Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), particularly phthalate esters (PAEs) have been recognized as an endrocrine disrupting compound (EDC). It is a significant emerging priority contaminant that could easily be released into the environment. Hence, the health issues of PAEs exposure have raised public concern because of there are hepatoxic, teratogenic and carcinogenic in nature. In this study, a
simple one-pot sol-gel technique was adopted to fabricate
TiO2 nanoparticles (15 nm) and MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites. The TiO2 nanoparticles were first incorporated into the MWCNTs surfaces via hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide (TTIP), ethanol and acetic acid at a volume ratio of 2:3:1
and were crystallized into anatase nanoparticles after annealing at 450oC.
The experimental results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites was strongly influenced by the synthesis parameters (MWCNTs/TiO2 ratio, calcination temperature and pH). The optimum synthesis conditions for MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites were achieved with
10 wt % MWCNTs at pH 9 under calcination temperature of 450°C. The photocatalytic degradation of the synthesized TiO2 and MWCNTs/TiO2 was evaluated using dimethyl phthalate esters (DMPEs) as a model compound of PAEs.
The photocatalytic degradation rate of DMPEs for both MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites and TiO2 nanoparticles under 96 W UV irradiation were carried out at the same time. The results show that the MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites (97%) exhibit high photocatalytic degradation rate, and it was much faster than TiO2 (71%). It is obvious that the nanocomposites have induced synergy effects on the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 nanoparticles by decreasing the band gap energy of the nanocomposite.
The formation of Ti-O-C bonds between the carboxylic acid groups of MWCNTs and the hydroxyl groups existent at the surface of TiO2 during an esterification reactions, contribute to a synergetic effect due to the creation of an electronic interphase interaction between MWCNTs and TiO2
phases. The ideal efficiency for removal of DMPEs was obtained when the dosage for MWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposites was 0.5 g/L, the initial concentration and pH of DMPEs was 1 ppm and 6, respectively. The irradiation time to achieve highly degradation was 3 h.
The photoproducts from PAEs degradation were elucidated through UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS analysis. A total of eighteen products were identified and were used to propose a primary degradation mechanism of DMPEs.
The MWCNTS/TiO2 nanocomposites is a promising catalyst for photocatalytic degradation.
Basically, the functional groups present at the surface of MWCNTs promote the anchoring of the TiO2 nanoparticles as well as avoiding agglomeration and subsequently increasing the surface area of the resulting MWCNTs/TiO2 composite. In addition, this strong interface interaction also favours electron transfer pathways, thus the probability for electron/hole recombination is reduced.


Our aims are to determine the effects of dietary betaine supplementation on growth performance, percentage of abdominal fat, ratio of liver to body weight, mRNA expression levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fat acid synthase (FAS) and adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) genes in the abdominal fat of hens. In addition, promoter DNA methylation patterns of FAS gene were also analyzed by bisulfite sequencing. A total 120 of Hy-Line White laying hens were randomly divided into four diet groups with supplemented betaine of 0, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08%, respectively. At 180 old days of age, the significant difference in egg production was observed between the control and 0.08% betaine diet group (P 0.05). Furthermore, the overall GpG methylation patterns at the FAS gene promoter region ranging from −961 to −749 were not significantly different among all groups in 180-day-old hens (P > 0.05), CpG methylation mainly occur from 1 st to 5 th sites. This study suggests that betaine could regulate lipogenesis of laying chickens by affecting the transcription of FAS genes, and that DNA methylation at some CpG dinucleotides may play a role in regulating FAS gene expression. Key words: Betaine, CpG methylation, gene expression, laying hen, lipogenesis genes.


The transportation sector is of vital importance to the development of the Canadian economy. Canada's vast territory and diverse geography has led to the development of diverse transportation systems which span the land, marine and airspace environments. There is a continuous need to improve the safety, reliability and economy (productivity) of these transportation systems. The research described herein is directed towards assessing the trends of specific technologies and their likely impact on navigation systems used in transportation during the next 25 years. An awareness of the above forthcoming technological developments will result in a more effective, efficient and economical long term planning of navigation research and development in the transportation sector.


A novel radar pulse integration technique is proposed in which the received signals in various returns from the target during one scan are multiplied with each other instead of the conventional summing up. Using the Mellin transform, mathematical expressions are derived that pave the way for computation of probability of detection and probability of false alarm in the context of this technique. Analytical and simulation results show that the proposed product-based pulse combining is more resistant to noise jamming, as compared to conventional noncoherent pulse integration, under certain conditions.


drugs), low HDL-C (< 1.03 mmol ⁄ l in men and < 1.29 mmol ⁄ l in women) and high TG (< 1.7 mmol ⁄ l). For extrapolation purposes,thedatawereweightedforage,sexandresidentialstatus (rural ⁄ urban)basedontheresultsofthe2007nationalcensus.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of waist circumference measures toclassifysubjectswithandwithoutMetSwerecreated. The shortest distance [(1)sensitivity) + (1)specificity)] on the ROC curve was considered to indicate the best cut-off value for waist circumference. Four thousand, two hundred and thirty-one subjects aged 25–64 years were sampled. Thirty-six pregnant women and 34 subjects with undetermined urbanization status were excluded. The data of the remaining 4161 subjects (2106 men) were used for analysis. For both men and women, the shortest distance on the ROC curve was obtained at waist circumference values between 89 and 91 cm for three MetS components (hypertension, low HDL-C and high TG) and between 92 and 93 cm for only one component (dysglycaemia). The best cut-off for the diagnosis of MetS should therefore lie between 90 and 91 cm. Based on these results, we proposed a cut-off of 90 cm for both men and women (Fig. 1). When incorporated into the IDF criteria, the new cut-off had sensitivity and specificity of approximately 65%, negative predictive value of 57% and positive predictive value of 74% for the diagnosis of MetS. In conclusion, we recommend a waist circumference cut-off of 90 cm for the diagnosis of MetS in Iran.


Mounting system for furniture, in particular for the assembly of cabinets for kitchen furniture, with at least one deployable adjustable on a footprint on a partition, box-shaped lower part of the cabinet with a whose side wall elements connecting the upper end countertop, a distance as fixed above thee work surface on the actuating wall, the box-shaped top part of the cabinet, characterized with upper and lower floor and at least two side wall elements and with a rear wall, wherein a number of respective lower and upper cabinet parts are lined up by means of its side wall elements to a stationary lower and arranged hanging upper cabinet complex to each other that the working plate (9) on its upper side (11) along its the partition (2) facing longitudinal edge (12) having a receiving holder (13) with a groove (14), wherein in the groove (14) in these (parallel to the partition 2) oriented support plate (31; 31.1; 31.2; 13.3) with an actuating edge (S) and (a holder 32) is inserted vertically standing, and wherein in the groove (14) next to one another ...


A thermodynamic first‐principles theory of stability, including charge transfer, elastic forces, and atomic relaxations reveals the physical origins of stable and metastable ordering in bulk and epitaxial semiconductor alloys and superlattices.


Methods for accurately determining solutions of degenerate boundary value problems are described. Nonlinear problems are first approximated by sequences of linear problems. A finite difference procedure which incorporates the effect of the degeneracy in the matrix of the linear discretized system of equations is developed. The simple tridiagonal structure of the matrix allows fast, accurate calculations to be performed with quite modest computer support. The results are readily improved using Richardson extrapolation.


# Background

Tunisia is a lower-middle-income country located in North Africa. Since the 2010-2011 Revolution, a campaign of civil resistance to protest high levels of youth unemployment, difficult living conditions, and government corruption, a rise in mental health problems, substance use disorders, and suicide attempts/deaths has been recorded. To address untreated mental health symptoms, a mental health training program was offered to primary care physicians (PCPs) working in the Greater Tunis area of Tunisia, a collaboration between members of the Tunisian Ministry of Health, the *School of Public Health* at the *Universite de Montreal* (Quebec, Canada), the *World Health Organization* (*WHO*) office in Tunisia, and the *Montreal WHO-PAHO Collaborating Center (CC) for Research and Training in Mental Health* (Quebec, Canada).

# Program description

The training was based on the *Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) Intervention Guide (IG)*, a program developed by the *WHO* to help further develop the mental health competencies of non-specialists working in non-specialized settings. Our team adapted the *mhGAP-IG* training to the primary care realities of the Greater Tunis area, offered the training program to PCPs between February and April 2016, and evaluated the program using a randomized controlled trial and implementation analysis.

# Discussion

The adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of the training program equipped our team with important lessons learned, supported by evidence in the field of *Global Mental Health*. First, developing partnerships helped create a feasible program that met the practical and research needs of the country. Second, benefitting from political commitment to mental health facilitated the development of partnerships, the implementation of the training program, and the training's accompanying evaluation. Third, piloting the program helped identify challenges attributed to the training program and its implementation, the mental health care system, and the research tools, information that may be used to "build back better." Last, sharing research findings collaboratively helped ensure their validity and encouraged greater knowledge uptake.

# Conclusion

We hope that sharing such lessons learned will aid other countries with similar profiles to develop and/or adapt, implement, and evaluate programs that target untreated mental health symptoms in primary and community-based settings and hence address priorities in *Global Mental Health*.


AbstractInoculation of hydrocarbon-degraders will be a favorable feature for bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil. In this work, enhanced biodegradation of crude oil was investigated using the process, wherein inoculation of seven active hydrocarbon-degraders were isolated from the contaminated site. Preliminary results showed that isolated seven active bacterial strains were Acinetobacter SY21, Neisseria SY22, Plesiomonas SY23, Xanthomonas SY24, Azotobacter SY42, Flavobacterium SY43, and Pseudomonas SY44, respectively. Seven active degraders belong to gram-negative bacteria. They were capable of degrading crude oil and six other hydrocarbons (normally octane, paraffin wax, benzene, methylbenzene, phenol, and naphthalene) as carbon source and energy. Their biodegradation efficiencies of oil were higher than 80% after 8 d. The highest degradation rate of 2.34 × 10−3 mg cell−1 d−1 was obtained for bacterial strain SY43 (Etwinia sp.), followed by a degradation rate of 1.50 × 10−3 mg cell−1 d−1 for bacteri...


