Recent findings reported in the literature concerning the mechanism of insulin action are in some respects contradictory. The observations originally made by Gemmil11-3 that the addition of insulin to the incubation medium enhances the glucose uptake and glycogen formation by the isolated diaphragm were amply confirmed by subsequent investigator^.^ From these and other observations it has been postulated that endogenous insulin likewise increases glucose utilization by peripheral tissues. More recently, Renold et U Z . , ~ studying the alterations of carbohydrate metabolism in diaphragm and in liver slices after the administration of insulin to diabetic rats for varying periods of time, found that insulin acted within minutes to increase glucose utilization (glucose uptake and glycogen formation), only in the peripheral tissues; the effects on the liver appeared only when the liver was extirpated many hours following injections of insulin into the diabetic animal. This led to the conclusion that the "immediate metabolic effects of insulin [are] a t the periphery only." On the other hand, it has been suggested in several recent studies that the major, if not the exclusive, action of insulin is to inhibit hepatic glucose release. This suggestion is based on the changes in plasma glucose production and utilization observed following a subcutaneous injection of insulin into humans who received a single trace dose of CI4 glucoses and on arterial-hepatic-venous differences in blood glucose concentration during the course of insulin infusion (L. L. Madison, B. Combes, W. Strickland, R. Unger, and R. Adams, Unpublished data). It was postulated further that endogenous insulin secreted under physiological conditions exerts a similar effect on hepatic glucose release.s The studies reported here represent a continuation of earlier work7 undertaken to determine whether insulin exerts its action on the peripheral tissues to bring about increased removal and utilization of plasma glucose or on the liver to diminish the glucose production and release to the plasma, or both. The experiments were carried out on dogs without the use of general anesthesia and without any operative procedure, under truly physiological conditions, using C14 glucose.


Mass production strains Q6 and K95-1 of Lentinula edodes were used as parents for single-spore crossbreeding.In total,21 hybrid isolates were obtained and used for fruitbody induction study.The fruitbodies were successfully produced by 9 hybrids and the grey correlation analysis was conducted for a comprehensive evaluation on the basis of 8 selected traits.The results showed that the correlation degrees of QK-8 and QK-15 ranked next to parental strain Q6 with similar or increased agronomic characteristics.ISSR markers were applied for DNA polymorphism cluster analysis of the 21 hybrids and their parents.The results showed that a high level of genetic differentiation occurred between different hybrids as well as between hybrids and their parents.The strains at the same clustering clade usually had similar agronomic characters such as the mycelial growth rate,fruitbody shape and so on.The methods established in this study could be helpful for strain screening for mass production of L.edodes.


A sequence networks-based methodology for investigating voltage unbalance in distribution networks with renewable generation is presented. The sequence networks are derived from the original asymmetrical three-phase network, and then interconnected to study sequence voltages and unbalance propagation through the network. The approach enables to analyse the influence of line impedance, load demand and network topology on voltage unbalance caused by distributed generation in the network. The critical factors which impact the unbalance severity and the propagation mode are also identified. The approach is validated by comparing calculated sequence voltages with the results obtained by phase voltage-based methodology.


The article considers reading as one of the most important types of communicative and cognitive activity. Reading is a means of information and educational activities, as well as a means
of studying the national language and languages and cultures of other peoples. With the development of the Internet, the opportunities for learning foreign languages, including English, have increased significantly. As English is spoken internationally, the Internet space is filled with information
in English, which also fulfills the teaching role at the educational institutions. There have been considered the online resources that can help in teaching and learning a foreign language


In the present invention generally, each receiving a digital image consisting of a plurality of color pixels including the color information, and identifies the face segment containing the face region on the basis of the color information, and the face segment of the facial feature detection using a symmetric identify the center line that is substantially divided into a Human Mask (人 面) portion in said face segments, and using said center line to a position input method and dividing the Human Mask (人 面) facial feature region of the part. The face, central line, facial feature


BACKGROUND
Current heterotopic heart transplant models have nonworking left ventricles that atrophy and are not suitable for some studies. We developed and characterized a new heterotopic model with working left and right ventricles.

METHODS
Hemodynamics were compared in the working and nonworking models. The influence of the length of the donor's aorta on coronary arterial oxygenation was tested. The influence of the recipient's arterial pressure on developed left ventricular systolic pressure and the effects of alpha- and beta-adrenergic stimulation were examined in both models. The nonworking and working models were compared in chronic transplant preparations to investigate possible ventricular atrophy.

RESULTS
In this model, coronary arterial oxygen tension was influenced by the length of the donor's aorta. With a short donor aorta (0.5 cm in the porcine model), normal coronary arterial oxygenation is maintained. Left ventricular systolic pressure was greater in the working compared with the nonworking models. Left ventricular systolic pressure did not respond to alpha-adrenergic stimulation but did respond to beta-adrenergic and combined stimulation, which indicates its relationship to donor heart output. Left ventricular systolic pressure correlated with and was determined by recipient arterial pressure. Ventricular atrophy occurred in the nonworking model, but ventricular weight was maintained at sham control levels in this new working model.

CONCLUSION
These results demonstrate the surgical anatomic considerations of a new heterotopic heart transplant model in which the left and right ventricles work. Its hemodynamic performance is related to recipient hemodynamics, and the model responds to adrenergic stimulation. In chronic studies, ventricular mass is maintained, thus allowing this model to overcome a significant shortcoming of existing heterotopic heart transplant models.


Genomic analysis of breast cancer (BC) has revealed the existence of recurrent copy number losses and mutations in GATA3 and RUNX1. Interestingly, these are predominantly found in luminal tumors. GATA3 and RUNX1 are transcription factors that help specify mammary luminal lineages. To test whether BC-associated genetic aberrations of GATA3 and RUNX1 contribute to luminal-like tumorigenesis, I generated cohorts of female mice in which Gata3 and Runx1 were deleted in mammary epithelium. In addition, I have successfully generated transgenic mice that express a breast tumor-derived Gata3 mutant. To date, twelve-months old females with copy number loss of Gata3 and Runx1 are mostly tumor-free (approximately 3% and 13% of Gata3 and Runx1 conditional heterozygous have developed mammary tumours,


In the United States and in other countries as well there are a number of government and philanthropic initiatives to help more people, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, enter and succeed in postsecondary education. These initiatives typically involve remedial education (because a significant number of students are academically underprepared) and vocational or occupational education (called Career and Technical Education in the United States) because many students elect an occupational pathway. On the remedial front, policy makers are calling for reform of remedial education, for it has proven to present various barriers to degree completion. On the CTE front, policy makers want more academic work integrated into career courses believed to better prepare students for the demands of the new economy. But both remediation and CTE emerge from and carry with them assumptions about knowledge and learning that limit their effectiveness, and these assumptions are reinforced by institutional structures and status dynamics and by the forces of social class. This article (based on a talk given at the American Educational Research Association) examines these assumptions with the goal of moving beyond them. It also offers some reflection on the research methodology best suited to explore such complex social topics as remediation and occupational education.


The linear dimensions of shish-kebab structures in injection-molded PE with molecular mass 182×10 3 and 478×10 3 were measured using SAXS and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy. It was shown that the structure of the surface layer was generally the same as the structure in the bulk of the sample. However, the dimensions of both the central and side crystallites, as well as the long period, were smaller near the surface than in the bulk. These data indirectly show that the rods of shish-kebabs contain a significant amount of rotational defects; their number decreases with an increase in the molecular mass of the polymer


BACKGROUND
The ultimate goal of the study was to find a role of curcumin in targeting lung cancer stem cells by reducing their self-renewal efficiency causing DNA damage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Circulating lung cancer stem cells were isolated by sphere formation assay and further analysed by flow-cytometry and qRT-PCR for the presence of stem cell and stem cell transcription markers. The IC50 values of gemcitabine and curcumin were analysed by MTT assay, while curcumin induced DNA damage was scrutinized by single cell gel electrophoresis assay.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Our results demonstrated that curcumin significantly affect the self-renewal ability of circulating lung cancer stem cells. The no. of spheres formed in the presence of curcumin was shown to be significantly decreased. Additionally, our results depicted that 4.52±0.72 % and 95.47±0.72 % (p < 0.0001) of DNA material was found to be present in head and tail, respectively, suggesting curcumin's functional potential to cause DNA damage. Thus, we can conclude that curcumin can be used to target lung cancer stem cells which is responsible for the disease progression and metastasis by causing DNA damage or inhibiting their DNA repair mechanisms.


CoNiMo magnetic films were electrodeposited galvanostatically from chloride baths containing either citrate or glycine as additive. The composition, microstructure, morphology, and magnetic properties of the deposits were analyzed and related with the different bath compositions used and the applied current densities. Baths containing citrate and/or at low pH are not suitable conditions to produce magnetic films with reasonably good properties to be used in magnetic devices. Generally, use of glycine in the bath and pH 7 yielded better films. Deposits prepared from glycine containing baths were amorphous, while those deposited from citrate containing baths presented two diffraction peaks related to cobalt HCP: (110) and (002). Crystallite size calculated by Scherrer formula was ∼11 nm. High magnetic saturation values were achieved, ∼1.2 T. Additionally, coercivities as low as 50 Oe were obtained for films prepared using baths containing glycine. Films electrodeposited with the citrate containing baths showed higher coercivity (125 Oe).


