The unconventional normal-state properties of the cuprates are often discussed in terms of emergent electronic order that onsets below a putative critical doping, xc=0.19. Charge density wave (CDW) correlations represent one such order; however, experimental evidence for such order generally spans a limited range of doping that falls short of the critical value xc, leading to questions regarding its essential relevance. Here, we use x-ray diffraction to demonstrate that CDW correlations in La2-xSrxCuO4 persist up to a doping of at least x = 0.21 . The correlations show strong changes through the superconducting transition, but no obvious discontinuity through xc=0.19 , despite changes in Fermi surface topology and electronic transport at this doping. These results prompt a reconsideration of the role of CDW correlations in the high-Tc cuprate phase diagram.


The Coase Theorem has a central place in the theory of environmental economics and regulation. But its applicability for solving real-world externality problems remains debated. In this paper, we first place this seminal contribution in its historical context. We then survey the experimental literature that has tested the importance of the many, often tacit assumptions in the Coase Theorem in the laboratory. We discuss a selection of applications of the Coase Theorem to actual environmental problems, distinguishing between situations in which the polluter or the pollutee pays. While limited in scope, Coasian bargaining over externalities offers a pragmatic solution to problems that are difficult to solve in any other way.


ABSTRACT Clinical Coaches play a very important role in supporting the development of Student Veterinary Nurses to become qualified members of the team. Clinical Coaches often need to overcome multiple obstacles to be able to carry out their role. Some of the top challenges they face are; supporting inexperienced students, overcoming tight time constraints and guiding Student Veterinary Nurses through both academic and pastoral problems. The solutions to overcome these issues are summarised within six top tips.


Purchase power and consumption patterns change are important aspects to formulate government policies in economic development. The research objective is to analyze each the magnitude of macroeconomic variables on real household consumption of 34 provinces in Indonesia. The research method used is correlative quantitative research to explore the relationship of facts proposed and then described systematically, factually and accurately about the facts and phenomena, as well as the variables needed for public consumption. The research results show two finding. First, there is a negative and significant relationship between conversion and consumption of Indonesian. The increase in inflation will be responded by a decrease in consumption of Indonesian in 34 provinces during 2016-2018. Second, Per capita income has a negative and significant impact on consumption of Indonesian in 2016-2018. The research recommendation is to promote Indonesian consumption who moves into slowing phase due to a shifting or consumption patterns change. Keywords : Purchase Power, Consumption Pattern DOI : 10.7176/JESD/11-2-07 Publication date: January 31 st 2020


Recovery of metals from e-waste forms a major focus of circular economy thinking and aligns well with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). While hydrometallurgical extraction from electronic printed circuit boards (PCBs) is well established, the separation of metals from the leach liquors, which are complex mixtures, remains a challenge. To achieve selective separation, ion exchange resins with chelating functional groups were employed in the present study. Batch and column studies for selective recovery of Cu2+ from a given mixed metals leach solution were conducted using Dowex M4195 resin, and both the adsorption isotherm and kinetics were studied. The process involves three major steps: selective recovery of Cu2+ by M4195 at low pH and elution with H2SO4; sorption of Ni2+ from the raffinate by Dowex M4195 at pH 2 and removal of Fe3+ from raffinate. The batch experimental results showed appreciable and selective recovery of copper (51.1%) at pH 0.7 and 40.0% Ni2+ was sorbed from raffinate at pH 2.0 with co-adsorption of Fe3+ as impurity. The batch adsorption data could be fitted with both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and exhibited pseudo-second-order kinetics. Column studies agreed with the Yoon–Nelson model and indicated that Cu2+ break-through time in the column decreased with an increase in flowrate from 3.0 to 10.0 min/mL and decreased in sorption capacity, while it was delayed with increased bed heights from 20 to 30 mm. Complete elution of Ni2+ was obtained with 2.0 M H2SO4 after selective elution of trace impurities with dilute HCl. Iron in the raffinate was removed via the addition of Ca (OH)2 at pH 4.0 leaving Zn-Al in the solution.


PURPOSE: The purpose of this Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) is to document an approach that can be utilized for user-specified project sites to create a complete set of soil texture classifications for locations of interest within the United States. This is accomplished by using the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) dataset in combination with the U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2) dataset to replace the missing values in the SSURGO dataset. The datasets are separated into tabular and spatial datasets; then, by using Python and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) (analyses as described herein), the tabular data can be added to the spatial data creating a complete soils dataset.


The objective of this paper is to showcase the successful and innovative deployment of IR 4.0 Technology in hydrocarbon gas dehydration with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Tri Ethylene Glycol (TEG) regeneration systems reboiler fired heaters.
 Conventionally, Direct and indirect fired heaters are utilized in gas dehydration systems Glycol regeneration to increase the temperature of the water and glycol mixture in order to vaporize water and increase glycol purity, the subject fired heaters utilize a combustion process that incorporates the usage of a mixture of air and natural gas which is in turn generates the required heat and enthalpy. In the majority of these applications high green house gasses (GHG) are dispersed to the atmosphere due to inefficiencies in the combustion process. In addition, high energy losses, equipment life time premature depletion along with significant financial losses associated with unnecessary capital and operating expenditure have plagued the conventional Tri Ethylene Glycol Dehydration and regeneration systems.
 In this paper, the successful deployment of the patented IR 4.0 methodology in gas dehydration system fired heaters to reduce greenhouse gases will be discussed along with a comprehensive data analysis of the deployment trial test and success story that led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gases, minimization of energy losses and prolonging of equipment lifetime.


Any advice about the consumption of alcohol must take into account not only the complex relation between alcohol and cardiovascular disease but also the well-known association of heavy consumption of alcohol with a large number of health risks.1 One approach would be to recommend no consumption of alcohol. However, a large number of recent observational studies have consistently demonstrated a reduction in coronary heart disease (CHD) with moderate consumption of alcohol.2 3 Any prohibition of alcohol would then deny such persons a potentially sizable health benefit. This advisory examines the complex relation between alcohol and coronary heart disease and offers recommendations for the responsible use of alcohol.

Many beverages contain alcohol in varying amounts, necessitating standardization of the quantity of alcohol contained in various drinks. In general, the amount of absolute alcohol in grams is determined by the number of beverages consumed per day times the amount of alcohol in each beverage. In general, a 12-ounce bottle of beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, and a 1 1/2-ounce shot of 80-proof spirits all contain the same amount of alcohol (one half ounce). Each of these is considered a "drink equivalent."4 Recent studies have tried to determine whether specific beverages have unique protective or deleterious effects. The interpretation of this research is complex because one person often consumes several types of beverages.

A large number of observational studies have consistently demonstrated a J-shaped relation between alcohol consumption and total mortality .5 This relation appears to hold in men and women who are middle aged or older.6 7 8 9 The lowest mortality occurs in those who consume one or two drinks per day.10 In teetotalers or occasional drinkers, the rates are higher than in those consuming one or two drinks per day. In persons …


CD8 glycoproteins are expressed as either αα homodimers or αβ heterodimers on the surface of T cells. CD8αβ is a more efficient coreceptor than the CD8αα for peptide Ag recognition by TCR. Each CD8 subunit is composed of four structural domains, namely, Ig-like domain, stalk region, transmembrane region, and cytoplasmic domain. In an attempt to understand why CD8αβ is a better coreceptor than CD8αα, we engineered, expressed, and functionally tested a chimeric CD8α protein whose stalk region is replaced with that of CD8β. We found that the β stalk region enhances the coreceptor function of chimeric CD8αα to a level similar to that of CD8αβ. Surprisingly, the β stalk region also restored functional activity to an inactive CD8α variant, carrying an Ala mutation at Arg8 (R8A), to a level similar to that of wild-type CD8αβ. Using the R8A variant of CD8α, a panel of anti-CD8α Abs, and three MHC class I (MHCI) variants differing in key residues known to be involved in CD8α interaction, we show that the introduction of the CD8β stalk leads to a different topology of the CD8α-MHCI complex without altering the overall structure of the Ig-like domain of CD8α or causing the MHCI to employ different residues to interact with the CD8α Ig domain. Our results show that the stalk region of CD8β is capable of fine-tuning the coreceptor function of CD8 proteins as a coreceptor, possibly due to its distinct protein structure, smaller physical size and the unique glycan adducts associated with this region.


This study was undertaken to evaluate the potential of collagen/chitosan (CG/CH) and collagen/soy protein isolate (CG/SPI) composite films for food packaging applications. Two types of composite films at different blend ratios of CG/CH or CG/SPI (10 : 0, 8 : 2, 6 : 4, 5 : 5 and 0 : 10%, w/w) using 30% (w/w) glycerol as plasticiser were prepared and characterised. The results of mechanical tests of the CG/CH composite films displayed higher elongation at break point (EAB), but lower tensile strength (TS) and modulus of elasticity (E), compared to the CG film (P < 0.05). Conversely, the CG/SPI composite films exhibited lower EAB, but greater TS and E values (P < 0.05) compared to the CG film. Water vapour permeability (WVP) increased markedly in the CG/CH composite films; whilst it was found to decrease in CG/SPI composite films at the different blend ratios tested (P < 0.05). Transparency values and water solubility of CG/CH and CG/SPI composite films were decreased substantially, compared to the CG film (P < 0.05). Lower light transmission was observed in all composite films in ultraviolet (UV) and visible regions (200–800 nm), indicating improved UV blocking capacity. Intermolecular interactions through hydrogen bonding among polymeric components were dominant in the CG/SPI (8 : 2) composite film as elucidated by FTIR analysis. Thermo-gravimetric curves demonstrated that CG/CH (8 : 2) and CG/SPI (8 : 2) composite films exhibited lower heat susceptibility and weight loss (%), as compared to the CG film in the temperature range of 30–600 °C. DSC thermograms suggested that the compatible blend of CG/SPI (8 : 2) rendered a solid film matrix, which consisted of highly ordered and aggregated junction zones. SEM micrographs revealed that both CG/CH (8 : 2) and CG/SPI (8 : 2) composite films were slightly rougher than the CG film, but no apparent signs of cracking and layering phenomena were observed, thereby highlighting their potential use as biodegradable packaging materials.