We express the number of distinct primitive cuboids with given odd diagonal in terms of the twisted Euler function with alternating Dirichlet character of period four, and two counting formulas for binary sums of squares. Based on the asymptotic behaviour of the sums of these formulas, we derive an approximation formula for the cumulative number of primitive cuboids.


REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY
Descriptions of 3D kinematics assist in understanding joint function and dysfunction, and are an essential step toward 3D inverse dynamic analysis.

OBJECTIVES
To measure 3D carpal joint motion during trotting.

METHODS
Three-dimensional trajectories of bone-fixed markers on the radius and third metacarpus of the right forelimb of 3 healthy horses were recorded at 120 Hz using a 6-camera analysis system. Joint kinematics were calculated in terms of helical angles between the 2 segments using a spatial attitude method.

RESULTS
All horses showed carpal extension and internal rotation of the metacarpus relative to the radius as the carpus assumed the close-packed position. In late stance, the carpus began a cycle of flexion that continued through midswing, accompanied by a small cycle of internal rotation. The direction of abduction/adduction varied between horses. The predominant rotational movement was flexion/extension, which showed a range of motion of 15 +/- 6 degrees in stance and 76 +/- 13 degrees in swing.

CONCLUSIONS
Carpal motions were generally similar between horses with the exception of abduction/adduction.

POTENTIAL RELEVANCE
Knowledge of carpal joint motion should assist in understanding the pathogenesis of carpal injuries. However, it seems probable that real differences exist between individuals; therefore, further investigations of the effect of conformation on carpal motion should be performed in a much larger population of horses.


India is the 3rd largest liquor market in the world and one of the fastest growing markets in the world, on the back of demographics & economy. The Indian liquor market, which is divided into various categories like IMFL (Indianmade foreign liquor), imported liquor, beer and country-made liquor, is brimming with growth. Challenges like the restrictive policies of states with regard to movement, production, pricing, etc, increase in raw material prices (like ENA, glass, molasses etc) and impositions applied on advertising pose huge challenges for the industry. But with favorable demographics, rising disposable income levels and greater acceptance of alcoholic beverages in social circles, the outlook for the Indian alcoholic beverages continues to remain positive. In addition, changing consumer preference towards premium varieties of IMFL is likely to result in sales-mix gradually improve in favor of premium brands. Indian Alcoholic Industry currently pegged at INR 507bn is stated to grow at a CAGR of ~29% to reach INR 1400bn by 2015. The alcoholic beverages industry, as they say is recession-proof. With a rising and promising GDP, the economic status of India is robust. Rising social acceptability, conspicuous consumption and high disposable income of the globalized consumer is pushing the industry to newer heights. Also, rapid urbanization in metros and tier-2 cities, is contributing further to the growth. The present study is an attempt to analyze exploratory and to understand the various factors which are fuelling the growth of Indian alcoholic beverages industry.


Rather than a broad bridge between our best small textbooks in dermatology and the multivolume giants, short encyclopedias such as this one are more like small stepping stones. Students and other novices in this specialized field do use them, but usually as an illustrated index to other reading. The shortcomings of this guide are many, including lack of a basic explanation of the logic of its classification, insufficient details about methods of proper examination, and excessively simplified versions of real clinical problems. The better-trained residents and young practitioners will find little use for this type of picture book. Presuming one decides that one needs this sort of "stepping stone," possibly for the nursing service or the emergency department, then this one seems well prepared, low priced, and of reasonable quality. The pictures are black and white, which I think usually is not harmful to the novice reader, and useful diagrams


Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown brought about a sense of fear and anxiety around the globe. This phenomenon led to both short and long term psychosocial and mental health implications for children and adolescents. Objectives To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on hospital admissions for suicidal ideation in a Portuguese adolescent and young adult psychiatry service. Methods We conducted a single-center, retrospective study including adolescent and young adult patients (15-25 years old) admitted to our service with suicidal ideation within a year before and a year after the declaration date of SARS-CoV-2 disease as a pandemic. Patients were divided in two groups: Group A - patients admitted before the pandemic (March 11, 2019 and March 11, 2020) and Group B – patients admitted after the pandemic declaration (March 12, 2020 and March 12, 2021). The groups characteristics and outcomes were assessed and compared. Results A total of 647 admissions were assessed (Group A, n= 372 and Group B, n=275). Demographic characteristics were similar between groups. 75 patients (vs 25 patients) were admitted with suicidal ideation in the year before the pandemic. There was a lower proportion of patients admitted with suicidal ideation during the year after the pandemic year - OR 0.374 (95% CI 0.228-0.614, P<0.001). Conclusions Our study showed a decrease in admissions for suicidal ideation in this service in the year after the pandemic. More studies are needed to understand the factors that may justify this decline and evaluate the longer effects of this pandemic in mental health. Disclosure No significant relationships.


The Dongfengnanshan Cu polymetallic deposit is one representative deposit of the Tianbaoshan ore district in the Yanbian area, northeast (NE) China. There occur two types of ore bodies in this deposit, the stratiform ore bodies and vein‐type ones, controlled by the Early Permian strata and the Late Hercynian diorite intrusion, respectively. Due to the ambiguous genetic type of the stratiform ore bodies, there has been controversy on the relationship between them and vein‐type ore bodies. To determine the genetic type of stratiform ore bodies, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) in situ trace elements and S–Pb isotope analysis have been carried on the sulfides in the stratiform ore bodies. Compared with that in skarn, Mississippi Valley‐type (MVT), and epithermal deposits, sphalerite samples in the stratiform ore bodies of the Dongfengnanshan deposit are significantly enriched in Fe, Mn, and In, while depleted in Ga, Ge, and Cd, which is similar to the sphalerite in volcanic‐associated massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. Co/Ni ratio of pyrrhotites in the stratiform ore bodies is similar to that in VMS‐type deposits. The concentrations of Zn and Cd of chalcopyrites are similar to those of recrystallized VMS‐type deposits. These characteristics also reflect the intermediate ore‐forming temperature of the stratiform ore bodies in this deposit. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfides are similar to those of VMS‐type deposits, reflecting that sulfur originated from the Permian Miaoling Formation. Lead isotope compositions indicate mixed‐source for lead. Moreover, the comparison of the Dongfengnanshan stratiform ore bodies with some VMS‐type deposits in China and abroad, on the trace elements and S–Pb isotope characteristics of the sulfides reveals that the stratiform ore bodies of the Dongfengnanshan deposit belong to the VMS‐type, and have closely genetic relationship with the early Permian marine volcanic sedimentary rocks.


We experimentally test Dufwenberg and Kirchsteiger's (2004) theory of sequential reciprocity in a sequential prisoner's dilemma (SPD) and a mini-ultimatum game (MUG). Data on behavior and first- and second-order beliefs allow us to classify each subject's behavior as a material best response, a reciprocity best response, both, or none. We found that in both games the behavior of about 80% of the first-movers was a material best response, a reciprocity best response, or both. The remaining 20% of first-movers almost always made choices that were "too kind" according to the theory of reciprocity. Second-mover behavior, in both games, was fully in line with the predictions of the theory. The average behavior and beliefs across subjects were compatible with a sequential reciprocity equilibrium in the SPD but not in the MUG. We also found first- and second-order beliefs to be unbiased in the SPD and nearly unbiased in the MUG.


This paper focused on the study of poverty lines to improve the poverty studies in China.This paper studied absolute poverty line,relative poverty line,subjective poverty line and the other poverty lines,and finally concluded that the relative poverty line was a suitable instrument in poverty studies.


The theoretical analysis of scattering properties of unit volume of the vegetative environment with parameters, characteristic for a crone in absence of foliage was carried out. Elements of environment were modeled by dielectric cylinders of finite-length with a randomly orientation in space. Angular function of distribution of intensity of scattering radiation was executed and the comparative analysis for various frequencies of UHF of a range and parameters of environment was considered.


"Preface Introduction 1 Looking for Inner Safety 2 Learning the Six Energies 3 Thinking Like a Shadow Warrior 4 Handling Daily Challenges 5 Handling Work Challenges 6 Handling Relational Challenges 7 Carrying Yourself Like a Shadow Warrior 8 Living a More Powerful Life Resources Index"


We present Iris, a practical, authenticated file system designed to support workloads from large enterprises storing data in the cloud and be resilient against potentially untrustworthy service providers. As a transparent layer enforcing strong integrity guarantees, Iris lets an enterprise tenant maintain a large file system in the cloud. In Iris, tenants obtain strong assurance not just on data integrity, but also on data freshness, as well as data retrievability in case of accidental or adversarial cloud failures.
 Iris offers an architecture scalable to many clients (on the order of hundreds or even thousands) issuing operations on the file system in parallel. Iris includes new optimization and enterprise-side caching techniques specifically designed to overcome the high network latency typically experienced when accessing cloud storage. Iris also includes novel erasure coding techniques for the first efficient construction of a dynamic Proofs of Retrievability (PoR) protocol over the entire file system.
 We describe our architecture and experimental results on a prototype version of Iris. Iris achieves end-to-end throughput of up to 260MB per second for 100 clients issuing simultaneous requests on the file system. (This limit is dictated by the available network bandwidth and maximum hard drive throughput.) We demonstrate that strong integrity protection in the cloud can be achieved with minimal performance degradation.