An account of the placentae and uteri at a relatively late stage of gestation of four specimens of Pere David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) has already been given by two of us (Harrison & Hamilton, 1952). The appearance and microscopical structure of the placentomes and the remarkable changes found in certain zones of the villi prompted us to look further into the whole question of placentation in other Cervidae which became available. Brief and often incomplete accounts have been given of the placentae of a number of deer by earlier investigators. Weber, as early as 1832, and Bischoff (1854) described the form, and to some extent the structure, of the placenta of the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). Swinhoe (1870) gave an account of reproduction of the Shanghai river deer (Chinese water deer) (Hydropotes inermis) and some details of the placenta of this deer were also given by Ewart (1878). Turner (1878b) described the gravid uterus and foetal membranes of the hog-deer (Cervus porcinus). The amniotic cavity had been opened before it came into Turner's hands and only one of the 'foetal caruncles' was attached to the 'maternal cotyledon'. In the same year Turner (1878 a) gave an account of the foetal membranes after they had been shed by the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). In 1879 Turner described the arrangement of the foetal membranes in the uterus of the Mexican deer (Cervus mexicanus). Beauregard & Boulart (1885), in their note on the placentation of ruminants, referred to the number of 'cotyledons' among the following deer: Panolia frontalis, Cervus porcinus, Cervus elaphus and Rangifer tarandus. These authors were more concerned with the phylogenetic relationship of deer to other ruminants than with a description of the placenta. A brief note on the placenta of Cervus sica was given by the same authors in 1885. Boulart (1888) briefly referred to the placenta of the Mexican deer (Cervus mexicanus). Strahl (1906) and Andresen (1922) have described the placenta of several specimens of the red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Kolster (1909) has described that of Rangifer tarandus in some detail. Brief descriptions of placental details in other Cervidae are included in a valuable review by, Andresen (1927). Harrison & Hyett (1954) have given an account of the growth, changes in form and the gross structure of the foetal and maternal elements of the placentome of the fallow deer (Dama dama) from the time of development of cotyledonary villi until the foetus reached a C.R. length of 40 cm.


Hamilton's principle coupled with the Rayleigh–Ritz technique is used to compute the fundamental frequencies of simply supported thin-walled fiber-reinforced composite cylinders with elliptical cross sections. Owing to the decreased geometric stiffness resulting from less curvature, it is expected that the normal displacement component of the vibratory motion will be larger in the flatter regions of the cross section than that in the more curved regions. Accordingly, in the Rayleigh–Ritz formulation, the normal displacement component of the vibratory motion is modulated with circumferential location to represent this characteristic by using a so-called shape factor. A number of simplifications in the analysis lead to a hierarchy of expressions for the fundamental frequency, including the one termed Lo's approximation. The so-called large and small cylinders, as measured by cylinder circumference and with wall laminates [±θ/0/90]2S and[±θ/0/90]S, respectively, θ in the range of 0 to 90°, are considered. It is demonstrated that the comparisons with finite element calculations are good, particularly for Lo's approximation. Then, parameter studies using Lo's approximation are conducted to illustrate the dependence of the fundamental frequency on fiber angle θ, cross-sectional geometry, cylinder circumference, and cylinder length. It is shown that for cylinders of the same circumference, an elliptical cylinder has a lower fundamental frequency than a circular one and that difference is quantified. However, the dependence of the fundamental frequency on other geometric parameters and fiber angle is much the same for cylinders with elliptical cross sections as for circular cylinders.


The demonstration ofspecific terminal carbohydrate residues of glycoconjugates in histological sections using labeled lectins is a technique widely used in histochemistry for identification of cell populations. One of the major limitations of this method is that the lectin binding sites are often masked by terminal neuraminic acid. It is suggested that these residues can be removed by enzymatic treatment of the tissue sections, and neuraminidase has been used to remove terminal neuraminic acid residues in many situations (1-8,12,15). There is some indication that many of the effects attributed to enzymatic treatment can be achieved by the buffer alone. Schmitz-Moormann (13) showed that when releasing neuraminic acid from sections of human organs by neuraminidase dissolved in buffer, the enzyme-free buffer itself liberated a considerable amount of neuraminic acid. He postulated that, compared to the buffer alone, only very little additional neuraminic acid is set free by neuraminidase. However, his experiments did not involve lectins. The effect of enzyme-free buffer on the unmasking of lectin receptors does not appear to have been tested. Most authors use neuraminidase treatment to remove neuraminic acid residues without testing the enzyme specif icity. In general, investigators describing the specificity of the enzyme reaction do not use enzyme-free buffer as control (1-3,5,7,8,15) or, at least, such controls are not mentioned in the results (4,6,12). To test whether enzyme-free buffer is as effective as neuraminidase in unmasking lectin receptors, we studied the binding of the lectin Dol:chos bijiorus agglutinin (DBA) to various organs of the NMRI mouse before and after neuraminidase treatment. DBA is an excellent marker of various cells in the NMRI mouse (8,9,14). In formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue the blood vessel endothelia of many organs, such as muscle, bone, heart, trachea, salivary glands. pancreas, and kidneys are intensely labeled with DBA, as are the cell membranes of the epithelia in the ductus choledochus and epididymis, the goblet cells of the gut and nasal epithehum, and secreted mucins. Pre-treatment with neuraminidase was performed with Type X neuraminidase from Clostridium perfringens obtained from Sigma (Munich, FRG). Ten units were dissolved in 70 ml sodium acetate buffer, 0.5 M, pH 5.5. The slides were incubated at 37'C overnight, washed in PBS, and Iabeled with the lectin. Parallel experiments were performed using enzymefree buffer. The results were compared with those of direct labeling of tissue sections with any prior incubation. Incubation with neuraminidase or with enzyme-free buffer alone had almost the same effect when compared with lectin labeling ofnon-pre-incubated controls: additional DBA receptors were detected in the blood vessel endothelia ofthe skin, musculature, and thyroid, in the oocytes, and in a group of neurons of the olfactory epithelium. In addition, when tissues were incubated with neuraminidase DBA also labeled the apical cytoplasm of the bronchiolar epithelium. This was the only specific effect ofenzyme pre-treatment observed as compared with treatment with enzyme-free buffer. According to Schmitz-Moormann (13), there are two ways to release neuraminic acid: as sialomucoid by enzyme-free buffer, or as free acid by neuraminidase. We believe that our findings are in contradiction to those of Schmitz-Moormann, because the enzyme-free buffer probably did not release neuraminic acid as sialomucoid. Sialomucoids [mucoid = mucoand their release would probably have led to damage ofthe lectin receptor and loss of lectin binding capacity. This, however, did not happen. The reason why the lectin binding sites in the bronchules are different from the other lectin receptors of the body, i.e., why these sites are specifically unmasked by neuraminidase, is unknown. To answer this question one must examine the molecular biology of lectin receptors. This is the aim of our present investigations. Thus far, statements concerning the specific unmasking oflectin receptors by neuraminidase should be made only after comparison with the effects of the enzyme-free buffer.


In Fanxue area of Ordos Basin, Chang 8 Oil Group has been in the development stage, the current development of more difficult and costly. In this paper, Chang 8 layers in this area are studied by using reservoir sedimentology, logging geology, petroleum geology, petrophysics, 3D reservoir modeling and numerical simulation and laboratory analysis techniques. The reservoir distribution pattern, remaining oil distribution pattern and well pattern optimization provide relevant technical results for the later development and provide guarantee for increasing reserves and production.


Background: The Marma Sharira is one of the most explored parts of Rachana Sharira. The Nila and Manya marma are located in greeva (neck region), 4 in number, vaikalyakara in nature. Traumatic effect on these marma produces mukata or dumbness/ inability to speak, swaravaikrita or hoarseness of voice and rasagrahita or incapacity to perceive taste (hypogeusia or ageusia). Aims and objective: To assess the location and structural composition of Nila and Manya marma. Material and methods: One cadaver was taken for dissection in the P.G. Department of Rachana Sharir, Sri Ganganagar College of Ayurvedic Science and Hospital, Rajasthan. The surrounding area of Nila and Manya marma was dissected and observe the anatomical structures. Discussion: After proper dissection following neurovascular structures were seen common carotid artery (CCA), which was bifurcated into the external and internal carotid artery, vagus nerve, and internal jugular vein (IJV). Injury to Nila and Manya marma can produce mukata or dumbness/ inability to speak, swaravaikrita or hoarseness of voice and rasagrahita or incapacity to the perception of taste (hypogeusia or ageusia). Hypoglossal nerve palsy due to spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection leads to vocal cord paralysis and hoarseness of voice. Conclusion: After a proper analysis of the nature of Nila and manya marma, it can be concluded that Nila marma can be considered the right and left internal jugular vein, and Manya marma as the right and left carotid artery.


2501. Ainsworth Harrison, G. BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND NUTRITION. Journal of Human Evolution. 1985, 14(4):335-340. This paper attempts to assess the distinctive contribution that biological anthropologists can make to human nutritional studies. Two prime areas are identified. One is in holistic ecological investigations, especially those focusing on energy and nutrient flow systems, where the integrative anthropological approach yields a unique view of how human populations interrelate with their environments. The second concerns the analysis of the biological causes and effects of the variability in nutritional health and well-being which exists within populations.


This paper presents a technique that intends to recognize bangla characters from Bangladeshi automobile registration plates. Even though the recognition of characters from registration plates are nothing new but the conditions and circumstances surrounding the recognition process that is going to be discussed in due course of this paper is something i.e. worth looking into. In this paper we are dividing the whole process into three major parts. The first being isolation of the registration plate, the second being the segmentation of each character from the plate and finally recognizing each character. All the results generated in this paper are done with the help of MATLAB.