A modified NALM setup for phase-preserving amplitude regeneration of WDM-DPSK signals is proposed. Demultiplexing-multiplexing within the NALM fiber loop is used to avoid WDM channel crosstalk. A negative power penalty of 1.2 dB was obtained.


Due to the events of the last years, when, mainly the Southeast region of Brazil has experienced one of the worst periods of water shortage, there has been a process of national awareness for the need of care with the quality and quantity of water. Therefore, currently in the national and world scenario is seeking to minimize the waste of water, acting mainly in the water supply systems, which have the highest loss rates of this liquid. In this way, the objective is to determine the volume of water (1000m³/year) wasted in SAA (Water Supply System), based on the amount of water produced and consumed in the North and Central-West region of Brazil and, from this, compare the losses in those regions, for the year 2015. Based on the analysis of the datas, it was verified that the water supply in the North and Central-West regions presented high losses rates, 43% and 37%, respectively. Actions such as maintenance of sanitary fittings and elimination of leaks in the residence, more efficient operation and maintenance of the system and improvement in the commercial management of service providers, are measures to combat and reduce water losses.


Fungal diseases cause more deaths as compared to combined deaths due to malaria and tuberculosis. There are around 3.8 million fungal species, but only about 300 of them are pathogenic to humans. Invasive fungal diseases are majorly caused by Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus, Histoplasma, Mucorales, and Pneumocystis. It has been estimated that around 1.5 million people die because of these infections across the globe. The emergence of resistance against the major classes of antifungal drugs poses a serious threat to public health. Moreover, the commonly used antifungal drugs are loaded with side effects. Some of them are nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, cause cardiomyopathy, and in acute cases, cytotoxicity. Hence, it is important to seek novel molecules that can be safe and effective antifungal drugs. Naturally occurring molecules in plants and various microorganisms can be a safe and effective alternative to the existing antifungal drugs. In this review, the role of various phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, and phenols as potential antifungal agents has been discussed. Similarly, naturally occurring molecules in other microorganisms like algae, bacteria, and various other fungi have been summarized. The information discussed in this review can be useful in the identification of novel antifungals.


The author characterizes the Markov perfect tax that induces a common property oligopoly to extract efficiently a nonrenewable resource. For linear and isoelastic demand, he provides closed-form expressions of the unique (specific) tax. Industry profits may be higher or lower in the oligopoly with the tax, relative to the competitive equilibrium with property rights. For linear or isoelastic demand, there exists no feasible open-loop tax that induces efficient extraction. In this case, the policymaker gains no advantage from being able to make binding commitments. Copyright 1992 by Royal Economic Society.


The article presents the study results of the dynamic loading of a flat wagon with a lower gravity center.The authors built a mathematical model that takes into account displacements of a flat wagon loaded with an anti-aircraft installation firing in motion. The solution of the differential equations of motion is carried out by using the Runge-Kutta method. The maximum vertical acceleration was about 5 m/sec2 and almost independent of the fire angle. The horizontal acceleration was about 37 m/sec2. The acceleration values obtained did not exceed the normative ones. The study defined the natural oscillation frequencies for the frame of a flat wagon with lower gravity center. It was established that the critical oscillation frequencies were within the admissible values. The results of the work will contribute to the creation of recommendations on the transportation of military equipment on wagons and the possibility of conducting military operations from them.


The levels of development disparities vary from region to region so many countries suffer from this problem established regional development agencies for minimizing these differences. Regional development agencies are established with the aim of invigorating regional economies and they aim to unearth regional internal dynamics and convert these dynamics into economic and socio-cultural values in both national and international arena. Thus, agencies can attract investments and contribute to the minimization of unemployment. Furthermore, they can invigorate regional economies and contribute correspondingly to the country's economic growth. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential roles of regional development agencies in minimizing regional development disparities and their contributions on regional economies. Comparison of Turkish and Romanian development agencies is the sample case for this study.


Modelling venture capital funds is a challenge and has become more important due to recent and upcoming securitisation deals, the need for efficient portfolio management, and Basel II. Here, Thomas Meyer and Tom Weidig summarise the issues both industry and academia face, from estimation of past performance to modelling venture capital funds. Tom Weidig also proposes a modelling framework based on an internal age concept.


Emotional intelligence (EI), which is described as a set of skills to recognise and control one's own emotions and other people, is believed to act as a protective factor against negative stress. Recently, stress and online learning readiness (OLR) have become an increasing concern among the students during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between EI and demographic profiles (gender, year of study and geographical living area), and to find the correlation between EI and stress, as well as between stress and OLR among the pharmacy students during the pandemic. This study involved a cross-sectional correlational study, where an online-based survey was performed involving 315 pharmacy students, from first to the fourth year, at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Puncak Alam, Malaysia. Three valid and reliable questionnaires were used namely Universiti Sains Malaysia Emotional Quotient Inventory (USMEQ-i), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS). The data were analysed by SPSS software version 27. In the study, the respondents' EI was at the average level. No association between EI and demographic profiles was found. A weak negative correlation was found between EI and stress r(313) = –0.272, p < 0.05 as well as between stress and OLR, r(313) = –0.320, p < 0.05. This study suggested that EI could act as a protective element against stress since both were negatively correlated. A negative correlation found between stress and OLR reflects that increased stress levels can potentially give a negative impact on the OLR of the pharmacy students in UiTM Puncak Alam.


This paper introduces a variable traffic information display system design. Is the integrity of the use of Protel 99SE painting schematics, and differ from the other LED display system is that the common font and traffic signs to curing the cause of the Flash, can run completely off-line control display content, but also with the control center communications.


Based on the studies on the epitaph for mo Manari, a Japanese diplomat to the Tang Dynasty, collected by the Historical Museum of Northwest University in 2004, mo Manari was likely to be the member of diplomats to the Tang Dynasty in the name of Benefit-requesting Monk in the year of Kaiyuan 21 (733A. D.). The surname of Ino Manari maybe Huji, with Temple Nankanaitoui being its base area. When he arrived in Changan, the capital of Tang Dynasty, Ino Manari was courteously received by the government of Tang Dynasty.


Ductile self-compacting concrete (DSCC) also known as ultra-high-performance fiber reinforced concrete with a steel like compressive strength of up to 250 MPa and remarkable increase in durability compared to high-strength concrete can be considered as the most successful recent innovation in concrete construction. The achievement of DSCC has been made possible by the introduction of materials such as superplasticizers, microsilica and steel fibers. Incorporation of steel fibers in the mix made it feasible to design sustainable filigree, lightweight concrete constructions without any additional steel reinforcement. The purpose of this paper is to review the needs of DSCC and the factors influencing the workability of DSCC as well as the effect of the inclusion of steel fibers. Various studies concluded that the inclusion of steel fibers will increase the mechanical and durability properties but reduce the workability.


A method of dynamic ensemble of multiple classifiers based on information entropy(EMDA) is proposed in the paper,in order to improve the classification performance of dataset.The algorithm is tested on the UCI benchmark data sets,and comparative classification efficiency with several member classfiers trained based on ensemble learning algorithm—Adaboost.In the end,the utility of EMDA algorithm can be proved in the paper.


Two procedures adopted in an attempt to measure the respiratory rates throughout the year of the naturally composed macro-zooplankton in near-field conditions are described critically and in detail. Some results are presented showing the changes in the oxygen consumption per mg dry weight of the larger zooplankton from two reservoirs in the lower Thames Valley (England). An attempt is made to compare the levels of "field" respiratory rates per 5 1 of the zooplankton during i a period when Daphnia hyalina predominated with the levels obtained when ' laboratory respiratory rates of this species were applied to its field population numbers obtained during the same period.


New transformations which preserve the order and size of a graph, but decrease its matching energy are proposed to compare the matching energy between two graphs. Let Ψn,m be the set of the (n,m)-graphs, where n and m are the numbers of vertices and edges, respectively. With the aid of the new method, the graphs with the minimum matching energy in Ψn,m are deduced for three cases, namely unicyclic and bipartite unicyclic graphs (m = n), bicyclic graphs (m = n + 1), and cactus graphs, where a cactus is a graph with all of its blocks being either edges or cycles.


Recently progress Ichthyosis vulgaris is a skin condition which causes dry, dead skin cells to accumulate in patches on the upper surface of your skin. It's also called as "fish scale disease or "Autosomal dominant ichthyosis" because the dull skin accumulates in a related pattern to a fish's scales. 1 The majority of cases are mild and confined to specific areas of the body. Still, a few cases are chronic and can cover large areas of the body, including the abdomen, back, arms, and legs. It is due to renal failure, cancer and thyroid disease. It occurs along with atopic dermatitis (eczema) or keratosis pilaris. 2 Atopic dermatitis, more commonly known as eczema, is known for causing extremely itchy skin rashes. The affected skin can also be thick and covered in scales. 3 The white or red skin bumps caused by keratosis pilaris may appear similar to acne, but they typically appear on the arms, thighs, or buttocks. This condition can also cause rough patches of skin. 4 It is diagnosed by biopsy and microscopical examination. Treatment which may reduce scaling if we using Vitamin A and lactic acid and other alpha  hydroxy acids which moisturize skin and nicotinic acid. 1,4


Five new species of Fissistigma are described from Borneo. Fissistigma brevistipitatum sp. nov. is a species of lowland and hill forest mostly recorded from Sabah. Fissistigma bygravei sp. nov. is similar to F. hypoglaucum (Miq.) Merr. of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Fissistigma carrii sp. nov. is from Mount Kinabalu. Fissistigma crassicaule is a robust plant known from a couple of collections from Sarawak. Fissistigma montanum sp. nov. is a species from hill and montane forest recorded from Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak. A new combination in Fissistigma is made for Melodorum multivenium Diels. Two recently described species of Fissistigma from Borneo (F. cordifolium Irawan and F. magnisepalum Irawan) are reduced to synonymy of Friesodielsia excisa (Miq.) Steenis and Friesodielsia affinis (Hook. f. & Thomson) D. Das, respectively. Both species of Friesodielsia are lectotypified.