Oxides that exhibit an insulator–metal transition can be used to fabricate energy‐efficient relaxation oscillators for use in hardware‐based neural networks but there are very few oxides with transition temperatures above room temperature. Here the structural, electrical, and thermal properties of V3O5 thin films and their application as the functional oxide in metal/oxide/metal relaxation oscillators are reported. The V3O5 devices show electroforming‐free volatile threshold switching and negative differential resistance (NDR) with stable (<3% variation) cycle‐to‐cycle operation. The physical mechanisms underpinning these characteristics are investigated using a combination of electrical measurements, in situ thermal imaging, and device modeling. This shows that conduction is confined to a narrow filamentary path due to self‐confinement of the current distribution and that the NDR response is initiated at temperatures well below the insulator–metal transition temperature where it is dominated by the temperature‐dependent conductivity of the insulating phase. Finally, the dynamics of individual and coupled V3O5‐based relaxation oscillators is reported, showing that capacitively coupled devices exhibit rich non‐linear dynamics, including frequency and phase synchronization. These results establish V3O5 as a new functional material for volatile threshold switching and advance the development of robust solid‐state neurons for neuromorphic computing.


Entomopathogenic bacteria produce antibiotic molecules effective against plant, animal and human plant pathogenic bacteria. They produce broad-spectrum antibiotics, which can be applied in several different fields where suppression of microbes is needed. These antibiotic molecules have different chemical structure such as peptides. Analysis and identification of these molecules provide useful ways in the research and development of drugs and agrochemicals.


INTRODUCTION Bair Hugger® warming therapy is used on surgical patients to minimize physiologic complications due to inadvertent hypothermia. It has been reported that anesthetic-induced vasodilatation brings about a drop in the patient's body core temperature during surgery and is responsible for metabolic stresses during the recovery period [1]. Bair Hugger® warming therapy utilizes both convective and radiative modes of heat transfer to transport heat energy from a wanning cover to the patient's cutaneous layer. In order to quantify the convective component of this heat transfer, a calorimetric heat flux gauge was designed and fabricated. This was accomplished by inputting the measured timewise varying gauge temperature into a data reduction program and calculating the desired convection heat transfer coefficient .


Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and safety of extracorporeal shock wave(ESW) used in treating refractoriness painful heel syndrome.Methods:All of 60 outpatients with refractoriness painful heel syndrome were treated by orthopedic shock machine. The voltage was 7.0 to 10.0 kV, energy level was 0.056 to 0.250 mJ/m2, focus stress was 10.2 to 37.2 MPa and shock time was 1000. These patients were treated for 3 to 4 times according to their conditions and treatment interval was 5 to 7 days.Results:58 patients were followed-up for 3 months after the treatment and the total effective rate was 70%. No obvious complication was found.Conclusion:ESW is a simple, effective and safe therapy for refractoriness painful heel syndrome and its long curative effect is satisfactory.


The current report describes an endometrial polyp and cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex in a ten year old female Labrador dog.


Objective:To investigate the change of asymmetric NG,NG-dimethyl-L-arginine(ADMA)in patients with coronary microvas- cular spasm angina(CMSA),and elucidate the possible mechanism of CMSA. Methods:We screened 20 hospitalized CMSA patients from June 2002 to June 2005.The diagnosed standards of CSMA were typical angina pectoris,positive exercise stress test and normal coronary angiography,other diseases were excluded,such as hyper- tension,diabetes and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.We selected 20 normal persons with similar age and same sex as control.The levels of ADMA,NO,ET-1,SOD,MDA,blood lipids,glucose,blood viscosity,fibrinogen were measured in both groups. Results:①Compared with control,in CMSA group the levels of ADMA,ET-1 and MDA were significantly increased and the levels of NO and SOD were significantly decreased.ADMA was positive correlated with the ratio of ET-1/NO.②There were statis- tical significances between control and CMSA group for levels of SOD and MDA.③There were no differences for levels of blood lipids(TC,TG,LDL,HDL-C,Lpa),glucose,blood viscosity and fibfinogen between two groups. Conclusions:This study shows endothelial dysfunction in the patients with CMSA is associated with the increase of AD- MA.Oxide stress may play an important role in CMSA.


Colin Harold Bathe died on 8 May 2011 at the age of seventy-three. His close friend David John Titchener, widely known by the nickname of 'Curly', preceded him by just a few months, dying at the age of seventy-six on 20 January 2011. Both were well known in the area around their home town of Swindon for numerous activities relating to sports and motorized vehicles, but it is their involvement with traditional music, morris dancing, and song for which they will be remembered by readers of this journal. They shared many of the same musical interests and had 'discovered1 traditional culture together. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Colin and I had spoken on numerous occasions over many years, but one Sunday evening in 2006 we sat in the courtyard of The Morris Clown in Bampton and, with a minimum of prompting, he outlined the evolution of his relationship with the local tradition. He first got interested via a folk and blues club in Swindon. His main musical interest was jazz, with the blues aspect having the greatest appeal. After about three years' attending and performing, club organizer Ted Poole arranged a day at which Cyril Tawney and Bob Davenport gave talks, encouraging people to go out into the countryside and collect material. Colin and 'Curly' came over to Bampton quite by accident, knowing nothing about its morris dance tradition. They went into The Jubilee and started chatting to landlord Reg Pratley, telling him what they were interested in. Within a few minutes he was singing to rhem, mainly snatches, one being 'Butter and Cheese and All*. He then produced sheets on which the words were written: Peter Kennedy had given them to him! Reg took them across to The Eagle, where Frank Purslow and Francis Shergold used to play in the bar. The landlord was a one-row melodeon player, and after time had been called he would cover the pumps and bring his instrument out into the bar and play. Colin was intrigued by the melodeon, sold his guitar, and bought one. He became a regular at these sessions, but would always leave his instrument in the car, never bringing it in until the time he was invited. The first tune that Colin remembered learning was the Bampton version of'Nutting Girl'. Colin and Ivor Clissold started doing some work on the Alfred Williams manuscripts in Swindon Library. Every couple of weeks they would bring their efforts over to Frank Purslow for criticism and approval, and following the meeting would attend the Shergold morris practice. There were occasions when they were short of a man and Colin was invited to join in. When Arnold Woodley, under the prompting of Frank Purslow, revived his team in 1970, following a break of a decade, Colin was invited to join as one of the regular dancers. That association continued until the well-known confrontation during the weekend early in 1974 when both Bampton sets were invited to perform at die Albert Hall Festival. …


A high-resolution multi-proxy record from sediments of a small-sized lake situated in Telemark, southeastern Norway, was used to reconstruct the local landscape development of the past c. 10,500 years. Our data demonstrate that changes in vegetation composition and structure in the first two-thirds of the Holocene are principally attributable to climatic changes and high erosion rates, as deduced from geochemical and physical (loss-on-ignition) proxy analyses. The highest signals of erosional inputs to the lake (c. 8030–5760 cal. BP) can be correlated with the first part of the Holocene Thermal Maximum. Nevertheless, evidence from pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and microscopic charcoal analyses indicates the presence of nutrient-rich and disturbed environments already during the middle Mesolithic (c. 10,050–9400 cal. BP). It also shows traces of animal husbandry (c. 5580 cal. BP) and small-scale cereal cultivation (c. 5520 cal. BP) in the early Neolithic. In subsequent periods, human impact remains at a relatively low level and does not generate significant palaeo-environmental changes. Not until the second half of the Bronze Age (c. 2840 cal. BP) is some intensification in animal husbandry recorded, whereas crop cultivation continues to play a minor role in the second millennium BP. The establishment of a full farming economy took place during the Roman Iron Age (c. 1790 cal. BP), characterised by extensive forest clearance and local fires, crop cultivation in permanent fields and the presence of open pastures. This establishment is associated with advanced soil degeneration and increased erosion rates.


Beyond its 'literal' meaning (its denotation), a particular word may have connotations: for instance, sexual connotations. 'Is there any such thing as a single entendre?' quipped the comic actor Kenneth Williams (we all know that 'a thing is a phallic symbol if it's longer than it's wide', as the singer Melanie put it). In semiotics, denotation and connotation are terms describing the relationship between the signifier and its signified, and an analytic distinction is made between two types of signifieds: a denotative signified and a connotative signified. Meaning includes both denotation and connotation.


Execution monitoring plays a central role in most software development tools for parallel and distributed computer systems. However, such monitoring may induce delays that corrupt event timing. If this corruption can be quantified, it may be possible to determine the intrusion-free behavior. In this paper, we describe an algorithm that, given a safe timed Petri net model of the monitored software, can determine the uncorrupted timestamp values, i.e. those that would have been observed had the delays not been present. Monitoring conditions sufficient to ensure correct operation of the algorithm, and examples illustrating the algorithm's applicability to message-passing systems are also presented. This work is part of a larger effort aimed at identifying cost-effective software alternatives to custom hardware monitoring.<<ETX>>


The correlations among the tests values of bursting, tearing, tensile, tensile × elongation, drop number were studied.The drop number was supposed as the function of the formula (I).From the experimental data, the dependency of the drop number on the moisture content to the sack paper was given by the regression curve of the second degree (See Fig. 1).It was concluded that the correlation between the drop number and bursting strength was not significant from the analysis of the data obtained in the drop tests of 600 sacks and the test values of bursting during past one year (See Fig. 2).The correlation between the drop number and tearing strength was significant with 5% level of significance, so that the value of tearing test may be one of the measures which indicates the sack strength (See Fig. 3).The drop number could be correlated to the value of the tensile strength x elongation and moisture content with 0.5% level significance (See Fig. 4).It was quite clear from the stress-strain curves in the machine and cross directions and directional distribution of modulus of elasticity (See Fig. 5A &5B).Therefore there was a significant correlationship between drop number and impact strength (See Fig. 6).The bursting strength, which had not correlationship to drop number, is depend on the various factors, but the relation (5) …… (8) can be assumed as a first approximation. Approximate values of bursting stre.ngth can be computed by Fig. 5A, Fig. 8, Formula (8) and Fig. 9.There was a significant correlation between bursting strength and ratio of the tensile strength in the machine and cross directions, if the paper are same basis weight and within definite region of tensile strength.