The present invention relates, in general, to methods developed of diagnosing and monitoring to binding with Zn-a-2-glycoprotein in order to design rational drugs. Zinc-alpha-2-glycoprotein (ZAG) is a secreted protein that is present in most bodily fluids. It is interesting because of its ability to play many important functions in the human body, including fertilization and lipid mobilization. After the discovery of this molecule, during the last 5 decades, various studies have been documented on its structure and functions but still it is considered as a protein with an unknown function. Its expression is regulated by glucocorticoids. Due to its high sequence homology with lipid-mobilizing factor and high expression in cancer cachexia, it is considered as a novel adipokine. On the other hand, its X-ray crystal structure and folding structure is similar to MHC class I antigen-presenting molecule; hence ZAG may have a role in the expression of the immune response and providing defined binding-altered mutants for cellular signaling studies and potential medical application. Spectrofluorimetry and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectroscopy showed that ZAG binds DAUDA with Kdin the micro molar range. This study will examine removal of histidine residue from recombinant ZAG protein by enzymes through Spectrofluorimetry and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectroscopy.


Nearly 30-45 % of new seeds discovered by recent techniques suffer from poor aqueous
solubility. Various techniques, used to enhance the aqueous solubility, are reported to produce
many disadvantages. Solid dispersion technique is widely used to enhance aqueous solubility.
In spite of consciousness in solid dispersions technique, investigators have been able to provide
only few numbers of carriers to the industry. Moreover these carriers are reported to produce
many disadvantages. Therefore, definitely there is need to explore such new carriers. Current
study was undertaken to explore suitability of one such carrier crospovidone as solubility
enhancer. Physical mixtures, kneading mixtures and solid dispersions were prepared by solvent
evaporation technique using piroxicam as model drug. Kneading mixtures at drug carrier ratio
of 1:7 produced maximum solubility. The resulting systems were subjected to solubility analysis
and in vitro dissolution studies, flow properties, X-ray diffraction, Infrared Fourier Transform
Spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry. Kneading mixtures at 1:7 ratio
produced improved flow properties in comparison to pure piroxicam. The % drug dissolved after
5 minutes for PRX: CrosPVP KM 1:7 and pure piroxicam was 26.43 % and 11.49% respectively.
86.57 % of piroxicam was dissolved from PRX: CrosPVP KM 1:7 after 120 minutes. Kneading
mixtures were successfully compressed in tablets having all post compression parameters within
limit in comparison to tablets prepared using MCC or calcium phosphate as diluent. Lower
energy required for dissolution due to change in crystal lattice is responsible for improvement in
solubility of drug.


The intrinsic electron neutrino contamination of the T2K neutrino beam provides the single largest background in the measurement of electron neutrino appearance in T2K. These electron neutrinos can be measured directly in the T2K near detector ND280. Measurements of the intrinsic electron (anti-)neutrino backgrounds from the anti-neutrino running are shown, including details on the event selections and rejection of the large background of muons, photons, protons and pions. The νe and ν ¯ e beam compositions are then extracted and the rescaling parameters of the expected rate of νe and ν ¯ e events are f(νe) = 1.250 ± 0.135(stats.) ± 0.122(syst.) and f ( ν ¯ e ) = 1.142 ± 0.144 ( stats . ) ± 0.132 ( syst . ) respectively.


1Department of Medical Oncology, Centre François Baclesse, Caen, France. 2Department of Medical Oncology, University of Turin Medical School, Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia-Candiolo Cancer Institute (IRCCS), Candiolo (Torino), Italy. Correspondence to: Gloria Mittica MD, Department of Medical Oncology, University of Turin Medical School, Fondazione del Piemonte per l'Oncologia-Candiolo Cancer Institute (IRCCS), Strada Provinciale 142, Km 3,95, 10060 Candiolo (TO), Italy. Phone: +39 011 9933250 – Fax: +39 011 9933275 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com CANCER BREAKING NEWS 2016;4(2):54-58 DOI: 10.19156/cbn.2016.0019 Patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials


The present author suggests a new and generalized distribution function of the nulls on the unit circle in a complex plane corresponding to the roots of the complex polynomial representing the radiation pattern of a linear antenna array of equally spaced point sources. The suggested distribution is of the form ■When the parameters ψ_0 and ξ are chosen suitably, the suggested distribution includes: (1) the uniform end-fire antenna array as a special case, (2) the uniform broadside antenna array as a special case, (3) the Schelkunoff uniform distribution in the range of ψ for a nonuniform end-fire antenna array as a special case, (4) the Dolph-Tchebyscheff optimum distribution for a nonuniform broadside antenna array having number of elements equal to or less than seven as a special case. Computed results show that by means of this suggested distribution function, a better control of the radiation pattern of a nonuniform linear antenna array can be achieved, especially for the purpose of suppressing the first few side-lobes near the main beam, which is very important in certain applications. In this paper explicit expressions for the relative antenna currents have been put in closed forms convenient for calculation and a semigraphical method has been used for all the pattern calculations.


A. PATENT-BASED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IS VALUABLE Intellectual Property is the Key to Innovation During 2003, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) issued an insightful report analyzing the effectiveness of institutional reform projects it had previously funded during the 1990s to ensure the proper functioning of Latin American markets. These projects identified the protection of private intellectual property rights as one of the "key factors" needed to ensure the competitiveness of firms operating within regional markets. (543) "Intellectual property is an asset, and as such, has an economic value. Whoever creates, invents, or designs something can protect that creation by using the legal tools contemplated for that purpose by law. By using those tools, legal recognition of the creative activity can be obtained in the form of an intellectual property 'right' which allows us to protect what we have created and prevent others from exploiting it without our consent" (emphasis added). (544) According to the report, some of these projects focused on reforming and modernizing intellectual property registries to achieve this objective. ... During the 1990s, most of the ... projects in the region aimed to reform and modernize intellectual property registries. They ... charmel[ed] funds for buildings, personnel training courses, the introduction of information technologies and software, and dissemination activities ... These projects have played an important role given that intellectual property registries are components in the system. It is they that are called upon to register patents, trademarks, and industrial designs, analyze applications for new registrations, and keep the records on file" (emphasis added). (545) The report, furthermore, identified innovation as the linchpin and innovation systems as the facilitator of intellectual property creation. "innovation is essential for creating intellectual property. The two basic factors of understanding innovation are: (i) the enterprises themselves as creators and administrators of knowledge; and (ii) the national innovation system, as the provider of the environment and resources to generate this know-how" (emphasis added). (546) Moreover, the report cited the economic benefits that would flow from the various productive uses of innovations protected by intellectual property fights. They include improved brand and market differentiation, acquisition and development of valuable economic assets that may be financially leveraged and increased access to new markets through licensing, franchising, etc. (547 548) Interestingly, the economic freedom and benefits that can be realized by intellectual property owners that have officially 'registered' their legally recognized rights and collateralized or otherwise exploited (e.g., licensed franchised) their legally protected assets, are analogous to those benefits thus far realized by individuals who have officially registered their informal claims to real property throughout Latin America. In this regard, the Government of Brazil should carefully study the successful program of Peruvian economist Hernando De Soto. That program has enabled poor people living in various Latin American countries to secure official registration and recognition of informal title (deeds) to land that they had long occupied, and such ownership has helped them to realize significant economic benefits. (549 550) Lastly, the IADB report concluded that many of the obstacles faced in promoting the value of intellectual property in Latin America do not stem not from any lack of appreciation by the private sector for the legal concepts of intellectual property and private property rights in general. Rather, it found that the failure of governments to coordinate with and enhance the ability of (i.e., to enable) local enterprises and academic institutions tu develop, convert, and commercialize their know-how has effectively, denied them the economic benefits from such ownership. …


Although endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle biopsy is widely applied, there is no clear consensus on the optimal biopsy technique. We described a modified wet suction technique (MWEST) with the aim to compare the efficacy and safety between MWEST and the dry suction technique (DST).


In this paper, the authors describe a simple procedure for blending statistical estimates with expert opinions to produce a forward-looking view of the performance of assets. They discuss the impact of behavioural biases on the views and propose general modelling principles to biases. Standard linear filtering techniques play a leading role in our approach. Filtering blends statistical estimates and expert opinions seamlessly, while opening the way to the application of dynamic portfolio optimisation techniques.


The October 16, 2014 Chinese Supreme People's Court (SPC) decision on Qihoo 360 v. Tencent marked the SPC's first ruling on a matter filed under China's Anti-Monopoly Law (AML). The decision was particularly notable because although the SPC affirmed the decision of Guangdong Province People's High Court (High Court) that Tencent did not have market dominance in the provision of instant messaging (IM) services in China, it differed sharply with the approaches taken by the High Court, particularly with respect to the definition of the relevant markets.


Fu is an important stylistics which has characteristic feature of verse and allusion.The fu creation is very hot in song dynasty.As well as,fu didn't only collect in relevant materials of ancient bibliography.The study of the record of Song fu record in song bibliography is the objective.Discussing the Song fu creation and its record in ancient bibliography,we can find out the expansion of the subject matter in Song fu creation.This situation incarnated the overlapping influence of various subjects and knowledge.They displayed a picture of literary in Song Dynasty.


Prelik D., Gorgievska C.A.,* & Hristovski S. (2009). Spatial variation of beetles (Coleoptera) along an urban-rural gradient in the city of Skopje and its surrounding. Ecol. Prot. Env., Tome 12, No 1/2, 21-30. The aim of this investigation is to determine the impact of urbanization on beetles (Coleoptera) in three different localities (urban -U, suburban -S and rural-R) along an urban-rural gradient in the city of Skopje and its surrounding, as well as to determine the structure of the community. The material was collected monthly, during one year period (07.2004–07.2005), by using pitfall traps placed along transect. Qualitative and quantitative composition as well as seasonal dynamics and spatial variation along the gradient were determined. The presence of fifteen families was registered: Staphylinidae, Tenebrionidae, Carabidae, Curculionidae, Dermestidae, Cantharidae, Chrysomelidae, Coccinelidae, Elateridae, Histeridae, Scarabaeidae, Silphidae, Anthicidae, Lucanidae, Cerambicidae. In total, 9.14 ind./trap were found, from which the most abundant were Carabidae (3.03 ind./trap). Variations of the abundance between different families were noted during the investigation, with highest values in spring-summer period and the lowest in the winter period. Compared by localities, the abundance did not differ significantly, although the suburban locality had the lowest number of individuals.