In industrial applications, a servo controller with state feedback signals generally includes a PID or PI compensator. This controller shows a disturbance robustness to the coulomb friction and gravity as constant disturbances, and thus steady state errors asymptotically approach zero. When the state signals are not available, however, a differentiator is used in the control loop. On the other hand, the use of a differentiator causes phase delays and has a limitation in the control system characteristics. The use of observer basically gives a solution to this inconvenience but, at the same time, loses the disturbance robustness in the original control system. In this paper, the proposed disturbance robust observer designed in a frequency domain is simply described and the overall control characteristics are analyzed when this observer is applied to the system. It is suggested through the analysis that the disturbance response with the robust observer has a disturbance model itself in its numerator characteristics. Finally, the effectiveness of using the robust observer is confirmed by the motor positioning control system.


We apply the $\delta$-expansion to the Gross-Neveu model in the large $N$ limit with Wilson fermion and investigate dynamical mass generation from inverse-mass expansion. The dimensionless mass $M$ defined via the effective potential is employed as the expansion parameter of the bare coupling constant $\beta$ which is partially renormalized by the subtraction of linear divergence. We show that $\delta$-expansion of the $1/M$ series of $\beta$ is compatible with the mass renormalization. After the confirmation of the continuum scaling of the bare coupling without fermion doubling, we attempt to estimate dynamical mass in the continuum limit and obtain the results converging to the exact value for values of Wilson parameter $r\in (0.8,1.0)$.


This volume is intended for physicists with a specific research interest in the solar system, the Universe and galactic and extragalactic objects, as well as researchers in astrophysics, cosmology and astronomy.


Obesity is a far too common issue in the Appalachian region. Because larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) are optically transparent up to fourteen days post fertilization (dpf) and have high synteny with humans, it makes them ideal research models to study biological responses that include metabolic and physiological processes. The intestines perform a wave like, autoregulated, continuous series of muscular contractions and relaxations called peristalsis to push food through the digestive system. Diets spiked with fluorescent polystyrene beads were used to visualize consumption of the diet to determine an optimal feeding period. Once determined, seven-dpf larvae were fed two different diets, visualizing which diet causes the most peristaltic movement. One diet was prepared with high fat contents and another with low fat contents. The larvae were fed for 3 hours at 20 minutes apart to ensure all larvae fed for the same period before being imaged. Each diet was fed to 25 larvae to allow a good sample size in analysis. Using the Zeiss Discovery V8 microscope, an image sequence was captured at 1 image per second for 5 minutes. For analysis, using NIH Image J and RStudio, we are recording pixel movement through 5 different regions of interest (ROI) in the intestinal tract of the fed larvae. For the experimental data, pixel movement will represent peristaltic movement between different diets. Analysis has yet to be concluded, but we expect the results to show that the larvae being fed the high fat diet will have a higher rate of peristaltic movement.


nfrared (IR) images (approximately 11-micron channel) recorded by satellite sensors have been widely used in weather forecasting, research, and classroom education since the Nimbus program. Unlike visible images, IR imagery can reveal cloud features without sunlight illumination; therefore, they can be used to monitor weather phenomena day and night. With geostationary satellites deployed around the globe, it is possible to monitor weather events 24/7 at a temporal resolution that polar-orbiting satellites cannot achieve at the present time. When IR data from multiple geostationary satellites are merged to form a single product--also known as a merged product--it allows for observing weather on a global scale. Its high temporal resolution (e.g., every half hour) also makes it an ideal ancillary dataset for supporting other satellite missions, such as the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), etc., by providing additional background information about weather system evolution.


The crystal structure of [2]benzoxepino[4,3-b]indole, (2), shows that this tetracyclic molecule comprises two essentially flat «wings», the indole and benzene aromatic moieties, linked via a'hinge'comprising the CH 2 O and carbonyl groups, and producing a butterfly shape; the angle between the wings is 29.2 (7) o


Social insects present many phenomena seen in all organisms but in more extreme forms and with larger sample sizes than those observable in most natural populations of vertebrates. Microsatellites are proving very much more informative than allozymes for the analysis of population biological problems, and prolifically polymorphic markers are fairly readily developed. In addition, the male‐haploid genetic system of many social insects facilitates genetic analysis. The ability to amplify DNA from sperm stored in a female's sperm storage device enables the determination of mating types long after the death of the short‐lived males, in addition to information on the degree of mixing of sperm from different males. Mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences are also proving important, not only in phylogenetic studies but also in molecular population genetics, as a tracer of female movements. Mitochondrial markers have definitively shown the movement of females between colonies, challenging models giving exclusive primacy to kin selection as the explanation for multi‐queen colonies, in Australian meat ants, Iridomyrmex purpureus, and the arid‐zone queenless ant Rhytidoponera sp. 12. Microsatellite and mtDNA variation are being studied in Camponotus consobrinus sugar ants, showing an unexpected diversity of complexity in colony structure, and microsatellites have shown that transfer of ants between nests of the weaver ant Polyrhachis doddi must be slight, despite an apparent lack of hostility.


In bacteria, ParABS systems and structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) condensin-like complexes are important for chromosome segregation and organization. The rod-shaped Myxococcus xanthus cells have a unique chromosome arrangement in which a scaffold composed of three bactofilins (BacNOP) and PadC positions the essential ParB·parS segregation complexes and the DNA segregation ATPase ParA in the subpolar regions. Here, we identify the Smc and ScpAB subunits of the SMC complex in M. xanthus and demonstrate that SMC is conditionally essential with mutants containing smc or scpAB deletions being temperature sensitive. Lack of SMC caused defects in chromosome segregation and organization. Lack of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold caused chromosome segregation defects but was not essential. Inactivation of SMC was synthetic lethal with lack of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold. Lack of SMC interfered with formation of the BacNOP/PadC scaffold while lack of this scaffold did not interfere with chromosome association by SMC. Altogether, our data support that three systems cooperate to enable chromosome segregation in M. xanthus, whereby ParABS constitutes the basic machinery and SMC and the BacNOP/PadC scaffold have distinct yet redundant roles in this process with SMC supporting individualization of daughter chromosomes and BacNOP/PadC making the ParABS system operate more robustly


A PWM control for fully-controlled power electronic switch devices anti-parallel connected to upper arms of three-phase diode rectifier bridge is proposed in order to satisfy requirement of a boost PFC rectifier,if no-requirement for inverter operation.The analysis results show the power factor near 1 and three-phase sinusoidal currents may be obtained,only if each phase fully-controlled device is controlled under discontinuous conductive mode(DCM)in negative half of ac voltage waves.The modeling and simulation for the three-phase rectifier bridge boost PFC circuit under one-cycle control are completed with Matlab/Simulink software.The simulation results show that above mentioned operation principle is right and feasible.


Bisphenol A (BPA) is a well-known toxin whose effects on reproductive toxicities. However, recent years, it has also been known BPA causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is one of the factors causing organ damage, this study aims to prove the effect of oral bisphenol A administration on malondialdehyde levels and apoptotic index in rats liver. This study used a posttest only control group design. Subjects were 14 male Sprague Dawley rats, male, aged 8-10 weeks, body weight ±180 g, and in healthy condition. The control group (P0), seven rats, were given a placebo of 1 ml aquadest for 21 days; while the treatment group (P1), 7 rats, were given 400 mg/kgBW of BPA for 21 days. The results showed that the P1 group had higher hepatic MDA levels (3,33±0,27 nmol/mg.prot) and significantly different (p<0,001) than the P0 group (2,67±0,14 nmol/mg.prot). In addition, the P1 group had a higher apoptotic index (11,21±2,26%) and significantly different (p<0,001) than the P0 group (2,19±0,97%). Based on these results, it can be concluded that oral administration of bisphenol A increases malondialdehyde and apoptotic index in the liver of male Sprague dawley rats.


The reflection and transmission properties of inhomogeneous clouds (or ensembles of clouds) are simulated, which is relevant for e.g., satellite remote sensing and climate modeling. One of the main cloud properties is optical thickness. Here cloud inhomogeneity is assumed to arise from cloud optical thickness variability over a certain area. A simple triangular distribution function of cloud optical thickness is used, based on observations of cloud liquid water path distribution. An accurate plane-parallel radiative transfer model is employed to study the effect of cloud optical thickness variability on the reflection and transmission properties of inhomogeneous clouds. The effect of cloud sides is neglected. Results of the reflectivity, albedo, and transmission of inhomogeneous clouds are shown. Inhomogeneous clouds have lower reflectivity and albedo, and higher transmission than homogeneous clouds with the same number of cloud particles. The ratio of average cloud optical thickness to effective cloud optical thickness, which is the optical thickness of a homogeneous cloud that has the same reflection or transmission properties, is about 1.3 for thin clouds (average optical thickness 5), and about 1.6 for thick clouds (average optical thickness 50).


To any (0,2)-tensor field on the tangent and cotangent bundles of a semi-Riemannian manifold, we associate a global matrix function 'mutatis mutandis' as in the Riemannian case. Based on this fact, natural (0,2)tensor fields on these bundles are defined and characterized.