Southern Tamaulipas Mexico includes the municipalities of Tampico, Madero and Altamira. Has a population approximately of 850 000 habitants and an extensive territorial of 166,327 hectares. In the last four decades this area has undergone a significant socioeconomic transformation, which has generated demographic changes, different land use and consequently changes in the availability and demand of resources. The use of indicators Pressure-State-Response, plus the background descriptions of the ecosystem reported in many environmental impact assessments development for diverse projects include the installation of petrochemicals industries, road networks, hydraulics' works and the construction and operation of an industrial port, could be implement a monitoring system of human well-being. The main objective is to identify society's response to this growth and contribute to the diagnosis and identification of environmental issues. Key Word: Indicators Pressure-State-Response, human well-being, environmental impact assessments.


Background. In 19th century European music has been enriched by national phenomena, such as Polish mazurka, Austrian waltz, Hungarian czardas, which went into the academic genres system, expanded the boundaries of its intonational fund and audience perceptions. The Neapolitan song participated in this process. It was a real discovery for music lovers in different countries. Canzone Napoletana conquered the music salons area in France, from where it spread in all the Europe, and was reflected in the work of many composers. This genre phenomenon is not fully unraveled, probably due to the distortion of the ingrained ideas about it. This theme is mainly reflected in the publications of Italian experts in the second half of the 20 century D. Carpitella, E. De Martino, R. De Simone, and in the 21 century R. Di Mauro (2013). Interest in this genre intensified in the musical science of China also. This is due to the extraordinary melody of Neapolitan songs, which is consonant with Chinese samples. Chinese singers increasingly include the popular canzone Napoletana in their repertoire. In the musical science of China, this topic has been developed since the last decades of the 20th century in the studies of Song Jing (1985), Wu Shikai (1997), Pei Yisi (2011), Liu Shanshan (2007), Fang Yahong (2011), Chang Jinge (2018). However, many scientific works are of the same type, which is caused by the lack of direct access to the study of musical, poetic, bibliographic material. In the same time, the 19th century deserves attention as a period of the rapid spread of Neapolitan folk songs in the musical art of Europe. The outstanding role in these processes belongs to the representatives of the creative dynasty – Teodoro Cottrau (1827–1879), the author of the famous "Santa Lucia", and his father Guillaume-Louis Cottrau (1797–1847). Given the current lack of knowledge on this topic, as the research goal of this article, we consider it necessary to get acquainted with the creative figure of G.-L. Cottrau, which contributed to the spread of Neapolitan folk songs in the European music of the 19th century. For the first time in the musical science of Ukraine and China, the collection of Neapolitan songs "Passatempi musicali" / "Musical entertainments" is used as an object of research compiled by G.-L. Cottrau, as well as selected fragments of operatic works by G. Paisiello and D. Cimarosa. In this work, the historicalcomparative and biographical research methods are used, as well as generally accepted models of musicological and performing analysis of music. Results. When studying the Canzone Napoletana, the research problem lies in the difficulties of reconstructing song samples of the 16th–19th centuries. It is necessary to restore their exact chronology, authorship, conduct a comparative analysis of numerous editions, and comprehend the processes of historical evolution. This situation is known to most ethnological scholars, who are actually engaged in musical archeology and bring back almost lost samples of the past from oblivion. Thanks to the processes of national self-determination that swept Italy in the second half of the 20th century, a decisive breakthrough was made in ethnomusicology in the study of the musical and poetic heritage of the Neapolitan region. This is a strong help for any researcher dealing with this topic. The composer and music publisher Guillaume-Louis Cottrau belonged to a famous surname in France. Hisfather served Joachim-Napoléon Murat, Napoleon Bonaparte's son-in-law. As a child, he ended up in Italy, in Naples, forever falling in love with this land and its culture. Subsequently, Guillaume-Louis adopted Neapolitan citizenship. Being engaged in the affairs of the music publishing house and composing, Guillaume-Louis made up and published in 1824 a collection of Neapolitan songs "Passatempi musicali" / "Musical entertainments". This includes 104 Canzone Napoletana. Afterwards, the number of songs in different issues was increasing slightly (up to 113), the authorship of some fragments was clarifying, but the main block of tunes remained unchanged. This collection gained immense popularity in the music salons of France. It has been reprinted several times. According to R. di Mauro (2013), about sixty of the 104 songs in the first edition were written by G.-L. Cottrau, the rest are the result of processing of folk originals or songs by other authors. The essence of the undertaken arrangement consisted not only in recording musical and poetic texts (often in several versions), not only in creating a piano accompaniment part in the style of salon music-making. The composer personally collected these cantos and lyrics to them, communicating with servants, peasants, merchants, artisans, direct bearers of the oral musical tradition from different parts of the Neapolitan region. It includes old peasant songs, epic ballads, fragments from operas by G. Paisiello, D. Cimarosa, and other composers of the 18th century, which became truly people's. This article compares the composer and folk versions of the Serenade of Pulcinella by Paisiello and Cimarosa, which were included in the first edition of the collection under the folk guise. Conclusions. The publication of the Neapolitan songs collection "Passatempi musicali" by G.-L. Cottrau played the role of actualizing this song genre in the musical space of the Romantic era. Its popularization outside Italy, repeated reprints made it possible to "legalize" the song South Italian folklore in the European musical space.


Heat transfer of X-ray tube is a very important factor which always limits the continuous working time of X-ray detector. It is a bold attempt to use the heat pipe technology to solve the heat ransfer problem of anode within Xray tube. The successful application of heat pipe technology in X_ray tube will lead to an innovation in X-ray detect technology.


We report on n-type (100) oriented Si 0 . 7 6 Ge 0 . 2 4 samples grown by silicon molecular beam epitaxy (Si-MBE). The grown wafer was, first, cut into small pieces. Some of these pieces were annealed under an inert gas atmosphere at 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C for 1h to induce partial relaxation in Si 1 - x Ge x . The formation of Schottky junction was made by Pt deposition on n-Si 0 . 7 6 Ge 0 . 2 4 . The electrical properties of, both, the unannealed and annealed Pt/n-Si 0 . 7 6 Ge 0 . 2 4 /n-Si were studied by current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. These measurements have been done under different temperatures, and Schottky barrier heights have been determined. Also, these results have been compared with Pt / n-Si.


Objective To discuss how to diagnose and treat thymoma associated with pure red cell aplasia(PRCA).Methods Three patients of thymoma associated with PRCA were treated with thymothymectomy,and the local radiotherapy was conducted after operation for avoiding the thymoma reproduction.Determining of their peripheral blood hemoglobin was used to evaluate the postoperation result in PRCA.If PRCA can't be relieved,oral prednisone and cyclosporin A were given.Results Two patients with PRCA was cured,one patient remained in remission by treatment with prednisone and CsA,and the third patient was in progress.Conclusion The treatment by means of"thymothymectomy-local radiotherapy-use of prednisone and CsA"is effective for thymoma associated with PRCA.


Metaphors are commonly used in classical poetry. However, due to their various types, they are often misjudged. This paper illustrates the exercise of the metaphors in the following aspects: (1) clearly unders tanding of basic metaphor types; (2) and changes paying attention to the difference between metaphors and non-metaphors; (3) under standing the function of metaphors from 3 sides.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to find out Bacterial etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacteria causing infective keratitis at a tertiary care hospital of LahoreStudy Design:Descriptive cross sectional studyStudy Place and Study Period: PGMI/AMC/LGH, Lahore, in 2015 - 2018. Sample Collection: Non-probability convenience samplingMaterial and Methods: The corneal scrapings taken by the ophthalmologist was immediately inoculated on Chocolate agar, Blood agar and MacConkay agar culture plates with the help of sterilized wire loop in the operation theater.These plates were taken to laboratory for incubation and further microbiological processing. After inoculating on the culture agar plates, the scrapings from cornea were smeared on glass slides with the help of sterilized wire loop. The smears were air-dried stained with Gram's stain, Kinyoun stain and Giemsa stain. The culture and staining were further processed for microbiological analysis of bacterial etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility.Results:7 of each cases of Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated accounting 28% of total bacteria. Gram negative bacteria are relatively sensitive to all groups of antibiotics as compared to Gram positive bacteria who were resistant of major groups of antibiotic like Fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides. Conclusion:We concluded that a cumulative antimicrobial data should be published from laboratory on antimicrobial susceptibiblity pattern of bacterial keratitis for its empirical treatment.


The study investigates the inter-relationship between executive compensation, earnings management and over investment. Using a sample of 196 Malaysian public listed firms, the findings show a positive endogenous relationship between executive compensation and over investment. Measuring equity compensation in incentive ratio, for each percent of over investment, one percent improvement in share prices will increase 23% of executive directors' equity value. Over investment, however, leads to a decline in executive directors' equity value in large shareholders controlled firms. In addition, one percent of over investment can explain 12% of earnings management. Nevertheless, earnings management does not explain executive directors' compensation. In summary, aligning over-investment with executive compensation schemes has implied that the existing compensation is insufficient for executive directors to align their interest with the objective to maximise shareholders' value.


