A simple and reliable multichannel potentiometric analyzer for fully automatic determination of pH and concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride ions in serum, and whole blood samples is described. The analyzer consists of five ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) as electrochemical sensors for selected ions. A flow-through homemade design of ISEs is developed, and the measuring instrument is interfaced to an IBM compatible PC by an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter interface card and peripheral devices control card in order to develop an easy to use, reliable, and virtually maintenance-free potentiometric analyzer. The analytical performance of the described analyzer is compared with the performance of some commercial laboratory analyzers frequently used in clinical laboratories. The comparison study showed good correlation between results obtained by the developed and described instrument and those obtained using commercial analyzers. The range of correlation coefficients found in comparison with different commercial analyzers were pH (r = 0.85–0.97), potassium (r = 0.97–0.98), sodium (r = 0.78–0.94) and chloride (r = 0.87); the poorest correlation was found for calcium concentration determination (r = 0.68–0.77). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lab Robotics and Automation 10: 205–213, 1998


Background Livedoid vasculopathy is a rare, chronic, and recurrent disease with limited effective treatments. Its etiopathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Baricitinib, a selective Janus kinase 1 and 2 inhibitor, has been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and could reduce the disease severity in patients with livedoid vasculopathy. Methods We retrospectively observed eight patients who received 2 mg/day of baricitinib for the treatment of refractory livedoid vasculopathy. We evaluated their clinical scores before and after treatment to determine its effectiveness and safety. Results Improvement in livedoid vasculopathy was observed with significant regression in the clinical scores after baricitinib treatment. The mean clinical scores were 7.0 ± 1.6 and 1.4 ± 1.2 before and after baricitinib treatment, respectively (P <0.01). Furthermore, six out of the eight patients achieved a clinical score of 0 or 2 after treatment. These scores indicated remission. Clinical findings, including erythema, ulceration, and pain, improved in all the patients. The remission times ranged from 3 to 13 weeks, with a mean remission time of 7.75 ± 3.45 weeks. There were no reports of adverse events in any patient. Conclusions Our study showed that baricitinib treatment was safe and could significantly relieve the signs and symptoms of livedoid vasculopathy. However, randomized controlled studies should be conducted to confirm these results.


In this paper, an electromechanical, two axes heat collection sun tracking system is designed and constructed. The heat collection sun tracking design, whereby the LDR sensor installed on the Fersnel lens was controlled to track the Sun's radiation. In order to obtain the maximum sun power, the tracking system traces the sun with the altitude-azimuth biaxial tracing method and accurately maintains the sun's radiation perpendicular to the plane of the heating head. The results indicated that if the position of heating head is located on certain position and then sunlight can be concentrated to completely cover the heating head with small heat loss, we can obtain the maximum temperature of the heating head of the Stirling engine. Besides, we also measure the sun irradiation, energy gain from solar cells, energy consumption, and temperature of heading head. We found that the absorption of solar irradiation on heating head is the most important factor for energy gain from solar tracker and the highest temperature of heating head of Stirling engine.


Background In locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), preoperative short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) with delayed surgery has been shown to be as effective as long-course chemoradiotherapy, with only modest benefits. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of preoperative SCRT combined with subsequent CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) and the anti-PD-1 antibody camrelizumab in patients with LARC. Methods This was a prospective, single-arm, phase II trial. Treatment-naïve patients with histologically confirmed T3-4N0M0 or T1-4N+M0 rectal adenocarcinoma received 5×5 Gy SCRT with two subsequent 21-day cycles of CAPOX plus camrelizumab after 1 week, followed by radical surgery after 1 week. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR) rate. Biomarker analysis was performed to identify a potential predictor of pCR to treatment. Results From November 7, 2019 to September 14, 2020, 30 patients were enrolled, and 27 patients received at least one dose of CAPOX plus camrelizumab. Surgery was performed in 27 (100%) patients. The pCR (ypT0N0) rate was 48.1% (13/27), including 46.2% (12/26) for proficient mismatch repair (MMR) tumors and 100% (1/1) for deficient MMR tumors. Immune-related adverse events were all grade 1–2, with the most common being reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (81.5%). No grade 4/5 adverse events occurred. Biomarker analysis showed patients without FGFR1–3 deletions had a better tendency for pCR. Conclusions SCRT combined with subsequent CAPOX plus camrelizumab followed by delayed surgery showed a favorable pCR rate with good tolerance in patients with LARC, especially in the proficient MMR setting. A randomized controlled trial is ongoing to confirm these results. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04231552.


Governmental responses to Hurricane Katrina are generally cited as policy failures. Media and popular analyses focus on the federal government's policy failures in hazard preparedness, response, and recovery. Meanwhile, disaster experts realize that disaster response is a shared intergovernmental responsibility. We examine the federal nature of natural disaster policy in the US to consider whether federalism, or other factors, had the greatest influence on the failures in Katrina. We find that some policy failures are related to policy design considerations based in federalism, but that the national focus on "homeland security" and the concomitant reduction in attention to natural hazards and disasters, are equally, if not more complicit, in the erosion of government disaster management capacity that was revealed in Hurricane Katrina. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.


CASE REPORT A ladybug was found in the transverse colon during screening colonoscopy of a 59-year-old man with no comorbidities (Figure 1). More than 6,000 Coccinellidae species described are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds elsewhere in the English-speaking world. Ladybugs are cherished for being pretty, harmless, and even beneficial friends of farmers. Our ladybug "Harmonia axyridis," a multicolored Asian-type species, was imported to North America in the early 1900s to control pest populations. Their red-orange to dull cream colors are particularly eye catching. They hibernate during the winter. Light-colored homes in wooded areas attract their attention. Bug ingestions are rarely reported but can occur even during sleep. The patient's colonoscopy preparation was 1 gallon of polyethylene glycol the evening before colonoscopy, and the colonoscopy examination was otherwise normal.His colonoscopy preparationmay have helped the bug to escape fromdigestive enzymes in the stomach and upper small intestine.


This study aims to empirically examines the influences of quality auditors, debt default, profitability ratio and revenue growth to the going concern audit opinion. This research's populations is a listed companies in Jakarta Islamix Index period 2 in 2008-2011. This research's population of 120 companies. This sample numbered 119 companies selected by purposive sampling method. The methods that used to analyze between variables is logistic regression method.
The results showed that the variable quality auditors, debt default, profitability ratio and growth companies do not affect the going concern audit opinion


The dissertation shows a novelties which the Real Estate Property Act (2006) brings as well some examples of good / bad practices in establishing land record. In my paper I am also going to present some innovations about the geospatial information caused by the new European Directive INSPIRE.


Fire extinguishers are a common sight wherever you travel, from government buildings to businesses, to restaurants. They are placed in conspicuous locations purposely so they are easy to locate in case of fire. However, even though the placement of fire extinguishers may seem obvious, there are strict guidelines and standards set forth by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the National Fire Protection Association. These guidelines and standards concern the classification, labeling, and location of common fire extinguishers.


Language is the basic means of communication between people. Purposefulness is an important characteristic of every communication. Modern life and work conditions require also immediacy in communication. Language needs to adapt to that. To that effect, two phenomena are present: word shortening and words interpretation. Word shortening is an inevitable phenomenon, required by the need in immediacy in communication. But at the same time word abbreviations can lead to the purposelessness in communication if the interlocutors are not familiar with the message the abbreviations convey and are not able to interpret it. Therefore, abbreviations contribute to the language economy in communication. However, in order for the abbreviations to meet the request of the purposefulness of communication, the communicators must agree on the usage of certain abbreviations in the given circumstances and situations and familiarise themselves with their word-formation base. Abbreviations, as a part of speech, are used in all the models of human communication (in general and special models). Relevant elements of both the general and special models of communication are presented in the paper, with emphasis on the language (both spoken and written) as the means of communication. We have treated the general models of communication as the platform for the creation and building of special models.


The electric fields with the different density were used to treat the seeds of 3 oil sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.)varieties to study the reacts of seedlings to the drought stress and analyze the mechanism of electric field influence on the drought-resistance. The results showed that, under drought stress during the stage of seedlings, electric field increased the activity of superoxide dismutate(SOD), delayed the accumulation of malon-dialdehyde(MDA), decreased the activities of phosphatase(ACP), and retarded the peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids on the membrane caused by active oxygen to some extent. Electric treatment could protect the function and structure of membrane, promote the metabolism of seed and seedlings and enhance the drought-resistance of oil sunflower.


This paper presents a fully integrated millimeter-wave phase-locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesizer fabricated in 130nm BiCMOS technology. It comprises a self-buffered voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) tunable from 29.4 to 33.0 GHz, which corresponds to 11.5% tuning range. The VCO contains a programmable binary weighted varactor bank for phase noise reduction due to configurable low VCO gain. A programmable 4-bit charge pump (CP) was designed in order to compensate for VCO gain variation. It provides fast switching and shows low mismatch between UP and DN currents. The measured phase noise of the PLL is −85 dBc/Hz and −100 dBc/Hz at 150 kHz and 1MHz offset from the carrier, respectively. The circuit draws 60mA from 3.3 V supply. It is demonstrated that the presented chip can be successfully used in FMCW radar applications.