Introduction. Chapter 1: A new kind of relationship. Chapter 3: The customer coronation. Chapter 4: The marketing mix up. Chapter 5: Mind marketing. Chapter 6 Messages to heart and mind. Chapter 7: Making sense of communication. Chapter 8: How customers decide. Chapter 9: More keys to the customer's mind. Chapter 10: One to one intelligence. Chapter 11: The corporate mind. Chapter 12: World class customer strategies.


In this paper some theoretical results regarding the wavelet coeecients co-variance structure between and within diierent scales are presented. These ndings, generally applicable to the problem of modeling wavelet coeecients, are used here in the context of wavelet shrinkage where the purpose is to estimate a function from noisy data. The approach taken is Bayesian and uses an hierarchical structure. Applications to benchmark simulated signals are presented.


Possibilities of design and implementation of embedded systems for user identification and access to different objects and services using mobile phone are considered, proposed and described in the paper. Such systems are applying different communication technologies and embedded devices and are valuable for different identification applications. One practically proposed, designed and implemented embedded system solution, using smart mobile phones and embedded devices with virtualized server platforms, for user identification in access to vehicle public parking garages purposes is presented. Data exchange technologies between smart mobile phones, centralized system, as well as hardware and software platforms, used to realize parking booking and access in such identification system are considered. Obtained results along with developed Web and mobile applications, as well as embedded application for interfacing smart mobile phones with embedded device and virtualized server platform are described.


Over the past 25 years, artificial reproductive techniques have significantly improved and are now a well-established practice. While pregnancy, without consideration of obstetric and neonatal outcomes, was the main focus of the practice in the past, today a practice is esteemed successful if a healthy baby is delivered in a short treatment time with low risks for the patient and the baby. Human reproduction itself is quite inefficient. During the period of conception, implantation and placentation to the delivery of a baby, a number of aberrations can occur, resulting either in no pregnancy or a loss of pregnancy. In order to compensate for the low implantation rate of human embryos, it is routine to transfer more than one embryo in each treatment cycle as a routine procedure. As a result, the incidence of multiple pregnancy (MP; twins and higher order pregnancies) after IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection is much higher (30%) than after natural conception (1%). The obstetric, neonatal and long-term con...


The Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer (FAME) will perform an all sky astrometric survey with unprecedented accuracy. FAME will improve the accuracy of star positions determined by Hipparcos and also expand the volume of space for which accurate positions are known by a factor of 8,000. FAME uses a Hipparcos style observing concept to scan the sky. FAME employs a slowly spinning spacecraft with a passive attitude control system. The FAME Electrical Power System (EPS) uses a high efficiency solar cell array, a lithium ion (Li-Ion) battery and heritage electronics in a battery―on―bus architecture to provide power to all subsystems during all mission phases.


Originals scanned by Georgia Wier. Kurt brought the photos and books for Georgia to scan as a follow-up of the videotaped interview conducted with Kurt at his Eugene home on March 23, 2015.


This paper proposes a platform which allows to evaluate the performance of an Embodied Conversational Agent and the influence of several distinct multimedia elements. Using the "Imitation Game" as described by Alan Turing as a starting point and motivation, the platform allows the configuration of several features which influence the Virtual environment. Through a series of user tests and surveys that are performed using the platform, it is possible to gather data that helps measure the efficiency of each feature.


This paper shows how electrodynamics and a Yukawa model are dressed after integrating out perturbative brane fluctuations. We discovered that first-order corrections in the inverse of the brane tension occur for the fermion and scalar wave functions, the couplings and the masses. Nevertheless, field redefinitions actually lead to effective actions, where only masses are dressed to this first order. We compare our results with the literature and find discrepancies at the next order, which, however, might not be measurable in the valid regime of low-energy brane fluctuations.


Neuromorphic engineering [Mead, 1989, Mead, 1990, Douglas et al., 1995] applies the computational principles used by biological nervous systems to those tasks that biological systems perform easily, but which have proved difficult to do using traditional engineering techniques. These problems include visual and auditory perceptive processing, navigation, and locomotion. Typically, current neuromorphic systems are hybrid analog-digital electronic systems fabricated using CMOS VLSI technology [Mead, 1989, Douglas and Mahowald, 1995]. Research has focused on the sub-threshold analog operation of these circuits, because in this regime it is possible to construct compact analog circuits that compute various biologically relevant operations such as logarithms, exponents and hyperbolic tangents.


The disturbed pattern of mineralization of developing enamel of the rat incisor after the oral administration of SrCl2 and NaF was investigated in an attempt to disclose possible mechanisms which might not be readily detectable under normal conditions, but which may control the progressive mineralization of developing enamel, especially during the maturation stage. Undemineralized ground sections of upper incisors were examined by contact microradiography, tetracycline labeling, and electron microprobe analysis. It was clear that Sr and F disturb the pattern of mineralization during the maturation stage in a characteristic fashion. Sr inhibits the early stage of maturation in which mineralization progresses from the surface toward the middle layer, whereas F accelerates the same stage prominently. At the late stage of maturation, the pattern of hypomineralization is different in the enamel of Sr- and F-treated rats. Mineralization in the inner and innermost layers of the Sr-treated rats and that in the outer layer of the F-treated rats ceases earlier than that in the controls, although the enamel is still hypomineralized. At the latest stage of maturation, Fe penetrates more deeply into the hypomineralized enamel of the Sr- and F-treated rats, because of the higher porosity of the matrix. These results suggest that the maturation stage is not a simple, continuous process, but rather is composed of substages (phases) which have different control mechanisms and in which mineralization progresses in different modes and rates.


Abstract Phenothiazine has no effect on vulcanization of rubber or standard mechanical properties of the vulcanizates. Phenothiazine considerably increases fatigue resistance of vulcanizates of the rubbers studied, under different fatigue conditions. Under the effect of thermal oxidation and repeated deformation phenothiazine or its conversion products combine with the vulcanizate. The phenothiazine does not combine when subjected only to heating. When used with certain inhibitors of oxidation phenothiazine has a synergistic effect.


With the economy's continuous development, consumers become more mature and rational, so many keen enterprises gradually shifted their focus from the initial product development to "customer service skill" and thus obtained a good market return. Especially for the online shopping activities carried out in the virtual (digital) way, due to the particularity of its channel, it is more important to study the experience of its customers in online consumption. In addition, shopping websites and businesses selling goods through the internet should try their best to use words, pictures, video, and other media, as well as setting up more friendly interfaces. This paper takes the telepresence, pleasure, social presence, and trust in the process of online shopping as the research variables. Through the stepwise regression analysis method, it is found that telepresence can well predict the pleasure of customers in the process of online shopping. However, as the research on customer trust and positivity of perceived customer service skills is scarce, this paper can help to understand the impact of customer satisfaction on services' behavior intention, such as trying to increase the opportunities for communication with consumers and help them during the shopping process, so as to effectively increase consumers' trust in websites and businesses.


AIM
Status epilepticus (SE) may lead to cognitive dysfunction and neuronal loss in hippocampus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible neuroprotective effects of ketamine and dantrolene on the hippocampal apoptosis and spatial learning in rats exposed to repeated electroconvulsive seizures (ECS) as a model of SE.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Twenty-four rats were assigned to 4 groups. 1. Sham. 2. ECS: ECS were induced by ear electrodes via electrical stimulation. The same ECS protocol was applied to the 3. and 4. groups which received ketamine (40 mg/kg s.c.) or dantrolene (5 mg/kg i.p.) 1 h before each ECS, respectively. Following 30 days of recovery, the cognitive status of the animals was evaluated via Morris water maze (MWM). The same experimental protocol was repeated 14 days afterward to evaluate the retention of the memory. Hippocampal apoptosis has been examined in corresponding experimental groups.

RESULTS
All the animals in four groups learned the task with no significant difference between groups in MWM. The ECS+ketamine group showed memory impairment 14 days afterward. ECS+dantrolene group was not different from controls. ECS caused long term apoptotic processes in dentate gyrus and non-apoptotic neuronal injury in CA1 and CA2.

CONCLUSION
Dantrolene and ketamine inhibited apoptosis and showed neuroprotective effects. Although ketamine and dantrolene inhibited ECS-induced apoptosis and non-apoptotic injury, they did not produce similar effects on memory retention. It will be warrented to evaluate cognitive dysfunction by taking into consideration the other factors in addition to apoptosis and neurodegenerative changes.


This study was conducted to isolation entomopathogenic fungi for possible use in biocontrol of two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch. and to determine their pathogenicity. For this purpose, plant leaves infected with T. urticae were collected from Erzurum, Kars and Ardahan. At laboratory, the internal and external mycoflora of T.urticae individuals on plant leaves were determined. As a result of isolation, twenty-five different fungi species belonging to the genera Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Cladosporium, Gliocladium, Humicola, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Isaria, Ulocladium and Verticillium were obtained. Pathogenicity of this forty-five isolate belonging to twenty-five species were evaluated. As a test organism, T. urticae was used and suspensions (1 × 108conidia ml−1) were prepared in Tween 80. 2ml suspension of a single dose was sprayed onto down side of bean leaf discs using hand sprayer. Mortality was recorded daily for 7 days. A total of twelve isolates belonging to thr...


This essay uses three publications—the 1967 President's Crime Commission report on police, The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society; the National Research Council's review of research on policing, Fairness and Effectiveness in Policing: The Evidence; and David Weisburd and Anthony A. Braga's edited collection, Police Innovation: Contrasting Perspectives—as reference points for reflecting on the extent to which the American police institution has moved toward a progressive and professional ideal over the past forty years. I argue that unless the scope and complexity of the policing function is more fully taken into account, and unless the causes of crime and disorder and the police role in controlling and preventing them are reconsidered, the ideals of police reform will remain elusive.


