It has been reported by various authors that spermatozoa do not contain any ribonucleic acid (rna) . Since rna is considered to be an essential component of protein-synthesizing systems, the recent demonstration that spermatozoa can incorporate radioactive amino acids into their proteins is of some interest and calls for further investigation. It is possible that this incorporation is due to the presence of traces of rna which is highly metabolically active. of It that washed spermatozoa, which appear to be completely free of any particulate contaminant when under a phase-contrast radioactive phosphate, adenine and orotic acid into their nucleic-acid No incorporation thymine be observed suggesting that incorpora¬ tion phosphate, adenine and orotic acid is in rna. The results obtained also rule out the possibility of incorporation in a bacterial contaminant and strongly suggest that there are traces of rna in spermatozoa and that this rna turns over extremely rapidly. Fractionation procedures used to obtain purified extracts of hypophysial follicle-stimulating hormone (fsh) are unable to yield purified fractions having only fsh activity without the contaminating lh activity. Because of this difficulty in affecting complete chemical separation, some authors have con¬ cluded that both types of activity may be inherent in a single molecule. A few others are of the opinion that the two gonadotrophins are distinct and separate entities. The present study provides immunochemical evidence that supports the latter viewpoint. Antiserum in rabbits was prepared against a purified preparation of sheep hypophysis fsh. The rabbit antiserum was tested for anti¬ body titre by quantitative precipitin determinations and gel diffusion tests with a standard antigen concentration of 2 mg/ml. As an indication of the antigenic complexity of sheep hypophysis fsh preparation, four distinct precipitin lines developed when this material was tested with its antiserum in gel-diffusion plates. No precipitin lines appeared when the antiserum was plated with ovine luteotrophin hormone, ovine lactogenic hormone and bovine growth hormone. A cross-reaction did occur, however, with lh purified from sheep hypophysis, as indicated by a precipitin line between sheep lh and the antiserum to sheep fsh. The results indicated that this was an antigen common to one of the four antigens present in sheep fsh. Anti-serum incubated with lh, centrifuged and subsequently tested in gel-diffusion plates with fsh produced only three precipitin lines. Bioassay of the recovered precipitate proved that the antigen-antibody complex possessed lh activity. Some evidence for species specificity of the fsh molecule is indicated by the absence of cross-reactions when the anti-sheep fsh serum was tested against various heterologous preparations containing fsh. Rat antigenic composition of human semen has already been demonstrated us Spermatozoa showed the presence of seven antigens out of which four were common with seminal plasma and three were specific only to spermatozoa. The antigens of spermatozoa are released into the medium when a suspension of spermatozoa is repeatedly frozen and thawed. Work has been carried out to elucidate the nature of the sperm-specific antigens. These antigens are heat labile and are completely destroyed by heating at a temperature above 60° C. They are not dialysable and are pre¬ cipitated by trichloroacetic acid. At least two of the three antigens travel on a chromatogram irrigated with solvents that are conventionally used for the separation of amino acids and polypeptides. One of these antigens reacts with the spray reagents specific for tryptophane.


Bridges and culverts are lifeline structures essential to ensure community mobility and they are demanding timely and appropriate rehabilitation programs to ensure their serviceability after many years of service and ongoing deterioration. Asset management technology and understanding of bridge deterioration are constantly improving. The current training program in most higher education providers and research institutions of Australia provide infrastructure management course as part of a Bachelor or Master program/degree and thus might not be suitable for some learners. These learners want to focus on the latest, practical and state of art asset management skills and knowledge in a short period of time. In this paper, a training program for asset management of bridges is proposed. The training program is designed to fulfill four key learning tasks: student-centred learning, learning diversity, student learning assessment and practical outcomes. The training program focuses on three important areas of asset management, namely, data management, prediction models, and risk management. Furthermore, E-learning technology and industrial lecturer are explored to enhance student learning.


A possibility is considered of obtaining photoelectron spectra of solid state samples near the Fermi edge at an energy resolution down to 1 meV and moderate spectra accumulation times with the help of a time-of-flight analyzer combined with a specially designed UV laser source. Limitations of count rate for such a device and their influence on the energy resolution are considered. The requirements to the laser sources including their wavelengths, pulse duration, repetition rate and pulse energies are discussed. Several possibilities are considered to build the necessary laser source, basing on excimer laser and nonlinear-optically converted neodymium-doped, argon and dye lasers. The construction of required source is shown to be quite feasible.

KEYWORDS: laser, photoemission, time-of-flight electron energy analyzer, superconductivity.


Homocystein level, gen polymorphism, figures of platelet-vascular component of 107 pregnant women with pure and combined gestosis of different severity, of 31 pregnant women with physiologic course of gestational process and of 33 pregnant women with gestosis, that have been given a pregravidar preparation, have been studied. It has been detected, that at hyperhomocysteinemia without correction there are more evident clinicolaboratory indices of gestosis severity and the most increase of endothelial dysfunction markers. It has been noted, that hyperhomocystein level varies depending of gestosis severity. The finding proves the consideration, that gestosis is a multifactorial disease with several development ways. Study of gen polymorphism and of homocystein level enables early detection of a risk group for gestosis development.


This paper is an exumination of the process of routinitation of the new religious rrlovement of Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism in New England. Witchcraft is a decentralited religion which emphasizes the spontaneity of religious expression. The Weberian model of routinitaiion is shown to be of limited applicability to this group. It is suggestl that new insights into the pTocess of routinization offered by orgaruzaiianal theory can help to frarne the process of routiruzation within this new religious rru3vement.


The software testing is a crucial role in the software development lifecycle. Testing can be done by the user who have full knowledge on the software, who has no knowledge and who has knowledge little bit on the software and the software testing can be tested in various level with various tests like unit, integrate, user, regression, acceptance etc.. The major and most important test is the regression testing. To perform the regression testing it takes more time. The current paper was focused on the regression testing to reduce the execution time and to improve the faults detection rate by considering the parameter of change coverage. The proposed system uses the test case prioritization techniques by using the nature of the bees. After performing the experimental study on an open source applications, the proposed system shows the efficiency and effectiveness in terms of the runtime and detecting faults when compared with the traditional system.


We develop the immersed interface method (IIM) to simulate a two-fluid flow of two immiscible fluids with different density and viscosity. Due to the surface tension and the discontinuous fluid properties, the two-fluid flow has nonsmooth velocity and discontinuous pressure across the moving sharp interface separating the two fluids. The IIM computes the flow on a fixed Cartesian grid by incorporating into numerical schemes the necessary jump conditions induced by the interface. We present how to compute these necessary jump conditions from the analytical principal jump conditions derived in [Xu, DCDS, Supplement 2009, pp.838-845]. We test our method on some canonical two-fluid flows. The results demonstrate that the method can handle large density and viscosity ratios, is second-order accurate in the infinity norm, and conserves mass inside a closed interface.


Mathematical modelling is an effective tool for studying infectious disease epidemics. Stochastic models have been increasingly used in recent studies due to their ability to quantify uncertainty. Chapter 2 of my dissertation discusses the building of stochastic compartment models to analyze time series, infectious disease data, and applying Bayesian method to estimate the parameters. With an emphasis on modeling disease transmissibility, population-level, time series data of influenza morbidity and mortality from 1918 pandemic influenza in Baltimore, MD and Newark, NJ is analyzed. We find evidence that the transmissibility of influenza varies with time over the period September 1918 to November 1918 in these two locations with an increasing then decreasing transmissibility in Baltimore and a strictly decreasing transmissibility in Newark. In contrast to the traditional population level models, simulation-based computational models that feature the "micro" structure of population have been developed to capture fine-grained disease dynamics and control strategies. These "agent-based models" (ABMs) general require a large number of input parameters, with empirical data insufficient to provide estimates for all of them (in statistical terms, nonidentifiability). Availability of prior information on different model levels make statistical inference a challenging task, for computational infectious disease models and for more general ABMs. Prior information at various model levels is combined and used to update information on the input parameters. The standard Bayesian approach to this updating induces changes in the ABM stochastic structure. Chapter 3 of my dissertation reports on Optimal Constrained Bayesian Updating method to address these issues including retaining the original ABM structure. Subject to retaining the ABM structure, the approach produces an updated distribution on inputs as close as possible to the standard Bayesian solution. ii A disease natural history estimation example is presented in Chapter 4 to illustrate the optimal constrained Bayesian updating method. Chapter 5 summarizes and discusses future works.


Abstract : We show that, with topologically flexible seeds which are allowed to explore different growth modes, graphitic cones are inherently more "designable" than flat graphitic disks. The designability of a structure is the number of seed topologies encoding that structure. We illustrate designability with a simple model, where graphite grows onto C(n) (5<n<3O) ring seeds. For a wide range of ring sizes, cones are the most likely topological outcome. Results from the model agree well with data from special cone-rich carbon black samples. The concept of designability allows entropy to be incorporated into the "pentagon road" model of the formation of curved graphitic structures.


Routing in cooperative vehicular networks is a challenging work due to high mobility of vehicles and difficulty of localization. In this paper, we study the geocast routing problem in Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANets), which aims at delivering data to a specific group of mobile vehicles identified by their geographical location. Although many geocast routing protocols have been proposed, only partial inherent constraints of VANets (such as mobility, frequent fragmentation and overload) are taken into account. Therefore, we propose two novel robust geocast routing protocols: The first one called Robust Geocast Routing Protocol for Safety Applications (RGRP-SA), while the other one, namely Robust Geocast Routing Protocol for Comfort Applications (RGRP-CA). Simulations conducted in NS-2 demonstrate that our safety-oriented RGRP-SA protocol outperforms the counterpart protocols in terms of number of sent packets and end-to-end delay. Besides, it is also shown that our comfort-oriented RGRP-CA protocol serves well comfort applications by providing reliable data delivery and high throughput.


Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a widely grown fruit in many regions of the world. Anthracnose of pomegranate is one of the limiting factor for low productivity and also the low market price. Therefore, the management of anthracnose disease is necessary. In this study new fungicide molecules are evaluated under in vitro condition against the mycelial growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. In vitro screening of fungicides against C. gloeosporioides showed two combination product Hexaconazole + Zineb, Trifloxystrobin + Tebuconazole and a nonsystemic fungicide Captan showed cent percent inhibition at 100, 250, 500 and 1000 ppm concentration. Similarly, systemic fungicides Hexaconazole, Propiconazole, Penconazole, Tebuconazole and Carbendazim showed cent percent mycelial inhibition at 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm concentrations.


The differentiated demand model of Berry, Levinsohn and Pakes (1995) is widely used in empirical economic research. Previous literature has demonstrated numerical instabilities of the corresponding GMM estimator that give a wide range of parameter estimates and economic implications depending on technical details such as the choice of optimization algorithm, starting values, and convergence criteria. We show that these instabilities are mainly driven by numerical approximation errors of the moment function which is not analytically available. With accurate approximation, the estimator is well-behaved. We also discuss approaches to mitigate the computational burden of accurate approximation and provide code for download.


Published quarterly by The MIT Press for the Center for Strategic and International Studies A premier international affairs journal, The Washington Quarterly is a valuable source of incisive, independent thinking about our changing world and the foreign, defense, and economic policies suited to the times. Renowned intellectuals nd policymakers from the United States and overseas contrib? ute diverse political and professional perspec? tives to each issue.


Abstract : This study is a part of project of urea-SCR system development for an in-use medium duty diesel engine. This study shows the effect of ammonia oxidation catalyst and SCR volume on NO x reduction performance. When AOC(Ammonia Oxidation Catalyst) is not used, the urea injection should be controlled accurately to prevent NH 3 slip. However, it is found that the accurate NH 3 slip control is not easy without AOC in real engine operating conditions, because NH 3 and NO x reaction characteristics change with many factors such as exhaust gas temperature and NH 3 absorbance on SCR. SCR volume is also one of important design parameters. This study shows that NO x reduction efficiency increases with increase of SCR volume especially at high space velocity and low exhaust gas temperature conditions. Additionally, this paper shows the emissions of EURO-2 medium duty diesel engine can be improved to the level of EURO-5 with a DPF and urea-SCR system. Key words : Urea(요소수), SCR(Selective Catalytic Reduction, 선택환원촉매), Diesel engine(디젤엔진), AOC (Ammonia Oxidation Catalyst, 암모니아 산화촉매), NO


The experiment was carried out in the soil of combined pollution of various heavy metals in Leadzinc mining area of Ganluo county to study the effects of adding EDTA on lead,zinc,copper,cadmium and chromium in Houttuynia cordata Thunb.The method was carried out a pot experiment indoor adding EDTA(0,2,4,8mmol/kg)to learn the mobilization of these five elements in soil and their uptake by Houttuynia cordata Thunb.Finally it gave an determination of the appropriate EDTA concentration for regulation.The major results were summarized as follows:The content of Pb,Zn,Cu,Cd,Cr in the body of Houttuynia cordata Thunb that adding 2mmol/kg EDTA reached 601.70,305.40,22.31,0.242,28.51mg/kg,which were 11.60,7.82,2.50,3.08,0.17times higher than that in the control,respectively.The enrichment factor of Pb,Zn,Cu,Cd in Houttuynia cordata Thunb reached maximum value and Pb,Zn,Cu migration coefficient reached the maximum value at 2mmol/kg EDTA.Application of the appropriate amount of EDTA could promote the transfer of Pb,Zn,Cu,Cd in Houttuynia cordata Thunb from roots to the aboveground,as well as enhancing the accumulation ability of Houttuynia cordata Thunb,and the enrichment capability of Pb,Zn were greater than that of Cu,Cd.In contrary,adding 2mmol/kg EDTA alleviated the accumulation ability of Cr in the Houttuynia cordata Thunb.The effects of mobilization of heavy metals in Houttuynia cordata Thunb which adding 2mmol/kg EDTA was better than that adding 4mmol/kg EDTA.And the level of 2mmol/kg EDTA was the appropriate concentration for regulation.The level of 8mmol/kg EDTA was quite harmful to the plant.


A systematic approach to program performance metrics provides an essential tool for performance tracking and the design and adaptation of energy efficiency programs. The BestPractices (BP) and Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) sub-programs, under the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), use established, peer reviewed methodologies and systems for performance measurement and planning. The BP/IAC approach has four key components: 1) Recordkeeping, 2) Methodology, 3) Reporting, and 4) Planning and Management Feedback. Through seamless integration and iteration, these key components comprise the foundation for creating metrics that are consistent, defensible, and a valuable tool for responding to policy requirements and fluctuating energy markets. The paper provides an overview of the four key metrics components, touching briefly on critical issues within each that in aggregate establish the success of the approach. Examples of elements of the first three components include characterization of baseline consumption and savings potential for IAC/BP participants, centralized and uniform collection of participant data, prioritization of quantifiable activities, and reporting consistency. The paper will reveal how performance metrics are used in planning IAC and BestPractices activities to help the U.S. manufacturing industry respond to high energy prices. Within the Industrial Technologies Program and within DOE's portfolio of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs, both IAC and BP are recognized for their high standard of performance metrics. The intent of the paper is to share this comprehensive approach with program stakeholders, program managers, and policymakers to demonstrate its value with respect to energy program design and implementation.


Despite the progress in numerical methods applied to engineering, computational simulation of tunnel excavation still presents a low degree of accuracy and representativeness. Tunnel excavation models normally use infinite or half-infinite domains. This feature negatively impacts numerical simulations based on the Finite Element Method (FEM), since a fictitious bounding surface must be used to truncate the model geometry. Inversely, infinite domain modeling is intrinsic to the Boundary Element Method (BEM), since it requires a boundary-only representation. A realistic computational simulation of tunnel excavation involves structural and geotechnical materials like rock, structural concrete, shotcrete and rebar rock bolts and anchors. This implies that tunnels models may be composed of layers with different material properties, intact of fragmented. The main goal of this work is to carry out 2D modeling of tunnel support using the BEM and viscoelastic material models. The work also presents a new algorithm to simulate the rock-shotcrete interaction based on a pure-BEM approach. This research is integrated into a bigger study, which integrates new software developments for accurate numerical simulation of tunnel excavation. The previous research development proposed by Noronha and Pereira (2003), Pereira (2004), Müller (2004) and Carbone (2007) were particularly relevant to the present study.


The present article discuss the results of seismic investigation conducted in Turin, Italy, to assess the geological and geotechnical modeling related to the planned extension of the underground Metro Line 1 from Collegno to Cascine Vica (about 4 km of length, from Collegno to Cascine Vica). The specific objectives were to map the thickness of the man-made ground lying upon alluvial soil made of gravel and sand and evaluate the stiffness property of the subsoil. To overcome the typical obstacles of the urban ambient (electromagnetic and vibrational noise, hard traffic management, high energy source required) we applied the shallow wave technique with a continuous profiling (MASW 2D) by means of a customized system of geophones array on a land streamer and a controlled source of energy mounted on a vehicle. The surveys were performed overnight in two sessions (two days), with a fast data acquisition for a total length 2000 m. The results of the survey, calibrated with boreholes positioned all along the survey line, has precisely mapped the contact between the shallow reworked ground and the alluvial deposits. Moreover, the survey results have highlighted many lenses of cemented gravel (conglomerate bodies) inside the alluvial deposits.


Greetings from 35,000 feet! I am en route from my home in Grinnell, Iowa to Sydney, Australia to participate in a workshop on---oddly enough---environmental sustainability. Reducing negative environmental impacts is a current hot topic in my field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI); indeed, so much so that I've seen at least one researcher (Bill Tomlinson of UC Irvine) reduce his carbon footprint by using iChat to remotely present a conference paper. Computing technology has a tremendous capacity both to make the problem worse and to help us make wiser choices.


The implementation of religious moderation through Pancasila and citizenship education is the subject of discussion in this research. Indonesia is known as a multicultural country


Surrogacy is the act of a woman bearing a child for another person/couple who are unable to carry a child themselves. Sometimes this can be the only way for people to have a child genetically and therefore is commonly used. This process is governed by The Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985 and some provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990-2008. This is an area of law which has provoked controversy and is in need of being critically examined. The Law Commission have identified possible issues surrounding the law on surrogacy, these include, how the law is regulated, the exploitation of surrogates and parental orders. Until parental orders are granted, which is not done until six weeks after the birth of the child, the parents are not permitted to make any medical decisions about their child. The Law Commission have looked into these areas in the Law Commissions 13th programme of law reform. As a group, we have researched into these areas but also expanded our research to see what happens if the surrogate mother or parents die, if the surrogate mother changes her mind and wants to keep the child and if the parents refuse the child/abortion rights.


This article aims to compare and contrast the perceptions of parental influence of indigenous middle-class students and immigrant students in Cyprus, and to investigate how their family's capital mediates students' educational choices for studies in higher education. This study draws on interview data with two students and their parents and discusses the findings from a Bourdieusian theoretical perspective. It was noted in the data that indigenous middle-class students have a 'feel for the game' when they come to make their choices for future studies in higher education. Indigenous middle-class students often 'misrecognise' parental influence on their educational choices; this is conceptualised as a form of symbolic violence after Bourdieu. On the contrary, immigrant students explicitly refer to their parents' influence on their educational choices and they usually mention the devaluation of their parents' cultural capital. Arguably, while immigrant students try to adapt their habitus to the new educational field, they become more conscious of their parents' influence on their educational choices. This finding is interpreted as a reflexive process of the 'hysteresis effect' (after Bourdieu) which immigrant families are experiencing. It is argued that social inequalities are still experienced by immigrant students in transition to higher education and this is interpreted drawing on Bourdieu's theory.