In 1982, Scheinman et al.^ and Gallagher et al.^ reported the transvenous ablation of the atrioventricular (AV) junction by catheter mediated direct current shocks. Since then, catheter ablation using radiofrequency current has been established as the therapy of choice in patients with WolffParkinson-White syndrome and AV nodal reentrant tachycardia.^"" In the setting of. primary atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or ectopic atrial tachycardia, a curative approach is not yet available and ablation of AV nodal conduction necessitates subsequent pacemaker implantation. Initial experimental and clinical results have shown that the induction of incomplete AV block may be achieved through the application of radiofrequency current.''"^ In the present study we investigated potential candidates for AV nodal ablation with the objective to assess the feasibility and clinical efficacy of controlled alteration ("modulation"] of AV nodal conduction by radiofrequency current. The main therapeutic aim was the preservation of 1:1 AV nodal conduction during sinus rhythm, to avoid pacemaker implantation.


Objective To investigate the changes of serum Hcy and hs-CRP levels after treatment in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods Serum hs-CRP (with immunoturbiditymethod),and Hcy (with chemiluminescence) levels in 80 patientswith cerebral infarction both before and after treatment as well as 80 controls.Results Before treatment,serum Hcy and hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in the patients than those in controls (P0. 01),Moreover,the levels were positively correlated with the size of the infarction (P0. 05). After treatment for two weeks,the serum Hcy,hs-CRP levels were not significantly different from those in controls (P0. 05).Conclusions Detection of serum Hcy and hs-CRP levels was helpful for the perdiction of treatment efficacy.


This study aims to determine whether or not there is an association between creating fake user accounts and engaging in behaviors deemed to constitute cyberbullying. A quantitative research methodology was used with a clear descriptive and interpretative intent. The sample comprised 1989 adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years from five regions in Southern Europe, who completed an online questionnaire. The results reveal that adolescents aged 16 years were the ones who engaged most in cyberbullying actions. Those who created false profiles tended to engage in more behaviors linked to cyberbullying. Adolescent social media users were mainly older boys who engaged more in cyberbullying behaviors. Relatively few adolescents claim to engage regularly in behaviors linked to cyberbullying. The study concludes that there is an urgent need to provide adolescents with training in the responsible use of digital technologies at an earlier age, before they begin using them assiduously.


Several real-life problems show the necessity for solving large scale hub location problem in reasonable time. Since these problems are classified as NP-hard, the aim of this paper is to design a GPU based approach for the capacitated variant of the HLP that can approach these goals. The proposed GA starts from several initial populations (island model) carefully generated in order to speed up the convergence of the GA. The numerical tests on a variety of known benchmarks and on a random large instances (up to 6000 nodes) reveal the importance of the choice of initial populations and the way they interact with each other. They show that the proposed methodology is efficient at least for these benchmarks and may be adapted to other variants of hub location problems. The method has reached all the known optimal solutions for these benchmarks and found new, significantly better, solutions on three AP instances with 100 and 200 nodes.


The utility model relates to an adapter used for being connected with an electric drill. The adapter comprises an outer case, a first bearing, a second bearing, a transmission shaft, a swinging bearing and a sliding rod, wherein the first bearing and the second bearing are arranged inside the outer case, the transmission shaft is arranged inside the outer case through the first bearing and the second bearing, the swinging bearing is installed on the transmission shaft, the sliding rod is connected with the swinging bearing, and a preset angle is formed between the axis of the swinging bearing and the axis of the transmission shaft. The transmission shaft is fixed through the double bearings, rotation is stable, the noise is low, the service life is long, the rotation motion is changed into the straight reciprocating motion of the sliding rod through the inclined swinging bearing, and the energy conversion rate is high.


Introduction Self-report questionnaires to screen for symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) are commonly used as inexpensive, easy-to-administer tools in research and clinical practice. However, their validity to detect the presence of any CMD across cultures and languages is unclear. Psychometrically sound and brief case-finding instruments are vital for the identification of individuals with mental health needs. With the increasing number of Arabic-speaking refugees in Europe, we aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Arabic-language screening instruments. Objectives The aim of this systematic review/meta-analysis is to synthesize the diagnostic accuracy of self-report questionnaires to detect depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Arabic-speaking populations. Methods Five databases were searched (inception-January 2021) (PROSPERO: CRD42018070645) for studies on the diagnostic accuracy of brief questionnaires in Arabic-speaking populations, with a clinical interview as reference standard. Data on sensitivity/specificity were extracted/calculated. Multi-threshold meta-analyses were performed (R diagmeta package). Study quality was assessed using QUADAS-2. Results We included 32 studies (N=4042 participants) reporting on questionnaires targeting depression/anxiety (14 questionnaires), distress (2 questionnaires), and PTSD (1 questionnaire). Optimal thresholds were identified for the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS; cut-off 11, sensitivity 76.9%, specificity 85.1%), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) anxiety subscale (cut-off 7, sensitivity 81.9%, specificity 87.6%), depression subscale (cut-off 6, sensitivity 73.0%, specificity 88.6%), and Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20; cut-off 8, sensitivity 86.0%, specificity 83.9%). Conclusions We present optimal thresholds that can be used by clinicians and researchers for the EPDS, HADS and SRQ-20. More research on Arabic-language questionnaires, especially those targeting PTSD, is needed. Disclosure No significant relationships.


This paper describes a novel method of voltage space vectors, which is proposed for the direct thrust control of permanent magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM). A new switch table is used to select voltage vectors effectively. Proposed control method is proved to diminish the thrust ripple.


Viciaervilia L. Willd. (syn. Erviumervilia L.), Family Fabaceae, seeds are extensively usedas stock feedin several countries. The plant grows very rarely wild in Egypt. Macro- and micro-morphological characters of the seeds were presented for their identification in the entire or powdered forms.Plant material were fixed, freehand sectioned and stained with Safranin. DNA fingerprinting of the leaves gave a total of 32 different fragments.Seventeen bands were recorded in seed total protein banding profile with molecular weights ranged from 9 to175KDa. Leucin was the main essential amino acid (3.417 g/100 g seeds), while glutamic acid (5.856 g/100 g seeds) was the main non-essential amino acid using amino acid analyzer.Pharmacopoeial constants: moisture 8.4%, carbohydrates 26.76% and ash 3.68% were determined. Potassium and phosphorous occupied the highest positions (1518 and 1220 mg/100 g seeds respectively) among the macro elements, whereas the micro element Fe level was 77 mg/100 g seeds. The above data are valuable for identification and purification of V. ervilia L.


In this paper we focus on the enhancement of speech quality by hands-free audio systems in modern, multimedia enabled telecommunication terminals. Requirements like the compatibility with wideband audio and full-duplex hands-free operation demand for sophisticated system designs. As a starting point we introduce a state-of-the-art system developed for mobile phones, considering practical aspects of algorithm design. Algorithmic extensions to this solution are presented, supporting speech enhancement for the user of the terminal or reducing the round-trip delay. In addition, more advanced concepts are discussed. They oer the capability of joint design for the most important algorithms and provide the possibility to exploit psychoacoustic properties of the human ear.


Mg-Y2O3 nanocomposites were synthesized by disintegrated melt deposition method (DMD). Tensile tests and constant stress amplitude fatigue tests were carried out on Mg nanocomposites with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 volume percentages of reinforcements. Yield strengths of the nanocomposites were found to increase with higher volume fraction of Y2O3. Both unreinforced Mg and the Mg nanocomposites were found to strain harden upon cycling. The hardening behaviour was more intense in the nanocomposites.


What happens when doctors struggle with their communication skills? How can we pick up problems earlier, what help is available? In Cardiff an innovative approach provides support to doctors identified as underperforming. This article describes how the programme fits with other work in this field.


The study of corporate governance is gaining momentum as corporate governance compliance has been made mandatory. Even though made mandatorythe number of corporate governance issues are on the rise. The high profile scandals in Enron, World Com and also the Satyam scandal, Tata Mistry issues in India have also stimulated policy makers, investors, academicians and other stakeholders Innumerable studies have investigated the relationship between corporate governance factors and performance (Black 2006; Chhaochharia and Grinstein, 2007; Bennett and Robson, 2004), Spanos (2005) argues that corporate governance has significant implications for the growth prospects of an economy. In spite of the numerous studies the results rather remain inconclusive. Good governance is of crucial importance. The Centre for the Study of Financial Innovations (CSFI) 2008 and 2009 surveys of the commercial micro finance industry warned that poor corporate governance poses a serious risk for microfinance organizations (Augustine, 2012). The importance of good governance for MFIs has also been confirmed by the Microfinance Banana Skins survey (CSFI, 2011, 2012). In addition, the 2012 Microfinance Banana Skins survey shows that the top concern of investors in microfinance is the quality of their corporate governance of MFIs. The variables considered in the model are measures of sustainability and outreach measured by OSS and number of active borrowers and corporate governance characteristics which include number of independent directors, board size and the presence of women on board. The model used for analysis also included certain firm specific variables. These firm specific variables are total asset and gross loan portfolio which depicts the volume of business. To investigate the impact of corporate governance structure on the sustainability and outreach of MFIs, the study used a panel data OLS regression model for a sample of top 15 microfinance institutions quoted in the Bombay Stock Exchange. The results of the panel data analysis show that the CG factors board size has a significant negative relation whereas gender diversity shows significant positive relation with sustainability and outreach of MFIs.