Background/Aim. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) is one of the most important hospital pathogens. The aim of the study was to evaluate VRE colonization in patients hospitalized at the Hematology Intensive Care Unit, as well as the associated risk factors. Methods. A prospective cohort study involved 70 pa- tients hospitalized at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Clinic for Hematology, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, during 3 months. Baseline demographic data, data about antibiotic usage and other risk factors for VRE colonization during the present and previous hospitalizations (within 6 months) were recorded for each patient using the questionnaire. Feces or rectal swab was collected for culture from patients on admission and at discharge in case when VRE was not isolated on admission. Enterococci were isolated by standard microbiological methods. Isolate sensitivity was tested by disk-diffusion test using 30 �¨ g/mL (BBL) Vancomycin plates ac- cording to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standard. Results. Analysing results showed that 7% of the pa- tients had been already colonized with VRE upon ICU admis- sion. The rate of VRE colonization during present hospitalization was 41.5%. Univariate logistic regression demonstrated the statis- tically significant differences in diagnosis, length of present stay, use of aminoglycosides and piperacillin/tazobactam in present hospitalization, duration of use of carbapenem and piperacil- lin/tazobactam in present hospitalization between the VRE- colonized and non-colonized patients. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), use of carbapenem in previous hospitalization and dura- tion of use of piperacillin/tazobactam in present hospitalization were independent risk factors for VRE-colonized patients ac- cording to multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion. VRE colonization rate was high among the patients admitted to hema- tology ICU. Rational use of antibiotics and active surveillance may be helpful preventive measures against the development of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents.


This paper uses a modified Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm to price simple financial derivatives. We use ants to find the optimum time to exercise an option. Our algorithm searches the solution space to find optimum solution under some user defined constraints. In this preliminary study we show that the modified ACO works in predicting an optimum exercise time of a simple vanilla option.


We show how microscopic modelling techniques such as Cellular Automata linked with detailed geographical information systems (GIS) and meteorological data can be used to efficiently predict the evolution of fire fronts on mountainous and heterogeneous wild forest landscapes. In particular, we present a lattice-based dynamic model that includes various factors, ranging from landscape and earth statistics, attributes of vegetation and wind field data to the humidity of the fuel and the spotting transfer mechanism. We also attempt to model specific fire suppression tactics based on air tanker attacks utilising technical specifications as well as operational capabilities of the aircrafts. We use the detailed model to approximate the dynamics of a large-scale fire that broke out in a region on the west flank of the Greek National Park of Parnitha Mountain in June of 2007. The comparison between the simulation and the actual results showed that the proposed model predicts the fire-spread characteristics in an adequate manner. Finally, we discuss how such a detailed model can be exploited in order to design and develop, in a systematic way, fire risk management policies.


The combined effects of court-imposed school finance equalization and various tax limitation measures in California have created a centralized, state system of school finance. An immediate benefit of centralization was greater revenue equity among the state's school districts. On the other hand, new inequities have been created as decision making on school funding shifted from local districts to the state legislature. Access to decision making, mobilization of political power, and the legitimation of new interests have created a new politics of educational finance. This article examines the political tensions and conflicts that have arisen as a consequence of state control over local finance. Specifically, I argue that categorical funding has become a vehicle for politicians to channel funds to constituent interests. This article examines the growth of categorical funding in relation to the Serrano mandate and the extent to which categorical funds serve narrow political interests as opposed to broad state policy interests.


Crop pests are a permanent threat to horticultural production. Several control methods are recommended for their control, including biological control. This method based on the use of natural enemies is not well established. The objective of this study was to assess the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of crop pests. A survey of crops associated with pests was carried out on 144 fields in southern Senegal to measure the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of various crop pests, determine the native parasitoid complex and assess parasitism rates. Ecological indices were calculated to assess the diversity of natural enemies. A total of 25 natural enemy species were identified, including 15 parasitoids and 10 predators. Predatory Hemiptera and Parasitoid Hymenoptera were high biodiversity. The parasitism rates vary between 0 and 50% depending on the abundance of pests and parasitoid species. Knowledge of the diversity of natural enemies and the understanding of trophic interactions with pests are important in the development of biological crop protection in order to preserve resilience in agroecosystems.


In the present study, a series of 2-(4´-Substitutedanilinosydnon-3´-yl)-1, 3, 4-thiadiazino (6, 5-b) indoles 7a-j have been synthesized. All the synthesized compounds have been characterized by elemental and spectral (I R, 1 H- NMR and Mass) spectrometric analysis. Furthermore, above mentioned compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against selected panel of pathogenic strains. Ampicillin trihydrate, ofloxacin and fluconazole, griseofulvin were used as standard drugs for antibacterial and anifungal activity respectively. Compound 7j was found the most potent one with lesser toxicity in the prepared indole derivatives.


Phonetic evaluation plays an important role in putonghua proficiency test.According to its types and principles,the examiners are required to pass a precise judgement on"accuracy","error"and "defect". [WT5HZ]


In 731 persons seeking COVID-19 testing at a walk-up San Francisco community site in January 2022, simultaneous nasal rapid antigen testing (BinaxNOWTM) and RT-PCR testing was performed. There were 296 (40.5%) positive tests by RT-PCR; 97% of a random sample were the omicron variant. Sensitivity of a single antigen test was 95.2% (95% CI 92-98%); 82.1% (95% CI 77-87%) and 65.2% (95% CI 60-70%) for Ct threshold of < 30, < 35 and no threshold, respectively. A single BinaxNowTM rapid antigen test detected 95% of high viral load omicron cases from nasal specimens. As currently recommended, repeat testing should be done for high- risk persons with an initial negative antigen test result.


This paper provides a review of the evidence regarding the number of illegal aliens living in the United States and the rate of growth of this population. The paper then presents current information on the characteristics and locations of the illegal population together with an assessment of the quality of the information. The research into illegal immigration is reviewed and prospects for the future of illegal immigration are examined.


It is standard teaching in medical research that about one-third of patients show improvement from a placebo. Controlled, double-blind, randomized,


The two syntypes of "X. aenea" from the Montagne herbarium and their corresponding isosyntypes from the Leprieur herbarium were located and studied. All of these specimens are immature, but their stromatal morphology indicates that two different species are involved. One is possibly "X. enterogena", and the other apparently has characters coinciding with the original description of "X. aenea". A lectotype is herein designated. A mature Kew specimen is designated as the epitype to stabilize the application of "X. aenea".


The release of CO₂ in multiple-effect distillers has been barely investigated and less attention has been paid about it. Non-condensable (NC) gases accumulate in condensing zones and reduce the heat transfer for condensation. Even small amounts of NC gases have a significant adverse effect on the condensation heat transfer rate. For predicting the CO₂release rates in MED, the theory of desorption with chemical reaction was applied. The mass transfer processes and the reaction kinetics controlling the CO₂ release were described. In this paper, a mathematical model developed to understand the physical and chemical processes of CO₂ release and carbonate system in multiple-effect distiller.


The politics, strategies and standards of HDTV a digital future for television the market potential for better television systems HDTV, computer graphics and special applications HDTV, film and the cinema experience producing and broadcasting for the new technology markets the business and the technologies of viewing-on-demand wither Japan in the international stakes the far side - the possible and the unimaginable.


The central role of the city in European history has been studied from a vast number of perspectives using multiple methodologies. In the centuries of the old regime, the Spanish Monarchy relied heavily on its cities to govern and control its vast territories in Europe and in the New World. In the second half of the 17th century, the work by Alonso Nuñez de Castro, Solo Madrid es corte, enjoyed great success and was published in several editions. The analysis of this text (in light of the contemporary European political events, of the shifting power balance from the Spanish to the imperial branch of the Habsburg dynasty, and of the new needs related to the problem of the Spanish succession) allows us to suggest some hypotheses for the interpretation of concepts such as 'composite monarchy' and 'polycentric monarchy' that have recently characterized the historiographical debate.


Based on the summary of other s work, a new type turbellarian pipe drainage sandbox mould grit chamber was designed. It can drain the sand coming in the ditch. The results of model and prototype experimentals made known that this type of grit chamber noting for not only the higher drainage sand ratio, the lower water and sand ratio,but also suitable for the economic: inverstment and wide applicable conditions.lt has been spread in Bazhou Area.


Without radical reform we will be vulnerable to future crises and stuck in slow growth for many years, writes Adair Turner


Age and size-at-maturity of Loligo vulgaris from Portuguese waters were evaluated in order to explain its complex population structure, which is strongly influenced by continuous spawning. Age was obtained by increment counting in statoliths. Maturity ogives by age group indicated that males mature one month earlier (at 277 days) than females (at 298 days). Females mature at a ML50% of 17.6 cm, while males mature at smaller sizes. The later, however, showed a high degree of complexity in the size at maturity with evidence of two size at maturity groups. In both sexes, maturity was ultimately found to be primarily dependent on size rather than age. The effect of hatching season on age-at-maturity, size-at-maturity and reproductive investment was analysed by comparing two groups of squid hatched under distinct environmental conditions, namely the temperature during the first 3 months of life, the cold cohort (CC), hatching between December and March and the warm cohort (WC), hatching between May and September. Significant differences were found between cohorts on age-at-maturity, size-at-maturity and reproductive investment, giving indi- cation of the environmental influences on sexual maturity. CC squid mature ca. 2 months later in life than WC squid and at a significantly larger size. The reproductive investment as measured by GSI was higher in the WC squid. Much of the variability in age and size-at-maturity of females in the population was due to differences between cohorts but this was not the case for males.