In interactive intent modeling the user partici-pates in constructing a model of her search intent using an interactive user interface. This allows the user to iteratively refine the model used for personalizing her search results, even in the pres-ence of high initial uncertainty of the search intent. This approach for personalization has been shown to be beneficial in exploratory information retrieval. This extended abstract summarizes the key results from past studies and suggests possi-bilities for the generalization of this approach. keywords.


Background: cataract is the most common age-related eye disease and the most treatable cause of visual impairment and blindness in adults.
Aim of the work: this study aimed to assess the knowledge of Saudi population in Albaha city about cataract and its risk factors. Methods: this was a cross-sectional study that included a representative sample of 756 adults of the Saudi population in this region. Participants answered self-administered questionnaires consisting of items assessing the knowledge about cataract.
Results: nearly half of the studed sample (50.5%) misunderstood cataract as a white membrane growing over the eye, while only 222 (29.4%) realized it as an increase in eye lens opacity. Moreover, this study revealed clearly deficient knowledge in the studied population about risk factors of cataract. High percent of participants (84%) did not know that incidence of cataract increases with positive family history. Likewise, there was a shortage of knowledge about the relationship of malnutrition, dehydration, hypertension and ultraviolet rays and the development of cataract. Fortunately, considerable numbers considered cataract as an age related disease and recognized that diabetes mellitus is a major precipitating factor to cataract. Conclusion: Saudi population in Albaha city had poor knowledge towards cataract and its risk factors. Hence, great efforts should be made to increase the knowledge and awareness of the general public about this disease.


The Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) publishes recommendations regarding one-to-one facial comparisons. At this moment a draft version of a facial image comparison feature list for morphological analysis has been published. This feature list is based on casework experience by forensic facial examiners. This paper investigates whether the performance of the FISWG eyebrow feature set can be considered as being "state-of-the-art". We compare the recognition performance of one particular state-of-the-art non forensic eyebrow feature set to a semi-automated version of the forensic FISWG eyebrow feature set. The recognition performance is measured in terms of the forensic relevant log-likelihood-ratio cost metric Cllr. It is shown the FISWG feature set can be considered as being "state-of-the-art" and there actually exists a collection of feature sets that have similar performance.


The increasing cost and complexity of semiconductor process development has lead to the widespread use of multidimensional semiconductor process simulators. The success of a program like SUPREM−IV is primarily due to the fact that it is based on physical models, rather than empirical equations. This is in contrast to the first generation of process simulators, which calculated impurity profiles and oxide thickness in one dimension based on semiempirical approaches. SUPREM−IV incorporates two‐dimensional coupled stress‐dependent oxidation and impurity diffusion, which allows the accurate simulations of state‐of‐the‐art integrated processes, provided that accurate model parameter sets are available. In this article we present an improved calibration methodology for simulation of advanced isolation technologies using SUPREM−IV, based on the experimental determination of the material properties of silicon nitride. The proposed strategy is applicable not only to SUPREM−IV but to any numerical simulator that us...


The objective of this article is to answer the following question: has the State of exception become permanent? To this end, we rely on the theory on the state of exception by the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben and we begin the research work by presenting a brief historical evolution of the concept of state of exception. Next, we present the topology of the state of exception as a phenomenon that is located at the indeterminate level between democracy and absolutism and is used as a permanent government policy that legitimizes, without laws, using violence, not only physical repression, but also the political violence of governments in authoritarian attitudes against people to defend the legal order for the purpose of assuring sovereignty. Research on this subject contributes to the demystification of law and belief in the legal system as a foundation of fundamental principles, guarantor of justice and individual, collective and national security, by relating the State and its relation to the people within the political theory itself.
Key words: State of law. State of exception. Emergency. Legal order. Necessity.


The SQUID used to measure the flux state of a superconducting flux-based qubit interacts with the qubit and transmits its environmental noise to the qubit, thus causing the relaxation and dephasing of the qubit state. The SQUID–qubit system is analyzed and the effect of the transmittal of environmental noise is calculated. The method presented can also be applied to other quantum systems. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 03.67.Lx; 74.90.þn; 85.25.Dq; 85.25.Cp J


Children with hematological diseases usually accompanied by low autoimmune function, and repeated chemotherapy exacerbated the damage to their immune system and hematopoietic function.Those lead to high incidence of nosocomial infection, most of infection were caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria and fungi.The major infections in hematological children are the following: multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli/Klebsiella pneumonia bacteria; multi-drug resistance Pseudomonas and Acinetobacte; Methicillin-resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus and aureus; multi-drug resistance Enterococcus faecium.This review presents updated treatment strategies from the published clinical literature and provides recommendations for clinical treatment of multi-drug resistant bacteria in children with hematonosis.

Key words:
Child; Hematonosis; Multiple drug resistant bacteria; Infection; Treatment


Our recent paper in mBio (1) prompted Richard Losick to criticize our hypothesis for Ric protein function (2, 3). Although his concerns are not with this recent paper, R. Losick prefers a different hypothesis for Ric protein function (4, 5). However, our respective models are not mutually exclusive. There is no evidence showing that our model is wrong, and there is evidence supporting our model as well as the compatible one proposed by R. Losick.

Our starting point was with the observations that inactivation of ricA ( ymcA ), ricF ( ylbF ), or ricT ( yaaT ) prevented biofilm formation, genetic competence, and sporulation (6–8), all processes requiring the phosphorylation of Spo0A. The use of reporter constructs confirmed that the activation of Spo0A was dependent on the Ric proteins, while alleles of spo0A that suppress defects in the phosphorelay bypassed the ric requirements for transcription of Spo0A-P-dependent genes (2, 9). Similar results had already been independently reported for RicT (7). Importantly, a purified complex of the three Ric proteins stimulated the phosphorelay two- to threefold in vitro (2), so we proposed this direct action as the role of the Ric proteins.

The Losick lab then published papers proposing that these proteins were directly involved in RNA processing (4, 5). Since then we have acknowledged repeatedly that the Ric proteins are required in vivo for RNA processing events (1, 3, 9), and we have ourselves confirmed and extended this observation (1). Furthermore, we showed explicitly that the phosphorelay effect was only part of the Ric story, and we even proposed that the Losick hypothesis could explain …


and institutions linked with the re-establishment of Polish independence after the war, such as the Polish Legions. Yet, as Blobaum notes, the focus on such unrepresentative minorities obscures what the war really meant for most of those living in the lands that would go on to become part of the Polish state. For civilians in Warsaw, the war years were marked by pervasive and unrelieved misery. Daily struggles with hunger, cold, poverty, and illness were the hallmarks of wartime experience on Warsaw's streets and in its apartments, classrooms, and tenement houses. The city's misery, the book shows, began early in the war, but was exacerbated by the German occupation, with its rapacious requisitions. Food was particularly scarce; in fact, hunger was so bad that nonJewish Poles under Nazi occupation were actually better fed. Beyond descriptions of this destitution and its impact on people, two of the book's chapters provide particularly illuminating analyses of the war's broader significance for Polish history. One, "Women and the Warsaw Home Front," details the way that women in Warsaw created a flourishing network of charitable societies, which, it is argued, paved the way for the rapid introduction of female suffrage when Poland was re-established. Another chapter, on the Jews, links the social and cultural frictions between Jews and Christians during the war years with both prewar and postwar tensions. Overall, however, the author seems uncertain about the wider significance of Warsaw's experience, and promising comparative avenues are not developed systematically – a frequent comparison with the later Nazi occupation proves jarring as an overarching framework for the book. Blobaum would have done well to bring his book into dialogue with Tammy Proctor's Civilians in a World at War (New York University Press, 2010), for example, or to develop at greater length his insightful observations about the relative lack of violence in Warsaw, especially compared with cities such as Lviv and Vilnius, which, he notes, "had become desensitized toward a kind of brutalizing violence in a way that Warsaw's residents had not" (170). These reservations aside, A Minor Apocalypse deserves to be read by all serious students of the Great War and of Poland's tumultuous twentieth century.


Simple Summary With animal production systems, there is an inevitable need for the stock person to humanely kill new-born (neonate) animals, either due to disease, malformation, or in instances of production efficiency (males born to a milking herd for example). At present, the standard method employed is manual killing with a blunt object or swinging the animal so that its' head contacts a hard surface such as a wall. Stockpeople do not like performing this action and it also has consequences for the animal in terms of reproducibility and ability of the stockperson. This study examines the use of a mechanical captive bolt device to produce immediate brain death in neonate goats, causing this state of irreversible brain dysfunction before the animal can feel the procedure, or the effects of the procedure. This study found that a device powered by a blank cartridge, containing a specified amount of explosive (1 grain), when applied in a specific position on the head produced immediate brain death in neonate goats. As such, this method is considered to be a reproducible and humane method of euthanasia, as the brain is destroyed before the animal can feel the shot. Abstract A non-penetrating captive bolt device, powered by a 1 grain 0.22″ cartridge delivering a calculated kinetic energy of 47 Joules was tested as a euthanasia method on 200 neonate goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) of mean dead weight = 4.425 kg (SD (Standard deviation) ± 0.4632), to assess effectiveness and shot position. Evaluation of the method was conducted using behavioural indicators of brain dysfunction followed by post mortem examination of the heads. Once correct shot position had been established, 100% of 158 kids (95% confidence interval 97.5% to 100%) were successfully stunned/killed with a shot positioned on the midline, between the ears, with the chin tucked into the neck. The use of the Accles and Shelvoke CASH Small Animal Tool can therefore be recommended for the euthanasia of neonate goats with a 1 grain cartridge and a specific shooting position.