As one of the alternative location for paddy fields development, Kubu Raya Regencyhave a problem with lack of information on the land suitability and land availability. This study aimed to analyze the development potency of paddy field through land availability and land suitability analysis. The land availability was analyzed based on the land use and land cover interpreted from Landsat 8 image, a map of forest areas status, a map of spatial land use planning and a map of paddy field from the Ministry of Agriculture. Meanwhile, the evaluation ofland suitability wasexamined using the land system map (RePPProT) scale of 1: 250,000,which then complemented with the result of soil analysis. Analysis of land suitability wasconducted using the maximum limitation method.The research results show that suitable land for paddy field is 205,914 ha, which are classified into S3 with the limiting factor are poor drainage, peat maturity, peat depth and nutrients availability. Potential land (land suitability and land availability) for paddy fields development reached 62,176 ha. Recommended Development areas in the first priority is 1124 ha, the second priority is 35,334 ha and the third priority is 25,718 ha.


The name "major histocompatibility complex" (MHC) indicates the capacity of its products to induce a strong allogeneic immune response, particularly in the context of transplantation. This property was at the origin of the discovery of the MHC in the mouse (histocompatibility-2: H-2) and in man (human leukocyte antigen: HLA), a property which permitted its study using immunogenetic methods. However, the natural biological function of the MHC is to present antigen fragments (peptides) to T lymphocytes. The MHC can therefore be defined as a group of molecules involved in the presentation of peptides to the T cell receptor (TCR). This definition concerns antigen-presenting molecules and also other molecules which may contribute to the presentation function. This functional definition is completed by a genetic definition of the MHC as the chromosome region which contains the genes controlling the structure and expression of antigen-presenting molecules (Figure 3.1). The two definitions are complementary, but somewhat different. It is indeed possible for MHC products to exercise functions other than presentation. Further, it is clear that many genes located in theMHC are only fortuitously associated, without any relationship with the presentation function. Others, such as TAP (transporter of antigen peptides), TNF (tumor necrosis factor) or HSP (heat shock protein)


The fault diagnosability problem is the problem of computing the maximum number of faulty units which a system can tolerate without losing its capability of identifying all such faulty units. We study this problem for the model introduced by Barsi, Grandoni, and Maestrini [2]. We present a new characterization of the model, and develop an efficient diagnosability algorithm for a system in this model.


Parametric devices based on four-wave mixing in fibers enable the amplification, frequency conversion and phase conjugation of optical signals. They can also be used to buffer and regenerate signals. In this paper some recent research on parametric devices is reviewed briefly.


The internet's ability to leap borders, thwart censorship and preserve anonymity is making it a crucial tool in recruiting jihadists. Discontented western Muslim youth, even in Australia, are ripe for the message of hate of the cyber imams. I T'S A FORMIDABLE blockade: 5000 armed police and troops, 5km of security fencing, closed-circuit TV surveillance and backup muscle including army helicopters and water cannon. But when Sydney plays host next month to some of the world's top terror targets, there'll be another level of security few will see. In a world where Islamic fundamentalists use 21st-century technology to further medieval ambitions, keeping out the bad guys has become much more complicated than throwing up a giant wall. and the other 21 leaders gathering for APEC also requires massive computers tapped into the internet, trawling chat rooms and sites spawned by 9/11 and fuelled by the Iraq war. When terrorists hit London, Madrid, Wash-ington and New York, the internet featured every time. So for Sydney, the hunt is on for the slightest hint that an operation is under way. Australian Federal Police are " walking the beat " on the internet with British and US agents around the clock, setting up false web-sites and working closely with the Defence Signals Directorate to monitor communications. Deep inside the Canberra HQ of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, a compact team of specialists spends part of each day and night scanning the web. Their work is not random: they are tracking the internet footprints of Australia's radical jihadi suspects. Every day, say Australian and international intelligence sources, suspected terrorists in Australia log onto computers at home and in internet cafes, to make new friends and affirm twisted beliefs, both with locals and others thousands of kilometres away.


Detrital zircon (DZ) geochronology has become a popular tool in provenance studies during the past two decades. However, similar zircon crystallization ages from different source regions greatly hamper the interpretation of sediment dispersal and recycling processes. The Alleghenian–Ouachita–Marathon (AOM) foreland and vicinity in North America is a region where some dominant DZ age groups could come from both the southern Appalachians in the eastern United States and the Gondwanan terranes in Mexico. In this study, we present 1045 new DZ U–Pb ages and 81 DZ core–rim age pairs in lower Permian sandstone in the Permian Basin and Miocene sandstone in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). These new data were integrated with published DZ single U–Pb age and core–rim ages from syn‐ to post‐orogenic strata in the Permian Basin, Marathon foldbelt, southern Appalachian foreland basin and eastern GOM to interpret the sediment‐dispersal models in the AOM foreland and eastern GOM. Our models show that during the Leonardian Stage, sediments derived from the Appalachians were first delivered to the US midcontinent and then recycled to the Permian Basin; during the Miocene, sediment from the Appalachians fluxed to the eastern GOM, with no longshore mixing from the western GOM. These models based on the integration of single U–Pb and core–rim ages are consistent with published results that used other methods, including zircon single U–Pb age, zircon Hf isotopic data, zircon (U–Th)/He age, sedimentology and stratigraphy. Our results demonstrate that although some limitations exist, zircon core–rim age is a powerful tool, adding an extra constraint on the interpretation of sediment‐dispersal systems. This tool is particularly applicable to the post‐orogenic stage, during which the sediment pathways are more complicated because of the dominant input from distal sources. Insights gained in this study imply that this novel strategy of using core and rim ages could be integrated with other methods to better understand sediment dispersal.


A sensing technique, based on time-wavelength spectroscopy and digital signal processing, is demonstrated through the binary detection of carbon monoxide. The system utilizes a linearly chirped broadband pulse to sense chemical and biochemical spectra. The main advantages of this method are the absence of an optical spectrometer and possibility of real-time spectral analysis.


This article explores state constitutional doctrine that addresses the issue of waiver of a state constitutional right to counsel during interrogation. The questions posed parallel some of the issues discussed in Patterson v. Illinois, a controversial opinion in which the U.S. Supreme Court noted that an unrepresented defendant's Sixth Amendment right to counsel required no more for a valid waiver than did the Fifth Amendment doctrine of Miranda v. Arizona. It discusses opinions which highlight the ethical standards which, in the view of some courts, are implicated by the scope of the constitutional right to counsel afforded by their respective states.


The Peru-Humboldt Current system (HCS) supports the world's largest pelagic fisheries. Among the world's eastern boundary current systems, it is the most exposed to high climatic stress and is directly affected by El Nino and La Nina events. In this volatile ecosystem, fish have been led to develop adaptive strategies in space and time. In this paper, we attempt to understand the mechanisms underlying such strategies, focusing on the El Nino 1997–98 in Peru from which an extensive set of hydrographic, capture and acoustic survey data are available. An integrated analysis of the data is crucial, as each has substantial shortcomings individually; for example, both catch data and acoustic surveys may easily lead to wrong conclusions. Existing hypotheses on anchovy and sardine alternations lead us to a 'habitat-based' synthetic hypothesis. Using our data, an integrated approach evaluated how fish responded to habitat variation, and determined the consequences in terms of fish-population variability. Various factors occurring at a range of different spatio-temporal scales were considered: interdecadal regime (warm 'El Viejo'/cool 'La Vieja' decadal scale); strength and the duration of the El Nino Southern Oscillation event (interannual scale); population condition before the event (interannual scale); fishing pressure and other predation (annual scale); changes in reproductive behaviour (intra-annual scale); presence of local upwelling (local scale). During El Nino 1997–98, anchovy was able to exploit a small-scale temporal and spatial 'loophole' inside the general unfavourable conditions. Moreover, sardine did not do better than anchovy during this El Nino and was not able to take advantage of the 'loophole' opened by this short-term event. Our results question the traditional view that El Nino is bad for anchovy and good for sardine.


Industry & academia are building pillars of a country's knowledge base economy. Industry focus is on practical significance while role of academia is to disseminate knowledge. Although they seem different in their focus; however, there are similarities for innovation-based partnerships. Once Industry & Academia are embedded in the notion of "open innovation", both parties can benefit from collaboration. This is a quantitative study in which drawing upon resource dependence theory, a framework is developed for collaborating factors between industry and academia in the context of Pakistan. Sample from industry and academia is studied using survey instrument and impact of collaboration is measured on magnitude and level of innovation. LISREL based modeling technique is used for quantitatively analyzing proposed framework. Two questions are addressed in this study; What are the antecedents of industry and academia to collaborate in the context of open innovation, and the impact of collaboration on magnitude and level of innovation? This study contains key implications for education sector, industry and policy makers for enhancement of knowledge base in Pakistan .


The author's note:
Just recently finalized as of 28 January 2019, this paper is intended by the author to be part of her monograph in progress, which is tentatively entitled Figuring the Modern: The Objectified Present in Stephane Mallarme and T. S. Eliot.


The term pueblos originarios is increasingly being used to define those settlements and populations within Mexico City with long-term historical and cultural roots in the central Valley of Mexico. The use of this term points not only to the variety of populations and places that make up this complex urban environment but also to the growing political and cultural profile of these populations. At the same time, these pueblos originarios are claiming rights as originarios, nativos, and even indígenas in their fights to protect their traditions, identities, forms of autonomy, and historically important connections to place. This is also leading to changing understandings and conceptualizations of local and even national identities. In the 'urban pueblo' of Culhuacán, Mexico City, local struggles revolving around two neighborhood cemeteries are challenging the place of these pueblos originarios within the city as well as their relationship with local authorities and the State. These processes are also impacting on the way that some locals perceive their own histories and rights and how, therefore, they fit into the changing environment of Mexico City.