COVID-19 is the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and is characterized by clinical manifestations ranging from mild, flu-like symptoms, to severe respiratory failure and multi-organ failure. Patients with more severe symptoms may require intensive care treatments and have a high risk of mortality. COVID 19 is characterized by an abnormal inflammatory response similar to a cytokine storm, which is associated with endothelial dysfunction and microvascular complications. To date, no specific treatments are available for COVID-19 and its potentially life-threatening complications.Ozone therapy is the administration of a mixture of ozone and oxygen, or Medical Ozone (MO), which produces a series of benefits capable of counteracting a wide range of pathologies, in use for over a century as an unconventional medicine practice.The use of Ozone therapy with the large auto-hemo-infusion technique could help oxygenate the tissues better, decrease lung inflammation and regulate the immune response, help slow down viral growth, regulate lung circulation and avoid or slow down vascular hypertrophy and consequent hyperemia, especially in the early stages


This paper is attempts to look into the dynamism of the process whereby women empowerment is achieved through legislation or women participation in the Panchayat Raj Institutions.


Six degrees of freedom electromagnetic tracking system is widely used in virtual reality, medical navigation and other fields. In this paper, the principle of electromagnetic tracking system and the electromagnetic theory of the transmitter coil are discussed; the magnetic dipole model of a square coil is established; the relative error between the actual coil and magnetic dipole models is analyzed. Also, a new transmitting and receiving program, driven by square wave, is presented after DC and AC electromagnetic tracking systems being compared; then structure of the said system is introduced in detail. Finally, multiple sets of data are collected to validate the program feasibly.


We examine the ability of CDS contracts written on individual banks to provide market discipline. Changes in CDS spreads are found to represent a robust signal of bank failure, thus providing indirect market discipline. Furthermore, changes in CDS spreads provide information about the condition of banks which supplements that available from equity markets and contained in accounting metrics. Consistent results are detailed for both senior and subordinated CDS spreads. Our results hold for various cohorts, for excess and idiosyncratic changes in CDS and are robust to the use of alternative measures of bank distress, including rating downgrades and accounting risk.


This research project explored how best to embed the use of social web tools in an initial teacher education programme by involving participants in the design process. A mixed-methods approach was used to find out participants' experience of participatory learning using social web tools and interest in learning more about their use in higher education as part of the course. It also sought out participants' preferred ways of learning and levels of interest in giving and receiving peer support. Results indicate that overall many participants have experience of using a range of social web tools as students, professionally or for personal use. The social web tools most participants selected to learn more about were cloud-based software for creating slides and topic curation tools and the least popular choices were video and podcast creation for courses or as assignments for students. Although participants expressed interest in a range of ways of learning, using the technology as part of a session and reading a bi-monthly newsletter were the most popular means. A proposal for introducing social web tools into the programme was made following on from the findings and the activities have been reviewed and adapted as part of an ongoing process.


ABSTRACT In this article, the two-way error component regression model is considered. For the nonhomogenous linear hypothesis testing of regression coefficients, a parametric bootstrap (PB) approach is proposed. Simulation results indicate that the PB test, regardless of the sample sizes, maintains the Type I error rates very well and outperforms the existing generalized variable test, which may far exceed the intended significance level when the sample sizes are small or moderate. Real data examples illustrate the proposed approach work quite satisfactorily.


Water ordering near a negatively charged electrode is one of the decisive factors determining the interactions of an electrode with the surrounding electrolyte solution or tissue. In this work, the generalized Langevin-Bikerman model (Gongadze-Iglič model) taking into account the cavity field and the excluded volume principle is used to calculate the space dependency of ions and water number densities in the vicinity of a highly charged surface. It is shown that for high enough surface charged densities the usual trend of increasing counterion number density towards the charged surface may be completely reversed, i.e. the drop in the counterions number density near the charged surface is predicted.


A Monte Carlo technique for the determination of the intrinsic elements of a broad-band small-signal equivalent circuit (SSEC) of MESFET's (and FET's in general) is described. The values of the different elements are calculated from the Y parameters of the intrinsic MESFET, which are obtained from the Fourier analysis of the device transient response to voltage-step perturbations at the drain and gate electrodes. An accurate estimator of the instantaneous currents at the terminals is used, which guarantees the precision of the method. Three different MESFET geometries have been analyzed. For low drain currents under saturation the intrinsic elements are found to be independent of frequency in the whole range of device operation. This fact validates the technique and the proposed equivalent circuit under these conditions. However, for high drain currents the gate-drain capacitance and the drain conductance depend on frequency due to the appearance of charge-accumulation effects. >


Based on the development and situation of current analog trunking mobile communication system, this paper presents a roaming and interconnecting scheme on the basis of the system in existence and link resources. The link resources's application of this scheme has implemented in the provincial police trunking molile communication system's roaming interconnection of Hunan province, it fully shows the utilization of the current resources, can be economical, practical and in multiple function. This provides a good theoretical basis and implementation method for the implementation of analog trunking mobile communication system's roaming interconnection.


There is an innovative, green foundation technique called energy foundation. The principle is to integrate already required structural elements such as piles with a heat exchanger to extract energy. The technology has been around since the early 1980's but has hardly been used in the Nordic countries. The technique shows great potential as one can achieve synergy by extracting heating in wintertime and cooling in the summertime.This thesis presents the basic principles and mechanisms of energy foundation and an extensive literature review of what has been previously studied in the area. There are few examples in the literature on the problems associated with the changes of geotechnical properties due to energy extraction. Even fewer examples of the buckling problem of driven, slender steel pile. The focus of this thesis has been this change of the geotechnical properties, mainly the shear strength and how this change affects the pile bearing capacity.Because of a lack of original data, several assumptions and experiences has been derived from Tidfors (1987). She subjected different clays to different temperatures and investigated the changes in the various clays's geotechnical properties.In the thesis has two consequences of the use of energy piles been studied in a case study. The two consequences are temperature-induced motion of the pile and buckling problems due to loss of shear strength of the soil. The case study is a recently completed project in Jyvaskyla, Finland, where a commercial building's foundation has been laid on energy piles.The temperature-induced motion of the pile has been investigated analytically by calculation given the conditions in Jyvaskyla. The axial loads arising in the pile did not show the sizes needed to represent a structural problem. However, the phenomenon presents a real problem that must be taken into consideration. It is also difficult to model the problem as it is difficult to determine what kind of restraint the pile got.The buckling problem was also studied analytically by calculation. A typical pile was designed according to current standards with a gradual deterioration and improved of the soils shear strength. The change in the shear strength was based on assumptions corresponding to the results presented by Tidfors (1987). The deterioration of the shear strength did obviously reduce the pile's carrying capacity. Failure by bucklingmode came into play at a reduction of the shear capacity of 50 %.The use of energy foundation results in changes of the soil's geotechnical properties and creates a need to quantify these changes. Furthermore must the consequences by using energy foundation be integrated into the design process so that in the future economically viable usage is possible. By doing so the technology can grow and fulfil its great potential.


N FREUD'S COLLECTION OF ANTIQUITIES, exhibited at the Jewish I Museum in New York in the fall of 1974, there is a Janus-headed figure, one face of which shows Minerva, goddess of wisdom and the intellect, and the other Silenus, the drunken old companion of Dionysus and, hence, an archetype of evil. The two faces looked forward and backward, inside the temple and outward. The temple itself was closed during peace and open during war. It is idle to speculate what meanings Freud may have attached to this head and its possible influence on psychoanalytic theory, but it is obvious that the statue, an example of primary-process condensation in artistic form, has implications of conflict, of guardianship, of inner and outer directedness, and of time-attributes of the human psyche related to the functions of the ego. By my title I am suggesting that the American Psychoanalytic Association has, of necessity, a posture like that of Janus, looking within and surveying the past, but also facing outward and beyond its own confines to appraise external reality. These essentially ego functiqns are but part of the total psychic structure the Association represents for its members. Id impulses, both libidinal and aggressive, affect our ability to live up to a common ego ideal, and our superego functions, discharged in the setting of standards, may vacillate between being too


For the problems that the traditional local SAD algorithm is affected by the central pixels largely and noise easily, this paper puts forward a new Rank-transform stereovision matching algorithm based on window weighted function. Firstly, the traditional nonparametric Rank transformation is used for left and right gray images to suppress the noise; meanwhile, the weighted window function is added to Rank transformation to keep the detail information of the scene as integral as possible; the match based on SAD algorithm is applied in gray space and the second match on the exponent constraint of color difference is applied in color space to remove mistake matching points; finally a dense disparity map can be obtained. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can suppress the noise much better than the traditional SAD algorithm. At the same time, the accuracy rate is nearly improved by 5.6%.


The Annual Student Evaluation Case Competition of the Canadian Evaluation Society (CES) has gained widespread interest since its inception in 1996, growing from 2 participating teams in 1996 to 15 teams in 2002 representing several regions and academic disciplines in Canada. The primary goals of the Student Evaluation Case Competition were originally to provide students with a challenging learning experience to promote professional development for entrants to the evaluation field and raise the profile of evaluation within academic institutions. However, it soon became apparent that the competition had far-reaching benefits, including assisting underfunded agencies and organizations with evaluation needs. This article will illustrate the contribution that the Student Case Competition can make to agencies with evaluation needs by describing the experience of Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services (Ottawa, Ontario) whose Gambling Treatment Program was used as the case in the qualifying round of the 1998 competition.