In the present work, we propose the X3D method that extends the B3LYP method by correcting its errors on heats of formation of hydrocarbons (HCs) with three‐dimensional (3D) molecular descriptors. Inspired by the widely used Wiener index, these 3D descriptors are developed to improve over the original B3LYP method for a better description of atom‐atom, atom‐bond and bond‐bond interactions. On top of a training set of only 45 species, the X3D method is validated against various sets of different chemistry, displaying an overall near chemical accuracy. In particular, X3D improves over B3LYP, reducing its mean absolute errors from 28.4 to 0.3 kcal/mol for (Set 1) 21 n‐alkanes up to n‐C32H66, from 19.3 to 0.6 kcal/mol for (Set 2) n‐C7H16 and its branched isomers, from 29.5 to 1.6 kcal/mol for (Set 3) 36 polycyclic saturated HCs, from 8.6 to 1.1 kcal/mol for (Set 4) 41 C6H8 isomers of rings, alkenes, alkynes, and cumulenes, from 20.3 to 0.6 kcal/mol for (Set 5) 41 benzene‐based compounds, and 8.1 to 1.3 kcal/mol for (Set 6) 66 radicals, etc. Comparisons with the G4 results are also presented. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


In this article, I investigate how interpreters handle humorous utterances during plenary debates of the European Parliament, focusing on the input by one Polish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Janusz Korwin-Mikke. The source speeches (in Polish or English) are analysed bottom-up to identify the types of humour favoured by the speaker. The most frequent ones are irony, ad hominem arguments with an element of ridicule, absurdity, and shifts in register. Subsequently, a pragmatically oriented comparative analysis is conducted to assess whether and how individual instances of humour are transferred by interpreters. Additionally, possible side effects are considered, such as shifts accompanying transferred humour and message incoherence resulting from humour loss. Register humour is typically removed by interpreters. The successful handling of absurdity relies mainly on compression and often fails, while ad hominem and irony appear to be relatively less challenging to interpret. Interestingly, irony is occasionally added by interpreters, either to boost the speaker's comical intent or to distance themselves from his views.


In order to probe into the effects of the drilling-blasting method for metro tunnel with complicated sections on city environment,based on the principles that the influences of city metro tunnel construction on surface ground and buildings must satisfy the vibration,deformation and stress control standards,software FLAC3D was used to the numerical simulation of an practical project,as an example,and the blasting effects of different excavation methods were investigated. And a comparison between a numerical simulation result and field measured vibration velocity was made. The research result shows that the combination of the mechanical and drilling-blasting excavation methods is a satisfying selection to the practical project.


The present invention relates to a method for certification of reconfigurable radio equipment when reconfiguration software developed by third party. A radio equipment comprises a waveform generator to receive input data and to generate output baseband waves corresponding to the received input data, and a radio-frequency component to transform the baseband waves generated in radio waves. The waveform generator comprises a radio virtual machine (RVM) that has been compiled to operate on hardware underlying the RVM. The RVM comprises an associated RVM class that establishes a level of reconfigurability of low-level parameters of the RVM. The RVM class comprises one of a plurality of RVM classes in which each RVM class comprises a corresponding level of reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters and a corresponding level of certification testing for reconfigured RVMs of the class. In one exemplary embodiment, the plurality of RVM classes comprises at least one RVM class comprising full reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters and at least one RVM class comprising limited reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters.


This article suggests a new approach for indoor presence detection system using Optical Camera Communication (OCC). An undersampled modulation scheme based on phase-shift-keying in time domain for LED called undersampled-temporal-2-phase-shift-keying (UT2-PSK) is introduced for using in such type of systems. Numerous of simulation and experimental results are also presented to prove the feasibility of implementing OCC to Smart Home applications.


This paper describes the hardware implementation of a real-time, large-scale, multi-chip FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based emulation engine with a capacity of 10 million ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) equivalent gates. Attainable system operation frequency can exceed 60 MHz, and the system throughput has been empirically verified to achieve 600 billion 16-bit additions per second. The emulator is custom designed to maximize the performance and resource utilization for a range of telecommunication and digital signal processing applications. With its high-speed interconnect architecture and large external I/O bandwidth, the emulator excels in prototyping real-time systems that have strict timing, logic capacity, and data rate requirements. Our development efforts are guided by such ongoing projects as ultra-wide band (UWB) and multi-channel-multi-antenna (MCMA) radio systems research.


ABSTRACT A key agenda of policy-makers in both the developing and the developed worlds is to have an inclusive growth. Financial services have been recognised as one of the fundamental services that have the potential to achieve this objective and help move towards a more just and equitable society. This paper attempts to assess the impact of three information and communication technology-driven initiatives in the field of financial services by differentiating them on the basis of service design. This study goes beyond the stated objective of these services and uses Sen's capability perspective to study their impact across three non-economic outcome variables viz. literacy, service-specific well-being and empowerment. The data for the study are collected from the urban poor across different locations in a large metropolitan city in South India where the three different services are being offered. The study follows a quasi-experimental design (field study) and ensures matching of the treatment and control groups through propensity score matching. The matched data are analysed using an independent sample t-test. The result of the analysis shows that service design plays a key role in increasing service literacy, improving service-specific well-being and empowering end users. The study suggests that the true challenge for providers (government and partner agencies) of these services is in designing a service that ensures a balance of structure and flexibility without constraining the choice of end users through innovative service blueprints.


Objective:To investigate categories and concentration levels of volatile ketone,aldehyde,and ester in the atmosphere of Hangzhou urban area.Methods:The method of thermal desorption gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) was applied to analyze components and concentrations of volatile ketonic,aldehyde,and ester compounds in the atmosphere of Hangzhou urban area.Results:Totally,6 ketonic compounds,10 aldehyde compounds,and 5 ester compounds were detected.And acetone,2-butanone,6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one,pentanal,octanal,nonanal,decanal,ethyl acetate,and butyl acetate were main contaminations.In the atmosphere,the average concentration level of overall ketone was 4.46 μg/m3,aldehyde 14.43 μg/m3,and ester 2.46 μg/m3.Conclusion:The average concentration levels of overall ketone and ester in different places of the whole urban area are similar.The concentration level of overall aldehyde in the west is very near to that in the center,but they are significantly higher than those in the east and the south.And as for aldehyde and ester compounds and some ketonic compounds,there is an increasing trend of their concentration levels from morning toward afternoon.A linear relation is found significant between main ketonic compounds and aldehyde compounds.


Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EET), the primary arachidonic acid metabolites of cytochrome P450 2J (CYP2J) epoxygenases, possess potent vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and mitogenic effects. To date, little is known about the role of CYP2J2 and EETs in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α–induced cardiac injury. We utilized cell culture and in vivo models to examine the effects of exogenously applied EETs or CYP2J2 overexpression on TNF-α–induced cardiac apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. In neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, TNF-α–induced apoptosis was markedly attenuated by EETs or CYP2J2 overexpression, leading to significantly improved cell survival. Further studies showed that TNF-α decreased expression of the antiapoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, decreased IκBα and PPARγ, and also inhibited PI3K-dependent Akt and EGFR signaling. Both EETs and CYP2J2 overexpression reversed the effects of TNF-α on these pathways. Furthermore, overexpression of CYP2J2 in rats prevented the decline in cardiac function that is normally observed in TNF-α-challenged animals. These results demonstrate that EETs or CYP2J2 overexpression can prevent TNF-α–induced cardiac cell injury and cardiac dysfunction by inhibiting apoptosis, reducing inflammation, and enhancing PPARγ expression. Targeting the CYP2J2 epoxygenase pathway may represent a novel approach to mitigate cardiac injury in diseases such as heart failure, where increased TNF-α levels are known to occur.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis (RISP) is a rapid eye movement (REM) parasomnia characterized by a dissociative state with characteristics of REM sleep and wakefulness. Pathophysiology has not yet been clarified and very little research has been performed using objective polysomnographic measures with inconsistent results. The main aim of our study was to find whether higher REM sleep fragmentation is consistent with the theory of state dissociation or whether signs of dissociation can be detected by spectral analysis.

METHODS
Nineteen participants in the RISP group and 19 age- and gender-matched participants in the control group underwent two consecutive full-night video-polysomnography recordings with 19-channel electroencephalography. Apart from sleep macrostructure, other REM sleep characteristics such as REM arousal index, percentage of wakefulness and stage shifts within REM sleep period were analyzed, as well as power spectral analysis during REM sleep.

RESULTS
No difference was found in the macrostructural parameters of REM sleep (percentage of REM sleep and REM latency). Similarly, no significant difference was detected in REM sleep fragmentation (assessed by REM sleep arousal index, percentage of wakefulness and stage shifts within REM sleep). Power spectral analysis showed higher bifrontal beta activity in the RISP group during REM sleep.

CONCLUSIONS
The results showed an underlying persistent trait of higher cortical activity that may predispose patients with SP to be more likely to experience recurrent episodes, without any apparent macrostructural features including higher REM sleep fragmentation.


Summary An analysis was undertaken of the growth-rates of Patella cochlear, P. granatina, P. granularis, P. longicosta and P. oculus. Shell growth is rapid in the first year and then decreases. A negative linear relationship exists between initial length and increment per year. Increases of shell length eventually cease and this may be important in determining longevity. Shell thickness increases throughout life. Body growth is sigmoidal, maximum absolute growth occurring after about a quarter of the life-span is complete. P. oculus and P. granatina grow very rapidly, P. granularis at an intermediate rate, and P. cochlear and P. longicosta very slowly. These relative rates are probably related to the nutritive value of the different food sources. P. granularis grows faster on the cold west coast than in warmer waters. This may be due to the relative availability and nutrient value of organic depositions. In P. cochlear high densities probably override the effects of other environmental factors, but temper...