This paper investigates the correlation between oral grades and final written examination grades in a higher education military academy. A quantitative, correlational methodology utilizing linear regression analysis is employed. The data consist of undergraduate telecommunications and electronics engineering students' grades in two courses offered during the fourth year of studies, and spans six academic years. Course One covers period 2017–2022, while Course Two, period 1 spans 2014–2018 and period 2 spans 2019–2022. In Course One oral grades are obtained by means of a midterm exam. In Course Two period 1, 30% of the oral grade comes from homework assignments and lab exercises, while the remaining 70% comes from a midterm exam. In Course Two period 2, oral grades are the result of various alternative assessment activities. In all cases, the final grade results from a traditional written examination given at the end of the semester. Correlation and predictive models between oral and final grades were examined. The results of the analysis demonstrated that, (a) under certain conditions, oral grades based more or less on midterm exams can be good predictors of final examination scores; (b) oral grades obtained through alternative assessment activities cannot predict final examination scores.


The volatile oil from Peel of Citrus grandis(L.) Osbeck var.shatinyu Hort.of Suixi County was extracted by steam distillation and its chemical components were analyzed and identified by GC-MS.27 Kinds of compounds were separated by GC,among which 19 compounds with their contents being of 90.58% were identified by GC-MS with NIST mass spectral data.The main components were shown to be D-Limonene(37.18%) and β-Myrcene(26.93%) with their total content being of 64.11% of the oil.


The concept of learning organisations has many applications across various disciplines in different sectors that aim at continuous improvement. Universities, being a knowledge intensive organisation, often face the criticism of not being a learning organisation. To withstand the prevailing competitive scenario, it becomes a conscious mandate for universities to unlearn the conventional process and switch over to the process of organisational learning. This requires effective leadership. We, therefore, propose resonant leadership for the immediate department heads-supervisors in universities since resonant leadership has its origin from emotional intelligence. There is a dearth of studies that has investigated the role of resonant leadership in Indian universities. This paper presents a model and empirically examines the impact of affective commitment on learning organisation when mediated by resonant leadership and psychological empowerment in university faculty context.


The paper examines the structure, classification and functions of the Nzema noun phrase (NP). The data that have been analysed in this study include a collection of told stories, extracts from the Nzema Bible, a grammar text, a novel and a drama text. The paper shows that the NP in Nzema is made up of the head (H), which could be a 36 The Structure, Classification and Functions of the Nzema Noun Phrase noun, a pronominal and several elements such as nouns, adjectives, a determiner and numeral which serve as modifiers. Modifiers can come before or after the head noun. NPs in Nzema can be classified as simple, compound and complex based on their structure. The items that occur as head of the NP are: noun only, pronoun only or adjective only. The items that optionally occur as pre-modifiers in the NP are pronoun and noun. Items that can occur as post-modifiers in the NP are numeral, quantifier pronoun, determiner, adjective and relative clause. Nzema NP can function as subject, direct object, indirect object or complement. The present study is carried out within the framework of descriptive linguistics.


We give a relationship that yields an effective geometric way of evaluating mean curvature of surfaces. The approach is reminiscent of the Gauss's contour based evaluation of intrinsic curvature. The presented formula may have a number of potential applications including estimating the normal vector and mean curvature on triangulated surfaces. Given how brief is its derivation, it is truly surprising that this formula does not appear in the existing literature on differential geometry -- at least according to the author's search. We hope to learn about a reference containing this result.


The framework structure and synthesis method of SAPO11 molecular sieve are introduced briefly, and the influence of synthesis parameters on the formation of SAPO11 was discussed in detail


Stage A 58-year-old man receiving hemodialysis after failed renal transplantation was admitted with unstable angina. He had a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and transplant-related immunosuppression of several years' duration. Less than four weeks earlier, he had undergone repair of an intraabdominal aortic aneurysm and removal of the renal graft. Stage Cardiac catheterization was deferred because the prothrombin time and activated partial-thromboplastin time were prolonged, at 88.0 seconds (international normalized ratio [INR], 7.2) and 77 seconds (normal range, 28 to 40), respectively. He reported malaise, fevers, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting but no increase in bleeding since . . .


Face masks are necessary during the worldwide pandemic to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. This research proposes a deep learning-based system for detecting face masks in live video feeds in real-time. The system's goal is to automatically determine if people on a video broadcast are hiding their faces behind masks. To do this, a deep convolutional neural network architecture is sued and is trained on a huge dataset of annotated photos that include both masked and unmasked faces. The existing systems struggle to handle large-scale deployment and real-time processing of video streams for face mask detection. The network was built to learn features that reliably identify masks or no masks on faces. The transfer learning method is employed for fine-tuning in order to enhance the network's ability to generalize. Further, this study employs a powerful detection pipeline that uses hardware acceleration and parallel processing approaches to deal with the real-time nature of video streams. Since the channel processes video frames in real-time, it can be used in places where fast detection is critical, such as hospitals, airports, and other public buildings. To measure the proposed system's efficacy, large trials are run over various video datasets, each with its unique combination of circumstances and camera angles. The findings show that the proposed Convolutional neural network method is effective, comparing with Dataset-1 and Dataset-2 with real-time processing speed and good accuracy. Solution is accurate 95% to 99% and efficient than the current techniques.


In this.paper, an attempt is made to cast a new light upon J.M. Keynes's 'pri-nciple of effective demand' in his General Theory and to trace one of its cognates in Sir James Steuart's Inquiry, i.e., what he himself called the 'political effects of lux-ury'. As they are compared in terms of modern macroeconomic theory and policy, both similarities and differences are discussed in some major details of the respective theories.


Water resources shortage is a key restrict factor for the agricultural sustainable development in inland of arid regions. In this paper, based on the concept model of growth drag by Romer,have measured the restrictive degree of water resources shortage to agricultural production in inland of arid region, taking the Minle County and Linze County in the middle stream of Heihe River as the typical research areas, by using the agricultural production data of 2000—2010. The results showed that: The average annual increasing growth rates of total agricultural output value in Minle County and Linze County was lower than the previous year 0.9979 and 0.6228 percentage respectively, because of water resources restraint. On the basis of these, was systematically analyzed the influence factors to growth drag, finally from the five aspects as improving the water saving establishment, structuring the long mechanism for irrigation and drainage installations, developing the feature water saving agriculture, increasing the social management level for the water resources and constructing the atmosphere of water saving society, put forward the related policy suggestions for how to reduce the restriction of water resource shortage to agricultural development in this regions.


This article analyses the poem "Broceliande" by Karl O'Hanlon and links the imagery of Arthurian legend in the poem to the popularly perceived image of Merlin.


Highly resolved dispersed fluorescence spectra from single vibronic levels lying 2594–3084 cm−1 above the 1B2u origin of benzene have been measured in a supersonic jet. The dispersed fluorescence spectra from the levels 6110211, 6117211, 71 lying below the threshold of the third channel consist of very sharp lines, while the spectrum from the 6113 level lying above the threshold contains a large amount of broad emission due to a fast intramolecular vibrational redistribution (IVR) process.


This paper introduces a detection method for target positioning and symmetry center based on the features,the grayscale,the outline edge and the symmetry of the vehicles and settings,puts forward a new simple and effective symmetry detection method,and demonstrates it with experiments.The experimental results show that the technique can effectively locate the center of moving vehicles.


Laser fusion, likely the ultimate solution to the crisis of human energy, is highly valued by the international community and has always been the focus of international research. It turns out that the biggest scientific obstacle of laser fusion is the effective control of the high-energy-density nonlinear flows during implosions. The research of high-energy-density nonlinear flows covers many different fields, such as high-energy-density physics, plasma physics, fluid mechanics, computing science, strong impact physics, and high pressure atomic physics. Meanwhile, the capability of multi-material and multi-scale numerical simulations as well as large laser facility with high output power is also needed. As an emerging research field, it is full of all kinds of novel phenomena to be explored. In addition, hydrodynamic instabilities and the subsequent turbulent mixing in high-energy-density flows, are also important processes in astrophysical phenomena (e.g., galaxy collision and merging, stellar evolution, formation of protostars and supernova explosion) and involve with the core content of astrophysics. This paper reviews, firstly the status and progress, as well as the challenges and opportunities of high-energy-density nonlinear flows research. Secondly, it introduces hydrodynamic instabilities during implosions in central ignition laser fusion, among which, key factors related to the bottleneck of implosion performance of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the United States are condensed. Next, it summarizes the development of hydrodynamic instability experiments in laser fusion abroad. Finally, it lists some key achievements on the fundamental issues of hydrodynamic instabilities by the laser fusion implosion physics team in China over the last three years. This team has been engaged in the research and control of nonlinear flows in laser fusion implosions, as well as the research and design of target physics. A lot of improvements have been made in recent years on the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of outstanding issues for hydrodynamic instabilities in laser fusion implosions, and the design and analysis of experiments on large lasers, which greatly promoted the development of this research direction in China.


Reaction of active methylene compound with an aldehyde and thiourea under Biginelli conditions reported to yield dihydropyrimidine derivatives in good yield. Herein we report a special case wherein the isolated product was propanenitrile derivative resulting from Knoevenagel condensation of malononitrile with the aldehyde. The structure of the product was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.