We consider the problem of data race prediction where the program's behavior is represented by a trace. A trace is a sequence of program events recorded during the execution of the program. We employ the schedulable happens-before relation to characterize all pairs of events that are in a race for the schedule as manifested in the trace. Compared to the classic happens-before relation, the schedulable happens-before relations properly takes care of write-read dependencies and thus avoids false positives. The challenge is to efficiently identify all (schedulable) data race pairs. We present a refined linear time vector clock algorithm to predict many of the schedulable data race pairs. We introduce a quadratic time post-processing algorithm to predict all remaining data race pairs. This improves the state of the art in the area and our experiments show that our approach scales to real-world examples. Thus, the user can systematically examine and fix all program locations that are in a race for a particular schedule.


As with most large manufacturing industries, by-product materials are generated. Cement kiln dust is a by - product material of cement manufacturing process. The aim of this paper is to investigate the properties of foamed paste made of CKD in addition of different percentages of cement. Compressive strength and thermal conductivity were determined. Sixty three cubes in three groups with different densities, amount of cement, CKD, water and foaming agent were cast. The results were encourage to use the Foamed( Cement kiln dust – cement) Paste (FCKDC) as an insulation materials. The results indicates' a comparable value for thermal conductivity which vary from (0.074-0.3) W/mk.


The photochemistry of the complexes trans-trans monohydrido-bridged [(PEt 3 ) 2 HPt(μ-H)PtH(PEt 3 ) 2 ][BPh 4 ] (1) and trans-cis dihydrido-bridged [(PEt 3 ) 2 HPt(μ-H) 2 Pt(PEt 3 ) 2 ][BPh 4 ] (2) is reported. Photolysis of 1 and 2 using 334-nm light occurs with good quantum yields to give trans-[PtH 2 (PEt 3 ) 2 ] and trans-[PtH(S)(PEt 3 ) 2 ] + (S=solvent, e.g. acetonitrile). Photoproducts are highly reactive and undergo a multiplicity of reactions depending upon experimental conditions. Evidence of H 2 elimination, photoinduced insertion of CO 2 into the Pt-H bond and abstraction of Cl from chlorocarbon solvents is reported


Sound pollution has been a major challenge in both the developed and the developing nations and demand serious attention to check the health hazards, just as is the case of radiation studies. The effort is a drift from the urban noise to the rural oil and gas producing communities of Nigeria, taking Oil Mining Lease II as a case study. The communities cover Ebukuna, AmaUbulom, Amajob, Ama-Ngerenkpon, Agbalama, Otako, Okoloile, Ama-Friday, Otu-Ogon and Ngo town, in the other of 1 to 10 respectively. The communities have a noise range of 44.49dBA to 63.60dBA, with Ebukuna ranking highest and Otako lowest. This is indicative that the Oil and Gas industrial activities do not have adverse noise effect from delivery pipes. The participatory investigation shows severity from oil spills, which has left the creeks barren and caused migration of the citizenry across the shores of Nigeria and West Africa for green fishing. A complementary research results of the radionuclide contents of 40k (Bq/l), Ra(Bq/L)m show the values twice above the recommended standard by WHO in table 2, which is indicative of the Oil spill impact in the region and transport from Ogoni spill down to Andoni (Obolo) as the ultimate sink. The UNSCEAR of the bottom sediment is even much higher Keywords— Radiation, Sound Pollution


Objectives. The aim of the present study was to describe the effects of different types of cold exposures on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) and to test how these cold-induced effects are modulated by antihypertensive drugs representing different kind of mechanisms of action.


A key goal of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) physics programme is to reveal the properties of the electroweak symmetry breaking (EWSB) sector in Nature. The ATLAS and CMS data from the 7 and 8 TeV runs of LHC show that the properties of the newly discovered Higgs particle are compatible with those expected for the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson h. Yet, it still needs to be determined whether the scalar sector consists of one SU(2)L doublet or has a richer structure, with additional states. A particularly appealing feature of extensions of the SM scalar sector, like Two-Higgs-Doublet-Models (2HDMs), is that they could successfully explain the generation of the cosmic matter-antimatter asymmetry via Electroweak Baryogenesis [1]. A key requirement in this context is that the Electroweak Phase Transition (EWPT) in the early Universe be strongly first order, which for the SM with a mh = 125 GeV Higgs is not the case [2]. Here we review the results of [3], showing that the characteristic signature of a strongly first order EWPT in 2HDMs is the decay A0 ! ZH0 , and analyzing its promising search prospects at the 14 TeV run of LHC (� �)/� =


The following result gives the answer to the question of whether for a fixed number of groups u and fixed block size k a group divisible t‐design of group type mu with block size k and index one exists for sufficiently large m if the necessary arithmetic conditions are satisfied. Let k and u be positive integers, t≤k≤u . Then there exists an integer m0=m0(t,k,u) such that there exists a group divisible t‐design of group type mu with block size k and index one for any integer m≥m0 satisfying the necessary arithmetic conditions mt−iu−it−i≡0modk−it−iThe u=k case of this theorem gives an existence theorem for transversal t‐designs of large order, which was previously proved by J. L. Blanchard in an unpublished manuscript.


ABSTRACT Since the advent of the World Wide Web, online media archives have changed their audience from a restricted number of professionals and amateurs to the general public. This shift is not without consequences: if, on the one side, it represents an important opportunity for archives to engage in a dialogue with a larger audience, on the other side, it advocates novel forms of access that go beyond the highly specialized models underlying traditional access tools. In this paper, we propose to use 3-D graphics for designing novel tools of exploratory search in cultural heritage archives. Our approach has been deployed as an online virtual environment where the user can navigate the meaning relations over the items in the archive. Targeted at cultural heritage, the application, called Labyrinth 3D, relies on the use of cultural archetypes to inform the conceptualization of the archive and the creation of the virtual environment, with the goal of engaging the user in the exploration of the archive through the creation of personal paths.


Clustering sensors nodes as the basic of routing is an efficient mechanism for prolonging the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. In this paper, the high-efficient multilevel clustering is abstracted as a root tree which has the performances of the minimal relay set and the maximal weight according to graph theory. A mathematical model for the clustering virtual backbone is built. Based on the model, an algorithm called energy-aware multilevel clustering (EAMC) is proposed. The EAMC can reduce the number of relays used for data transmission by minimizing the amount of the nodes in the root tree (that is cluster-head). Furthermore, the algorithm combining with periodical rotation of cluster-heads, enable the energy load be evenly distributed among all the sensors in the network. The maintenance and update for EAMC algorithm is also presented in this paper. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approaches significantly increase the lifetime of the sensor network.


This paper deals with the simulation of the curing distortion of unsymmetrical composite laminates.The finite element analysis method was used to predict the curing deformations of unsymmetrical 3234/T300 composite laminates with various sizes,ply sequence and thickness.And the unsymmetrical 5224/T300 composite laminates was chose to demonstrate this simulation method.The results indicate that the simulation results of unsymmetrical 3234/T300 composite laminates are in good agreement with the experiments,and the predictions can reflect the effect of parameters on the deformation.The validity of the simulation method was testified by the results of the unsymmetrical 5224/T300 composite laminates.


This article reports the results of an inventory of the vascular plants from the Love Valley Wildlife Management Area in south-central Oklahoma. Three hundred sixtyeight species of vascular plants in 258 genera and 86 families were collected. The most species were collected from the families Asteraceae (54), Poaceae (47), and Fabaceae (35). One hundred six species were annuals, and 241 were perennials. Sixty-nine species of woody plants were present. Thirty-one exotic species were collected representing 8.6% of the flora. One species tracked by the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory was found. This study reports 162 species previously not documented in Love County. © 2004 Oklahoma Academy of Science


Interpretation of ultrasonic sounds emitted by bats during the search phase can provide information on their taxonomic identity and allow us to understand better how the species make habitat use, allowing monitoring. Objective : Eight spectral parameters are described from analysis of ten phase echolocation pulses emitted by the search lanceolate greater bat Phyllostomus hastatus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in this study. Methodology : Records are obtained by flight line and enclosed space inside recording booth. They displayed sonograms were obtained from two software SonoBat 2.2 for two males. Results : Obtained consensus between all registered, with the average values and the standard deviation between the spectral parameters reported by the two individuals tested; subsequently, these values are compared, under some constraints, so for P. hastatus reported by Baker (1977) and Santos (2003). Conclusions : The sonograms in both open and closed space space, comprising pulses whose minimum frequency (Fmin/Lof) covers ranges between 30-35 kHz and 45-53 kHz maximum between. The main harmonic reported from the open space comprise a range of 42-50 kHz and 38-45 kHz in enclosed space; these findings are consistent with those reported by Baker (1977) and Santos (2003).


Multiple Instance Learning (MIL), a powerful strategy for weakly supervised learning, is able to perform various prediction tasks on gigapixel Whole Slide Images (WSIs). However, the tens of thousands of patches in WSIs usually incur a vast computational burden for image augmentation, limiting the MIL model's improvement in performance. Currently, the feature augmentation-based MIL framework is a promising solution, while existing methods such as Mixup often produce unrealistic features. To explore a more efficient and practical augmentation method, we introduce the Diffusion Model (DM) into MIL for the first time and propose a feature augmentation framework called AugDiff. Specifically, we employ the generation diversity of DM to improve the quality of feature augmentation and the step-by-step generation property to control the retention of semantic information. We conduct extensive experiments over three distinct cancer datasets, two different feature extractors, and three prevalent MIL algorithms to evaluate the performance of AugDiff. Ablation study and visualization further verify the effectiveness. Moreover, we highlight AugDiff's higher-quality augmented feature over image augmentation and its superiority over self-supervised learning. The generalization over external datasets indicates its broader applications.