Print shows Uncle Sam, on the left, giving a bag of money to a man labeled "Socialist" and a bag of money to a man labeled "Businessman", he tells them "Gentlemen, I have divided the wealth of the country equally among all the people. Here are your shares, now go ahead and be happy!" At center, "The Start", the two men part ways with the socialist taking the path "To Idleness and Extravagance" and the businessman taking the path "To Industry and Thrift". On the right, at "The Finish", the two men again stand before Uncle Sam, this time the businessman is holding two bags of money and the dejected socialist is showing that his pockets are now empty.


A 55 year old man was admitted to the hospital because of shortness of breath and fever of one week duration and was unresponsive to amoxacillin-clavulanate that was prescribed for presumed pneumonia. His medical history included ischemic cardiomyopathy, hypertension, congestive heart failure (ejection fraction 30%), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, implantation of cardioverter defibrillator 8 months prior to his admission, orthopedic surgery 2 years earlier, and obesity. Physical examination disclosed a tachypneic obese man. His body temperature was 39.0°C, respiratory rate 24/min, blood pressure 120/65 mm Hg, pulse rate 84/min, and pulse oximetry on room air indicated an oxygen saturation of 88%. On auscultation of the lungs rales were audible at the bases; no heart murmurs were noted. There was no skin rash, no evidence of skin infection and no signs of inflammation at the generatorpocket site. Laboratory tests on admission produced the following results: White blood cell count 15.8 x 103/μl,


Liang Qichao's thought that the tasting is the artistic essence.It includes the fresh perception of emotional experience and the calm rationality of scientific principle.Therefore,the artistic essence is the performance of emotional and rational principle."The integrationof truth and beauty",the emotional truth and natural reality,constitutes the artistic value."observating nature" is the key point of artistic creation.The art is not only the origin of taste production,but also plays the important role of training "the fine arts person".The art becames a bridge between the taste and science.


Choristoderes are a small clade of freshwater aquatic reptiles known from deposits of Jurassic–Miocene age. They show their greatest diversity in the Early Cretaceous of Asia, with seven recorded genera including longirostrine and brevirostine taxa, long- and short-necked taxa, and representatives of both neochoristoderes and non-neochoristoderes. The latter, informal grouping, comprising Monjurosuchus, Philydrosaurus, Hyphalosaurus, Khurendukhosaurus and, probably, Shokawa, is distinguished by the closure of the lower temporal fenestra. This differentiates them from typically diapsid stem choristoderes like the Jurassic Euramerican Cteniogenys and from all neochoristoderes like Champsosaurus and Simoeodosaurus. The recent description of Coeruleodraco jurassicus from the Callovian/Oxfordian of China provided the first example of an Asian non-neochoristodere with an open lower temporal fenestra. Here, we describe a second, geologically younger, genus and species from the Shahai Formation of Badaohao locality in western Liaoning, considered to be Aptian–Albian in age. This adds an eighth choristodere genus to the Early Cretaceous Asian record. The new species shares the diapsid skull morphology of C. jurassicus, demonstrating that a lineage of small, brevirostrine choristoderes with fully diapsid skulls persisted in Asia until the latter part of the Early Cretaceous. https://zoobank.org:pub:2D0B390A-6291-4C29-A72A-4F6A507C608B


Flowerlike ZnO microcrystals with different rods have been successfully synthesized by a simple water bath route at 70℃.Zinc acetate was used as raw material,ammonia as regulating pH agent and PEG-2000 as the capping agent.The results showed that the as-grown ZnO microcrystals presented flowerlike structure with existing PEG-2000.The use of different quantities of ammonia with the precursor altered the top morphology of the ZnO from hexagonal rods to sword-like rods.X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the diffraction peak intensity ratio of(002) to(101) were quite different for different rods.Transmission electron microscopy observation indicated that the hexagonal rods are single crystalline in nature,while the sword-like rods are oriented polycrystalline structures.The room temperature photoluminescence spectra of ZnO with different rods showed typical peaks at about 380nm which corresponded to the near band-edge emission.


Due to its unique electrical properties, carbon nanotubes offer the exciting possibility for developing ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensors. In this work, nanofibrous membranes filled with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were electrospun from the mixture of poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (PANCAA) and MWCNT. These nanofibrous membranes were directly deposited on Pt electrodes for the fabrication of glucose biosensors. Glucose oxidase (GOx) was covalently immobilized on the membranes through the activation of carboxyl groups on the PANCAA nanofiber surface. The fluorescence spectra and circular dichroism were recorded from the mixtures of MWCNT and soluble GOx. Results show that MWCNT will disturb the secondary structure of soluble GOx but can get close to its active site. The morphologies of the nanofibrous membranes were visualized by scanning electron microscopy, illustrating that the membranes are composed of beads and nanofibers. The electrochemical properties of enzyme electrodes were c...


The aim of this paper is to identify determinants of liquidity of Polish commercial banks. The data cover the period from 2001 to 2010. The results of panel data regression analysis showed that bank liquidity is strongly determined by overall economic conditions and dropped as a result of financial crisis, economic downturn and increase in unemployment. Bank liquidity decreases also with higher bank profitability, higher interest rate margin and bigger size of banks. On contrary, bank liquidity increases with higher capital adequacy, inflation, share of nonperforming loans and interest rates on loans and interbank transaction.


Inner source pickup ions (PUIs) are believed to be created by the interaction between the solar wind and interplanetary dust grains. The production mechanism, however, is not well understood. We use the Stopping Range of Ions in Matter and Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module to simulate the production and transport of inner source C+ and O+ produced by five mechanisms: solar wind recycling, neutralization, backscattering, sputtering, and sputtering-induced recycling. This is the first study to consider backscattering and sputtering-induced recycling. We compare the velocity distribution function (VDF) and C+/O+ abundance ratio to observations from the charge-time-of-flight instrument on board the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory. Observations reveal a new constraint: a broad VDF at 1 au with a possible cutoff near twice the solar wind speed—suggesting that inner source PUIs are injected into the solar wind at near-zero speeds. In light of this constraint and our model-data comparison, backscattering and sputtering-induced recycling satisfy the most production constraints. However, based on intensity, sputtering and sputtering-induced recycling are the dominant mechanisms.


State aid control is completing its move to a new phase of development. In 2014 the Commission largely finished its reform programme, the State aid modernisation (SAM) initiative. This placed new emphasis on transparency, effectiveness, and evaluation, recast the basis for the assessment and compliance of State aid across a range of policy areas and further increased the 'self-policing' element of State aid discipline. The main element of the reform package not (yet) achieved is the adoption of a Communication on the 'notion' of State aid. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview and update of regional aid control issues as Member State introduce measures and adapt to the new regime.


This paper aims at providing an extension of Zhou [1997] and Black and Cox [1976] by considering the case where the default can occur at any time and the asset value dynamics is modelled by a jump diffusion process. This extension is provided by considering a special case of jump diffusion process. Following Kou and Wang [2001,2003], Lipton [2002] and Sepp [2003], we consider that the log jump sizes are random variables double asymmetric exponentially distributed. Thanks to this particular choice, quasi-explicit formula is available for the joint probability of the first passage time and the terminal value. We characterized the price of the risky bond and derived a closed form in Laplace domain. Black and Cox [1976], Zhou [1997] models and this model have been implemented and numerically compared.


This review of social and cultural factors affecting maternal and child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa categorizes these factors into those stemming from womens role in society traditional marriage and fertility customs cultural demand for unlimited childbearing and other beneficial or harmful traditional practices. Some of the aspects of womens role in society are the main determinants of the clinical causes of maternal mortality: hemorrhage eclampsia obstructed labor and pelvic infection with occur disproportionately in girls under 18 and in women over 34. Female illiteracy and ignorance and also in older men and women who have power over them results in self-neglect and low self-esteem in women. Sex discrimination in all areas but especially food and health care directly affects maternal health by contributing to obstructed labor and its mismanagement. The hard labor of women that produces 60-90% of all food child care and transport of water and firewood is added to malnutrition. African customs related to sexuality constrain women to demonstrate fertility before marriage undergo circumcision and its obstetric risks and participate in polygamy are all witness to womens vulnerability. In most of Africa particularly Muslim cultures women marry young without individual choice and do not use contraception. Consequent early childbearing increases the risk of obstructed labor vesico-vaginal fistula hemorrhage toxemia and death. African culture and son preference demand unlimited childbearing so that women spend 16-20 years bearing children ending at age 35-38 under pain of abuse loss of status or ostracism. Traditional practices involving childbirth such as dietary restrictions or excesses religious rituals at delivery that preclude medical assistance frequent vaginal exams use of harmful herbs or caustics and punishments for long labors add to maternal morbidity and mortality. The most beneficial practice is prolonged breast feeding especially if combined with postpartum abstinence. Where these practices are declining fertility can be expected to increase unless contraception is substituted.


The quality of life depends greatly on the sustainability of quality environment. With the evergrowing
awareness of the pollution causing from all aspects of manufacturing processes, use of
petroleum, recalcitrant pesticides, and disposal of municipal and animal wastes etc., there is an
increase in political pressure to mitigate the problem all over the world including Malaysia. The
effects of environmental pollution and the methods of bioremediation of the contaminants have
been studied from the available literature on the subject. Different aspects of environmental
contamination with different organic compounds and toxic heavy metals and their general sources
have been pointed out. Bioremediation as a means of environmental sustainability along with its
mechanism, prospective pollution fighting organisms, and techniques and strategies has been
explained. The bioremediation activity in Malaysia is still in infancy stage. The area of priority
research with an emphasis on Malaysia have been identified as – detailed survey on the
contaminated sites and their sources all over the country, development of bio-techniques for
detection of environmental toxicity; search for new microorganism which can detoxify and destroy
different contaminants easily; development of novel biocatalyst which can function under extreme
conditions of acidity, salinity, temperature and pressure; creation of genetically engineered
microorganisms which can degrade the difficult-to-control pollutants; development of low-cost
and most effective in-situ and ex-situ bioremediation technologies, and the use of multiple
processes i.e. use of plants and microorganism together, and other methods such as land farming,
nutrient supplements etc. Multidisciplinary approach in cooperation and coordination with
engineering, microbiology, ecology, geology and chemistry should be followed for successful
bioremediation and thereby to sustain the environment of the globe.