Good ignition-proof principle and mechanical properties were realized in Mg-Y-Ca-Zr alloy system.By adding Y and Ca elements,the ignition point of Mg-3.5Y-0.8Ca alloy was improved to over 1173 K,and the alloy could be melted in air without any protections.The ef-fect of Zr addition on the microstructures and mechanical properties of Mg-3.5Y-0.8Ca alloys were investigated,and Mg-3.5%Y-0.8%Ca-0.4%Zr alloy had good comprehensive properties with tensile strength of 190 MPa and elongation of 11%.Auger electron spectros-copy(AES) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analysis revealed that the oxide film formed on the surface of Mg-3.5Y-0.8Ca alloy was mainly composed of Y2O3.Thermogravimetric measurements in dry air indicated that the oxidation dynamics curves measured at 773,873 and 973 K followed the cubic law.Moreover,the semiconductor characteristic of Y2O3 film and its effect on ignition-proof properties of Magnesium al-loys were discussed from the viewpoint of electrochemistry.


is said to have weighted distribution corresponding to X . Introduced by Rao (1965), the concept of weighted distributions has been employed in various practical problems in analysis of family size, study of albinism, human heredity, aerial survey and visibility bias, line transcend sampling, renewal theory, cell cycle analysis and pulse labelling, efficacy of early screening for disease, etiological studies, statistical ecology and reliability modelling. An exhaustive work of research in this area is available in Patil and Rao (1977) and Gupta and Kirmani (1990).


The main objective of this article is to associate the conflicts as a variable of the workplace environment, associated with the implementation of the culture of peace, in the collaborators of the MSMEs of the department of Chontales and Rio San Juan. The approach that was used is cognitive, historical and explanatory. The study sample is intentional, with six participants, three are MSMEs and three are state institutions as public servants, for a total of 203 employees. The instruments that were used were: semistructured interviews and surveys, applied and analyzed. As a result, it is obtained that the data reflect the pertinent relationship between the pleasant workplace environment existing in companies and institutions, based on the minimum of conflicts generated and the adequate implementation of communication, motivation and extra financial remuneration to employees.


Inelastic x-ray and neutron scattering results obtained from liquid sodium and rubidium are presented. They cover the entire liquid range between melting and liquid vapour critical point. At high densities the dynamics of the liquid metal is characterized by collective excitations. The corresponding dispersion relations indicate the existence of surprisingly stable next neighbouring shells leading to an increase of the propagation speed for the collective modes. Below 2ρ crit. the dynamics changes from collective to localized indicating the existence of molecular aggregates. This interpretation is in accord with a simple model where the properties of a Rb- and a Rb 2 - lattice are calculated using density functional theory.


Due to increasing network threats, it has become imperative to build a system that is meant to protect the network primarily from intrusion. A discipline that is most oblivious is the layer two of the OSI, which opens the network to dangerous assaults and compromises. Nowadays there are various sophisticated offensive tools and technologies that can exploit these vulnerabilities to create havoc in the tech-savvy generation. ARP spoofing assault is among the most hazardous procedures in local discipline networks. This paper discusses poisoning of Address resolution protocol and the most advanced schemes which mitigate such attacks. This attack has been carried out under test environment for illustrations and various preventive methods against it have been tested and compared. This paper has highlighted in the end an ideal strategy to combat ARP attacks at a superior level than the already existing techniques.


Abstract : Dengue fever ranks among the top infectious diseases that afflict US Military personnel deployed overseas. Developing a successful vaccine to prevent dengue fever in DoD personnel is priority research area for the US DoD. Phase 1 clinical trials demonstrated that the Naval Medical Research Centers DNA based dengue vaccine is safe and well tolerated, but does not elicit a sufficient immune response. The objectives of this project are to conduct studies in non-human primates to enhance the immunogenicity of the vaccine by (a) testing different modes of delivery of dengue DNA vaccine for optimal humoral and T cell responses, and (b) testing the optimal delivery method in conjunction with other vaccine platforms using a heterologous prime-boost regimen. All necessary contracts are in place, the vaccine product is ready and the first vaccinations to address objective (a) are scheduled for early October 2016.


This paper proposed a printed coupled feed antenna for laptop computers. The design of 8×8 MIMO antennas is placed on the top edge of the system ground of 200mm×260 mm×0.8mm. The size of the proposed antenna is 3mm×17mm×0.8mm. The antenna is printed on FR4 substrate of permittivity of 4.4 and thickness of 0.8 mm. The design extended to 8×8 MIMO antennas operating at WRC 5G (3.4– 3.6GHz). The simulated efficiency has a 47–59% over the operating band. This design with good radiation performances and keeping low profile is suitable for the application of laptop computers.


Polycyclic tetramate macrolactam (PTM) natural products are produced by actinomycetes and other bacteria. PTMs are often bioactive, and the simplicity of their biosynthetic clusters make them attractive for bioengineering. Clifednamide-type PTMs from Streptomyces sp. JV178 contain a distinctive ketone group, suggesting the existence of a novel PTM oxidizing enzyme. Here, we report the new cytochrome P450 enzyme (CftA) is required for clifednamide production. Genome mining was used to identify several new clifednamide producers, some having improved clifednamide yields. Using a parallel synthetic biology approach, CftA isozymes were used to engineer the ikarugamycin pathway of Streptomyces sp. NRRL F-2890 to yield clifednamides. Further, we observed that strong CftA expression leads to the production of a new PTM, clifednamide C. We demonstrate the utility of both genome mining and synthetic biology to rapidly increase clifednamide production and identify a PTM tailoring enzyme for rational molecule design.


This laboratory research study focused on: (a) Durability of wetcast, precast, box culverts with and without air entrainment; (b) Durability of drycast, precast, box culverts without air entrainment; (c) Durability of wetcast and drycast, precast box culverts made form concrete with the addition of microsilica and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBF). Based on examination of nine wetcast and four drycast box culverts, it was concluded that the use of air-entrained concrete improves the freeze-thaw durability of wetcast box culverts. Drycast box culverts that are produced using non-air-entrained concrete have unsatisfactory freeze-thaw durability. The addition of microsilica and GGBF to the concrete reduced chloride ion permeability in both wetcast and drycast concrete box culverts.


Liquid interfaces play a fundamental role in science and technology. The development of surface-sensitive probes capable of yielding molecular information about these interfaces is of great importance. This paper gives an overview of our and some others' recent work on vibrational spectroscopy of liquid interfaces by the sum-frequency generation (SFG) technique. This technique, being highly surface specific and applicable to all interfaces accessible by light, has been proven to be a most powerful analytical tool for liquid interfaces. A wide range of systems have been studied including neat liquid surfaces, solid/liquid and liquid/liquid interfaces, surfactants at liquid interfaces, and electrochemical interfaces. In many cases, SFG is shown to be the only technique available that can provide detailed information about a liquid interface at the molecular level.


In a strong magnetic field, a high-energy photon can be absorbed and then produce an electron-positron pair. The produced electron/positron will in turn radiate a high-energy photon via synchrotron radiation, which then initiates a cascade. We built a one-dimensional Monte-Carlo code to study the development of the cascade especially after it reaches the saturated status, when almost all the energy of the primary particles transfers to the photons. The photon spectrum in this status has a cut-off due to the absorption by magnetic fields, which is much sharper than the exponential one. Below the cut-off, the spectral energy distribution (SED) manifest itself as a broken power-law with a spectral index of $0.5$ and $0.125$, respectively, below and above the broken energy. The SED can be fitted by a simple analytical function, which is solely determined by the product of the cascade scale $R$ and the magnetic field perpendicular to the motion of the particle B_{\perp}, with an accuracy better than 96\%. The similarity of the spectrum to that from the cascade in an isotropic black-body photon field is also studied.


BACKGROUND: The Morbidity and mortality due to non-communicable diseases specially attributed to diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary Artery disease (CAD) is rising rapidly in India, causing nearly 5.8 million deaths per year annually. Considering the strong association between the levels of serum uric acid (SUA) and the occurrence of coronary atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the current study has been undertaken to assess the factors influencing the serum uric acid levels in patients with type 2diabetes mellitus. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.To study the level of SUA in patients with type 2 DM, 2.To establish the association of elevated serum uric acid concentration as a risk factor for CAD in type–2 diabetes patients. RESULTS: Mean serum uric acid value is significantly higher in type II diabetes patients (5.76±1.15) than controls (3.39±0.56). Mean serum uric acid value is significantly higher in Diabetic patients with CAD (6.115±0.87) than non CAD patients (5.43±0.59). CONCLUSION: Level of serum uric acid is related to duration of diabetes mellitus. It is an independent predictor of CAD in DM patients thus can be used as a marker of CAD in type II DM patients.


Abstract HANDBOOK ON PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING. Rankin, Jocelyn, editor. Chicago: Medical Library Association, 1999, 546 pages, $101.25 (USA), ISBN 0-8281-1281-9. Reviewed by Jessie McGowan. PDQ EVIDENCE-BASED PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE. McKib-bon, Ann with Angela Eady and Susan Marks. Hamilton, ON: B.C. Decker, Inc., 1999, 212 pages, $24.95 (USA) $36 (Canada), ISBN 1-55009-118-2. Reviewed by Brian D. Cameron.


We demonstrate the effective use of a magnetic field to improve molecular alignment, and the resulting enhancement of the electrical conductivity of organic molecular nanowires. The structures of phthalocyanine nanowires, which are produced in porous alumina templates, are characterized by X-ray diffraction. Careful analyses reveal that the crystal morphologies of the phthalocyanine nanowires, e.g., domain size, columnar alignment and face-to-face spacing, are improved by using a 12 T magnetic field. This is because of the anisotropic magnetic susceptibility of the π-conjugated phthalocyanine macrocycle. Electrical measurements of individual nanowires performed with a multi-probe scanning electron microscope show that such highly ordered molecular packing results in a seventeen-fold increase in conductivity.


