of breast cancer results from multiple mechanisms, including high expression of P-gp, abnormal regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways, and absence of ER expression. Searching new reversal agents is one of the research hotspots in order to improve the effect of therapeutic drugs. In this paper, we summarized the mechanisms of drug resistance in breast cancer and its reversal agents.


The title of this study is "Morphosyntactic Study on English Derivational Suffixes Forming Adjectives with Reference to the Twilight". This study discusses the combination of morphology and syntax called morphosyntax. Morphology is the study about word formation; meanwhile syntax is the study about sentence structure. This study mainly aims at finding out the derivational suffixes forming adjectives and the syntactic functions of the adjective found in the novel Twilight. The data of this study were taken from a novel entitled Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Library research method was applied in this study in collecting data. It was done by collecting the derivational suffixes forming adjectives, copying the data, and classifying the derivational adjectives found in the novel. The collected data in this study were analyzed using descriptive qualitative method. The main theory applied in this study is the theory of Morphology and Syntax proposed by Quirk, et al (1985). The result of the analysis shows that there were derivational suffixes that can change the word class from noun and verb into adjective. There are ten suffixes found, they are suffix -ful, -able, -ish, -ous, -al, -ic, -less, -y, -ive, -ly. Meanwhile, for the syntactic functions there are two types found, they are predicative and attributive.


The controversy on the hydrocarbon source rocks in Tarim cratonic area has not being ceased. There is greater awareness of differences on the source horizon of Ordovician strata in the past because most of organic carbon content of Lower Ordovician carbonate rock samples are less than 0.2% in central and western Tarim basin,which does not reach the industrial standards of source rock. Hence the potential of hydrocarbon generation of Lower Ordovician in this area has been underestimated. Based on the experimental data analysis of Yingshan formation of Lower Ordovician in Ha-6 Well,it is found that the majority of samples of organic carbon content is greater than 0.2%,averaging 0.437%,of which up to 130 m of dolomitic limestone,almost all organic carbon content is greater than 0.5%,first confirming that the Lower Ordovician develops industrial source rocks in Halahatang area. The thickness of source rocks is larger and well succeeded. And its distribution well be wider if Heituwa shale links it up,and will create huge capacity of hydrocarbon generation. The discovery of Yingshan formation source rocks of high quality indicates that the Lower Ordovician possesses great hydrocarbon potentials,and it will help to broaden the exploration fields.


INTRODUCTION. The purpose of this paper was to determine surgically-induced changes both in corneal topographic parameters and in endothelial cell loss after coaxial microincision cataract surgery (MICS) through temporal 1.8 mm incision. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Evaluation was performed in forty eyes of thirty patients who underwent cataract surgery. Topographic parameters including corneal astigmatism, surface regularity index (SRI), and surface asymmetry index (SAI) were estimated preoperatively and at one week, four weeks, and eight weeks after surgery. A specular microscope was also used for the measurement of the corneal endothelial density (cells/mm 2 ). The surgically-induced astigmatism (SIA) was calculated by means of vector analysis using Alpins' method. RESULTS. Eight weeks after surgery the final mean value of SIA was 0.42 D and the differences in topographic parameters such as corneal astigmatism, SRI, and SAI were not statistically significant. Also, the decrease in endothelial cell density eight weeks after surgery was 6.02%. CONCLUSIONS. The changes in SIA and topographic parameters after temporal coaxial 1.8 mm MICS are minimal throughout an eight-week follow up period.


In this work, the mechanical properties, such as Vickers microhardness Hv, fracture toughness Kc, yield strength σv and brittleness index Bi, of <0001> oriented 6H-SiC crystal are systematically evaluated using a microindentation technique under 0.1-2 kg applied load. It is found the Hv is decreased as the applied load is increased which is mainly attributed to the effect of indenter penetration. The Hv value can be effectively presumed by Kicks law and the Meyers index n is determined to be 1.73. However, the Kc value is measured nearly a constant (~0.148 MPa.m1/2) which reveals the toughness of 6H-SiC(0001) crystal is much weaker than those of Si(100) and GaAs(100) crystals. The variation of σv to the load is similar to that of Hv. The brittleness index Bi also exhibits deceasing tendency as the applied load is added.


Presented is the experience in the use of the BNL Plant Analyzer for NRC emergency response training to simulated accidents in a BWR. The unique features of the BNL Plant Analyzer that are important for the emergency response training are summarized. A closed-loop simulation of all the key systems of a power plant in question was found essential to the realism of the emergency drills conducted at NRC. The faster than real-time simulation speeds afforded by the BNL Plant Analyzer have demonstrated its usefulness for the timely conduct of the emergency response training.