A Moodle-based flipped classroom model was constructed for college English vocabulary instruction in the present study. Based on the model,18-week teaching practice was undertaken to investigate how different teaching models influence the development of different-proficiency-level learners' vocabulary knowledge. It has indicated that in flipped classroom setting,intermediate and advanced subjects' acquisition rate of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge is significantly higher than those under traditional vocabulary teaching model, while primary subjects' acquisition rate is a little higher than those under traditional model,but not significantly. It suggests the flipped classroom model and the set of micro videos involved in the study are more applicable to intermediate and advanced EFL learners. The findings will direct more scholars' attention into individualized instruction.


Background COPD patients undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) show various responses. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms and predictors of the response to PR in COPD patients. Methods Thirty-six stable COPD patients underwent PR including a 4-week high-intensity exercise training program, and they were evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. All patients (mean age 69 years, severe and very severe COPD 94%) were classified into four groups by whether the exercise time (Tex) or the peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2) increased after PR: two factors increased (both the Tex and the peak V˙O2 increased); two factors decreased; time only increased (the Tex increased, but the peak V˙O2 economized); and V˙O2 only increased (the Tex decreased, but the peak V˙O2 increased). Within all patients, the relationships between baseline variables and the post-to-pre-change ratio of the time–slope, Tex/(peak minus resting V˙O2), were investigated. Results Compared with the two factors increased group (n=11), in the time only increased group (n=18), the mean differences from pre-PR at peak exercise in 1) minute ventilation (V˙E) (P=0.004), V˙O2 (P<0.0001), and carbon dioxide output (V˙CO2) (P<0.0001) were lower, 2) V˙E/ V˙O2 (P=0.034) and V˙E/ V˙CO2 (P=0.006) were higher, and 3) the dead space/tidal volume ratio (VD/VT) and the dyspnea level were similar. After PR, there was no significant difference in the ratio of the observed peak heart rate (HR) to the predicted peak HR (220 – age [years]) between the two groups. A significant negative correlation with the baseline time–slope (r=−0.496, P=0.002) and a positive correlation with the baseline body mass index (BMI) (r=0.496, P=0.002) were obtained. Conclusions PR in COPD patients improves Tex rather than exercise tolerance, economizing oxygen requirements, resulting in reduced ventilatory requirements without cardiac loads followed by reduced exertional dyspnea. In addition, the time–slope and BMI could be used to predict PR responses beforehand.


Abstract Both old-line and emerging professional associations have come to take the making and promulgation of codes of ethics to be a virtual requirement. Rather than focusing on the making of these codes, this article considers their implementation. In most cases, although honored, their implementation is left to depend chiefly on the moral strength of the individual member. This situation implies that moral heroism is what is needed if we are to have professions with working ethics codes. But moral heroism is too thin a reed on which to base the increasing amount of commercial and governmental work delegated to professionals in our society. Here it is argued that the time has arrived to look closely at the making of moral support systems to include positive and negative sanctions. With such systems professionals, from the initiate to the seasoned member, would know how their peers come to their aid whenever the code meets the road—when trouble has struck and standards are about to be corrupted or need to be defended. This article considers some examples of this concept, looks at objections briefly, and concludes that the consequences of systemic, organizational corruption of standards are too vast to rely only on moral heroism for implementation of codes; a system of sanctions is needed.


A sensitive and highly selective technique was developed for oscillopolarographic determination of titanium(IV) with a detection limit of 1.5 x 10 -7 M in pig irons and alloys of nonferrous metals in the form of a complex with Pyrocatechol Violet and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in the presence of potassium chlorate.


Objective: The pathogenesis of chronic rhinosinusitis is still unclear. A variety of factors are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic paranasal sinusitis. We sought to identify the phenotypes of chronic paranasal sinusitis patients by means of a cluster analysis. Method: We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from April 2007 to March 2008 in a multicenter study involving 5 hospitals. Results: The cluster analysis yielded 6 phenotypes: Cluster 1(n = 102), low blood and tissue eosinophil counts; Cluster 2 (n = 118), slightly increased blood and tissue eosinophil counts, but higher CT polyp score than in Cluster 1; Cluster 3 (n = 84), moderately elevated IgE level and high blood eosinophil counts, but mild increase in tissue eosinophil counts, and common aspirin-tolerant asthma as comorbidity; Cluster 4 (n = 69), extremely high tissue eosinophil counts, but mild blood eosinophil increase; Cluster 5 (n = 20), hyperimmunoglobulinemia E and specific IgE antibodies to fungi and house dust mites; Cluster 6 (n = 6), all aspirin-intolerant. Conclusion: Chronic rhinosinusitis was classified into 6 phenotypes according to the eosinophil, IgE, asthma, and nasal polyp findings. The pathogenesis of chronic paranasal sinusitis needs to be further investigated by including cases of recurrent disease.


Abstract This paper defines electronic data interchange (EDI) in terms of its derivation from the wider group of strategic, interorganizational information systems. It discusses the topic from two viewpoints: the nature and derivation of EDI systems and the issues involved in integrating EDI systems into existing organizations, at both the technical and structural levels. The paper approaches the problem with an introduction to the concept of strategic information systems and then discusses the particular importance of interorganizational information systems (IOS). The literature pertaining to EDI is introduced, together with a discussion of EDI's historical development and the benefits it offers to implementing organizations. As an interorganizational information system, EDI is differentiated on the basis of its essentially cooperative role and EDI system integration issues are divided into the technical and organizational.


It is known the single transverse spin asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering can be factorized by a twist-3 distribution function $T_F$, which contains a gluon field strength tensor. With transverse gluon included in the power expansion, we find the gluon field strength tensor can be recovered definitely in soft-gluon-pole contribution at leading order of $\alpha_s$ expansion. This conclusion holds in Feynman and light-cone gauges.


This article examines the social and cultural relations that take place in surfing communities on the Mexican side of the border with the United States. Through ethnographic work with surfers from Northern Baja California, we identified different cross-border processes encouraged by this lifestyle sport: the formation of binational surfing communities, commodity circulation, localism, territorial disputes, and shared environmental problems. We point out that surfing on the border creates a system of affinities and rivalries based on the identity and nationalism, marked by the inequality and asymmetry between these two countries. This article also addresses the transnational cooperation and political actions undertaken to protect the oceans and beaches enjoyed by surfers in this border region.


Abstract Adhesive bonding of aluminium alloys has been investigated due to its growing importance in aeronautic, aerospace, and automotive industries. This paper examines the influences of two pretreatments, alkaline etching and acid pickling, applied singly or in combination with phosphoric acid anodizing on the mechanical behavior of adhesive bonded 2024-T3 aluminium alloy joints, before and after aging by water immersion. The aim of the present study is to investigate the nature of the oxide formed on the aluminium-copper alloy with different surface pretreatments/phosphoric acid anodizing, to analyze the influence of surface features in the durability of bonded joints, the interactions between the oxide and the adhesive, and the influence of water on the mechanical properties of the bulk adhesive, and to understand the phenomena responsible for the degradation of bonded joints.


Abstract Eleven young indigenous sheep and 11 goats in an extensive rangeland were kept virtually tick free for six months with a long acting synthetic pyrethroid 'pour‐on' formulation. Their performance in terms of liveweight gain (LWG) was compared with an untreated group. All animals in the trial were intensively dewormed. The total LWG in sheep was 0–7 kg and in goats 0·8 kg greater than the control groups (P = 1·0), despite the significantly different tick numbers they were carrying. Tick control did not increase productivity. The 'pour‐on' ectoparasiticide was a more economical and effective method than dipping. However, the results do not suggest any economic need for tick control on indigenous small ruminants in this environment.


The inversion model of temperature-time depending on apatite fission track(AFT) can reconstruct 4-D dynamical uplift and exhumation history in sedimentary basins.The inversion of 93 AFT samples indicates that there has been a regional episodic cooling(110℃) since Late Cretaceous in Sichuan Basin.Sichuan Basin was quickly uplifted and exhumed during Late Cretaceous(~65 Ma B.P.) and Neogene(23 Ma B.P.~),but did slowly during Paleogene.The exhumation thickness in Sichuan Basin is generally more than 2.5 km since Late Cretaceous,while more than 1 km in Neogene.Comparing with 31 inversion and Easy-Ro(vitrinite reflectance) corrected data of erosion from Ro,this paper compiles the isopach map of the exhumation thickness during Neogene and since Late Cretaceous in Sichuan Basin.The total exhumation thickness has spread through NE-SW strike since Late Cretaceous,but E-W strike in Neogene.There has been a change of the tectonic background from Late Cretaceous to Neogene,resulting in multistage uplift and exhumation in Sichuan basin.There is a close relationship between the distribution of large to medium-sized oil and gas fields and the lower surface erosion thickness in Sichuan Basin.


OLED‐on‐silicon microdisplays represent a new generation of microdisplay technology built on conventional integrated circuits. OLEDs‐on‐silicon offers significant benefits to the realization of active matrix microdisplays for a number of commercial and industrial applications. This paper reviews the design, fabrication and characterization of a full color 852 × 600 active matrix OLED‐on‐silicon microdisplay.