Among the groups of invertebrates that are known to serve as vectors of disease-causing parasites, the mollusks are overshadowed only by the insects. Even then, it cannot be denied that the species of gastropods that act as the intermediate hosts for the human-infecting species of schistosomes must be ranked among the most important invertebrate vectors of disease. In recent years, we have witnessed an increased interest in the development of methods alternative to chemical control directed toward the control of schistosome-transmitting and other undesirable species of snails. This, of course, requires considerable additional basic information relative to the mollusk-parasite relationship not available at this time. This is not to say that no work is being performed in this area. In fact, several distinguished investigators throughout the world have focused their attention on problems of this nature. The contributions of several of these individuals are included in this section. Dr. K. R. Harris, one of the more distinguished of my former students, has contributed an excellent account of the encapsulation process in Biomphalaria glabrata directed toward the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis, as revealed by electron microscopy. This study, in my opinion, will serve as a prototype for many others to come. Dr. P. L. Krupa and his colleagues, L. M. Lewis and P. Del Vecchio, have contributed a significant report that helps to elucidate the surface transport system in schistosome sporocysts. Similarly, Drs. F. J. Etges, 0. S. Carter, and G. Webbe have contributed an interesting account of the behavior of schistosome miracidia related to host finding and to the effect of parasitization on the fecundity of the molluscan host. It is always a pleasure to introduce the work of a former student, in this case Dr. G. P. Hoskin. This enthusiastic investigator has employed the Nassarius-Himasthla model to elucidate some salient features of the mollusktrematode interface and how the parasites affect the snail at the cellular level. One group of potential candidates for the biologic control of schistosometransmitting snails is the microsporidians. Therefore, the contribution by Dr. C. J. Bayne and his colleagues, A. Owczarzak and W. E. Noonan, on the cultivation of a microsporidan in B. glabrata cells will undoubtedly be read with great interest. Finally, although not directed toward the understanding of a mollusk-parasite relationship, the contribution by Drs. J. A. Couch, M. D. Summers, and L. Courtney is, in my opinion, a very significant one. These investigators have posed some interesting questions as to the environmental significance of the occurrence of a Baculovirus enzootic in penaeid shrimp. In conclusion, I wish to thank all of the participants in this session. It has been my pleasure to chair such an interesting series of contributions.


species of event altogether. It further divides, rather than helping to integrate, one's understanding. Thus Schlesinger can state: "Where traders wanted only to make money or politicians to make treaties, missionaries wanted to change souls and societies. Their evangelical spirit helped to infuse the American role in the world with the impulses of a crusade" (p. 373). But when traders went "only" to make money, they frequently needed and gained the help of politicians who wanted "only" to make treaties; and both found some degree of justification for their righteous brutality towards other countries in an ideology shared with missionaries—just as the missionaries often took pride and pleasure in the expansion of American commerce and political influence in the vineyards whose souls they cultivated. The point is that the evangelical, crusading, nation-building zeal Schlesinger seems to deplore is not some poisonous cloud hovering above the Republic like a supernatural emanation. It is produced by the social, political, and economic structures of this country. So long as the relationship between the system in which we live and the ideology that justifies its depredations at home and abroad remains unanalyzed, as it does here, we shall remain its victims.


In this paper, we introduce a document–based approach to business process modelling. We argue that declarative semantic modelling should be preferred against the procedural one, which is typically used in software implementations of business processes. Semantic modelling allows for a transparent description of business processes, which is accessible both to manual and automated analysis, verification, and reuse. We present the idea of semantic document modelling and report on its implementation in a web platform, which has been successfully applied to automate business processes of real-world


The industry of short-sea passenger shipping transportation is regarded as a growing market of increased competition. One of the most essential problems for the competitors (liners) is the design of their service system strategy. In the current study, an agent-based simulation framework is presented in order to simulate the behaviour of each competing shipping company, combined with a parallel co-evolutionary genetic algorithm able to solve complex game theoretic problems of competition.


Taichi Furukawa, Satoshi Kitahara, Yukio Ohmae, Manabu Nakanoboh and Tetsuzo Inouye Laser surgeries for thirteen cases of laryngeal papilloma was reviewed. Laser surgeries were conducted between Jan. 1986 and April 1992 as a treatment for six cases of solitary tumors and seven cases of multiple tumors. Two cases of juvenile laryngeal papilloma were both multiple type . Solitary tumors were successfully controlled by one or two operations of laser surgery alone. Three case of multiple tumors were not controlled by laser surgery alone. Laser surgery demonstrates to be effective treatment method to control solitary papilloma . However multiple type, not readily controlled by laser surgery alone, need other treatment method along with laser.


This study presents new results of shear wave splitting at 56 broadband stations installed in the Eastern Himalaya, Burmese Arc, and adjoining regions. The fast polarization directions (FPDs) within the Himalaya, Burmese Arc and the foredeep are parallel to the strike of the orogens, suggesting a coherently deformed lithospheric mantle under compression. The FPDs follow the Main Boundary Thrust and the Main Central Thrust in the central segment of the Arunachal Himalaya. Smaller delay times (∼0.7 s) can be best explained by multiple layers of anisotropy, where combined effects of the anisotropic fabric of a coherently deformed lithosphere of the Arunachal Himalaya and plate motion related strain are playing a role. Null measurements in the Siang window may be due to the Indian plate interaction with Eurasia and Burma plates, causing different layers of anisotropy. Another possibility is the coincidence of source polarization direction with the fast axis. In the Bengal Basin, the Nulls could be due to annihilation of frozen anisotropy in the downwelling Indian lithosphere and the APM‐related strain, or a highly heterogeneous mantle affected by the Kereguelen plume magmatism, at ∼116 Ma.


PurposeThe goal was to improve the quality of the hospitalization process and the management of patients, allowing the reduction of costs and the minimization of the preoperative Length of Hospital Stay (LOS).Design/methodology/approachThe methodology used to improve the quality of the hospitalization process and patient management was Lean Thinking. Therefore, the Lean tools (Value stream map and Ishikawa diagram) were used to identify waste and inefficiencies, improving the process with the implementation of corrective actions. The data was collected through personal observations, patient interviews, brainstorming and from printed medical records of 151 patients undergoing oral cancer surgery in the period from 2006 to 2018.FindingsThe authors identified, through Value Stream Map, waste and inefficiencies during preoperative activities, consequently influencing preoperative LOS, considered the best performance indicator. The main causes were identified through the Ishikawa diagram, allowing reflection on possible solutions. The main corrective action was the introduction of the pre-hospitalization service. A comparative statistical analysis showed the significance of the solutions implemented. The average preoperative LOS decreased from 4.90 to 3.80 days (−22.40%) with a p-value of 0.001.Originality/valueThe methodology allowed to highlight the improvement of the patient hospitalization process with the introduction of the pre-hospitalization service. Therefore, by adopting the culture of continuous improvement, the flow of hospitalization was redrawn. The benefits of the solutions implemented are addressed to the patient in terms of lower LOS and greater service satisfaction and to the hospital for lower patient management costs and improved process quality. This article will be useful for those who need examples on how to apply Lean tools in healthcare.


The automatic making channel machine is the main part of the CAM system for making carton mould. In the design of this machine, we employed mechanism process and CNC technology. This paper describes the whole structure and key points of NC table.


In this paper, ARCH (autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity) effects of load time series is analyzed and a new feasible method of load forecast based on ARCH model is proposed. The main achievements of the paper involve the following aspects: Firstly, by testing the disturbance series of the classical model, Some witness to the ARCH effect is reported by LM test. Secondly, An ARMA-ARCH model is constructed. This model is judged to have good forecast ability, and compares favourably with ARMA model in theoretic significance. Furthermore, a relatively deep research on the second-order moment of load time series proceeds from such a viewpoint as reverse leverage effect, the mechanism of asymmetric effects between different shocks is demonstrated. Finally, we enhance the ARCH model to a new level with the help of extended ARCH class model. These models have more practical preconditions, and have more powerful applied significance than some classical models. It may be a promising new method for short-time load forecasting.


THE value of iodine as an absorbent has long been known. It is used to cause the absorption of enlarged glands, of seroug effusions, and of thickenings due to chronic inflamniations; anid this action is believed to be due to a stiniulation of the lymphatic system. Perhaps the most remarkable results due to the action of a compound of iodine in producing absorption are those whlichl were attained by Major Ilolmes and Captain Cunningham in the treatment of goitre in India. They recommended that the enlarged thyroid should be smeared over with the red iodide of mercury ointment, and that then the patient should be made to sit witlh his neek exposed to the rays of the sun or of a hot fire for many hours. The results were extraordinary. Sixty thousand natives were treated in two years, and a cure was commonly effected.' My object in this communication is to offer a suggestion, from the point of view of the physicist, as to the mode of action of the iodine in these cases. Iodine is used in physical experiments to cut off the visible rays of the spectrum. A solution of iodine in bisulphide of carbon will quench the visible rays of the sun, but will transmit the invisible heat rays. The solution is remarkably transparent to the heat rays; it is diathlermanous. Now, the fact that Major Holmes found that the action of the ointment was much intensified by exposing the patients to the direct rays of the sun has appeared to me to depend upon the plhysical action of the iodine that I have mentioned. At any rate, I offer this as a suggestion. Further, the fact that the red iodide is so efficacious points in the same direction. because the red substance would also serve to transmit chiefly the heat rays. The solar radiation would be filtered by the application, and the gland would be subjected to the full blaze of the calorific rays without the vibrations of its moleculs being interfered with by the visible rays. Professor Tyndall2 made some experiments with paper reddened by the red iodide of mercury, and found that it was also very transparent to heat rays; it therefore falls into line with simple iodine. If this suggestion as to the mode of action of iodine be correct, we do wrong in covering up diseased parts to which iodine has been applied; we ought rather to expose them freely to the sun's rays.