The molecular recognition of the carboxylatopillar[5]arene on methamphetamine showed interconversion between H2:G H:G stoichiometries with dependence on drug concentration. The study simulated conditions of severe metabolic acidosis (pH 7.00) and presented intelligent and promising dynamics for the removal of overdosed drugs or poisons in the circulatory system.


AbstractA least squares method for the reconstruction of Doppler spectra of weather radars with irregular pulse repetition time used to increase the range of unambiguous velocity is presented and evaluated. This method is a robust spectral method that is based on the least squares minimum norm principle and reconstructs both the magnitude and the phase of the discrete Fourier transform of the signal. The phase spectrum is useful in the estimation of the differential phase in dual-polarization radars with staggered sampling schemes, which is a case of irregular sampling. A computationally efficient iterative algorithm for estimating the mean frequency of the signal, which is required for the reconstruction of the spectrum, is described for possible real-time applications. A clutter filter method based on spectral interpolation, which can be applied to echoes with generally nonzero mean velocity, is also described and combined with the spectrum reconstruction method. Using simulated data it is shown that th...


In this work we study the initial value problem (IVP) for the fifth order KdV equations, \begin{align*} \partial_{t}u+\partial_{x}^{5}u+u^k\partial_{x}u=0,\text{} & \quad x,t\in \mathbb R, \quad k=1,2, \end{align*} in weighted Sobolev spaces $H^s(\mathbb R)\cap L^2(\langle x \rangle^{2r}dx)$. We prove local and global results. In the case $k=2$ we point out the relation between decay and regularity of the solution of the IVP.


The present invention, to ensure the partial correction made in the electronic document been made correctly, and an object of the present invention to provide such a validity thereof a third party electronic document management system to be able to prove. The present invention provides a digital document management system for managing original document information created by the electronic information, the partial identification information generation section 51 that generates partial identification information that represents to enable identification of each of the document information, each of the document information if the part had been corrected, information of the partial correction partial correction information to generate information generating unit on the correction history of a corrected part 52, a document information and partial identification information and a predetermined policy specified by the partial correction information by relating information includes the management of administrative sources (40).


The coercive field, He, in rapidly quenched Nd-Fe-B was found to increase for samples with excess of Nd. In addition, H c , strongly depends on the Fe/B ratio, increasing from 1.67 T for Fe/B = 1.07 to 2.05 T for Fe/B = 14.6 in Nd 30 (Fe,B) 70 . The increase in H c seems to correlate with an increase of the γ-Nd phase in the sample. The initial magnetization curves of Nd 30 (Fe,B) 70 show that the domain wall pinning plays a more important role as the Fe/B ratio increases. Thus, γ-Nd may play an important role in promoting a pinning mechanism. The excess of Nd in rapidly quenched Nd-Fe-B samples was also found to promote growth of Nd 2 Fe 14 B grains elongated in shape.


Slud (1998, 1999, 2001) developed logistic regression models, by state, for block-group housing-unit (HU) response to the 1990 decennial census at several stages (by Mail, and to enumerators within successive intervals of checkin time). Slud (2002) showed how such models could be used in weighting for nonresponse in national surveys like the American Community Survey (ACS). That work showed that while model-based weighting might markedly improve survey estimates if the underlying models fit well, the estimates might also degrade if the models fit as badly as some 1990 state responsemodels did to data from neighboring states. The present research extends the modelling approach of Slud (2001) to data from the 2000 decennial Census, leading to (a) quantitative comparison of 1990 vs. 2000 census response models, (b) assessment of Census 1990 models in predicting variation across localities of 2000 response in various modes, and (c) calculation (following Slud 2002) of the magnitudes of errors to which the observed discrepancies would lead if the earlier models were used in nonresponse weighting in a design like that of ACS. This paper reports on research and analysis undertaken by Eric Slud. It has undergone a Census Bureau review more limited in scope than that given to official Census Bureau publications, and is released to inform interested parties of ongoing research and to encourage discussion of work in progress. Acknowledgment. The author is grateful to Sue Love for her help in understanding the 2000 census files, to Lynn Weidman for discussions about ACS design, and to Michael Beaghen for helpful remarks.


We present an investigation of the effect of heat treatment on density,crystal structure,optical properties of TiO 2 films prepared with the sol-gel method.The results show that TiO 2 gel begins to crystallize at around 400 ℃.The crystallite size increases with the increase of temperature.The refractive index increases with the increase of temperature and ranges from 1.85 to 2.3,while the thickness decreases and ranges from 120 nm to 47 nm.The density increases with the increase of temperature and ranges from 2.83 g·cm -3to 3.73 g·cm -3.The porosity decreases with the increase of temperature and ranges from 0.23 to 0.122.