By using dressing actions of the Gn-1,n-1^1,1-system,the authors study geometric transformations for flat time-like n-submanifolds with flat,non-degenerate normal bundle in anti-de Sitter space H1^2n-1(-1),where Gn-1,n-1^1,1=0(2n-2,2/O(n-1,1)×O(n-1,1).


An embodiment of the invention discloses a method and a device for estimating downlink channels in a long-term evolution system. The method includes: combining channel estimate values of two time slots in the same subframe into a one-dimensional vector and expanding the channel estimate values to subcarriers of all OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) signs after frequency domain noise reduction. Due to combining process of the channel estimate values by utilizing the subframe as a unit, the method and the device are not limited by the frame structure of the long-term evolution system, can be applied to channels with TDD (time division duplex) frame structures or with FDD (frequency division duplex) frame structures. Besides, in the combining process, channel estimate values of cell reference signals in the two time slots of the same subframe are taken into consideration, frequency domain noise reduction is realized through weighted average of the channel estimate values of adjacent subcarriers, so that estimate accuracy of the method and the device is improved. In addition, the combining process and the frequency domain noise reduction only relate to simple algorithms, so that the method and the device have the advantages of low computing complexity.


The substitution of carbon by nitrogen was employed to prevent center segregation of carbides during continuous casting of 13%Cr martensitic stainless steel. Characteristics of phase transformation and precipitation behavior have been studied. The substitution of carbon by nitrogen in 13%Cr steel increases its solidus, Ac_1, and Ms temperatures. The nose temperature of TTT diagram of high carbon steel was 675-700℃ while the one of high nitrogen steel was about 725℃. Maximum hardness can be obtained by austenitizing treatment at 1050-1100℃ for the high carbon steel and 1000℃ for the nitrogen added steel. The secondary hardening was maximized by tempering at 500℃. It is due to the precipitation of fine carbide and M_2N nitride. The hardness was drastically decreased as tempered at 550℃ by precipitation of M_23C_6 carbide at prior austenite grain boundaries.


Using a silicon carbide nonlinear resistor which is readily available commercially in a series combination with a suitably chosen fixed resistor, a simple and inexpensive square-law circuit which has adequate accuracy for some applications can be made. Satisfactory temperature compensation can be obtained by using the correct, commercially available thermistor as part of the fixed series resistor.


Descriptions of blast-related injuries have long been established in the textbooks. Since, for obvious reasons, it is difficult to perform ballistic studies on human tissues, such research is usually conducted on appropriate models, i.e., gelatin blocks and soap blocks – each of these materials has distinctive properties, which make them suitable for unique applications. The work aims to present the possibilities for analyzing the effects of explosion on the human body using a ballistic soap model. The tests performed allow to conclude that a shock wave affects the surface of the ballistic soap block, generating hemispherical craters, which begin to overlap when the distance between the explosive charge and block is reduced, until they form one semi-cylindrical hollow (when linear charge is used), which represents a temporary cavity. The results obtained allow for an assessment of the extent of post-explosion lesions.


Symbioses—the close association of two species living permanently together—capture human imagination like few other aspects of biology. As do carnivorous plants, which Charles Darwin (1875) described as the "most wonderful plants in the world." The idea that a plant should turn the tables on animals was fiercely disputed by early naturalists like Carl Linnaeus who deemed it "against the order of nature as willed by God" in a letter to his American colleague John Ellis in 1869. Today, over 800 species of carnivorous plants are known (Ellison & Adamec, 2018) with a vast number of scientific publications dedicated to all aspects of their biology. Yet, the fascination for these strange plants persists, as evidenced by their frequent coverage in the media and their ever-growing popularity with hobbyists and plant collectors. While most school children are familiar with carnivorous plants, even among adults few will be aware that carnivorous plants may also provide a living space for animals. However, the idea is not new and the first descriptions of the diverse communities inhabiting pitcher plant traps (Figure 1a) date back to the 18th century (Catesby, 1754; Rumphius, 1750). The pools of digestive liquid inside the pitcher traps provide an aquatic habitat for a surprisingly diverse range of specialist species from microbes to insect larvae and even tadpoles (Adlassnig, Peroutka, & Lendl, 2011; Beaver, 1983). Symbiotic associations between (predominantly) terrestrial animals and pitcher plants are much less common. Among the better known is the association of Colobopsis schmitzi ants with the myrmecophyte ("ant plant") Nepenthes bicalcarata, where the plant provides food and shelter for the ants (Clarke & Kitching, 1995) which, in turn, defend the plant against herbivores (Merbach et al., 2007) and keep the trapping surfaces clean and slippery (Thornham, Smith, Grafe, & Federle, 2012). Remarkably, the ants are able to safely navigate the slippery surfaces and even swim and dive in the digestive liquid to forage for freshly captured prey (Bohn, Thornham, & Federle, 2012). Other terrestrial pitcher inhabitants include the pitcher-roosting Hardwicke's Woolly bat Kerivoula hardwickii (Grafe, Schöner, Kerth, Junaidi, & Schöner, 2011) and the much less studied pitcher-dwelling red crab spider Misumenops nepenthicola (Pocock, 1898; alternative name Henriksenia labuanica suggested by Striffler & Rembold, 2009; see Figure 1b). Here we review the latter association and supplement the sparse information from scientific literature with observations and experiments from two natural sites in Brunei, Northern Borneo, during 8 weeks of field work in spring 2007.


Using a very detailed sample of small and medium European firms, we study how differences in main banks' lending technology affected the foreign activities in the aftermath of the financial crisis. We find that the probability of a reduction in foreign activities was lower for firms matching with relational banks. The positive impact of relationship lending is especially strong for younger and smaller firms and for firms in industries more reliant on external finance. In addition, we uncover that relationship lending is beneficial for firms that are in the early stage of internationalization.


The treatment of choice for an aortic-right ventricular fistula is surgical repair; however, transcatheter treatment of left to right shunt using an occluding device has recently increased. We report a 12-year-old boy who weighed 45 kilograms and presented with an asymptomatic heart murmur. He was diagnosed with aortic-right ventricular fistula. Color Doppler echocardiography revealed a 3-millimeter aortic-right ventricular fistula that was 5 mm from the right coronary artery, left to right flow, pressure gradient of 100 millimeters of mercury (mmHg); good left ventricle function, ejection fraction of 70.0%, and right ventricular systolic pressure of 40 mmHg (SBP 120 mmHg) with a normal coronary artery pattern. He successfully underwent transcatheter closure using an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II with transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy guidance.


Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia is the most common pulmonary opportunistic infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus. The mortality for those patients that develop acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation is as high as 50%. The development of septic shock in those patients is usually due to a superimposed bacterial infection or the presence of other opportunistic infection like Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, systemic Candidiasis or toxoplasmosis. We report a unique case series of four patients with Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia with acute respiratory failure and hemodynamic consistent with septic shock. Despite extensive investigation, the sole etiology for the shock was Pneumocystis jiroveci. The mortality for those patients was higher that the reported for a similar population with shock due to bacterial infections. We speculate that this could reflect increasing virulence of Pneumocystis jiroveci, which induce a greater deraignment of the pro and inflammatory system.


Li2WO4 and BiFeO3 co-doped Pb(Fe0.5Nb0.5)O3-Pb(Mn1/3Sb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr0.51Ti0.49)O3(PFN-PMS-PZT) piezoelectric ceramics were fabricated by conventional mixing-oxides method.The effects of BiFeO3 contents on the sintering temperature,dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated.The results show that the sintering temperature of the ceramics with 1.5% Li2WO4 and 4% BiFeO3 was decreased from 1 200℃ to 970℃.The piezoelectric constant(d33),electromechanical coupling coefficient(kp),mechanical quality factor(Qm),relative permittivity(er),loss tangent(tanδ) and cure temperature(tc) of these ceramics were found to be 278pC/N,0.520,714.29,975,0.004 8 and 252℃,respectively.


The science of hydroclimatology has undergone a long history of development from the speculative ideas of the ancient Greeks, to the theoretical reasoning of late Renaissance scholars, to the beginning of quantification with the basic collection of needed data in the 17th and 18th centuries, and finally to the expansion of observing networks to a near-global coverage in the last century. The development of the concept of potential evapotranspiration and its use in a climatic water budget by Thornthwaite in the middle of the twentieth century has provided a significant merging of basic hydroclimatic data to achieve useful estimates of such factors as moisture storage in the soil, water deficit, streamflow, groundwater recharge, and evapotranspiration on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. These hydroclimatic factors have great utility in a variety of applied studies. Recent developments in hydroclimatology have involved improving data-gathering networks, achieving new understanding of the reliability and ac...


Three pigs with ileo-rectal anastomosis were used to determine the amino acid digestibility of wheat and rice meal. The results showed that the mean value of apparent and real digestibility of wheat meal is 77.0% and 83.0%, respectively, and the mean value of apparent and real digestibility of rice meal is 69.6% and 82.5%, respectively. Compared to apparent digestibility, real digestibility of wheat meal and rice meal increased 6% and 12%, respectively. Based on digestibility of amino acids, it is necessary to determine the real amino acid digestibility of wheat and rice meal to formulate feed.


Abstract Today, one of the long-term development goals of Azerbaijan is to train competitive human capital in higher education in the 21st century in accordance with the modern requirements of the labour market. In this context, the modernisation of the quality assurance system in higher education in Azerbaijan is one of the priority issues. The article analyses the issues of quality assurance in the legal framework of Azerbaijan, the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area and current legislation and makes relevant recommendations to improve regulations. The modernisation of quality assurance at foreign universities is one of the current focus areas. In order to transform university graduates into internationally competitive human capital, to eliminate the difference between the professional qualifications offered by universities and the specialisations sought, the article offers theoretical and practical suggestions to universities to modernise quality assurance.