The consumerization of information and communication technology (ICT) is a practically important research question. Throughout this paper, the author investigates the reasons that lead to this new and important practice. He analyzes the evolution and current state of ICT adoption research, identifying adoption patterns and determining factors, and hereby offers an integrative theoretical framework based on this body of research that illuminates the main pathways to adoption behavior. Results of this analysis allow one to realize a new phenomenon, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), which has become essential for organizations. A qualitative study is conducted to explain organizations' adoption of BYOD. A constant comparative method is used to analyze data obtained by interviewing the senior level managers of 14 organizations. Findings show that security, privacy, perceived financial cost, and compatibility have a major effect on the adoption.


Background:
The introduction, a crucial component of any research paper, must be well-written so that readers can evaluate its quality. A typical five-paragraph abstract includes an introduction, objective or purpose, methodology, findings/results, and conclusion. However, not all Ph.D. candidates follow this structure and format when writing their abstracts.
Methodology:
The purpose of this study was to identify and describe variations in abstract writing formats and structures among Surabaya state university Ph.D. candidates. Using a qualitative descriptive methodology, the researchers analyzed 15 dissertation abstracts: eight from the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning at FTSP-ITS and seven from the Medical Science department at Airlangga University Surabaya. They examined the number of paragraphs and the structure of the abstract in each.
Findings:
The study indicated various abstract structures and writing formats: 40% of the abstracts had three paragraphs, 26.66% had five paragraphs, 20% had four paragraphs, and 13.33% had one paragraph. In terms of abstract structure, 60% lacked a conclusion, 33.33% lacked an objective, 26.66% lacked all five abstract structures, 26.66% lacked both the objective and the conclusion, and 6.66% lacked an introduction.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the study found several variations in dissertation abstract writing formats regarding both paragraph count and abstract structure.
Originality:
The novelty of this study rests in its focus on analyzing variations in abstract writing formats and structures among Surabaya state university Ph.D. candidates. By examining 15 dissertation abstracts from various faculties, this study sheds light on the inconsistencies and deviations from the standard format and structure of abstracts, which may impact readers' ability to comprehend and evaluate research papers. This study contributes to a better understanding of how Ph.D. students' abstract writing practices vary and identifies potential enhancement areas.


Early reperfusion of totally occluded coronary arteries with thrombolysis and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) reduces infarct size, cardiac mortality, and in-hospital events.1,2 Prompt reperfusion of epicardial blood flow reduces infarct size and mortality rates, in-hospital events, and reinfarction. Furthermore, successful reperfusion greatly affects the reduction in infarct size and left ventricular (LV) function. The reduction in infarct size and the improvement in LV ejection fraction may decrease mechanical stress on the noninfarcted myocardium, preventing LV remodeling, including changes in LV size and shape.3 Preventing LV remodeling is of key importance after AMI because it may be related to a reduction in adverse cardiac events, including exacerbation of congestive heart failure and cardiac mortality rates.4–7 Although reperfusion therapy relieves and reduces ischemia and necrosis, the process of restoring coronary blood flow causes ischemia-reperfusion injury in the ischemic myocardium, which limits the beneficial effects of reperfusion and may contribute to mortality despite successful reperfusion therapy.8,9

Reperfusion injury is triggered by cellular and mitochondrial calcium overload, oxidant stress, endothelial dysfunction, reduction in nitric oxide production, and other factors. Because reperfusion injury limits the efficacy of reperfusion therapy alone, combined use with pharmacological intervention may moderate microcirculatory impairment and clinical outcomes. Such treatments may eventually reduce infarction size and prevent ischemic LV remodeling after AMI. Furthermore, medication in the chronic phase may affect LV remodeling and clinical prognoses. We undertook a systematic review of the literature based on pharmacological reductions in infarct size and prevention of LV remodeling, both of which may be associated with improved clinical outcomes, in cases of MI. In this review, searches through MEDLINE, LILACS, and SCIELO were the sources of information. Articles were selected by their content related to the theme.

The authors had full access to and take responsibility …


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: The goal of this retrospective study was to clarify the clinical implications of immunohistochemically detected protein expression for genes that are frequently mutated in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). Background: The clinical management of PNETs is hindered by their heterogenous biological behavior. Whole-exome sequencing recently showed that 5 genes (DAXX/ATRX, MEN1, TSC2, and PTEN) are frequently mutated in PNETs. However, the clinical implications of the associated alterations in protein expression remain unclear. Methods: We collected Grade 1 and 2 (World Health Organization 2017 Classification) primary PNETs samples from 100 patients who underwent surgical resection. ATRX, DAXX, MEN1, TSC2, and PTEN expression were determined immunohistochemically to clarify their relationships with prognosis and clinicopathological findings. Results: Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that loss of TSC2 (n = 58) or PTEN (n = 37) was associated with significantly shorter overall survival, and that loss of TSC2 or ATRX (n = 41) was associated with significantly shorter recurrence-free survival. Additionally, loss of ATRX or TSC2 was significantly associated with nodal metastasis. In a multivariate analysis, combined loss of TSC2 and ATRX (n = 31) was an independent prognostic factor for shorter recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio 10.1, 95% confidence interval 2.1–66.9, P = 0.003) in G2 PNETs. Conclusions: Loss of ATRX, TSC2, and PTEN expression might be useful as a method of clarifying the behavior and clinical outcomes of Grade 1 and 2 PNETs in routine clinical practice. Combined loss of TSC2 and ATRX had an especially strong, independent association with shorter recurrence-free survival in patients with G2 PNETs. Loss of pairs in ATRX, TSC2, or PTEN would be useful for selecting the candidate for postoperative adjuvant therapy.


Based on observational data and numerical simulation results with the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4), version 4 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), the influence of the sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) of the tropical Pacific–Indian Ocean mode (PIM) on the interannual variability of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) precipitation in mid‐autumn (October) is investigated. We find that the interannual variation of the mid‐autumn TP precipitation is characterized by a dipole mode with a southeast–northwest inverse pattern, which is influenced significantly by the large‐scale circulation anomalies induced by PIM. During a positive phase of PIM, that is, positive SSTA in both the tropical central‐eastern Pacific and western Indian Ocean accompanied by negative SSTA around the Maritime Continent, a robust lower‐level anticyclonic anomaly over the South Asia region (SAAC) and an upper‐level cyclonic anomaly over subtropical Asia are generated owing to the Rossby wave response to the suppressed convective heating over the northern Maritime Continent. As a result, the southerly (northerly) anomalies on the west (east) side of the SAAC can enhance (reduce) the transportation of moisture and the ascending motion over the northwestern (southeastern) TP. Meanwhile, the southward‐shifted East Asian westerly jet can further enhance the ascending motion over the northwestern TP by stimulating secondary circulation. Correspondingly, a positive (negative) precipitation anomaly appears over the northwestern (southeastern) TP. During a negative phase of PIM, the opposite case is also true. Therefore, the suppressed convective heating over the Maritime Continent serves as a pivotal medium by which PIM affects the TP precipitation in mid‐autumn.


This article explores the question of whether we are seeing the end of newspaper-based TV critics as we know them and, if so, what might be taking their place? The first part of this work explores the role of the (TV) critic and raises the question of what might be missed if they disappear. The second part of the article analyses the impact of new forms of digital communication on newspaper-based TV critics and the emergence of new forms of critical debate about television. The article concludes by arguing that the critic still has a role, but a new balance is appearing, one in which the public will play a more important part. 'The TV critic is dead. Long live the TV critic!'


Abstract A model has been developed to describe the growth of an ignition kernel produced by an electric spark in quiescent methane-air mixtures at atmospheric pressure. The model involves the solution of the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy in a chemically reacting fluid in one-dimensional spherical coordinates. Detailed chemical kinetics for methane oxidation are included in the equations, along with an accurate method of calculating the transport coefficients. The electric spark energy is added in the form of internal energy; ionization in the discharge is neglected. The temporal and spatial dependence of this internal energy addition can be taken from the current, voltage, and duration of the discharge which produces the ignition kernel being modeled. The agreement with experimental results for arc and glow discharges is quite good.


Primary testicular mucinous cystadenoma (PTMC) is one of the rarest 'ovarian type' tumors originating from surface epithelium. We aimed to present a 21-year old case and try to analysis the clinical characteristics of this condition. In our case, a right radical orchiectomy was carried out and mucinous cystadenoma was finally diagnosed based on pathology. Additionally, recurrence was not observed with a follow-up of 6 months. Furthermore, except for our case, only five patients have been diagnosed as benign PTMC based on our search of all English literature. Our case would be the youngest based on literature research. However, it is still very limited about understanding of this disease.