Background: Aim was to study whether sonohysterosalpingography (sono HSG) can be used for tubal and uterine assessment in primary and secondary infertility instead of invasive methods like diagnostic largo-hysteroscopy (DLH).
Methods: This was prospective interventional study. This study conducted at Obstetrics and gynecology Department, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College Meerut, India in infertile women. Bilateral tubal patency and various uterine pathologies were first evaluated by sono HSG followed by DLH. The results were compared.
Results: Sono HSG was found to be sensitive and highly specific in diagnosing tubal/uterine factors with a sensitivity of 86.6%/58.33% and specificity of 80%/97.22%. The positive and negative predictive values were 92%/93.33% and 66%/77.78%.
Conclusions: Thus transvaginal sono HSG with its accuracy and safety, is a promising screening and diagnostic technique in the evaluation of tubal patency on an ambulatory basis. In the future, it can replace the hysterosalpingography.


In all Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) land reform has been a key part of the overall agrarian reforms and land reform procedures differ significantly among CEECs. This paper, by focusing on distributional effects and political economy implications, explains why thirteen CEEC governments chose particular reform procedures. Key factors in their choices are the history of the land ownership, including the post‐collectivization ownership status, length of Communist rule, the ethnicity of pre‐collectivization owners, and the equality of pre‐collectivization asset distribution. These factors influence the distributional consequences of the land reform, including the (potential) conflicts between efficiency, social equity, and historical justice, and thus the political economy equilibrium.


Airborne scattering media, such as fog, obstructs imaging by destroying the one-to-one object to image mapping relationship through a multiple scattering process. Existing research in this area is predicated on developing methods to image despite this scattering media, and relatively little attention has been paid to the reverse imaging goal—of using scattering media to intentionally obstruct imaging in a controlled manner. In this work we are investigating how a plume of engineered aerosol can create an asymmetric vision environment— in which ease of imaging tasks are dependent on view direction. Surprisingly, the principle of electromagnetic reciprocity does not appear to preclude such an outcome. Our approach uses engineered asymmetrically scattering aerosol particles under real-time acoustic alignment. In this talk, I will share our initial work to develop an understanding of the optical effects of asymmetric single-particle scattering and how multiple scatterings from an aligned array of such particles translates into degradation of real-world imaging capabilities.


The total hybrid launch system, HLS, including payloads, vehicles, ground facilities and operations needs to be designed to decrease turnaround time and costs. A discrete -event simulation was developed and trades were performed to investigate the impact of vehicle and ground facility configurations on manning and turnaround time. HLS vehicle configurations inv estigated included boost -back and fly -back boosters. Vehicle and ground facilities were laid out with sufficient detail to highlight critical interface issues. This study has helped to identify responsive, low cost system options, and has shown that some v ehicle design options have major impacts on ground facilities and operations.


The X-ray Structure of Silybin from Silybum marianum Gaertn. was determined. The compound was found to be a diastereomeric mixture (1:1) in the benzodioxane part of the molecule explaining several tentative aspects about the structure known from NMR-measurements and HPLC-separations.


ABSTRACT In this paper we reflect on the challenges of engaging in social justice work within elite schools. Drawing on experiences collaborating with an elite school in a justice-oriented research project, we consider the theoretical resources that informed this work. We demonstrate how Freire's work has been critical in forming the kind of relations that acknowledge and benefit from multiple perspectives. Other conceptual frameworks are then considered, which may facilitate the further embedding and extension of social justice work. We conclude by proposing that Fraser's work offers the necessary tools for this, but emphasise the importance of hope and persistence.


Florfenicol,with novel-broad-spectrum, has been used in aquaculture since early 1990's. In 1990, this medicine was firstly put on market in Japan for curing the diseases of pasteurellosis and streptococcosis in Swriola lalandei, Pagrosomus major, Oncorhynchus kisutch, Trachurus japonicus, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Plecoglossus altivelis, tilapia and eel. Afterwards, this medicine was authorized to market for specific fish diseases in Korea, Norway, Chile, Canada and Britain. In China, florfenicol was authorized as the new veterinary drug and can be used in aquaculture for treatment of Adward's disease and red fin disease in eel. In this paper, the advance of research on security of florfenicol used in aquaculture was outlined emphatically. In addition, the market status, pharmacodynamics, and determination of residues of florfenciol were reviewed. The purpose of this study is to provide a scientific advice for the use of this medicine in aquaculture, especially in China.


Phillips Petroleum has developed what it believes is a likely scenario for the March 27 blast at its Houston chemical complex in Pasadena, Texas, that killed one worker and injured 69 at final count (C&EN, April 3, page 11). The company has been focusing on a storage tank involved in the blast within its styrene-butadiene copolymer, or K-resin, plant The Occupational Safety & Health Administration is still conducting its own investigation. 'The most plausible scenario at this point is that a dry butadiene tank—taken offline, believed to be empty, and in purge mode—had sufficient 'popcorn' (residual butadiene) polymer and butadiene in the tank to react," says the complex's general manager, Jim Ross. Phillips also believes that the polymer may have plugged the purge lines. "Under those circumstances, it appears that a reaction of residual polymer and butadiene could provide enough heat to overpressur[ize] the vessel, resulting in vessel failure." The company has presented its ...


The index case was referred at 25 weeks to another center because of severe oligohydramnios. Post amnioinfusion, female external genitalia, dolichocephaly, renal agenesis (inferred from absent bladder filling), and severe IUGR led the perinatologist to suggest elective termination. Postmortem, dysmorphologic evaluation revealed dolichocephaly, asymmetric IUGR, a significant nuchal cyst, downward-slanting palpebral fissures, missing 5th ulnar ray of one hand with ulnar deviation of metacarpals, toes "cupped" dorsally, 1st and 5th (and 6th of one foot) most dorsal, female external genitalia, clitoris mildly prominent. Internal examination revealed no cerebral gyrae, bilateral unilobular lungs, membranous VSD, discoid adrenals, renal agenesis, phenotypic "ovaries" unusual in placement—high and attached to lateral pelvic wall, uterus and fallopian tubes absent. Karyotype revealed 46,XY. In spite of the rare and possibly unique occurrence of oligodactyly (absent 5th finger), a clinical diagnosis of SLO was made, and the family counseled. They elected to have detailed ultrasonography in the next pregnancy. At 10 weeks gestation both kidneys were visualized, nuchal cyst was not present, and normal growth documented. At 11 w3d, 20 digits were counted, and ultrasound at 13 weeks revealed a normal number of phalanges in both hands and feet. Gas chromatography from a formalin-fixed specimen from their affected fetus revealed 7-dehydrocholesterol /Cholesterol ratio percent of 443, a markedly increased ratio of 7-dehydrocholesterol to cholesterol, consistent with the diagnosis of SLO. Normal appearing male genitalia were seen at 16 weeks; triple screen drawn then revealed a uE3 level of 0.64 ng/ml, 0.85 MOM. In the Baltimore experience, no affected fetus has had a uE3 higher than 0.65 MOM, and the more severe cases had significantly lower MOM values. The patient subsequently delivered a healthy male infant. The early ultrasound evaluation greatly alleviated the patient's level of anxiety.


Using a transformation of the autoregressive distributed lag model due to Bewley, a novel pooled Bewley (PB) estimator of long-run coefficients for dynamic panels with heterogeneous short-run dynamics is proposed. The PB estimator is directly comparable to the widely used Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator, and is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal. Monte Carlo simulations show good small sample performance of PB compared to the existing estimators in the literature, namely PMG, panel dynamic OLS (PDOLS), and panel fully-modified OLS (FMOLS). Application of two bias-correction methods and a bootstrapping of critical values to conduct inference robust to cross-sectional dependence of errors are also considered. The utility of the PB estimator is illustrated in an empirical application to the aggregate consumption function.


In a compatible pollination in Crocus , pollen tube tips enter the stigma papillae after the enzymic erosion of the cuticle, and the tubes continue downward growth towards the ovary between the cuticle and the underlying pectocellulosic wall. The cuticle of the receptive zone of the stigma papilla is chambered, the chambers containing a secretion accumulated during the maturation of the stigma. Pollen exudates contain various acid hydrolases, but are incapable alone of eroding stigma cutin. Furthermore, there is no penetration when the proteins of the wall-held stigma secretions are degraded enzymically. These facts are taken to indicate that the pollen contributes a 'cutinase' precursor which is activated by a factor or factors held in the stigma secretion. Pollens of certain Cruciferae produce tubes capable of penetrating the Crocus stigma cuticle, suggesting that notwithstanding the taxonomie remoteness of Cruciferae and Iridaceae the enzyme activation systems are quite similar.


The report provides a concise and comprehensive review of available data on past demographic trends in the region and combines this analysis with expert opinion on alternative future demographic trends (as described in Lutz, 1996) to calculate likely ranges of future population growth. A very important and innovative feature of this study is that it explicitly includes the educational status of the population in its projections. This is done by multistate population projections, a method that largely originated at IIASA. Educational projections are an important task in themselves because education, as the major component of human capital, is a key factor in national development and in society's ability to cope with arising problems. But the projection of education is also particularly suitable for the demographic cohort-component method because it is the past and the present school enrollment of the young cohorts that largely determines the future educational composition of the population. It turns out that, due to the large educational fertility differentials and the inter-cohort differences in education in the countries of North Africa, an explicit inclusion of education in projections makes the population projections more accurate. The study is not only relevant for the North African region and its neighbors; it also demonstrates that generally it is feasible and very useful to explicitly include education in population projections.


The author shows a discrepancy in understanding of the need for government regulation of the media in a democratic society so as to all political forces and all organizations that represent them have equal rights of access to the information space, which they almost could implement. It is important that the media fulfi ll their basic social functions, promote the consolidation of society to solve the socio-economic and other problems, which form the basic policy. The author also notes that the government should provide citizens with equal opportunities in the informational fi eld, to reduce the impact of authority and commercial structures on the media for the purpose that the press would be primarily controlled by the civil society.