In the conditions of company operation globalization, the increasing use of information technology, increasing complexity of business transactions, and increasing business risk, the role of competitive management accounting is becoming increasingly important, especially in making strategic business decisions. As a part of strategic management accounting, competitive management accounting positions the company to a place which has the best view of the existing and potential competitor activity, by creating a strong information base on competition, all with the aim of creating added value and improving the company operations. This paper aims to highlight the importance of competitive management accounting in strategic decision making, and on the basis of case studies in the world and empirical research conducted in Serbia, to highlight the importance of competitive management accounting in the world and to answer the question of whether the companies in Serbia use the information from competitive management accounting in business decision making?.


-- Focuses on popular subjects that are bound to capture the reader's imagination -- Provides a window into American culture -- Encourages moral reasoning and fundamental thinking How effective at preventing more crime are these alternatives to incarceration?


College physics experiment is an important component in practical ability training for application-oriented talents. Aimed at the problem of teaching and studying that existed in present college physics experiment teaching, we practise the problem-oriented heuristic teaching method in preview and classroom teaching. Especially, according to the actual conditions of students in application-oriented university, the homemade micro videos and 3D virtual simulation software of physics experiment are adopted to develop ability in the two teaching components. Our method can stimulate students brainstorming and guide students to analyze and solve the problem. Thus the ability training of the physics experiment is well implemented.


Over the past two decades there has been a number of global outbreaks of viral diseases. This has accelerated the efforts to model and forecast the disease spreading, in order to find ways to confine the spreading regionally and between regions. Towards this we have devised a model of geographical spreading of viral infections due to human spatial mobility and adapted it to the latest COVID-19 pandemic. In this the region to be modelled is overlaid with a two-dimensional grid weighted with the population density defined cells, in each of which a compartmental SEIRS system of delay difference equations simulate the local dynamics (microdynamics) of the disease. The infections between cells are stochastic and allow for the geographical spreading of the virus over the two-dimensional space (macrodynamics). This approach allows to separate the parameters related to the biological aspects of the disease from the ones that represent the spatial contagious behaviour through different kinds of mobility of people acting as virus carriers. These provide sufficient information to trace the evolution of the pandemic in different situations. In particular we have applied this approach to three in many ways different countries, Mexico, Finland and Iceland and found that the model is capable of reproducing and predicting the stochastic global path of the pandemic. This study sheds light on how the diverse cultural and socioeconomic aspects of a country influence the evolution of the epidemics and also the efficacy of social distancing and other confinement measures.


Even if, from etymological point of view, curriculum has a long history (coming from Latin and meaning run), in education it start to be used only since second half of 16th Century and in Romanian pedagogical terminology since 90. In general context, curriculum includes an ensemble of teaching / learning experiences that school can provide to its pupils and they are able to acquire them in a formal way. The curricular perspective means that didactic process is focused on educational objectives, all other components (informational content, didactic strategies, forms of class organization and so on) being subordinated to them. In the present paper, we will try to present our own vision about structure of educational curriculum and the way how Romanian teachers are able to apply such theory in their daily didactic activities. So, the specific objectives of our research was to identify the modalities in which teachers are able to change their traditional perspective focused on content that they must teach toward competences that they should developed to their pupils. The sample of research was composed from 183 pupils who are studying in inferior secondary education from Bihor County, Romania and who was invited to express their opinion regarding the way in which their professor teach. The research methodology consist in a questionnaire composed from 2closed ended items. The results of our empirical research prove that professors put a strong accent on informational content taught by interactive didactic methods, even if they seem to neglect the modern technical devices.


In the Byzantine period from the fourth century ce onward, the word demos/demoi was used to designate members of the Circus factions.

Keywords:

Byzantine history;
Late Antiquity;
social history


In this work an approach to the hamburger is made as a scriptural technology, which means that anything is capable of creating knowledge that can show different behaviors, customs and ways of living of a society or a culture. A historical tour is made about the hamburger to see the symbolic and physical changes that this food has had until it enters the diet of the people of Bogota and how they appropriate this food to give it a meaning and make it a social differentiator.


Omnidirectional RF radiator elements is formed on the flat surface of the dielectric substrate. The element reducing the cross-section and features a plurality of cavities formed on the flat surface of the substrate reduced to the narrowest point at the widest point. The supply line is connected with each of the cavity, and to transmit them to the RF receiving through. Emitter elements each of which is connected to the other elements in the stack configuration by use of the connector to configure a connection connected to the supply line and in cooperation with other connectors.


Thank you for downloading the war on terror and the framework of international law. As you may know, people have look hundreds times for their favorite books like this the war on terror and the framework of international law, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some malicious virus inside their desktop computer.


The analysis and systematization of the existing forms and systems of remuneration of labor, approaches to their choice and use in agriculture are given.


1. Apoptosis is an essential process to remove excess, unwanted and harmful cells and maintain homeostasis. One of the key steps in apoptosis is activation of a group of proteases termed caspases.


ABSTRACT Extracts of mengkudu fruit and mahkota dewa leaf each contain compounds that can be efficacious antibacterial Staphylococcus Aureus (acne-causing bacteria), but at high concentrations. The combination of both is expected to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the use if the dosage form is formulated in a transparent soap. Selection of dosage forms based on a transparent soap acceptabilitas reasons. This study aims to determine the effect of the use of each and interactions extract of mengkudu fruit and mahkota dewa leaf in diameter clear zone antibacterial activity test by the method of pitting and dilution method with a parameter number of colony can then be determined comparison of the two extracts were having antibacterial activity optimum. The test results stated good use of each and combinations can enhance the clear zone according to the equation Y = 0.811 + 0.011 + 0.007 B + A 1.56. 10-5 AB, the parameters of the number of colonies also give the same result Y = 42.781 to 0.316 A - 0.228 0.006 A B + B. Optimal combination obtained extract concentration of 30% mengkudu fruit extract and 40% mahkota dewa leaf extract. Test the antibacterial activity of a combination of transparent soap mengkudu fruit and mahkota dewa leaf extracts with an optimal combination produces a clear zone diameter of 2.509 cm. Keywords : extracts of mengkudu fruit, extract of mahkota dewa, Optimization, transparent soap.


1. Since knowledge of the detailed morphology of the cell is essential for the study of intracellular localization of enzymic activities, a summary is presented of the results of electron microscopic examination of the fine structure of plant cells. Most of the data refer to meristematic cells, and relatively little is known of the structure of those fully differentiated tissues, such as roots, stems and fruits, which are commonly subjected to fractionation procedures.


This paper studies the feasibility of privacy-preservingdata mining in epidemiological study. As for the data-miningalgorithm, we focus to a linear multiple regression thatcan be used to identify the most significant factorsamong many possible variables, such as the historyof many diseases. We try to identify the linear model to estimate a lengthof hospital stay from distributed dataset related tothe patient and the disease information. In this paper, we have done experiment usingthe real medical dataset related to stroke andattempt to apply multiple regression with sixpredictors of age, sex, the medical scales, e.g., Japan Coma Scale, and the modified Rankin Scale. Our contributions of this paper include(1) to propose a practical privacy-preserving protocols for linear multiple regressionwith vertically partitioned datasets, and(2) to show the feasibility of the proposed system usingthe real medical dataset distributed into two parties, the hospital who knows the technical details of diseasesduring the patients are in the hospital, and the local government who knows the residence even afterthe patients left hospital. (3) to show the accuracy and the performance of thePPDM system which allows us to estimate the expectedprocessing time with arbitrary number of predictors.


An evolving material structure is in a non-equilibrium state,with freeenergy expressed by the generalized coordinates.A global approach leads to robustcomputations for the generalized thermodynamic forces.Those forces drive variouskinetic processes,causing dissipation at spots,along curves,surfaces and interfaces,and within volumetric regions.The actual evolution path,and therefore the finalequilibrium state,is determined by the energetics and kinetics.A virtual work prin-ciple links the free energy landscape and the kinetic processes,and assigns a viscousenvironment to every point on the landscape.The approach leads to a dynamicalsystem that governs the evolution of generalized coordinates.The microstructuralevolution is globally characterized by a basin map in the coordinate space;and bya diversity map and a variety map in the parameter space.The control of basinboundaries raises the issue of energetic and kinetic bifurcations.The variation ofbasin boundaries under different sets of controlling parameters provides an analyticalway to plot the diversity maps of structural evolution.


This software-driven, dual-chip solution provides the performance and versatility needed to support the three major WLAN standards at data rates to 54 Mb/s.


Atmospheric Infrared Ultraspectral Sounder (AIUS) aboard the Chinese GaoFen-5 satellite was launched on 9 May 2018. It is the first hyperspectral occultation spectrometer in China. The spectral quality assessment of AIUS measurements at the full and representative spectral bands was presented by comparing the transmittance spectra of measurements with that of simulations. AIUS measurements agree well with simulations. Statistics show that more than 73% of the transmittance differences are within ±0.05 and more than 91% of the transmittance differences are within ±0.1. The spectral windows for O3, H2O, temperature, CO, CH4, and HCl were also analyzed. The comparison experiments indicate that AIUS data can provide reliable data for O3, H2O, temperature, CO, CH4, and HCl detection and dynamic monitoring. The H2O profiles were then retrieved from AIUS measurements, and the precision, resolution, and accuracy of the H2O profiles are discussed. The estimated precision is less than 1.3 ppmv (21%) below 57 km and about 0.9–2.4 ppmv (20–31%) at 60–90 km. The vertical resolution of H2O profiles is better than 5 km below 32 km and about 5–8 km at 35–85 km. Comparisons with MLS Level 2 products indicate that the mean H2O profiles of AIUS have a good agreement with those of MLS. The relative differences are mostly within ±10% at 16–75 km and about 10–15% at 16–20 km in 60∘–80∘ S. For 60∘–65 ∘ S in December, the relative differences are within ±5% between 22 km and 80 km. The H2O profiles retrieved from AIUS measurements are credible for scientific research.