A decision on Nov. 29, 2000 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has changed the law regarding the interpretation of patent claims in the United States. Case 95-1066 ("Festo") is of major importance to all patent practitioners but technology managers and leaders should also be aware of its implications. The Festo case has limited the protection given to an inventor by the doctrine of equivalents. The doctrine of equivalents has been with us since an 1854 court decision. It grants protection to the spirit of an invention beyond the literal language of the claims. It prevents me-too copiers from using other people's patented inventions by making small changes-e.g., if a process is claimed to operate at a maximum temperature of 100 deg C, operate at 101 deg instead. In the past, protection under the doctrine of equivalents was available unless a claim was specifically amended during patent prosecution to avoid prior art. The Festo decision essentially bans the use of equivalents for any claim element changed or added after the initial filing of the application. While the decision applies only for changes made for reasons related to the patent statute, it will be difficult to argue that any claim changes made are not related to patentability. The process of getting a patent almost always involves a series of back-and-forth negotiations between the patent filer and the patent examiner. It is almost the rule for the first action by the patent examiner to be a rejection of all the claims. My patent experts used to tell me that, if they did not get this first rejection, it meant that the claims were drawn too narrowly and patentable territory was "left on the table." This process puts the burden on the filer to defend the claims. A compromise is often reached that clarifies or narrows the claim language. This dance may change with the new ruling. Dealing with Festo Patent practitioners are evolving techniques to deal with the Festo ruling. Here are some of the things you might expect to see: 1. A more adversarial relationship with the patent examiner since any compromise that changes a claim element will lose doctrine of equivalents protection. Patent prosecutors will fight harder to justify their original wording and this will slow down the whole process. 2. A different style of claim drafting, with more elements. For example, making upper and lower range limits separate elements so that one can be narrowed without losing equivalence for the other. 3. Filing patents with more and narrower independent claims so that, when part of one claim is altered, other independent claims will not be touched and will possibly keep their zones of equivalence. If related independent claims are included in the filing, challenged claims can be dropped rather than modified and equivalence may be preserved for the untouched claims. 4. For important inventions, parallel applications can be filed, one seeking broad claims and the other narrow. Thus, if claims are narrowed in the broad claimed application, the other application will be insulated. 5. For important inventions, it becomes desirable to file a "thicket" of patents, covering the original invention and improvements. This will make it harder for a competitor to appropriate the spirit of your invention. It is not clear whether all of these and other tactics will survive litigation but they seem worth a try. The decision of how broad a claim coverage to seek, always a crucial one, becomes even more crucial. It is a balance between trying for proper coverage of the invention territory and undergoing risk of losing equivalent coverage. …


A novel OER electrocatalyst, namely oxygen-incorporated amorphous cobalt sulfide porous nanocubes (A-CoS4.6 O0.6 PNCs), show advantages over the benchmark RuO2 catalyst in alkaline/neutral medium. Experiments combining with calculation demonstrate that the desirable O* adsorption energy, associated with the distorted CoS4.6 O0.6 octahedron structure and the oxygen doping, contribute synergistically to the outstanding electrocatalytic activity.


This paper attempts to show that contemporary information and communications technologies (ICTs) do not require an increase consumption of urban space as their use grows, nor have they facilitated new waves of urban spatial growth. Instead, ICTs have permitted and required more sophisticated uses of existing urban spaces without regard to their organizational forms and patterns. As such, urban space may no longer be changed and reorganized by mobility technologies. The author provides an brief outline of relevant ICTs and examines urban facets of ICTs for personal mobilities. The mobile artifact of motorist traffic is considered, followed by a discussion of people's movements about cities. A third urban facet of personal mobilities, the fixed artifact environment, is discussed. Five trends are noted regarding ICTs and urban spatial reorganization: 1) humans are not ready, and may never be ready, for a potential dismantling of cities when ICTs are ubiquitously adopted; 2) ICTs do not present any extensive spatial requirements for their functioning; 3) ICTs are indifferent to existing urban structures and spatial organizations of any kind; 4) the media for corporeal mobility in cities have not changed side by side with the introduction of ICTs; and 5) city dwellers and visitors may now move about any urban space in smarter and more efficient ways since the introduction of ICTs.


In recent years, several wide-ranging and systematic studies have demonstrated that rural development, as 'opposed to urban growth, contributed most heavily to a 30% decline in fertility in the United States in the period 1800-1860.' Those who have advanced this point, of course, do not doubt that fertility declined rapidly in American cities during this period, but correctly point out that in 1800, and even in 1860, the urban population was too small to have had any profound effect on the national fertility rate. This fact alone suffices to tell us that the pronounced decline in American fcrtility occurred on farms and in country towns, where, as late as 1860, more than four-fifths of the American population resided. Still, it is curious that those who have so meticulously analyzed the rural contribution to fertility decline have given so little effort to comparing fertility rates in particular localities of differing size and ~ha rac t e r .~ It is regrettable that they have not considered the influence of cities on the formation of rural families. Both of these tasks, as well as others relating to the precise structure of rural and urban households, are best accomplished in the context of the developing economic region.


The invention relates to a method for machining a rear side (16) of a web material (11) to a primary backing (19), and a device for carrying out the method, wherein the web material (11) is supplied to an application head (36) of a heated deflecting (31), the back (17) of sheet material (11) for deflecting region (41) of the application head (36) facing supplied and an application head (36) is guided along, subsequently, the web material (11) by between a backing roll (38) and the application head (36) formed gap (37) is led through, said gap (37) is smaller than the height of the web material (11) and to the application head (36) facing the poles ends (16) on the back ( 17) of the web material (11) to a pre-coat (21) are smoothed.


This report outlines the roadmap that the ASME Project Team on Graphite Core Supports is pursuing to establish design codes for unirradiated and irradiated graphite core components during its first year of operation. It discusses the deficiencies in the proposed Section III, Division 2, Subsection CE graphite design code and the different approaches the Project Team has taken to address those deficiencies.


Thermometer, one of the most commonly used instruments at home, is normally adapted to measure temperature directly with high accuracy, but rarely adopted to act as readout in the biosensors. It is necessary to find some way to establish a relationship between the concentration of the target and the temperature changing. In this study, a common thermometer was used as a readout to develop a convenient immunosensor. The designed immunosensor comprises of three components, including target recognition area, water flow system, and exothermic reaction bottle. The capture antibody for the target (carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was selected as a model target) was preloaded on the bottom of the recognition area. In the presence of CEA, a sandwich-type structure was formed between the capture antibody, CEA, and biotinylated detection antibody. Then the streptavidin functionalized platinum nanoparticles was labeled on the detection antibody due to biotin-avidin interaction. The captured platinum nanoparticles can effectively catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 into O2. The continuous production of gas resulted in pressure increment inside the reaction bottle and further pushed the water flow into the exothermic reaction bottle. Finally, the water reacted with calcium oxide to generate a large amount of heat in the exothermic reaction bottle. Thereby, the temperature inside the bottle was enhanced and recorded by a common thermometer easily. The temperature enhancement has a linear relationship with the CEA concentration in the range of 7.81 - 500 pg/mL with a detection limit of 0.6 pg/mL. Furthermore, by taking advantage of simplicity, compatibility, stability and high sensitivity, our temperature-based immunoassay has been applied to detect CEA in human serum samples with satisfactory results.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the -secretase inhibitor avagacestat in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD).

DESIGN
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled,24-week phase 2 study.

SETTING
Global, multicenter trial.

PATIENTS
A total of 209 outpatients with mild to moderate AD were randomized into the double-blind treatment phase. The median age of the patients was 75 years,58.9% were APOE ε4 carriers, and baseline measures of disease severity were similar among groups.

INTERVENTION
Avagacestat, 25, 50, 100, or 125 mg daily,or placebo administered orally daily.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Safety and tolerability of avagacestat.

RESULTS
Discontinuation rates for the 25-mg and 50-mg doses of avagacestat were comparable with placebo but were higher in the 100-mg and 125-mg dose groups.Trends for worsening cognition, as measured by change from baseline Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale cognitive subscale score, were observed in the 100-mg and125-mg dose groups. Treatment-emergent serious adverse events were similar across placebo and treatment groups. The most common reason for discontinuation was adverse events, predominantly gastrointestinal anddermatologic. Other adverse events occurring more frequentlyin patients undergoing treatment included reversibleglycosuria (without associated serum glucose changes), nonmelanoma skin cancer, and asymptomaticmagnetic resonance imaging findings. Exploratory cerebrospinal fluid amyloid isoforms and tau biomarker analysis demonstrated dose-dependent but not statistically significant reductions in a small subset of patients.

CONCLUSIONS
Avagacestat dosed at 25 and 50 mg daily was relatively well tolerated and had low discontinuation rates. The 100-mg and 125-mg dose arms were poorly tolerated with trends for cognitive worsening. Exploratory cerebrospinal fluid biomarker substudies provide preliminary support for -secretase target engagement,but additional studies are warranted to better characterize pharmacodynamic effects at the 25- and 50-mg doses.This study establishes an acceptable safety and tolerability dose range for future avagacestat studies in AD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00810147


The resistance switching behavior has recently attracted great attentions for its application as resistive random access memories (RRAMs) due to a variety of advantages such as simple structure, high-density, high-speed and low-power. As a leading storage media, the transition metal perovskite oxide owns the strong correlation of electrons and the stable crystal structure, which brings out multifunctionality such as ferroelectric, multiferroic, superconductor, and colossal magnetoresistance/electroresistance effect, etc. The existence of rich electronic phases, metal–insulator transition and the nonstoichiometric oxygen in perovskite oxide provides good platforms to insight into the resistive switching mechanisms. In this review, we first introduce the general characteristics of the resistance switching effects, the operation methods and the storage media. Then, the experimental evidences of conductive filaments, the transport and switching mechanisms, and the memory performances and enhancing methods of perovskite oxide based filamentary RRAM cells have been summarized and discussed. Subsequently, the switching mechanisms and the performances of the uniform RRAM cells associating with the carrier trapping/detrapping and the ferroelectric polarization switching have been discussed. Finally, the advices and outlook for further investigating the resistance switching and enhancing the memory performances are given. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: email@example.com (Z.B. Yan), email@example.com (J.-M. Liu). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aop.2015.03.028 0003-4916/© 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Z.B. Yan, J.-M. Liu / Annals of Physics 358 (2015) 206–224 207 Fig. 1. Schematic I–V curves of (a) unipolar and (b) bipolar switching modes. Symbol Icomp denotes the compliance current, which is adopted during the set process to prevent any permanent breakdown.