We propose a design method for liquid crystal lens with positive-negative tunable focal length and rectangular aperture. The designed electrodes produce a parabolic profile of voltage difference over the lens aperture. Parabolic phase profile is then obtained by controlling the voltage difference within the linear response range of liquid crystal materials, and high-quality performance liquid crystal lens can be realized. The principle of the design is described and the lens is demonstrated experimentally.


Partial discharge (PD) measurement is an efficient method for monitoring the integrity of the high-voltage equipment. However, extensive interferences can compromise the measured PD signals. After the acquisition, a post-processing algorithm is required for the effective extraction of PD signals from noise. The wavelet shrinkage is one of the most popular tools used in such application. The wavelet processing involves the choice of parameters that will determine the performance of denoising. With the purpose of finding suitable parameters, optimisation techniques, such as genetic algorithms (GAs), can be used in conjunction with a fitness function to evaluate how good a solution is. This work proposes a new fitness function, based on a composition of local variables and statistics usually employed for the evaluation of PD denoising algorithms. The proposed function was applied to a set of PD signals and proved effective in the identification of optimal parameter values by a GA, thereby producing better PD denoising.


In his study of the development of behavior in mammals, Coghill ('38, '39) made observations upon pouch young opossums of early age. Previously ('18, '28), he had demonstrated the correlation of the development of structure with the development of function in amphibia. In the opossum he found most important the retarded development of the hindlimbs as compared with the advanced development of the forelimbs and head. Hartman ('20, '50) had observed the active use of the forelimb even before the time of birth and then at term in climbing into the marsupial pouch. Langworthy ('28) noted that in this maneuver the hindlimbs did not participate in the grasping movements. For one week after birth the young opossum does not move these limbs in response to stimulation nor spontaneously. Only passive movements are present during this period but upon or about the eighth day the hindlimbs become motile in response to stimuli. Studies upon the pathways and connections of the central nervous system in these early stages have been in progress (Hogg and Pankratz, '47). To investigate the relationships of the skeleton, the muscles and the peripheral nerves the present study was undertaken.


Background: The strategy of Health for All (HFA), which was formulated by the World Health Organization (WHO), was endorsed by the Spanish Government in 1990. After that, Catalonia, one of the 17 regions of Spain, created the Catalan Health Service and developed the health plan for Catalonia in which health targets were formulated as a tool for policy making. This paper describes the process of elaboration, implementation and evaluation of the health plan. Methods: The dynamic process of drawing up the health plan was done through several steps: situation analysis, selection of main problems and priority interventions and formulation of health targets to be achieved by the year 2000. The health plan was disseminated and political accountability was defined. Implementation was conducted through a process of consensus on the activities to be carried out and its inclusion in a services contract. Evaluation was by checking the attainment of targets from an epidemiological basis and monitoring process and outcome indicators. Results: Up to now, three editions of the health plan have been produced, each including new operational targets based on the resuts of former evaluations. Five consensus documents on preventive activities have been published and several evaluation studies have been carried out. When estimating the expected results, it turns out that the attainability of general health targets is much better than for risk reduction ones. Conclusions: Setting targets is a useful tool in establishing priorities in health policy. It has facilitated situation analysis, implementation of interventions, evaluation and teamwork. However, in the practical use of health targets we are at the beginning of the learning process, which is still a challenge.


About 20 species of non-native mammals have been recorded in Poland. Some of them are already extinct or have been extirpated, while others are widely distributed and may affect the native biota in Poland. We review the literature on 15 non-native species found in this country, discussing their origin, distribution, and presence on lists of invasive species that pose a threat to wildlife in Poland and the EU. In addition, we discuss current knowledge on their impact on Polish ecosystems. However, on many of these species, there is little information, and the consequences of their presence remain unclear. Therefore, we emphasize the importance of this review for appropriate species management and suggest the introduction of monitoring, especially of species whose populations are increasing.


Live reef food fish (LRFF) fishing is one of the most important livelihoods for the people of the coastal and small island communities within the Spermonde A...


Objective To explore the relationship between the DNA damage of biomarkers for early biological effects in coke oven workers and BPDE-Alb adducts.Methods 207 male coke oven workers were selected as the exposed group and 102 unexposed to coke oven as the controls.Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure BPDE-Alb adduct concentrations in plasma and alkaline comet assay for DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes.Results The concentration of BPDE-Alb adducts and the Olive tail moment(Olive TM)in exposed group were significantly higher than those in control group(P0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds ratio(OR)for BPDE-Alb adduct and Olive TM associated with the exposure were 1.72 and 1.96 respectively.Results showed that there was significant correlation between the concentrations of BPDE-Alb adduct and Olive TM levels in exposed group(rs=0.235,P0.01)but not in the control group(rs=0.093,P0.05).Conclusions The relationship between biomarkers of biological effective and early biological effects was significant among coke oven workers.


Very substantial progress has been made in cleaning up the environment. In general, rivers and lakes are substantially cleaner than two-to-three decades ago. Although many severely contaminated sites still exist, a good deal of cleanup has been accomplished and many sites have been restored to a usable state, if not quite in their original, pristine condition. As these accomplishments have been achieved and realistic controls to retain the gains have been instituted, environmental concerns have shifted rather dramatically. Earlier efforts focused on the outdoors environment, where needs were readily apparent and the conditions tended to impact the entire population. More recently, the focus has shifted indoors and the concern now is on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), along with the concomitant Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and related problems. As might be expected, the SBS problem is not simple and not related to a single originating factor. For several years the primary focus was on chemicals emitted from the typical furnishings found in offices and residential rooms. Such things as formaldehyde evolution from carpets, contaminants originating with paint and wallpaper adhesives, as well as other potential and actual sources gave cause for concern. The existence of tobacco smoke, cooking volatiles and similar sources caused considerable study and review. During this period, misconceptions and a little "junk science" muddied the thinking and progress of the effort. A typical example was a study conducted in Finland where workers were asked to document days on which they felt ill or at least affected by fumes arising from renovation work being done in their building. There was no correlation with the controlled release of some gases which were known to affect humans and the resulting impact on the workers. A sizeable group of workers noted nausea and similar problems even when the controlled gases were not released. The complexity of the problem has increased as the role of ultrafine particulate matter and microbiological sources have been inserted into the equation. With the expanded ability to measure and characterize ultrafine particulate concentration, a greater appreciation of the impact on health and wellbeing has emerged. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are those less than 0.1 micrometer in diameter. Often the by-products of combustion, ultrafine particles are actually found everywhere. They can enter buildings along with the DIRECTOR'S CORNER INJ DEPARTMENTS


The temporal development of prebreakdown electron currents in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure and in a uniform electric field is investigated. These gap currents were determined by observation of changes in potential across a resistor in series with the one cm. long gap. While in previous work avalanche initiating electrons were released mainly through the use of spark gap radiation, here a short duration nitrogen laser pulse released electrons from the cathode. It has been found that the bridging of the gap by a solid, cylindrical insulating spacer alters the electron avalanche growth. A theoretical model is proposed to account for this previously unreported modification.


Variational Bayesian approximations offer a computationally fast alternative to numerical approximations for Bayesian inference. We examine variational Bayesian methods for filtering and smoothing continuous hidden Markov models, in particular those with sharply-peaked, nonlinear observations densities. We show that, by making variational updates in the correct order, robust convergence to the tracked state may be achieved. We apply the whole track convergence algorithm to tracking wild crickets in video streams and describe how animals may be identified from the characteristics of their tracks. We also show how identifying alphanumeric tags may be read under poor lighting conditions.


Creation of new biocompatible materials, which can exhibit antitumor activity or enhance it in combination with conventional drugs, reducing their harmful side effects, is an important complex problem that requires the use of last accomplishments of biotechnology. The data regarding the main physicochemical properties and bioavailability of fullerene C 60 and its derivatives, their membranotropic, toxic and tumortropic effects in vitro and in vivo systems are summarized in the review. Based on these generalizations the prospects of these unique nanostructures in oncology, particularly in the treatment of cancer patients and for diagnostic purposes are analyzed. At the same time, some problems arising from the use of fullerene С 60 and its derivatives in medicine are highlighted. They are particularly associated with the creation of highly stable watersoluble nontoxic compounds of fullerene С 60, which could be introduced into the human body and delivered with the bloodstream in the organ to be a therapeutic effect and their participation in the processes of metabolism.


lated, with cumulative doses exceeding 100 g predisposing to vortex keratopathy, lens opacities, optic neuritis, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities, crystalline maculopathy, and CME. These findings are less commonly seen in patients receiving lower-dose therapy for breast cancer, although the advent of high-resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography has revealed more cases of tamoxifen-associated CME in the absence of crystals. The crystalline retinal deposits are classically confined to the nerve fiber and inner plexiform layers and are hypothesized to represent areas of axonal degeneration. Current treatment for tamoxifen maculopathy is discontinuation of the drug. In our case, severe crystalline maculopathy and florid CME were unchanged 7 months after cessation of tamoxifen. Previous experience treating diffuse diabetic macular edema by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor, a potent inducer of vascular permeability, with intravitreal bevacizumab prompted us to initiate therapy for this patient. Bourla et al reported improvement of tamoxifen-induced CME with intravitreal pegaptanib sodium (Macugen), but to our knowledge this is the first case of improved tamoxifenassociated crystalline maculopathy and resolved CME with intravitreal bevacizumab therapy.