The vibration-based online and non-destructive detection technology for structural damage is introduced. Research objectives for on-line structural damage detection are generalized, and the basic requirements are proposed. The state of art for vibration-based structural damage detection is reviewed, and an advanced research strategy is proposed. Art example of crack damage detection of a honey-comb sandwich plate is presented. Finally, several topics for further study on vibration-based structural damage detection are suggested.


We report development of a pilot process for the industrial rinsing of fabrics. This process combines hydraulic (pressure-driven) transport with electro-osmotic transport. It reduces the total amount of water required in certain rinsing operations by a factor of about five. Cotton exhibits an electro-osmotic transport coefficient of about 6 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s-V resulting from a partial ionization of hydroxyl groups on the cellulose polymer substrate. This process applies a field transverse to the fabric to effect the movement of water in the spaces between the 10 {micro}m cotton fibers which constitute the yam. The field strength is adjusted so that the induced electro-osmotic flux is comparable to a pressure-driven flux, which moves preferentially in the more open channels between the yams. For a fixed current density, solution conductivity and electro-osmotic transport vary inversely. The process is most practical for removal of liquids of relatively low conductivity (<500 {micro}S/cm). For removal of solutions of conductivity greater than 1200 {micro}S/cm, the rate of electro-osmotic flow may be too low to benefit the rinsing process if current densities are restricted to practical levels of about 30 mA/cm{sup 2}. Electra-osmotic transport may have important applications in wet processing of extremely fine textiles,more » such as micro fiber fabrics. In addition to rinsing, electro-osmotic transport may also be used to speed the penetration of chemicals and dyestuffs that are applied to the surface of wet textiles.« less


We investigated the potential for geosynthetic capillary barriers to reduce frost heave in soils by freezing upright, cylindrical soil specimens with horizontal disks of geosynthetics placed in them. During freezing, water was freely available at 25 mm above the base of 150 mm high specimens. The geosynthetics were located 5 mm above the water supply. We measured frost heave and final water content profiles of specimens containing geosynthetic capillary barriers and control specimens. The thermal conditions of the tests were typical of pavements in cold regions. Geotextiles prepared to simulate field conditions (i.e., moistened and containing soil fines) failed to significantly reduce frost heave. However, geocomposites comprising needle-punched polypropylene geotextiles sandwiching a drainage net, prepared in the same way as the moistened geotextiles containing soil fines, reduced frost heave when the soil water suction head in the overlying soil was 1800 mm or more. The geocomposites did not significant...


1. The onset of matter-wave amplification in a superradiant Bose-Einstein condensate We have studied the interaction of short and strong laser pulses with an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate [1]. Light at low intensity is scattered into all directions – this is the well-known case of Rayleigh scattering. Stronger laser pulses can give rise to collective " superradiant " light scattering. In the case of elongated Bose-Einstein condensates, the light is predominantly emitted along the long axis of the condensate in the so-called endfire modes [2]. The recoiling atoms appear as distinct peaks in momentum space corresponding to the momentum transfer of an absorbed pump photon and a superradiantly scattered photon. Short and intense laser pulses were found to generate patterns of recoiling atoms that were strikingly different from those seen in previous experiments [1]. Superradiantly emitted photons were reabsorbed and re-emitted into the pump beam, leading to atoms, which were recoiling out of the condensate with a velocity component antiparallel to the pump beam. Since this process is non-resonant, it occurs only for short pulse durations. These experiments show that the previous description of superradiance as atomic stimulation was incomplete and that optical stimulation plays a crucial role. The reabsorption of superradiant photons implies that matter wave amplification in superradiant Bose-Einstein condensates is suppressed at early times. Our experiments elucidate the nature of bosonic stimulation in the four-wave mixing of light and atoms and the interplay of optical and atomic stimulation. Superradiant scattering of a laser beam (arrow) from a Bose-Einstein condensate in the short-pulse (A)and long-pulse (B)limit. Absorption images of the atomic density distribution were taken after 30 ms of ballistic expansion. In case A, the detuning was 420 MHz and the pulse duration was 6 µs. In case B, the detuning was-4400 MHz and the pulse duration was 800 µs. The field of view of both images is 2.0 mm by 2.0 mm, and that of the inset is 120 µm by 270 µm. The applicability, accuracy, and sensitivity of atom interferometers may be improved by exploiting the laser-like coherence properties of gaseous Bose-Einstein condensates in combination with the fine manipulation capabilities of atomic microtraps and 1