Kimmo Arola Enhanced micropollutant removal and nutrient recovery in municipal wastewater treatment Lappeenranta 2020 95 pages Acta Universitatis Lappeenrantaensis 903 Diss. Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT ISBN 978-952-335-508-8, ISBN 978-952-335-509-5 (PDF), ISSN-L 1456-4491, ISSN 14564491 Depleting natural resources such as fresh water and phosphate minerals creates pressure to pursue towards resource recovery in municipal wastewater treatment. In addition, the aquatic environment is under stress due to eutrophication as well as increasing presence of harmful micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, hormones and pesticides. Traditional municipal wastewater treatment is not designed for micropollutant removal and treatment plants also struggle with tightening discharge limits. Advanced technologies are required to tackle these challenges. This thesis examines advanced wastewater treatment technologies for enhanced micropollutant removal and nutrient recovery by focusing on technologies that minimize the use of chemicals. Nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis and pulsed corona discharge oxidation studied gave promising results concerning micropollutant removal. For instance, >90% removal of target pollutants diclofenac, carbamazepine and furosemide could be obtained. Oxidation degraded all target pollutants below 0.1 μg/L with only 0.2 kWh/m3 oxidation energy when MBR permeate was treated. Oxidation was identified as the most promising technology when only pollutant degradation from MBR permeate is required. However, nanofiltration could be suitable in applications where enhanced micropollutant removal as well as COD, DOC and phosphorus is required. Size exclusion, hydrophilicity and electrostatic interactions were the main micropollutant removal mechanisms in nanofiltration, whereas size exclusion was the key factor in reverse osmosis. The molecular weight, the amount of double bonds within the molecule and OH degradation constant were the main parameters for pollutant degradation in oxidations according to regression analyses. Molecule hydrophilicity and electrostatic interactions had the strongest influence for pollutant transport in electrodialysis. Overall, the micropollutant removal in the studied technologies appeared to be a combination of several pollutant properties, water matrix and process specific conditions. Two-stage nanofiltration process coupled with phosphorus precipitation was able to minimize the amount of membrane concentrate by reaching a final VRF value of 300 with minor membrane fouling whilst calcium phosphate was spontaneously precipitated with a 52% recovery rate. Pilot scale electrodialysis produced a highly concentrated fertiliser product rich in NH4-N (7.1 g/L) and K+ (2.5 g/L) by concentrating nutrient ions from centrate wastewater with a low energy consumption of 4.9 kWh/kg NH4-N. The studied processes could help to guarantee a safer aquatic environment for future generations.


This study aims to analyze or see how the application of PSAK 109 and ISAK 35 in the management of mosque funds in Semarang City (Masjid Agung Central Java) is implemented. This research uses qualitative research with a case study approach. The data used are primary data and secondary data. Data collection techniques used are documentation and interview techniques. The results show that in terms of recognition and measurement, it is not yet fully appropriate for presentation and disclosure; it is not by PSAK 109. As for the financial statements, the classification of net assets, income, and expenses made by MAJT are not fully by ISAK 35 standards.


Consider a face image data set from clients of a company and the problem of building a face recognition system from it. Video cameras can be used to acquire several images per client in order to maximize the robustness of the system. However, as the data set grows huge, the accuracy of the system might be seriously compromised since the number of negative samples for each user is increasing. We propose here a first solution for this problem, which (i) limits the number of negative samples in the training set for preserving responsiveness during user enrollment, (ii) selects the most informative negative samples with respect to each user for preserving accuracy, and (iii) builds a user-specific classification model. We combine a high-dimensional data representation from deep learning with a method that selects negative samples from a large mining set and builds, within interactive times, effective user-specific training set and classifier, using linear support vector machines. The method can also be used with other feature extractors. It has shown superior performance as compared to five baseline methods on three unconstrained data sets.


The article introduced the experimental result of the wastewater containing nitrobenzene after the pretreatment on electrochemical reduction.The concentration of nitrobenzene in simulated wastewater is about 1000mg/L.After the pretreatment,the removal efficiency of nitrobenzene can reach 70% and the bioactivity of the wastewater is largely raised.The effluence can be degradated.


In 2015, the so-called "migrant crisis" became a major international issue that has since affected the immigration policies and national asylum systems of dozens of countries all over the world. Against the background of a global economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and renewed mass migration movements in Central America and across the Mediterranean Sea, better understanding the impact of the 2015-2016 mass migration movements on various countries' migration policies and legislation might prove useful to better anticipate policy and legislative changes in the near future. First, this paper uses global descriptive statistics and trends in legal reform and deportation policies towards asylum seekers and refugees to highlight a specific pattern that has been observed among energy exporting rentier states: between 2015-2017, most hydrocarbons-exporting rentier states, while remaining open to economically vital inflows of temporary migrant workers, adapted their legislation to make it particularly restrictive towards asylum seekers. More precisely, we found a perfect correlation (100%) between being a high-income hydrocarbon-exporting rentier state and having restrictive legislation and/or strong deportation policies towards asylum seekers and undocumented migrants as of late 2017. This observation cannot satisfactorily be correlated with all countries that have high standards of living. Only a minority (30%) of high-income but non-rentier states classified as having similarly restrictive legislative regimes for asylum seekers and refugees. The rentier states in the Arabian Gulf and Central Asian regions, which confirmed these global observations, were more deeply analyzed and showed that, in rupture with their past tradition of hosting significant refugee populations, a form of new-and more restrictive-rentier state migration model has been emerging following the dramatic increase in refugee flows since 2015. © 2021, Observare. All rights reserved.


Egg production performance of 571 local Ghanaian chickens and 107 SASSO T44 chickens kept under improved management conditions were analysed. Average egg weight, hen-day egg production and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined for the three experimental
chicken ecotypes. Hen-day production was significantly (P< 0.05) higher in the savannah local chicken ecotype than the forest ecotype and SASSO T44 chickens. Egg weights of local Ghanaian chickens compared favourably with values reported for local chickens in
Africa. On the average, SASSO T44 had significantly (P< 0.05) higher egg weights and feed intake compared with the local chicken ecotypes. The local chicken ecotypes on the other hand, had significantly (P< 0.05) better feed conversion ratios than SASSO T44 chicken. Local Ghanaian chicken ecotypes have a more efficient FCR per every unit of egg produced compared with the control population.
Low feed intake, good feed conversion ratios and adaptation to the environment are traits local chicken harbour which can be exploited in future breeding programmes to improve on chicken meat and egg production in Ghana. Ghanaian local chickens could thus be a valuable genetic resource for the development of an efficient egg production chicken breed adaptable to the humid tropical climates.


This research was conducted in the province of Viru on the farm DANPER Peru S.A.C. founded 1200 Compositan which has cultivated hectares of asparagus. The objective was to determine the effect of three insecticides to control Spodoptera frugiperda in asparagus. The study treatments were T1 (Chlorantraniliprole: Coragen 0.15 l / ha.), T2 (spinetoram: Absolute 60 SC 0.25 l / ha.), T3 (Methomil. Dethomil 90 PS 0.7kg / ha) and T0 (control treatment without application). a statistical design of one box was used. The data obtained were subjected to the student t table, obtaining that all treatments had no effect on controlling Spodoptera frugiperda. reaching the end of the evaluation a total average of 13, 19.2 and 26.6 larvae girls and 5.2, 8.4 and 12.8 large larvae per linear meter respectively, outperforming the control treatment (T0) without application larvae and girls present 35.5 23.4 large larvae. However, treatment T1 (Chlorantraniliprole. Coragen 0.15 l / ha) maintained throughout the investigation a smaller population of larvae, compared to other treatments


In this paper, we propose an All-Digital On-Chip Phase Noise Measurement Technique. This Technique can be integrated as part of a built-in self-test (BIST) scheme for phase-locked loop (PLL)-based clock synthesizers. The proposed technique based on an all digital ΣΔ-frequency discriminator (ΣΔFD). Unlike all previously reported techniques, our proposed technique is implemented using digital-only circuits. This makes it easily integrated and scaled down for high-density microprocessor applications with modern sub 100nm technology nodes


Background: The mortality rate of sepsis and pneumonia is higher in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients than in the general population. Bacterial infections are the most common cause of hospitalization in dialysis patients and the most common source of bacteremia is vascular access in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of infectious causes of hospitalization in patients with end-stage renal failure in Gorgan. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on patients with ESRD who were admitted to the 5 Azar Medical Education Center of Gorgan City during 2014 to 2016. Patients' information was collected through their clinical records and analyzed statistically. Results: The prevalence of infectious diseases in ESRD patients during the 3 years was 12.7%, out of 100 hospitalized patients with ESRD and infectious causes, the most common type of infectious disease was catheter infection (43%) and sepsis (18%), urinary tract infection (11%) and pneumonia (8%) were the next. The most common infectious causes leading to hospitalization in men with the ESRD were catheter infection, sepsis, and pneumonia, respectively, and in women, catheter infection, sepsis, and urinary tract infection. The highest incidence of catheter infection was in the age group of 66-70 years (30.2%), 71-75 (25.6%), and above 71 years (25.6%), respectively. The highest incidence of sepsis occurred in the age group of 75-71 years (38.9%) and also the highest incidence of urinary tract infections in the age group of less than 65 years. Age (P=0.003), sex (P=0.01), duration of disease (P=0.009), addiction (P=0.01), and diabetes (P=0.01) were the most common risk factors for infectious diseases in patients with ESRD. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that catheter infection is the most common cause of infection in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Therefore, avoiding multiple vascular manipulations, disinfection of the catheter, timely replacement, and training of dialysis staff are effective in reducing catheter infections. Abstract hu