Allium sativum is a very good source of Vitamin C and is widely used around the world for its pungent flavour. It is also used as a diaphoretics, diuretic, stimulant, anti-asthmatic, digestive disorder, fungal infection and for the treatment of gastro-intestinal diseases. The crude extracts of garlic from different parts of the world have shown to posses anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties. Entamoeba histolytica, a parasite, is responsible for the major human gastro-intestinal diseases. The efficacy of Allium sativum (garlic) on Entamoeba histolytica was studied using isolated organism from stool sample of amoebic dysentery which was inoculated into Locke's egg Slant Media. Incubations were carried out and the slants examined after 48 hours of inoculation at 37°c. Different extracts-ethanolic, crude, aqueous and hot water were prepared and different concentrations of each of the extracts-100%, 80%, 60%, 40% and 20% made and tested against Entamoeba histolytica. The result showed that all the extracts were effective except hot water extract. The highest zone of inhibition was 35mm and 22mm in ethanolic and crude extracts respectively at 20% concentration followed by the aqueous extracts at 100% concentration.


We develop a decentralized two-sided matching model with an imperfect screening device, the entrance examination, to analyze the choice of examination dates by schools. In most cases, the second best school cannot attract better students by using a conflicting strategy on the same examination date of the best one. Nevertheless, when the two leading schools have similar prestige, students face a coordination problem and the conflicting strategy can be justified in one of the equilibria. We propose several equilibrium selection criteria and test them with a unique data set from Taiwanese graduate programs. Using the retardation rates of students studying for more than regular years as a proxy for student quality, our empirical results suggest that the second best school on average will have lower student quality if it uses the conflicting strategy. However, for some departments with similar prestige to the best one, the second best school could have better students by conflicting with the best one on the examination date.


Transferring plays an important role between different lines of urban rail transport and routine public transit. The convenience of a transfer station not only directly affects the efficiency of the whole traffic network, but also is a key factor that influences travel convenience. Based on GIS, through the study of the convenience at the 16 subway transfer stations in Beijing, the article tries to find the relationship of the evaluations on the transferring between metro-metro and metro-bus. Finally, by further clustering analysis on the spatial distributions of the transferring evaluations, this article reveals the existing problems of the layout of transfer stations and proposes several effective suggestions and countermeasures for them.


Traffic congestion might be a problem that is commonly encountered in large cities. Currently, most traffic control systems are still unable to capture traffic data, which means that traffic lights cannot be programmed to be adaptive. In this research paper, a traffic density estimation system based on Convolutional Neural Network was created. In order to do so, a video frame from a road surveillance camera was divided into several blocks. The CNN was then used to predict whether each of those blocks was occupied by vehicles. By doing so, the traffic density of each frame is able to be estimated. The result showed that the simplest CNN model, which only consisted of 27,074 weights and biases, achieved the accuracy of 97.47% and 96.57% towards training and validation data, respectively. The processing speed itself is decent since the system was able to run at approximately 15.52 frames per second.


The stem of Cassia bicapsularis test-tube plantlet was used as explants to advance comparative test of different culture conditions such as illumination,temperature,pH value and so on.The results indicated that the callus induction rate of Cassia bicapsularis was the highest,and sprout grew the best,on the conditions of 26℃ temperature,processed between 12h/d illumination and 12h/d darkness alternately,and pH 5.3.


A series of μ-oxo-bridged diferric complexes, Fe 2 OL 4 X n (ClO 4 ) m , containing two bidentate nitrogen ligandes (L=2,2'-bipyridine, 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, and 1,10-phenanthroline) and one exchangeable coordination site (X=H 2 O, Cl, CH 3 CO 2 , CF 3 CO 2 ) per iron were synthenized and characterized by their 1 H NMR, electronic, and Raman spectra and by their magnetic properties. 1 H NMR data showed that X=H 2 O or X=bridging CH 3 CO 2 were labile ligands while X=Cl was much less exchangeable. Complex 3D (L=4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine, X=CF 3 CO 2 , n=2, m=2) was characterized crystallographically


The Idea of approach to maintain small family norm in the family and so to the society is the hope for almost all of the couples as the saying -"Small family is a happy family". And every couple always thinks and plan for a safer and better future. But for adoption of small family norm, termination of pregnancy seems to be commonest method among the couples of the child bearing age group in spite of adoption of the available family welfare methods. For spacing and the limitation of number of children termination of pregnancy is found to be the commonest tool adopted for spacing and limiting the number of child in the families. Cases attended in the OPD, number of repeated termination of pregnancy is on the higher side and most cases attended when they miss the menstruation by 5/6 days overdue with the motive to undergo early termination of pregnancy. They are not aware of the hazards of pregnancy termination, their motives being not to continue the pregnancy somehow. On enquiry, they hardly have plan to avoid next conception by using family welfare methods for spacing or sterilization if family is completed. Cases examined and assessed the status and usually advised to review with their partners for further discussion for those who are attending without partner and those reported with husband, counseling is done regarding their future plan after termination and hazards following termination of pregnancy. If they think they have completed their family, enquired for option either for termination of pregnancy with female sterilization or to undergo vasectomy. And those who are willing for next conception, options given to adopt IUCD insertion or oral pill consumption or adoption of barrier methods. The clients attended in OPD, most of them hardly have the opinion to adopt contraceptive measures, so counseling plays a great role and effective counseling along with the husband and wife together usually land to the final opinion either termination or continuation of present pregnancy and adoption of contraceptives afterwards or sterilization. A good counselor is the need of the hour. For the adoption of small family norm or limiting the number of children, proper counseling and understanding of the partner remain as the most important step. Hoping for the future, according to the choice of partners, the available family planning methods are to be adopted. With understanding of the partners, adopting the family welfare methods would remain as the golden way for the peace and prosperity in each and every family To remain healthy with peace of mind is one of the golden way of life.


Lane change (LC) is a maneuver that allows drivers to enter into a lane that suits their requirements and comfort. The LC process requires the driver to assess its neighborhood traffic in its original and target lanes before undertaking the maneuver. Other vehicles in the neighborhood also need to adjust for safe lane change. The LC trajectory is determined by the accuracy of these subjective assessments as well as the state of traffic. An erroneous assessment by LC vehicle or neighboring vehicles or an incorrect maneuver can cause collision. The collision can be prevented if the LC trajectory can be predicted and the feasibility of LC can be communicated to different vehicles involved in this process. . In the present paper, neural network is used for long term forecast of the lane change trajectory and for short term near future positions of the LC vehicle. The neural network is trained using past LC trajectories of different vehicles. The trained network is then used for long and short term forecast of the vehicle's positions during LC. Simulation results with actual filed data observed data indicates that neural network is able to learn LC maneuvers and is able to perform short term prediction with sufficient accuracy.


Experimental teaching plays an important role in cultivating new type of medical talents at medical colleges;the experiment technician is the main participants in the experiment teaching.From positions' characteristics of experiment technician in medical colleges,this paper puts forward suggestions on how to improve the ideological and professional quality of experiment technician.


EIA is part of several instruments to prevent pollution and environmental damage, and in order to improve its quality and effectiveness, EIA document will be assessed by the EIA Assessment Commission depending on its authority. The assessment ability of the EIA Assessment Commission is also influenced by perceptions, so it is necessary to analyze the influence of internal and external factors on the perception of the EIA Assessment Commission in North Sulawesi, so it can provide good suggestions and input for better regional development and towards environmental sustainability. The research sample were 57 respondents and then used in-depth interviews guided by the questionnaire to digging information. The data obtained were then analyzed using Partial Least Square (PLS) to observe the impact of internal and external factors on the perception of the EIA Assessment Commission. Internal factors including age, education level, and family responsibilities do not significantly affect the level of perception, while internal factors such as experience and integrity as well as all external factors have a significant effect on perception. Work experience has a strong impact on the perception of the EIA Assessment Commission to always support the environmental conservation movement and integrity have an impact on the emergence of rational and fair decision makingKey words: EIA, Integrity, Assessment, Perception.


Modern society presents a problem where it is increasingly common for minority groups/cultural groups/indigenous groups to show their identity to fulfill their collective right to vote in politics. This study aims to describe the form of democracy that is still hampered because the fulfillment of the voting rights of the Mandailing community is still limited. This research is qualitative descriptive research conducted in the Mandailing community in Kecamataan Sungai Kanan. Data was collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. The collected data is then analyzed using Creswell's techniques which consist of organizing and preparing the data, reading the data, the coding process or general analysis, the coding categorization process that has been made, and describing the themes into qualitative explanations and analysis. The results of this study prove that the level of understanding of the Mandailing community on the importance of the right to vote is still shallow; this is related because the KPU, as the organizer, does not seriously socialize the political rights of citizens. In this case, the right to vote and be elected. Meanwhile, monotonous activities are always represented by the Mandailing community by representing their voting rights to traditional leaders or elders in the area.


Solar Power has become prominent source of energy as it provides most of the clean and renewable energy. Moreover, it is cost effective and has become the best option in the field of electricity production as grid-connection or distributed modes. Solar Power generation is now the most sustainable as well as also proved to be the tough competitor for fossil-fuel power generation. The ability to harness sunlight and use that energy to get electricity is achieved through a spread of methods. In order to use the energy from the Sun to get electricity, there must be some method of harnessing the radiation. Since there's no fuel to burn to get electricity like there's in fuel power plants or atomic power plants, different methods are wont to capture or concentrate sunlight.


Aim The aim of the study is to demonstrate the experience of Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Assiut University Children Hospital, in the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure, over 2.5 years, as a newly developing center in catheter interventions. Patients and methods The study included 47 patients who underwent transcatheter PDA closure at Pediatric Cardiology Unit of Assiut University Children Hospital from March 2014 till September 2016. Results Successful closure of the PDA was achieved in 93.6% (44/47) of patients, regarding efficacy (successful closure of the defect without residual shunt) and safety (no deaths or major complications).