The new Transition Region (TR-II) optimizes phase matching of H+ and H- beams during simultaneous transport between the drift-tube linac and side-coupled linac at LAMPF. Improvements include larger aperture, a straight beam track, greater beam path length adjustments, and better utility routing. Hardware density required innovative designs for magnets, mounting, vacuum, and utilities. Dipoles are powered by one constant current and one variable current supply which cause the fields to add or buck providing ± 20-mm path length variation for phase matching. Alignment was done using two digital theodolites coupled to a computer to give real-time three-dimensional data. Production beams up to 950 ¿A at 100 MeV have been routinely transported since September 1983.


This study aimed at identifying middle-aged subjects at risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus using noninvasive skin carotenoid and vascular function measurements. To this end, 61 subjects (40–65 years of age) without type 2 diabetes mellitus (Group A, Hemoglobin A1c < 6.5%) and 69 subjects (40–65 years of age) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (Group B, Hemoglobin A1c ≥ 6.5%) were recruited (Table 1). The skin carotenoid score was recorded using spectroscopy-based skin carotenoid measurements that approximate dietary fruit and vegetable intake. Endothelial function and heart rate variability were measured for the two groups and correlated with skin carotenoids scores. The daily vegetable and fruit intake was positively correlated with the skin carotenoids score in both groups (Group A, r = 0.598, p < 0.001; Group B, r = 0.449, p < 0.001). There were also significant differences in skin carotenoids score, indices of endothelial function, and heart rate variability between the subjects in group A and group B. There was a negative correlation between skin carotenoids score and individual determinants of metabolic syndrome, including high-density lipoprotein (r = −0.361, p = 0.009), waist circumference (r = −0.450, p < 0.001), fasting blood sugar (r = −0.713, p < 0.001), and Hemoglobin A1c (r = −0.808, p < 0.001); however, systolic blood pressure showed no significant correlation (p = 0.06). In conclusion, carotenoids and cardiovascular parameters are reliable predictive factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged subjects.


Purpose: The aim of this paper is to show properties of spin-coated thin films of new polymer having silicon atom in the backbone. This amorphous polymer has appeared to be applied as active films in organic devices (as OLED). Design/methodology/approach: Thin films of 4-(diphenyl(4-(4-(5-(p-tolyoxy)phenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2yl)phenyloamino)methyl)-phenyl)silyl)-1-methylbenzamide (Oxad–Si-B) were obtained by spin-coating method. The methodology of preparing was changing of technological parameters such as solution concentration and spinning rate V. The films were deposited with five spinning rates. Findings: Such technological parameters as spinning rate and solution concentration has appeared to influence optical properties of thin films. These parameters were found to influence surface morphology and UV-Vis absorption spectra of thin films. Research limitations/implications: The optical properties of obtained films will allow further researches of this polymer. Its optical properties allow carrying of electrical measurements, which will be carried out in the nearest time. Practical implications: The value of Oxad-Si (B) energy gap suggests its luminescent properties and applications of this material as active film in optoelectronic devices. Originality/value: The goal of this paper is to show optical properties of thin films prepared with most optimal technology conditions.


The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is the largest assessment to date of the health of the world's ecosystems. Launched in 2001 by United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan and authorized by governments through four international conventions, the MA is intended as a tool to inform decision makers and the public. The documents flowing forth from this work, which was completed in March 2005, have been prepared by 1,360 experts from 95 countries, with an 80-person independent board of review editors. The documents draw on information gathered from the scientific literature, existing data sets, and scientific models, and incorporate knowledge gleaned from the private sector, workers in the field, indigenous peoples, and local communities. Information about the MA, as well as the documents it has released, are available online at http://www.millenniumassessment.org/.

The findings of the MA are grim. Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems faster and more extensively than during any other comparable time period in human history. These rapid changes have grown out of increasing demands for natural goods and services, such as food, fresh water, timber, fiber, and fuel. The MA also finds that ecosystem changes have brought about substantial gains in human well-being and in economic development, but that these gains have come at the cost of degrading ecosystem services and increasing poverty for some groups of people. The report predicts that ecosystem change could accelerate during the next 50 years and contribute to nonachievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Yet, there is some hope that this situation can still be reversed, and the report sets forth options for improving ecosystems by 2050. These fall under three scenarios: "Global Orchestration," "Adapting Mosaic," and "TechnoGarden." The Global Orchestration scenario reflects a globally connected society focused on international trade and economic liberalization that also takes strong steps to reduce problems such as poverty and inequality and to invest in public infrastructure and education. The Adapting Mosaic scenario focuses on local-scale activities, and investments in human and social capital emphasize education to bring about a better understanding of the nature of ecosystems. At the core of the TechnoGarden scenario is the use of technology and highly managed, often engineered ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services. A fourth scenario, "Order from Strength," emphasizes heightened security and a fragmented society, to the detriment of the environment.

The MA homepage provides the latest news related to the project, while links along the right side of the page access the numerous partners in the MA. These partners include the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, multiple universities, and others.

The Reports section of the site provides links to the major documents produced by the MA. Each report can be downloaded for free in English and several other languages; there is also information on how to order printed copies. The Resources section assembles slide presentations, figures, tables, maps, posters, logos, and brochures that can be used by the media. All are available to download for free.

The About the MA section of the website provides a thorough history of how the work came about, how it was funded, how it was undertaken, and how it may continue in the future. This section also includes a page devoted to the many subregional assessments that are being carried out in conjunction with the MA. Links to each provide details of the areas covered by the assessments, the institutions carrying out the assessments, the features of the ecosystem being assessed, key features of the assessments, and the time frame and budget for the work.


A novel water-soluble NHC-Pd polymer with triethylene glycol legs was developed as a water soluble and highly recyclable catalyst that shows high catalytic activity in the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of aryl chlorides in high yields in water at room temperature.


The permutation test is a versatile type of exact nonparametric significance test that requires drastically fewer assumptions than similar parametric tests by considering the distribution of a test statistic over a discrete group of distributionally invariant transformations. The main downfall of the permutation test is the high computational cost of running such a test making this approach laborious for complex data and experimental designs and completely infeasible in any application requiring speedy results. We rectify this problem through application of Kahane--Khintchine-type inequalities under a weak dependence condition and thus propose a computation free permutation test---i.e. a permutation-less permutation test. This general framework is studied within both commutative and non-commutative Banach spaces. We further improve these Kahane-Khintchine-type bounds via a transformation based on the incomplete beta function and Talagrand's concentration inequality. For $k$-sample testing, we extend the theory presented for Rademacher sums to weakly dependent Rademacher chaoses making use of modified decoupling inequalities. We test this methodology on classic functional data sets including the Berkeley growth curves and the phoneme dataset. We also consider hypothesis testing on speech samples under two experimental designs: the Latin square and the complete randomized block design.


Purpose – The recent economic crisis has significantly slowed Slovenia's recent social and economic progress and exposed some important long-term problems such as a reliance on low value added industries and lagging labor productivity. The Slovenian government has taken steps to create research partnerships between public science and the private sector and among multiple private sector companies. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a social network analysis (SNA) of the research partnerships and examine whether public funding has created the desired partnerships. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employed a SNA in two stages. In the first stage, the authors treated the founding partners of government-funded 32 research centers as a single two-mode network and investigated how each of the members was bound to the network. In the second stage of the analysis the authors used project data from ten of the centers to characterize a project network based on collaborations on specific projects. Thus,...


Background and Aim: The National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) has been progressive in addressing the issues related to tuberculosis (TB) control in the country, with constant programmatic changes based on evidence available from operational research. Our objectives were 1. to assess the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and the treatment outcomes of patients on fixed-dose combination (FDC) daily regimen and 2. to assess the factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes among patients with DS-TB. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on record review. The study population included all patients with drug-sensitive TB, registered and initiated on treatment under NTEP "new category" from January to June 2018 and under "previously treated category" from January to March 2018. Quantitative data downloaded from Nikshay in Excel format was imported. Results: A total of 8301 patients with DS-TB registered under NTEP. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age of DS-TB patients was 35.3 + 16.9 years, and 63.2% were in the age group of 15–44 years. Also, 60.1% were male, 2.5% were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, 65.3% were pulmonary TB cases, and 70.4% obtained treatment from public providers. Proportion of "successful" and "unsuccessful" outcomes was 87.9% and 12.1%, respectively, in the new treatment category and 78.3% and 21.7%, respectively, in the previously treated category. Among the patients classified under new category, the unsuccessful treatment outcome remained significantly high after adjustments with known confounders among patients aged 45–54 years (adjusted relative risks [aRR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31–1.93) and 55–64 years (aRR 1.67, 95% CI 1.36–2.05) compared to patients aged <15 years. Conclusion: Unsuccessful treatment outcome was significantly high among patients aged 45–54 years. Various adherence mechanisms implemented can be evaluated for further upscaling and improving the program effectiveness.