Transcriptional activator VnfA is required for the expression of a second nitrogenase system encoded in the vnfH and vnfDGK operons in Azotobacter vinelandii. In the present study, we have purified full‐length VnfA produced in E. coli as recombinant proteins (Strep‐tag attached and tag‐less proteins), enabling detailed characterization of VnfA for the first time. The EPR spectra of whole cells producing tag‐less VnfA (VnfA) show distinctive signals assignable to a 3Fe‐4S cluster in the oxidized form ([Fe3S4]+). Although aerobically purified VnfA shows no vestiges of any Fe‐S clusters, enzymatic reconstitution under anaerobic conditions reproduced [Fe3S4]+ dominantly in the protein. Additional spectroscopic evidence of [Fe3S4]+in vitro is provided by anaerobically purified Strep‐tag attached VnfA. Thus, spectroscopic studies both in vivo and in vitro indicate the involvement of [Fe3S4]+ as a prosthetic group in VnfA. Molecular mass analyses reveal that VnfA is a tetramer both in the presence and absence of the Fe‐S cluster. Quantitative data of iron and acid‐labile sulfur in reconstituted VnfA are fitted with four 3Fe‐4S clusters per a tetramer, suggesting that one subunit bears one cluster. In vivoβ‐gal assays reveal that the Fe‐S cluster which is presumably anchored in the GAF domain by the N‐terminal cysteine residues is essential for VnfA to exert its transcription activity on the target nitrogenase genes. Unlike the NifAL system of A. vinelandii, O2 shows no effect on the transcriptional activity of VnfA but reactive oxygen species is reactive to cause disassembly of the Fe‐S cluster and turns active VnfA inactive.


High strength super structural steel, with an excellent combination of strength, toughness and weldability has been developed over the last two decades to replace conventional  medium carbon steels. Modern submarines and warshipsrequires high strength steel plate in increasing portions of the hull structure for weight reduction, increased payload, and survivability.Naval ship structures are subjected to a complex spectrum of loads and environments. So the structural steel and welding materials used in hull fabrication must demonstrate high fracture toughness for these extreme conditions.With increasing in the use of high strength super structural steel for construction of modern submarines and warships, the welding techniques and welding process have become highly specialised. Developing requisite welding consumables and ensuring quality of weld joints is a challenge to both the weld industry and the shipbuilder. The present paper provides the development of indigenous weld consumables for grade of steels with YS ≥ 690 MPa for sub-marine hull construction and warships. Butt weldingexperiments were being carried out usingindigenous weld consumables and control electrodes for reference. In order to characterize the weldments made by indigenous weld consumables, standard tests were conducted to determine the hardness profile, toughness, tensile properties, diffusible hydrogen, moisture content and coating concentricity etc. The results showthat the properties attained by indigenously developed weld consumables are par with control electrodes.


Carnosine (β‐Alanylhistidine) (Carn) occurs in high concentrations in muscle where it contributes to H+ buffering during exercise. Synthesis is limited by the availability of β‐Alanine synthesised in the liver from Uracil and transported to muscle fibres, but is enhanced by the inclusion of β‐Ala (or a β‐Ala source such as Carn) in the diet. Whilst the transport of β‐Ala into muscle is still not fully understood there is evidence that this may be linked to the action of insulin. Taurine (Tau), a beta‐sulfonic amino acid which shares the same transporter as β‐Ala, was also investigated in this study.


In the light of the L'Aquila verdict in which seven scientists were found guilty of manslaughter resulting from poor communication of risk and uncertainty, scientific modelling and general assessment of risk and uncertainty is being carefully scrutinised. While the majority of scientists recognise the importance of uncertainty, there is in general much less clarity on what is a good uncertainty assessment. For this reason we give a broad survey of uncertainty assessment drawing on examples from many areas, including earthquake forecasting, liquefaction assessment, process engineering, biomedical imaging and hydrology. We review least-squares methodology and show that uncertainty assessment based on least squares can be misleading. We show how problems associated with least squares can be avoided by working in the Bayesian framework. The aim of the article is to contribute to the general debate, and show how explicit modelling of uncertainties can provide a sounder basis for decision making.


It points to a reflection on the dimensions of the Public
Library and the process of collective and social inclusion. It analyzes the policy guidelines from the National Library System.


The article uses the holistic, comprehensive and dynamic diversified and complex thinking mode of big data system theory. The article creates a generalized linear model for the value of each technical and tactical performance index and the game result in each score-balanced game. To define the linear relationship between the technical and tactical performance indicators of the game and the probability of winning the game; finally, adopt the data series inference method to define the significance of the linear relationship between each technical and tactical performance indicator and the probability of winning the game. The research found that the information provided by the model created in the paper can be used in football practice such as game performance evaluation, opponent information detection, selection and modification of training preparation plans.


Aims:  The antigenic glycopeptidolipids (GPLs) from Mycobacterium avium–intracellulare complex (MAC) are grouped into 28 serovars on the basis of the variable oligosaccharide sequences and the core structures. To facilitate the identification of MAC serovars by employing liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS), the diversity in fatty acyl moieties and the number of acetyl groups of GPLs should be characterized.


Electrorheological (ER) and magnetorheological (MR) fluid-based dampers are typically analyzed using Bingham-plastic shear flow analysis under quasi-steady fully developed flow conditions. An alternative perspective, supported by measurements reported in the literature, is to allow for post-yield shear thinning and shear thickening. A Herschel-Bulkley constitutive shear flow relationship can be used to account for such post-yield shear thinning or thickening behavior. Depending on the value of the flow behavior index number, varying degrees of post-yield shear thickening or thinning behavior can be analyzed. A nominal ER bypass damper is considered. Damping forces are analyzed by approximating the annular geometry of the ER/MR valve by parallel plates. The impact of the flow behavior index on the shear stress vs. shear rate behavior and velocity profile are also examined numerically as a function of applied electric field. Analytical damping predictions are compared using the nonlinear Bingham-plastic and Herschel-Bulkley analyses.


The shotcrete technology (application of a concrete layer) is widely used in coal mines. The applied layer of shotcrete to the underground workings support, changes the load capacity of the entire supporting system (and its elements). The coating of shotcrete is several times cheaper, faster and safer compared to the traditional reconstruction of the roadways - replacement of the supports. Appropriate selection of shotcrete parameters will allow applying shotcrete to places previously dedicated for reconstruction, and thus reduce the financial resources consumed in the mines for the reconstruction of underground workings. The article presents a method of testing steel arch supports covered with shotcrete, a station for weighting support section and a test plan.


While Marsden's solution C leaves residuals with the relatively small [ vv ] of 13.73, it should be realized that this representation of the observations of Eros does not satisfy the fundamental principle of the least squares method, in so far as the associated value of [ vv ] is not a minimum with respect to small arbitrary deviations from solution C. As a matter of fact, there is an infinite number of "solutions" with [ vv ] between the 13.73 of Marsden's solution C and the 8.66 of his solution A, each of these being associated with a certain arbitrarily prescribed value of the mass of Mars and with a related mass of Earth + Moon. Of this infinite series of solutions, only solution A is a least squares solution in the true sense, with a minimum value of [ vv ]. This can be seen and verified as follows.


This essay explores the level of control imposed upon the experience of interactive play which the audience are invited to participate in during performances at Shakespeare's Globe in London.


OBJECTIVE: It was aimed to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional activities and lives of nurses, as well as their compliance with infection control measures during their health care services.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional survey study was conducted between August 1st and September 1st, 2022 on the nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic at Prof. Dr. Murat Dilmener Emergency Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.

RESULTS: Of the 200 nurses whose questionnaires were evaluated in the study, 147 (73%) were female, 53 (26.5%) were male, and 133 (66%) were clinical nurses. Of these, 152 (76%) had recovered from COVID-19, and 86 (56%) of them had experienced moderate symptoms, although almost all of them fully used personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic process and 190 (95%) of them had COVID-19 vaccines. The uncertainty of the pandemic process, the presence of a large number of care patients, and the respiratory distress of patients were recorded as the most distressing issues.

CONCLUSION: Nurses have been most affected by the uncertainty of the pandemic. It was observed that compliance with infection controls increased in those who recovered from COVID-19 and did not want to be infected again. Nurses who were afraid of death due to COVID-19 needed more psychological support in proportion to the severity of their symptoms. The high rates of COVID-19 among nurses suggest that the virus is highly contagious and will continue to pose a danger with its pathogenic features and emerging new variants.


In connection with the intensive development of post-industrialization and globalization processes in the world, the issue of the transformation of big industrial regions is typical. The purpose of this article is to characterize the transformation processes of the Katowice conurbation in the aspect of human-geographical research. Region`s industrial development, main demographic process and the labor market, transport problems, the industrial heritage of the conurbation and the concept of the development of regional industrial tourism were characterized in this article.The Katowice conurbation does not cope with negative demographic phenomena, in particular, the decrease in the number of inhabitants of large cities, the small number of the population of the pre-working age and the high level of emigration. The development of the conurbation`s transport infrastructure is not able to keep up with the increasing number of private car. Poor quality of public transport does not provide any alternative to the population in comparison with the capabilities of cars. Katowice conurbation`s territory has stopped being a typical industrial region. A significant part of the heavy industry and mines has been closed, and the majority of the conurbation population works in the services sector. The city and provincial governments are trying to use the remaining industrial heritage to develop regional tourism.


Pregnancy massage has been used as a catch-all term for any hands-on massage in the prenatal or postnatal periods. There is reference to pregnancy massage in ancient ayurveda medicine texts where, without medical intervention and modern drugs, massage was used to tone and relax the mother's body during pregnancy, prepare the mother physically and psychologically for the birth, and aid healing postpartum. In the middle ages in England midwives used massage as an essential part of their work, leading them to be both admired and feared for their 'magical' healing skills. More recently, there has been research conducted on the effects of massage on both mother and baby. This review will examine some of the available literature on the benefits and contradindications of massage in pregnancy.


From selection of cement, aggregate and admixture and mix proportion design the factors influencing the production of small concrete block are discussed. Author points out that those factors should be seriously considered to ensure quality of products.


In the past, the parameter approximation design method considering only medium and high frequency applications is reported for the composite resonant circuit applied in the dual-frequency induction heating. In order to expand the output performance of the composite resonant circuit in the frequency range of medium frequency, super-audio and high frequency, and to improve the accuracy of the frequency selection characteristics of the resonant circuit, A new parameter design method for the composite resonant circuit composed of four passive components is proposed in this paper. According to the design principle of the minimum total impedance of the resonant circuit and the transformation of equation and the condition of obtaining effective solution, the parameter design method of the four passive components in the composite resonant circuit is deduced, in which the parameters of inductance, capacitance and the ratio of the two series resonant frequencies are not constrained artificially, and no calculation term is ignored. The design and calculation process of each parameter is given in the paper, and the specific steps of the parameter design of the composite resonant circuit are given. The frequency selection characteristics of the composite resonant circuit are tested in different cases where the ratio of the two resonant frequencies is greater than 10 or less than 10. For the case where the ratio is greater than 10, the comparison test of the frequency selection characteristics of the resonant circuit is performed with the existing parameter approximate design method. The test results show that the design method of resonant circuit parameters proposed in this paper improves the dual frequency output performance of the composite resonant circuit composed of four passive components.


This paper deals with the significace of introducing the software CAI into practical teaching for higher e-ducation,discusses the means to design and carry out CAI and talks about the author's reflections on personal experiences in designing and using software CAI.


Accounted for the hegemony in the image interpretation,the traditional aesthetic literature gradually declines.How to create a new aesthetic paradigm of the process as well as film and literature to achieve common prosperity is an important theoretical issue.


This article provides an overview of the membrane bioreactor technology where nonwovens can be applied as an alternative medium for separation. The main objective is to identify the nonwoven characteristics leading to higher removal efficiency, higher flux, and lower fouling behavior. The general limitations associated with common nonwoven separation media are related to the large pore and wide pore size distributions. Consequently, due to their large pore network, nonwovens often behave as a depth filter structure. Common nonwovens having large fibers cannot replace microfiltration membranes yet. Further refinements of these structures are necessary for developing a suitable replacement.


We follow the same method of radiocarbon dating used in the Gif-Sur-Yvette dating laboratory. Samples are inspected and foreign material removed. Wood and charcoal samples are treated with 0.1N ammonium hydroxide and 0.1N hydrochloric acid. Shells are treated with 10% hydrochloric acid to eliminate surface contamination. Bone samples are treated with 0.1N ammonium hydroxide to remove humic acids and 10% HCl to remove inorganic carbonate and retain collagen for radiocarbon measurements. Sample CO2 is produced by combustion in oxygen. The stream of gases passes over CuO at 600°C to insure complete oxidation of C to CO2 and through traps containing, respectively, silver nitrate and sulfuric chromic acid solution for purification; barium carbonate is precipited from barium hydroxide bubblers. After filtering and drying, CO2 is liberated from barium carbonate by sulfuric acid. The CO2 is used to fill a 1.2L steel proportional counter at 740mm Hg. Age calculations are based on a 14C half-life of 5568 ± yr and 0.95 of activity of the NBS oxalic acid standard; ages are quoted in yr before 1950. Finite ages are quoted with 1σ criterion corresponding to the standard deviation based only on counting errors; the maximum age is quoted with 4 σ criterion above background.


Ternary rare - earth complexes with o - methylbenzoic acid ( o - MBA ) and 1,10- phenanthroline ( Phen ) Ln 2 ( o - MBA ) 6 ( Phen ) 2 · n H 2 O ( n = 0 , 1) ( Ln = La , Pr , Y , Yb ) were synthesized and characterized by elemental anal- ysis , IR , X - ray diffraction , and TG - DTG means . The complex La 2 ( o - MBA ) 6 ( Phen ) 2 · H 2 O ( I ) is composed of two species of binuclear molecules in which the La 3+ ion is coordinated with two nitrogen atoms of Phen and seven ox- ygen atoms of carboxylate groups. The carboxylate groups were bonded to La 3+ in three modes: chelating-bidentate, bridging-bidentate, and chelating-bridging tridentate. The La 3+ ion adopted a vigorous distorted monocapped square antiprism geometry. Complex I belongs to the triclinic crystal system, P space group, lattice parameters: a = 13.058(3), b = 12.7584(11), c = 20.773(4) A, α = 101.18(3)°, β = 93.88(3)°, γ = 115.82(3)°, V = 3283.0(11)A 3 , Z = 2, ρcalcd = 1.484 mg/m 3 , Mr = 1467.06, F(000) = 1476, µ = 1.350 mm -1 . The structure was refined to Rl = 0.0631 and wR 2 = 0.1504. The antibacterial activity test indicates that these complexes exhibit better antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus than the corresponding rare-earth chloride or o-MBA.


In this article, applying the properties of M-matrix and non-negative matrix, utilising eigenvalue inequalities of matrix's sum and product, we firstly develop new upper and lower matrix bounds of the solution for discrete coupled algebraic Riccati equation (DCARE). Secondly, we discuss the solution existence uniqueness condition of the DCARE using the developed upper and lower matrix bounds and a fixed point theorem. Thirdly, a new fixed iterative algorithm of the solution for the DCARE is shown. Finally, the corresponding numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed results.


ABSTRACT This article evaluates the development of decentralization in Indonesia over the last two decades. The significance of ethnic and cultural politics in Indonesia's contemporary decentralization is examined by focusing on the role of Bugis leadership in the establishment of new districts in Sulawesi. By employing ethnographic tools of enquiry, the article argues that the Bugis settlers play their roles and pursue their interests through the process of forming new provinces and districts. Empirically, they continue to pursue and assert their interests through the commodification of their cultural values in decentralized Indonesian regions. However, the Bugis roles in governance denote a contradictory pattern. On the one hand, they are reluctant to be ruled, and even to a certain extent resist being ruled or led by non-Bugis in their homeland, while on the other hand, they make use of traditional principles of assimilation, penetration and domination – téllu cappâ (three tips) – to pursue power and authority outside their homeland. In Indonesia's changing political landscape, the Bugis see decentralization as a good opportunity to exert their authority.