In this paper, we establish several new inequalities for g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules which are different in structure from those previously obtained by Balan et al. for Hilbert space frames. We also present some equalities and inequalities for g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules with Moore–Penrose inverses and show that they are more general and cover some results in [Xiao, XC, Zeng, XM: Some properties of g-frames in Hilbert C∗ -modules. J. Math. Anal. Appl. 363 (2), 399–408 (2010)]. Mathematics subject classification (2010): 46L99, 42C15, 46H25.


Sun is the main energy source for the entire solar system. Every year 385000 exajoules(EJ) of energy reaches from the sun to the earth, which is approximately 8000 times higher than the total energy demand of entire mankind. Solar cells convert sunlight into electrical energy. There are various types of solar cells, and the two main types are organic and inorganic solar cells. Organic solar cells (OSC) are cheap, flexible, light weight and have simpler fabrication process compared to the inorganic solar cells. But the main disadvantage of OSC is that the electrical power conversion efficiency is very poor owing to poor exciton diffusion and low charge carrier mobility. There are various types of OSCs depending on their junction type, architecture and materials. Bulk Heterojunction OSC is the most promising type, its power conversion efficiency is around 11.6%. The operation of OSC depends on four steps: 1) Photon absorption and the creation of excitons 2) Exciton diffusion to the donor-acceptor interface 3) Exciton relaxation into a charge transfer exciton state and simultaneous dissociation into free charge carriers and 4) Collection of free charge carriers at their respective electrodes (here, holes go the anode and electrons to the cathode). Optimization of any of these mechanisms can lead to improvement in the overall photoconversion efficiency (PCE) of the OSC. In this thesis, different organic material properties will be studied, and a new ideas will be proposed to improve the exciton diffusion to the donor-acceptor interface.


Humans are woven with technology; since their inception in myth, tools – things ready to hand for use – have been what defines us. Understood prosthetically, they are extensions of our physiological and sensory apparatus. Our most basic relationship with the world is thus a technological one. Rather than simply an array of instrumental equipment that enables the creation of end products, technology sets our skills, our understanding, and our action in relation to each other through the sense of productivity, and it is here that technology and organization are intertwined. This handbook will explore the largely unchartered territory of media, technology, and organization studies, and interrogate their foundational relations, their forms, and their consequences. The arrival of digital media technologies - the organizational powers that move people, data, and things – and their subsequent influence on the styles and forms of organizing highlights the need to survey the very technological materials and objects that enable and shape organization, and those that are enabled and shaped by organizational processes in return. To do so, each chapter focuses on a specific mediating, technological object, such as the Clock, High Heels, the Pen or the Smartphone, asking the question: How does this object or process organize? Rather than being a chapter 'on' an object in isolation, the chapters consider how we might think about their resonance in the way we have, and continue to, create organizational form.


It describes a liquid level measuring method and a measuring device for performing the method, in which in consecutive measurement cycles in each case by means of a transmitting and receiving device (7, 7 ') with a predetermined repetition frequency (f ird, by means of the auxiliary signal (IF) for a period (t) of from a product (9) reflected signal component as the basic time (t


The Chern–Simons functional is introduced in terms of chiral fields and then studied here. The current can be regarded as a non-Abelian pure gauge potential so that the zero-curvature equations are of Lagrangian form for pure non-Abelian Chern–Simons theory. The equations of motion are developed and a formalism which connects the zero curvature equations with a related moving trihedral is introduced. The moving frame equations are written down for the system and a correspondence between these equations and several related elementary integrable systems is described in the same formalism as well.


1, ABSTRACT Under the Domain-Adaptive Integration System (DAIS) program, Lockheed Martin developed a unique concept of intelligent software agents that enables users to discover and disseminate data in minutes rather than days: DAIS demonstrated 100X improvement in capture-todissemination time of tactical intelligence data using intelligent agents. These software agents move across sites connected by narrow-bandwidth, radio-based packet networks separated by tens of kilometers. The agents collect and distribute data on remote nodes. This provides improved rcadincss through faster, more comprehensive analysis and exploitation of information, The video demonstrates how DAIS provides real-time access to battlefield human intelligence, quickly identifying critical or high-payoff targets, and increasing by two orders of magnitudc intelligence analysts' ability to monitor and recognize critical events. The video is based on a field-training exercise where DAIS enabled military intelligence analysts to detect and respond to a captured enemy order that had been overlooked in previous exercises. 1.1


An important trend in today's economy is to reduce the carbon footprint of organizations, businesses and households. Modern technologies, including ICT solutions, contribute to the reduction of CO2 production. The article focuses on the potential of using the cloud computing model in managing a modern and intelligent city. Modern city offices have an extensive IT infrastructure. With the emergence of new services provided online by the offices, the server infrastructure is also developing. Server rooms together with additional devices are characterized by high demand for electricity. Along with this, significant amounts of CO2 are produced. An alternative is the use of Cloud Computing solutions, which contribute to a significant reduction of the carbon footprint. The paper analyses potential solutions that can be used in city offices. The benefits and positive impact on the environment were highlighted. The empirical research was conducted based on questionnaires received from city offices. The results obtained indicate that city halls contribute significantly to the production of CO2. Moving IT services and solutions in whole or in part to cloud computing should be considered as one of the important elements of managing a smart and green city.


Oscillatory phenomena are ubiquitous in nature and have become particularly relevant for the study of brain and behaviour. One of the simplest, yet explanatorily powerful, models of oscillatory Coordination Dynamics is the Haken–Kelso–Bunz (HKB) model. The metastable regime described by the HKB equation has been hypothesised to be the signature of brain oscillatory dynamics underlying sensorimotor coordination. Despite evidence supporting such a hypothesis, to our knowledge, there are still very few models (if any) where the HKB equation generates spatially situated behaviour and, at the same time, has its dynamics modulated by the behaviour it generates (by means of the sensory feedback resulting from body movement). This work presents a computational model where the HKB equation controls an agent performing a simple gradient climbing task and shows (i) how different metastable dynamical patterns in the HKB equation are generated and sustained by the continuous interaction between the agent and its environment; and (ii) how the emergence of functional metastable patterns in the HKB equation – i.e. patterns that generate gradient climbing behaviour – depends not only on the structure of the agent's sensory input but also on the coordinated coupling of the agent's motor–sensory dynamics. This work contributes to Kelso's theoretical framework and also to the understanding of neural oscillations and sensorimotor coordination.


Macrophages acquire either pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory states following cell extrinsic stimuli. Upon microbial recognition, macrophages differentiate into a pro-inflammatory state referred to as M1 phenotype. Subsequently, clearance of the insult facilitates the transition of M1 macrophages into an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype to repair damaged tissue and maintain homeostasis. Recent work has identified B-cell adaptor for PI3K (BCAP), acting downstream of TLRs, as a key player in facilitating this transition to switch macrophages from expression of pro-inflammatory genes to repair genes. Whether BCAP also plays a role in macrophage differentiation upon sensing other extrinsic signals remains currently unknown. For example, the anti-inflammatory cytokine Interlekin-4 (IL-4) can drive macrophage differentiation into a M2 phenotype. We found that, following IL-4 stimulation, BCAP deficient macrophages exhibited a defective M2 gene program as revealed by reduced expression of Arg1, Klf4, and Retnla. Furthermore, we found that IL-33 mediated M2 macrophage generation was also hampered in the absence of BCAP. These findings reveal that in addition to acting as a regulator of M1 to M2 transition, BCAP is a critical node for detecting cell extrinsic signals that drive canonical M2 polarization. The mechanisms by which BCAP regulates IL-4R and IL-33R mediated M2 gene program as well as the impact of BCAP on the phenotype of tissue resident macrophages is currently being investigated.
 Supported by grants from NIH (R01 AI113125)


A significant barrier to improving prevention and treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a lack of innovative medicines that meet the needs of women and providers, particularly those in low‐and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The Accelerating Innovation for Mothers (AIM) project established a new database of candidate medicines under development for five pregnancy‐related conditions between 2000 and 2021.


In the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the concept of sustainable development, understood as the balance between economic, social, and environmental factors interacting in space and time, was recognized by representatives from 179 countries as vital to sustain human life without compromising the planet (United Nations, 1992). Nowadays, as humanity faces unseen anthropogenic problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss (IPCC, 2021), the concept of sustainable development has been recently highlighted by United Nations through the creation of 17 Sustainable Development Goals, aiming at improving environmental and human well-being globally (United Nations, 2015).


We report a synthetic electrochemical strategy to deliberately modify the catalytic reactivity of Pt bimetallic surfaces. The strategy consists of voltammetric surface dealloying of the non-noble constituent from Pt-poor bimetallic precursor compounds. We exemplify this method by dealloying carbon-supported Pt25Cu75 alloy nanoparticle precursors and testing the resulting active catalyst phase for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). We show that dealloyed Pt−Cu electrocatalysts exhibit an extraordinary increase in intrinsic reactivity of 4−6 times as compared to pure Pt electrocatalysts. Our results indicate that electrochemical treatment of the alloy precursors selectively dissolves Cu near the particle surface. The partially dealloyed particles constitute the active catalyst phase. While Cu is retained in the core of the particles after dealloying, the essentially pure Pt surface suggests a core−shell structure of the active catalyst. Geometric effects, such as exposure of more active crystallographic f...


The aim of this work is to study the applicability of the method of digestive ripening on silver and gold nanoparticles prepared by methods other than the original method of digestive ripening, depending on the used stabilizing agent. The size and width of the size distribution of the prepared nanoparticles are study. As a problem with the method, in the case of gold nanoparticles, is low yield of nanoparticles after recrystallization.