44 INTRODUCTION 46 MATERIALS AND METHODS 49 RESULTS 51 DISCUSSION 81 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 89 REFERENCES 90 SECTION II. IMMUNOELECTRON MICROSCOPE LOCALIZATION OF DESMIN AND SYNEMIN IN MATURE STRIATED MUSCLE 95 ABSTRACT 97 INTRODUCTION 99 MATERIALS AND METHODS 103 RESULTS 109 DISCUSSION 154 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 160 REFERENCES 161 ill OVERALL SUMMARY 165 LITERATURE CITED 169 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 194 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION Overall Muscle Structure and Myofibrillar Proteins Three types of muscles can be identified in vertebrate animals, namely skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles. The first two types also are called striated muscles. When viewed by either light or electron microscopy, a skeletal muscle fiber (cell) contains hundreds of long myofibrils (each ~ 1 to 2 //m in diameter). These myofibrils exhibit alternating dark and light bands along their long axis, which are in register with those of adjacent myofibrils. In the middle of each light band, called the l-band, is a transverse, very dark band or line called the Z-line. Each myofibril contains hundreds of structural repeating units, called sarcomeres, which are each defined by the distance (2.3-2.5 //m in rest-length muscle) between two successive Z-lines [Huxley, 1953, 1963; Huxley and Niedergerke, 1954]. When viewed at high magnification by electron microscopy, the dark middle band of each sarcomere, called the A-band, is composed of longitudinally running thick filaments (-1.5 //m in length by ~ 15 nm in diameter) and the free ends of thin filaments that enter the A-band from each nearby Z-line. The thick filaments are comprised primarily of the protein myosin, which is known to function as the enzyme responsible for converting chemical energy into mechanical energy during muscle contraction [for reviews, see Squire, 1986; Huxley, 1988]. A rather translucent region, called the H-zone, can be seen in 2 the middle of the A-bands of relaxed myofibrils. The H-zone represents the area where actin filaments running from the two adjacent Z-lines into the A-band do not meet and are absent. Another structure, called the pseudo-H-zone, also resides in the middle of the A-band and is the area defined by the absence of myosin cross-bridges in the central part of thick filaments. In longitudinal sections viewed by electron microscopy, a transverse structure called the M-line or M-band, which consists of three to five bands (depending on the species), can be seen in the exact center of the A-band [Knappeis and Carlsen, 1968; Luther and Squire, 1978]. The M-line, in turn, is composed of M-bridges, Mfilaments, and secondary M-bridges [Luther and Squire, 1978]. In cross sections, the M-bridges connect all adjacent thick filaments into a hexagonal network [Knappeis and Carlsen, 1968; Trinick and Lowey, 1977; Luther and Squire, 1978]. At the middle of each M-bridge, a small thickening can sometimes be observed [Luther and Squire, 1978; Carlsson and Thornell, 1987], which may be due to M-filaments that run parallel to the thick filaments and that connect adjacent M-bridges. The secondary M-bridges may, in turn, connect adjacent M-filaments. At least three proteins have been localized in the M-line region [Grove et al., 1984]. The muscle form of creatine kinase (two subunits of ~42 kD each) is thought to be a major constituent of at least some of the M-bridges [Turner et al., 1973; Walliman et al., 1983]. The exact locations of the other two 3 proteins remain rather uncertain, but M-protein (one subunit of ~165 kD) may comprise tine IVI-filaments [Woodhead and Lowey, 1982], and myomesin (one subunit of 185 kD) may make up some of tlie iVI-bridges [Grove et al., 1985]. Although it is generally assumed that the M-line structure holds and aligns the thick filaments in lateral register, m vitro studies suggest very weak or no interaction among M-line proteins and myosin [Woodhead and Lowey, 1983]. Some of the other proteins associated with thick filaments of vertebrate striated muscle cells include C-protein (one subunit of ~140 kD) [Offer et al., 1973; Starr et al., 1985; Bennett et al., 1986], X-protein [Starr et al., 1980], 86K protein [Bahler et al., 1985], H-Protein (one subunit of ~74 kD) [Starr and Offer, 1983; Yamamoto, 1984, 1988], and skelemin (two subunits of ~220 and 200 kD) [Price, 1987]. X-protein, H-protein, and 86K protein are very similar to C-protein. The exact function of each of these proteins remains unclear. For instance, it is still controversial as to whether any of these thick filament-associated proteins affect thick filament assembly [Yamamoto, 1988; for a recent review, see Epstein and Fischman, 1991]. It has been suggested by Price [1987] that skelemin may act to link the M-lines of adjacent myofibrils, interestingly, recent gene sequencing data revealed that C-protein belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily [Einheber and Fischman, 1990], and that nearly all proteins thought to bind to thick filaments (e.g., titin, C-protein, 86K protein, skelemin, myosin light chain kinase, and adenylic deaminase) share some 4 sequence homology [Epstein and FIschman, 1991]. Actin filaments make up the backbone of thin filaments ( ~ 1 //m in length by 6-8 nm in diameter) in the l-band, are each anchored at one end to the Z-line (called the barbed end), and each interdigitates with thick filaments in the Aband at its free end (called the pointed end)[for a review, see Squire, 1986]. Actin can exist in two inter-convertible forms called globular actin or G-actin (monomers) and filamentous actin or F-actin, a polymer of G-actins [for review, see Pollard and Cooper, 1986]. Each G-actin monomer (~42 kD) contains a bound divalent cation (Ca or Mg), and an ATP. Because each G-actin has asymmetry and the G-actins align in the same orientation during polymerization, F-actin also exhibits polarity. The barbed end (corresponds to the Z-line end in situ) is the preferred "growing" end during polymerization in vitro. [Pollard and Cooper, 1986]. At least two proteins are located along the long axis of the actin filaments. A tropomyosin strand lies in each of the two long grooves of the F-actin helix and binds cooperatively to F-actin [for a review, see Payne and Rudnick, 1989]. The tropomyosin molecule consists of two, 100% alpha-helical subunits (each ~32 kD) that are wound together to form a coiled-coil structure. In the grooves of the thin filaments, the long tropomyosin molecules exhibit head-totail interaction, and form the long strands that run the length of the thin filament. Each tropomyosin molecule binds to seven actin monomers along the 5 thin filament [Hitchcock-DeGregori and Varnell, 1990], and also helps stabilize F-actin structure [Moore et a!., 1970]. To each tropomyosin, in turn, is bound one molecule of the protein, troponin. The tropomyosin and troponin complex functions as the calcium regulatory site of the myofibrils in vertebrate striated muscle cells [for a review, see Zot and Potter, 1987]. After nerve stimulation of a muscle fiber and release of bound calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the calcium is bound by one of the three troponin subunits, troponin-C (~ 18 kD) [Greaser and Gergely, 1971; Zot et al., 1987; Satyshur et al., 1988]. This initiates a series of conformational changes in the thin filament that result in tropomyosin movement in the F-actin grooves via a complex mechanism. In resting muscle cells, troponin-l (-21 kD), another subunit of troponin, is bound to actin. The conformational changes that occur within the troponin complex, after troponin-C binds calcium, releases troponin-l from actin and simultaneously overcomes the inhibitory effect of troponin-l. In turn, this signal is sent to tropomyosin via the third subunit of troponin, troponin-T (~31 kD). This series of events, in which the tropomyosin strands move in the F-actin grooves, remove what is sometimes called the "steric blockage" of actin-myosin interaction [Zot and Potter, 1987], and permit contraction of the myofibrils, muscle cell, and muscle. In addition to the well known thick and thin filament system of the myofibrils, there have been many reports indicating the presence of an 6 additional filamentous network(s). For instance, Locker and Leet [1975] proposed the presence of an elastic filamentous system that may somehow give structural support to the thick and thin filament system. They saw fine filaments (-2-6 nm in diameter) in the gap created between the ends of the thick and thin filaments when muscle was super-stretched, and called them "gap" filaments. Several years later, Wang et al. [1979] discovered a high molecular weight protein named titin, which immunolocalization studies suggested was located primarily at the A-l junctions, but at other locations in the sarcomere as well. Subsequently, it has been shown that titin has a very large molecular mass {~ 2,800 kD) [Kurzban and Wang, 1988], that it is a very long molecule (~1 //m) [Wang et al., 1984; Nave et al., 1989], and that a single titin molecule stretches from near the M-line all the way to the Z-line [Itoh et al., 1988; Furst et al., 1988, 1989]. Thus, it is now thought that titin filaments represent an elastic filamentous network in the sarcomere [Wang, 1985; Funatsu et al., 1990; for a recent review, see Fulton and Isaacs, 1991]. Maruyama and associates [Maruyama, 1976; Maruyama et al., 1977] isolated a very insoluble, elastic-like protein from muscle and called it "connectin". One of the proteins in the early connectin preparations turned out to be titin [Maruyama et al., 1981], and the name connectin is sometimes used interchangeably with titin. In their original titin publication, Wang et al. [1979] also described an 7 additional high molecular weight protein. It was subsequently given the name "nebulin" [Wang, 1981]. Early immunofluorescence labeling studies suggested that nebulin was predominantly located at the transverse N2 line near the Z-line [Wang and Williamson, 1980]. For awhile, it was thought that n


The invention provides a polyester fiber and a preparation method thereof. The polyester fiber is characterized by containing polyester and amino terminated polyether, wherein the content of the amino terminated polyether is 0.1-10% of the polyester mass. The polyester fiber has the advantages of high intrinsic viscosity, high fiber strength, excellent color and luster, low costs and the like. The preparation method of the polyester fiber has the advantages that a process is simple, spinning temperature is low, the intrinsic viscosity change of resin is small before and after spinning, and the like.


The stablity of hydrobooster means whether it would occur continual libration in work or not. Hydrobooster which has been used can come back to equilibrium when original working state is destroyed. But if stablity of hydrobooster become bad, self-excited vibration in low frequency produced by hydrobooster can make movable surface occuring durative dithering. Because factors of design, stablity coefficient of some hydrobooster is too small to meet basic condition of stability.So if some factor changes in work, which can bring on durative dithering of movable surface. In those contributor, except performance parameter of bleed-off system and structural behavior of hydrobooster, inherent frequency(ωh)and stiffness factor of mounting bracket(Kz)have directly connection with maintenance efforts.


This paper introduces the advantages and some means how to realize coal blending. The domestic and overseas research achievement of coal blending has been introduced. The coal blending has wide application prospect at the power plant.


This report details the progress made in the development of the Reprocessing Plant Toolkit (RPTk) for the DOE Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program. RPTk is an ongoing development effort intended to provide users with an extensible, integrated, and scalable software framework for the modeling and simulation of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants by enabling the insertion and coupling of user-developed physicochemical modules of variable fidelity. The NEAMS Safeguards and Separations IPSC (SafeSeps) and the Enabling Computational Technologies (ECT) supporting program element have partnered to release an initial version of the RPTk with a focus on software usability and utility. RPTk implements a data flow architecture that is the source of the system's extensibility and scalability. Data flows through physicochemical modules sequentially, with each module importing data, evolving it, and exporting the updated data to the next downstream module. This is accomplished through various architectural abstractions designed to give RPTk true plug-and-play capabilities. A simple application of this architecture, as well as RPTk data flow and evolution, is demonstrated in Section 6 with an application consisting of two coupled physicochemical modules. The remaining sections describe this ongoing work in full, from system vision and design inception to fullmore » implementation. Section 3 describes the relevant software development processes used by the RPTk development team. These processes allow the team to manage system complexity and ensure stakeholder satisfaction. This section also details the work done on the RPTk ``black box'' and ``white box'' models, with a special focus on the separation of concerns between the RPTk user interface and application runtime. Section 4 and 5 discuss that application runtime component in more detail, and describe the dependencies, behavior, and rigorous testing of its constituent components.« less


Finite element simulation of cyclic thermal loading induced fatigue can be used to predict the service time of components in industrial environments. Various damage criteria for low cycle fatigue have been developed, which require a temperature-dependent description of the cyclic plastic hardening of the material. In these descriptions the shape of the stress-strain loop is coupled to its cyclic evolution, which leads to problems under specific loading conditions and/or for materials not exhibiting a quick cyclic stabilization. The applicability of a basic, nonlinear kinetic-isotropic cyclic hardening description combined with an approach in which its parameters depend on the accumulated plastic strain and temperature is evaluated in a case study mimicking boundary conditions that occur in the primary cooling circuit of nuclear power plants. The model is calibrated with experimental data for a material that exhibits cyclic softening, requiring a modification of the hardening description.


Aerobics. See Fitness ALS, caspases and, 415 Alzheimer's disease β-secretase and Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein, 67 MRI predictor of, 419 AMP, cyclic and retinal waves, 219 AMPA receptor redistribution, NMDA receptor activation, 1 AMPA receptor subunits, caspasemediated degradation of, 307 Amphetamine, long-term effects of single exposure, 141 Antibodies, and demyelination in multiple sclerosis, 69 Apoptosis, huntingtin protein, 304 Astrocyte-neuronal communication, ATP as messenger, 120 Astrocytes, in multiple sclerosis, 145 Astrocytic inhibition, axonal growth and NG2, 141 Ataxias, phenotypes and pathogenesis redefining, 465 ATP, astrocyte-neuronal communication and, 120 Attention, cortical neuron reliability and, 219 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dopamine transporter density and, 222 Auditory hallucinations, brain activation in, 69 Axon severing, degeneration, trophic interactions, and repair assumptions reconsidering, 88 Axonal growth, NG2 and astrocytic inhibition of, 141


Objective To find the growth rules and trends of neurotransmitter-related papers covered in PubMed in order to provide evidence for neurotransmitter-related projects.Methods Neurotransmitter-related papers with their sources covered in PubMed from 1947-01-01 to 2008-12-31 were retrieved using "neurotransmitter" as a


Surface geology has important effects both on Fourier amplitude and Fourier phase of seismic ground motion. By using the method proposed by Kowada et al. (1998), both of these effects can be evaluated based on small to medium earthquake records. In this study, the method is applied to some shallow crustal and subduction-zone earthquakes in Japan to examine its validity.


Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that implies high direct and indirect costs for the health system (1,2). According to the needs of the health care system, the clinical interests and the national regulatory framework, it was developed a national registry information of RA patients (3). Objectives To show how a registry of information that would meet the RA situation was developed and to present the results obtained from the analysis of the Registry on this first year. Methods A national RA Registry was created after a comprehensive literature review to identify the relevant variables to determine monitoring indicators used by health insurers and health services providers in the attention of patients with RA. Variables were selected and defined by an agreement with clinical experts, thematic and methodological experts and were evaluated by the Ministry of Health in order to review and approve the structure to gather the information. Results A structure of 89 variables contained was defined. All entities must report annually to the Registry all the patients with a diagnosis of RA, their clinical and demographic characteristics, and the process of care and costs (3). On its first year the Registry provided a baseline of the disease situation of 68.357 patients with RA. Prevalence, incidence, state of disease and drugs including synthetic and biologic DMARDs were analyzed (Table 1). Most important results were: mean age 57 years; relation women: men 5.2:1; age at onset of disease: 36 years, mean evolution time of disease: 7 years; population with DAS 28 measured 45.6%; mean DAS-28 2.8; percentage of the patient with DMARD therapy 78.9% and bDMARD 16.5%.Table 1. Characteristics of the population Variable Obs Mean/prop. Std. Dev. Min Max Age 68376 57.0 13.3 22 104 Age at onset of disease 13607 36.4 7.7 20 51 Evolution time of RA 37963 7.5 8.1 0 51 DAS28 30956 2.82 1.37 0 1 *Women 57461 84.04 *Men 10914 15.96 *bDMARD 11276 16.50 *DMARD 53374 78.01 Conclusions A national Registry supported by an official policy, with data from the real world provided for healthcare insurers gives an opportunity to obtain a global vision and to identify failures and strengths in the attention process of RA, and to develop indicators to obtain better outcomes. In the future, through continuous efforts towards improving the quality of care provided, these will allow to monitoring and decreasing the burden of RA in the country and may serve as a model to other countries. References Muñetόn GA, Quintana G. La epidemiología de la artritis reumatoide. Rev Colomb Reumatol. 2015 Sep [cited 2016 Jul 25];22(3):145–7. Available from: http://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-revista-colombiana-reumatologia-374-articulo-la-epidemiologia-artritis-reumatoide-S0121812315000845. Quintana G., Restrepo JP, Cáceres H, Rueda JD. Economic evaluation of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with anti-TNF biological therapy in Colombia. Acta Médica Colomb. 2011;36(1):24–9. Available from: http://www.scielo.org.co/pdf/amc/v36n1/v36n1a05.pdf. MSPS. Resolucion No. 1393. 2015. p. 14. Disclosure of Interest None declared


The Coast of Sun (Costa del Sol) is nowadays intensive developed strip of coastal zone on the Mediterranean Sea in Andalucía. The perfect climate, natural conditions and the rich architectural and cultural heritage of the region, are the reason for big interest of all person willing to spend holidays in Spain. It is also the region of high antropopression and development of commercial architecture. The evaluation outputs of the development in this area, especially of its urbanization are different. Author, despite of the disseminated critical assessment of the contemporary urban development of Costa del Sol, searches in the transformation and development processes some positive issues.


This study aims to develop and improve the capabilities of the Bellyra music player robot version 1.0. The development is carried out on several features including interface between user and robot was replaced using a TFT touchscreen which is proved more practical and the process of updating the library of songs is done by utilizing the service features of Google Sheets so that it becomes more flexible. The ability of the robot in terms of playing the melody of the song is improved by using alphabetical and symbolic codes that represent the melody and tempo of the song. The results showed that the Bellyra robot version 2.0 had been able to play the melody of the song properly for slow and medium rhythm nevertheless for faster melody could not be played properly due to the limited response of servo motor and unstable mechanical design.


This study evaluates whole bovine milk intake by buffalo calves fed from a nipple bottle and how it relates to plasma glucose levels and weight gain. A total of 5 Murrah buffalo calves aged 11 to 26 days old were assessed, of which 2 were male and 3 were female. They weighed from 42,8 to 64,4 kg and received 4 L of whole bovine milk each from a nipple bottle, which were divided in two daily meals. They were also given water, ration and hay ad libitum. The animals were observed during eight days and blood samples were collected via jugular venepuncture once daily before the first feeding of the day to assess plasma glucose concentrations. Individual milk consumption was also recorded on a daily basis and all animals were weighed at the beginning and at the end of the research period. Mean values for daily milk consumption, plasma glucose levels and daily body weight gain were 2,80 L, 89,78 mg/dL, and 0,100g per calf, respectively. Evidence showed some difficulty in the adaptation to suckling an artificial nipple, although it had a positive effect on the relationship between milk intake and weight gain and plasma glucose levels; therefore, artificial suckling with whole bovine milk may be a viable alternative as regards the nutrition of buffalo calves.


hile this year is the 50th since the discovery of the double helical structure of DNA, the molecule of which all animal, plant, and bacterial genes are composed, it is also only a bit more than a century since the very notion of the gene first e nte red ma i n st ream biolo gy. Th roughout the twe nt i e th ce ntu ry, i n c re a sed know le dge of genes and their st r uc tu re was su pp o se d to provide an understanding of the material basis of complex traits of organisms, such as the fact that we humans typically have four limbs with five digits on each, and hair all over our bodies, while fruit flies have six legs and two wings, with bodies covered in bristles. Instead, though our knowledge of the chemistry of cells and tissues has grown enormously in the past hundred years, we are still at the point (except for the simplest cases, such as eye color) of only being able to correlate the presence of alternative versions of a gene in an organism with alternative versions of a trait. This is all that Gregor Mendel, the originator of the gene concept, was able to do when he studied traits of the garden pea, such as stem length and flower position, in the 1860s, four de c a des befo re the sc i e nt if i c mainstream took note of his work. Apart from their failure to deliver on scientific promises, notions of genetic re duc t i o ni sm and de te r mi ni sm, in the century just past, provided a pseudoscientific gloss to divisive conceptions of human capability and worth. In the last decade or so, similar ideas, linked to increased capacity for genetic manipulation and computer-aided monitoring of gene activity, have led to calls to refashion people, food crops, and animals to su it na r row ly defined needs. Howeve r, re ce nt sc i e nt ific developments have also afforded the possibility of a more integrated understanding of living systems, and have led to an appreciation of the poor theoretical basis for attempts to explain and manipulate complex traits at the level of the genes.


The flavonoid content in wungu (Graptophyllum pictum (L.) Griff.) leaves has the potential as a sunscreen. The study aims to identify isolates of flavonoid compounds from wungu leaves and determine the SPF value. Steps are followed by extraction, fractionation, phytochemical test, separation by chromatography, identification, and SPF test. Extraction was carried out with methanol, followed by fractionation with n-hexane and dichloromethane. Dichloromethane fraction was chosen to proceed to the separation step because the results of the phytochemical test showed a vigorous color intensity for the content of flavonoids. The isolate (3.6 mg; dark green; amorphous; mp. 132-136 °C) was identified using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer using methanol as a solvent with a shift reagent NaOH, AlCl3, and a mixture of concentrated AlCl3 and HCl. Based on the UV-Vis spectra, the isolate was predicted to be flavonoid compounds belonging to the catechin group, which have a hydroxyl group at positions C-3, C-7, and do not have an ortho-hydroxy group in ring B. The SPF value of the isolate of 2.3244 at 100 ppm was determined in vitro and calculated by the Qian equation. Therefore, isolate was categorized as sunscreens that provided minimal protection


Although 3D echocardiography (3DE) circumvents many limitations of 2D echocardiography by allowing direct measurements of left ventricular (LV) mass, it is seldom used in clinical practice due to time‐consuming analysis. A recently developed 3DE machine learning (ML) approach allows automated determination of LV mass. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of this new approach by comparing it to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) reference and to conventional 3DE volumetric analysis.


PURPOSE
Today's computed tomography (CT) scanners operate at an increasingly high rotation speed in order to reduce motion artifacts and to fulfill the requirements of dynamic acquisition, e.g., perfusion and cardiac imaging, with lower angular sampling rate as a consequence. In this paper, a simple method for obtaining angular oversampling when using multilayer detectors in continuous rotation CT is presented.

METHODS
By introducing temporal offsets between the measurement periods of the different layers on a multilayer detector, the angular sampling rate can be increased by a factor equal to the number of layers on the detector. The increased angular sampling rate reduces the risk of producing aliasing artifacts in the image. A simulation of a detector with two layers is performed to prove the concept.

RESULTS
The simulation study shows that aliasing artifacts from insufficient angular sampling are reduced by the proposed method. Specifically, when imaging a single point blurred by a 2D Gaussian kernel, the method is shown to reduce the strength of the aliasing artifacts by approximately an order of magnitude.

CONCLUSIONS
The presented oversampling method is easy to implement in today's multilayer detectors and has the potential to reduce aliasing artifacts in the reconstructed images.